Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest Vol. 9 Read online

  Prologue

  I always thought it was unfair. That it was too good to be true. I mean, you were like a hero straight out of a fairy tale. Your dazzling crimson radiance was just too breathtaking. And you always appeared so solid and reliable.

  No matter how hard I tried, you always found out my vulnerabilities, and you always knew how to reassure me. Your presence was like a gentle spring breeze. Like a tree providing shade from a hot summer day. Like the biting chill of a crisp winter morning. Like the wistfulness of a bright autumn dusk.

  To me you were both bitter and sweet, a complicated enigma that words alone couldn’t capture. All of the insecurities I’d hidden away beneath the armor of my practiced smile you exposed without a care in the world. You aggravated me to no end. I hated that side of you. So please... I’m begging you. Don’t—protect me anymore.

  Chapter I: The Final Labyrinth

  A large object floated high above the clouds. It was Tortus’ one and only flying vehicle—the airship Fernir. Sunlight glinted off its polished hull as it cut through the sky. Clouds spread out below it in all directions, forming a sea that stretched toward the horizon. They lacked the fluffy white quality of most clouds and instead seemed like a flat sheet of burnished bronze. Because of that, Fernir gave off the illusion that it was gliding through an actual sea like a massive manta ray.

  “Wow. I can’t see the ground at all. It’s like how the Haltina Woods look from the sky.”

  Shea’s bunny ears twitched excitedly as she looked out of the bridge’s round window. The clouds they were passing through certainly did resemble the mist that covered the Haltina Woods. The sight reminded Shea of her favorite place in the forest, the tree that served as her mother’s—Mona’s—grave. She thought back to the night she’d spent with Hajime there, where they’d gazed up at the moonlit fog and talked about their feelings. After many trials and tribulations, she’d finally been able to enter the kind of relationship she’d wanted to with him. Shea giggled bashfully to herself and her ears and tail started wagging back and forth.

  “Mmm... It’s always cloudy over the Schnee Snow Fields. And there’s always a blizzard going. It’s the coldest place on the continent,” Yue muttered, as she turned from her own window and gave Shea a faint smile.

  The Schnee Snow Fields were a large tundra that covered the southeastern edge of the continent. They were bordered on the west by the Demon Empire of Garland, and on the north by the Haltina Woods. Supposedly they were covered by clouds twenty-four seven, and never saw the light of day. Worse, the snowfields were covered by a perpetual blizzard. Everything was coated in layers of snow and ice, and the temperature never rose above a few dozen degrees below freezing. Its hellish climate was the most extreme on all of Tortus.

  “There’s no way that weather’s natural.” Hajime muttered as he lounged on a sofa. His Demon Eye was glowing bluish-white through his eyepatch. Though he looked like he was relaxing, he was in fact constantly monitoring the external cameras installed on various places on the Fernir through his eye.

  “Both the blizzard and the clouds conspire to isolate the snowfields entirely from the rest of the world. I would assume this is the work of the Liberator who constructed this labyrinth.” Tio muttered in admiration.

  As she’d said, the Schnee Snow Fields were entirely cut off from the rest of the world. What was even more impressive was that the blizzard never pushed past its boundaries into demon territory in the west or the Haltina Woods in the north. Some invisible barrier kept the weather confined to a set area. While Tortus may have been a fantasy world, Hajime highly doubted weather like that was a natural phenomenon. Kaori, who was hovering around Hajime, suddenly looked out the window and said, “Umm... there’s supposed to be this huge crevasse in the snowfields right? And the final labyrinth’s supposed to be at its bottom?”

  “Yeah. The labyrinth of snow and ice—The Frost Caverns.”

  “The reason most people think there’s a labyrinth down there is because the weather’s clearly unnatural, and not a single person has returned from there alive, right?”

  “Basically. But we know for sure it’s down there, Kaori. Since Miledi told us directly. We got our information from one of the Liberators directly, so there’s no doubt it’s solid.”

  Oh, I forgot about that! Kaori nodded in understanding. At the same time, she felt they were kind of cheating by flying right through the harsh polar environment of the snowfields, which were likely part of the labyrinth’s trial.

  “So how is it, Master? Is the compass working?”

  Tio leaned over to get a better look at the compass in Hajime’s hand. In doing so, her voluptuous breasts dangled right in front of Hajime’s face. Hajime leaned back a little and nodded.

  “Yeah, we’re good. I’ve gotta say though, this thing is amazing. It doesn’t just point to whatever you’re looking for, it also gives you this vague impression of how far the thing is, and what the place it’s at is like.”

  Hajime held up the compass, which looked like an old-fashioned pocket watch. Lyutillis Haltina, the creator of the labyrinth within the Haltina Woods had granted it to the party as a reward for clearing the labyrinth. It was an artifact known as the Compass of Eternal Paths. And its ability was to show the wielder where what they desired lay.

  Neither normal magic nor ancient magic was capable of achieving such a feat. The compass had been created using concept magic, the pinnacle of all magic on Tortus. According to the hologram Lyutillis had recorded, it could only be used by combining all seven types of ancient magic. On top of that, the wielder of concept magic needed an unbreakable will, or they’d be unable to rewrite the laws of reality with it. Long ago, when Miledi and the other Liberators had first discovered it, they’d only been able to create three kinds of concept magic spells, despite their best efforts.

  Kaori sighed in wonder as she gazed at the compass and said, “It even told us where Earth is. Though it’s hard to describe how far it actually is...”

  “It took a ton of mana just to find where it was too. I never thought a single spell could drain me of all my mana like that. Hell, I nearly fainted after that.”

  Despite his bitter smile, there was a glimmer of joy in Hajime’s eyes. Back in the abyss, when he’d been on the verge of death, there had been just a single desire giving him the hope to push onward. Returning home. He’d been willing to throw everything else away for that goal. And now, that goal was finally in sight.

  Everyone vividly remembered how Hajime had smiled after they’d first cleared Haltina’s labyrinth and learned how to return home. That smile had been a mixture of warmth and strength, a difficult to describe but highly memorable smile. One that had shone brighter than the sun.

  Despite the hellscape outside, Fernir’s bridge was warm and safe. After a few minutes of staring at the clouds, Yue trotted back over to Hajime and sat down beside him. She looked warmly up at him, her expression full of love. Shea followed suit and hopped over to the sofa as well. But instead of sitting down on Hajime’s other side, she stopped in front of him. Fidgeting a little, she gave him a bashful, hesitant look.

  “Come on, stop worrying so much about how close you should get or where you should sit. You’re making me embarrassed just watching.”

  Hajime smiled awkwardly. For some reason, it was only after being acknowledged as Hajime’s lover that Shea had started getting embarrassed about being excessively clingy. Even though she’d come on to him nonstop when he’d been rejecting her advances, now that he’d accepted her she was hesitating.

  “Mmm... That’s cute, Shea.”

  Yue f
lashed Shea a thumbs-up. Shea’s bunny ears twitched and she said, “P-Please don’t tease me like that. Ugh.”

  Shea blushed and hid her face with her ears. Tio put a hand on her chin and muttered thoughtfully, “Indeed, your cuteness is destructive, Shea. How cunning! You’re almost as cunning as Kaori!” Her comment caused Kaori to look up in surprise. Does Tio really think of me like that!? Hajime sighed to himself, but then smiled gently. He tenderly held a hand out to Shea.

  “Come on, stop standing there and sit down.”

  “O-Okay.”

  Blushing, Shea happily accepted Hajime’s hand and sat down next to him. After a moment’s hesitation, she steeled her resolve and scooted as close to him as possible.

  “Mrr... I have to admit, that is cute...” Kaori groaned. Tio flashed Shea a grin and said, “So? I believe it’s about time you gave us a report, Shea. I held my tongue thus far out of consideration, but I cannot wait any longer. Tell us all the juicy details!”

  “What the heck are you talking about? Also, Tio-san, your panting and bloodshot eyes are creeping—Ahem, scaring me.”

  “Don’t play dumb. I’m asking how your first night with Master went! Surely something happened!”

  “Huuuuuuuh!? I-I can’t talk about that. There’s no way! How could you even ask something like that, you perverted dragon!?”

  “Don’t waste your breath complimenting me! I won’t let you change the topic. If you have even the least bit of pity for Kaori and me, who rarely even get a chance to sleep in the same bed as Master, then you’ll lay everything bare right now!”

  Shea shrunk back as Tio bore down on her, panting. Before she could argue back, Kaori said, “Oh? Did you just call me pitiful, Tio? Is it just me or have you been badmouthing me a lot more recently? Have I done something to make you mad!?”

  Kaori grabbed Tio’s sash and started pulling.

  “Calm yourself, Kaori. You’ve done nothing wrong. This is simply my way of bonding with you. I feel that since we two are the only ones being left out, we should get along.”

  “That just makes me feel worse!”

  Tio ignored Kaori’s protests and ignored the fact that her sash was about to come off, and continued pressing Shea.

  “Now come, tell me everything! I need to know about Master’s fetishes, his preferences, and his desires! Spare no detail! You who has surpassed me in life experiences must teach me what I lack!”

  “I’m not telling!”

  “Impossible... are Master’s fetishes so extreme that you shudder to even—”

  “Don’t put him together with you, Tio-san! Hajime-san’s not a pervert! He’s normal... but also... amazing. No matter how many times I—”

  Shea’s ears burned bright red. It was obvious from her expression what she was recalling. Apparently, she’d had quite a steamy final night in Verbergen. Incidentally, Tio, Kaori, and a whole host of others had tried to peek into Hajime’s room, but Yue had chased them all away with her Draconic Thunder. A certain elf princess had been more persistent than the others, and so had been rewarded with an even more severe beating than the others. She was currently recuperating in her house, ecstatically nursing her injuries.

  Hajime flicked Tio’s forehead with his prosthetic fingers, causing her to somersault gracefully through the air. The sound of her crashing into the wall brought Shea back to her senses. Realizing what she’d just accidentally let slip, Shea curled up in embarrassment and once again covered her face with her ears.

  “Mmm... I taught Hajime all there is to know. He’s a true berserker in bed.”

  “Yue, could you stop talking for a second?”

  Hajime comfortingly patted Shea’s head with one hand while he pinched Yue’s cheeks with the other. Kaori watched on with jealousy while Tio lay on the ground writhing in pleasure.

  “W-We finally made it to the final labyrinth! I want to hurry up and get through it so we can go see Myu-chan again!”

  Shea hurriedly changed the subject in an attempt to clear the awkward atmosphere. Chuckling at her desperation, Hajime responded, “Yeah. I hope she’s doing well...”

  By some strange twist of fate, Hajime had ended up taking care of a young dragon girl for a while. Her existence had been a huge part of why Hajime had started to change. In fact, he’d promised her that he’d take her back to Earth someday. The same promise he’d made to Yue back during the start of their journey. Hajime looked off toward the west, where Myu waited a continent away. Shea smiled and said, “I’m sure she is. Besides, she takes after you, Hajime-san. If we don’t show up to see her again, she’ll definitely go on a journey to find us instead.”

  You’re not wrong there. Hajime turned to Shea and nodded.

  “We’ll need to make some time to see Cam and the others too.”

  “Hajime-san... Ehehe, thank you!”

  In truth, Hajime had asked Cam and the other Haulia if they’d want to go to Earth with him before he’d left Verbergen. But their answer had been a definitive no. Hajime had expected that answer from the start though. After all, they’d resolved to fight against the empire. They’d decided to win their right to survive in this world with their own two hands. To fight back against the society that oppressed them. For the reborn Haulia tribe, earning their rights was both a matter of pride and their raison d’etre.

  Though he’d known all that, Hajime had still been a little disappointed that Shea would have to leave her family behind. However, Cam had just smiled at Hajime and said, “As long as you make Shea happy, that’s enough for me, Boss.” There hadn’t been an iota of regret in that smile. Truly, all he’d cared about was his daughter’s happiness. Hajime, of course, knew that it was possible for him to travel freely between Tortus and Earth while avoiding the gods’ interference. However, it would be a difficult feat, especially when he knew so little about conception magic to begin with. While he fully intended to make interworld travel possible at some point, he had no idea how long it might take. Once they went to Earth, he couldn’t say for certain how much time it would be before Shea saw her family again. Which was why he wanted to give Shea at least a day to spend with her family before they made the jump.

  Shea, of course, realized all that, and she beamed at Hajime before taking his hand.

  “But you know, Hajime-san. I’ve already said my farewells to Dad and the others. I’m happy you’re worried about me, but you really don’t have to be. I’m sure Dad would want that too.”

  “You sure?”

  “Yep! Fufu, I realized this after we first met Myu-chan, but you’re really nice to your family, Hajime-san.”

  Shea flashed Hajime a teasing smile and snickered. Yue also flashed Hajime a playful grin and grabbed onto his arm.

  “Mmm... Hajime really spoils his family. You have to be careful, or you’ll drown in his kindness.”

  “Ahaha. You’re right, if I let myself take advantage of Hajime-kun too much I won’t be able to do anything on my own.”

  I can’t believe even Kaori’s saying that. Hajime thought with a frown. He didn’t really want to be seen as some kind of NEET-enabler. Just then, the bridge’s sliding door opened, and Kouki, Ryutarou, Suzu, and Shizuku walked into the room. The four of them were so used to seeing Hajime cuddling with Yue and Shea that they didn’t even bother to comment. However, one of the three still raised an eyebrow in disapproval. Hajime ignored him and took the group’s entrance as an opportunity to change the subject.

  “You guys sure were at it for a long time. How is it? Did you get used to your artifacts’ new abilities?”

  Kouki and the others had been on the deck familiarizing themselves with the new powers Hajime had enchanted their artifacts with. Shizuku heaved a tired sigh and replied, “We did, Nagumo-kun. Thanks to—Wait, why’s she lying on the floor and grinning like a creep?”

  Shizuku leaped back when she spotted Tio panting on the floor. Considering Tio’s current appearance. Shizuku’s surprise was understandable. Kaori’s pulling had loosened Tio’s sas
h, and her kimono was on the verge of slipping off. On a normal person, that level of undress would have looked sexy, but everyone knew how much of a pervert Tio was, which was why Shizuku was so freaked out.

  “You can ignore the trash lying on the floor. Have a seat.”

  Tio squirmed in pleasure. Kouki and the others gave her a wide berth as they walked over to the sofa.

  “Anyway, how were they? Find anything wrong with the upgrades?”

  Hajime continued his conversation as though nothing had happened. I’ve seen this same exchange a bunch of times already, but I can never get used to it. Kouki thought to himself, nonplussed. He shot the dragon lying on the floor a few covert glances before replying.

  “Nah, they were fine. Honestly, I’m surprised. I can channel magic through my sword way easier now. It’s stronger too, and all the new abilities look useful.”

  Kouki frowned as he said that, unhappy that he’d gotten stronger without any effort, and that the source of his newfound strength was Hajime. Ryutarou either didn’t notice or didn’t care about his friend’s plight and added cheerfully, “Man, this stuff is awesome! It felt weird stepping on air at first, but this is going to come in handy for sure. And my gauntlets are twice as strong as before. I can’t wait to test them out in a real fight!”

  On top of upgrading their artifacts, Hajime had also given Kouki and the others new artifacts to boost their abilities. Among those artifacts were boots which had been enchanted with Aerodynamic to let them stand on air. Ryutarou punched his gauntlets together excitedly, like a child eager to test out a new toy. Shockwaves spread out from the point of impact, a display of one of the new powers Hajime had endowed them with. Suzu, who was sitting next to him, grimaced as the shockwaves passed through her and ruffled her twintails. Once the shockwaves subsided she nodded and said, “Unlike everyone else, my artifact’s a completely new one so I was worried I might not be able to use it right, but it was way easier to get the hang of than I thought! Now... I’ll be able to fight too. I won’t have to settle for just protecting everyone. Thanks, Nagumo-kun!”