Novels2Search
Heroes of the Collapsing World
Chapter 20: Hans's Enjoyment

Chapter 20: Hans's Enjoyment

Author note: Sorry for the late release. Got busy with RL this past few days.

Here is a boring chapter that maybe considered side story. Seriously i'm planning to skip the time a bit so bear with the full description on what they are doing.

----------------------------------------

The next morning after Hans made a deal with Elfie.

The heroes were gathered at the dining hall for breakfast, even though it was called dining hall it was located right in front of the entrance. The breakfast fee was already included so they didn’t need to worry about paying.

Their breakfast was considered of loaf bread, and vegetable soup.

“Bland.”

That was their impression of the breakfast. For them who were used to modern cuisine that use spice to deepen the flavor, most of this world food would taste bland in their tongue.

Not only this world rarely use spice to flavor their food, the common thing used in cooking, salt, was valuable. Only big town or city has the access to obtain large amount of it.

Either way they had to endure it to fill their empty stomach. And either it was obvious or as expected, all of them had a black circle beneath their eyes.

The gloominess from yesterday can still be seen in the dining hall but, compared to yesterday it was much better.

Yesterday dinner was death silent and the only sound that can be hear was munching sound and clanking sound when spoon hit the plate. Today few talking sound were added into the background.

Among them there were two people who having this conversation.

“Hans, my friend, look like my time of glory have come!” (Huke)

Huke was smiling with sparkling air as he talked to Hans with whole loaf bread on his mouth. He was using that as the substitute for rose.

Without knowing when they became friend, Hans asked back.

“What are you talking about?” (Hans)

“Fufufu.” (Huke)

Huke let out a gross laugh and send his sight toward the other table. Hans followed his sight and found Ein’s party eating the same breakfast as them.

Elfie who was also there with her usual hood noticed Hans gaze, and sent a hateful glare to him.

Hans who saw that waved his hand to her with a smile only to get more glare.

“Did you see that?” (Huke)

“See what?” (Hans)

He returned his sight to Huke as if nothing happened. And he asked again just in case he missed what Huke was talking about.

“Come on, didn’t you just see just now? Her, that hooded woman.”

“What about her?” (Hans)

“Don’t you think that she keep seeing this way?” (Huke)

“She sure does.” (Hans)

For a reason he had in mind.

“That’s why I can’t help but noticed. She must have fall in love with me.” (Huke)

Huke said that while touching his curly bang.

“……”(Hans)

Hans smile stiffen.

“Can you say that again?” (Hans)

“She must have fall in love with me.” (Huke)

In that moment Hans killed his emotion. It was a close call; Hans was so close to laugh out loud at that moment.

Out of everything he can think of, he never thought that Huke would suddenly say that out of nowhere. Furthermore it’s about something that related to him.

He was amused and little surprised because of it.

“Is so that shocking that your shoulder are shaking?” (Huke)

“No don’t mind me. I just choked a little. So what make you think so?” (Hans)

“Fufu, let me explain it to you, my friend. Let’s take a look at her together.” (Huke)

Just like he was told to, Hans directed his gaze to Elfie again.

“First of all let’s look at her eyes. Don’t you think that her gaze is intense?” (Huke)

“She sure is. But, don’t you think that’s a glare?” (Hans)

“Nay! That intense heated gaze is without a doubt, a passionate gaze! Furthermore look at that pose!” (Huke)

When Huke said that, Elfie was holding her arm and slightly rubbing it. She was rubbing her arm that was broke by Hans yesterday.

Although she can heal it with her magic some of the pain was still left at her arm, that’s why she tried to rub it to lessen the pain.

“Did you see that maiden in love pose?” (Huke)

“Maiden in, what?” (Hans)

“Maiden in love pose. Just look at that pose, and that slightly melancholic face. Even someone blind can see the meaning behind that pose!”

Elfie was making a slightly melancholic face but, by any mean it wasn’t like what Huke had in mind.

When she rubbed her arm she can’t help but remembered what happened to her yesterday, and she felt gloomy because of the situation she was in now.

“Yeah, sure...” (Hans)

On the outside he was smiling like usual but, inside he was having an outburst of laughing. Hans closed his eyes for a brief three second and opened it with a determined look he said.

“Good luck with that, I’m rooting for you!” (Hans)

“Leave it to me! I will definitely get her.” (Huke)

He knew the truth yet he chooses to stay quiet of it. Hans was amusingly enjoyed the situation in front of him.

“Can you give me a bit of your time after breakfast?”

Yuu suddenly tapped Hans and Huke shoulder and said that.

“Can’t you do it now?” (Huke)

“No, it’s when we aren’t separated by table like this.”(Yuu)

Yuu said that with a serious expression.

Hans and Huke got no choice but to agree with him after seeing that expression. They then continue eating their bland breakfast and around thirty minutes later not only them but the other was also gathered.

All of them were gathered here but the context for this meeting was pretty much already known to most of them.

“It’s about us from now on……”(Yuu)

For now they already found temporary place to stay and met with other human but, they were outsider and their place will gone in one month.

They have no money, connection, and knowledge about this world. Even their only belonging was the clothes they wear. Their only option they have was either work to earn their living or find a way to get back to their own world. Thought what await them there was only the last moment of their world.

By elimination their only option was to work here. The problem is that for the minor age them that unknown to this world what can they do?

After discussion for now they decided to go around the village for gathering information until evening.

As if it was the obvious thing to do, they immediately went into groups and started gathering information.

Time passed and by the time their stomach rumbles, it was already evening. Together with the information they got, they went back to the inn.

“Let’s share the information we got today.”(Yuu)

First of all, they discovered that passed the monster zone behind this village there lays the place where Asche father, the demon lord of fire lives.

Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

Second, they know most of the villager was a farmer and the location of this village in Fluer kingdom. This village was located quite far from the city or town, and the nearest town was two weeks away from here.

Third, electricity doesn’t exist. This was important to determine how much this world had developed. By not having electricity most of their daily necessary such as bath, light, and air conditioner also doesn’t exist like the one on their world.

If they want to use bath they need to go to the river at the back of the village. If they want light they need to wait for the sun or use a candle that come with a price. And if they feel hot or cold, they can’t do anything except increasing or decreasing the clothes they wear.

This world does have a stove but because of the inefficient and high cost only noble uses them, while commoner only use them for cooking.

They gain quite lots of information but, they didn’t found the place that in need for job. In the first place they have no experience except simple work such as serving customer at convenience store. Most of this world jobs were focused on physical work.

At this moment, as if he had planned it beforehand, Hans started a topic.

“Hey, don’t you think we should train ourselves?”(Hans)

The other was silent when he said that.

“I mean this world have monster right? Isn’t it better to learn something for self-defense?”(Hans)

No. Even without Hans told them, the other already knew that they need train themselves to survive in this world. The event yesterday already showed them how they need to be strong to survive.

However, even after they know what they need to do, they still feel reluctant to do it.

Most of modern people are pacifist. By instinct they want to avoid conflict and live in peace. Because of that somewhere in their heart they feel reluctant to do it and wish to return to their daily lives. Thought that was an impossible wish.

In front of their eyes there exist only two options. Either train to survive or give up.

The outcome was obvious from the start. All of them except adults and children decided to train.

People afraid of dying and they want to relief their insecurity of it. Living in fear wasn’t really the thing they want but, the adults were too old and the children were too young.

Although by this world standard they were still at the age where they can still be active, the adults were already got used to having an easy life and grew up weak. Carrying heavy stuff aside heavy exercise such as training or fighting was out of question.

The boy from children group wanted to join the training but, they were stopped by Jane with the reason that they still a child.

“Then should we ask the adventure group to become our trainer?”(Yuu)

“B-But we don’t have anything to offer them.”(Mary)

“Fufu, it’s time for me to shine.” (Huke)

Once again Huke made an over confident smile and cut between them.

“Let me handle that!” (Huke)

“You got something in mind?”(Yuu)

Yuu slightly worry because of his sudden confident remark.

“Of course I do! Isn’t that right Hans?” (Huke)

“Yeah.” (Hans)

Hans answered back in an instant to cover for his slightly trembled voice. The moment Huke spoke, Hans was already holding his laugh.

“Then I leave that to you. The other let’s eat out dinner.”(Yuu)

“Ah, then let me go with him.” (Hans)

Hans request to accompany him. By any mean he wasn’t worried about him but, wanted to watch this interesting situation.

Obviously no one objected because they had no reason to do so. Hans and Huke then went to the unfortunate person who was involved in this.

“I found you!” (Huke)

“?”

Elfie and her group just about to go downstairs after Huke and Hans went upstairs. Either it was to hide her face or ear her face, Elfie was still in her usual hooded self.

Elfie and the other also about to eat dinner but, noticing that they had something to talk about, Ein and the other excuse themselves.

“Can you lend me a bit of your time?” (Huke)

Huke said that with a wink and with his hand reached out to her.

“……”(Elfie)

On the other hand Elfie’s reaction wasn’t welcoming them. With a questioning gaze, she glared at Hans and ignored Huke who was in front of them.

Her face had this word plastered on it: What is the meaning of this?

Huke was oblivious to that while Hans was feigning ignorance to it and just smiled at her with hidden meaning.

Completely ignorant to the hidden conversation between them, Huke brushed his curly hair into the air and started explaining his request.

“The truth is I need to make a request to you. Can you please become ours?” (Huke)

After hearing Huke’s words, Elfie made this detestable look at them. It was so strong that Hans can feel the surrounding air became colder. The cause of it, Huke was once again oblivious to that.

Huke unintentionally combine his desire and the request, thus making that sentence. The worse part, he unnoticed his mistake and still in this fake gentlemen pose.

“No, what he meant was, we want you to become our trainer.” (Hans)

Although this situation was interesting as expected he felt bad about her. She was in the situation where she can’t decline his request, so this misunderstand was horrible for her. Before she agreed to the absurd request Hans cleared up her misunderstand.

Elfie let out a sigh of relief.

“If it only that I don’t mind. Then starting tomorrow morning let’s gathers at the back of this inn.”(Elfie)

Elfie replied as if she was reading a script.

Yes. This was one of her deal with Hans. They already planned this out yesterday so that when the topic about her helping them train comes, she would agree with it unconditionally.

However it was supposed to be Hans who met her for image only. The moment he came with Huke she can’t help but felt he was planning something. He did planning on something, she just didn’t notice it.

“I’m grateful for that beautiful maiden; I will definitely answer up to your feeling.” (Huke)

“Ah, yes, yes, let’s go down now. It’s about time to eat.”(Elfie)

Elfie already doesn’t care about what he said and just answered randomly and went downstairs in a hurry to eat dinner.

“Did you see that Hans. She said yes!”(Huke)

“She su~re did.” (Hans)

Huke was overjoyed with his misunderstand while Hans was enjoying it from the sideline.

After misunderstand continue with another misunderstand, Hans can’t help but felt a strange fate.

Hans starting to enjoy his interesting live here.