[It will be fine. Now, please calm your heart.]
The voice was really, really really kind.
Love could even be felt from those words. The person's atmosphere was
gentle with a smile like an angel.
[There is nothing to be worried about.]
Intense terror and anger, a pride that was broken but still smoldering even
now. The people who were chained by such negative emotions were
gradually showing expression of rapture.
[Please believe.]
Beautiful silver feathers danced. A halo was shining. The world was
overflowing with light. Right now they were receiving the affection of
god…
[Yes, believe in your heart.]
Aa, just why did they harbor such loathing toward the change in their
motherland's way of existence.
Just why did they harbor such wicked emotion toward the man who was the
cause of that.
They were ashamed of themselves.
There was nothing to be afraid of from change.
Because, look. They could feel the god from this close to themselves.
That's why, that's why!
[Believe! In Hajime-kun!]
[ [ [ [Oooh, our holy apostle! Nagumo Hajime-sama is the one we
should believe in!] ] ] ]
It was just like Kaori-sama said! They had to believe in Nagumo Hajimesama!
[There is no wrong in what Hajime-kun do! If Hajime-kun says black, then
everything shall be dyed black! Let's get dyed together! That is the
wonderful world that is waiting for us!]
[ [ [ [To be dyed in Hajime-sama! The wonderful world!!] ] ] ]
[Let's believe in Hajime-kun! Those who believe will be saved!]
[ [ [ [Salvation for those who believe in Hajime-sama!!] ] ] ]
[Rather, to believe is your duty! Are you all listening? It's your duty!]
[ [ [ [Yes! We perfectly believe in Hajime-sama!] ] ] ]
[Hajime-kun, banzai!]
[ [ [ [Hajime-sama, banzai!! Banzai!! Banzai!!] ] ] ]
[I love Hajime-kun!]
[ [ [ [Hajime-sama, love!! Love!! Love!!] ] ] ]
Suddenly Orororororo~~~ there was a sound of vomiting.
With that, the people in that place finally recovered their senses that were
completely fixed toward the abnormal sight before their eyes and they
turned their gazes.
There the Hajime-kun in question was on all fours on the ground while
vomiting out rainbow colored sparkly something.
The rainbow colored might be the illusion effect that Yue swiftly applied.
She was kneeling beside Hajime while patting his back consolingly.
It couldn't be helped.
Because, the people who kept reciting love love were all oily middle-aged
men.
Shia pointed at the culprit who looked divine only in appearance inside the
past replay and spoke with a transparent smile that showed how her brain
was in the verge of grinding to a halt.
"Please look there everyone. It's scary isn't it? That's Kaori-san you
know?"
"There is no way that sect founder of a horrifying new religion could be my
daughter-!!"
"Otou-san!?"
Tomoichi papa yelled while averting his gaze in a flash.
This was after they watched the past replay of when the slave liberation
declaration was carried out at the palace's terrace that was for the use of the
emperor's speech.
The scene of Kaori in her "apostle mode" making an entrance divinely and
sending her silver feathers fluttering down like a blessing from heaven was
truly like a scene from a page of mythology. (※The screening was being
done with a barrier in place so the capital citizens couldn't see it)
It went without saying that Tomoichi danced in wild joy seeing her
daughter's sublime performance. Even Kaoruko was cheering at her
daughter's big moment (?) with a blushed face.
Their beloved daughter was seen with respect and adoration of the people
all across the imperial capital. Furthermore, Kaori also looked embarrassed
as expected in the replay. Her cheeks were blushing red from shame even
though she was clad in such dignified aura.
They felt proud, they rejoiced at how cute their daughter was. That was
only the natural reaction.
It didn't matter even if there were many extremely unscrupulous factors
behind this scene like the fabrication of god oracle for good or bad, the
incitement of the citizens with an exaggerated performance to an extreme
degree using the principle of mass psychology, and how the actual
implementation of the policy later on was completely delegated to others by
taking hostage of the imperial family's lives, and how all the other people
were looking at producer Hajime as though they were looking at an actual
demon.
They decided to not ask anything about those.
And yet.
The past replay still continued to play the unnecessary part (for Kaori) too
after the speech ended.
Yes, actually at that time, inside the waiting room that was facing the
terrace, there was a part of the empire nobles who were hurling all kinds of
curses at Hajime.
The sense of value and the way their country existed since it was founded
until now were completely overturned. Naturally many people felt anxious
and dissatisfied of losing their vested interests. It was only natural for them
to spit out complaints from their patriotic heart when they thought of the
future of their homeland.
In fact, they wracked their brain to somehow change the situation. They
desperately looked if their might be some kind of loophole in this slave
liberation agreement.
They were secretly scheming like that but…
Unluckily, Kaori-san noticed them.
She got mad. She even snapped.
And, as the result, the kindhearted Kaori-san didn't use violence as a mean
to stop them, instead she moved to persuade them verbally.
By using her position as apostle for all its worth so that they couldn't run
away.
Everyone isn't wrong. But, how about you try to change your way of
thinking a little bit? She affirmed their way of thinking while also guiding
their thought at the same time. She kept repeating that.
At the end, she also preached about Hajime's good parts to her heart's
content.
And, the situation ended up in such state.
"…Nn. Really, this Kaori, I wondered why she was suddenly gone at that
time, but to think she was actually doing something like this."
"The noble uncles, their eyes were starting to whirl from the middle
nano…"
"Well, the preaching was like a surging waves that made you even wonder
whether she is actually breathing. There is also that beautiful face of the
apostle and the pointlessly divine atmosphere combined together. It won't
be strange that they have brainwashing effect if they aren't used to that like
me."
"That's a bad thing to get used to isn't it, Shizuku…"
Shizuku quietly averted her gaze from Liliana's gaze that was filled with a
mix of sympathy and exasperation.
Tio muttered "Or rather…" with her expression slightly twitching.
"For me, the way Kaori lockeds the door with a smile was simply scary…"
"Ah, that, I also think the same. The way she locks the door with her hand
behind her feel strangely practiced…"
Aiko shivered.
Inside the replay, Kaori soundlessly slipped inside the room where the
noble uncles who were going to form anti-Hajime faction were gathered.
Also the way she secretly left Hajime and others without anyone noticing
even if they were busy having a discussion about their plain going forward,
it was a bit like watching a ghost.
But, the creepiest thing was the scene when she locked the door behind her
*click* while giving an entrancing cheerful smile toward the noble uncles
who were surprised when the apostle-sama suddenly came inside the room.
Everyone there felt something that was even more terrifying than the line of
"Manners maketh man" of a certain gentleman British spy.
"Hatayama-sensei, that side of Kaori-chan, I think she inherited it from her
mother you know."
"Eh?"
Kirino-okaasan seemed like she knew something.
"After all she often did it against other girls who were approaching
Tomoichi-kun in the past."
"Are you talking about confineme――I mean, about the locked room?"
"Aiko, you aren't fooling anyone you know?"
Akiko-okaasan made a precise retort.
"That's not all, there was also her missionary work for Tomoichi-kun."
"Missionary work!?"
""There won't be no end to it with just cleaning. That's why, if I can
change their romantic feeling to worship, they will automatically stop
approaching him from reverence, but they will still become
mercenary――cough, friend who work――cough, I mean help out when
we are in need", she once told me. It was scary, so I still remember every
single word of it even now."
"Super scaryyy-"
"When she was a university student, she was practically a founder of a new
religious sect…"
"The mother and daughter are like two peas in a pod!!"
Aiko also gave an accurate retort. The mother and daughter were like two
peas in a pod.
Putting that aside, everyone's gaze gathered on Kaoruko.
It seemed the person in question was worriedly looking after Tomoichi-san
who was kneeling and muttering "Lies lies… my angel is an angel, so there
is no way she can be a sect founder like that. Before I realized it the
believes had closed all paths of escape――uh, my head-" as though he
was going to recall some trauma.
But…
Was it just their imagination?
Kaoruko sent a glance at her daughter who was also similarly joining Yue in
looking after the collapsed Hajime who was muttering "I saw something
terrifying…" while fighting with Yue――
As expected from my daughter! How magnificent!
Her gaze seemed like it was praising…
"Fumu. Turning yearning into worship… can I also use such method to the
women of Hauria? Though they have been worshipping boss from the
start… no, the aspect of changing their feeling to other emotion might still
be effective…"
"Oi-, Nea-chan! You mustn't get such terrifying idea!"
"Hah!? My deepest apologies, mother-in-law! Really, Nea is a very bad
child! I shall seriously reflect on myselfff!"
"That innocent and childish that feels like it come out straight from book…
Nea-chan, could it be that you actually have something like double
personality?"
"If father-in-law wish for it, then Nea will work hard to have triple or
quartet even!"
"You don't need to work hard for that! It feels like the direction of your
hard work is wrong okay!?"
The gap of Nea's disturbing aspect and her honest beautiful girl aspect was
also terrifying, but for now Hajime left that side to Sumire and Shuu while
addressing the imperial princess Tracy.
"Tracy! How is those uncles doing right now!?"
"Please don't worry desuwa. They aren't in the capital. They had been sent
back to their own territories."
According to Tracy, from the start they were nobles that had deep
connection with the slave traders. Even from the perspective of the empire
people, they were extremely unscrupulous people, a trueborn advocate of
discrimination.
And so, it had been predicted that they would try to maneuver after the
emperor declared his defeat.
It seemed that from the start there was already a plan to remove them
depending on the situation. The lives of the imperial family were hanging
on it, so there was no ground for mercy at all if they dared to try anything.
"But, when we casually tried to confirm what they were thinking in the
meetings after that, they were so cooperative to a disgusting degree so…"
"I see. Because of that they were only sent back to their territory huh."
"They are also under monitoring desuwa. After all their behavior was
abnormal compared to how they usually act. But now I understand why
desuwa. So they had actually been dealt with by Kaori-sama."
"Please don't say it like that! I was only talking with them!"
"Kaori, something like that wasn't just a talk, it was what you call a TALK
you know?"
Kaori silently averted her gaze from Hajime's listless gaze.
Ahead of her gaze, she saw her mother whispering "It's fine, it's fine dear.
There is nothing to worry about", and her father muttering "There is
nothing to worry, nothing to fear anymore".
She didn't know where to look at anymore! For now, Myuu-chan! Please
give a smile to Onee-chan!
Myuu, bad-! Don't look over there!
Mama!?
Remia-san!?
While giving a brief glance at such exchange, Yue displayed her pointlessly
advanced first wife technique by burning Hajime's Ororo remain without
affecting the carpet at all while shrugging her shoulders in exasperation.
"…Good grief. This is why a genuine yandere is really troublesome. She
would go off by herself to create a sect or a faction like this, what a
dangerous character."
"Yue-san, aren't you yourself making use, preserving, and propagating
things like "Hajime hymn", or "Hajime poem", or "Hajime wiki"?"
"…What are you saying Shia, I don't quite understand you."
Praise Hajime! Everything was for the sake of Hajime! In that regard, Yuesama and Kaori-san's ideology and creed were completely matching.
This was the proof that their relationship with each other was so good they
often got into a fight with each other, but the two people in question
themselves weren't aware of it.
"So, my maste――demon king-sama. What will you do after this? Do you
want to look at the capital?"
Tracy clapped her hands loudly toward the place that was gradually
descending into chaos and changed the topic.
The imperial princess-sama had vented her stress (battle lust) and entered
sage mode was a plainly capable woman. The disgraceful behavior she
displayed in the throne room was like a lie.
"I guess. Personally I also want to have a look at the scenes like when
Hauria captured the imperial family though…"
"Personally speaking I don't wish to show my pathetic self at that time to
everyone though."
Tracy made a bitter expression. Shia's face popped out from behind
Hajime's shoulder and asked her.
"By the way, how were you captured miss princess?"
"My, Shia Hauria. You shouldn't be so formal with how close our
relationships are. How about you just call me "beloved honey" casually?"
"There ain't the slightest casualness in that desu."
Enough with that just explain it already princess. Being told that, Tracy
gave her explanation even while looking a bit lonely. According to her…
It seemed that at that time Tracy was sulking in her room because Liliana
was going to become the former crown prince Bias's belonging. And then a
powerful sleeping gas was injected into the room.
"Familial sympathy can be said as something that is almost nonexistent
between us the members of the imperial family. We live in a world where
the strong devour the weak."
"That's brutal…"
"Yes. That's why, although the rule that the throne's owner has to be
decided through duel, we still can't let our guard down anytime. The power
struggle is always is always going on constantly."
"In other words, what do you mean?"
"Even our own private room has been built to defend against both physical
and magical attack."
There Tracy paused and turned a bright smile toward Hajime.
"I never even thought that there would be a hole opened in the wall to pour
in sleeping gas. That should be impossible unless one was an extraordinary
transmutation master, don't you think so?"
"Holy cow… those Hauria bastards, they are a terrifying bunch."
"Hajime-san…"
It was a brilliant shift of responsibility that wasn't accompanied by even the
slightest hesitation. Shia's scornful eyes gleamed fiercely.
"Well, even then I stabbed my arm with a dagger and somehow held on my
consciousness, but…"
"…You still could stay awake even after inhaling that gas? Are you really a
human?"
A retort came from Yue who was smilingly listening to the sinister design
of her husband and the Haurias. She could affirm that the effect of the
sleeping gas was genuine. Due to an experiment under the pretext of
friendly fire(aa, my hand slipped), even a certain hero with cheat level
resistance was made to go zzz~ in an instant.
"I can't accept that praise. It was the best I could do to just maintain my
consciousness, I couldn't even fight properly against the Haurias who
stepped inside after that."
"No, just being able to fight even a little is already abnormal."
This time it was Shizuku who retorted. It seemed that the other people had
also regained their composure during this talk and they listened to the
conversation over here.
Tracy shrugged. She said "Let me show you the way, to the salon where
Trek-oniisama who died in madness from taking off the necklace of the
covenant was restrained at that time", then she led them to somewhere.
"It couldn't even be called a fight. Those Haurias, after they entered inside
and saw me still awoke, they immediately stopped approaching and fired
blowpipes at me you know? Furthermore the darts they used were laced
with a lot of paralyzing drugs."
It felt like I was turned into a hedgehog at that time, Tracy said while
looking delighted for some reason. Her tone sounded like she was talking
about a lovely memory that she had with her friend.
There was no doubt that the Haurias were also shuddering at that time.
They saw the imperial princess whose fighting spirit was still blazing with a
rough breathing fuuuh fuuuh even after her body had been stabbed by
nearly thirty paralyzing darts.
"Hah. Now that you mentioned it, I remember that Echo team said
something. There was an imperial princess who fainted while standing
imposingly. They were seriously shaking in their boots that time."
"Are you Benkei huh?"
Nea-chan sent a gaze that seemed to say "So it was you that time!" to
Tracy. The other people were also looking at her while sharing the same
feeling of great surprise.
"That thorough and rationally cool-headed battle style… fufu, it still made
me ecstatic even when I'm recalling it now. Even though I would be able to
take at least one person together with me to hell if they just approached me.
Aah geez, those Haurias are all just really lovely!"
"Yue! Tio!"
"…Nn!"
"Understood!"
Soul magic for soul repose flew from the two of them. The raging soul of
Tracy whose sage mode was almost dispelled was calmed down with that.
While that was going on, it seemed that Tracy had arrived to the
destination.
It seemed to be a salon that was sometimes used for the imperial family for
tea party or the like.
And then just when they were about to open the door… they suddenly heard
voices.
"Quick, we have to evacuate right away. The group of the demon kingsama is coming… this is just too sudden-"
"Your highness, please hurry! They should be at the front terrace right now,
so let's escape from the capital now while we still can! We will surely be
safe if we can escape until the margrave's territory!"
"Uu, why does things become like this-. Those Haurias are loitering around
inside the castle as though they own the place, and even Tracy-oneesama is
completely changed like that…"
"This isn't the time to grumble like that! Or do you want to be made to
attend the buffet party tonight!?"
"I'll die if that happen-, Okaa-sama!"
"Me too! That's why just focus on running away for now!"
"Yes!"
The voices that could be heard came from the corner of the corridor. Those
voices belonged to a young girl and someone who seemed to be her mother.
There were also the voice of a woman who seemed to be the maid.
There was a desperate urgency that could be felt from their voices. They
made it sounded like the palace was under attack even now.
Hajime and others looked at each other.
"Oh, it looks like Ariel and Amandora-sama are inside."
Tracy said. Then it seemed that the people there heard her saying that. The
sound of footsteps moving quickened.
And then,
"Tracy-oneesama! I――"
The one who rushed out from the corner was a really adorable girl with
silver hair and blue eyes. She looked like she was around seven or eight
years old. She was wearing a really frilly dress. Her eyes were big and
round. She was really fitting the description of a "princess".
It seemed that small princess broke into a dash when she heard Tracy's
voice. Although her breathing was a bit rough, she looked at Tracy as
though she was clinging to a hope…
She noticed.
The small rabbit ears, and the big rabbit ears.
Their eyes met. Her eyes and the two Haurias. Her already big eyes opened
even wider.
She looked like she had seen a despair that must never be seen. Or perhaps
like someone who confronted with all the evils of this world.
A beat later.
Shia and Nea tilted their head cutely――
"No, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!?"
A scream burst through the palace. The scream was so intense that even
Hajime and others jerked in surprise.
But right after that, the eyes of the small and adorable princess rolled back.
The white of her eyes was completely showing.
And then, she toppled backward.
"No, we are the one who get scared here though!?"
There wasn't even any time for anyone to agree with Shia's words.
"Ariel! What in the world
are――NNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO――!?"
After the princess it was a beautiful lady who clearly looked like a high
class nobility from a single glance. She also let out an otherworldly scream
and her eyes rolled back. Then, she collapsed.
"Please wait! It's dangerous to move ahead
like――aAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!?"
Even the miss maid who chased after them also had her eyes rolled back
and fell back with a thud.
A total silence filled the area.
The parents stiffened. Not only them, even Hajime and others also stiffened
from the too sudden development. As for Myuu, she was completely
frightened.
Because, it was really incredible. Their expression.
If they had to make an example to describe the incredibleness of it, it would
be, yes, like that.
Their expression was like the face of the victims who were discovered after
witnessing that person crawling out from a certain cursed video.
The faces of the pretty little girl and beautiful woman were completely
twisted in the rictus of terror. Those faces looked even more gruesome due
to how beautiful they should be originally.
"This is my youngest little sister Ariel, and her mother, and that is their
exclusive maid. I mentioned before this how there is "almost no familial
emotion" between us, but she is one of the few exceptions. This girl looks
up to me."
They were really thankful right now for Tracy's extremely composed voice.
After all it was just like Shia said just now, this situation made everyone
here wanted to say "We are the one who are scared here. They suddenly
showed horror from out of nowhere like this".
"By the way, they were also present at the party that time. Perhaps it was
because they saw the heads of their acquaintances and big brother getting
lopped off? Since then both mother and daughter wouldn't come out from
their room at all but… they are noisy people aren't they?"
No, the problem wasn't that. Of course they were traumatized from that.
Hajime and others nodded in understanding.
Their gazes naturally moved to the trigger of the trauma.
Yes, to the rabbit ears of Shia and Nea.
The gazes from the parents, were painful…
And so,
"Please look at this everyone. Scary isn't it? My family is the cause of this
you know?"
Shia ran with the joke material with a bit of playfulness in her tone.
But, her shrug and her smiling unruffled face immediately changed into a
twitching face.
"Oi! What's going on outside there! You're noisy!"
"Wait a second Onii-sama! Didn't you hear the screams!? It's dangerous, so
don't open the door!"
The salon's door opened. A handsome man with silver hair who seemed to
be in his early twenty showed up. Behind him was a beautiful girl with
blonde hair and blue eyes who seemed to be in her early teen. Their eyes
met with Shia. Then their gaze slo~wly moved up. They saw the rabbit ears.
Immediately,
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!?"
"GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!?"
They screamed plus white eyes & fainting. Also, the one who screamed like
a girl was the young man, while the one who screamed like a middle aged
man was the beautiful girl.
"This is my little brother Handler and my little sister Myara."
Now that Bias and Trek had died, this little brother was the oldest imperial
prince. He was an ambitious little brother who declared that he would
defeat Tracy and regain the strong empire like in the past. The little sister
was a sly girl who was always racking her brain to get a portion of the
reward without putting any effort of her own.
While the group was receiving such explanation,
"Ariel-sama! Amandora-sama! The horse carriage is
prepaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!?"
"Handler-sama!? Just what in the world are――HIIIIIIIIIIH!?"
"A, a, a, HAURIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!?"
Some maids, servants, and soldiers heard the screams and came here one
after another They too screamed and their eyes rolled back.
The corridor was being filled with hysterics people increasingly as time
passed…
It seemed that the servants who could function properly were only Tracy's
personal team. Surely the personal servants of other imperial family
members were always desperate in order to avoid having contact with the
ambassadors of Hauria, no doubt about it. They were like spaceship crews
who were running away from the aliens infiltrating their ship.
The scream and terror were spreading inside the palace like falling domino.
Naturally it became a huge commotion.
There was no more need to replay the scene of the imperial family's
capture. They were already full just from seeing this situation of princes and
princesses fainting with the white of their eyes showing.
"Looks like the scar that is remaining in the palace is deeper than I
thought…"
"It's an honor-"
"Nea-chan, I think that's not a praise nano."
Hajime and others immediately left the scene while having such
conversation.