Hunters Of Reality

Chapter 15: The Founders

The library

I followed him in---now what? I've been sitting here for the past 10 minutes, and I haven't even approached him. Maybe I'll just read a book for a while, and see how it goes.

The inside of this library is quite big---there are a lot of genres of books, like historical, study-related, student-published---? So, students here also published their own books? Well, not that I'm going to read those, so I'll just pick one from the historical section. I need to find out more about this reorbis.

Okay, how about this one, "When It All Began"? It sounds like I'll get some info from this book.

Table of contents... Reorbis... Reorbium... There isn't anything about it. What's with the misleading title?

"That's because you're reading the wrong book, moron."

"Ack---Utsumi? What a coinciden---"

"I already saw you follow me in, Yoshida. You're terrible at it, by the way."

Busted. Yikes.

"So, how'd you know what I was trying to find?"

"You and your friends were talking about the reorbis today during lunch---quite loudly, if I must say so. It's logical that you'd come here to read about it. But, I've already read that book, and it doesn't have anything regarding the stone." Utsumi replied.

"So, where can I find the actual book I'm looking for?"

"It's probably in some other section of the library, but definitely not in the historical one. Nevertheless, it's a useful read. Try it."

"If you say so."

"The academy was founded on the 1st of June, 1946, almost a year after the second World War, by three key figures---Motomi Hikari, Henry the Unscathed, and Behemoth. These three are widely recognised as one of the strongest to have ever lived. Each of them were also heavily involved in WW2. Over the course of time, the founders started disappearing one by one, except for Henry. No one knows what has become of the other two. Some say that they might have died of old age, while others believe they might have gone looking for more answers regarding the origins of our kind, just to never return."

The Three Founders? This is interesting. And, Henry the Unscathed? Could it be Henry? Pfft---nah. This academy was founded after the second World War... No way a man could look this young 70 years later. And, Motomi Hikari---definitely sounds like principal Yuriko's grandmother, or great-grandmother---that explains why she got to be the head of this academy... Hierarchy sure is great, huh? Lastly, who's this Behemoth? I have zero clues.

"Told you, it'd be useful." Utsumi said.

"Say, I wanted to ask you something... How come you're so powerful? Didn't you participate in the battle for the position of the class representative?"

"No, I didn't. I honestly don't care about it. But, as to how I'm so strong, that you so dearly imply, I'll tell you, but first, tell me about yourself---how in the world did you get an admission into this academy without even knowing about the basics? You don't have combat experience, nor the knowledge regarding simple things... I'm really curious." Utsumi asked.

"I just happened to be a promising student, and they recruited me. That is all there is." I replied.

"That still doesn't explain why they decided to enroll a student here at this time of the year. There can only be two possible answers to this---Either you're too strong, and happened to be too big a risk to be left among humans, and so they brought you here without a choice, or, you're just some filthy rich kid with a lot of influence, who just strolled in here because you thought it'd be fun. The latter sounds more convincing to me."

He's too sharp---crap, what do I do now?

"No answer? Okay, let's try this another way. Who brought you here? Your parents? A teacher?"

I can't answer that either.

"I'll respect your silence. But, I'm not going to acknowledge you yet."

"Okay I get it. You have your suspicions regarding me. But I assure you, I'm not some rich brat. Hell, I didn't even know about this academy until a week ago."

"What the--? So, you're... somebody powerful, then? That has to be the only possible answer."

"Why do you think so?" I asked.

"They only bring in new students abruptly if they're really powerful. Who brought you here?" He asked.

"Oh, you wouldn't know... some guy named Henry. Actually, I wasn't supposed to come here... My friend was to. I just happened to become involved, is all."

"Henry!? HENRY-WHO!?" He shouted. Everybody started starting at us.

"T-Turnwallace. Henry Turnwallace."

"No, that can't be right... The founder himself? Are you kidding me? You're not joking, are you?"

"Founder? No, he's just this foreigner who brought me h---"

"Who the hell are you, Yoshida? For a founder to have recruited you... You're not normal, even among us."

"N-No, you've got it all wrong. He's just somebody working for Principal Yuriko. He's not even a teacher here. Hell, nothing came up when I searched for his name using my PDA--"

Just then, he frantically started flipping the pages of the book I was reading, and stopped at a certain page, and started pointing at a paragraph.

"Read this, you idiot." He said.

"O-Okay..."

"Out of the three great founders, it is said that Henry Turnwallace, also known as Henry the Unscathed, is supposedly the strongest, and also widely considered as one of the strongest rekishiya in history. Very few have survived in a battle against him. It is said that he's never lost a fight before. Rumour has it that he may even be immortal, seeing as how he's hardly aged over the course of 60+ years."

"Convinced now? I hope you're not joking about this, Yoshida---It ain't funny at all, using one of the great founders' name so casually, and calling him somebody." He said.

"N-No, I'm telling you the truth, but, Founder? Henry? I swear I didn't know."

"What about this friend you were talking about?" He asked.

Should I tell him about Akane? Technically, they didn't tell me to not tell anyone about it... Plus, bringing up her story might clear his suspicion about me being a rekishiya.

"My friend is apparently suffering from an illness, so Henry brought her here for treatment. She worked as a part-timer in our family bakery store. She was a student here, too."

"A former student? If the founder himself brought her here, then she must have been somebody valuable. What's her name?"

"I'm sorry. I'm not at liberty to discuss about it. The principal's orders."

"Hmph. Very well. I've gained a lot of information today. One last thing, though---you're a rekishiya, aren't you, Yoshida?"