Raising a silly voice, her body twitched in surprise. Aiko looked around and finally noticed Shizuku. Afterwards, Aiko sighed in relief seeing Shizuku’s healthy look, then she smiled in joy.
“Yaegashi-san! Long time no see. Have you been healthy? Are you unhurt? Are the others safe?”
Even though she had been depressed up until now, the things she said were only her worries about her students. Towards the unchanging Ai-chan sensei, joy also entered Shizuku’s gaze as she smiled, and sense of security filled her mind. For a while, the two were happy for each other’s safety and their reunion, then they entered Aiko’s room for consultation and exchanging information.
* * *
“So that’s what happened… Shimizu-kun was…”
Shizuku and Aiko were alone in the room, and they mutually exchanged information as they drank the tea inside the tea cups with cute, cat-like legs. Hearing the things happened in Ul, those words were Shizuku’s response.
Inside the room, an awkward mood hung in the air. Aiko dejectedly drooped her shoulders; she was obviously depressed about Shimizu. Thinking about Aiko’s personality and sense of responsibility, Shizuku could not help worry no matter what the circumstance was, but she could not find the words needed to be said.
However, although Shizuku was reluctant to let Aiko continue being depress, so as cheerful as possible, she rejoiced about Aiko’s safety.
“I feel bad about Shimizu-kun… however, I truly am glad that Sensei is alive. I really want to thank Nagumo-kun.”
Towards the smiling Shizuku, Aiko was reflecting because she once again made her student worry about her, then she returned a smile.
“I see. At our reunion, he didn’t have any interest in us and this world… but he came to save Yaegashi-san and the others. Furthermore, he even protected a small child… Fufu, it is possible that some part of the past him had come back. Or should I say he is growing up as he change… he has become reliable.”
Saying so as she looked at the far distance, somehow Aiko’s cheeks were… slightly dyed in red. Shizuku was confused while thinking, Isn’t that a strange reaction for just remembering one of her student? She watched as she Aiko sometimes laughed while reminiscing, “Fufu.”
Noticing Shizuku’s gaze, Cough!, Aiko cleared her throat. However, she was unable to smooth things over, her cheeks convulsed, and she gained a bad premonition. Shizuku decided to press on. While half persuading herself that it couldn’t be possible, Shizuku said,
“… Sensei? From our talk, Sensei said he saved you from a dangerous situation, can you tell me the details?”
“Eh!?”
“Well, it was said Sensei might have died, so I want to hear how did you recovered from that…”
“A-About that…”
Shizuku recalled the special medicine that quickly healed the near-dead Meld, she thought it must be that, so she played the fool and asked Aiko. Aiko’s cheeks began to turn redder than before. Aiko’s gaze was swam around and hesitatingly, she muttered her words… it was indeed suspicious.
Like a swordsman she was, Shizuku cut to the case.
“… Sensei. Did something happened between you and… Nagumo-kun?”
” !? Th-There’s no way anything happened, you know? J-Just what are you trying to say? It was just the usual me as a teacher and him as a student!”
“Sensei. Please calm down. Your expression had turned strange.”
“!”
Aiko was truly shaken. Frantically, Aiko muttered, “I am a teacher, I am a teacher…” Aiko must have thought she was muttering in her mind, but she wasn’t. Thus, Shizuku was convinced. Although Shizuku didn’t understand in what stage it was, Aiko began to hold a special feeling towards Hajime different from the other students!
“Nagumo-kun! As a person! What did you do to Ai-chan!?”
Already, anyone could see Shizuku’s cheek was convulsing while she was thinking so. Hajime had already became a flag raiser whose level couldn’t even be compared to Kouki. Though unlike Kouki, Hajime wasn’t dense towards affections from others and he had answered to it clearly… and he must had told that to Aiko, too.
Her best friend’s rival appearing in an unexpected place made Shizuku looked at the ceiling with her hand covering her convulsing cheek. Regardless of gender, Shizuku had come to hate that side of Hajime, and a dangerous idea of seriously spreading a painful nickname had crossed her mind… which she managed to give up.
Aiko and Shizuku tried to smooth things over by repeatedly clearing their throats, then they continued their previous conversation as if nothing had happened.
“Then, Sensei. Did something happen when you reported to the king? After all, it seemed to have been a serious talk.”
Shizuku’s question made Aiko recall something and she made a bitter expression where anger and distrust mixed.
“… Officially, Nagumo-kun is branded as a heretic.”
“!? That’s—!… What do you mean? No, I somehow can guess it… but isn’t that decision a hasty one?”
Hajime was powerful. With only several people, he repulsed more than 60,000 demonic beasts while using mysterious artifacts. Hajime’s comrades also possessed unbelievable power. However, his stance was he would not cooperate with Church of the Saints and would even oppose them depending on the situation. It was true Hajime was a truly dangerous existence for the Kingdom and the Church of the Saints.
However, it was truly too hasty to brand him as a heretic so quickly. The brand of a heretic was given to those who disobeyed the teaching from Church of the Saints and became the God’s enemy, and such branding would make it legal for anyone to subjugate Hajime any time, any where. And according to the situation, even the Temple Knights and Kingdom’s army might move out.
Following that, by attacking Hajime because he was a heretic, they would receive the treatment of an enemy from Hajime, his merciless and severe attack. There was no way the King and Church people didn’t know the danger. However, Aiko said they decided it right away. There was no way Shizuku would not be surprised by that.
Shizuku had guessed up until that point, which made Aiko nod in admiration towards the unchanging fast-learner.
“It is completely as Yaegashi-san said. Moreover, no matter if he has tremendous power and not following the church, he ended up saving Ul, but they ignored my protests. Nagumo-kun had expected this situation, so he bolstered by title “Goddess of Bountiful Harvest.” Also, I heard from the bodyguards that the name “Goddess of Bountiful Harvest” and “Goddess Sword” had spread further into the other towns. So, by branding him as heretic, it is also means the church is denying “Goddess of Bountiful Harvest” who saved the people. Thus, they shouldn’t be able to easily ignore my protest, or so it should be. But those people forced the decision. They were obviously being odd… also, I recalled that other than Ishtal and church’s people, the king and other royalties’ appearances were strange…”
“… That’s troubling. Just what are they thinking… But the thing they couldn’t help and think of now is “who” they should send to the powerful Nagumo-kun, right? And that’s the point here.”
“… It is so. Perhaps…”
“Eeh. There’s only us… but I will absolutely refuse that, you know? I don’t want to die. If I become Nagumo-kun’s enemy… I don’t even want to imagine it.”
Shizuku shivered, and Aiko made a wry smile understanding what Shizuku felt.
Thus, before the Kingdom and Church told Kouki and the others to fight Hajime, Aiko decided to tell them about the things Hajime told her. About the Mad Gods and his purpose during his travels. She held no proof, so she didn’t know whether Kouki and the others would believe it. Furthermore, up until now they did their best because they believed the God would return them to their original world as long as they won the war against Demon race.
In truth, the God takes delight in people’s reaction to His doing, and the possibility of returning is extremely low. So let’s look for the dwelling of those who rebelled against the gods in the old times and look for a way to return ourselves! No one would believe it if those words were said all of a sudden. After Kouki and the others heard what she told them, whether they would see it as nonsense and continued to fight like before, or believed her and looked for another way… That was not something Aiko could predict. However, she must nail it to them not to blindly believing the Church. Aiko convinced herself to do that now.
“Yaegashi-san. Nagumo-kun knows his information is an unbelievable one and will be antagonized by Amanokawa and the others, so he said this only to me.”
“Information… is it?”
“Yes. It is about the God worshipped by the church and the objective of Nagumo and the girls’ travel. He didn’t give any proof about it… but it is a truly important information, so tonight… no, this evening, I want to tell this to everyone.”
“That’s… no, I understand. Then, should I call everyone now?”
“No, it is an information I don’t want to be known by the church’s side, so I want to tell it at a time when everyone has gathered naturally; at dinner. And we should be able to talk among ourselves if I said I want to spend time with the students I haven’t seen for a long time without any outsiders.”
“Indeed… I understood. Then, at dinner it is.”
Afterwards, a good amount of time had passed while Shizuku and Aiko chatted. However, they couldn’t have known that the promise for the dinner could not come to pass…
* * *
The time was evening.
While the sun was setting, it gave a parting gift of vivid orange color, and Aiko was walking along the empty corridor. The evening sunlight entered the corridor from the windows and drew an obvious contrast on the wall and floor at the other sides.