There Is No More Perfect Unit Than Yard-Pound

Once upon a time, deep, deep in the mountains… no, in the middle of a metropolis lived a baby cat.

A young cat that made even those seeing a cat for the first time utter the word “cute” just by making eye contact.

Clearly, at first, not only being called cute but also being petted was hard to get used to, but after continuously experiencing similar things, somehow being doted on became familiar too.

The request office staff, the guild hunters encountered occasionally, and even the store staff around the guild headquarters would welcome the cat who acknowledged them and sometimes give simple snacks as gifts.

Thanks to this, the cat lived well among people who cherished it without any problems. Yes, originally, it was destined to continue living solely receiving love for a long time without any trouble.

“But, but… for some reason, instead of being doted on by the person called teacher, I keep getting rolled around almost every day…”

“…What are you talking about?”

Once again, I rolled from side to side like a ball, reluctantly, by the person who had activated the hologram in the training hall.

Only when I faced my own reflection—on the verge of not just reaching enlightenment but completely losing my mind—in the water slightly pooled on the training hall floor did my reason slowly begin to return.

Immediately after, I was told to stop the strange play and focus on the class, making even the tears I had squeezed out disappear.

As expected of a barbarian. Not even a grain of sand’s worth of flexibility, not even a grain of sand’s worth…

“You’re the one who said I didn’t need to go easy on you.”

“…Who said anything…”

“I’m saying it because you keep moaning and groaning.”

I didn’t even have the energy to argue back, asking if that meant I shouldn’t show any sign of struggle, so I just collapsed.

Besides, the class was almost at its end anyway.

The overall commentary or feedback that came at the end of each class would be the same whether I was lying down or sitting up.

However, I was a bit surprised by the news I heard from the large shadow that plopped down next to my head not long after.

“You’re going to the Northern Continent? Why?”

“I’ve been asked to do something by your sister. But I’ll be back in about two weeks, so don’t worry.”

I almost unwittingly let out a cheer but managed to swallow it.

Still, I couldn’t prevent my face from brightening, which made Odd feel a bit annoyed.

As a result, today’s class was extended a bit more.

Even though it had been a little over a month since classes with Odd resumed, the effect of the week-long unofficial vacation I had was still lingering.

In short, it’s still quite burdensome.

If I had been continuously taking classes without a break, it might have been different, but trying to continue after taking a break in between somehow made it feel more difficult.

And how would it be with an extended class on top of that?

“It’s like not living even though I’m alive…”

“Your mouth seems to be working fine. Not that hard, huh?”

Just in case, I finally shut my mouth.

Fortunately, he didn’t say much after that.

Still, I couldn’t completely relax.

After just reconfirming the scope of review and preview that should be done while the teacher was away, I quickly left.

It also seemed better to directly ask Asha about the sudden reason why Odd was going to the Northern Continent.

Either way, Odd is still a hunter affiliated with Lunatic. So not as my guardian but as the guild master of his affiliated guild, Asha could ask him to do things other than teaching if she wanted to…

What bothered me was that she specifically asked for a task in the Northern Continent.

Looking back, the timing of the request also felt somehow familiar.

But well, it could still be a coincidence. It’s also a futile exercise to worry about things without knowing anything properly yet.

So, as I continued walking, trying to think as positively as possible, I eventually reached the guild headquarters.

As always, I passed through the bustling lobby and boarded the elevator heading to Asha’s office.

Unlike the recent past when she was constantly on business trips, these days she was in her office more like before.

I also tried to stay by Asha’s side if there was nothing special going on.

To be precise, it wasn’t just for the purpose of being by Asha’s side.

In reality, I was more interested in the various news of the world being conveyed to Asha than in Asha herself…

It should be fine just to listen quietly rather than interfering openly.

If it was truly secret news that I shouldn’t hear, they wouldn’t openly talk about it in front of me.

Not long after, knock knock.

“I’m here!”

As always, I walked toward the person who would be suffering in the middle of tall mountains of papers.

However, for some reason, the documents that had been piled like mountains until just a few days ago had all disappeared.

It wasn’t that there were none at all, but compared to the amount I had been seeing, it was barely a drop in the bucket.

“Huh?”

With my eyes full of question marks, I moved again to approach the person who was silently looking out the window.

The words I heard from Asha, who noticed my arrival, were also of a kind that could be classified as unexpected.

“Hey, Lua. It looks like I’ll have to go on another business trip.”

“For how… long?”

“Hmm… A bit longer this time?”

The story that followed was, coincidentally, exactly the same as what I had heard in my first playthrough, without a single difference.

The problem was that the timing of hearing this story was a bit earlier than in my first playthrough.

“But don’t worry too much. It’s something that has happened many times before.”

After hearing Asha’s not-quite-mutter that it would probably end in about half a year this time too, I could no longer think only positively.

The true identity of what Asha was trying to call a business trip was the appearance of a dungeon called [The Tower].

However, because its scale was too enormous to be classified as a dungeon, not only Lunatic but also the other three major guilds and other forces gathered together to prevent The Tower from fully revealing itself.

I already knew that they had somehow successfully blocked The Tower each time it appeared, as Asha said.

The fact that the exact figure of half a year came from Asha’s mouth meant that they had already completed the conquest several times.

Nevertheless, I couldn’t reply that I would wait without concern because… I also already knew that this Tower was a bit different from the Towers they had seen before.

“…But it’s still dangerous work.”

“I told you not to worry too much. Don’t you trust your sister?”

It was precisely because I trusted her that I couldn’t be at ease.

I knew all too well that she was someone who wouldn’t hesitate to make sacrifices.

Moreover, I had already seen several times the scene where the world was destroyed, and the four letters “GAME OVER” appeared before my eyes.

“But once this is over, I’ll have a bit more free time. Let’s go on a trip together.”

After hearing even what is commonly called a death flag line, it became difficult to open my mouth.

Nevertheless, I forcibly, somehow, painfully raised the corners of my mouth.

“…Yes. I’ll be looking forward to it.”

I put something on my face that was nothing more or less than a forced smile.

Right after that, I slowly left the office that seemed a bit emptier than before.

Strictly speaking, she wasn’t leaving right away, but that didn’t change what I had to do.

The timing was just a bit earlier, but the steps I needed to take for the future I desired still remained in place.

I decided to now run along the roadmap created by countless trials and errors experienced in my first playthrough.

What I needed was more active action and intervention.

From now on, I needed to influence this world more than I was influenced by it.

“Hello~.”

Not long after, I arrived at a workshop.

However, instead of proceeding with small requests as usual, I sat quietly on a chair and watched the workshop owner.

Until when?

–Jingle.

“The Great One has arrived─!”

“If you’re here to beg for experimental materials again, quietly exit.”

“The Great One is leaving─!”

Until the person who was clearly not in their right mind to anyone who looked.

At the same time, the person who possessed the most necessary and useful ability for me currently appeared at the workshop.

Right after that, I grabbed the hand of the person who was pretending to leave the workshop as expected, due to the workshop owner’s non-threatening threat.

Sure enough, to the person looking down at me without knowing what was going on, I uttered the magic words to proceed with a ‘special event’.

To a person wearing a white lab coat over a black sweatshirt, whose attire alone indicated they were a scientist, I spoke such words that they absolutely couldn’t tolerate.

“Excuse me, Unnie. I’m really asking because I don’t know… Is the yard-pound really the most perfect unit in the world?”

Almost simultaneously, their face soured by the second.

Perhaps unable to say harsh words to such a young child on their first meeting, I could see them trying to forcibly calm their excitement.

“K-kid. Don’t go around saying such n… I mean, strange things, okay? Strange men might go ‘this guy’ to you.”

“But no matter how much I think about it, it seems like there’s no more accurate unit than yard-pound?”

When I deliberately provoked once more in a nonchalant manner, the person who had been trying to smile finally had their patience explode.

Right after that, I was led outside the workshop with my wrist firmly gripped.

I was then taken to a place resembling a laboratory located in the adjacent alley and semi-forcibly seated on a makeshift chair in the corner.

“Listen well, kid. The yard-pound is such a heinous unit that─”

The name of the person who had somehow brought a white board and was giving a lecture while drawing example pictures was [Aine].

This was the person who would create the portable teleportation stone for me to easily travel around <Another World>.

…Of course, Aine herself doesn’t know anything about it yet.