.
「Kuh, Ojii-sama! Why won’t you please understand me!」
「I don’t want to understand anything anymore.」
The actual leader of the elders who had just displayed an artistic dogeza that was approved by Nagumo family──the elder of elf race Alfrerick Haipist drew his bow with a completely exhausted expression.
The string that should be pulled was instead pushed out. He pointed the bow horizontally behind over his shoulder. It was an atypical stance with its front and rear reversed from how it should be, however, it aimed at the target with unrivalled precision.
The arrow flew to right behind. Altena who was trying to move rapidly *shutatatata-* between tree covers was stopped when the arrow stabbed the ground just several centimeters ahead of her foot that was about to step forward right at that moment.
「My-, little toeee!?」
Altena’s face crashed on the ground due to the sudden intense pain on her foot’s little toe that got stubbed on the arrow. It must be as painful as stubbing her little toe on a drawer’s edge.
However, she was tenacious. Her face sported a disgusting grin *niheee-* from the intense pain of her little toe while she smoothly rolled forward to reduce the impact. Then without any pause she vanished to the other side of the mist.
And then,
「I’ll decide my marriage partner by myself!」
「Aren’t you forgetting that you need to consent of the other party?」
「It will be pointless even if Ojii-sama decide my marriage partner on your own!!」
「I guess. It’ll absolutely end in futility so I’m not going to try.」
「It’s my life! What’s so wrong with living however I like!?」
「It’s wrong with how it goes against social standards.」
The conversation sounded like they were on the same wavelength and yet not. The line from Altena was like a heroine of a romantic tale who rebelled against a parent who decided her future husband on his own (A groundless accusation. It was just the wrong assumption of the pain in the neck). It was accompanied an arrow that flew sharply from inside the mist.
The arrow was dodged by Alfrerick simply shifting his body slightly. He didn’t stop there. He grabbed the arrow midair with a sigh before smoothly nocking it on his own bow and firing it immediately.
A coquettish moan 「Ahahn」 came from inside the mist. Alfrerick paid no mind to that and took out three arrows from the quiver on his waist. He nocked them simultaneously while firing them diagonally above toward the sky.
「I won’t lose, Ojii-sama! I ask you to please accept it! Of my marriage with Carm-sama! Of me becoming Shia’s mother-in-law!」
「I don’t care anymore who you want to marry as long as they can take you off my hands……」
Alfrerick threw a glance at Shia and Carm who were at a corner of the Nagumo group who had completely turned into spectators by sitting on the ground while hugging their knees. But the father-daughter both shook their head left and right energetically so Alfrerick sighed once more.
「Lies! Just look at how right now Ojii-sama came like this to get in the way of my happy family planning!」
「You’re the only one who is getting any enjoyment from that though.」
The elf princess who had completely transformed into this filth was deaf to everything that was said to her. The image in her mind was of herself being constantly punished. Her blood was of pinkness and her heart of moistness. Had received countless beating and yet it still wasn’t enough. She was always alone, intoxicated with wild fantasy inside her own mind. And so I pray, please return to your senses.
That feeling of her grandfather couldn’t go through to her because it was already too late for her.
Another arrows flew from inside the mist. They simultaneously aimed at top, middle, and bottom, specifically at the head, solar plexus, and crotch.
Perhaps it was as to be expected from the princess of the elf who excelled at bow technique. Her skill was pointlessly advanced. Or rather, although the tips of the arrows were rounded and covered with cloth so they only dealt blunt damage just in case, how one of them mercilessly targeted her grandfather’s crotch was a definite prove of how it was too late already for her.
Alfrerick’s eyes looked like dead fish from his granddaughter’s action. Even so he removed himself from the line of fire with a spin while firing three arrows rapidly with one hand.
「Fugya!?」
The first arrow flew at the upper side of a tree with abundant leaves. Altena’s head seemed to be struck immediately after that and she toppled down.
The second arrow hit Altena’s stomach mid-fall. 「Gyau!?」She was blown off while letting out a voice like an animal that wasn’t befitting a princess. She fell to the ground.
The third arrow hit her as she was rolling on the ground. Her body was slightly bounding to the right from the impact and she ended up face down on the ground.
There, three arrows that had been fired to the sky previously rained down. Each of them stabbed Altena’s clothes at her sides and between her legs, sewing her to the ground like a joke.
「D-did he aim for that?」
「That’s godly if that’s really the case……」
「Amazing! That’s amazing Aiko! He is even more amazing than the elves in movies!」
「Y-yeah. It’s also my first time seeing this. It’s shocking.」
The Shirasaki couple were dumbfounded with their mouth hanging open. Akiko was grabbing her daughter’s shoulders and shaking her back and forth in excitement.
The Yaegashi family sent their loud applauses at that performance. That became the trigger for Hajime and others to also gave their applause and astonished voice 「Oo~!」.
Alfrerick bowed with a wry smile while immediately walking toward the unmoving Altena,
「N-not yet! I’m still not-」
Even though everything that she was doing was simply being a pervert trying to persist in her perversion, she looked and sounded like a main character if one only looked on her looks and line. Alfrerick looked down on her while taking out a wooden cylinder and cloth from his pocket.
And then, he uncorked the cylinder, dampened the cloth with the content……
「You’re right. My stomach medicine’s stock is going to run out soon so I need to resupply quickly.」
「Eh? That’s not what I’m talking──nnmuu!?」
Alfrerick performed choke sleeper at her from behind while covering her mouth and nose with the cloth.
It was completely a criminal scene of a man pushing down a girl while covering her mouth with dangerous drug. Though the way the victim looked a bit ecstatic was abnormal.
「Muu!! Nmuuuuuuuuh!!」
「Forgive me for wasting everyone’s time. As you can see, my granddaughter has been subdued so I believe we can now head to the capital without any reservation.」
「The impression from the scene was too crazy that the content of the conversation didn’t enter my head at all.」
Everyone nodded at Hajime’s words. Altena was starting to convulse. It looked like it wasn’t just a sleeping drug. Was there paralytic agent mixed in too? Nasty.
「My foolish granddaughter not only got in the way of everyone’s trip, she even demanded for a duel so that she can announce her marriage with Carm Hauria, please I’m begging you, don’t put any of that in your heart.」
The two of them were locked in bow battle while Hajime and others were sitting as spectators was because of such circumstance.
After the dogeza apology, Alfrerick tried to take Altena into custody, but naturally Altena made difficulties to that.
I won’t leave Carm-dono even if I die! I swore to be at his side until death do us part! She yelled.
Of course, there was a proviso that Altena swore that oath alone as she pleased.
Alfrerick sent a glance for confirmation just in case. Carm shook his head with all his strength to deny that. He also slapped Altena who tried to hug him.
However, due to her being a filthy princess, 「Look! Just as you can see we are in love with each other like this! Nobody can stop us!」 she kept prattling that kind of thing from start to end. She was completely drunk in “love romance with a ton of obstruction”.
And so, seeing that words weren’t effective at all as expected, Alfrerick tried to forcefully send her home with his face’s complexion so bad like a zombie, but there, Altena proposed for a duel.
From her perspective, her grandfather must be an obtuse man who always got in the way of her love life. She demanded that if she win the duel, he had to use his position as an elder to publicly acknowledged their marriage.
It went without saying that Carm looked at Alferick with murderer gaze in respond.
Alfrerick tried to drag Altena away without listening, but there, Hajime and others who wanted to watch Alfrerick’s godly bow technique for real from up close recommended to him to accept the duel.
It went without saying that Carm looked at Hajime with a gaze of despair.
From where Alfrerick was standing, he had not the slightest desire to listen to his granddaughter’s wild delusion from the start but……regardless of everything, there would be no problem result wise with how wide the gap of power that existed between him and his granddaughter.
「No, well, we were able to watch such godly technique, so it was a great side show though……」
「Y-yes. It’s just as my son said……umm, Alfrerick-san? Aren’t you perhaps tying her too tightly?」
「Your granddaughter’s eyes are rolling back too much, see! Isn’t she perhaps suffocating!?」
「Sumire-dono and Shuu-dono are both very kind person I see. I’m extremely touched by your generous consideration for my granddaughter despite all the troubles that she has caused for everyone.」
「「No no no! It’s not just consideration but a fact!!」」
「「Way to go! Keep it up just like that!!」」
「「Carm-san!? Shia-chan!?」」
Altena’s body slumped in complete unconsciousness. Her face distorted, the whites of her bloodshot eyes were exposed, foam and drool were flowing from her mouth. It was a light horror to see. She looked like the girl from a certain cursed video who crawled out from a well inside the TV. Even supposing that Carm was also in love with her, with the way she looked right now, even a love of the century might cool down from this.
「It will be a good time to have lunch soon. Now, allow me to show the way to the capital.」
「You really want us to come to the capital huh.」
「Well, the place might have insurrecti──nnh, revelry breaking out after all.」
「Just now, did you say insurrection?」
「The majority of the elders are at the other’s side, so they might do something messed up if they got too impatient……」
Perhaps, it was something like that. Like an airport just a moment before a worldwide famous celebrity was going to arrive. The place got overheated by the fanatic fans, causing the security personnel and police officers guarding the passage to be drenched in cold sweat.
Alfrerick expressionlessly took out some kind of leaf from his pocket and consumed it. It was most likely the raw ingredient of his stomach medicine. He must not have any time to process it first. It seemed his stomach was already in the verge of bursting.
He was muttering 「I’m, serving as an elder of a black nation, but perhaps this is it for me……」 with a small voice.
「U-umm, Alfrerick-san, please cheer up! I’ll apply regeneration magic on you now!」
「……Tio, Aiko! Soul magic, together on three!」
「How miserable thy are. I’m going to go with full power!」
「Adol-san might be in the same state too you know, Tio-san. The mental burden on grandfather generation is horrible. Let’s treated them kinder.」
「Ai-chan. I’m at the side who is burdened mentally by the grandfather though.」
Shizuku’s complain was ignored. Shuuzou-ojiichan was turning his gaze to the faraway direction.
Even while that was going on, Kaori was applying magic for physical recovery while Yue and others were applying magic for mental recovery. Magic power of four colors shined at Alfrerick-ojiichan. His expression was softening as though he was soaking in a hot spring. It was a bit worrying to watch with how he looked like he was ascending to heaven.
Sumire spoke hesitatingly.
「Ummm, we’re planning to go to the grave of Shia-chan’s mother after this though……」
「How about leaving right away after that? It feels like the capital will be troublesome. What do you think if we just make some appropriate excuse and run away?」
「You won’t come!?」
What to do, Alfrerick-san really looked like he was at his wits’ end.
「If everyone can kindly come to visit the capital……. Warrior Leader Gil, accompany them properly. I’m going to seal Altena now before attempting once more to control the idiots who are about to cut loose right now. Show around our guests politely, but securely. This is my order as an elder.」
「……」
「Warrior Leader Gil? Ooi! Warrior Leader Gil! What’s with your displeased look! Open your eyes when I’m talking! Don’t close your ears! Ah, hey! Don’t turn your back on me while shaking your head like a kid!」
Warrior Leader Gil looked like he was going to be assigned with an important role, so he showed a mini defiance. He was activating his special technique, the shutout of five senses in order to make excuse 「Order? No, there isn’t anything like that in my log though? ……Perhaps we missed each other on the way?」 in case Hajime and co neglected visiting the capital.
Alfrerick’s eye pupils shruuunk down and he took out an arrow that seemed to have been smeared thickly with some kind of drug.
「Please calm down Alfrerick-san! We’ll head there immediately after we finished with the grave visit!」
「Kaa-san, this smells heavily of troubles, so it’s alright to just skip it over you know?」
「Hajime! You fiend! Look, Alfrerick-san is starting to cry silently with such hollow expression there! Be kinder to those living in black environment!」
After such conversation, in the end, Alfrerick dragged Altena back to the capital, while the group headed toward the grave of Mona Hauria with the guidance of Shia and Carm and the accompaniment of the Warrior Leader Gil who might have or haven’t heard the order.
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They arrived at a large tree without needing to walk too much.
Shia looked up to the tree with narrowed gaze and spoke.
「In the sea of trees, we use natural trees as gravestone. It’s our custom to bury our body in the roots to return them to nature.」
The grave didn’t have name engraved or flower placed on it, but the residences of the sea of trees were mysteriously not led astray by the countless trees and found the tree that became a grave without mistake.
「We chose the greatest tree in this area for the grave.」
Shia explained while smiling brightly. It was really clear that she felt that her mother was just that splendid and great of a person who deserved such tree.
「By the way, the top of the tree is Kaa-sama’s treasured viewing spot. It’s also the place where Hajime-san asked me for a lap pillow for the first time desu!」
「Is that information necessary?」
「Dere dere Hajime-san, he was so cuteeee!」
「That information is just not needed.」
「A part of me wanted to show off the scene at that time but……」
「Listen to me」
「Somehow I want to monopolize it for myself so, Kaori-san! Yue-san! Please pay attention to not display it when replaying the past!」
「……Nn. If that’s what Shia want then leave it to me.」
「Fufu, really Shia, that’s so maidenly. It’s fine, we will trace back the past by skipping it.」
Hajime was making retorts with unblinking stare at first but, he fell silent from Shia’s words of wanting to monopolize the memory. He also averted his gaze.
「Papa, are you shyyy?」
「……Where did you learn that way of teasing?」
「「Really Hajime, don’t be shyyy~!」」
「No, there’s no need to answer. I already know.」
It was undoubtedly his grinning parents’ work. Really, his daughter was an excellent kid who never let go of any chance to learn.
Yue opened a space window at the place where Hauria’s settlement at that time was located. Carm turned around while Kaori was preparing to replay the past.
「Then, I’ll leave for a bit.」
「Ee~, you really aren’t going to watch, Tou-sama?」
「Umu. As I thought──」
「You feel guilty from cheating.」
「I’m not! I’m also not cheating!」
「I’m joking.」
Are you really? Isn’t your joke too piercing? Even while feeling anxious like that, the emotion that Carm spoke before this was also undoubtedly genuine, so he walked away with a slightly troubled expression.
Shia took out an artifact for recording image from her “treasure warehouse” while calling out to his back.
「Tou-sama.」
「Nn?」
「I’ll record the replay, so you can watch it later when you have time. Go cry on your own alone desu.」
「……Fuh. Thank you, Shia.」
Carm’s eyes widened slightly before he immediately broke into a smile. Shia averted her gaze with a ‘puih’ like a tsundere. It made Hajime and others to look warmly at her.
Like that Carm vanished into the mist. After that Kaori who located the right point of time in the past projected that time around ten years ago──when Shia was around six years old.
*Totetotetote-* The tiny little girl Shia was running inside the village.
「Uwaah, Shia-oneechan is so cute nano!!」
「My my, is she around the same age like Myuu right now? Fufufu, she’s really adorable.」
The impressions from Myuu and Remia were only the beginning. Voices that said 「Cute!」 came from a lot of mouths. Shia was fidgeting in embarrassment. The shutter sounds from Sumire and Shuu were noisy.
However, the peaceful atmosphere slightly froze at the next moment.
As soon as Shia rushed inside a room, she dived into the voluptuous chest of her mother Mona Hauria who was sewing at the center of the room. She was a beautiful woman with a gentle atmosphere that was like the personification of motherhood and broad-mindedness, however a strong and unbending core could be seen inside her eyes. Shia asked her with a wide smile and a lot of cheerfulness.
『Oh my, what’s the matter Shia? You’re in such a hurry──』
『Kaa-sama! What is friend!? Is it delicious desu!?』
『Uh!?』
Mona-okaasan wilted. She pressed her hand on her heart as though it was hurting.
She had a dynamite figure that rivalled Tio, but she was wearing a thick dress and cardigan which was unusual for rabbit race whose outfit exposed a lot of skin. That combined with her sickly white skin that seemed transparent showed just how frail she was.
In fact, Sumire and others who were about to open their mouth to comment about Mona’s appearance shut their mouth because of that. The small Shia inside the replay was also in great panic.
『Kaa-sama!? Are you alright desu!? I’ll bring the medicine now-』
『I-I’m fine, Shia. This isn’t an attack. My heart only just got stabbed a little from the guilt of forcing my daughter into such inconvenience.』
『Your heart is stabbed!? That’s bad desuu! I need to call someone……uu, but, everyone is heading out~. ……What kind of place is outside I wonder?』
『Uh!? I’m sorry that you can’t even go outside the village……』
『Kaa-sama!? Why are you apologizing!? Or rather aren’t your condition worsening!?』
『I-it’s alright, Shia. Soon it should be fine to show you outside as long as you have someone with you──』
『Even though Kaa-sama is unwell, and yet I’m doing nothing but playing alone! I’m a bad girl! Shia is a bad girl desu! I was getting carried away after getting told that I’m a master of playing by myself desu!』
『Uuh!? Forgive your mother who can’t even give you a chance to make a friend……forgive me……』
『Kaa-sama!? You’re getting even worse!? Hang in there! Kaa-samaaaa~~~』
The past replay shut off.
Everyone’s gaze turned toward Shia. She understood what they wanted to say. And so, Shia’s gaze wandered around restlessly while she made excuse incoherently.
「I-it’s really something hard to accept isn’t it. This thing called immaturity due to youth.」
「It’s what you call an innocent brutality huh.」
「……Solitude Master Shia.」
「Yue-san, please stop that. The nuance really stab deeply into my heart……」
Shia writhed while pressing her hand on her chest exactly like the past Mona. It made Sumire and Shuu and others to look taken aback.
「Those words are the most unsuitable for the innocently cheerful Shia-chan.」
「You’re like this someone with communication ability level 999 in our eyes.」
「Well, that was because my existence was clearly heretical from my hair color and my magic power. Only monster possess magic power in the sea of trees desu. We didn’t know what Fea Bergen would do if they learned of my existence, so it was only natural that Kaa-sama and everyone hid me.」
Rather, she only held gratitude for not being thrown away and got hidden and raised with a lot of love, Shia said with a laugh.
It wasn’t just her parents, the whole Hauria clan continued to protect Shia unanimously. In fact, their solidarity and the depth of their compassion managed to hide her for full sixteen years. Such feat only deserved astonishment.
「Even so, Shia’s mom was really pretty.」
「She is a bit similar with Remia-san isn’t she?」
The past replay was played once more. Kaori and Shizuku sighed in admiration at Mona’s beauty once more. All members or rabbit race were already attractive in looks and figure, but Mona looked exceptional even among all of them.
It wasn’t simply from nice outer appearance, but surely it was also because of the dignified brightness from her that no other rabbit race possessed. They could catch a glimpse of “strength” from every single word from her, her gaze, and her voice.
That didn’t change even when she was drenched in cold sweat from high fever and pain throughout her body. Rather, her smile looked even stronger the more pain she was in.
「The way she laugh, looks exactly like Shia-oneechan nano.」
「My my. Myuu, isn’t it the opposite? It’s Shia-san’s smile that looks exactly like Mona-san.」
「Shia-chan has properly inherited her mom’s strength isn’t it.」
「Haha, in the past, Carm-san must be a completely whipped husband.」
The scene of Carm, Mona, and the small Shia having a meal was projected.
Carm was warned about something by Mona and he scratched his head. Shia was laughing loudly seeing that. Shia was staring fixedly at the past warm scene of her family together.
Hajime placed his hand over the hand of Shia who was in such state. Shia softly grasped his hand back. Her rabbit ears were weakly dangling down from nostalgia. Her eyes were moistening──
『Hyaa!? Both of you run! A snake got inside──』
『Shiih!!』
『Hiih!? Kaa-sama split open the snake’s head!?』
『Let’s have a snake broiled in soy sauce tonight.』
『『Y-yes……』』
Carm made an exaggerated reaction of shock when a snake appeared from the corner of the room and ran away until the wall at the opposite side, while the small Shia hugged Mona with her trembling body.
It was a cowardly reaction that was exactly like the old Hauria. That was why, surely it couldn’t be helped.
Mona wasn’t agitated at the slightest. Far from that, she threw a cooking knife at the snake’s head, instantly killing it.
Then she pulled out the knife and held up the snake’s still twitching body with one hand while chuckling 『Ufufuh』. The father and daughter were watching her while shaking fiercely, their face looked as though they were saying “I absolutely can’t go against my wife (Kaa-sama)……”.
「I see. As expected from someone who desired to be a hero. She’s really Shia’s mom.」
「……Nn. She has guts that are far beyond the rabbit race who are scared even when only hunting bird or small animal for food. Rather, I think she’s even more heretical than Shia.」
「If only she wasn’t sickly liketh that, it feels like she might really succeed in causing revolution.」
「I’ll become the king of the forest-! She got that kind of aura to her nano!」
「In that case, the head hunting clan might already exist even without Hajime-kun doing anything……」
「That would be the birth of the rabbit eared empress.」
「Somehow, I got the imagination of Fea Beregen’s army under Mona-san’s command descending on the imperial capital……」
For some reason everyone got the imagination when Aiko said those words with a faint smile. The figure of Mona riding a war horse, her mantel fluttering behind her, raising a war cry like 「AAALaLaLaLaieッ！！」 while leading the warriors of Fea Belgen to invade the empire.
Perhaps their minds crossed the sight that happened in some other world line. Everyone shook their head energetically and returned to reality.
From there, the past replay skipped ahead based on Shia’s instruction and only memories with profound depth were played.
Shia who got her butt spanked after doing a prank, Carm who got scolded and spanked because he couldn’t look after Shia.
Shia who got taught how to cook, and Carm who couldn’t really cook even after being taught.
Sewing, cleaning technique, the way to erase presence and camouflage skill. The way to sharpen the sense of hearing and knowledge of medicinal herbs, Mona was teaching as though she was aware just how little the time remaining for her was. It was a scene that really weighted the heart.
And then, seeing Carm who could only watch over that while looking flustered was so pathetic and making their chest disgusted in irritation. Very much so.
「Hey, Shia. Could it be that Carm, he run away not because it would make him want to cry from seeing his beloved Mona again, but because he would want to cry from seeing his past self?」
「……Nn. Nothing but black history whether in the past or present. As expected from Hauria.」
「I-it’s painful because I can’t protest that desuu……」
Shia covered her face with both hands.
Anyway, these memories made it really clear that the housework expert rabbit who improved the travelling quality of Hajime and Yue was the result of her mother’s teaching.
But, it felt like what she was teaching was equal to her handing over the fire of her life to Shia. It was clear to see that Mona’s condition was weakening in contrast to Shia’s growth.
And then, it reached Shia’s rabbit ears. The important teaching that she remembered the clearest even now.
『You can become anything.』
Shia lifted up her face with a taken aback look. Her childish self whose rabbit ears heard the rumor about the “white haired monster” that was spreading through the sea of trees, got hugged tightly by Mona together with a gaze that was filled by unrivalled amount of love.
Human or monster, in the end those were just words, she said.
Because Shia was different from others, Shia could become the Shia that she wanted to be, she said.
As long as Shia didn’t hate herself, everything would be alright, she said.
Her mother kindly admonished her like that. She was someone who didn’t possess magic power or any vocation, however she left behind such prophecy that was far grander than even her daughter who possessed the vocation “Fortune Teller” and the characteristic magic “Future Sight”.
『One day, Shia will surely encounter wonderful people.』
Yes, Shia would surely met the “same” people like her, she said.
Mona told Shia that with conviction, than at the end she playfully,
『One of them might even become Shia’s future husband~』
Told her such thing, as though she had seen it herself.
Because Shia had those words, her heart didn’t break no matter how beaten up she was, and she could continue running believing in the future.
And then, she arrived. That day, she arrived in the deep valley, where the people who she would spend her lifetime with were at.
Seeing Shia’s expression that was overflowing with a longing that was hard to describe with words, Kaori and Yue quietly ended the past replay.
「She was a very wonderful mother, Shjia-chan. I even felt a bit jealous to her as a fellow mother.」
「Okaa-sama……」
Sumire placed her hand on Shia’s shoulder and put on a gentle smile. With Sumire’s words, Kaoruko, Kirino, Akiko, and Remia were also feely sympathy. No, not just the mothers, the fathers were also straightening their posture with respect for Mona as a parent.
Sumire and the others lined up together in front of the grave tree and silently put their hands together.
Hajime and others also lined up behind them and followed along with a silent prayer.
(Fufu, Kaa-sama. Can you see? This is the future that I arrived at. It’s reaa~~~lly wonderful right? It will still continue on, so I won’t run out of story to tell you!)
Shia reported with her head held high, that this was none other than the “pride”, the “happiness” that Shia Hauria had struggled to obtain.
A wind suddenly blew and shook the leaves, making a slightly louder rustling sound. It might be just her imagination, but it felt like Mona was praising her “You have done well”.
Some time passed after that, and then the silent prayer ended after there was a sound of someone sniffing.
「Tou-sama……could it be, you were watching from the middle?」
「U-umu. As I thought……I just want to see Mona once more……」
It was Carm with his moist eyes turning red. It seemed, he wanted to see the past vision as expected, and so he erased his presence to peek.
Deep feeling must be welling up inside him while he was offering a silent prayer together with everyone. The tear duct that he was able to hold back while watching the past replay apparently broke down in the end.
「I wonder how many times it has been, me being able to bring a good news to Mona like this.」
Carm rubbed his eyes with a bit embarrassment. Shuu and the other fathers surrounded him and patted his shoulders.
「That too is something I could obtain only thanks to boss’s training. Allow me to express my thanks once more. And also my respect to Shuu-dono as a father.」
「No no, Carm-san. I’m really glad that I can hear that from you. Although it was certainly something that might be necessary due to the situation, the brutal training to Hauria clan still made me felt a bit guilty.」
As long as there is still light in my eyes, I will never allow that kind of severe and inhuman training to happen for the second time! Shuu expressed from the glance he threw at Hajime.
Shuuzou and Koichi gave an opposing opinion 「No, situation wise perhaps it couldn’t be helped……」, but Tomoichi’s voice was loud and drowned their voices.
「That’s right Hajime-kun! A lot of things happened that we it skipped our mind but, there is a limit in how much one can be so nasty! You can’t do anything like that again!」
「Aa, well, yes. I won’t do anything like that again now that we have a lot of leeway in time and also method. In fact, without Shia’s scolding, there was a big risk of them falling into madness there.」
Besides, I’ll be able to alter their mind quicker using artifact so that kind of method isn’t necessary anymore……Hajime muttered inside his heart. A fixed stares from Shuu and Tomoichi pierced him. It seemed the inside of his mind was plain to see.
In the end, it was unclear which was worse, the Hartman style or the mass production of villager and Justice that would occur later in the future.
It was then, kyuu~~~ an adorable sound rang out.
Everyone’s gaze turned toward the sound’s source. Myuu covered her stomach in a flash. Her cheeks blushed in embarrassment and she made an upward gaze in fear from breaking the mood of the grave visit.
「I-I’m sorry nano……」
「No, no need to apologize Myuu. Papa is also hungry.」
Hajime lifted up Myuu and looked around. Yue and Sumire and others were also nodding smilingly.
「I-is it the capital next? The capital is next right? Please come I’m begging you. If not my place to go home will be gone……」
「Why are you acting so tragic like that huh? You’re the warrior leader right?」
It seemed Warrior Leader Gil had actually heard the order loud and clear. He gathered sympathetic gazes on him due to his tension that was like someone who was standing on the fork road of his life.
Hajime looked at the group to check with them just in case. Of course everyone agreed to go──
「Uu~, I have a reaaally bad feeling. Say, Hajime-kun. Can’t we just use the recognition obstruction artifact in full power and secretly go to the place of the elders for the lunch before leaving I wonder?」
It seemed the Angel Religion weighed her mind. Hajime showed a pondering gesture after Kaori suggested so──but,
「That’s no good! It’ll be rude to do that when everyone is already waiting to welcome us! Now, let’s go from the front openly! Gil-san, please show us the way! Come on! Come on!」
「Ai-chan!? Horrible! It’s clear from your eyes that you want me to go through the same thing like you!」
Aiko took the initiative to walk at the front.
The group smiled wryly seeing that, even so, in the end they followed behind Gil who looked relieved from the bottom of his heart. They headed toward the capital of Fea Bergen.
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And then, they witnessed it.
「Shaddup! The front row belong to us “Angel Religion”! Nobody can object!」
「These damn fanatics! This is a welcoming for boss! We Hauria obviously should be at the forefront!」
「Then we should compromise with us the believers of Aiko-sama──」
「Enough with your joke! The demon king-sama’s parents are here! You men back away! Let us be the one to welcome them! If we can just get one chance to make them like us……」
「Myuu-chan will come right!? Okaa-san-, we’re going to go welcome her!」
「Someoneee! The children look like they’re going to go out in group! Stop themmm!」
「Yes yes, we the fans of Shizuku-sama are passing through」
「You guys are all idiot. Do you want to provoke the anger of the great first wife? First we should fangirli──I mean welcoming Yue-sama. That’s just common senses.」
It was an ugly fans quarrel. There wasn’t any distinction between the young and old, man or woman, or race, everyone was raising their fist and argument angrily at each other in order to obtain the honor of being at the forefront.
It was very sad. The elders were also mingling in their respective faction. Alfrerick standing on top of the gate was sniping the leaderships with a nihilistic expression in his attempt to suppress the riot.
It seemed that it wasn’t just Kaori and Aiko who were popular, but the whole demon king party. Each one of them had their own fans which were in conflict with the other groups.
In front of such Fea Bergen that was enveloped in a kind of festival merrymaking, Hajime turned around and said a sentence.
「How about we eat outside today?」
The answer needed not be said. The demon king party all turned on their heel anonymously,
「Today is my death anniversary-」
With such a line that would make one wanted to give a tsukkomi back, the worldly-wise man who drew the short straw, the warrior leader blocked their way looking like he was going to break crying.
AN: Thank you very much for reading this every time.