Arifureta: From Whelp to Dragonlord

Part 42: It begins...

In a room where the only light source was produced by the moonlight rays, causing a contrast of black and white from the narrow grate window.

A simple and plain room can be seen. It's only around 6 tatami mats in size with a small desk, chair, wooden bed, and a simple toilet. If compared to Earth's prison cells, it's obvious that this is much worse.

In such a bad prison, sitting on the bed in the corner, is Hatanaka Aiko who is currently burying her face in her knees.

It's been 3 days since Aiko was brought to this room.

Due to the bracelet artifact worn on her wrist, Aiko could not use magic. Still, though she tried to escape at first, as expected, it wasn't possible to pry open a steel door with her physical strength alone, moreover, the opening of the grated window was only big enough for one of her arms to just barely pass through.

Even then, the current room's position is at the very top of an expensive temple, it is the [Kamiyama]1 temple, even though it should be impossible to reach the ground safely, there are members of the church standing on watch.

In such a position, while worrying about her student's safety, Aiko who cannot do anything is dejected and gloomy, Her already small body stature becomes even smaller on the bed.

".........I need to get to my students......but how......"

Aiko while looking up muttered slightly, she remembered what the nun with the silver hair had said to her as she was kidnapped. Aiko's thoughts, if what she heard from Hajime would become an inconvenience when told to Kouki and them, it's obvious who the "master" that she spoke of is. And it appears that they've taken an interest in students as well.

Aiko's mind became filled with unspeakable uneasiness. Recalling, the events of Ur, where one of her students lost their life, Yukitoshi Shimizu. Possibly, again, another student will...., with these thoughts in her mind Aiko became more anxious.

Being confined in this open room, she tried to think about things that she could currently do. If she settled down and looked back calmly, the royal palace felt too unnatural and covered with a thick sense of incongruity. In Aiko's mind, with a strong posture, she remembered the dangerous atmosphere that King Erihido and other leaders carried.

Surely, Aiko began to guess that the nun with silver hair had done something. She definitely said, "charm" If that was true then, surely, something along the lines of brainwashing was done.

However, at the same time, when talking with Shizuku and Liliana, such an odd sense of incongruity was not there. Though becoming relieved about that, there is still a strong uneasiness built up in her chest due to being confined.

While praying for their safety, another concern was remembered. it was the words, "elimination of the irregular." Those words were she heard just before completely losing consciousness, for some reason, Aiko recalled two students amidst her despair.

"......Nagumo-kun Sumeragi-kun....."

"psst Sensei!"

"Ou? what, sensei?"

"Fe!?"

From the sudden answer to her unconscious mumbling, she instinctively let out an unexpected voice. There shouldn't be anyone else in the room, while looking throughout the room, Aiko inclined her head, "Was it a hallucination?" she said. However, Aiko was definitely not hallucinating, again, she heard the voice.

"Over here, sensei"

"Eh?"

Aiko's body became alerted to the voice, it wasn't a hallucination after all! Her gaze peered towards the narrow grate window. There, it was the appearance of Hajime and Keiji that was peeping through from the other side.