“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 s
mooth. 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...�
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“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.
Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest Vol. 3 Page 3
