Chapter 2: The Return to Daily Life
The morning after defeating the golem.
It was around the time when the sun started to rise. The Galarc Kingdom castle was not entirely dark, but the cobalt-blue sky was spreading overhead.
"…"
A figure was moving quickly in the garden of the mansion where Rio and his companions lived. It was Rio, the owner of the house. There was no one else in the garden, and he appeared to be fighting an imaginary opponent with his bare hands.
He kept the fact that his body was not in perfect condition due to the effects of the assimilation, but because of everyone’s concern, he decided to go to bed early the previous night. Thanks to that, he woke up early this morning and was checking his condition.
(...I'm at about seventy to eighty percent of my usual self.)
In other words, he still felt somewhat fatigued and sluggish.
(...My body is still a bit heavy, but it doesn't seem like it will hinder me in a fight.)
Now he could only observe whether this sluggishness would persist or if he would properly recover.
(For now, I need to seal off full assimilation until I'm back to normal.)
According to Lina, it was advised to avoid using the assimilation that exceeded one hundred percent for extended periods or consecutively.
(And then...)
Rio suddenly stopped and activated his spirit arts, causing numerous orbs of light to float around him. He began to move them in various directions, tracing complex trajectories.
(...As expected, my control over the arts is really good.)
He had vaguely sensed it, but the sensations of his spirit arts were sharp and clear.
(...This must be due to assimilation.)
While assimilating, his skill in spirit arts improved. It had been the same when he first assimilated with Aishia, and it seemed that the sensations he had experienced then lingered even after the assimilation had ended. Perhaps the good effects were a kind of silver lining.
(Good.)
Rio made all the orbs of light disappear at once.
(Alright, what's next...)
Rio lifted his left hand up to his line of sight and began to gather magic power. He partially reinforced his left hand with body enhancement. In this state, he wouldn't injure his hand even if he punched a rock. However—
"Ugh..."
As he coated his hand with the same thermal energy as the orbs, he grimaced in pain. While the area covered by the energy was protected by an elastic barrier, it was still subjected to the heat's burden.
(This is what Sora-chan did during the battle with the golem, but the physical strain is still quite significant. If I increase the degree of body enhancement, I might be able to handle the output, but...)
There was a limit to how much the human body could withstand even with body enhancement. It was more practical to coat a weapon, which was sturdier than a human body, with energy. However,...
"…"
Rio moved his right hand and drew an iron dagger from the sheath at his waist. He then infused it with magic power, releasing energy to coat it. However, as he increased the output, the blade began to chip and crumble under the strain of the energy.
(As I thought, ordinary weapons end up being disposable. I need dwarven-made mithril weapons or spirit arms.)
Moreover, facing an enemy as strong as a golem left him feeling anxious, even with a mithril weapon. In fact, during the battle against Erika, who was possessed by the Earth Great Spirit, the sword that Rio had gotten made by Dominic in the spirit village had been shattered.
(What's frightening is the possibility of facing an opponent like a golem and failing to dodge an attack with my weapon...)
The human body is too fragile. If it were just a regular human attacking with a blunt object, strengthening his body would likely be enough to prevent significant damage. However, an attack from a golem could potentially result in instant death with a single blow.
(If I could constantly protect my body with energy, it would be a great defensive measure...)
From what he had verified earlier, it didn't seem very practical to coat his body with magical energy in its heated form. It would burn Rio's own body away. If it could be done, it would be limited to low output.
(If I only coat my body with energy during moments of attack and defense, I could minimize the burden...)
However, that would mean he still had to gauge the timing to release the energy and defend against the attack. What he was seeking was a defensive measure for unexpected attacks.
As Rio was lost in thought, he suddenly heard—
"Dragon King! Ah, R…, Haruto-sama! I'm sorry..."
Sora's voice echoed in the garden. Realizing she was supposed to call him Haruto, her expression changed to one of embarrassment as she corrected herself.
"Good morning, Sora-chan. It's fine; there's no one else around right now. Come here."
Rio sheathed the dagger and replied with a gentle smile.
"Good morning. You seemed tired yesterday; are you feeling, okay?"
Sora cheerfully trotted over, looking happy.
"Yeah, after a good night's sleep, I'm feeling fine now."
"That's good to hear! Were you practicing handling your fighting spirit?"
"Fighting spirit? You mean this energy?"
Rio looked down at the faint energy swirling around his left hand as he asked.
"Yes. I call it fighting spirit. I learned about it a long time ago from Dragon King-sama."
"I see. I thought I might be able to do the same thing you did in the fight against the golem. I was actually hoping to ask you about it."
"Me? Please, ask me anything!"
Sora's face lit up with joy at being relied upon by Rio.
"Thank you. I was thinking about how, even with body enhancement, the physical body can't withstand fighting spirit. I was wondering if there was a good method."
"People's bodies are weak, after all. Even if you can enhance them with spirit arts, there are limits..."
"While assimilating with Aishia might make the body a bit tougher, I can't always be assimilated with her. So, I was wondering if there was a way to protect my body with fighting spirit..."
"Relying too much on Aishia isn't good. I need to figure something out..."
Sora showed a hint of rivalry towards Aishia and grunted thoughtfully.
"Were you safe even while wrapped in powerful fighting spirit because you're Dragon King's familiar?"
"Yes, I have the strong body bestowed upon me by Dragon King-sama. Even without manifesting my dragon form, I can handle fighting spirit with ease!"
"By the way, how tough is your body in its normal state, Sora-chan?"
"Even without body enhancement, my body is the hardest in the world. No matter what I hit, I won't get a scratch. It can even deflect magic and spirit arts, and I won't get burned even if I'm exposed to fire. Oh, of course, not as much as the old Dragon King-sama."
Sora puffed out her chest proudly.
"That's amazing..."
She looked like an adorable, plump little girl, but Rio had witnessed Sora battling the golem in a fistfight. He wondered if he could even inflict damage on her with body enhancement. Rather, he might hurt his own fist.
"Not as much as Dragon King-sama."
Sora chuckled shyly, looking incredibly pleased.
"I got off-topic. I'll try various things to find a good method. I haven't tested how much I can endure while assimilated with Aishia yet."
"Sora will think about it too! Hmm..."
Perhaps due to her rivalry with Aishia, Sora tilted her head adorably. While smiling at her, Rio resumed manipulating the fighting spirit enveloping his left hand. After a moment, Sora exclaimed, "Ah!" as if she had realized something.
"Speaking of which, I once saw a sorcerer handling fighting spirit during the Divine-Demon War."
"Oh really?"
"Yes, they were quite formidable for a human. I was a bit surprised to see a human using fighting spirit. I think Dragon King-sama mentioned something about that person..."
Sora tilted her head even more, trying to recall the memory from that time. She continued to murmur "hmm" for a few seconds—
"It was something like creating a barrier; the attack power decreases, but with that, even a human should be able to handle fighting spirit safely..."
She voiced her hazy memories.
"...Creating a barrier and the attack power decreases..."
Rio looked as if he had just had a flash of inspiration.
"I-I'm sorry. This alone may not be clear enough. Um, I think Dragon King-sama said that normally, barriers are not created that way... The visual difference from regular fighting spirit isn't apparent, and I quickly lost interest..."
Sora added with a hint of apology to her vague explanation.
"No, this is a sufficient hint. I think I understand something... Let's give it a try. Normally, a magical barrier is created like this, but..."
Rio extended his right hand and activated spirit arts, deploying an energy barrier. Both the barrier and fighting spirit share the characteristic of allowing physical contact, but they also have differences. Specifically—
(Fighting spirit is imbued with heat, and when it becomes powerful, touching it can be dangerous. However, the barrier is just hard. No matter how hard it is made, it can be safely touched with the hand.)
Additionally, even though they are the same energy, there are visual differences. The barrier expands like a solid board or wall, while fighting spirit releases energy like flowing liquid or light beams. Rio lightly clenched his fist and knocked on the barrier he had created.
"I was trapped in the preconceived notion of expanding the barrier like a wall. So, I thought maybe I could deploy the barrier by releasing the fighting spirit. Like this."
Rio dispelled the barrier in front of him. Instead, he wrapped light energy around his right hand. Its appearance was identical to fighting spirit.
"Oh!"
Sora exclaimed happily.
"Though they look the same, I think this is a success."
Rio tried wrapping regular fighting spirit around his left hand. While the energy from the barrier on his right hand appeared the same, the differences became clear when he brought his face closer.
The light spilling from his left hand, overflowing with fighting spirit, was accompanied by enough heat to cause burns, whereas the light from his right hand's barrier didn't feel particularly hot.
"I think the fuel efficiency is better than regular fighting spirit since it doesn't use magical energy for heat. As Dragon King said, the attack power will likely decrease, though."
Rio speculated. It was a simple realization. The preconceived notion of wrapping himself in energy like the light bullet magic or light sphere spirit arts had clouded his mind and prevented him from connecting the barrier spirit arts in his head.
"Well done!"
"However, considering using it in combat alongside body enhancement or other spirit arts, fighting spirit is still quite difficult. Still, the benefit of being able to protect the body is significant."
If the caster's skill is not high enough, it might be challenging to maintain the deployed fighting spirit. Nevertheless, as long as they don't receive attacks exceeding the strength of the barrier, the advantage of not allowing external attacks through is substantial.
(If so, it might also be good to wrap it around while flying quickly using flying spirit arts.)
When flying normally, he always maintained a protective wind membrane, but that seemed inadequate as a defensive wall when flying at high speeds. If he could protect himself with a stronger fighting spirit armor, he might not take damage even in the event of a collision.
(Wait a minute...)
Rio's expression shifted as if he had thought of something. He left the energy from the barrier in his right hand as it was and dispelled the regular fighting spirit he had wrapped around his left hand. Instead, a violent wind erupted from his left hand, condensing into a spiral.
(I had done something similar with wind spirit arts.)
The destructive power of the swirling gale was directed outward only, so the wind-wrapped left hand of Rio wouldn't take damage. Even though there was still a risk of self-injury if handled incorrectly, it would be safer to wear than regular fighting spirit.
(Also, I can relatively safely wrap water around myself to create a defensive wall. I'll need to be careful not to cover my face since that would cause suffocation... Using earth spirit arts, I could manipulate sand or small stones to protect my entire body, which would make for a good defensive wall. Although that would obstruct my vision...)
With that, Rio considered various defensive methods for different attributes using fighting spirit. Meanwhile—
(Fire, lightning, and ice are out of the question. Just wrapping them around would likely cause damage like regular fighting spirit. However, they might be excellent for offense.)
There were attributes not suited for defense.
(No, what if I use regular fighting spirit as a protective membrane and wrap it twice? But using regular fire or lightning spirit arts would suffice...)
Since he needed to protect his body with regular fighting spirit, that would likely worsen the fuel efficiency. As Rio pondered with spells wrapped around both hands—
"...Dragon King-sama?"
Sora looked up at Rio's face with a curious expression.
"I thought that attribute spirit arts could be wrapped around the body like fighting spirit. But I think the easiest and most manageable is still regular fighting spirit."
Rio released the spells wrapped around both hands and reached a tentative conclusion.
"Yes! Simply wrapping fighting spirit around and hitting is the quickest way. Shoo, shoo!"
Sora took a cute fighting pose and alternated punching with her left and right fists like shadow boxing. Then—
"Onii-chan! Sora-chan too!"
Latifa's voice echoed in the garden. More than that, she quickly ran over and hugged Rio.
"Whoa... Good morning."
Rio gently caught Latifa's body.
"Eh-heh, good morning!"
Latifa rubbed her face against Rio's chest, looking blissful.
"You're full of energy this morning."
"Of course! Onii-chan is here!"
As if asking to be petted, Latifa adjusted the angle of her head while looking up at Rio's face. He felt the return of their previous everyday life and—
"I see."
Rio smiled happily and patted Latifa's head.
"Hey, Suzune! How long are you going to cling to Haruto-sama!?"
Sora snapped at Latifa, startled.
"I want to keep hugging forever."
Latifa remained wrapped around Rio, her expression melting with happiness.
"That's not okay! Haruto-sama is doing morning training! Don't interrupt! Let go right now!"
Sora puffed out her cheeks and shook Latifa's body from behind. With Sora's strength, she could easily pull Latifa away if she wanted, but perhaps she was holding back out of consideration or not genuinely upset.
"It's lively this morning."
Latifa wasn't the only one who had come to the garden. Leading the group was Satsuki, followed by Sara, Orphia, Alma, Gouki, and Komomo, all approaching with wooden weapons for training. Just as the morning sun began to rise—
"Good morning, everyone!"
Rio squinted against the bright light and greeted them with a smile.
"Good morning! It's a lovely morning."
"Yes, perfect weather for training!"
Gouki and Komomo looked pleasantly at the rising sun.
"Hey, I'm joining the morning training too!"
Masato came rushing out of the mansion a bit late.
"You're up early today, Masato."
Alma said with a gentle smile.
"Heh, I wanted Haruto-niichan to teach me after a long time."
Masato shyly rubbed his nose with his finger.
"We also want to train with Haruto after such a long time."
"Yes, it looks like we'll have to wait our turn today."
Orphia and Sara seemed to be looking forward to training with Rio. Just like that, the garden, which had been quiet just a moment ago, suddenly became lively.
"It's really nice. Having Haruto-kun around."
Satsuki smiled as she looked at Rio, surrounded by everyone.
"Mu..."
Sora hid behind Rio, due to her shyness.
"That being said, let's get started! I want to spar with you, Haruto-niichan!"
Masato was clearly excited, fidgeting as he asked Rio.
"Sure, let's do it."
Rio seemed happy to be able to spar with Masato again and readily agreed.
"Yay! I became a hero and got divine arms, which is great, but I haven't learned how to use a two-handed sword, so I want Haruto-niichan to teach me how to fight!"
In the past, Masato had learned swordsmanship that combined a one-handed sword and a shield from Rio. The two-handed sword he acquired as divine arms had a longer reach, making it hard for him to establish a fighting style.
"Alright. For now, let's see how you fight. I want to see your basic movements, so no body enhancement. I'll be using a one-handed sword and shield."
"Okay!"
Thus, the sparring between Rio and Masato would take place. Rio prepared a training one-handed sword and shield, while Masato equipped a specially made training two-handed sword, crafted by Alma to match the size of his divine arms. They faced each other a short distance away from everyone.
"Shall we start? You can come at me anytime."
"Alright."
While Rio was relaxed, Masato seemed a bit nervous.
"Don't worry. You're going to learn how to fight from now on. Show me how much you can fight with an unfamiliar weapon. Show me the current Masato."
"...Okay!"
Masato took a small, deep breath and dashed toward Rio. Despite the difference in their physiques, Masato, wielding a two-handed sword, had the advantage in reach. He accurately gauged the moment to close the distance and swung his sword swiftly, albeit in broad arcs.
However, Rio anticipated the swing and evaded the attack with a slight movement of his legs.
"Haah!"
Undeterred, Masato bravely slashed at Rio multiple times. Rio wielded his one-handed sword and shield, moving minimally to deflect Masato's two-handed sword.
"A sword swung with two hands tends to have broader movements. Due to the structure of the human body, the trajectory of the attack is also more limited than with a one-handed sword. From the opponent's perspective, it's easier to predict your movements, so unless there's a significant difference in skill, your attacks can be easily dealt with like this. Do you understand?"
"That's true! I have the advantage in reach, yet...!"
Masato agreed with Rio's advice while swinging his sword.
"It's good that you understand the reach between you and your opponent. But that's not enough. A two-handed sword is weak when someone gets too close. Naturally, the opponent will try to fight within their preferred range..."
Even though Rio was just deflecting Masato's attacks, he decided to counter. At the moment Masato swung horizontally, Rio lowered his posture and closed the distance. He used his shield to push Masato's sword upward from below. Immediately after—
"Ugh..."
The tip of Rio's one-handed sword was pointed at Masato's throat.
"If you let someone easily get inside your reach like this, it won't do. You need to keep the opponent outside your range."
"Yeah."
Masato nodded happily.
"It seems like you've practiced the basic stances and swings of swordplay quite well."
Rio stepped back, withdrawing his sword.
"I learned from Hilda-san, the knight guarding Princess Liliana. My experience with the one-handed sword from Haruto-niichan is also coming in handy."
"I see. Then let's thoroughly drill into how to swing the sword so you don't get easily closed in on. From here on, we'll be focusing on counterattacks."
By doing this, he would also understand how to fight without letting the opponent enter his range.
"Hehe, that's what I wanted to hear!"
Masato laughed happily, and the sparring resumed.
◇ ◇ ◇
After enough had time passed—
"Ahh, I'm tired! That felt good."
Having finished sparring with Rio, Masato retreated to a corner of the garden and lay down spread-eagle. He was drenched in sweat and out of breath from swinging his sword and moving around. On the other hand, Rio still looked composed and returned to where everyone was gathered. Then—
"Alright, can I be next to spar with you?"
Satsuki expressed her desire to take Masato's place in sparring with Rio. While Rio and Masato were sparring, they had decided the order through rock-paper-scissors.
"Of course. But are you okay? Even though your wounds have closed, you got seriously injured yesterday..."
Rio expressed concern for Satsuki's condition. Even though healing magic and spirit arts could mend wounds, pain could linger for a while, so it was generally recommended to take a day to observe the situation—
"Yeah. It's probably thanks to everyone's healing skills, right? I feel good. My body feels light, like I have an abundance of energy."
Satsuki was energetic, swinging her training spear around.
(Right after that fatal injury, it seems like the assimilation with the Great Spirit advanced...)
Rio watched Satsuki closely and—
"Well, that's good, but if you start to feel strained, please don't push yourself."
He remained worried about Satsuki.
"You're saying that, but you shouldn't overdo it either, Haruto-kun. Yesterday's battle seemed quite tough for you."
"Ahaha, well, I did sleep soundly early..."
"I also got a good night's sleep. So, no problems here."
"Then let's give it a try for now."
Rio set down his one-handed sword and shield and picked up a wooden sword sized for one-handed use.
"Okay, let's go!"
Satsuki cheerfully nodded and walked to a place suitable for sparring. Rio quickly followed her.
"Alright, let's allow body enhancement this time. As for magic, low-power spells can be allowed."
(And I want to see how much the effects of the assimilation influence her.)
With that thought, Rio suggested it.
"Sounds good."
"Then, Gouki-san, could you please be the referee?"
Thinking it would become an intense spar, Rio turned to Gouki and asked him to officiate.
"With pleasure."
Gouki followed Satsuki and Rio. After creating enough distance from the others, they both readied their weapons and faced each other—
"Then, begin!"
The sparring between Rio and Satsuki started.
"Ha!"
At the signal, Satsuki kicked off the ground and charged at Rio. The distance closed in an instant. However, perhaps because she was faster than expected, a look of surprise crossed her face.
"Whoa…!"
Instead of crashing directly into Rio, Satsuki diverted her path and swung her spear in a passing motion. It seemed like the lateral shift was a spur-of-the-moment decision, but her timing to attack was impressive. This fortunate maneuver also served as a feint against Rio.
However, Rio swung his sword, engaging Satsuki as they passed each other. The high-pitched sound of their wooden weapons clashing echoed. Immediately after, Rio fired a weak light orb toward Satsuki's back. It was a complete surprise attack from her blind spot, but—
"Ugh…!?"
Satsuki snapped to attention, spinning and sweeping her spear to deflect the light orb. This was a sign that her senses were finely tuned.
"Hoh…"
Gouki, the referee, let out an impressed grunt.
"Wow, you don't hold back from the very beginning, do you?"
Satsuki protested to Rio, a pleased grin on her face.
"I thought you seemed to be in good form."
Even if she were to be hit, the force felt like striking a rubber ball, as the speed and power were deliberately reduced.
"Right? I'm surprised myself!"
Satsuki nodded defiantly and fearlessly charged at Rio again, this time attacking head-on with her spear.
(It seems her body enhancement has increased compared to before.)
Rio intentionally stood his ground, receiving Satsuki's strike directly. He lightly flew back at the moment of impact, dampening its force.
(Her strength has definitely increased. No doubt about it.)
Rio landed, pondering this.
"Hehe, maybe today I'll finally win!"
Satsuki, in high spirits, charged forward at high speed.
◇ ◇ ◇
About two hours passed. During that time, not only Rio and Satsuki but everyone had sparred together in various combinations multiple times.
As the training session was nearing its end—
"I still couldn't beat Haruto-kun today. I couldn't even land a blow on Gouki-san or anyone else..."
Satsuki, who ultimately couldn't land a single hit on Rio, had also sparred with Gouki but hadn't managed to win.
"Hahaha, it seems I can't let you win just yet."
Gouki chuckled merrily.
"I thought I might win at least one round today."
"While the body enhancement was powerful, I couldn't quite keep up with the movements of my strengthened body."
"Yeah, that's right."
Satsuki tilted her head, pondering Gouki's advice.
"But you were really impressive today, Satsuki-san. It could have gone either way in our battle."
Sara praised Satsuki's growth. Having trained in combat daily since childhood as a warrior of the village, Sara had a clear edge over Satsuki. With Sara being a beastkin, her physical abilities were superior, making it hard for Satsuki to win. However, with the increase in Satsuki's body enhancement, they were able to have a good match.
"Your body enhancement technique has definitely become stronger."
"Did you grasp some sort of trick?"
Orphia and Alma asked Satsuki.
"Not so much as grasping a trick… I guess that's just how it is?"
Satsuki tilted her head in confusion, not fully understanding the reason for her changes.
(So, she does feel a sense of incongruity.)
Now that she knew about the relationship between the Heroes and the Great Spirit, it was no longer possible to keep the information hidden. It would be best to explain it soon. Rio thought this while observing Satsuki's profile.
"By the way, Sora-chan is really strong. I was surprised."
Latifa praised Sora, who was smaller than her. It was Latifa who had invited Sora to spar. Although Sora hesitated, saying it seemed like a hassle, she eventually agreed because Rio also asked her to. As a result, Latifa found herself being toyed with by Sora using just one finger.
"Of course. Sora is the second strongest in the world after Haruto-sama."
"But Aishia-oneechan is just as strong as Onii-chan!"
"Huh? Sora is stronger than Aishia!"
"Is that so?"
"Yes. I've sparred with her once, and Sora had the upper hand."
Sora puffed up her cheeks proudly, wearing a smug expression.
"Stronger than Aishia-neechan? But that battle yesterday was amazing!"
"I definitely want to spar with you next time!"
Masato and Komomo joined in the conversation.
Meanwhile, a little further away—
"How strong is she really?"
Sara approached Rio and asked.
"I can't even see the bottom of her strength. There's no doubt she can fight on par with Aishia."
Although she must have fought seriously against the golem yesterday, it didn't seem like she used all her power. Considering the damage to the city, she probably couldn't fight at her full capacity.
"We've gained a strong ally, haven't we?"
Orphia smiled as she looked at Sora.
"Good grief. It's a hassle to fight each one individually, so you all should come at me together!"
Sora was being asked to spar by Latifa, Masato, and Komomo. Although Sora was shy and had trouble being straightforward, she didn't seem entirely against it. Watching Sora, Rio happily chimed in,
"Yeah."
◇ ◇ ◇
After finishing their morning training, Rio and the others rinsed off their sweat in the mansion's bath before heading to the dining hall.
"Ah, I'm so hungry!"
Masato barged into the dining hall. Just then, Miharu and Sayo were setting up the tables. Gouki's wife, Kayoko, and some attendants were also present.
"Hey, Masato, don't run in the dining hall. It's dangerous if you bump into someone."
Aki, who was helping with the serving, pouted and admonished him.
"Oops. Sorry, sorry."
Masato scratched his cheek as he apologized. At that moment—
"Charlotte-sama, why are you pressing yourself against Onii-chan like that?"
"I'm feeling a bit dizzy this morning, so Haruto-sama is escorting me."
Rio entered the dining hall, flanked by Latifa and Charlotte, who had both wrapped their arms around him.
"If you're not feeling well, you should rest in your room instead of pushing yourself."
"No, no, I need to eat breakfast and get some proper nutrition. Besides, isn't it you, Suzune-sama, who's all over Haruto-sama?"
"I'm Onii-chan's sister!"
This was the usual scene, with Latifa puffing up her cheeks and Charlotte enjoying the moment. Rio was left with a wry smile, unable to move. Additionally—
"Enough already, you two, let go!"
This time, Sora had joined in. Perhaps feeling it was too much to cling to Rio, she seemed to have fallen behind Latifa and Charlotte. Furthermore—
"Haruto, let's sit at that table over there."
Aishia also approached, grabbing Rio's right hand and pulling him.
"A-Aishia…! Your hand, Haruto-sama…! Ugh, it's my role to guide Haruto-sama! This way, please!"
Sora, determined not to lose to Aishia, grabbed Rio's left hand and tried to lead him.
"Okay, okay, I get it. Let's all sit at the same table."
Just when it seemed like things were getting out of hand, Rio took the helm.
"Um, may I join you too?"
Sayo hurriedly approached, summoning her courage to join the circle with Rio and the others.
"Of course."
Rio nodded with a gentle smile and said,
"Good morning, Sayo-san."
"Yes! Good morning, Haruto-sama!"
Sayo's eyes sparkled with joy as she beamed.
"Then let's all sit over there. Come on, Onii-chan!"
And so, Rio ended up sitting at the same table with Latifa, Charlotte, Aishia, Sora, and Sayo, a total of six people. Meanwhile—
(Onii-chan, huh...)
Aki observed Rio and the others from a distance. Hearing Rio being called "Onii-chan" by Latifa, her expression clouded with complexity. Various thoughts, truly a multitude of thoughts, flashed through her mind.
It was Rio himself who had informed Aki that he held the memories of Amakawa Haruto when a night gathering was held in the Galarc Kingdom.
That was why Aki had cooperated with Takahisa's reckless plan to forcibly take Miharu away. The one at fault was herself. Aki understood that now.
However, it had been since that night gathering that Aki had last faced Rio. Of course, they had the chance to meet yesterday after the battle with the golem, but due to the awkwardness, she could only manage a brief greeting.
She didn't know what kind of expression she should have when talking to someone who held the memories of her former brother. That's why Aki had been avoiding approaching Rio, to prevent any chance of conversation.
But now that they were in the same space, she found herself unable to help but watch them with her gaze—
"…"
As she looked at Rio and Latifa, it became clear to her.
No, it was thrust upon her.
It hit her hard.
(…For that person now, his sister is Latifa-chan.)
Yes, Rio's sister was Latifa.
Not her, who had once been Amakawa Haruto's sister.
The sibling relationship that she could never establish with Amakawa Haruto was now being formed between Latifa and Rio, who possessed the memories of Amakawa Haruto.
(…I don't get it.)
Aki pressed her lips together in frustration.
To begin with, Aki hated Amakawa Haruto.
Though she didn't know the real reason behind her parents' divorce, she developed a grudge after witnessing her mother suffer from it. At that time, Aki was only four years old.
Of course, as she grew older, she came to understand that her feelings were irrational.
Yet, she still hated him.
Even now, she disliked Amakawa Haruto.
However, Rio, who held the memories of Amakawa Haruto, was the benefactor who had saved her life. Latifa was a dear friend who continued to treat her the same despite her past. Aki couldn't bring herself to hate the current Rio. As she watched Rio and Latifa getting along as siblings, complicated emotions welled up inside her...
(…Is my Onii-chan still not coming back?)
Aki turned her gaze away from Rio and Latifa and thought about Sendou Takahisa, the brother she had now.
Using Sara's keen sense of smell, the castle's search party had identified the inn where Takahisa was staying the night before last. According to the report, they were supposed to ask him to accompany them to the castle as soon as he returned to the inn.
Yet, there had been no reports about Takahisa yesterday. Wouldn't it be strange if he hadn't returned by yesterday at the latest? It was possible that the golem attack had made things chaotic, but even so, the subsequent reports felt too delayed.
(…Did something happen?)
For instance, something dangerous might have occurred regarding Takahisa. Aki was briefly engulfed in vague anxiety. However, if something did happen, it was odd that there was still no report.
(…Onii-chan remembered Haruto-san too, right? And then what?)
Takahisa had already left the castle because he was hurt over Miharu. It was clear that recovering his memories about Rio would cause him even more suffering.
(…But he might have already returned to the castle, so I should ask later.)
Liliana was supposed to come to the mansion today. Even without asking Aki, she might bring information. Aki tried to switch her thoughts to that possibility. However—
"…"
Aki noticed that there was another person watching Rio from a distance. It was Miharu. Miharu looked at Rio with an envious and frustrated expression.
(…Miharu-oneechan should join us for a meal.)
What on earth is she hesitating for? Wasn't it because she liked Rio that she decided to stay by his side after the night gathering? After all, she had finally regained her memories of him... Aki pouted slightly, feeling dissatisfied.
(Does she still care about kissing Haruto-san?)
In fact, Miharu had seemed quite embarrassed yesterday. However, the Miharu now looked somewhat different from yesterday. Rather than being shy, she appeared withdrawn, as if she were lost in thought and troubled.
(I remember she mentioned that her soul was that of a goddess from this world named Lina...)
Could that be what was bothering her? Aki glanced back at Rio, comparing him to Miharu.
But, in the brief moment she looked away, Rio had stood up from his seat. He was nowhere to be seen.
(Huh?)
Aki scanned the dining hall. Then—
"Good morning, Aki-chan!"
Rio called out to Aki.
"G-Good morning…"
It seemed he had been helping with serving the meals. Rio was holding a tray. Latifa was with him. After a brief jolt, Aki nervously nodded in greeting.
"Hey, Aki-chan, why don't you join us for a meal at the same table?"
Latifa invited Aki.
"...Ah, sorry. I made a promise to eat with Miharu-oneechan and the others."
Aki froze for just a moment before awkwardly forcing a smile to decline.
"I see…"
Latifa's expression clouded with disappointment as she glanced at Rio, who seemed to be observing their exchange with some reservations.
"Well then, let's have lunch together."
Latifa pressed further, inviting her for lunch this time. Aki glanced at Rio, their eyes meeting.
"...What do you think, Aki-chan?"
Rio smiled gently, inviting Aki with a shy demeanor.
"...Yes. Then, let's all…"
Aki's expression dimmed slightly. The addition of "all" as a condition suggested she wanted to avoid a situation where it was just the three of them. In any case, it was clear that Aki felt awkward, but—
"Yay, it's a promise!"
Latifa beamed with a friendly smile, expressing her joy in a gentle voice.
"...Okay. See you later then."
Aki said her goodbye to Latifa a bit uncomfortably and bowed to Rio as well. Then, to invite Miharu to join for breakfast, Aki headed toward her.
◇ ◇ ◇
In the morning, guided by Rio and Charlotte, a visitor arrived at the mansion. It was Liliana, the first princess of the Centostella Kingdom.
As she was greeted at the mansion's entrance by Miharu, Aki, Masato, and Satsuki—
"I have a report regarding Takahisa-sama."
Liliana immediately disclosed the purpose of her visit. The slight tension in her expression suggested it was not good news. Sensing this, Aki and the others' expressions also became serious.
"Your siblings and friends should head to the reception room. Is it alright for Sara-sama to join us as well?"
Charlotte asked Sara to accompany them.
"Yes, that's fine."
Then, Rio, along with Miharu, Aki, Masato, Satsuki, Liliana, Charlotte, and Sara, moved to the mansion's reception room. Once seated—
"Without further ado, regarding the search for Takahisa-sama... to put it succinctly, we have lost track of him."
Charlotte reported the situation concisely.
"…"
Perhaps they had already suspected it, as Miharu and the others did not show surprise. However, a heavy silence fell over the room. Eventually—
"W-Why? Didn't you find out where he was staying…?"
Aki questioned with a strained voice.
"It seems he did not return to the inn either the day before yesterday or yesterday."
"What..."
"When we pressed the innkeeper, it turns out that Takahisa-sama had gotten into some trouble with an organization in the red-light district..."
Charlotte hesitantly added that explanation, her expression reflecting uncertainty about whether to convey the facts as they were. Then—
"Let me explain. It seems that Takahisa-sama killed a man who managed a brothel and ran away with a young prostitute."
Liliana took over the report.
"…"
An even heavier silence spread through the room. They could never have anticipated that he would commit murder, and the expressions of Miharu and the others turned as pale as ice.
"…Why...?"
Aki whispered with a hoarse voice. Whether she didn't want to face the reality of the report or couldn't comprehend it, her eyes seemed unfocused.
"Since no witnesses to the incident have been found, it's not certain, but the motive was likely to protect the girl."
"…"
It might still offer some relief that he wasn't acting out of despair or selfish motives, but no one could bring themselves to speak.
(That smell of blood I caught when I visited the brothel...)
Sara grimaced bitterly, recalling the scent of fresh blood she had sensed in the alley next to the brothel when she had accompanied the search.
"The organization running the brothel has begun a furious pursuit for revenge. It seems that Takahisa-sama was hiding in that inn with the girl, but by the time the castle's search party arrived, it was discovered that he had likely been captured by that organization."
Charlotte resumed her report.
"…Captured? So then, what about my brother...?"
Masato asked, moving his dry lips.
"It is believed that he is still alive."
"…"
When Charlotte delivered her conclusion, Masato and the others let out a slight sigh of relief.
"However, we have lost track of his whereabouts."
"You mean you don't know where he's being held?"
Satsuki inquired.
"We know where he was captured. It's a hidden facility beneath the brothel. It seems some illicit activities were taking place there..."
"…He's no longer there?"
"Yes. It seems there was a major uproar within the facility... Currently, the brothel has been burned to the ground, along with the underground area."
"Burned to the ground...?"
The faces of Satsuki and the others tightened with shock.
"That pillar of fire..."
Masato muttered quietly.
"Yes. In the early hours of yesterday, just before the combat magic item known as a golem attacked the castle, a huge pillar of fire erupted. It is almost certain that it was caused by Takahisa-sama. Witnesses saw a person resembling him leaving the brothel with the girl just before the fire erupted."
Charlotte recounted the events that occurred at the brothel.
"He burned down the... the building? My brother did that?"
"Yes."
Liliana nodded firmly in response to Masato's question.
"Then... did my brother... kill a lot of people...?"
Masato asked, his face contorting bitterly as if enduring toothache.
"…There were many victims."
Liliana nodded, her expression darkening.
"…Even though he kept saying that killing people was wrong..."
Masato bit his lower lip and clenched his fists tightly. Aki, Miharu, and Satsuki fell silent, their faces filled with concern. Then, perhaps wanting to alleviate some of the group's anguish—
"It has been confirmed that all the deceased were members of the illegal organization involved in the brothel's illicit activities. Also, it has been established that the girls working at the brothel were released before the building was burned down."
Charlotte added this clarification.
"Even so...! Ugh, enough already!"
It was no surprise that Masato was distraught upon learning that his brother had killed someone. As various emotions swirled within him, he raked his fingers through his hair. His face clearly showed his turmoil, as if to say, "I don't understand this at all." Then—
"So, you're saying we don't know what happened to Takahisa-kun after that?"
Satsuki took a deep breath to calm herself and prompted Charlotte to continue.
"Yes. There have been no further sightings, and the investigation has become complicated. That's why we were hoping to borrow Sara-sama's help again."
Charlotte nodded briefly and looked at Sara.
"So, I should go to the site and follow the scent?"
Leave it to me, Sara eagerly volunteered to assist in the investigation.
"Thank you very much. Please do."
Charlotte expressed her gratitude, and the others began to bow their heads to Sara in succession.
"It's nothing to thank me for."
I'm just doing what's natural—Sara shook her head slightly, wearing a somewhat troubled expression.
"And also, it seems that Haruto-sama has a report regarding Takahisa-sama. I haven't heard it yet myself, but..."
Charlotte now directed the conversation to Rio.
"The content overlaps, but I've obtained information that confirms Takahisa-san's safety. The source of this information is Wise God Lina."
"Eh? Lina, the one inside Miharu-chan…?"
Satsuki glanced at Miharu.
"Could it be from yesterday...?"
Miharu seemed to recall the time when Lina had controlled her body to visit Rio's bedroom the previous day.
"Yes. It's not much, but I received a message. Since she has the power to know the future, I believe it's reliable information."
"…What did the goddess say?"
"She didn't tell me his location, but she said he is safe and doing well, living happily with a girl."
"…"
A hint of exasperation appeared on Satsuki's face, and it was likely not just her imagination. Nevertheless—
"W-Why wouldn't she tell us!? If she knows the future, she should know where he is!"
For Aki, this was a matter of life and death. She desperately questioned why, if Lina knew the future, she wouldn't reveal Takahisa's current location.
"…It seems she can't say anything that might change the future."
Rio spoke with an apologetic tone.
"That's…"
Aki clamped her mouth shut, feeling frustrated. It was only natural to want to learn the whereabouts of a missing family member if someone knew where they were. It was unreasonable to expect her to hold back those feelings. Yet, the reason Aki managed to stay silent was likely due to her consideration for Rio, or perhaps because Lina, the information provider, wasn't present.
"Lina also said, 'With time, there may come a reunion.' She hopes you'll accept that for now..."
Rio added Lina's words as a form of comfort. Then—
"…I'm fine with that."
Masato suddenly spoke up.
"…Masato?"
Aki's eyes widened as she looked at Masato.
"He's alive. We'll meet again someday. Knowing that is enough for me, for now."
Masato seemed to have made his peace with the situation. After saying this, he exhaled deeply, crossed his arms, and sat back down in his chair.
"…"
Aki looked at Masato, her expression indicating she wanted to say something, but she pressed her lips tightly together, as if sealing away her feelings.
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login