It was the next morning.
Just like yesterday at lunchtime, Hajime and the others came to have breakfast on the terrace where they could see the other side of the cliff and rubbed their eyes.
Am I half asleep? I wondered, wondering at myself.
"...!"
Because there was one more maid.
Yes, it was Yuuka-chan. Dahlia-san had her eyes wide open and was staring at her from top to bottom, it was probably because it was something unusual for her.
It may have been because it was the first time she had seen someone else wearing a maid uniform, but it was more than that.
Indeed, anyone who saw it would undoubtedly recognize the outfit as reminiscent of a maid's uniform, but it was very different from her own.
While Dahlia's classic type barely exposed any skin, Yuuka's was a miniskirt and knee-high socks, sleeveless type that exposed her shoulders. What's more, her chest was also boldly exposed.
She's the kind of miniskirt maid you'd find in Akihabara.
"Um, Yuuka-sama. That outfit is, well… I'm guessing it's a maid outfit…"
"But it's not?"
No, that's not wrong... or so everyone thought.
Indeed, if you look closely, it's not a maid costume. It's a black and white dress. However, the fluffy frills and ribbons make it look like she's wearing an apron.
However, it's a bit of a stretch to call it everyday wear.
Above all.
"Umm, Yuuka oneechan. There's a white brim on her head…"
You're conscious of it, right? Maid uniform.' Myuu pointed out like a detective presenting the evidence, which left Yuuka at a loss for words with an "Uh".
"Yuka-chan…you've finally made up your mind, haven't you?"
"...Sonobe Yuka. From here on out, it's Freedom. Let's go."
"I don't know what you mean! It's not like I'm conscious of anyone's preferences or anything!"
Everyone thought it was a complete mess to talk about.
Kaori and Yue nodded with expressions like enemy generals who had come to decide the outcome of a long-running battle.
Then, either because she had finally come to her senses(?) or because her embarrassment meter had suddenly gone off the scale, Yuuka-chan ripped off her White Brim with a bright red face.
"Heh heh, how is it, Nagumo-cchi?"
"I prepared for something like this to happen."
Nana and Taeko were the only ones with smug looks on their faces in the room.
What kind of situation did you expect…? Suzu had an indescribable expression on her face, while Ryuutaro and Atsushi looked at her with lukewarm eyes, thinking that it was just Hajime's hobby.
"If you start, even Yuuka will do it because she likes maids..."
"You're strangely close with Hellina too!"
Shizuku, who had recently worked as a maid at a maid cafe late at night (meaningful), had an exasperated look on her face. Liliana seemed to completely and without a doubt believe that Hajime was an unrivaled maid lover.
Aiko was whispering to Remia while pointing at Yuuka's outfit.
It was probably that. He must have been consulting with Lemia, the current designer, to see if she could prepare a similar outfit. After Lemia took a peek at Hajime, she also seemed strangely enthusiastic.
"Oh my god. Oh my god!"
"The sacred attire 'maid'… to think that person was also allowed to wear it. But, but, but..."
"Ah, ah. What is this overwhelming feeling?"
"N-no. That's...that's too naughty."
"It's a sacred garment, but it makes me feel guilty."
In fact, the five warriors from yesterday, led by the skinhead uncle, are also here.
Yuka's miniskirt maid-style feminine outfit seemed to have opened a new door in their hearts. The only one who was unfazed was the skinhead uncle. As expected of a skinhead uncle!
"I-I guess I'll just get changed."
Hearing their voices, Yuuka's sense of shame finally broke through. Her face turned bright red, she covered her chest with one hand, and tried to run away while holding the hem of her skirt with her other hand.
"picture?"
"picture?"
Surprisingly, it was Hajime who asked the first question.
Yuuka instinctively stopped and turned around. Her eyes met Hajime's. He looked a little disappointed...
It seemed that Hajime thought it was "okay". He immediately returned to a serious expression after seeing the meaningful gazes of Yue and the others saying "Hmm?"
"There's no way you'd take that off! It seriously suits you, Yuukacchi!"
"Here, your jacket. If you wear this it will make it look less like a maid's uniform, right?"
"Uh...Thanks. I'll stop changing."
Yuuka fidgeted as she took the jacket from Taeko and put it on. The corners of her mouth looked like they were moving, probably because she was desperately trying to hold back a grin.
Such an embarrassing behavior seemed to hit the warriors with even more criticism.
"Sorry, Bones! I don't want breakfast."
"Me too! I'm going to train a bit!"
"Go away, evil thoughts inside me! Aaaaaaaahhhhh!"
"Hey, hey, you guys!"
They all shouted as they ran off to the training ground. "We know how you feel..." Ryutaro, Atsushi, and Noboru all saluted.
"What is it, master? Aren't you going to tell me what you think?"
Yue & Kaori immediately went to intervene with Yuuka, while Shizuku and the others went to hold them back. Watching them, Tio whispered teasingly. Hajime lightly shrugged his shoulders.
"If I were to praise her directly, she'd definitely change her clothes instead."
"Hmmmm♪"
Tio didn't say anything more. However, Hajime's grinning face looked a bit irritating.
Just then, the head chef who had helped us out the day before brought breakfast. Everyone took their seats.
Just as Hajime was about to take his seat, the men sneakily came running over.
"Hey, Nagumo. No, MeiroadcopperGreat teacher!"
"You're saying strange things again..." Hajime thought as he gave him a cold look.RisingClimbHe looked very humble, but his gaze was serious.
"what...?"
"Me,willowLeeuwI want you to wear a costume like that too. Please teach me how to do it."
Noboru bowed his head. He was desperate. His determination was clear, even if it meant buying a 100,000 yen vase if the great teacher was in his need.
So, Hajime nodded――
"Hey you! Quickly take this away!"
"Sorry. I'll take you there right away. Look, your breakfast will get cold."
「S-Stop it! I have something important to say right now――」
As Noboru is being taken away by Atsushi, Ryutaro sneaks in next to him.
"Hey, Nagumo――"
"Don't you all say that. Besides, wasn't it Miyazaki and the others who prepared that? Why did you ask me?"
"You idiot, there's no way I could ask a girl for help! This is a secret between men! You can provide anything you want as long as you're paid. Right?"
Ryuutaro strongly explained and pleaded with Hajime who looked reluctant.
Apparently my voice echoed because I was so forceful.
"Hmmmm? Ryu-kun, do you like that sort of thing?"
"!?"
The girl in question was standing right behind me, her eyes fixed on me.
"Ah, well, you see..."
"You should just say it already."
"picture?"
"...So you can just say it directly."
Suzu blushes a little and looks away. It is implied that she will wear whatever Ryuutaro asks. Ryutaro seems to be embarrassed as well, as he blushes and scratches his head.
"I see. So this is what they call the pink barrier. It certainly is unsettling."
"?!"
Hajime nodded, realizing the phenomenon he was often warned about. Ryuutaro and Suzu, who had temporarily forgotten about his existence and entered their own world, blushed even more and hurriedly sat down to breakfast.
"Are you ready?"
After breakfast, Hajime and the others gathered in the center of the training ground.
No, it wasn't just Hajime and his group who had gathered, most of the people in the village were there to see them off.
In fact, the schedule for today had been decided yesterday and the people in the village had been informed.
In other words, Dahlia will be returning home temporarily with the Saviors.
Specifically, he would accompany Hajime and the others on their sightseeing as a caretaker, and also check out the situation in each country as he had planned for some time.
So, the preparation check just now was also aimed at Dahlia.
"Yes, it's fine, Your Majesty. -- Bones, I'll leave it to you. I'll be back in a couple of days."
"Although this is a great opportunity to check the situation in each country… Are you sure no one needs to come with us?"
Perhaps it was a habit, but the uncle with a shaved head stroked his head gently with one hand. He had a troubled look on his face.
"Oh, what are your fears about accompanying the Saviors?"
"When you say that, I have no other choice."
Bones' expression was becoming more and more troubled. Among the people who had come to see her off, several looked a little worried.
It's likely that what they are worried about is not only Dahlia's safety, but also whether she will ever come back.
It's not because I don't trust you. I don't think you'll abandon me.
However, she understood better than anyone the desire of many people for a "Saint" and Dahlia's kindness, so if something were to happen over there, she wouldn't be able to abandon her, and as a result, she wouldn't be able to return home...
That sort of feeling is bound to arise.
"My my, Dahlia is really adored."
"Everyone is lonely without Big Sister Dahlia!"
"Fufu, everyone already..."
The bitter smile on Bones's face――No, the skinhead man's face made it clearer than anything that Shia and Myuu pointing was spot on.
Dahlia involuntarily narrowed her eyes tenderly. Her expression was filled with affection, and she looked more like a "Virgin Mary" than a "Saint."
"Your Majesty, may I have a moment of your time?"
"Oh, there's no rush. Speak slowly."
"Thank you very much."
Dahlia bowed and went off to speak to the villagers. She was quickly surrounded by a group of people, while Kaori, Yuka and the others looked on with warm expressions, as if they were watching a heartwarming movie.
Meanwhile, Yue quietly took Hajime's hand. She took him to a place a little away from the crowd, folded her arms and leaned her face in closer.
"...in?"
It's just one word, but the intention is clear. After all, it's the only complicity (coercion) in this case.
"Excellent."
Hajime nodded with a smug look on his face. He leaned his face close to Yue's ear and whispered. Yue writhed in agony as she was slightly itchy but leaned even closer.
Led by Kaori and Yuka, several people cast glances at them, but when they saw Hajime and Yue huddled together away from the group, they quickly turned their gaze back with expressions of understanding that seemed to say "Now that I think of it, I haven't seen them getting cozy this morning," or "Oh, it's just a daily routine."
A lovey-dovey couple's secret talk that doesn't arouse suspicion or curiosity. Also known as the original "Pink Barrier."
Whether this was intentional or not could be determined from Yue's satisfied smile.
"As planned, I have appointed Dahlia as a priestess. I have also received permission to lend her various artifacts, so she will be wearing two hats: a secret priestess and the village chief of the forbidden area."
The subject of the secret was a negotiation with the evening goddess, Lutoria. This was the first and greatest obstacle to drawing Dahlia into the "nameless organization."
Apparently it worked.
"...Rutoria has given me good recognition."
"Various conditions were attached, though. Actually, Dahlia was even given a collar."
"...Conditions? A collar? What kind?"
She is a goddess of great love who would not even choose a hero under any circumstances because she does not want the child of her beloved to be taken away to another world.
He was certain that if Hajime was the one negotiating, there would be no breakdown, but that was why he was curious about the conditions. Speaking of the collar in particular, Hajime had also made a collar that held the life of a certain imperial family in his hands, so it was all the more disturbing.
"What? It's not that heavy. At least from our perspective."
Apparently, the condition was "confidentiality."
Being appointed as a priest, being able to travel to sacred places and other worlds, and being loaned the sword as a means to that endOtherworldly ToolsArtifactTheir existence, their use, and any knowledge or technology gained in the other world must be kept completely secret from the people of this world.
Also, he must engrave into his soul the secret arts of the goddess, which will allow him to know everything about Dahlia even when he is in another world.
"...Are you overprotective? A mother who constantly checks her child's location using GPS?"
"Well, I suppose so. Dahlia was very touched, saying something like, 'Even if we cross worlds, you will always watch over us'."
If she's okay with it, well, it's fine... they said, smiling wryly at each other. They even ended up kissing as naturally as breathing. It couldn't be helped, since their lips were so close.
Dahlia began to give some kind of speech. It seemed she was putting the finishing touches on alleviating the anxiety of the villagers.
Aiko and Liliana were strangely impressed by this. They even took notes. Are they using it as a reference for how to win people's hearts?
Putting Liliana aside, Aiko... was the kind of expression that was on everyone's faces. Tio and Shizuku were also like that.
"That's a useful skill for a teacher, Ai-chan Sensei!" Nana and Atsushi also started recording on their smartphones. A teacher who thinks about controlling people's hearts... they were put off by that. Yuuka and Remia.
"Also, I had my spiritual essence returned when I was appointed as a priest. If it was just one person, Yue wouldn't have had to do it."
"...Well, she is a goddess after all."
"Well, yeah. Keeping it secret is one of the conditions. And if you break it――"
"...What will it be?"
Yue looked a little worried. After all, she seemed to like Dahlia quite a bit.
"Not only will you be stripped of your spiritual essence, but you'll also be banished forever to another world."
"...No way...No way...Huh? Isn't that too light?"
"Right?"
He tried to act tragic and clung tightly to Hajime, but when he thought about it he found himself tilting his head in confusion, "Huh?"
After all, I have already accepted the deprivation of my spiritual essence.
For Dahlia, who has a strong sense of responsibility, being permanently banished would be painful as it would mean being forced to abandon the responsibilities she has decided to take on, but her dream for the future is to emigrate to another world.
"She is a goddess who continued to endure the violence of humans until the very end of the world."
"...Ah, he's generally lenient towards the children of his own world."
Although, to Dahlia, being "abandoned by the Goddess" seemed to be more painful than the death penalty, and after turning pale, she made her oath with a solemn expression full of resolve and determination.
"It was probably a good idea to let her speak directly with Dahlia. It seems she was able to read through her history and beliefs. Lutoria was very moved."
"...In the end, the deciding factor wasn't Hajime's negotiations, but Dahlia's honest way of life?"
"That's right."
Hajime gave a wry smile, and Yue also smiled, "Fufu." At the same time, she gently bit his neck with a natural movement, like water falling from a high place to a low place. Kiss, kiss.
"...Well then, hm, nothing in particular happened, ah, did it go well? Hmmm."
"Yeah, that's right."
"...But it was a bit late for that. Maybe you were a maid with the maid (meaningful)."
「Attack, I didn't do that. I did spend some time lecturing you about artifacts, but...」
Many artifacts are essential for living a double life while keeping secret, including gates and recognition interference systems, the use of simplified hour crystals, anti-aging artifacts, and so on.
However, the lecture would last until the early hours of the morning, so I thought that I would be able to secretly listen to the report like this...
A slightly stronger kaputo. He sticks his fangs in and sucks. He also licks the wound.
Unlike before, Hajime was writhing in agony, and contrary to his words, Yue-sama had no trace of doubt and simply teasingly licked and kissed him.
To prevent him from escaping, she has both her arms wrapped tightly around his neck and one of her legs wrapped around it as well.
The two of them were so engrossed in their conversation, or in their own world, that they didn't notice that the noise had stopped.
「Really, nothing in particular happened. Well, if I had to say, a hysterical celestial woman challenged Dahlia to a duel, and then she ended up losing and going crazy, and then she had no choice but to be killed and resurrected repeatedly to calm down, and then Soare got annoying so she was blown up and dismantled――」
However, Soare was so persistent that she gave him a special hallucinogen made by Emily, allowing him to experience a dream life with Thea.
As a result, Soare ends up looking like a young girl innocently chasing butterflies in a flower field.
The Royal Priestess was beyond broken-hearted and on the verge of succumbing to darkness, so Dahlia tried to counsel her during a desperate second round.
Although she somehow managed to save her from falling into darkness, the Royal Priestess nearly became an invalid after being tried to be relieved of her priestly duties by Lutoria, but Dahlia's desperate explanation helped her avoid being relieved of her duties.
Instead, as punishment, he is ordered to become Dahlia's servant and accompany her to another world, and in his despair he attempts to commit suicide, but Lutoria binds his soul so that he cannot harm himself, and he ends up breaking down in tears like a baby.
Dahlia comforts the Royal Priestess as the Virgin Mary, and Hajime and Lutoria end up negotiating various matters regarding the Royal Priestess's treatment in the other world.
"...Eh? So, that Tenjin princess too?"
"Yeah, I've been sent to another world as Dahlia's attendant. I'm worried that she'll harm herself if given the chance, so I better tell Hellina about it."
And then, Hajime continued, while wrapping his hands around Yue's buttocks in a face-to-face embrace with both her legs wrapped around his waist.
However, I wonder what's going on now. I've been hearing a lot of sounds like someone choking or coughing. Has someone caught a cold?
"I gave her a letter of introduction to Alfrerick. I was wondering if he could take Dahlia on as an archery apprentice. I told him that she was the strongest archer I knew, and he begged me to let her take me. I'm going to have her learn the knowledge of the other world from Hellina, and archery from the leader of the forest people. It looks like she'll be studying abroad for a while."
"...Hajime. I think that there was enough of that happening."
"Really?"
"...Hmm, I see."
They look at each other for a beat, then burst out laughing.
And then, Yue was looking down at Hajime from above as she was being held in his arms. She gently cupped his cheeks with both hands and with a melting gaze,
"... Hajime, good job ♡"
With a voice overflowing with love, he tried to kiss her in a way that was sure to be as deep as the Mariana Trench――
"That's enough!!!"
"「!?」"
The ones who shouted angrily to stop him were Shia, Kaori, Shizuku, and Yuuka.
Suddenly, I regained consciousness.So・Chi・and others・fart・Hajime and Yue turned towards them.
""a""
It seemed that Dahlia's story had ended a long time ago. Not only Shia and the others, but even the people of the village were paying attention to us.
Some were staring hard enough to burn holes in it, some were covering their faces with both hands, one woman was grinning and saying "Oh my♪", some were cheering "Good! Do more!" and some were crying tears of blood saying "Damn it, only insects and evolved beings come near me!"
"Ah, Your Majesty. Please don't worry about it. We'll delay our departure for about an hour, no, two hours."
Dahlia's face was bright red, but she was clenching her fists and kicking the ground.
Apparently, he thought it was because of what happened the night before that they hadn't been able to make time for the two of them. What a wonderful thought. I wish he'd spared me the vividness of the story, though.
"No, there's no need to be so concerned!"
Shia denied it loudly, and Kaori and the others nodded in unison. Very vehemently.
"Hey, Nagumo. I'll return exactly what you said to Suzu and me earlier."
"Really?! Watching it makes me feel like I'm doing something bad!"
Incidentally, Ryuutaro and Suzu were half amazed and half teasing as they threw back the ball of words that had been thrown at them earlier.
"...Uh, sorry. I'm a bit low on Hajimenium this morning."
Even Yue-sama seemed embarrassed by this. With so many people seeing her off, she couldn't just disappear into her room saying, "Well, I'll take advantage of your kindness."
With her cheeks flushed, she slowly got off Hajime.
Myuu stepped forward as if to represent the group. Then, she put both hands on her hips and made a serious expression.
"Papa, Yue-oneechan. Myuu has recently learned an important word."
"O-okay?"
"...Hmm, hmm?"
After taking a quick breath, Myuu taught me something important.
"TimeTandplacePandsceneOLet's know what we're talking about! That's it!"
The perfectly reasonable argument came flying at me like a fastball, landing a critical hit on Hajime Papa and Yue Oneechan.
So, the two of them,
"Yes, I'm sorry..."
That was the only thing I could say.
The morning of the third day of our trip began with the spectacle of two adults being seriously scolded by a young child in front of a large crowd.
"...Am I a little late?"
"Please calm down, Your Majesty. It's still an error."
Deep in a quiet forest, in a place that didn't really look like ruins, more like just the remains of buildings scattered around, Eric and his group were there.
Now that spiritual elements have disappeared and there are no longer any tools that can tell us the time to any degree, the position of the sun is the best way to tell the time.
Even though it's deep in the forest, it's an open area, so you can still roughly tell the position of the sun even at a shallow angle.
As Eric nervously checked it out, Lewis admonished him with a wry smile, saying, "I understand how you feel."
"...nostalgic"
"That's right. We come here once a year for our own punishment, but..."
Greg muttered, and Lewis nodded with a bitter smile. Coming here inevitably reminded me of that dramatic moment five years ago.
That nostalgic, never-fading scene that decided the fate of this world.
This place, which has now become a legendary place, a newly recognized holy ground, and a protected area where a combined force of the three nations is stationed, is the very place where Shia was once summoned.
So, in fact, there were many other soldiers here besides Eric and his group. Everyone looked somewhat nervous, but they were also standing there unable to hide their excitement and anticipation.
"...I wonder how many of them are looking for a saint and not a savior?"
"Hehe, he was really popular with the soldiers too."
Lewis muttered mischievously, and Eric's expression became the same.
"Based on yesterday's contact, he seems to be doing well. I'm very glad... but I never would have imagined he'd built a village and been living in a restricted area... what a tough guy he is."
"Yes, indeed."
Greg and Lewis must have heard it too, as they looked at each other with smiles on their faces. They looked like they were really looking forward to being reunited with Dahlia.
And at that moment, a sudden glow appeared in one corner of the ruins.
"You're here!"
"Don't panic! Stay where you are and remain sober!"
Greg raised his voice as the commander of the Royal Guard. The soldiers noisily straightened up.
The glow expands into an oval shape, large enough for several people to pass through.
And so,
"It's time to throw up, Dahlia."
"Um, Shia-sama, I don't really care..."
"...Shia, don't make Dahlia feel uncomfortable. Actually, you're getting too attached. Dahlia's mind can't handle it, so please step away."
I witnessed it.
The saint comes out with her savior and a beautiful woman close by, arms around each other.
It's like having flowers in both hands.
Following closely behind her was Yuuka, wearing an outfit that closely resembled a holy maid, however strangely made men's hearts flutter.
The truth is, after that, Dahlia accidentally apologized to Yue saying something along the lines of "It was my fault that our marriage last night got ruined!", which caused the misunderstanding to be born.
The misunderstanding only intensified when Yuuka tearfully mentioned last night's secret meeting, "I thought so! So that's what it was! Nagumo's a cheater! A maid lover!!"
The village was in an uproar, and Kaori and the others looked at each other with disbelief. They thought, "I don't think he really made a move on her, but he must have been working behind the scenes for some romantic reason, right?"
You understand very well.
So, after Hajime tried to cover it up a bit, he was able to get some understanding but...
Shia, who sensed that Dahlia's loyalty had somehow grown even stronger since Hajime and Dahlia had been together all night, was approaching him to confirm Dahlia's feelings rather than Hajime's.
Of course, Yuuka was wandering around right behind him because he couldn't help but be curious, "Really? Did nothing really happen?"
And, since it was mostly Hajime (his romanticistic spirit) who was at fault, Yue was the one lending him a lifeline.
Naturally, those on this side of the gate had no idea about such circumstances.
Shocked.
That kind of atmosphere spread among the soldiers!
"So, the rumors were true..."
"Two beautiful women standing so close together... Ah, suddenly an image of a door opening popped into my mind--"
"The seed... the seed inside me is cracking."
"Dahlia, could it be that you not only had Shia-sama with you, but also had a beautiful woman like that? What an incredible person you are."
"That's something that wouldn't be swayed by men of the world."
「Wait, wait a moment. In a sense, this is possible, isn't it?」
"Oh, yeah. Yes! Yes, definitely!"
"I always thought she was someone out of my reach. I thought she'd end up marrying someone powerful somewhere… but, but, I never thought I'd find the answer here!"
"Two beautiful women... very nice, very nice! We didn't need a man!"
"Ah, this is the right answer! This is justice! The door to truth has now opened!"
"Damn it, you've taken my heart."
A new concept runs through them. They don't know it yet. This is the concept of "precious" and "adorable".
History records that the person who passed on the name of this concept to future generations was an unknown, precious evangelist named "South Cloud."
Anyway, back to the main topic.
For a moment, Eric and the others had stopped their biological clocks, wondering what on earth they were in a position that every man in the world would envy, but they weren't as shaken as the soldiers.
He returned quickly and was the first to make the call.
"Dah, Dahlia."
"Oh, Eric... and everyone else."
Shia quickly left. Yue also left and stepped aside. Hajime and the others came out one after another.
But he didn't call out to them. He had decided to first watch over the reunion of his childhood friends.
"It's been a while. I'm sorry for disappearing so suddenly."
Dahlia bowed her head quickly, and Eric and the others exchanged glances before immediately running over to her.
"Don't apologize. We were the ones in the wrong. We were so focused on rebuilding the world that we didn't think about the position of our precious comrades."
"Your Majesty is right. Dahlia, I'm sorry."
Greg and Phil each apologized in their own way, and Dahlia shook her head, looking embarrassed.
"Everyone was desperate to survive in this new era."
"...That's true. But I'm the king."
"To me, he's a troublesome childhood friend who is mischievous and tends to get out of control."
"I think I've grown a little bit though."
"Is that so? Fufu, then let me check that as well. That's what this 'visit' is for."
"A visit... I see... Then it would be better if I didn't say 'welcome back'."
Although he looked a little lonely, Eric also smiled gently at Dahlia's dignified demeanor and gentle smile.
He took a step back and placed one hand on his chest in a reverent attitude, as if welcoming a state guest.
"Welcome, Head of the Forbidden Area. I hope you will take the time to see the world as it is today. I sincerely hope that as a result, a better future will emerge between the two of you."
"Thank you for your welcome. The Kingdom of Balted,tree・S・and・His Majesty the Great King
At the same time, Dahlia also performs a breathtakingly beautiful curtsey.
But there was a sense of familiarity and humor in his words, and Eric couldn't help but cringe and say, "Oh, you're still as harsh as ever," while Lewis and Phil burst out laughing. Even Greg, who is usually quite grumpy by default, turned his face away and trembled.
There was an air of childhood friends there that made it hard to believe two years had passed.
"It feels kind of good, doesn't it?"
"Well, it's not like we were on bad terms to begin with, right?"
Nana and Taeko were whispering to each other with warm expressions on their faces. The same was true for Hajime and the others.
"Your Majesty, we appreciate your time."
"Yeah. Actually, I know it's a little late now, but why don't you stop, Your Majesty? The real Majesty is right in front of you."
"…It's really too late now. Dahlia hasn't called me Your Majesty in the last five years. Well, I'm glad it feels like I've gone back to my childhood, so it's fine."
His Majesty Eric's fierce gaze pierced Hajime.
It was clear who Dahlia was looking at, and the soldiers began to murmur again.
"But you have to think about the soldiers, right? It would confuse the locals if they heard about it while sightseeing."
"Then, (Shia-sama's)husbandHusbandI will call you Mr.
"No, that doesn't change much."
Certainly, it would avoid confusion like, "Is the king of Balted going to change?" Hajime said, scratching his cheek with a troubled look on his face.
Or rather, isn't "husband" likely to create new misunderstandings? That was the gaze that Yuuka and others were giving.
In fact, there were murmurs from the soldiers along the lines of, "Men, Lady Dahlia needs a man?!" and "I told you we don't need a man."
Kaori muttered, "That's bad. There might be more unicorns in this world," and Liliana next to her replied, "Eh? Aren't the spirit beasts not going to leave the sanctuary?" It seems there is still a lot to learn about "this side."
Dahlia put her index finger to her cheek and acted as if she was thinking for a moment. Then,
"Well then, how about it, my Lord?"
"I think it's fine if you just call me by my name---"
"That's disrespectful."
"why"
Apparently, this is something Dahlia won't compromise on. Eric and the others give her looks like, "This is already too much of a bother and the conversation isn't moving forward, so let her call him what she likes."
So Hajime shrugged. Dahlia's expression lit up at the implicit permission.
And the expressions on the faces of many of the soldiers who had just opened a new door became gloomy.
"Ah, cough. I'm sure you have a lot to talk about, but..."
"Ah, yeah. We can talk about that after we've calmed down."
Hajime and Eric spoke louder than ever, as if to dispel the indescribable atmosphere.
"The Savior and his party and the Saint have come all the way to our country to see the current world. Once again, I, the King of Balted - Eric Luxed Balted, welcome you!"
It was a clear voice befitting a king. The atmosphere of shock and the people who had been at the mercy of what was inside the newly opened door all instantly steeled themselves.
A beat later, a thunderous cheer rang out.
The names of the Savior and the Saint were shouted in perfect unison, regardless of race or country, as if they had practiced.
While Myuu, Nana and the others were all making smug faces for some reason, Eric approached Hajime and the others once again.
"I came here to pick you up, in accordance with your request to see the land where Shia-dono was summoned... but I'm sorry. It's still in this state since it was attacked by the Celestials and has not been repaired."
It certainly appears to be in a terrible state. If it had retained some semblance of ruins, it would have been just barely able to attract tourists, but it is now mostly just a pile of rubble.
"No, it's fine. Actually, it must have been hard for you to come and pick me up. It seems like it's quite a distance away, and it was only yesterday. I'm sure you had work to do."
"As I said yesterday, welcoming the Saviors and their party is my top priority as king. Please don't worry about it. Our request has been listened to, after all. Of course we'll welcome them."
"Request? Hajime-san, did you ask me for something?"
Shia popped her head over his shoulder. Eric was about to answer, but Hajime shook his head lightly. Eric, realizing his intention, shrugged.
Shia's cheeks puffed out. This time, or rather, it seemed that she had been secretly having a conversation with Eric. She instinctively pressed the tips of her rabbit ears against Hajime's cheek.
"Sorry, that was selfish of me. I'll apologize as much as I want later if necessary."
"What is it, geez?"
For some reason, Hajime was looking at her with a very gentle gaze. When that happened, Shia found it troubling, and could only back down and say, "It can't be helped." Perhaps it could be called the weakness of someone who is in love.
"Don't take it too seriously. It's too much to handle, isn't it?"
"Oops, sorry."
Eric said this with a wry smile, and Hajime naturally withdrew his hand that had been reaching out to his rabbit ears. Shia looked a little disappointed.
"So, what are we going to do? Wanna look around for a while? Or should we leave now?"
"I don't think there's anything to see around here but..." Eric said as he looked around to confirm. Before Hajime could reply.
"Hey, hey, Daddy. I want to see it quickly!"
"My my, Myuu. Don't interrupt Papa's story okay?"
Myuu, who had grown impatient, pulled her sleeve. Lemia bowed to Eric and the others while carrying Myuu. Seeing this, voices of "Fu, how beautiful..." were scattered here and there.
Or rather, the soldiers' gazes were darting from this place to that place.
His attention had been drawn to the Saint and Shia and Yue who were on either side of her, but when he looked again, he saw that they were all beautiful women. He seemed to be a little overjoyed at being able to see the savior's party, and at the fact that her family and friends were also all beautiful.
Yuuka in particular was attracting a lot of attention in her maid-like outfit and looked quite uncomfortable.
Beside it,
"Ryuu, Ryu-kun, I can't see you if you stand in front of me."
"..."
"You know, even if you don't block my line of sight, I won't attract any attention."
"Well, there were a few people looking at me with curious eyes."
"It must have been unusual to see an ordinary person mingling amongst such beautiful women."
"You idiot, you're not even losing to Yue-san and the others. In fact, to me you're the cutest――"
"Ahhh ahhh I get it, so that's enough!"
Suzu was busy trying to drown out Ryuutaro's extremely serious words with her own voice. Her ears were bright red. "You idiot!" she said as she slapped Ryuutaro's back, who didn't budge.
Aiko and Shizuku, who were standing right behind them, were feeling warm and fuzzy after watching this feast-like exchange. At the same time, Atsushi and Noboru looked as if they were about to hit Ryutaro with all their might at any moment.
"So then, Eric, let's accomplish our purpose in making this place a meeting place."
"? What does it mean?"
"Sightseeing, of course. With the option to explore the Savior's past."
"past?"
While Eric and the others, who didn't know about past visions, tilted their heads, Hajime gave Yue a wink.
"...Leave it to me. I've heard about Shia's cool summoning scene. I'll show you a perfect replay! Just take a look!"
"No, you don't need to be so enthusiastic about just replaying the past."
Yue, enthusiastic and even rolling up her sleeves, thrust out her hand.
A golden aura surged forth, and a commotion erupted among the soldiers once again. Eric and the others had their eyes wide open, wondering what he was planning to do.
"Exciting, heart pounding."
"Fufu, Miu-chan, aren't you looking forward to it?"
"Myu! Amazing! I want to see Shia-oneechan's cool side already!"
"N-no, it's nothing so impressive... I just blew that Tennin away."
"I'm also curious about how they reacted when summoned, right? When we were summoned, they were just stunned..."
"This is the beginning of Shea's legend!"
Kaori and Myuu were smiling with curiosity. Shizuku and Aiko were also curious as they remembered the time they were summoned, while Shia looked embarrassed.
The same was true for Yuka and the others, they were paying close attention not to miss this turning point in this world,
"...Hmm, it's here!"
Because of the time difference, the exact point in the past was unclear, so after finding out the general timeline, Yue activated her past playback as if she was playing a timing game.
And then, the image appeared. The building when it was still standing, along with the figures of Thea, Eric, and the others from the past.
A murmur of "Ohhh '' spread throughout the room, and Eric and the others stared with expressions of half shock and half understanding, saying "Is that so?", while the past Shia declared with a heroic and dignified air.
"---I will abandon you all for the sake of my own safety!"
There was silence in the air.
Shia's embarrassed expression hardened. Yue let out an "Ah" sound, sounding as if she had messed up.
A beat.
--Eh, what?
Such perplexed voices were heard from the soldiers and Yuuka and others.
"Si, Shia-oneechan?"
"N-no, that's not it. This, well-"
"You didn't say anything?"
"It's past vision, but maybe it was just Yue-oneechan's mischief?" Myuu asked, looking up.
The soldiers suddenly turned their gazes towards her. Yuka and the others also stared at Shia intently.
Shia's gaze swam like a migratory fish. Sweating, she mumbled as if it was very difficult for her to say anything, but she was honest after all.
"I-I said."
He confessed.
An indescribable atmosphere hung in the air. Eric and the others, no, before them, Dahlia stepped forward to explain.
But before that, I wanted to show my cool side, my determination... Shia said as she looked at Yue with teary eyes, who was in a panic.
"Yue-san... did you do it?"
"N-no, the timing's off."
Well, considering how excited he was just before, this was probably just a careless mistake.
Although I think,
"It's exactly like a 'malicious cut-up video'."
To Hajime's wry smiled opinion, Kaori and the others, Yuuka and the others nodded with the same expression.
He looked at Yue who was desperately trying to explain herself and Shia who was approaching him with tearful eyes.