Arthur and Olivia.

"Then, as you can see. I am―――― Weak!!　Far more than the young lady there, even!!　……So don't even think of punching me in anger, okay?　I'll die.　――――That's for sure!”

　Arthur said this with a smug look on his face for some reason.


　The silence between Akira and Nao spread throughout the room.
　When Arthur saw the two of them like that, he looked a little sad.

"Ignored, huh? ……Hmm. I never realized how lonely I would be without her, who always had a comeback for me. It's often said that you only appreciate something after you've lost it, and that's certainly the case here……"

　He said this and then smiled with a somber expression.


　Akira stared at Arthur's demeanor.
　Was he for real or was it all an act? Either way, that elusive demeanor was suspicious enough. It seemed as if he was trying to catch them off guard through conversation, or that he was probing them for some purpose. From what he had said and done so far, it seemed that Arthur had a companion, but now he was alone.

　Akira removed his gaze from Arthur and turned to Nao.


"Nao-san. What should we do with this person?"
"There's no need to think about it. Enemy or not, there's no need to listen to this guy. He's too suspicious."
"Yeah, I think so too."
"The two of you should discuss such matters in a place where the person in question is not present or where you cannot be heard. At that time, please be sure to use euphemisms to evaluate the old man. The old man's heart is as fragile as glass, despite his appearance. If he hears it by accident, he might not be able to recover for a while."
"…………So. Ichijou, you said you wanted to use Appraisal on things that could be used as real weapons, right?　How about this gun then?"

　It seemed that Nao had decided to ignore Arthur's existence completely. As if to pretend that the encounter with Arthur never happened, she raised the gun hanging from her thigh as she resumed the topic of the Appraisal that had been interrupted.

"Besides the gun, I also have a knife. Choose whichever you like."

　Then, Arthur joined the conversation as if it was natural.
　Akira glanced at Arthur, but said nothing, then turned his gaze back to Nao and opened his mouth.


"Certainly, a gun would be a good comparison. Let's get an appraisal. …………The gun's attack power is +2. 3 for Endurance…… It seems that it is still no match for the weapons that monsters wield."
"I see…… So, what about my knife?”
"Can you please try to appraise some other items as well?　For example, the clothes in this room. If their Endurance value is high, they could be used as armor, right?”
"I see, that makes sense. I'll give it a try."
"Hmm, that's not good. Not good!　Ignoring people is not good!”

　Arthur raised his voice deliberately, but Akira and company did not look at him and discussed the results of the Appraisal on the clothes in the room.

"All of the clothes have an Endurance of 1…… I think the idea was good, but it might be that the endurance value won't change unless it's a bulletproof or a stab-proof vest."
"Stab-proof or bullet-proof……? I think the vests that Karube and the other Self-Defense Force members were wearing were bulletproof vests, right?”
"Oh, that's right. I'll try it when we get back."
"……What?　Is it because I've been joking around too much?　Haha, that's true. You're right, Olivia. It seems that I overdid it, as I always do."


　Perhaps because he was ignored too much. Akira and Nao turned their attention to Arthur, who had begun to perform a one-man play facing an empty space. Then, after looking at each other and sighing, Nao muttered in a soft voice.


"Ichijou. If we don't deal with this person, he'll just keep on being like that. As expected, it's gone beyond suspicious and is starting to get a bit annoying."
"……That's true. For now, shall we listen to what he has to say and then send him on his way?"

　Akira nodded slightly towards Nao. Then, after clearing his throat, he called out to Arthur.

"……Uhm."
"Hmm?　What's wrong, Ichijou Akira-kun?"

　Arthur stopped his one-man show and turned in response to Akira's words.

"……Ichijou is enough. In the end, what did you hope to achieve by approaching me?　If you really just wanted to startle me, you've achieved your goal."
"Ah, yes. That was just an afterthought. My real purpose is different."


　With that, Arthur straightened his posture and nodded slightly as he looked behind him. As if someone had called out to him and he was responding to their voice. Sometimes, hearing the occasional words “I know” and “It's okay now” escape from Arthur's mouth, it was clear that someone else was there with him.


"Actually, I have a favor to ask of you, who have defeated the Werewolf."
"…………You were watching."

　Quietly, Akira interrupted.
　Arthur nodded in response.

"Just in time, I saw you two cutting the werewolf in half. Seeing that, I was convinced. I thought that if I worked with you, I might be able to get my daughter back."
"Your daughter?　Who exactly are you trying to get her back from――――?"


　Akira's words did not finish. This was because he sensed the presence of a monster lurking outside the door.


"……It looks like I'll have to hear about it after I've dealt with them. There are quite a few monsters outside the door."
"……It looks like it."

　I think Nao also heard the monsters' roar. Her expression changed as she became serious, and she pulled her gun from her holster and prepared to fire.

"What should we do?　Should we escape out the window?”

　Nao said as she gazed out of the window.

"There are no monsters here yet. If we're going to run, now's the time."
"……No, look closely. It's dark and hard to see, but there are cobwebs everywhere. It must be from Big Spiders. I don't even know if we can hoist on that thread and get away with it, so I don't think we should make a run for it out the window down the road."


　When told, Nao seemed to notice the spider threads that were woven all around. With a small click of her tongue, she removed her gaze from the window and looked at Akira.


"What then?　Hit them all out the door at once?”
"Indeed…… That might be the quickest and surest way. If we stay put, they might eventually break down the door and swoop into the room…… We could make the first move and take the initiative."
"Okay, then――――"

　When Nao said that, Akira raised his hand to stop her.

"Wait. Nao-san, please do not join in the battle. ……You haven't tried to see what would happen if you used magic with your current magical power, have you, Nao-san?　As soon as you use magic, if you are not careful, this room could blow up. So I'll handle it here."
What the hell are you talking about……!?　You're still wounded from the werewolf!!”
"That's, well. I'll figure it out."

　Akira laughed as he said.

"It's fine as long as I'm dealing with small fry."
"But!”
"Fumu, fumu. Then I'll―― or rather, we'll deal with the monsters outside the door."


　It was then that a voice interrupted them. That voice, of course, belonged to Arthur.
　Arthur grinned as he stroked his beard.


"It's a good opportunity to show you what we can do. I'll go fix it with a boom, just leave it to me and clear yourselves of worries."
"Leave it to me, you say…… Are you saying this knowing the strength of the monsters in this town?　Their strength and speed are far above your stats. You may have been stealthy and hidden up until now, but there's no way you can defeat a monster by fighting it head-on. ……Or do you think you can manage with your unique skill?”

　Akira asked, staring into Arthur's eyes.
　Arthur then broke into laughter at the comment.

"Hahahahaha!　It seems that your analysis has reached a level where it can see through my skills!!　Then this will be quick. So, at this point, I'll take the opportunity to introduce myself again!!　My name is Arthur Noah Hyde. Please feel free to call me Arthur. And this is――――"

　Having said that, Arthur directed his gaze over his shoulder. The space shimmered like a mirage, and soon a human shape appeared, its translucent body floating up.


"――――"


　Akira couldn't help but hold his breath. Even though he knew about Arthur's powers, he was surprised to actually see them with his own eyes.


　The person who appeared behind Arthur was a young woman. She must have been in her twenties. Like Arthur, she had a face that you wouldn't expect from an Asian person. The clothes she was wearing looked like a dress, but her feet were faintly visible, and it looked like they were disappearing.

"This is my wife, Olivia."

　At these words, the woman called Olivia smiled and bowed slightly to Akira and company.

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 ToC    

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