“Yes. All transfers to this world are assigned a spirit guardian. Some natives of this world have guardians while others don’t, but having a guardian allows you to fully receive the blessings of that spirit, which is beneficial.”
I nodded. Somehow, I was starting to feel more confident.
“The people who came with you this time were assigned quite good guardians.”
“Are there good and bad spirits?”
“Yes. There’s a hierarchy of spirits called Spirit Rank. Surprisingly, Kyohei-san has received the guardianship of Credor-sama, one of the Three Holy Pillars. It’s like having a guaranteed life as a hero or champion. It’s a wonderful guardian that appears maybe once in several hundred years!”
“O-oh…?”
She went on to explain that Ikeda from the second year and Sakuragi from the first year had received guardianship from spirits known as the Eight Holy Crowns. Seeing that I was completely lost, she continued to explain.
The spirit ranks are divided into twelve positions. The spirit called Seikyoku of Domoto, mentioned earlier, is ranked first, while the spirits called Seitai of Ikeda and Sakuragi are ranked second. It seems that all the other students are also protected by high-ranking spirits known as Great Spirits. This is apparently quite remarkable.
“By the way, what about this Orient?”
When I ask, the woman looks a bit troubled.
“I’m sorry, but it seems that a spirit called Orient is not registered.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
As I ask in a panicked tone, the woman responds soothingly.
“These spirit ranks were established by our first Pope, but due to the vast number of spirits, not all of them are covered.”
“I see…”
At that moment, Miree, who had been silently observing next to me, addresses the female priest.
“Speaking of which, Mr. Shigeto, I’ve heard that when your mind is troubled, taking slow, deep breaths can help calm you down. I wonder if that might be a characteristic of a spirit.”
“The mind? I see, thank you. We’re always grateful for such information, as there are still many spirits we know little about.”
Saying this, the woman jots something down. It seems they’re constantly gathering information on unknown spirits.
We’ve spent quite a bit of time discussing spirits, but the explanation continues.
The Ladder is a gift bestowed by the gods for defeating monsters. As one’s Ladder rises, their abilities are enhanced by the gods. It’s similar to what you might call a level. I hear that the increase in abilities when the Ladder rises differs from person to person, and the higher the rank of the guardian spirit, the greater the potential increase in abilities.
“I see… Is there an upper limit to the Ladder?”
“The tenth Ladder is said to be the highest. However, very few people can reach the tenth Ladder.”
“That’s surprisingly few. …So, what about these otherworldly skills?”
“Those are skills acquired in the world you came from before arriving here. Since they’re skills that don’t exist in this world, there are some we don’t understand. But… what’s this? Is it a school of martial arts?”
The female priest tilts her head as she looks at the characters for [Kikusui Kagemitsu Style]. Miree, peering over, also tilts her head in the same way. I’m surprised to see an actual school mentioned, but there’s something even more puzzling written there.
[Chuden rank]. Just as there are kyu and dan ranks in kendo, there are den ranks in iaido and similar arts. Starting from Hyoden, there’s Chuden, Okuden, Kaiden, and Gokuden. As one’s skill improves, their rank increases accordingly. This is the iaido that my grandfather had trained me in since childhood. While I may not have reached Kaiden, I had prided myself on being at least at the Okuden level, but… [Chuden rank]?
As I ponder this dissatisfaction, Miree asks with concern, “Are you alright?”
“Ah, sorry. Yes, it’s the martial arts style I was taught.”
Hearing this, both of them nod in understanding. However, it seems uncommon for a school’s name to be directly listed as an otherworldly skill.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT LOCALIZERMEERKAT.PAGES.DEV
“But are there skills specific to this world as well?”
“It’s said there are. However, skills acquired here aren’t displayed, but when you learn them, you sort of intuitively understand. It’s also said to be influenced by your guardian spirit.”
I see. Still, it’s somewhat reassuring that my iaido is registered as a skill.
After the explanation ends, we thank the woman and return to the original facility with Miree. On the way, as we walk, Miree speaks up, seeming a bit hesitant.
“By the way, I heard that you’re in a teaching position for them…”
“Ah, yes, I’m in that kind of position. What about it?”
“Yes. …There’s one thing that concerns me, it’s about Akira’s guardian spirit.”
“Akira? You mean Kohinata? What about him?”
“Akira’s guardian spirit is a very powerful Great Spirit called Campanella. However, Campanella is known to cause some mental instability… It’s famous for having produced Berserkers in the past.”
“Berserkers?”
“They’re known as mad warriors. Legendary beings who continued fighting until death, driven by rage.”
This sounds like dangerous information. Miree says she’s already informed Akira to be careful, but she thought it best to tell me as well, given my position as a sensei. However, Kohinata is already quite rebellious towards me. I have a feeling that my intervention might have the opposite effect…
“Kohinata is already quite rebellious towards me, so I’m not sure if my words will reach him…”
I feel frustrated at my inability to give a more positive response.
“Bwahahahaha! You’re too lame, man!”
“Eight millionth rank or whatever? That’s hilarious!”
At dinner time in the cafeteria, I’m thoroughly laughed at by the students. It’s quite hurtful, especially since I’m aware of how pathetic it is. Kohinata seizes the opportunity to laugh his head off. The third-year students Tsuji and Sato are the same.
“So, eight millionth rank? How bad is that? Didn’t you really get any special perks for being a transfer?”
I continue eating, ignoring the laughing students. I regret having answered honestly when asked about my ranking.
“Kohinata, never mind my rank. More importantly, I heard your guardian spirit might influence your emotions. Be careful.”
“Huh? Be careful? I’m telling you to stop acting like a sensei.”
“That attitude of immediately looking down on adults isn’t good, you know.”
“Hah! In this world, strength is everything. Isn’t that interesting? A person’s value is determined by their rank. Even the difference between you and me is shown in numbers!”
“…Can you only see human value in terms of strength?”
“You were already a failure as a kendo club advisor even before the rankings came out.”
“I’m just an advisor. It’s not my job to teach kendo.”
Kohinata’s attitude is even worse than it was back in Japan. I wonder if it’s the influence of his guardian spirit that I heard about earlier…
“As expected, teachers are destined to be background characters in group transfers.”
Background characters? I’m not sure what he means, but I can tell he’s mocking me. I think it’s a sensei’s role to caution students who disrespect adults like this, but I’m starting to lose confidence in myself.
At that moment, Miree, who had been clearing the table, noticed the commotion and approached.
“Akira-san, please stop this.”
“What’s it to you, Miree? This doesn’t concern you.”
“But, it’s too much towards the sensei…”
As Miree reprimands him, Kohinata’s eyes change color. I have a bad feeling and quickly intervene.
“Ms. Miree, I’m fine. Kohinata, calm down.”
“But…”
“I am calm! I’m just…!”
As Kohinata’s anger shows no signs of stopping, Kimijima also tries to intervene, looking flustered.
“Akira-kun, stop it already.”
“Huh? Don’t try to stop me, Yuzuki. I’ve always been irritated just by looking at this guy.”
“That’s not right, Akira-kun. Especially since we came to this world…”
Kimijima tries to stop Kohinata, but he won’t stop. Is this what they mean by Berserker? He clearly can’t control his emotions. At that moment, Domoto calls out to Kohinata.
“Akira, that’s enough. We won’t have to deal with him once we leave here anyway.”
However, Domoto’s attitude is more about not bothering with me rather than defending me. I can’t help but speak up.
“Domoto, even so, we don’t know what might happen in the lower world, so you shouldn’t just ignore—”
“What can you do? If anything, we might have to sacrifice ourselves to protect you in the dangerous lower world. Didn’t you think about that?”
“Well… but…”
“Eight millionth rank. I heard there are about 200 million people in this world. Half of them are women, and more than half of the remainder are children or elderly. Think about where that puts you.”
“Ugh…”
“In this world, I’ve gained the protection of what could be called a cheat-level being. Not just me, but all the club members have gained protection from fairly significant entities. We’re even said to be able to aim for the Ten rank.”
The Ten rank refers to the top 100 formidable individuals in the rankings. Domoto continues:
“So what can you do? Are you saying you can protect our safety?”
“…”
I couldn’t say anything in response to Domoto’s harsh words.
“See? You understand, right? There are people who think they need to do something unnecessary for acquaintances from their hometown. Even if it becomes a burden.”
“Senpai, that’s going too far…”
“Ah, that’s right. You were Nishina’s homeroom sensei. But it’s dangerous to be swayed by emotions.”
“But…”
TL Note: The first chapter of this novel is mostly an info dump, but it gets really good later. Please be patient.
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