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.”
Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest Vol. 3 Page 4
