Will I End Up As a Hero or a Demon King (WN)

Chapter 184

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Chapter 184 – Selfish

A peaceful spot on a street a block away from the third district.

Rather than a park, it’s more like a space where weeds have grown in the empty space, so we sat down and spread out the two “pizzas” we’d bought.

“Mmm! No matter how you look at it, it’s pizza! There’s no doubt about it, this is pizza!”

“Is this a famous dish?”

“Yes, yes, I think it’s famous all over the world. The size and the ingredients on top are so similar to the real thing. You could almost say it’s the same thing.”

The ingredients on the top are simple.

There’s a lot of cheese and sausage-like processed meat cut into rounds.

And there are some brightly colored vegetables, like peppers or bell peppers, cut into good-sized pieces and sprinkled on top.

Since there wasn’t as much variety as there is in Japan, I don’t know if this was created by the people of this world or if it was knowledge dropped by an Earthling who drifted here.

However, this looked much more familiar than the morning’s ‘knife-cut noodles,’ and there was a strong sense of déjà vu.

I bit into it, guessing it was probably the latter.

“Oh…! The taste is just as I expected, just as I thought!”

“Really? Is it delicious?”

“Of course it is! Well, hurry up while the cheese is still hot!”

Did she think she had my permission?

She bit into it with gusto, and true to her expectations, the cheese stretched out. Felin said, “Mmm,” hastily while eating it.

Her hair was so close to the cheese that it looked dangerous.

When I cut it off with my fingers, she had a big smile on her face that made me feel dizzy.

(Gah~. As I thought, she’s so cute~…)

At the same time as being healed, my heart also aches a little.

“By the way, was it really okay that I didn’t help you earlier?”

“Ah, it was fine. Thank you for going out of your way to help.”

I reply with a wry smile as I stuff my face with pizza.

It’s a disturbing conflict.

In reality, she can’t even be bothered to worry about it, so you could say she’s in a lucky position.

“So you were able to resolve it yourself!”

“No, not at all.”

“What? Is that so?”

“Yes. But, well, it’s hard to put into words, but I think it was right not to solve it there casually.”

I’ve already thought that several times.

I can’t rely on the power of Felin―the goddess―here.

In the midst of the onslaught of sweet temptation, I just thought that intuitively, based on past experience.

For this world, the Goddesses are a cheat in their very existence.

The ‘books’ of this world that are called strategy guides are nothing compared to them, and they can easily blow away many barriers with their more direct abilities.

I understood this from the beginning, and I asked for help where I needed it and helped where I could so that I wouldn’t be a one-sided recipient.

If you’re all about power, you should take advantage of your friendship with the Goddesses and use their power to the fullest.

That’s definitely the right thing to do, and refusing help that’s offered to you is a decision that would be a “loss” that would throw away your chance.

However, if you rely too much on others, you’ll end up with a very boring life.

My life.

I remember when I was in elementary school, I still had quite a few friends.

By entering codes through a mysterious machine,

―You could start at level 99.

――You could make your favorite character’s stats the highest.

――You could have the most powerful equipment from the start.

There was a time when this kind of cheat code was all the rage.

For guys like me, it was a magical machine that seemed like a dream come true.

The goal that would normally take dozens or hundreds of hours to achieve.

I tried it myself, hoping that my most fervent wishes would be fulfilled in an instant, but the fun only lasted for the first little while.

I guess some people get hooked by the ease of it, but I got bored in no time and soon gave up the controller.

On the contrary, after seeing the end of the game, I lost all interest in it and never touched it again.

At that time, even though I was only in elementary school, I thought:

The process of getting stronger is important, and that is the fun of adventure.

Of course, the most important thing is not to die.

This is absolute, so in a situation where death is imminent, you can’t afford to be so relaxed.

But if I’m not in that kind of urgent situation, I want to enjoy the journey of getting stronger by worrying, thinking, struggling, and making repeated efforts.

This is the same conflict I felt after I defeated King Ant.

Because I’m so worried about strength, the line between being strong and being spoiled is starting to blur, but if I spoil myself here, I’ll end up relying on the goddesses ‘appraisals in various situations in the future.

This is a game where you play from a safe zone, but this is a real world where life and death are at stake.

Maybe this isn’t the time to say such careless things.

I’m aware that I’m in the game’s perspective, and trying to balance strength and fun is just being selfish.

But it’s precisely because I enjoy the way this world works that…

I noticed that my pizza was gone, and Felin’s big eyes, which had a hint of red in them, were staring at me.

“Hey, did you eat my pizza?”

“Of course not!”

“Fuh!”

I received a gentle pat on the head and apologized with a wry smile.

(I have no regrets. One day, I will use my own strength to strip this world of its equipment ability stats).

Felin and I both muttered to ourselves.

We got up to walk down the main street of the third district, pretending to be looking for snacks.

I thought I heard someone say, “This is difficult,” in a voice so thin it seemed to dissolve into the air.

▽ ▼ ▽ ▼ ▽

That night, in my room at the inn.

With my hands on my belly from overeating, I rocked in the provided chair and put together in my brain the information I had gathered from the various shops in this world.

The variety of food on offer.

The types of specialty shops.

The unit price of various things and a rough sense of the market price.

It was a day that I felt was a good learning experience for me as I live in this world.

What was particularly positive for me was the restriction on the selling price of inventory in the stores.

Apparently, the government doesn’t strictly enforce this by law, but whether it’s accessories or equipment, while you can see items in stock that cost over 10 million, you won’t find expensive items that cost over 15 million in any store.

I learned this for the first time today at the equipment shop I visited.

As you might expect, the reason is to prevent crime. This is the same even in stores for wealthy customers in the second district and the same even if you are across the country, as several shop owners told me by saying the same thing.

There doesn’t seem to be any kind of insurance system in this world.

If the goods in the store are stolen, the store owner is the one who suffers the loss, so when you say that this is a natural countermeasure, you have to agree.

So, if I want to buy equipment in the future, I should be prepared to order it.

The reason there are no specialty bookstores may be due to issues such as distribution volume, but it may also be due to pricing issues.

“Have you read it, Felin?”

“Hmm…?”

I sigh at her vague answer and watch her.

Felin is lying on the bed and reading a book.

I had lent Felin the ‘Guide to Herbal Medicine’ that I had recently acquired, as it was a rare opportunity.

Even though it was open, it didn’t look like she was turning the pages very often.

Somehow, it seemed like she was just looking at it.

“Could it be that you’re not good at reading books?”

“Maybe? When there are many words on a page, I get sleepy! Isn’t it strange that I’m a goddess?”

“…..”

What kind of existence is a book that can make a goddess who can’t sleep fall asleep?

It’s like an elementary school student who has to write a book report during the summer break.

I’ve gone through a similar phase myself, but on the other hand, a book on herbal medicine is only about 30 pages long, while a paperback novel is several hundred pages long.

I’m worried that it’s too much for her, and I’m worried about Felin, who gives off an aura of not being good at studying.

When I picked up Kojou-san’s things, she stared at the notebook, wondering what was wrong with it.

“I thought that if the goddesses became stronger in terms of knowledge and understanding of the situation in the lower world, then this world would grow even more.”

“Ugh… T-That’s true, but…”

“Well, everyone has their likes and dislikes, so there’s no need to force yourself. I plan on buying more books in the future when I get the chance, so I’ll leave that to the more knowledgeable Riste and Alicia…”

I cursed myself for being so stupid as I continued talking without stopping.

I’d done it again.

Why did I mention that name now?

“I-I wonder if I should show it to them…”

“…..”

This was it.

No matter how hard I tried, this was the reason my sales results were average and not improving.

I remember the customers who didn’t lead to a contract, even though there were customers who let it slide or laughed it off.

“Hey, Loki-kun…”

“…..”

“You’ve heard about it from Riste, right?”

What? I tried to say those words reflexively but swallowed them back.

I could immediately understand what she meant, and given the flow of the conversation, it was the only thing I could think of.

“Yes, I heard about the sharing.”

“Then it’s okay. What are you worried about?”

“I understand it in my head, and I was able to swallow it once, but when I look at Felin’s face, I feel a tingle in my chest…”

“Hmm… what about when you were with Ria?”

“Eh?”

“The other day, Ria came down, right? How was it then?”

“Well, not really. It got pretty bad on the way, but I think it was fun when we flew together, right?”

“Hmm!”

I wonder what that means.

Although I can’t see her complexion because she’s lying face down, I can tell from her voice that her emotions are changing dramatically like waves.

“…Do you like Riste?”

Felin lies on the bed in exactly the same position as before and speaks while keeping her eyes on the book.

I’m not sure if it’s just my personality, but I start to sweat strangely when she asks me such a direct question.

“I like her.”

“Then… W-what about me?”

What’s with this atmosphere?

Even if I lie, she’ll find out, and there’s no need to lie, so I’ll answer!

I told her my honest feelings while holding my heart, which felt like it was about to burst in my right hand.

“I-I like you.”

Felin jumped up as if she had suddenly sprung to life.

She sat down on the edge of the bed and took a position directly in front of me.

There is only one light in the room, and even when it comes on at night, it is very weak.

Still, I could tell at a glance that Felin’s face was flushed.

“…..”

“?”

“Is she trying to tell me something?

She clenched her fist, and Felin’s mouth opened a few times, but no words came out.

But.

“W-who is…”

The words she managed to squeeze out, breaking the silence, quickly fizzled out.

Still, I understand most of it.

(Is that what she wants to know?)

It’s a question too difficult to answer.

Felin and Riste.

They’re so different that it’s almost like they’re opposites, so there’s no way to say which one is better.

Still…

Just as I was about to speak honestly, the other person’s words cut me off.

“I-I hate losing, so I’ll try to be the best!”

Her smile, which looked like a joke and which I could tell was forced, made my heart ache again.

(That’s not it. The smile I want to see is not that kind of smile…)

My hand naturally reached into my pocket, and I held onto the object I was looking for.

I bought it from a street vendor while I was looking at the food, wondering if she would be happy.

But I hesitated to give it to her because I lacked the courage.

And then I lost the right moment to give it to her―it was about to disappear.

“This.”

“…Huh?”

“When we were eating today, your hair almost got caught in it, so I thought it would be good if you had a hair clip.”

“…..”

“It’s a little late now, sorry.”

Even so.

If Felin, who enjoys the special and envies what I did for the other goddesses…

“Put it on.”

“Huh?”

“I don’t know how to put it on, so can you put it on, Loki-kun?”

“Yeah, sure.”

I don’t really know how to put it on either since I don’t use it myself.

Still, I understood the construction somehow and slipped it over one ear and fastened it.

Then I took a hand mirror out of my pocket and held it up to Felin.

“How does it look?”

“I love it!”

The words were not directed at my reflection in the hand mirror but at me holding the hand mirror.

The answer that came back and the smile I had hoped for made the fluttering in my heart disappear, of course.

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