I don't want to be an elf!

Apart from that, he knew nothing about the Honjo family.

Although I had spoken with Nia Honjo a few times before, it was all because Enju Aihara and Nibelcol had become friends, and it was just necessary communication between guardians.

But today, by chance, he was dragged into the church and had a conversation and contact with Nia Honjou. After that, Rentaro Satomi's impression of her changed completely.

She has an outgoing and friendly personality, is very outgoing and carefree, and doesn't seem like a girl at all. She seems to be able to have a lively conversation with anyone.

In a company, he would definitely be the kind of irreverent but reliable senior colleague that both men and women would like.

A mood maker at cocktail parties and gatherings, always smiling and making everyone happy.

However, for some reason, he always felt that something was wrong.

Why would someone like her, living in such a remote place, confine herself to a small church?

"Enju, how did you and Nia meet?" Rentaro Satomi couldn't help but ask.

"Of course, it was through Ani's introduction."

"So how did you and Nibekol meet?"

“A year ago, not long after I moved here, I became interested in that strange building and, when I was bored, I went to the backyard to explore it,” Aihara Enju recalled. “Then, I met Ani there, playing in the mud in the backyard.”

Wasn't she frightened?

"No, Ani doesn't seem to dislike the cursed child. She wasn't surprised when she saw me jump over the wall. Instead, she invited me to play with her."

“I see…” Rentaro Satomi recalled what Nia Honjo had told him. “Speaking of which, do you think Nibelcol, like you, is a cursed child?”

"Hmm? Why are you suddenly asking that?"

“It sounds very abnormal for an ordinary girl to see a cursed child break into her home without feeling any fear or surprise,” Rentaro Satomi replied. “Besides, when I was chatting with Nia today, she said she was going to make Nibekl the Initiator. Even if she has no common sense, she should know that the Initiator can only be a cursed child, right?”

In this world, the cursed children are beings despised by the world.

Because they possess gastritis, they are not regarded as fellow humans, but rather as gastritis in human skin.

This is not hard to understand, because even if they don't use their powers, they will eventually become Gastrea due to the virus's erosion.

The vast majority of mothers, knowing their children are cursed, will secretly kill, drown, or abandon them, ultimately leaving them to become food for wild dogs.

Even if they choose to raise their children, their parents will be forced to leave the central district where citizens live due to social pressure and settle in the outer districts or even the marginal districts, where they will live in turmoil and discrimination.

The survivors of the "Raided Generation," who experienced the war against Gastrea and lost their lives and loved ones, are particularly hostile towards the cursed children.

Under their education, even the newborn children of the "pure generation" become like them, discriminating against and bullying the cursed children.

If you encounter a child who doesn't resist befriending a cursed child, it's either a matter of chance comparable to winning the lottery, or the other child is very likely also a cursed child.

Not to mention that her guardians are planning to register her as an initiator with the International Initiator Oversight Organization.

Thinking about the time she had spent with Nibelkol over the past year, Aihara Enju shook her head: "I'm not quite sure, because Ani's eyes have never turned red, so she shouldn't be a cursed child, right?"

"Perhaps she, like you, is a cursed child who has learned to hide her red eyes?"

"That's true, but I still think Annie isn't a cursed child."

"why?"

"Because I have never sensed any hatred towards this world in her."

Aihara Enju skipped along the road without turning her head, saying, "Before I met Rentaro, I always hated this world. Even now, I still have that thought from time to time."

"......sorry."

"Why should I apologize? It wasn't Rentaro's fault."

Seemingly sensing Rentaro Satomi's disappointment, Enju Aihara turned around and gave him a big smile: "I just wanted to say that Annie is different from me, and different from the cursed children I know. She's more like an ordinary child."

"maybe."

Rentaro Satomi nodded and didn't continue the conversation, even though he was the one who started it.

Enju Aihara is happy today, so let her continue to be happy.

At least... for the time when I can still feel happy.

I've managed to maintain a good mood all day, and I shouldn't let him ruin it.

Looking at the little girl bouncing around in front of him, Rentaro Satomi's expression couldn't help but become somewhat wistful.

When I first met her, she was still a child who was wary of everyone and everything, like a young animal.

Now, however, he has become an outgoing and cheerful child who can make friends with others.

If only things could stay like this forever.

But he also knew that if it was just a "what if," it was merely an unattainable wish.

There is no place for cursed children in this society.

The fact that they can barely survive is the last act of mercy society can offer them.

Soon, they returned to their home.

Today is the weekend, so he doesn't have to go to school, and he's not interested in doing the homework assigned by the school.

Lan Yuan Enju happily went to take a bath.

In this neighborhood, there is hot water only between 9 and 10 p.m.; at other times, there is only cold water.

If you want to take a shower, you can only do so during this time; if you miss it, you'll have to wait until tomorrow.

Sitting on the tatami mat in his own home, waiting for Aihara Enju to finish washing so he could wash himself, Rentaro Satomi, with nothing to do, turned on the TV.

"Evening News brings you the latest news: At 8:12 this morning, Tokyo citizens once again marched in front of the Ministry of Defense to protest against the implementation of the Gastrea Protection Law."

Seeing citizens holding up signs and shouting slogans on TV ruined Rentaro Satomi's good mood.

I switched channels several times, but the content was almost exactly the same.

He turned off the TV.

This kind of thing has happened too many times, but every time he sees it, an inexplicable anger rises in his heart.

But what could he do?

Aside from being furious, nothing can be changed.

Faced with the vastness of society, one person's strength is far too limited, and the cost of trying to stop a chariot with one's bare hands is far too high.

The only thing he could do was pretend not to see it.

Only after the annoying noise stopped did his mood gradually calm down.

"Oh right, didn't Nia give me a comic earlier? I'll take this opportunity to look at it."

Stopping from thinking about those unpleasant things, as if trying to distract himself, he looked at the manga he had retrieved from Nia Honjo.

He took out the first volume of Silver Bullet from a plastic bag full of comics, deciding to read comics to pass the time, something he hadn't done in a long time.

"How long ago was the last time I read a manga? Before I was adopted by Tendo? Or before I ran away from home with Kisara? It's been so long, I can't even remember..."

Upon turning to the first page, he saw Nia Honjo's handwritten signature.

And a message written for reasons unknown.

He looked at the passage and read it aloud softly.

"To be or not to be, that is the question."

Chapter Seven: The Knife Demon is going to get his balls kicked!

the next day.

Nia Honjo opened the church door and saw Rentaro Satomi with dark circles under his eyes.

"Roar... Roar roar..."

Seeing his listless appearance, Honjou Nia immediately guessed what he had done last night.

She let out a few meaningful laughs, then winked and asked, "Isn't it pretty?"

Rentaro Satomi pretended not to hear: "Are you ready? If you are, let's set off now."

"Doesn't it look good?"

"......"

"Doesn't it look good?"

"Ahhh, it's beautiful, super beautiful! Are you satisfied now?!"

Rentaro Satomi couldn't help but roll his eyes, feeling a sudden sense of frustration for no reason.

Seeing this, Nia Honjo's eyebrows curved upwards, revealing a satisfied smile.

She opened her arms wide, adopting the demeanor of a kind priest, and said in a deliberately irritating tone, "Congratulations, young man, for appreciating the beauty of the two-dimensional world and embracing the Lord."

There's no doubt that Rentaro Satomi stayed up all night.

As for the reason for staying up late, Nia Honjou knows without even needing to murmur it.

This guy spent the whole night reading the comic I gave him yesterday, Silver Bullet.

Judging from this, it seems to suit his taste quite well. If he didn't have an appointment today, he probably would have stayed home all day reading comics.

In fact, Silver Bullet is indeed an excellent shonen manga, and there is a reason why it was so popular in the pre-war world.

Silver Bullet tells the story of a demon-slaying boy who grows through his encounters and exorcisms as he defeats demons.

A typical theme of benevolent rule.

Anime like Tenchu ​​Girl, designed for children, wouldn't interest young people like Rentaro Satomi, but Silver Bullet is a shonen manga, targeting readers of his age.

Even though he entered society early and suffered a lot of hardships, making Rentaro Satomi much more mature than his peers, it doesn't mean he can reject shonen manga.

Moreover, although it is called shonen manga, its audience is not limited to teenagers.

"How are you? Where are you now?" Nia Honjo asked curiously.

"Can I not say it? I always feel a little ashamed to talk about the author's work in front of him."

"What does it matter? Tell me, I might even get valuable advice from the readers."

"Ugh......"