The Communication Hero with the Cool Heroine (Ep 5): It seems my combat capabilities are different from what I expected

A few minutes later, I finally stopped crying and felt much calmer. “Sonia…” I say as I pull away from her, “thank you… I feel a little better now.”

My face was red, probably because of having just had it buried in her chest, because I just cried, or both.

“That’s good,” Sonia says with a calm, gentle smile. “So then, I have a proposal for you, if you’d like to hear it?”

I decided to end my story here for now. “Sure, what’s it about?”

Now that she knew I was from another world… what was she going to ask? I’m very interested in finding out.

I fidget as Sonia says, “So, Haru. How would you like–”

“Yoooo, Girly, you sure did a number on our friends last time,” says a male voice.

We quickly turn to the end of the alley and see a dozen men.

“Did you come here to pay us a little visit, eh?” says the leader.

“Hey, shut up already… I wanted to hear what Sonia had to say!” I thought as I glared at the leader.

“Oh my, you’re really bringing a dozen men against two young girls?” Sonia says playfully.

Her taunting has begun. I’m starting to realize why she does it: to attract their attention and keep them from noticing me.

“The more you need to defend, the less you can attack.”

It’s old RPG wisdom. Sonia wouldn’t be able to concentrate as much on her offense if she needed to worry about me. So, I started getting some distance between me and our enemies for her sake.

“Oi, oi, you sure you’re good with these odds?” the leader taunts. “If you don’t get a move on now, you’ll die, you know?”

His lackeys laugh as if it were a funny joke. I failed to see anything amusing about it.

“Hmph, no matter how many guys you put together, you’ll never equal one of me,” Sonia said. “And with that said… I’ll take you on unarmed again!”

“Let me show you, girly, what happens when you piss me off,” the leader said as he drew his sword.

They all rushed Sonia. I knew that she was strong enough to knock out her opponents with a single punch. However, I worried if she was going to win a fight against a dozen opponents without getting hurt.

But it turned out I was worrying for nothing.

“W-Wha-What is this girl?!”

“She’s moving so fast!”

“Don’t get scared of this fucking amateur!”

Sonia dances around her enemies, bending her body to dodge their strikes, retaliating with powerful, graceful kicks. In moments, the enemies start falling one after the other.

“A-amazing…” I thought as I watched at the end of the alley, my jaw slack.

30 seconds later, she was the only one left standing. It was like watching a Hollywood action movie live. I now knew what people meant when they said: “I have no words.”

“Phew…” Sonia sighs.

“S-Sonia, that was incredible…” I mumble.

“You think so?” Sonia says, smiling even as her face is red from exertion. “Thanks!”

She seems so happy to get a compliment. I thought it was a little cute.

“So, you were saying earlier?” I asked as I hurried back to her. “I want to hear your proposal.”

“Yeah, let’s try this again,” Sonia said. “Haru, would you like to form a party with me?”

“She just said that,” I thought. “Eh?!” I squeal. “Are you sure about this?”

“You said you’re from a different world, so that means you’re homeless, aren’t you?” Sonia asked. “Adventurers tend to just stay at inns, so it’s a pretty good job for you!” she said, giving me the “OK” sign.

I was so excited I almost forgot how to speak. “T-Thank you very much! I’m happy to accept your invitation!”

And by ticking a box in our books, it was made official.

“Sonia, is it okay if I ask you a question?” I asked.

“What do you want to know?”

“How did you know that that stat means ‘physical strength’?” I asked. “If you can’t read it, you shouldn’t have known that.”

“Ah~,” Sonia hums. “That’s because I could read it.”

“Eh?!” I squeak. “Does that mean you’re also Japanese?”

I was so confused. I was sure I was reincarnated, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t others. But Sonia was already so accustomed to this world. Was it because she had lived here much longer than I have? I’m dazed by the possibilities.

“No, no, I’m not,” Sonia said. “A few people in this world can read, usually the monks at the temples. I was taught how to read and translate a little.”

“Eh…?” I went. “Then that means…”

I’m no longer sure of my assumptions. “In this world, no one can read the contents of a book. That’s how they can be sure I’m from another world,” is what I believed. However, with Sonia’s story, my theory is broken. So that means–

“I assumed you came from someplace related to the temples,” Sonia said. “But then you said you’re from a different world! I didn’t see that coming.”

“That wasn’t what I meant to say!” I yelled.

I made a mistake and sabotaged myself. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say this was a whole new level of ‘Stupid’.

I thought my secret was finally out.

Instead, I ended up so embarrassed I could die.

---

I admired this world’s beautiful scenery, all of it bathed in the warm sunshine. There were no trees or any such obstacles around me so I could see the lush green plains spreading out before me. A cool breeze blows by as we step out of the city.

“Sonia, don’t you have business at the guild still?” I asked. “You have so many errands, like reporting on our making a party and claiming quest rewards, right?”

“It’s alright, I’ll do it later tonight,” Sonia said as we walked. “First and foremost, I’d like to train you till you’re big and strong. If you don’t know how to fight, you won’t last long in this world.”

“So are we going to do some kind of special training?” I asked.

“Get out your book,” Sonia said.

“Okay. Lend,” I said. I assumed I was about to choose my job now, though I was already sure I was going to be a magician.

“Your job is on the page after your status,” Sonia said.

“Huh?!” I sputtered. “Are you sure I can’t choose my job myself?”

If I can’t change my job later, I could be screwed in this new world.

“Nope,” Sonia said, “our books use their special abilities and traits to choose our jobs for us.”

In short, it’s up to me if I’m going to become a magician. Then I, who always picked those kinds of jobs, shouldn’t be anything other than a magician. With my stats so geared towards magic, that should be the case, so I tear open my book!

JOB [Valkyrie]

“… Huh…?”

What, what is this? What kind of job is being a Valkyrie? What even is a Valkyrie in the first place…?

“Oh~, didn’t you say you had high magic stats, Haru?” Sonia asks. “Why don’t you try using some magic!”

She read my mind. Seems she was getting to know me very well now. “Oh, but I don’t have I staff?” I asked.

“It’s alright, a staff just amplifies your powers,” Sonia said. “You can cast spells with your bare hands!”

I didn’t think any online game would have let you cast spells without a staff, but I suppose this was just how it is in this reality.

“Alright, first stick out your right hand,” Sonia says. “Then, think of intentionally using magic.”

As do as she says, start thinking about using magic with all my might. I felt something hot building in my hand.

“Good, good,” Sonia says, nodding. “You have to recite a spell at the end, so please repeat after me.”

“I will,” I said.

Reciting a spell… I remembered when I was in middle school, there was a boy with Eight Grade Syndrome¹ who kept shouting spell names all the time. I started getting embarrassed, but then I reminded myself I did have magic powers.

“Crimson Fire, light up the darkness,” Sonia said.

“Crimson Fire, light up the darkness,” I repeat.

“Consume all in flame!”

“Consume all in flame!”

“Come forth: Fireball!”

“Come forth: Fireball!”

A fist-sized fireball shot out of my right hand. Moving fast as a car, it fizzled out about a dozen meters away from me. “… Huh? It’s so small!” I yell. “And it fizzled out so quickly!”

I’m so embarrassed from that chant and the only thing I got out of it was a tiny and weak fireball—I’m not a mage, Valkyrie is a terrible job…!

“Weird, I have lower magic stats than you, and I was able to make a fireball twice as big as that…” Sonia grumbles. She lowers her head, deep in thought, until she suddenly looks up her eyes shining as she says,

“Haru: why don’t we go to the Grand Library in the city right now?”

---

1. “Eight Grade Syndrome” or Chuunibyou/Chuuni in Japanese is a condition where adolescents begin to believe that they have special powers such as demonic magic, secret destinies, and forbidden knowledge. The west frequently refers them as “Edgelords”.

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