“Strength…?”
When talking about strength, did it mean wanting to see some kind of power? Maybe he wasn’t asking me to fight this Paldomihov in front of me, was he? As I looked at Paldomihov with a hint of panic, he smirked as if he had read my mind.
“It’s alright. There are many monsters around here.”
“Y-yes.”
“Shall we go hunting from now on?”
“S-sure.”
Hunting, huh… That was a relief. But thinking about it, did it mean I had to fight monsters? I wondered how far this would go. Even if I was told to defeat higher-ranked ones as a Celestial, it seemed like it might take more than a day…
“Shigeto-sama, could you ride a Sebek?”
“Sebek?”
“Yes, it’s a magical beast often used as cavalry beasts.”
“Oh, the one with horns.”
“Hahaha, well, those weren’t exactly horns, but yes.”
“Well, I’ve never ridden one before.”
“I see…well, it would be better if you could ride at least a Sebek.”
“Huh…”
It seemed like the plan was to quickly ride a riding beast and head into the depths. When I was on Earth, I never rode a horse. The physical abilities of my current body, given the advancement on the Ladder, seemed to have improved. I might manage somehow.
I hadn’t brought any weapons or anything. Let’s go to the inn and get some equipment for now. As I stepped outside, I heard Sid’s loud voice again.
“Wait a minute! I’ve lived all this time… and I’ve never seen such a beautiful person!”
“Even so!”
“You! You’re walking around with two beauties. Aren’t you embarrassed?”
“Huh? Well, embarrassed…”
“Hahaha, beauties~”
“Miki-chan, you shouldn’t engage with strangers—”
“Aah! Don’t you know? This place is really in the countryside. Can’t be helped. Let me tell you. I am the Flash Thunder Emperor, Sid Burns!”
“…”
“Wow. Thunder Emperor!!! You seem strong!”
“M-Miki-chan, let’s go.”
“W-wait, sis, wait!”
“Let me go!”
…My head hurt.
It seemed like now he was talking to my students. And he was holding Kimishima’s hand.
Annoyed, I rushed over to Sid and grabbed his shoulder.
“Cut it out!”
“S-sensei!”
“W-what…! Don’t get in my way!”
Thud. Sid pushed my chest.
Eh?
My body momentarily floated with the force of that push.
…
Thump.
…
“Cough! Cough!”
“Sensei!”
It felt like a push, but it was way beyond that. Damn it. With a pain in my chest and struggling to breathe, I sat on the ground and coughed while trying to catch my breath. Kimishima came over with a worried look.
“Are you okay?”
“Ah, yeah… something like that.”
But really, was this guy so viloent…?
Huh?
Looking around, both Sid and the onlookers seemed astonished at my condition.
“Are you really a Celestial?”
“Huh?”
“Is it possible that you’re lying about being a Celestial?”
The atmosphere became tense. Oh… right. It’s true. No one here knew the truth about me defeating the Celestial Carton. I had the protection of a low-level spirit, and the power of the god’s light hadn’t fully settled. My physical abilities, in their basic state, were nothing remarkable.
In contrast, the guy in front of me was a three-digit powerhouse. There was no way I could withstand such a push. If I looked around, even the state soldiers were bewildered by my condition.
…Should I keep it like this?
A feeling started to grow that maybe it was better to keep things as they were. It might be better than being overly expected. After all, I could draw my sword only about five times. Even if they praised me as a Celestial, asking for too much was troublesome.
…
“Haven’t you pushed someone down and find it strange to just push a bit?”
Huh?
While flowing recovery-assisting magic into my chest with her hand placed on it, Kimishima asked in a voice filled with anger. I instinctively glanced at Kimishima’s profile.
“No, it’s just that, it’s not like the Celestial fell to the extent…”
“I don’t think it’s a question of being a Celestial or anything like that.”
“W-well, that’s not it! He grabbed my shoulder!”
“That’s because you grabbed my hand.”
“Huh? That’s a conversation between me and you. He’s not related — Ah!!!”
Kimishima, still silent, lifted my left hand with her right hand, showing the bracelet. At the same time, she showed the ring stuck on my left ring finger to Sid. Sid froze perfectly upon seeing it.
Nishina and Sakuragi also approached us, standing behind us as if to silently challenge Sid.
“Ugh… well, no… I mean…”
“Another dispute?”
At that voice, Sid mechanically shifted his gaze like a broken mechanical doll. In front of us stood Paldomihov, expressionless like a Noh mask.
“No… um… the Celestial…”
“Can’t you listen to what I say? You fool!”
“No, it’s not! I just pushed him a little, and he fell on his own! He’s not a Celestial!”
Desperately trying to explain, Sid was approached by Paldomihov, who grabbed his ears and lifted them.
“O-ouch!”
“Really an idiot. When do you think Shigeto-han came to this world?”
“W-well, a few weeks ago…”
“And what do you think happened on the Ladder?”
“Huh? Oh…!”
“Honestly. How do I deal with such a fool? Shigeto-han has special conditions for his abilities… he’s not an idiot you can judge in his normal state.”
“S-sorry!”
“Even without that, he can bring down a Celestial. If he ascends the Ladder…, do you understand?”
“Yes…”
“He’s a treasure of the Federation. Don’t do anything stupid again. I’ll overlook it this time because it was a misunderstanding.”
“O-okay!”
This is…I see. I noticed the reactions of the onlookers around me. Paldomihov dared to talk about what had just happened so that everyone around him could hear…
Finally, Paldomihov let go of Sid’s ears and approached me, offering a hand to help me up.
It’s troublesome to have a foolish disciple.”
“Haha…”
Indeed, a disciple, huh.
