Published at 17th of February 2023 4:12 pm

Side Story: Blu Ray Chapter 1: A Journey With Grim Prospects

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

After overcoming the invasion incident by the demon king army in the Heiligh Kingdom.

Hajime and co resumed their journey with the newest additions of Kouki, Shizuku, Suzu, and Ryuutarou, the hero party, as well as Princess Liliana along with her maid & royal guards who were heading toward the empire.

The flying ship Fernir――it was the first flying vehicle in the world of Tortus. With that travelling method that scared the living daylights out of everyone, the group departed in high spirits. That happened at this morning.

Normally the distance from the kingdom to the empire would take several months to traverse. With Fernir, that distance could be traversed in a day and a half. When the sun was going to reach the zenith that day, currently the flying ship was,

「To think that we would fall right after the departure……」

「Thinking again, flying in the airplane that your classmate made on his own doesn’t sound like a sane thing to attempt isn’t it?」

It just had an emergency landing. It hadn’t even reached the town of Ur that was located in the middle point of the kingdom and the empire.

It was lying in a valley between a mountain range like a manta ray that got stranded on land.

The female camp was resting beside it. Hellina-san who was the leader of the princess’s personal maids had swiftly set up a folding table set and even brewed warm black tea while she was at it.

Lying down on that table were Shizuku and Suzu, looking like the very picture of human who had just narrowly escaped death from how pale their faces were looking. Kaori too was sighing.

「Geez, really……this is because Kouki-kun spoke needlessly……」

「Well, there was also Goshujin-sama’s bad habit.」

「Hajime-san’s “romance soul” is really troublesome desuu」

Hajime was inside the bridge repairing the ship. Kouki and Ryuutarou were helping him.

What happened here?

It began with the praises from Liliana and others to Hajime for his success in creating a flying ship, the impressed comments of Shizuku and others, and Kouki feeling just a little jealous.

――It’s certainly amazing but……isn’t it a bit too slow?

This vehicle was still in the trial stage. The magic power consumption would increase in proportion of the speed. That was why Hajime was driving it carefully just in case, but……

It was a flying vehicle that he made by himself with great tenacity in pursuit of the romance of flying in the sky of another world. If he heard someone else finding fault about it, then it couldn’t be helped that he became 「Then I’ll show you what this ship is made of!」, maybe.

In any case, it was a fact that Hajime activated the acceleration device that he installed in the small chance that it would be needed.

The ship began to fly with outrageous speed after that. Not only that, it even flew acrobatically. It seemed that Hajime became carried away in his fun midway that even the screaming and pleading to stop inside the bridge couldn’t reach him.

――When speaking of flight game, the valley mission is a must innit!

After saying that, Hajime intentionally charged into a narrow valley and did things, like passing through the gap of precipitous cliffs with 90 degree turn, etc.

Suzu turned into a merlion at that point. The inside of Ryuutarou’s clothes was used as trash bag replacement.

Liliana fainted with her eyes rolling back so that the white her eyes showed, exposing an ugly appearance that was unbecoming for a princess. The royal guards were turned into heaps of corpses in their respective cabin.

Naturally, there was no way anybody had the leeway and time to enjoy the other world sky and flying vehicle.

「……Can everyone not blame Hajime too much? I’m also at fault this time.」

In the end, Yue took action using a forceful method in the form of “Lightning Dragon” but, that attack that was for remonstrating her lover unexpected caused the keystone of the flight system――the gravity stone to go berserk.

What happened after that was the manifestation of nightmare that was losing ship control while midair.

And so, after many twists and turns the ship somehow did emergency landing and things came to this point.

Even Aiko and Yuuka and the others who had sent them off would surely never even dreamed that they would crash like this only a few hours after departure.

「HAH, where is this place!? I’m a princess!?」

Liliana had actually stayed unconscious all this time. She finally woke up and looked around restlessly.

「Princess, how are you feeling? Now, please take a sip of this.」

「Ah, Hellina! Father was waving his hand at me from the other side of a river just now……」

「It’s just a dream.」

Hellina-san said that bluntly and clearly and told her to just drink the tea already while holding out a cup of steamy black tea that gave off a nice aroma. She seemed powerful. Come to think of it, she never let go of the princess from her embrace even while the ship went out of control. She also didn’t really scream or anything. Even now she never swayed on her feet or even looked dizzy while serving the others with wonderful performance.

「Hellina-san is really amazing desuu.」

「Uumu. Shouldst I say, as expected from the princess’s personal maid.」

「I’m extremely honored to hear that.」

The maid who could even casually catch the whispering of Shia and Tio, that was Hellina-san.

Even Suzu and the others managed to calm down greatly thanks to her consideration and service.

「Uu……are we, going to ride on this again? Can’t we, use that car, Brieze for the rest of the way?」

「Suzu, I understand thy feeling. But as expected, the car wouldst not be enough for everyone.」

Of course, Suzu knew that. She understood that she was saying something selfish.

But, however, what just happened along with the vomiting thing had become a small trauma inside her.

「But stilll! In reality Nagumo-kun himself had only piloted this ship for real for the first time……that was just like someone driving a car for the first time! Someone like that shouldn’t be allowed to pilot a plane right!? This is a plane we’re talking about you know!? Safety First! Life is important! Double check and triple check everything before finally rollout! That’s the common sense right!?」

「C-calm down, Suzu」

Suzu unconsciously became high tensioned, but what she was saying was completely right.

In fact, Fernir was a prototype. That was why it wasn’t used when rescuing Aiko. Even if there was no problem with it on paper, it was still in the stage where it needed repeated trial flights to find and iron out all the defects. And Hajime’s own skill as pilot was practically still zero.

And yet Hajime talked while laughing after the emergency landing. It went without saying that Suzu and others stared at him coldly at that time. This was what people meant when they talked about a true scary story.

「But, Suzu-san……in your world, when you’re driving, there’s the custom of stepping on the gas pedal when you saw a criminal right? What in the world is this “safety first” thing that you mentioned……」

「Where did you hear something like that Shiashiaaaa! No, you don’t need to tell me! It must be Nagumo-kun rightttt-」

Fuu fuu, Suzu was breathing hard in high tension. Kaori spoke to her with a gentle tone in order to calm her down.

「It’s fine Suzu-chan! If it’s us then we will survive even if the plane disintegrate midair!」

「That’s not the problemmmm-」

「Even if someone accidentally die it’s possible to resurrect them now! Just like with me see! See!」

「Who influenced you to change so drastically like this!? No, don’t tell me! It must be Nagumo-kun rightttt-」

*Fushaa* Suzu-chan’s low twintails stood threateningly like an angry cat.

Tio couldn’t bear to see anymore and used soul magic to forcefully calm her mind. Suzu’s expression instantly turned blank. It made her looked like a very unstable person which made it scarier instead. And so Shizuku attempted to change the topic.

「Is that soul magic just now? The magic that resurrected Kaori……」

「Oo, it’s amazing that thou noticed. Exactly. This magic art really difficult to control. I’m trying to use it as often as possible for practice.」

「That’s……reasonable I guess. After all it’s a magic that influence something vague like “soul”.」

「……Nn. But its versatility is very high.」

「Certainly. I’m focused with getting used to this body, so I still haven’t managed to grasp it really well but……other than resurrection, it seems like this magic can also be used for things like seeing soul, or drawing out power, and many other things.」

「It’s also possible to impact the soul with it. In mine case, I couldst insert the soul magic into mine roar when transforming into dragon.」

Shizuku was impressed hearing that. Certainly this magic seemed like it had very wide application.

「Now that you mention it, the night before the departure, you separate your soul from your real body and frightened Kaori with it. You two also ran into me during the chase……I thought my heart would stop beating that time.」

Liliana gazed at Yue with a blank stare. Actually, such thing happened. It was a soul magic practice that Yue did. Also, Liliana who hadn’t slept at all in five at the morning because of work looked pale like a ghost that Yue too also screamed.

Yue wordlessly averted her gaze and displayed a magic in order to dodge the topic.

「……You can also do something like this with it.」

Yue turned her gaze toward Kaori. Kaori tilted her head while going 「Hm?」 seeing that. Yue grinned.

Kaori’s cheeks convulsed. It was a bad smile! She immediately tried to jump away but she was a bit late.

「――”Purification”!!」

「Sto- ――AAAAAAAAA-!?」

Midway Kaori’s scream changed tone as though it echoed directly inside their brain.

Of course it was like that. Kaori’s head slammed on the table and she laid there unmoving, while at the other side, there was the transparent figure of Kaori floating in the air like balloon. Furthermore she didn’t have the appearance of Noint, but her actual appearance.

『Just what are you doing Yue! My soul came off because of you!』

It seemed she came off. Put me baaack! Put me baaack! Kaori insisted while her hand kept swinging on Yue’s head, but they all simply passed through. It was truly pitiful. What a very lighthearted out-of-body experience.

「……And then, this.」

Yue-sama was grinning with great enjoyment. Her image as a cool beauty was rapidly crumbling. Meanwhile, Yue leaned deeply on her chair and her body became enveloped with golden light. It was the soul separation state that Liliana witnessed. A half-transparent Yue manifested. Kaori went 『If we’re both ghosts then-!』 and rushed forward to hit her with a demonic look, but Yue smoothly evaded. Unbelievably, her soul went into Kaori’s body.

『AH, Yue!? Don’t tell me!』

「……I am Kaori♪ A pervert who always have lewd delusion of Hajime-kun all the time!」

Noint’s body got up in a snap and took a sexy pose while saying something like that. She also winked her eye like a flirt.

One of the royal guard was coming at that moment to give a report. Red heart trickled down from his nose when he witnessed that sight before he ran away from that place while saying 「A sight for sore eyes!」.

The place became deathly silent. It became hard to stay in that place. That was too much. It was a horrible deed.

And so, Kaori jumped into Yue’s empty body. And then,

「I ahmm, Yuee! I’hm five outhside and inhside! I’hm also flath as boarddd!」

「Buhooh」 Shia & Tio couldn’t hold back and snorted. Yue’s body made a horizontal peace sign over her eye while winking. She also lifted one leg while introducing herself cutely. Apparently such appearance was too much when done with Yue’s appearance.

「Tsu, Kaoriiiiiiiiiiii!!」

「What-, you want to have a go!? Okay! Bring it onnnn-」

The two whose outer appearance had been switched started scuffling with each other noisily *gyaasu gyaasu* like usual.

Everyone had an exasperated look on their face seeing that, but it seemed they were still interested with the fact that the two had been switched with each other inside.

Certainly anyone might have dreamed it at least once, to become another person who they looked up to.

Because of that Suzu kept sending glances to the side.

「Oh? What is it Suzu-san?」

「Ah, no, ummmm……Suzu just, wondering, how will it feel if Suzu become the soul inside Shiashia’s body.」

「Eh? Me?」

Shia was surprised. But it seemed she wasn’t the only one.

It was no wonder. Since getting saved in [Orcus Great Dungeon], Suzu had been calling Yue as “Onee-sama” with respect. If she wanted to become someone else then it should be as Yue.

Even the quarreling Yue and Kaori were turning their gazes toward Suzu with puzzled looks even while their hands kept pulling on each other’s cheeks.

「Yep. Because you know, Suzu’s body is short right? My figure is also not good, and I’m also not that good in PE. That’s why, Shiashia who’s my complete opposite is who I’m yearning to be should I say……」

「Aa, I can understand that a little. I’m also not that good in moving my body, so I also have that kind of feeling toward Shizuku, like, it will be really fun if I can also move my body that freely.」

Liliana felt sympathy to Suzu. Suzu nodded fiercely 「Something like that!」 in respond.

Yue nodded in understanding. Kaori and Tio too. Shia’s monstrous physical ability certainly could only be described as magnificent. It was truly a superhuman physical body like the protagonist in superhero fiction.

In fact, they all could understand the feeling of jealousy from wondering just how it would feel to move in such body.

「So it’s something like that? I’m the opposite though. I love cuteness like Suzu-san’s appearance. You are also good with magic unlike me right? I have a bit of yearning for that too you know?」

「I-is that so? Hehe……」

A girl who could crush even a rock with her fist, and a girl who heroically put up the barrier with her small body in order to become everyone’s shield.

Certainly, with that kind of description, it was understandable for Shia to think of Suzu as someone wonderful.

It was as though both sides were making a confession that they harbored a longing for each other. An atmosphere that felt slightly precious was forming between Shia and Suzu who were faintly blushing.

After seeing something like that, it was human nature to want to make it came true.

「……Then, both of you can give it a try.」

Golden light filled the area. The two’s whole bodies were swallowed by the light that was spreading out like a wave. And then,

「Eh, ah, my breasts are huge! I can’t see my feet! Ero! This is definitely Shiashia! Awesomeee!」

「What kind of comment is that desu!?」

Shia who was Suzu inside became super excited by the bombastic breasts that had a lot of exposed skin. She swiftly groped and massaged them.

The appearance of Shia going haa haa while fondling her own breasts with blushing cheeks looked terribly obscene.

Suzu who was Shia at the inside got up from her chair in a hurry that her chair fell backward. She tried to go around the table to stop what was happening, but perhaps because the current body’s height and physical capability were too different, her legs stumbled and she fell on the ground flashily.

「I-it hurts desu. Even though a fall like this would be like nothing before……uuu, Suzu-san, your legs are shor――」

The gaze from Shia (Suzu)’s lightless eyes pierced Suzu (Shia).

「Suzu isn’t short-legged or anything. It’s just Shiashia whose style is too great. Thanks for your understandinggg-」

Shia (Suzu)-chan crouched down like a thug while glaring. The pressure from that glare was even greater than when she did it in her original body.

Suzu (Shia) even became tearful from getting glared like that from so close by her own face.

But, there was nobody to stop Shia who was snapping like that. After all they also had their hands full with what happened to themselves.

「Eh, eeh, me too!? This kimono, this is Tio isn’t it!?」

「Oo~, I am there. That tone, art thou Shizuku? In that case, fumu. I hath been switched with Shiuzku it seems.」

「This is……by any chance, am I becoming the princess right now?」

「Hellina!? Why are you acting that composed!?」

It seemed that Shizuku and Tio, and the master-servant duo Liliana and Hellina had been switched with each other.

Tio (Shizuku) and Hellina (Liliana)’s gazes snapped toward Kaori (Yue).

「……Nn. Success. Please enjoy it to your heart’s content.」

A firm thumb up was given in respond. Noint’s face was looking magnificently smug.

It made them a bit irritated but this was a precious experience. Even while feeling bewildered, each of them began checking the body that they had been switched into. Shizuku (Tio) raised a surprised voice from the height of Shizuku’s physical ability that she could feel even just from the feeling.

「Umu, magnificent. This body art surprisingly very well trained.」

「Eh, is that so? but, Tio-san’s body is also――no-, that’s not it! Yue-san! As I thought, please switch us back to normal already!」

Although Tio (Shizuku)’s face broke into a happy smile for an instant when she heard that praise, her face instantly turned red the moment she looked down on her current body.

The magnificent twin hills there surpassed even Shia and looked like they were going to spill out anytime now. And her thighs also became visible from behind the kimono if she moved.

Actually she had been thinking 「It’s a bit lascivious isn’t it……」 about Tio’s pseudo kimono since quite some time ago. And now she was wearing it. It was embarrassing.

She hurriedly pulled her collar to cover her chest completely while pressing her legs together to hide her thighs. Then,

「……Impossible. Tio, can actually look that cute!?」

Kaori (Yue) shuddered. The appearance of Tio desperately hiding her body while fidgeting restlessly looked erotically cute, terribly so.

The overly voluptuous breasts became even more emphasized with the way the hand was grasping the collar to close them and the way the arm was buried into the valley of the breasts. And because she also grasped the bottom of her kimono and pulled it close to her legs, the shape of her large butts became completely visible.

Seeing that made even Yue (Kaori) and the others to gulp.

「S-Shizuku-chan’s maiden power and, Tio’s supreme style, are the strongest when combined together.」

「……Nn. She look like a plainly lovely older lady like this. Terrifying.」

「What! I am always a lovely lady all the time, art not that right!?」

The way Shizuku complained with an archaic way of speaking also looked cute in its own way. Even so.

「「That’s not true. Reflect on yourself.」」

「Nnnnn, cold words from mine comrades, Priceless-」

Shizuku hugged herself and started writhing around. Her cheeks were rosy. Haa haaa.

「Don’t be a pervert with my body! Give it backkkk!」

「F-for mine self to grasp me with a crying face……aa, it feels like, a new door wouldst open up……」

「Nooooo, don’t make that kind of face with my faceee!」

By that kind of face, of course she meant a look of sloppy ecstasy.

The Onee-sama who was so cool that she was constantly multipliing her Soul Sisters (self-proclaimed) without any self-awareness, Shizuku was putting on a disgusting smile while going ahe ahe. Meanwhile the unprecedentedly perverted dragon was making a tearful face that greatly tickled everyone’s desire to protect. This scene, bluntly speaking it was horrible. Especially with the great damage that was inflicted to Shizuku.

「As expected Shizuku-chan is just too pitiful here……and she’ll be scary later. So Yue, return her to normal already.」

「……Nn~, but they’re still having fun over there.」

Yue was looking toward Shia and others.

Shia (Suzu) was running around while yelling 「Ahahahaha, amazing, amaziiing!」. She hopped around on a rocky area, running on the wall, etc. She was having fun with the body’s super specs to her heart’s content.

Suzu (Shia) was watching over that with worry while going Awa awa. It seemed there was actually a trick in how to move the body so that the boobs wouldn’t jump out even though the rabbit race’s clothes had such high exposure rate.

Suzu-chan didn’t have any such thing that could spill out on her original body, so naturally she didn’t know about such trick. Instead she was making the boobs going *boing boing* intensely. Even now the breasts looked like they could go “Nice to meet you!” anytime.

Meanwhile, with Liliana and Hellina, the master-servant duo.

「Your highne――nh, nh. Hellina, the tea.」

「Yess-, your highness♪」

It seemed they were giving a try in experiencing the reversal of the master-servant status.

Liliana (Hellina) was giving order with a slightly troubled look, while the always calm and collected elite miss maid was smiling brightly like a sun. She started to prepare tea with skippy footsteps that showed her excitement.

Hellina-san had dark brown long hair that was tightly bundled into a bun behind her head, tall height, and almond shaped eyes. She was a cool beauty. But the way she acted like an innocent tomboyish girl like that was……

Bluntly speaking, it really packed a punch.

On the other hand, Liliana too had the appearance of a fourteen years old girl, and yet she was now giving off the aura of a lovely big sister who was watching over her merry little sister. She was exuding a sex appeal that was unbalanced with her age. That gap was bringing out a charm that was similar to Yue. And then, there,

「W-what’s going on here……」

「Your highness-, what in the world is going on!」

The royal guards who just came back from patrolling the surrounding came running toward their princess with astonished looks.

「Eh? Ah, err, this isn’t like how it looks. Right now――」

「Commander♪ Thank you for your hard work. How about some tea?」

Hellina-san (who was her highness the princess inside) innocently rushed with cheery footsteps toward the royal guard commander who had a splendid beard on his face. The mister commander who was a married man blushed seeing Hellina’s behavior that was far removed from her usual attitude!

His subordinates also weren’t an exception. Actually, Hellina-san was secretly popular among the palace staffs.

「H-Hellina-dono? You seem different than――」

「Nn? Is thereee, something strange with meee?」

Hellina (Liliana) tilted her head slightly. Sly. It was so sly! The members of the royal guards were all letting the voice of their hearts 「Cute……」 to leak out from their mouths because of that. Especially the young knights. Their gazes were blazing! Their hearts were nailed on!

Hellina-san (the real one) couldn’t just stay quiet seeing that.

「Princess! Please stop with the mischief!」

「My, what is your highness saying out of nowhere like that? You are her highness the princess you know?」

It seemed the princess still didn’t feel like stopping with the “slyly cute Hellina mode”. She joined her hands in front of her chest and acted like a sincere beauty worrying for her master with moist eyes.

And so after her cheeks convulsed uncontrollably, Hellina-san (the real one) switched track.

She decided to rake the princess who was going too far with her mischief over the coals.

「Royal guards! Line up-!!」

「「「「「Tsu, Ye-, YES!」」」」」

The command from their master was electrifying. The royal guards who were putting on sloppily fawning faces tightened their trembling expressions as though they had just gotten whipped.

However even after seeing such readiness, Liliana (Hellina)was looking at them with a cold gaze as though she was looking at insects.

Her highness was never like this! The royal guards thought while feeling their guts growing cold. Hellina (Liliana) too went 「Ah, this is bad. I overdid it!」 while trembling in fear. She pleaded to Yue-sama with her gaze in panic so she could return them back to normal, but it was already too late.

「Kneel.」

「Eh? Ha? Umm, your highness――」

「Are you mishearing your master’s command? I said, kneel.」

The order resounded quietly, however, it was filled with haughtiness that would send a shock into all listeners.

The royal guards froze from hearing that order that normally should be impossible coming from the princess. It was unnaturally. Something was strange. But,

「There won’t be the fourth time. Kneel.」

「「「「「Ye-, YES!!」」」」」

They wondered why. It was hard to oppose the command. Not because the order came from the princess, but because it felt like their instinct told them to.

They lifted up their gazes fearfully. There as expected they found an extremely chilling gaze looking at them as though they were trash.

Really what’s going on! It’s giving us the shivers! Although she’s the princess, she’s still just a fourteen years old girl, and yet! Right now rather than being a princess, she’s――yes, she’s her majesty, our queen!

「Yue-saaan! Quick! Please return us back to normal quickly! Hellina is acting even more lordly than me! She’s taking control of the royal guards! What’s more it’s toward an extremely bad direction!」

Hellina (Liliana) looked like she was going to burst crying anytime now while rushing toward Yue-sama’s position.

Seeing that, Yue and Kaori who had returned back to normal without anyone noticing looked at each other.

「……It doesn’t look unnatural at all though?」

「Don’t say that……though, I also thought that for a bit.」

Kaori lowered her eyebrows when faced with her friend’s sad reality. There, another sad reality came knocking.

「AHAH, AHAHAHAH!! I can smash a rock with my fist! This world is actually this fragile! This feeling of omnipotence……IT’S WONDERFUL. Suzu is unrivalleedd! Suzu won’t lose against anyone ever again! AHAHAHAHAHAH」

「S-Suzu-san!? Aren’t you heading toward a forbidden direction!?」

There they saw the figures of Shia (Suzu) who was on top of a rock getting high for some reason like a hero who fell into darkness and Suzu (Shia) who was desperately calling out to her. Furthermore, right beside them was,

「……L-look over here, Shizuku. I admit it, I was the one at fault, okay? So thou shouldst stop looking so sullen like that.」

「……」

「Say something at the very least! I promise that I’m truly reflecting on mine fault-」

Tio (Shizuku) was expressionless and wordless. She was simply staring quietly while tear trickled down slo~wly on her cheek. Shizuku (Tio) was doing dogeza to apologize. From the side it looked like Tio crying expressionlessly while Shizuku was apologizing profusely to her. It was Chaos.

Therefore,

「Eh, what’s this? You guys, were you drinking alcohol or something?」

It couldn’t be helped that was the first thing that Hajime said when he returned.

.

In the end, the repair work continued until it was almost evening with a break in between.

The repaired Fernir was currently in the sky above the world’s biggest lake, [Uldia Lake].

Shia and Kaori were looking below with troubled expressions.

「I hoped that we could at least have a change of pace here but……it’s a waste like this.」

「H~mm, too bad. Even though I heard from Yuuka-chan and others that the lake town look the prettiest in evening…」

「There art no sign of it stopping at all.」

It was still evening but the world was dark. The bright and sunny sky was changing to be cloudy and rainy as they kept heading east as though the world was getting bad mood. They stopped by in this place to sightsee as well as for the ship’s test flight, but it had the opposite effect instead. The gloomy looking lake and the heavy and damp dark clouds were weighting down everyone’s mood.

Hajime was sitting on the sofa in the bridge. Yue who was sitting beside him looked toward him with an upturned gaze.

「……Hajime, sorry. This is because of my lightning dragon.」

「I told you that it was my fault right? I’m begging you, don’t mind it anymore.」

Hajime looked pained instead hearing Yue’s apology and patted her head with a wry smile.

「Well, in reality it was more an upgrade rather than a repair. He looked like he was having a ton of fun.」

「Who knows how long he would continue doing that if we didn’t stop him yeah.」

Kouki and Ryuutarou stared accusingly, but Hajime paid them no mind. Because, he had finally managed to get his hand on real flight data. There was no reason for him to reflect on himself.

「W-well, it’s not a problem if it resulted in the ship’s safety improving.」

「Suzu and the others are also still scared……the faces of the royal guard misters and the maids when they heard that we are going to fly again looked like death penalty prisoners when the day of their execution finally arrived.」

As expected, a lump of metal has no business flying in the sky. They who held such conviction couldn’t erase their trauma so easily. Even now they must be trembling like small animals in their respective room.

「Nagumo-san, how about we stay at Ur today? We’ll go there right? Let’s go.」

「……Are you alright princess? Your complexion is so pale like a corpse.」

「Princess, please drink this.」

The pallid color of her face was astonishing. Liliana’s hands were grabbing the edge of the sofa so tightly that they were turning white. Hellina-san brewed a tea with calming effect for her, but Liliana’s hands were trembling so much that the tea was sloshing out from the cup.

As expected, it became hard to say 「This ship is equipped with sufficient sleeping facility y’know」 after seeing such appearance. The gaze of Kaori who was worrying for her friend was also stabbing into him.

「Suzu and others also want to visit the town of Ur!」

「That’s right. That place has a lot of dishes that are similar with earth right? I want to try eating there.」

Suzu and Shizuku also agreed after seeing that Liliana and others looking like they would be unable to sleep inside the ship.

「Well, it’s not like our schedule is so tight that we need to keep flying for the whole day and night.」

Hajime shrugged his shoulders in acceptance. It made Liliana sighed in relief from the bottom of her heart and all tension left her body, which caused her tea to spill on her lap. She yelled 「Hoott-」 and rolled around in pain.

Liliana’s plan to visit the empire had ran into many troubles right from the first day.

After that it didn’t take long for them to arrive at the Town of Ur.

Right away, the palace group left behind the royal guard commander and several knights while the remains split up.

They went to announce the princess’s arrival to the town mayor, the guild branch, the church, and the kingdom army’s garrison base in this town that got enlarged in scale since the monster attack incident. There were also personnel who got dispatched to secure the lodging. After all even though “Water Fairy Inn” that they would visit after this was a long standing establishment, it wouldn’t be big enough to accommodate the whole group.

While Tio was scattering the rain with wind to some degree, Hajime and others entered into the city to head toward the inn.

For Hajime and others, this was a place that they had just visited several months ago, but they felt nostalgic perhaps because of the deeply eventful journey that they had gone through.

「That rampart. It’s the one that you told me before right? The one that Hajime-kun made.」

Kaori was pointing at the north with sparkling eyes. Ryuutarou and the others also raised their voices 「Ooo~」 in admiration seeing what she was pointing at.

「Seriously? The north side of the city is completely covered up ain’t it?」

「Uwaa. Suzu can somehow imagine it by seeing the remains. You did that thing right, shooting your gatling gun like crazy on top of that, right?」

They were half sightseeing like that when Liliana suddenly stopped walking.

She was looking around doubtfully unlike Suzu and others who were looking around with curiosity and excitement.

「What’s up with you princess?」

「No……it feels like there are too few people here for this time period.」

「Certainly, people won’t shut themselves inside the house just from this much rain.」

It seemed Hellina was also feeling suspicious.

Everyone else also looked carefully around them. Certainly, there were too few people in the area. No, there was almost none at all.

Even the people that they caught sight sparsely were walking away with fast pace as though they hadn’t noticed Hajime and co at all. They looked like they were completely fed up by the rain and the muddy ground.

「Don’t tell me, the people who evacuated during the fight still haven’t returned desu?」

「As expected there art no way that’s the case. According to Sensei-dono, even the soil that was dirtied by the monsters’ flesh and blood apparently hath been returned to normal after all. There art no reason for the people to not go back.」

「……Nn. In any case, it’ll be convenient if we can go until the inn without making any commotion.」

It went without saying that Hajime, Yue, Shia, and Tio were famous people who were known by everyone in this town. They were this town’s saviors and also people related to the goddess whose fame in this town had even reached the level of worship.

And so, there was a large chance that people would swarm them the moment they entered the town.

Considering that, they could accept even this gloomy rain with a tolerant feeling.

「Let’s go to the inn already.」 Hajime urged the group.

“Water Fairy Inn” was welcoming the group with an atmosphere that made them felt its history just like before.

Lights were already leaking out from the windows. It seemed that the inn was in business. However……

「Nn? I don’t sense many people inside……is this lucky for us?」

This was the best inn in the town. Customers never stopped coming to this place. But, they could only sense several people inside right now.

「Perhaps the incident of the monster army’s attack is causing the tourism here to decline.」

Liliana was frowning. The financial effect from Ur’s tourism industry was an important source of revenue for the kingdom. Tourism business was strongly influenced by people’s impression. It was only natural for her to feel apprehension.

In any case, there was no point for them to just stand around in front of the inn. Hajime opened the door.

There were nice smells.

One was the smell of the inn itself. It made them felt like they were inside a forest after a light rain.

The second smell was the fragrance of spices that proclaimed themselves severely as though to overwrite the first smell. The fragrant smell of grilled meat was also drifting in combination of it.

*Kukyuu~* An adorable voice rang out. Shizuku’s straight expression was reddening quietly.

It was adorable, so everybody forced themselves to not react.

The group looked around at the inside of the inn. The first floor was used as the dining place of the inn, and as expected, there was no guest inside. It was the very picture of a business in a slump.

「Welcome――Oh! Well, well, well, if this isn’t Nagumo-sama!」

「Long time no see, or perhaps not that long I guess, owner.」

The situation was strange but, it seemed the owner was healthy. An elegant man who was past middle aged pushed open a curtain and appeared from inside the kitchen.

The man had gentle demeanor and hair that was styled all-back with some white hair mixed in. The word “gentleman” naturally formed up in the mind of anyone who saw him. This was Foss Seluo.

His expression broke into a smile the moment he saw Hajime. The wrinkles at the corner of his eyes deepened as his amiable smile widened. Even Kaori and others who had just meet him for the first time unconsciously smiled back in respond.

Although, even that smiling face of Foss changed instantly when he saw the face of the girl who popped out from behind Hajime. He let out the voice 「Nnh!?」 slipping out from his mouth as he doubted his eyes.

「Y-your highness, is that you?」

This territory was located to the extreme north within the kingdom. Many people here never had the chance to catch sight of the royal family’s faces.

But, it seemed that Foss wasn’t one of them. Most likely he had the chances to catch sight of the royal family from afar in some events.

He was showing a bewildered expression that was somewhat half in doubt.

「Nice to meet you, Foss Seluo. I have heard of your nice work in serving great hospitality to not only the goddess of bountiful harvest, but also to the apostles who are invited to our country by the god. As the representative of the royal family, this Liliana S. B. Heilight shall convey our thanks to you.」

Liliana slightly bent her knee and put one hand over her chest. That was the greatest form of respect that a royal family could show to a commoner. Accompanied with a smile that was like a blooming flower, there was no doubt that this was the prodigious daughter who was beloved by all the people of the kingdom.

「Tsu, this is a great honor. I will remember this with pride until the end of my days.」

Foss naturally kneeled on one knee and bowed his head deeply.

「……You’re really a genuine princess huh, princess.」

「What do you mean by that!? Nagumo-san, I have been thinking this all this time since we reunited but, aren’t you treating me too coarsely!? I’m a princess just so you know!」

The royal aura that was radiating from her whole body was rapidly withering. It seemed that Foss’s nervousness got dispersed too with that.

He smiled wryly while,

「This is truly a honor to receive the visit of everyone here to my humble inn. Come, please take a seat.」

He bowed with a gentle aura. Hajime and co followed his lead and settled down inside the VIP room that Aiko and the other classmates had also used in the past.

「Now then, can I infer that everyone’s visit today is for dinner as well as staying the night in here?」

They came to an inn that was also a dining hall. It was only natural for him to make such guess.

Hajime and others looked toward Foss with dubious looks, wondering why he was going out of his way to ask that.

「Pardon me. The truth is, something slightly troublesome is currently going on in this town. The mayor, the head of the guild branch, the priest, and the commander in charge of the garrison here has even sent a messenger with a message that they had jointly signed toward the palace in order to report about it.」

The messenger still should be on the way there time-wise. That was why, there was no doubt that this visit of the princess and the others was unrelated with that, but the timing was too good that Foss asked the question just in case.

Liliana changed her expression. She acted like a princess once more.

「Is this, related to why there are only a few people outside?」

「Very astute, your highness. That’s right.」

As expected, it seemed something was really going on. Hajime narrowed his eyes and asked.

「Is it because of that? The monster attack has something to do with it?」

「No, Nagumo-sama. There isn’t any negative effect from that incident. Rather it’s the opposite.」

According to Foss, the miracle that was brought by the goddess of bountiful harvest and her sword caused many tourists to flood this town. It brought a lot of financial and social benefits for the town.

「The cause is this rain.」

Hajime and co tilted their head in confusion. Foss turned his gaze that was tinged with sadness to outside the window while telling them a shocking truth.

「Actually, it has rained continuously for more than a month.」

「A month!?」

Liliana unconsciously raised her voice. Tio rubbed her chin while making a pondering look.

「I believe that there art nothing like rainy season in this region though?」

「It’s as you say. This is the first time that the weather has ever rained for this long without stopping at all in this area.」

Foss was born in this town. In the past there was also a time when he traveled in order to broaden his horizon, but there was nothing he didn’t know about his birthplace.

Rather, his parents often told him stories about the inn’s history along with Ur’s history, so he could also be considered as a living dictionary. He wasn’t just a mere inn owner, but even the mayor often relied on him as a consultation partner.

「The rain is also gradually getting stronger little by little. It has also even harmed the farming in this region.」

「So that’s why the tourists and even the residents stopped coming outside.」

This town had overcome a great danger. The atmosphere also became lively because a new legend was born here. The situation for this town should be smooth sailing after that with great prosperity flooding in. But the reality differed from that, so the disappointment of the townspeople also became proportionately greater.

「……What about monsters? Were there any surviving monsters coming?」

Yue asked about the possibility that this weather was the work of a monster’s characteristic magic. Of course, she didn’t think that there could possibly be a monster that could control the weather. But the monster army was that big. The power of number couldn’t be underestimated.

「The army and adventurers had investigated and monitored this region since then, but there isn’t any sign of monsters going to this direction.」

It seemed that this area had become a horribly terrifying region for the monsters. Foss’s gaze turned toward Hajime, Yue, Shia, and Tio as he said that.

「We focused on crushing the monster leaders after all desu. The monsters at the top of the food chain where the strong eat the weak were all killed like that, so, well, no wonder the rest of them became extremely frightened.」

「Unlike mine attacks, Yue’s magic was like the height of unreasonableness after all.」

In any case, it seemed that the cause of this abnormality was still unclear. That was why the leaders of each organization here sent a message with their joint signs.

「In addition, there is one more thing that I ought to report. The adventurers who were monitoring the monsters discovered something that seems to be a ruin.」

「Ruin? Was it, undiscovered before?」

「Yes. It’s at the other side of the fourth part of the mountain range. It was further underground of a valley. Although it’s crumbling, they said that there is a clearly artificial space underground.」

The monsters who lost their pack leaders were getting into conflicts with their fellow pack members or with other packs while going north. The reason for their fighting was to choose a new boss and conflict of interest.

The power balance in the [Northern Mountain Range] must become greatly altered because the monster army got led away from their original turf and also lost of their influential specimens in the end because of Shimizu Yukitoshi’s brainwashing.

The monsters that were living in the mountain range became stronger the further north it was. The fourth part of the mountain range was an untrodden land for human. Even the adventurers wouldn’t be able to tail the monsters if they currently weren’t focusing on fighting against each other.

「……There’s a ruin in that kind of place.」

「A part of the mountain range must have caved in because of the great migration and battles of thousands, tens of thousands of monsters. The discovery must be because of that. We need the specialists to investigate the ruin. And also, at this rate the pack of monsters that won the battle for survival might use that ruin as their base. Because of those reasons, this matter is also included along with the abnormal weather in the message that is being sent to the palace.」

Currently a part of the garrisoned soldiers were replacing the adventurers and making base camp near the ruin for observation.

「Could it be, that ruin and this long rain are related?」

Kaori was groaning mumumu while speaking her conjecture.

「You know, there is real example of a ruin being connected with weather in this world, like the great volcano’s sand tornado.」

They recalled the profoundly mysterious phenomenon at [Grand Gruen Volcano] where a part of the tornado got blown away because of the eruption, however, the tornado returned to normal after some time passed.

That was clearly a weather manipulation that was working in concert with the ruin called great dungeon.

「Eh, does that mean this is the eighth great dungeon desu?」

「……That’s impossible. If that’s the case then Oscar’s diary or Miledy should make a mention of it.」

Yue denied it. Tio also nodded with a thoughtful expression.

「In the first place, it’s a ruin because it hath existed since the ancient time correct? It couldst not be possibly the reason for the rain coming down right now.」

Everyone nodded in understanding. This seemed to be just a case of weird timing. Liliana was pondering with a grave expression, while at her side Hajime and co looked at each other and smiled wryly.

「Well, it’s not our business.」

「O-oi, Nagumo. Aren’t you being a bit too heartless there? There should be something that we can――」

「Nope. Even if there is I won’t do it.」

Kouki displayed his inherent sense of justice, but it found no sympathy.

Kouki’s eyes became glaring with displeasure from how Hajime so easily disregarded the trouble of this town’s residents.

Liliana too must be feeling concerned by this problem that was occurring in the area that was the greatest farmland in the kingdom. She couldn’t imagine that the abnormal weather and the ruin had any cause and effect relationship with each other, but she looked like she wanted to take a look at it.

「Umm……Nagumo-san. It’s not that far away from here using Fernier, it’ll be just a small detour――」

「Not doing it. Or rather, even though you wanted to get off that ship so desperately like that, you aren’t hesitating at all to get on it again when it’s for work. That’s amazing.」

「Uu, that’s, well. No, right now the first priority should be the negotiation with the empire. I’m sorry.」

Liliana pulled herself together and shook her head. And then in exchange she said,

「Foss, my subordinates are currently visiting the mayor and other leaders to notify them of my arrival here, so they will come here later on. Please allow them to pass through to here at that time.」

「Is that alright?」

「Yes. I wish to order them right away to mobilize the kingdom’s full power to discover the cause of the abnormality here. If it’s necessary, we will even ask for the goddess of good harvest’s cooperation once more no matter what kind of compensation the kingdom has to pay.」

「Your highness, I thank you from the bottom of my hearts for those reassuring words.」

Foss bowed very deeply with heartfelt respect filling his eyes. Shizuku and others who were quietly watching that exchange got impressed expressions on their faces seeing Liliana acting as a princess.

Of course, Hajime-san paid it no mind.

「Now then, it’s fine to end this talk here right? Time to eat.」

「Nagumo, read the mood a little……」

「……Hajime. Here, menu. What are you going to eat?」

Kouki tried to present a candid advice, but he dropped his shoulders dejectedly because even Yue was starting to read the menu excitedly. Shia, Tio, and Kaori also followed suit.

「Everyone, you all are being too apathetic even though there are a lot of people being troubled right at this moment……」

「Well, we also get our own objectives you know?」(Ryuutarou)

「True. It’s worrying what’s going on here but, we have to do our best conquering the great dungeons……」(Suzu)

「Hey, Kouki. I understand your feeling but, we have our own things that we have to do right?」

「Even you Shizuku……that might be true but……」

Kouki looked down. His sense of justice couldn’t possibly ignore people who were in trouble. That personality of his caused him to be unable to clear up his cloudy expression.

「My apologies. I talked too much and made the atmosphere to be a bit grim like this. I was lacking in consideration.」

「Ah, no, that’s not…」

Kouki couldn’t continue when even Foss was apologizing. He became depressed because it was as though he was throwing a temper tantrum. Foss seemed to guess his feeling and started talking with intentionally bright and joking tone in order to change the atmosphere.

「Unexpectedly, this matter might be the doing of the water fairy.」

「Eh? What do you mean by that……」

It wasn’t just Kouki. Even Shizuku and others were also tilting their head.

「Water fairy――you must mean, the maiden of the lake who brought good harvest. It’s said to be a subordinate of the god.」

As expected from Liliana. The prodigious daughter of the kingdom. Apparently her knowledge also covered the fairytale of the countryside.

「Legend of the lake’s manifestation hath existed since the ancient time. Though the detail of that legend wouldst change subtly depending on the era.」

「If I remember it right, the name of this inn too, it originated from the legend that the husband and wife who built it were healed by an existence that came from the lake wasn’t it?」

It was a famous fairytale of this longstanding inn. Hajime and others who had visited here in the past also knew about it.

Foss nodded happily.

「It’s said that existence is the embodiment of love and innocence who was sent to this land by the god in order to protect this fertile land, but on the other hand, there are also stories how it handed down divine punishment to those who tried to pollute this land.」

That was why the people who lived in this land treasured the land and the lake.

「A lot of bloods were spilled in the previous battle. Those were monster bloods but……」

「For a supernatural being, there is no difference between human and monster, is that what you want to say?」

「Perhaps so.」

That was why, perhaps the water fairy was trying to wash away the sadness and impurity from this land with this rain. Foss told that romantic story while smiling.

「……In that case, I shall pray that the end of that exalted being’s sadness and purification will come soon.」

Liliana replied with a smile. But, she must be feeling complicated inside as someone who knew the truth about god.

Hajime and the others also felt the same. The mention of the subordinate of god made them guessed the hidden side of the legend that Foss had gone through the trouble to tell them.

「Now then, has everyone decide what to order?」

The urging by the cheerful Foss made Liliana and the others to switch track.

Like that, Hajime and co enjoyed the foods with relish after so long, while Kouki and the others enjoyed the nostalgic taste for the first time. And then that night they went to bed early with satisfied stomach.

The thought that an outrageous situation would occur that night never even crossed their mind.

.

Deep at night. When the date of the day had also changed and the majority of the townspeople were sleeping.

After the previous monster attack incident, there was a newly built watch tower with roof attached. On top of it was a guard yawning 「fuwaa」 sleepily.

His coworker who was accompanying him tonight didn’t criticize him. He too was rubbing his heavy eyelids.

Days and months had passed since that incident and not a single monster had appeared since then. In addition, there was this rain. It was not only frustrating to hear, the background sound of raindrops was also luring them toward sleepiness.

「Hey」

「Huh?」

「Is it true that her highness the princess is visiting?」

「What’s the point of me lying about that.」

It was a conversation that they held without much thought. It was nothing more than a mean for them to resist the sleepiness. Their guard was completely relaxed.

That was why, they didn’t notice. The approach of the existence at the other side of the night’s darkness.

「I want to go take a look, at the princess.」

「Come to think of it, you. You were assigned to the eastern army all this time weren’t you?」

「Ou. I’m from the countryside after all. I only went to the capital once for the entrance exam into the army. I didn’t get any chance to see big shots like the royal family at all. ……The princess, she must be a beauty right?」

「Look here. Her highness is still 14 years old you know? She was just nine years old when I was serving in the capital. Well, she was just as cute like in the rumors though.」

「Seriously? I want to switch place with someone patrolling near the inn……」

Where the princess is staying, he must be wanting to say that. But his words suddenly stopped. The other soldier was puzzled by the sudden pause and turned his gaze to his side. He saw his partner looking dumbfounded toward the sky.

He looked strange. What was he looking at? No, his eyes were unfocused.

He could only think until that far.

「Aa――」

What the other soldier could do was only letting out such stupid voice.

His consciousness was vanishing slowly, as though he was falling asleep.

There was no discomfort, no pain, even his anxiety and fear were vanishing as though they were getting sucked away.

But, several somethings were oozing out from inside the veil of night’s darkness and raindrops. He got the feeling……those things were scattering toward the inside of the town.

The volume of the sound of the rainfall was increasing. The color of the cloudy sky was thickening as though it was swallowing the night and the darkness was deepening. Perhaps that was why. Nobody realized the strange thing that was happening across the town. Yes, even Hajime and others weren’t an exception.

And then,

「……it’s calling. Have to go……」

One young man also slipped out from the town without anyone noticing.

Although the sword in his hand was shining and vibrating faintly, there was nobody who noticed.

.

The sun peeked out from the eastern sky. Its brightness penetrated the cloudy sky slightly.

Despite the gloominess, morning still came as the custom dictated. It was the time for the townspeople to wake up. Sounds of daily life activities were announcing the morning to the town.

“Water Fairy Inn” was also starting to play its own melody from the activities of Foss and his workers as though the inn was coming back to life.

Firewood was fed into the stove, creating hot water. The important ingredient of their famous dish, the rice was coked and started to produce a nice smell. *Ta-ta-ta-* The kitchen knives were also playing a rhythmical sound as they danced on the cooking board.

It was the atmosphere of a peaceful and quiet morning――

.

――KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

.

But, it was suddenly destroyed. By a scream that sounded like the scream of a lady who just found a murder scene.

The flow of time inside the kitchen halted. Foss and the cook and the staffs all looked at each other.

「I’ll go take a look. Nobody else should leave from here.」

Foss acted swiftly. He exploded into motion and started running toward the second floor.

When he came out to the corridor, a door also opened coincidentally at the same time.

Shizuku and Kaori came out from that door. They were wearing a loose dress as their pajama. The two of them must have gotten woken up by the scream just now. Their hair was still let down and fuzzy from sleeping.

「The scream just now, was it Yue?」

Kaori murmured with a taken aback expression. There was no sense of danger in her face. None at all.

The thought that something must have happened to Yue was nonexistent inside her mind. Rather she wanted to have a look instead if there was someone who could startle Yue like that.

「Don’t tell me, Nagumo-kun was doing something inexcusable to her」

「No way, it would be Yue doing such thing to Hajime-kun instead.」

「Ah, right」

Shizuku received an intense reproachful glare from her best friend. Her gaze wandered around because she couldn’t meet Kaori’s stare.

Foss’s expression relaxed slightly seeing how calm the two girls were. He felt that this mustn’t be anything serious if the girl’s friends weren’t looking particularly concerned like this.

But that only lasted for a brief moment. The situation immediately made Kaori and Shizuku to be flustered.

「T-this insolent felloww-」

*Slap* A terribly painful sound came from the room of Hajime and Yue. In addition,

「Tsu, magic power is gathering!? Wait wait-, this is the highest class of magic!?」

Kaori’s complexion changed. Her eyes widened in disbelief. Then she yelled 「I’ll pay for the repair later!」 while slamming her body on the door. The door that had iron lock and made from especially hard material was smashed through.

「Eh, what, what is this situation?」

She thought that there was enemy attack or something happening behind the door, but what she saw there was completely unexpected.

There was Hajime on the bed looking flabbergasted. An adorable hand print that was shaped like red leaves was clearly printed on his cheek.

His gaze was pointed toward Yue who was at the corner of the room. A white sheet was roughly wrapped around her body with her right hand holding it in place to hide her body. Her face was bright red and her eyes were filled with bewilderment, shame, and also anger. The way she was breathing *fuuh fuuh* roughly was like a cat acting threatening.

It was as though, yes, as though,

Yue slapped Hajime and ran away to the corner of the room where she started acting threatening.

Impossible. Even a quarrel happening between the two of them was an S rank rare event. The scene before Kaori’s eyes made her brain turned into blue screen. Shizuku who was peeking inside from behind her was also frozen.

「Tsu, reinforcement!?」

But, it seemed that Yue’s brain was also in a similarly chaotic state. The highest class of magic power that Kaori detected got converted into lightning attack. The inn would be blown away if it was fired.

「Yue! What’re you doing!」

Kaori rushed forward. At the same time she desperately activated “disintegration magic” that she was still unfamiliar with and found it difficult to invoke instantly.

Silver light dispersed the lightning attack that was about to form. Kaori didn’t stop moving and pushed Yue to the wall and restrain her.

「L-let me go! You insolent fellow!」

「You’ve been acting strange since just now! There should be a limit in how addled you can be after sleeping! Or perhaps you have gone senile? 300 years old granny vampire!」

Kaori intentionally shouted things that would anger Yue thinking that it would make her reply back with something like 「Bakaori!」. But,

「Who are you calling 300 years old! I’m still thirteen years old!」

She replied like that with an expression that showed that she was fully believing what she was saying. Not only that, Yue’s eyes changed when she realized that she wouldn’t be able to slip away no matter what using physical strength.

The confusion in her mind was pushed aside and cold light glinted from her eyes. That was killing intent. The eyes of a hostile who decided to remove the person harming her.

「Why……why are you looking at me like that! Stop joking around already!」

Yue looked like she had really changed. It made Kaori looked like she wanted to cry. Her shout that sounded like a pleading made Yue looked bewildered again.

But there, another seeds of confusion were sowed.

「Fueee!? What’s with all the sounds since some time ago desuu!? I’m scareedd-」

「Eeeii, incomprehensible! Thou over there, explain!」

From the corridor there was a pathetic crying voice and a slightly lisping voice that strangely sounded majestic.

「It’s Suzu who want to get explanation! What’s wrong with you twooo!?」 There was also one voice that was filled with confusion.

「Eh? Don’t tell me, Shia and Tio too!?」

Kaori couldn’t help but feel shaken. Her attention was distracted.

Yue didn’t overlook that opening. She was bewildered by Kaori’s reaction but, it still didn’t change the fact that she was being restrained. She quickly severed her own two hands with “Wind Blade”.

「How long are you going to touch me?」

「――tsu」

She regenerated her arms with “Automatic Regeneration” while at the same time her arms that were falling in the air emitted light. She was trying to use them like a bomb. The room would get blown away judging from the amount of magic power in them. Kaori’s expression convulsed.

But, in the end that didn’t happen.

「Fuwaah」

「Tsu, this is!?」

It happened in an instant. Kaori was pulled backward with astonishing speed. Meanwhile the severed arms passed through two circles that came flying and made them vanished from view.

Right after that, *gou* there was a muffled voice ringing out. Everyone’s gaze was naturally turned to that direction.

There, they saw a space isolation barrier that was deployed from four Cross Bits that were connected with wires. The two arms were teleported into it before they exploded so the explosion was locked in.

And then, apparently Kaori was also pulled backward by an extended artificial arm that grabbed her shoulder. She was pulled until she settled in Hajime’s arm.

But, what should be paid attention at was, no, what Kaori paid her total attention to wasn’t there.

「? Tsu!? Haua!? H-H-H-H-H-, Hajime-kun!?」

「? Ah, hih, KYAAAAAAAAA-」

「Wha-, w-w-w-, what are you parading around! You pervert!」

The voices in order came from Kaori, Shizuku, and Yue.

Kaori and Shizuku turned bright red and covered their faces with both their hands. Yue too, her determined expression from just now changed instantly and pressed the sheet even harder on herself to protect her body while averting her gaze.

Yes, she was averting her gaze from the stark naked Hajime who was standing imposingly on the bed!

Hajime’s Hajime was fully exposed out in the open!

「Y-you shouldn’t do that-, Hajime-kun! B-but if you really insist, we should go to a different room, okay?」

「I saw, I saw ittt. UuUUUU-」

Hajime completely ignored the two totally panicking girls and looked at Yue expressionlessly.

For some reason, Yue-san was slightly tearful. Her face was also bright red. She was shivering.

「P-put that thing away quickly! If you come over here, I, I-ll kill you!」

What an innocent reaction.

But, that was exactly why it was abnormal. The way she was panicking when seeing Hajime’s naked body at this point, and the way she acted as though she didn’t know anything about Hajime and Kaori, as expected, it didn’t look like she was joking or the like.

It was as though, she had completely lost her memories from the time they met each other……

Hajime’s eyes silently narrowed. His gaze was grim.

There wasn’t any sign of lust in there. There was also no hostility or malice. Those eyes were the eyes of researcher that were doing nothing except calm observation.

Yue was moving slightly in bewilderment, then suddenly there was the sound of the door being opened hard from the first floor. After that there was an angry yell followed by footsteps running up the stair with no concern at all of keeping quiet.

「Foss-dono! Is Foss-dono here!? Is her highness safe!?」

Appearing from the corridor was the young man who was working as the mayor’s gopher. His face was pale.

「What’s the matter? Her highness is――」

The answer immediately appeared. Liliana showed herself at the corridor.

「I’m fine. But……Hellina……」

Further, at the other side of Liliana’s room, the room where the royal guard commander and his subordinates were staying also opened its door.

「W-what in the world, are we doing here?」

「We should be in the military school’s dormitory……」

They came out with bewildered looks on their faces. Then they froze when they saw Liliana.

The confusing situations kept piling up on top one another. Then the young man yelled in the middle of that.

「It’s a disaster! The soldiers and adventurers of the town, they all have lost their memory!」

「Wha-」

Everyone’s eyes widened in shock. They became speechless for a brief moment.

And then as though to pile up on the chaos even more, the door to Kouki and Ryuutarou’s room opened and Ryuutarou came out while scratching his head sleepily. It seemed he had been sleeping soundly even through all the ruckuses. He asked.

「O-ou? What’s going on here? No wait, first thing first, Kouki isn’t on his bed. Anyone see him? His equipments are also gone though.」

It seemed that the hero had vanished.

The information brought about confusion. The place became deathly quiet for a moment.

A strange sense of tension was flowing, like a bowstring that had been drawn to the limit and was about to be let go.

Hajime activated his “treasure warehouse” amidst that. Yue reflexively casted a fire ball but, her eyes widened like saucers seeing Hajime became clothed instantly. It was a convenient skill of summoning and putting on clothes and equipments at the same time.

He let go of Kaori who was in his embrace and got down from the bed. He slowly approached Yue.

「Tsu, stop there! Get any closer and I won’t be merci――」

「I won’t harm a single hair on your body.」

The calm and gentle voice stopped Yue’s words.

Hajime closed the distance step by step without any hurry. Then he fell on his knee when he was almost within arm reach.

His “treasure warehouse” shined and Yue too became dressed in her usual outfit.

The feeling of relieve of not being covered with just a single sheet, and the bewilderment of wearing an unknown outfit that fitted her perfectly made her gaze wandered around while sometimes glancing at Hajime questioningly.

「I have made an oath after all, that I’ll protect you.」

It was as though his expressionless face and observing eyes from before were just a lie. He put on a smile that would sadden anyone who saw it.

There was the sound of *hyuu* from Yue’s slender and white throat getting her breath caught in it. Her lifted up eye corners lowered slightly and for some reason her pink lips moved *monyu monyu* meaninglessly.

「M-my name isn’t Yue.」

「I see.」

「You must have mistaken me for someone else.」

「It’s troubling but, that’s not the case. For me you are Yue, forever.」

「Stop saying incomprehensible things!」

There was no change to Hajime’s expression. He endeavored to exude gentle atmosphere so that Yue wouldn’t get agitated. But,

「W-what’s with that face! It’s unpleasant!」

It seemed that it didn’t look like that to Yue. It seemed that his face looked sad to her. It even made Yue felt like there was a nail driven inside her chest seeing it.

「Then, how should I call you?」

「That’s……」

Yue mumbled. She tried to introduce herself, but for some reason her heart put a stop to it.

A reason that sounded like an excuse immediately welled up inside her.

She didn’t understand the situation. She didn’t know who these people were. Why was she in this kind of place?

Even though not long ago she should be in the palace, returning to her room after having a meal with her uncle.

The most plausible reason was, kidnapping.

Right now she was trying to not think about the fact that she was sleeping together naked with a young man. Because even though shame and rage were welling up inside her, only the feeling of disgust just wouldn’t well up no matter what. That fact was still making her heart bewildered.

Even if this was really a kidnapping, she didn’t know whether these people knew her identity or not.

「Did you, knowingly kidnap me?」

「I don’t know. I also didn’t kidnap you. I can’t prove it right now though.」

Yue frowned, wondering if this person was saying the truth. If he really didn’t know who she was, it might be a poor plan to let him know that she was a royalty from the vampire race.

While her mind kept being filled with such thoughts, no, by thinking, for some reason a part of herself was filled with rejection of being called with name other than the name that he spoke of, but she ignored that incomprehensible feeling.

「……I don’t mind if you call me Yue. My name isn’t so cheap that I’ll tell people of unknown background like all of you.」

「I see. That’s good.」

「Tsu, I’m telling you, stop making that face-」

Seeing Hajime putting on a smile that looked happy from the bottom of his heart made Yue quickly averted her gaze. While harboring a feeling of disbelief toward herself whose face was growing heated and her heart jumping inside her chest.

「Hey, Shizuku-cha. I wonder why. Even though this, is clearly an abnormal situation, it looks just like the usual situation. Strange isn’t it?」

「I understand your feeling, so please stop looking at me expressionlessly like that.」

Kaori’s dry tone and Shizuku’s behavior that had regained a little composure seemed to also lessen the tension of the other people slightly.

Hajime breathed out his condensed feeling as a sigh, then he ran his gaze at his surrounding a second later.

「Everyone, make your preparation. We’re going to see what’s going on here.」

He gave such order. Kaori and others nodded deeply before turning around.

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