章節 105: Long Time, No see

Arifureta Universe, Tortus, Heiligh Kingdom, Brooke.

Lying in bed with the sleeping Aletia and Shea, Tatsuo and Sumire made eye contact after their chat with James. Then, while putting their smartphones into their [Inventory] and spatial ring, respectfully, they looked toward the inn room's window.

"*Sigh* This is kind of creepy, isn't it?" Tatsuo asked.

"Yeah, to think someone would go so far to be a peeping Tom." Sumire replied.

What Tatsuo and Sumire were referring to was the fact that there was someone repelling down the side of the building. And from what they knew, it was the young lady who led them to the inn, Sona.

"I should do something about her." Tatsuo muttered.

"Just don't hurt her." Sumire said without trying to stop him.

In response, Tatsuo smiled at Sumire before disappearing with a [Blink].

In the next instant, Tatsuo appeared on the inn's roof. Then, he looked down over the edge of the roof and saw exactly who he expected to see, Sona Masaka.

"*Sigh* How should I handle this?" Tatsuo muttered to himself.

A moment later, Tatsuo equipped his belt before he hooked the grappling line attached to it on the edge of the room. Then, he lowered himself quickly and silently until he was hanging right next to the daughter of the inn's owners.

"Whatcha doin'?" Tatsuo asked quietly.

"I'm trying to see what's going on in that room." Sona replied without noticing that Tatsuo had repelled right next to her. "Those four booked four rooms. But now they're all in the same room. I bet something steamy is going on in there."

"So then, are you the peeping Tom I've heard the other guests talking about?" Tatsuo asked.

"Huh? Peeping Tom?" Sona asked, finally realizing that she was not just talking to herself. "What… what do you mean?"

Sona then turned her head mechanically in the direction of the voice. And when she saw the smiling Tatsuo hanging next to her, she froze completely.

"What's wrong, Sona-Chan?" Tatsuo asked curiously with a mischievous grin on his face.

"Hah… Hah… Hah…" Sona laughed hollowly. "I'm gonna be in trouble, aren't I?"

"Probably." Tatsuo replied as he placed a hand on Sona's shoulder.

A moment later, both Tatsuo and Sona disappeared from the side of the building, reappearing outside of the inn's entrance. Then, with his hand still on Sona's shoulder, Tatsuo led the girl inside and handed her to her parents before explaining what he caught her doing.

After that, Tatsuo returned to the room he was sharing with Sumire, Aletia, and Shea. All the while, he ignored the heavy smacking sound and the whimpering apology he could hear echoing through the inn.

The next day, just as they were supposed to do, Tatsuo, Sumire, Aletia, and Shea, after having a wonderful breakfast at the inn's dining hall, headed to the Brooke branch of the Adventurer's guild. They needed to get Status Plates for both Aletia and Shea, after all.

While they were at it, they decided to take a few quests as Adventurers. Well, to say a few was a vast understatement, actually. Instead, they took as many as they thought they could complete in two days to raise their ranks as much as possible before setting off for the Village of Ur.

Though, it must be said that they were not all that interested in raising their ranks so much as amassing some funds for the trip.

Two days later, after sweeping all of the lowest rank quests they could, Tatsuo and the girls were back in the Hummer and on their way to the Village of Ur.

Arifureta Universe, Tortus, Heiligh Kingdom, Ur Village.

A day later, a large carriage, large enough to comfortably seat twelve people, pulled into the Village of Ur. Inside the carriage sat James, Aiko, and the seven other students who volunteered to make this journey. Escorting the carriage were a squadron of the Holy Church's Templar Knights, with the captain and vice-captain of the squad riding in the carriage, as well.

"Phew! We're finally here." Sonobe Yuka, a beautiful young woman with shoulder-length, wavy, chestnut-colored hair and green eyes said in a relieved tone. "I swear, riding for so long in a carriage is the worst. My butt is all sore now."

"Lady Aiko, how are you feeling after such along journey." David Zahler, the captain of the Templar Knights, a tall, handsome man with wavy blond hair donning a suit of Templar armor, asked sycophantically. "If you're feeling uncomfortable, I'd be more than happy to rub the afflicted areas for you."

"Indeed." Chase Domino, another handsome man with blond hair wearing the same armor as David and the vice-captain of the Templar Knights, added with a friendly smile. "It would surely do you some good."

"Take it easy there." Miyazaki Nana, a cute girl with long, light brown hair with a single locked styled into aside tail and blue eyes, said as she stretched her hands out in front of David and Chase to keep them from getting too handsy with Aiko. "You're both being kinda gross."

Nana then turned to Aiko before continuing.

"Ai-Chan-Sensei, you have to put your foot down on things like this." Nana said with her hands resting on her hips.

"Why is it always Ai-Chan-Sensei?" Aiko asked in an exasperated tone, not even thinking about the two knights who have been trying to get into her good graces for as long as she's been traveling the kingdom and doing the work of a magic farmer. "If you refuse to call me Hatayama-Sensei. You could at least call me Aiko-Sensei."

"No way!" Yuka, nana, and four of the other five students over than James replied in unison. "Ai-Chan-Sensei is Ai-Chan-Sensei. And that's what we will call her."

In response, Aiko could only hang her head in defeat. Meanwhile, James, who was seated in the corner of the carriage with his legs stretched out and resting the back of his head in his hands smiled at the group of classmates. For some reason, seeing Aiko like that always brought a smile to his face.

While chuckling to himself, James turned his attention to the only student in the carriage who did not laugh, Shimizu Yukitoshi. And when he saw the look on Yukitoshi's face, his eyes narrowed slightly.

'According to Tatsuo, that guy should have somehow come in contact with the demons.' James thought to himself. 'And if we don't' stop him, he'll be the reason the masochist dragon goes on a rampage. Well, with me here, that wouldn't have happened anyway. Even if Tatsuo hadn't told me about him, I would have followed him if he ever tried to leave the inn without telling anyone. Especially after I finally got to see what that crazy bitch Eri is really like.'

Meanwhile, Yukitoshi, a young man with a pale complexion, like someone who did not get much sun, black, unkempt hair, and purple eyes with dark bags under his eyes, was sitting on the other side of the carriage keeping to himself. However, when he felt James' gaze, he looked up for a moment before averting his eyes quickly in a nervous fashion.

'Don't tell me, he's already in contact with the demons?' James asked himself after seeing Yukitoshi's reaction. 'No, that's impossible. Even though there is a restriction on my demonic power, my perception and [Soul Sight] aren't nerfed at all in this world. So, I would have noticed any demons coming to the royal capital. Then again, it could have happened while I was baby sitting the others in the Labyrinth. Still, I don't think a demon would have been able to get into the Royal capital undetected.'

Meanwhile, Yukitoshi was thinking something totally different.

'Damn it, why did that guy come with us?' Yukitoshi thought to himself while clenching his fists. 'But at least he's not the Hero. Still, why is he so much stronger than everyone else? And why did that moron Amanogawa get to be the Hero? It's not fair. I finally get a chance to go to a world with magic! Why aren't I the Hero? It's so not fair!'

While James and Yukitoshi were lost in their thoughts, Aiko, the other six students, David, and Chase continued to chat, with the Templars always trying to subtly flirt with Aiko and the other students cutting into the conversation at every opportunity.

Eventually, the carriage pulled up at one of the more luxurious looking buildings in Ur. Then, the whole group climbed down from the carriage and took in the sight of the building.

"Water Spirit Inn." Aikawa Noboru, a young man with spiky brown hair and brown eyes, said while looking up to read the sign on the building. "Sounds like something from a cultivation novel."

'That's the place Sumire mentioned in the [Chat].' James thought to himself. 'But they said I'd definitely know they were here before I even stepped inside. But how am I---"

While he was thinking, James was looking around. And when he saw a certain object, a vehicle, his eyes opened wide in dumbfounded amazement.

"The fuck…" James exclaimed, drawing everyone's attention. "… is that doing here?"

"Alaverus-Kun!" Aiko said in scolding tone. "That kind of language is improper. Hey, are you listening to me?"

Completely ignoring Aiko's reprimand, James started walking toward the vehicle he saw. And while Aiko continued to try scolding him, the other students followed his line of sight. And they, too, felt their eyelids fly open and their mouths hang slightly ajar.

David and Chase, on the other hand, seeing one of Aiko's students disrespecting her, were quite angered.

"Hey, don't you here Aiko talking to you!?" David asked in a commanding tone. "Stop right there and listen to her, this instant."

At the same time, Chase approached and tried to force James to a stop by grabbing his shoulder. However, before he could touch James, James, thanks to all the training he had been through with his master, Scáthach, reacted on instinct. Unsheathing one of the katanas on his left hip the edge of the was resting on Chase's neck faster than anyone could follow with their naked eyes.

That display of speed made Chase freeze in place. At the same time, David and the rest of the Templar Knights' hands flew to their own sword hilts. Aiko, on the other hand, was frozen in shock, thinking that James was about to kill a second person since he came to this world.

"Is that a car?" James and the other students chorused in unison, completely confusing Aiko and the nights.

"Huh? A car?" Aiko asked, having not been paying attention to anything other than James cursing and the fact that he almost killed Chase. Then, she looked around and her eyes, too, fell on the vehicle, a replica of a GMC Hummer EV Pickup Truck. "Is that a car?"

Hearing Aiko echo her students, the knights finally turned to look at what originally drew James' attention. And when they saw it, they were even more amazed than the otherworlders.

Then, before anyone could react, James sheathed his katana, turned on his heels, and ran into the Water Spirit Inn before looking around at everyone in the first floor dining hall and spreading his Perception and [Soul Sight]. A moment later, he locked onto two familiar presences and started walking towards them with large steps..

At about the same time, Aiko, the students, and the knights arrived at the inn's front door. They found James quickly enough and they looked in the direction where he was walking. When Aiko and the students saw who was sitting in the booth where James was headed, they all widened their eyes in shock.

"Oh, look who's here." Tatsuo said with a smile after James was within normal speaking distance. "Long time, no see, Cuz."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, we can talk about that later." James said as he arrived at the table. "Before that, where the hell did you get that truck from? Because I know you didn't bring it with you when we got teleported into this screwed up world."

"Oh, you're talking about the Hummer?" Tatsuo asked with a shrug. "I made it."

"Damn it! Make me one, too!" James roared as he reached down and grabbed Tatsuo by the collar. He then effortlessly lifted Tatsuo out of his seat and continued while shaking him back and forth. "Do you have any idea how fucking tired of riding in carriages I am. Fuck! If I wasn't so damn strong, I'd have blisters on my ass by now."

While James was shaking Tatsuo to and froe and Tatsuo was laughing at his reaction to seeing the Hummer, Aletia and Shea were prepare to attack and save Tatsuo while Sumire only smiled and shook her head.

"Okay, calm down, you two." Sumire said to Aletia and Shea. She then gestured at James. "There's nothing to worry about. That's James Alaverus, Tatsuo-Kun's cousin. And that's just his way of showing that he's happy to see Tatsuo after so long."

Hearing that, Aletia and Shea dropped their guards. Then, they looked at James with interest. They had heard Tatsuo and Sumire talk about James before. And now, they were finally getting to see him for themselves.

At around the same time, Aiko, the students, and the Templars finally arrived at the table.

"Soramoto-Kun! Minami-Sensei!" Aiko shouted with tears welling up in her eyes. "You're both alive! I was so worried when I heard what happened to you! Wahh~~~~~~!"

With that, Aiko threw herself in Sumire's arms and started to cry loudly. Meanwhile, Sumire could only smile wryly while patting Aiko on the back to comfort her.

With Aiko crying loudly into Sumire's bosom, the rest of his entourage gathered around, and every eye in the dining hall focused on them, James finally put Tatsuo down. Then, he proceeded to dust off his clothes before stepping back and acting like nothing happened.

"So, it's good to see you again, little cousin." James said with a completely natural smile. "I'm glad to see you're okay."

"Yeah, it's been a hell of a ride." Tatsuo replied, equally as unbothered as James. "But I can't say it wasn't interesting."

Seeing the two cousins talking as if nothing happened, the other students could only stare at them as if they were aliens from another world. Meanwhile, the Templars were staring at Shea with hostility.

"I don't mean to interrupt your reunion." David said in a low, threatening tone. "but what exactly is that beastman doing here? I can see the collar around her neck, but why does she still have her ears. If I didn't know any better, I'd think she wasn't a slave. And that would be against the teachings of the Holy Church."

With David's statement, all the Templars put their hands on the hilts of their swords, just waiting for the order to attack.

At the same time, Tatsuo, Sumire, James, and Aletia turned hostile gazes of their own onto the Templars, especially David. Meanwhile, Shea lowered her head. And although it looked like it was in shame, that could not have been further from the truth. She was furious.

Although the rabbitmen are generally against violence, Shea had changed ever since she started training with Sumire and Aletia. Add to that all the crap she went through while in Miledi's Labyrinth, and all the quests she completed with Tatsuo, Sumire, and Aletia in the two days they spent in Brooke, and she was nothing like the prototypical rabbit beastman the Templars knew.

Even the students that came along on this trip, minus Yukitoshi, were staring at the Templars angrily. As people from modern Earth, they were firmly against slavery. And they were not above showing it to these racist Templars.

"I think you all need to take a step back." Tatsuo said solemnly as he approached Shea and wrapped an arm around her before pulling her into his embrace. "Because you really don't want the problems you're about to bring upon yourselves. Shea is mine. And I'll be damned if I'm gonna let any of your racist assholes do anything to her."

With that said, the entire dining hall fell silent with a volatile atmosphere falling over a particular corner of the area. Meanwhile, all the diners in the establishment could only watch in trepidation while preparing to duck, dodge, and escape if anything violent were to happen.