"I think this evil spirit might actually be—" Yuto started to explain his thinking, but Jotaro shook his head.
"Until I know exactly what it is, I can't let my guard down. I can't let it keep hurting people whenever it feels like it." Jotaro's face was completely serious.
The truth was, hurting people wasn't what worried him most—he'd beaten plenty of people before.
What Jotaro truly feared was his mother's safety.
What if the evil spirit lost control and turned on her? That could never be allowed to happen!
He'd rather lock himself up than stay at home and risk hurting her.
Seeing how firm he was, Yuto decided not to press.
Jotaro's situation was the strangest he'd come across so far, and since he knew nothing about it, it was better to watch from the sidelines for now.
Since the restaurant couldn't give him any answers about the evil spirit, Jotaro gathered himself and got ready to leave.
His mother didn't know he'd come here.
He usually acted harsh toward her, but the truth was he didn't want her worrying about him, so it was best to get back quickly and explain where he'd been.
And of course, he still paid for his meal.
After Jotaro left, Yuto put away the money and cleared the empty plate.
Once he'd washed it, he came back to the counter and turned to Tohru.
"Tohru, have you ever seen anything like what happened with JoJo?"
While Jotaro had been telling his story, Tohru had stayed quiet.
Yuto could tell she still disliked him a little, so he hadn't asked her anything while he was there. Now that he'd gone, it seemed safe to bring it up.
"I've seen things that look a bit similar—people possessed by ghosts and so on—but this isn't the same. The evil spirit that came out of that man felt more like a physical form of his mental energy." Tohru thought for a moment before answering.
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Yuto asked.
"Probably more good than bad." There was some uncertainty in her voice.
She'd never seen anything exactly like it either, so she could only guess.
Yuto nodded lightly.
He'd only asked out of curiosity. Compared with the abilities of the restaurant's other customers, Jotaro's power just seemed a bit more interesting.
That evil spirit was almost like an obedient second body.
Yuto thought it might even come in handy for cooking, which would be pretty convenient.
Some time later, Iskandar arrived.
When he learned El-Melloi II was upstairs teaching, he sat at the counter to wait, and Yuto served him alcohol and meat while he did.
Yuto also told him about Gilgamesh's behavior earlier, since Gilgamesh was one of the few people in the restaurant Iskandar could call a friend.
When the King of Conquerors heard how awkward Gilgamesh had been, he burst out laughing.
"I never knew Gilgamesh had such a stubborn side! Ahahaha!" Still laughing, he drained an enormous cup of drink.
He regretted arriving so late at once—if he'd seen Gilgamesh's behavior with his own eyes, it would have been the finest entertainment he could ask for!
Not long after, El-Melloi II finally came downstairs, with Sakura behind him looking dazed and thoroughly overwhelmed.
Nearly two hours of theory lessons had finally ended, and the little girl looked as if her mind had simply stopped working.
It was nothing like the practical training Gilgamesh handled.
Theory and practical combat were like a physics class and gym class—to a child, how could a dry lecture ever compete with running around and moving?
El-Melloi II brightened when he saw Iskandar.
The two greeted each other and sat down together, while Sakura took a seat at the counter.
Before going upstairs, the little girl had been full of energy.
Now she looked utterly wilted, drained of every last bit of strength.
Seeing her like that, Yuto smiled.
She reminded him of himself back in his school days—every time a teacher started working through math problems, he'd get unbearably sleepy.
"Sakura?" Yuto waved a hand in front of her face.
"Ah... Boss Onii-chan..." Sakura answered weakly.
She looked funny, but also pitiful enough to tug at your heart.
Seeing her state, Iskandar frowned, his thick, rugged red eyebrows drawing together in a way that looked a little comical.
Then he turned to his subject.
"Waver, don't you think what you're teaching is too much for a child? Look at her—she's suffering!"
There was both helplessness and a mild edge of anger in his voice.
Wild conqueror though he was, Iskandar cared deeply for children and held great hope for them.
No matter the era, children were always the future, and protecting that future was a king's duty!
Everyone in the restaurant turned toward El-Melloi II.
He sighed, and a trace of feeling showed on his usually stern face.
"I meant to teach her gradually, but Sakura refused. Magecraft theory isn't ordinary knowledge. It's normal to pass out after taking in too much from the realm of Mystery. That Sakura is still conscious is already more than I expected."
Everyone turned back to Sakura.
The little girl swayed in a daze, and only after noticing their eyes on her did she force out a faint smile.
"I don't have a choice. I need to get stronger fast. I have to protect Hestia-oneechan!" Her voice was soft and childish, yet it carried a strength most ordinary people never reached.
Even many adults might not have had the resolve Sakura showed in that moment.
The expressions around the room turned complicated—some sympathetic, some pained, some impressed.
Yuto reached out and gently rubbed her head.
"You've worked really hard, Sakura." He looked at her with a warm, fond smile.
A gentle smile touched Sakura's lips, like a tiny flower just beginning to open.
"I'm not the one working hard. Hestia-oneechan is probably the one really suffering."
Her words sent Yuto into thought, and all at once a lot of things came clear.
Right now, Hestia was probably carrying an enormous weight.
Those unknown gods were all watching Sakura's potential, and the struggle over who would claim her had perhaps begun long ago.
Hestia had simply never mentioned any of it.
How much patience and pain lay hidden beneath the cheerful, foolish face she wore every day?
Yuto sighed to himself.
That foolish goddess only knew how to carry everything alone!
...
Orario — Loki Familia Camp, a certain lounge.
Hestia and Loki had been talking for some time.
The goddess's face was full of fury and grief, rage and worry tangled together in her eyes. Her usual cheerful, silly look was nowhere to be seen.
"So you'd better brace yourself. Seven gods are planning to challenge you to a War Game at the next Denatus." Loki spoke evenly, her expression calm, her eyes narrowed so that it was impossible to tell what she was thinking.
Hestia gritted her teeth.
War Games between gods over a particular Familia member were nothing unusual.
The gods, so bored they hardly knew what to do with themselves, were always eager to stir up some kind of spectacle.
They had never been the sort to act by common sense.
But seven gods joining forces to declare a War Game against one extremely weak goddess was no ordinary challenge.
It was a deliberate humiliation.
Hestia knew plenty of gods looked down on her and shunned her because she'd once had no Familia members at all.
But she had never expected things to come to this.
"Thank you for telling me." Calm in a way no one would have expected, Hestia thanked her.
Loki waved a hand. "So what are you planning to do?"
With clear interest, she opened her eyes and looked straight at Hestia.
Hestia's face twisted with conflict. After wrestling with the decision for a long time, she finally let out a breath.
"Help me."
Loki smiled. "I never thought I'd hear those words from you. Hahaha!"
Hestia lowered her head.
Before this, she'd always been proud, unwilling to admit defeat in front of Loki.
But for Sakura, she was willing to set all that pride aside and ask Loki for help.
Asking for help was the only thing a weak goddess like her could do.
The two goddesses went on talking in low voices.
No one knew exactly what they discussed. But when Hestia left that night, there wasn't a trace of a smile on her face.
Only three days remained until the Denatus.
---------
Read 30 chapters ahead and support me on patreon.
patreon (.)com/Newbietranslator