I Was Caught up in a Hero Summoning, but That World Is at Peace

It’s only natural, but each present really shows the giver’s personality, which makes it kind of entertaining. Also, the efficiency of using parallel worlds to receive them is impressive, after about 30 hours, I think I’ve already received more than half.

Well, part of the reason it’s taking some time is that I’ve been chatting leisurely with the people who gave me the presents, but even so, the pace isn’t bad.

More importantly, the fact that physical fatigue resets with each transfer to a parallel world is a godsend. Even if each individual interaction barely tires me out, that adds up. It wouldn’t be surprising if my arms or shoulders started hurting, but I haven’t felt anything like that, which is a huge relief.

<MIKUMO AKANE>

And next is Akane-san. Kaori-san seemed super tense in the party atmosphere, but Akane-san looked pretty relaxed, even during the talent show, she seemed at ease.

[Yo, Kaito, congrats.]

[Thank you, Akane-san. Your performance at the talent show was amazing too.]

[Well, I was just standing there, really. But with so many VIPs gathered like that, it doesn’t hurt to get some face time in, right? Our trading firm isn’t really targeting the wealthy class or anything, so it’s not like currying favor with high-status people gives us some direct advantage, but you never know when a good opportunity might pop up. If I can promote myself for free, might as well.]

Akane-san really is shrewd. Whether by coincidence or intent, if there’s a chance to take advantage of a situation, she will. She definitely has the personality of a businesswoman, it’s no wonder she’s suited to being a guild president.

[By the way, Kaito, you’re hopping across parallel worlds to receive presents, right? That’s crazy sci-fi stuff…… You’re still living outside the bounds of common sense as always. So, how many have you gotten so far?]

[Hmm, I haven’t been counting precisely, but I think I’ve received them from over half the participants.]

[Oh? Then you’re past the halfway mark huh…… But still, that must be a lot. Isn’t it taking quite a bit of time?]

[Time resets with each world jump, so I don’t have an exact count, but I’d guess around 30 hours so far?]

[……Huh? Wait, are you serious? You’ve been receiving presents for 30 hours straight……? No, you must’ve taken breaks, right?]

[No, not really. I haven’t gotten tired or anything, so I haven’t taken any breaks……]

[…………………]

Akane-san, hearing my answer, rubbed her temple with her index finger like she was trying to stave off a headache and gave me an expression I couldn’t quite read.

[You’ve really been going nonstop for about 30 hours?]

[Yes. But physical fatigue gets reset when I transfer worlds, and I don’t get sleepy or hungry. I’m just chatting with acquaintances and receiving gifts, so there’s nothing mentally exhausting either. It hasn’t been a problem.]

[……You know, when I first met you, I thought this: “Kaito is someone who’s constantly favored by fate or connections or something, and that’s how he built up such a crazy social network. But Kaito himself is just an ordinary guy who’s really lucky”……]

[Well, that’s pretty much the truth……]

[No, it ain’t. After spending enough time with you, I’ve come to realize something…… you’re kind of a d*mn monster……]

[Eeeeh……]

Somehow, I just got labeled a monster out of nowhere with a look of exasperation, but that’s gotta be a huge misunderstanding.

[You know, I thought the same thing back at that boat party! You made the rounds to greet every single guest, but you didn’t look tired at all!]

[Well, I was just saying hi to people I knew, and I did take some breaks, so I barely felt any physical fatigue.]

[I’m talking about mentally, d*mn it! Why do you look like mental exhaustion just doesn’t apply to you!? That’s not normal!!! Most people would be totally drained from all that socializing! I’ve had to attend my fair share of parties as a guild leader, and just going around greeting people leaves me exhausted…… You really are…… Well, I guess without that kind of insane mental stamina, there’s no way you could’ve built up that kind of social network…… You’re just a walking bundle of things I wanna retort to, as always.]

She wasn’t mocking or insulting me, but it definitely didn’t feel like praise either. I gave her an awkward smile in response.

Now that I think about it, I vaguely remember Lilia-san saying parties tire her out too…… I guess I’d get tired too if I had to greet a bunch of strangers, but at the boat party, and even now, I’m mostly surrounded by people I know, so it just feels like I’m casually chatting with friends. I think that’s very different from a formal noble’s party or something.

[Well, whatever. If I start pointing out everything weird about you, there’s no end to it…… Anyway, about your present, I figured something consumable would be safest, so I brought a few kinds of sauces. You can never have too much sauce, after all.]

[Thank you…… That’s quite a few bottles. Are they all different kinds?]

[Of course they are. Different dishes call for different sauces…… Oh, and to make it easy for amateurs, I labeled each one with suggestions for what kind of food it goes well with.]

I swallowed the urge to say that I’d never used this many sauces in my life. It’s probably just that, for Akane-san, sauce is something she takes seriously, switching between several kinds is probably second nature to her.

I’ve already learned the hard way, thanks to Kuro’s baby castella obsession and Ein-san’s maid fixation, that butting into someone’s passion can end badly, so I just gave her another grateful smile and thanked her again.

---

<Afterword>

Serious-senpai : [Kaito’s a bit of an airhead sometimes, so having people like Akane or Elise around to call him out on it is actually pretty valuable.]

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