Ten minutes after Hajime and the others were led to the waiting room, there was a
knock on the door. Hajime called for whoever it was to come in, and the door opened.
Dott entered the room, accompanied by a man in his late thirties. He had slicked back
blond hair and a discerning look in his eyes.
"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am the head of the Fuhren branch's
adventurer's guild, Ilwa Chang. You three are… Hajime-kun, Yue-kun, and Shea-kun,
correct?" Ilwa introduced himself and offered his hand to Hajime. He shook it and
responded.
"Yeah, that's right. Were our names in that letter?"
"They were indeed. My old master's letter told… or rather, warned me about you three.
She said that you show a great deal of promise, but that you're rather troublesome
kids, so we should keep an eye on you."
"Troublesome, huh? I guess Brooke was nothing but trouble. Well, whatever. Does that
letter settle our identification issues or no?"
"Yes, she said that you three aren't a threat to the guild, so that's good enough for me.
She's a very good judge of character. If it's a letter from her, it'll serve as sufficient
identification. After all, she wouldn't write one for people of dubious character."
It seemed Catherine really did hold a lot of clout with the guild. Everyone really trusts
her. Since Ilwa called her his master, they must know each other pretty well. Shea
seemed especially curious about Ilwa's relationship with Catherine. She'd gotten along
rather well with the old lady, so it made sense.
"Umm, what kind of person is Catherine-san?"
"You didn't ask her yourself? She used to be the chief secretary of the adventurer's
guild's main branch. After that she became a guild instructor. More than half of all the
branch chiefs learned their trade from her."
Hajime looked up in surprise. Smiling wryly, Ilwa continued.
"I was one of them. Though I'm nowhere near her level. Back then her unparalleled
beauty and skill captivated everyone who studied under her. Later she ended up
getting married and transferred to the Brooke branch. She said she preferred to raise
her kids in the countryside. Her marriage announcement was really sudden too. I was
pretty shocked when I heard it. In fact, the whole guild, no the whole capital was."
"Haah, I didn't realize she was such an amazing person."
"Yeah… Catherine's incredible."
"I knew she wasn't just some ordinary old lady… but to think she was that important.
So if she was so good looking back then, how come… Actually, never mind."
Yue and Shea were astounded to discover just how impressive Catherine had been.
Only Hajime looked away wistfully, lamenting what the ravages of time had done.
"Well anyway, if there's no problem with identification then we're free to go right?"
Hajime had only agreed to wait so that they could get their identification issues
resolved, and now that they had been, he saw no reason to stay. However, Ilwa's eyes
sparkled mischievously as he called out to them.
"Actually, could you please wait a moment?"
Hajime felt a sense of foreboding.
Ilwa gestured to Dott, who handed Hajime a certain request flyer.
"The truth is, we were impressed by your skill so we were hoping you would be willing
to undertake a task for us."
"No thanks."
Hajime refused instantly and made to leave. Yue and Shea followed suit, but Ilwa's next
words brought them back.
"Hmm, are you sure you won't even listen to what it is? We'll overlook this whole
incident if you agree to just listen."
"...…"
That of course had the unsaid implication that they would make this whole affair far
more of a pain than it had to be if he didn't stay to listen.
Thanks to all of the eyewitness testimony, Hajime and the others wouldn't be charged
with a crime. But because of how overboard they'd gone, the guild could force them
into a long and tedious hearing about what had happened and require an account from
both sides.
In the end, they'd still probably not be punished, but it would still waste a great deal
of their time. And if they ignored the guild's orders, they'd be blacklisted everywhere.
Not being able to access the information at various guild branches would be rather
inconvenient.
Hajime glared at Ilwa for a moment. He'd only asked that they hear him out, not that
they accept the request. If that was all it took to avoid weeks of legal proceedings, then
it wasn't such a bad deal. Hajime sat back down.
"So you'll listen. Thank you."
"You're not a branch chief for nothing I see. You're pretty gutsy."
"I could say the same to you. Now then, as you can see on the flyer, this particular
request is to search for some missing people. Some time back, a party of adventurers
set off to investigate the northern mountain range. When they didn't return, one of the
adventurers' family put out a search request."
The rest of Ilwa's explanation could be boiled down to the following:
There had been reports of increased monster activity in the northern regions, so the
guild had issued an investigation quest.
Only the mountain nearest to town was well charted, the rest of the range was marked
simply as wilderness. While they weren't as strong as ones encountered in the
labyrinths, the mountains were still inhabited by powerful monsters. So the party that
had accepted that request had been rather high rank. However, before they embarked
someone else had begged to join them. They were rather forceful in their entreaties,
and in the end they were allowed to tag along.
This newcomer was the third son of the noble Cudeta family, Will Cudeta. Count
Cudeta had secretly sent someone to follow after his son, who'd basically ran away
from home to become an adventurer. But even the person he'd sent to tail his son had
vanished, so he had sent out a search request to the guild.
"The count sent out his own independent search party as well, but he asked the guild
for help because he wanted as many people out looking as possible. This all happened
just yesterday. The party that had gone out to investigate was among the most
experienced in the guild, so if they ran into something they couldn't handle, most
adventurers wouldn't stand a chance. So the only people we can afford to send out on
this quest are those of considerable skill. However those that fill that criteria are all
out on other quests at the moment. Fortunately for us, you happened to show up just
at the right time."
"I thought you needed people of considerable skill? Sadly I'm just a blue rank
adventurer."
Ilwa didn't fall for Hajime's feeble attempt at feigning weakness.
"You just took out Reganid, a black rank adventurer without even breaking a sweat.
Besides… anyone who can survive down at the bottom of the Reisen Gorge can't be
that weak."
"How did you… The letter? But I never told Catherine…"
Hajime hadn't told anyone they'd gone to explore the Reisen Gorge. The only way Ilwa
would have known that was if it was written in the letter. But then that begged the
question of how Catherine had learned of their trip. As Hajime was scratching his head
in confusion, Shea timidly raised her hand.
Hajime looked suspiciously at Shea.
"What is it?"
"Well, I may have accidentally told her… Tehe?"
"Looks like I'll need to punish you later."
"Y-Yue-san was with me too!"
"Shea, you traitor."
"Guess I'm punishing both of you."
So it was Yue and Shea's fault. While both of them looked outwardly calm, they were
sweating at the thought of what Hajime might do to them. Ilwa smiled knowingly and
continued.
"It's unlikely any of them are still alive, but the possibility isn't zero. The count is a
personal friend of mine, so I'd like to begin the search as soon as possible. Please.
There's no one else I can ask. Will you please accept the request?"
It was obvious from his tone that Ilwa was very personally invested in this particular
request. If he was friends with the count, it was quite possible he was close to the
missing Will as well. He was probably just as worried for their safety.
"I get that, but we're in the middle of our own journey too. We only stopped here
because it was on our way. The northern mountains are pretty far out of our way, so
I'm afraid I'll have to refuse." Hajime could care less about some noble's brat. Ilwa must
have realized that as well, since he headed Hajime off before he could get up.
"I promise you'll be rewarded handsomely. There'll be a bonus from me waiting for
you along with the reward already offered. I'll even raise your rank. Considering your
skills, I could even bump you up to black in one go."
"To be honest, I don't need that much money, and I don't really care about my rank."
"Then how about this? If you ever get into any trouble with the guild from here on out,
I'll personally vouch for all of you. The title of Fuhren's branch chief holds a lot of clout
you know. And I have a lot of personal connections within the guild as well. You three
seem to attract quite a lot of trouble so it's not a bad deal, right?"
"You're being quite generous. I can't imagine it's worth going that far just for your
friend's son."
For the first time, Ilwa's facade of calm crumbled. He looked deeply remorseful.
"Well… the one who recommended Will take that particular request was me. I was the
one who also convinced the party to let him join. While it was a rather difficult request,
I thought he would be fine if he was together with a strong party. He'd never actually
fought before, you see. From the start, Will was never interested in living a noble's life.
He always dreamed of being an adventurer… Sadly, he didn't possess the requisite
qualities for one. So I hoped that by sending him on a mission together with a strong
party, he'd see the dangers adventurers face, and realize he wasn't fit for such a life.
That he'd give up on becoming an adventurer. I've known the boy for quite some time,
you see… that's why I wanted him to see his limits and give up, but…" Hajime lapsed
into thought as he listened to Ilwa pour his heart out. Ilwa and Will are even closer than
I thought then. He tried to look calm, but it's obvious he's really desperate. After all, the
longer it took to find them, the greater the likelihood that they had died in the
meantime. The fact that he'd offered such an extravagant reward was proof that Ilwa
was starting to run out of options.
Hajime was starting to get tired of making excuses for Yue and Shea's lack of status
plates, and having the support of an influential guild member would make their future
town visits a lot less of a hassle.
Especially since Hajime had no interest in playing pretend believer for the Holy
Church, so there was no telling when they'd brand him a heretic. When that did
inevitably happen, it would make traveling between towns rather inconvenient. But if
he had guild connections, they might be able to help with that issue as well.
After weighing his options, Hajime decided it would be more beneficial to explain his
circumstances to Ilwa, make sure he wouldn't speak about them to others, and use his
influence to deal with any problems that might arise. Considering how much he seems
to care for this Will guy, he probably wouldn't turn on us if we brought him back alive.
"If you're willing to go that far for him, I guess I might be willing to do it… but I have
two conditions."
"Conditions?"
"Yeah. They're nothing huge. First, I'd like you to get status plates for Yue and Shea.
And I want you to swear not to tell anyone what you see displayed there. Second,
regardless of whether they're part of the guild or not, I want access to all of your
connections. Those are my two conditions."
"You're asking quite a lot…"
"If you can't do it, then the deal's off. We'll be continuing on our way."
Hajime stood up for the third time, and Ilwa and Dott held their heads in anguish. The
first condition wasn't a big deal, but the second one would effectively turn a branch
chief into a single adventurer's lackey. Considering his position, it wasn't a request he
could easily acquiesce to.
"What exactly would you ask for using my connections?"
"Don't look so worried. I'm not going to ask for anything crazy. It's just we're a bit…
special, I guess, so the Holy Church won't think too kindly of us if they find out. And
they'll probably find out eventually, so it'd help to have someone on our side when that
happens. I just want you to help us out if we ever get stuck in any trouble is all.
Basically let us use your facilities and the like even if we become wanted."
"You're certain you'll be wanted by the Holy Church eventually? Hmm, I'm beginning
to grow interested in just what secrets you three bear. Since Master Catherine has
taken a liking to you I doubt you're bad people, but… come to think of it, the
eyewitness reports did say that Shea-kun over there possessed monstrous strength,
and that Yue-kun used some new form of magic. Are the secrets you're hiding related
to that…? And they are the reason you're so sure the Holy Church will probably try and
purge you… Judging by how little pains you seem to be taking to hiding them, you were
prepared for a confrontation from the start. If that really is the case, I can see why
you'd need my assistance to move freely between cities… hence your request…"I guess
he's not a branch chief just for show. He's sharp. After contemplating for a while, Ilwa
finally came to a decision and turned to Hajime.
"We absolutely cannot support you in any potentially criminal endeavors. I will
personally need to hear the particulars of each request and decide then whether or
not we will aid you. But I do promise that we will help you in any other way possible…
That's the most I can offer. What do you say?"
"Well, makes sense… That's fine. As for the reward, we'll take it once we complete the
mission. I just have to bring the kid back, right? Or his remains if he's dead."
Hajime's main goal had just been getting status plates for Yue and Shea. Hajime was
getting tired of making up excuses for why they didn't have any, so it would be more
convenient for any future stops in towns if they both got one.
The problem was making sure whoever issued them didn't cause a fuss when they first
saw both of their stats… but Ilwa's appearance had solved that issue.
Of course, even if Ilwa did promise not to say anything, there was no guarantee he'd
keep his word. Eventually their unique traits would become public knowledge, but
Hajime preferred to keep them secret for as long as possible. Hence why he had
decided to claim his reward once the request was complete. Whether for good or ill,
Hajime would give Ilwa closure on the matter that had been tormenting him thus far.
Hopefully that would make him feel indebted to Hajime and therefore more likely to
keep his mouth shut.
Ilwa had of course guessed Hajime's aim in offering to wait until he completed the
request. He smiled wryly, but internally he was relieved just to have found someone
both capable and willing to take on the request.
"I'm growing more curious about your secrets by the minute, but… I suppose I'll leave
it for when you return. As you said, Hajime-kun, all you need to do is find any traces of
Will, regardless of whether he's alive or dead… Hajime-kun, Yue-kun, Shea-kun. Please
find him." With a serious expression, Ilwa bowed his head. The head of a major city's
guild branch, lowering his head to an adventurer. Not a sight you saw every day. It
looked like he'd learned proper manners from Catherine too.
Hajime and the others stood up and said casually,
"Sure."
"Okay."
"We will."
They received a token amount of funds to get supplies, a letter of invitation to the guild
branch to the nearby lake town that rested at the foot of the mountain, and documents
detailing the request the previous adventurer party had taken on from Ilwa, and then
left the guild room.
The door closed with a soft thud. Ilwa breathed a long sigh as he stared at the door.
Dott, who'd been silent until now, finally spoke, his voice full of concern.
"Was that… really alright, Chief? Agreeing to those conditions?"
"Will's life is at stake. And there's no one else we can rely on. I had no other choice.
Besides, they agreed to let me ultimately be the one to decide whether or not to assist
them for each matter. There's no problem there. And most importantly, I'm curious
about what they're hiding…"
"You mean the information their status plates would reveal, the stuff they would find
'inconvenient' if it was publicly known?"
"Mhmm. Dott-kun. Did you hear about how the heroes summoned in the Heiligh
Kingdom all had ridiculous stats?"
Dott suddenly opened his eyes wide.
"Chief, do you mean to suggest that he's one of the heroes summoned by god? But he
sounded as if he was practically at war with the Holy Church. I thought the heroes
were all under the Holy Church's supervision?"
"Indeed they are. However… I heard that around four months ago, one member of their
party died within the Orcus Labyrinth. Or more specifically that he fell to its depths
along with a fearsome monster."
"…Do you mean to suggest that perhaps he survived? Four months ago even the hero's
party was still inexperienced when it came to combat. I'm not sure what kind of place
the bottom of Orcus is like, but I can't imagine a kid surviving through all that."
Dott shook his head in disbelief. However Ilwa continued staring at the door Hajime
had left through, an amused expression on his face.
"True. But, if that really did happen… why wouldn't he return to his comrades? Why
embark on a separate journey? What did he see at the bottom of the abyss? What did
he learn in that bottomless darkness?"
"You mean… perhaps…"
"Yes. Whatever it was, it seems to have convinced him to oppose the Holy Church. That
is to say, oppose this world itself. His goal is worth that much."
"The world itself…"
"Personally, I would like to be on the side of someone like that. Even if that means
pitting myself against the Holy Church or the royal kingdom. I have no doubt my
master noticed the same thing, which is why she gave him that letter."
"Chief… just make sure you don't get in too deep, okay?"
"I'll be careful."
They were talking about events on a scale they could scarcely imagine, but Dott still
had the presence of mind to warn his boss not to bite off more than he could chew.
However, Ilwa was deep in thought and only gave an absentminded reply.
Running straight through the middle of a vast plain was a road that ran due north.
Though it was called a road, it was more a path that had been paved into a highway by
centuries of footfalls. As the carriages of this world didn't have any suspensions,
travelers often found themselves nursing sore bottoms by the end of their trip.
And yet, a single silhouette was rushing down this rugged road at a speed unthinkable
for how poorly maintained it was. A black frame with two wheels, and three
passengers sitting atop it.
Hajime, Yue, and Shea. They were pounding down the uneven road at a speed many
times faster than when they had been traveling through Reisen Gorge. Hajime was
easily doing eighty kilometers an hour. Without anything to inhibit his mana, Hajime
was able to power Steiff to its full speed.
They were sitting in the same formation as always. Yue on Hajime's lap, with Shea
sitting behind him. Shea's bunny ears were rippling in the wind.
The sky was clear and the sun warm upon their backs. Yue had even lessened the force
of the wind pressure, making the ride quite pleasant. Yue and Shea were fully enjoying
the weather, basking in the sun's warm glow and the gentle breeze that flew past.
"Haau, it feels great. Yue-saaaan. Can we switch spots on the way back?"
"No. This is my spot."
"Come on, don't be stingy. Let's swap. It's pretty nice back here too you know."
It was clear from Shea's relaxed tone that she didn't really care if she got to switch or
not. Hajime turned around and answered in Yue's place.
"You know there's no way you'd be able to fit here, right? You'd get in the way of my
driving. Those rabbit ears especially. They'd keep flopping around in the wind and
hitting my eyes."
"Oh yeah, you're riiiiiight."
"She actually fell asleep."
It appeared the weather was so pleasant that Shea had dozed off. Her head drooped
forward, landing on Hajime's shoulder. The rest of her body weight was pressed
against his back. She'd already been half-asleep when she'd called out to Yue.
"Well at this rate I'd say we've got about half a day's travel left. We'll be driving
nonstop, so might as well let her rest while she can." As Hajime had said, they were
about half a day's ride out from the lakeside village that sat at the foot of the mountain
range. If they kept this pace they'd arrive by evening. Hajime's plan was to spend the
night in town and begin searching the next morning.
The reason he was in such a rush was because the longer he took, the more likely it
was that Will and his party might be dead. Yue looked up at him questioningly. It was
unusual for Hajime to take such a vested interest in the life of someone he didn't care
about.
Hajime met her inquisitive gaze and smiled wryly at her.
"…Why the rush?"
"Well, better we find him alive right? That way Ilwa will feel even more indebted to us.
From here on out I'm sure we're going to get into a lot more fights with the Heiligh
Kingdom and the Holy Church. So the more allies we have the better. It'd be a pain to
have to fight every time we want to go anywhere."
"I see."
That being said, Hajime wasn't sure how useful Ilwa would prove as an ally. In fact, he
thought it was more likely Ilwa wouldn't be of much help at all. But it never hurt to
have extra assistance. Especially considering how little effort it would take to recruit
Ilwa to their cause.
"Oh yeah, I heard the village we're going to sits next to a lake, so they have a lot of
water available. Apparently thanks to that they've become the largest cultivator of rice
on the continent."
"Rice?"
"Yep, rice. You know, that white grain. It's my homeland's staple crop. I haven't had a
single chance to eat it since coming here. I'm not sure if the rice here is the same as
the one from home, but I want to try it."
"…Mmm. I want to try it now too… What's the town's name?"
Yue smiled as she watched Hajime reminisce fondly about his hometown. Her
question brought Hajime back to the present, and he replied in a somewhat
embarrassed tone.
"The lakeside town of Ur," he said, not knowing what troubles were already brewing
there…
"Haah, no clues today either. Where could you have gone, Shimizu-kun…" Walking
dejectedly down the main street of Ur was none other than the summoned teacher,
Aiko Hatayama. Her normally cheerful demeanor was nowhere to be seen. Right now
she just looked tortured with worry. Even the street lamps somehow seemed dimmer
than usual.
"Ai-chan-sensei, don't look so down. We still don't know what might have happened.
His room didn't look like it had been ransacked, so it's possible he just left somewhere
on his own. So don't worry about stuff that might not even have happened."
"That's right, Aiko. Don't just keep brooding over the worst case scenario. All that does
is make you less focused on what you should be doing right now. Besides, Yukitoshi is
a skilled magician. Even if he did run into something dangerous, he wouldn't be beaten
that easily. You're his teacher, Aiko. If you won't believe in your students, who will?"
Yuka and David both tried to cheer Aiko up. The other hunk knights and the rest of the
students were standing nearby. They too expressed their concern for Aiko.
Two weeks had passed since one of Aiko's escorts, Yukitoshi Shimizu, had gone
missing. Aiko and the others had expended every effort to search for him, but they
hadn't been able to find a single clue. No one in town had seen him disappear, nor had
anyone from the nearby villages when they'd sent people to go and ask.
At first people had been worried he might have been caught up in some kind of
incident. However, when they examined his room, they'd found it undisturbed.
Shimizu was a powerful black mage, skilled at using dark magic, and reasonably
proficient with the other elements as well, so he wouldn't have had any problems
dealing with regular thugs or the weak monsters in the immediate area. Furthermore,
he had vanished multiple times before without telling anyone, so his disappearances
weren't anything new.
Shimizu was by nature an introvert, and didn't really mingle with most of the other
guards. He didn't have any close friends among his classmates either, and they'd
actually been surprised when he'd volunteered to join the Ai-chan defense force.
Which is why most of the students were more concerned for Aiko, who was worrying
herself sick, than Shimizu.
They had already reported this to the Holy Church, who had organized a search squad
and dispatched them already. They were slated to arrive soon. Shimizu had one of the
highest aptitudes for magic among the summoned heroes, so unlike with Hajime, they
had a vested interest in confirming his safety. At their current pace, the search squad
would arrive in a few more days.
Her students' words of comfort did nothing to easy Aiko's mental anguish. In fact, they
made it worse. Regardless of whether he'd been caught up in some kind of incident or
chosen to vanish on his own, Aiko was still worried.
But she shouldn't have let that worry show. Because she had, now she'd made the
remaining students even more concerned for her. How could she still call herself an
educator if she was the one constantly being looked after? Aiko sucked in a deep
breath and lightly slapped her cheeks.
"Everyone, I'm sorry for worrying you. You're right. Sitting here wringing my hands
won't achieve anything. Shimizu-kun is a skilled mage. I'm sure he's fine. We just have
to keep believing he's safe, and do all we can to find him. But first, we need dinner! We
can't search for him on an empty stomach after all!" It was obvious she was just forcing
herself to sound cheerful, but her students still meekly went along with her
suggestion. David and the other knights watched with a smile on their faces.
A bell clanged loudly as Aiko opened the door to the inn they were staying at. It was
the poshest inn in Ur, the Water Sprite Inn. The name seemed to be a throwback to the
time a water sprite couple from the Urdea Lake had stayed there.
Urdea Lake itself was quite famous too, as it was the continent's largest lake. In terms
of size, it was easily four times as large as Biwa Lake in Japan. Ur had grown up around
it.
The first floor of the inn served as a pub, and it served some of the best rice dishes,
Ur's specialty, around. While the interior wasn't exactly ostentatious, it was evident
that a great amount of attention to detail had gone into the decorating, and the
magnificent tables and bar counter gave the room a dignified atmosphere. There was
a modest yet tasteful chandelier hanging from the ceiling, adding a slightly elegant
touch to the room.
If one were to sum it up in a single phrase, it was an inn with a longstanding history.
At first, Aiko and the other students had protested against staying in such a fancy inn,
claiming they wouldn't be able to sleep easily surrounded by such opulence. However,
David and the others couldn't afford to let the Holy Church's reputation suffer by
letting "god's messengers" or the "fertility goddess" stay anywhere less than the best,
and eventually they managed to convince the students.
As they'd already spent some time resting in the royal palace, the students found they
were more at home surrounded by such luxury than they'd thought, and they quickly
took a liking to the inn. They had come to look forward to the rice dinners the inn
served after a hard day of improving the town's agriculture or searching for Shimizu.
They all headed to the table in the back, the one reserved for VIP customers, and
eagerly settled into their meal.
"Man, their food always smells so goood. I never thought I'd be able to eat curry in a
world like this."
"Though it looks more like stew than curry, really… Wait, isn't there that white curry
thing they eat in some places?"
The students all sang the praises of this otherworldly curry. Noboru pointed rudely
with his chopsticks as he gave his own impressions of his own dish, an aromatic bowl
of rice topped with deep-fried meat and vegetables and slathered in rich sauce.
"Man, their rice bowls are great too. Like this sauce is amazing. Hell, I don't even think
Japan's got bowls this good."
"You just never had good rice bowls in Japan, Aikawa-kun. The ones from convenience
stores aren't going to match up obviously."
"This fried rice is the only thing for me. I don't think I can go back to eating anything
else."
"Their dumplings are amazing too. I swear, whoever runs this place has to be
Japanese."
The boy who contradicted Noboru retorted with a smile, while Akito stuffed himself
full of fried rice. Next to him, Nana was eating her dumplings with relish.
Yuka and the others were overjoyed to be eating Japanese-style food every night.
While it didn't taste exactly the same, the core ingredients that went into the dishes
were quite similar. Part of the reason Ur's cooking was so renowned was because of
the abundance of fresh produce they had access to. Not only did they grow all of their
rice, their fish came fresh from the lake, and they were able to harvest various herbs
and spices from the nearby mountains.
An elderly man looking to be in his sixties and sporting a magnificent mustache came
up to their table with a smile.
"How is everyone finding their meal? If there's anything at all you require, don't
hesitate to ask."
"Oh, if it isn't the innkeeper."
He was Foss Seluo, the owner of the Water Sprite Inn. He stood with his back ramrod
straight, but his gaze was gentle. His grizzled white hair was swept back neatly.
He fit the relaxed yet dignified atmosphere of the inn to a T.
"The food is wonderful. All of us are healed by the meals you provide us every day."
Aiko replied cheerfully. "I am glad you're enjoying it," Foss said, his smile widening.
However, an instant later his expression clouded over. Such an apologetic expression
didn't fit on his gentle face. Wondering what was the matter, Aiko stopped eating and
gave him her full attention.
"The truth is, I am terribly sorry to say that… today is the last day we will be able to
serve seasoned food."
"Huh!? We won't be able to have any more Nilchissle!?"
Yuka cried out in shock. She really loved curry.
"Yes. I'm terribly sorry for the inconvenience. However, our stock of certain
ingredients has run dry… Normally, we make sure to keep plenty of stock in reserve to
avoid such a problem… However, this past month the mountains have grown
increasingly dangerous and fewer and fewer adventurers are going out to gather what
we need. In fact, just the other day a high ranked adventurer party went off in the
mountains to investigate the cause, and went missing. Since then, almost nobody has
been willing to go collect spices. All the establishments that deal in food, ourselves
included are uncertain when we'll be able to restock."
"Umm… what exactly has made the mountains so much more dangerous?"
"The reports say that swarms of monsters have started appearing. However, the outer
fringes of the range have always been safe in the past. There's supposed to be ferocious
monsters living on the other side of this mountain, but they almost never cross the
peak to our side. However multiple people have claimed to have seen powerful
monsters roaming our side of the mountains in recent times."
"That's certainly worrying…"
Aiko furrowed her brows. Yuka and the other students exchanged dark glances. "I'm
sorry, this wasn't something I should have brought up while you were enjoying your
meal," Foss said apologetically. In an attempt to lighten the mood, he tried to steer the
conversation in a more optimistic direction.
"However, I believe this disturbance will die down soon enough."
"How can you be so sure?"
"The truth is, some new guests came in this evening looking for a room. It seems
they're adventurers here to search for the people who went missing. Apparently the
chief of Fuhren's adventurer guild sent them, so I imagine they must be quite strong.
I'm sure they'll be able to get to the cause of all this trouble."
Aiko and the students didn't really understand the gravity of that statement, but David
and the other knights murmured appreciatively.
The Fuhren branch chief was one of the most renowned people in the adventurer's
guild. Anyone that had been nominated by him personally had to be more than just
quite strong. As fellow warriors, the knights' interest was piqued. They began mentally
checking down the list of famous gold rank adventurers.
Aiko looked at the knights with a puzzled expression. Before anyone could explain,
however, they heard voices coming from the staircase. One male and two female. One
of the girls seemed to be complaining to the guy. In place of an explanation, Foss said,
"Speak of the devil. That's them. Sir knights, if you would like to speak with them, now
is your only chance. They said they were leaving tomorrow."
"I see. However, they sound quite young. Are there any gold ranked adventurers this
young?"
David and the other knights scratched their heads in confusion. None of the gold
ranked adventurers they knew of were that young.
The trio's voices grew louder as they approached.
The students' table was at the very back, surrounded on three sides by walls. It offered
a perfect view of the entire floor. However, the alcove also had a set of curtains that
could be pulled closed if the occupants wished for some privacy. Their party stood out
as is, and now that people had taken to calling Aiko a fertility goddess, they usually
took their meals behind closed curtains. Today was naturally no exception.
Finally the trio grew close enough for Aiko and the others to make out their
conversation.
"Sheesh, how many times do I have to tell you? I get really lonely when you start
flirting with Yue, you know. Can't you please stop doing it in front of me? Hey, are you
listening to me, Hajime-san?"
"Yeah, yeah, I heard you. If you just don't want to see it, we can get you your own room."
"Hmph! Did you hear that, Yue-san? Hajime-san's so mean."
"Yeah. Hajime… you meanie!"
"Yeah, yeah."
When they heard the name the two girls were using, Aiko and Yuka did a double take.
Did they say what I think they just said? And is it just me or does that guy's voice sound
just like "his" voice? Questions raced through the students' minds. They all tensed up
and stared at the curtain, as if the force of their gaze alone could pierce the opaque
veil.
Yuka especially was shocked. Her life had been saved by Hajime, and of the people
present, she'd been the most affected by that incident. She didn't even notice when
her spoon slipped from her fingers and clattered to the floor.
The other students too were reminded of the boy that had fallen into the abyss four
months ago. The boy whose demise had reminded them of their own frail mortality.
The boy who was at the root of the trauma they wished they could forget. The boy
who, for better or worse, always stood out. Alarmed, Foss and the knights asked what
was wrong, but none of the students even heard their words. While the knights were
looking at each other in bewilderment, Aiko muttered a single word.
"Nagumo-kun?" That word was enough to break her out of her daze, and she found
she could freely move her body again. Aiko stood up so fast her chair fell to the floor
behind her, and almost tripped over herself in her haste to rip open the curtain.
It slid apart smoothly, revealing Hajime, Yue and Shea standing a few feet away.
Before she could even get a good look at him, Aiko shouted his name.
"Nagumo-kun!"
"Huh…? Sensei?"
Standing in front of Aiko was a surprised boy with white hair and an eyepatch covering
one eye.
He looked very different from the Hajime that Aiko remembered. Not just his
appearance, but even his demeanor felt different.
The boy Aiko knew was a gentle, mature individual who always seemed to be spacing
out in class. She had always thought that awkward smile he wore when people talked
to him suited him well.
However, the boy in front of him had a gaze as sharp as a hawk's, making it difficult to
approach him. He was so different from how Aiko remembered him that had they just
passed each other on the street, she definitely would not have recognized him.
Still, close inspection revealed that his facial features and voice closely resembled the
same Hajime she remembered. And more than anything… he had called her Sensei.
That was what made it certain. Even if his appearance and the way he carried himself
had changed, the boy standing in front of her was none other than her student, Hajime
Nagumo.
"Nagumo-kun… it's really you, isn't it? You're alive… You're still alive…"
"Uh no, you must have mistaken me for someone else. Bye."
"Huh?"
It was a miraculous reunion with the student she'd thought long dead. Tears sprung
to Aiko's eyes. "What were you doing all this time? What happened to you? I'm so glad
you're alright!" There were a mountain of things she wanted to say, but she couldn't
get the words out. And yet, all Hajime replied with was a curt dismissal.
Aiko let out a confused mutter. Even her tears seemed to retreat back into their ducts.
But when Hajime started walking toward the inn's exit, she suddenly returned to her
senses and chased after him. She grabbed him by the sleeve and tried talking to him.
"Wait just one minute! It's definitely you, isn't it, Nagumo-kun? You called me Sensei
just now! There's no way you could be anyone else."
"No really, you just misheard me. I just… said stunted, in a really thick accent. Yeah."
"Excuse me, who are you calling short!? I'll have you know that's very rude! And that's
the worst excuse I've ever heard. Why did you try to trick me? And that arm and that
eye… What exactly happened to you? What have you been doing until now? And why
didn't you come back to us? Answer me, Nagumo-kun! You can't fool your teacher!"
Aiko's shouting echoed throughout the inn.
Most of the other diners were watching curiously, wondering what their fertility
goddess was doing with this guy.
The rest of the students and knights filed out of their little alcove as well.
The students' jaws all dropped when they saw Hajime. They were shocked not just at
the fact that he was still alive, but at how radically different he looked too. Unsure of
what to do or say, they just stared.
Though Hajime seemed to be reacting to all this calmly, he was panicking internally.
Even in his wildest dreams, he hadn't expected to run into his old teacher and
classmates while out on a quest for the branch chief.
His shock was what had led him to accidentally let slip that first "Sensei," all but sealing
his fate.
Battered by Aiko's onslaught of questions, Hajime looked to the magic eight ball in his
mind for suggestions, but all he got were worthless choices like "run away," "keep
pretending she's got the wrong guy," "act like a weird foreigner, or "kidnap Ai-chan."
The last one was especially terrible.
Fortunately, his partner came to his rescue. Not the worthless rabbit-eared one, the
cool vampire princess. Yue walked up to Hajime, wrapped her arm around him, and
forcibly pulled Aiko's arm off. David and the other knights glared daggers at her.
"Get off, you're bothering Hajime."
"Wh-Who're you? I'm in the middle of a very important discussion with my student…"
"Then calm down first."
Aiko faltered a little in the face of Yue's cold stare. There wasn't too much of a
difference in their height. It would have looked like two little girls fighting, but Aiko
always acted like she was much younger than she was, while Yue's age gave her an air
of maturity. And so, it actually looked more like an adult scolding a kid.
Though it was actually Yue who felt bad for blurting out such rude words, and she
quickly stepped back, retreating behind Hajime. Trying to maintain some semblance
of dignity, Aiko straightened her back and squared her shoulders… but the effect was
less than impressive.
"Sorry, you're right. I let myself get a bit worked up. Anyway, it really is you, right,
Nagumo-kun?" Aiko spoke quietly, but with conviction. Her gaze was focused solely on
Hajime.
Seeing her expression, Hajime realized she'd chase after him no matter what he said,
so he just scratched his head, sighed, and told her the truth.
"Yeah, it's me. Long time no see, Sensei."
"It's really, really you… You were alive."
Hajime just shrugged his shoulders.
"Yeah. Some stuff happened, but I made it out alive."
"Thank god. Thank god you're alive."
Hajime didn't respond. Instead, he walked over to a nearby table and sat down. Yue
and Shea followed suit, though Shea was still a little confused.
Aiko and the others looked at him blankly. It looked like Hajime had regained his
composure for real now. He beckoned to Foss, who was standing behind Yuka and
David, watching the proceedings with great interest.
"Umm, Hajime-san. Is this really alright? These are your friends, right? This is just a
guess… but these are people from your old world, right?"
"So what? I was a little surprised to see them here, but that's about it. We came here
to eat dinner, so let's order our food. I was looking forward to trying the food here. Did
you know? They have curry… Wait, you wouldn't know what that is. They have this
thing called Nilchissle here, it's supposed to be really spicy. I hope it tastes like I think
it will."
"Then I'll get that too. I want to know what kind of food you like, Hajime."
"Ah, trying to flirt with him even now… You're good, Yue-san. Well, I guess I'll get that
too, then. Sir, we'd like to order."
At first Shea had glanced nervously over at Aiko and the others, but she stopped
paying them any mind after Hajime had said it was fine. Foss walked over, wearing an
awkward smile, and Shea began ordering.
Of course Aiko wasn't done yet. The nonchalance with which Hajime had sat down had
struck her dumb for a moment, but once she returned to her senses she briskly walked
up to Hajime's table and angrily slammed her hands down.
"Nagumo-kun, I'm not done speaking with you. Don't ignore me! And who are these
two girls, anyway?" Aiko's words echoed the sentiments of everyone present. The
knights, who'd finally put together the fact that Hajime was the missing student
thought to have died, also nodded in agreement.
The reality of Hajime's survival finally hit Yuka and the other students as well. Still
shaken, they quietly waited for Hajime's reply.
Hajime furrowed his brow in annoyance. Knowing Aiko, she wouldn't give up until he
gave her an answer. He wanted to be able to eat in peace, so reluctantly looked back
up at her.
"We accepted a request to come here from Fuhren. We've been traveling nonstop, so
at least let us eat before I tell you what happened. Oh, and these two are…"
Hajime glanced over at Yue and Shea, who introduced themselves before he could.
"Yue."
"My name's Shea."
"I'm Hajime's lover." "I'm Hajime-san's lover."
"L-Lover?"
Aiko glanced back and forth between Hajime and the two girls. She was having trouble
processing what they'd just said.
Behind her, Nana and Taeko let out gasps of surprise. Atsushi and the other guys just
stared, slack-jawed. Yuka stiffened up, as if she'd been hit by a bolt of lightning.
"Hey, Yue can say that, but you most definitely are not, Shea."
"I can't believe you Hajime-san! That's so mean! You even stole my first kiss!"
"How many times do I have to tell you? That was just C—"
"Nagumo-kun?"
"What is it, Sensei?"
At Shea's mention of Hajime stealing her first kiss, Aiko finally recovered enough say
something. Her voice was low, and her expression made it clear that she'd
misunderstood something. She seemed to be thinking Hajime had these two girls
waiting on him hand and foot.
Her face was bright red, but her eyes were glimmering with determination.
Determination to bring her wayward student back on the path of righteousness.
And so, Sensei's Wrath struck Hajime in this peaceful town of Ur.
"N-Not only did you steal a girl's first kiss, you're also two-timing!? Is the reason you
didn't come back to us because you were too busy flirting with these girls!? In that
case… I'll never forgive you! As a teacher, I cannot forgive you! You need a good
scolding! I'll fix that twisted personality of yours right now, Nagumo-kun!" Hajime just
sighed deeply, an exasperated expression on his face.
Thanks to Aiko's outburst, the other customers started staring too, so Hajime and the
others moved to the privacy of the VIP table.
Aiko, Yuka, and the other students all peppered him with questions, but Hajime's mind
was on the Nilchissle he was hoping to eat for dinner, so he kept his answers as brief
as possible.
Q: After you fell from the bridge, what happened?
A: I went through hell.
Q: How come your hair is white now?
A: Because I went through hell.
Q: What happened to your eye?
A: I went through even more hell.
Q: Why didn't you come back to us?
A: Because I don't have any reason to.
"Hey, answer properly!" Fed up with his responses, Aiko puffed out her cheeks and
yelled angrily. Though she didn't look intimidating in the slightest.
As always, Hajime just took it all in stride. He didn't even meet Aiko's gaze, and instead
continued tearing through his Nilchissle, sometimes commenting on this or that to
Yue and Shea. He looked extremely satisfied.
Unable to take his offhanded treatment of Aiko any longer, David started yelling at
Hajime too. The power of love was quite something. He even slammed his fist down
on the table for added effect.
"Hey, brat! Aiko's asking a question! Answer her properly!" Hajime glanced over at
David, then breathed another sigh.
"I'm trying to eat here. Can't you be a bit more polite?" David reddened with anger. Not
only was he a templar knight, he was one skilled enough to be tasked with the mission
of guarding Aiko. And yet, Hajime had brushed him off without even a second thought.
Realizing Hajime wasn't willing to humor him in the slightest, David changed his angle
of attack. He looked over at Shea and let out a string of insults.
"Hmph, you dare lecture me on manners? Let me throw those words right back at you.
How dare you bring a filthy brute like that to a table meant for humans? Have you no
shame? How about I lop off those disgusting ears of hers for you? Then she'd at least
look more like a human."
Shea fidgeted uneasily under his disdainful glare.
Back in Brooke, because of Catherine, the first impression she'd given people when
she'd entered the Masaka Inn, and Hajime's own presence, most people had treated
her with respect. A few people had glared disapprovingly at Fuhren, but no one had
tried to heckle her directly, as it was a crime to harm another's slave.
In other words, this was the first time she'd felt the full brunt of people's hatred and
discrimination toward beastmen directly. She thought she'd no longer cared about
what strangers thought of her, but David's blatant malice hurt her more than she'd
expected. Hence why she lowered her gaze.
It wasn't just David either. Upon closer inspection, it was evident the other knights
were glaring hatefully at her too. No matter how nice they acted toward Aiko or the
other students, they were still templar knights. Their ties to the Holy Church and
Heiligh meant they held the beastmen in contempt. In fact, their hatred was even
stronger than regular humans, since it was the Holy Church's teachings that claimed
beastmen were inferior beings.
Their way of thinking had become less rigid by interacting with Aiko and the others,
but such a deeply ingrained sense of values couldn't be so easily overturned.
Aiko opened her mouth to protest the knights' harsh words, but before she could say
anything, Yue took Shea by the hand and shot them a stare colder than death itself.
The withering intensity of her gaze caused David to flinch back for a moment, but the
fact that he'd cowered before a little girl, even if only for an instant, only made him
angrier.
David wasn't normally someone who'd snap this easily, but Aiko's reproachful gaze
made him touchier than usual.
"How dare you look at me like that! You're not even a messenger of God, what right do
you have to blame me!"
Chase quickly stood up to restrain his commanding officer, but before he could, Yue's
voice echoed clearly through the chaotic din.
"What a pathetic man." Every word dripped with scorn. Yue couldn't believe someone
could be so intolerant about something as irrelevant as race.
Having already lost his composure, Yue's disdain only served to drive him further into
a frenzy.
"You damn heretic. I'll send you to hell along with that beast you love so much." He put
a hand over his sword.
Yuka and Atsushi reached for their own weapons, while Aiko and Chase tried to calm
David down with words.
However, David was beyond words now. He made to draw his sword, but before he
could…
Bang! The nose reverberated throughout the Water Sprite Inn, and his head jerked
back.
His whole body was sent flying from the force, and he crashed into the wall behind
him headfirst. The whites of his eyes were visible as he slid to the ground in a
crumpled heap. His sword clattered to the floor next to him a second later.
No one could understand what had just happened. Everyone just stared blankly at the
ground where David lay.
Startled by the sound, Foss hurriedly opened the curtain to see what had happened.
His eyes went round as he took in the spectacle.
However, Foss' sudden entrance served to bring everyone else back to their senses.
Everyone's gazes shifted to where the noise had originated from.
The students saw an object they recognized, but one that shouldn't have existed in this
world. Meanwhile, the knights had no clue what they were looking at. It was Hajime's
revolver.
White smoke rose from Donner's barrel. Hajime had been kind enough to shoot one
of his non-lethal rubber bullets.
While they still didn't fully grasp what had happened, they realized Hajime was the
one who had attacked, and all cautiously put a hand over their own swords.
They started radiating bloodlust, but a moment later an aura so oppressive that it was
palpable snuffed out their aggression. It was powerful enough that the knights were
forced back into their seats.
Even though Hajime's Intimidation wasn't directed at them, Aiko and the students
were trembling in fear.
Hajime slapped Donner down onto the table with an audible thunk. Just to drive the
point home, he then went on to explain with finality what his stance was regarding his
former classmates.
"I don't really care about you guys. I have no intention of getting involved with your
affairs, and I don't particularly want you to meddle in mine. Also, I've got no plans to
tell you everything I've been up to, or what I'm going to do from here on out. I only
came here because the guild asked me to, and once my job here's done I'm resuming
my journey. So that'll be where we part ways. Let's just stay out of each other's way
after that. You're welcome to do whatever you want, but just don't get in my way. If
you try and fight me like that guy did… I might kill you."
Got that? His intimidating gaze seemed to say. No one said a word. He looked over at
the knights, and it took every ounce of their strength to nod underneath Hajime's
Intimidation.
He then turned his gaze onto Aiko and the students. Aiko said nothing. Rather, she
couldn't say anything. It wasn't the Intimidation. If she agreed to Hajime's request, her
student would vanish before she even had a chance to learn what had happened to
him. Her pride as a teacher refused to allow that.
Hajime sighed, and released his Intimidation. Though Aiko hadn't said anything,
Hajime had guessed what she must be thinking. He decided it wasn't worth trying to
force an answer out of her.
Nana, Taeko, Atsushi, and most of the other students were all trembling in fear, so he
surmised they wouldn't be likely to bother him again. Only Yuka didn't seem afraid.
She gazed at him with a mixture of confusion and a hint of sadness, but Hajime ignored
her.
With the pressure gone, Chase and the other knights collapsed onto the table, panting.
Aiko and the students weren't in as bad shape, but they also sank into their chairs
gratefully. Hajime paid them no mind and instead turned to Shea, who still looked a
little down.
"Hey, Shea. This is just how people are in the outside world. If you keep letting every
little thing get to you, you'll just be depressed forever."
"Yeah, I know… I know that, but still… I didn't want to believe it, but I guess humans
really do think my bunny ears are disgusting." Shea smiled bitterly while stroking her
drooping ears. Yue looked gently into her eyes and tried to console her.
"Shea, your bunny ears are fluffy and cute."
"Yue-san… do you really mean that?"
Seeing she still wasn't convinced, Hajime followed up in an exasperated voice. Yue's
constant admonishment of Hajime had definitely helped in softening his attitude
toward Shea.
"Look, those guys have been brainwashed by the Holy Church, so they're even more
racist than most people. Don't most people like keeping rabbitmen as pets? If they
enjoy keeping your kind around, they obviously can't hate your rabbit ears that much."
"I… guess so. U-Umm, by the way, Hajime-san… what… do you think… about my bunny
ears?" Blushing slightly, Shea looked up at Hajime, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. Her
ears were twitching wildly, as if she wanted to know the answer, but was also afraid
to hear it.
"They're okay, I guess…" Hajime spared them a single glance before hurriedly
returning to his food. Shea's ears drooped again.
However, Yue's next words brought them back to their usual cheerful state.
"Hajime really likes them. Sometimes, he'll even rub them when you're sleeping."
"Yue!? You promised not to tell!"
"H-Hajime-san… you really do like my ears. Ehehe." Shea cupped her cheeks with her
hands and squirmed in embarrassment. Meanwhile, the ears on top of her head were
doing some kind of happy dance.
The tense atmosphere that had pervaded the table seconds ago was nowhere to be
seen, and everyone marveled at how quickly the mood had changed.
After watching their romcom skit for a few minutes, Atsushi quietly mumbled,
"Huh, that's strange. I was scared to death of Nagumo a few seconds ago, but now I
feel like murdering him…"
"You too, huh? You know, those two are really cute… and they're both totally my type…
It's absolute torture watching them flirt with another guy…"
Atsushi nodded in agreement. The two friends clenched their fists, steeled their
resolve, and exchanged glances.
"Nagumo said he doesn't care about us anymore, right? But you know, I still want to
ask him how to get the girls of this world to fall for you… I have to know! Noboru!
Akito!"
"We'll brave the depths of hell together with you, brother!"
The three males of Ai-chan's defense force exchanged a glance of solidarity before
glaring at Hajime, eyes burning with jealousy. The serious mood from earlier now
completely dispelled, everyone returned to normal. Yuka, Taeko, and Nana all glared
coldly at the boys.
Chase had taken his subordinates and was currently trying to treat David's injuries.
Once he was sure David wasn't in any serious trouble, he turned to Hajime and gave
him his most charming smile. There was something he wanted to ask Hajime at all
costs.
"Nagumo-dono— Is it alright if I call you that? I apologize for what my captain said.
We are Aiko-san's guards, so when it comes to her safety, we sometimes get a little
touchy. Please, could you find it in your heart to forgive him?"
So you just start trying to kill people when you get touchy? Well, I guess I'm not really
one to judge people on their murderous impulses. Hajime waved his hand
dispassionately.
Chase's eyebrow twitched at Hajime's nonchalant dismissal, but he kept his business
smile on. His attention was focused solely on the artifact Hajime had placed on the
table, and he quickly pressed on with his question.
"Also, about that… artifact. I cannot fully grasp its function, but it appears to be quite
powerful. It seems to be some form of long range weapon, but it is both faster and
stronger than a bow. And yet, I could sense no magic nor did I see a magic circle
anywhere. Just how does it work?"
He was still smiling, but Chase's gaze was deadly serious. Since it didn't appear to use
any mana, he was interested in the possibility of mass producing a weapon stronger
than a bow that anyone could use. A weapon of that caliber could change the very
nature of warfare. Chase suspected that even if the entire knight corps took Hajime
on, they wouldn't stand a chance against such an artifact, so he had to ask.
Hajime glanced at Chase. Before he could say anything, an excited voice interrupted
him. Atsushi.
"Th-That's right, Nagumo. That's a gun, isn't it!? How on earth did you get something
like that!?"
Chase did a double-take.
"Gun? Tamai, you know what that object is?"
"Huh? Yeah, of course I do. It's a weapon from our world."
Chase's eyes sparkled as the beginnings of an idea formed in his mind. He looked back
at Hajime.
"I see. In other words, this isn't an artifact you found… but one that was created… And
the creator must have been…"
"Me." Hajime replied casually. Chase had marked Hajime as the secretive type, so he
was surprised when he answered so readily.
"I see it's no secret. Nagumo-dono, do you understand what that weapon is capable
of? It could…"
"Change the nature of how war is fought in this world… right? Assuming you could
mass produce it, anyway. I'm sure you're going to beg me to come back, or at least
teach you how to make it, right? I refuse. Give it up." He said with finality. It felt like he
had prepared this speech beforehand. However, Chase refused to give up. That was
how much the gun was worth.
"But this could help make even our weakest soldiers overwhelmingly powerful. We
could take advantage of our numbers in the coming war and drastically increase our
chances of victory. Your help could save the lives of your friends and your teacher.
Shouldn't you—"
"Say what you want, I won't help you guys. And if you try and steal it from me, I'll
interpret that as an act of war. So if you want to go that route… you better be prepared
to die before the real war starts."
Hajime's words sent chills down Chase's spine, and he fell silent. Aiko chose that
moment to butt in and try to smooth the situation over.
"Chase-san, I'm sure Nagumo-kun has his reasons, so please don't try and force him.
Nagumo-kun, you need to choose your words more carefully too. Handling things
peacefully is important… Nagumo-kun, do you really not plan on coming back?"
"That's right. I'm leaving tomorrow to investigate, and once I finish my request, I'll
leave."
"But why…" She gazed sadly at him, but Hajime just stood up and prepared to leave.
Yue and Shea had finished eating as well. Aiko tried to stop him, but he ignored her
and headed up the stairs.
A strange atmosphere descended upon those left behind.
"He really was alive." A quiet voice broke through the silence, confirming the reality of
what they'd just seen. The one who had spoken was Yuka. There was a conflicted
expression on her face as she looked at the staircase.
"Kaori-chan was right. Though, I guess he didn't need her help. In fact, he managed to
get out all on his own."
"Yukacchi… are you alright?"
"Yuka…"
Taeko and Nana were worried because Yuka had sounded like she was talking to
herself. Yuka smiled bitterly at the two of them, then shrugged her shoulders.
"I'm fine… just really surprised. But it's not a bad thing, you know? Our classmate's
still alive. That can only be a good thing, right?"
"Yeah, you're right! Though I still can't really believe it. I mean, you saw him! He felt
like a totally different person!"
"Indeed. How do I put this… he feels… more wild? You know?" Taeko spoke haltingly.
It hadn't been exactly like encountering a crazed serial killer, but there had been
something feral to this new Hajime.
Atsushi and the other guys chose this moment to interject with their own opinions.
"And he looks waaay stronger now. Like, holy crap."
"Tell me about it. His hair color's changed, he acts different… he has a gun… and he's
so intimidating now…"
"There's all that too, but… You know, he said he doesn't care about us anymore… He
probably doesn't think too highly of us, huh?"
The students were all glad that a classmate they'd thought long dead was actually
alive. Even Taeko and Nana, who'd been terrified of him, still honestly thought so.
Atsushi too. It felt like this huge weight had been lifted off their chest. If they had to
sum it up in a word, they were "relieved."
However, there was still the inexplicable sense of discomfort that came with the fact
that he hadn't seemed to care about them at all. Not only that, he had become far
stronger and far sharper than before, and that had intimidated them.
Worse, they had always mocked him as the weakest member of their party, and none
of them had stepped in to stop Hiyama's bullying. Finally, there had been that misfire
incident that had led to his fall, so perhaps to him it was difficult to imagine his
classmates liked him at all.
That had been part of why none of them had tried to stop Hajime from leaving.
The students all lapsed into silence again, thinking about their fear, as well as their
inability to do anything to stop him. Once again, it was Yuka who broke the silence.
"I forgot to thank him."
The students all exchanged glances. They had been so focused on his indifference and
how much he had changed, that they'd forgotten what was truly important… True,
they hadn't directly had their lives saved like Yuka, but the students were only here
right now because Hajime had risked his life to save them.
Yuka's conflicted expression had stemmed from that. Unlike the others, she had been
worried about the fact that she'd failed to thank him again, that she hadn't really had
an opportunity to during their conversation, and that even if she had it would be
pointless to say anything now.
"Sonobe-san…" Aiko didn't know what else to say to her.
She had been too shaken by the rapid pace with which events had unfolded, and
Hajime's drastic change to be able to stop him from leaving. Aiko wasn't sure what she
could say that would reach Hajime now.
Their food had long since gone cold, but no one had any appetite now anyway.
Everyone stared at the plates of cold food, thinking about Hajime's survival all the
while.
That night.
It was midnight, and everyone was so mentally and physically exhausted from the
events of the day that they were fast asleep. Only Aiko was still awake.
Her room was a small single. It was furnished with a wooden table, a chair, a bed, a
small fireplace, and a leather sofa. In winter the fireplace would be crackling merrily,
warming its guest.
But right now it was empty. Aiko sat on the sofa, staring into the cold ashes as she
thought about the day's events. The inside of her head was a whirling, disorganized
mess.
There were things she had to think about, things she wanted to think about, and
planning for the future that needed to be done. Her brain was so overloaded that she
couldn't think straight. She was happy her student was still alive, and angry at his
indifference toward them.
She had caught a small glimpse of his power when he'd dispatched David. It was quite
possible that he had needed to change that drastically to survive, but that only made
it harder for Aiko when she thought about how he must have suffered, and how she
had been unable to save him. She let out a long sigh. On the other hand, she
remembered how he'd talked to those two girls, and was happy that he'd found
comrades he could trust.
Suddenly, a voice called out to her, despite the fact that she should have been alone in
the room.
"You sure make some interesting expressions, Sensei."
"Huh!?" Aiko jerked her head around. Hajime was standing in the doorway, his arms
folded across his chest. Shocked, Aiko stammered,
"N-Nagumo-kun? Wh-What are you… How did you…"
"If you're asking how I got in, it's through the door."
"But I locked…"
"I'm a Synergist, remember? This isn't like one of the locks back on earth, it's pretty
easy to pick."
For a few seconds Aiko just sat there, dumbstruck. Finally, she managed to calm herself
down and glare angrily at Hajime.
"It's rude to come into a girl's room so late at night, especially without knocking. You
even picked the lock… Why?" The words "night visit" flashed through Aiko's mind, but
she dismissed them instantly.
How could you even think something like that about one of your own students? Hajime
absorbed her rebuke and cut directly to the heart of the matter.
"Sorry, I guess. I didn't want anyone else to know about my visit. There's a few things
I need to tell you, Sensei, but I couldn't with those knights hanging around. They'd
probably get violent if I mentioned it."
"Something you need to tell me? But didn't you say you don't care about us, Nagumokun?"
Aiko's eyes glimmered with hope. Perhaps he really would come back to them after
all. Regardless, listening to her student's worries was the job of a teacher.
Sadly, Hajime's next words dashed her hopes.
"Yeah, I still don't, so please don't look so expectant… Anyway, I wanted to tell you
because I think you'd be able to handle it the most calmly, Sensei. You're free to do
what you want with the information after I tell you."
With that preface, Hajime launched into the story he'd heard from Oscar about the
Liberators and the crazed gods that were toying with the world.
There was a reason Hajime had thought to tell Aiko all of this.
He doubted those insane gods would let Kouki and the others return to their original
world even if they did everything they asked. "Save the humans from the demons," was
what they had decreed, but this entire war was just a part of those very gods' mad
game. And they surely wouldn't want to let go of a piece as interesting as a hero. In
fact, they'd probably want to make the hero an integral part of their next game too.
Of course, Hajime had no intention of tracking Kouki down just to tell him that. He
really didn't care about what happened to the others anymore, and to be quite frank,
taking a detour to go to him would just be a pain. Besides, even if he did tell Kouki,
Hajime doubted that ball of misguided justice would believe him anyway.
It was obvious who the other students would believe too. Between an old classmate
who had drastically changed and the hero everyone relied upon, it wasn't even a
contest. Chances were he'd just be branded a heretic for slandering the "Great Lord
Ehit." For all those reason, Hajime did not want to seek out Kouki.
However, by sheer coincidence, he had run into Aiko again. Hajime understood her
quite well. Aiko was always thinking of her students, so she wouldn't be easily swayed
by the pope's honeyed words like the students had been, and do what was best for
them. And because of her overwhelming popularity, he was sure that her words would
have more of an impact on them than his would.
Just how much of an influence that would be, he didn't know.
Though if Kouki and the others started straying from the gods' plan because of this,
they would surely draw the gods' attention.
Eventually, tales of Hajime's labyrinth conquest would spread, and he was certain the
gods would eventually do something to intervene. So, by having Kouki stray from their
plan, Hajime hoped to delay the gods' interference in his own business, or at the very
least split their attention.
And the very faint hope that they too might start searching for an alternative way back
home after learning they couldn't rely on the gods. Lastly, he knew that the Liberators
had been defeated because the gods had manipulated the people and turned them
against them, so in order to avoid having that happen with his former classmates, he
wanted to plant the seeds of doubt early.
Though this was all something Hajime had just come up with after seeing Aiko again,
so he wasn't exactly expecting much.
Hajime didn't hold any particular grudge toward his old classmates, but he also didn't
really care about them. If they could be of use to him, he'd use them, and if not he'd
leave them alone. He'd found a way they might help, which was the only reason he
bothered to pass this information along.
Aiko was stunned speechless after she heard Hajime's tale. She wasn't even sure how
to process it. Frankly, it would probably be some time until she'd managed to digest it
all.
"Anyway, I just wanted to let you know. That's what I learned at the bottom of the
abyss. What you do with that information is up to you, Sensei. You're welcome to
believe it or not as you wish. I don't care."
"N-Nagumo-kun, does your journey have something to do with those… crazed gods?"
"Hah, no way. I don't give a shit about what happens to this world. I just want to find a
way home. That's the only reason I'm on this journey. I only told you because I figured
you knowing might help sometime down the road."
Hajime snorted at her absurd question. Aiko was relieved that he wasn't sticking his
head into anything dangerous, but she grew angry again when he talked about how
willing he was to disregard the lives of strangers. That being said, she too valued the
students' safety over the salvation of this world, so she didn't have the right to say
anything. Instead, she changed topics.
"Do you have an idea of how you're going to get back?"
"Sorta. The labyrinths hold all the answers. If you guys are interested, you're welcome
to explore them yourselves. After you clear the first hundred floors of the Orcus
Labyrinth, you'll finally make it to the real deal. Though judging by what happened
today, you'd all die instantly the moment you wandered in. If you can't even handle
that level of Intimidation, you won't last five seconds."
Aiko thought back to the immense pressure Hajime had radiated at dinner. She looked
up at him with a mixture of sympathy and admiration, realizing how harsh a path he
must have walked to survive in such a hellish place.
They both fell silent, and that silence stretched on for a few minutes. Finally, Hajime
turned back to the door. He'd told Aiko everything he'd come here to say. The words
Orcus Labyrinth had stirred something in Aiko's memory though, and before he could
leave she called out.
"Shirasaki-san still hasn't given up on you, you know!"
"...…" Hajime stopped, his hand hovering over the door handle. Aiko continued
talking.
"Everyone else thought you were dead, but only she didn't give up. She believed you
were still alive. Even now, she's fighting through the Great Orcus Labyrinth, looking
for you. Amanogawa-kun and the others are only down there to get stronger, but she's
with them because she's determined to find you."
"…Is Shirasaki safe?" Hajime asked, after a long pause. Seeing him show concern for
someone else gave Aiko hope that the old Hajime might still be alive somewhere deep
inside.
"Y-Yes. The labyrinth is a dangerous place, but it seems the party inside is steadily
progressing as they grow stronger. At least, that's what the letters they send us say.
Are you worried about her? Shirasaki-san was your friend, right, Nagumo-kun?"
Aiko's tone was cheerful. Instead of responding to her question, Hajime turned around
and said,
"I wouldn't exactly say that, but… if you guys exchange letters, you should let her know
that her real enemy isn't the monsters in the labyrinth. It's one of her so-called
comrades."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"I could tell from Tamai's attitude. Sensei, everyone's saying I fell during my fight with
the Behemoth because of an accident, right?"
"W-Well… yes. Someone's spell misfired and… So you do bear a grudge against
everyone, Nagumo-kun?"
"Nah, I don't give a damn about that, really. Anyway, they're wrong. It wasn't a misfire.
Someone was quite clearly aiming for me."
"Huh? They were aiming for you?"
Aiko repeated, confused. However, Hajime continued mercilessly, adding another huge
worry to Aiko's list of worries.
"One of my classmates tried to kill me."
"Wha—!?" Aiko paled at his words.
"The only thing I can think of that might have caused it was my relationship with
Shirasaki, so whoever did it was probably someone jealous of me. If she's still safe, you
have to tell her to watch out. That person is probably going to try and make her his by
force." That was all Hajime said before leaving the room.
A sudden chill crept into the room, and Aiko wrapped her arms around herself. One of
her precious students had tried to kill a classmate. Worse, he'd been a coward that had
stabbed Hajime in the back. For Aiko, who wished to believe in all of her students, it
was a hard pill to swallow, but she had no reason to believe Hajime had lied to her. Her
desire to believe in her students, and her belief that her students were all good people
were warring with each other.
Aiko knew she wouldn't get any sleep that night.