Chapter 85

In the previous chapter, 82 - I altered the threads of causality.

The overall flow hasn't changed much, but the content in the latter half has changed considerably.

I apologize for the inconvenience, but I would appreciate it if you could start reading from there <(_ _)>

I'm truly sorry for the trouble <(_ _)>

The Eightieth Day of the White Moon.

While Ryouji was forcing the hero to cooperate in a certain inn room, in Marunova, it was announced that the hero would participate in the operation to defeat the phantom thief Skeleton.

Since the hero's descent, he has captured numerous criminals, and Marunova, where the majority of the population are followers of the Sandra religion, was greatly excited by his participation.

The Sandra religion is a monotheistic faith that worships the sun god, and it is said that a hero named Mido, the son of the sun, defeated the demon king and saved the world ten thousand years ago. Furthermore, the *Holy Light Scripture*, which contains the doctrines, commandments, and history of the Sandra religion, states that a hero will descend ten thousand years later, and the Sandra followers, who equate the hero summoned to Albaum with this prophecy, revered the hero even more as the hierarchy progressed.

The citizens of Marunova turned a blind eye to the minor rumors about Ryouji, thinking it was similar to how heroes are often associated with women.

As soon as the announcement was made, the city went on high alert.

Although there had already been a significant increase in security measures, from today onwards, checkpoints would become even stricter. Due to the city's nature as a trading hub, long-term heightened security measures had been opposed by merchants, but with the phantom thief Skeleton's attack only ten days away, Marunova, in accordance with a long-standing agreement with the commercial federation, decided to strengthen its security.

After Ryouji left, the remaining Kurando and the others checked out of the inn and moved to a room in the inn where Akikawa was staying.

As soon as they entered the room, Kurando asked,

"What do you mean by this?"

Akikawa sat down in a nearby chair and gestured for Kurando to do the same.

When Kurando sat on the edge of the bed, Akikawa bowed his head.

"I'm sorry, despite promising to keep the information confidential."

"Did you tell that man?"

"I don't know if you'll believe me, but no. He came to this city about three days ago, but when he appeared at the national chamber of commerce, he already knew about you. He demanded that you be forced to participate in the operation in exchange for keeping the information confidential. We had no choice, so I had to swallow my pride and ask for his cooperation."

Kurando finally understood the reason why Akikawa, who wanted to keep the information confidential, had appeared with Ryouji, who seemed to be on the opposite side.

If what he said was true, that is.

"Please, I'm asking you."

"I'm sorry. I hope you can cooperate within the possible range."

"But that man didn't seem to think so?"

"......I'm sorry."

Out of frustration and irritation, Kurando said something accusatory, but Akikawa was not to blame.

Kurando himself had been found by the hero who was his enemy.

"No, I'm sorry. You had no responsibility. ...What kind of person is he?"

"Well, it's a problem for all the summoners."

Indeed, it could also be seen as a problem that Ryouji, who had found Kurando, was forcing him to cooperate.

The fact that Akikawa had agreed to keep the information confidential in exchange for forcing Kurando to cooperate and had become a monitor could also be seen as being involved in the conflict between Kurando and Ryouji.

However, that didn't mean he was completely uninvolved. Kurando and Ryouji were at a significant turning point for the summoners.

Akikawa couldn't just sit by and watch with his hands in his pockets.

"Ryouji was one of the first students to become independent.

He skillfully uses his blessing and became an investigator who captures internationally wanted criminals. In other words, a bounty hunter. However, he is officially part of Albaum's law enforcement organization, so he is in the form of an investigator."

"So he came to Marunova when the phantom thief Skeleton's warning letter arrived. Didn't you know about it beforehand?"

"Unfortunately, I didn't know until we met at the chamber of commerce.

Previously, he had been outsmarted by the phantom thief Skeleton twice, and since then, he has completely ignored any cases involving the phantom thief Skeleton. Therefore, this time, he was completely caught off guard. I had heard he was chasing another bounty, but..."

"You were also outsmarted."

Akikawa scratched his thinning head with a troubled look.

"Rather than being outsmarted, I think he is being cautious.

He is an excellent bounty hunter, but he tends to, no, rather, he goes too far. He eradicates major evils without overlooking minor ones. This approach has led to several conflicts with Ichara, and I have even tried to stop him once. Perhaps because of that, he is wary of Ichara and me."

"You said you tried to stop him once. If he tries to leak information somewhere, can you stop him? No, do you even want to stop him?"

"If I could stop him, I would do so immediately, but I can't.

Although he is independent, he doesn't belong to either the Hayato faction or the anti-Hayato faction. He maintains his position as a bounty hunter. Because he produces results, neither faction can interfere, and since he doesn't cause significant harm, he is left alone.

Therefore, while there are superiors in his work, there is no one who can unconditionally suppress his actions. The only one who could stop him by force is Ichara, but in a case like this, it would be difficult.

Of course, the upper echelons could stop him with their power, but if that happens, I can't keep the information from them, which would be counterproductive."

"Suppose, hypothetically, that the information reaches the upper echelons. What would happen to me?"

Akikawa, who usually had a guilty expression, frowned.

"......It was a good decision for you not to come forward."

He said this with a bitter voice.

Lies, betrayal, threats, and even assassination.

Akikawa had seen and heard enough of such things by quickly submitting to Albaum, and he had run around trying to protect the summoners from their fangs.

Based on his observations, if the existence of a blessing-less hero, whose blessing was stolen by Hayato, became known to the anti-Hayato faction, a fierce battle for control would ensue between the Hayato and anti-Hayato factions.

The Hayato faction would try to protect Kurando to safeguard the hero's authority, but if protected, Kurando would be forced to testify in Hayato's favor. After testifying, there would be a risk of being imprisoned or assassinated to prevent a change of testimony.

The anti-Hayato faction would target Kurando and spread their net through various organizations, pursuing him both openly and covertly. If captured, he would be forced to testify and either imprisoned or assassinated as no longer useful.

In either case, the outcome could be that he would not be allowed to live.

What would happen to the summoners?

The hero's authority would decline. While not all, the Sandra religion and the general public, who had supported the hero, would begin to harbor distrust.

It is natural to say that the hero, who was hailed as a savior and a righteous hero, was actually a thief.

The hero would be seen as dangerous, and there would be calls for him to be collared and controlled. The faction that wants to control the hero completely, ignoring his personality, would grow stronger, and the preferential treatment for the hero would be reviewed. The negative aspects of what the hero has done so far would come to light.

With the hero's influence waning, power struggles would intensify, and more summoners would fall through the cracks.

The room was filled with a heavy atmosphere.

But for Kurando, his freedom was at stake. He wanted to ask as much as he could.

"Why would he do something that would put the summoners in a bad position? It would affect him too. What does he gain by tarnishing Ichara?"

"He doesn't belong to either faction and has the power to live without relying on the name of the hero. He has the power to do as he pleases to some extent.

However, currently, Ichara keeps him in check so that he doesn't do as he pleases, and the government, which supports Hayato, tolerates this. So, he might think he can act freely if Ichara's power weakens."

"......Do you think he will keep quiet about me?"

"At least until the operation is over, he will protect you. After that......"

"......What's your basis for that?"

"I'm not being arrogant, but I'm here. He is quite wary of me, so as long as I'm nearby, he won't leak the information.

Fortunately or unfortunately, this world doesn't have a communication method as convenient as a mobile phone. There are limited means of communication, so even I can track the movement of information.

To be precise, I do it here, and my wife does it in Albaum. No, don't worry, my wife is indeed an Albaum citizen, but she will never do anything to my detriment. She is a wonderful wife, more than I deserve.

So, while I can't stop the information, I can reduce its value. Moreover, if he leaks information that could endanger the summoners and I catch the evidence, many summoners will view Ryouji as an enemy.

He doesn't want either of those things. He wants to sell the information at the best time and get the most reward without making enemies."

Akikawa explained this with a troubled look.

"However, I can't do anything until I'm sure that your information has really been leaked to the anti-Hayato faction. It would be counterproductive to prevent the leakage of information by leaking it."

Kurando just said, "I see," and fell silent.

He was thinking about what else he should ask, but Akikawa, sensing his distress, asked about the future.

"......What do you intend to do?"

"......What else can I do besides cooperate? I can't defy the hero's authority. I don't even know the extent of his power, so I can't even run away.

If what you say is true, at least I won't be found out until the operation is over. I'll think of something by then."

"He can distinguish between a hero and a non-hero by applying the power of his blessing, so it is possible to run away. However, after that, it will be difficult for you, Kurando......"

Akikawa explained Ryouji's blessing.

Kurando was inwardly puzzled by Akikawa's willingness to share information about the students.

"Invisible Hands."

Ryouji's blessing allowed him to control two invisible hands.

The palms of the invisible hands were large enough to grasp a person and could switch between a ghost-like hand that did not interfere with any material and a giant-like hand that was strong and solid.

The giant hand was used for attacks but could also serve as armor by grabbing Ryouji himself. The effective attack range was within visual range, but the farther away, the less powerful it became.

The ghost hand, which did not interfere with any material, had no offensive capability but could be used in a crowd without considering the surroundings. Conversely, it could also be used to touch people one by one to determine if they were a hero or not.

"Ryouji used his blessing to find out that you were staying in this inn.

It is speculated that the power of the blessing changes depending on the hero's mental state, but since this is based on data collected immediately after the summoning and subsequent information, it may not be entirely accurate."

Kurando looked at Akikawa skeptically as he listened to the explanation.

"Why are you so willing to talk about the students? Aren't they supposed to be protected?"

Akikawa had a look of restraint.

"......If they go astray and put many summoners in danger, I can't protect them. Besides, you are also a summoner. You might think I couldn't do anything, but there are only seventy-nine Japanese in this world. It's only natural to want to help if possible."

But he said this without hesitation.

Akikawa was trying to persuade Kurando.

To protect Kurando from Ryouji while acting together and to investigate Ryouji's movements.

For this, he took on the role of monitoring Kurando. Ryouji seemed to want to build a cooperative relationship on the surface and accepted this. It was a bit mysterious, but it was convenient for them.

During this time, he would try to persuade Kurando.

This was the only way to resolve the situation without bloodshed.

Akikawa had tried to persuade Ryouji many times since he came to this world, but Ryouji wouldn't listen.

It was unreasonable, but it was easier to get someone to compromise with good than to change someone from evil to good.

He couldn't afford to lose something irreplaceable while trying to change evil to good.

He had certainly anticipated the worst-case scenario, but if there was something he could do before that, he wanted to do it.

He wanted to balance Kurando's freedom and the safety of the students as much as possible.

"There's one way—"

"——Join forces with Ichara, fully support him, and declare that the blessing was given to Ichara. Then, undergo the trial of truth and prove that there is no falsehood in your words."

Akikawa looked surprised.

Kurando was considering reconciliation with Hayato, who had stolen the blessing, which surprised Akikawa, but he didn't say it out loud.

"......Did you know about the trial of truth?"

"Of course, it's a well-known rumor."

Kurando had been thinking about this vaguely since the hero had tried to kill him in the snow, but it had become a realistic option after being threatened.

It wasn't entirely safe, but it was the most reasonable choice under the current circumstances.

"Then—"

Akikawa looked relieved, but his expression stiffened when Kurando said the next words.

"——But, I can't do that."

Kurando understood that it was the most reasonable and best choice.

But he couldn't forgive Hayato.

No matter how much he tried, he couldn't forgive him deep down.

If he were to undergo the trial of truth in such a state, his head would surely be separated from his body.

"Is it really impossible?"

"There's nothing I can do about it."

"......"

Akikawa understood.

Hayato had done something unforgivable.

The events in that white space felt unreal, and at the time, Akikawa didn't fully understand the gravity of the act.

But as he continued to live in this world after being summoned, he realized its gravity.

The residents of this world use magic like their own limbs. With a little training, anyone can easily obtain the power to kill.

What would have happened if the Japanese, who came from a country far from a gun culture, had been summoned naked into such a world?

The summoners could have been restrained, their knowledge extracted, and used as experimental subjects. There were countless uses for them: unknown knowledge, political tools, experimental animals, and more.

The summoners were protected because they had the divine blessing of Mido, the hero who was said to have the blessing of a god.

Because the divine blessing required less time to master than magic, it allowed them to protect themselves.

It was far from smooth sailing, with power struggles and national intrigues, and different treatments for each individual, but it would have been a mistake to say that the divine blessing was unnecessary.

Hayato had taken that away.

The hardships of Kurando, who was summoned almost defenseless, were immeasurable.

It was only natural that he couldn't forgive Hayato.

But—

"Are you going to refuse to forgive Hayato and live alone, without involving the summoners?"

"Not exactly alone. There's Yuki and Azurona. I'm not without acquaintances."

"That's......a monster, isn't it?"

"That's right."

What's wrong with being a monster?

Kurando's face said as much.

"......Can you forgive Ichara?"

"I don't intend to do anything to him. If he leaves me alone, that's fine. But to forgive him from the bottom of my heart, I can't do that now."

These were the words Akikawa heard as he was about to leave Kurando's room.

It was indeed easier to get