An ordinary profession creates the world's strongest

After hearing this, would Guanghui and the others dismiss it as nonsense and decide to continue fighting as before? Or would they believe it and adopt a different strategy? Aiko wasn't sure, but she had to warn them not to place too much trust in the Church. After this incident, Aiko was even more convinced of this.

"Yaegashi-san. Actually, there's something that Nagumo-san felt that if he told the other students, not only would they not believe him, but it might also cause dislike from Amanogawa-san and the others, so he only told me."

"He has something... to tell everyone?"

"Yes. It's about the deity worshipped by the church, and the purpose of Nagumo-san and the others' journey. I don't have any evidence... but it's very important, so tonight... no, this evening, I'd like everyone to gather and listen to what I have to say."

"Um... no, I get it. How about I go get everyone to gather now?"

"No, I don't really want the church to know about this. I'd like to wait until everyone gathers for dinner. If I just say, 'I want to chat with the students for once in a while,' I think they'll leave us alone, right?"

"I see... I understand. See you at dinner then."

Afterwards, Shizuku and Aiko chatted for a while and then parted ways.

But at that time, they didn't know that they would not be able to keep their dinner promise later...

It was evening.

The sun, leaving behind a vibrant orange glow as its final gift of the day, was about to sink behind the horizon. Aiko walked alone in the deserted corridor. The setting sun streamed into the house from the window facing the corridor, painting a striking contrast of light and dark on the wall and floor opposite the window.

As Aizi walked toward the dining room for dinner, gazing at the beautiful sunset, she suddenly sensed the presence of a stranger and stopped. Looking ahead, she saw a figure, seemingly female, standing gracefully in the center of the hallway, her back straight and legs together. She appeared to be wearing the monastic robes of the Holy Church.

The woman spoke to her son in a beautiful yet cold, machine-like voice.

"Nice to meet you, Hatayama Aiko. I'm here to pick you up."

For some reason, her voice made Aiko feel as if ice had been placed on her back, but she didn't want to be rude to someone she was meeting for the first time, so she pretended to be calm and replied:

"Um, nice to meet you. You said you were here to pick me up... but I have to go have dinner with the students later."

"No, your destination is Mount Hon-san."

"what?"

Aiko's unyielding attitude made her utter a sound of confusion. Then, the woman left the shadows and walked towards the setting sun. Seeing that person, Aiko gasped. The woman was so beautiful that even Aiko, a woman herself, couldn't help but stare at her, entranced.

Silver hair shimmered in the setting sun, large, long blue eyes, and a face that looked both young and mature, a face that was both mysterious and enigmatic. Each of her features was perfectly positioned, delicate and exquisite. She was tall for a woman, about 170cm, and her petite son had to look up at her. Her skin, as smooth and tender as porcelain, was complemented by long, slender limbs. Her breasts were neither too large nor too small; in terms of overall balance, they were just the right size.

The only regret is that her face is completely expressionless. Rather than expressionless, the term "Noh mask" seems more apt. No one would doubt that she is the most magnificent sculpture the renowned artist has ever created. This woman's beauty is like a work of art, devoid of any trace of life.

The woman's face was devoid of a smile as she continued to speak coldly to her son, who was gasping for breath:

"The master believes that your proposed action is inappropriate. He says that what your students are preparing now seems rather 'interesting'. Therefore, until the time arrives, I would like you to temporarily step down from the master's chessboard."

"I, I don't understand what you're saying..."

Seeing the beautiful nun approaching silently, without a sound, Aiko instinctively stepped back. For a moment, the nun's blue eyes seemed to glow. Aiko's consciousness instantly became hazy. Instinctively sensing danger, she focused her mind as if casting a spell, and the hazy mist that enveloped her vision instantly dissipated.

"...I see. As expected of someone who calls himself a 'God', disregarding his master. I never imagined you could ward off my 'Charm'. I have no choice but to physically remove you."

"Don't, don't come over here! P-Pray for something!?"

Facing an inexplicable pressure, Aiko desperately prepared to cast a spell. But before she could finish the chant, the nun was in front of her in an instant, delivering a powerful punch to her ribs.

Aiko fell to the ground, feeling his consciousness gradually being swallowed by darkness, while hearing the nun's whisper.

"Don't worry. The master won't kill you. You're an excellent chess piece. Besides, you might be able to eliminate that heretic, and that might be quite helpful."

The image of the white-haired boy wearing an eyepatch appeared in Aiko's mind. Although she knew he couldn't hear her, she still called out his name in her heart before she completely lost consciousness.

——Nanyun-san!

"?"

The nun lifted her son with ease, seemingly unnoticed. Her attention suddenly shifted to the corridor ahead, and as if searching, her gaze scanned every corner. After a moment's observation, she slowly opened the door to the guest room at the front of the corridor.

Then she walked into the room, looked around, made deliberate noises as she approached the closet, and opened the door forcefully.

But there was nothing inside. The nun tilted her head and glanced around again. Finally, she probably came to the conclusion that there was nothing in the room, so she carried her son again and turned to walk out of the guest room.

In the guest room that had returned to silence, a trembling voice whispered:

“…I need to tell someone…quickly!”

There was no one in the room, but the sound of slowly receding footsteps could be heard from somewhere.

After a few seconds, the room fell silent again.

Volume 4 Extra: Shirasaki Kaori, 17 years old Specialty: Assault

The first time I saw him was on a street filled with noise and curses, and crowded with passers-by and onlookers.

After school that day, I was walking alone on the road, planning to go to the large supermarket in the neighboring town.

The phone he pulled out of his pocket displayed a message screen, revealing the name of a seasoning that would bite his tongue if he thought about it. His mother's cooking skills were so advanced that only that supermarket had a comprehensive selection that could satisfy her needs.

In contrast, the Shirasaki family's table is filled with dishes every day that are no less delicious than those of a professional chef. The price of this joy is searching for ingredients and seasonings after school. Really... but it seems like I've become a food explorer, which is quite fun.

Besides, I couldn't refuse my mother's "request," nor did I want to. My mother was usually calm, gentle, and virtuous, my ideal. But... when she got angry, it was truly terrifying. It felt like being glared at by an unknown entity, with a power that's hard to describe. My father even screamed, "Shiro-Miss Shiroyashya, Miss Shiroyashya! I'm sorry! I got too carried away!" and immediately knelt before my mother... Anyway, who was Miss Shiroyashya?

I don't know why, but I felt it was best not to dwell on this matter too deeply, so I paused my thoughts. Just as I was daydreaming, I arrived at the supermarket I was aiming for. Suddenly, a chaotic clamor filled my ears.

"Hey, grandma, these pants are antiques. They're incredibly rare! They're not something you can just apologize for! Do you understand? Do you understand what I mean?"

"I'm so sorry, I'll pay for the cleaning..."

"I… said… this isn't something that can be solved by just cleaning!"

The loud, angry shouting was unpleasant to me, but I turned my gaze away. I saw a little boy crying out of fear, and an elderly woman standing in front of him, repeatedly bowing her head and apologizing to him.

The old woman bowed her head and apologized to a group of men who looked like college students and whose overall aura made people feel unapproachable. Although it may be a bit rude, please allow me to call them hooligans.

As for what's going on between these hooligans and the old woman? A closer look reveals a takoyaki dumped at one of the hooligans' feet, and his "really rare" jeans are also stained with sauce.

...I understand. It seems the situation is just as it appears.

"What should I do... The atmosphere seems terrible. I'd better go over and help them out."

I muttered casually. Whether those fragrant jeans were really as expensive as the thugs claimed, I couldn't tell. Even if they were truly so rare they couldn't be salvaged even with cleaning, demanding compensation on the spot in a busy street... that was just too strange. At the very least, scaring a young child and forcing an old woman to apologize was definitely not the right thing to do.

But, but...

(… So scary.)

Embarrassingly, I couldn't even take a single step. The more I thought, "I have to go and help them," the more I feared the thugs' sharp gazes, their exaggerated attire, their dyed hair, their habit of intimidating aura, and the aura of violence they exuded... My legs couldn't help but tremble.

"Is there someone..." I whispered, barely audible, seeking help. Looking around, I asked, "Can anyone help them?" Even though I knew it was embarrassing, I could only place my hopes on others.

However, although the people around looked at the old woman and her group, they quickly looked away as soon as they saw their opponents.

...I really can't accuse them of being cold and heartless because there is not much difference between me and them.

"Yeah, by the way, you can call Shizuku-chan... and Kouki-san and Ryuutarou-san!"

I thought of my childhood friend, who for some reason often got into these kinds of arguments, and frantically searched for my phone number. But before I could press the call button, something unexpected happened.

"Ah, no need to belabor the point. Just take out your wallet. You definitely don't have enough money anyway, so let's go to the bank and get some compensation for my losses. To prevent you from running away, I'll keep your wallet."

“This…”

"Ahh!? It's only natural for me to be responsible for my grandson's mistakes! Are you dissatisfied? Huh!?"

The man seemed to be planning to take the old woman straight to the bank and force her to withdraw the money. I was getting more and more anxious and panicked, and I even forgot to call.

"Shizuku-chan... they won't be able to get here in time. I-I have to think of a way."

My mind is a mess, completely useless. Ugh, so scary, so scary. But... Hey, someone said a woman should have courage! When you're lost, you should pounce!

When I decided to practice the bad habit that Shizuku-chan and Kouki-san often scolded me for—

"Um~ Can you please not take their wallets?"

Before I knew it, there was a boy next to them, about my age. His uniform was different from ours, so he might be a student from around here.

I stopped as I was about to take a step forward and stared at him intently.

He was an ordinary boy. He wasn't as dazzling as my childhood friend, Kouki-san, nor was he as large and bear-like as Ryuutarou-san. His troubled brows and the wry smile that curled around his lips looked quite impressive, but otherwise, he was just an ordinary boy. But my eyes were like a magnet, completely drawn to him.

“Ahh!? Where did you come from? Everyone else, get out of the way! I’ll kill you!”

“Ah, no, uh… I really have nothing to do with this matter… B-But, paying for the cleaning fee is the best solution for both parties, right? That’s what I think…”

Although he spoke hesitantly, the boy who had unnoticeably intervened between the old woman and the gangster showed an even more troubled expression and kept bowing his head to the other party.

In a sense, that kind of carefree attitude actually annoyed the other party, causing the gangster to say, "Why don't you pay for it? The compensation is one million." The boy answered directly:

"I can't afford it."

The atmosphere he exudes is like you can hear an embarrassed "hehe" laugh... maybe it looks a little cute.

The thug, even more angry, grabbed the boy's collar. The boy was sweating profusely and his face was pale, but he tried desperately to continue speaking.

The thug seemed to be getting impatient after hearing these words, and he punched him away, his eyes even more ferocious than before. From my experience with Guanghui and his classmates, I knew what someone with that kind of look would do next.

So I couldn't help but want to scream at that boy, but...

"Hmm," the boy uttered a distressed sound as he was kicked in the stomach. These guys really didn't hesitate to resort to violence.

The old woman approached the boy and said worriedly, "That's enough." Her grandson's eyes were filled with tears and he grabbed the boy's clothes tightly.

Witnessing this violence firsthand, the noise around them grew increasingly agitated, with some even pulling out their cell phones to make calls... I think they were planning on contacting the police.

(Yes, the police! I should have called the police from the beginning! I'm such an idiot!!)

Usually, Guanghui and the others are the first to rush into disputes and make a scene to resolve them, causing me to completely forget who I should have asked for help in the first place. My brain really is useless!

As I was internally agonizing over how useless I was, the boy squatting on the ground suddenly looked up. His expression was startlingly serious. For some reason, my mind went blank. The temperature seemed to rise rapidly, even though spring was still months away. No one paid any attention to my reaction, and the situation continued unabated.

The boy suppressed the pain, sweat on his forehead and said:

"Please ask them to compensate for the cleaning costs, otherwise I will take my own measures."

This provocative statement made me open my eyes wide. Maybe this boy doesn’t look good at fighting, but he is actually a master of martial arts?

Those hooligans probably had the same idea as me. Some of them raised their lips or narrowed their eyes in dissatisfaction.

"What, you want to fight? No problem, go ahead—"

The first to curse, the man in jeans, who smelled of fragrance, glared at the boy, his fists clacking. Just as he was about to say "Bring it on!"

"I'm so sorry——!!!" A loud apology interrupted the gangster's words.

——At the same time, a kneeling movement that could be described as artistic appeared before my eyes.

"What?"

The thug who was waving his fists and preparing to fight back couldn't help but scream and took two steps back because of his perfect kneeling posture.

The people around him couldn't help but stop and stare at the boy kneeling. In daily life, there are very few opportunities to witness others kneeling, so it's no wonder they reacted like this.

By the way, it was the first time in my life that I saw someone kneel down and stare at him.

The boy didn't seem to care about the reactions of those around him, and shouted loudly throughout the world:

"I'm so, so sorry! The child was so happy that grandma bought him takoyaki that he ended up getting some sauce on your pants. This behavior is exactly what you said, unforgivable! It's a heinous crime that even the gods wouldn't see!!"

"Uh, ah, this, oh."

The little hooligans were actually panicking!? Something as trivial as a child soiling their pants was being hyped up as "an evil act that even God wouldn't even look upon"... Well, it was truly shameful, and the person who said that knelt down.

However, as if possessed by something, the boy's domineering (??) apology did not stop there!

"It should have been as you said. One million is not enough. Five hundred, no, ten million is enough to express the sincerity of the apology!"

“One, one thousand!? No, wait, that’s not necessary—”

The hooligans panicked. Ah, the mother-in-law was clearly frightened! The people around them also looked at the hooligans, their eyes as if saying, "Are these guys crazy?"

...How should I put it? I feel like the situation is becoming increasingly chaotic.

"But, but! This grandmother can't afford that much! She has to pay off her husband's debts and is being bullied by her wicked daughter-in-law. Spending time with her grandson once a year like this is her spiritual support, and she can only live frugally on her meager pension! I wonder how much of her own dining expenses she sacrificed to buy this takoyaki today!!"

Huh?! Is there such a story behind my mother-in-law?! My eyes nearly popped out of my head in surprise. Looking around, the people and the hooligans around me shared my astonishment.

"My husband is still alive and hasn't borrowed money from anyone. What are you talking about—" Only the mother-in-law seemed at a loss... She didn't deny the part about the evil daughter-in-law. She seemed to want to continue explaining.

“So, so! I beg you all to forgive them! I beg you, I beg you to have mercy!!”

The boy's roar echoed loudly, interrupting the mother-in-law's words.

...What's going on now? This question probably crossed everyone's mind.

However, the action seems to have worked in some sense.

The hooligans' faces flushed red... Yeah, I understand; this scene was truly embarrassing. Making someone kneel in a crowded place like this was humiliating enough, and the apology was so awful, wasn't it? It felt like a wicked county magistrate from a period drama.

“You, you’re so weird! How could someone who suddenly appeared know about Grandma—”