Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai Saikyou (LN) - Volume 7 - Chapter SS1

Bonus Short Stories 

Arifureta Fairy Tales ~Cinderella~ 

Once upon a time, there was a girl named Cinderella. Her mother had died some years past, and she spent her days being tormented by her two older stepsisters. Originally her hair had been a glossy black, but over time it had gotten dirty as poor Cinderella had been forced to do all the housework. Today, too, she toiled under the harsh insults of her sisters. 
“Oi, Cinderella! Quit bawling and get to work! Breakfast isn’t anywhere near ready, you slacker!” The younger of the two stepsisters, a girl with bunny ears, stalked up to Cinderella and started yelling at her, her bunny ears standing on end. 
“Eeek, I’m sorry. I’ll get started right away, so please don’t yell at me...” Cinderella scurried over to the kitchen. Cooking, fetching water, washing dishes, and getting yelled at for not making the food tasty enough were all part of her duties. Poor Cinderella really had it tough. 
Still in tears, Cinderella started preparing breakfast. Just then, her rabbit-eared older sister poked her head in to see how she was doing. She gave Cinderella the kind of glare only a stepsister could and kicked up a fuss. 
“Sheesh, you’re hopeless, Cinderella! How many times do I have to explain it before you understand!? You have to curl your fingers when you hold the knife or you’ll cut yourself!” 
“S-Sorry!” Cinderella shrunk back. However, her sister wasn’t done yet. She stood behind Cinderella and took hold of her hands. 
“How dumb can you get!? Look, I’ll do it with you, so pay attention!” 
“Eeek, stop! I can do it, so stop grabbing me so hard!” Cinderella’s screams mingled with the rhythmical chopping of vegetables. The knife cut down with extreme precision, millimeters from Cinderella’s poor fingers. In seconds, the vegetables had been cut into symmetrical pieces, a dark omen of what Cinderella’s fingers would likely become if she didn’t start getting it together. 
Satisfied, the rabbit-eared stepsister went off to handle other tasks, leaving a terrified Cinderella to finish preparing breakfast. She sighed despondently and got back to work, only to be interrupted by a different voice. 
“How long do you plan on making your elder sister wait, you doddering dolt!?” 
“My apologies, perv—ahem, elder sister. I’ll be done soon.” 
“Be quick about it! Unlike you, I have business that needs attending to!” The elder stepsister started rushing Cinderella, as she was wont to do. Exhausted from the constant labor, Cinderella grew sloppy in her work. The eldest stepsister grinned expectantly. Though it seemed her enjoyment wasn’t coming from bullying Cinderella, but rather something else entirely. Indeed, as she hoped, Cinderella was so rushed that as she passed her stepsister by, she tripped. 
“Oh no!” The pot she was holding slipped out of her hands, and spilled its scalding hot contents all over her stepsister. 
“Aaaaaah!? Oh Cinderella you klutz! You got boiling water all over my face! Could you be any clumsier!? At any rate, well done! Haaah... Haaah...” Cinderella’s stepsister covered her face, fell to the ground, and writhed in “agony.” She didn’t stop insulting Cinderella even as the water burned her skin though. Her anger—and pleasure—were clearly noticeable in her tone. 
“I-I’m so sorry, elder sister!” Cinderella trembled in fear. 
After that incident, her bunny-ear stepsister came back and ordered her to clean the house. Upon seeing how poor a job Cinderella was doing, she clicked her tongue and started teaching her how to do it better. The same thing happened when Cinderella started sewing, as well. 
“You’ll hurt yourself if you work like that,” her stepsister exclaimed and once again taught her a more efficient method. 
The entire time, her other stepsister was hovering close by, rushing Cinderella so that she would screw up in a way that would cause the instigator pain. And every time Cinderella ended up accidentally hurting her stepsister, she would writhe on the ground panting excitedly. 
At any rate, Cinderella had a hard life. But then one day, the family received an invitation to a royal ball. It appeared the ball was being held so that the prince could pick out a fiance. Both of Cinderella’s stepsisters were completely smitten with the prince. Every time they saw him out on the streets, their hearts started pounding. And this ball was the perfect opportunity to make the prince of their dreams theirs. Naturally, Cinderella was just as enamored with the prince as the others. 
“Stepsisters! Please let me go to the party too!” 
Cinderella’s two stepsisters exchanged glances, nodded to each other, and turned her down flat. 
“Absolutely not!” “No way!” They cruelly denied Cinderella her wish. 
“Why must you be so mean!? What’s so wrong with me going?” Cinderella was being unusually assertive. It appeared she was truly angry. Seeing her desperation, her two stepsisters sighed. 
“Is it not obvious? We are worried for the prince.” 
“Did you already forget how you stalked him before and had to be dragged away by the royal guards?” 
I never did anything like that! Cinderella harrumphed and looked away defiantly. 
The bunny-eared stepsister bristled. Who do you think had to pay the bail to get you out!? 
“Besides, you own no dresses.” 

“Ugh, you’re right...” Cinderella lamented. She owned no pretty dresses like her stepsisters. 
“That’s your own fault. You’re the one who sold them all off to ‘pay for the prince’s living expenses.’ We even told you over and over to save at least one of them for occasions like this!” 
I never did anything like that! Cinderella harrumphed and looked away defiantly. In the end, Cinderella went to her mother’s grave and wept in despair. As she was crying, she realized she wasn’t alone. 
“Young lady, why are you so sad?” 
Looking up, Cinderella saw a beautiful, crimson-eyed witch standing in front of her mother’s grave. She was bedecked in a billowing black robe, and a pointed hat. After a moment of brief consideration, Cinderella decided to tell this strange witch all about her troubles. She poured her heart out about her overbearing stepsisters, her terrible life at home, her secret love for the prince, and her dismay at learning she wouldn’t be able to go to the ball. When she finished, the witch sniffled a little. 
“There is no fate so powerful it cannot be overturned. A path to salvation must still exist somewhere.” 
Cinderella stared at the witch blankly, not comprehending. 
“Fear not. I will find you a path that lets you attend the ball.” 
“Miss Witch…” Moved, Cinderella embraced her savior. Curious about why a stranger would lend her a helping hand, Cinderella asked the witch why she was being so kind. In response, the witch lowered the brim of her hat, hiding her expression. Quietly, she spoke of her past. Of how she’d been betrayed by her family and imprisoned for centuries. When she’d finally escaped, everyone she knew was dead. And so, she’d wandered the world alone, a witch without a home. That was why she felt compelled to help others in trouble. 
How tragic! I’m so sorry I ever thought I had it bad! I’ve truly been blessed! Cinderella burst into sobs as she thought that, and the confused witch awkwardly tried to console her. Once Cinderella had calmed down, the witch left, saying that she needed to prepare some things and would return on the day of the ball. 
The evening of the ball, some time after Cinderella’s stepsisters had left, the witch came to see Cinderella again. 
“I got everything.” The witch held out a stunning dress and an exquisite pair of glass slippers. 
“You’re so skilled, Miss Witch! I can’t believe you were able to make such beautiful things with magic.” 
“Hm? I sewed the dress and I bought the shoes.” The witch’s methods were surprisingly pedestrian. Though it spoke to how kind she was that she’d been willing to sew a whole dress for a stranger. 
“We don’t have much time. Let’s go.” 
“How are we getting to the ball? Are we taking a pumpkin carriage? Are we?” Cinderella’s eyes lit up in excitement, but the witch shook her head, a pitying expression on her face. 
A pumpkin carriage? Is this girl okay? She grabbed Cinderella by the collar, then explained her plan. 
“We’ll be using gravity magic.” 
“Huh? What does—Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!” 
The two of them sped into the night sky. They arrived not-so-safe and sound at the royal palace, but at least Cinderella was still in one piece. As she’d hoped, Cinderella was able to dance with the prince to her heart’s content. She should have been happy, but all she could think about was the witch who’d seen her off with a sad smile. 
“I’m sorry, Prince! I need to go!” Cinderella dashed off. The prince, still trying to figure out if this was the same girl who’d been stalking him earlier, chased after her. Shocked by Cinderella’s rude behavior, her two stepsisters also chased after her. But Cinderella was faster than she looked, and she was able to give them the slip. All the prince and Cinderella’s stepsisters found was one of her slippers lying on the palace steps. 
“A single glass slipper... this definitely seems suspicious,” the prince mused. 
Cinderella’s two stepsisters nodded in agreement. The three of them started down the steps, but stopped when they heard a voice. 
“Miss Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitch! Please come out! You’re the one that deserves to be at this ball, not me!” 
They spotted Cinderella standing a bit further ahead and shouting up at the sky. The prince and Cinderella’s two stepsisters watched, confused. 
“If you don’t, I’ll get the whole country to search for you! Me or one of my sisters will definitely marry the prince and become the queen, so don’t think we won’t be able to do it! I have no qualms about abusing my authority!” 
“Please don’t...” The witch appeared a few meters above Cinderella and floated down to the stairs. She lowered her hat to try and hide her expression, but Cinderella ran up to her and ripped it off. Just then, the clouds parted and a single ray of moonlight illuminated the witch. The prince was captivated by her stunning figure. The witch, too, seemed smitten with the prince. 
Well, I’m sure you perceptive readers can tell what happened next. The prince asked for the witch’s hand in marriage, and she naturally said yes. Though there was one condition. Cinderella and her two stepsisters had to also join their family. And so, the witch, the prince, Cinderella, and her two stepsisters lived happily ever after.