Chapter 89: Friends and Companions are useful words
When my little sister Charlotte went around sassing people, the shut-in me (my copy) was visited one after another by lost people who looked like a kid with glasses crying for a futuristic all-purpose robot.
I really don’t want to deal with them. Is it bullying to consult a shut-in face-to-face?
But if Copy’s mental burden increases, he’ll go on strike again. My copy is a troublesome fellow. Well, it’s me. It can’t be helped.
So, as the main body, I had to go on a business trip but to be honest, I didn’t have any idea what to do.
“Help me, Tia-emon!”[hahahaa he asking help like that whiny kid Nobita]
At any rate, I cried out to Professor Tia like a certain kid with glasses. I pretended I did not see some kind of human body experiment(?) they were doing.
“All right, all right. You can rely on me as much as you want.”
I was expecting her to be argumentative or shunned, but she unexpectedly responded favorably.
“It’s not often that I get the chance to sell a favor to Haruto-kun. Just think of it as a big boat ride—.”
“I don’t want to then.”
“Why not!?”
It’s awkward for me, but if I owe her something, it’ll be more trouble than it’s worth. I am very much conscious of that.
Well, I was wandering around without a plan, but in the meeting room, I had a brilliant idea. I’ve found a friend.
Friends are supposed to help each other.
I asked Irisphilia, who was diligently writing at the table, to help me. To take care of everyone for me.
“I’ve got my hands full. So, I can’t take your place any longer.”
I was rebuffed without hesitation.
” Why not! We’re friends!” [Note: He says friend(友だち’tomodachi’) here]
Not wanting to give up, I brought out my treasured weapon. She’s someone who wants to take care of her friends. I have to appeal to my friends to get them to do what I want.
“I want to do my friend a favor, but the work I’m doing right now, I’m doing on your behalf.”
Well, I heard Copy bragging about how he pushed some of the work to Iris.
I didn’t really listen carefully. People’s bragging is annoying. It doesn’t matter how much the copy looks like me, it’s the fact that it looks like me that makes it annoying. That’s how it is with me.
Anyway, he had already played the friend card with Iris.
Oh boy. I don’t have any more cards. I don’t have any other friends, you know.
Just when I was in trouble, another problem came.
“Hey, Haruto, how long are you going to make me wait?”
A rugged-looking macho man said with a grim face. This is the attitude of someone who wants to ask for help.
“Rias, you should do the ka-mate dance. You’re enthusiastic, I heard?”
“What? What are you talking about?”
It’s this line I’m talking about. It’s wrong from the very beginning to expect me to teach you magic. Because my magic is a little different from others.
“Ahh, Haruto-kun, you’re back, I see. Now let’s discuss magic theory together…”
This time it’s the big sister.
“Even if you want to have a discussion, ……”
There’s nothing to talk about. I mean, you’re a princess and the student council president, so you need to do more school work…hmm?
I look at Marianne onee-chan.
“Wa-What…?. When you look at me that way,……”[Note: She’s incesting man]
This moody person is the princess of this country and also the school council president of this school.
This time, I looked at the large man.
“W-What is it ……? If you stare at me that much, ……”
This guy, whose cheeks are blushing for some reason, is the prince of this country and should have been the lead student in the first year.
These two are the nearest to power in this academy, and they are also the most capable,……
“What’s the matter with you, really? I am stuck behind the wheel, so you’d better hurry up and help-.”
“That’s it!”
When I pointed at him, he flinched. You’re a big guy, and still scared.
“I’m busy. Incredibly so. That’s why I don’t have time to deal with every single person coming here.”
I didn’t tell a lie, you know? There’s a lot of anime waiting for me to conquer.
“So what do you think? Would you two be my liaisons? I’d like you to examine the contents of the consultation, and if it can be handled by another teacher or something, assign such a person to it and decline.”
Probably most of the situations can be handled elsewhere. And, most of them are impossible for me to handle in the first place.
However, I’m completely useless at negotiations, so even if I try to refuse, there’s a risk that I’ll be pushed around. In fact, I could only see a future where I would be pushed around.
That’s where Marianne and Rias come in.
There would be almost no one in this school who could come on to them strongly. After all, they are a Prince and a Princess. There must be a lot of hesitation because they are also highly regarded for their abilities.
If the two of them can act as a wall to protect me, I can retreat in peace.
The two of them seemed to be trying to say something, so I spoke up to give them no chance.
“Of course, I’ll do my best to accommodate your needs. I’m busy, but I’m your companion!”[Note: he says nakama]
“Companions, huh, …… I can’t say no to that.”
“I’m sorry that we seem to be occupying your time, but we’re …… Companions, right!”
A vague and ambiguous relationship between acquaintance and less than a friend - “companion”. It’s a convenient word.[Note: 3 differently used words, acquaintance ‘知り合い(Shiriai), friend ‘友だち’ (Tomodachi) and companion’仲間'(Nakama). Any suggestion to these?]
I got the point.
Also as I spoke, it stimulated my devious circuits to come up with an even more ingenious idea.
Sorry, but I don’t want to deal with the two of you either.
“Rias, I know some people who are good at remote control magic. You can ask Frey or Riza.”
It would be a problem if the other students and teachers found out that the two of them were demons, so I couldn’t assign them to others, but it won’t be a problem because they already know my sister and Rias.
“You can talk to them, Princess Marianne. They are very familiar with magic.”
Both of them made subtle faces of dissatisfaction, but somehow they agreed, perhaps because they received my plea for help by calling out ‘busy’.
Yes, what a perfect result.
Now I can shut out all those annoying consultations. Woohoo!
After persistently reminding the Prince and the Princess, I returned to the shut-in house in high spirits.
But …
“Hey, Mama, how do you read this ‘Kanji’? What does it mean?”
I was grabbed by a diligent child.
She seems to have already learned hiragana and katakana. Like Charu, the children of the other world are smart.
I’ve been bombarded with questions for an hour now, and my energy is running out.
I had asked Frey and Riza to babysit, but they couldn’t handle Japanese study.
Just when I was ready to get down on my knees and beg my child to let me go,
“Brother, I’m back!”
The savior appears!
“You’ve come back at the right time. Charu, I have a favor to ask you.”
“My brother has! A favor from me! Please tell me!?”
What’s that sparkle in your eyes?
Well, it’s unusual, isn’t it? I usually play the role of the ‘reliable big brother’. Whether it works or not, it’s not often that I ask Charu for a favor.
I asked her to teach Mel some Japanese.
“All right. With this Charlotte here, let’s do our best to ‘proselytize’.”[Note: for those who didn’t know(including me) Proselytism is the act or fact of religious conversion. It has come to be seen as a form of involuntary forced conversion through bribery, coercion, or violence, as such]
{In short, she’s brainwashing}
Isn’t the purpose different? Oh well.
And so, after resolving several difficult issues at once, I returned to my peaceful life as a shut-in.