Monogatari no Naka no Hito Chapter 34

Mikene is practicing magic for the proficiency exam, Hyph is tr.i.m.m.i.n.g the untended garden, on a day during the long holiday when Riheed seems to be working and everybody seems to be busy, Aryu has come to the market to purchase food.

And there, the back figure of Riheed who had gone out early this morning was found.

Though that in itself doesn’t seem to be strange, Riheed is in his former appearance, in other words, an adult appearance, making Aryu confused.

There’s still a little distance to call out and while Aryu is thinking about what to do, Riheed deviates into a side road, feeling uneasy, Aryu runs after him.

Rapidly walking the twists in the town as if he’s familiar with them, Aryu is unable to catch up.

Though she can catch up if she puts in a serious effort, it pointless to erase her presence after chasing so, Aryu hesitates on what to do.

And in the meanwhile, Riheed has set foot in a suspicious section.

What was there when the Rhonks royal capital was still just a local city, the place is the slum area.

Preoccupied with the suspicious atmosphere, Aryu loses sight of Riheed.

“This is troublesome.”

Aryu mutters to herself.

Glances were coming from the approaching shadows behind her.

Public order in the slums is bad, and the thing which stands out the most is a lone woman, it’s especially true of Aryu with her server’s uniform.

Aryu is skillfully surrounded as the slum residents try to seize her.

“Really troublesome.”

The moment when a man acting as the vanguard raises some lumber to attack, he hardens when hearing Aryu’s mutter.

While thinking what was before his eyes was prey, when the woman muttered, the man was attacked with a feeling as if he had become the prey.

The ability to sense danger which came from surviving in the slums halted the man.

But that alone wasn’t enough to stop him.

He had to run away from that spot at full speed.

When noticing so, the man was revolving high in the air.

The spinning body drops down, and that impact pitifully s.n.a.t.c.hes away the prey’s consciousness.

The slum residents surrounding Aryu are dumbfounded seeing their comrade’s fate.

And then comes the voice of the woman sounding as if nothing had happened.

“Troublesome.”

At that moment, the residents scatter in all directions, disappearing into the abandoned buildings.

The residents were unable to understand what had happened, only that staying in that woman’s field of vision meant death, that’s because they could comprehend the dense thirst for blood in that word.

With the excessive way the residents escaped, even Aryu had had a look on her face as if her feelings were a little hurt.

Feeling a few glances peeping at herself, Aryu starts to walk disregarding them.

“Really now, I’m not a monster.”

While Aryu mutters to herself, she crouches down next to the miserable man who had a short journey through the sky and was left by his comrades, and examines his state.

“Hmm, a showy knock down!”

“!?”

With her attention on the man who had gone on a sightseeing flight through human power, Aryu sprung up in surprise from the voice which suddenly resounded.

It doesn’t mean her guard was let down, but that it wasn’t caught by her vigilance, Aryu chose to escape from the owner of that voice who took her rear.

But Aryu stops that movement.

“Riheed-sama?”

“Yea, that’s right?”

Behind Aryu stood the proud and arrogant looking adult Riheed.

It’s the same as usual but with a different stature, the usual and same gestures are strangely suited, letting it be understood which was the true form.

The surprised Aryu turns to Riheed.

“H-here since when!?”

“Fuhaha, I saw the whole time!”

“Then please say so! Or perhaps, help please!”

Aryu excessively yells in this interaction.

On the other hand, Riheed is as if it doesn’t concern him at all.

“Hmm, to help a suspicious looking fellow who hid their presence and followed me from behind.”

“Wha!?” So you noticed…?”

“Fuhaha, in the old days there was an acquaintance of mine who arranged guys in all towns. That guy was considerable in the field of hiding and escaping, various things were taught. To sneak behind such a me, it’s 200 years too early!”

Unable to stop from being excessively boastful, Aryu looks coldly at Riheed as he proudly declares so.

“For it to be like that. Or rather, I think it’s necessary to quickly break apart relations with such an acquaintance.”

“Hmm, I’ll think about it. So, what are you doing?”

Riheed remembers the acquaintance who he already won’t encounter anymore.

Or perhaps by some chance they might in fact still be living, that weary thought is abandoned.

“No, I just normally saw you walking in your former appearance, and I thought it was strange.”

“So, you made a mistake in your strength adjustment and are examining the young man in a dangerous state.”

The young man who was clearly made to fly a ridiculous distance can said to have become an impeded man, Riheed puts his hands together for what once was.

But Aryu shakes her head denying those words.

“No, I did the usual adjustment.”

“Oi, won’t he be dead before long!?”

“He’s sure to survive with his life thanks to my superb adjustments so it’s alright.”

“That’s not a factor making it alright!”

Riheed yells at the maid who is taking liberties on some parts, but it’s not very effective.

“Bu the way, what are you doing in such a place?”

“N? I was just walking around this neighborhood a little.”

Riheed answers in a manner like he doesn’t know.

“So you turned back to your former form?”

“I forgot that I’ll occasionally turn back!”

“W-was it such a half-baked magic!?”

“I’m joking!”

“Haa.”

Though Aryu had vaguely sensed that Riheed was concealing something, it’s understood that he doesn’t really want what’s being concealed to be known, so she no longer tries to continue that topic.

In a place where conversations were paused, the shadow of a person glancing from an abandoned building moves.

“Re-return nii-san!”

“Fuhaha, if you want this life returned, then leave something behind!”

The girl mustered her courage, the form jumps out to save her elder brother, but the Maou blocks the path.

In truth, she thought to help after the woman who threw her elder brother left, but that woman begins to do something be the brother’s side, moreover, a strange man appears next to her, the girl who doesn’t know what state her brother is in can’t wait anymore, forcibly holding back her fear, she ran out.

It was immediately understood by Riheed that the one the called elder brother a little bit ago was the man who had a pleasant flight in the sky, and he only returned with a reply he thought to be the most interesting.

Riheed grins with an unnatural villain’s laughter; Aryu’s understating can’t catch up with what is happening, and the girl opens her mind as if she’s resolved.

“In, in that case, I…”

“Don’t say such stupid things.”

When the desperate girl was about to present her life to the Maou, a blow from the hero smashes into the Maou’s head, the Maou is writhing in pain from that sure kill blow.

“U-um.”

Don’t worry about the words from this person. Is this man your elder brother?”

“Y-yes!”

The girl shrinks back from the hero who knocks down the Maou.

“I’ll return him, just wait a bit. Though I made adjustments, I didn’t think he would faint like this.”

“So you made a mistake after all?”

A large part of why the man fainted was from hunger, not knowing this, Riheed doubts Aryu’s adjustment of her strength.

Aryu probably also thinks a little that it’s her fault.

“To begin with, Aryu…”

“I know what you want to say.”

Aryu interrupts Riheed’s words.

This man tried to attack Aryu.

For the girl’s sake, Riheed was thinking how to make it less strict.

The girl, who can somehow perceive how sensitive the air is, tries to protect her brother.

“E-err, I was nii-san’s fault and I’m sorry!! But nii-san is usually kind! The rice is shared with me!”

“If it’s like this, is it no good to replace this life for the girl?”

Riheed folds his arms makes some thinking behavior.

After doing so for a little, he snaps his finger as if he’s thought of something.

Thereupon a staff was grasped in that hand.

The girl is bewildered at the wondrous phenomenon which occurred in front of her eyes.

“Then there’s no helping it! I’ll do a little brainwas.h.i.+ng.”

“Put that suspicious staff away please.”

“But that’s…, hhmm. Fine then.”

Reluctantly, the questionable light coming from the staff was erased.

“What do you want to do?”

“First, I’ll wake him up with magic, and then take him to the employment agency.”

But will the agency take in someone from the slums?”

“Well, I guess it wouldn’t work out too well, but if it’s that place, it should be alright with the recommendation from this me! Or rather I should say that the jobs have been too numerous recently and that place needs workers.”

Without clear identification, those from the slums can’t receive work from the agency; Riheed has built up considerable trust from the agency in these recent days, as well as having accepted quite the number of jobs.

Since among them there are ones which anyone will be able to do, it was decided let this man do them.

“I see.”

“Girl! Instead of leaving your little life, you’ll be performing labor! Fuhaha!”

Spreading out his arms, Riheed laughs loudly while the girl looks at him with frightened eyes.

Riheed it really having fun receiving that look.

“That’s some disposition.”

“Yea, I like such things.”

Riheed has a personality of doing as he pleases and Aryu sends an astonished gaze.

And, at that time the man gets up.

“!? Y-you! That…!”

The man turns his eyes to Aryu, and notices the girl behind her.

“So you’re up.”

“Wh-whatever happens to me is fine! Please! Only that girl!! She’s my precious family!! Please!!”

The man desperately bows to Aryu.

The girl becomes surprised again from that appearance, Riheed can’t hold in his laughter.

Aryu is unusually fl.u.s.tered and at a loss.

Until the girl receives an explanation, Riheed’s roaring laughter sounded throughout the situation.

“Aah, that was some laughter.”

“Too much laughter.”

Riheed receives a reproachful glare from Aryu.

Seeing that, the man bows for some reason.

“S-sorry.”

“What are you apologizing for?”

With the man being so humble, Riheed and Aryu have lost their rhythm.

When it’s that Riheed will speak to the agency about work, the man vigorously kneels on the ground in thanks.

And genuinely apologizes to Aryu while still kneeling.

“Well, let’s do this promptly…”

As Riheed is starting to speak, someone’s stomach rumbles.

The brother and sisters faces are red.

“Hmm, let’s eat before that then. After that, you’ll be worked like a horse! Fuhahaa!”

From that day, the man and girl began to work in the town.

Their serious working att.i.tude gradually increases their popularity, reaching the point of being nominated for jobs.

Before long, the brother and sister based on their own confidence, reach the point of recommending people from the slums to the agency.

Hearing of that, Riheed is reminded of long ago.

And with that, he laughed delightedly.