Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest Vol. 2 Page 9

  The fact that all enemies needed to be thoroughly eliminated was a value that the abyss had instilled upon him quite effectively. After all, there was no telling what consequences letting up on your opponent might have. A cornered rat will bare its fangs. There was always the possibility that holding back could get Hajime killed eventually. That was why he was unwilling to agree to Ulfric’s request.

  However, the tigerman, Zel, wasn’t going to let Hajime refuse.

  “Then I’m afraid we won’t be able to guide you to the Grand Tree. Even the tradition says we have no obligation to help you if we don’t like you.” Hajime looked at him dubiously. From the start he had been planning on letting the Haulia guide him. He didn’t need to borrow help from Verbergen. Surely the elders realized that as well. However, Zel’s next words revealed his true intentions.

  “Don’t think the Haulia will be able to help you. They’re wanted criminals. They’ll be judged according to the laws of Verbergen. I don’t know what your agreement with them was, but you’ll be parting ways with them here. That cursed demon child and the criminals who protected her have put all of Verbergen in danger. The council has already decided to execute them.”

  At Zel’s words, Shea started trembling, tears welling up in her eyes. Cam and the others already looked like they were resigned to their fate. The fact that none of them were blaming her even now showed just how kindhearted they really were.

  “Esteemed elders! I beg of you, please show mercy to my family at least! Please!”

  “Shea, don’t! We’ve already made our decision. None of this is your fault. We’re not so heartless that we’d throw away our family to live. Every single one of us talked this over, and we’re all prepared. There’s no need for you to feel guilty about this.”

  “But...!”

  Shea prostrated herself before the elders in her plea for mercy, but it seemed Zel had none to spare.

  “The judgment has already been passed down. The Haulia will all be executed. Had you not deceived Verbergen, we would have settled for simply banishing the demon child, but it’s too late now.”

  Tears were streaming down Shea’s face. Cam and the others tried to comfort her. So their execution really was already set in stone. None of the other elders spoke. It seemed they cared more about the threat Shea had posed to Verbergen than Shea’s fate itself, which was why their sentence was so grave. In other words, the Haulia’s kindness had only exacerbated the situation. How ironic.

  “So there you have it. Your only other means of reaching the Grand Tree are gone. What do you plan on doing now? Test your luck and see if you can make it on your own?”

  “If you don’t like it, then you better listen to our demands,” or so the unsaid implication went. The other elders were all in agreement. However, Hajime didn’t seem terribly perturbed by their ultimatum.

  “Are you all stupid or what?”

  “Wh-What did you just say!?” Zel’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets at Hajime’s casual insult. Even Shea looked up at him in surprise. Yue already knew what he was thinking, so her expression didn’t change.

  “I already told you I don’t give a damn about your circumstances. Trying to take these guys away from me is the same as getting in my way.” Hajime glared down at the elders while placing a protective hand on Shea’s head. Her body trembled at his touch, and she looked up at him with a tear-stained face.

  “And I believe I’ve already shown you... what happens to people who get in my way.”

  “Hajime-san...”

  Hajime was just trying to get a return on his investment, and eliminate anything that got in the way of that. That was all, really. However, the fact that he was willing to declare war against all beastmen in the heart of Verbergen resonated with Shea, who was in the depths of despair.

  “Are you truly serious?” Ulfric’s sharp glare and stern expression made it clear that a lie would be met with harsh consequences.

  “Of course.” Still, Hajime didn’t waver. His will was unshakeable. In this world, anyone who meant him harm or intended to get in his way would be slaughtered without mercy. That was what he had sworn back in the depths of the abyss.

  “Even if we were to offer you guidance in their stead?” The decision to execute the Haulia was something that had been decided by the council of elders, which meant that if they caved into Hajime’s threats and repealed it, it would ruin their reputation as a nation. Even if they’d lose the bargaining chip they’d been hoping to use to entice a promise of clemency for those who attacked Hajime, they couldn’t afford to lose face by taking back their decision. That was why Ulfric had offered that compromise. However, Hajime made it clear that there was no room for negotiation.

  “Don’t make me repeat myself. The Haulia will be my guides.”

  “Why are you so insistent on having them do it? Anyone could take you to the Grand Tree.” Annoyed at Ulfric, Hajime glanced back at Shea. He’d noticed her gaze a while back, so when he turned around their eyes met. Shea could feel her heartbeat quicken. She averted her gaze instantly, but the pounding of her heart didn’t slow.

  “Because I made a promise. I promised to protect them in return for guiding me.”

  “A promise? In that case, couldn’t you consider it already fulfilled? You protected them not only from the monsters in the gorge, but also the imperial soldiers, correct? All that remains is to receive your reward, no? What difference does it make if we provide that reward or them?”

  “There’s a difference. I promised I’d guarantee their safety until they took me where I wanted to go. Just because a better looking deal showed up halfway doesn’t mean I can just throw that promise away...” Hajime stopped halfway and looked over at Yue. She too was gazing at him, and smiled slightly when their eyes met. He returned her smile and shrugged his shoulders before turning back to Ulfric and continuing coolly.

  “It just wouldn’t be cool to break my promise, you know?” Surprise attacks, bluffs, traps, cowardly tricks, the whole gamut. Hajime had no problem using any of them in battle. He was willing to use any means at his disposal in order to survive.

  However, outside of a fight to the death, he still had principles he wanted to stick to. If he threw away even those, he’d have no humanity left. And he was still a man. He didn’t want to cross that line in front of the very girl who’d saved him from falling that far in the first place. He wanted to stay someone she could be proud of. In short, he wanted to look cool in front of the girl he loved.

  Seeing that he had no intention of backing down, Ulfric breathed a long sigh. The other elders all looked at each other, hoping someone might have a solution. Silence filled the room for a few moments before Ulfric brought out one last suggestion with an exhausted look on his face.

  “Then let’s just say they’re your slaves. According to the laws of Verbergen, any who leave the sea of trees and do not return, or those who are captured as slaves, are considered dead. While we may stand a chance against humans in this fog-enshrouded forest, outside of it their magic would tear us apart. Hence why those who get captured are considered dead, and chasing after them is prohibited to prevent there from being more victims... If they’re already dead, we can hardly execute them.”

  “Ulfric! You can’t!” Sophism was all it was, nothing more. The other elders, of course, weren’t happy about that proposal. Zel had even gone so far as to protest.

  “Zel. Surely you see that this boy isn’t willing to back down, nor do we have the strength to force him to. If we try to execute the Haulia, he will fight us. As an elder... I cannot risk the sacrifices that decision would bring.”

  “But then how are we meant to set an example for the rest of our people!? If people discovered we caved to force and let this monster of a girl run free along with her demonic companions, what will they think of us? Our dignity will forever be stained!”

  “But...”

  Zel and Ulfric’s argument continued, and the other elders began voicing their opinio
ns as well. Before long it had turned into a shouting match. As expected, letting a potential threat run free and ignoring a verdict that had already been decided was not something they could easily swallow. It would set a dangerous precedent, and forever taint the name of the council. Growing tired of their bickering, Hajime decided to butt in despite knowing he might make things worse.

  “Umm, sorry to interrupt such a lively conversation, but don’t you think worrying about this worthless rabbit now after all this time is kind of pointless?” Everyone fell silent at once. The elders all looked at Hajime in confusion. He rolled up his right sleeve, then started directly controlling his mana. Crimson veins rose to the surface of his exposed arm. He then activated Lightning Field to further illustrate his point, and sparks started running down his arm.

  The elders all gazed in astonishment. When they saw him use magic without a circle or incantation, their jaws all dropped. They had thought Hajime’s left arm had been some sort of artifact, and that was how he had defeated Jin.

  “Just like her, I can control my mana directly, and use specialized magic only monsters are supposed to have. Oh, Yue can too, by the way. We’re all basically monsters here. If having the same abilities as actual monsters is grounds for execution, then shouldn’t you be trying to execute us as well? But wait, didn’t your law say not to oppose anyone who possessed the right qualifications, no matter who they were? No matter what you do, you’re going to have to break one of your laws. So being so hung up over her seems kind of pointless to me.” It took a few moments for the elders to recover from their shock, but when they finally did they started whispering furiously to each other. Eventually they reached a decision, and Ulfric, their representative, delivered it with an increasingly tired sigh.

  “Haaah, by the rule of the council the cursed child Shea Haulia will be considered a relative of the cursed child Hajime Nagumo. As Hajime has shown he possesses the qualifications spoken of in our ancient laws, we shall not oppose his passage. However, he will be barred from Verbergen and its surrounding settlements. Henceforth, anyone who takes any action against Hajime or his kin does so at their own risk, without the blessing or protection of Verbergen... That is all. Is this good enough?”

  “Yeah, that’s fine. Like I said, all I care about is getting to the Grand Tree and having these guys guide me, so no problems here.”

  “...I see. Very well, could I kindly ask you to leave, then? It’s a shame we cannot give a more proper welcome to the first person to ever fulfill the ancient pact, but...”

  “Don’t worry about it. I’m aware I’ve caused you guys a great deal of trouble because of my own selfishness. I’m just glad you didn’t choose do to anything stupid, honestly.”

  Ulfric smiled bitterly. The other elders all looked equally unhappy and exhausted. It wasn’t so much that they bore a grudge, or even hated Hajime, they just wanted him gone and out of their hair. He shrugged his shoulders helplessly and signaled Yue and the others to get up.

  Yue slowly rose to her feet. He couldn’t tell if she hadn’t had any interest in their conversation from the beginning, or if she simply hadn’t felt like voicing her opinion. However, Shea and the rest of the Haulia were still seated. It seemed the shock of what had happened had been so great that they still hadn’t registered the fact that’d been saved. They had come ready to die, and now they’d just been exiled. Most of them still weren’t really sure it was okay for them to just leave.

  “Hey, how long are you going to sit there daydreaming? Get up, we’re going.” The rabbitmen all hurriedly got to their feet and tottered after Hajime at those words. Ulfric and the others tagged along as well, saying they would escort him to the gate.

  As they were walking back, Shea timidly walked up to Hajime and asked him a question.

  “U-Umm, are we... really not going to be executed?”

  “Did you not listen to a word we said?”

  “N-No, I was listening, but... we got out of it so easily that it still doesn’t feel real... I feel like I’m going to wake up at any minute now and find out this was all just a dream...” The other Haulia all had the same bewildered expression on their faces. Hajime supposed that was just how absolute the elder’s judgment usually was for the beastmen. Yue suddenly chimed in, seeing that Shea still didn’t know what to do with her feelings.

  “...Just be happy.”

  “Yue-san?”

  “Hajime saved you guys. That’s the simple truth. Why not just be happy about it?”

  “......” Mulling over Yue’s words, Shea glanced up at Hajime. He just shrugged his shoulders without turning back.

  “I mean, that was part of the promise.”

  “Ah...”

  Shea’s shoulders trembled. In return for guiding him through the sea of trees, Hajime promised to protect her and her family. She had grinded herself to the bone, almost literally, in order to wring that promise out of him.

  Though she had seen a future where he was protecting them, there was no guarantee that future would come to pass. Shea’s choices constantly affected the futures she saw. That was why she had been so desperate to get his cooperation. Even though she had nothing to offer in return, and her potential savior was a human, a member of the race that discriminated against beastmen. All she had to negotiate with was her body and her special magic. When he had ignored both of those things, she had really wanted to cry, but she still desperately tried to squeeze a promise out of him. And so, on their way to save her family she realized that he wasn’t the kind of person that would go back on his word. Part of her conviction came from the fact that he never discriminated against her, a rabbit girl.

  However, all of that had been based on her feelings; she had never had a concrete reason to believe Hajime would stick to his promise. That was why she had still been a little worried deep inside. It was why she tried to say things like “He’s not a guy who’ll go back on his word!” with confidence, and extract promises that he’d be willing to fight against fellow humans. Despite her initial fear, she had actually been relieved when he’d killed those imperial soldiers without hesitation.

  Still, when they’d been negotiating with the elders, Shea’s fears that he would abandon them had returned. The circumstances were completely different. What he had done was the same as threatening war to the Emperor of Hoelscher’s face. And yet, he had kept his promise without backing at all. Regardless of whether he’d done it for his own sake or not, Yue was right. He’d saved her and her family.

  Just thinking about it made her heartbeat quicken once more. She could feel her face flush, and an indescribable feeling welled up within her. She wasn’t sure if it was happiness because her family had been saved, or... Thinking about it any harder would have made her brain overheat, so she decided to stop worrying about it and just be happy like Yue told her to. Her newfound emotions were clamoring to be expressed, so Shea did so the only way she knew how. By hugging Hajime as hard as she could, of course.

  “Hajime-saaan! Thank you so muuuuuch!”

  “Oof. Where’d that come from?”

  “Grr...”

  With tears in her eyes again, Shea buried her face into Hajime’s shoulder, clinging to him with inhuman strength. There was a beaming smile on her face, and her cheeks were a bright red.

  Yue growled unhappily, but then she thought better of kicking Shea off. Instead, she simply took Hajime’s hand in hers.

  As they watched Shea explode with joy, the reality that they’d been saved finally hit the other Haulia, and they all began embracing each other, reveling in everyone’s delight. The elders watched on awkwardly, unsure how to feel. There were plenty of hateful and angry gazes that watched them go, though.

  Hajime smiled bitterly as he realized his troubles in the Haltina Woods were just beginning.

  Chapter II: Rabbit Reformation

  “Now then, I’m thinking I need to teach you guys how to fight.” After leaving Verbergen, Hajime and the others had set up a temporary base near the
outskirts of the Grand Tree. Though perhaps “base” was giving them too much credit. All Hajime had done was steal... No, take some verdren crystals from the path and scatter them around their base. Most of the rabbitmen stared blankly at Hajime. They were sitting down on stumps and boulders, taking a short break.

  “U-Umm, Hajime-san. By teaching us how to fight, do you mean...” Shea asked hesitantly, voicing the question her entire tribe had.

  “I mean exactly that. We’re stuck here for the next ten days anyway, right? Might as well do something useful in that time, don’t you think? It’s high time you spineless, gutless, cowardly rabbits learned how to hold your own in a fight.”

  “Wh-Why do we have to...” Shea’s question had been a natural reaction to the sudden nature of Hajime’s declaration. Everyone’s rabbit ears trembled as Hajime glared at them menacingly.

  “Why? Why’d you think to even ask such a stupid question, you worthless rabbit?”

  “Aww you’re still not calling me by my name...”

  Hajime ignored Shea’s dejected mutterings and continued talking.

  “Listen up, I promised to protect you until you finished guiding me to the Grand Tree. But have you guys given any thought to what’ll happen once that’s done?”

  The Haulia all exchanged glances and shook their heads hesitantly. Cam even had a worried expression on his face. Though they had this nagging worry at the back of their minds, the sequence of insane events they’d been thrown into one after another had forced that worry away. Or maybe they just hadn’t considered it at all, who really knew.

  “Just as I thought, you haven’t thought about it at all. Though even if you had, it’s not like you’d have an answer for me. You guys are weak. First sign of danger and your only thought is to run. And now you don’t even have the sanctuary of Verbergen to protect you. So basically, you guys are screwed as soon as I’m gone.”