23 – And Then, It Began

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I see, so this is what he wanted to consult me about.

-pondered Tatsumi.

No matter how much the Church and the Kingdom wanted to cover it up, if the person concerned, aka Tatsumi, wanted to make it public, he could easily do it.

Of course, Tatsumi had no intention of doing that, but for people who did not know Tatsumi at all, they might do something preposterous before Tatsumi even had the chance to do something.

Of course, if they said it was for the sake of protecting the honor of the country, Tatsumi would be pissed off, but since it was in order to not spread panic among the civilians, he could consent.

“….Do you mind if I ask something?”

“What?”

“About the Incident, do all possess the same amount of power as the one which took over Mister Morga and Baldeo?”

It had easily taken over both Baldeo and Morga. It had even withstood Calcedonia’s a few times. If all devils were that powerful, then they were indeed a terrifying existence.

“Hmm, well I didn’t confront this time’s devil personally and only read about it in the reports, but it should be in the upper level even among the stronger devils.”

Originally, devils tried to avoid possessing humans.

Certainly among living beings humans had the most desires, but they possessed magic which was even effective against devils. So normally humans were avoided.

Also, the number of devils were small to begin with, and most of them built up power a little bit at a time after possessing wild animals. When they become stronger than normal, they start targeting humans.

There was a condition like that too. And most of the times when a human has demonized the damage they cause is massive. And even comparing all that the one from this time was on the stronger side.

It even withstood Calcedonia’s . Up until now, there hasn’t been a single Devil who could do that.

So that why Giuseppe said the devil this time was more powerful than most.

“If a devil is strong enough, it can amplify even the smallest of desires. And it can bend a pure feeling into something ugly too. The devil then starts to feed off these desires and feelings. Well, these are all guesses made in the past. I mean, there hasn’t really been a human who could calmly have a chat with a devil.”

“Then…..Mister Baldeo and Morga had no fault in this incident?”

“I can’t really say if they were completely faultless, but humans are creatures who all harbor a few big and small desires. All I can say is that this time, they met the wrong foe.”

“Is that so…..Then according to your proposal, I don’t really mind it.”

Even though Giuseppe was being humble here, other than him the upper echelons of the Church and the Leading brains of the kingdom all thought of Tatsumi as a dangerous individual. It won’t be strange if they started sending assassins if Tatsumi rejected here.

Well, assassins might really not come but the possibility isn’t zero.

And besides, even Giuseppe who took such care of him was bowing his head down, so he really couldn’t say no.

“Really?! No, I was being too hasty, I’ve troubled son-in-law. Then, do you have some sort of demands regarding this case?”

In other words, ‘hush money’.

Tatsumi put on a bitter sweet smile.

“No, nothing in particular.”

“W-What!?”

Giuseppe opened his eyes wide in surprise at Tatsumi’s response.

If this was the modern Japan, then after an accident one might demand a doctor’s fee and consolation money. But about the fee, in other words the fee for the healing, Calcedonia already covered that. And after he was taken care of with such sincerity by both Giuseppe and Calcedonia, he really couldn’t ask for something like that.

If this was an “Adult Development of Events” then Tatsumi might have said something like, “Gyahaha then quickly send over yer granddaughter!” but even if he said that, Giuseppe and Calcedonia would agree readily. Well, even without it they were still plotting how to make Tatsumi accept it.

And of course, Tatsumi had no intention to demand anything from the start.

“Oh, you….even after going through all that you don’t desire anything…?”

“No, I’ve already been in your care for a while…I don’t want to act like a spoiled kid after all this.”

Giuseppe, whose status was equal to a kingdom’s king, bowed his head down. What else should he demand?

Well his judgement regarding this matter was something out of the ordinary for this worlds’ people, so Giuseppe’s surprise wasn’t a fake one,

“You….hohoho! I am astonished!”

Completely recovering from his surprise, Giuseppe put one his usual calm expression, and looked as if he just saw something very amusing.

“Master, Grandfather. I have brought Morga.”

After a knock, Calcedonia’s voice came from behind the door.

After confirming with Tatsumi, Giuseppe told the 2 outside the door to come in.

Calcedonia entered first. Following her was Morga who had his face hung down.

Today, he wasn’t wearing his usual armor, not even a priest’s robe, but commoners clothes similar to those Tatsumi saw in the town. Though he thought it was a bit out of place because Tatsumi was used to seeing him in armor, he thought it gave off a fresh feeling.

“Lord Tatsumi…”

Morganeich looked at Tatsumi with a serious expression. He walked towards his bed and then suddenly kneeled down on the floor.

“This time, it was all because of my inexperience that I caused Lord Tatsumi to suffer from such a grave injury…. I beg forgiveness.”

Tatsumi was silently looking at Morganeich who was apologizing, but then he opened his mouth after realizing something.

“…Could it be….Mister Morga is also planning on leaving the temple? And unlike Mister Baldeo, are you planning on quitting this altogether…?”

“Why do you think that?’

After raising his head, Morganeich asked back with a serious expression.

“Today, what you are wearing isn’t your usual armor, neither is it a priest’s robe, but usual clothing. Does this not mean you are resolved to quit?”

“You have quite the sharp eyes. It seems like all this time I really have been mistaken.”

Morganeich showed a heavy smile.

Honestly, Morganeich evaluated Tatsumi quite lowly.

Morganeich has fought countless monsters and demons. His eyes as a soldier and mage could perceive from the very first moment he saw him, that Tatsumi had no strong points.

But it seems like his eyes have not really being seeing anything at all.

Tatsumi, whom he thought was a normal boy, splendidly defeating himself who was possessed by a devil, and even managed to purify it.

Certainly, his fighting style was nothing but amateurish, but in the end he was defeated…no, saved by it.

Morganeich himself knew that this times incident was not made public.

He knew it was a political decision. But in the end he himself could not be satisfied by it.

He was entranced by a , and the one who saved him was the boy in front of him.

Tatsumi should have heard the decision made by the temple and the kingdom too. But even so, towards Morganeich, who you could even say was receiving preferential treatment, he neither rebuked him nor blamed him. He was simply having a normal conversation.

That’s right, he was having a simple conversation with him.

Certainly, the law doesn’t punish one if he committed crimes after being taken over by a devil. But the people of this country, no, the people of this world detested those who have been possessed once.

—They were taken over once! So it wouldn’t be a surprise if it happened again.

A person who had a desire enough to be possessed by a devil! He definitely cannot be trusted.

Maybe, the devil was still lurking inside of him.

Because of all these reasons, it was obvious for people to evade those who have been possessed by the devil once.

In these extreme cases, people feel disgusted just being near someone like that.

But this boy here was calmly having a normal conversation with him, as if there was nothing wrong.

It seems like the boy whom he thought to be as just so-so, was capable of much more than he initially thought.

Actually, Tatsumi simply had few understandings of matters related to devils, but that’s nothing Morganeich was supposed to know.

Since Tatsumi lost consciousness, Morganeich already heard a lot about him from Calcedonia and Giuseppe.

The person who was chatting happily with Calcedonia, “The Boy in her dreams”. That was Tatsumi.

When they went on exorcist missions, in between their travels, and when they lodged in inns, Morganeich always heard about the “Boy in her dreams” from Calcedonia.

After asking her again and again, Morganeich had long figured out that Calcedonia had fallen in love with the “Boy in her dreams.”

But Morganeich never put too much importance on this.

In the end no matter how much she loved him, that boy was something limited to her dreams. One day she had to wake up to reality and face it. She had to wake up from her dreams.

She was like a maiden who had fallen in love with love. Like a girl who longed for the hero of a fairy tale.

It was a path that every girl treaded at least once. Morganeich even felt it was pleasant.

He would wait till the moment when she turned her eyes away from that -Boy- in her dreams. And after that everything would be okay if those ruby eyes, in turn, reflected his figure.

While thinking that, he continued to watch over her.

However.

The “Boy in her dreams” really existed. Rather, Calcedonia summoned him over from another world.

He clearly knew that Summing magic was a great legendary tier magic. And he was aware of Calcedonia’s capabilities.

IF it was her, then certainly she was capable of succeeding in it. Rather, she had, and as a result she brought the “Boy in her dreams” over from another world.

In other words, her feelings for “The boy in her dreams” were enough to even cross worlds!

For him to come between that boy and her, even the tiniest gap like that existed.

If it was him, then he would never make Calcedonia unhappy. If not, that boy would have never jumped in front of his own blade to save her.

The feelings between him and her, that was also one of the reasons why he chose to leave the temple for good.

“Is that so? If that’s what you’ve decided than I really don’t have much to say.”

Tatsumi then extended his right hand towards Morganeich.

“From today onward I will become an Exorcist. I don’t know how long it will take to reach your level…But I will, absolutely, become strong enough to protect Chiiko…No, Calcedonia.”

“From now on I won’t be a Exorcist, not a priest… But I will still work as a Monster Hunter in order to help people front the Demons and Devils…. Maybe in the future, there will be a time when we’ll fight side by side.”

“Yes. If a time like that ever comes, then I’ll be in your care.”

Morganeich firmly shook Tatsumi’s hand after saying that, and then he faced towards Giuseppe and bowed down.

“I deeply apologize, your holiness. The country and the temple covered for me, I know. But as I thought, I can’t be satisfied with this.”

“As expected, you decided on that…well it’s not something I didn’t expect.”

Giuseppe somewhat weakly replied while stroking his long, white beard.

“Geez. There’s you. And then there’s Baldeo. All too honest for their own good! Then so be it. I’ll handle the temple and the kingdom, and also the people on my end, so do as you please.”

“That you very much. Also, for all that you have done for me, I am grateful.”

Raising his head, he then looked at Calcedonia.

“Calsey, I’ve done something very rude to you. I won’t ask you to forgive me, but I still want to apologize, I’m sorry.”

“Enough. I won’t forgive you, that’s a given. I mean, you’re the person who injured my master, you know?…But since master has decided not to bring this up anymore, I will do the same.”

“……Thanks.”

Morganeich smiled bitterly, even at a moment like this she was thinking about her master rather than himself. So he bowed his head down to her.

And then, after thanking the three of them once again, the <Freedom Knight> quietly and calmly left the room.

A few days later.

In a house a bit away from the temple of Savaiv, a number of people were running around.

“Tatsumi, where do I put this? Rather, what the hell is this? I mean, I know it’s an instrument but…”

“That’s called a Guitar. A musical instrument from my home country.”

“Ohh? So you can play this?”

“Well, just a bit.”

While chatting calmly, Verse put the Guitar where Tatsumi told him to, and then went back to carry more luggage in.

“Ooooi Tatsumi! The guys from the furniture store delivered the furniture, which room should we place them in?”

“Please wait a moment, Mister Bogart! Chiiko, go help Mister Bogart who’s outside.”

“Understood.”

Calcedonia who was cleaning up the kitchen happily went outside at Tatsumi’s order.

And then, cries of surprise rose one after another.

“I-It really is Lady <Holy Maiden>…!!”

“Woah! I-I can’t believe I am seeing her from this close…!!”

“I-I’m definitely gonna move into this neighborhood……”

It seems like after seeing the fabled <Holy Maiden> walk out of the house, the guys who delivered the furniture were astonished.

After lightly greeting them, Calcedonia gave some instruction on where to put the furniture.

And Tatsumi who was inside watched over that scene with a light smile.

“Today’s the day…finally…”

Tatsumi lightly nodded while looking at the ‘My Home’ they were putting together after all this time.

Yes.

Just as he said, today’s the day it will all start.

His life with his new family, with Calcedonia.

It’s already been 10 days since he was summoned here by Calcedonia.

But today was the day he was going to start his life in this other world in the truest meaning.

“Master, Is something the matter?”

Calcedonia asked Tatumi who was standing still and gazing at their house.

As he tilted her head a bit, the ahoge on her head also swayed.

“It’s nothing. Rather, do you need something?”

“Ah, yes. Lord Sankeeray came to visit us since we’re finally moving.”

“I see. Well I did owe him for this house. I’ll go greet him too.”

Tatsumi took Calcedonia outside where Mister Baldeo ,Verse, and the friends who helped them moving were.

“Let’s go, Chiiko!”

“Yes, My Master.”

They both smiled at each other, and left their home brightened by the sun.