High School Girl Warrior: How to Save an Apocalyptic World - CH 35

Chapter 35 – Sermon Time

I was taken to the third class of the second years, and had four people looking at me sternly…

“So you picked this up?” Mr. Sasaki asked, while lifting this pistol that was on his desk.

“I did…” I answered.

“And my daughter’s doll too.” Mr. Norio said while holding the doll.

“I did…” I answered.

“Thank you for that. She hasn’t been able to sleep properly since she lost this.” Mr. Norio told me.

I’m glad I could help at least.

–Congratulations! Your level has risen!

–Congratulations! You have earned the ‘Armed Group’ achievement!

–Congratulations! You have earned the ‘Things More Important Than Life’ achievement!

Yes! I did it!

… I escaped reality for a second with those words from the Auditory Hallucination, but I couldn’t focus on that for long, since Mr. Asada, Mr. Sasaki, Mr. Norio and Ms. Asaka were all staring at me. Not to mention how they all seemed to be in a bad mood, probably because they ended up waking up in the middle of the night because of my actions…

“A 9mm pistol from the Self-Defense Forces and with quite a few bullets… It’s a good weapon alright.” Mr. Sasaki commented while he examined the weapon.

“Sasaki, it’s dangerous for an amateur to handle those things.” Ms. Asada reprimanded him.

“I’m not a complete amateur. I went to shooting ranges before, back when I visited the United States.” Mr. Sasaki replied, “But more importantly than that…” He stared directly at me. Everyone else’s eyes also went my way, “Are we really that untrustworthy for you?” Mr. Sasaki asked me. His tone was harsh…

“Ah, no, it’s not that I don’t trust-” I started replying.

“You sneaked out of the school to do dangerous activities without telling anyone, and you tell me that you don’t trust us?” He asked.

“I mean…” I tried saying something, but how can I even explain my actions? It’s not like I can tell them about magic or the Auditory Hallucination…

“We all know how strong you are. You’re stronger than any of us, and you’ve helped us quite a bit… Still, that doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want.” Mr. Sasaki told me.

“I-it’s just that-” I tried making a reply, but he didn’t let me.

“You said that we needed new rules, and you were right. We’re in a completely different world now. A world where some people have power, and others are powerful. A world where those that can’t protect themselves are doomed to die if they can’t find someone stronger than themselves to protect them.” He continued.

… I didn’t know how to reply.

“We are civilized people. We are not monsters like the things we see out there… We have to show that, no matter how much we are pushed, we cannot give in to violence or to our impulses. Those are our new rules.” Mr. Sasaki told me… His words pierced my heart.

“You understand what I’m saying?” He asked.

“I’m sorry…” Was all I could say as a reply.

He was right… And he was also quite serious, and convincing too… I wish he was half as good at teaching English as he was at giving sermons, because I’d have an amazing English by now if that was the case.

“It’s good that you understand, but…” Mr. Asada sighed before finishing his sentence, “Why did you go do such a dangerous thing all by yourself?”

“Ah…” This was bad.

“Ah…?” He asked me… I couldn’t lie here, could I?

“I was hungry.” I told them honestly.

“Huh!?” Mr. Asada was, understandably, in disbelief.

“I was way too hungry…” I told him again.

“But you eat three times more than anyone else…” He said.

“I know, but it just wasn’t enough… I really wanted to eat until I was full…” I replied.

I was really embarrassed. I was sure that my face was beet red at this point… It was just like Mr. Sasaki said. I lost to my instinct. I lost to my instinct and jumped to the pile of food that was available in Captain, selfishly making everyone worry about what was happening there.

What I did wasn’t really that different from what the old man of the drugstore did after all… They were just different instincts that were given into… I’m really sorry. I’m sorry and I’m pathetic…

For a small while, there was an awkward silence in the classroom.

… Until Mr. Norio started laughing out loud that is, “Because you were hungry!? You went to that dangerous hell hole, at midnight, without any help, because you were hungry!?” He started laughing even louder after this, “You really are quite the unique girl!” He exclaimed.

“Ah…” I couldn’t even make a reply to that.

Then, Ms. Asaka sighed, “Truly… You’re quite the child.”

Mr. Asada and Mr. Sasaki seemed to be sharing Ms. Asaka’s and Mr. Norio’s thoughts, if their expressions were anything to go by.

Then, Mr. Norio said, “In this messed up world, you must be the only person that can be this carefree… Oh well. Is the area around ‘Captain’ safe now?” He asked me.

“Ah, probably. I did clean it up.” I answered.

“Then let’s retrieve the military truck soon. One of the tires may not be working anymore, but I’m sure there is a spare somewhere.” As Mr. Norio said that, he got up from his chair.

“Hibiya, we aren’t finished here.” Mr. Sasaki told him.

“It’s fine, isn’t it? She got scolded, she understood that she was in the wrong, she understood why we were angry at her, and she is ashamed at her conduct. This much should be enough.” Mr. Norio replied.

Nobody made tried continuing the discussion after he said that, so the late night sermon was ended with the pretext of collecting supplies from Captain… What a surprising development! I didn’t expect to be rescued by Mr. Norio of all people!

As we left the classroom, Mr. Norio grinned at me and suddenly asked, “By the way, how about you marry Kousuke?”

What…? What did he just…?

“No thank you!” I exclaimed as loudly as I could.

Please let’s not trigger the NTR flag. I don’t want to be stabbed by Rika.

As I made this reply, I noticed that the sky was just starting to brighten up… Guess a new day is starting.