Ads

Classmate wa Isekai de Yuusha ni Natta kedo, Ore dake Gendai Nihon ni Okizari ni Narimashita - Chapter 44

on

Chapter 44: The School Camping Trip Begins (5)

—Side ???

He was starving.

He hadn’t been able to find any of the nuts he usually relied on. In desperation, he tried to fill his belly with insects—bees, grubs, anything he could find crawling in the dirt. But even that had its limits.

Then, one day, a group of humans passed right by the edge of his territory.

The elders of his kind had always warned that humans were extremely dangerous and to be avoided at all costs.

But to him, they looked far weaker than his own kind—easy prey.

So, naturally—

He licked his lips and silently crept into the brush, his massive, black-furred body hidden among the trees.

—Completely unaware that his every move was already being watched.

Side: Osamu Iori

“...A black bear, huh?”

Through the eyes of the animal-shaped familiar I’d summoned with Water Magic, I confirmed the identity of our "threat."

It wasn’t a youma or any other kind of supernatural being. Just an ordinary bear.

It wasn’t powerful enough to require serious combat effort. Still, if I ignored it, there was no doubt someone would get hurt.

[Appraisal] had revealed something disturbing: the bear wasn’t afraid of humans—it saw them as prey.

If it happened to come across any students—during the hike or while setting up for the test of courage later tonight—it would attack without hesitation.

Then the only thing to do was—

『…Grruh?』

I stepped out into the open, feigning vulnerability, and stood right in its path.

The bear, thinking its meal had walked right up to it, licked its lips with a long tongue and lumbered toward me.

And then—

(Water Magic.)

『GRAAA!?』

Just as the bear closed the distance between us—Boom! A sharp, cracking sound exploded at its feet. The creature flinched and tried to bolt away.

But I had no intention of letting it go just yet.

『Graa!?』

As it backed away, another explosion echoed from behind.

Panicked, it turned right to escape—only for another bang to sound. It swerved left—only to be met with yet another deafening crack.

The bear was now completely overwhelmed with fear, surrounded on all sides by invisible floating water spheres—each one rigged to explode on contact with a loud pop and spray a liquid with the same effect as pepper spray.

I’d read an article online once about a certain prefecture using firecrackers and pepper spray to scare off captured bears, discouraging them from approaching populated areas again.

These floating orbs—Bursting Spheres—were my magical spin on that idea.

(That should do it.)

I picked up a fallen tree branch, reinforced it with Freezing Magic to make it sturdier, and slammed it into the ground with all my strength.

“Now you see how terrifying humans can be! If you get it, then leave! This isn’t a place for you!”

I shouted as loudly as I could, and with that, I dispelled the spheres blocking the bear’s original path—giving it a clear escape route.

The bear stared at me for a moment—then, whimpering, turned tail and sprinted off at full speed.

“[Appraisal]!”

Target: Unnamed Asiatic Black Bear — Age: 6
Condition: Mentally distressed
Notes: Exhibiting strong fear response toward humans

Breathing a sigh of relief, I confirmed its state through the eyes of a Water Magic-generated bird I’d sent out to track it.

Even with my level and stats, facing a wild animal with intent to kill was no joke. But this outcome avoided the worst-case scenario.

Judging from how terrified it looked, it wouldn’t be showing its face again—at least not while we were still on this trip.

Still, I couldn’t just leave things at that. I’d need to report a "possible bear sighting" to one of the mountain guides accompanying us, maybe cook up a believable reason.

I should also send Alicia a quick update.

Yeah—this should be fine now.

That was the thought on my mind as I prepared to cast Teleportation Magic and return to my group—

When—

“...Hm?”

I felt something solid under my hiking boot.

Looking down, I saw what appeared to be a shattered stone monument—cracked clean in two, with a gaping hole through the center.

The surface was etched with text, but time had worn it so badly that it was now completely illegible.

"[Appraisal]."

Target: Memorial Stone
Condition: Severely deteriorated due to age and blunt force damage
Notes: Built by local farmers 450 years ago to honor a fallen samurai and princess who died in this region

...Could this be related to the Cursed Sword legend Kuon mentioned?

(Better take a picture just in case.)

I pulled out my phone, snapped a few photos, and sent them to Kuon. Then I used magic to restore the monument as best I could, returning it to something resembling its original form.

Finally, I placed my hands together in silent prayer before the stone.

With that done, I activated Teleportation Magic and returned to rejoin my classmates.

Translator’s Notes:

  • Youma (妖魔) is a broad Japanese term for supernatural beings, encompassing demons, phantoms, and monsters.

  • Tsukinowaguma (ツキノワグマ): This is the Japanese name for the Asiatic black bear, a real animal. Left it as “black bear” in translation for simplicity.

  • “Floating bursting spheres”: A magical invention modeled after anti-bear deterrents. Clever use of real-world knowledge applied via fantasy magic.

  • Memorial Stone: This introduces lore potentially tying into the "Cursed Sword" subplot involving historical spirits or resentments.

Next Time:

  • Cursed Echoes — Something far older than the bear has started to stir.

  • Kuon's Analysis — What exactly did Osamu find… and why does it match a centuries-old legend?

  • The Test of Courage Begins — And it won’t just be for fun this time.


Comments

Post a Comment