Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest Vol. 2

by Ryo Shirakome

  However, a few hours after they’d entered the forest, they found themselves so thoroughly surrounded that they had to stop. Their numbers, bloodlust, and even coordination was levels above any of the monsters they’d faced so far.

  The rabbitmen’s ears all twitched nervously as they tried to figure out how many there were. When they discovered the identity of their opponents, the rabbitmen all grimaced. Shea took it a step further, and her face was completely pale. As Hajime and Yue realized who surrounded them, they too frowned in annoyance. After all, the ones surrounding them were none other than...

  “You there... Why are there humans in your midst! State your race and clan!”

  A burly beastman with a striped tail and a pair of tiger ears barred their path.

  It was definitely not normal to see beastmen and humans together in the sea of trees. The tiger beastman was looking incredulously at Cam, as if he were some kind of race traitor. There was a dangerous looking two-handed sword in his hands. The couple dozen beastmen surrounding them were all glaring at the rabbitmen, clear outraged.

  “U-Umm, we’re...” Cold sweat poured down Cam’s forehead as he tried to think up some kind of excuse. However, the tigerman caught sight of Shea before he could get very far.

  “A white haired... rabbit girl? You must be the Haulia tribe in the reports. You’re a disgrace to all beastmen. You tricked your fellow beastmen for years, hiding that despicable demon girl, and now you’re even bringing humans into our midst!? Traitors! I won’t listen to any of your excuses! You’re all going to be executed here! Everyone, cha—”

  Bang! Just before he could finish giving the order to charge, Hajime’s gun went off. A red streak scraped past the tigerman’s cheek, carving a hole right through the tree behind him, vanishing deep into the sea of trees.

  A trail of blood ran down the tigerman’s cheek as he stood frozen in place. Had his ears been on the side of his head like a human’s, one of them would have been blown off completely. Everyone stiffened suddenly at this new attack that had come so fast that no one even had time to react.

  Despite his casual tone, Hajime’s words carried a surprising amount of weight. That was due to the Intimidation skill that he was using, which made his opponents feel a physical pressure from his words.

  “I can fire off attacks like that multiple times a second. I know exactly where each and every one of you are. And hell, if I wanted to, I could kill you all in under a minute.”

  “Wh-Wha— There wasn’t even a chant.”

  The tigerman faltered. Not only was this human capable of firing off an unknown attack of immense power, he could apparently fire it off multiple times a second without even chanting. Plus, to top it off, he even supposedly knew where they all were. As if to prove his point, Hajime unsheathed Schlag and pointed it into the distance. Right where the tigerman’s right-hand man was waiting in ambush. Hajime could tell he was trembling behind the fog.

  “If you order your men to attack, I won’t show any mercy. Until our contract is complete, these guys’ lives are under my protection... Don’t think even a single one of your men will go home alive if you try and hurt them.”

  Hajime poured bloodlust into his words on top of his Intimidation. The threatening aura oozing from his every pore caused the tigerman to break out in a cold sweat. He desperately fought down the instinctive urge to howl in fear.

  You’ve gotta be kidding me! N-No human can do something like this! That guy’s some kinda monster! In order to avoid being engulfed by the fear, the tigerman tried to psyche himself up, but Hajime leveled both Donner and Schlag at him before continuing.

  “But if you’re willing to leave quietly, I won’t chase you. If you’re not my enemy, then I don’t need to kill you. Now make your choice. Are you going to quietly go home, or die for the sake of your foolish pride?”

  The tigerman was certain. If he gave the order to attack, that skill from earlier would wipe out his entire troop. There wasn’t even the slightest chance any of them would make it out alive.

  He was the captain of Verbergen’s second guard squad. It was his job to patrol Verbergen and its outlying settlements, and to keep them safe from monsters or invaders. He was gladly willing to die in the line of duty, which was why he couldn’t back down so easily, even knowing it might invite the death of his entire squad.

  “...Can I ask you something first?” The tigerman hoarsely managed to croak out those words. Hajime flicked his head, indicating that it was okay for him to continue.

  “...What are you after?” A simple question. However, whether or not he ordered his men to rush to their deaths depended entirely on the answer. His glare showed that if Hajime intended to bring harm to the citizens of Verbergen, he wouldn’t back down no matter how hopeless the fight.

  “We just want to visit the Sacred Tree, Uralt.”

  “You want to go to the Grand Tree... But why? What for?”

  The tigerman had been certain this human had come to enslave the beastmen or the like, so he hadn’t expected that response. While they did hold the area as sacred, it wasn’t of much practical importance, which was why he was so confused. It was actually more of a tourist attraction than an idol of worship.

  “Because the true entrance to one of the labyrinths might be there. We’re on a journey to conquer all of the Seven Great Labyrinths. And we’ve employed the Haulia tribe to guide us there.”

  “True entrance? What do you mean? This forest itself is considered one of the Seven Great Labyrinths. A natural labyrinth where anyone other than a beastman will get lost forever once they step foot inside.”

  “Yeah, but there’s a problem with that logic.”

  “What?”

  The tigerman asked suspiciously, unsure of where Hajime’s confidence came from.

  “The monsters here are way too weak for this to be the true labyrinth.”

  “...Way too weak?”

  “Yeah. The monsters I encountered in the last labyrinth were all on a whole different level. At least, the ones in the depths of the Great Orcus Labyrinth were all like that. And besides...”

  “Besides?”

  “The labyrinths are trials that the Liberators left behind. If any old beastman can make it all the way through the forest, then it doesn’t really make for much of a trial. That’s why I don’t think the forest itself is the labyrinth.”

  “......” The tigerman was utterly bewildered by Hajime’s explanation because what he was saying made absolutely no sense to him. Whether it was that the monsters were too weak, or the talk about the depths of the Great Orcus Labyrinth, or the Liberators, or trials and whatnot... none of it was something he’d ever heard of.

  Under normal circumstances he would have dismissed it all as nonsense. However, there was no reason for Hajime to lie. He was the one with all the advantages, so there was no need for him to make up any excuses.

  Besides, they somehow just didn’t sound like a lie. And if his goal really didn’t lie with Verbergen, then it made a lot more sense to just let him go to the Grand Tree and finish his business so he’d bother them no longer. He wouldn’t have to waste his subordinates lives that way either.

  The tigerman reached that conclusion in an instant. However, because of how overwhelmingly powerful Hajime was, he couldn’t just let him go like that. Though he was also aware that someone of Hajime’s abilities was completely beyond his power to handle. And so, he offered a compromise.

  “If you don’t mean any harm to my country or its people, then I don’t mind letting you visit the Grand Tree. I have no interest in wasting my men’s lives, either.” The others surrounding Hajime all seemed shaken. It was completely unprecedented to allow an interloping human even further into their territory.

  “However, a mere captain of the guard like me doesn’t have the authority to allow that. Allow me contact my superiors. It’s possible our elders might have some information on that true entrance you seek. If you really mean no harm to those that aren’t you
r enemy, then surely you’ll be willing to wait here while we send a messenger.”

  Despite the cold sweat pouring in waves down his back, his eyes were resolute. At his proposal, Hajime lapsed into thought.

  Chances were this was the biggest compromise the tigerman could make. Hajime had heard intruders in the sea of trees were usually executed without question. He was sure deep down the tigerman still wanted them eliminated, too. However, if he gave the order to attack, his men would all die. And so, he had come up with a compromise that kept his men alive, and hopefully reined in the dangerous element that was Hajime.

  He was actually rather impressed with the tigerman for coming up with such a rational solution. So he weighed the benefits of just killing them all and pushing his way through versus the benefits of letting Verbergen monitor his movements but still at least getting their permission to pass... and decided the latter would be less of a hassle.

  In the off chance the Grand Tree wasn’t the labyrinth entrance, he’d need to do some more scouting anyway. Having Verbergen’s official approval was certainly for the better. Of course, it was entirely possible he’d just make an enemy out of an entire nation instead, but if things could be resolved peacefully, then that was best. It was less a decision made out of compassion than a simple cost-benefit analysis.

  “Alright. But make sure you relay my message properly, you hear?”

  “Of course. Zam, you heard us! Head to the elders as fast as you can!”

  “Roger!” One of the presences surrounding them vanished. Hajime holstered both of his guns and stopped using his Intimidation skill.

  The tension relaxed a little. While he was relieved, the tigerman was still a little suspicious at how easily Hajime had lowered his guard. A few of his men were even ready to launch a surprise attack on him. But Hajime, who had guessed their intentions already, simply smiled fearlessly.

  “Which do you think is faster, your charge or my quick draw...? Can’t say I mind testing it, if you wanna push your luck.”

  “...No, I’d rather not. However, please don’t do anything rash. If you do, we’ll be forced to attack.”

  “Fine by me.”

  Though they were still surrounded, Cam and the others breathed a sigh of relief upon learning that there wasn’t about to be an immediate bloodbath, and everyone settled down a little. That being said, the glares the tigermen directed at the rabbitmen were anything but pleasant, so it couldn’t really be called a peaceful situation.

  After a while, Yue got tired of the pointless staring contest, and heedless of the heavy atmosphere, started teasing Hajime to pass the time. Tired of the oppressive air, or perhaps just hoping to lighten the mood, Shea joined in as well. Hajime begrudgingly put up with her too, and the tension relaxed a little. The rabbitmen were all dumbfounded when Hajime started “flirting” in the middle of enemy territory.

  Around an hour later. Shea had gotten a bit too cheeky, and Yue now had her in an arm lock. The bunny girl was desperately screaming “Uncle! Uncle!” while the rest of her family looked on in disbelief. Finally, they sensed a number of figures rapidly approaching them.

  The tense atmosphere returned in an instant, though Shea was still screaming in pain.

  From the fog appeared a retinue of unfamiliar beastmen. The elderly man in their center stood out among them. He had long, flowing blond hair, and a pair of striking blue eyes that spoke of long accumulated wisdom. His body was so frail that it seemed a strong gust would blow him away. Though his majestic face was creased with wrinkles, they only served to highlight his noble appearance. The most distinctive part of his appearance, however, was his long, tapered ears. He was one of the fey folk of the forest, an elf.

  Hajime guessed that he must be one of the elders. And his hunch turned out to be correct.

  “Hmm, so you’re the human that’s been causing a ruckus in our forest. What’s your name?”

  “Hajime. Hajime Nagumo. Who’re you, old man?”

  The surrounding beastmen were shocked by his arrogant attitude. However, the old elf held out a hand to calm them before their anger boiled over.

  “I am Ulfric Heipyst. I have the honor of representing Verbergen as one of its elders. Now then, I have been informed of your request, but before I give my reply, I would like to ask you something. Where did you come to learn of the Liberators?”

  “Oh, we just heard about it from the man himself in Oscar’s house at the bottom of the abyss.”

  Hajime was surprised Ulfric was more interested in the Liberators than their objective in the forest. And while Ulfric didn’t let it show on his face, he was astonished Hajime knew of the Liberators. The reason being that only people very close to the Liberators had known their true name, or that Oscar Orcus had been one of them.

  “I see. So you claim to have discovered it at the bottom of the abyss. I can’t say I’ve ever heard of such a place, though... Can you prove your claim?” Ulfric was worried there might be someone among the beastmen leadership that had leaked classified information, which was why he asked.

  Hajime’s expression clouded over. The only thing he could think of would be to display his strength, but that still wouldn’t prove it. As he was puzzling over the issue, Yue came up with a suggestion.

  “...Hajime, how about the mana crystals, or some of Oscar’s things?”

  “Oh yeah, good point. Let me just find them...”

  Hajime clapped his hands together before opening up the Treasure Trove and pulling out mana crystals so large that no monster on the surface could have produced them. He handed one over to Ulfric for inspection.

  “I-I don’t believe it... I’ve never seen a mana crystal of such purity...” The tigerman’s jaw dropped open in shock. Likewise, Ulfric raised his eyebrows in mild astonishment.

  “Oh, there’s this too. Apparently it’s the ring Oscar wore or something.” Hajime also pulled out the ring with the Orcus crest on it. This time Ulfric was unable to contain his shock and opened his eyes wide in surprise when he gazed upon the crest. He started taking slow, deep breaths in order to calm himself down.

  “I see... So you youngsters really did reach Oscar Orcus’ resting place. There are still some things I’m very curious to learn, but... very well. I shall grant you passage through Verbergen. By my right as elder, you are free to travel as you please. Of course, the Haulia are welcome as well.”

  The beastmen around him weren’t the only ones surprised. After all, Cam and the others were shocked as well. All at once, the tigermen started hotly protesting the elder’s decision. It was only natural. Not once had humans ever been allowed passage through Verbergen.

  “We must treat them as honored guests. They’ve earned that right. This is one of the ancient laws only those who sit on the elder’s council are told of.” Ulfric’s stern tone left no room for disagreement, so the beastmen quieted down. However, surprisingly, Hajime was the one who raised an objection.

  “Wait. Don’t go deciding our plans for us. The only place I have business with is the Grand Tree; I’m not planning on going to Verbergen or anything. If we’re free to go, then we’ll be heading straight to the Grand Tree, thank you very much.”

  “I’m afraid you can’t.”

  “What?”

  So they really are going to try and get in our way, then? Hajime instantly put up his guard, but Ulfric simply replied bemusedly.

  “The fog around the Grand Tree is so thick that even beastmen lose their bearings near it. It waxes and wanes in cycles, and only when the fog is thinnest can we safely approach. I’m afraid the next cycle isn’t for ten days... I had thought all of the beastmen were aware of that fact, but...” Ulfric gave Hajime a puzzled stare before turning to look at Cam. After a moment spent absorbing this new piece of information, Hajime too turned to look at Cam. Faced with two expectant stares, Cam replied with...

  “Ah,” as if he’d only just now remembered it. A vein pulsed on Hajime’s forehead.

  “Cam?”

 
“Oh, uh, I’m not quite sure what to say... Well, there was an awful lot going on, so it’s only natural that I’d forget... Yeah, I’ve only been there once myself when I was a small child, and I didn’t really pay attention to the cycles or anything back then...” He kept trying to make excuses, but Hajime and Yue’s relentless gazes wouldn’t let him escape. Finally, he snapped and turned on his brethren.

  “Hey, Shea! The rest of you too! Why didn’t you say something! You all knew about the fog cycles too, didn’t you!?”

  “What!? Why’re you blaming us all of a sudden, Dad? You looked so confident that I was sure you knew that this was the right time in the cycle... This is all your fault!”

  “Exactly! We all thought it was a little strange too, but you were so confident about getting us there that we thought maybe we were the ones who’d gotten the dates wrong...”

  “Yeah, you sounded so sure, Chief...”

  Cam’s misguided anger made Shea lash back at him in turn, and his tribe started averting their eyes, shifting all the blame onto him.

  “Y-You guys! I thought we were family! Doesn’t that mean we share both the good times and the bad!? Hajime-dono, if you must punish me, please punish us collectively!”

  “Coward! Dad, I can’t believe you’d try and pull something like that! Just because you’re scared of getting punished doesn’t mean you should drag us down with you!”

  “Leave us out of this, Chief!”

  “Fools! Didn’t you see how merciless Hajime-dono was to his enemies? I’ll die if I have to face that punishment alone!”

  “I can’t believe you still have the gall to call yourself our chief!”

  Those were the people that were renowned for being the kindest among the beastmen, but at that moment they were busy trying to shift the blame onto each other. Where’d all that supposed kindness go...? Well, I guess they are Shea’s family. The whole lot of them were worthless rabbits.