Bab 43: CHAPTER 42 - The Affinity Dilemma (2)
In the past few days, Ichiro had been noticeably absent from the Takahashi residence, causing great concern for Hiroshi and his wife.
"What do you mean he's not home again?" Tomoko shouted at the servants, her frustration evident, while her husband sat in a morose silence.
Silence met her inquiry as everyone looked down, unable to provide any answers. Ichiro would slip away unnoticed, and the family had no idea of his whereabouts or when he returned.
"Hiroshi, Yuta mentioned seeing him at school, right?" Tomoko turned to Hiroshi, directing her question to him as Yuta lounged on the sofa like a prince, engrossed in his phone.
"Uncle, like I said, I always check on him at school, and he's always hanging out with that bastard," Yuta expressed his disdain for Ichiro's association with Akihiko. Jealousy simmered within him as Ichiro formed connections outside the family, while Yuta remained surrounded by sycophantic goons motivated by fear.
"All of you get out. Yuta, please leave for now," Tomoko requested with a soft tone, acknowledging the complex dynamics at play. Despite being the current head, she couldn't easily go against Yuta's mother, who was actively earning money for the family on the battlefield. Meanwhile, they relied on Ichiro's wealth.
"Oh, see you then," Yuta remarked casually as he stood up and exited the office. He harbored a deep resentment toward the family's intentions. He knew they were after Ichiro's wealth, and he couldn't fathom why Ichiro, not him, had become the family's financial pillar. As he left, he pondered the unfairness of his birth into a lower-class family and questioned why he hadn't been born into a more privileged position, lamenting the fact that even his monster-fighting mother couldn't match the status of his deceased aunt.
As Yuta walked down the hallway, he noticed Ayami in a room with her private teacher. "What a flirt," he muttered under his breath, aware of Ayami's less-than-virtuous reputation. Spotting a small gap in the door, Yuta observed as Ayami engaged in a flirtatious exchange with her teacher. The teacher's hands wandered around Ayami's waist, slowly moving upward. Just before things could escalate further, Yuta walked in.
"Yo, Ayami, is this your new teacher?" Yuta stated bluntly, examining the teacher from head to toe.
"Yuta, what are you doing here?" Ayami screeched in annoyance at his unexpected presence.
"Please, what do you think you're doing?" Yuta questioned, casting a cold gaze at the teacher.
"Ah, if you excuse me," the teacher stammered, hastily making his exit from the room.
"What do you think you're doing?" Ayami angrily confronted Yuta.
"You better behave yourself. Don't forget, I'm the best candidate in our family for you," Yuta pointed out, alluding to the family's plans to experiment on them.
Ayami's master had suggested this idea, claiming that other families were already embarking on such experiments. If Ayami couldn't unlock more affinities, perhaps her child could. Intrigued, the family decided to explore this unconventional path.
"Whatever," Ayami dismissed Yuta's warnings, storming out of the room. She had already gained two affinities and wondered why it was so challenging to acquire more. Despite her master's efforts, the substantial amount of money spent seemed to be in vain. Faced with limited options, Ayami contemplated whether to join the war or consider bearing a child to fulfill her family's ambitions.
Yuta ignored her and decided to head to his room as well. His days can't get any more worse than this.
In a bustling laboratory, Ichiro was drenched in sweat, his body pushed to the limits as he ran non-stop for hours. People in white lab coats conducted various tests on him.
"How is this even possible?"
"But he is a human?"
"He isn't a human; didn't you all forget already?"
Although everyone initially classified Ichiro as a human, his unique traits led to a new classification: "Velocians," a term coined for humans with extraordinary skills. This distinction replaced the conventional categories of humans and extraordinary humans, creating a new race.
"Celestial" referred to people with magic and aura, "Velocians" encompassed Ichiro and those like him (if successful), and "Terrans" represented regular humans.
"Yes, yes, he's a Velocians now."
The scientists, clad in white coats, marveled at Ichiro's incredible strength. Despite subjecting him to various tests every night, he managed to endure.
Meanwhile, Ichiro was pleased that he had completed the system's training regimen. Amid the experiments, he hadn't had a chance to meet the other candidates or see Professor Fujimoto since arriving at the lab.
"Ichiro-kun, are you alright?"
Ichiro smiled at the sight of the beautiful lady before him. When they were introduced, he had thought he found the girl of his dreams, only to discover that she was Professor Fujimoto's cold and stern fiancée. The friendly Fujimoto from the café turned out to be a formidable and intimidating figure once he delved into his work.
"Nakano-sama, I'm fine," Ichiro looked up and smiled, happily accepting the water bottle from her.
"Ichiro, just call me Chika-chan; we're friends, right? We aren't so far apart in age, you know," Ichika insisted, frowning at Ichiro's continued formality.
At first, Ichiro couldn't believe it when he found out that Ichika was only four years older than him. Considering she was engaged to an older man, the age gap didn't seem so significant. A six-year age difference wasn't uncommon.
"I still think I should address you in such a way for now," Ichiro explained, wary of drawing negative attention for being close to her. However, he realized such concerns were more typical of high school life. In the lab, most people were focused on their research, not social connections.
"It's unbelievable that you're able to keep up with everyone's requests," Ichika decided to shift the conversation, praising Ichiro for managing the demands placed on him.
Ichiro didn't mind the praise; in fact, thanks to them, he gained more knowledge in the areas where their research was lacking. However, he struggled with how to convey this to them.
Over the past few days, Ichiro had engaged with some researchers and learned about their ongoing projects. Surprisingly, some were resorting to potions to enhance their chances of acquiring magical affinities.
Curiosity led Ichiro to try one of the potions. Thanks to the system, he quickly detected that the so-called potion was ineffective, providing no benefits to humans. It might work on animals, highlighting the connection between humans and animals. However, since the researchers were Celestial, their genetic makeup differed. Although the system hadn't explicitly stated it, Ichiro had already suspected something distinct about them. Even an idiot could discern it, but over centuries, such knowledge might have been forgotten. Thanks to the system, Ichiro pieced together a puzzle and began pondering, "What if the first humans with magic power originated from monsters?" This raised questions about whether the system's designer was someone who understood this connection.
"By the way, I think the potions you're giving the candidates are useless," Ichiro said to Ichika, confident that she would accept his opinion without probing further.
"You think?" Ichika wondered about the sudden revelation.
"I've drunk a few, and honestly, I feel no change as well," Ichiro explained the details of his experience to Ichika, offering insights into why he believed the potions were ineffective.
"Ichiro-kun, do you believe that there are some ways in which we can use normal food ingredients to make potions?" Ichika asked, catching Ichiro by surprise.
Ichiro remained silent, intrigued to hear more about her thoughts on the matter.
"Well, that's only my hypothesis for now," Ichika giggled, acknowledging that they hadn't gained the knowledge or achieved success in this area yet.
Ichiro contemplated whether he should get involved. Sharing the knowledge he possessed could mean gaining recognition and fame. Awkwardly smiling, he said, "Hmm, I think you could be right about that." He wanted to guide her without becoming the central figure in the endeavor.
"You think so too," Ichika was pleased that someone saw potential in her research.
"I think so. I always wondered what a meal cooked by someone with light affinity would be like?" Ichiro suggested casually.
"A meal by a light affinity?" Ichika suddenly thought about it. Light affinity users were great healers, so something they infused with magic might have similar effects. "Ichiro, you might be right."
"Right about what?" Ichiro feigned ignorance.
"What if a light affinity user infused magic into the food they prepared? It means it will surely have healing effects... wait," Ichika suddenly realized something, "that experiment has been done before."
Light affinity individuals, known for their healing abilities, had conducted numerous tests to see if they could imbue healing effects into food. Unfortunately, it hadn't been successful.
"Well, if they cook it, won't it have the effect, just like you mentioned with some ingredients..." Ichiro began to suggest.
"Can be the key," Ichika interrupted him with great excitement. "Ichiro, thank you."
Ichiro was taken aback by the sudden kiss on the cheek as Ichika darted back to her office, her excitement palpable in the air.
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