The Meeting

The Meeting

The sudden appearance of a humanoid robot left me speechless. Without its face guard, I think it would have been displaying an incredibly idiotic expression.

The squat humanoid robot stared at me for a moment, then rotated its head 360 degrees to look around.

Then it stared intently at the nameplates on houses and the signs of stores with their shutters down.

'...W■■■...■■p■■...■■■...!?'

Perhaps it had a speaker built in; I could hear a voice mixed with static. It was difficult to make out, but somehow I understood that it was English.

'L■...■d...■■...SUPER PERVERT...!'

Maybe it really was an unknown language after all.

Just when I thought it was looking at me again, I felt as though it had hurled an outrageous insult at me.

As the strange atmosphere continued, I heard sirens in the distance. Apparently, the police had come.

The gray robot suddenly changed direction. Turning its back to me, it spun the rollers on the soles of its feet.

The robot sped away with its motors roaring. It was moving extremely fast, but it took the side road with an elegant turn.

"...What was that supposed to be?"

No one answered my bewildered mutter.

＊　　　　＊　　　　＊

It was Monday, two days after that spiritual disaster.

Since it was still early April, I trudged into a classroom where I hadn't even matched all my classmates' faces with their names yet.

"G-good morning..."

I entered the classroom, saying it quietly under my breath. A student near the door answered me, looking surprised.

I somehow managed to force a polite smile and took my seat.

...There had been zero deaths in that spiritual disaster.

It was nothing short of a miracle. The 'labyrinth' that appeared there had been small, and the monster that emerged was a skeleton, a relatively weak type. That was the silver lining.

Knowing I had contributed to that miracle left me feeling strange. I had to hurriedly suppress the smile that unconsciously curved my lips.

But what had that robot been? Had it been someone's Gift? That was still the one thing I couldn't figure out. The television hadn't covered that aspect, either.

Then again, the whole incident had only appeared on the evening news for ten minutes.

Amazingly, a spiritual disaster had occurred in Tokyo at almost exactly the same time. I heard that monsters considerably stronger than skeletons had appeared there. I remember the announcer saying, with a solemn expression, that many people had died.

In that situation, a female high school Gifted person had fought alongside her friends while protecting an evacuation shelter. Since those girls were beautiful, all the attention had been stolen by them.

But still. This was far from Tokyo—not exactly deep countryside, but a little rural. If people were going to talk about it, the local incident should have been the more familiar one.

Besides, my face now was... Well, it wasn't something I should say about myself, but I was quite handsome. I was also tall and leanly muscular.

Thank you, Dad, for becoming a half-elf and turning handsome... Thank you, Mom, for becoming a half-oni woman and turning beautiful...

Before the 'Day of Return,' all three members of our family had ordinary background-character faces. But things were different now. I might even be able to become a reader model.

And as if becoming handsome and beautiful weren't enough, my parents had also grown younger, perhaps due to the influence of their Race, and become even more lovey-dovey. They had always kissed each other when saying 'I'm off,' but I felt as though those kisses had gotten longer.

Completely unrelated, but right now I was just as eager to live alone as I had been to become an adventurer.

Also, the other day, my mother bought me some rather expensive earphones with an incredibly awkward expression. Yes, that was unrelated too. Completely unrelated.

Anyway. That meant I was now a 'handsome hero who had saved people's lives.' I was sure to become one of the popular students in class.

Hey, come on! Questions, come on! Don't be shy—come talk to me!

...And please don't say something heartless like, 'Why don't you be the one to work up the courage and talk to them?'

As I hurt myself with my own words, a girl approached me as though she had been pushed forward by the other female students.

I still hadn't memorized her name, but this was my first conversation with a girl since entering high school.

Nervous, I tried with all my might to put on a natural smile.

...Come on, facial muscles!

"Um, Yahiro-kun. Do you have a minute?"

"Yeah. I-I'm fine... I mean, sure?"

The girl let her gaze wander awkwardly, then asked hesitantly.

"You're Gifted, right? Is it true that you were caught up in that spiritual disaster the other day?"

"Yeah... More or less."

"Oh, I see..."

After nodding several times at my answer, the girl said,

"Th-then, that's all."

"Ah, yeah."

She quickly returned to the group she had come from.

I could hear their conversation. They were speaking quietly, but I had elven blood, and we were inside a classroom. My ears picked up every word clearly.

"So it really is true..."

"Really...? Then what about that rumor?"

"It probably is true."

The girl continued in a serious tone,

"Maybe Gifted people attract monsters more easily...!"

...I see.

To hide my mouth, which had turned into a huge upside-down V, I buried my face in my desk.

"It's scary, isn't it...? What if this classroom is dangerous too?"

"Hey, stop it...! I don't want to die yet...!"

"I wish Yahiro-kun would transfer to another school..."

"But isn't it scary to say anything to him? He might curse us..."

"I heard about this. Someone died under suspicious circumstances in the neighboring town the other day. It must have been a Gifted person too..."

Two years had passed since the 'Day of Return.'

A deep rift had formed between the Gifted and the non-Gifted.

If people gained superpowers or magic, what would they do? Help people like Superman? Create and study unknown substances? Simply use them casually in their daily lives?

Of course, most Gifted people did just that... but quite a few used their powers for crime as well.

After all, depending on one's Gift, it was possible to commit murder in a locked room, steal jewels from a safe, or brainwash people.

If I wanted to, I could kill someone without leaving any evidence. I simply had no desire to do so.

In the noisy classroom, plenty of other students were having conversations like theirs.

...Ah.

Could a spiritual disaster happen in this classroom?

While thinking something so improper, I decided to pretend to sleep for the time being.

＊　　　　＊　　　　　＊

My sad school life passed, and Saturday arrived.

I took the bus to Café Alf. However, the journey was longer than last time.

The spiritual disaster that had occurred the previous week had begun in the home of a solitary elderly person. The area within a one-kilometer radius of it was currently sealed off as a danger zone.

That was why the bus was taking a detour.

Still, the seal would probably be lifted in another two or three weeks.

The government would demolish that house and the one next door, then build a 'containment facility.' That had become standard practice. The owners and nearby residents naturally complained, but everyone not directly involved accepted it as unavoidable.

Once the 'containment facility' was complete, the no-entry order would be lifted. Otherwise, Japan's logistics and economy couldn't keep functioning. Apparently, the Diet was still debating the scope and duration of these restricted areas today.

In any case, perhaps the society we lived in was nothing but a series of desperate compromises.

As these thoughts passed through my mind, the bus drew near its destination. I pressed the button beside my seat, and a little later, the bus stopped at the stop I wanted.

I paid the fare and got off. After walking for three minutes through a quiet residential neighborhood, I saw the café.

The storefront combined dark-brown brick with white walls. A waist-high standing sign stood outside a door fitted with a bell.

I didn't know what the era had really been like, but the shop had a stylish, classical Showa-era atmosphere.

I cautiously opened the door.

"Oh, welcome, Yahiro-kun."

Inoue-san, who had been wiping a glass behind the counter, gave me a bright smile.

"Ah, yes. Hello..."

"That must have been rough the other day. I heard over the phone that you were safe, but are you all right? Both physically and mentally?"

"Yes. Um, I think I'm all right."

"Thank goodness..."

Looking genuinely relieved, Inoue-san patted her chest.

Aside from my parents, she was the only person who had worried about me that much. The police officers who arrived had been rather brusque, perhaps because they were busy.

"But... do you still intend to continue adventuring? What did your parents say?"

"...My parents also asked me if I really shouldn't quit. But I thought that, if anything, becoming an adventurer might be the better choice... That's how I feel."

I stammered from nervousness, but somehow managed to convey my intentions.

"It's precisely because things like that happen that I want the power to defend myself."

Gifted people grew stronger the more monsters they defeated, just like characters in an RPG.

They defeated monsters and absorbed the magical energy scattered when they died. Their 'spiritual rank' was reinforced, increasing their physical abilities and mana capacity. Even the output of their Gifts rose.

Some people even referred to spiritual rank as a level. I had heard online that adventurers with a gaming mindset existed, since visiting the Spirit Affairs Division at city hall allowed people to view something resembling their own 'Status.'

At my answer, Inoue-san's brows briefly drew together into a worried V before she said,

"In that case... all I can say is, 'Do your best, but put safety first.'"

"Yes. Um, thank you very much..."

"No, no. You don't need to thank me. I'm the clan master, after all."

She placed the glass she was holding on a shelf and gave me a slightly apologetic look.

"Oh, right. Actually, there's another girl taking the clan entrance test today... Is that all right?"

"Huh?"

"Sorry for springing this on you at the last minute. She seemed desperate to become an adventurer as soon as possible..."

"N-no, that's fine."

It made me nervous, so honestly, it wasn't fine. But it was something I had to get used to.

Adventurers were forbidden from clearing a 'labyrinth' alone. They had to enter in groups of at least two.

...Just thinking about the phrase 'a group of two' made me feel nauseated.

Fighting my trauma, I somehow forced a polite smile. I felt like I was going to throw up.

"Are you all right? Should we do this another day after all?"

"I'm fine. I have to get used to working in a group."

...More than anything, I wanted the 'private dungeon' I occasionally heard about in light novels.

Apparently, if someone actually possessed one, they would receive a prison sentence even if they were a minor the moment it was discovered. Everyone in the surrounding area would be in danger too, not just the owner.

In fact, a Gifted person had caused an incident like that a year ago, and it had become major news after nearly fifty people lost their lives. Needless to say, the public's opinion of the Gifted had fallen even further because that person had fled alone right away.

As I had just said, I needed to get used to working in a group. While telling myself that, I heard the bell ring behind me. Remembering that I was standing in front of the entrance, I immediately moved several steps to the side.

After moving, I turned my gaze toward the person who had entered.

"...!"

A breathtakingly beautiful girl stood there—beautiful enough to make my eyes widen involuntarily.

Her long black hair reached her waist and looked like the feathers of a wet crow. Only the hair underneath seemed to have less pigment, giving it a pale purple hue.

Her narrow, almond-shaped eyes were amethyst-colored and glittered like real jewels. Yet they also possessed a sharpness like blades. If she stared into my eyes with those eyes, she might steal my soul. Such a ridiculous thought crossed my mind.

Her skin was as pure and white as freshly fallen snow. Her refined features had a foreign air to them, making me wonder whether she was half or quarter foreign. Her beauty was every bit as extraordinary as Inoue-san's, despite Inoue-san being a Dark Elf.

On top of that, she had an outrageous figure.

Enormous breasts. That was the only way to describe them. Even through the loose, dark-green military jacket, I could see how large her chest was.

She had long arms and legs, with her waist set high. The line from her rear to her thighs, wrapped in dark-blue jeans, was alluring. Or rather, what a huge ass. And those thick thighs. But from the knees down, her legs were long and slender.

Did you come from a lewd mobile game? That absurdly stupid thought popped into my head. I began to feel that my own personality was incredibly disappointing.

"Hey, Takanashi-chan. Glad you could make it. We were just talking about you."

Inoue-san smiled at the woman who had entered—or rather, the girl.

I had been overwhelmed by her beauty and figure, but looking closely, I could see a childish quality in her features. She might have been about the same age as me.

"I look forward to working with you today, Master. And..."

After giving Inoue-san a small bow, the girl turned toward me.

I hurriedly straightened my back. At the same time, I tore my gaze away from her chest.

"That's Yahiro Kota. He's the one taking the entrance test with you today."

"...! I see. So you're him..."

After hearing Inoue-san's introduction, the girl nodded deeply.

"My name is Takanashi Miyu! I look forward to working with you today!"

She gave a sharp salute while speaking in an incredibly clear voice.

...Why did she salute?

"Ah, yes. I look forward to it...?"

For some reason, Takanashi-san let out a satisfied little snort through her nose.

...Was she interested in the military because she was wearing a military jacket?

She didn't seem to notice the confusion on Inoue-san's or my face.

"...!"

Takanashi-san stared at me with an unusually intense gaze.