Chapter 58
Usato brought the healing magician boy, Nack, to my house .
Although Usato had his reasons for bringing him here, I could see from the boys eyes that he was truly afraid of beast kin like us . But I let him stay here because he still hadnt fully recovered .
I recognized Nack, I had seen him quite a few times when our classes did joint training with the juniors . We never introduced ourselves to each other . . the main reason was because Nack avoided contact with almost everyone . This was probably because he was targeted by Minas group and didnt want to get other people involved .
He was just bad at talking with others but that wasnt really the problem right now Nack had to train with Usato and become strong enough to defeat Mina in five days .
Although Mina acted arrogant, she was actually one of the stronger students in her year . Even if she was still learning and developing her explosion magic, it was a type of magic that could display bursts of power in short intervals . Unlike Usato who had exceptional physical ability, Nacks was very poor .
I was worried Just how would he be able to reach a level where he could defeat Mina It seemed impossible at first glance but I couldnt help but be curious about Usato who might exceed my expectations .
. If I remember correctly, he mentioned yesterday they would be heading to the streets
The everyday life for students varied .
Every student had some degree of freedom and time to study for their classes . It was possible to graduate earlier if you learned faster than others .
Are they really training in town right now?
Well, thats what he said yesterday
I was together with my brother . The two of us started and ended our classes at almost the same times .
Since we got off early for our afternoon classes, Kyou and I decided to check on how Usato and Nack were doing in town .
I didnt know what kind of training they were doing . But I did see Usatos expression before he headed out in the morning . He was expressionless The training was probably hard . I also remembered Usatos superhuman strength in the battle against Halfa . I couldnt even begin to imagine what kind of training they were doing .
Even if it felt a little scary, I still wanted to take a look .
Nee-chan, you didnt see anyone else leave in the morning when Usato left right?
Yeah, at least not that Im aware of . Usato woke up earlier than me and I only saw him heading out the door . It seemed like he was going out for Nacks training .
I left some bread at the table yesterday for Usato . When I woke up in the morning, it was gone . It was a good thing he was at least eating breakfast . When Amako woke up, she said she had some matters to attend . I believe she said something about going to a stable?
Kyou, Satsuki, and me . These were the three inhabitants of the house In a sense, I felt it would be better for more people to eat breakfast together . . It unexpectedly felt a little lonely when the two of them didnt eat with us . Maybe I thought that because that strange hero called Inukami ate with us last night . It was very lively . . in various ways .
Satsuki is at Inukamis place?
What surprised me was how Satsuki and Inukami were kindred spirits . Satsuki was like a fish who had found water . It was quite noisy last night
While making a bitter expression and holding down my forehead with my hand at Kyous question, I replied .
Yeahh Im going to meet up with Inukami! You guys dont need to wait for me! Is what she said . Really, why cant she sit still for just a moment
W-well, its just a short meeting . Its not a bad thing to meet with the hero called Inukami
Although she was very strange, she was still a hero . Inukami should have a good influence on Satsuki Probably
I was still fine with Satsuki and Inukami but what really surprised me was Kyou and Usato Kyou actually opened up his heart a little to a human .
Kyou had been exposed to a lot of malice from humans since his arrival here . After some time, he couldnt look at humans favorably anymore . Nevertheless, that completely disappeared towards Usato yesterday night .
What? You keep staring at my face .
. No, its nothing .
It was my gentle little brother again .
In fact, Im fairly certain he was pushing himself and tried to act like that .
Im glad .
I honestly thought so . But on the other hand, what about myself? Was I forcing myself?
Nn? Its a little sudden but I just remembered something . Nee-chan, when Usato punched through that target in the battle against Halfa, you seemed awfully scared . Why?
Y-you mean yesterday
Due to Kyous abrupt words, I remembered the scene of Usato piercing through that sturdy target with just his bare hands yesterday . He also extracted his arm afterwards
When I first encountered Usato What if I ended up just like that target? I couldnt help but shiver when I thought about it like that .
I remember clearly how he took a step forward and got ready to punch . He had the same amount of power stored in his fist . There was also the fact that Amako stepped in and stopped him .
With her foresight, she probably knew the end result . It probably wouldnt have ended well for me It didnt matter that he was punching with healing magic .
Its nothing at all .
Nothing at all you say If youre fine then I guess its okay .
I sounded a little uncertain but Kyou reluctantly accepted it . But this was the result I wanted .
After Kyou stared at me for a few seconds in doubt, he turned to the front again . Seeing as he didnt question me further, I felt relieved . As we kept walking, we noticed the situation on the streets was unusual .
. W-whats going on?
Yeah Did something happen?
Whether it was the shopkeepers or the students, they were gossiping about something . Was there something going on?
Just what could it be? It wasnt strange that the streets were noisy since that was normal . However, it usually wasnt this lively . There was definitely something .
Up ahead .
Kyou said this with hesitation .
Kyou?
I turned to the direction that Kyou indicated .
Among the people walking on the streets, there was someone who stood out with his ashen grey-colored hair . He also had a suspicious-looking smile on his feminine face .
Halfa .
Oh . Oh my .
I unintentionally called out his name as I was lost in my own thoughts .
Halfa The person who had a mock battle with Usato just the other day .
Kyou and I werent good at dealing with this guy . He was a magician that fought without holding back at all . He didnt like not being able to fight someone at their full strength . He would immediately try to approach people in a friendly manner as long as they were strong . The worst part was how unpleasant it felt when he had his eyes on you .
Kyou had a bitter expression upon noticing Halfa Halfa didnt seem to mind and started walking towards us while waving at us and smiling .
Hey, you two, youre walking back home?
He was an unreserved guy, as always .
But why was Halfa here, so far away from the school grounds? He lived in the dorms at school so he rarely came outside .
Ah, thats right Didnt you get injured yesterday?
Fufufu, you dont need to worry . Usatos attack transmitted his healing magic throughout my body . Thats why Im safe .
But the impact was beyond my imagination was what he indicated as he looked delighted and patted his arm . I was enlightened once more that this person had a mental disorder when it came to fighting .
Im curious as to why this mentally disordered person is here .
So, why are you here? Did the principal have orders for you?
It was indeed unusual to see him outside of school . I knew for a fact that he didnt use any magic tools and he didnt need to buy anything for classes .
The only other possible explanation I could think of was that it was the principals instructions .
Halfas magic eyes were convenient in many ways . Since he was able to see the magic quantity of various things, it was a valuable type of magic for research . Instead, Halfa uses his eyes more for combat
If you added in his true abilities and strength, he was one of the few students that Principal Gladis could trust . It was natural to think that Halfa who seldom came out into town, would be moving according to the principals orders .
Halfa smiled and nodded . Then he replied,
Its exactly as you guessed it . The principal requested me to urgently find Usato and ask him to go to her
Urgently?
You didnt know?
Halfa tilted his head to the side in surprise .
Did Usato do something that would get him to be called to the principals office? No, he isnt someone who would do something to draw attention to himself like that Although he is a little dense and airheaded at times .
I dont know the specifics myself but I heard something about complaints regarding him running all over town At least thats what the principal said .
. .
. .
W-what did that guy do now . ?
Running everywhere? In town? And getting complaints Eh?
It definitely isnt something normal if hes troubling the people here . Just what on earth did Usato do?
I dont have the slightest clue .
I replied to Halfa who was confused .
The average population in Luquis was young, younger than the ones in other countries . It was a lot livelier around here No one paid any mind to magic flying around as it was an everyday occurrence .
From what I heard from the people around here, Usato should be arriving soon . Thats why Im waiting here .
So thats why you came here .
Yes, I had to walk all the way here just to see Usato-san running around in town .
Halfa said this with a troubled expression and lightly scratched the back of his head .
You sure are talking a lot today .
Eh?
Whenever you usually greet us, we never really talk about anything . Thats why Im honestly surprised right now .
Kyou pointed this out to Halfa .
He had a point Whenever we normally talked, Halfa never tried talking to us this much .
Kyou and I didnt have anyone in class we could call friends . We might be acquaintances but the only one who tried talking to us was the whimsical Halfa .
There was also Carla-sensei, but she was one of the exceptions . She was a human that didnt discriminate against us but it wasnt like we got along either .
I dont like talking to someone like you, even now . So you can stop smiling at the fact that you were able to have a real conversation with us .
Hahaha, youre harsh as always .
Kyou gave a humph! to Halfas words and Halfa showed a troubled smile .
Kyou was right, Halfa didnt ignore us but he never really tried to have a proper conversation either . It was unusual for me to talk with a human like this too .
I unconsciously realized the reason for it It was probably because Amako and Usato came here .
Only two days have passed since we met but these two people definitely didnt have a small influence on me and Kyou .
I hear its coming here!?
H-hide your familiars!
Youre joking, right!?
As I was immersed in these sentimental feelings, I could hear shouts on the streets .
What is it?
As I wondered this, the students in my surroundings started to hide their familiars in fear . They concealed their familiars by putting them behind their own backs .
Eh? Whats with this? Its like some sort of dangerous monster is approaching .
Whys everyone trying to conceal their familiars?
Kyou and I were bewildered by the students reactions .
It was a fresh and bizarre scene . Only a few moments passed before some sort of loud clatter along with sluggish footsteps started making its way closer .
It sounded more like a monster was coming rather than a person . It was impossible since we were in the middle of town but I rolled up the sleeves on my robe and got ready to fight at a moments notice just as a precaution .
Along with Kyou who was also on his guard, we both took a closer look at what was coming . . Up ahead, we couldnt see anything other than the large gate .
Wait, why did you come along?
Well, I was curious too
After scowling a little at Halfa who came along, I faced forward again . I followed the main street with my eyes and looked all the way over at the gate . Unlike humans, beast kin could vividly things this far .
I absentmindedly stared at the street before a small shadow rush out from the corner of the street .
Hieh . Gueh . Hah . Haah .
Nn? Thats
Nack?
That small shadow was Nack .
He came out on the main street with vigor and started running . Every step he took looked dangerous It was like he would fall over any moment .
His state was miserable . His face was covered with his tears and snot . He approached us like he was about to die . In any case, I had a bad feeling about this .
I was puzzled at first but when I looked behind Nack A blue thing made its appearance behind him and caused me to suspend my thoughts .
This blue and white clump was running with their feet on the ground .
Ee Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeh!?
I was finally able to discern what that clump was One person and one animal . At the same time I realized what had just appeared, I raised my voice in uncontrollable astonishment .
One was on top of the other .
The blue was on top of the white .
The boy was raising his voice in fear towards the expressionless and strange blue-white clump chasing after him .
While lightly carrying a blue monster bear on his back, he was pursuing the boy desperately trying to run away . It was the healing magician from a foreign country That person was Usato .
*
Gladis-san called for me?
We caught a glimpse of Usatos training and were under shock .
Usato noticed us and he was about to continue with the training but Halfa called out to him . He then told Usato that the principal needed him for something .
After hearing that, Usato let down the monster known as the Blue Grizzly from his back . He stroked the monster on its head and folded his arms in thought . He then proceeded to say,
I understand . Then, Ill head there right away .
Itd be best if you could And That boy, is he fine?
Nn? Youre referring to Nack?
Halfa looked perplexed and his eyes stopped on Nack who had lightly fainted on top of the Blue Grizzly .
It looked like Nack was running away from Usato in fear for his life But once Usato called out to him, he looked relieved and collapsed on the spot .
Hes fine . Hes only been running for half a day . After applying some healing magic, I dont think therell be any problems . Right now, it should be fine to take a little break .
No no no . Thats not the problem here! Are you some kind of demon!?
I knew it wouldnt be some ordinary training but this is obviously weird!!
What kind of training have you been making him do for half a day!? Nack wouldnt look like that if you only exhausted all his stamina!! And the way you were talking, its like you planned to do this every morning!?
First of all, the Blue Grizzly is a famous and powerful monster you know!? It isnt a monster you place on your back!!
I screamed on the inside while feeling my own character break down . The brute in front of me was momentarily confused before looking troubled .
Eh, no In my case, its not so bad . I dont qualify as a demon .
Usato was puzzled at my words but he said this with a straight face and a bitter smile .
Eh? Youre kidding . This guy seriously thinks so?
Kyou and I both drew back from Usato . On the other hand, Halfa looked in the distance and nodded while smiling .
Yes, as expected of Usato-san .
Abandon those thoughts of yours right now . . !
It annoyed me to think this but Kyou was the one who had the most composure in this situation . It was a lot different from Halfa who was looking away from reality .
It definitely wasnt at the As expected . level . The students around us were getting noisy . I couldnt blame them .
Fundamentally speaking, we didnt get any chances to fight against wild animals in our lessons . The familiars that the students possessed were ones that didnt have strong fighting capabilities . A powerful monster like the Blue Grizzly was something you normally would never meet as they lived in the deeper regions . Even if you were to meet one, it was normal that you would die to their sharp claws . You wouldnt be able to do any damage to them either due to their thick skin and large build .
Even so, there was an abnormal healing magician who was easily lifting up a Blue Grizzly and running with it right in front of them . You couldnt help but doubt whether they were really human
Fuah Oeh Gehau . .
Was this guy who looked like he was on the verge of death and fainted really fine?
Rather than training, it looked more like Usato was torturing and punishing Nack for losing in a contest .
I swallowed the words I was going to say, just as they were at the tip of my tongue . Usato looked at me suspiciously but seeing as I didnt say anything, he placed his hand on top of the Blue Grizzlys head and introduced it .
Bluerin Ah, its this little guys name . Hes my partner who also came along for this journey . I finally received permission from Principal Gladis yesterday to take him into town .
Guruah .
While Usato felt content about receiving permission, he lightly petted Bluerin on the head as it cried out . It seemed like Bluerin was getting annoyed by Usatos constant petting and started to use his arms to beat on Usatos legs .
The Blue Grizzlys strength was great as it made a large impact on his legs . However, Usatos face was still gentle and calm . I drew back even further from him .
Okay, so now that I know about Bluerin Why were you carrying a monster and chasing after Nack in broad daylight? Do you just want to make the training harsh? I have a feeling theres another reason for it . No, the things you do are quite weird already though .
I thought I should do some training too so carrying Bluerin was just an extra . As for Nack running around, Im limited to only five days so I didnt really have much choice .
Extra Thats only extra?
I received a shock like never before Adding Usatos previous fight and now with this Blue Grizzly I really wanted to scream .
The time Im being given to train him is simply not enough . I cant be completely cold and heartless either though . Which is unfortunate since his training could be more efficient . Theres also no way to temper his entire body in such a short span of time . Thats why, I thought Ill at least train his legs . The only thing he has to do is just run, its not that difficult . I wont shout at him, I wont kick him into the skies, Ill allow him to faint and cry Im even willing to listen to his requests .
That person is really unreasonable compared to me . It seemed like Usato was trying to convey that as he gave a dry laugh and smiled .
Seeing his expression made me recognize that real healing magicians were truly frightening existences .
Once I return back to my hometown, Ill be sure to tell everyone Healing magicians are bad news .
Well, if I temper his legs, hell be able to run away and increase his stamina . The basics of the group Im in called the Rescue Squad in Lyngle start with running . Im alive and well thanks to that training . I was also able to save a large number of people because of it . But I really dont intend for Nack to go through what I did .
Incidentally, what did you go through?
I got left in forest rampant with monsters for 10 days and I couldnt go home unless I took down a Grand Grizzly . I was made to endlessly do push-ups until I was told to stop . I did some evasion training with the Leader where I would continuously try to dodge her fists . The others were
. . No, thats enough .
Seriously, just how are you still alive and standing here
After I stopped Usato from continuing, Kyou commented .
I couldnt help but question on the inside Was he really human? Usato mentioned something a Leader, right? The person who taught him healing magic? Could she be actually a demon disguised as a human?
I stiffly smiled at Usato as he looked stumped .
At first I thought This is too harsh and thought about running away many times . However, I realized that all of it was necessary so I dont have any regrets . I think . Im positive about one thing though . I wouldnt have met Bluerin were it not for the training .
I guess a lot happened?
I was very curious about just what kind of events led Usato to form such a relationship with this Blue Grizzly . It must be quite the story . I understood just from looking that Bluerin had a lot of trust in Usato .
It was different from a master and familiar relationship Something that was hard to perceive between one human and one animal .
Seeing the harmonious relationship between him and the Blue Grizzly, I dazedly muttered
Thats nice .
Hearing my voice, both Kyou and Halfa turned their attention to me . Leaving aside Kyou, I didnt want Halfa to have some weird misunderstanding . I felt flustered and waved my arms from side to side .
Eh, um . No, I just thought that this little guy is cute
Eh? Nee-chan, are you being for real? Youre not frightened?
However, I would regret trying to make some random excuse to gloss over something I unconsciously muttered because
Usato suddenly interjected after Kyou spoke .
Thats right, hes cute right!? Want to pet him?
And pushed Bluerin towards me .
Bluerin who was being displayed He snorted and gave a Humph! He was also glaring at me .
.
N . . No, Ill pass . Usato, you have to go see the principal, right? Shouldnt you hurry?
. . Thats true . Theres also Nacks training too . We can always do this another time .
I felt relieved .
Even if Usato could guarantee that Bluerin was obedient, it was still a Blue Grizzly . Petting such a large monster still required a lot of courage .
I should get going soon . Halfa-san will you also be heading to Principal Gladis?
I still have something I want to buy so Ill bid farewell to you here .
I see . Then, Kiriha and Kyou Ah, I wont be back till the sky turns dark today so Sorry to inconvenience you guys, but could you also prepare Nacks dinner?
I dont mind . Theres not much difference in adding one or two more peoples portions .
Thank you . Lets go, Bluerin .
Feeling reassured, he thanked me . Bluerin turned to the direction of the school and cried out .
A healing magician that was a young man in a white uniform and a big monster bear
He placed the bear along with the boy on his back like he caught some big game . Afterwards, he started walking How should I say it? It was quite odd and bizarre .
We didnt even talk for that long but I felt like I was very tired
Usato is unbelievable, in a lot of ways
Yeah . But hes an example others should follow . I think .
Next to Kyou who looked in admiration That was the only thing I could say as I watched Usato walk away .
*
In the middle of Nacks training, I met Kirihas group and just said goodbye to them . I was headed to the school along with Bluerin and an unconscious Nack to meet Principal Gladis .
I left these two to wait outside and entered the principals room . The moment I entered and our eyes met, Gladis-san gave a big sigh .
Youre really too much .
Erm .
Gladis-san was completely baffled .
As expected, it seems like I overdid it a little with the training in town I was used to the environment in Lyngle but it was clearly not the same here .
Im sorry, Ill find a different place to run next time .
Im not talking about that, you know . . ? Umm, perhaps you dont know?
Youre talking about the training I did in town right? As for Bluerin, I received permission yesterday Nothing else comes to mind
I certainly gave you permission to take your Blue Grizzly out But! That was because I thought you would take it out for a walk! Not carry it yourself! How could I have imagined that you would run around town while carrying a Blue Grizzly!?
. She had a point . If you thought about it carefully, it was abnormal .
It was only because the people in Lyngle were used to it . I just thought the people in Luquis wouldnt mind seeing me run around with a monster haha Yeah .
I lost self-control for a moment Lets get to the topic at hand . I heard the gist of what happened yesterday but if possible, could you tell me in detail?
I understand .
I gave a simple explanation of what happened yesterday and how Nack was now currently training under me .
After finishing my explanation, Gladis-san looked bewildered .
. I am truly sorry . The students here have caused you a lot of trouble .
No, I decided to mettle in these affairs on my own so
Even so, it was a blunder for me to leave her alone The girl called Mina Liashia .
Did Gladis-san view that girl as a problem child?
I thought she was just some neighborhood bully but it seemed like someone really troublesome had their eyes on Nack .
Cant the school do something about her?
Its complicated . As the person in charge here, I can say we would lose a lot of trust from her family thats giving aid to this school . The nobles are quite troublesome . They possess a large network to exchange information with others . If any scandals happened, they would report it and everyone would know . Luquis isnt a completely independent country . This country is mostly being supported by donations from nobles .
In other words, you have to take careful consideration before doing anything to that girl?
Yes, that would be the case .
Whats with that?
That was just too absurd . But I did understand Gladis-sans reasons . There wasnt a lot that could be done since this matter could negatively impact the whole country . But that didnt mean Mina could do whatever she wanted, right?
In my former world, Mina would be one of those selfish kids who had Monster Parents that would come complain to the teachers . But at least there were still several ways to resolve situations like that .
But it was different here in Luquis . The nobles here provided backing to this country . Were it not for them, Luquis wouldnt be able to function and maintain itself as a country .
I couldnt help but compare the two since the environment in Luquis was similar to the schools back at home . I couldnt entirely accept how things were being run in Luquis . It was a bit of a sarcastic way of expressing it, but the times here were really ahead of me .
. You need a place to train that healing magician, right?
Gladis-san who had been silent for some time suddenly spoke .
. . Eh, well, yes . Deciding to run in town was a little rash of me . I was thinking about where else I could bring him to train
Then you can use the training grounds here . It should at least be a better environment for him to train than in the town . The people with important roles here cant interfere with the students matters but Im personally hoping that the healing magician boy will succeed . It might feel like Im saying this because its convenient for me .
It was certainly something convenient for her .
She didnt do anything to Mina and looked the other way . . that was the truth . But it wasnt like I had any right to say anything so I had no intention to lecture her . Even if I didnt say anything, Gladis-san already knew .
Leaving that aside, I should be thinking about the new training spot .
The training grounds that Gladis-san mentioned probably referred to the place that I fought Halfa-san yesterday . It was spacious there so Nack and Bluerin should have no problems running around .
I then proceeded to ask Gladis-san regarding the usage of the training grounds .
After a few minutes, I learned that the training grounds were open to everyone this week . It was made available to everyone because of the mock battle competition . The other students still had to attend class so they wouldnt be using the training grounds often . So until the school closed for the day, I was basically free to use it as much as I wanted .
. In that case, I should get back to the training right away . Gladis-san, I apologize for raising such a commotion .
Dont run around in town anymore, you hear?
Well then, I should wake up the unconscious Nack and resume the training . Nack should be fine now since he had a long break . . there were still a lot of things I wanted to try out too . Since I came all the way to a magic school, it wasnt a bad idea to polish my own healing magic and Reinforcement too .
I guess I really do like training .
As I wryly smiled to myself, I started to walk .
But just as I took a few steps down the hallway, I saw a tall and familiar woman .
Hello there, Carla-san .
Ooh, if it isnt Usato? Why are you at the school? Did you have something to attend to?
Rather than something to attend to, I was called here . Im already finished though .
Carla-sans aura resembled Roses
Well, since Carla-san was passing along here, I guess she had some business with Gladis-san . I didnt want to get in the way . . I should end the conversation and hurry along .
I lightly bowed and tried to pass her . As I was thinking of returning back to Bluerin and Nack For some reason, Carla-san stepped in and stood in front of me .
Eh, but why?
Umm . .
How about talking with me for a bit? Aah, dont worry about me . My matter isnt urgent . I dont need to see the principal right away . Well walk as we talk .
If that was the case then I didnt really mind But I felt a little uneasy . It felt like Rose was next to me so I couldnt compose myself .
Theres also only one topic that came to mind in a private conversation with Carla-san
I think you already noticed it but I know your Master .
But of course .
There was only one person who I thought as my Master, who also happened to be my superior .
It seemed like she knew quite a bit about these matters . I should take this opportunity to ask some questions that were on my mind .
You know Leader? Youre referring to the one in Lyngles Rescue Squad, right?
Yeah, I used to be a knight in Lyngle before coming here to teach . At that time, I got to meet Rose . At that time, she was the youngest . I have a lot of respect for her as climbed to her original status with her own strength . You could also say shes my goal .
I had a rough idea that Roses position wasnt ordinary . But from the way that Carla-san described, it seemed quite exceptional . Thinking about Roses true abilities though, it wasnt that strange .
To begin with, that person was beyond normal .
When did you first meet?
I still remember . Even though it was five years ago, I can still recall it . I wasnt her subordinate but I did learn the basics from her a couple of times . She was strong . It was plain and simple . Her physical ability was remarkable enough to smash apart steel swords
Ueeeh . Just how much of a monster is she?
Even I havent attempted to smash apart steel with my bare hands . I didnt have any chances to do so but I also wasnt confident I would be able to do it .
Seeing my reaction to Roses past, Carla-san showed a bitter smile before lightly laughing .
Haha, is that something you should say? From what I can see, you belong in the same category . First of all, you overcame her healing magic training . It would be best that you realized youre definitely not normal anymore .
Im still only half-way there . At the very least, its nothing much when compared to Leader .
I felt a little annoyed since she basically implied that I was a monster .
I knew just how strong my own body had become . But to say I was in the same Category as Rose would just be rude to her and was something I personally couldnt accept .
It wasnt like I desired to obtain her strength . I simply respected her and becoming a healing magician like her was one of my objectives .
I was still far from reaching a passing mark from Rose . It was vexing .
As far as Im concerned, your strength is more than sufficient . At the very least, the Reinforcement you possess exceeds the majority in your age group .
. What happened to Leader? She wasnt in Rescue Squad before, right? You mentioned she held some exceptional status before .
I wasnt good at dealing with being praised openly like this .
I might feel a little elated if I got any more praise . That was why I decided to shift topics . However, it seemed like I asked something I shouldnt have . It was only for a moment but Carla-san looked startled .
Umm, was that something I shouldnt have asked?
No . . She made the Rescue Squad before the revival of the Maou . Lyngle had fought the Demons in the past as well, although it wasnt much . Even when the two sides met, they rarely clashed against each other .
Were there some issues with the Demons even before the Maous revival?
While I stared at the empty hall, I visualized in my mind when Lyngle as still at peace . But the image in my mind didnt seem that different from the present .
The only real conflict at the time was the discord with the non-humans . Even with that, it was peaceful . It would have stayed that way, were it not for that . .
That?
No .
As I voiced my doubt, Carla-san cleared her throat and dodged my inquiry .
Whats with that? Its obvious youre hiding something! Suspicious . Youre acting too suspicious, Carla-san!
As I was about to press her for an answer, Carla-san who was in front of me, stopped walking .
She turned around, and with a serious expression, Carla-san looked at me in the eyes .
Thinking about it This really isnt something I should be telling you . If you want to hear about it, you should ask her yourself . But I can at least say this You . Are a very precious existence to Rose .
Youre exaggerating quite a bit
It didnt seem like she was joking .
Just what did she know and what happened to Rose?
. I dont know . No matter how I thought about it, I didnt have the slightest idea . Foremost, which did she exactly mean when she said Im a precious existence? A precious group member I dont think so . But I really dont have a clue .
As I was pondering, Carla-san was already walking in the opposite direction . I was dumbfounded as she waved her hand at me and then disappeared at the other end of the hallway .
. . Hah! This isnt the time to be standing still!!
I ended up losing some of Nacks training time .
I had to make sure he got some light running done today so his body could adjust and quickly get used to it . He had to at least be able to operate his healing magic and run at the same time tomorrow .
I turned around and jogged to my destination .
Perhaps I took too long with my conversation with Carla-san
After a few moments, I finally reached Bluerin and Nack who were at the front entrance .
I made you wait, Bluerin . Well, I still need to wake Nack up .
Hes been resting for at least 30 or so minutes . He should be fine now .
Seriously, I was too soft . Rose would definitely never give me this much time to rest .
Nack was lying on top of Bluerin and drooling in his sleep . I lightly shook Nack and called out to wake him up . After several seconds of repeating this process, Nack groaned and came to his senses .
You okay?
H-huh . . Usato-san? I-I . Why was I sleeping . Ah, aah, thats right . I had a scary dream . . I was being chased by a monster and I almost died .
Nnn?
What happened?
He said he had a scary dream . Well, Ive heard that people have nightmares when they sleep for only a short amount of time . It was nothing to worry about . His body looks fine, we should head to the training grounds right away .
Well, lets go .
Eh .
Eh Youre going to do it right?
Nack looked petrified .
It looked like he had no idea what I was talking about . Then he finally realized he was on top of Bluerins back . He looked like he received another shock .
He slowly and rigidly turned his head to me like a broken puppet .
W-what am I going to do?
Continue with the training .
The light in Nacks eyes disappeared for just a moment .