Chapter 57

After Aiiko's fierce roar, to avoid the ears of other customers, Aichi and his companions were all taken to the VIP seating area. Then, facing the bombardment of questions from Aiiko and her student, Enbu Yuka, Aichi merely ate the Niru Xixiru (a curry dish from another world) that was said to be only available for the day, lost in its flavor, and gave vague answers, omitting the beginning and the end.

Q: What happened after you fell off the bridge?

A: I worked really hard.

Q: Why the white hair?

A: The result of working really hard.

Q: What about your eye?

A: The result of working really, really hard.

Q: Why didn't you come back immediately?

A: There was no reason to come back.

Hearing this, Aiiko shouted, "Answer seriously!" and puffed her cheeks in anger. It was a pitiful lack of presence. Indeed, Aichi remained calm and composed, accepting everything as it came, without even meeting their gazes. Yue and Sia ate their delicious meal, occasionally bickering over their impressions of the Niru Xixiru, their expressions content.

Seeing Aiiko's anger, David, the captain of the exclusive guard, unable to tolerate the contempt shown to the woman he loved, slammed his fist on the table and shouted loudly.

"Hey, you! Aiiko is asking you a question! Answer seriously!"

Aichi quickly glanced at David and sighed, "I'm eating, you know? That's improper behavior."

David, a temple knight and the captain of the guard for an important person, naturally had a high sense of pride. Now, unable to refute what his opponent said, David's face turned red with anger. Then, not knowing how to respond to Aichi, David changed his approach and directed his anger at Sia.

"Hmph, behavior? I'll return that to you. Sitting at the same table with a dirty beast is a lack of manners. How about cutting off those ugly ears? That might make her look a bit more human."

Staring at Sia with a look full of contempt, Sia shuddered. In Brook Town, the first impression at the inn, the friendly Catherine, and Aichi's presence, more people were actually kind to her. Although there were many contemptuous gazes in Furen, no one had directly insulted her because she was considered a slave.

This was the first time Sia and Aichi had encountered discriminatory remarks against demi-humans since they started traveling. Sia should have been less affected by such things, but just as she was getting used to the outside world, she was suddenly exposed to such malice, which hurt her unexpectedly. Sia sniffed and lowered her head.

If you looked closely, not just David, but Charles and the other knights were also looking at Sia with the same gaze. Those close to the Holy Church or the central government of the country were often very discriminatory towards demi-humans. After all, the values of discrimination originated from the Holy Church and the state. David and the other temple knights and palace knights, who had become somewhat closer to Aiiko and her group, had become less rigid in their thinking, but only to a certain extent. The deeply ingrained values had not changed.

Aiiko wanted to remind David that he had said too much, but before she could, Yue held Sia's hand and looked at David with a gaze as cold as absolute zero. The cold stare from the girl with the beauty of a high-grade porcelain doll instantly chilled David to the bone, making him shrink back. Being overwhelmed by the gaze of a girl who still looked like a child made David even angrier. Normally, he wasn't so quick to lose his temper, but after saying such things and receiving a reproachful look from Aiiko, he easily lost control.

"What, that look! Impudent! A non-apostle of God, defying a temple knight!"

David couldn't help but stand up. Deputy Captain Charles was about to stop him, but before Charles could, Yue's words clearly and distinctly echoed through the chaotic place.

"...Little man."

It was a mocking remark. Just because of a different race, he shouted so loudly, and just because of a girl's gaze, he lost his temper. It was a clear mockery of his narrow-mindedness. David, already angry and losing his composure, was now completely enraged, especially in front of Aiiko, who was being mocked for his narrow-mindedness.

"...Heretic. I'll send you and that beast to hell."

Saying this expressionlessly, David placed his hand on the sword at his side. The students were all at a loss, and Aiiko and Charles tried to stop him. But David seemed to no longer hear the voices around him and finally drew his sword.

At that moment,

Do Bang!

A dry explosion echoed throughout the [Water Sprite Inn]. At the same time, David was hit in the head and blown backward, colliding with the wall behind him with a terrifying sound. His head was struck hard, and he fell to the ground, eyes rolling back. The sword in David's hand fell, rolling on the ground with a clatter.

Everyone was frozen, unable to grasp what had just happened, their gazes fixed on David, who was lying on the ground with his eyes rolled back. At this moment, Fos, hearing the explosion, pulled back the curtain and rushed in, his eyes widening in shock at the scene before him.

Fos' arrival brought Aiiko and her group back to their senses. Their gazes shifted from David to the source of the explosion.

There, it was something that existed in their knowledge but had never been seen before, something that could not exist in another world, a completely unknown object to the knights: a [gun]. Aichi was sitting there, holding the [gun]. Smoke was rising from the muzzle of Donna. To be precise, it was a non-lethal rubber bullet. (Note: Rubber bullets can be fatal if they hit the head, so I can only say, David, you're really tough.)

Although they didn't know the details, the knights realized that the attack had come from Aichi and collectively drew their swords, releasing a killing aura. However, immediately after, a killing aura of a different dimension, like a hammer from the sky, struck them, forcing the knights who had stood up to sit back down.

Even though they weren't directly hit by Aichi's killing aura, Aiiko and her group turned pale and trembled, feeling the overwhelming pressure.

Aichi deliberately slapped Donna on the table, as a warning. Then, he clearly declared his position and the position Aiiko and her group were demanding.

"I have no interest in you and don't want to be involved with you. I don't plan to report to you about what's happening now or in the future. I came here for work, and after it's done, I'll leave and travel again. We'll part ways and not interfere with each other. You can do whatever you want, just don't get in my way. If you show hostility... I might accidentally kill you."

Understood? No one could say a word in response to Aichi's questioning gaze. They turned their gazes to Charles and the others, who were struggling to endure the pressure, and it took all their effort to nod.

Aichi then turned his gaze to Aiiko and her group. Aiiko couldn't say anything. No, she couldn't. Not only because of the overwhelming pressure from Aichi, but also because if she agreed with Aichi, she would be a teacher who left her students to their own devices without knowing anything. Her pride as a teacher wouldn't allow her to do that.

Aichi sighed and shrugged, releasing the [pressure]. Without getting an answer from Aiiko, Aichi seemed to understand her feelings and didn't press her further. The other students were clearly afraid, and Aichi guessed that none of them would dare to approach him.

The terrifying pressure suddenly disappeared, and the knights breathed a sigh of relief. Aiiko and her group sank deeply into their chairs, exhausted. Aichi, as if nothing had happened, resumed eating and spoke to Sia, who was sniffing beside him.

"Hey, Sia. This is normal in the [outside]. If you keep minding it, it'll never end, right?"

"Yes, that's true... I understand... After all, humans find these ears disgusting, don't they?"

With a self-deprecating smile, Sia touched her rabbit ears. Yue's eyes looked straight at Sia and muttered in a comforting tone.

"...Sia's rabbit ears are cute."

"Miss Yue... Is that so?"

"That's right. These people have all been brainwashed by the church or the upper echelons of the state, and their aversion is quite strong. Rabbit-eared people are also one of the most popular play slaves, right? So, generally, no one would think you're disgusting."

Looking at the unconfident Sia, Aichi, a bit awkwardly, added. Recently, Yue's "NO!" had become more frequent, and Aichi's attitude toward Sia had softened a bit. These words were already his best effort to comfort her.

"Is... that so... Then, that... Mr. Aichi, what do you... think of my rabbit ears?"

Noticing that Aichi was trying to comfort her, Sia's cheeks turned pink, and she looked up at Aichi with a shy expression. Her rabbit ears, as if saying "I want to hear but don't want to hear!" drooped and then perked up toward Aichi.

"...Not much special..."

Aichi glanced quickly at the rabbit ears, then looked at his plate and continued eating, his response quite perfunctory. The rabbit ears drooped slightly, as if a bit disappointed. However, the next words from Yue made the rabbit ears perk up instantly.

"...Aichi likes them a lot. He rubs them when Sia sleeps."

"Yue!? Weren't we supposed to keep that a secret!?"

"Mr. Aichi... You like my rabbit ears... Hehe."

Sia covered her blushing cheeks with her hands, her rabbit ears expressing joy, wagging back and forth.

Just a moment ago, the atmosphere was so tense that everyone felt they might be killed, but now it had somehow turned into a strange, rosy space. Aiiko and the others, as well as the knights, were all stunned. After watching Aichi and his group's love comedy for a while, one of the male students, Aikawa Masahiro, whispered in frustration.

"Huh? Strange. Just a moment ago, I felt the terrifying side of Nangun, but now I just feel a surge of jealousy..."

"You too. By the way, those two are so cute it's unbearable... They're right in my sweet spot... But, for me, this is just torture..."

"...Nangun said he doesn't care what they do or what they want. But, the technique for getting along with girls from another world... I want to know! ...Masahiro! Akira!"

"‘Yeah, let's go to hell together! Akira’"

The jealousy in their eyes boiled like a pot of water, and the three men of Ai's guard united, forming an alliance, and glared at Aichi, who had just terrified them. The tense atmosphere completely dissipated, and the female students began to return to their normal selves, looking at the three male students with very cold gazes.

Charles, realizing that the atmosphere had calmed down, appropriately healed David. At the same time, he suppressed his caution and hostility, smiling and asked Aichi. There were other things that needed to be addressed, regardless of Aichi.

"Can I call you Nangun? Just now, the captain was out of line. We have a duty to protect Aiiko, and we were a bit overprotective. Please forgive us."

Being overprotective to the point of suddenly trying to kill someone? Aichi wanted to comment on that, but since he wasn't much better when it came to killing, he didn't say anything, just waving his hand dismissively. Charles' eyebrows twitched for a moment, but his smiling poker face didn't waver. Then, with a quick mind, Charles realized that he couldn't ignore the artifact in front of him and turned to the main topic.

"That is... an artifact, right? I may be ignorant, but I can see that it's quite powerful. Faster and stronger than a bow, and it doesn't require incantations or magic arrays like magic. Where did you get it?"

Charles was smiling, but his eyes weren't. There were no signs of magic being used during the earlier argument, and if this was a purely physical mechanism like a bow, there might be a possibility of mass production. If it could be mass-produced, it could change the course of wars. He thought that even if everyone attacked together, they probably couldn't defeat Aichi, but he couldn't resist asking.

Aichi glanced at Charles. Just as he was about to say something, he was interrupted by an excited voice. It was a male student from the same class, Tamai Jun.

"Y-Yeah, Nangun. This is a gun, right!? Why do you have such a thing!?"

Charles reacted to Tamai's shout.

"Gun? Tamai, do you know what this is?"

"Huh? Yeah, of course. It's a weapon from our world."

Hearing Tamai's words, Charles' eyes began to sparkle, and he slowly focused on Aichi.

"Ah, so this isn't an artifact from this world... It's something made by someone from another world... The maker is, of course..."

"It's me."

Aichi simply answered that he made it. In Charles' impression, Aichi was a secretive person, so his straightforward admission surprised him.

"Wow, you're straightforward. Nangun, do you understand the significance of that weapon? It... If it can be mass-produced, it could change the course of wars in this world... Right? Broadly speaking, what you're saying is 'come back' or 'at least tell us the method of making it,' right? Of course, I reject all of that. Give up."

Aichi said this coldly, as if reciting a prepared statement. However, Charles wasn't about to give up. Guns had that kind of charm.

"But, if this could be mass-produced, even low-level soldiers could have high attack power. In war, more people would survive, and the chances of winning would increase significantly. If you could help, you could also help your friends and teachers. In that case..."

"No matter what others say, I don't plan to cooperate. If you try to take it by force, consider it an act of war. At that time... be prepared to be destroyed before the war even starts."

Listening to Aichi's calm words, a chill ran down Charles' spine, and he fell silent. At this moment, Aiiko interjected, trying to mediate.

"Mr. Charles. Nangun has his own thoughts. Please don't force my student. Nangun, please don't say anything too extreme. More gently... Nangun, you really don't want to come back, do you?"

"Yeah, I don't plan to. I'll leave tomorrow morning after completing the mission."

"Why..."

Aiiko looked at Aichi sadly, wanting to hear his reasons, but before she could, Aichi left his seat. Unnoticed, Yue and Sia had already finished eating. Aichi ignored Aiiko, who tried to stop him, and led Yue and Sia up the stairs to the second floor.

The air between Aiiko and the others was indescribably awkward. It was supposed to be a happy moment to learn that a classmate they thought was dead was still alive. However, the person himself seemed to have no regard for them. Moreover, he had become a much stronger person than before, and the condescending look he gave when they called him [useless] was no longer possible.

Additionally, the contempt, the bullying of the Hinoyama group, and the [misfire] incident were all things they owed to Aichi, making their attitude toward him ambiguous. As a result, no one took a proactive approach to Aichi.

Aiiko herself, shaken by the rapid developments and the changes in her students, couldn't stop Aichi from leaving.

Charles was healing David on the side, and from his expression, it seemed he was deep in thought.

The food had gone cold, and no one had any appetite. They stared at the food in front of them, unable to leave like Aichi, and began to deeply reconsider [Aichi's survival].

What had changed a person so much? What was Aichi thinking during the [misfire] incident? What does Aichi think of us now... Is it hate? This thought circled in their minds, and everyone had the same gloomy expression. The day ended like this.

～～～～～～

In the middle of the night, everyone was exhausted from the day's activities and the unexpected developments that followed, and they fell into a deep sleep. However, one person was an exception—Aiiko was still awake. Aiiko's room was a single room, not very large. It had a wooden cat-foot bed, a table and chairs, and a small stove with a leather sofa in front of it. In winter, the flickering flames would surely light up the room, providing warmth both visually and