"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 Oneesama'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 Oneesama, 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