Volume 1 - CH 22

Chapter 22: Tamaki’s Past

The 4 of us are sent to the white room.

That’s great, we are saved.

Honestly speaking, I really do not wish to engage in battle with the elite orc in such a scattered state. It is impossible to achieve victory like this.

In fact, I have already began to think about how to retreat. Among Mia’s magic, are there any that could be of use? Or perhaps using magic to buy some time……

Right, in this battle, we defeated a total of 4 orcs, coupled with those we defeated earlier……

I see, the elite orc that was defeated yesterday, is equivalent to the experience of 5 ordinary orcs.

Could it be that orcs also have difference in levels, and the levels will affect the experience values? Which is to say, elite orc is a level 5 orc, so it has 10 skill point, which is just enough to raise a certain skill rank to 4?

Is the elite orc’s skill Rank 4 Sword Skill? Or is it some「Orc Battle Tactics」that is unique to orcs, and it is the skill that reached Rank 4? This point is unknown for now.

If the enemies also have a Skill System, then it is probably the latter. Just based on increasing Sword Skill, it is impossible for it to have that brute power.

If the systems in this world is all about Level and Skills, then I should assume that there is a Skill called 【Orc】, that can increase body size and power.

Although this sounds pretty fake. Wah~ this is pretty disadvantageous to humans……

No, actually that may not be so. From current experience, the orcs are mostly simple fools. Even if it is an obvious lure, they will still obediently drop into the trap, and would not call for companions.

For instance, if a Level 0 like me wants to win Arisu that is of Level 1, then even if I use traps, it will also be hard to win her.

Which is to say, her judgement power is very strong, she will be able to discover that it is a bait immediately.

If facing a ordinary orc, as long as there are suitable equipment and preparation, I feel that there should be a chance at victory.

Actually, although there are many times due to luck, but eventually I also won.

In simple terms, our advantage is that we are able to use the correct people in the correct places……

I tried putting it in such a manner to escape reality, but Tamaki who is crying on my chest did not change.

I do not think that is she is at fault. Thinking back, it was Arisu who was too good.

I have been using a wrong standard to look at everyone. During my first physical battle with the orcs, did I also feel like I do not want to experience such a thing again?

I lowered my head and looked at Tamaki who kept saying 「Sorry, don’t abandon me, please」.

Then I looked up with a troubled face, at Arisu and Mia.

The 2 of them are also crying.

Argh, that, actually it was me who wanted to cry…….

Tamaki hugged me with more strength, bringing me closer.

I patted her back like I was pacifying a kid.

「Calm down. We are already safe, okay?」

Tamaki and I sat on the ground together. Argh, more accurately, it should be she grabbed on my clothes, pulling me down to sit.

Probably because this girl raised Physical Skill to Rank 1, she is really strong.

Right —— I suddenly thought of it. Although there are Physical, Movement Skills, but there are no skills related to mental.

Even with weapon skills and Physical Skills, Tamaki’s heart has yet to become a warrior.If battling with the orcs, it is fine if it is something like just now, the problem is what to do next…

「Arisu, that, do you know why she became like this?」

「Yes, I roughly know it.」

「Can you tell me?」

「That~ but, it is better to first…」

Yes, we have to let her calm down first. I lightly caressed Tamaki’s head, she is different from Arisu, there are scents of mandarins. Or perhaps she had put on perfume before.

「Tamaki, don’t worry. I will not hate you, or abandon you over such a small thing.」

That’s right, I will never take the initiative to betray you. As long as you continue to believe in me, I will also trust you forever

But Tamaki continues to cry.

She could have some severe emotional wounds. There must be something in her heart, pressing her to grab onto me who is the leader, begging for my forgiveness.

A past of cruel treatment.

I don’t think that this is a troublesome matter. I am the same as her, bearing a shadow of emotions scars. We are actually similar, as long as time permits, I am willing to understand her pain, and even assist in the treatment of her scars.

Finally, it could be that Tamaki is too tired, she fell asleep like this in my arms.

I pulled my legs in, and let her head lie on my thigh. After a while my legs will become numb, then I will have to ask Arisu to help me cast 《Remove Pain》.

Tamaki shrunk herself like a cat, with her arms around my waist, and slept just like that.

Occasionally she will give a few moans, don’t know if she is having nightmares?

Then saying, this morning I seem to have had a nightmare too . The feeling was really bad when I woke up.

My past experience has always been bothering me, continuously breaking my heart. I believe it is the same for Tamaki.

I once again lightly caress her golden hair.

Tamaki who is in a deep sleep, began to give out satisfied sounds.

「Arisu, Mia, can the both of you sit down too?」

「Yes.」

「Hmm.」

The 2 of them bend their legs, and sat in front of me, which is the so called sitting posture of the girls.

「Okay, now please tell me. Why did Tamaki become like this?」

「Ah, this~」

Arisu hesitated a moment, and spoke:

「Before that, can you please agree to my request?」

「Of course. As long as you request it, and it is within my abilities, I will agree to anything.」

「That, that~」

Arisu swallowed her saliva, and gave out a 「Un」sound, and nodded while clenching her fists.

Then she shaked her head……

Finally she looked into my eyes.

「Kazu-senpai, this is my request. If Tamaki is also willing, I wish for you to get involved with her.」(TL note: means getting in a relationship. and you know what happens next)

「Huh?」

I gave out a weird cry.

Ryuuki Tamaki is an adopted child. I have heard this matter from herself before.

Afterall she is a golden-haired Westerner with blue eyes.

「Tamaki was an orphan.」

She did not know who her parents were, she was abandoned before she knew anything.

It is said that there was a period, the upper society strongly promote to adopt and educate orphans like her. The one who adopted Tamaki, was a certain investor.

But her parents in the Ryuuki family, had very bad tempers. Although normally she was treated very well, but once something goes wrong, their temper will erupt. And every time they will scold Tamaki, saying that she is a useless child.

Like our family do not need you, you are a child that nobody wants, we wanted to adopt someone smarter.

「Don’t such people get eliminated when they apply to adopt?」

「Normally they are really gentle people…… It is said that they also looked very kind.」

Yes—— Some people are just good at pretending—— I thought so like it doesn’t concern me. Actually, I, myself, was forced to have the determination to kill someone due to 「people are just good at pretending」……

「Even so, Tamaki still continued to work hard. She kept pushing herself, forcing herself…… overwhelming herself. Tamaki’s character is just very straight, and serious, so she will keep on working hard until she overworked……」

Until finally—— that’s right.

Her heart broke.

Her parents’ expectations, become a heavy burden to her. She can’t help it, and even had situations where she had short-term memory loss.

So, the Ryuuki Family threw Tamaki to this school.

They abandoned her—— Arisu said so.

「Kazu-senpai is a transfer student in the high school section, so you may not know, but actually this school is for those who are rich….. like『Ubasuteyama』.」(TL note: it is a Japanese legend whereby it is a place where the old are abandoned so that they can die)

I see, this school had a middle school and high school section, is a world that is separated from the outside world.

To people who wanted to use a bit of money to send their child away, this is indeed a very suitable place.

「In other words, this school has a lot of people like her?」

「Actually I am too.」

Arisu shrugged her shoulders expressionlessly. I looked at her in shock, only seeing her give a self-depreciating smile that was different from her usual smile.

「Actually I am an orphan too. Although I did not have any high expectations desired from me like Tamaki, but my foster parents also had the attitude of『just send her to this school』. I did not have a very good relationship with my foster parents.」

「Arisu……」

「Ah, please don’t mind it. My foster parents have already promised me, that they will pay for all the school fees until university…… And in the current situation, those matters have nothing to do with me.」

That’s true.

I sighed, raising my head and looked at the white ceiling.

After all this is another world.

「Oh yeah, then Mia?」

「Normal family, normal parents, just that their children are a bit of a hikikomori.」

「Why did you say it until like it is like a background of a movie.」

「Because they are worried that their daughter is too much of a hikikomori, so as parents they decided to send her to this environment, where everything is controlled and there is no entertainment……」

Mia stared at the ceiling mindlessly.

「The worst thing is, the mountain of pornographic mangas that I hid behind the bookshelf was discovered by them.」

「That was when you are in elementary school?」

Mia gave a 「Huh?」sound, looking at me in surprise.

「Such things should be very common nowadays.」

「Don’t expect to seek my agreement. I know that you are currently at an age whereby curiosity dominates, but a normal person will not have 『a mountain』of pornographic mangas.」

Mia turned and looked at Arisu, and Arisu shook her heading, blushing.

「Ah, forget it. How do I say this, in short I understand that you deserved it.」

「Hmm, I think so too.」

「Didn’t you mentioned before, that your brother is also studying in this school?」

「My brother brought ero-game to school during elementary school, and caused a surge……」

This brother, aren’t you too capable.

Such actions, will perhaps attract someone to him. Hmm, actually it may not.

Then again, these siblings are really incredible.

「What about Kazu-chi?」

「……. You have decided to call me like this in the future? Anything. I just managed to enter this school with my results. In the transfer exams for high school, the difference is also higher.」

But I did not expect the tragedy of being bullied, I felt regret at my high chances of stepping on a landmine.

But —— I lowered my head and looked at Tamaki who is sleeping soundly, and lightly caressed her hair, then an alluring scent permeates.

「Arisu, didn’t you mentioned before, thanks to her optimistic character, then you managed to get friends?」

「Yes, that is real. When I just entered school, I also did not know that Tamaki was forcing herself. Until once, I just slightly gave her a cold shoulder, then she……」

「Became like this?」

Arisu nodded, expressing that she heard Tamaki’s past from her at this moment.

「Tamaki said, once she thought that she had failed the expectations of someone she trusted, then she will break down. Normally she would be fine.」

「So saying, she….. had so much trust in me」

I only met Tamaki yesterday evening.

Honestly speaking, between us there are only the relationships with Arisu. I did not expect that she actually—— how should I say this, invest in so much feelings.

「It’s my…… fault.」

Arisu lowered her head and said.

「I convinced everyone—— that the rest of the days, we can only follow Kazu-senpai, if not everyone will die.」

「Ah, you said that to everyone because you wanted to help me?」

Arisu nodded, saying that it was from yesterday.

「So everyone worked hard, hoping to be able to help Kazu-senpai……」

「…… Could it be that why everyone is willing to level up to Level 1, was also because of you?」

So when I was sleeping in the single room, the girls are in the room discussing such stuff.

That is really an unexpected assist.

Arisu, having such thoughts, made me really happy. Although I am happy, but hmm—— so there was actually such a reason why the girls are actually more obedient than expected.

「Ah, but I am not the only one, Shiki-senpai also helped to convince everyone.」

「That person?」

「Yes. Shiki-senpai said that Kazu-senpai is a person with high endurance, so if we need someone to trust now, then we should trust such a person……」

Is she trying to repay her debt? Or she has other schemes?

「Anyway, because of this, that is why Tamaki wished to satisfy my expectations.」

If she did not satisfy the other party’s expectation, then she will be abandoned—— Once she thought so, then her feelings will flow out uncontrollably like a spring.

To her, what should I do……

「You have to put her at ease. You have to let Tamaki believe that, no matter what mistakes she made, Kazu-senpai will not abandon her.」

「If it is only that, as long as I spent time to convince her, it will be fine. Luckily when we are in this white room, there is as much time as we want.」

「In the past I tried to convince Tamaki, and tell her that no matter what she did to me, I am fine. I had even let her use a knife to cut my arm.」

But now, the wounds are already gone—— Arisu smiled and said.

What is the matter with this kid, isn’t it too intense.

This was more crazy than I had expected.

「Then, Tamaki also wished for me to hurt her, and reached out with her arm… … So the 2 of us cut each other’s body.」

But the wounds on her hands, also disappeared because of yesterday’s 《Heal》magic —— Arisu followed up.

「If inflicting harm is enough, then can’t I just follow suit?」

「Tamaki and I have been together for a long period of time.」

Oh—— I see. Even for Arisu who have spent a long time with her, have to go through such an intense ritual, of course there must been an even stronger bond between me and her.

「So that is why you want me to get involved with her?」

「Yes.」

Arisu nodded nervously.

The issue has become troublesome.

I could only sigh.