Chapter 46
Learning about the high school Saeki Kana goes to from Rio, I immediately dashed out the front door . It’s a public school not far from here . I can probably run there in just minutes . I can run faster than most vehicles anyways .
I cast Concealment on myself and begin running in a speed inconceivable for normal humans .
Dashing past several telephone poles and passing by some cars, I noticed that this is one of the time when it’s not so crowded because the children are already in class while the working people are still in the middle of their commute to work .
As I continue to run, I started thinking . the high school students should be in their homeroom period right now…but what should I do then? If Kana refuses to talk, we’ll probably fight, but if we can talk, we’ll talk . I really prefer the latter . Since we’re both people that just returned from another world, I’m sure if we can talk it out, we can be somewhat good chatting friends . Not even considering that she’s someone younger and from the opposite gender, I could probably be friends with her . I’d still feel the same if the person is a young boy or an elderly .
Summoned Heroes are a lonely being . It feels like you got kidnapped abroad and were forced to fight for someone or something there . I’m being blunt with that expression but for me that’s honestly how it feels for me so I really can’t help it . There’s a void I felt when I was taken away from a period of my life .
Of course, I’m not saying that I am living my myself now . I have Angelica living with me, and Elza lives on in my head . There’s even Ayako-chan even though she’s only staying temporarily .
Still, it’s not going to be possible for any of the two to understand my own circumstances to the fullest, something I wonder Kana could do . Seeing how she’s driven by her sense of justice, I feel that there’s a possibility that she understands .
Her wish is that the world would be filled with outstanding and kind people . She’s a person with an ideal in mind, so despite her twisted way of making it come true, I still hold a faint hope in my heart .
Turning the intersection, my destination came into view; a school building lined up with windows . That’s Kana’s high school .
A security guard was standing in front of the school gate . Yawning with a sleepy expression, the man past his middle age looked thin and unathletic . I’m pretty sure even without concealment, I could easily sneak into the school . Any young, able-bodied guys could take this guy down without breaking a sweat . The school board is just placing someone at random just to make an excuse to the students’ guardian that they have established security in the school ground .
Passing through the gate, I entered the school, pushing through the courtyard and went in the entrance . It’s not locked . What a peaceful country this is . Not really sure if the entrance for students are locked or not though .
Entering boldly, I proceeded to the hallway without even taking my shoes off . Kana and I might fight, so I couldn’t possibly fight her with an indoors slipper .
Thanks to the Concealment spell, I could freely go through the hallways without anyone noticing me . It feels weird not to be noticed; it’s like I’m hiding away from the world .
Now, where could Kana’s classroom be . She’s the same year as Rio, so I’m sure she’s a first-year student . If I see classrooms for second or third year, I’ve gone too far .
Anyways, I decided to check every classroom one by one . I was summoned away to the other world when I was on the 3rd year of middle school, so this is my first time entering a high school . It felt fresh, honestly . Considering my grades in middle school, it wouldn’t be weird if I attend this high school, but instead I was returned to Japan when I was 32 years old . By then it was too late for me to attend school .
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In contrast to my experience, Kana can still attend high school . Did she manage to finish her life in the other world so quickly? Or did she manage to solve the problems with time? There’s also the chance that she’s not a summoned hero at all .
With my mind full of thoughts and assumptions, my legs brought me in front of a classroom written as “1-1” . It’s class 1 of the first year . I peeked through the window, wondering if Kana is in there, but I couldn’t be sure . There are some blind spots in which I couldn’t see the students sitting in, and in some cases I couldn’t see the students’ faces at all . I could conceal my presence all I want, but opening the door would be too high profile . I’m not inclined to create another ghost story of the school .
Thinking what to do next, I stretched for a bit while hoping to see the seats at the back . At that time, I could hear the sound of a door sliding open from another place .
A single girl came out of the room labeled “1-3” . Her black hair was cut short and she had single eyelids . That was Kana . She looks normal, as if you can see that kind of face just about anywhere . I can imagine her being physically active, perhaps part of it because of the information I got from Rio .
Kana slowly walked up towards my direction . Can she see me? If she can, then she really is…
“Status; Open”
And then came the decisive words . What she did is something only summoned heroes can do; a skill to help measure the opponent’s strength and help them in their adventures . For someone other than me to be able to cast that spell only means that she’s a hero herself . A summoned hero, other than me .
“…I’m surprised . You’re way stronger than the Demon King . Don’t you have problems with your daily life with your stats that high?”
Done checking my status, Kana showed a thin smile and looked at me .
I, too, checked her status with a whisper .
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Name: Saeki Kana
Level: 85
Class: Hero
HP: 5,500
MP: 5,000
Attack: 3,300
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Defense: 3,000
Agility: 3,000
Magic Attack: 4,800
Magic Defense: 4,750
Skill: Status Appraisal, Divine Sword, Law, Life Detection .
Notes:
A hero that saved another world . Carrying over her three years’ worth of memories, EXP, and skill points, she returned to being a high school student .
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And then came the decisive words . What she did is something only summoned heroes can do; a skill to help measure the opponent’s strength and help them in their adventures . For someone other than me to be able to cast that spell only means that she’s a hero herself . A summoned hero, other than me .
She’s strong, but not as strong as I am . She doesn’t possess any skills that I need to specially pay attention to either . What she had was an orthodox skill lineup . I’m sure that even if we fight, it’s a fight I won’t have any problems winning .
“You have Life Detection, huh . No wonder you can detect me through my concealment . ”
Regular Detection skill could only spot evil beings, but Life Detection is a specialized skill that could detect any living beings . In exchange of being unable to detect spirits or undeads, it’s unsurpassable in detecting anything that breathes .
“I do this every morning…I’m really surprised though . A person with this kind of strength is loitering around my house after all . ”
Kana showed a smirk .
“You could see me?”
“Faintly though . I could also faintly hear the sound you make . You’re using Concealment, right? Man, I’m surprised even Life Detection could only pick up this much . ”
“Can we go somewhere we can talk?”
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“You’ll drag me even if I refuse, no?”
Even I know when not to fight back if I see this big of a difference in strength, she said, raising both her hands .
Thinking of going outside the building, I started walking with Kana following obediently .
“Did you say you’re gonna leave early?”
“Something like that . ”
Turning my head just a bit, I checked her expression . She was looking out the window, but I couldn’t guess what she was thinking about .
According to the notes section of her status, Kana spent 3 years of her life in the other world before returning and redoing her life as a high school student . What’s the meaning of this?
“How old were you when you were taken away to the other world?”
“When I was 16 . ”
“And then you spent 3 years in that world? Shouldn’t you be 19 and way past the age of being a high schooler then?”
“I’m still 16 years old now . ”
I asked back .
“What was that?”
“I was taken away to the other world during the winter vacation of my first year of high school, and I spent three years adventuring there . When I came back here, it was still the winter vacation of the first year of high school . I felt like I was young again and I had to redo my life . I don’t know if the flow of time there is different or it’s just a time slip . ”
Convenient, don’t you think? Said Kana .
Her transfer system seems to be pretty kind for her . Way different than the people who threw me back and made a mess of my life . Maybe there’s a difference between the how the people in my world ended my summoning how the people in her world ended hers . I’m astonished, thinking maybe I got summoned to the wrong world .
“You’re the person behind the cloning incident, aren’t you?”
“What if I am?”
“I’d like you to stop . ”
I heard Kana sigh .
“Why? I don’t get you . I wanna make the world a better place . ”
I could see the front door . As I stayed silent, not answering her question, she said “I’m gonna go grab my shoes” and ran off, probably towards the shoe rack . I’m sure she knows from my status that she couldn’t run away from me, and I want to believe that she doesn’t want to run away .
Still, hiding away is a pain in the ass, so I went after her . Seeing her small back reminds me that she’s the same age as Angelica, which only made me not want to fight her even more .
Kana returned with her loafers on, so I called out to her .
“You really can’t get out through the entrance, huh . ”
“It’s locked around this time . We can only go in and out through the entrance for guests . ”
“Probably to prevent uninvited guests . ”
I’m not one to talk though . Still, for an institution that looks after children, they couldn’t possibly be careful enough . If there are any kind of threat between the children, how were they planning to deal with it?
“Sorry but this is gonna be a long talk . ”
I don’t mind, replied Kana .