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

by Ryo Shirakome

  Just as Kouki was about to argue, Meld joined the discussion.

  “Leave it, Kouki.”

  “Meld-san!”

  Meld had regained consciousness a while back, and had been listening in on their conversation. He still felt a little dizzy, but his consciousness was clear. He eased himself to his feet. He put his hand over where his wounds should have been, but found his stomach surprisingly whole.

  Kaori had told Meld a summary of what had happened while he’d been unconscious. When he’d learned Hajime was still alive, and that it was his medicine that had saved Meld’s life, Meld had been overjoyed.

  Meld prostrated himself before Hajime, thanking him for saving his life, and apologizing for being unable to save Hajime’s own. Hajime awkwardly accepted Meld’s thanks, stunned by his sincerity.

  Frankly, he’d completely forgotten Meld’s promise to save him when he’d offered to hold the Behemoth off, but it seemed it had weighed on Meld heavily.

  Once he finished apologizing to Hajime, Meld turned to Kouki and apologized to him as well.

  “M-Meld-san? Why are you apologizing?”

  “Because I’m your instructor. And yet, I forgot to teach you the most important thing. That you need to be prepared to kill. I’d planned to set some bandits on you guys at some point so you’d experience what it’s like to kill someone... After all, you’d have to do a lot more killing in the war... but the more time I spent with you guys, the more I felt it would be wrong to make you kill someone... so I wavered. As the knight commander of Heiligh, I should have taught you this right away, but... I kept putting it off until finally, it led to this. My indecisiveness nearly cost you all your lives. I’m ashamed to call myself your instructor. Truly... I’m so sorry.” Meld once again bowed his head to Kouki and the others. They all crowded around him and tried to reassure him. It seemed Meld had been dealing with his fair share of worries as well. He was torn between his duty as a knight, and his personal feelings for the children.

  Meld was a central figure to the kingdom, but he was also a devout follower of Ehit. His religion told him that teaching these “Warriors of Ehit” to fight in the war was the noblest thing he could do. However, he still felt reservations. His kind-hearted nature had played a part in his misgivings, but more than anything he was as Hajime had said, a man of impeccable virtue.

  Kouki suddenly fell silent. It was finally dawning on him that in the near future he’d have to kill people too. He recalled the fear he’d felt at the prospect of taking someone’s life. It had been quite a shock that Meld would have even contemplated setting humans on them for the students to kill. Bandits or not, people were people. The students would have no trouble dealing with bandits, but to kill them was a completely different story.

  Kaori had fallen silent as well. Not because of what Meld had said, but because of Hajime’s earlier words.

  About how the abyss had taught him to kill his enemies without hesitation, no matter who they were. That was something the old Hajime would never have said. Still, the murderous malice he’d exhibited earlier proved that it was no bluff. The Hajime that had once been willing to sacrifice himself to save them was now saying he wouldn’t hesitate to kill them if they crossed him. Kaori felt lost. The Hajime she knew and the Hajime standing before her were just too different. She was beginning to think she might just have imagined the remnants of his old self that she’d seen earlier.

  At some point, Kaori realized someone was staring at her. She looked up to see a golden-haired, red-eyed beauty standing in front of her. It felt to Kaori as if her gaze was devoid of all emotion.

  Kaori stared back, curious about this girl who seemed to be so close to the new Hajime. The two gazed at each other for a few minutes.

  “Hmph.”

  “Ah...”

  The first one to look away was Yue. She sneered at Kaori and turned away.

  Kaori involuntarily gulped. Even without words, she understood what Yue meant. “If your feelings for Hajime are that superficial, then you may as well forget about him entirely.”

  Yue had easily been able to tell that Kaori had feelings for Hajime. She’d expected to have another rival on her hands, and had been prepared to fight for Hajime’s affection. However, when Kaori had seen how much Hajime had changed, she’d faltered. It was perhaps a natural reaction, but from Yue’s point of view, all it meant was that Kaori wasn’t even worth considering as a rival.

  If this is all it takes to scare you off, you don’t stand a chance. You won’t be able to take Hajime away from me. Kaori flushed. Whether from embarrassment or anger, she didn’t know. Yue had all but declared that she was the most important person to Hajime, but Kaori couldn’t say anything back. She’d lost that right the moment she’d thought of Hajime as something other than human. The first clash between Kaori and Yue ended with Yue’s victory.

  Hajime collected all of his spent pile bunkers, rounded up Yue and Shea, and went to leave through one of the passages.

  Kouki and the others hurriedly followed behind. As the party was exhausted, Endou suggested they all follow Hajime to the surface so they wouldn’t have to fight monsters on the way back. When Meld asked if they could, Hajime said he didn’t mind.

  On the way back, they watched Hajime easily dispatch monsters that had given the entire party trouble. Once again, they were reminded of how overwhelming his strength was. They could hardly believe he was the same guy they’d all laughed at for being “worthless.”

  Hiyama and Kondou glared jealously at Hajime the whole way up. Nagayama and the others were impressed by Hajime’s newfound strength, but they weren’t sure what to make of the fact that Hajime didn’t see them as comrades.

  Hajime’s newfound strength intimidated Hiyama and Kondou. They hadn’t forgotten how they used to bully him, and they were sure he hadn’t either. Nagayama and the others felt guilty for turning a blind eye to the bullying too. The more they thought about it, the more they realized it made sense for Hajime not to think of them as comrades, but Hajime just ignored all the various glances the other students shot his way.

  Suzu was the only one brave enough to try and talk to them. She attempted to engage Yue in conversation, and asked Hajime all sorts of questions about what he’d been doing. When she realized the two of them weren’t giving her the time of day, she turned her attention to Shea. Shizuku had to stop her from trying to grope Shea’s boobs on multiple occasions. Emboldened by her straightforward attitude, Kondou and Hiyama attempted to get closer to Yue and Shea as well, but the two girls ignored them completely, and when Hiyama got annoyed and tried to grab Shea’s ears, he was hit by a rubber bullet from Hajime. Finally, the group made it back to the surface.

  Kaori was still lost deep in thought. Shizuku was hovering around her like a worried mother hen. When they stepped out of the labyrinth entrance though, Kaori was forcibly brought back to reality. After all, an event occurred that she absolutely couldn’t ignore.

  For someone who loved Hajime, it was perhaps the most shocking event possible.

  “Ah! Daddy! You’re back!”

  “Oh, Myu!”

  A little girl calling Hajime her father appeared.

  Myu’s voice carried over the din of the bustling market street. A few onlookers smiled as they watched the little girl totter up to Hajime.

  She made a beeline for Hajime and leaped up into his arms. He caught her in midair and lifted her high into the air.

  Normally, this would have been the scene where she barreled into Hajime and knocked him over, but he was hardly so weak that he couldn’t catch a little girl. If anything, Myu would have been the one to get hurt had she headbutted into his chest.

  “Did you come here to see me? Where’s Tio?”

  “Yep. Tio-oneechan said that daddy would be coming back around now, so I should go see him. Right now, Tio-oneechan’s...”

  “Right here.” Tio made her way through the crowd, her beauty attracting the attention of the nearby merchants and adv
enturers. Hajime couldn’t believe Tio would let Myu out of her sight in such a crowded place.

  “Hey, Tio. You can’t leave Myu alone in a place like this.”

  “She was never out of my sight. I had to deal with a few thugs though, and I thought it prudent to do it somewhere Myu couldn’t see.”

  It seemed some foolish kidnappers had tried to abduct Myu. Hajime had told her to wear a hood whenever she went out in public, so she wouldn’t attract attention. He assumed that was why her would-be kidnappers hadn’t noticed she was a Dagon, a member of a species under the Holy Church’s protection. Myu was an incredibly cute girl, so she made for an appealing kidnapping target. Though Hajime had no way of knowing whether they’d just been after money, or if they were just pedophiles.

  “I see. I guess I can’t blame you then... So, where are those thugs?”

  “Fear not, Master. I have already dealt with them.”

  “Tch, they got off easy.”

  “Are you sure you’ll be able to part with her when the time comes?”

  Hajime had clearly intended to kill the unfortunate kidnappers, so Tio quickly cut him off before he turned the thing into a huge incident. Though he’d hated being called daddy at first, he’d gradually taken to the role of a father more and more. It had gotten to the point where his companions were worried he wouldn’t be able to part with her once they got to Erisen.

  Hajime’s classmates had thought nothing could surprise them anymore after witnessing his sudden transformation, but they were wrong. Never in their wildest dreams did any of them imagine he’d become a father. The guys all looked from Yue, to Shea, to the newly arrived Tio, wondering whose kid it was, as well as just how much more experienced Hajime had become in these past few months. It was possible this was an even bigger shock than Hajime’s unbelievable strength.

  Logically, it was impossible for Hajime to have a four-year daughter, since they’d only been apart for a little over four months, but the students were all too shocked and exhausted to be thinking straight.

  Kaori stepped forward, swaying slightly. There was a smile on her face, but her expression was anything but happy. She stumbled up to Hajime and grabbed him by the collar.

  “Hajime-kun, explain yourself! Is she really your daughter!? Who did you get pregnant!? Yue-san!? Shea-san!? Or that beautiful lady over there!? Wait, are there even more girls I don’t know about!? How many of them have you gotten pregnant!? Answer me, Hajime-kun!” It seemed Kaori had finally snapped. Hajime tried to explain that it was all a misunderstanding, but Kaori wouldn’t let him go. He couldn’t understand where she was getting such strength from.

  “Calm down, Kaori! There’s no way that girl could actually be his kid!” Shizuku tried to pull Kaori off Hajime, but to no avail.

  The people in the streets started whispering to each other.

  “What’s that? A lover’s quarrel?”

  “It looks like he went and got another girl pregnant even though he already has a lover?”

  “More than just one girl, too.”

  “Did he get all five of them pregnant?”

  “I’ve heard that he has a whole harem of girls, and got ten of them pregnant.”

  “I guess he was hiding it all from his wife.”

  “Yeah... And it looks like she just found out.”

  “A harem huh...? I’m jealous.”

  “What a guy... Lucky bastards like him should all go die.”

  The rumors were exaggerated at breakneck speed, and in the span of a few minutes Hajime had become a married man with a harem of ten pregnant girls on the side. Still being rattled back and forth by Kaori, Hajime looked up to the sky and sighed. Myu looked up at him in confusion, and he gently patted her head.

  Face bright red, Kaori buried herself in Shizuku’s arms. She just wanted to crawl into a hole and die. Once she’d finally calmed down enough to think things through rationally, Kaori had realized just how embarrassing the things she’d said were. Shizuku looked more like Kaori’s mom than anything as she comforted her.

  Hajime and the others had moved from the labyrinth entrance to a square near the town’s edge. Rumors had already begun to fly about how Hajime was a man amongst men, but also a scumbag cheater. Hajime had already finished reporting his success to branch chief Loa, and was in a hurry to get out of this town. He’d only stopped here to deliver Ilwa’s letter, and there were no supplies he needed to replenish at the moment, so there was no problem with leaving right away.

  The reason Kouki and the other students had followed Hajime to the edge of town was because Kaori had chased after him. She was still embarrassed at her earlier outburst, but she also knew she had to make a decision soon. Whether to travel with Hajime, or let him go for good. Traveling with him was what she wanted. After all, she’d finally managed to reunite with him, so she definitely didn’t want to let him go again.

  Still, she hesitated. She’d feel guilty for leaving Kouki’s party. And more than anything, she was still shaken by how different Hajime was. Worse, Yue had seen through just how shaken she was.

  Kaori could tell Yue cared a great deal for Hajime as well.

  What stung the most, though, was that Hajime loved Yue as well. They seemed so perfectly in sync. And when Yue had sneered at her, Kaori had begun doubting the depths of her own affection.

  Maybe she really did care less for Hajime than Yue did. Maybe if she confessed to him now he’d only see it as a bother. Was she even willing to accept Hajime as he was now? Was she actually just pining for the old Hajime?

  In short, Kaori had been overwhelmed by Yue’s overbearing presence. The fact that Yue possessed strength that rivaled Hajime’s own only added to her intimidation.

  Kaori had lost her confidence that she could beat Yue, both as a mage, and even in the depth of her feelings for Hajime. That was why she’d been unable to make a decision. And now, Hajime was about to leave. However, before he could step out of the gates, he was stopped. Kaori looked up to see around ten men blocking their path.

  “Hey brat, where do you think you’re going? You really think we’ll let you go after you beat up one of our buddies!?” The scruffy-looking men were all glaring at Tio. They were friends of the kidnapper Tio had dealt with, coming to avenge their comrade. Though judging from their ogling stares, they were motivated more by lust.

  Hajime was getting tired of all these petty thugs picking a fight with him. The thugs interpreted his silence as fear, and they grew even bolder.

  Their gazes slid over to Yue and Shea. Disgusted by the men’s gazes, Yue and Shea slunk back behind Hajime. Once again, the men misinterpreted their actions and thought they must’ve be scared, so they began threatening Hajime.

  “Brat, you better not be thinking of doing anything stupid. If you don’t wanna die, leave the women and scram. Don’t worry, we’ll give them back after they’ve apologized properly.”

  “Though they’ll probably be broken by then.”

  The men all laughed. Unfortunately for them, the moment they’d turned their fangs on Hajime, their fate had been decided.

  As always, his Intimidation exerted a pressure so strong it could be felt physically. Enraged, Kouki had stepped forward to punish the men, but he found himself assailed by the same pressure as the thugs. His vision went blurry, and he fell to his knees.

  Hajime stepped forward, and the thugs realized too late that they’d picked a fight with the wrong guy. They hurriedly tried to apologize, but the pressure on them was so strong that they couldn’t even open their mouths. They fell to the ground, struggling futilely to move.

  Hajime didn’t feel like listening to their bleating any longer. Anyone who scared Myu deserved a fate worse than death.

  Hajime eased the pressure enough that they could struggle to their knees. Then, he went to each one and shot them in the balls.

  Kouki and the others were so shocked by his ruthlessness that they backpedaled away from him. The guys all covered their crotches in sympathy.
r />   Once he was done, Yue and the others walked up to him.

  “No mercy as always. I was right to make you my master. I may not be a man, but even I winced watching that.”

  “You looked even madder than usual this time. You’re really too overprotective of Myu, you know that?”

  “Mmm. That wasn’t the only reason... He was mad for our sake too.”

  “Eh!? Does that include me too? Ehehe, Oh Hajime-san... But thanks~”

  “You always see right through me, Yue.”

  “Yeah. Because I’m always watching you.”

  “Yue...”

  In the end, the usual pattern of the two of them flirting, Shea breaking it up, Myu trying to get Hajime’s attention, and Tio getting herself beat up for something stupid happened again. Whenever Hajime was around, the dynamic between the five of them always ended up like that.

  Kaori watched the spectacle from the sidelines.

  That scene earlier had firmly impressed onto her that Hajime didn’t hesitate to resort to violence. At a glance, it seemed as if his old kindness had all but vanished.

  But when Kaori thought about the reason behind his actions, she saw things from a different perspective. He’d done it to protect the smiling girls around him.

  Was it possible for a truly unkind person to be surrounded by such smiles? Even that little girl adored Hajime like a father. Besides, wasn’t the reason Hajime had come back in the first place so that he could let Kaori know he was alive? She’d been too shocked by his transformation to notice at the time, but he’d come back thinking of her. Plus, even if he’d come mainly for her, he still hadn’t abandoned the other students. He’d saved Meld’s life too, using his valuable medicine.

  And so, after watching them for a while, Kaori finally realized the truth. The reason Hajime didn’t hesitate to use violence was because he knew he needed it to protect the things important to him. Naturally, his own life was included in that, but it wasn’t the only thing that mattered. The girls smiling next to him were proof of that.