"Gobu-taro?! Why?!"
After finishing off the Special Variant Kobold and then taking down the spear-wielding individual while shielding Sakura-san, I was suddenly set upon by Gobu-taro. For some reason, he was completely consumed by murderous intent.
He had lost his mind.
While desperately fending off Gobu-taro's attacks, I revved up my gray cells—which possess a calculated IQ of 530,000—to deduce why he had lost his sanity.
I reached the answer in 0.1 seconds.
—There’s no other way to put it; this is the Maximum Aggro from Asceticism’s "Mark of Death"!
However, I had already confirmed long ago that summoned monsters do not fall under the influence of the "Mark of Death," similar to when Hinata-san controls them with Charm. This had never happened before.
So why? What’s gotten into you all of a sudden, Gobu-taro?!
"Guh?! Stop! Stop it, Gobu-taro!!"
I deactivated Asceticism, which I hadn't turned off since the battle ended, and tried to restrain him.
But once Gobu-taro entered a state of Maximum Aggro, the effect didn't dissipate immediately. He was still coming at me with everything he had, intent on killing me.
However, since I'd deactivated Asceticism, I wasn't generating any more aggro. If Hinata-san, his absolute master, gave him an order now, the attack should stop instantly...!
Thump! Thump!! Thump!! Clang! Clang!! Clang!! Clang!!!
"GYAAAAAARRRRRGGGHHH!!"
—Man, he's persistent!
"H-Hinata-san?! Hinata-saaaaannn!! Could you please stop Gobu-taro already!!?"
While parrying Gobu-taro's attacks, I pleaded with Hinata-san, who was standing a short distance away.
Hinata-san was watching the scene with a smile. Wait, why?!
"Oh, sorry. I should stop Gobu-taro, right?"
"Y-Yes! That’s! Exactly! It!!"
"GYAAAAAOOOOOOHHH!!"
"Um, I wonder if I can stop him now? I think it’s the influence of Asceticism... Did you deactivate the skill?"
"Yes! I did! Long! Agoooooo!!"
"GRRRRRAAAAOOOOOOOHH!!"
"............By the way, Takeo-kun, what’s your type?"
Hinata-san?! Why are you bringing that up now?!
I looked at Hinata-san with utter disbelief.
"...Hehe, just kidding."
R-Really?!
"Gobu-taro, stay."
In that instant, as if all the previous frenzy had been an act, Gobu-taro stopped dead in his tracks.
"Phew...!!"
I let out a sigh of relief, my heart still pounding in my chest.
Good grief, Hinata-san can be such a prankster....Right?
"Sorry I was slow to stop him, Takeo-kun."
"N-No, it’s fine..."
I replied to Hinata-san as she approached with an apologetic look. It didn't seem like she did it on purpose....Right?
"C-Come to think of it, why was Gobu-taro affected by Asceticism? That’s never happened before..."
I asked, wanting to change the subject.
Hinata-san thought for a moment with a hum, then said:
"It’s probably because we aren't in a party. That’s about the only difference from the Shinjuku Dungeon that I can think of..."
"Ah, I see."
As expected of Hinata-san. Now that she mentioned it, it made sense.
Previously, the reason I didn't trigger a Maximum Aggro response from Gobu-taro when using Asceticism was likely because I was in a party with Hinata-san. The system judged Gobu-taro and me to be allies by extension.
In contrast, since we weren't systematically recognized as a party here, he must have fallen under the influence of the "Mark of Death."
『I see, I see』 『So that was the reason for Gobu-taro's freak-out』 『I'm glad to know it wasn't a sudden falling out lol』 『Good thing the tragedy of Gobu-taro I and II wasn't repeated lol』 『That was a sad incident...』 『Uh, about the part where Hinata-chan deliberately delayed stopping him...』 『Hm? What are you talking about?』 『Did that even happen?』 『It didn't, did it?』 『Nope, nope』
The viewers were also nodding along or feeling relieved. Honestly. There's no way Hinata-san and I would ever have a falling out....Right?
"Oh? But for some reason, the monsters in this dungeon don't swarm you, Takeo-kun?"
"Ah, that's probably because... they don't have a Status?"
I had activated Asceticism many times up to this point, but the surrounding monsters never entered a state of Maximum Aggro.
The only possible explanation was that they lacked a Status. That was the biggest difference between the monsters in this dungeon and normal ones.
Much like the Maximum Aggro from Asceticism, it was likely that effects that generate aggro, such as Taunt, only worked on monsters endowed with a Status.
It didn't work on allies even if they were tamed monsters, and skills that generated aggro didn't work on humans to begin with. Furthermore, it was known that Taunt-type skills had no effect on animals on the surface.
I explained my theory to Hinata-san—that all of these were likely determined by the presence or absence of a Status, as well as the category of that Status.
"I see....But that’s a problem. What should we do? I think we have no choice but to either dismiss Gobu-taro or have you stop using Asceticism..."
Well, while HP consumption would increase slightly, I could still defeat the trash mobs that weren't special variants without using Asceticism... or rather, Blue Sky Beyond the Clouds. And even against a special variant, I could probably take it down without issue if I activated Mighty Blade.
So, if I only considered combat, I could just stop using Asceticism... but then my Experience Points would decrease. I was hesitant to waste the Experience Points from a special variant.
It’s like throwing away food when there are still edible parts left. An act like that is totally lacking in respect for life!
Therefore—
"I'm sorry, Hinata-san. Could you dismiss Gobu-taro for me?"
"Sure, I understand."
Hinata-san readily nodded at my selfishness.
"—Monster Dismissal."
When Hinata-san cast the spell, Gobu-taro's body vanished into countless particles of light.
『No way, Gobu-taro's out』 『That was too fast!!』 『To think the new dungeon had a trap like this』 『So that means Junkie-niki can't use Goblin Genocider and Hinata-chan can't summon her tamed monsters...』 『Is Hinata-chan's defense going to be okay without Gobu-taro?』
"Mm?"
I realized it because of the viewers' comments. That’s right. If Gobu-taro was gone, Hinata-san's defense would be thin! Of course, I fully intended to protect her as the vanguard.
"Hinata-san, if things get dangerous, don't worry about me and feel free to summon Gobu-taro or Gobu-be or whoever you like, okay? If you do, I'll turn off Asceticism immediately."
"Yeah, it’s okay. I know....But Takeo-kun, you're going to protect me, right?"
Hinata-san looked up at me and asked with a light giggle.
"Of course!"
I replied instantly. That’s only natural for a comrade!
"And so—"
At that moment, Hinata-san turned her gaze behind me.
"Do you need something?"
"Ah, um..."
When I turned around to follow Hinata-san's gaze, Sakura-san was there.
With a somewhat hesitant expression, Sakura-san looked me straight in the eye and spoke.
"Takeo-sama, thank you for saving me earlier. I would like to express my gratitude once again."
"Ah, no, don't worry about it."
Having "-sama" attached to my name made my skin crawl. I answered while thinking that.
"No, Takeo-sama is my savior. I cannot offer a proper reward right now, but once this request is over, please allow me to repay you."
"No, really, don't worry about it..."
"I cannot allow that. Besides, I—"
As she spoke, Sakura-san stepped closer, grasped my left hand with both of hers, and said with a lovely smile:
"I like dependable gentlemen. So, I would like for us to become close from now on, Takeo-sama... would that be disagreeable to you?"
Her hands were so smooth. And soft. She smelled nice, too. Her face was tiny, and she was way too beautiful.
While faltering slightly at Sakura-san's incredibly lovely appearance, I kept my wits about me and answered.
"It’s not that it’s disagreeable... well, as friends, maybe..."
"Is that so!"
Sakura-san's expression brightened instantly.
"Then let us start as friends....It is a pity, but since we are currently on a quest, I shall take my leave now."
"Ah, yes."
Sakura-san reluctantly let go of my hand and moved away from us.
"............" "............"
Looking around, it seemed the Kobolds had already been wiped out. The Professor immediately called out to everyone, and the exploration resumed.
Hinata-san and I also started walking so as not to fall behind the others.
Right after that, Hinata-san, who was walking beside me with a quiet smile, asked:
"...Takeo-kun, is that the kind of person you like?"
"!?!!?"
At that moment, the viewers of Hinata Channel reacted.
『Oho』 『I see』 『So that’s how it is』 『Well, Sakura-chan is cute, after all』 『It wouldn't be strange for Junkie-niki to fall for her』 『Sakura-chan also said she likes Junkie-niki』 『Honestly, I'm so jealous』
I hurriedly leaned in toward Hinata-san and protested in a whisper.
"What are you saying, Hinata-san...?! Please be careful with your words...!!"
"Eh?"
"Perhaps you've misunderstood, Hinata-san... but I am heterosexual!!"
"Hmm?"
Hinata-san is like this sometimes. She's asked me things like "Do you like boys?" before! What if she seriously gets the wrong idea and some weird Title sprouts up?!
Especially if a Title effect makes a lie become reality... I'm not confident I wouldn't hold a grudge!
"Eh, um... ah, is that so...? But..."
Hinata-san stared at Sakura-san's slender back as she walked ahead of us, looking bewildered.
...It seemed Hinata-san didn't know the truth about Sakura-san.
I informed her.
"That person is Kaoru Sakura. He is... a man through and through."
"............Eh?! A boy?"
"Yes, an Otokonoko."
...Actually, was it okay to call her an Otokonoko? Modern gender theory was too complicated for me to understand. I added a supplement for Hinata-san.
"Um, physically male, but a maiden at heart, and apparently attracted to men. So, by modern gender standards, it might be appropriate to call her a woman, but..."
I didn't really know.
"I see... even though she's so cute..."
Even Hinata-san couldn't hide her surprise at the fact that Sakura-san was biologically male. Well, her appearance, voice, and personality were genuinely lovely.
Anyway, as long as the misunderstanding was cleared up, it was fine...
Having the trauma of being passionately confessed to by Metal Oishi-san a little while ago, I'd been sensitive to that kind of thing lately.
I wanted Hinata-san to be careful. About misleading remarks and such...