Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai Saikyou (LN) - Volume 8 - Chapter SS1

Bonus Short Stories 

Arifureta Fairy Tales—Snow White 

Once upon a time, there lived an extremely beautiful queen. She had come from the land of dragons to marry King Lundel and was nearly 500 years older than him. The young king had been overjoyed to have such a beautiful older wife, so much so that he’d wept in happiness during the wedding. 
Or at least, that was how it had seemed to spectators. In truth, the queen terrified Lundel. When they’d first met, she’d revealed to him all of her fetishes, then gifted him a whip and bondage set as her dowry. Of course, Lundel had been expecting something of that sort when he’d received a letter from the king of dragonmen that had said: “She’s too much for us to handle, please just take her.” 
When she’d arrived in the human kingdom, Lundel and his retainers had seen firsthand just how impossible she was to handle. And so, Lundel had given her a gift of his own. A magic mirror. The main reason he’d chosen that mirror was because he was trying to subtly tell her she needed to take a good hard look at herself and reevaluate her life. However, the queen missed the hint and was delighted to receive the gift. She’d been feeling alienated from the other people in the castle, and she saw this gift as a sign that they were growing closer. 
The mirror was said to tell any who used it the absolute truth. The queen was royalty, yes, but she was also a woman. In fact, being royalty only made her more aware of that fact. Thanks to her stunning looks, she was known to the citizens as the most beautiful woman in the land. However, she couldn’t help but worry there were other, prettier women out there. And so, she asked the mirror in secret, “M-Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?” 
“......” 
Crimson light enveloped the mirror, indicating that it was working. However, the mirror remained silent. 
“Hmm? That’s strange. Mirror, I am the fairest in the land, am I not?” The queen asked again, rephrasing her question. From the way it had become more a statement of confirmation, one could tell the queen had a lot of confidence in herself. There was a soft clunk, and the light surrounding the mirror began to fade. After a few moments of silence, the queen attempted to activate the mirror once more. 
“Mirror mirror on the wall, I’m the fairest of them all, right?” 
The mirror’s light faded again. They say third time is the charm, do they not? Stubborn to a fault, the queen tried again. 
“Mirror mirror on the wall! Say I am the fairest of them all or—” 
“Know your place, pervert.” The mirror gave that curt reply before going dark. Rebuked, the queen curled up in a corner of her room, seemingly depressed. Though her heavy breathing indicated otherwise. After some time, the queen glanced at the mirror, gathered her resolve, and crawled back over to it. 
“Mirror mirror, on the wall. In that case, who is the fairest of them all?” 
“Tch...” The magic mirror clicked its tongue, and the queen’s face reddened. 
“I am the queen! The people praise my beauty far and wide! Who could possibly be fairer than I!?” 
“Huh? A queen? Yeah right. Screw you.” The mirror’s disparaging voice echoed through the queen’s chambers. For a magical fantasy tool, it sure sounded a lot like a yakuza. The queen once again began panting in excitement. 
After a few seconds of silence, the mirror sighed and said, “The only person fit to be called fairest in all the land is Snow White.” 
Snow White? I believe I have heard that name somewhere before. Was she not the famous beauty born in the vampire kingdom some years back? 
“Mirror, is snow white truly that beautiful? Do her features truly surpass mine? Look closely. See my luxurious black hair, golden eyes filled with wisdom, and slender limbs which—” 
With another clunk, the light faded from the mirror. This time, it didn’t start back up when the queen spoke to it. Curious, the queen started investigating this mysterious Snow White. She learned that the famed princess had been betrayed by her uncle and fled deep into the forest. Since then, no one had seen her. No one even knew if she was alive or dead. However, after her uncle had chased Snow White out, the vampire empire had crumbled due to a series of disasters. 
“Hmm, now this is truly curious. Your Highness, I wish to investigate this forest.” 
“Feel free! In fact, take as long as you’d like! Even if your investigation lasts a century, you don’t need to come back!” The young king saw his wife off with a smile, giving his subjects the impression that he was a truly kind and loving soul. 
After leaving the capital, the queen realized she needed a disguise. It wouldn’t do for the people to see their ruler wandering about the countryside like a vagabond. That was why she transformed into a dragon and soared through the skies. After all, no one would even think that an imposing black dragon was their queen. 
“Look, the queen’s flying somewhere!” 
“So she is. What do you want to do for dinner, dear?” 
A mother and her child looked up at the sky as the queen flew off. They were acting as if this was a normal occurrence. 
After a few days of flying, the queen arrived at the forest Snow White was said to have vanished in. 
“I made it this far, but where should I begin my search?” The queen looked around, searching for clues. To an outsider, she looked like a ferocious dragon hunting for prey. 
“Mmm? I sense the presence of people.” The queen angled downward and shot toward the center of the forest. As she approached, she spotted a single house. It was surprisingly large, and the land had been cleared for a field next to it. Considering how well-maintained it was, there were likely people living there. 
“To think anyone would live here... Hm?” 

A figure exited the house’s front door. They spotted the queen hovering above them and trotted over the patio to get a better look. 
“What a... beautiful girl...” The blonde-haired, crimson-eyed girl who’d stepped out of the house was so pretty the queen gasped. For the first time in her life, the queen was looking at someone more beautiful than her. And the girl’s stern glare sent shivers of excitement down the queen’s spine. 
There’s no mistaking it, this must be the fabled Snow White! The queen suddenly felt compelled to tease this beautiful girl a little. The mirror’s declaration had spurred her jealousy, and she wanted to knock this girl down a peg. 
“Graaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!” The queen’s roar shook the forest. At the same time, she unleashed a blinding flash of light to make herself seem even more intimidating. The light had no force behind it and was meant more to scare Snow White than anything. The queen figured something like that would be enough for a sheltered little girl who’d never suffered a day in her life. However, it appeared snow white didn’t appreciate the queen’s “harmless” prank. 
“Who do you think you’re growling at, mutt?” 
“Wha?” 
Snow White’s voice had come from above the queen. Stunned, the queen looked up. Unbelievable as it was, Snow White was flying without wings! Not only that, but she was wearing black lace panties! 
That underwear certainly isn’t as pure as white snow! She should change her name to Snow Black! It turned out Snow White was even more of an adult than the queen. While the queen was still recovering from her shock, Snow White stretched her hand out toward her. 
“Go back to the ground where you belong.” 
“Nuwah!? How is this happeniiiiiiiiiiiing!?” Unable to withstand the sudden pressure assailing her, the queen plummeted to the ground. She slammed down with an earth-shattering thud and a massive cloud of dust rose up around her. 
“Owww... What in heaven’s name happened...” Even if she wasn’t the fairest in the land, the queen was definitely the toughest. Despite the force with which she’d hit the ground, she was unharmed. 
“Wait, why the hell’s that perverted dragon here?” 
The queen turned to the direction of this new voice and saw seven dwa— er, people standing in a nearby clearing. They’d hurried over when they’d heard the commotion. The one who’d spoken was a boy as handsome as a prince. He had unsheathed his shimmering white blade. Next to him was a bunny girl holding a giant warhammer. Her bunny ears were flopping back and forth in excitement. 
“You’re another one of those assassins the vampire kingdom sent to kill Snow White, aren’t you!?” 
Wait, this is all some kind of misunderstanding! However, the bunny girl charged the queen before she could say that. 
“I’ll send you flying all the way to the moon!” 
“Bweh!?” 
With strength far greater than that any normal bunny girl should possess, she swung her hammer down at the queen. At the same time, the remaining dwarves unleashed their blades of light, feathers of disintegration, high-speed katana-slashes, and fists of fury at her. The queen tried to force them back with her breath, but a shimmering barrier sprung up to protect the seven not-dwarves. 
“Unbelievable! Who are you people!?” The queen began to panic. This was no time to relish the pain she feeling. If she didn’t retreat soon, she’d be killed. As she turned to flee, she heard a familiar voice. 
“Who are we? I guess you could say we’re Snow White and her seven overpowered friends.” 
The final not-dwarf grinned wickedly and rammed a stake deep into the queen’s anus. 
“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!” The queen’s moans of pleasure echoed throughout the entire forest. Her transformation was canceled, and she returned to human form. The not-dwarves then tied her up bondage style and explained what was going on. Apparently, after fleeing into this forest, Snow White had encountered seven friendly overpowered not-dwarves. Their names were “The Monster of the Abyss,” “The Headhunter Rabbit,” “God’s Apostle,” “Hero,” “Swordswoman,” “Barrier 
Master,” and “Monk.” Thanks to their help, she had been able to survive in the forest, and they were now all living peacefully together. 
Furthermore, the magic mirror the queen possessed was actually a magical communication device created by The Monster of the Abyss. He’d lost it some time back, so he’d been surprised when someone had finally activated it months later. However, the person hadn’t even introduced themselves and simply asked who the fairest of them all was, so he’d figured it was some kind of prank and turned it off. 
After solving the misunderstanding and reconciling their differences, the queen and Snow White were able to become friends. Unwilling to part from her new comrades, the queen returned to the kingdom and asked the young king a favor. 
“Your Highness, my deepest apologies, but I wish to live in the forest with The Monster of the Abyss. Could you find it in your heart to—” 
“By all means, go ahead! Don’t worry about me! In fact, you can have your bondage set back too!” The magnanimous boy king granted the queen’s request without a moment’s hesitation. However, kindness was not what the queen wished for. When she returned to the forest, the first thing she asked The Monster of the Abyss was rather startling. 
“Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?” 
“It sure as hell isn’t you, you damn pervert.” 
His sharp words left the queen panting in ecstasy, and the group lived happily ever after.