309 â Is a bird in a cage happy or not?
After Kushitani-san left carrying sensei, nobody made a move to speak. Everyone wondered what was best, but having no answer they retreated into silence. However, the reactions between them split into several groups. In one group, their gazes wandered around. They gave the impression that they really had no idea what to do and decided to let the matter take care of itself. In another group, their gazes turned on Kudou-san. Even those gazes were split into two kinds â those who seemed to be gazing at Kudou-san as if criticising her, and those who seemed to be gazing at her as the class-rep and having some kind of expectations as to what direction she will pursue next. Needless to say, there were different degrees of enthusiasm shown in those two kinds. Finally, there was the majority group, who were gazing at me. Well, I guess so. It would naturally be my role to continue the discussion. I just wanna leave it all to others though!
Argh, urgh. For now Iâll return to my seat and sit down. Perhaps because I did something Iâm not used to, or perhaps because I was talking my head off, somehow I feel totally worn out. Can we call it quits here already? We canât? âŠâŠ.Okay.
ăâŠâŠYou sure are kind.ă
The one to break the awkward silence, was someone unexpected. Or no, maybe not so unexpected?
ăIn that case, whyâŠ. No, never mindâŠâŠă
Yamada-kun, the one to break the silence, showed an expression of mixed feelings and then sunk into silence with an unreadable expression. With that expression showing that all sorts of feelings were jumbled up together, I couldnât read what Yamada-kun had wanted to say. Or maybe I should say that it looks like Yamada-kun himself hadnât sorted out his feelings. Since the time when I had pushed him aside he had simply kept the same stiff posture, and then finally sat down on his chair weakly. It was like he sat down with a thud, as if he really was sitting down in exhaustion. Ooshima-kun gently patted Yamada-kun on the shoulder out of concern. In response, Yamada-kun gently patted Ooshima-kunâs hand in return, perhaps as if to tell her not to worry. Stop flirting, dammit.
ăClass-rep, why donât you sit down too?ă
Oni-kun spoke out to Kudou-san who had been standing until now. Kudou-san made an expression like a lost child for a moment, and after that she followed his advice and settled down on her seat.
ăWell, Iâm sure that everyone also has things that they want to say. Since we were living outside the elf village, we only know from rumours about how life was like here anyway, so I canât say that I understand how everyone felt. However, Iâm sure that you can tell from senseiâs attitude just now that she hadnât shut everyone in here because she wanted to â that she hadnât done this out of malice but out of good intentions. I hope that you can at least bear in mind that she was desperately trying to do this.ă
Oni-kun made a calm speech. There were various reactions â those who listened seriously and those who somehow seemed to accept it uncomfortably.
ăBut, you know, that still doesnât get rid of the fact that we were shut in here, right?ă
Indeed, the one who brazenly responded to oni-kun like that, was Shinohara-san. In response to those words, Kudou-san made a startled expression. Back in their previous lives, the diligent Kudou-san and the uninhibited Shinohara-san got along badly. It seems that hasnât changed now either.
ăYeah but, you know, if things had continued as they were then that Po⊠Po⊠Polimas or something guy was about to use us for something, right? From the way you guys are talking about it, it sounds like it was for something nasty. So doesnât that mean that sensei was unknowingly an accomplice in all that? Are you saying we should forgive her because she didnât know?ă
Oi? What the hell are you saying? âŠâŠShall I kill her?
ăWeâre in a fantasy world and all, yet we were kept caged like animals.ă
ăEven if you call it protection, it was still confinement.ă
There were voices whispering support for Shinohara-san.
ăBut, we were guaranteed all of lifeâs necessities, so it wasnât that bad, right?ă
ăIt wasnât quite what you would call the slow life, but I wasnât really dissatisfied I guess.ă
ăI canât really criticise her after she looked like that you know.ă
On the other hand, voices in support of sensei could also be heard. The ratio was about half and half. However, the way both of them were saying it, it was a discussion like they both understood that either option wasnât that good. They certainly had no small amount of dissatisfaction in their lives here. Despite that, they couldnât go all-out to criticise sensei either. Thatâs what it felt like.
If I had to say it, then the boys are showing more dissatisfaction. I guess boys do yearn for adventures and stuff after all huh? Theyâre sending envious looks at Tagawa-kun who worked as an adventurer outside at least. Or perhaps itâs precisely because there is a successful example in Tagawa-kun here that they think so. It gives a feeling of âIf only I could get outside, then I could do that as wellâ. Would it really go that wellâŠ?
ăI better warn you, but itâs not easy living outside, okay?ă
Oops, Tagawa-kun already spoke up.
ăHey dude, itâs totally unconvincing when you say it.ă
One of the boys tossed out that retort. Certainly. When a successful guy like Tagawa-kun says that, it only sounds like heâs boasting.
ăOkay then, let me ask you this â have you ever spent an entire day groaning in pain? Or maybe something lesser like getting a bone fracture or a really big wound?ă
In response to Tagawa-kunâs words, the boys amongst the reincarnators exchanged glances.
ăThere was this one time when I made a mistake during work and fractured a bone.ă
ăOkay, try imagining this then â that is a daily occurrence.ă
In response to the boy who had come forward, Tagawa-kun nonchalantly said that.
ăIf you wanna be an adventurer, then injuries like that are a daily occurrence. Even if itâs cured by magic youâll soon get a similar injury. Unless you can get used to being constantly bruised and wounded, you wonât be able to go on. By the way, if Asaka hadnât been there for me my heart would probably have broken ages ago.ă
Is he talking seriously, or is speaking fondly? Iâm hesitant to decide which.
ăSince I had something that I wanted to do no matter what, I started down the dangerous path known as the adventurer. However, I often regretted that. There were many times when I felt that I was about to die, and if Asaka hadnât been there I donât know how many times I would have died in practice. If you want to be an adventurer just because you yearn for it, then Iâm telling you this for your own good â give it up.ă
Tagawa-kun says that while surveying the boys. Hmm-mm. So which is it â is he talking serious or speaking fondly?
ăIâve been talking about the peculiar occupation known as the adventurer until now, but even apart from that it is dangerous outside. Due to the nature of my adventurer job, Iâve been to many places and seen many tragedies. People killed by monsters, people killed by bandits and so on. That doesnât just affect the people who died either. Thereâs also children who lost all their relatives, and children who were abandoned for financial reasons. Class-rep, your family was poor, right? If you hadnât come here, I wonder what would have happened to you?ă
Tagawa-kun said something cruel to Kudou-san. She hung her head without being able to refute him. After all, Kudou-san had been sold by her own parents. Since she knows she was sold to the elves, itâs highly conceivable that she could have been sold to someone else. In that case Iâm sure she wouldnât have been sold as a baby, though perhaps once she had grown a bit older it would be possible, and where sheâd end up sold to would be a matter of luck. It would have been fine if she had been sold to some prestigious merchant based on her intelligence as a reincarnator. However, considering the good looks that the reincarnators have, itâs highly likely that she could have been sold to an indecent place.
ăBut Tagawa can only say that because heâs experienced living outside, right? We never even had that choice.ă
In response Shinohara-sanâs words, the reincarnators again started getting noisy. Oni-kun clapped his hands to quieten those reincarnators.
ăAt the end of the day, I think itâs meaningless to talk about which would have been better. After all, the past cannot be changed. There is no way to change the fact that we are alive here right now. And that also goes for those who arenât here â the people who have died. I think itâs better to think that itâs because you are alive that you have the luxury to talk about which would have been better.ă
Simply being alive is a luxury. Having heard that, the reincarnators fell completely silent.
ăYou, who killed Yuugo, or rather Natsume, are saying that?ă
Authorâs note: Please think of Shinohara-san in the web novel as being a different person to the one in the published edition.