Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai Saikyou (LN) - Volume 3 - Chapter 1

Chapter I: An Adventurer’s Job 

“Fufu, today is the day I finally uncover what secrets you’re hiding!” The waxing moon’s light pierced through the patchwork veil of clouds that partially obscured it and illuminated the ground below. Pale beams of light danced back and forth as clouds blew past the moon. One of the rays fell upon a certain building. Or more precisely, it fell upon a certain girl that was currently rappelling down a rope attached to one side of the building. She looked like a special forces operative, with the apparent ease and skill she slid down the bricks. 
After she made it down to the third floor window she flipped herself upside-down, then peered over the upper sill into the room inside. 
“Asking Crystabel-san to teach me how to climb has finally paid off. I bet you’d never expect me to be up here, kukuku. Now, show me just what kind of crazy erotic roleplaying you two do in bed!” Hanging from the roof of the Masaka Inn and panting excitedly was none other than Sona, the daughter of the innkeeper. The bright, cheerful, straightforward, hardworking girl loved by most of the town. True, she was by no means a stunning beauty, but there was a simple rustic charm to her looks. More than one guy had their sights set on her. 
Right now, that same girl was using the skills she’d acquired to spy on a certain room. If the men smitten with her saw her now they’d be completely disillusioned... Sona looked more like a perverted old man than a charming young girl right now. 
“Gah, why is it so dark? I can’t see properly. Maybe if I adjust the angle a little...” 
“Like this?” 
“Yes, that’s perfect... Still, why is it so quiet? I was certain I’d hear someone moaning at the very least...” 
“Well, it’s not hard to dampen sound with magic.” 
“Hah!? I see! Kuh, how crafty! But I won’t give up! I’ll unearth their steamy secrets if it’s the last thing I do...” 
Just as a refresher, this was third floor. Unless someone was doing something as ridiculous as Sona, it didn’t make sense for her to be able to hear anyone’s voice. A waterfall of sweat cascaded down her brow as she creakily turned around. Behind her, floating in the air, stood Hajime, a cold smile on his face. 
“I-Ish’s not what you shink, dear guest. I, uhh, well, oh! I’m inspecting the walls!” 
“Oh really? This late at night?” 
“Y-Yes. See, if I do it at night, no one will notice. If people saw us doing repairs in the middle of the day they’d think we’re a run-down establishment.” 
“I see. I suppose an inn’s reputation is important after all.” 
“E-Exactly! We have to keep up appearances!” 
“By the way, I’ve been hearing disturbing rumors lately about a peeping tom in the inn. What do you think about that?” 
“Th-That sounds like a serious problem! O-Our inn d-doesn’t tolerate such indecency.” 
“Yeah, that’s what I thought. Peeping is intolerable, right?” 
“Y-Yes, completely intolerable...” 
Hajime and Sona both started laughing. Though neither of them actually looked happy. There was a cold gleam in Hajime’s eyes, while on the other hand there was a trickle of sweat dripping from Sona’s forehead as she trembled nervously. 
“Die.” 
“Hiiii! I’m sorry!” 
Hajime stopped laughing as suddenly as he’d started and grabbed Sona by the face. His metallic fingers creaked as he dug into her skin. Sona screamed, begging for forgiveness as she struggled inside his grip. 
Sona was just an average girl, so the amount of force Hajime was putting into his grip was a bit overkill. Had this been her first offense, Hajime wouldn’t have been so harsh. But ever since they’d returned from the Reisen Labyrinth and booked a room at the inn, she’d been using every means at her disposal to try and peep on them, so Hajime was starting to get sick of it. The reason they’d still come back to the inn despite knowing this might happen was because of how good the food was. 
Around the time Sona started twitching a little, Hajime sighed and finally adjusted his hold on her so he was carrying her under his arm. Sona let out a sigh of relief, but then when she looked down... she saw a demon waiting for her. Her mother, the demon, was smiling, but just like Hajime’s smile it didn’t reach her eyes. 
“Hiii!” 
She noticed Sona had spotted her, so she beckoned gently, a mother calling to her child, like a devil beckoning her down into hell. 
“It looks like a hundred spanks wasn’t enough. Perhaps more will work.” 
“Nooooooooo!” Sona let out a terrified shriek as she thought back to other spankings she’d received when she had been caught. Her buttcheeks were going to be swollen come breakfast time. Hajime sighed again. He was getting tired of repeating this farce every night. 
After handing Sona over to her mother, Hajime went back up to his room and flopped down into bed. 
“...Well done.” 
“Welcome back.” 
Yue and Shea greeted him as he returned. The faint moonlight pouring through the window, the only lighting inside the room, dimly outlined the two girls. 
Both of them were sitting on the bed across from his. And both of them were wearing nothing but their negligees. Their beauty was such that even a second-rate painter would be able to create a masterpiece simply by using them as models. 
“Yo. I don’t get it, why’s that girl so hell-bent on peeping on us... Normally, you wouldn’t rappel down the roof just to catch someone having sex, would you? I’m starting to think we should pick a different inn, even if the food isn’t as good.” Shea let out a small chuckle, walked over to Hajime’s bed, and sat down next to him. Yue too, headed over to Hajime’s bed and lifted his head onto her lap. Hajime let himself momentarily enjoy the sensation of being given a lap pillow. It really was quite wonderful. 
“Our relationship must have sparked Sona-chan’s teenage curiosity, is all. You can’t really blame her, can you? Besides, I think it’s kind of cute.” 
“Though, I am a little... worried about how elaborate her schemes are becoming.” 
“Yeah, yesterday she made a snorkel and tried to hide in the bath... Finding a pair of eyes staring at me from the bottom of the tub was quite a shock.” 
“Yeah, having the innkeeper’s daughter basically stalk us is kind of... Especially since it seems like she’s only after us...” 
Shea snuggled closer to Hajime while they talked. She inconspicuously put her hand over his and tried to guide it to her breasts. A faint blush spread across her cheeks as she nervously thought about what would come next. 
Hajime gave Shea’s hand a little squeeze. Shea jumped in surprise. She happily increased the strength of her own grip. In return, Hajime squeezed back even harder. 
This cycle repeated itself a few times until Shea finally noticed what was happening. 
“Hey, Hajime-san! You’re crushing it! You’re crushing my hand!” Creak! 
“Hiiii! I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I got too full of myself, okay!? It won’t happen again! Please let me go! You’re breaking my hand! I can feel it cracking!” 
“I saw you casually trying to set up a good mood, you know? Why are you even here, anyway? Your room’s over there.” Shea struggled to free her hand, but Hajime’s grip was as tight as a vice. 
“I-I was hoping to slowly sneak my way into bed with you. Come on, we’ve already kissed. Can’t we just have a little alone time?” 
“Hell no. I only did that to save your life.” 
She was, of course, referring to the time Miledi Reisen had flushed them out of her labyrinth like they were unwanted pieces of offal. Because of the strange fish creature Shea had seen, she’d nearly drowned and had to be saved via CPR by Hajime. She had somehow had enough of her consciousness left to know she was being kissed, and upon waking had assaulted Hajime with all her inhuman might, which had resulted in Hajime being kissed over and over. 
He’d pulled her off and thrown her into the fountain quickly enough, but for Shea that was still the precious memory of her first kiss. 
No matter how coldly Hajime brushed her off, this worthless rabbit just didn’t know when to give up. Shea smiled smugly, like a famous detective that had finally deduced who the criminal was. 
“No, I can tell. You’ve already started to fall for me, Hajime-san! You’re way nicer to me than you used to be! If we think about all the evidence piled up it’s clear that... Guhehe.” Creaaaaak! “Owww! You’re bweaking me!” Unwilling to hear any more of Shea’s blabbering, Hajime squeezed harder. 
Shea let out a garbled shriek and finally managed to pull her hand away. She nursed her throbbing fingers as she sulked over in one corner of the bed. Her rabbit ears flopped about dejectedly. 
Hajime ignored her and turned toward Yue. Since he was still resting in her lap that basically meant looking straight up. Yue, too, looked down at Hajime. 
“By the way, Yue. You haven’t been stopping Shea as much. Did you have a change of heart or something?” Yue tilted her head to the side, thinking. As Hajime had said, her attitude toward Shea had grown far more tolerant since they’d cleared Reisen’s Labyrinth. 
In the beginning, Yue had mercilessly stopped Shea anytime she’d attempted to get close to Hajime, but lately Yue had become a lot more lax about Shea’s overtures. Even when Shea went for something big, like a kiss, Yue just pouted unhappily. 
“Shea worked hard. And she’s going to keep working hard to stay with us. Plus, she likes both you and me.” 
“Well, I guess, but...” 
“...And I... kind of like her.” 
“Figured as much. It’s obvious just by looking that you get along pretty well.” 
From what little Yue had said, Hajime could tell that she treasured Shea a great deal. 
It made sense, honestly. Since mana was dispersed with far more intensity within the labyrinth than even in the gorge, Yue hadn’t been able to exhibit her full strength. The same had gone for Hajime. With just the two of them, conquering the labyrinth would have been quite a hassle. Sure, Hajime might have been able to tackle the labyrinth on his own, but he’d probably have had to burn through a few of his Ambrosia vials in order to do so. It was only thanks to Shea that they’d been able to clear it without wasting any resources. 
What was truly amazing was that Shea had never held a weapon in her life until just a few weeks ago. In fact, she’d actively avoided conflict as much as possible. She was one of the rabbitmen, the race known as the weakest of the beastmen species, that hated fighting above all else. 
She must have been scared that entire time in the labyrinth, and yet she’d never once said that she wanted to go back. In order to stay with Hajime and Yue, she’d braved the hell known as a labyrinth. She’d grit her teeth and pushed valiantly onward, crying all the while. 
Because she cared that much about Yue and Hajime, her devotion had let her overcome her fear. 
It wasn’t that Yue hadn’t been jealous. In fact, that was precisely why it had been so hard for her to accept Shea’s feelings for Hajime. After all, she’d been pretty harsh on Shea too. But no matter how many times she was rebuffed, Shea kept on trying to befriend Yue. On top of that, she’d shown her determination when she’d stuck with them through the entire labyrinth. Her constant efforts had moved Yue. 
Come to think of it, Yue didn’t have any friends, did she? Even before she had been sealed, she’d been busy leading her country. Her position hadn’t allowed her to make any friends. She’d been a loner the whole time. 
And so, the appearance of Shea, who had no ulterior motives in wanting to become Yue’s friend, was a true blessing. That was why Yue had justified it to herself with “Well, if it’s Shea, it’s okay...” and let her get away with more and more. 
“...Besides.” 
“Hm?” Hajime looked back up at Yue. Her eyes were a whirl of emotion. Confidence, charm, resolution, sincerity, all mingled together as she smiled down at him. She looked so majestic that Hajime involuntarily held his breath. He found himself lost in her gaze, her eyes deep pools that sucked him in. They stared unblinkingly at each other for a long time. 
“...Your heart already belongs to me.” 
“......” 
No matter who falls in love with him, no matter who else he decides to let into his bed, the one most important to him will always be me. 
Of that, Yue was sure. And so, this was her declaration of war. Her declaration of war against all those Hajime had already met, and all those he might come to meet. 
Hajime was speechless. Bewitched, he gazed intently into Yue’s sparkling eyes. Gently, ever so gently, he placed a hand on her cheek. She covered his hand with her own. Dim moonlight framed the two figures as they drew close together, their shadows merging on the wall behind them. 
Just before they completely overlapped— 
“Ugh... You could at least pretend to remember I’m still here. I feel so lonely... Hic...” 
  

Shea was hugging her knees on the other corner of the bed, tears streaming from her eyes, bunny ears drooping sadly. Even Hajime felt a little uncomfortable seeing her so depressed. Yue awkwardly beckoned her over. 
“Yue-saaaaan!” Shea cried out as she leaped into Yue’s bosom, sniffling. Yue patted her head gently, and soon enough the steady breathing of a sleeping bunny girl could be heard. Hajime smiled wryly as he looked down at Shea. 
“You’re more like her mom than her friend.” 
“If I’m going to have kids, I want them to be yours.” 
“......” 
“Don’t be too hard on Shea, okay?” 
“Alright, I’ll try.” 
“Mmm... I love you.” 
“Me too.” 
In the end, Hajime ended up sleeping sandwiched between the both of them. 
From that day onward, Yue gave Shea permission to sleep in the same room as them. Naturally, Shea let this get to her head and tried to assault Hajime every night, to no avail. 
Shea’s screams of pain served to stimulate Sona’s imagination even further, and she went to even greater lengths to spy on the trio’s nightly activities. 

The Brooke adventurer’s guild’s door opened with a cheerful clang. Three people walked inside. Hajime, Yue, and Shea, who had grown famous around the town. 
As always, there were a few people sitting around inside the guild. A few of them raised a hand in greeting as Hajime and the others walked by. Many of the guys still gazed at Yue and Shea with longing, and glared at Hajime with burning envy, but there was a distinct lack of malice in their stares. 
In the week they’d spent back in Brooke, countless scores of men had tried to profess their love to Yue and Shea, but they’d all been shot down. Some of them still remembered Yue’s ball crushing incident, so instead of going to her directly, they had tried to get on Hajime’s good side first. 
Hajime had, of course, ignored them entirely. The truly desperate ones had tried to challenge Hajime to a duel, only to find themselves on the receiving end of his rubber bullets. Many an unfortunate soul had found themselves spinning through the air and kissing the dirt before they’d even drawn their weapon. 
Rumors had begun to spread about Yue the ball crusher and her partner, Hajime the duelist crusher. Their fame had steadily been on the rise. 
Though they hadn’t registered a party name with the guild, people had taken to calling them the “smashers,” much to Hajime’s chagrin. 
Meanwhile, Shea was lamenting the fact that no one seemed to remember she was part of their group too. 
“Oh, all three of you are together today?” Old lady Catherine was manning the reception desk. The reason for Catherine’s surprise was that this past week, Hajime had either come alone, or Yue and Shea had visited as a pair. 
“Yeah. We’re heading out tomorrow, but we wanted to come thank you for everything you’ve done for us first. Oh, and to see if there’s any requests related to our destination.” That “everything” had included lending Hajime one of the guild’s rooms for free. He had wanted to see what kind of stuff he could do by combining his newfound gravity magic with his creation magic, but he’d needed a wide open space for that. When he’d come to Catherine to ask where he could find one of those, she’d offered to let him use one of the guild’s rooms for free. 
In the meantime, Yue and Shea had been spending time outside the town training their gravity manipulation abilities. 
“I see. Leaving already? Guess it’ll get lonely here again. The town’s been a lot livelier since you three returned.” 
“Give me a break. I’ve had enough of peeping perverts, clothing store perverts, perverts begging Yue and Shea to step on them, perverts stalking them and calling them ‘onee-sama,’ and idiots challenging me to duels... This town’s full of nothing but them. Seventy percent of the people I’ve met are perverts, and the other thirty are idiots... There’s something seriously wrong with this place.” Hajime’s complaints were more or less on the mark. Sona was one thing, but every time he’d gone to Crystabel’s shop, he could feel a hungry gaze devouring him. 
There were also three factions in Brooke that were constantly feuding with each other. The first was the “I want to be stepped on by Yue-chan” faction, the second was the “I want to be Shea-chan’s slave” faction, and the last was the “I want to become Onee-sama’s apprentice” faction. Their names were rather self-explanatory, and the three factions were constantly competing for members. 
Hajime and the others did their best to steer clear of all of them, though. 
Yue was already having nightmares about all the guys that prostrated herself before her, begging her to step on them. And Hajime had no idea just how some of the other guys had come to the conclusion that they wanted to be Shea’s slave. Beastmen were supposed to be discriminated against, and it wasn’t clear how becoming her slave would help their chances with her, but trying to understand their motives was more effort than it was worth, so Shea just eliminated them. 
Meanwhile, the female group’s primary objective was trying to remove Hajime. One of them had even tried to stab him with a knife, going “How dare you leech off of Onee-sama, you parasite! I’m gonna cut your balls offfff!” 
Obviously killing a young girl in the middle of the street would’ve led to some complications, so Hajime had just stripped her naked, tied her up bondage style, and dangled her from the roof of the tallest building in town. To top it off, he’d stuck a sign to her that read “I’ll kill the next person that tries that.” That managed to scare the girls into submission. 
Hajime grimaced as he thought back to his time in this town, while Catherine smiled sympathetically. 
“Now now, you can’t deny things were interesting at least.” 
“Interesting in a bad way, maybe.” 
“So, where are you headed next?” 
“Fuhren.” They continued chatting idly while Catherine rifled through the requests, looking to see if any involved Fuhren. 
Fuhren was the independent merchant state Hajime had read about when he’d first arrived. Hajime’s next destination was the Grand Gruen Volcano, which was located within the Gruen Desert. As the desert lay on the western edge of the continent, the trio had decided to make a quick stop in Fuhren, as it was on the way. Once they cleared the volcano, their next destination was the labyrinth located at the bottom of the sea, the Sunken Ruins of Melusine. Those were even further to the west, past the desert. 
“Hmmm, oh, here we are. Found something. There’s a merchant convoy looking for guards. They’ve got room for one more person... What do you think? Want to accept it?” Hajime scanned the document Catherine handed to him. Like she’d said, it seemed to be an escort mission. His job would be to escort a medium-sized caravan, and it looked like they wanted around 15 guards. As Yue and Shea still weren’t registered adventurers, having one slot open was just perfect. 
“It’s fine if I bring these two with me still, right?” 
“It should be alright. Bringing a large crowd with you would be a different story, but most adventurers bring along a porter or slave to carry their luggage anyway. Besides, Yue-chan and Shea-chan are quite strong. They’re getting a steal, hiring all of you for the price of one. I’m sure they’d happily let them tag along.” 
“I see. Hmmm, what do you guys think?” 
Hajime turned around, seeking input from the two girls behind him. He’d personally been hoping for a delivery request. That way he’d be able to use his magic motorcycle to get them to Fuhren way faster than any caravan could. Purposely slowing down his pace just for a quest didn’t really sound all that appealing. 
“We’re not in any hurry.” 
“Yeah. Besides, it might be fun to travel with other adventurers for once. Who knows, some of the veterans might be able to teach us a few things.” 
“I suppose it’s true we’re not in any real hurry, and it might not be so bad traveling with others...” Hajime nodded pensively and accepted the request. Like Yue had said, they were in no rush to conquer the labyrinths. Hurrying too much could lead to a fatal mistake, and Shea was right that some of the adventurers might be able to teach them useful tricks for the road ahead. 
“Very well. I’ll let them know, so make sure you’re at the main gate first thing tomorrow morning.” 
“You got it.” 
While Hajime was filling out the paperwork, Catherine shifted her gaze to Yue and Shea. 
“Make sure you take care of yourselves, alright? If this brat ever makes you cry, then make sure you drag him back here. I’ll wallop him good for you.” 
“Okay, we will. Thanks.” 
“Bye, Catherine-san. Thanks for everything!” 
Yue and Shea smiled at Catherine. Shea’s smile especially was dazzling. 
The way Catherine and the people of this town had treated her had almost made her forget how beastmen were usually treated in human settlements. Naturally, not everyone had been so accepting, but Catherine, Sona, Crystabel, and even her fans had treated her like a normal girl. She wasn’t sure whether more tolerant people just gravitated toward this town in particular, but to her this place had felt like a second home. 
“You better not do anything that’d make these girls cry, you hear? Even if you manage to escape my wrath, God will surely punish you if you do.” 
“You sure like lecturing people. Don’t worry, I know.” Hajime smiled wryly. Catherine handed him a piece of paper. Puzzled, Hajime took it. 
“What’s this?” 
“It look like you three have got a huge burden to bear. Think of this as my apology for all the trouble the townspeople caused you. If you ever get into any trouble with the guild branches in the other towns, just show that letter to them. It’ll help you out.” Catherine winked conspiratorially at Hajime. Just who is this lady? One letter from her and even the adventurer’s guild’s upper management will fold? 
“Oh, and don’t ask me why. Every girl’s entitled to a few secrets, don’t you think?” 
“Haah, alright. Thanks for the help.” 
“Girls like an obedient man. I don’t know what your future’s got in store for you, but you better not die on me.” For an old guild receptionist working in a small town in the middle of nowhere, Catherine sure had a lot of mystery surrounding her. A contented smile split her lips as she watched Hajime and the others leave. 
Next, they went to visit Crystabel. Hajime had been staunchly against the idea, but Yue and Shea had insisted, so he found himself tagging along as they went to say their goodbyes. But when Crystabel learned it was their last day in town, he turned into a monstrous bundle of sadness that tried to attack Hajime, which resulted in an odd situation of Hajime trying to destroy Crystabel with his wave motion cannon while Yue and Shea desperately tried to hold him back. Needless to say, the goodbyes were completely forgotten. 
Lastly, when Sona had heard it was their last night there, she had pulled out all the stops in her attempt to peek on Hajime in the bath and in his room. When she’d eventually been turned over to her mom, instead of a spanking she was strung up in front of the inn all night, tied up in grand bondage fashion. Why Sona’s mom knew how to make those knots, no one could say. 
The next morning. Reminiscing about the “pleasant” memories they’d had in this town, Hajime and the others made their way to the main gate. They found the caravan manager waiting for them, along with the other adventurers who’d accepted the request. It appeared they were the last to arrive, so when they got there the other adventurers all broke into a clamor. 
“H-Hey, don’t tell me the smashers are coming with us!?” 
“No way! Man, I don’t know whether to be happy or terrified.” 
“God, my hand won’t stop trembling.” 
“That’s just your withdrawal symptoms, man.” 
Some people were happy to see Yue and Shea, others reflexively covered their balls, and yet others tried to blame their alcohol addiction on Hajime. Hajime frowned as he approached. Once he was closer, the caravan manager called out to him. 
“You’re the last guard, right?” 
“Yep, here’s the request paper.” Hajime pulled out the form he’d filled out. The caravan manager glanced at it, nodded, and introduced himself. 
“My name is More Nos. I’m the leader of this expedition. I’ve heard from Catherine that you’re a very accomplished adventurer even though your rank is still blue. I’m expecting good things from you.” 
“More Nos? Must be exhausting work, managing a caravan...” 
The caravan manager’s name reminded Hajime of a certain energy drink. More tilted his head in confusion, but then replied with a smile. 
“I suppose, but I’m used to it now.” 
“Well, I’ll try to live up to your expectations at least. The name’s Hajime. The two behind me are Yue and Shea.” 
“Glad to hear it... By the way, that rabbit girl of yours... you wouldn’t happen to be interested in selling her, would you? I’d be willing to pay more than a fair price for her.” More looked over Shea appraisingly. Not only did she have pale hair, a rarity for the rabbitmen, she was quite the beauty. As a merchant, it was in his nature to try and obtain rare goods whenever possible. And he was quite the excellent businessman, discerning instantly that Shea must have been Hajime’s slave and moving right into negotiations. 
Shea scowled unhappily and hid behind Hajime. Yue glared daggers at More. But from an objective viewpoint, More was simply doing what was natural for a businessman. Normally, one would assume any beastmen living outside the sea of trees had to be someone’s slave. More wasn’t to blame for his misconception. 
“Oh, she seems quite attached to you... I see that you must treat her well. I promise to treat her just as nicely, so what do you say?” 
“You look like a shrewd businessman... I’m sure you already know what my answer is.” 
More tried to press onward, his hungry gaze fixated on Shea, but Hajime curtly turned him down. A good judge of people, More could already tell Hajime wouldn’t part with her, but the thought of the profits he could reap made him unwilling to give up so easily. He thought frantically for anything he could use as a bargaining chip. 
Hajime could see where he was going with this, and repeated himself more firmly. 
“Even if the gods themselves asked, I wouldn’t part with her... Understand?” 
“...Alright, I get it. I give up. Still, if you ever change your mind, please come to Nos’ trading company first. Anyway, it’s about time we set off. Ask the adventurer over there to fill you in on the details on the way.” 
Hajime’s words had been quite dangerous. Had the Holy Church heard his declaration, they would have branded him a heretic. Technically, even the Holy Church admitted there were gods other than the supreme ruler, Ehit, and that the demons worshiped a different one, so simply mentioning that there were other gods wasn’t a heretical statement. 
But the way Hajime had phrased it, that all the gods were somehow equal, was borderline at best. That was why More had realized Hajime was serious about never letting Shea go. But his enterprising spirit led him to still try one last futile attempt, and he urged Hajime to come to his business first if he ever changed his mind. 
Hajime trudged over to the wagon where all the other adventurers were gathered. They were all watching him in awe as he approached. 
“Amazing... to go so far for one girl... That sent shivers down my spine, man!” 
“I see now why everyone respects you as the duelist smasher. You won’t forgive anyone who lays a finger on your girls... Heh, what a man.” 
“I hope someone says something like that to me one day.” 
“Come on, you’re a dude. No way anyone’s gonnaaaaaa! I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” 
Hajime could feel a headache coming on and he tiredly rubbed his temples. Everyone living in Brooke is a moron. 
Suddenly, he felt something squishy press up against his back, and found himself being hugged from behind. When he looked behind him, he saw Shea resting her chin on his shoulder. She was blushing bright red and smiling triumphantly. 
“Look, there’s no special meaning behind that, okay? Don’t misunderstand.” 
“Ufufufufu... I know. Ufufufu~” 
Hajime had just meant that he would never abandon anyone important to him, but even when he said as much to Shea she didn’t look convinced. After all, the man she loved had just said he’d fight the gods to keep her. Regardless of his intentions, that would still make any girl happy. 
Too late, Hajime realized he might have gone a bit overboard in his desire to cut negotiations short as quickly as possible. Yue tottered over to him and tugged at his sleeve. 
“Hm? What is it, Yue?” 
“Mmm... You looked cool, so it’s okay.” 
“Thanks for trying to cheer me up.” Hajime gratefully stroked her cheek, and Yue contentedly closed her eyes. 
Hajime stood in the early morning light, staring out at the road with two beautiful girls hanging off his arms. 
All of the women watched the spectacle warmly, while all the guys looked on with dead eyes. In a way, one could say Hajime was reaping what he’d sown. 
It took roughly six days by carriage to go from Brooke to Fuhren. 
They struck out from the road just before sunrise, and usually stopped to camp right before sunset. The first three days passed uneventfully. They were already halfway to Fuhren. Only three days left. Their progress had been smooth. Hajime had been entrusted with the rearguard, but he’d had no reason to draw his weapons the entire trip. 
The fourth day passed peacefully as well, and they were stopping to make camp. Everyone was responsible for their own meals. The adventurers all ate while they stayed on watch for any incoming threats. None of them seemed comfortable taking their meals with the traders. It had pretty much become an unspoken rule that they ate separately. 
Besides, since they were out on a request, the adventurers had all made sure to bring portable rations. The more extravagant food one brought, the more luggage they’d have to bring to prepare it. And in the case of a fight, that would just get in the way. In return, they usually gorged themselves on a feast once they completed their request and obtained their reward. 
Or at least, that was what Hajime had heard from the adventurers he’d talked to on their second day out. While he’d been eating a scrumptious stew complete with a loaf of freshly baked bread on the side. 
“Soooo good! Man, this is delicious. I don’t care if you’re a beastman or what, Shea, please just marry me!” 
“Mmmph... Mmmgh... Gulp... Hey, get your hands off her! Shea-chan’s my wife!” 
“Pah, who’d marry a dirty little urchin like you? Learn your place, you commoner! By the way, Shea-chan, would you be willing to accompany me to dinner once we arrive in the city? My treat, of course.” 
“Th-Then I’ll take Yue-chan! Yue-chan, please have dinner with me!” 
“Yue-chan’s spoon... Haah... Haah...” 
The adventurers all heartily tucked into Shea’s stew. 
On the first day, while the other adventurers had all taken out hardtack and dried jerky, the trio had pulled out pots and pans from Hajime’s Treasure Trove and set about to cooking. The adventurers had all been drawn in by the pleasant smell, and they drooled with envy as they watched Hajime, Yue, and Shea chow down on a delicious meal. Finding it hard to keep eating, Shea had offered to share, and now this was what mealtime had become every day. 
Of course, Hajime had had no issue eating his food while the adventurers looked on like starving dogs. He had had no intention of sharing, either. 
But as Shea had become the de facto cook of their party, she had the final say in all food-related matters. It wasn’t like Hajime or Yue couldn’t cook, but most of their food ended up relatively bland. Hajime was a guy, and Yue formal royalty, so neither of them were very well versed in cooking. And so, if Shea offered to share, Hajime couldn’t exactly say no. 
At first the adventurers had just been grateful, flocking like starving hyenas at mealtime to be delivered from their hell of hardtack and dried meat. But as time went on, they grew bolder and bolder, and now they were making passes at Shea and Yue every chance they got. 
When the noise became too much, Hajime silently activated Intimidation. The adventurers, who’d been warmed by Shea’s stew, suddenly felt chilled to the bone. Hajime gulped down a piece of meat and slowly looked up at the gathered adventurers. His voice was barely a whisper, but everyone heard him clearly. 
“So, who wants to volunteer to be my punching bag first?” 
“We’re sorry for getting ahead of ourselves!” They all apologized in unison. Almost all of them were seasoned veterans far older than Hajime, but they still prostrated themselves before him. His Intimidation skill was part of it, but part of it also stemmed from the reputation he’d earned himself within Brooke. None who knew the tales dared oppose him. 
“Oh, lay off, Hajime-san. It’s dinnertime, what’s wrong with a little talking? B-Besides, no matter what anyone else says, you’re the only one for me.” 
“Like I care.” 
“Hwau!?” Shea tried to sneak in a cute comment there, but Hajime shot her down instantly. 
“Hajime.” 
“Hm? What is it, Yue?” Hajime faltered slightly when he saw Yue’s sharp glare. 
“Hmph!” Yue flicked Hajime’s forehead with her finger. She was reminding Hajime of the promise he’d made to be a little nicer to Shea. Since Hajime wasn’t exactly in love with Shea, he figured treating her like he would a member of his family was good enough... but apparently it wasn’t for Yue. 
“Hajime-san! You better be nicer or I won’t give you any of the meat skewers I made!” Yue’s lack of interference had made Shea bolder too. She was no longer deterred by Hajime’s barbed dismissals. True to her optimistic nature, she bounced back from any setback quickly. 
“Seriously, where does all that... Never mind. Fine, I’ll be nicer, so give me a skewer.” 
“Fufu, you want it that badly? Then say aaah.” 
“......” 
Blushing slightly, Shea brought the skewer closer to Hajime’s mouth. She really wants to feed me? Hajime glanced back at Yue. She happily picked up a skewer of her own, then waited patiently. She probably wanted to feed him after Shea was done. 
Feeling the gazes of all the other adventurers directed at him as well, Hajime sighed and reluctantly opened his mouth. Shea beamed with joy. 
“Say aaaah.” 
“......” Hajime silently bit off a piece of meat and chewed slowly. Shea was beet red now. A second later, another skewer was offered to Hajime. 
“Say aaaaah.” 
“......” Hajime bit down silently once more. Once he was done chewing, Shea offered him another. When he finished that, Yue had another at the ready. 
Leaving aside whether or not Hajime was actually enjoying the situation, the onlookers were all seething with jealousy. Go die, you fucker! They all screamed angrily, but only internally. The reason the please was added in there was because they still feared Hajime’s might. 
Two days later. A mere day before they reached the safety of the city, some brigands interrupted their travels. Shea was the first to spot them. Or hear them, rather. Her rabbit ears picked up the sounds of movement coming from the forest that bordered the path, and she quickly called out a warning. 
“Enemy attack! They’re coming from the forest! There’s more than a hundred of them!” The adventurers all stiffened up. It was true that their path took them right next to the forest, but it shouldn’t have been that dangerous a place. Especially considering that it led to the most renowned trading city on the continent. They would have taken pains to make sure the highways heading to it remained safe. True, people still encountered monsters on the path, but they usually didn’t run into hordes of more than twenty, maybe forty at worst. 
“Shit, more than a hundred? I’d heard there hadn’t been any monster attacks the past few weeks on the road... Could they just have been gathering their strength? Sheesh, you’d think the patrols would at least check the forest!” The captain of the guards, Gartima, grimaced and spat out a curse. They only had fifteen guards. Even if he counted Yue and Shea, that only brought the numbers up to seventeen. It didn’t seem likely that they’d get out of the fight unscathed. They’d just get overwhelmed by sheer numbers. 
Also, the reason the adventurers included Shea as part of their combat strength, despite the fact that rabbitmen were known to be peace-loving creatures, was because of the stories that had been told about her in Brooke. One time her overzealous fan club had annoyed her to the point that she’d blown them all away with a single punch, causing her reputation to spread. 
Gartima called for all the guards to halt, hoping that if they tried to hold the horde back here the merchants at least might manage to escape. However, Hajime proposed an alternative solution. 
“If you’re worried, how about letting us kill them all?” 
“Huh?” 
Hajime spoke casually, as if he was simply offering to go buy groceries. Stunned by how unbelievable a suggestion it was, Gartima could only manage a foolish questioning sound. 
“Like I said, just leave them to us. We’ll wipe em all out.” 
“B-But it’ll be difficult just to protect the caravan as is... Umm, are you sure you can do it? The monsters that show up around these parts aren’t that strong, but with that many...” 
“The numbers are no problem for us. Don’t worry, Yue will finish them in an instant.” Hajime put a hand on Yue’s shoulder. She didn’t look very concerned either, choosing to simply affirm Hajime’s statement. 
Gartima hesitated. He had heard the rumors about Yue’s powerful sorcery. He presumed that even if they couldn’t annihilate them all, with how confident Hajime looked they’d at least be able to whittle down their numbers a good deal. Perhaps it was worth letting them try instead of risking splitting their forces. 
“Alright. We’ll do it your way. It’s alright if you can’t get them all, as long as you lower their numbers enough. We’ll get as many as we can with our own magic after that, and hopefully there’ll be few enough left that we can take them down. Got that, guys?” 
“Yes sir!” The adventurers all shouted in unison. None of them believed Yue could actually wipe them all out. 
There really isn’t anything to worry about, though. Well I guess it makes sense from their perspective, since mages like Yue aren’t all that common. 
The adventurers formed a defensive wall in front of the caravan. A mixture of determination and nervousness settled over their faces. There was no light banter to be had among them right now. Hajime had heard a lot about these veteran adventurers’ travels, but it was only now that he fully appreciated how long they must have been doing this. The merchants were all timidly hiding inside their carriages, occasionally peeking out to see what was happening. 
Hajime and the others climbed up to one of the carriages roofs. 
“Yue, I know you don’t need to, but chant the spell. It’ll be a pain to explain otherwise.” 
“Chant... the spell?” 
“Uhh, do you not know how to?” 
“Don’t worry, it’ll be fine.” 
“That’s only making me more worried...” 
“Ten seconds until they reach us.” Hajime had wanted to avoid any unnecessary questions, but as Yue had never needed to chant a spell before, she wasn’t even aware of what the words were. It would have been fine if she’d just mumbled something random in a quiet voice, but the problem stemmed even deeper than that. It looked like she didn’t even know that spells came with chants. 
Shea’s warning cut Hajime off before he could explain. Yue raised her right hand and pointed it at the forest. 
“Illuminate the darkness with blinding crimson. Shatter the fetters of my eternal prison and break through all in thine path. We who would be the strongest call upon this power, and together we rend the heavens— Draconic Thunder!” The clouds that had gathered split apart as Yue finished chanting. A fearsome dragon forged entirely of lightning descending from opening. It resembled a serpent as it snaked its way down to earth. 
“Wh-What the...” Someone whispered in awe. 
The adventurers ignored the incoming onslaught of monsters, their attention entirely focused on the lightning dragon. Even the mages in the party had never seen nor heard of a spell like this. Their mouths were hanging open in wonder as they watched. 
It wasn’t just the adventurers who were looking up in awe, however. Even the bloodthirsty monsters stopped in their tracks and looked up, frozen in place by the sheer majesty of the dragon bearing down upon them. 
At Yue’s signal, it opened its jaws wide and hurtled toward the army of monsters. 
Roooooooooooooooooar! 
“Uwaah!?” 
“Dowaaah!?” 
“Kyaaaaa!” 
The dragon’s bore down onto a clump of monsters, swallowing them whole. Without even an opportunity to fight back, they were all incinerated. Then, at Yue’s command, the dragon coiled around itself, surrounding all of the monsters. 
Any who tried to flee were consumed by the wall of lightning, leaving only ashes behind. The dragon opened its massive jaws once more. The monsters didn’t even have time to feel pain before they were obliterated, some of them seemingly jumping into its maw of their own volition when they realized escape was impossible. The last thing they saw was the majestic dragon bearing down on them. Once they were annihilated, the dragon let out a thunderclap of a howl and dispersed into a thousand lightning bolts. 

Fearing for their lives, the adventurers and merchants all screamed and dove to the ground. When the danger was finally past, they tentatively opened their eyes and looked around. Nothing remained. Only the charred ground gave any indication of the battle that had taken place here, if it could even be called that. 
“...Hm. I overdid it.” 
“Holy crap, I didn’t even know magic like that existed...” 
“Isn’t this one of Yue-san’s originals? She probably took the description of a dragon that you gave her and mixed it with her own spell.” 
“So this is what you were up to while I was holed up in that guild room... By the way, Yue, that chant...” 
“Yeah... I modeled it after our meeting, and our future.” Though she spoke in the same deadpan manner as always, Hajime could tell she was rather proud of her achievement. 
He smiled wryly and ran his hands through her hair. He’d wanted her to use an actual chant to avoid suspicion, but didn’t have the heart to tell her off for it given how proud she looked. 
This was Yue’s original spell, made by combining gravity magic and lightning magic, Draconic Thunder. Specifically, by combining Reisen’s gravity magic with the advanced level Thunder Hammer spell. 
By giving the lightning proper weight, Yue could control its direction instead of just letting it strike straight and true. The reason she’s molded it after the mythical dragons Hajime had described to her was simply because she thought they sounded cool. 
The area near its jaw was a gravitational field, which sucked in anything nearby. That was why it had looked like the monsters had leaped into it earlier. It took more mana than even the strongest advanced level spells to cast, but its power was proportionally more massive as well. It was clear Yue was proud of her achievement. 
Meanwhile, the adventurers finally returned to their senses. They turned to Yue and all started shouting at the same time. 
“Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, what was that!? What the hell was that!” 
“Th-That thing... came from... from the sky and... I must be dreaming.” 
“Hehe, I’m going to get married once we get to town.” 
“I know we just saw something insane, but keep it together, man. You don’t even have any female friends, let alone a girlfriend.” 
“I just saw magic that was alive! If living magic can exist, then I can get married!” 
“Look, magic doesn’t normally spring to life, okay? That was clearly something weird.” 
“What was that, you bastard!? Are you calling Yue-chan weird!?” 
“Calm down, everyone! Yue-chan’s clearly just a goddess, that’s all!” 
“I see!” 
Yue’s spell had been so shocking that the adventurers had lost their wits. It was only natural. There was no magic in the world that could make living things. And freely manipulating a spell once it was cast was something even master magicians couldn’t do. Honestly, just being able to use the Thunder Hammer spell was something only a few genius magicians could do. 
Only the leader, Gartima, managed to keep his head. He sighed as he watched the others yell out “All hail our goddess Yue!” and walked over to Hajime. 
“Haah, you have my thanks. Because of Yue-chan, we avoided any casualties.” 
“We’re comrades. There’s no need for thanks between comrades, right?” 
“Yeah. I was just doing my job.” 
“Haha, I see... So, what exactly was that?” Gartima was curious too. 
“...An original.” 
“W-Wait? You mean like your own original spell that you created? That looked like an advanced, no a master class spell.” 
“I didn’t create it. I just merged spells.” 
“Merged? But just what spells could you possibly merge to make...” 
“Trade secret.” 
“Well, I guess that’s fair enough. No adventurer would easily give up their trump card like that.” Gartima sighed again. It seemed not poking one’s nose in too far was an unspoken rule among adventurers. He shrugged and returned to his comrades. Hajime hoped he’d rein in his other comrades before they started the sect of Yueism. 
They resumed traveling, but now everyone looked at Yue with newfound respect. 

The rest of the day passed uneventfully, and they reached Fuhren the next morning. 
There were six people checking goods and identities at Fuhren’s eastern gate. Hajime and the others got in one of the six lines as well. With how long it was, he guessed it would be a while before their turn. 
Hajime was lying in Yue’s lap atop a carriage’s roof, with Shea sitting next to him, when More came up to him. It looked like he had something to say. He looked up at Hajime with a mixture of admiration and exasperation. Hajime nodded casually and jumped down. 
“You sure are bold. Aren’t you worried about other people seeing?” More was referring to how Hajime would earn everyone’s jealousy by being so openly flirtatious with Yue and Shea. And now there were quite a few people looking at Shea hoping to sell her off because of her value. In a large city like this, it was to be expected. It wouldn’t just be lewd gazes Yue and Shea would attract, but the attention of dangerous people hoping to profit off them. 
“Well, it does get kind of annoying, but there’s no point in worrying about it. Not like there’s anything I can do.” Hajime shrugged his shoulders. 
“It’ll only get worse once you’re inside Fuhren. Are you absolutely sure you don’t want to sell...” More casually tried to bring up selling Shea again, but Hajime just glared pointedly at him. Catching the hint, More raised his hands in surrender. 
“That can’t be all you came here to ask. What do you actually need?” 
“Well, I actually did come here to buy from you. Just not the girl. I’m interested in those artifacts you possess. Is there any chance you’d be willing to sell them to me? I’d be willing to pay you enough to live out the rest of your days in luxury for even one of them. Most merchants would kill to get their hands on your artifacts, especially that Treasure Trove of yours.” 
More wasn’t exaggerating, merchants really would kill for that. Not only would it ensure the safety of their goods, it would make them easier to transport. The two problems that constantly plagued all traders. Hell, they’d slaughter an entire town for it if they had to. 
When More had first seen Hajime take things out of the Treasure Trove, he’d looked like a starved dog that had just been shown a bone. Tired of his constant pestering, Hajime had used Intimidation to get More to reluctantly back off. 
However, he hadn’t given up. He had returned once more to negotiate for Hajime’s artifacts, including Donner and Schlag. 
“How many times do I have to say it? These aren’t for sale. Give it up.” 
“But these artifacts are too valuable for just one person to have. Once others learn of their abilities, they’ll come after you for sure. Surely you don’t want to deal with the hassle that comes with carrying such precious equipment around... What if someone tried to kidnap those two girls to try and coerce you?” There was a hint of madness in More’s eyes as he looked up with manic zeal at Yue and Shea. The moment he did so, however, something cold and hard was pressed against his forehead. Bloodlust oozed from Hajime’s every pore. 
But he kept it focused, so no one else felt it. They were hidden in the shadow of the carriage as well, so no one was watching. 
“Is that a threat?” Hajime’s voice was barely a whisper. But it chilled More to the bone. Hajime’s single eye bored into More, his gaze a physical force. Cold sweat poured down More’s back. 
“N-No. Please... I... just... thought... maybe you should... be more cautious... is all...” 
More did have a point. Hajime hadn’t bothered trying to hide the power of his artifacts at all. He had taken some precautions, in that he’d asked Yue to chant her spells, but only just that bare minimum. He had no intention of exercising prudence if it called for any real effort on his or the girls’ part. He saw no reason to conform to the expectations of this world. Anyone that got in his way, he’d kill. That was what he’d sworn he’d do back in the abyss. 
“I see. I’ll leave it at that, then.” Hajime holstered Donner, his bloodlust vanishing. More crumpled to the ground. Rivulets of sweat cascaded from his forehead as he panted heavily. 
“You’re welcome to do whatever you want. You can even spread rumors about me if you’d like. I don’t really care what anyone else does, either. Just know that anything that stands against me... won’t live to tell the tale. Whether that be a person, a country, or the entire world. I’ll drown everything in a sea of blood if I have to.” 
“I-I see. I suppose this isn’t a trade worth dying over...” More was still pale-faced, but he still managed to squeak out a reply. He had a surprisingly strong will. Hajime had noted he was respected among the other merchants. Normally, More wouldn’t have been so insistent about Hajime’s artifacts. It was just that their allure had been so great that it had overridden his good sense. 
“Anyway, I’ll let you go this once, but there won’t be a next time. Am I clear?” 
“Crystal. I apologize, I let my greed blind me. Only a fool kicks a dragon’s arse, after all.” 
“Only a fool kicks a dragon’s arse” was a saying unique to Tortus. The dragon here referred to a dragonman. Dragonmen were a race that boasted greater defensive strength than any other. Their entire body was covered in scales, and aside from their mouth and eyes, only their butts were unprotected. Because of how well protected they were, they were heavy sleepers. Unless something monumental happened, it was hard to wake them. However, if one smacked their butts, which were sensitive, they’d wake instantly and their wrath would be terrible to behold. 
Once in the past, a certain moron had for some reason decided to try it. And so, the saying was born. It basically meant that only a fool would risk provoking the wrath of someone stronger than them when they could just leave them alone. 
The dragonmen race had died out over five hundred years ago, though. While the exact reason was unclear, it was assumed that because they possessed the special magic “dragonification,” they were considered half-monsters by the “civilized” races, so they were hunted to extinction. Another theory was that the gods themselves decided they were impure and thus were purged. 
“Come to think of it, Yue-dono’s magic resembled a dragon as well. As a token of my apology, let me give you a warning. It’s better for people not to know that she can use such magic. The Holy Church doesn’t think very fondly of dragonmen. Though I guess that looked more like a snake than a dragon, so maybe you’ll be fine.” More had recovered enough to get back on his feet, and he patted down his clothes as he gave that warning. He was quite the courageous businessman. It took nerves of steel to talk so casually with someone who had been about to kill you just seconds ago. 
“Really?” 
“Indeed. They were a half-man half-monster race, and worse, they were heretics that believed in no god. However, they were incredibly strong, far more so than humans. You can see why the Holy Church, as dogmatic as they are, would hate them so.” 
“Yeah. Gotta say, you don’t sound too fond of the Holy Church yourself. You should be careful or they’ll brand you a heretic.” 
“I believe in God, not the people who wield authority by claiming to speak for him. People are customers, nothing more.” 
“I think I understand what kind of person you are now. You’re a merchant to the core, aren’t you? No wonder you went crazy when you saw my stuff.” Hajime fingered the ring on his finger. More’s smile was a mixture of embarrassment and pride. His manic behavior from earlier was nowhere to be seen. Hajime’s bloodlust had worked like a bucket of cold water. 
“I sincerely apologize for my earlier rudeness, so I hope you will still keep my company in mind if ever you wish to broker any sort of deal, even one without artifacts. You’re no ordinary adventurer, that I can tell. Our company takes great pride in maintaining amicable connections with those who stray from the ordinary path, so I hope this incident hasn’t turned you away from us.” 
“You really don’t know when to quit, do you?” Hajime chuckled tiredly. More then headed back to the front of his caravan with a “Now then, I shall be taking my leave” and a bow. 
In the meantime, Yue and Shea had managed to attract even more gazes. More was already talking with another merchant, pointing animatedly at Yue and Shea. Hajime had been intending to relax a while in Fuhren, but it seemed like their stay would be more eventful than he’d expected. 

The independent city-state of Fuhren. It was the largest mercantile city in the continent, guarded by thick walls that stood twenty meters high and wrapped two hundred kilometers around the entirety of the city. Craftsmen of all kinds competed ruthlessly with each other day after day to sell their wares. Some made it big and had their wildest dreams granted, while others were crushed by the dog eat dog nature of the city. With the amount of tourists and traders that came in and out of the place, it was easily the busiest in the world. 
Because of its size, Fuhren was divided into four quarters. The bureaucrats’ quarter, where the city’s various administrative affairs were processed, the tourists’ quarter, where most of the entertainment facilities were located, the makers’ quarter, where weapons, armor, tools, and furniture of all kinds were made, and the traders’ quarter, where goods of all kinds were sold. 
Two main streets ran from east to west and north to south, intersecting in the center. Generally, the closer to the center of the city one’s establishment was, the higher the quality of its services. On the other hand, the fringes of the city were filled with unlicensed black market stores selling various goods and services. Occasionally, one would become famous for its prices or wares, and a lot of rough and tumble types like adventurers or mercenaries would begin to frequent it. 
Hajime and the others heard this all from a tour guide while they sat at a cafe attached to the Fuhren adventurer’s guild branch, which was located in a corner of the bureaucrats’ quarter. Demand for guides in the city was high because of how big it was, and it appeared being a tour guide was one of the more respectable professions in the city. As there were a number of touring agencies in the city, each of them had to compete for customers, which led to the overall quality of service to rise. 
After they’d gotten through the city gates, Hajime and the others had said goodbye to More’s caravan and gone to turn in their stamped request slip to the adventurer’s guild. As they were new to the city, they had also hoped to find a guidebook of some kind there, which was when they’d learned about the existence of tour guides. 
And so, they’d hired a guide, Rithy, who was explaining the ins and outs of the city to them over a light meal. 
“So if you’re looking to find an inn, I’d recommend heading to the tourists’ quarter first. There are a few inns in the bureaucrat’s quarter as well, but most of them are temporary lodgings for people working here, so their service isn’t nearly as good as the others.” 
“I see. Then I guess we’ll head there next. What inn do you recommend?” 
“Depends on what you’re looking for. Each of them focus on different services.” 
“Let’s see. Well, the main things are that it has to have good food and a bath. Location or the like doesn’t matter too much. Oh, and if possible, I’d like somewhere where there’s a guarantee.” 
Rithy nodded to herself as she listened to Hajime’s preferences. The first two were common requests. She started making a mental list of recommendations after hearing them, in fact. However, Hajime’s third request threw her off. 
“A guarantee? Of what?” 
“Ah, let me explain. Say, for example, we got into a dispute of some kind, and we clearly weren’t the perpetrators, the inn will make those responsible pay for the damages. I want to stay somewhere decently high-end, but I want a guarantee that we won’t have to pay for any broken furniture or the like if the incident is clearly not our fault.” 
“Umm, you shouldn’t run into any trouble like that in the first place, I don’t think...” 
Hajime smiled awkwardly. 
“Normally I’d agree, but as you can see, my two companions attract a lot of attention. And it sounds like most of the people that frequent the tourist quarter aren’t exactly the restrained type. I’m worried some of the more forceful merchants might try something a bit... violent. But, well, like I said, only ‘if possible.’ If it’s too difficult a request, then you don’t have to worry about it.” 
Rithy looked over at the two girls sitting next to Hajime, happily chowing down on their food, then nodded. 
“Those two certainly do stand out.” Even now, they were attracting stares. Especially Shea, since she was a bunny girl. Assaulting another person’s slave was a punishable offense, but that wouldn’t stop some of the more zealous merchants, or a determined pervert. 
“Would it not then be wiser to pick an inn with increased security? Since there are a lot more people who value that as a service, I can think of a few inns that provide—” 
“No, that’s fine. People are liable to do some pretty crazy things when they’re running on hormones. Security isn’t always perfect, so it’s easier for me to assume we’ll have to persuade them by force.” 
“P-Persuade them by force... I see. So that’s why you want a guarantee, then.” 
Hajime insisted once more that in the end it was only if possible, but Rithy was a guide through and through. Now that it had been requested of her, she would see it done. 
“Leave it to me,” she said. Then, she asked Yue and Shea if there was anything else they wanted out of their inn. Answering the needs of the customer to the best of her ability was both Rithy’s policy, and her company’s. Hajime had picked a good guide. 
“I just need a bath. Oh, but the bath must have mixed bathing times.” 
“Umm, as long as it has big beds, I’m fine.” 
After giving it some thought, Yue and Shea both told her their preferences. They were trivial requests, but Rithy could clearly see what the two girls were aiming for. 
She just said “Leave it to me,” like before, but this time her cheeks were slightly red. As her gaze shifted back and forth between Yue, Shea, and Hajime, her face grew redder. 
The guys sitting at the surrounding tables were all glaring daggers at Hajime, but he was used to it at this point, so he ignored them. 
Rithy then began explaining the different quarters in more detail. Halfway through her explanation, Hajime felt a strong gaze pointed their way. It was far more impolite than any they had felt so far, including the ones they’d received from some of the perverts that had lusted after Yue and Shea in Brooke. As they had grown accustomed to such attention as well, they only raised their eyebrows slightly at it. 
Hajime turned to see who was staring and saw... a pig. 
There was no other way to describe him. He easily weighed over a hundred kilograms, his face was greasy, he had pig snout for a nose, and his blonde hair was slick with oil. The only thing positive about his appearance was the fancy clothes he was wearing. Said pig was glaring hungrily at Yue and Shea. 
God, what a pain, Hajime thought. At the same time, the fat pig started slowly lumbering over to where they were sitting. Looks like it was too late to make a stealthy escape. Not that Hajime would ever run. 
Rithy must have noticed the change in her customers’ attitudes, or perhaps the fat pig simply stood out that much, but she looked up too. When she saw tub of lard walking over, she forgot her business smile and let out a disgruntled sound. 
He stopped next to their table and leered at Yue and Shea. When he saw Shea’s slave collar he frowned. He looked over at Hajime, as if just noticing him for the first time, and demanded the following in a haughty voice. 
“H-Hey, brat. I-I’ll give you a million Luta, s-so hand over that bunny girl. And you, Blondie. C-Come with me. You’re going to be my concubine.” His stutter didn’t match his arrogant tone. He reached out to take Yue by the arm, thinking she was already his. That instant, a wave of bloodlust unlike any other washed over him. Even people sitting a few tables away balked. Some fell out of their chairs in their haste to get away from Hajime. 
The walking pig, who had taken that bloodlust head on, screamed incoherently and fell on his ass. He wet himself on the spot, unable to muster the presence of mind to even crawl away. 
Had Hajime activated his Intimidation at full power, the pig would have fallen unconscious instantly, so he made sure to hold back. 
“Yue, Shea, let’s go. I don’t feel like staying here.” As he didn’t want his meal to be tainted by the smell of piss, Hajime opted to leave. Hajime had honestly wanted to kill the bastard, but as he hadn’t done anything more than talk to them yet, he wouldn’t really be able to justify it to the authorities. And no city would let a murderer roam free. Unless he could reasonably say it was in self-defense, Hajime wanted to avoid killing people as long as he was in a city. 
The three of them stood up, with Rithy looking on in confusion. The only reason Rithy hadn’t been affected was because Hajime had specifically excluded her from his list of targets when he’d activated Intimidation. Basically, it was the opposite of when he’d focused his Intimidation on More alone. This was the fruit of his training. 
From Rithy’s perspective, the pig had just started talking all high and mighty before suddenly falling on his ass and pissing himself, so her confusion was understandable. 
Hajime had let the effects of his Intimidation leak out to the nearby tables on purpose. Quite a few of the guys sitting around him had been glaring longingly at the girls, so he’d decided to teach them a lesson too. “Don’t even think about it,” basically. 
Judging by how pale they looked, it seemed they got the message. 
Still, the moment Hajime left the guild and released his Intimidation, a huge man blocked his path. He too looked to weigh over one hundred kilograms, but for a completely different reason. His entire body was corded muscle, and a long sword that looked like it had seen its fair share of battles was strapped to his waist. 
Suddenly, Hajime heard the fat pig’s stuttering voice again. 
“H-He’s the one, Reganid! Kill that brat! H-He tried to kill me! Tear his limbs off!” 
“Young Master, I cannot just kill someone in broad daylight. I’ll leave him barely alive.” 
“Get him! I-I don’t care if you don’t kill him, just get him! B-But don’t hurt the girls. They’re mine!” 
“Very well, but I expect to be well compensated.” 
“I-I’ll give you as much as you want. Just get him!” 
It appeared that this Reganid fellow was one of the pig’s hired guards. He kept his eyes on Hajime the entire time he was talking, then smiled in satisfaction when the matter of money was settled. It was rare for someone to take no notice of Yue or Shea. He was more interested in the money than the two beauties standing before him. 
“Sorry about this, kid. But I’m being paid to beat you up. Don’t worry, I won’t kill you at least. And well... sorry, but you probably won’t get to see your two friends ever again.” Reganid cracked his knuckles. They were in the middle of the street, so naturally he couldn’t use his sword. Many of the spectators started murmuring amongst themselves when they heard the name Reganid. 
“B-By Reganid, does he mean Reganid the Black?” 
“R-Reganid the Gale!? Why’s a guy like that working as a guard...” 
“Isn’t it for the money? They say Reganid’ll do anything for gold.” 
Judging from the surrounding people’s conversations, Hajime more or less figured out what kind of person Reganid was. He didn’t know if Reganid had a combat class or not, but if, as his name suggested, he’d risen to the third-highest adventurer rank, black, he must be quite the experienced adventurer. 
Reganid settled into a battle stance. Reasoning that he could justifiable beat to him to within an inch of his life in the name of self-defense, Hajime made to pull out Donner, but was stopped unexpectedly. 
“Wait, Hajime.” 
“Yue? What’s wrong?” Instead of answering his question, Yue dragged Shea with her in front of Hajime. With her back to Hajime, she answered his question by addressing Reganid. 
“Fight us first.” 
“Huh? I’m fighting too, Yue-san?” Yue ignored Shea. Before Hajime could say anything, Reganid burst out in laughter. 
“Gahahaha, fight you two little girls? Now that’s hilarious. I mean I wouldn’t mind fighting you in bed, but—” 
“Shut up, trash.” 
Reganid’s inappropriate comment was cut short by a blade of wind slicing past his cheek. Blood spurted out of the wound in large gouts. It must have been a pretty deep cut. 
Reganid obediently shut up. Yue’s magic had been so fast that he hadn’t even seen it coming. 
When did she chant the spell? How come I didn’t even see a magic circle? Reganid’s brain worked on overdrive, trying to figure out what had just happened. 
Yue turned back to Shea and Hajime to explain what she was doing. 
“It’ll be faster if we show everyone else that we’re not weak little girls that need protecting.” 
“Oh, I see. We’re showing off that we’re just as strong too.” 
“Yeah. We might as well do this too.” Yue raised a hand toward Reganid and glared sharply at him. 
“Ah, I get it now. Well, it would be nice to show everyone the princesses they’re trying to claim are actually ferocious tigers. Plus, we’ve got plenty of witnesses here... Yeah that’s a pretty good plan.” 
“You didn’t have to add the ferocious part.” 
Hajime nodded in understanding, then stepped back. 
Yue then nodded to Shea, signaling that it was her turn. Shea grabbed Drucken off her back, then swung it casually through the air as if it weighed nothing. 
“Hold up, are you serious, bunny girl? You know, my employer wants you two unharmed, so I’d prefer if you’d just quietly came along.” Reganid kept his eyes on Yue the whole time he was talking to Shea. Shea replied to Reganid’s warning with one of her own. 
“Don’t you think you should draw that sword of yours? I’ll be holding back, but I don’t want to break too many of your bones.” 
“Hah, big words for a rabbitman. Sorry, but I’m gonna have to rough these two up a little bit.” 
Reganid’s focus was still almost wholly concentrated on Yue. With how fast she’d cast her spell, he didn’t think he’d be able to take her unharmed. 
However, Reganid should have paid more attention to Shea. Warning bells should have gone off the moment he’d seen a rabbitman, a race known for being weak, waving around a war hammer. Furthermore, Yue and Hajime had both decided to let her deal the first real blow of this fight. 
Shea didn’t say anything. Instead, she just pulled Drucken back close to her hip and leaped forward. She was in front of Reganid before he even had time to blink. 
“Hm!?” 
“Yaah!” Shea’s hammer headed for Reganid’s chest with blinding speed. Though she looked cute, her attacks were anything but. Surprised, Reganid still managed to barely get his arms up in time to block. I can’t stop it!? Realizing he would be blown back, he quickly tried to cushion the blow by backstepping. However, the hammer was faster than his reaction time. 
There was a sickening crack, and Reganid was blown back into the wall of the adventurer’s guild. The air burst from his lungs and he let out a strangled cough. He saw Shea looked down at him in disappointment through his hazy vision. It seemed she’d expected a little more from him. 
It was laughable that a black-ranked adventurer like him was not only beaten by a little bunny girl, but she’d even held back on him. Plus, it looked like she’d been disappointed with his performance. He smiled self-deprecatingly, then winced at the pain it caused him. He made one last effort to get to his feet, but the pain was too great and he collapsed. He turned his head and saw that his arm had been completely crushed. 
Luckily, it looked like only one of his arms had been shattered, so he tried to lift himself with his other good arm. His vision was blurring at the edges now, but he somehow managed to get to his feet. Though it hadn’t done much, had he not attempted that backstep at all back there, then he probably would have been sprawled on the ground unconscious already. 
Though falling unconscious might have saved him from the pain to come. 
Reganid was standing on willpower alone, so when he saw Yue coldly thrust out her hand at him, he despaired internally. 
Man, this isn’t worth what you’re paying me... A second later, Reganid had the very unique and terrifying experience of literally dancing through the air. 
“Petals of wind, dance and scatter— Flurry Waltz!” This was another one of Yue’s original spells, made by combining gravity magic with the wind spell, Air Cannon. As its name suggested, Air Cannon created balls of wind to bombard the enemy. Gravity magic allowed Yue to manipulate those balls freely. Additionally, the gravitational field surrounding them meant anyone struck would be continually spun around the ball until the spell vanished. Then, once they were crucified in the air, the helpless opponent was made an easy target for other skills. Like before, the chant she’d spoken was nonsense. 
After Reganid was flung around in the air like a rag doll, he fell to the ground with a wet thud and lay there unmoving. 
He had, in fact, lost consciousness after the first few wind balls had hit him, but whether Yue had realized that or not, she had mercilessly bombarded him with the full spell, hitting his balls more often than not. The nearby spectators had all winced and covered their own balls. It had looked painful enough that even Hajime had winced a little. 
The onlookers had just witnessed two impossible events one after the other. Silence reigned on the street. No one dared to so much as twitch. Some of the guild staff that had come out to stop the fight were frozen in place, their hands outstretched. Even the veteran adventurers were too shocked to say anything. 
Finally, the silence was broken. Hajime’s footsteps echoed across the cobblestones as he walked forward. Everyone’s eyes followed him. He stopped right in front of the pig. 
“Hiii! S-Stay back! Wh-Who do you think I am!? I’m Poom Min! You think you’ll be able to get away after harming a member of the Min family!?” 
“Apologize to all the pig mascot fans in the world, you damn hog.” Hajime grimaced as he thought about how the Poom’s name resembled a certain famous mascot character back on earth, as he stepped angrily on Poom’s face. 
“Oink!?” He even let out a pig-like squeal when he screamed. Hajime bore down harder, until he could hear Poom’s skull cracking. 
The more Poom screamed, the harder Hajime pushed. His face was a mess now, his nose broken and his eyes pushed into his skull. Poom finally quieted down when he realized his screaming was only making it worse. Or maybe he’d just exhausted himself. 
“Hey, pig. Don’t ever show your face to me again. You ever try to do anything to me again, directly or not... and I’ll kill you.” Poom desperately tried to nod, his face still stuck underneath Hajime’s foot. He didn’t even try to act tough. His pride had been completely shattered. 
However, Hajime wasn’t satisfied with just that. Letting this pig live happily once this incident was past was just too lenient for his taste. Since Hajime couldn’t just kill him, he’d just have to carve terror so deeply into his soul that the pig would never recover. 
And so, he raised his foot a little, transmuting his soles into spikes. Then, he drove his foot into Poom’s face once more. 
“Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!” The spikes drilled countless holes into Poom’s face. Poom let out a single high-pitched squeal before losing consciousness. After Hajime moved his foot, Poom’s ugly face was exposed for all to see... Well, his face had already been ugly, but now it was covered in blood too. 
Finally satisfied, Hajime walked back to Yue and Shea. They were waiting for him with a smile, seemingly unaffected by the carnage all around them. Hajime smiled at his tour guide, Rithy, as well. 
“Now then, shall we head somewhere else?” 
“Hiii! U-Umm, I, well...” Terrified, Rithy tried to compose herself. It was obvious from her expression that she wanted nothing to do with them any longer. That was how intimidating Hajime and the others’ display of force had been. 
Hajime understood that he’d probably scarred their current tour guide, but he didn’t really feel like searching for a new one after all the commotion that had happened. Realizing Hajime didn’t want to let this guide escape, Yue and Shea causally walked to either side of her and took her by the arms. 
Rithy let out another terrified scream. But then her savior, the guild attendant, finally showed up. 
“Umm, excuse me, but would you be willing to answer a few questions for us?” Three other guild attendants warily surrounded Hajime. None of them looked eager to get close. The crowd had begun to grow, as more people came to look at what had happened to Poom and Reganid. 
“Well, that pig over there tried to kidnap my companions. When I tried to stop him he went crazy and ordered his guard to attack me, so I fought back. That’s all there is to it. This tour guide and all those spectators are witnesses. Especially those guys sitting at the tables over there, they seem to enjoy eavesdropping.” Hajime glared at the men that had been listening in earlier, and they all nodded vigorously, fearing Hajime might tear their heads off. 
“I understand, but as this happened on guild property, we need to go through the proper procedure. Both sides need to present their case so justice can be dispensed... Those are the rules, so if you would just be so kind as to...” 
“Both sides, huh?” Hajime glanced over to where Poom and Reganid were lying. It didn’t look like either of them would regain consciousness anytime soon. The guild had sent some medics over to treat them, but he doubted they’d wake up for another few days at least. 
“You want us to wait in the guild until they wake up? Even though we were the victims...? You’ve gotta be kidding me. Maybe I should just drag them out of the city and kill them there.” Hajime glared angrily at the guild attendant. He looked just like an American ready to sue someone. 
“Please don’t glare at me like that, I’m just doing my job,” the attendant said in a panicked voice. But when Hajime suggested killing them, he still diligently tried to stop him. 
Grumbling to himself, Hajime decided to try and forcibly wake the two up. The guild attendants were in the middle of trying to stop him when a new voice cut through the crowd. 
“What are you doing? What’s going on here?” A slender man in glasses stared sternly down at Hajime. 
“Chief Secretary Dott! Perfect timing! You see...” The attendants all rejoiced at the appearance of this man called Dott. After he listened to their explanation of what happened, he returned his sharp gaze to Hajime. 
Looks like things are just getting more and more complicated. Hajime sighed to himself. 
Dott adjusted his glasses with his middle finger and calmly addressed Hajime. 
“I more or less understand the situation now. And it appears there really are quite a few witnesses. I do think you might have overdone it a little, but... well, they’re still alive, so it’s fine. I was hoping you would at least be willing to stay inside Fuhren until they wake up. May I at least ask for your identification and the address you’re be staying at... I’m sure that’s not too much to ask, right?” His tone was surprisingly firm. Hajime shrugged his shoulders. 
“Yeah, that’s fine. In fact, if that pig starts causing trouble again, I’d like you to contact me. I’ll be gentler next time, don’t worry.” Hajime tiredly handed over his status plate. 
“As for where we’re staying, we haven’t decided yet, so... ask that tour guide over there. We were planning on staying wherever she recommended.” 
Rithy got a little startled when Hajime mentioned her name, then sadly muttered, “I guess I’m stuck guiding you after all...” 
“Hmm, very well... I see your rank is blue. That man lying on ground over there is black... May I ask for your two companions’ status plates as well?” Dott raised his eyebrows when he saw Hajime’s rank was only blue, the lowest rank. But since the eyewitnesses had said it was Yue and Shea who had defeated Reganid, he thought maybe they were a lot stronger. 
“Well, Yue and Shea both lost their status plates, and we haven’t been able to get replacements yet. I mean, they’re pretty expensive, aren’t they?” Hajime lied without batting an eyelid. Hiding their strength after they’d displayed so much of it already was pointless, but Hajime still wanted to avoid letting anyone know exactly what they were capable of. 
“However, we must confirm their identities. In the event that you start constantly causing trouble for the guild, regardless of whether you’re the victim or the aggressor, we will need to blacklist you. Thus, we need a record. If you would like, the guild will pay for their replacements.” It appeared Dott wished to confirm their identity no matter what. 
But if Hajime got them new status plates now, he wouldn’t have time to hide their stats and skills column. Everyone would see they could use special magic. Worse, they’d know they both could use magic from the age of the gods. There was no doubt in his mind that it would cause a huge uproar. Even if that did happen, Hajime wouldn’t mind killing everyone that came after them. The problem was that it would make it impossible for them to stay in towns anymore. 
Man, this whole thing’s turning into more of a pain than I’d have liked. As if reading his thoughts, Yue offered a suggestion. 
“Hajime, the letter.” 
“Huh? Oh yeah, that letter...” 
Yue was, of course, talking about the letter Catherine had given them before they’d left Brooke. The one Catherine had said would help them out if they ever got into any trouble with other adventurer’s guild branches. 
Not like we have anything to lose. Hajime pulled the letter out of his pocket and gave it to Dott, thinking they could just flee town if things really turned south. After all, while Catherine had explained what it would do, he had no idea what was actually written in it. He regretted not checking the contents now. 
“I’m not sure if this will work in place of identification, but a friend of ours from another guild branch told us to show this to someone high ranking if we found ourselves in any trouble.” 
“Hm? A friend from another guild branch...? Let me take a look.” Dott found it somewhat suspicious that Hajime was unwilling to pay for new status plates considering he and his companions were rather well dressed and didn’t seem strapped for money. However, he still obediently took the letter and skimmed through his contents. When he reached the end, he let out a startled gasp. 
His gaze shifted from the letter to the trio multiple times. With the way he kept poring over the words, it looked like he was trying to determine the authenticity of the letter. 
Finally, he folded it back up and placed it neatly into the envelope it had come in. 
“If this letter is authentic, then it will indeed serve as identification... However, I myself am unable to determine whether the sender is really who she claims she is. I shall confirm the details with our branch chief, so could you please wait inside the guild until? I promise it won’t take long. Ten, fifteen minutes at most.” 
Who on earth is Catherine, really? 
“Alright, if it’s only that long I don’t mind. We’ll wait.” 
“The attendants can guide you to a waiting room. I’ll be back shortly.” Dott called an attendant over and instructed him to guide them before vanishing inside the guild building. The attendant motioned for Hajime and the others to follow him. As Hajime and the others followed after him, Rithy asked him a question in a confused, but somewhat hopeful voice. 
“Umm, what should I do?” Since they were now entangled with the guild, she was hoping she wouldn’t have to guide them anymore. With how dangerous they seemed, she wanted to be free of them as soon as possible. 
Hajime nodded and replied to her question with some questions of his own. 
“Wait for us... You won’t run, right? You’re a professional, right?” 
“Okay...” Rithy drooped her head sadly and went to sit down on one of the empty chairs in the cafe. No matter what world one was in, employees had to take on unpleasant jobs for their company. 
Ten minutes after Hajime and the others were led to the waiting room, there was a knock on the door. Hajime called for whoever it was to come in, and the door opened. Dott entered the room, accompanied by a man in his late thirties. He had slicked back blond hair and a discerning look in his eyes. 
“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am the head of the Fuhren branch’s adventurer’s guild, Ilwa Chang. You three are... Hajime-kun, Yue-kun, and Shea-kun, correct?” Ilwa introduced himself and offered his hand to Hajime. He shook it and responded. 
“Yeah, that’s right. Were our names in that letter?” 
“They were indeed. My old master’s letter told... or rather, warned me about you three. She said that you show a great deal of promise, but that you’re rather troublesome kids, so we should keep an eye on you.” 
“Troublesome, huh? I guess Brooke was nothing but trouble. Well, whatever. Does that letter settle our identification issues or no?” 
“Yes, she said that you three aren’t a threat to the guild, so that’s good enough for me. She’s a very good judge of character. If it’s a letter from her, it’ll serve as sufficient identification. After all, she wouldn’t write one for people of dubious character.” 
It seemed Catherine really did hold a lot of clout with the guild. Everyone really trusts her. Since Ilwa called her his master, they must know each other pretty well. Shea seemed especially curious about Ilwa’s relationship with Catherine. She’d gotten along rather well with the old lady, so it made sense. 
“Umm, what kind of person is Catherine-san?” 
“You didn’t ask her yourself? She used to be the chief secretary of the adventurer’s guild’s main branch. After that she became a guild instructor. More than half of all the branch chiefs learned their trade from her.” 
Hajime looked up in surprise. Smiling wryly, Ilwa continued. 
“I was one of them. Though I’m nowhere near her level. Back then her unparalleled beauty and skill captivated everyone who studied under her. Later she ended up getting married and transferred to the Brooke branch. She said she preferred to raise her kids in the countryside. Her marriage announcement was really sudden too. I was pretty shocked when I heard it. In fact, the whole guild, no the whole capital was.” 
“Haah, I didn’t realize she was such an amazing person.” 
“Yeah... Catherine’s incredible.” 
“I knew she wasn’t just some ordinary old lady... but to think she was that important. So if she was so good looking back then, how come... Actually, never mind.” 
Yue and Shea were astounded to discover just how impressive Catherine had been. Only Hajime looked away wistfully, lamenting what the ravages of time had done. 
“Well anyway, if there’s no problem with identification then we’re free to go right?” Hajime had only agreed to wait so that they could get their identification issues resolved, and now that they had been, he saw no reason to stay. However, Ilwa’s eyes sparkled mischievously as he called out to them. 
“Actually, could you please wait a moment?” 
Hajime felt a sense of foreboding. 
Ilwa gestured to Dott, who handed Hajime a certain request flyer. 
“The truth is, we were impressed by your skill so we were hoping you would be willing to undertake a task for us.” 
“No thanks.” 
Hajime refused instantly and made to leave. Yue and Shea followed suit, but Ilwa’s next words brought them back. 
“Hmm, are you sure you won’t even listen to what it is? We’ll overlook this whole incident if you agree to just listen.” 
“......” 
That of course had the unsaid implication that they would make this whole affair far more of a pain than it had to be if he didn’t stay to listen. 
Thanks to all of the eyewitness testimony, Hajime and the others wouldn’t be charged with a crime. But because of how overboard they’d gone, the guild could force them into a long and tedious hearing about what had happened and require an account from both sides. 
In the end, they’d still probably not be punished, but it would still waste a great deal of their time. And if they ignored the guild’s orders, they’d be blacklisted everywhere. Not being able to access the information at various guild branches would be rather inconvenient. 
Hajime glared at Ilwa for a moment. He’d only asked that they hear him out, not that they accept the request. If that was all it took to avoid weeks of legal proceedings, then it wasn’t such a bad deal. Hajime sat back down. 
“So you’ll listen. Thank you.” 
“You’re not a branch chief for nothing I see. You’re pretty gutsy.” 
“I could say the same to you. Now then, as you can see on the flyer, this particular request is to search for some missing people. Some time back, a party of adventurers set off to investigate the northern mountain range. When they didn’t return, one of the adventurers’ family put out a search request.” 
The rest of Ilwa’s explanation could be boiled down to the following: 
There had been reports of increased monster activity in the northern regions, so the guild had issued an investigation quest. 
Only the mountain nearest to town was well charted, the rest of the range was marked simply as wilderness. While they weren’t as strong as ones encountered in the labyrinths, the mountains were still inhabited by powerful monsters. So the party that had accepted that request had been rather high rank. However, before they embarked someone else had begged to join them. They were rather forceful in their entreaties, and in the end they were allowed to tag along. 
This newcomer was the third son of the noble Cudeta family, Will Cudeta. Count Cudeta had secretly sent someone to follow after his son, who’d basically ran away from home to become an adventurer. But even the person he’d sent to tail his son had vanished, so he had sent out a search request to the guild. 
“The count sent out his own independent search party as well, but he asked the guild for help because he wanted as many people out looking as possible. This all happened just yesterday. The party that had gone out to investigate was among the most experienced in the guild, so if they ran into something they couldn’t handle, most adventurers wouldn’t stand a chance. So the only people we can afford to send out on this quest are those of considerable skill. However those that fill that criteria are all out on other quests at the moment. Fortunately for us, you happened to show up just at the right time.” 
“I thought you needed people of considerable skill? Sadly I’m just a blue rank adventurer.” 
Ilwa didn’t fall for Hajime’s feeble attempt at feigning weakness. 
“You just took out Reganid, a black rank adventurer without even breaking a sweat. Besides... anyone who can survive down at the bottom of the Reisen Gorge can’t be that weak.” 
“How did you... The letter? But I never told Catherine...” 
Hajime hadn’t told anyone they’d gone to explore the Reisen Gorge. The only way Ilwa would have known that was if it was written in the letter. But then that begged the question of how Catherine had learned of their trip. As Hajime was scratching his head in confusion, Shea timidly raised her hand. 
Hajime looked suspiciously at Shea. 
“What is it?” 
“Well, I may have accidentally told her... Tehe?” 
“Looks like I’ll need to punish you later.” 
“Y-Yue-san was with me too!” 
“Shea, you traitor.” 
“Guess I’m punishing both of you.” 
So it was Yue and Shea’s fault. While both of them looked outwardly calm, they were sweating at the thought of what Hajime might do to them. Ilwa smiled knowingly and continued. 
“It’s unlikely any of them are still alive, but the possibility isn’t zero. The count is a personal friend of mine, so I’d like to begin the search as soon as possible. Please. There’s no one else I can ask. Will you please accept the request?” 
It was obvious from his tone that Ilwa was very personally invested in this particular request. If he was friends with the count, it was quite possible he was close to the missing Will as well. He was probably just as worried for their safety. 
“I get that, but we’re in the middle of our own journey too. We only stopped here because it was on our way. The northern mountains are pretty far out of our way, so I’m afraid I’ll have to refuse.” Hajime could care less about some noble’s brat. Ilwa must have realized that as well, since he headed Hajime off before he could get up. 
“I promise you’ll be rewarded handsomely. There’ll be a bonus from me waiting for you along with the reward already offered. I’ll even raise your rank. Considering your skills, I could even bump you up to black in one go.” 
“To be honest, I don’t need that much money, and I don’t really care about my rank.” 
“Then how about this? If you ever get into any trouble with the guild from here on out, I’ll personally vouch for all of you. The title of Fuhren’s branch chief holds a lot of clout you know. And I have a lot of personal connections within the guild as well. You three seem to attract quite a lot of trouble so it’s not a bad deal, right?” 
“You’re being quite generous. I can’t imagine it’s worth going that far just for your friend’s son.” 
For the first time, Ilwa’s facade of calm crumbled. He looked deeply remorseful. 
“Well... the one who recommended Will take that particular request was me. I was the one who also convinced the party to let him join. While it was a rather difficult request, I thought he would be fine if he was together with a strong party. He’d never actually fought before, you see. From the start, Will was never interested in living a noble’s life. He always dreamed of being an adventurer... Sadly, he didn’t possess the requisite qualities for one. So I hoped that by sending him on a mission together with a strong party, he’d see the dangers adventurers face, and realize he wasn’t fit for such a life. That he’d give up on becoming an adventurer. I’ve known the boy for quite some time, you see... that’s why I wanted him to see his limits and give up, but...” Hajime lapsed into thought as he listened to Ilwa pour his heart out. Ilwa and Will are even closer than I thought then. He tried to look calm, but it’s obvious he’s really desperate. After all, the longer it took to find them, the greater the likelihood that they had died in the meantime. The fact that he’d offered such an extravagant reward was proof that Ilwa was starting to run out of options. 
Hajime was starting to get tired of making excuses for Yue and Shea’s lack of status plates, and having the support of an influential guild member would make their future town visits a lot less of a hassle. 
Especially since Hajime had no interest in playing pretend believer for the Holy Church, so there was no telling when they’d brand him a heretic. When that did inevitably happen, it would make traveling between towns rather inconvenient. But if he had guild connections, they might be able to help with that issue as well. 
After weighing his options, Hajime decided it would be more beneficial to explain his circumstances to Ilwa, make sure he wouldn’t speak about them to others, and use his influence to deal with any problems that might arise. Considering how much he seems to care for this Will guy, he probably wouldn’t turn on us if we brought him back alive. 
“If you’re willing to go that far for him, I guess I might be willing to do it... but I have two conditions.” 
“Conditions?” 
“Yeah. They’re nothing huge. First, I’d like you to get status plates for Yue and Shea. And I want you to swear not to tell anyone what you see displayed there. Second, regardless of whether they’re part of the guild or not, I want access to all of your connections. Those are my two conditions.” 
“You’re asking quite a lot...” 
“If you can’t do it, then the deal’s off. We’ll be continuing on our way.” 
Hajime stood up for the third time, and Ilwa and Dott held their heads in anguish. The first condition wasn’t a big deal, but the second one would effectively turn a branch chief into a single adventurer’s lackey. Considering his position, it wasn’t a request he could easily acquiesce to. 
“What exactly would you ask for using my connections?” 
“Don’t look so worried. I’m not going to ask for anything crazy. It’s just we’re a bit... special, I guess, so the Holy Church won’t think too kindly of us if they find out. And they’ll probably find out eventually, so it’d help to have someone on our side when that happens. I just want you to help us out if we ever get stuck in any trouble is all. Basically let us use your facilities and the like even if we become wanted.” 
“You’re certain you’ll be wanted by the Holy Church eventually? Hmm, I’m beginning to grow interested in just what secrets you three bear. Since Master Catherine has taken a liking to you I doubt you’re bad people, but... come to think of it, the eyewitness reports did say that Shea-kun over there possessed monstrous strength, and that Yue-kun used some new form of magic. Are the secrets you’re hiding related to that...? And they are the reason you’re so sure the Holy Church will probably try and purge you... Judging by how little pains you seem to be taking to hiding them, you were prepared for a confrontation from the start. If that really is the case, I can see why you’d need my assistance to move freely between cities... hence your request...” I guess he’s not a branch chief just for show. He’s sharp. After contemplating for a while, Ilwa finally came to a decision and turned to Hajime. 
“We absolutely cannot support you in any potentially criminal endeavors. I will personally need to hear the particulars of each request and decide then whether or not we will aid you. But I do promise that we will help you in any other way possible... That’s the most I can offer. What do you say?” 
“Well, makes sense... That’s fine. As for the reward, we’ll take it once we complete the mission. I just have to bring the kid back, right? Or his remains if he’s dead.” 
Hajime’s main goal had just been getting status plates for Yue and Shea. Hajime was getting tired of making up excuses for why they didn’t have any, so it would be more convenient for any future stops in towns if they both got one. 
The problem was making sure whoever issued them didn’t cause a fuss when they first saw both of their stats... but Ilwa’s appearance had solved that issue. 
Of course, even if Ilwa did promise not to say anything, there was no guarantee he’d keep his word. Eventually their unique traits would become public knowledge, but Hajime preferred to keep them secret for as long as possible. Hence why he had decided to claim his reward once the request was complete. Whether for good or ill, Hajime would give Ilwa closure on the matter that had been tormenting him thus far. Hopefully that would make him feel indebted to Hajime and therefore more likely to keep his mouth shut. 
Ilwa had of course guessed Hajime’s aim in offering to wait until he completed the request. He smiled wryly, but internally he was relieved just to have found someone both capable and willing to take on the request. 
“I’m growing more curious about your secrets by the minute, but... I suppose I’ll leave it for when you return. As you said, Hajime-kun, all you need to do is find any traces of Will, regardless of whether he’s alive or dead... Hajime-kun, Yue-kun, Shea-kun. Please find him.” With a serious expression, Ilwa bowed his head. The head of a major city’s guild branch, lowering his head to an adventurer. Not a sight you saw every day. It looked like he’d learned proper manners from Catherine too. 
Hajime and the others stood up and said casually, 
“Sure.” 
“Okay.” 
“We will.” 
They received a token amount of funds to get supplies, a letter of invitation to the guild branch to the nearby lake town that rested at the foot of the mountain, and documents detailing the request the previous adventurer party had taken on from Ilwa, and then left the guild room. 
The door closed with a soft thud. Ilwa breathed a long sigh as he stared at the door. Dott, who’d been silent until now, finally spoke, his voice full of concern. 
“Was that... really alright, Chief? Agreeing to those conditions?” 
“Will’s life is at stake. And there’s no one else we can rely on. I had no other choice. Besides, they agreed to let me ultimately be the one to decide whether or not to assist them for each matter. There’s no problem there. And most importantly, I’m curious about what they’re hiding...” 
“You mean the information their status plates would reveal, the stuff they would find ‘inconvenient’ if it was publicly known?” 
“Mhmm. Dott-kun. Did you hear about how the heroes summoned in the Heiligh Kingdom all had ridiculous stats?” 
Dott suddenly opened his eyes wide. 
“Chief, do you mean to suggest that he’s one of the heroes summoned by god? But he sounded as if he was practically at war with the Holy Church. I thought the heroes were all under the Holy Church’s supervision?” 
“Indeed they are. However... I heard that around four months ago, one member of their party died within the Orcus Labyrinth. Or more specifically that he fell to its depths along with a fearsome monster.” 
“...Do you mean to suggest that perhaps he survived? Four months ago even the hero’s party was still inexperienced when it came to combat. I’m not sure what kind of place the bottom of Orcus is like, but I can’t imagine a kid surviving through all that.” 
Dott shook his head in disbelief. However Ilwa continued staring at the door Hajime had left through, an amused expression on his face. 
“True. But, if that really did happen... why wouldn’t he return to his comrades? Why embark on a separate journey? What did he see at the bottom of the abyss? What did he learn in that bottomless darkness?” 
“You mean... perhaps...” 
“Yes. Whatever it was, it seems to have convinced him to oppose the Holy Church. That is to say, oppose this world itself. His goal is worth that much.” 
“The world itself...” 
“Personally, I would like to be on the side of someone like that. Even if that means pitting myself against the Holy Church or the royal kingdom. I have no doubt my master noticed the same thing, which is why she gave him that letter.” 
“Chief... just make sure you don’t get in too deep, okay?” 
“I’ll be careful.” 
They were talking about events on a scale they could scarcely imagine, but Dott still had the presence of mind to warn his boss not to bite off more than he could chew. However, Ilwa was deep in thought and only gave an absentminded reply. 
Running straight through the middle of a vast plain was a road that ran due north. 
Though it was called a road, it was more a path that had been paved into a highway by centuries of footfalls. As the carriages of this world didn’t have any suspensions, travelers often found themselves nursing sore bottoms by the end of their trip. 
And yet, a single silhouette was rushing down this rugged road at a speed unthinkable for how poorly maintained it was. A black frame with two wheels, and three passengers sitting atop it. 
Hajime, Yue, and Shea. They were pounding down the uneven road at a speed many times faster than when they had been traveling through Reisen Gorge. Hajime was easily doing eighty kilometers an hour. Without anything to inhibit his mana, Hajime was able to power Steiff to its full speed. 
They were sitting in the same formation as always. Yue on Hajime’s lap, with Shea sitting behind him. Shea’s bunny ears were rippling in the wind. 
The sky was clear and the sun warm upon their backs. Yue had even lessened the force of the wind pressure, making the ride quite pleasant. Yue and Shea were fully enjoying the weather, basking in the sun’s warm glow and the gentle breeze that flew past. 
“Haau, it feels great. Yue-saaaan. Can we switch spots on the way back?” 
“No. This is my spot.” 
“Come on, don’t be stingy. Let’s swap. It’s pretty nice back here too you know.” 
It was clear from Shea’s relaxed tone that she didn’t really care if she got to switch or not. Hajime turned around and answered in Yue’s place. 
“You know there’s no way you’d be able to fit here, right? You’d get in the way of my driving. Those rabbit ears especially. They’d keep flopping around in the wind and hitting my eyes.” 
“Oh yeah, you’re riiiiiight.” 
“She actually fell asleep.” 
It appeared the weather was so pleasant that Shea had dozed off. Her head drooped forward, landing on Hajime’s shoulder. The rest of her body weight was pressed against his back. She’d already been half-asleep when she’d called out to Yue. 
“Well at this rate I’d say we’ve got about half a day’s travel left. We’ll be driving nonstop, so might as well let her rest while she can.” As Hajime had said, they were about half a day’s ride out from the lakeside village that sat at the foot of the mountain range. If they kept this pace they’d arrive by evening. Hajime’s plan was to spend the night in town and begin searching the next morning. 
The reason he was in such a rush was because the longer he took, the more likely it was that Will and his party might be dead. Yue looked up at him questioningly. It was unusual for Hajime to take such a vested interest in the life of someone he didn’t care about. 
Hajime met her inquisitive gaze and smiled wryly at her. 
“...Why the rush?” 
“Well, better we find him alive right? That way Ilwa will feel even more indebted to us. From here on out I’m sure we’re going to get into a lot more fights with the Heiligh Kingdom and the Holy Church. So the more allies we have the better. It’d be a pain to have to fight every time we want to go anywhere.” 
“I see.” 
That being said, Hajime wasn’t sure how useful Ilwa would prove as an ally. In fact, he thought it was more likely Ilwa wouldn’t be of much help at all. But it never hurt to have extra assistance. Especially considering how little effort it would take to recruit Ilwa to their cause. 
“Oh yeah, I heard the village we’re going to sits next to a lake, so they have a lot of water available. Apparently thanks to that they’ve become the largest cultivator of rice on the continent.” 
“Rice?” 
“Yep, rice. You know, that white grain. It’s my homeland’s staple crop. I haven’t had a single chance to eat it since coming here. I’m not sure if the rice here is the same as the one from home, but I want to try it.” 
“...Mmm. I want to try it now too... What’s the town’s name?” 
Yue smiled as she watched Hajime reminisce fondly about his hometown. Her question brought Hajime back to the present, and he replied in a somewhat embarrassed tone. 
“The lakeside town of Ur,” he said, not knowing what troubles were already brewing there... 

“Haah, no clues today either. Where could you have gone, Shimizu-kun...” Walking dejectedly down the main street of Ur was none other than the summoned teacher, Aiko Hatayama. Her normally cheerful demeanor was nowhere to be seen. Right now she just looked tortured with worry. Even the street lamps somehow seemed dimmer than usual. 
“Ai-chan-sensei, don’t look so down. We still don’t know what might have happened. His room didn’t look like it had been ransacked, so it’s possible he just left somewhere on his own. So don’t worry about stuff that might not even have happened.” 
“That’s right, Aiko. Don’t just keep brooding over the worst case scenario. All that does is make you less focused on what you should be doing right now. Besides, Yukitoshi is a skilled magician. Even if he did run into something dangerous, he wouldn’t be beaten that easily. You’re his teacher, Aiko. If you won’t believe in your students, who will?” 
Yuka and David both tried to cheer Aiko up. The other hunk knights and the rest of the students were standing nearby. They too expressed their concern for Aiko. 
Two weeks had passed since one of Aiko’s escorts, Yukitoshi Shimizu, had gone missing. Aiko and the others had expended every effort to search for him, but they hadn’t been able to find a single clue. No one in town had seen him disappear, nor had anyone from the nearby villages when they’d sent people to go and ask. 
At first people had been worried he might have been caught up in some kind of incident. However, when they examined his room, they’d found it undisturbed. Shimizu was a powerful black mage, skilled at using dark magic, and reasonably proficient with the other elements as well, so he wouldn’t have had any problems dealing with regular thugs or the weak monsters in the immediate area. Furthermore, he had vanished multiple times before without telling anyone, so his disappearances weren’t anything new. 
Shimizu was by nature an introvert, and didn’t really mingle with most of the other guards. He didn’t have any close friends among his classmates either, and they’d actually been surprised when he’d volunteered to join the Ai-chan defense force. 
Which is why most of the students were more concerned for Aiko, who was worrying herself sick, than Shimizu. 
They had already reported this to the Holy Church, who had organized a search squad and dispatched them already. They were slated to arrive soon. Shimizu had one of the highest aptitudes for magic among the summoned heroes, so unlike with Hajime, they had a vested interest in confirming his safety. At their current pace, the search squad would arrive in a few more days. 
Her students’ words of comfort did nothing to easy Aiko’s mental anguish. In fact, they made it worse. Regardless of whether he’d been caught up in some kind of incident or chosen to vanish on his own, Aiko was still worried. 
But she shouldn’t have let that worry show. Because she had, now she’d made the remaining students even more concerned for her. How could she still call herself an educator if she was the one constantly being looked after? Aiko sucked in a deep breath and lightly slapped her cheeks. 
“Everyone, I’m sorry for worrying you. You’re right. Sitting here wringing my hands won’t achieve anything. Shimizu-kun is a skilled mage. I’m sure he’s fine. We just have to keep believing he’s safe, and do all we can to find him. But first, we need dinner! We can’t search for him on an empty stomach after all!” It was obvious she was just forcing herself to sound cheerful, but her students still meekly went along with her suggestion. David and the other knights watched with a smile on their faces. 
A bell clanged loudly as Aiko opened the door to the inn they were staying at. It was the poshest inn in Ur, the Water Sprite Inn. The name seemed to be a throwback to the time a water sprite couple from the Urdea Lake had stayed there. 
Urdea Lake itself was quite famous too, as it was the continent’s largest lake. In terms of size, it was easily four times as large as Biwa Lake in Japan. Ur had grown up around it. 
The first floor of the inn served as a pub, and it served some of the best rice dishes, Ur’s specialty, around. While the interior wasn’t exactly ostentatious, it was evident that a great amount of attention to detail had gone into the decorating, and the magnificent tables and bar counter gave the room a dignified atmosphere. There was a modest yet tasteful chandelier hanging from the ceiling, adding a slightly elegant touch to the room. 
If one were to sum it up in a single phrase, it was an inn with a longstanding history. 
At first, Aiko and the other students had protested against staying in such a fancy inn, claiming they wouldn’t be able to sleep easily surrounded by such opulence. However, David and the others couldn’t afford to let the Holy Church’s reputation suffer by letting “god’s messengers” or the “fertility goddess” stay anywhere less than the best, and eventually they managed to convince the students. 
As they’d already spent some time resting in the royal palace, the students found they were more at home surrounded by such luxury than they’d thought, and they quickly took a liking to the inn. They had come to look forward to the rice dinners the inn served after a hard day of improving the town’s agriculture or searching for Shimizu. 
They all headed to the table in the back, the one reserved for VIP customers, and eagerly settled into their meal. 
“Man, their food always smells so goood. I never thought I’d be able to eat curry in a world like this.” 
“Though it looks more like stew than curry, really... Wait, isn’t there that white curry thing they eat in some places?” 
The students all sang the praises of this otherworldly curry. Noboru pointed rudely with his chopsticks as he gave his own impressions of his own dish, an aromatic bowl of rice topped with deep-fried meat and vegetables and slathered in rich sauce. 
“Man, their rice bowls are great too. Like this sauce is amazing. Hell, I don’t even think Japan’s got bowls this good.” 
“You just never had good rice bowls in Japan, Aikawa-kun. The ones from convenience stores aren’t going to match up obviously.” 
“This fried rice is the only thing for me. I don’t think I can go back to eating anything else.” 
“Their dumplings are amazing too. I swear, whoever runs this place has to be Japanese.” 
The boy who contradicted Noboru retorted with a smile, while Akito stuffed himself full of fried rice. Next to him, Nana was eating her dumplings with relish. 
Yuka and the others were overjoyed to be eating Japanese-style food every night. 
While it didn’t taste exactly the same, the core ingredients that went into the dishes were quite similar. Part of the reason Ur’s cooking was so renowned was because of the abundance of fresh produce they had access to. Not only did they grow all of their rice, their fish came fresh from the lake, and they were able to harvest various herbs and spices from the nearby mountains. 
An elderly man looking to be in his sixties and sporting a magnificent mustache came up to their table with a smile. 
“How is everyone finding their meal? If there’s anything at all you require, don’t hesitate to ask.” 
“Oh, if it isn’t the innkeeper.” 
He was Foss Seluo, the owner of the Water Sprite Inn. He stood with his back ramrod straight, but his gaze was gentle. His grizzled white hair was swept back neatly. 
He fit the relaxed yet dignified atmosphere of the inn to a T. 
“The food is wonderful. All of us are healed by the meals you provide us every day.” Aiko replied cheerfully. “I am glad you’re enjoying it,” Foss said, his smile widening. 
However, an instant later his expression clouded over. Such an apologetic expression didn’t fit on his gentle face. Wondering what was the matter, Aiko stopped eating and gave him her full attention. 
“The truth is, I am terribly sorry to say that... today is the last day we will be able to serve seasoned food.” 
“Huh!? We won’t be able to have any more Nilchissle!?” 
Yuka cried out in shock. She really loved curry. 
“Yes. I’m terribly sorry for the inconvenience. However, our stock of certain ingredients has run dry... Normally, we make sure to keep plenty of stock in reserve to avoid such a problem... However, this past month the mountains have grown increasingly dangerous and fewer and fewer adventurers are going out to gather what we need. In fact, just the other day a high ranked adventurer party went off in the mountains to investigate the cause, and went missing. Since then, almost nobody has been willing to go collect spices. All the establishments that deal in food, ourselves included are uncertain when we’ll be able to restock.” 
“Umm... what exactly has made the mountains so much more dangerous?” 
“The reports say that swarms of monsters have started appearing. However, the outer fringes of the range have always been safe in the past. There’s supposed to be ferocious monsters living on the other side of this mountain, but they almost never cross the peak to our side. However multiple people have claimed to have seen powerful monsters roaming our side of the mountains in recent times.” 
“That’s certainly worrying...” 
Aiko furrowed her brows. Yuka and the other students exchanged dark glances. “I’m sorry, this wasn’t something I should have brought up while you were enjoying your meal,” Foss said apologetically. In an attempt to lighten the mood, he tried to steer the conversation in a more optimistic direction. 
“However, I believe this disturbance will die down soon enough.” 
“How can you be so sure?” 
“The truth is, some new guests came in this evening looking for a room. It seems they’re adventurers here to search for the people who went missing. Apparently the chief of Fuhren’s adventurer guild sent them, so I imagine they must be quite strong. I’m sure they’ll be able to get to the cause of all this trouble.” 
Aiko and the students didn’t really understand the gravity of that statement, but David and the other knights murmured appreciatively. 
The Fuhren branch chief was one of the most renowned people in the adventurer’s guild. Anyone that had been nominated by him personally had to be more than just quite strong. As fellow warriors, the knights’ interest was piqued. They began mentally checking down the list of famous gold rank adventurers. 
Aiko looked at the knights with a puzzled expression. Before anyone could explain, however, they heard voices coming from the staircase. One male and two female. One of the girls seemed to be complaining to the guy. In place of an explanation, Foss said, 
“Speak of the devil. That’s them. Sir knights, if you would like to speak with them, now is your only chance. They said they were leaving tomorrow.” 
“I see. However, they sound quite young. Are there any gold ranked adventurers this young?” 
David and the other knights scratched their heads in confusion. None of the gold ranked adventurers they knew of were that young. 
The trio’s voices grew louder as they approached. 
The students’ table was at the very back, surrounded on three sides by walls. It offered a perfect view of the entire floor. However, the alcove also had a set of curtains that could be pulled closed if the occupants wished for some privacy. Their party stood out as is, and now that people had taken to calling Aiko a fertility goddess, they usually took their meals behind closed curtains. Today was naturally no exception. 
Finally the trio grew close enough for Aiko and the others to make out their conversation. 
“Sheesh, how many times do I have to tell you? I get really lonely when you start flirting with Yue, you know. Can’t you please stop doing it in front of me? Hey, are you listening to me, Hajime-san?” 
“Yeah, yeah, I heard you. If you just don’t want to see it, we can get you your own room.” 
“Hmph! Did you hear that, Yue-san? Hajime-san’s so mean.” 
“Yeah. Hajime... you meanie!” 
“Yeah, yeah.” 
When they heard the name the two girls were using, Aiko and Yuka did a double take. 
Did they say what I think they just said? And is it just me or does that guy’s voice sound just like “his” voice? Questions raced through the students’ minds. They all tensed up and stared at the curtain, as if the force of their gaze alone could pierce the opaque veil. 
Yuka especially was shocked. Her life had been saved by Hajime, and of the people present, she’d been the most affected by that incident. She didn’t even notice when her spoon slipped from her fingers and clattered to the floor. 
The other students too were reminded of the boy that had fallen into the abyss four months ago. The boy whose demise had reminded them of their own frail mortality. The boy who was at the root of the trauma they wished they could forget. The boy who, for better or worse, always stood out. Alarmed, Foss and the knights asked what was wrong, but none of the students even heard their words. While the knights were looking at each other in bewilderment, Aiko muttered a single word. 
“Nagumo-kun?” That word was enough to break her out of her daze, and she found she could freely move her body again. Aiko stood up so fast her chair fell to the floor behind her, and almost tripped over herself in her haste to rip open the curtain. 
It slid apart smoothly, revealing Hajime, Yue and Shea standing a few feet away. 
Before she could even get a good look at him, Aiko shouted his name. 
“Nagumo-kun!” 
“Huh...? Sensei?” 
Standing in front of Aiko was a surprised boy with white hair and an eyepatch covering one eye. 

He looked very different from the Hajime that Aiko remembered. Not just his appearance, but even his demeanor felt different. 
The boy Aiko knew was a gentle, mature individual who always seemed to be spacing out in class. She had always thought that awkward smile he wore when people talked to him suited him well. 
However, the boy in front of him had a gaze as sharp as a hawk’s, making it difficult to approach him. He was so different from how Aiko remembered him that had they just passed each other on the street, she definitely would not have recognized him. 
Still, close inspection revealed that his facial features and voice closely resembled the same Hajime she remembered. And more than anything... he had called her Sensei. 
That was what made it certain. Even if his appearance and the way he carried himself had changed, the boy standing in front of her was none other than her student, Hajime Nagumo. 
“Nagumo-kun... it’s really you, isn’t it? You’re alive... You’re still alive...” 
“Uh no, you must have mistaken me for someone else. Bye.” 
“Huh?” 
It was a miraculous reunion with the student she’d thought long dead. Tears sprung to Aiko’s eyes. “What were you doing all this time? What happened to you? I’m so glad you’re alright!” There were a mountain of things she wanted to say, but she couldn’t get the words out. And yet, all Hajime replied with was a curt dismissal. 
Aiko let out a confused mutter. Even her tears seemed to retreat back into their ducts. But when Hajime started walking toward the inn’s exit, she suddenly returned to her senses and chased after him. She grabbed him by the sleeve and tried talking to him. 
“Wait just one minute! It’s definitely you, isn’t it, Nagumo-kun? You called me Sensei just now! There’s no way you could be anyone else.” 
“No really, you just misheard me. I just... said stunted, in a really thick accent. Yeah.” 
“Excuse me, who are you calling short!? I’ll have you know that’s very rude! And that’s the worst excuse I’ve ever heard. Why did you try to trick me? And that arm and that eye... What exactly happened to you? What have you been doing until now? And why didn’t you come back to us? Answer me, Nagumo-kun! You can’t fool your teacher!” Aiko’s shouting echoed throughout the inn. 
Most of the other diners were watching curiously, wondering what their fertility goddess was doing with this guy. 
The rest of the students and knights filed out of their little alcove as well. 
The students’ jaws all dropped when they saw Hajime. They were shocked not just at the fact that he was still alive, but at how radically different he looked too. Unsure of what to do or say, they just stared. 
Though Hajime seemed to be reacting to all this calmly, he was panicking internally. Even in his wildest dreams, he hadn’t expected to run into his old teacher and classmates while out on a quest for the branch chief. 
His shock was what had led him to accidentally let slip that first “Sensei,” all but sealing his fate. 
Battered by Aiko’s onslaught of questions, Hajime looked to the magic eight ball in his mind for suggestions, but all he got were worthless choices like “run away,” “keep pretending she’s got the wrong guy,” “act like a weird foreigner, or “kidnap Ai-chan.” The last one was especially terrible. 
Fortunately, his partner came to his rescue. Not the worthless rabbit-eared one, the cool vampire princess. Yue walked up to Hajime, wrapped her arm around him, and forcibly pulled Aiko’s arm off. David and the other knights glared daggers at her. 
“Get off, you’re bothering Hajime.” 
“Wh-Who’re you? I’m in the middle of a very important discussion with my student...” 
“Then calm down first.” 
Aiko faltered a little in the face of Yue’s cold stare. There wasn’t too much of a difference in their height. It would have looked like two little girls fighting, but Aiko always acted like she was much younger than she was, while Yue’s age gave her an air of maturity. And so, it actually looked more like an adult scolding a kid. 
Though it was actually Yue who felt bad for blurting out such rude words, and she quickly stepped back, retreating behind Hajime. Trying to maintain some semblance of dignity, Aiko straightened her back and squared her shoulders... but the effect was less than impressive. 
“Sorry, you’re right. I let myself get a bit worked up. Anyway, it really is you, right, Nagumo-kun?” Aiko spoke quietly, but with conviction. Her gaze was focused solely on Hajime. 
Seeing her expression, Hajime realized she’d chase after him no matter what he said, so he just scratched his head, sighed, and told her the truth. 
“Yeah, it’s me. Long time no see, Sensei.” 
“It’s really, really you... You were alive.” 
Hajime just shrugged his shoulders. 
“Yeah. Some stuff happened, but I made it out alive.” 
“Thank god. Thank god you’re alive.” 
Hajime didn’t respond. Instead, he walked over to a nearby table and sat down. Yue and Shea followed suit, though Shea was still a little confused. 
Aiko and the others looked at him blankly. It looked like Hajime had regained his composure for real now. He beckoned to Foss, who was standing behind Yuka and David, watching the proceedings with great interest. 
“Umm, Hajime-san. Is this really alright? These are your friends, right? This is just a guess... but these are people from your old world, right?” 
“So what? I was a little surprised to see them here, but that’s about it. We came here to eat dinner, so let’s order our food. I was looking forward to trying the food here. Did you know? They have curry... Wait, you wouldn’t know what that is. They have this thing called Nilchissle here, it’s supposed to be really spicy. I hope it tastes like I think it will.” 
“Then I’ll get that too. I want to know what kind of food you like, Hajime.” 
“Ah, trying to flirt with him even now... You’re good, Yue-san. Well, I guess I’ll get that too, then. Sir, we’d like to order.” 
At first Shea had glanced nervously over at Aiko and the others, but she stopped paying them any mind after Hajime had said it was fine. Foss walked over, wearing an awkward smile, and Shea began ordering. 
Of course Aiko wasn’t done yet. The nonchalance with which Hajime had sat down had struck her dumb for a moment, but once she returned to her senses she briskly walked up to Hajime’s table and angrily slammed her hands down. 
“Nagumo-kun, I’m not done speaking with you. Don’t ignore me! And who are these two girls, anyway?” Aiko’s words echoed the sentiments of everyone present. The knights, who’d finally put together the fact that Hajime was the missing student thought to have died, also nodded in agreement. 
The reality of Hajime’s survival finally hit Yuka and the other students as well. Still shaken, they quietly waited for Hajime’s reply. 
Hajime furrowed his brow in annoyance. Knowing Aiko, she wouldn’t give up until he gave her an answer. He wanted to be able to eat in peace, so reluctantly looked back up at her. 
“We accepted a request to come here from Fuhren. We’ve been traveling nonstop, so at least let us eat before I tell you what happened. Oh, and these two are...” 
Hajime glanced over at Yue and Shea, who introduced themselves before he could. 
“Yue.” 
“My name’s Shea.” 
“I’m Hajime’s lover.” “I’m Hajime-san’s lover.” 
“L-Lover?” 
Aiko glanced back and forth between Hajime and the two girls. She was having trouble processing what they’d just said. 
Behind her, Nana and Taeko let out gasps of surprise. Atsushi and the other guys just stared, slack-jawed. Yuka stiffened up, as if she’d been hit by a bolt of lightning. 
“Hey, Yue can say that, but you most definitely are not, Shea.” 
“I can’t believe you Hajime-san! That’s so mean! You even stole my first kiss!” 
“How many times do I have to tell you? That was just C—” 
“Nagumo-kun?” 
“What is it, Sensei?” 
At Shea’s mention of Hajime stealing her first kiss, Aiko finally recovered enough say something. Her voice was low, and her expression made it clear that she’d misunderstood something. She seemed to be thinking Hajime had these two girls waiting on him hand and foot. 
Her face was bright red, but her eyes were glimmering with determination. Determination to bring her wayward student back on the path of righteousness. 
And so, Sensei’s Wrath struck Hajime in this peaceful town of Ur. 
“N-Not only did you steal a girl’s first kiss, you’re also two-timing!? Is the reason you didn’t come back to us because you were too busy flirting with these girls!? In that case... I’ll never forgive you! As a teacher, I cannot forgive you! You need a good scolding! I’ll fix that twisted personality of yours right now, Nagumo-kun!” Hajime just sighed deeply, an exasperated expression on his face. 

Thanks to Aiko’s outburst, the other customers started staring too, so Hajime and the others moved to the privacy of the VIP table. 
Aiko, Yuka, and the other students all peppered him with questions, but Hajime’s mind was on the Nilchissle he was hoping to eat for dinner, so he kept his answers as brief as possible. 
Q: After you fell from the bridge, what happened? 
A: I went through hell. 
Q: How come your hair is white now? 
A: Because I went through hell. 
Q: What happened to your eye? 
A: I went through even more hell. 
Q: Why didn’t you come back to us? 
A: Because I don’t have any reason to. 
“Hey, answer properly!” Fed up with his responses, Aiko puffed out her cheeks and yelled angrily. Though she didn’t look intimidating in the slightest. 
As always, Hajime just took it all in stride. He didn’t even meet Aiko’s gaze, and instead continued tearing through his Nilchissle, sometimes commenting on this or that to Yue and Shea. He looked extremely satisfied. 
Unable to take his offhanded treatment of Aiko any longer, David started yelling at Hajime too. The power of love was quite something. He even slammed his fist down on the table for added effect. 
“Hey, brat! Aiko’s asking a question! Answer her properly!” Hajime glanced over at David, then breathed another sigh. 
“I’m trying to eat here. Can’t you be a bit more polite?” David reddened with anger. Not only was he a templar knight, he was one skilled enough to be tasked with the mission of guarding Aiko. And yet, Hajime had brushed him off without even a second thought. 
Realizing Hajime wasn’t willing to humor him in the slightest, David changed his angle of attack. He looked over at Shea and let out a string of insults. 
“Hmph, you dare lecture me on manners? Let me throw those words right back at you. How dare you bring a filthy brute like that to a table meant for humans? Have you no shame? How about I lop off those disgusting ears of hers for you? Then she’d at least look more like a human.” 
Shea fidgeted uneasily under his disdainful glare. 
Back in Brooke, because of Catherine, the first impression she’d given people when she’d entered the Masaka Inn, and Hajime’s own presence, most people had treated her with respect. A few people had glared disapprovingly at Fuhren, but no one had tried to heckle her directly, as it was a crime to harm another’s slave. 
In other words, this was the first time she’d felt the full brunt of people’s hatred and discrimination toward beastmen directly. She thought she’d no longer cared about what strangers thought of her, but David’s blatant malice hurt her more than she’d expected. Hence why she lowered her gaze. 
It wasn’t just David either. Upon closer inspection, it was evident the other knights were glaring hatefully at her too. No matter how nice they acted toward Aiko or the other students, they were still templar knights. Their ties to the Holy Church and Heiligh meant they held the beastmen in contempt. In fact, their hatred was even stronger than regular humans, since it was the Holy Church’s teachings that claimed beastmen were inferior beings. 
Their way of thinking had become less rigid by interacting with Aiko and the others, but such a deeply ingrained sense of values couldn’t be so easily overturned. 
Aiko opened her mouth to protest the knights’ harsh words, but before she could say anything, Yue took Shea by the hand and shot them a stare colder than death itself. 
The withering intensity of her gaze caused David to flinch back for a moment, but the fact that he’d cowered before a little girl, even if only for an instant, only made him angrier. 
David wasn’t normally someone who’d snap this easily, but Aiko’s reproachful gaze made him touchier than usual. 
“How dare you look at me like that! You’re not even a messenger of God, what right do you have to blame me!” 
Chase quickly stood up to restrain his commanding officer, but before he could, Yue’s voice echoed clearly through the chaotic din. 
“What a pathetic man.” Every word dripped with scorn. Yue couldn’t believe someone could be so intolerant about something as irrelevant as race. 
Having already lost his composure, Yue’s disdain only served to drive him further into a frenzy. 
“You damn heretic. I’ll send you to hell along with that beast you love so much.” He put a hand over his sword. 
Yuka and Atsushi reached for their own weapons, while Aiko and Chase tried to calm David down with words. 
However, David was beyond words now. He made to draw his sword, but before he could... 
Bang! The nose reverberated throughout the Water Sprite Inn, and his head jerked back. 
His whole body was sent flying from the force, and he crashed into the wall behind him headfirst. The whites of his eyes were visible as he slid to the ground in a crumpled heap. His sword clattered to the floor next to him a second later. 
No one could understand what had just happened. Everyone just stared blankly at the ground where David lay. 
Startled by the sound, Foss hurriedly opened the curtain to see what had happened. His eyes went round as he took in the spectacle. 
However, Foss’ sudden entrance served to bring everyone else back to their senses. Everyone’s gazes shifted to where the noise had originated from. 
The students saw an object they recognized, but one that shouldn’t have existed in this world. Meanwhile, the knights had no clue what they were looking at. It was Hajime’s revolver. 
White smoke rose from Donner’s barrel. Hajime had been kind enough to shoot one of his non-lethal rubber bullets. 
While they still didn’t fully grasp what had happened, they realized Hajime was the one who had attacked, and all cautiously put a hand over their own swords. 
They started radiating bloodlust, but a moment later an aura so oppressive that it was palpable snuffed out their aggression. It was powerful enough that the knights were forced back into their seats. 
Even though Hajime’s Intimidation wasn’t directed at them, Aiko and the students were trembling in fear. 
Hajime slapped Donner down onto the table with an audible thunk. Just to drive the point home, he then went on to explain with finality what his stance was regarding his former classmates. 
“I don’t really care about you guys. I have no intention of getting involved with your affairs, and I don’t particularly want you to meddle in mine. Also, I’ve got no plans to tell you everything I’ve been up to, or what I’m going to do from here on out. I only came here because the guild asked me to, and once my job here’s done I’m resuming my journey. So that’ll be where we part ways. Let’s just stay out of each other’s way after that. You’re welcome to do whatever you want, but just don’t get in my way. If you try and fight me like that guy did... I might kill you.” 
Got that? His intimidating gaze seemed to say. No one said a word. He looked over at the knights, and it took every ounce of their strength to nod underneath Hajime’s Intimidation. 
He then turned his gaze onto Aiko and the students. Aiko said nothing. Rather, she couldn’t say anything. It wasn’t the Intimidation. If she agreed to Hajime’s request, her student would vanish before she even had a chance to learn what had happened to him. Her pride as a teacher refused to allow that. 
Hajime sighed, and released his Intimidation. Though Aiko hadn’t said anything, Hajime had guessed what she must be thinking. He decided it wasn’t worth trying to force an answer out of her. 
Nana, Taeko, Atsushi, and most of the other students were all trembling in fear, so he surmised they wouldn’t be likely to bother him again. Only Yuka didn’t seem afraid. She gazed at him with a mixture of confusion and a hint of sadness, but Hajime ignored her. 
With the pressure gone, Chase and the other knights collapsed onto the table, panting. Aiko and the students weren’t in as bad shape, but they also sank into their chairs gratefully. Hajime paid them no mind and instead turned to Shea, who still looked a little down. 
“Hey, Shea. This is just how people are in the outside world. If you keep letting every little thing get to you, you’ll just be depressed forever.” 
“Yeah, I know... I know that, but still... I didn’t want to believe it, but I guess humans really do think my bunny ears are disgusting.” Shea smiled bitterly while stroking her drooping ears. Yue looked gently into her eyes and tried to console her. 
“Shea, your bunny ears are fluffy and cute.” 
“Yue-san... do you really mean that?” 
Seeing she still wasn’t convinced, Hajime followed up in an exasperated voice. Yue’s constant admonishment of Hajime had definitely helped in softening his attitude toward Shea. 
“Look, those guys have been brainwashed by the Holy Church, so they’re even more racist than most people. Don’t most people like keeping rabbitmen as pets? If they enjoy keeping your kind around, they obviously can’t hate your rabbit ears that much.” 
“I... guess so. U-Umm, by the way, Hajime-san... what... do you think... about my bunny ears?” Blushing slightly, Shea looked up at Hajime, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. Her ears were twitching wildly, as if she wanted to know the answer, but was also afraid to hear it. 
“They’re okay, I guess...” Hajime spared them a single glance before hurriedly returning to his food. Shea’s ears drooped again. 
However, Yue’s next words brought them back to their usual cheerful state. 
“Hajime really likes them. Sometimes, he’ll even rub them when you’re sleeping.” 
“Yue!? You promised not to tell!” 
“H-Hajime-san... you really do like my ears. Ehehe.” Shea cupped her cheeks with her hands and squirmed in embarrassment. Meanwhile, the ears on top of her head were doing some kind of happy dance. 
The tense atmosphere that had pervaded the table seconds ago was nowhere to be seen, and everyone marveled at how quickly the mood had changed. 
After watching their romcom skit for a few minutes, Atsushi quietly mumbled, 
“Huh, that’s strange. I was scared to death of Nagumo a few seconds ago, but now I feel like murdering him...” 
“You too, huh? You know, those two are really cute... and they’re both totally my type... It’s absolute torture watching them flirt with another guy...” 
Atsushi nodded in agreement. The two friends clenched their fists, steeled their resolve, and exchanged glances. 
“Nagumo said he doesn’t care about us anymore, right? But you know, I still want to ask him how to get the girls of this world to fall for you... I have to know! Noboru! Akito!” 
“We’ll brave the depths of hell together with you, brother!” 
The three males of Ai-chan’s defense force exchanged a glance of solidarity before glaring at Hajime, eyes burning with jealousy. The serious mood from earlier now completely dispelled, everyone returned to normal. Yuka, Taeko, and Nana all glared coldly at the boys. 
Chase had taken his subordinates and was currently trying to treat David’s injuries. Once he was sure David wasn’t in any serious trouble, he turned to Hajime and gave him his most charming smile. There was something he wanted to ask Hajime at all costs. 
“Nagumo-dono— Is it alright if I call you that? I apologize for what my captain said. We are Aiko-san’s guards, so when it comes to her safety, we sometimes get a little touchy. Please, could you find it in your heart to forgive him?” 
So you just start trying to kill people when you get touchy? Well, I guess I’m not really one to judge people on their murderous impulses. Hajime waved his hand dispassionately. 
Chase’s eyebrow twitched at Hajime’s nonchalant dismissal, but he kept his business smile on. His attention was focused solely on the artifact Hajime had placed on the table, and he quickly pressed on with his question. 
“Also, about that... artifact. I cannot fully grasp its function, but it appears to be quite powerful. It seems to be some form of long range weapon, but it is both faster and stronger than a bow. And yet, I could sense no magic nor did I see a magic circle anywhere. Just how does it work?” 
He was still smiling, but Chase’s gaze was deadly serious. Since it didn’t appear to use any mana, he was interested in the possibility of mass producing a weapon stronger than a bow that anyone could use. A weapon of that caliber could change the very nature of warfare. Chase suspected that even if the entire knight corps took Hajime on, they wouldn’t stand a chance against such an artifact, so he had to ask. 
Hajime glanced at Chase. Before he could say anything, an excited voice interrupted him. Atsushi. 
“Th-That’s right, Nagumo. That’s a gun, isn’t it!? How on earth did you get something like that!?” 
Chase did a double-take. 
“Gun? Tamai, you know what that object is?” 
“Huh? Yeah, of course I do. It’s a weapon from our world.” 
Chase’s eyes sparkled as the beginnings of an idea formed in his mind. He looked back at Hajime. 
“I see. In other words, this isn’t an artifact you found... but one that was created... And the creator must have been...” 
“Me.” Hajime replied casually. Chase had marked Hajime as the secretive type, so he was surprised when he answered so readily. 
“I see it’s no secret. Nagumo-dono, do you understand what that weapon is capable of? It could...” 
“Change the nature of how war is fought in this world... right? Assuming you could mass produce it, anyway. I’m sure you’re going to beg me to come back, or at least teach you how to make it, right? I refuse. Give it up.” He said with finality. It felt like he had prepared this speech beforehand. However, Chase refused to give up. That was how much the gun was worth. 
“But this could help make even our weakest soldiers overwhelmingly powerful. We could take advantage of our numbers in the coming war and drastically increase our chances of victory. Your help could save the lives of your friends and your teacher. Shouldn’t you—” 
“Say what you want, I won’t help you guys. And if you try and steal it from me, I’ll interpret that as an act of war. So if you want to go that route... you better be prepared to die before the real war starts.” 
Hajime’s words sent chills down Chase’s spine, and he fell silent. Aiko chose that moment to butt in and try to smooth the situation over. 
“Chase-san, I’m sure Nagumo-kun has his reasons, so please don’t try and force him. Nagumo-kun, you need to choose your words more carefully too. Handling things peacefully is important... Nagumo-kun, do you really not plan on coming back?” 
“That’s right. I’m leaving tomorrow to investigate, and once I finish my request, I’ll leave.” 
“But why...” She gazed sadly at him, but Hajime just stood up and prepared to leave. Yue and Shea had finished eating as well. Aiko tried to stop him, but he ignored her and headed up the stairs. 
A strange atmosphere descended upon those left behind. 
“He really was alive.” A quiet voice broke through the silence, confirming the reality of what they’d just seen. The one who had spoken was Yuka. There was a conflicted expression on her face as she looked at the staircase. 
“Kaori-chan was right. Though, I guess he didn’t need her help. In fact, he managed to get out all on his own.” 
“Yukacchi... are you alright?” 
“Yuka...” 
Taeko and Nana were worried because Yuka had sounded like she was talking to herself. Yuka smiled bitterly at the two of them, then shrugged her shoulders. 
“I’m fine... just really surprised. But it’s not a bad thing, you know? Our classmate’s still alive. That can only be a good thing, right?” 
“Yeah, you’re right! Though I still can’t really believe it. I mean, you saw him! He felt like a totally different person!” 
“Indeed. How do I put this... he feels... more wild? You know?” Taeko spoke haltingly. It hadn’t been exactly like encountering a crazed serial killer, but there had been something feral to this new Hajime. 
Atsushi and the other guys chose this moment to interject with their own opinions. 
“And he looks waaay stronger now. Like, holy crap.” 
“Tell me about it. His hair color’s changed, he acts different... he has a gun... and he’s so intimidating now...” 
“There’s all that too, but... You know, he said he doesn’t care about us anymore... He probably doesn’t think too highly of us, huh?” 
The students were all glad that a classmate they’d thought long dead was actually alive. Even Taeko and Nana, who’d been terrified of him, still honestly thought so. Atsushi too. It felt like this huge weight had been lifted off their chest. If they had to sum it up in a word, they were “relieved.” 
However, there was still the inexplicable sense of discomfort that came with the fact that he hadn’t seemed to care about them at all. Not only that, he had become far stronger and far sharper than before, and that had intimidated them. 
Worse, they had always mocked him as the weakest member of their party, and none of them had stepped in to stop Hiyama’s bullying. Finally, there had been that misfire incident that had led to his fall, so perhaps to him it was difficult to imagine his classmates liked him at all. 
That had been part of why none of them had tried to stop Hajime from leaving. 
The students all lapsed into silence again, thinking about their fear, as well as their inability to do anything to stop him. Once again, it was Yuka who broke the silence. 
“I forgot to thank him.” 
The students all exchanged glances. They had been so focused on his indifference and how much he had changed, that they’d forgotten what was truly important... True, they hadn’t directly had their lives saved like Yuka, but the students were only here right now because Hajime had risked his life to save them. 
Yuka’s conflicted expression had stemmed from that. Unlike the others, she had been worried about the fact that she’d failed to thank him again, that she hadn’t really had an opportunity to during their conversation, and that even if she had it would be pointless to say anything now. 
“Sonobe-san...” Aiko didn’t know what else to say to her. 
She had been too shaken by the rapid pace with which events had unfolded, and Hajime’s drastic change to be able to stop him from leaving. Aiko wasn’t sure what she could say that would reach Hajime now. 
Their food had long since gone cold, but no one had any appetite now anyway. Everyone stared at the plates of cold food, thinking about Hajime’s survival all the while. 

That night. 
It was midnight, and everyone was so mentally and physically exhausted from the events of the day that they were fast asleep. Only Aiko was still awake. 
Her room was a small single. It was furnished with a wooden table, a chair, a bed, a small fireplace, and a leather sofa. In winter the fireplace would be crackling merrily, warming its guest. 
But right now it was empty. Aiko sat on the sofa, staring into the cold ashes as she thought about the day’s events. The inside of her head was a whirling, disorganized mess. 
There were things she had to think about, things she wanted to think about, and planning for the future that needed to be done. Her brain was so overloaded that she couldn’t think straight. She was happy her student was still alive, and angry at his indifference toward them. 
She had caught a small glimpse of his power when he’d dispatched David. It was quite possible that he had needed to change that drastically to survive, but that only made it harder for Aiko when she thought about how he must have suffered, and how she had been unable to save him. She let out a long sigh. On the other hand, she remembered how he’d talked to those two girls, and was happy that he’d found comrades he could trust. 
Suddenly, a voice called out to her, despite the fact that she should have been alone in the room. 
“You sure make some interesting expressions, Sensei.” 
“Huh!?” Aiko jerked her head around. Hajime was standing in the doorway, his arms folded across his chest. Shocked, Aiko stammered, 
“N-Nagumo-kun? Wh-What are you... How did you...” 
“If you’re asking how I got in, it’s through the door.” 
“But I locked...” 
“I’m a Synergist, remember? This isn’t like one of the locks back on earth, it’s pretty easy to pick.” 
For a few seconds Aiko just sat there, dumbstruck. Finally, she managed to calm herself down and glare angrily at Hajime. 
“It’s rude to come into a girl’s room so late at night, especially without knocking. You even picked the lock... Why?” The words “night visit” flashed through Aiko’s mind, but she dismissed them instantly. 
How could you even think something like that about one of your own students? Hajime absorbed her rebuke and cut directly to the heart of the matter. 
“Sorry, I guess. I didn’t want anyone else to know about my visit. There’s a few things I need to tell you, Sensei, but I couldn’t with those knights hanging around. They’d probably get violent if I mentioned it.” 
“Something you need to tell me? But didn’t you say you don’t care about us, Nagumo-kun?” 
Aiko’s eyes glimmered with hope. Perhaps he really would come back to them after all. Regardless, listening to her student’s worries was the job of a teacher. 
Sadly, Hajime’s next words dashed her hopes. 
“Yeah, I still don’t, so please don’t look so expectant... Anyway, I wanted to tell you because I think you’d be able to handle it the most calmly, Sensei. You’re free to do what you want with the information after I tell you.” 
With that preface, Hajime launched into the story he’d heard from Oscar about the Liberators and the crazed gods that were toying with the world. 
There was a reason Hajime had thought to tell Aiko all of this. 
He doubted those insane gods would let Kouki and the others return to their original world even if they did everything they asked. “Save the humans from the demons,” was what they had decreed, but this entire war was just a part of those very gods’ mad game. And they surely wouldn’t want to let go of a piece as interesting as a hero. In fact, they’d probably want to make the hero an integral part of their next game too. 
Of course, Hajime had no intention of tracking Kouki down just to tell him that. He really didn’t care about what happened to the others anymore, and to be quite frank, taking a detour to go to him would just be a pain. Besides, even if he did tell Kouki, Hajime doubted that ball of misguided justice would believe him anyway. 
It was obvious who the other students would believe too. Between an old classmate who had drastically changed and the hero everyone relied upon, it wasn’t even a contest. Chances were he’d just be branded a heretic for slandering the “Great Lord Ehit.” For all those reason, Hajime did not want to seek out Kouki. 
However, by sheer coincidence, he had run into Aiko again. Hajime understood her quite well. Aiko was always thinking of her students, so she wouldn’t be easily swayed by the pope’s honeyed words like the students had been, and do what was best for them. And because of her overwhelming popularity, he was sure that her words would have more of an impact on them than his would. 
Just how much of an influence that would be, he didn’t know. 
Though if Kouki and the others started straying from the gods’ plan because of this, they would surely draw the gods’ attention. 
Eventually, tales of Hajime’s labyrinth conquest would spread, and he was certain the gods would eventually do something to intervene. So, by having Kouki stray from their plan, Hajime hoped to delay the gods’ interference in his own business, or at the very least split their attention. 
And the very faint hope that they too might start searching for an alternative way back home after learning they couldn’t rely on the gods. Lastly, he knew that the Liberators had been defeated because the gods had manipulated the people and turned them against them, so in order to avoid having that happen with his former classmates, he wanted to plant the seeds of doubt early. 
Though this was all something Hajime had just come up with after seeing Aiko again, so he wasn’t exactly expecting much. 
Hajime didn’t hold any particular grudge toward his old classmates, but he also didn’t really care about them. If they could be of use to him, he’d use them, and if not he’d leave them alone. He’d found a way they might help, which was the only reason he bothered to pass this information along. 
Aiko was stunned speechless after she heard Hajime’s tale. She wasn’t even sure how to process it. Frankly, it would probably be some time until she’d managed to digest it all. 
“Anyway, I just wanted to let you know. That’s what I learned at the bottom of the abyss. What you do with that information is up to you, Sensei. You’re welcome to believe it or not as you wish. I don’t care.” 
“N-Nagumo-kun, does your journey have something to do with those... crazed gods?” 
“Hah, no way. I don’t give a shit about what happens to this world. I just want to find a way home. That’s the only reason I’m on this journey. I only told you because I figured you knowing might help sometime down the road.” 
Hajime snorted at her absurd question. Aiko was relieved that he wasn’t sticking his head into anything dangerous, but she grew angry again when he talked about how willing he was to disregard the lives of strangers. That being said, she too valued the students’ safety over the salvation of this world, so she didn’t have the right to say anything. Instead, she changed topics. 
“Do you have an idea of how you’re going to get back?” 
“Sorta. The labyrinths hold all the answers. If you guys are interested, you’re welcome to explore them yourselves. After you clear the first hundred floors of the Orcus Labyrinth, you’ll finally make it to the real deal. Though judging by what happened today, you’d all die instantly the moment you wandered in. If you can’t even handle that level of Intimidation, you won’t last five seconds.” 
Aiko thought back to the immense pressure Hajime had radiated at dinner. She looked up at him with a mixture of sympathy and admiration, realizing how harsh a path he must have walked to survive in such a hellish place. 
They both fell silent, and that silence stretched on for a few minutes. Finally, Hajime turned back to the door. He’d told Aiko everything he’d come here to say. The words Orcus Labyrinth had stirred something in Aiko’s memory though, and before he could leave she called out. 
“Shirasaki-san still hasn’t given up on you, you know!” 
“......” Hajime stopped, his hand hovering over the door handle. Aiko continued talking. 
“Everyone else thought you were dead, but only she didn’t give up. She believed you were still alive. Even now, she’s fighting through the Great Orcus Labyrinth, looking for you. Amanogawa-kun and the others are only down there to get stronger, but she’s with them because she’s determined to find you.” 
“...Is Shirasaki safe?” Hajime asked, after a long pause. Seeing him show concern for someone else gave Aiko hope that the old Hajime might still be alive somewhere deep inside. 
“Y-Yes. The labyrinth is a dangerous place, but it seems the party inside is steadily progressing as they grow stronger. At least, that’s what the letters they send us say. Are you worried about her? Shirasaki-san was your friend, right, Nagumo-kun?” 
Aiko’s tone was cheerful. Instead of responding to her question, Hajime turned around and said, 
“I wouldn’t exactly say that, but... if you guys exchange letters, you should let her know that her real enemy isn’t the monsters in the labyrinth. It’s one of her so-called comrades.” 
“Huh? What do you mean?” 
“I could tell from Tamai’s attitude. Sensei, everyone’s saying I fell during my fight with the Behemoth because of an accident, right?” 
“W-Well... yes. Someone’s spell misfired and... So you do bear a grudge against everyone, Nagumo-kun?” 
“Nah, I don’t give a damn about that, really. Anyway, they’re wrong. It wasn’t a misfire. Someone was quite clearly aiming for me.” 
“Huh? They were aiming for you?” 
Aiko repeated, confused. However, Hajime continued mercilessly, adding another huge worry to Aiko’s list of worries. 
“One of my classmates tried to kill me.” 
“Wha—!?” Aiko paled at his words. 
“The only thing I can think of that might have caused it was my relationship with Shirasaki, so whoever did it was probably someone jealous of me. If she’s still safe, you have to tell her to watch out. That person is probably going to try and make her his by force.” That was all Hajime said before leaving the room. 
A sudden chill crept into the room, and Aiko wrapped her arms around herself. One of her precious students had tried to kill a classmate. Worse, he’d been a coward that had stabbed Hajime in the back. For Aiko, who wished to believe in all of her students, it was a hard pill to swallow, but she had no reason to believe Hajime had lied to her. Her desire to believe in her students, and her belief that her students were all good people were warring with each other. 
Aiko knew she wouldn’t get any sleep that night.