Rebirth From Ordinary Person To The Strongest

"A sleepover at our place for Nina-chan... Does that mean she'll be staying overnight?"

"Yes, that's correct."

Irena-san's expression was completely serious as she confirmed it. There was no hint of joking or playfulness in her demeanor.

"But why suddenly... an overnight stay? I mean, up until now, Nina-chan has stayed home alone when you've had to work."

"There's a reason for that, of course."

As I used Silveit to lift the kettle, I took out the teapot and tea leaves from the cupboard. From an outsider's perspective, it would probably look like various kitchen items were floating in midair and preparing tea by themselves.

"What kind of reason?"

"I have a bad feeling."

"A bad feeling?"

I repeated Irena-san's words, feeling that they were somewhat vague and nebulous.

"Itsuki-san, are you aware that the number of monster sightings has increased recently?"

"No, this is the first time I'm hearing about it..."

Really? I hadn't noticed. But now that I think about it, my dad and Renji-san had been away for work a lot recently.

Exorcists often go on long assignments, so I hadn't paid much attention to it. But now it made sense—there was an increase in the number of monsters.

But... why?

"And it's not just a normal increase. The number of monsters has grown by about 1.5 to 2 times compared to previous years. Because of this, the number of exorcists available is very low right now, and I'm worried about leaving Nina alone."

"That's why you want her to stay with us?"

"Yes, I feel safe knowing you're here, Itsuki-san."

"..."

I was momentarily at a loss for words.

Sure, I was a "Seventh Rank" exorcist, and I even possessed two Relics. I never skipped my daily training, but that didn't mean I felt confident enough to say I could protect someone without a doubt.

People make mistakes.

There are always unforeseen circumstances.

A completely unexpected move could happen.

And people... can die easily.

Yes, people die so easily.

Just one stab to the chest with a blade can be enough to kill even an adult.

Of course, I didn't want anything to happen to Nina-chan, and protecting her if something did happen was a given.

But I wasn't sure how to respond to this. I hesitated... and decided to change the topic.

"Why are the number of monsters increasing?"

"Experts are currently investigating it, but there are a few theories."

"Experts?"

"Yes, within the exorcist community, there are people exchanging ideas and theories through the network."

The community... Oh, that's the thing. After I exorcised Raikodoji, there was a bit of an uproar on there.

Even though our household doesn't have a dedicated Wi-Fi setup, and my parents only use the internet for the bare essentials, I sometimes forget that exorcists actually have an online community.

So, that's where this conversation is coming from.

"There are three main theories being discussed."

"Three?"

"Yes. The first one is cyclical. There are certain periods when monsters are more likely to appear."

As I listened to her, I poured the freshly brewed tea into cups. The green tea had a nice, clear color to it. Not bad for my first attempt, if I say so myself.

"For instance, the period from the late 16th century to the 17th century is a famous example—right around the time of the witch hunts."

"…Oh."

Witch hunts. I'd heard of them before. It was the major event that led to the rise of Elemental Magic in Europe while Japan was developing Thread Magic.

"Do you think we're in a similar period now?"

"It's a possibility. The second theory is that a 'spot' may have formed."

"A 'spot'?"

I stopped mid-motion, holding the tray with the tea, and turned to look at Irena-san.

"A 'spot' is a place where monsters are more likely to be born. You've probably heard of some, like the Tower of London, the Catacombs in Paris, or Mount Osore. These places exist all over the world."

"...I see."

This was the first time I'd heard about such places, and I couldn't help but mutter in acknowledgment.

"There's a theory that several of these spots might have formed simultaneously across Japan."

"Is it common for multiple spots to form at the same time?"

"It's very rare, but not impossible."

As Irena-san explained, I nodded in understanding, picking up the tray with the tea and using Silveit to fetch some snacks to go with it.

"And what's the third theory?"

"The third possibility is that a 'Fifth Rank' or higher monster has appeared."

"...Hmm."

Of course. Fifth Rank and above monsters can all spawn lesser monsters under their command.

And these types of monsters have the ability to use a spell called "concealment," making it harder for detection magic to pick them up.

But that kind of camouflage isn't perfect.

"Still, Irena-san, if there's really a Fifth Rank or higher monster lurking around, shouldn't we just find and exorcise it?"

"It's not confirmed yet that there is one. The number of monsters has increased all across Japan, so if several Fifth Rank or higher monsters were active simultaneously, we would have found at least one by now. But none have been discovered."

I see.

Well, if they knew for sure what was causing it, we wouldn't have three different theories floating around.

Having learned about the potential reasons for the increase in monsters, I let out a breath of relief and moved on to the main topic.

"So, what's this bad feeling of yours about?"

"This whole situation reminds me of something that happened before. I know it's unlikely, but..."

"Something similar happened?"

"Yes... about two years ago."

Irena-san said that, and then fell silent.

From her reaction, I immediately understood what she meant.

Two years ago, there was an incident.

It was the event when Nina-chan's father, an exorcist like Irena-san, was killed by a monster.

That event had shattered Nina-chan emotionally, and Irena-san had sealed away those painful memories.

So, it's those memories that were coming back to her.

That's why she was worried and brought Nina-chan here. The pieces were starting to fall into place.

I processed Irena-san's reasoning in my head and carried the tray with tea into the room where the low table was set.

Nina-chan was sitting there, patiently and properly waiting.

Seeing her sit so politely made me realize just how well-mannered she was.

"Nina-chan, the tea's ready."

"Thanks, Itsuki."

And as I looked at Nina-chan, a thought crossed my mind.

How long could those sealed memories stay hidden?