Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai Saikyou

Chapter 431

Tortus Travel Journal ㊱ DHS

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At the center of Fea Bergen──the meeting place of the elders that Hajime and others once visited in the past,

「「「「「Aa~~」」」」」

Such voices that sounded like a completely exhausted salary man when entering a bathtub resounded.

The voices came from the parents in the demon king group. A banquet was held inside the tatami mat room with a splendid long table at the middle of it. The parents were tiredly lying down on it.

The welcoming they had just encountered was already beyond passionate and entered the territory of fanatical. This exhaustion was the payment for tasting the full experience of a superstar who got surrounded and mobbed by the fans.

Because everyone in Fea Bergen had become a fans of someone in the demon king group, their respect and affection toward the parents were also sky high. If anything, the people’s tension exploded hard due to the parents’ presence being even rarer than Hajime and co themselves.

People worshipping them with reverence, people asking for a handshake while crying emotionally, people giving a ton of offering.

The offerings also included children who wished to be employed as servant serving at their side.

Then some palanquins were brought from who knew where and the group almost got placed on those for a parade around the capital like an ancient daimyo’s procession.

The people’s feeling of affection was pleasant to experience but, the parents had to be very considerate the whole time when declining the flood of people’s overly heavy good will while being placed in such unfamiliar position. That was why they were completely exhausted mentally now.

「Uu, so embarrassing. Akiko-san, this must be how you felt at the royal capital.」

「I’m happy that you understand, Kaoruko-san.」

Kaoruko got called as the “Archangel – Kaoruko-sama” by the mass and worshipped. Akiko also got similarly worshipped as “Holy Mother – Akiko-sama” at the royal capital. The two of them grasped each other’s hands in sympathy with their face still red. Beside them,

「……Shizuku, what’s the meaning of this? Why is even Okaa-san went through something like this?」

「H-how should I know! I have never done anything really special for the beastmen to pay attention to me! If forced to answer then I think this must be Kaori’s fault!」

「!? That’s a misunderstanding Shizuku-chan! Certainly I think I did something like making it known that you are my childhood friend and best friend though……」

「Fuumu. Is it something like “Kaori-sama is an angel but her personality is a bit……then Shizuku-sama who has been helping her since they were little is simply a saint!”?」

「Don’t say that-, Koichi-ojisan! Or rather, what are you saying about my personality! What!」

Uncle Koichi silently averted his gaze. Certainly, if compared with Kaori-chan in the past……because he thought that a little.

「Truly awkward. For Kirino to be called “celestial maiden”, Koichi as “saint”, and for me to be “sword saint”. Yaegashi clan lives in the under……cough. We prefer to not stand out in public. After all we are shy people.」

「I’m not going to make any tsukkomi about those, Ojii-chan.」

Yes, just as Shuuzou said, the members of Yaegashi family also got titled by Shizuku’s fans.

When Shizuku came to the sea of trees before, she was still considered as “a member of the hero party” more. She also joined the party that stormed into the holy precinct at the final battle, so she didn’t leave as much impression as Kaori and Aiko to the beastmen.

And so, she felt a world shattering shock that her popularity was at such level that she even had proper fan group. It was completely unexpected.

Kaori received some mental damage because of one of the reasons of that fanbase formation but……

Putting that aside, what could the real reason be? Was it because of Shizuku’s mother hen nature oozing out to the surrounding? Or else, was her status as the angel’s protector made her popular by derivation? In any case, it was a puzzle how the title “saintess” got fixed on her.

Also, the titles for the other members of Yaegashi family had only gotten fitted to them just now due to the mood and course of event and the impression the gave off.

Because of that, the shadowy fami……the shy family that wasn’t good with being put on stage was unusually shaken due to their unexpected popularity. It caused them to be relatively tired.

Meanwhile,

「Uu, dear……that was a wonderful rush of animal-eared children-」

「Yeah. It was a terrifyingly fantastic fluffy assault. Human has no chance to win against such thing-. I almost got sent to heaven then-」

The Nagumo couple were the only ones who were exhausted in different meaning.

The majority of the crowd held back from crowding them. Perhaps because they were the parents of the great demon king, the people’s feeling toward them leaned more on awe rather than affection, so a lot of people acted humbly with the two.

Perhaps that was why something else happened in exchange. It seemed the children understood that Hajime absolutely wouldn’t get angry with them. They were greatly popular among the boys who harbored especially strong yearning for strength. It was those little kids who swarmed the Nagumo couple.

For the beastman character lover Shuu and SUmire, being surrounded by children with adorable and fluffy animal ears & tail was a supreme bliss.

「Spare me from your antic, Tou-san, Kaa-san. Because you two carelessly said something like 『I’ll take everyone as our family’s children!』『I’m bringing all of you homeeeeeeee!』……」

The capital got enveloped in silence just for a moment as though they had been splashed with cold water. What happened after that was an explosion. The uproar was so great that it felt like that.

I’m accepted as a member of that demon king family! I’ll work hard serving the family!

We’re a soldier of the demon king army from today! Hell yeah-.

No way! It’s unfair that it’s only you guys! Me too me too!

That kind of thing happened.

「You can’t blame us! We hoped to meet a real ero elf before coming here, but after meeting one, it only made us feel 『Wrong, this isn’t it……』」

「Altena is a special case after all. If that’s the norm for elf, then Alfrerick’ll really ascend to heaven. Or rather, that idea that elf is erotic, can you stop it? I’m embarrassed as your son. Go ahead apologize to the other wholesome elves.」

「Hah, as expected we can’t possibly see eye to eye in this! You’ve been like this since the beginning, for eroge’s heroine you always like the slightly pervy seductress older girl, or if the character is demihuman than your preference is always devil girl or vampire girl!」

「Stop talking about eroge at public place-, you stpid father! You’re completely going over the line!」

「……Nnu. Geez Hajime, so your preference was already me from the start. Fufu-」

「Hajime-kun……so your preference wasn’t me from the beginning……」

「See-, look at what you’ve done!」

Yue’s grinning face, the hard to describe gazes 「Hmph」「Hee」 from Kaori and the others, and most of all, the lukewarm gazes that seemed to say 「My my」 from the mothers Laoruko, Kirino, and Akiko were extremely painful. The understanding faces of Tomoichi and the other male parents also plainly hurt.

「More importantly, Myuu!」

「Myu!?」

Perhaps in order to change the atmosphere, Hajime called out unexpectedly loudly. Myuu who was sitting snugly on Remia’s lap while appeasing her thirst with a juice of something like coconut slightly choked because of that.

She looked at her papa resentfully even while Remia was wiping her mouth. But, in respond to the blunt as well as unexpected next blow from her embarrassed papa……

「By any chance, do you aspire to have harem!?」

「Myuuu!?」

What are you saying nano!? She was stunned out of her wits again. She dropped the wooden cups that was filled with juice. Remia mama caught it while going 「my my」 without looking particularly shaken.

「Myuu think that question should be asked to papa instead nano.」

Well, that’s true, gazes that said that stabbed at Hajime all at once.

「But Myuu. Mama is also concerned.」

「Eh!? Why nano!?」

An unexpected cover fire for Hajime’s side. Myuu bent backward to look up at Remia’s face after that remark. Mama was frowning, her expression was ve~ry troubled, looking like she was lost at what to think.

「Mama know that before moving to earth, you made a lot of friends when staying at the sea of trees. Just like with Prince Randell and others, there were also boys who mama wondered if they like you Myuu. ……Though all of them completely sunk with a single sentence 『I love papa』 from you.」

「Y-yes?」

After the final battle, during the time Hajime was trying to create a new Crystal Key and god crystal for going home, Hajime and co were staying in Fea Bergen but, naturally, Myuu and Remia were also there.

In that case, Myuu who could also be said as having cheat communication ability naturally cultivated friendship with the children of Fea Bergen. She instantly created a hundred (and more) friends.

Among them there were also a lot of boys like Randell but……the number of the girls were relatively more. Furthermore.

「Somehow it looked like the girls became like your royal guard protecting you from males. It was reassuring in that sense but, still……right, Remia?」

「Yes. Based from what I saw today……」

「The way the girls looked at Myuu-chan! They were undoubtedly maiden in love!」

「Sumire-obaachan!?」

「Or rather, Myuu-chan. Did you do it unconsciously? You made them blushed by patting their head, grinning brightly at them from point-blank, putting your arm around the waist of a girl who got jostled by the crowd and led them to a safe place……and in the end, you even did a wall sandwich, or rather tree sandwich didn’t you? You acted exactly like a handsome guy in shoujo manga.」

「Y-you’re wrong nano, Shuu-ojiichan! Everyone are just Myuu’s friends! That’s why Myuu got to help them when they’re in trouble!」

「M-Myuu-chan, you mustn’t do that!」

「Shizuku-oneechan?」

「You acted exactly like the early days hero!」

「What……did you say……!?」

Myuu fell down from Remia mama’s lap. She was on all four, repeatedly mumbling 「Myuu just……thought it was for the best……it was for the best……」 like a certain vampire princess when making excuse of why she was mixing strange things into cooking.

In the end, Myuu’s bad habit (?) of being kind to friend without any ulterior motive, especially to girls where she unconsciously made handsome guy move to them would never really be cured. In the near future where she enrolled into elementary school, the same situation would be crated in the blink of eye but…………that was a story for another time.

「Cheer up everyone, I shall apply healing magic now. Be sharp. The elders wouldst also return soon.」

Tio lavishly applied soul magic and regeneration magic while looking strangely energized. Even while straightening their posture, Shuu and Sumire and others made a conflicted expression at her. Hajime and others looked at Tio with plain disgust in their eyes.

「You……I’m amazed that you can be so nonchalant──no, so excited after the children acted like that with you. I wish you can feel a bit a shocked at least.」

「……Nn. They all went 『The pervert is hereee~! Runnnn!』 or 『Noooo-, don’t come near! I don’t want to become like Altena-sama-』, it was pandemonium just from Tio coming near.」

「What a sad, or rather, a horrible reaction that was……」

「Yes……. Were those children sisters? The older looking girl was even crying while throwing branch and stone……」

「They looked like they met a zombie or something……」

It was like they were scared that perversion was infections……Aiko added at the end.

It seemed, in Fea Bergen it was thought that the cause of the complete degeneration of the beautiful elf princess who was a wise, quiet, and graceful lady in the past was Tio who was widely known all over the world as an extraordinary great pervert.

At the end Tio also got swarmed by the children but, this too was a swarming in a different sense from what the others experienced. Some boys seemed to want to protect the sisters that Shizuku mentioned. They jumped at Tio who was going haa haa with a look of desperation on their faces and ganged up on her with a beating although the best that they all could do was just some harmless weak punches and kicks.

Of course, Tio got totally aroused from that. Although her mouth was yelling 「Please stoppp~」, her tone clearly denounced that there was “♡”attached at the end of her sentence.

「Though it was a complete misunderstanding I sayst!」

Certainly, it was a misunderstanding in regard to Tio’s role in Princess Altena’s masochification. If it was asked who was the one awakening her, it was Shia’s pro-wrestling technique (Kinniku Buster). Also from there it was clear that from the start Altena herself had that kind of attribute hidden inside her.

Although, for everyone in the sea of trees, the sudden change of their princess that they even idolized as a “saint” was difficult to accept. If there was a pervert whose fame resounded all over the world nearby, it couldn’t be helped that they thought of that pervert as the cause. Perhaps.

In any case,

「Tio-chan. As expected, being so happy from crying children throwing stones at you is……Okaa-san, think it’s simply not good.」

「──『A beating from pure and innocent children, priceless-』 That’s just wrong at all level you know……. You should be properly angry there.」

「I-I see. Hahaue-dono and Chichiue-dono looking at me like I am some kind of a pitiful creature……Priceless-」

As expected she is hopeless……everyone gave up.

There.

「Fuhee. Fii~nally I’m freed」

「I’m sorry for all the troubles, Shia Hauria.」

「Exactly right, Alfrerick. Being indebted to Shia is being indebted to me. Don’t forget it.」

「No, your clan is the most troublesome thing here. You aren’t forgetting that right?」

The fed up looking Shia, and Alfrerick who had gone passed ultimate exhaustion and had a transparent expression instead, and an energetic uncle(Carm) who looked the same as usual entered inside.

Shia and others had been soothing down the crazed people of Fea Bergen so that the group could tour the capital as smoothly as possible from afternoon.

Even the flow that couldn’t be stopped anymore just by Alfrerick alone could be dealt with if it was by the appeal of Shia and the head of the “race alliance” that had equal status with the elders.

Unlike Hajime and others, Shia was born in the sea of trees, so even the people here still considered her as a compatriot, and with Princess Altena at that state, Shia who was the daughter of the head of the “race alliance” had high enough status to be seen as “princess”──no, she was one of the demon king’s wives, and she was also undoubtedly a hero so the people had already seen Shia as the one and only “princess of the sea of trees”, so her words carried weight.

It was easier for her words to reach the people than Hajime and others who were regarded with crazed fanaticism.

Because of that she stayed behind to try calming down the situation, but the crowd she faced was only formed from people harboring good will toward her, so she couldn’t really use her usual musclebrained method. It seemed the process had eroded her nerves by quite a lot.

「Good work, Shia. Did you manage to lead them along well?」

「Uu~, I relied a bit on my fist at the end there, but I managed to did it peacefully on the wholee」

Shia fell down on her hands and knees and approached weakly. Yue smiled wryly at that, but she yielded the position at Hajime’s side to her. Shia grinned happily to that before collapsing on Hajime’s lap. *Guteee~* She entered the droopy Shia mode.

When Hajime patted her head, her rabbit ears started to flap around as though they had regained their vitality.

「Well, the people of Fea Bergen also doesn’t want to be a bother for boss. When we told them that everyone want to prioritize giving their family a tour of the capital, they accepted it without much trouble.」

「What about needing to rely on the fist?」

「The leaders of each faction stubbornly insisted on holding events like handshake session or the like, so……」

「It became troublesome that Shia Hauria punched them out cold. It was like pouring cold water on them. Well, it would be a good punishment for them.」

Even from when I’m standing, those guys are just too stubborn……Alfrerick said with his expression staying transparent the whole time. It looked bad. If there was light shining down on him from the sky, he might seriously ascend to heaven with how he looked. “Soul Repose!” came from Aiko who had recovered a bit.

「Allow me to introduce myself once more. I am one of the elders, Alfrerick Haipist. I apologize for the many troubles my granddaughter and my compatriots has caused everyone. Although, I still meant to give a warm welcome for everyone. Please, enjoy the banquet to your heart’s content.」

As expected from the actual leader of the elders. His face instantly changed from an overwhelmed grandfather into the face of an elder. Alfrerick gave them a bow that was overflowing with grace.

Sumire and Shuu also expressed their thanks once ore for the warm welcome. They also told Alfrerick that they didn’t mind the fanatic reception from the people although they said it with a wry smile.

Alfrerick patted his chest in relief hearing that, but when he was going to sit at the back of the long table, Sumire mentioned Altena with a troubled expression.

「Where is Princess Altena──」

「Please rest assured. She won’t show herself during everyone’s sightseeing here. I swear it in the name of my family, no, in the honor of all elves.」

「Eh? Umm, just what do you mean? Or rather, where is she right now?」

「Haha-」

「Why are you laughing!?」

In this world there are also things that you don’t need to know……Alfrerick sat on his seat and took a sip of tea as though to say that. With that he implicitly declared that this talk was over.

It seemed that it was a topic that was best left untouched. He mentioned before something about sealing but……it was like treating a beast of disaster that was a threat against humanity. Before long it felt like there would be a legend passed down orally about “The Sealed Pervert Altena”.

Carm also sat down on his seat. Seeing that, Alfrerick clapped his hand. Immediately, the servants came in bringing foods.

「Finally a meal nano!」

Myuu who was reflecting on herself leaped on her feet with her small nose twitching from the scent of the delicious looking lunch. Her eyes were also sparkling.

Sumire and others were also looking bright at the number of the lined up foods.

「It’s not an extravagant and luxurious cooking like in the empire or kingdom but……the sea of trees isn’t lacking in ingredients exactly because it’s a den of monsters. We have abundant variety to choose. Please enjoy these local cuisines that you won’t be able to taste anywhere else.」

Certainly, compared to the cooking that was served in the imperial palace and the like, the foods here were lacking in flashiness. The tableware also only consisted on simple things made from wood. The food arrangement was also basically just a large serving of dish placed on a large plate.

However, the fragrant scent drifting from skewered meats piled up high and the aroma of spices that stimulated the appetite, pots filled with vegetables that had been boiled to pulpy consistency like a stew, they were all looking rich in flavor and caused anyone to naturally drool from seeing them.

Among them there were also foods with appearance that were similar to Japanese food like nikujaga or chikuzenni,

「Ah, there’s also Myuu’s favorite bean nano! Myuu love how sweet it iss~」

「Fufu. You ate it everyday when we stayed here didn’t you?」

There was also a food that looked like black soybean simmered in honey that often counted as traditional food for New Year celebration.

The parents who already had their fill of other world cooking until now also gave favorable reaction seeing the variety of foods that caused feeling of affinity to well up inside them.

「They aren’t using any seasoning like shoyu or the like so they aren’t the same thing though.」

「You’re right. But, perhaps it’s because of the gentle taste? The seasoning make you feel relieved, just like with Japanese food.」

「……Nn. Thinking back now, Shia was also able to create dishes that were close to Japanese food to fulfill Hajime’s request. That too might be because the taste is similar with her birthplace’s taste?」

「Aa~, now that you mention it, that might be true. Well, sometimes it was all wasted because Yue-san tossed in some absurd ingredient though.」

「……I-I thought it was for the best」

Even while they were making such conversation, they began having lunch before the dishes got cold, because later on the other elders who were still working to calm down the situation outside would come to give their greeting.

Hajime and others enjoyed the banquet. Certainly it was different from Japanese food but, it was just as Kaori said, there was similarity between the two food cultures based on the gentle seasoning. Everyone of them was stuffing their mouth in enjoyment.

Alfrerick also seemed to be relieved seeing that. He was finally able to make a heartfelt smile for the first time since meeting the group.

Like that, everyone was having fun eating while talking excitedly for a while. There, a small servant walking unsteadily entered their sight.

For some reason, she strangely drew the gazes of Hajime and co.

She was a girl who looked around the same age with Myuu. She was working hard to replace the dirty plates with clean one with her small limbs.

No matter their age, one had to work if there was something that they could do. That was the custom of those living in the sea of trees. In fact, they had seen some boys and girls doing chores even in this mansion that was used as the conference place of the elders, so it wasn’t anything strange.

And yet, for the girl to draw the gazes of Hajime and co……

「Nnsho, nnsho-」

She wasn’t really doing anything flashy. She also wasn’t showing any over reaction at the presence of Hajime and co. Rather the girl was shyly looking down while working hard in her task. She had rabbit ears growing from her head.

Just what in the world it was, this intense feeling that something was out of place?

The rabbit eared girl finished putting tableware safely on the table. 「Fuu」 She sighed in relief and lifted up her face. There she realized for the first time that she was being stared at.

「a」 She let out a small voice. The rabbit eared girl instantly blushed bright red. She got all flustered while hurriedly turning around in embarrassment.

「Fukyaa!?」

She tripped on her own feet and fell over. 「Uu, it hurtsss. It’s embarrassinggg」 She sobbed while sitting on the floor and rubbing her eyes repeatedly──

「A, an aberrant species nano!?」

Myuu unintentionally yelled. 「「「「「That’s it!」」」」」 Hajime and others realized the true identity of their discomfort and yelled in agreement.

The rabbit eared girl started trembling with teary eyes 「Hiu!? What is itttt?」 because of the sudden simultaneous loud yells.

Yes, this rabbit eared girl, she wasn’t giving off any fighting spirit or dominating aura despite being a rabbit race!

She was truly a,

「……S-something like her is still not extinct yet」

「Protect! We need to protect this rare species!」

The originator rabbit race that was now an endangered species. A pure and innocent bunny who still hadn’t gotten infected by Hauria was right there!

「U-umm Myuu-chan? Everyone too. If anything, it’s the current Hauria that is the aberrant species desu.」

「Or rather, it should be clear to see that several years will be necessary in order to train the whole rabbit race.」

Shia and Carm retorted with conflicted expression, but since entering the sea of trees, they hadn’t seen any “timid rabbit person” even when faced with that fanatical welcoming, so everyone was deeply interested by the precious survivor.

It seemed that was also driving up the rabbit eared girl to the wall so,

「Uu, Kira isn’t a Hauriaaa. Kira is a good rabbitttt」

*Tremble tremble* The rabbit eared girl was shivering while covering her head. Shuu & Sumire commented 「Her name sounded really strong and yet she is so frail, the gap is amazing!」「Too cute! Must protect!」 while sidling up at her.

「No, this kid is quite bold with how she’s treating Hauria as bad rabbit right in front of Hauria’s chief like this. Don’t you think she has the latent potential to be super strong mentally?」

「Fuh, you said your name is Kira? How about becoming a Hauria too?」

「K-Kira will……not become a Hauriaauu」

Unexpectedly, Shia’s words seemed to be right on point. Even when faced with Carm’s words that were like the inviting phrase of a certain upper moon oni, Kira-chan still rejected him with determination.

Although she bit her lip a bit at the end there, the girl noticed the gaze of her senior servant 「That’s rude! Come back quickly already!」 and hurriedly tried to excuse herself.

At that time, she noticed Hajime’s gaze and bowed her head with a reluctant look.

Hajime seemed to recall something from that.

「Ah, you, could it be you’re the kid from that time?」

「!?」

When Hajime recalled her, Kira made an easy to understand smile and hopped *pyon*.

Actually, after conquering the sea of trees’ dungeon, during the brief time Hajime and co were staying in the capital before heading to the cave of ice and snow, it seemed that Hajime had encountered this Kira girl.

「Aa! I recalled it! Remember, Yue-san, Kaori-san, Tio-san! That time! When Hajime-san was napping with little kids all over him, she was the girl being hugged desu!」

「……Nn? Ah! From that precious scene!」

「Aa! That time we fainted from too much pricelessness!」

「I remembereth now!」

Eh? Eh? Shizuku and the parents and the others were looking bewildered. Then Kira-chan said.

「……At that time, because I said 『You, grow big just like you are right now if possible. Don’t be like Hauria, okay』」

「Eh, is that why she is really making effort to avoid becoming a Hauria?」

Kira-chan nodded up and down energetically. Hajime was moved. Just how obedient and innocent and brave this girl was. It seemed that the lost virtue of the rabbit race still hadn’t died.

「You’re……a good girl huh.」

Hajime unconsciously made a kind and expression and beckoned with his hand. After hesitating for a bit, Kira-chan approached with a little run and Hajime patted her head. 「Fuwaa」 Kira-chan’s face split open with a happy smile.

Perhaps because of that, a designation that she might have been using only inside her mind carelessly slipped out from her mouth.

「Ehehe……Otocchan(dad)……」

Hajime’s expression turned into astonishment. Seeing that, Kira-chan realized with a gasp of what had just run out of her mouth. She desperately tried to explain with 「W-wrong! I made a mistake!」. She looked extremely desperate, that Hajime laughed instead but……

「……What’s the meaning of this nano, papa」

「Eh?」

A shaking voice. When he looked at the side, there he saw Myuu tightly gripping the sleeve of her clothes with teary eyes.

「That girl, who’s she!」

「Myuu!? You’re misunderstanding! Or rather, your tone is strange you know!?」

「Papa made another unknown girl from somewhere into your daughter again! Papa you cheater!」

「You, you were watching too much afternoon drama again huh!?」

「Au au, Myuu-sama……I’m sorry-, this isn’t how it look──」

「Shut your mouth-, this thieving cat!!」

「Remiaaa-, forget about doing it later, let’s have a family meeting now!!」

「Forgive me dear-. Next time I’ll watch my drama recording when Myuu isn’t there-」

「So you’re still going to keep watching huh!?」

「This is the only thing that I can’t compromise on-」

A quarrel of jumbled love and hate between little girls concerning their papa. Looking just from the words, it gave the impression of muddiness that surpassed mere afternoon drama. Though the parents with Shuu and Sumire at the lead were bursting in laughter.

Yue and others were also smiling wryly. Meanwhile Myuu transformed into an angry cat that went 「Fushaaa-」, and Kira-chan entered Charis* Guard pose while trembling all over, so space magic to create a window and past replay were used to display the situation at that time.

There, Hajime could be seen squinting his eyes watching the beastmen children playing tag in the capital.

『Myuu, I wonder how’s she doing right now?』

Even though at that time not that much time had passed since he parted from Myuu, he must be feeling like he hadn’t met her for a long time from the number of dense experiences he had gone through. It could be seen clearly that he was feeling lonely.

However right after that, he smiled from recalling a fun memory.

Right after that, 『She ain’t gonna say that she won’t come with me because I’m taking too long to pick her up ain’t she? What if it doesn’t stop there, what I’m gonna do if she said that she hate me』 Hajime unconsciously muttered while looking greatly troubled.

「Myu……papa, you were thinking about Muu a lot nano?」

「Y-yeah. Well, I guess?」

Myuu’s expression softened *funyaa~*.

There, Kira-chan made her entrance inside the replay. She was taking a peek at Hajime with her body hidden behind a tree but her rabbit ears visible.

Naturally, Hajime quickly found her and called out to her but, Kira-chan who was completely wary against a stranger was so nervous that she couldn’t give any reply back.

Seeing that, Hajime sat down under the tree. He was watching the children playing with a gentle expression while talking about Myuu.

For the girl who had never left the sea of trees, the story about a city above the sea at the opposite side of the continent and the girl of the same age like her who was living there was more than enough to excite her curiosity. Without realizing it, she already sat right beside Hajime with her rabbit ears completely absorbed with the story.

She didn’t stop there. Finally she even started asking back. She was hopelessly curious with Hajime’s claim that he had a demihuman daughter. After all, at that time a story about human marrying demihuman was just completely beyond any imagination.

The question spread from there. The question whether Hajime was really Princess Shia’s lover also got asked.

Most likely, that was the reason she was peeking at Hajime from behind a tree. An older woman who was also from rabbit race like her was in a romantic relationship with a human youth. That story had reached her rabbit ears. The story was just too unbelievable that she wanted to know the truth.

Kira made a troubled face from being unable to understand. Hajime gently stroked her rabbit ears while answering.

『The thing about having rabbit ears, or that I’m a human, they don’t matter.』

『Don’t matter? Even though, she has rabbit ears?』

『She also got rabbit tail. Shia’s rabbit ears and tail are my favorite.』

From those words and Hajime’s eyes, Kira must have felt something that convinced her that Hajime having a rabbit person lover and fishman daughter were the truth. It seemed to manage to completely clear away the wariness and fear that were common for rabbit race from Kira.

She hopped on Hajime’s lap and begged him for more story with relaxed casualness. Seen from the side, such sight certainly looked like the scene of a daughter fawning to her father.

The Kira in reality was fidgeting shyly seeing that scene. The girls and the parents were also watching warmly. Shia’s rabbit ears were swaying shyly.

After that, without realizing it the children who were playing tag had also gathered around and pestered Hajime for story. The children were noisily yelling me too me too, in respond Hajime shared some candies with them and asked them to be quiet.

When the children got into a quarrel for the candies, sure enough, Kira had her candy snatched away and she looked like she was going to cry. Hajime scolded the boy who took away the candy while taking it back, then he used transmutation to make some retro toys for them to play with.

Before long the children got tired from playing and it was nap time for them. Even Hajime fell asleep from the peaceful atmosphere. Kira was on his chest getting hugged……

And then, Yue, Shia, Kaori, and Tio, the four who were watching that scene muttered 「Precious……」 and fainted together while getting heavy nosebleed. The adults who came to pick up the children saw the area that was turned into a sea of blood and screamed. It was chaos──

*Pshew* the replay cut off.

「……It was the height of preciousness, so it couldn’t be helped.」

「Yep, that really couldn’t be helped. It was just too precious.」

「Goshujin-sama napping peacefully with children, under the sunlight peeking through the leaves. I wantst to praise myself simply from surviving that experience.」

「I completely agree desu. I really did well enduring that moment.」

Even with the girl quartet making excuse about causing such filthy scene at the end, Shizuku and others only smiled wryly saying 「Well, it’s not like we can’t understand」.

「……Well, knowing that the man my daughter has feeling for is kind to children……is not a bad thing to know.」

「My, dear, that’s so honest of you.」

It seemed that Tomoichi’s reputation was increasing a little bit.

Shuuzou and others also looked toward Hajime with a broad smile as though to say that they had watched something good. Hajime scratched his head awkwardly.

「W-well, that’s how it was, Myuu. It wasn’t like I was particularly trying to make Kira my daughter, okay?」

「Myu」

Myuu nodded and took Kira’s hand. And then, she looked straight into the eyes of Kira whose body jerked while giving her an apology.

「I’m sorry for getting angry just now.」

「Myu, Myuu-sama……」

「Mostly it was papa’s fault nano.」

「Myuu-sama?」

「Eh, wait, Myuu?」

「After getting papa acting papa like that, of course you’ll think of him as papa then nano. In other words, the fault lies in papa whose papa attribute is too high, not the side who got papa-ed nano. After seeing that scene, Myuu think it’s fine for papa to become everyone’s papa nano.」

「There is too much papa in there. Look, Kira’s eyes are getting twirly from confusion.」

Apparently, there was a clear “papa theory” inside Myuu.

In any case, with this Myuu’s transformation into afternoon drama heroine was avoided.

Actually in the future from here, another new daughter candidate would appear and it would become a fight again but, at this time Myuu was already secretly aware of such future.

Kira somehow at least understood that it was fine for her to call Hajime as papa in her mind and she returned to her servant work with her rabbit ears and tail shaking happily.

After seeing her off, Kaori opened her mouth.

「That’s right, Yue. There is a past that I wanted to watch for a bit……can we watch it right away?」

「……Nn? I’m fine with that but, what is this past that you want to see?」

Yue tilted her head in puzzlement at Kaori’s sudden request. Thinking that it could become a side entertainment for the banquet, the others also didn’t really disagree. But,

「Umm, even I don’t know the actual location so perhaps it’ll be better to search using the compass. As for the timeline, it was the next morning after conquering the great dungeon of the great tree──the place where Hajime-kun and Shizuku-chan met.」

「Eh!? Wait Kaori!?」

Seeing Shizuku reacting so obviously agitated made everyone other than Kaori looked dubious, but Kaori herself completely ignored that. She spoke with an expression like a detective who was going to determine the criminal.

「The “precious scene” made me remember. Or rather it made me got an idea.」

「What idea? Or rather, there wasn’t really anything that happened at that morning……」

「If there was nothing that happened, then isn’t it fine, Shizuku-san?」

「……Nn. Or else did something happen, Hajime?」

「No? Shizuku was training, and I improved her black katana……after that Shizuku fell asleep while I was training so I brought her until her room, that was all.」

Hajime hiself didn’t understand what set off Kaori and tilted his head in puzzlement. Meanwhile Yue was operating the compass and opened a small window when she determined the place.

At the same time, Kaori was tracing back the time to search for the corresponding time. She then raised her voice 「As I thought!」.

Everyone got curious what what and turned their gaze toward the past replay, there──

A crucified Shizuku was displayed.

Like the figure of Jesus in the church.

She was affixed on a large cross that was floating midair. The morning sunlight penetrating through the tree leaves was illuminating the capital like angelic stairs. The figure was going forward amidst that while sleeping soundly.

Furthermore, the morning glow that was visible from the gaps of the leaves and branches became a halo behind the floating figure. The sight was just too divine.

Actually, Hajime who thought it would be too troublesome to carry Shizuku in his arms put her on a cross that had been enchanted with gravity magic to carry her but……

From the perspective of the capital’s citizens who didn’t know anything about that, the scene was like a procession of a maiden who looked extremely sacred due to the beauty that Shizuku had. Inside the projection, the citizens could be seen kneeling to give their worship to the sacred one.

I see, everyone got an understanding.

「「「「「No wonder she is the “saintess”.」」」」」

「Right!」

You’re the culprit! Kaori looked toward Hajime with a smug face. It seemed that the reason Shizuku got called as “saintess” was right here.

Shizuku sat down and hugged her knees. She started wrapping her ponytail around her bright red face.

And then, she gave a sentence.

「It’s all Hajime’s fault.」(TN: In Japanese, it read “Daitai Hajime no Sei”=DHS)

No objection was raised.

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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.

Kira-chan’s story was written in the special perk SS 「Daughter Deficiency Disease」 of LN volume 8. It was a story of Hajime getting a bit of mental leeway after conquering the sea of trees. I personally liked it so after hesitating for a bit, I put that story here.

※Forgive me but, please allow me to put up a notice for a new book.

Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai Saikyou volume 12 will be published at 25 January (Tuesday)!

I’m sorry for the long wait. I wrote special perk SS for each bookstore just like usual. Anyone curious can check in Overlap-sama’s homepage or my activity report for more detail. Best regards!!

blog.over-lap.co.jp/tokuten_arifureta12/

※Please also keep following the picture drama for anime second season at the official twitter that will only be there for one week!