Daily Life of A Caretaker

Disclaimer: I own nothing, this is purely a fanfic for enjoyment.

Cross-over from various games, books, anime, manga, and movies.

The familiar characters you see here belong to their respected authors and owners.

"Speech"

Arc 5: Break - Chapter 10

"I am... somewhat surprised." Weiss whispers to Ruby with genuine disbelief as we watch Aqua being fawned over by a crowd. The praises seem endless, centered on her beauty alone.

"I'm more pissed off that they're not gawking at her like a sexualized piece of meat, the way they always look at us." Ruby huffs, crossing her arms in frustration, drawing some gazes toward her breasts.

"I think it's because they know Aqua is a goddess." Octavia remarks dryly, her sharp gaze cutting through the superficial admiration of the crowd.

I shake my head, letting out a small sigh. "I want to question why they're so quick to believe her claim of divinity, but then I remember—this is the high school we're in. The one where powerful entities from across the multiverse attend. Detecting lies or confirming someone's divine nature is probably second nature to most of these students and contractors."

"And don't forget." Octavia adds, her voice calm but pointed. "A major factor is that Aqua is a recognized member of the Heaven pantheon. That alone commands a certain level of respect—or fear."

I can't help but compare her to the Aqua from KonoSuba, who was met with skepticism by nearly everyone in the mortal realm. The stark contrast is almost laughable. Here, her divine status is undeniable, validated by the supernatural abilities of those around us. There's no room for doubt when the truth can so easily be revealed.

Weiss, still watching the scene unfold, mutters. "I suppose even goddesses get their moments in the sun."

Ruby snorts. "Yeah, but it's still annoying."

Octavia's lips curl ever so slightly, a hint of amusement creeping into her otherwise serious demeanor. "Welcome to the hierarchy of gods and mortals, Ruby. Try not to take it personally."

"Hey, gorgeous." A random human male student sauntered up to Octavia, flashing her a confident grin and a wink. "How about you and me hang out after class?"

"Not into humans." Octavia replied flatly, not even sparing him a glance. With a casual flick of her wrist, she cast a spell that sent the poor guy hurtling backward, his yelp fading as he disappeared into the distance. "What?" She notices Ruby and Weiss staring at her in varying degrees of surprise and exasperation.

"So… not just into the Heaven pantheon, huh?" Ruby quipped, her tone dry. "Guess the Hell pantheon has some charm, too?"

Octavia rolled her eyes. "Don't make assumptions."

Ruby turned to me with a raised brow. "How come so many people seem to avoid us from the Eldritch pantheon, though? I mean, they clearly don't treat us like they treat her." She gestured vaguely at Aqua, who was still basking in the adoration of the crowd.

I shrugged. "Oh, they like you and Weiss just fine. Remember what you said earlier about Aqua not being treated like a sexualized piece of meat? It's the same principle but through a different lens. People are either too scared or too awestruck to approach you seriously. Case in point—Octavia just got hit on and sent someone flying."

"Fair point." Ruby admitted, still frowning slightly.

"But shouldn't we be focusing on something more important?" I ask the girls.

"Like what?" Octavia asks back.

"I don't know if you've noticed." I said, pointing toward the crowd. "But I think Aqua's audience is slowly evolving into a cult. They're literally chanting her name now."

We turned our attention to Aqua, who was performing an impromptu show. She held two fans, one in each hand, from which streams of water gracefully arced into the air. Balanced on her head was a small pot of soil, from which a flower had sprouted and now rapidly blossomed, its petals ejecting in vibrant bursts. The crowd erupted in louder cheers, chanting Aqua's name with fervor.

"Should we… do something about that?" Weiss tilted her head, her confusion evident as she watched the bizarre display.

Octavia waved dismissively, her expression impassive. "I vote we leave her to it. Let her soak up the attention while we enjoy the peace and quiet before class starts."

Her casual demeanor was interrupted by another male student approaching, this one with the head of a donkey. Before he could even open his mouth, Octavia cast another spell, sending him flying in the same direction as the first.

Ruby blinked at the display, then glanced back at Octavia. "You really don't mess around, do you?"

"Nope. Anyway, back to your previous question." Octavia explained, brushing an imaginary speck of dust off her sleeve. "As for why people avoid the Eldritch pantheon? It's simple: they're infamous. The kind of reputation where trying to associate with anyone from there feels like inviting madness. Compared to that, Hell seems almost... manageable. At least there, they know what they're getting into." She shrugged. "Not my words—just what I've overheard."

"Lovely." Weiss muttered, her sarcasm biting.

Ruby sighed. "So basically, we're scary and unpopular. Great."

"Silver linings." I teased. "And I wouldn't say you girls are unpopular. Going by the lustful looks direct to you two very often compared to other female students and contractors."

Ruby glared at me, but the corner of her lips twitched.

"Actually, I think what Jin said is even more concerning." Weiss said as her icy blue eyes fixed on the crowd. "They're starting to look... disturbing by the way they are worshipping Aqua."

We all turned to look at Aqua again.

"Oh boy." I muttered, my eyes widening as I took in the scene. Men were stepping forward to offer their Badges—representing their character roles in the high school. Even some of the women were joining in, their faces of reverence.

"Oh shit...!"

Aqua, completely oblivious to the implications, gleefully accepted each Badge with an enthusiastic grin. Moments later, she skipped over to us, her radiant smile brighter than ever. "Look, guys, I got all these! Think of all the snacks and drinks we could get!"

I glanced back at the crowd, now glaring at us with expressions that ranged from seething loathing to outright murderous intent. My stomach churned as I realized their devotion had taken a dangerous turn.

"So, this is fine, right?" Ruby asked sarcastically, her voice dripping with exasperation.

Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose, letting out a frustrated sigh. "Aqua, you might want to—"

"Nope. Not dealing with this." Octavia interrupted, already preparing a spell to ward off any potential attack from the angry mob.

On another note, I couldn't help but reflect on yet another stark difference between this Aqua and the one from KonoSuba: this Aqua was willing to share her spoils. It's a small difference, really, but big for those who know her character—in any case, considering the cult-like fervor building around her.

I might have to wipe these guys out like before—at least the contractors. The students, however, I'll leave to the girls. They need all the combat experience they can get, no matter how minor.

Ruby and Weiss barely won their fight against their fellow classmates in the first class, and that was only thanks to the Protagonist Badges. They should take full advantage of those while they still have them. Once those badges are gone, I hope something with a similar against-all-odds effect will help them survive after they leave high school.

Quite frankly, Ruby and Weiss should have lost that time. Their lack of experience is glaring compared to the other students. Their main advantage is having me, along with the Supernatural Trainer, which dramatically reduces the time needed for them to learn various skills. Unfortunately, even with such a supportive cheat, cooking remains an impossible feat for those two.

Lost in my thoughts, I suddenly noticed the crowd had gone eerily quiet. Octavia, who moments ago looked ready to unleash another spell to blast someone away, had lowered her hand.

Perched on a pillar of rock not too far away was a man clad in grubby leather armor layered over chain mail. His cheap-looking helmet fully encased his head, a strip of red fabric hanging behind it. A short sword rested in a makeshift scabbard on his left hip, and his left arm bore a small, battered round shield.

At the base of the pillar lay the corpse of a male goblin student, a spear impaling the back of his head.

"Good... I have everyone's attention." The man said coldly. "I am your instructor for this class. You may call me... Goblin Slayer." His voice was devoid of emotion as his gaze swept across the students. "For those of you shocked to see a staff member killing a student, don't be. Each of us abides by rules that align with the high school's standards. My rule is simple: I kill all goblins within my line of sight."

Well, shit. This version of Goblin Slayer must be ridiculously overpowered to qualify as a teacher here. Worse, if he's anything like his canon counterpart, anyone who even looks like a goblin—or is revealed to be one—might not last long around him.

"I don't care if you're friends with goblins. Nor do I care if you claim to be a good goblin." Goblin Slayer declared, his voice as cold and unyielding as steel. Slowly, he drew his short sword, the blade glinting ominously. "The only good goblin is a dead goblin." He paused for a moment, letting the weight of his words settle over the crowd. Then, with an eerie calm, he added. "So let's make these goblins good..."

Before anyone could react, he vanished from sight, disappearing as if he'd never been there.

The girls immediately took up defensive stances, their eyes darting around for any sign of him. But for most in the crowd, finding Goblin Slayer was an impossible task. Only a select few—myself included—could track his movements.

"Don't worry." I said, keeping my voice steady to calm the girls. "He isn't going to harm any of us."

"And how do you know that?" Weiss shot back, her voice sharp and skeptical. "He just killed a student!"

"If you look at the crowd." I began, gesturing subtly toward the gathering. "You'll notice something. Even with all the panic, every corpse is a goblin. Some of them may look human or appear to be from different races now, but I have a strong feeling they were originally goblins in some way."

Weiss hesitated, her sharp gaze scanning the scene. Ruby, too, lowered her weapon slightly, her expression shifting from alarm to cautious curiosity.

"He is correct."

The sudden voice behind us sent a chill through the air.

Goblin Slayer had reappeared, standing directly behind Octavia. She let out a startled screech and all but dove behind me for cover, clutching at my sleeve.

"I have my methods." Goblin Slayer continued, completely unfazed by her reaction. His tone remained calm, almost clinical. "Methods to locate goblins—including those who were goblins in a past life."

His presence was unsettling, but his words carried a chilling certainty that left little room for doubt.

Crazy voices; I pity any goblin unfortunate enough to cross paths with Goblin Slayer. Even the rare female goblins who might look appealing wouldn't stand a chance—his relentless hatred for their kind would see to that.

"Alright, class." Goblin Slayer began, his tone as detached as ever. "We're going to learn why we should all hate goblins and why they need to be eliminated at all costs."

His words carried an unnerving finality, completely unconcerned with the lives he had just taken moments ago. He continued without pause, addressing the crowd with the same cold precision.

"For those grieving over your so-called 'friends' among the goblins, do not despair. They will come back to life after class. However, I will not tolerate any living goblins in my classroom. Inform those goblins to avoid coming here unless they wish to be killed by my hands."

The statement was delivered so matter-of-factly that it took a moment for the weight of it to sink in. The crowd murmured uneasily, the tension palpable.

Well, that's... something.

Goblin Slayer stood there, unyielding and unapologetic, the embodiment of his singular purpose. If nothing else, it was clear this class would be unlike any other.