An ordinary profession creates the world's strongest

Shimizu Yukitoshi, a member of Ai's guards, has been missing for over two weeks. Despite exhaustive efforts by Aiko and her team to locate Shimizu, there's still no clue of his whereabouts. Not only has there been no sightings in town, but searches for information in neighboring towns and villages have also been fruitless.

Initially, it was thought that he had been involved in the incident and caused a commotion, but Shimizu's room had not been ransacked. He also possessed the vocation of "Dark Magician"—a special talent for dark magic—and possessed a high aptitude for other types of magic, making him unlikely to be easily defeated by the local thugs. Even before his disappearance, he had frequently deserted the guards and disappeared on his own. Given these signs, many now believe his disappearances were spontaneous.

Originally, Shimizu was very quiet and introverted, not good at socializing, and did not have any particularly close friends in class. Everyone was surprised that he would join the Little Love Guard.

Because of this, everyone except Aiko was more worried about Aiko, who was becoming increasingly depressed because of Shimizu, than about Shimizu's safety.

Incidentally, this matter has been reported to the Kingdom and the Church, and they seem to be organizing a search party to provide support. Because Shimizu's magical talent, like that of a normal summoned person, is exceptional, the higher-ups aren't as optimistic as Hajime was back then. It's probably still two or three days before the search party arrives.

Hearing these words of concern one after another, Aiko couldn't help but punch herself in the face. Whether someone was involved in an incident or disappeared spontaneously, it was equally worrying.

However, how could she show such worry? Not only would it make the students around her feel uneasy, it would even make them worry. Would she still be a teacher to these children? Aiko thought so, took a deep breath, clapped her hands on her cheeks, and cheered herself up.

"Everyone, I'm sorry to have caused you so much worry. It's true, worrying alone won't solve the problem. Shimizu-kun is an excellent magician, he'll be fine. For now, just trust that he's safe and do what's within your capabilities. Anyway, enjoy dinner tonight! Eat a good meal and prepare for tomorrow!"

Although everyone could see that she was showing off, Yuka and the others answered her energetic call with a frank "Yes~", while David and the others looked at them with smiles.

A clang sound echoed as Aiko and the others opened the door to the inn they were staying at. It was the most exclusive inn in Ur Town, called the Water Fairy Inn. The name came from a story about a couple who once offered lodging to a fairy from Lake Urdia.

In addition, [Lake Urdia] is located in the suburbs of [Ur Town] and is said to be the largest lake on the continent, about four times the size of Lake Biwa in Japan.

The first floor of the Water Fairy Inn houses a restaurant serving a variety of Ur Town's specialty rice dishes. The interior is elegant and sophisticated, yet understated, with meticulous attention to detail. The substantial tables and bar counter are meticulously detailed. Furthermore, a modest chandelier hanging from the ceiling adds to the elegant, understated atmosphere.

"Old inn"—this word naturally comes to mind. This is an inn that makes you feel the history and tradition.

At first, Aiko and the others thought that the hotel was too high-end and they would not be used to it, so they wanted to change to another hotel. However, Aiko and her students began to be called "Apostles of God" or "Goddess of Fertility", and if they stayed in an ordinary hotel, it would be bad reputation. Therefore, after being persuaded by David and others, they finally decided to stay in [Ur Town].

Having already stayed in the palace rooms for a while, and with students like Aiko and Yuuka gradually accustomed to the atmosphere of the inn, it has become a place where they can completely relax. Aiko and her friends, tired from their daily travels to improve their farmland and search for clean water, return home each day, and the rice dishes they enjoy at the inn have become something they look forward to every day.

All members sat down at the innermost part of the store, which has now become their exclusive VIP seats, and enjoyed the dinner of the day.

"Ahh, it's still just as delicious. I didn't expect to be able to eat curry in another world."

"It looks like a stew... No, is this called white curry?"

Yuka sincerely praised the hotel's food, and Junshi, who had also ordered the otherworldly curry, agreed while searching his memory. Meanwhile, Noboru rudely pointed with his chopsticks at the various fried items coated in golden, crispy batter and garnished with fragrant sauces atop the steaming white rice, expressing his thoughts:

"No, compared to those, this tempura bowl is better, right? The sauce is top-notch, right? Even the ones in Japan can't compare to it, right?"

"That's because Aikawa-kun hasn't had a truly delicious Tendon, right? You can't compare it to bento from chain restaurants, okay?"

"My favorite is this fried rice-like dish. It's addictive."

"It goes perfectly with this gyoza-like set meal. The owner of this place must be Japanese."

Taeko refuted Noboru's comment with a wry smile, while Akito devoured a dish resembling fried rice. Beside him, Nana ate a dish resembling pan-fried dumplings and peered suspiciously into the back of the restaurant.

These rice dishes, which are very close to Earth's meals, make Yuhua and her friends enjoy them every night.

While there are subtle differences in appearance and flavor, the concept behind the dishes themselves is very similar. The abundance of ingredients is one of the factors that elevates the quality of Ur Town's cuisine. Rice is a must, but there's also fish caught in Lake Urdia, vegetables and spices harvested in the Northern Mountain Range.

Aiko and her friends were enjoying the delicious food, enjoying a brief moment of happiness, when a man in his sixties with a beautiful mustache approached their table.

"Everyone, are you satisfied with today's meal? If you need anything, please let me know."

"Ah, it's the boss."

The one speaking to Aiko and the others was the owner of the Water Fairy Inn, Foss Sello. His back was straight, his eyes gently narrowed, and his hair, streaked with white, was combed back.

He is a man who perfectly matches the peaceful atmosphere of the hotel.

"Today's meal was also very delicious. We are healed by it every day."

Aiko answered with a smile on everyone's behalf, and Foss also smiled happily and said, "That's good."

But the next moment, he looked deeply troubled, a look of deep regret, completely at odds with Foss's always gentle smile. Aiko and the others, puzzled, stopped eating and stared at Foss.

"I'm so sorry... Actually, our spicy dishes are only available today."

"Eh!? Does that mean I can't eat Nilsi-shiru (otherworldly curry) anymore?"

Yuuka, who loves curry the most, asked with a look of shock.

"Yes, I'm truly sorry. We're out of materials... Normally, we try to keep enough stock to avoid this kind of situation, but... over the past month, something unusual has been happening in the North Mountain Range, and the number of people harvesting has dropped dramatically. The high-ranking adventurers who came to investigate a while ago are also missing, and the number of people willing to harvest has dropped even further. Given this situation, we don't know when we'll get our next shipment."

"Excuse me...what kind of abnormality is this?"

"They say large groups of monsters have been sighted... As long as you stay within the mountains, the North Mountain Range is a relatively safe place. There, like a defensive wall, the mountains stretch out to the north. With each mountain range you cross, the monsters that inhabit it become stronger, but monsters don't specifically cross the mountains to come here. However, several people have seen groups of monsters that shouldn't be on this side of the mountain."

"That's really worrying..."

Aiko frowned, and Yuka and the others exchanged a disheartened glance. Foss, looking apologetic, said, "I apologize for bringing up this topic while everyone's eating." Then, as if to brighten the mood, he continued in a cheerful tone:

"But maybe this anomaly will end soon."

"What's going on?"

"Actually, new guests arrived at sunset today. They seem to be heading to the North Mountain Range that the previous adventurers were searching for. It seems they were specifically commissioned by the Fren Guild branch manager. They must be quite capable adventurers, and perhaps they can uncover the cause of the anomaly."

Aiko and the others didn't react in any particular way, but David and the other guard knights who were dining with them all made sounds that were half admiration and half interest.

Speaking of Fren's branch manager, he was one of the highest-ranking officials in the entire guild. Since he had specifically commissioned this mission, his abilities must be considerable. For those equally adept at combat, such a figure piqued their curiosity, and the knights mentally listed famous adventurers like "Gold."

Seeing David and the others whispering among themselves, Aiko and the others were just beginning to wonder when they heard voices coming from the stairs leading to the second floor. It was a man and two girls. It sounded like the girl was complaining to the man, and Foss reacted to the voices:

"Oh, as you say, they are the ones. Sir Knight, I heard they'll be leaving tomorrow morning. If you want to speak with them, now's the best time."

"I see. I understand, but the voice sounds quite young. Is there anyone like that among the Jin group?"

Since none of the famous adventurers like "Jin" listed in their minds was the owner of that young voice, David and the others looked at each other, as if a little confused.

At this time, three men and women were talking and gradually approaching.

Aiko and her friends were seated at the farthest end, surrounded by walls on three sides, offering a commanding view of the entire restaurant. Essentially, these seats could be transformed into private rooms by simply drawing the curtains. Aiko and her group were already quite conspicuous, and since she was nicknamed the "Goddess of Fertility," they had become even more conspicuous. Therefore, the curtains were usually drawn during mealtimes, and today was no exception.

Through the curtain, the somewhat noisy conversation of the young man and woman could be heard:

“Really? How many times do I have to tell you before you understand? Don’t leave me alone and create a world for yourself with Yue-san. That’ll make you feel really empty. Are you listening, Hajime-san?”

"I'm listening, I'm listening. If you don't want to watch, why don't you just sleep in separate rooms?"

"What? Miss Yue, did you hear that? Mr. Hajime said something so cold."

“…Hmm, Hajime…you’re not behaving well!”

"Alright, alright."

The content of that conversation and the name the girl called out made Aiko and Yuka's hearts beat wildly.

What did they say? What did they call the boy? Doesn't the boy's voice sound like 'his'?

Aiko and the others' minds were instantly filled with questions, their bodies stiffened as if frozen, their gazes fixed on the curtain as if they were trying to penetrate it with their eyes.

Especially for Yuka, whose life was saved and whose heart was deeply traumatized by the incident, the shock she received was extraordinary. The spoon in her hand fell, making a clanging sound, but she seemed not to hear it, just standing there in a daze.

Including Yuuka, Atsushi and the other students, the image of "him" falling into the abyss four months ago also surfaced in their minds. That boy who made them realize the meaning of "dying in another world" so strongly, that boy whose deepest memories they wanted to erase, that boy who was so compelling in both good and bad ways...

Seeing that Aiko and Yuka looked a bit strange, Fos and the other knights looked at each other in surprise, but no one responded. The knights looked at each other in confusion, not knowing what was going on. At this time, Aiko blurted out the name:

“…Nagumo-san?”

The sound she made unconsciously caused Aiko to encounter an unbelievable situation, and her stiff body regained its freedom. As Aiko stood up, she knocked over the chair, and although her steps were staggering, she still pulled the curtain open with all her strength.

The sound of the curtain being drawn back was incredibly loud, startling the three young men and women so much that they couldn’t help but stop in their tracks.

Before Aiko could confirm the other person's appearance, she called out the name of her beloved student:

"Nagumo-kun!"

“Huh? ……………Teacher?”

With one eye wide open in astonishment, a white-haired boy wearing an eyepatch stood before Aiko.

His appearance was very different from the Nanyun Hajime she remembered, not just in appearance, but also in the impression he gave. The Nanyun Hajime that Aiko knew was a quiet boy who always seemed to be in a daze and had a gentle personality. In fact, in Aiko's perception, he was the child who was most suitable for the wry smile, but this was her secret.

However, the boy before her had eagle-like eyes, exuding an unapproachable, sharp aura, completely different from what she remembered. If she had simply passed him on the street, she would never have mistaken him for Nan Yun Hajime.

But upon closer inspection, his face and voice matched my memory. More importantly… how did the boy in front of me address me? Yes, he had just called me "teacher."

Although his appearance and impression had changed drastically, Aiko was certain that the boy in front of her was her student - 'Nan Yun Hajime'!

“Nagumo-san… you really are Nagumo-san, right? You’re still alive… you’re really still alive…”

"No, you got the wrong person. Goodbye."

"what?"

Aiko was so moved by her miraculous reunion with the student she'd thought was dead that tears welled up in her eyes. "Where have you been?" "What happened?" "I'm so glad you're safe." She had so many words to say, yet nothing came out. Even so, Aiko desperately tried to find words, but the response she received was completely unexpected.

Aiko couldn't help but make a sound of stupidity, and her tears stopped. She looked blankly at Hajime striding towards the hotel exit, then immediately came to her senses, hurriedly chased after him, grabbed Hajime's sleeve and said:

"Wait a minute! You're Nagumo-san, right? You just called me teacher, right? Why do you say you recognized the wrong person?"

"No, you heard it wrong. That's... that's right, that's dialect. It means 'short man'."

"If that's the case, it's extremely rude! And how could you possibly speak in that dialect? Why are you trying to hide it? And with that attire... what happened? What are you doing in a place like this? Why don't you just come back to everyone? Nagumo-kun! Answer me now! I won't let you get away with it!"

Aiko's angry voice echoed throughout the restaurant.

Several customers who were already there saw the rumored "Fertility Goddess" grabbing a man and roaring, thinking, "Wow, a goddess has a man!?", with curiosity shining in their eyes due to this interesting misunderstanding.

Yuka and the others, along with David and the others, also came out from their seats one after another.

Seeing Hajime's figure, the students revealed expressions of disbelief and astonishment—partly because he was still alive, and partly because his appearance and temperament had changed drastically. They seemed at a loss as to what to do, and could only stare blankly at Aiko and Hajime.

On the other hand, regarding Hajime's reaction, although he seemed calm at first glance, he was actually a little panicked inside. He had never dreamed that he would be sent to this small town by a guild branch manager whom he happened to know, and that here he would accidentally meet Aiko and his classmates again.

Because the incident happened so suddenly, he accidentally muttered "teacher" and finally tried to get away with it with an excuse that he himself thought was too exaggerated.

Under Aiko's furious questioning, Hajime searched his mind for his LI○ CARD, but only useless cards appeared: 'Run away', 'Insist on admitting the wrong person', 'Pretend to be a suspicious foreigner', 'Kidnap Ai',' especially the last one, which was completely incomprehensible.

At that moment, Hajime's reliable female partner intervened to save him. Of course, this wasn't referring to the sorry rabbit, but rather the vampire princess. Yue strode over to Hajime and Aiko, forcibly shaking off Aiko's grip on Hajime's arm. In that instant, David and the others emitted a faint murderous aura.

"...Go away, Hajime is troubled."

“Who are you? The teacher is discussing something important with Nagumo-san…”

"...Then calm down."

The beautiful girl glared at him with a calm expression, and Aiko couldn't help but flinch. They were about the same height, so it looked like a pair of children arguing.

However, Aiko, who is always treated as younger than her actual age, and Yue, who exudes a seductive aura that contradicts her appearance, no matter how you look at it, the picture looks like an adult (Yue) scolding a child (Aiko).

In fact, after hearing Yue's correction, Aiko realized that she had lost control a little. Her cheeks flushed and she distanced herself from Hajime. Although it was too late, she still held her head high and chest out, trying to show the authority of an adult, but... she was just like a child pretending to be mature.

"I'm so sorry, I lost my composure. Let me confirm again, you are Nagumo-san, right?"

This time, Aiko asked again in a calm but confident tone, looking directly into Hajime's eyes.

Seeing Aiko's attitude, Hajime thought that since she was already convinced, even if she tried to hide it, she would continue to pursue him. Hajime scratched his head, sighed deeply, and admitted his identity:

"Yes, long time no see, teacher."

“As expected, you are Nagumo-san… So you’re still alive…”

Aiko's eyes welled up with tears once again, but Hajime didn't express any particular emotion, and simply shrugged.

"It's okay. Although a lot happened, I'm still alive."

"That's great. That's really great."

Aiko couldn't seem to say anything else. Hajime glanced at her, walked over to a nearby table, and sat down. Seeing Hajime sitting down, Yue and Shia followed suit, although Shia was very confused.

Aiko and the others opened their eyes wide in surprise at Hajime's sudden action. Hajime seemed to have completely recovered his composure, and waved to Foss, who was standing behind Yuka and David, watching the situation unfold.

“Um… Mr. Hajime, is this okay? They’re people you know, right? I’m guessing they’re from your original world…”

"It's okay. I was surprised when they suddenly showed up, but that's all. We're here for dinner anyway, so hurry up and order. I'm really looking forward to it. You know what? They have curry... I'm afraid you won't understand this, but there's a spicy dish called niel shishiru. If it tastes like I imagined, I'll be so happy..."

“…I want to order that dish too. I want to know what Hajime likes.”

"Ah, you're promoting yourself so nonchalantly in a place like this... As expected of Miss Yue. That's why I want to order the same thing, Mr. Clerk~ Please take our order~"

At first, Shia kept stealing glances at Aiko and the others, looking restless. But since Hajime said so, she stopped paying attention to them and ordered from Foss, who walked over with a troubled smile.

But of course, someone called a halt. Because Hajime sat down so naturally and began to order food nonchalantly, Aiko, who had been stunned, seemed to come back to life. She strode over to Hajime's table and, with an expression that clearly said, "The teacher is angry!", slammed the table hard.

"Nagumo-san, I haven't finished what I'm saying yet. Why are you ordering so naturally? And who are these two women?"

Aiko's words, which spoke for everyone present, finally made David and the others realize that Hajime was the student who had passed away four months ago, and they nodded in agreement.

Students like Yuka gradually accept the fact that Hajime is still alive. While feeling shaken, they quietly wait for Hajime's answer.

Seeing their reactions like that, Hajime frowned, feeling a bit troubled. But when he thought that if he didn't answer, Aiko would use her natural drive to pester him, and they wouldn't be able to sit down and eat, Hajime reluctantly turned his gaze back to Aiko.

"We've come all the way from Fren for a request, and we're really hungry. Let's have a good meal. And those two are..."

Hajime turned his gaze towards Yue and Shia. Before Hajime could speak, they had already introduced themselves in a very shocking way to Aiko and the others: