A hero who wants to help others wants to live a normal life - Chapter 32

Chapter 32   Vice-Leaders of the 3 Major Clans

After the clan presentation for Seiji and the other students had concluded, three individuals gathered in the room designated as their waiting area.

“You pulled it off pretty well. When I heard they were sending you to speak to warriors, I wondered why, but you got the job done,” said a man with reddish-brown hair slicked back. His name was Daichi Kizaki, the deputy leader of the “Pioneers’ Gathering.”

Kizaki wore a bitter expression as he spoke, a sign of how effective Amamiya’s speech had been.

“Indeed. I never expected someone to try recruiting non-warriors at a gathering meant for warriors. That speech will probably attract not just those who lack direct combat abilities, but even those who can fight,” added another woman, Tenri Anshin’in, deputy leader of the “Pure Prayer” clan. Like Kizaki, she acknowledged that Amamiya’s speech had been skillfully delivered.

However, unlike Kizaki, Anshin’in didn’t seem to feel any frustration or irritation. That was only natural—she didn’t particularly care whether Amamiya succeeded or failed. For her, it didn’t matter if it had been Amamiya or someone else making the speech. She was only present to recruit future clan members because her superior had asked her to. In truth, Anshin’in’s personality was strikingly similar to that of Touka Amamiya.

She believed that if you were going to direct any emotion, be it goodwill or malice, toward others, you were better off focusing it on something you were actually interested in.

So while she thought, “Well, good job,” when her acquaintance performed well, she really didn’t care beyond that.

“With a speech like that, it makes sense they sent you. You even turned your wheelchair into an advantage.”

From Kizaki’s perspective, as someone hoping to recruit many promising students for the “Pioneers’ Gathering,” it was hard not to feel that Amamiya’s speech would reduce the number of students choosing his clan.

Still speaking with a bitter expression, Kizaki looked over at Amamiya, who, in contrast to her earlier confident demeanor, now seemed sloppy and disheveled.

Seeing his rival in such a pathetic state, Kizaki sighed, but it was understandable. The dignified woman who had delivered a commanding speech on stage was now stuffing her face with the sweets provided, her cheeks puffed out like a hamster. Even children probably ate with more manners than this, but Amamiya didn’t seem to care at all.

“Huh? Waff ru takkin ‘bout?” she mumbled, her mouth full.

“I’m talking about why they sent an idiot like you, idiot,” Kizaki sighed again in exasperation at Amamiya, who was trying to talk with her mouth crammed full of food.

“Ahyo!? Ahyo chewin’ while I’m talkin’!?”
“Well, you see…”
“You’re such an idiot.”

Despite being drawn into the conversation by Kizaki, Anshin’in seemed to share his opinion. In fact, anyone else present would likely agree with him as well.

“I’m not an idiooooot!”
“At least finish what’s in your mouth before you talk. I can’t understand a word you’re saying,” Anshin’in replied with a mix of exasperation.

Startled by Anshin’in’s comment, Amamiya quickly chewed, swallowed, and then opened her mouth to speak again.

“I’m not an idiot! In fact, when it comes to academic scores, I’m one of the top in my clan!”

In reality, Amamiya was quite capable academically, particularly in languages and history. She also performed decently in science and biology—skills she had developed out of necessity for her art.

Languages were essential for reading foreign art-related materials, and history was important for understanding the backgrounds of the landscapes she used as subjects. Science helped her mix paints to achieve better colors, and biology was useful for drawing living creatures.

Mathematics and physics were important for technical understanding, and she even learned the basics of music to better depict singers and musicians in her art.

All of her skills revolved around her passion for “drawing,” and this clear purpose helped her excel. On the other hand, subjects like political economics, which didn’t interest her at all, were a disaster. Her grasp of basic knowledge in those areas was shaky at best, and the subject she struggled with the most was morality. She knew proper manners and customs but had no intention of following them.

“I’m shocked by that fact,” Anshin’in remarked.
“Well, I have to study if I want to read all kinds of books. When you’re drawing buildings, it’s better if you know about construction methods and structures, right?”
“Yeah, you’re still just… you,” Kizaki sighed.

Upon hearing the explanation for why Amamiya was good at studying, Kizaki shrugged in exasperation but didn’t react much beyond that. For these three, who knew each other well, Amamiya’s motivations were already familiar.

“More importantly, if you can act like that, why don’t you do it all the time?” Anshin’in asked, a valid question.

It was hard to believe that the lazy woman sitting in front of them now was the same person who had given such an impressive speech earlier. If she always acted like that, those who knew her true nature wouldn’t be so constantly exasperated; her reputation might be much better.

Amamiya understood this herself. But understanding it and actually doing it were two very different things.

“Eh, it’s too much of a hassle. Honestly, I didn’t even want to come today. I’d rather be at home drawing. It’s way more fun!”

She could act proper when necessary. Today’s performance had proven that. Amamiya also understood that behaving well was generally the better choice.

However, she dismissed it all as pointless.

This was because she fully understood her own value. No matter what recklessness she engaged in, she knew that neither the country nor her clan would ever abandon her. It was this certainty that allowed her to live without worrying about how her behavior affected others. If she didn’t like a job, she simply refused it, as she had done many times before.

Anshin’in was similar to Amamiya, but in this regard, she was more reasonable. While she acted based on her desires and understood her worth, she also knew that using some level of restraint and rationality would benefit her in the long run. That’s why, instead of giving in to her whims, she maintained a balance of reason in her actions.

Kizaki shared this understanding as well. As a “Blessed One,” he had his own “wish” and knew his value, but he didn’t act recklessly.

“Then why did you even come here?”
“Because~ I was threatened~! Ugh, it’s awful, right? Just because they’re busy, they dump their work on their subordinates~. I had my own things to do too, you know~!”
“Probably just drawing or napping, right?”
“Well, yeah, but~… You’re not much different, are you, Aji-ten~?”
“How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me Aji-ten…? Although, I won’t deny I had things I wanted to do.”

“A painter and a witch. Neither of you is worth anything,” Kizaki muttered.

“And you’re a worthless guy who rushes headfirst into battle, aren’t you?” Anshin’in retorted.

A woman obsessed with the phenomenon of magic, and a man captivated by the arena of battle. Both of them would likely answer “no” if asked whether they wanted to attend this event. Even now, they both probably wished they could risk their lives in pursuit of their “wishes.”

In the end, that’s what “Blessed Ones” were. The only difference between them and Amamiya was the slight rationality that kept them from crossing the final line. Deep down, they were all “crazy.”

After all, it was precisely that kind of insanity that enabled them to harbor the kind of “extreme desire” necessary to obtain a blessing. It was only natural.

“The problem is pairing me with people who can’t keep up. And, at least I don’t ditch work like you guys,” Kizaki grumbled.

“Oh, I do my work properly, you know?”
“But you focus only on the result and ignore the damage along the way. That’s reckless.”
“Isn’t there a saying, ‘if the result is good, everything’s good’? In the end, my way causes no real harm and brings benefits. So, I deserve praise, not criticism.”

Anshin’in always considered the consequences of her actions and completed the tasks assigned to her. However, she often chose the fastest and shortest route to achieve her goals, without considering the collateral damage. If 100 people died but the objective was met, it wasn’t a problem for her. No matter who died or what was destroyed, it didn’t concern her.

Once her work was done, she would gleefully return to her research and experiments with magic.

That’s why, though not often said to her face, she was known as the “Witch.”

“Minagishi was complaining about how your clan’s reputation has taken a hit because of you. People are saying it’s a heartless clan that uses humans as shields in battle.”

“Seriously, people are so careless. I didn’t use them as shields; I just used them as bait. Minagishi, for being a clan leader, needs to stop clinging to trivial things. He should act more confidently.”

“Doesn’t make a difference either way.”

“I may have used them as bait, but no one actually died, so what’s the problem? Honestly, our leader asks for too much, telling me to complete the mission without letting anyone die. How annoying.”

The reason Anshin’in could continue despite being called the “Witch” was partly due to her valuable abilities, but also thanks to the leader of her clan. It’s likely that leader suffers from constant stomach pains because of her.

“I don’t do stuff like that~. I don’t cause unnecessary damage or use anyone as bait or a shield~,” Amamiya chimed in.

“In your case, you’re just a useless layabout who doesn’t even do her job,” Kizaki retorted.

“That’s because~ they told me I don’t have to work~. Actually, they even told me not to work~.”

“…Is that so.”

Kizaki, finally fed up with Amamiya’s blatant declaration of being useless, stopped trying to argue. And that was probably the right choice. No matter what he said, Amamiya had no intention of changing her behavior.

“You know, being around you guys makes me feel like a normal, reasonable person,” Kizaki said with a laugh.

Even Kizaki, who was also a “Blessed One,” understood that he acted selfishly in pursuit of his own “wish.” Yet, in the presence of these two, his selfishness seemed almost harmless by comparison.

“Ha, you? A reasonable person~? Don’t make me laugh,” Amamiya teased.

“She’s right. If anyone here is reasonable, it’s me. At least I’m not a broken person who gleefully charges into life-threatening battles like you,” Anshin’in added.

“In exchange, your morals and manners are completely dead.”

Kizaki, who found happiness in throwing himself into life-threatening battles; Anshin’in, who ignored morals in pursuit of magic; and Amamiya, who abandoned life for the sake of her art. Which one of them was the least broken?

“So, what’s next? Want to grab something to eat together?” Kizaki asked.

The three of them had nothing left to do. As vice-leaders, they weren’t responsible for scouting or checking the situation at the school. Their schedule for the day was essentially done, and it was just a matter of going home. Since they rarely gathered together, Kizaki suggested getting a meal.

“Hmm~. I’ve got a little meeting with someone later~. So maybe next time, when you can treat me~.”

“I never said I was going to treat you.”

Kizaki sighed for what felt like the hundredth time today at Amamiya’s cheeky suggestion to invite her again under the assumption that he would pay.

“Aww, come on~. You’ve got lots of money, don’t you~?”

“You earn just as much as we do. Actually, you probably make even more than us,” Kizaki replied.

As the vice-leader of a large clan, Kizaki made a hefty sum, easily able to move a few billion yen as pocket money. However, even he couldn’t compete with Amamiya, whose unique blessing brought her enormous wealth.

“Oh, but I spend most of my money on art supplies~.”

“Ah, I can relate to that. My money vanishes on materials and experimental resources.”

Amamiya and Anshin’in, who both dedicate themselves fully to their hobbies, hardly have any money left over, as most of their earnings are funneled into their pursuits. Unlike Kizaki, who had more savings, they didn’t have much in their accounts. Though they had set aside some emergency funds in separate accounts, these were managed by others, so they couldn’t access them easily.

“You’ve got terrible personalities, problems with your work ethic, and you waste your money. You’re seriously a bunch of good-for-nothings,” Kizaki remarked.

While both Amamiya and Anshin’in approached their work with very different attitudes, they shared a reckless disregard for their spending habits, making Kizaki’s assessment fairly accurate.

“But if you’re staying at the academy, should I stay, too? I’m technically allowed to walk around and recruit today, and I’m sure there are other clans doing the same, right?”

Normally, even a top-tier global clan wouldn’t be allowed to freely roam the academy grounds. However, today was an exception—more precisely, for the next week. Clans from around the world, not just Japan, were permitted to enter the academy, assess the students, and recruit them for their future clans. While there was no issue with Anshin’in walking around the academy, Kizaki wasn’t too happy about the idea.

“Huh? Oh, right. But those rules are meant to help the smaller clans stay alive, aren’t they?”

Indeed, while all clans were allowed to scout, large clans didn’t need to bother—people would naturally come to them. The rules were primarily in place to help smaller, struggling clans attract recruits.

“Sure, but the rule says any clan attending today’s briefing can recruit, right? It wouldn’t be fair if only we were banned from scouting.”

Even though the rule was designed to help smaller clans, it technically applied to everyone. Therefore, Anshin’in had every right to walk around the academy and recruit, and no one could actually stop her.

“If big clans like us start recruiting, there won’t be opportunities left for the smaller clans. And if they go under, we’ll be the ones left cleaning up the mess. That’s a problem for us, too, you know.”

“Well, if we spend time restructuring things, eventually the whole system could be optimized. Then there wouldn’t be any need to worry about smaller clans’ survival strategies or their impact. Besides, I think the students would be happier to be scouted by us anyway… Ah, fine. I get it. Stop glaring at me already. You’re surprisingly serious about stuff like this. I thought you were more self-centered.”

“It’s not me; it’s just that you two are too self-centered. We’re the face of our clan, you know. You need to think about the impact you have, you idiots.”

“Mmm… gulp… Well, I’m off then~. Take care~.”

As Kizaki and Anshin’in argued, Amamiya stuffed her face with the snacks on the table, then casually left the room, completely unconcerned with their bickering.