An Aranist in Karakura Town 2 (Patreon)

An Arcanist in Karakura Town
Chapter 2

-VB-

Next morning, Inoue and I sat across from each other in my living room, which was an enclosed part of the warehouse that used to be the office that I turned into my living space. The four rooms attached to this living room used to be storage spaces, but now they were three bedrooms and a bathroom. It was in one of these rooms that I’d taken Inoue’s virginity and ravished her after twisting her mind and trust. 

“So you don’t have any family…” I said after she finished her little story. Of course, I knew that she didn’t have any family. Her brother supposedly died when she was twelve and she was being financially helped by an aunt living elsewhere. 

She nodded sullenly. 

I smiled and stood up. She looked up at me as I walked around the living room table and sat next to her. She flinched a little when I wrapped my arm around her shoulders. 

“Then you can live here with me,” I said. “It won’t be as lonely as your house then, right?”

She looked up at me with those wide vulnerable eyes, and nodded. 

Of course, this gave me more access to her and that’s what I really wanted. 

Ding!

Both of us jerked when the door to my home within the warehouse opened to reveal Hide. He was in the process of undoing his necktie when he saw me and Inoue. 

“Oh? You finally got yourself a girlfriend I see,” he said as he walked away from the door towards his bedroom. “Please take care of Alan for me,” he nodded to Inoue and then entered his room, not giving her a chance to respond.

Inoue, whose mouth was opened for a moment, closed her mouth and turned to me. “W-Who is that?” she asked.

“Call him my guardian of sorts,” I replied with a drawl. “His name is Hidemasa. I just call him Hide for short.” I glanced at the clock before my eyes widened. “Hey, isn’t it time for you to go to school?”

She blinked and looked up at the clock before her face paled. “I-I have to go!” she stuttered as she got up.

I pulled her back down and gave her a deep kiss. She struggled for a moment, her body twitching before she grabbed my arms and let me kiss her. 

When we broke apart, I grinned at her. “See you later,” I said.

Her blushing face and wide eyes looked at me before she nodded and hurried out of her new home. 

When she was gone, Hide came out of his room dressed semi-formally with a collared light cyan shirt and a pair of khaki pants. His bare feet barely made any noise as he walked and he came down to sit on the couch where I had been sitting before sitting next to Inoue.

“So,” he said. “Is that the tramp you want in your life?”

I glared at him. “Do not call her or anything of mine a tramp, empire-less-emperor,” I shot back.

He took the insult coolly. I knew that it wasn’t something that bothered him anyways, but the point still stood; his empire existed no more and rather un-glorious compared to how he envisioned its future self to be. 

“Orihime Inoue,” he said, speaking the name of my girl without having met her before. “A student of the local Karakura High. Born to a prostitute and a destitute. Former guardian died in an accident two years ago, leaving her aunt as the only suitable and able guardian, which she did take up the legal position. Unfortunately, she is a busy woman, managing a rather significantly sized business deeper in Tokyo, and her lifestyle isn’t suited for a young woman’s growth. It’s actually a good decision on her part to stay out of Orihime Inoue’s life.”

I stared at Hide incredulously. “What the fuck. How did you…?” I asked, unable to voice my shock anymore than that.

He smirked at me. “Did you actually think that I’ve been lazing around? I didn’t conquer all of China in four years by being a lazy man,” he replied with a scoff. “I am, if anything, someone capable of spotting talent and strategizing on a grand scale that you will probably never experience.”

I grumbled. He was right about that. After all, Hidemasa, a loose translation to Japanese of his given personal name, was none other than Qin Shi Huang of the Qin State, the First Emperor of China. There was a reason why China was called “Chin”a, and not Han or Ming or Qing. 

He was my Ruler Servant. 

Considering how I’ve been sent here, I have been wanting to get a Servant suited for frontline combat but … 

Well, the ROB didn’t give a shit and tossed me a random Servant, who had been Hidemasa. What do one even do with two mages in a party? 

“But that girl… Why does she have so much ood?”

Those words brought me out of my chain of thoughts. “You can sense it?”

“All Servants can do a degree,” he replied with a wave of his hand. “For someone like me, a Ruler, such a skill is not only integral but too useful to not have. It is only ambition and ideals that separate Casters and Rulers.”

“I see.”

“Do you, truly?”

I blinked. “What do you mean?”

“Do you know what it means to be bereft of ambition or ideal? To look upon the world and know that your achievements matter very little or to see everything you’ve achieved lie in ruins?”

“... No.”

“Then do not speak of things as you know of it. It will only serve to alienate those incapable of controlling their own emotions.”

I smirked. “Still trying to teach me?”

“Always. I’ve said it before haven’t I? You possess conditions necessary to make a great man. I care not if you are good, honorable, terrible, or repugnant; I care only that you become great.”

“The story of your life, huh.”

“The story of my life,” he concurred. “Speaking of which, I still do not see what is great about that … girl. She possesses no training to make your position as an ‘arcanist’ better. She possesses no knowledge to further your own magic. What is it about her that draws you in?”

I grinned. “I supposed that chance had a lot to do with it.”

“But I sense there is more.”

“She’s currently holding a seed of a power capable of turning back the flow of time.”

His eyes widened, and then he grinned.

“I take back what I said. You are thinking better now.”

“You mean manipulating people?”

“What is the difference between law, manipulation, or love? All of them modify how you behave around others, just with different intent. I sense, however, that you have no ill will towards her.”

“Of course not. She’s a rough gem.”

“And you intend to…?”

“I’ll push her towards refining her ability when it emerges. Of that, you can be sure.”

“And the others around the town?”

“... I only have my eyes on one other but for a different reason.”

“Ho?”

“As nice as Inoue is right now, she’s also emotionally … unstable. Her only friend, Arisawa Tatsuki, is a great pillar in Inoue’s life. I intend to make her mine as well. It helps that she’s a spunky and athletic girl who’s easy on the eyes.”

“And is she any special?”

“No. It’s more for Inoue’s sake.”

“And the others? 

“One of them is being watched by a candy shop owner, so I have no intention of touching him if I can help it. You might be able to fight the candy peddler, but I’ll get zilched before I could even utter a word.”

“That strong?”

“I am also pinning for few others, but it’s a long way off.”

Hide stared at me before nodding. “How is the business?”

“Getting better,” I replied with a grin. “People are starting to see that this yankee provides a good service for the price this yankee offers.”

“I still do not see why you seek to lower yourself.”

“I like laying low as long as I can. What’s the point in dick measuring contest that all of you strong types are into? Nothing, that’s what.”

And our months-long argument continued.

-VB-

To my surprise, Inoue didn’t bring Tatsuki home like she normally did in the canon. 

I was further surprised when Inoue settled right into my home by taking up the position as the cook.

I made the stupid decision to let her.

Who adds red bean paste to rice?