LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 148: Benefits
No one was willing to welcome or talk to Nito when he appeared in the audience. In fact, as soon as they saw him most people turned away. But he didn’t mind, he only cared about three people.
Fear and discomfort were the emotions felt most in the venue. Most looked down as I passed by although there were some who didn’t seem to know the meaning of ‘fear’.
‘Isn’t that guy just the worst? He’s no hero, isn’t he just a criminal?”
‘He’s the worst!’
‘Does he usually take things that far!?’
‘That guy’s crazy.’
They were throwing out insults, it was the only thing I heard. But for some reason I felt no need to kill them. I don’t know why, I could easily hear and understand everything but it felt as though I wasn’t in my own body. I looked down and checked my arm as I walked.
“…..”
But it worked fine. However for some reason it wasn’t turning to kill them. It would be so easy to kill all of them, all I needed to do was swing my arm. I wouldn’t even feel guilty about doing it. My body felt light, like I’d just removed something painful that was stuck between my teeth. It’s just, for some reason I don’t feel any motivation to kill them.
Come to think of it, I felt this way after I’d killed Aries too.
“Nito!”
I heard Toa’s voice. Before I’d noticed I had already reached where they were sitting. Now everyone around me was looking at Toa who had just called my name. I could feel malicious intent aimed at her.
“What happened while I was gone?”
When I got to my seat I asked loud enough for the people around us to hear.
“What do you mean ‘what happened’?”
“No, it’s nothing. But if something does happen you’ll tell me right? I’ll kill anyone who messes with you immediately.”
In response to this Toa just looked confused, yet somehow sad at the same time. She was stretching her mouth into an unnatural smile though as if she didn’t want me to realize she felt sad.
Only Sufilia seemed to understand. Nem and Toa were normal but Sufilia seemed to be feeling some level of disgust for the people around us.
“Don’t worry about it Sufilia. It’s always like this.”
When I said that Sufilia smiled and nodded while I took a seat next to them. I wanted to spend some time with them before it was time for the next match.
“Hey Nito, Why did you do that?”
“You know even if I don’t say anything don’t you? I’m eliminating corruption.”
“That…”
“No, they don’t matter. This is my own conviction.”
What Toa was worried about was Dragon’s Heart. She seemed a little worried, probably because I used the phrase eliminating corruption. At that time I saw my name as well as Kyogoku’s appear on the board. Although no announcement had been made yet.
“…..Hmm?”
I turned around and saw what looked like a black shadow, I rubbed my eyes trying to clear any dust. But when I looked again the shadow had spread to the next person as well. It kept spreading, more and more shadows appearing until even those close to me, everyone there had the same black shadows.
“Lord Nito? Whats wrong?”
“Nothing… Can you guys see this?”
I asked while looking at the black shadow that had spread around the venue.
“What?”
Toa asked.
“The black shadow.”
“Shadow?…. What are you talking about?”
Even Sufilia looked confused as she tried to look where I was.
“Master?”
It doesn’t look like Nem could see it either which had me worried. None of them understood what I meant. When I looked at the three of them I couldn’t see the shadow and looking around I found someone else without it as well. It looked like a beastman, but it had a lizard-like tail and dog ears? What’s going on?
I feel like most of the people who don’t have the shadows are beastmen. But even among them some of them do have shadows while some of the humans don’t. What is this supposed to mean?
I could safely assume that it had something to do with the abyss though. Perhaps there was a change inside me the first change was I could subtly feel emotions, maybe thats what this shadow is? There’s not enough information to go off of though, but I was definitely looking at something.
“….It’s difficult to identify.”
Suddenly the announcement came.
‘It’s time now for the additional match. Would Nito and Kyogoku please come to the field.’
Apparently I was supposed to go straight to the field instead of the waiting room this time.
“I guess it will be over after this.”
To be honest, I feel like it should have been finished after my fight with Saeki. There’s no need to keep up this farce any longer.
“Okay, I’ll be back.”
“Okay……”
“We support you.”
I pat Nem’s head causing her to blush before I simply jumped down into the arena. A short time later Kyogoku did the same thing, he smiled as soon as he saw me. I can’t tell what he’s thinking but I don’t feel anything malicious from him, he doesn’t have a shadow either.
We faced each other as the rules were explained.
“You gave an interesting speech earlier.”
Kyogoku suddenly spoke.
“Nah, it was just a little joke.”
I replied properly.
“I wonder.”
“….”
What an annoying guy, what did he want me to say?
“You were obviously serious right? Your bloodlust was amazing. If that old man hadn’t stopped you, you would have killed Saeki huh?”
I had to think about what to say.
“Don’t be stupid, I wouldn’t have killed Saeki. I was just making a point about the way the schools were managed.”
“I don’t think there is anyone here that would believe that excuse.”
“I denied it, You can do what you like with that. I don’t have time to be controlling the masses.”
Kyogoku suddenly laughed at my reply.
“By the way. Isn’t your appearance different than it was before? Did something happen?”
“Hmm?”
This guy was so talkative, he kept asking questions one after the other. I’d seen him a few times when I was in Japan, was he this talkative back then?
“I can’t tell properly because of the mask but, it was obvious that you were bloodthirsty in you match with Saeki.”
“Bloodthirsty?…..”
“Yeah, you killed someone didn’t you?”
………
“……Huh?”
“I just got that feeling. You have that smell.”
“Smell?”
“ What? You didn’t know? An S rank adventurer yet you didn’t know? You must have killed a lot up until now right? Both people and monsters?”
Isn’t this guy supposed to be an amateur like Saeki and the others? What does he mean by smell?
“Oh, This looks serious.”
“Serious? What do you mean?”
“Didn’t I just tell you?”
This guy…..
“But I understand why you’re angry. This world is dirty.”
“Yeah.”
I want this match to start already.
“I’m often bored as well. Nobody at school is as strong as you are. I wanted to attack that old man once but he didn’t look like he’d be able to put up much of a fight at all. So I wondered around the VIP area trying to find someone. But they were all just trash, it was kind of funny.”
Kyogoku laughed by himself as he said this. But the VIP area is off limits, there’s no way he could have gotten in there. There are guards on both sides of the door and only one entrance, he couldn’t have gotten in even if he turned invisible.
“Haha, You don’t believe me do you?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“What did you call it? A blessing? I’m enrolled in school now as a ‘combat teacher’ but in truth that’s not all I am.”
“….I see.”
It seems like this guy would rather talk than fight. He grinned.
“ Me? I have two jobs.”
………..
“What?”
“I said I have two jobs.”
2 jobs? What’s going on? Isn’t it one job per person?
“What? I thought a mage of your class would know but it doesn’t seem like you do.”
Kyogoku smiled wider.
“Hey, How much magic power do you feel right now?”
The explanation of the rules had finished and it was about time to start.
“It’s almost time.”
“Answer the question.”
“The match is going to start?”
“Thats fine. You’re not going to take it seriously anyway are you?”
“That depends.”
“On me?”
“At your level I might accidentally kill you.”
“Well then….”
Kyogoku’s expression suddenly changed as his magical power suddenly swelled. It had increased significantly, nearly doubling what it was before.
“I see.”
Did he see something in my expression?
“As expected, you didn’t know you could hide it will skills either.”
“Hide it with skills?”
“You really didn’t know? I told you earlier didn’t I? I have two jobs. The first is combat teacher and the second is assassin. I have a skill known as concealment that hides my magical power and level so that the opponent doesn’t know how strong I am.
Kyogoku spoke to me in a familiar style. I don’t care about him trying to provoke me but that skill can be used to hide magical power? That’s very convenient. So that’s why his magic power suddenly increased. It’s more than even Ichijo had.
What would happen if I used it? Would I be able to lower my magical power so that those around me would be able to feel it?
“Since you’re S rank you’ve been an adventurer a long time right? You don’t know about assassin’s skills?”
“……”
What is this guy trying to do? Provoke me into taking this seriously? No, I don’t that’s it but I can’t seem to read what his intentions are.
“Saeki and I were together since junior high. Having said that though the two of us weren’t particularly close. We were stuck together against our will. Maybe it’s because our circumstances were similar that I kind of understand his way of thinking.”
Kyogoku suddenly changed the topic.
“For example, the kind of people he dislikes. Or mores specifically, the type of people who are likely to hate him.”
“……”
For some reason I got the feeling that this conversation was going down a dangerous road. Kyogoku kept talking.
“I see. I see…..”
The announcer signaled the start of the match.
“You? Honestly, I talk too much. But there’s no one who should be angered by that right? Isn’t that way of thinking normal? Especially for you, an S rank adventurer, and a dungeon clearer. But, theres a sense of discomfort there huh?”
Kyogoku suddenly changed the nuance of the words, speaking as though we were friendlier with each other. We began to get heckled from the crowd for not starting the match but he kept talking.
“What? The first time I heard the rumor about you I didn’t doubt it at all. But before that you weren’t well known, no one knew about the adventurer Nito until then. And didn’t you register at the guild only a few months ago? It was in magical communication, how you defeated the empire’s attack and became the hero of Razhousen. It was a while after we came to this world that your name began to spread right? And furthermore they said that the hero was a healer right? Something just feels out of place, but I’m talking too much.”
“Shall we start the match? That way we can get this stupid tournament over with?”
“I’ve never heard of a healer becoming an adventurer, not once. Even the teachers in Greyberg laughed at healers, other adventurers and traveling mages said that they couldn’t even use attack magic. Noone ever said differently. But facts are facts. A healer defeated S rank monsters and cleared a dungeon. That fact won’t change. I don’t know much about dungeons but I know how many people have died challenging them and that’s enough. It’s enough to know that you are abnormal. “
When he said that to everyone else he seemed to have disappeared. However I could still see him.
“As expected!”
Kyogoku was pleased. A kick came at me from behind and I took my time getting out of it’s way.
“Im different from Saeki aren’t I? Hidaka….”
“…….”
……..