Of Course, I Have Several Tricks Left (8.3)

…

"Challia-san, Dionysus-sama is no longer here." Cranel gave out a call just as he exited the flower shop. A pair of frazzled, human girls came out before he did, giving him flushed glances that he managed to miss completely thanks to his Dense Harem Protagonist Attribute. My apologies, ladies, but you're not part of the main cast. I will probably never see you again. Please, reconsider your life choices in living in Orario. My student came out of the wreckage of the florist, brushing dust from his lapel, but with a note in his hand. "But he left behind this note, addressed to you. I'm sorry, Challia-san."

"There is nothing to apologize for, Cranel-san." Challia gave a short bow towards Cranel before accepting the letter. Turning away, I kept watch over the street and made sure that the ground wasn't rumbling beneath us. The trashy monsters that Zaimokuza created liked to play dirty. I would've been impressed if I wasn't sure that they were basically ripped straight out of a hentai. Both Lefiya and I were carefully keeping watch for any of the monsters. Thankfully, Alf and her team have been whittling them down very quickly. I guessed that she read the note as yet another spike of magic erupted in the distance. What a bunch of showoffs. "Hikigaya-san, Dionysus-sama wrote that he's making his way to Babel, but he also believes that someone is pursuing him."

"Do you know of anyone who might do such a thing, especially in times like this?" Viridis quirked her head towards the two as they joined us. I was surprised by how different the blonde-haired elf acted when facing monsters. She hasn't hesitated once since we began fighting together. I supposed that it's to be expected of a Level 3 who's gone past the fiftieth floor. Monsters are easier to face than other adventurers, after all. Whatever the case is for her sudden change, I was glad for it. Pairing Cranel off with Challia, which I suspected was the entire point of this little story arc, resulted in me gaining someone reliable as my second-in-command. "Could it be possible that your Kami-sama might be pursued by someone who intends to rescue him?"

"Not with the description he left." Challia shook her head, a frown coming upon her face as her brows narrowed. Ah, the confused and frustrated face. I am well aware of this facial expression of an elf. Generally speaking, they end up glaring angrily at me afterward. "A man with a goat's head mask is apparently leading several monsters after him." She paused as we began to move. Staying still, especially with the amount of magic we had altogether, attracted quite a few of the monsters. While I had infinite Mind thanks to my overpowered, broken ability, they did not need to know that I did. "He believes him to be a remnant of an organization called 'Evilus.'"

"…I suppose we can all guess why the man's a remnant." What a stupid name for an antagonistic organization. Seriously, Zaimokuza, I thought you were actually being decently clever several times. What the hell happened? Evilus? Really? It's just English. How do you expect the Western Audience to like the anime if you do shit like this? Do you want Manga and Anime of this series to fail? "Do you know anything about Evilus, Challia-san?"

"Unfortunately, Hikigaya-san, I do not." Challia shook her head, though I did notice the slightest of quirks of her lip at my little joke. My, oh my, Cranel you sure are a lucky bastard. The black-haired elf whose heart you'll probably capture this day is the rarest form of elf. Undoubtedly, she is an elf with a sense of style and humor. Quite possibly, she is the sole example of her subtype of elf in the entirety of this world. "However, Dionysus-sama has said that he intends to seek shelter at the Hecate Familia, a wise choice considering the nature of our enemy."

"The Hecate Familia specializes in magic items and Mages, so his safety should be assured." Viridis noted thoughtfully before giving a sharp nod and rattling off directions. We picked up speed and settled into a brisk pace without incident. You know, if the price to pay to make someone confident and assured is a spear to the chest… I just might be willing to pay for it multiple times over. Especially if I can hit someone with a rod of lightning in the meantime. The twitching never fails to make me happy. "I believe that Evilus was an alliance between several gods that formed after the Zeus and Hecate Familias destroyed one another almost a century and a half ago. However, they were destroyed at the same time by an alliance between the early Ganesha, Loki, and Freya Familias."

"For someone that old to be active, that either means there's a secret Familia that still supports Evilus, or we're going to be facing a Level 3 or 4 with fifty to a hundred years of experience in handling monsters." Tamers aren't pushovers. The Ganesha Familia is well-known across the world for their specialization in that particular, crazy skill tree. For one to live this long, even at 'only' Level 3 and 4, the man in question must be powerful. Still, I had a white-haired, red-eyed trump card with maxed out stats, an overpowered knife, and a ridiculous amount of firepower. In the end, this guy was only a threat if I let him be a threat. Which, of course, I had no intention of doing. "No more searching by pairs then, we go altogether when searching for Dionysus-sama."

With that, we made our way to the Hecate Familia.

I tried to ignore how familiar the route we took was.

And, how strange it was to take the route with others.

…

The Hecate Familia was based off an old Inn, with dozens of rooms in the upper floors while the first was entirely dedicated to serving and preparing food. A few elements, such as the kitchen, and the many tables were kept once it was bought by Hecate. There wasn't much in terms of decoration, given how expensive being a mage tends to be in a Familia filled with mages, but despite the size of the building, it was… warm. Lived in. Despite the fact the first floor was filled with people seeking refuge, it was still unbearably familiar.

I underestimated how difficult it would be to return to it. In the corner of my eyes the ones who I failed were still in their usual spots. Linnaeus sat on a stool, interposed on a fidgeting dwarf, giving a cocky smirk and a whistle to any passing lady. Asha and Jinnah, of course, would both walk up to him moments later, give smacks on the head, and they'd go on to pack while I waited right where I stood now. Sylt would be the first at my side, always on time and ready to go. Quiet enough to go unnoticed, but she kept her heart in plain view with the rest of us. Kanuri would always be the last present, lugging a massive pack behind her, always nearly completedly exhausted before the day began.

They were all standing before me now.

Smiling.

Happy.

Alive.

"Sensei… are you alright?" Cranel's voice brought me back from my slowly muddling thoughts. As I forced myself to relax, I heard the creaking of leather as I unclenched my fist. The taste of iron permeated my mouth. I'd accidentally drawn blood as I forced myself to keep quiet. Glancing towards my student, he was in Sylt's place, I had to make sure to swallow and keep out any sign of scarlet before I spoke. Relaxing was out of the question then. All I could really do was make it seem as though I'm fine. "You don't seem well. Are you hurt?"

"Just tired." My reply didn't elicit the understanding I was aiming for. Cranel simply frowned and his eyes focused on me. My white-haired student could be very perceptive when he wanted to, so I had no doubt that he could tell that I was lying. If I could read between the lines, then he could most certainly tell something is wrong within moments. I supposed I hoped too much that his dense nature would apply to me. I supposed that I should take comfort in the fact that I'm not one of his routes… Still, there was no harm in trying. "I've used a lot of magic today."

"…Lefiya-san, Challia-san, can the two of you start looking for Dionysus-sama?" Cranel turned and gave both elves a small smile. Undoubtedly, my white-haired student was giving them both a command. A gentle command, but an order nonetheless. Yeah, I didn't teach him how to do that. That's all Hestia's work. Good to know he's paying more attention to how people act. However, I wished he wasn't showing this off now of all times. I didn't exactly want to talk about my problems. No one ever did. "I'm going to try and find some Mind Potions for Sensei."

They complied without question, leaving me with my student and a few ghosts.

"Sensei, what's wrong?" Pleadingly, Cranel approached me. Worry was clear on his face. An emotion that I had caused. He knew that there was no way that I'd actually talk about what was wrong with Challia and Viridis present. Really, he knew me better than I thought he did. There was something in his red eyes that made my stomach twist into knots, but looking past him made my throat lock up. Following my gaze, he looked upon the sole person that I never wanted to see. "Ah, who are you-."

She walked past him completely, standing before me with her hands upon her hips, and locked her gaze with mine. Unlike many others of her kind, she wore a simple tunic, tights, and leather boots. Auburn-haired, silver-eyed, and fair-featured as she tended to be, she was simply another Adventurer within the renovated Inn. Often, I'd conversed with her without knowing who she was. She did nothing to mark her as different or special.

I remembered many afternoons simply spent talking about anything. Moments of calm in a life filled with killing monsters, gathering money, and dealing with thieves and the refuse of society. Despite the dozens of deaths I'd witnessed, the amount of beggars that sat despondently on corners by, and the strangeness of the entire world, there had been a place where I could simply exchange inane stories and interesting news.

Something familiar in a strange, terrible world.

"Hachiman." It wasn't a greeting. I knew that we were long past that. Besides that, I couldn't find the strength to speak as I looked upon her. There was a smile on her face. A small smile. But a smile nonetheless. Her hand, slight and soft, reached out and grasped my wrist. My hand unclenched, having curled tightly without my notice. Even as tension left me, I found myself only looking at the goddess before me. There was something indescribable about her. Something that led me to wanting to both flee and stay. "I'm glad you're safe."

"…" Were those really the words I deserved to hear? After getting five of her children killed? I wanted to say those words aloud. To tell the truth. An immense, no, a critical part of me demanded that I correct her. To tell her that I had failed in properly training them. That she should stop sending messages to the Guild asking for me. To treat me as I deserved to be treated. Instead, I found that the words wouldn't come. I was only able to manage a small bow, avert my gaze, and give a faint whisper. "I'm sorry for troubling you, Hecate-sama."

I hadn't known who she was until the day she told me they were all dead.

The day I last saw her.

The day I ran.

"You're no burden for me, Hachiman." The smile on her face widened ever so slightly. Why, I had no way of knowing. "Please, try to remember that this time."

...