Arifureta Vol 6 Chapter 6 (2/2)

Hajime easily answered that he made it. Chase, because he held the impression of Hajime as a secretive person, was surprised by how easily he admitted it.

“You admit it so easily. Nagumo-kun, do you know what it means to hold that weapon? That…”

“It could completely change the situation of the war in this world,… right? That’s if you can ma.s.s-produce it. Mostly, you want me to return with you and teach you how to make it, or something like that? Naturally, I reject it all. Just give up.”

Hajime’s words had left him completely helpless. Those words seemed to be prepared beforehand. But, Chase didn’t give up. That’s how attractive the gun was.

“But, the Soldiers with low levels can have high offense if it could be ma.s.s produced. When that happens, we can make use of a lot of people in the upcoming war, and our chances of victory will also greatly increase. If you cooperate, doesn’t it mean you also help your teacher and friends? If so…”

“No matter what you want to say, I won’t cooperate. If you try to take it, then it means you’re my enemy. At that time… be prepared to be annihilated even before the war breaks out.”

Hajime’s quiet words sent a chill toward Chase’s whole body and he shut his mouth. Then, Aiko managed to intervene there.

“Chase-san. Nagumo-kun has his own intentions. Please don’t force my student. Nagumo-kun too, please stop saying such extreme things. Be more peaceful… Nagumo-kun, are you seriously not coming back?”

“Ah, I don’t want to return with you. Tomorrow morning, after I complete the request, I’ll leave as is.”

“Why…”

Aiko looked at Hajime with a pained expression, she wanted to know his reason, but Hajime rose from his seat before she could ask. Unbeknownst to them, Yue and s.h.i.+a had also finished their meals. Although Aiko tried to stop him, Hajime ignored her and climbed the stairs to the second floor, accompanied by Yue and s.h.i.+a.

At the time Aiko and the others were left behind, a subtle and indescribable atmosphere was in the air. They were glad the cla.s.smate they thought was dead was actually alive. But, for the person himself, they seemed to have not even registered in his eyes. Moreover, he had become strong to the point, that it was impossible to compare him to his past self. He was not the same as the one who was once called “incompetent” in contempt as they looked at him from above.

Moreover, about the contempt, they had pretended not to notice Hiyama and his friends bullying him. Followed by that “friendly fire” incident, they could only feel more indebted because of Hajime’s ambiguous att.i.tude. As a result, no one could proactively reach out to Hajime.

Aiko herself was greatly shaken by her student’s change and angered by the current development in her mind, so she was unable to stop Hajime.

Chase, while he looked at the currently recovering David at the side, seemed to think of something.

With their meals completely cooled, their appet.i.tes also disappeared. Without looking at the food in front of them, all of them began to deeply think about how “Hajime survived” after he left them.

Just what on Earth could completely change a person like that, what did Hajime think at that time when the “friendly-fire” incident happened, what the current Hajime thought of them… Most likely, he held a grudge against them. With those thoughts making revolutions in their minds, all of them became depressed, and the day was over.

In the middle of the night. Surrounded by the night, they were completely exhausted. Both physically and mentally, thanks to the unexpected development. All of them fell asleep, but Aiko wasn’t able to sleep even now. Aiko’s room was a single room, so it was not a large one. A table set and bed with carved wooden feet, a small fireplace, and a leather sofa in front of it. In the winter, the flame would surely brightened the room, and the inn guests would be warmed just by seeing it.

Aiko was thinking about what happened earlier today, she watched the unlit fireplace while deeply entrusting her body to the sofa. The insides of Aiko’s head was like an unarranged bookshelf, with all of that information in disorder.

Even if she couldn’t think about it, she wanted to think. And from then on, her head that ran round and around in circles didn’t give out any constructive opinions at all. She recalled smiling when she found out her student was alive, then she could only knit her eyebrows because of his unamicable att.i.tude.

She had seen a glimpse of Hajime’s power through David’s speech and conduct, she thought he wouldn’t have been able to survive if he didn’t change, and how much hards.h.i.+p Hajime must have experienced. At that point she could only let out a sigh because she couldn’t help him at all. However, she recalled his interactions with the two girls, she thought he must have found companions he could trust, and she smiled again.

And, suddenly, a voice rang out inside the room where there should be no one but her inside.

“Why do you keep changing your expression, sensei?”

“Kh!?”

Aiko turned around to the source of the voice while wide-eyed. There was Hajime who stood at the entrance door with his arms folded. Aiko was so surprised that she became tongue-tied, but somehow managed to speak.

“Na-Nagumo-kun? Wh-Why are you here, how…”

“Even if you ask how, I just came through the door, no more no less.”

“Eh, but the lock…”

“My cla.s.s is trans.m.u.tation master, you know? Unlike the locks on earth, I can open this kind of lock mechanism.”

Hajime lightly answered, which stunned Aiko for a while. Her heart loudly throbbed in surprise and that somehow managed to calm her down. She frowned, then criticized him.

“At such a time, moreover it’s rude to suddenly barge into a woman’s room without even a knock. To purposely open the lock… just what do you want?”

For a moment, the word yobai came into Aiko’s mind but she immediately erased the thought. She slightly shook her head as she recalled the fact that the other person was her student. Hajime only warded off Aiko’s scolding like a willow blown by the wind, and he told her the reason for this thoughtless visit.

“Well, I am sorry about that. I just didn’t want anyone to know about this visit. I wanted to talk to sensei, but before, there were the fellows from the Church and the Kingdom, so I couldn’t do it. After all, the contents of this talk might have angered those guys.”

“A talk? Nagumo-kun, it was okay to talk to sensei and the others…”

By chance, she thought he wanted to return with them, and Aiko’s eyes s.h.i.+ned in expectation. If it was a consultation from her student, then it was as though the room was a teacher’s office. But her expectations were immediately denied by Hajime.

“No, I don’t want to return, you know? So stop looking at me with those eyes filled with expectation… What I want to talk about now is something I thought sensei would be the most calm to listen to it. After this talk, I’ll leave what you want to do to your own.”

Having said that, Hajime began to talk about the story of “Liberators” and the Mad G.o.ds he heard from Oscar.

Hajime obviously had his own reasons for telling Aiko this story. According to the G.o.ds’ intentions, the heroes; Kouki and the others, were made to dance in their game, and the G.o.ds never intended to return them to their own world. To save the human race from the demon race, in other words to win the upcoming war, is the result of the G.o.ds pulling the strings behind the stage in the first place. The heroes themselves were only interesting pieces they had gathered without any real reason. Rather, they only thought it was more appropriate to start a new game using the heroes.

However, for Hajime, there was no reason to pointedly explain this to Kouki and the other students. He wasn’t interested with what his cla.s.smates wanted to do, and it would also only be a ha.s.sle for him. Even if he told him, that man who believed that justice always laid with the majority wouldn’t believe him.

Because he was alone, between the words of a boy who had changed drastically and words that requested to save the majority, he didn’t even need to think about who they would trust. Rather, because many people believe and wors.h.i.+p “Ehito-sama,” he’d only be mocked and criticized. Because of that, Hajime didn’t want to become related to Kouki in the least.

However, by coincidence upon coincidence, it resulted in him meeting Aiko. Hajime himself knew Aiko’s main principles always centered around her students. In other words, regardless of the circ.u.mstances of this other world, she would calmly make a decision for the sake of her students. Following that, judging from the att.i.tudes of his cla.s.smates today, and how they yearned for j.a.pan, if it was Aiko, surely her words would be able to influence them. Those were Hajime’s thoughts.

Although, he didn’t know how her influence would change their actions. With this information, if the movement of Kouki and the others became different from what the G.o.ds intended, they’d surely put much more attention towards Kouki and the others. Hajime already knew that his existence would stand out like a sore thumb when he journeyed to conquer the Great Dungeons, and there was the possibility of receiving interference from the G.o.ds. That’s why, by indirectly pa.s.sing the information using someone they trust, he could rearrange the actions of Kouki and the others. Thus, he could delay being noticed by the G.o.ds. His only objective was to draw attention away from himself.

In addition, without relying on the G.o.ds, Hajime’s aim was to search for different ways for them to return. Furthermore, just like the “Liberators,” he wanted to show Kouki and the others how their original allies became manipulated enemies, it’s his intention to plant the wedge of distrust towards those G.o.ds.

In the first place, he was only able to think of this idea because of the coincidental meeting with Aiko, so Hajime never expected anything out of it. For Hajime, there was no grudge nor hatred towards his cla.s.smates. He was just indifferent towards them. If they could be used, then he’d used them, and he’d leave them alone if they didn’t seem useful. That’s why he didn’t disclose this information only by chance.

Having heard the truth of this world from Hajime, Aiko was dumbfounded. It was not known if she truly understood it. Processing this information, no matter what kind of ideas she got, it still took her more time.

“Well, that’s all. That’s what I came to know from the depths of the Abyss. I’ll leave what to do after knowing this to sensei. It’s okay to think of it as just nonsense, and it’s also okay to move into action if you think it’s the truth. Just do as you want to.”

“Na-Nagumo-kun, don’t tell me, to deal with those “Mad G.o.ds”… you began your journey?”

“Hah, that can’t be. I feel from the bottom of my heart that it doesn’t matter what happens to this world. I am only searching for a method to return. That’s why I went on a journey. The reason I’m telling you this is because it seems like it’d be convenient to do so, that’s all.”

Aiko wore an indescribably subtle expression because he snorted at her question. Although she was relieved he didn’t rashly poke his head into danger, she couldn’t help but frown as a teacher because of how easily he said he could cast the others away. But, she herself also made her students her first priority in this world, so she couldn’t say anything back. As a result, she tried to change the topic with a subtle expression.

“Do you believe in that?”

“That’s so. The Great Dungeons are the keys. It’s okay if you search for it if they interest you. Once you exceed the 100th level of Orcus, you’ll happily find the real Great Dungeon. First of all, by looking at your appearances today, you’ll immediately die when you go there. It’s out of the question if you can’t ignore “Pressure” of that level.”

Aiko was reminded of the pressure that gushed out from Hajime at dinner time. Following that, she opened her eyes filled with complex feelings of sympathy, admiration, and other various feelings when she thought again about the harsh conditions he must have lived through.

For a while, their silence continued. The room was filled with silence. Hajime was certain the information was received after looking at Aiko’s appearance. And because he had no more business, he immediately turned his heels and walked towards the door. Behind him, Aiko told him about a certain student she remembered when they talked about the Orcus dungeon.

“s.h.i.+rasaki-san still hasn’t given up on you.”

“…”

Hajime stopped walking because of the unexpected words from Aiko. Then, Aiko spoke softly with Hajime’s back in front of her.

“Although everyone believed you were dead, she is the only one who didn’t give up on you. Before she confirms it with her own eyes, she believes you are still alive. Even now, she’s still fighting in the Orcus Great Dungeon. Even though Amanokawa-kun and the others are only going to the dungeon for training, her only purpose is to search for you.”

“… Is s.h.i.+rasaki okay?”

After a long silence, Hajime asked Aiko. Hajime who took an indifferent att.i.tude towards them, began to ask about another with words of concern. Aiko, who discovered that the original Hajime still existed, displayed a joyful expression.

“Y-Yes. Although the Orcus Great Dungeon is a dangerous place, her ability has developed well, and she continues to conquer the dungeon. Sometimes letters come from her. Are you curious about her? Nagumo-kun and s.h.i.+rasaki-san got along after all.”

Aiko talked with a bright smile, but Hajime only expressionlessly looked back over his shoulder without denying or affirming anything.

“Although I didn’t mean it like that… it’s good if you tell her this when you exchange letters. What she should be cautious of is not the demonic beasts in the dungeon. It’s her companions.”

“Eh? What do you…”

“Sensei, I can already guess the situation from the att.i.tude of Tamai and the others today. The cause of me falling in battle against the Behemoth, you think it was just an accident « … », right?”

“Th-That’s… Yes. Some magic went out of control and resulted in accidental friendly-fire… Nagumo-kun still holds a grudge against everyone after all…”

“I don’t think of anything like that. The thing I want to say is this. Friendly fire? That’s wrong. That was a magic bullet clearly specifically cast with me as target.”

“Eh? Specifically cast? Targeted, you say?”

Aiko’s expression said she couldn’t understand what he meant. But, Hajime left words that mercilessly pushed Aiko’s worry further.

“It means, a cla.s.smate was trying to kill me.”

“Kh!?”

Aiko was stunned and her face paled, “I only know that the culprit is someone related to s.h.i.+rasaki, it’s someone who’s able to kill another person out of envy. Because she is still okay, it’s good to advise s.h.i.+rasaki to be careful of an attack from behind.” After leaving this message, Hajime went out of the room.

s.h.i.+n, there was an illusion of cold wind blowing inside the room, and Aiko embraced her own body with both arms. There was a possibility that one of her precious students tried to kill a companion. Furthermore, they used a cowardly method by aiming at his back when he was at the brink of death. For Aiko, who treasured her students, it was something she couldn’t accept easily. But, she couldn’t deny Hajime’s words without any evidence. Her mind that wanted to believe her students clashed with each other.

With her worries deepening, Aiko’s sleepless night increased.

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