Chapter 301: Pseudo Hanten and Black Hakama

zumo and Iroha were in seiza, lined up and welcoming the guests.

The two of them were wearing black hakamas, and the figure of the man with his back straight gave a different atmosphere from his usual self.

The figure of Izumo, that was different from the other day when they had overcome a situation of literal life-or-death, was making his comrades that were called here confused, including Jin.

"Thank you for coming here, everyone." (Izumo)

"My gratitude-no desu." (Iroha)

They took a seat as told in this room where tatamis were spread out, but because Jin and the group are not used to the etiquette of sitting directly on the floor, they were unable to relax.

Izumo and Iroha bowed deeply towards them.

"...Aah, I told you to stop those kinds of things." (Jin)

"Really." (Daena)

Jin and Daena had wry smiles.

Everyone could tell that their thanks was not simply for the fact that they all came here today.

In terms of time alone, they don't really know each other for that long.

But the denseness of it is different.

The dense time and experiences these young people passed together in the academy has tied a firm bond with them, who have the same teacher, not only as classmates, but as comrades.

That's why the others also responded to this with their attitude instead of words except for those two.

"Maybe because I have returned to Lorel, I wanted to put it out properly. This may sound bad after lowering my head and giving my thanks but, I already knew the answer." (Izumo)

Izumo made a soft smile like the times when he was in the academy.

"Izumo-sama!" (Iroha)

Iroha blushed at that smile of his, but also puffs her cheeks and reprimands those words.

Wry smiles of a different hue were now showing in everyone's face.

Just one of them, Amelia, was looking at Iroha as if with envy, as if she were too dazzling, but no one saw it.

"...So, what's your business? We may not be as busy as you guys are, but we also have our fair share of things." (Misura)

"It seems like you will be staying here for a while longer, Izumo-kun, but we are going to be returning with Shiki-sensei today, so please keep it brief!" (Yuno)

Misura and Yuno were strangely in sync as they urged Izumo to say what he wanted.

Izumo may have a bright tone, but they could tell from his atmosphere that the proposal of Izumo won't be a nice one.

They could feel a farewell.

Izumo won't be staying with them anymore at the Academy Town.

He is now by the side of Princess Iroha.

The Princess of the Osakabe household that holds Kannaoi and its surroundings.

And also his fiance.

"It is okay. I will be returning to the Academy." (Izumo)

"!"

That was the response of Izumo that Jin and the others were wishing for.

"For now, that is." (Izumo)

"..."

But it seems like that wasn't the whole response.

Izumo looked straight into the eyes of his comrades, and voiced out his resolve without any hesitation.

As if responding to the many emotions that were showing in their eyes.

"In these few days, I have clearly understood where my place is. It is in the Lorel Union, and at the side of Iroha." (Izumo)

"..."

"How should I live, what do I want to do, for me...for the person called Izumo Ikusabe, those were the worries that were always swirling in his mind. There was no moment in my life where I didn't feel as if I was living for the sake of a plan for someone else. I am honestly pretty embarrassed to confess everything here, so I am going to abridge it." (Izumo)

"You are abridging that part?" (Sif)

Sif retorted in a low tone, and Izumo brushes it off with a laugh.

"I am in front of my best comrades and my beloved after all. Speaking everything about the revolution that occurred inside of me is impossible. Just that, I have found an answer. I was able to decide my own way of living. The things I myself wanted to do yet couldn't find have suddenly sprung out, and a whole many at that." (Izumo)

"Does it have to do with you referring to yourself as ore <informal way of saying I>." (Amelia)

He nods at what Amelia points out. After that night, Izumo has stopped calling himself as boku <semi-formal way of saying I>.

"That's one part of it. Also, maybe join the family of the Osakabe and crush the Ikusabe, or learn about the constructions of Kannaoi and Rotsgard." (Izumo)

"You are saying quite the dangerous stuff as if nothing, oi." (Jin)

"Compared to Sensei, this stuff ain't nothing. And most of all..." (Izumo)

Jin picks on the part about him trying to crush his family, but Izumo not only didn't deny it, he responded as if that wasn't a big deal.

He didn't try to play it around either. He showed that he was once again positive about what he said and...

"From hereafter, I have decided I definitely won't pull any punches when you guys need any assistance. I now understand from the bottom of my heart the dirt old saying that is widely known in Lorel." (Izumo)

"...In Lorel, there's the way of thinking that men are supposed to live, not for their own sake, but for the sake of others. It is in that way, that there's worth in living." (Iroha)

After Izumo finished speaking, he placed his fists on the tatami and lowered his head deeply.

Iroha must have felt that Izumo's words were lacking, so she explained to Jin and the others about the dirt old saying of Lorel.

But it is heavy.

They could tell plenty well that they are fully serious, but it is obvious that everyone uniformly was slightly taken aback by this.

"Well, all of that said..." (Izumo)

Izumo raises his head only, and directs a smile at Jin and the others.

"I will prioritize Iroha though." (Izumo)

"..."

A hard to describe air spreads between the two.

"Then, let's meet again at the Academy... Iroha." (Izumo)

Izumo stands up.

"Ah, yes. In this occasion, just as Izumo-sama, I—" (Iroha)

"Princess, there's no need for all that anymore." (Izumo)

"And you are the one saying it, Izumo?" (Jin)

Jin was amazed. But at the same time, everyone had a smile on their face.

"That's right, Izumo-sama! It is not about it being fine!" (Iroha)

"Then, Jin, everyone, take care on your way back." (Izumo)

"We are teleporting together with Shiki-san, so there's nothing to be careful about though."

"Ah, right." (Izumo)

"...Come back quickly, okay?"

"I know." (Izumo)

The maids enter the room after seeing that Jin and his group would be leaving now, so that they could guide them. And after one last casual talk, he leaves together with Iroha.

Izumo felt nostalgic from the feeling of walking on the wooden floor with his tabis, and it also served to tighten his resolve.

But well, that's not the only thing that's tightening his resolve, and the state of Iroha that was completely different from her expression fitting her age of a few moments ago also suggested that.

"Princess, I am sorry that you have to accompany me in such matters as this. I wanted them to see how I was when I am with you, and also to have you see how I am when I am with them." (Izumo)

"The best comrades of Izumo-sama are also my best comrades-na no desu. Friends-na no desu. It was incredibly fun. Thank you very much, Izumo-sama." (Iroha)

"...Well then, let's go." (Izumo)

"Yes, together." (Iroha)

"Of course." (Izumo)

At the place where the two walk towards, there's Haruka waiting for them in a white outfit.

The cleansed Ein-Khalif was waiting too.

The convicted one is waiting.

Even so...

The two that are walking side by side don't falter.

Their steps were steadfast.

Izumo and Iroha walked forward to the place where they should be standing.

◇◇◆◆◇◇◆◆◇◇◆◆◇◇◆◆

The big cheers reached all the way here.

The head of one woman fell.

A public execution where many watched.

The words execution and cheers were not mixing well inside me.

In the past, public executions were an amusement for the people, is what I think I heard somewhere before. Experiencing and seeing it myself, it feels really weird.

Death is just an end.

What do people find amusement in death?

I was watching the execution from a pretty far away distance.

Together with Tomoe.

"Fumu, Izumo, was it? That brat has done quite the bold thing." (Tomoe)

Tomoe seems to be reminiscing with a smile the moment of the beheading that happened around 1 kilometer from here.

It is true that the Izumo of a few days ago wouldn't have been able to do this, in terms of technique and in terms of decisiveness.

He showed technique sufficient enough that it wouldn't be strange for Tomoe to remember his name.

...This growth of his does give validity to the words of Shiki about the growth of the students that he spoke about.

That alone won't make me agree about this intrusion of them, so I should have a talk with Shiki about this lecture matter too...

"Written as bold, read as refined; something like that? According to your tone." (Makoto)

"Well, yeah, something like that. I like those types." (Tomoe)

A thin but fearsomely sharp wind wrapped around the blade of Ein-Khalif that Iroha-chan swung down which was made in an instance of less than a second.

It was the magic of Izumo who was wearing a black hakama like Iroha-chan.

There's no doubt that the people there all believe that Iroha-chan was the one who cut off the head of Haruka-san.

Aside from Izumo himself, Iroha-chan, and Ein-Khalif.

This may be a bit rude, but that was a feat that Izumo shouldn't have been able to pull off yet.

In other words, he stopped Iroha-chan from being the one to kill her mother.

But...that was...

It was most like his way of telling Iroha-chan 'I want to shoulder the same sin, so please let me endow my magic into it'.

I don't think she would have wanted to have Izumo do it in her stead.

In any case, it is that kind of contrived situation.

They have truly changed.

Haruka-san might have noticed... In her last moments, she had that kind of peaceful expression, so it can't be helped that I think in this way.

Even so, even if it was for the sake of his fiance, for Izumo to do such an action that only holds risks and nothing to gain for himself; I am impressed that he has been able to change so much in not three days, but a single night.

"I see, don't meddle with them too much, okay? By the way, did you see what came out from Haruka-san's body?" (Makoto)

"...So you could see it too, Waka. Maybe it is the effects of having gone to the world of the dead? I think it is most likely a part of her soul." (Tomoe)

"Figures. More accurately speaking, her spirit that had fused with the Wise's power, probably." (Makoto)

Each of them gave color to it and glittered. It drifted around Haruka-san's corpse, and then it sunk into the ground.

"I think so as well. It sunk into the ground, and probably arrived at the place where Futsu is. It will most likely be rebirthed into a person who has good affinity." (Tomoe)

"I have finally gone to the afterlife. I would have preferred to go to Japan though." (Makoto)

Is Japan even rarer than the world of the dead?

Aah, modern Japan feels so hopelessly far.

Because Lorel somewhat reminds me of it, it makes me miss it even more.

"..."

"Tomoe?" (Makoto)

"Ah, it is nothing. I was just thinking that I would one day want to go to Edo too." (Tomoe)

"...Modern Japan, I hope." (Makoto)

If I were to bring her to Nikko or Uzumasa, I feel like she would go wild in joy. I also like those kinds of things, but I don't think I would last the day.

If we are to go to those places, there's a whole lot of other places I would like to go too.

...Right, someday.

I want to bring Tomoe there.

"Ooh! Now that I think about it, Shiki seems to have taken the students and returned to Rotsgard a step faster! The time to leave this country is approaching!" (Tomoe)

Jin and the others didn't see Izumo acting as the executioner. Neither did Shiki.

It seems Izumo wished for it to be that way.

...Honestly speaking, I don't really understand the subtleties in those kinds of areas.

Just what kind of resolve did he have.

I am not in a position to know about them, but I wondered a little bit.

Though, what's more important right now is...there's something I have to retort to.

"Hey, Tomoe." (Makoto)

"Did that sound a bit too forced?" (Tomoe)

"No, first of all, what's with that outfit of yours? I was waiting to see when to say this, but I can't endure anymore." (Makoto)

Tomoe is wearing something on top of her usual rough kimono that draws the eye.

No, it fits her.

It fits her to a scary extent.

It has a silk fabric lustre, and extravagant embroidery.

Moreover, it even has lining packed closely.

Well, when talking about outfits, Izumo and Iroha-chan's black color hakama were also questionable

It doesn't seem like they had any particular crest on them, so maybe that's the uniform for executioners.

"There's a number of things that I found in Lorel and fell in love with at first glance, and this is one of the highest ones! For now, I bought a black and white one, and a red and blue one. I will bring this to the Eldwas and Gorgons in Asora, and...gufuh." (Tomoe)

"...How to say it, it feels like I have found another hidden like of yours." (Makoto)

She went 'gufuh'.

"For some reason, you look like you are baffled, but I will be having one made for your use too, Waka, and it will be made with full effort. Also, it isn't an unknown thing, right? It seemed like you already knew the existence of this, Waka." (Tomoe)

Only its existence and its name, that is.

It is like the ancestor of the sukajan. <A jacket that has flashy embroidery on the back>.

I haven't seen the actual thing before, but honestly speaking, even if this were the actual thing, I wouldn't want it.

What Tomoe is wearing, no, has put on is made from plenty of gold and silver threads with black as the base.

"At least make one for winter use and is extremely toned down in the flashiness..." (Makoto)

Lately, I have learned which moments are the ones I can't run away from.

This is one of those.

At worst, Tomoe will make me wear it even if she has to go as far as to push me down.

Then, the only thing I can do is reduce the damage to a minimum.

"To think they would show so much passion and put so much money into something. It is no doubt the idea of a genius." (Tomoe)

Tomoe brushes her shoulder and is seriously moved.

You probably already know what it is.

A pseudo hanten.

Pretty close to it at that.

An ascending dragon, a spider, some sort of leaf, a weapon, a magic effect, also an Oni or a monster?

Anyways, it is chaos.

It seems like the first point she liked was that there's a serpentine dragon that has been embroidered gallantly into it.

It is a weird design that even showa delinquents would hesitate in wearing, and yet, here she is so happy.

If I were to point this out carelessly, I might end up getting a repeat of her heated fervent speech, so I do my best to refrain from doing it.

She told me she had some business, so let's meet at the rendezvous point.

You would normally nod at that, right?

Who would have thought that she would wear a pseudo hanten outdoors?

I sometimes can't understand the sense of Tomoe.

Aah, please, let it not get popular in Asora.

Please, have none of the races get their heart moved by it.

I was somewhat seriously thinking this on my way back.