“As you can see, our hero is still in the midst of his growth. It’s unfortunate, but he simply does not have enough experience yet. I do not expect your nation to come to a conclusion right away. I shall assume the words you directed at our esteemed hero were for his own sake. I hope we can leave it at that. If not, as the pope of the Holy Church, I may have to sanction an inquisition against you. You understand what that would mean, correct, Emperor of Hoelscher, Gahard?”
“...Tch, so you figured it out. What a shrewd old geezer.”
The bodyguard kept his voice low, so no one could hear his blasphemy. Then, he turned around and removed the earring on his right ear. As he did so, he was surrounded by a thick gray mist. When it cleared, a completely different person was standing in his place.
The emperor was a savage-looking man in his mid-forties. He had silver hair that he kept cropped short, and piercing blue eyes that reminded one of a wolf’s. He was passably handsome and possessed rippling muscles that corded the entire length of his body. The entire room broke out in an uproar.
“L-Lord Gahard!?”
“The Emperor himself!?”
The man Kouki had fought was none other than Gahard D. Hoelscher, the emperor of Hoelscher. Eliheid massaged his temples as he asked a question, seeming nonplussed.
“What on earth are you doing, Lord Gahard?”
“Well well, if it isn’t His Highness Eliheid. I apologize for not greeting you earlier. I apologize also for this disguise. I simply wished to ascertain this hero’s strength with my own eyes. After all, his existence will play a vital role in our battles to come. Do please forgive my insolence.”
Though he apologized profusely, Gahard didn’t seem all that sorry for what he had done. Eliheid simply sighed and shook his head as he said “Forget it” in response to the man. Kouki and the other students were utterly confused. Even putting aside the emperor’s incredible footwork and combat skills, everyone was treating his surprise appearance like it was an everyday occurrence.
“Ishtar, Your Holiness. As you so wisely discerned, my words were nothing more than advice for our young hero. I would never dream of belittling Ehit’s chosen warrior. I apologize if I seemed too brusque; it’s simply a bad habit I picked up from my countrymen.”
Gahard’s reply was so insincere that it could hardly even be considered an apology. Still, Ishtar’s calm expression never faltered, and he bowed his head ponderously.
“As long as you understand,” was the only response he uttered.
The whole event was then smoothed over, and the two rulers began discussing the affairs of state. Eliheid managed to extract at least a flimsy promise from Gahard that they would support the new hero “based on the promise he’d shown,” thus concluding the main reason for his visit.
Later that evening, in his private quarters, Gahard told his subordinates what he really thought.
“Man, that brat’s no good. He’s barely out of his diapers. The way he talks, it’s clear he really believes all that bullshit he spouts about ideals and justice. What’s worse is that he has just enough strength and charisma for people to believe him, too. He’s the kind of person that’d kill without hesitation for the sake of his ‘ideals.’”
“Agreed. I can’t believe he honestly put demons and monsters together on the same level. If it had been a conscious decision, then it wouldn’t have been so bad, but...”
“Yeah, he clearly wasn’t thinking at all when he said that. In fact, he’s the type that probably thinks ignorance is bliss. I’m amazed he’s managed to live so long with that mindset. Maybe his original world was just one where that was acceptable, or maybe his strength has just carried him until now. Either way, he’s nothing but trouble. Unfortunately, we can’t speak out against him because he’s Ehit’s chosen warrior. For now, we have no choice but to go along with that brat’s whims.” As far as the emperor was concerned, Kouki was no hero at all. Gahard shrugged his shoulders, but when he thought back on how strong Kouki had been despite only learning how to fight a few months ago, he reasoned there might have been some potential in him yet.
“Well, maybe he’ll live up to his name after he’s fought a few demons. We can make our final evaluations then. For now, we just have to make sure we don’t get caught up in those damn priests’ machinations. Be wary of that crafty pope.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Unaware of the true evaluation he’d received, Kouki stood outside the palace gates along with the others to see off the emperor the next day. It seemed like he was leaving right away since he’d finished what he’d come for. He really was one spry ruler.
As an aside, it appeared that the emperor had run into Shizuku during her morning training and had grown quite smitten with her. He had even invited her to be his mistress. Shizuku had politely declined, to which the emperor had simply laughed and said, “Well, just think about it.” It hadn’t blown up into a serious issue, but Kouki had also been there to witness the event. When the emperor caught sight of him, he had just laughed scornfully. It was then that everyone present had realized those two would never get along.
Needless to say, Shizuku simply sighed.
Chapter V: Setting Off
Hajime felt something soft and warm enveloping his entire body. It felt rather nostalgic. It was the sensation of sleeping on a bed. Cushioned by a soft mattress and covered by a warm down blanket, Hajime’s mind was thrown into a panic.
What the hell? I thought I was in the labyrinth... What am I doing on a bed? Still somewhat groggy, he blindly tried to grope around his surroundings. However, his right hand refused to move. It was wrapped in a completely different kind of softness than the bed and actually couldn’t move.
What’s going on? He experimentally tried to squeeze his hand a little. There was a soft, elastic thing between his fingers that molded to his touch. He found himself enjoying the sensation and began squeezing the soft object over and over again, when suddenly...
“...Aaahn...”
Huh!? He heard a sensual moan. His hazy consciousness was instantly alert. Panicking, he frantically pushed his body into a sitting position. As he did so, he realized he really had been sleeping on a bed. A magnificent four poster bed furnished with pure white sheets.
The bed was on some kind of raised stone terrace. A faint breeze blew past his cheek. The view of his surroundings was blocked by thick pillars and thin curtains. It was like a bed had been dumped smack dab in the middle of the Parthenon. Warm yellow light, light that he hadn’t seen in ages, spilled into the room.
I thought we’d just gotten done with our death match against the Hydra. Where on earth am I? Don’t tell me this is heaven! The ostentatiousness of it all made Hajime instantly think of the worst outcome, but the voice he heard beside him a moment later brought him back to his senses.
“...Nhaah... Hajime... Aaah...”
“Wha—!?”
Hajime kicked off the sheets and saw that he had been sleeping next to a beautiful naked girl. Yue was sleeping peacefully beside him, her tiny body wrapped around his right arm. It was then that he realized he too was naked.
“I see... Guess I’ve become a harem protagonist... Wait, no I haven’t, what the hell am I saying!?” Hajime acted out some kind of weird skit in his confusion. Somewhat disoriented still, he tried to wake Yue up.
“Yue, get up. Yue.”
“Mmmf...” Yue mumbled incoherently in her sleep and clung even tighter to Hajime’s arm. His right hand was getting dangerously close to a certain part of her lower body.
“Guh... Don’t tell me this really is heaven!?” Spouting absolute nonsense, Hajime attempted to disentangle his right arm. But every time he tried to move it...
“...Mmmf... Mmng... Ah...” Yue would moan provocatively.
“Gah, I need to cool it. No matter how old she is, she still looks way too young. I can’t let myself get excited over something like this! I’m no lolicon!” He repeated those words to himself, knowing it was this moment t
hat would decide forever whether he was a pervert or a gentleman. Hajime gave up on freeing his arm and instead tried to wake Yue up, but no matter how loudly he shouted her name she simply mumbled in her sleep and continued snoozing.
Eventually, he started getting a little annoyed. How dare that little brat sleep so peacefully while I’m tearing my hair out worrying about where we’ve ended up!
Unable to bear it any longer, he screamed at her.
“Wake up already, you stupid sexy vampire princess!” After that, he activated his Lightning Field. There was a crackle of electricity and tendrils of lightning raced down his arm.
“Abababababababababa!?” Yue twitched as the electricity jolted her awake. She quickly let go of Hajime’s arm and opened her eyes.
“...Hajime?”
“Yep, it’s me, Hajime. Morning, sleepyhe—”
“Hajime!”
“Huh!?”
Yue gazed blankly at Hajime for a few seconds before suddenly opening her eyes wide and leaping into his chest. With the both of them still stark naked, of course. He felt the soft sensation of her skin caress his entire body while a sweet aroma tickled his nose. He couldn’t keep himself from getting aroused any longer.
However, when he saw her sobbing into his chest, he couldn’t bring himself to peel her off. Instead, he smiled awkwardly and patted her head.
“Sorry, I probably worried you, didn’t I?”
“Yeah... You sure did...” She clung to him for a while, showing no signs of letting go. Hajime reasoned that since she was the one who looked after him when he’d collapsed, she deserved at least this much, and so he simply continued stroking her head.
Finally, after Yue had calmed down, Hajime asked her about their current situation. He made sure she wrapped herself up with some sheets too.
“So what happened after we beat that thing? Where are we?”
“After you collapsed...”
According to Yue, she crawled over to Hajime, exhausted from using up all her mana, and was clinging to him when the door suddenly opened by itself. Prepared to fend off a new wave of enemies, Yue sat there vigilantly, but no matter how much time passed nothing came through the door. Finally, she recovered enough of her mana to be able to stand and went to examine what was on the other side.
Even though the Ambrosia was healing his wounds, he was still on the verge of death and in a very unstable condition. His abnormally powerful half-monster body was keeping him alive, but there was no telling how long the Ambrosia would be able to counteract the effects of the poison. Had new enemies popped out of that door, it would have been the end for them both. Which was why Yue went to go confirm what was on the other side.
What she’d seen on the other side of the door was...
“The maverick’s lair.” She’d discovered a very comfortable living space. After she had made sure there were no enemies in the area, she had carried Hajime to the bedroom she’d found and given him every last drop of Ambrosia that came out of the now dwindling Divinity Stone. Finally, it appeared that the Ambrosia’s power had overcome the aurora’s poison and Hajime began healing normally. Exhausted, Yue had fallen asleep next to him.
“...I see. So you saved me back there, Yue? Thank you.”
“Mhm!” Yue’s eyes sparkled with boundless happiness at Hajime’s gratitude. The expressiveness of her eyes made up for the lack of normal expressions by her.
“By the way... why am I naked?” he asked, genuinely curious. He sincerely hoped it wasn’t because they’d had sex. It wasn’t that he didn’t like Yue... He just wanted to make sure he was mentally prepared before he made that jump.
“You were dirty... so I cleaned you up.”
“Why are you licking your lips like that?”
That seductive smile of hers was the same one she always wore after she’d finished sucking Hajime’s blood. Shivers ran down his spine.
“Okay, but then why did you sleep next to me? And why... naked?”
“Fufu...”
“Wait, what’s with that laugh?! What’d you do!? And quit licking your lips like that already!”
Hajime kept questioning Yue, but she simply gave him that same bewitching stare and refused to answer any further. It looked like she was having fun. Finally, he gave up and decided to start investigating the maverick’s lair.
As they prepared to leave, Yue pulled out some clothes she had found while exploring earlier. They were men’s clothes. Which meant the maverick was most likely a guy. Hajime discovered they fit him quite nicely and began inspecting what remained of his equipment. One never knew what kind of traps they might encounter in a labyrinth. Yue finished dressing herself as well, and Hajime turned back to look at her.
All she was wearing was... a single long-sleeved shirt.
“Yue, are you trying to tempt me?”
“Hm...? The shirt’s just too big.”
Hajime supposed a guy’s clothes would be too big for Yue, who was only 140 centimeters tall. However, the shirt hugged her body tightly, accentuating her modest breasts, and stretched only down to her thighs, leaving her slender legs exposed. Despite her young appearance, she looked positively alluring. Hajime was unsure where to look.
“...If you’re not doing this on purpose, then that’s scary too.” Hajime couldn’t tell if Yue was purposely doing it or not, but that charm of hers was frightening either way.
As he exited the bedroom, he was stunned at the sight that greeted him outside.
The sun was shining brightly into the room.
Of course, they were still underground, so it couldn’t possibly have been the real sun. There was a giant conical structure hanging high above the ceiling, with a dazzlingly bright orb hugging the cone’s bottom side. The reason Hajime’s mind had instantly thought of sunlight was not only due to the light and warmth, but also because it had none of the artificial quality present in lamps or fluorescent lighting.
“...It looks like a moon at night.”
“Seriously?”
The sight of the sun was so shocking that it took him a second to realize the sound of rushing water filled the room as well.
The room they were in was about the size of a baseball stadium, with the wall in the far back completely covered by a waterfall. Water poured out of a small opening in the ceiling and fell into a river below that flowed further in, passing through a cavern on the far wall. The rush of falling water created a refreshing breeze that blew pleasantly across their faces. Upon closer inspection, Hajime discovered that there were fish living in the river too. It was possible the fish had followed the river’s current and traveled there from the surface.
A short distance from the river was a miniature farm. There didn’t seem to be anything growing there at the moment. Next to the fields stood a cozy looking barn. Though it seemed empty, it was clear with the supply of water, fish, meat, and vegetables present that one could cook anything they were so inclined to. The entire room was covered in greenery and there were trees scattered about the area.
Hajime decided to explore the side closest to him first, and started walking toward a building located next to the bedroom they’d been sleeping in. It was more a structure carved directly out of the rock wall than a building.
“...I investigated it earlier, but most of the doors were locked.”
“I see. Yue, don’t let your guard down.”
“Okay...”
The rock that the house was carved out of appeared to be some kind of white limestone. It gave of a very clean look, and another one of those light spheres was hanging from the entrance’s ceiling. The light was a bit too dazzling for Yue and Hajime, who’d spent a great deal of time surrounded by darkness. The house was three stories tall and well ventilated throughout.
They decided to start by exploring the first floor.
There was a thick rug laid out next to a fireplace, a living room furnished with sofas, a kitchen, and even a bathroom. Interestingly enough, the place appeared brand new. Though th
ey found no presence of other people, it seemed obviously lived in. The appliances and furniture hadn’t seen use in quite some time, but it was clear their owner took good care of them. Rather than an inhabited dwelling, it felt more like a house someone simply managed. Hajime and Yue warily continued deeper into the house.
After a while, they found themselves standing outside again. There was an oval-shaped door that led to a backyard of sorts that contained a lion statue. The lion’s mouth was open mid-roar. Next to the statue was a magic circle. Hajime experimentally poured some mana into it, and hot water jettisoned out of the lion’s gaping maw. Apparently lion fountains were a staple of high-class places no matter which world one was in.
“This is basically a bath, isn’t it? Perfect, it’s been months since I last took one.” Hajime smiled happily. Until that point he had never had the luxury to worry about hygiene, but now that they were finally able to take a breather he realized he was filthy all over. He used the magic circle to pour out some more water and lightly wiped his body down as a temporary measure.
Still, that wasn’t enough to satisfy him. He was Japanese, and like all his countrymen, he loved baths. Once they were sure the area was safe, he was going to take a nice long soak and cleanse himself properly.
Yue watched his growing excitement, and chimed in with her opinion on the matter.
“...Do you want to go in together?”
“I’d prefer to relax alone for a bit...”
“Muu...” Yue was playfully kicking around the water, and Hajime thought that if she bathed with him his bath would be anything but relaxing, so he refused her. She pouted unhappily at his curt rejection.
Their examination of the lion statue complete, the pair made their way up to the second floor. There they discovered a library and a workshop of some kind. But the bookshelves and the door inside the workshop were all locked, so they weren’t able to do a thorough examination of the rooms. They tried various means of opening them, but none worked, so they simply gave up.
Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest Vol. 1 (Premium) Page 27
