[Shun] "Yo. I heard Natsume's coming at us?"
"Tagawa and Kushidani."
"We're among the few reincarnators here with any real combat ability. If the barrier gets broken, we're going to have to join the fight."
"I'd rather stay hidden, honestly."
"Were those two working as adventurers?"
"Yeah. This idiot kept saying some nonsense about how becoming an adventurer is the standard thing to do when you get a cheat reincarnation."
"Right. And from the moment I started out as a rookie adventurer, I'd rise through the ranks at lightning speed, draw everyone's attention, and eventually leave my name etched into this world!"
"Ah."
"See? Stupid, right?"
"Were you two childhood friends?"
"Yep. Both in our past lives and this one. You could call us inseparable."
"Hey! It's not like we're that close!"
"Shut up."
"Wait, are you two dating?"
"Yes!"
"It just kind of happened."
"Don't get all shy about it!"
"Shut up."
"Ah, well. Congratulations."
"Why are you looking at me like that with that lukewarm expression?"
"Because you're an idiot."
"That's harsh, isn't it?"
"I think that's a perfectly fair assessment."
"I love that tsundere side of you,
"Are you braindead?"
"Um, I feel like I'm intruding, so I'm gonna head out."
[Filimes] "What's wrong? You look pretty down."
"Hyrins. No, it's nothing."
"That's not a 'nothing' face at all. What happened?"
"I've been hated by all my students."
"What do you mean?"
"Hmm. I see."
"Sorry. I shouldn't have dragged you into my venting."
"Not at all. You've been keeping this bottled up alone with no one to talk to this whole time, haven't you, Oka? It's important to let it out once in a while."
"It does make me feel a little better, hearing you say that."
"But a student roster skill? I've never heard of anything like that."
"Of course not. Just like Shun's Divine Blessing, many of the Skills we reincarnators possess are unique ones you won't find among ordinary people. The reincarnators we're sheltering here tend to either have high-rank Skills or unique ones with no other bearers."
"Born with a Skill, Skill Points on top of that, plus knowledge and mental fortitude from a previous life. With all those elements, it's certainly possible to become one of the most powerful beings in the world if you train from a young age."
"Yes. In fact, every single reincarnator we weren't able to shelter has ended up with considerable power."
"If that's the case, then the part about Skills being stripped away resulting in death is what worries me."
"I don't know exactly what that refers to. But I'm certain that something will happen."
"And we don't know what that something is."
"No. The description only appears for reincarnators who possess multiple Skills, so the ones being targeted would be reincarnators like Shun or Kathia who've reached a certain threshold of strength."
"So Oka has been sheltering reincarnators and giving them environments where their Skills are hard to cultivate — to prevent that from happening."
"That's right. Though, admittedly, a lot of that had to do with the elves' own interests as well."
"The elves' interests, huh. They say they're opposing the Administrator, but is there any real chance of winning?"
"I don't know. Regardless, right now the fact remains that reincarnators are being protected by the elves. Win or lose aside, they have to be protected."
"Even in this coming battle, then. As long as the barrier doesn't break, we should be fine, but..."
"In my estimation, the barrier will most likely break."
"What makes you say that?"
"Yugo is going to die in this coming battle. That's what's written in the student roster."
"I see. If the barrier doesn't break and there's no battle, then he wouldn't die in the first place. But someone who possesses a Ruler-class Skill — could they overturn that prophecy from the roster?"
"Yes. That's exactly why I'm going to be the one to deliver Yugo's end myself."
"Don't let yourself get too consumed by this. Your sense of responsibility is too strong, Oka."
"That's not true at all. I'm just a worthless teacher who can't take responsibility for anything."
"That right there is what I'm talking about. You're too hard on yourself. Relax, take it easy. I'm here if you need someone to talk to."
"Thank you."
[
"Well done."
"But... is it truly necessary?"
"Yes."
"Then that means the barrier will be breached?"
"Indeed. The magic of the armies outside cannot break the barrier. But I've lived long enough to trust my instincts. The barrier will break."
"I see."
"Is it hard to understand someone making judgments based on something as vague as an instinct?"
"Ah, no, it's not that..."
"No need to sugarcoat it. I myself find it laughable that I'm relying on something so uncertain."
"Then if I may ask, why?"
"The longer you live, the more you come to understand that the world doesn't always follow logic. And that beyond reason, there are things you can see."
"I see."
"I've had a persistent, unpleasant feeling about this. I decided every measure at my disposal should be taken beforehand."
"But deploying those does feel like overkill, doesn't it?"
"I'm a cautious man. I take meticulous care even when crushing insects."
[???]
"You're bored."
"Can't be helped."
"Hey, since you're so bored, why don't you do a little comedy bit to make me laugh?"
"Where did that demand come from?"
"Can you do it or not?"
"Even if you ask me out of nowhere, I can't just—"
"Tch. Useless."
"Oh? And what about you — can you do it?"
"Hah! Why should someone of my standing entertain some lowly creature?"
"So you can't do it."
"It's not that I can't. There's simply no point."
"Sure, sure. So which side is Natsume going to be on?"
"Whatever. I couldn't care less about some insignificant insect."
"Same here. I really couldn't care less either."
"At least use it to farm some Experience Points."
"Well, depending on the situation, maybe."