Chapter 9: The Strongest Onmyoji, Talk

"What?"

"You're too impatient."

　I say

"You've been walking all this time, and you've just recovered from your injuries. You should rest here a little longer."

"……I understand"

　Surprisingly and  obediently, Amiyu sat down again.

"Aren't you thirsty? I have some water."

　I offered her a kettle hanging from the ceiling.

　Amiyu looked at it suspiciously.

"Actually, I've been wanting to ask you this for a long time, what is this?"

"It's called a medicinal can, unlike a Sung-style dish, used to boil medicinal herbs…It's a foreign tool. It only contains water now."

　Amiyu timidly receives the handle, puts her mouth on the spout and tilts the medicine can.

"……delicious"

"That's right."

　Satisfied with the answer, I take a sip of water from the kettle myself.

　As the name implies, the youkai-tsurugaya-kanzuru (youkai hanging medicinal kettle), has the mysterious appearance of a medicine can and dangles from a tree in the mountains.

　Not only is it harmless, but the water inside is so delicious, so I went out of my way to find it.

　It was quite rare, so I struggled at the time, but it was worth it.

　I wonder if Amiyu will get angry if I tell her that it's actually a monster's bodily fluid.

　It's just water.

"Let's talk"

"Talk?"

"Well, I came here today because I wanted to talk to Amiyu in the first place. Is there anything you want to ask me?"

　Amiyu thinks for a moment, then says in a low voice.

"What attributes can you really use?"

"Well"

"Well?"

"Honestly, I don't really know what attribute I'm able to use. Uh..."

　I say with a wry smile.

"I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't ask me so many questions about magic. It's not always easy to answer."

“Hmm, okay. So ............ how far did you really go with that squire?"

"Huh, are you talking about that again?"

"What? You're the one who asked me if I had any questions."

　Saying that, Amiyu glares at me.

"Did you at least give her a hug?"

"I didn't."

"You've at least rubbed her breasts or butt, right?"

"No, I haven't. What do you think I am?"

"What? She's your slave, remember? No matter how much you touch her, no one will accuse you. I bet all the guys around her are looking at her with a dirty look."

"What...? Who are they?"

"Stop being scared all of a sudden. Huh."

　Amiyu sighs.

"Boring"

"What do you mean by boring? You're like a vulgar old man. ......"

"She probably likes you."

"... I was told that by someone else, but it's a misunderstanding. Ifa has been with me since we were little, so we're like family."

"What is a family of a noble and a slave?"

“It’s not unusual at all. It’s common to have children receive education from an early age, and then release them to help with territory management and businesses after they become adults. So it's a good deal, right?"

"What a poor reason."

“Ifa wasn’t like that, but…I am a concubine's child, so I was always treated like a tumor in the house. My mother ignored me, my brother bullied me, and the maidservants gossiped about me. In the midst of all this, Ifa was the only one who treated me normally. That's why she doesn't use honorifics with me."

"……I see"

"Do you understand? That's the relationship between me and Ifa."

　----Actually.

　I really just don't want to transfer my feelings. I don't want to have any problems if I need to cut her off at any time.

　Even if I am reborn, I do not trust humans.

"You've been through ...... a lot, haven't you? What about your real mother? Did the Count take you in, did she ...... die?"

"Eh...Well."

"Well, come on?"

"Come to think of it, I never really cared about it."

　It didn't matter too much.

“Well, if you think about it normally, isn’t she dead? Otherwise, they wouldn't have taken me in, probably."

"Lightly... didn't you feel lonely or something? Even though you got that kind of attention at home."

"To be honest, I didn't think it was too hard. Ah, now my family isn't that bad. My mother and my second brother are still the same, but my father allowed me to go to the magic academy, and my older brother wrote me a letter the other day."

"You're quite an odd one yourself, aren't you ......?"

　I laugh and ask Amiyu, who mutters in exasperation.

“Is Amiyu’s family related to adventurers after all?”

"How did you know? Did someone tell you?"

"No. You knew a lot about dungeons and adventurers, so I thought that might be the case."

"Yes. My mother was a guild executive. My father is still an adventurer."

"It seems that you're used to fighting monsters, did Amiyu also dive into forests and dungeons?"

"... since I was ten years old. With my father."

"So that's why."

"..."

"Are you one of the strongest adventurers?"

"... I don't know. I'm not officially registered with a guild, so I'm not even tenth rank yet on record."

"Why didn't you register?"

"You can't join a guild until you're fifteen."

"And yet you're allowed to dive into dungeons?"

"... It's not a really good idea, but it's not too strict."

"Heh"

"..."

　……For some reason, I feel like she doesn’t want to talk about it.

　Let's change the subject

"Uh, do you have any hobbies?"

"...not really"

“Speaking of which, I heard that there is a swordsmanship club at the academy….aren't you going to join it, Amiyu?”

"I quit because it seemed so lukewarm. I'd rather be swinging by myself."

"Um, then... What do you like?"

"....fighting"

"Eh?"

"I like it when I'm fighting, it doesn't matter if it's against monsters or people. More than any other thing I do,...... that's it."

"..."

　"Oh, did this change the subject?"

　Amiyu still seems reluctant to talk, and I'm at a loss of words to say to her..

"It's strange, isn't it?"

"Eh?"

　Amiyu, sitting with her knees up, embraces her sword in her arms.

"My father and mother told me that I was strange."

"..."

"Adventurers... No matter how rough they are, they usually value things other than adventure the most. Be it money, honor, family, or friends. No one seems to live for the adventure itself."

"..."

"If you're wounded, it hurts, and it's scary to feel like you're about to die. I think that's a trivial thing, but...usually it's not. Somewhere deep down, everyone hates to fight. I feel ...... like that kind of feeling is broken."

　I silently listen to Amiyu's monologue.

"I'm strong, right? I've always been strong. I learned to use swords and magic very quickly. Everyone in the guild praised me for being a genius. They said that I was the second coming of the hero. Even when I first entered a dungeon, I killed several monsters, and they said I had guts. After a year, I was recognized for my skills, and I started to join other parties besides my father's. But ...... soon that didn't happen anymore."

"..."

"Looking back now, it's only natural. A large party collapsed and half of them died, and the whole guild was in a funeral-like atmosphere, and they were quietly making a fuss about going back. People started calling me a fighting maniac, crazy, and death-hungry. I didn't want to bother my mother and father, so I stopped joining parties. ...... I even snuck off into the woods by myself after that, so everyone was right."

"..."

“I came to the academy partly because I wanted to leave the guild… but I also wanted to become stronger. I thought that if I learned more magic and became stronger than anyone else, fighting would become boring. If that happens, I wonder if I can become normal, too...but it might not be possible after all."

"..."

"Because, rather than taking classes at the academy... don't you think it's more fun now, like when we were attacked by lesser demons? It's funny, isn't it? That's why..."

"I don't think there's anything wrong with that."

　I interrupted her.

"Each person is different. That is individuality."

"... There's a limit to what you can call individuality.

"There is no limit. If there is such a thing as normal, then Amiyu is also normal."

"……what's that"

　Amiyu stared at me sideways.

"It doesn't make me feel better, don't."

"I'm not trying to be a downer. I guess so. ......"

　I thought for a moment and spoke.

“All lives, not just humans, leave behind children to pass on to the next generation. So what kind of children do you think we should leave behind?"

"What...a strong child, right?"

"What do you mean by strong?"

"It's about being powerful or smart."

“Strength can be harmful in an environment where you don't need it, because your muscles weigh you down. Smartness, too, can sometimes be a hindrance to new challenges."

"Then what kind of child should I be?"

"A diverse child."

　I say

"The strength varies depending on the environment. But even the gods cannot know how the environment will change. Will it get hotter or colder? How much food will be lost or how many enemies will increase? That is why life leaves behind as many diverse offspring as possible. So that no matter what the environment is like, one of the children will survive. That's also why every person is different. Even Amiyu is just one of ---- such diverse children."

"..."

“The environment in which Amiyu is needed is simply not here yet. If there were more conflicts in the world, what Amiyu calls ordinary people, would be exhausted from fighting. But when that happens, if Amiyu takes the lead and encourages everyone, I'm sure they will be grateful. No one will say you're crazy."

"......, you know, such a time may not come until I'm dead."

"Even so. Amiyu's presence was meaningful. She was preparing for a world of conflict. At least, I don't think Amiyu is strange."

"……I guess."

“Besides, even Amiyu has something she likes besides fighting, right?”

"Eh... what?"

"Indecent talk. That was what you seemed to enjoy the most ...... duh!"

　She poked with the butt of the sheath.

　Amiyu, who turned red, glares at me.

"Adventurers are all such crude and vulgar guys, that I developed a taste like theirs! If you tell anyone about it I'll kill you! And, oh, that I took off my clothes too!"

"Fufu"

“What's with that reaction? No way! Don't tell me you're planning to threaten me!?"

"No, no. I just thought it was nice to have such a positive attitude."

　Amiyu, whose eyes were fluttering, suddenly became quiet

"That's right. I should have said this after we were saved."

"We'll be saved. I'm sure."

"Yeah……"

　After that, Amiyu is silent.

　Actually, there is one thing I didn't tell Amiyu earlier.

　It is a possibility that Amiyu's battle-hungry nature is due to the fact that she is a reincarnation of the hero.

　She doesn't seem to be a reincarnated person with memories like me, but it's quite possible that her proclivities are tied to her talent with swords and magic.

　I won't bother to mention it, though.

　And, at that time.

　I slowly looked up and looked at the ceiling.

　I wondered if this might be .......

"... Thank you. Seika."

"..."

"I'm glad I got to talk to you. Also, thanks for helping me out."

"..."

"...Seika?"

　I was looking up at the empty ceiling and then turned my gaze back to Amiyu.

　Then I smiled and stood up.

"Alright! Let's go, Amiyu!"

"Eh, yeah?"

"This is a dungeon, right? I've never been on an adventure before. Let's have fun anyway. It's just a party of two, but the monsters are no match for us."

"... It can't be helped. As a senior adventurer, I'll teach you various things. Look closely."

　Amiyu smiled reluctantly and took my hand, which I was holding out to her.

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