The Super Lazy System

Inside the adventurers' guild, the celebration was at its peak! Laughter, shouts of joy, and flying mugs of ale filled the air.

However, in the middle of the euphoria, three people weren't exactly in the party mood.

Hikaru, although grateful for the adventurers' hospitality, ate without hesitation. But his mind was elsewhere.

"Seven days? This is gonna be hell..."

The pay would be great, but the exhaustion would be immense. Still, he had no choice.

"I already accepted the quest, so now I just have to face it. At least the free food makes up for it!" 

As he devoured his plate, two people were watching him intently, as if analyzing a rare animal.

 "He looks suspicious to me." — Said the blue-haired woman.

"He is definitely suspicious!" — Reinforced the young man beside her, visibly bothered by something else.

"Well, this isn't getting me anywhere, so..." — Aqua pondered for a moment, as if reaching a serious conclusion.

However—

— "I'm gonna drink too!"

Before Kazuma could react, Aqua had already dived headfirst into the drinking spree. Now, the mission to investigate the high school-uniformed boy was left entirely to him.

"Well... whatever, I'm getting impatient."

Taking a deep breath, Kazuma made a decision that usually went against his personality—he was going to talk directly to Hikaru.

"Hey! My name's Kazuma Satou. Thanks for your effort in today's battle. What's your name?"

Hikaru stopped eating and looked at Kazuma.

'Is he trying to extort me?'

Without letting his guard down, he kept the conversation going.

"Nice to meet you, Kazuma Satou. My name is Hikaru Tanabe."

That name alone was enough for Kazuma to ask without hesitation:

"You're Japanese, aren't you?"

Without giving Hikaru time to answer, he continued:

"I mean, that uniform says it all. If you weren't Japanese, nobody else could be."

"Well, that's true, Kazuma. I arrived in this world today."

"Well then... welcome." 

The response was automatic, but a second later, Kazuma's eyes widened.

"WAIT A MINUTE! Did you just say you arrived today?!" 

Jealousy grew inside Kazuma like poison. How could someone who just arrived already be stronger than him?!

"Let's just say it's a special situation. Maybe I'm unique." — Hikaru tried to calm Kazuma.

However, before he could fuel the adventurer's frustration any further, Hikaru changed the subject.

"Kazuma, since you approached me, there's something I want to tell you."

"What is it, Mr. Hero?" — Kazuma asked sarcastically, though his curiosity was real.

Hikaru paused before continuing:

"If I told you that this was just the first horde and there are still six more, would you believe me?"

Kazuma blinked a few times.

"Six more?! How do you know that?!"

"Let's just say it's my mission. And that's exactly why I wanted your help in the coming days. What do you think?"

'This guy must think I'm strong...'

Kazuma scratched his neck and sighed.

"Well... I'm fine with it, but my help won't be that great."

"I saw your party fight today. If you do the same, it'll be more than enough."

"Alright then, I'm counting on you."

"Likewise."

With an ally secured, Hikaru now had a bigger problem to solve.

'Where am I gonna sleep tonight?!'

With not a single coin in his pocket, he had nowhere to go. Even as he tried to think of a solution, the answer was obvious.

"Looks like I'll have to sleep on the streets..." 

However, his savior appeared in the most unexpected way possible.

"Hey, Hikaru." — Kazuma approached, crossing his arms. "You don't have a place to sleep, do you? You can stay at my place tonight."

Hikaru blinked.

"Seriously?"

"Well, I've had to sleep in stables before. I know how bad it is." 

Looking at Kazuma, Hikaru felt a small twinge of gratitude.

"Kazuma... I'll never forget this favor. One day, I'll pay you back."

Kazuma smiled, but inside, he thought:

'If it's money, I'll take it immediately.'

As Hikaru finally found a roof over his head for the night, one question lingered in the air:

"What kind of reward will I give Kazuma in the future?"

Only time will tell.