Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai Saikyou

Chapter 427

Tortus Travel Journal ㉜ So This is Hauria……

.

The light of regeneration magic that Kaori casted filled a corner of the sea of trees that had been completely plowed.

The scene was like a reproduction of the time when a part of the sea of trees that had been turned into a burnt field by the empire’s fire attack was regeneration. It looked like they didn’t even need to perform past replay to watch Kaori’s activity at that time.

But, even though Kaori’s figure was so divine with how she was regenerating the lost nature with lights of magic power swirling boisterously at the surrounding, her mother Kaoruko and even her father Tomoichi who originally would be moved to tears seeing their daughter like this, they were unable to speak any praise.

Or rather, they were unable to look straight at it.

Because, around Kaori who was performing the regeneration magic, there were the mosaic sign along with the sign “This image cannot be shown!” held by the macot that the group had been getting increasingly familiar with during this travel trip.

Yes,

「Oo, O……Oh」

「A-A-」

「I-i~」

The lumps of rabbit meat……aka, the heaps of corpses of the males of Hauria clan were lying on the ground everywhere.

It was a terrible sight. The way they looked, it was, like none of them had maintained their original shape, or like they had been transformed into mysterious objects. The sight was like the failed result of human transfiguration by a certain full metal alchemist. Or rather, weren’t some of them plainly dead?

Even without doing anything, their monstrous appearance shaved off the SAN value of any ordinary person. And even when they were dying and ascending to afterlife like this, they were still shaving off everyone’s SAN value……

「There isn’t anything that can’t be done for them. Won’t it be better to just leave their fate to Yama like this?」(TN: Yama, king and judge of the world of the dead)

Hajime who had somehow recovered from the danger of total collapse of his SAN value muttered so. Then,

「Is it already decided that they’re heading to hell for sure?」

「Or rather, King Yama might cry seeing them, so please let’s not do that.」

Aiko and Shizuku smiled wryly while sending a glance at the culprit of this tragedy.

Shia was sitting while hugging her knees inside a cylinder hole in the ground that she dug herself. Her rabbit ears were shriveling. They were like a squid that had been dried completely.

「……S-Shia? Cheer up?」

Yue who stopped the murders at the end with super gravity field crouched on the edge of the hole and patted Shia’s head. It was a patting that was also using soul magic for healing the target’s mind. Yue’s hand was slightly shivering because of Shia who moved around normally even though she was put under her full powered super gravity field.

Yue also used sublimation magic before Shia finally stopped but……most likely she would be able to simply endure a normal “Black Sky Destitution” if it wasn’t powered up with sublimation magic and the like. Depending on the situation it was very likely that Shia would burst out from inside. And so it couldn’t be helped that the strongest vampire princess was getting cold feet.

「……Is there anything that you want? If it’s now then Yue-san will do any──」

「I want to enter inside a hole.」

「……Y-you are already inside one though?」

It seemed that she was in that kind of mood. Apparently that her heart was under a very heavy weight due to the monster maid transformation of her father and the males of her clan. Although it was possible to perform resurrection, the way she seriously tried to kill them spoke of how strong the impact to her heart was.

「And? Why art all of thee dressing up like this?」

「M-Myuu think, the usual Pal-kun is the best Pal-kun nano……」

Tio saw that the Shirasaki spouse, Akiko, and Yaegashi family……those who looked like their SAN value might be pushed into red zone from seeing the lumps of Hauria meat might be alright now, so she healed Remia and Myuu too with soul magic while asking.

「IdunnoanythingIdunnoanythingIdunnoanythingIdunnoanythingIdunnoanythingIdunnoanythingIdunnoanythingIdunnoanythingIdunnoanything」

The beautiful maid Par-kun was holding his head together with his rabbit ears while shaking fiercely. It seemed that big sis Shia’s rage that resembled a demon god broke even the Hauria soul.

He had the appearance of a beautiful girl maid, so the way she was shaking in fear was…………how to say it, he really provoked one’s desire to protect.

Nea was also lying down beside him with her eyes still looking hollow and her mind in a state of 「It’s the end of the worlddd」 completely shutting out all information from the outside world, which made the sight looked excessively worse than it should be.

It was then, a new group arrived and came out from between the trees that were regenerating.

「I shall explain about that matter!」

It was the females of Hauria clan with Rana at the forefront. They were wearing their usual rabbit clan outfit that had a lot of skin exposure, but it was still their common native dress.

Just what in the world had been happening until now? Why did they allow the clan head and the males to run wild like this?

Such gaze of criticism was send to them from their boss. Rana and others hurriedly jumped, and then with a smooth movement,

「Our deepest apologies for our idiots!」

「「「「「Our deepest apologies!!」」」」」

They all swiftly performed dogeza. The group dogeza that was performed without a single movement that was out of line was magnificent and praiseworthy, both in the technical and artistic aspects.

「My, what well polished dogezas!」

「Even for Nagumo family that prided ourselves as dogeza master, we can only give perfect score before this performance.」

The Nagumo spouse that held dogeza in high regard were saying something, but everyone ignored them.

「May I assume that both of you are boss’s family? Allow me to give both of you our heartfelt welcome, and also our heartfelt apology for displaying the darkness of our clan like this in front of everyone! The filth will be sterilized immediately from everyone’s presence, so please, we beg for your magnanimity!」

「「「「「If you like, you can even boil or burn them with your own hand!」」」」」

「And to everyone else too, it’s an honor to have everyone here! We the women of Hauria clan are deeply ecstatic to be able to meet everyone! We shall present everyone with the head of our clan head to celebrate this meeting!」

「「「「「If everyone like, you can even consign them all into oblivion or dispose of them as you please!」」」」」

「You guys, your murderous intent to your own families ain’t half baked huh?」

It was an ugly family quarrel that blew away even their boss’s irritation. Hauria as usual.

Even though it was a line up of beautiful girls and women wearing outfit that exposed a lot of their skin, the aura of disappointing people and smell of troublesome people that were oozing from all over their body were driving their charm to be a dying ember. How none of the male in the group was entranced by their look was the proof of how horrible it was. Hauria as usual.

「……Forget about that, what’s the original cause that made our Shia to transform into berserker?」

Yue was looking at Rana and others with a stare that was more blank than usual. Rana and others who were still kneeling on the ground with only their heads lifted up answered her with serious expressions.

「The cause is of course, because they want to be chosen to be boss’s exclusive maid! For that, these bastards plundered the first class maid uniforms and cosmetic tools that we had worked hard to prepare!」

「They complained that it’s unfair that only woman can serve at boss’s side!」

「They argued who decided that male can’t become a maid! They yelled that the Hauria soul that boss taught us is all about making the impossible possible!」

「「「「「Crazy aren’t they!!」」」」」

「「「「「Drop dead! These damn monsters!!」」」」」

「No, realize it that you all are also just as strange.」

「「「「「?」」」」」

Rana and others tilted their head in puzzlement. These guys, they’re hopeless……they’re beyond saving as expected, Hajime thought as he looked up to the sky.

There, he noticed that the women in his group were looking at him with coldness in their eyes. Sumire and Shuu were looking exasperated. And then there was Tomoichi who as expected drew near him with the face of someone who snapped.

「Hajime-kun. What’s the meaning of this? You’re still not satisfied even after going out with this many girls? Just what in the world is your intention by gathering this many exclusive bunny girl maids!? This lecher bastard!」

Kaori was also pressing near with a smile on her face. She stopped with the regeneration magic even though the nature repair wasn’t over yet. There were also Carm and others who were still in excessively repulsive state, but nobody paid them any attention.

「Hajime-kun, Hajime-kun. What’re they talking about I wonder? I wonder? You want to have maid? Could it be that all the secretive talk you had with Hellina-san was really for scouting? You want to gather maids of your preference and do this and that to them aren’t you! This big pervert!」

「That’s right, that’s right! Kaori, say it more──」

「Even though I’ll become maid if you like them that much!」

「Kaori!?」

「Even though I’ll service you like this or like that a lot every day if only you ask!」

「Stop! Papa, don’t want to hear that kind of word from my daughter!!」

「My, really dear, even though you made me dressed like that and made me did this or that when we were young──」

「Stop it! I don’t want to hear my parents having that kind of talk!!」

「Shirasaki family, it looks like a lot of abnormal stories might come out from them if we poke and prod……」

Putting aside the matters of the family of like-minded people,

「……Hajime-san? What’s the meaning of this?」

Shia’s fingers gripped on the edge of the hole and her face slightly peeked out. She looked like a vigilant prairie dog. She was looking at Hajime with a terrifyingly blank gaze. Did you made my family even stranger again? Her eyes were asking him that.

Hajime looked straight into Shia’s eyes, and spoke with a serious expression.

「Don’t be stupid. There isn’t anything like a test to enter my maid squad, none.」

「But, with Hellina-san you……there was also how you acted like a scout everywhere we went.」

「Those were me recruiting for Lily. You saw it yourself right? How the kingdom lacked manpower everywhere for the rebuilding and how black Lily’s workplace is. As her husband, it’s completely my business too, and using my name it’s possible to recruit people everywhere regardless of their status or country right? That’s why I’m just helping with the selection for that.」

「Really?」

Shia was extremely doubtful. Everyone could see that from her eyes.

Hajime looked around at everyone with increasingly serious expression. He looked at Shia at the end and nodded.

「Do my eyes look like the eyes of liar?」

「……They aren’t. Yue-san? Okaa-sama and Otou-sama too, what do you think?」

When Shia asked the honorable first wife and the parents who when it came to Hajime were like a lie detector, or even like the youkai Satori to see through his lies,

「H~mm, he doesn’t look like he’s lying.」

「Certainly.」

「……Nn. Not lying.」

Sumire and Shuu ascertained their son’s innocence (?). What, so it’s just a misunderstanding huh, such atmosphere was spreading, but there Yue continued with 「But……」.

「……It’s not a lie but, it’s also not the truth. That kind of statement is Haijme’s specialty.」

「「「「「Aa~」」」」」

Hajime averted his gaze with a huff. Suspicious……everyone’s gaze stabbed into him once more but, he ignored that and asked Rana.

「Still, where did you guys get the information?」

「When monitoring the kingdom, Hellina sounded us out about the possibility of using the trap area of Hauria as training place……」

「For maid training?」

「No, she was talking about training the knights but, if that’s the case then it should be the knight commander who asked us about it right? And so, it hit us right at the rabbit ears. Ah, this is boss gathering maids, we thought.」

Fufuhn, Rana made a smug look. How did it become like that……Hajime was making an unpleasant look. Behind him a silhouette was slowly standing up……

While his surrounding looked startled, Hajime’s expression grimaced in distaste even deeper while he spoke to Rana.

「Still, Rana.」

「It’s Ranainferina, the abyss’s first wife.」

「That.」

「Eh? That what?」

「Why are you trying to become my exclusive maid huh? No, I’m really not gathering any maid squad but, still, Endou is going to cry with you trying to become one you know?」

「That is that, this is this. I don’t remember ever accepting a narrow-minded man who will admonish his wife about her life work.」

「……I’ll bring you to Japan next time, so have a proper talk with him at least once.」

「Even if I’m going to become someone else’s wife! My feeling of respect and loyalty to boss will never change!」

「Seriously talk with him! I don’t want it okay! Getting chased around by him in abyss mode!」

「That’s right! Boss! About that, please do the past replay for the time when Kou-kun challenged boss! It’s for the sake of a woman in love! By that I mean me! Me! I also want everyone to see the gallant figure of the man who put a scratch on the demon king!」

「Stop-, don’t make me remember! That was a horrible fight in a lot of senses!」

Behind Hajime and others who were having such talk, 「Hih」 the voices of Pretty Par-chan, Myuu, Remia, Akiko, and others that were shaking in terror could be heard faintly, but the voices of the Hauria females were raised before Hajime could pay it any mind, so the voices didn’t reach his ear.

「Boss! Please tell her! Tell this damnb unfaithful normie! She’s still trying to serve boss even though she has a lover already, she’s seriously screwing around!!!」

Mina who was Rana’s closest friend, and so she was the one who was forced to listen to Rana’s love life daily, and yet Rana was just a bit stronger than her so it felt like she would be overtaken by her in the maid selection test, causing jealousy and resentment to pile up inside her to bursting, yelled to Hajime. That made the dam broke and the other Hauria females also stood up with furious looks.

「That’s right, that’s right! What “When is the next time I can meet Kou-kunnn?” huh, stupid!」

「Don’t get flashback and smiled bashfully for every little thing stupiddd! This love obsessed fool!」

「Don’t you know the saying of those who chase after two rabbits won’t catch neither? Go fail to catch both!」

「We won’t let you be the winner alone! Drop dead already!」

「Traitor! Ranainferina is a traitor of Hauriaaa! Hunt her, hunt!」

Rana took a defensive stance while raising her voice in protest at her comrades who were starting to surround her.

「W-what’s with you all! Even though all of you already gave me your blessing about Kou-kun that happily!」

「「「「「Only because it decreased the rivals for serving boss!」」」」」

「Tsu, this is why Hauria is beyond help!」

「No, you’re also a Hauria okay?」

Ugly. As expected from Hauria. It was truly ugly. Fighting spirit that was stained with woman’s selfish desire and sentiments was starting to whirl around.

There,

「Killing intent!? Who is-!!」

A hard sound of impact from blades clashing resounded. The sound came from a kunai that aimed at Rana’s neck getting deflected by a short sword.

When everyone traced the kunai’s trajectory to see where it came from……everyone gulped nervously.

An aura of killing intent that was swaying and swa~ying. Two arms that were limply dangling down, with a walking gait that was like a revenant. The piercing stare that glared from between the forelock that was hanging down like a curtain originated from eyes that were shining mysteriously.

「……That was your plot huh?」

Even though it was the voice of a girl, that sentence was filled with a rage that felt like it echoed from the bottom of hell.

Rana and others reflexively took a step back.

「So that was why I was recommended to be an ambassador to the empire wasn’t it? In order to remove me from the selection battle to become boss’s maid, you told me nice sounding things like 『Being an ambassador will allow you to build more achievement! Surely it will make boss happy too!』 and sent me away didn’t you? That was it righttt?」

That was actually the truth. Because, Nea-chan really, she was strong even though she was so small. She was also growing rapidly beyond her limit the more she was cornered using her respect and desire toward boss.

It was something that was decided with unanimous decision immediately after the report from the monitoring of the kingdom arrived. Let’s exclude Nea baby! Nice timing that there is an empty post to be ambassador, so let’s make up some excuses and drive her away from the forest yeah! That happened.

Once more really, this was Hauria.

Nea whose soul died from Myuu’s rejection learned everything and revived using her rage as fuel.

「GIVE ME, YOUR HEADDDDD────!!」

KEEEEEEE-, Nea shrieked like a monstrous bird and leaped at her big sisters in the clan.

Waaaaaaa, the big sisters retreated into the repaired forest. It seemed they still had the awareness to not turn the location where boss’s family were at into a battlefield.

After a while, the sounds of sword fights, angry yells, and screams reverberated from the other side of the mist and trees.

「So this is……Hauria.」

「I see. So this is Hauria.」

Shuu and Sumire’s lukewarm expression that was filled with comprehension caused Shia to covered her face with both hands as she returned back into her hole.

While gazes of sympathy gathered on her, Carm abruptly rose up beside Hajime.

「Fuu, I almost died.」

「No, you died for real back there okay? Rather, how are you revived even though you’re far from being fully healed huh?」

「With spirit.」

「……This father and daughter」

The crying voice from the hole got louder.

In reality it wasn’t because spirit, but thanks to the usage of recovery medicine and regeneration artifact that Hajime supplied to Hauria.

Also, he wasn’t in the monster maid look from before anymore, but in an attire with camouflage pattern with his makeup also removed. It was a deft transformation. It was a mystery why they were only excellent at that kind of thing.

「Chief! Why did you remove your maid modeee-!」

Pretty Par-chan raised his voice seeing his big brothers reviving one after another and returning to their normal combat attire.

「If boss is asking for it! Then we’ll become anything, even a maiden or a maid! That’s what manliness is, isn’t that right!?」

「No, what do you actually want to become huh?」

Did he want to become maiden among maidens, or man among men? Or rather didn’t he listen when Hajime said that he wasn’t asking for it at all? It seemed that the mental state of Pretty Par-chan was wandering off course.

And so, Carm spoke of reality, or rather his true feeling without covering up anything.

「Par.」

「What is ittt, chief!!」

「As I thought, that was crap.」

「!?」

So you were aware of it! Everyone retorted. Pretty Par-chan froze stiff from the shock of horrible betrayal.

「Well, you can do as you like if you’ve awakened to crossdressing though.」

「!!?」

The males of Hauria were looking at Pretty Par-chan with slight worry. Isn’t his fetish distorted? Is he returning to be like the Hauria in the past that didn’t have any manliness at all? They wondered.

Hajime and others wanted to yell, asking the Hauria males if they were aware of what they were saying after what they had done, to tell them to not make that kind of gaze.

Pretty Par-chan hesitantly looked up at Hajime. His gaze was asking 「They’re, lying right? I’m, overflowing with manliness isn’t it?」.

He was the only boy in this place who was crossdressing. It seemed that he was feeling a heavy sense of alienation. Tears spilled out from his looking up eyes. His eyes and rabbit ears were shaking in anxiety.

Myuu spoke bluntly in Hajime’s place.

「Par-kun, you look completely like a cutie girl no matter where Myuu look nano. You’re a perfect maiden without any shred of manliness nano.」

「!!!!!?」

Pretty Par-chan swayed on his feet. He looked around him pleadingly but, not only boss, even Yue and others, also the parents, everyone was nodding in agreement at Myuu’s statement. Not only that, the likes of Shuu and Sumire realized the finality of his appearance and took a ton of photos to preserve the memory of the perfect pretty boy for eternity.

While flashes and clicking sounds *click-click-click-click-click-click-click-click* of rapid photo shooting were continuing without pause, Pretty Par-chan took the white hairband on his head with shaking hand.

And then, he threw it on the ground before……

「JUST WHAT IS TRUE MANLINESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!」

He ran into the forest while leaving a trail of tears on the air behind him. Perhaps female outfit would become a trauma for him?

「Ah, youth.」

「You, go die once more.」

Carm saw off Par-kun’s back warmly. Hajime’s scathing comment exploded.

「Dear me, I heard the rumor but, it looks like the news that boss is looking for maids is just a misunderstanding. My deepest apologies for the unsightly display. Allow me to introduce myself once more, my name is Carm Hauria. My daughter has been greatly in everyone’s care.」

「「「「「Who?」」」」」

Multiple questions were asked in regard to the identity of the gentleman rabbit very good decorum. It couldn’t be helped. Carm was like a completely different person.

「You dumb idiot don’t have any daughter desu.」

A scathing reply exploded from the said daughter. A peevish rabbit’s sharp eye glint hit Carm from the edge of the hole.

A faint sheen of sweat formed on Carm’s forehead. The gazes of other Hauria males were also wandering around fearfully.

With how they almost seriously died, and how their boss’s family and the parents of the other families also looked hesitant to get involved, as expected it seemed they realized that they had really messed up.

「S-sorry, Shia! Forgive us!」

「Hmph」

Shia returned deep into the hole. Carm performed a sliding dogeza and peered into the hole from the edge.

「You see, although we had been notified about your arrival beforehand through the communicator, it was still too sudden right? We don’t know when we’ll be able to meet again next time, so we wanted to make our appeal as much as possible!」

「Can you please not talk to me, Carm-san?」

「!?」

Shia dug a tunnel inside the hole. Perhaps she was seriously planning to dig a burrow.

All the Hauria males gathered around the hole. They all started to beg for forgiveness.

Hajime and others were watching over them with very complicated expression. And then there were presences of several more people approaching their location. The presences felt somehow familiar.

「As I thought the actual welcoming party is you huh. ──Gil.」

「Just so you know, it’s not a coincidence this time. I’m formally assigned the role to welcome everyone.」

The one who appeared from the other side of the bushes was a warrior of the tiger race. Several subordinates who looked familiar were also following him.

On top of being a person of common sense, he also dealt with Hajime and others during their first visit to the sea of trees with composure. After that, when Hajime secured Altina and entered the sea of trees again, Gil accidentally became the first person to meet him again. His appropriate dealing with Hajime at that time was highly evaluated, and he was also considered to be strong enough to be appointed as one of the five head warriors. This former security captain had really climbed up high on the ladder.

「To think that a head warrior is personally welcoming us.」

「The demon king and his families are visiting. Originally we should hold a grand reception headed by all the elders in respond to that but……you already messaged us beforehand that such thing is unnecessary right?」

「Yeah. After all our visit is just a personal sightseeing in the end. But putting that aside, can I ask you a question?」

Shuu and Sumire pestered Hajime to quickly introduce them seeing how he was talking intimately with the other party, but Hajime had something that he wanted to ask no matter what, so he prioritized that first.

「Why are your eyes closed?」

Yes, head warrior Gil was shutting his eyes for some reason.

「So that I won’t see what I don’t want to see.」

Just what in the world he didn’t want to see? The gazes of Yue and others reflexively turned toward the group that was repeatedly explaining themselves and apologizing toward the hole. If the monster maids had also been witnessed even at Fea Belgen in occasion……

「Why are you plugging your ears?」

「To not hear what I don’t want to hear.」

「Why are your nose stuffed?」

「To not smell what I don’t want to smell.」

「Why are you getting goosebumps?」

「Because there are repulsive existences right nearby.」

It was a conversation that was like a grandma questioning the wolf who disguised itself as the red riding hood. Hajime asked his last question with a rare expression of bewilderment.

「Then how can you move and speak normally like that.」

「With spirit.」

What to do? Shia’s theory that could conveniently explain any profound mystery of this world was spreading……Hajime’s expression was twitching from that thought.

「It seems human is a being that can do anything when desperate. Sealing my senses as much as possible in order to protect my heart conversely allowed me now to be able to control my senses with greater precision than before. I now can enter only the necessary information into my brain. It feels like I have reached a greater height as a warrior.」

「Why is everybody here got stronger after the final battle huh?」

Really why. Yue and others also nodded strongly.

「Just so you know, Hauria already returned back to before.」

「I won’t be tricked.」

It seemed those monster maids had really left deep trauma. He had completely became distrustful toward Hauria. Gil introduced himself formally once again and gave welcoming words to Shuu and others in order to evade the topic while also telling the message from the elders.

「It’s alright if you want to prioritize sightseeing but, please at least have lunch together with us. Perhaps you will find our dishes too simple compared to the dishes of the kingdom and empire but……」

「No, trying out the local cuisine is also one of sightseeing’s purpose. I think we will accept your invitation gratefully.」

Hajime said that while looking at Shuu and others to ask for their opinion with his gaze. They nodded with unanimous agreement and so Hajime thanked Gil for the invitation. Head warrior Gil nodded happily with complete perception despite having his eyes and ears closed.

「Also, a warning. Altina-sama who was put under observation had slipped out, so be careful of the possibility of her appearance.」

「It’s like she’s a wild bear.」

Carm jerked with a shiver. It seemed that their suspicious relationship was still continuing.

But, right now the lost trust of his daughter……well, Shia’s trust on him was already dubious even before this, so rather than trust it was more of a family bond, Carm considered it was more important to regain that bond and gave all his effort for it.

「Got it, Shia. If you can find it in yourself to forgive us, then we will listen to any one thing that you ask from us! No matter what kind of absurd or unreasonable your request is, Tou-sama and everyone will definitely make it come true!!」

The last resort, “I’ll listen to anything you ask” was activated. Shia who had completely entered into her tunnel popped out only half of her face from there. She stared still *jii~* doubtfully at Carm and the men.

「…………Theeen, promise me that you all will never do anymore cringey act from now──」

「「「「「Out of the question!!」」」」」

「Immediate answer!?」

It seemed they wouldn’t agree to anything. The retraction of statement instantly right after making the promise made Shia angrily yelled 「I HATE YOU ALLLLLLLLLL!!」.

「Wait! Please wait, Shia! Cool gesture and speech are the identity of us Hauria you know!? It’s the same with your desuuu! Can you stop yourself from never doing that anymore!?」

「Don’t compare your cringey act with my speech habit! Desuu!」

Extreme rage, perhaps that was how it should be described. Shia stood up furiously with fungaa- inside her tunnel which blew away the ground before she leaped up to the surface.

And then, she spoke with a bit of tear on her eyes.

「Even though I had thought really hard about how should I introduce Tou-sama and everyone! If it’s just Okaa-sama and Otou-sama then surely they can accept everyone’s cringey act, so even if you all made that kind of entrance, I already thought up lots and lots of things about our clan’s good side to tell them to make up for it, and yet! All of you turned into such monster of all things! This monster parent! Monster family!!」

Carm and others looked at each other with cold sweat drenching them like waterfall from Shia’s heartfelt yell.

And then,

「Give us a chance to make up for it! You all are going around looking at the past right? Then, look at our active role during the enemy’s invasion here! With that, surely everyone will get better opinion of us!」

「I’m saying that the first impression is already the worst desuu! This embarrassment of the rabbit race! STUPID IDIOTTTTT!!」

UWAAAAAAAAAHN, Shia clung on Yue.

It was too much to see, so Sumire stepped forward with a wry smile.

「Err~, once again, nice to meet you Carm-san, and everyone of Hauria. I’m Hajime’s mother, Sumire.」

Carm and others immediately fell on one knee and bowed. Although she was a bit taken aback by that, Sumire spoke.

「That first encounter was a bit astonishing but, I understood very well that was only because of everyone’s deep affection to my son, so please don’t feel weighed down about it.」

「O, oo……what generosity! Those words are unbelievable coming from boss’s mother!!」

「What the hell do you mean by that huh」

Sumire ignored her son’s objection and continued speaking while caressing Shia’s head.

「Shia-chan, don’t worry about it any more. We had already seen how strong and wonderful your father and everyone are at the imperial palace. They were truly worthy to be called heroes in that replay. I too am not thinking that this person, Shia’s family is an embarrassment at all you know?」

「Okaa-sama……」

「Yeah, that’s right Shia-chan. Rather they’re really amazing, knocking out Hajime like that although only mentally! By the way, I myself once cosplayed as magical girl in a party and made my employees vomited!」

「Otou-sama……」

「Eh, wait a sec, Tou-san. I didn’t know about that. As a son it’s super embarrassing to know that though!?」

Sumire and Shuu treated their son’s protest like a passing wind and patted Shia’s head with a gentle smile.

「You can still show us how cool they are after this right? Come on, don’t keep feeling down like that, let’s go already.」

「Shia-chan yourself never watched it right? They saved their home from danger, that’s amazing! I want to watch it quickly! That’s why, forgive them, okay?」

Shia’s rabbit ears that were dejectedly dangling down were twitching……rising up……and snapped up straight. 「I-is that so? Nnfuh……that’s right. Well, that one can be said as amazing for them I guess? Yep, fuheh」 She said with the tensions on her cheeks loosening up.

The embraced Yue got hit straight by that adorableness. She energetically patted Shia’s head. Tomoichi and others also recovered from the Hauria shock and watched the scene warmly. As that was going on,

「A-as expected from boss’s parents. This Carm, no, the whole Hauria clan is left in great admiration by their great heart that is wider than the sky and deeper than Raisen!!」

「「「「Nagumo family banzai!! Our master’s family banzai!!」」」」

Carm and others were also moved to tears. Their devotion was rising explosively, not only to Hajime, but also to Sumire and Shuu.

「Looks like there is no need to use soul magic.」

「Umu. I was worried for a moment there of what wouldst happen.」

「Well, it looks like Nea-chan and the others are still running wild nano……it will be better to stop them……」

「Myuu? Listen well. There is this saying in Japan right? Wake not a sleeping Hauria. Sometimes it’s also important to avert your gaze you know?」

「M-mama?」

Aiko and Tio sighed in relieve. Myuu seemed worried by the sounds of fighting that came from afar, and Remia mama unexpectedly made a cold decision. She spoke of her warning with her ufufu smiling face, so it was a bit scary.

「Fumu, Hauria’s specialty should be battle in the sea of trees. Their battle in the imperial palace was also magnificent but, that’s exactly why I’m extremely curious with them doing battle in their own territory.」

「True. Besides, we were too shaken up. We too during infiltration──cough. During acrobatic performance would also sometimes crossdress. Dear, you were also really pretty back then you know?」

「Stop it, it was the past. Besides, even you were really manly.」

「!!? O-Otou-san? Okaa-san? I, didn’t know that. I can’t just pretend not to hear that as a daughter you know!?」

Shizuku was heavily shaken by the conversation of Yaegashi mom and dad.

「In the first place, Carm-san and the others are all good looking. If they use makeup properly……I think the result will be really good!」

「Don’t ignore me! Hey! Okaa-san! Hey!」

「Should we pass down the disguise skill of Yaegashi style to them……in exchange, if we can ask them to teach us the presence control of Hauria style……」

「Otou-san too! You crossdressed!? Or rather disguise skill!? I also didn’t know that though!?」

「S-Shizuku-chan, calm down! Come on, let go of uncle’s collar! You’re shaking uncle’s head too harddd!」

Shizuku’s eyes suddenly met Shia while Kaori was pinioning her and dragging her back.

Shia’s eyes were narrowed kindly. We’re comrade, the gaze said.

Shizuku shook her head tearfully.

「Now now, Shizuku. You’re taking it too hard even though it’s just crossdressing.」

「Just, crossdressing? Ojii-chan, I don’t think it’s only “just” ──」

「We were thinking of teaching you the disguise skill too you know?」

「Eh!? Is that so!?」

「Umu. Though Kaori-chan scolded us, so we stopped.」

「Eh!? I did!?」

「When you were little, you rushed into the dojo and protested to me directly you remember? You said that long hairsuited Shizuku-chan more.」

「「Ah!?」」

Hajime and others also remembered hearing about it before, that when she was little, Shizuku-chan kept her hair short on top of going to dojo, so she was worried that she looked boyish.

At the same time, they also knew that it became the impetus of her getting along with Kaori. Kaori talked to Shizuku because she felt that Shizuku was pretty despite looking boyish, then after she heard about her worry, Kaori displayed her stuff about being a rushing type maiden and charged into Yaegashi dojo where she protested at Shuuzou in front of a lot of disciples.

「Didn’t you say to keep my hair short because it would get in the way of swordsmanship!?」

「I didn’t though?」

It seemed that wasn’t it. They would only teach her for real after some time ahead of that but, it seemed they only told her to keep her hair short as the groundwork for disguise skill.

「It was from there that we understood we had been forcing you, and after discussing it with your parents we decided to not teach you the acrobatic skills.」

「T-to think that Shizuku-chan’s education policy was changed because of my rushing……」

Shizuku and Kaori were astonished *bohee~* by the unexpected truth. Sympathetic gazes came not only from Shia, but also from Hajime and others.

Perhaps both Hauria and Yaegashi weren’t too different from each other when it came too how easy it was for them to shock their daughters.

「So you are Yaegashi-dono. About the exchange of skill you mentioned just now, I wish to accept it by any means.」

「Oo, Carm-dono. I appreciate that! If you can have the chance to come to Japan in the future, I hope that we will able to hold a joint training with our disciples!」

「What a wonderful idea! It seems like we will be able to get along very well!」

Fuhahahah, Carm and Shuuzou exchanged a solid handshake.

Hajime and others thought. Eh? Could it be that two families that must never met with each other were introduced to each other with this? They thought.

「Nagumo Hajime.」

「Gil?」

「Do you also want to hold a technique exchange with us? You’ll become able to freely block any repulsive information you know?」

「I-I’ll think about it……」

Gil suggested with a kind voice and expression. The offer was a bit attractive, but Hajime held on from accepting for the time being, thinking that living with the five senses blocked all the time was a bit too much as a human.

「Then, boss. And everyone else too. Let’s go. Kuku, first let me show you the abyss deep in the forest where we, the clan of darkness is taking refuge──」

「Tou-sama?」

「……Kuku, this way.」

The daughter’s killing intent stopped Carm from trying to act cool, even so he used his guts to chuckle kuku and turned on the spot.

And then, he instructed the males to go stop the quarrel of the females before starting to show the way toward the Hauria village.

「Fufu, I can’t wait. But putting that aside, Hajime.」

「Hm? What is it, Kaa-san.」

「Show us later okay, your battle with Kousuke-kun.」

「!?」

It seemed that Sumire still remembered about Rana’s request. Hajime’s expression convulsed. He was going to firmly refuse but,

「……Nn! Leave it to me, Okaa-sama!」

「Yue!?」

An unexpected betrayal from Yue.

In addition the whole group unanimously said that they wanted to see. Hajime’s shoulders dropped with his expression gloomy while for the time being they headed toward the site of bloody battle in order to watch the gallant figures of the Hauria in the past.

AN: Thank you very much for reading this every time.

Thank you very much too for the thoughts, opinions, and reports about misspelling and omitted words.

The story doesn’t progress with Hauria’s appearance but it’s fun. It’s travel journal so the story is progressing leisurely, but I’ll be happy if everyone can also enjoy the story leisurely. Also, Gil-san’s appearance was in volume 11, while Kaori’s rush into the dojo was a story that appeared for a bit in the extra story of volume 9.

※I’m sorry but I have a bit of news. The following books are published today at the 25^th!

The spin-off series is finally completed! It’s thanks to everyone too that I’m able to write it until the end. I’m thankful from the bottom of my heart! I hope that everyone can watch the track of the other main character of Arifureta, Miledy and her way of living. My best regards!

Volume 9 of the main story’s comic, volume 7 of the spin-off Zero’s comic, and volume 2 of the Academy are also published at the same time. Like always I also wrote side stories at the end of the main story comic and spin-off comic. The stories are about Yue and others who started to notice Kaori’s true character, and the little Miledy who worked hard to become annoying. Please have a look!

Other than that, about the side stories that are exclusive for each bookstore, you can check them at my activity report or at Overlap-sama’s homepage.

• Zero volume 6 http://blog.over-lap.co.jp/tokuten_arihurezero6/
• Main story comic vol 9 http://blog.over-lap.co.jp/gardo_20211217_04/
• Zero comic vol 7 http://blog.over-lap.co.jp/gardo_20211227_03/
• Academy volume 2 http://blog.over-lap.co.jp/gardo_20211217_02/

That’s all, best regards!