Chapter 58

Chapter 58 \nUsato brought the healing magician boy, Nack, to my house.\n

Although Usato had his reasons for bringing him here, I could see from the boy’s eyes that he was truly afraid of beast kin like us. But I let him stay here because he still hadn’t fully recovered.

I recognized Nack, I had seen him quite a few times when our classes did joint training with the juniors. We never introduced ourselves to each other.. the main reason was because Nack avoided contact with almost everyone. This was probably because he was targeted by Mina’s group and didn’t want to get other people involved.

He was just bad at talking with others but that wasn’t really the problem right now… Nack had to train with Usato and become strong enough to defeat Mina in five days.

Although Mina acted arrogant, she was actually one of the stronger students in her year. Even if she was still learning and developing her explosion magic, it was a type of magic that could display bursts of power in short intervals. Unlike Usato who had exceptional physical ability, Nack’s was very poor.

I was worried… Just how would he be able to reach a level where he could defeat Mina… It seemed impossible at first glance but I couldn’t help but be curious about Usato who might exceed my expectations.

“….If I remember correctly, he mentioned yesterday they would be heading to the streets…”

The everyday life for students varied.

Every student had some degree of freedom and time to study for their classes. It was possible to graduate earlier if you learned faster than others.

“Are they really training in town right now?”

“Well, that’s what he said yesterday…”

I was together with my brother. The two of us started and ended our classes at almost the same times.

Since we got off early for our afternoon classes, Kyou and I decided to check on how Usato and Nack were doing in town.

I didn’t know what kind of training they were doing. But I did see Usato’s expression before he headed out in the morning. He was expressionless… The training was probably hard. I also remembered Usato’s superhuman strength in the battle against Halfa. I couldn’t even begin to imagine what kind of training they were doing.

Even if it felt a little scary, I still wanted to take a look.

“Nee-chan, you didn’t see anyone else leave in the morning when Usato left right?”

“Yeah, at least not that I’m aware of. Usato woke up earlier than me and I only saw him heading out the door. It seemed like he was going out for Nack’s training.”

I left some bread at the table yesterday for Usato. When I woke up in the morning, it was gone. It was a good thing he was at least eating breakfast. When Amako woke up, she said she had some matters to attend. I believe she said something about going to a stable?

Kyou, Satsuki, and me. These were the three inhabitants of the house… In a sense, I felt it would be better for more people to eat breakfast together.. It unexpectedly felt a little lonely when the two of them didn’t eat with us. Maybe I thought that because that strange hero called Inukami ate with us last night. It was very lively.. in various ways.

“Satsuki is at Inukami’s place?”

What surprised me was how Satsuki and Inukami were kindred spirits. Satsuki was like a fish who had found water. It was quite noisy last night…

While making a bitter expression and holding down my forehead with my hand at Kyou’s question, I replied.

“Yeahh… ‘I’m going to meet up with Inukami! You guys don’t need to wait for me!’ Is what she said…. Really, why can’t she sit still for just a moment…”

“W-well, it’s just a short meeting. It’s not a bad thing to meet with the hero called Inukami…”

Although she was very strange, she was still a hero. Inukami should have a good influence on Satsuki… Probably…

I was still fine with Satsuki and Inukami but what really surprised me was Kyou and Usato… Kyou actually opened up his heart a little to a human.

Kyou had been exposed to a lot of malice from humans since his arrival here. After some time, he couldn’t look at humans favorably anymore. Nevertheless, that completely disappeared towards Usato yesterday night.

“What? You keep staring at my face.”

“….No, it’s nothing.”

It was my gentle little brother again.

In fact, I’m fairly certain he was pushing himself and tried to act like that.

‘I’m glad.’

I honestly thought so. But on the other hand, what about myself? Was I forcing myself?

“Nn? It’s a little sudden but I just remembered something. Nee-chan, when Usato punched through that target in the battle against Halfa, you seemed awfully scared. Why?”

“Y-you mean yesterday…”

Due to Kyou’s abrupt words, I remembered the scene of Usato piercing through that sturdy target with just his bare hands yesterday. He also extracted his arm afterwards…

When I first encountered Usato… What if I ended up just like that target? I couldn’t help but shiver when I thought about it like that.

I remember clearly how he took a step forward and got ready to punch. He had the same amount of power stored in his fist. There was also the fact that Amako stepped in and stopped him.

With her foresight, she probably knew the end result. It probably wouldn’t have ended well for me… It didn’t matter that he was punching with healing magic.

“…It’s nothing at all.”

“Nothing at all you say… If you’re fine then I guess it’s okay.”

I sounded a little uncertain but Kyou reluctantly accepted it. But this was the result I wanted.

After Kyou stared at me for a few seconds in doubt, he turned to the front again. Seeing as he didn’t question me further, I felt relieved. As we kept walking, we noticed the situation on the streets was unusual.

“……….W-what’s going on?”

“Yeah… Did something happen?”

Whether it was the shopkeepers or the students, they were gossiping about something. Was there something going on?

……Just what could it be? It wasn’t strange that the streets were noisy since that was normal. However, it usually wasn’t this lively. There was definitely something.

“………Up ahead.”

Kyou said this with hesitation.

“Kyou?”

I turned to the direction that Kyou indicated.

Among the people walking on the streets, there was someone who stood out with his ashen grey-colored hair. He also had a suspicious-looking smile on his feminine face.

“Halfa….”

“Oh. Oh my.”

I unintentionally called out his name as I was lost in my own thoughts.

Halfa… The person who had a mock battle with Usato just the other day.

Kyou and I weren’t good at dealing with this guy. He was a magician that fought without holding back at all. He didn’t like not being able to fight someone at their full strength. He would immediately try to approach people in a friendly manner as long as they were strong. The worst part was how unpleasant it felt when he had his eyes on you.

Kyou had a bitter expression upon noticing Halfa… Halfa didn’t seem to mind and started walking towards us while waving at us and smiling.

“Hey, you two, you’re walking back home?”

He was an unreserved guy, as always.

But why was Halfa here, so far away from the school grounds? He lived in the dorms at school so he rarely came outside.

“……Ah, that’s right… Didn’t you get injured yesterday?”

“Fufufu, you don’t need to worry. Usato’s attack transmitted his healing magic throughout my body. That’s why I’m safe.”

‘But the impact was beyond my imagination’ was what he indicated as he looked delighted and patted his arm. I was enlightened once more that this person had a mental disorder when it came to fighting.

I’m curious as to why this mentally disordered person is here.

“So, why are you here? Did the principal have orders for you?”

It was indeed unusual to see him outside of school. I knew for a fact that he didn’t use any magic tools and he didn’t need to buy anything for classes.

The only other possible explanation I could think of was that it was the principal’s instructions.

Halfa’s magic eyes were convenient in many ways. Since he was able to see the magic quantity of various things, it was a valuable type of magic for research. Instead, Halfa uses his eyes more for combat…\nIf you added in his true abilities and strength, he was one of the few students that Principal Gladis could trust. It was natural to think that Halfa who seldom came out into town, would be moving according to the principal’s orders.

Halfa smiled and nodded. Then he replied,

“It’s exactly as you guessed it. The principal requested me to urgently find Usato and ask him to go to her…”

“Urgently…?”

“You didn’t know?”

Halfa tilted his head to the side in surprise.

Did Usato do something that would get him to be called to the principal’s office? No, he isn’t someone who would do something to draw attention to himself like that… Although he is a little dense and airheaded at times.

“I don’t know the specifics myself but I heard something about complaints regarding him running all over town… At least that’s what the principal said.”

“…..”

“…..”

W-what did that guy do now….?

Running everywhere? In town? And getting complaints… Eh?

“It definitely isn’t something normal if he’s troubling the people here. Just what on earth did Usato do?”

“I don’t have the slightest clue.”

I replied to Halfa who was confused.

The average population in Luquis was young, younger than the ones in other countries. It was a lot livelier around here… No one paid any mind to magic flying around as it was an everyday occurrence.

“From what I heard from the people around here, Usato should be arriving soon. That’s why I’m waiting here.”

“So that’s why you came here.”

“Yes, I had to walk all the way here just to see Usato-san running around in town.”

Halfa said this with a troubled expression and lightly scratched the back of his head.

“You sure are talking a lot today.”

“Eh?”

“Whenever you usually greet us, we never really talk about anything. That’s why I’m honestly surprised right now.”

Kyou pointed this out to Halfa.

He had a point… Whenever we normally talked, Halfa never tried talking to us this much.

Kyou and I didn’t have anyone in class we could call ‘friends’. We might be acquaintances but the only one who tried talking to us was the whimsical Halfa.

There was also Carla-sensei, but she was one of the exceptions. She was a human that didn’t discriminate against us but it wasn’t like we got along either.

“I don’t like talking to someone like you, even now. So you can stop smiling at the fact that you were able to have a real conversation with us.”

“Hahaha, you’re harsh as always.”

Kyou gave a ‘humph!’ to Halfa’s words and Halfa showed a troubled smile.

Kyou was right, Halfa didn’t ignore us but he never really tried to have a proper conversation either. It was unusual for me to talk with a human like this too.

I unconsciously realized the reason for it… It was probably because Amako and Usato came here.

Only two days have passed since we met but these two people definitely didn’t have a small influence on me and Kyou.

 

“I hear it’s coming here!?”

“H-hide your familiars!”

“You’re joking, right!?”

 

As I was immersed in these sentimental feelings, I could hear shouts on the streets.

What is it?

As I wondered this, the students in my surroundings started to hide their familiars in fear. They concealed their familiars by putting them behind their own backs.

“Eh? What’s with this? It’s like some sort of dangerous monster is approaching.”

“Why’s everyone trying to conceal their familiars?”

Kyou and I were bewildered by the students’ reactions.

It was a fresh and bizarre scene. Only a few moments passed before some sort of loud clatter along with sluggish footsteps started making its way closer.

It sounded more like a monster was coming rather than a person. It was impossible since we were in the middle of town but I rolled up the sleeves on my robe and got ready to fight at a moment’s notice just as a precaution.

Along with Kyou who was also on his guard, we both took a closer look at what was coming….. Up ahead, we couldn’t see anything other than the large gate.

“Wait, why did you come along…?”

“Well, I was curious too…”

After scowling a little at Halfa who came along, I faced forward again. I followed the main street with my eyes and looked all the way over at the gate. Unlike humans, beast kin could vividly things this far.

I absentmindedly stared at the street before a small shadow rush out from the corner of the street.

“Hieh…. Gueh…. Hah…. Haah….”

“Nn? That’s…”

“Nack……?”

That small shadow was Nack.

He came out on the main street with vigor and started running. Every step he took looked dangerous… It was like he would fall over any moment.

His state was… miserable. His face was covered with his tears and snot. He approached us like he was about to die. In any case, I had a bad feeling about this.

I was puzzled at first but when I looked behind Nack— A blue thing made its appearance behind him and caused me to suspend my thoughts.

This blue and white clump was running with their feet on the ground.

“Ee… Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeh!?”

I was finally able to discern what that clump was— One person and one animal. At the same time I realized what had just appeared, I raised my voice in uncontrollable astonishment.

One was on top of the other.

The blue was on top of the white.

The boy was raising his voice in fear towards the expressionless and strange blue-white clump chasing after him.

While lightly carrying a blue monster bear on his back, he was pursuing the boy desperately trying to run away. It was the healing magician from a foreign country… That person was Usato.

 

*

 \n“Gladis-san called for me?”

We caught a glimpse of Usato’s training and were under shock.

Usato noticed us and he was about to continue with the training but Halfa called out to him. He then told Usato that the principal needed him for something.

After hearing that, Usato let down the monster known as the Blue Grizzly from his back. He stroked the monster on its head and folded his arms in thought. He then proceeded to say,

“……I understand. Then, I’ll head there right away.”

“It’d be best if you could… And… That boy, is he fine?”

“Nn? You’re referring to Nack?”

Halfa looked perplexed and his eyes stopped on Nack who had lightly fainted on top of the Blue Grizzly.

It looked like Nack was running away from Usato in fear for his life… But once Usato called out to him, he looked relieved and collapsed on the spot.

“He’s fine. He’s only been running for half a day. After applying some healing magic, I don’t think there’ll be any problems. Right now, it should be fine to take a little break.”

“No no no. That’s not the problem here! Are you some kind of demon!?”

I knew it wouldn’t be some ordinary training but this is obviously weird!!

What kind of training have you been making him do for half a day!? Nack wouldn’t look like that if you only exhausted all his stamina!! And the way you were talking, it’s like you planned to do this every morning!?

First of all, the Blue Grizzly is a famous and powerful monster you know!? It isn’t a monster you place on your back!!

I screamed on the inside while feeling my own character break down. The brute in front of me was momentarily confused before looking troubled.

“Eh, no… In my case, it’s not so bad. I don’t qualify as a demon.”

Usato was puzzled at my words but he said this with a straight face and a bitter smile.

Eh? You’re kidding. This guy seriously thinks so?

Kyou and I both drew back from Usato. On the other hand, Halfa looked in the distance and nodded while smiling.

“……Yes, as expected of Usato-san.”

“Abandon those thoughts of yours right now…..!”

It annoyed me to think this but Kyou was the one who had the most composure in this situation. It was a lot different from Halfa who was looking away from reality….

It definitely wasn’t at the ‘As expected.’ level. The students around us were getting noisy. I couldn’t blame them.

Fundamentally speaking, we didn’t get any chances to fight against wild animals in our lessons. The familiars that the students possessed were ones that didn’t have strong fighting capabilities. A powerful monster like the Blue Grizzly was something you normally would never meet as they lived in the deeper regions. Even if you were to meet one, it was normal that you would die to their sharp claws. You wouldn’t be able to do any damage to them either due to their thick skin and large build.

Even so, there was an abnormal healing magician who was easily lifting up a Blue Grizzly and running with it right in front of them. You couldn’t help but doubt whether they were really human…

“Fuah…… Oeh…… Gehau…..”

Was this guy who looked like he was on the verge of death and fainted really fine?

Rather than training, it looked more like Usato was torturing and punishing Nack for losing in a contest.

I swallowed the words I was going to say, just as they were at the tip of my tongue. Usato looked at me suspiciously but seeing as I didn’t say anything, he placed his hand on top of the Blue Grizzly’s head and introduced it.

“Bluerin… Ah, it’s this little guy’s name. He’s my partner who also came along for this journey. I finally received permission from Principal Gladis yesterday to take him into town.”

“Guruah.”

While Usato felt content about receiving permission, he lightly petted Bluerin on the head as it cried out. It seemed like Bluerin was getting annoyed by Usato’s constant petting and started to use his arms to beat on Usato’s legs.

The Blue Grizzly’s strength was great as it made a large impact on his legs. However, Usato’s face was still gentle and calm. I drew back even further from him.

“Okay, so now that I know about Bluerin… Why were you carrying a monster and chasing after Nack in broad daylight? Do you just want to make the training harsh? I have a feeling there’s another reason for it. No, the things you do are quite weird already though.”

“I thought I should do some training too so carrying Bluerin was just an extra. As for Nack running around, I’m limited to only five days so I didn’t really have much choice.”

Extra… That’s only extra?

I received a shock like never before… Adding Usato’s previous fight and now with this Blue Grizzly… I really wanted to scream.

“The time I’m being given to train him is simply not enough. I can’t be completely cold and heartless either though. Which is unfortunate since his training could be more efficient. There’s also no way to temper his entire body in such a short span of time…. That’s why, I thought I’ll at least train his legs. The only thing he has to do is just run, it’s not that difficult. I won’t shout at him, I won’t kick him into the skies, I’ll allow him to faint and cry… I’m even willing to listen to his requests.”

‘That person is really unreasonable compared to me.’ It seemed like Usato was trying to convey that as he gave a dry laugh and smiled.

Seeing his expression made me recognize that real healing magicians were truly frightening existences.

Once I return back to my hometown, I’ll be sure to tell everyone ‘Healing magicians are bad news’.

“Well, if I temper his legs, he’ll be able to run away and increase his stamina. The basics of the group I’m in called the Rescue Squad in Lyngle start with running. I’m alive and well thanks to that training. I was also able to save a large number of people because of it…. But I really don’t intend for Nack to go through what I did.”

“Incidentally, what did you go through?”

“I got left in forest rampant with monsters for 10 days and I couldn’t go home unless I took down a Grand Grizzly…. I was made to endlessly do push-ups until I was told to stop…. I did some evasion training with the Leader where I would continuously try to dodge her fists…. The others were———“

“…..No, that’s enough.”

“Seriously, just how are you still alive and standing here…”

After I stopped Usato from continuing, Kyou commented.

I couldn’t help but question on the inside ‘Was he really human?’ Usato mentioned something a Leader, right? The person who taught him healing magic? Could she be actually a demon disguised as a human…?

I stiffly smiled at Usato as he looked stumped.

“At first I thought ‘This is too harsh’ and thought about running away many times. However, I realized that all of it was necessary so I don’t have any regrets…. I think. I’m positive about one thing though. I wouldn’t have met Bluerin were it not for the training.”

I guess a lot happened?

I was very curious about just what kind of events led Usato to form such a relationship with this Blue Grizzly. It must be quite the story. I understood just from looking that Bluerin had a lot of trust in Usato.

It was different from a master and familiar relationship… Something that was hard to perceive between one human and one animal.

Seeing the harmonious relationship between him and the Blue Grizzly, I dazedly muttered—

“…That’s nice.”

Hearing my voice, both Kyou and Halfa turned their attention to me. Leaving aside Kyou, I didn’t want Halfa to have some weird misunderstanding. I felt flustered and waved my arms from side to side.

“Eh, um…. No, I just thought that this little guy is cute…”

“Eh? Nee-chan, are you being for real? You’re not frightened?”

However, I would regret trying to make some random excuse to gloss over something I unconsciously muttered because…

Usato suddenly interjected after Kyou spoke.

“That’s right, he’s cute right!? Want to pet him?”

And pushed Bluerin towards me.

Bluerin who was being displayed… He snorted and gave a ‘Humph!’… He was also glaring at me.

…….

“N….. No, I’ll pass. Usato, you have to go see the principal, right? Shouldn’t you hurry?”

“…..That’s true. There’s also Nack’s training too. We can always do this another time.”

I felt relieved.

Even if Usato could guarantee that Bluerin was obedient, it was still a Blue Grizzly. Petting such a large monster still required a lot of courage.\n\n“Umm…..”

“How about talking with me for a bit? …Aah, don’t worry about me. My matter isn’t urgent. I don’t need to see the principal right away. We’ll walk as we talk.”

If that was the case then I didn’t really mind… But I felt a little uneasy. It felt like Rose was next to me so I couldn’t compose myself.

There’s also only one topic that came to mind in a private conversation with Carla-san…

“I think you already noticed it but I know your Master.”

“…But of course.”

There was only one person who I thought as my ‘Master’, who also happened to be my superior.

It seemed like she knew quite a bit about these matters. I should take this opportunity to ask some questions that were on my mind.

“You know Leader? You’re referring to the one in Lyngle’s Rescue Squad, right?”

“Yeah, I used to be a knight in Lyngle before coming here to teach. At that time, I got to meet Rose. At that time, she was the youngest. I have a lot of respect for her as climbed to her original status with her own strength. You could also say she’s my goal.”

I had a rough idea that Rose’s position wasn’t ordinary. But from the way that Carla-san described, it seemed quite exceptional. Thinking about Rose’s true abilities though, it wasn’t that strange.

To begin with, that person was beyond normal.

“When did you first meet?”

“I still remember. Even though it was five years ago, I can still recall it. I wasn’t her subordinate but I did learn the basics from her a couple of times. She was strong. It was plain and simple. Her physical ability was remarkable enough to smash apart steel swords…”

“Ueeeh. Just how much of a monster is she?”

Even I haven’t attempted to smash apart steel with my bare hands. I didn’t have any chances to do so but I also wasn’t confident I would be able to do it.

Seeing my reaction to Rose’s past, Carla-san showed a bitter smile before lightly laughing.

“Haha, is that something you should say? From what I can see, you belong in the same category. First of all, you overcame her healing magic training. It would be best that you realized you’re definitely not normal anymore.”

“I’m still only half-way there. At the very least, it’s nothing much when compared to Leader.”

I felt a little annoyed since she basically implied that I was a monster.

I knew just how strong my own body had become. But to say I was in the same ‘Category’ as Rose would just be rude to her and was something I personally couldn’t accept.

It wasn’t like I desired to obtain her ‘strength’. I simply respected her and becoming a healing magician like her was one of my objectives.

I was still far from reaching a passing mark from Rose. It was vexing.

“As far as I’m concerned, your strength is more than sufficient. At the very least, the Reinforcement you possess exceeds the majority in your age group.”

“….What happened to Leader? She wasn’t in Rescue Squad before, right? You mentioned she held some exceptional status before.”

I wasn’t good at dealing with being praised openly like this.

I might feel a little elated if I got any more praise. That was why I decided to shift topics. However, it seemed like I asked something I shouldn’t have. It was only for a moment but Carla-san looked startled.

“Umm, was that something I shouldn’t have asked…?”

“No….. She made the Rescue Squad before the revival of the Maou. Lyngle had fought the Demons in the past as well, although it wasn’t much. Even when the two sides met, they rarely clashed against each other.”

Were there some issues with the Demons even before the Maou’s revival?

While I stared at the empty hall, I visualized in my mind when Lyngle as still at peace…. But the image in my mind didn’t seem that different from the present.

“The only real conflict at the time was the discord with the non-humans. Even with that, it was peaceful. It would have stayed that way, were it not for ‘that’…..”

“That?”

“……No.”

As I voiced my doubt, Carla-san cleared her throat and dodged my inquiry.

What’s with that? It’s obvious you’re hiding something! Suspicious. You’re acting too suspicious, Carla-san!

As I was about to press her for an answer, Carla-san who was in front of me, stopped walking.

She turned around, and with a serious expression, Carla-san looked at me in the eyes.

“Thinking about it… This really isn’t something I should be telling you. If you want to hear about it, you should ask her yourself. But I can at least say this… You…. Are a very precious existence to Rose.”

“You’re exaggerating quite a bit…”

It didn’t seem like she was joking.

Just what did she know and what happened to Rose?

….I don’t know. No matter how I thought about it, I didn’t have the slightest idea. Foremost, which did she exactly mean when she said I’m a precious existence? A precious group member… I don’t think so. But I really don’t have a clue.

As I was pondering, Carla-san was already walking in the opposite direction. I was dumbfounded as she waved her hand at me and then disappeared at the other end of the hallway.

“……..Hah! This isn’t the time to be standing still!!”

I ended up losing some of Nack’s training time.

I had to make sure he got some light running done today so his body could adjust and quickly get used to it. He had to at least be able to operate his healing magic and run at the same time tomorrow.

I turned around and jogged to my destination.

Perhaps I took too long with my conversation with Carla-san…

After a few moments, I finally reached Bluerin and Nack who were at the front entrance.

“I made you wait, Bluerin…. Well, I still need to wake Nack up.”

He’s been resting for at least 30 or so minutes. He should be fine now.

Seriously, I was too soft. Rose would definitely never give me this much time to rest.

Nack was lying on top of Bluerin and drooling in his sleep. I lightly shook Nack and called out to wake him up. After several seconds of repeating this process, Nack groaned and came to his senses.

“You okay?”

“H-huh….. Usato-san? I-I…. Why was I sleeping…. Ah, aah, that’s right…. I had a scary dream….. I was being chased by a monster and I almost died….”

“Nnn?”

What happened?

He said he had a scary dream. Well, I’ve heard that people have nightmares when they sleep for only a short amount of time. It was nothing to worry about. His body looks fine, we should head to the training grounds right away.

“Well, let’s go.”

“Eh.”

“Eh… You’re going to do it right?”

Nack looked petrified.

It looked like he had no idea what I was talking about. Then he finally realized he was on top of Bluerin’s back. He looked like he received another shock.

He slowly and rigidly turned his head to me like a broken puppet.

“W-what am I going to do?”

“Continue with the training.”

The light in Nack’s eyes disappeared for just a moment.