ch1-ch20 · 010-ch10

Chapter 10: Hunter Association

A few days have passed since the World Clock appeared in Aoba Town. I, Maeda Hagane, am still hard at work as usual, full of energy.

"Hey, Maeda!!!"

The new office is super comfortable. The PCs and printers are all brand new, and since the floor is on the tenth story, the view is amazing. The department head's voice carries really well too.

"Yes, what is it?"

"Hey, that kid... what happened to her?"

"Huh? You told me not to bring her, so I left her at the facility during work hours."

"I see..."

Well, well, look who's gone all meek all of a sudden. Maybe the department head finally realized how cute Lumiel is too.

"It's the department head's fault Rumi-chan stopped coming."

"He's just being stubborn when he really wants her to come."

"Who the hell said they want a workplace wrecker like her to come!?"

The department head snapped at the coworkers' hushed whispers.

Ever since the day Lumiel came to work with me, the atmosphere at our company has completely changed.

Everyone seems brighter somehow... or rather, they're not so intimidated by the department head anymore. And the department head himself seems to have mellowed out too.

I won't go so far as to say it's all thanks to Lumiel, but there's no doubt she was the trigger.

"Want to go back?"

By the way, Lumiel is actually still in the office. In her white cat form, invisible to everyone, of course.

She can't come in human form like before, but apparently she enjoys sitting on the department head's desk and watching everyone.

I shook my head, and she looked out at the scenery with a bored expression, as if to say "But I wanted to work" — .

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I headed home while gazing at the unfamiliar scenery.

We moved away from the town I'd grown accustomed to, relocating to Kioka Town — the same place our office moved to.

Sis: Sent a photo Sis: We've moved too (peace sign) Me: Huh?! How is this even possible?! Sis: Asked a friend to help with the move Me: You can move an entire property...? Sis: Speaking of which, the preparations should be done soon Sis: I'll contact you again soon Me: Thanks!

Looks like my sister's been making preparations too.

So far, nothing unusual has happened — no strange mail, no one tailing me, no changes in my surroundings. But thanks to my conversations with my sister, I understand the situation I'm in, and I'm staying alert.

And so, I arrived home.

Fifty years old, separate bath and toilet, near the station.

This is our new home.

"I'm home~"

I opened the door and turned on the light. Our new place, noticeably more spacious than before, welcomed us.

Taking advantage of the fact that moving costs were covered by the government, I bought all the necessary furniture and appliances brand new, and upgraded from a 1R to a 1DK.

"Wasn't there a nicer place?"

"No way!! This is perfectly within my means!"

"I liked that shiny place over there."

"Don't be so picky! Home is where you make it!"

Beyond where Lumiel was looking, a newly built luxury apartment complex was visible in the distance.

Oh, shut your mouth, you silly goose!

If I got carried away and moved into some ridiculously expensive apartment just because the government's paying, I'd be in for a world of hurt once the subsidies run out!

"But I'm fine anywhere as long as I'm with Koh."

Okay, I'll honestly take that.

I forgave everything and patted her head.

◇◆◇◆◇

"This is 'a'... and this one is 'i'... and this one is 'u'."

"A. I. U."

"Try writing it with your finger. Yeah, just like that, good."

Current time: 22:30.

Location — in the bath.

Lately, my daily routine has been teaching Lumiel (cat) how to read and write using a hiragana chart stuck to the bathroom wall while we soak.

She has no trouble communicating, but she can't read or write letters. So we study together while bathing.

"Which one is 'ko'?"

"'Ko' is this one."

"Then this makes 'Koh'."

Lumiel picks things up astonishingly fast. Her intelligence is remarkable — after just a few days of study, she's already starting to understand hiragana.

"Correct! That's amazing!"

"Then give me my reward hug."

"Wh-woah!? Don't turn into human form!!"

She stays in cat form during baths (well, basically all the time), but for some reason, she always wants to turn human when it's time for hugs.

Our bathroom is pretty small. Tight enough that two people soaking in it can barely move.

And by the way, Lumiel is stacked.

You know what I mean.

"(Is it because I still don't feel any lewd thoughts about her... maybe because I think of her like a niece or daughter?)"

Calmly analyzing myself, I continued to let Lumiel hold me as she pleased.

◇◆◇◆◇

"I'll make dinner."

"NO!! Don't touch ANYTHING, please!!"

"..."

Since we moved to the new place, we've lost a microwave twice and a vacuum cleaner three times.

The moving budget I thought I'd saved... why did it turn out like this...

I quickly whipped up some food and sat down at the table.

"Ready, set."

"Thank you for the meal."

Tonight I tried making omurice.

Everything was done by eye, so no guarantees on the taste.

"Mmmph!"

"Is it good?"

"Mmm-nom."

Seeing Lumiel eat so happily, I feel a strange surge of creativity when it comes to cooking.

This feeling I never had when I lived alone — is this what they call parental instinct...?

I turned on the TV and took a bite myself.

Mmm, not bad.

The news was playing on TV.

It looked like some kind of special feature was starting.

♪ Duh-duh-duh-duh-duh-duh-duh ♪

『Awakener Front Line: Find the Hero of Aoba Town!』

『In cooperation with the Hunter Association』

『The World Clock that appeared in Aoba Town the other day. The confirmed casualties so far number 37 dead, with 680 injured. Thanks to the cooperation of the Hunters, all missing persons have been found, but the fact remains that many lives were lost. We offer our sincere condolences to those who died.』

The footage switched from the announcer to the scene with flowers laid out and grieving family members in tears.

These were the people who became victims of the monsters before Lumiel could suppress them.

『Hunters live their lives carrying "the lives they couldn't save." Sometimes they watch their comrades die right in front of them. Even so, will you still do it?』

My sister's words echoed in my head.

If I join a guild, I might become a Hunter in the future. Whether I do or not, I won't forget this scene.

"It's okay."

Lumiel muttered while staring at the TV screen.

"The souls of the dead simply return to the cycle of the world."

"That sounds pretty deep."

"In other words, death isn't the end."

Death isn't the end — I feel like a fortune teller or someone said something like that once.

That people have past lives, and that the soul is immortal even if the form changes — into an insect, an object, a person.

If Lumiel, an angel, says so, then it must be true. The people who died this time will also be reborn in the future. I hope so, anyway.

『—however, it is said that there was an entity who prevented further catastrophe. Normally, devastating damage would have been expected. But all the monsters were suppressed, and the damage was kept local. What exactly happened? Let's take a look at some interview footage.』

The footage cut to the townspeople.

『A light came down from the sky! A big flash, y'know!』

『I was about to be eaten by a monster when they saved me. Thank you so much, Hero.』

『And messages like these have been pouring in —』

"I see, so that's their angle."

"Huh?"

"This is a recruitment program aimed at Lumiel."

"Recruitment?"

"Meaning the Association is seriously searching for Lumiel now."

The announcer continued.

『If this individual were to officially operate as a Hunter, Japan's defensive capabilities would see a major improvement. The Hunter Association is seeking information on the "Hero of Aoba Town." If you were involved in or witnessed this battle, please provide information through the Association's dedicated hotline or official website —』

Of course, I can't come forward. If I recklessly brought Lumiel to the Hunter Association, my sister said they might take her away... or they might try.

I'll protect Lumiel.

And I'll live as normally and naturally as possible.

"..."

I turned off the TV and shoveled the rest of the omurice into my mouth.

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