NOVEL NEXT C21
C21: The students
A month has passed since Aizawa-sensei went “missing”. Here, in the training grounds of the Kingdom of Ostrode, five regular knights were surrounding a young and strong boy. Of course, it was not bullying, but training.
“………!”
“Phew ……”
“………”
“Haaa……….”
“……….”
The five knights surrounding the boy were soaked in sweat and were holding up deadly weapons.
The knight captain had told them to use wooden swords in their normal training, but real weapons in their training for this boy. Of course, the knight captain also told them to attack with the intention to kill…….
But the five knights could not move. They were overwhelmed by a boy who hadn’t even deployed his unique weapon. The boy smiled and opened his right hand.
“That’s it.”
A gentle, but powerful voice interrupted. At the same time, the five knights sat down on the ground, breathing heavily.
“Don’t scare them too much, okay?”
“I’m sorry, Miss Anastasia.”
The boy turned around and bowed to Anastasia. He then thanked the five knights and left the training grounds.
“…….You’re getting stronger.”
Anastasia raised her large witch’s hat with a snap. Her face looked as if she was enjoying herself.
The boy’s name was Shosei Nakatsugawa.
◇◇◇◇◇◇
After the training, Nakatsugawa returned to his room and took a shower. Over the past month, the thirty students, including Nakatsugawa, have grown at an alarming rate.
The level of their cheats has increased, and their individual abilities continued to evolve. Besides, the students had started to keep secrets about each other’s cheats. Shosei Nakatsugawa was one of them.
“………phew.”
He exhaled a small breath as he bathed in the hot water. Shosei Nakatsugawa opened his eyes while covering his head with the hot water. The only thing that came to mind was the teacher who died a month ago……or went “missing”.
He was really confused at that time.
He remembered the knights were completely unable to understand what had happened, the disappearing Minotaur and the mysterious device that was not there when they first entered the room, that self-destructed.
Above all, Professor Aizawa’s body was missing. Minotaurs have the habit of swallowing their prey whole, so if he had been killed, he should be in the belly of the Minotaur. However, the Minotaur itself was gone.
Escape from the sealed room was impossible but that made the problem simple. Sensei Aizawa had somehow escaped from there.
The answer was hidden in a mysterious device in the room. Nakatsugawa thought so. But…..soon after that, Professor Ashcroft sealed off the ruins. The truth is unknown, but Professor Ashcroft announced that Sensei Aizawa was not dead, but ‘missing’. When the students heard this, they didn’t know whether to be happy or not.
“Sensei must be alive…….”
Nakatsugawa closes the stopper of the shower. He wiped his hair with a towel, wrapped the towel around his waist, and went back to his room. A girl was sitting on the bed in Nakatsugawa’s room.
“……Akane, what’s going on?”
“I’m sorry I came in here without permission. I was just, you know……”
“……Is this about Mikazuki again?”
“………”
Nakatsugawa sat on the bed, almost naked. Akane Shinohara, who was like the class president, had a girlish expression that only Nakatsugawa could see. The two of them had rapidly approached each other in the past month and started dating.
They were both in the strongest class of the 30, and as they talked and consulted with each other, they fell in love with each other. Nakatsugawa confessed his feelings for her, and they ended up going out. Incidentally, they are a class-approved couple.
“Akane, don’t worry, it’ll be fine.”
“Yes, thank you, Shosei…….”
Thirty people changed little by little. Life in another world changed the minds of these still young boys and girls. Some are seeking power, some are satisfied with the status quo, and some are aiming for a higher level.
An outrageous incident occurred among these students.
“Shion…….”
“Akane, it’s okay. It’s going to be okay.”
Shion Mikazuki had gone missing.
◇◇◇◇◇◇
Shion Mikazuki disappeared the day after Sensei Aizawa was announced as missing. No doubt, she went out to search for her teacher. However, she was unable to find him even though she searched all over the Ostrode Kingdom, and it was assumed that he had already left the country.
Akane Shinohara didn’t think that Aizawa-sensei’s presence was that big of a deal to Shion and with no trace of him, the search was temporarily terminated.
In Nakatsugawa’s room, Shinohara was sad. Nakatsugawa comforted Shinohara, this was becoming a regular scene.
“There’s going to be an expedition soon. I’ll try to gather some information about Mikazuki there.”
“Yeah…….”
Akane Shinohara was spoiled by Nakatsugawa. She is usually dignified and is called the “Witch of Thunder” by knights and sorcerers, and is seen as an object of respect and admiration. In fact, she had even received confessions from some of the knights.
“We’ll find Mikazuki, I promise. She’s your best friend, isn’t she?”
“Yes. Shion is my precious friend…….”
Nakatsugawa puts his hand on Shinohara’s shoulder. Their faces slowly approach each other. On this day, Akane Shinohara did not return to her room.
◇◇◇◇◇◇
The next morning, the 29 students were gathered in the classroom and Professor Ashcroft, who had replaced Sensei Aizawa, took the podium. The students were making a lot of noise, but when Professor Ashcroft appeared on the stage, they immediately stopped.
“Good morning, everyone. I have something important to say to you today.”
At these words, the students thought, “It’s finally here.” The air in the classroom became tense.
“In the past few months, you have grown stronger and more resilient. Some of you have surpassed me in your individual abilities. However, you are not an individual force, but a group of people. Don’t forget that.”
We were all aware of that, of course. And finally, he got to the point.
“The reason why you were summoned is to help defeat the evil Demon Lords that are rampant in the world——With the way you’ve grown, you may be able to defeat the Demon Lord, who is considered the weakest.”
It’s finally here, or so the students thought. Professor Ashcroft put a map of the world on the blackboard and began to teach.
“First, let’s review. There are seven Demon Lords in this world. Now, Nakatsugawa, name them.”
Talk about the purpose, but in a classroom style, this was Professor Ashcroft’s method.
“The Seven Demon Lords are Nachtigal, Queen of the Night; Fanoor, King of the Grottoes; Squalo, King of the Sharks; Origin, King of the Spirits; Echidna, Queen of the Poisons; Al-Assad, King of the Super Beasts; and Satanael, the Great Demon King.”
“Correct.”
The names of the Demon Lords, the threats of this world, are firmly etched in the minds of the students. The students thought that defeating these seven demon kings would be for the good of Aizawa-sensei.
Incidentally, the students didn’t know that “Immortal King Van Houten” would be added to the list.
“The weakest of these forces is said to be Nachtigal, Queen of the Night. In other words, we will strike this place first and bring it under the protection of our Ostrode Kingdom. I would like to ask for your help in saving the inhabitants of this place.”
Of course, there was no such thing as a refusal. The students had resolute eyes.
“Now, I will announce the five people who have developed their ‘cheat’ among you and have been selected by us. The five of you selected will be entrusted with the Special Forces, so please keep that in mind.”
This was unexpected, and the students were excited. Five of the strongest among the thirty, captains of the Special Forces, it was a proud title for the still young students.
“Now for the announcement. Nakatsugawa Shosei, Shinohara Akane, Kumazawa Shinnosuke, Tokieda Tsubame, and Hanayama Ginko. These five, please come to Anastasia later.”
The five chosen were embarrassed, but warmly applauded. There were some looks of envy and jealousy, but the five chosen were still congratulated by their peers.
Professor Ashcroft made a few announcements about training and other matters, and then the morning meeting came to an end. But here came the most shocking news of all.
“Lastly, regarding Mikazuki Shion——the search for her has been terminated.”
“What?”
Akane Shinohara stood up involuntarily but Professor Ashcroft continued unconcerned.
“We are about to invade the land of the Queen of the Night, so we are no longer in a position to devote our forces there. Of course, we will resume our search sooner or later.”
“——“
Shinohara bit her lip in frustration. She had no choice but to agree with Professor Ashcroft because he was right, and she fought to hold back the urge to scream but the conversation was not over yet.
“In exchange, but not as a substitute, you will have an additional asset in your ranks, a fine warrior.”
“A——fine warrior?”
“Yes. Here you go.”
Professor. Ashcroft answered Nakatsugawa’s question with a smile. Then the door to the classroom opened and a girl appeared.
“Wow——”
“Oh——”
“Holy ——“
“Beautiful—–”
“——-”
“——is badass, right?”
The students were overwhelmed by the girl. Even Nakatsugawa and Shinohara were admiring her. The girl stood next to Professor Ashcroft. She looked like an elaborate creation, like a perfectly formed doll. A beautiful girl with long silver hair that reached to the middle of her back, crimson eyes, and a beautiful yet functional light armor that she wore with great style.
“I’ll introduce you. She’s Alvito, the pride and joy of the Ostrode Kingdom.”
The girl introduced to us as Alvito bowed with perfect movements. She looks too beautiful, too machine-like.
“Come on, say hello to everyone.”
Professor Ashcroft tapped Alvito on the shoulder. Then, for the first time here, Alvito replied.
“Yes, sir.”