“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 h
ell.
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.
Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest Vol. 3 Page 8
