Arifureta After III   Shia Arc   Take Care of the Rest

–

The boats floated side by side, and a dialogue was carried out on the river.

Wilford who was face to face with Hajime also got gatling and large revolver faced toward him on this occasion. Cold sweat was flowing out like river from his whole body. Especially the dignity of the large revolver that was being grinded on his forehead, surely his life span was shrinking with certainty even now.

By the way, about his underlings, perhaps it should be said "just as expected", they were really excellent. Although the majority of them were either those who was on Wilford's boat or currently holding on the edge of the boat tiredly, but almost everyone survived even after going through Triana's violence.

Also, for some reason the researcher Brandon was also riding on Wilford's boat, he was currently trembling while holding his head inside his hands. It was completely unknown why he was coming along.

「And, who are you guys actually? If I remember right……Reletense company you said?」

In respond to Hajime's question, Wilford opened his mouth with his business smile in full throttle.

「Hahaha, it's just a mere trading company. It deals with various goods――」

*Gorit-* Donner's muzzle was carving wrinkle between his forehead.

「That is the business in the surface, behind the scenes, it's searching, researching, and making use of "relic of power"……especially to use as weapon, it's that kind of company.」

Hearing Wilford easily confessing everything, Brandon who was holding his head suddenly opened his eyes so wide.

「You idiot! Are you planning betrayal!? The thing about relic is extremely a secret!」

Wilford didn't even turn his gaze toward him.

The men also didn't show any particular reaction. If they had to choose, it seemed they were people who leaned more on Wilford's side.

Hajime tilted his head and asked.

「……"Relic of power"? Another fantasy word comes out again huh. What do you mean by that?」

「From where I'm standing it's you who is more fantasy though……」

Wilford showed a pondering face as though he was picking his words. His forehead was grinded.

Seeing Wilford looking like he was going to spew out the company's secret like a Merlion statue, Brandon bellowed. Gyan gyan, Gyan gyan.

「Young man, excuse me for a bit.」

Wilford quickly approached Brandon, constricted his neck hard, and easily silenced him for eternity. What a quick exit from the stage.

「Oi oi, you do that really simply. Wasn't he your coworker?」

「I considered him an unpleasant guy since the beginning. Besides, the situation is like this. In order for me and my subordinates to survive……right, it can't be helped. Now then, about the "relic of power"……」

According to the explanation of Wilford who wasn't an ordinary person as expected, it seemed existences called "relic with power" existed in earth, so to speak they were things that had some kind of effect even among the "OOPartout of place artifact".

It wasn't something that was known widely by society, but only extremely small fraction of people knew about it. It seemed that the information was regulated even from countries. Rather OOParts were items to divert attention from that kind of relics.

「……What to do, Shia. Even earth is fantasy enough.」

「I don't feel that surprise though. There are also things like UFO or UMA, special program for that kind of mysterious phenomenon is often broadcasted in television right? I think it won't be that strange even if one or two among those are actually the real thing.」

「My recognition was hardened that special program equal counterfeit but……well, certainly this earth is vast. Or rather, before speaking about Tortus and so on, thinking really, really carefully, even our own environment itself is a fantasy that occurred in earth huh……」

The world was overflowing with mystery and the unknown. Hajime pressed on his forehead with one hand while groaning 「Was I too caught up with common sense despite having outrageous experience?」.

「And, what is the content of this box? You already grasped its exact location. So you must have understood what exactly this thing is right?」

The muzzle grinded again. It was a demand to talk using Donner.

「I thought that perhaps it's like this because you are purposefully asking for a talk, but as expected, you don't know about the detail huh. How about it, young man. Isn't this a good time for making a deal? If you want even more information than this――」

*Gorit*.

「tsu. My bad, but just like I said before this, I prized my life. It would be unbearable if the moment I told you everything you just go 'bang'. Aa, I'm used to torture so you can just consider that it won't be effective. That's why, first release us, after that――」

Hajime pulled Donner back.

'He is going to negotiate!' Wilford made a smile.

Hajime-san lifted one hand to the sky.

Wilford and others were all going 「???」 with tilted head.

A few seconds later. Star was twinkling in the sky. Even though it was afternoon.

「「「「「……」」」」」

Wilford and others all looked up to the sky. Afternoon star that was gradually increasing in brightness. The mouth of Wilford and others dropped wide open seeing that brilliant light.

The next moment.

Pillar of light spreading heat wave and impact poured down from the sky! By chance, the impact point was the remain of the boat that was blasted flying before this! The result wasn't at the level of smashed to smithereens anymore. It was truly a complete annihilation! Water instantly evaporated and showed the bottom of the river! Terrific impact flooded the river!

And yet, for some reason around the boat it was like there was only ripple that could be felt. There was no heat wave or impact at all.

Before long, when the terrain of the river was slightly changed and the light from heaven settled down, a refreshing voice resounded.

「Today's weather is very good huh. In a day like this, it will make you want to drop the light of sun and dye everything crimson reallyyy」

Wilford and others were turning their face toward Hajime with a movement that felt like *gigigi* sound would be made. Hajime's lips split open.

「Ok, boss. Call me your dog.」

「Who are you calling boss. Stop that.」

Wilford was truly coveting his life. It seemed his subordinates also had no objection. Perhaps it should be said that they were truly a pack of dogs. It appeared they were obediently following the decision of the top dog.

「No see, this work is a failure after all so we will lose our place from the company. In the first place I joined the company was for earning fund to become an independent treasure hunter. I have been thinking that it would soon be the time for a change of job. Boss, I believe that we will be really useful you know?」

「You don't need to promote yourself like there is no tomorrow. If you answer what I want to know, I'll let you go back alive.」

「……We are going to be useful you know? Seriously.」

「I'm telling you it's fine not to make sure like that. I got a loyal rabbit here in place of loyal dog. You think I'm gonna take the burden of troublesome bunches for more than this huh.」

Hajime wouldn't excessively apply hostility=murder like his time in Tortus. Unlike in Tortus, here there would be various trouble occurring if people died or vanished. Thinking of the effort it would take to carry out the countermeasure afterward, Hajime would give pardon to a certain degree. Of course, it would also depend on the situation and the other party. Wilford and his group were people of the underworld, but they weren't like cult group or terrorist that couldn't be talked through. And so, Hajime's words weren't a lie.

Wilford focused his gaze on Hajime for a while to sound out his true intention, but perhaps he somehow guessed Hajime's thinking, because right after that he recovered his bright smile.

「Hahaha, that's really good to hear. We will vanish right away after the talk is over, so I earnestly beg for your mercy. And, about what that box actually is……」

According to him, the inside of the metal box was filled with ancient biological weapon as expected.

Actually they discovered a lot of lithograph at an ancient ruin that was excavated at completely different place, and it was written there that there was a biological weapon here.

According to the result from deciphering the lithographs, a minority tribe that was originally living in secluded region was making use of it for medical treatment, the raw materials was a very small fraction of soil of the mountainous region. It seemed that by taking the medicine in a dose using peculiar way, mysteriously all kinds of sicknesses would be cured. But, if the way and amount of taking it were mistaken, it would instead cause the internal of the body to crumble and brought death.

At the time, a certain large country that was aiming for hegemony had their eye fixed to that effect. And then, they researched the soil and diverted its use into weapon. They would process the material, used wind to spread it and caused airborne infection, then the infected human would have the inside of their body crumbled in no time at all and died.

「After deciphering the record of that time, the research team of the company form a hypothesis that it might be the microbe in the soil――furthermore it might be carnivorous microbe that was living in the ancient time. The infected would be feverish, and then it's not that their cell would get necrosis or anything, they would physically "get eaten from the inside and die".」

「How can you understand such thing?」

「A mummy was discovered. From how it was strictly stored, most likely it was a quarantined corpse……it seemed the research team understood the effect from investigating it.」

Hajime thought 「I see」. If that was the case, then it wasn't a matter of poison resistance. Because it was practically no different from physical attack, what would be necessary was physical defense instead of resistance ability. And then, it was difficult to expect physical defense from internal organ. From the story it was understandable how it could even affect Hajime.

Though he got a hunch that if it was Shia she might be able to defend even her internal organ against it using fighting spirit.

「Hm? Come to think of it, was the team that discovered it all right? They discovered human that got done in by biological weapon right?」

「It was from BC era. The microbe already died.」

It was a strange story. If that was the case, Shia's Future Sight shouldn't activate.

In that case,

「I see. That lithograph also recorded the way to preserve the biological weapon, and the chronology how it was brought here.」

「……That save the time.」

There was no definite record, but even that microbe went extinct due to some kind of cause. The fury of the biological weapon was ended. But, not all of them. It seemed the excavated ruin was the grave of the royalty of a destroyed country, and according to the record a single princess survived.

After many twists and turns, the girl secured the method to preserve the microbe in hibernating state and even the microbe itself, and then she escaped from the pursuit of enemy country.

「And that is this ruin huh.」

「In the beginning it seemed to be the exclusive hideout for the royalty of that country. You understand if you have seen that underground labyrinth right? It's impossible to built it without great authority and fortune.」

Certainly, it was natural to think of that place as the gathering of the best technology of the country.

Wilford and co thoroughly investigated the record, and determined that the last princess had escaped. At the same time, they also found out that the last princess tried to accomplish her revenge by using the biological weapon inside the hegemony country. This ruin was truly a hideout where time of remaining in obscurity was spent.

「But, in the end that princess didn't use the weapon huh.」

「Looks like it. It was also left in the record.」

According to the record, the princess wasn't getting into the labyrinth because of the enemy pursuit. Most likely she was wavering between her vengeful heart and the weight of sin of releasing the nightmare once more into this world. In the end, she reconsidered herself that the biological weapon should be buried for eternity, but her vassal didn't agree.

The vassals who were driven by hatred and vengeful thought attempted to seize the weapon.

The girl escape to the deepest part, and after that she never came out in order to seal the weapon along with herself.

「Or perhaps, she might be exhausted because of her vassal's betrayal and the truth of her ruined country.」

The corpse of warrior in front of that door. Was he the only ally of the princess? Or else, a traitor who pursued the princess until the very end? In the end, why did she died on that trap mechanism?

Right now they didn't understand, but there was no doubt it was a tragedy that happened in far away past.

「Naturally, the enemy country came to search for the princess. They rounded up the surviving vassals and grasped the situation. They then entered the underground labyrinth, but it resulted with a lot of victim. As a matter of fact, it seemed the king of that country himself who disseminated that biological weapon went 『This is bad, seriously bad』. They then decided to completely seal the labyrinth.」

「Why is only the words of the king of the country that disseminated the biological weapon is rough like that huh.」

In any case, Reletense company that investigated that kind of details then dispatched Wilford and co in order to obtain the ancient biological weapon.

「Now then, young man. I have said everything that I know. It seems that you aren't Vatican's people, so I think you shouldn't have any more business with me though?」

Wilford pleaded once more 「Don't kill me very please」 with strong gaze.

Hajime personally felt that somehow there was a curious word mixed in Wilford's sentence just now, so he grinded Donner once more while ignoring Wilford's gaze.

「Why are you mentioning Vatican just now?」

「Aa, I'm glad. I'm convinced seeing your reaction. No you see, in our business Vatican is like our biggest rival. Fundamentally that side is collecting and managing relic of power. The agent from there is really merciless. They are our rival while at the same time they are also the synonym of terror.」

Earth was seriously fantasy. Thinking that, Hajime looked up to the sky with a complicated look.

But, Wilford's next words changed his expression.

「Well, in a sense, taking on "returnee" as opponent instead of them is more not worth it though.」

*Gorit*. Wilford-san's forehead was drenched with cold sweat.

「A, haha, as I thought that's the case huh. Goddammit. So I had pulled the worst card right from the start. This is why I'm saying that life is always going to unexpected direction.」

「It's fine to curse, but you understand what I want to ask right? Answering honestly is for you own sake y'know? You don't want to become fish fodder aren't you?」

Wilford answered while still sweating coldly.

「I'm in the business of chasing after world's mystery you know? There is no way I wouldn't get interested at the group disappearing incident and returnee commotion at Japan.」

「……Well, certainly. We also got probed by occultish secret society after all……」

「In addition, the bizarre information control that is so perfect it's eerie. Reletense investigated it thinking that it might be related with relic of power you know? Though they didn't get satisfactory result.」

「Hee, even though there wasn't any satisfactory result, how did you understand I'm a returnee?」

「No, because……」

Wilford's gaze turned toward the spot where there was *chudon* from the sky just now.

「It's about three months ago I think. You used that at Britain too right?」

「? Britain……ah, that time huh.」

The time of *chudon* that a certain lord requested.

It seemed that Reletense company also grasped the situation at Britain to a certain degree. Hajime did forbid the related people from talking and manipulated society's recognition to a certain degree, but as expected, he didn't do anything like erasing the memory of all the people living nearby who saw that light. It wasn't strange that the sky *chudon* got known. After all, a facility was blown away along with the terrain. And the result, there was also a temporary water outage after that.

「And so, Reletense company is gathering the information of you all to a certain degree. That's why even if you dispose of me――」

「So you're saying, don't kill me even if I'm not gonna take you in. ……You are someone really good at calculating right?」

「Yes, boss. I, Wilford and my subordinates won't get involved at all with boss and also the returnees and people related with them! Rather, when you need it I will be really useful――」

「You are really persistent at promoting yourself! It's fine, we are going to take care things like that by ourselves. Also, if you call me boss again, I'm gonna shoot you.」

Hajime stored away Donner with an exasperated expression. Tension left from Wilford's shoulders and he let out a long sigh. It seemed that inside he was really nervous in contrast with his outside appearance.

「If there is no more work particularly, I'm thinking of being allowed to quickly withdraw but……」

「Aa? Aah, it's fine already. Go.」

「Right, I really want to do just that but, look, our boat is destroyed so……」

Wilford. He really had great personality. It seemed he was implicitly pleading 'Can you take us until the ruin, or until Puhang city?'.

Certainly, there was quite a distance whichever way they would go. Furthermore, this river normally had crocodile. The men hanging on the edge of the boat sometimes were worrying of their surrounding even now must be because of that.

Wilford and co were turning gaze that was filled with hope at Hajime.

Toward them who was like that, Hajime naturally smiled brightly.

「Is that necessary?」

The place became deadly silent.

「Noo, see. There are also injured people here, as expected――」

*Gorit*

「You guys! It's a race until Puhang city! Now, swim! Be careful of crocodile!」

Wilford energetically swam downstream like a fish that had obtained water. The men were carrying the injured while following him hurriedly.

「In a sense, they are happy bunches huh……」

「Isn't that right desuu~. I thought that he was just a smug person, but if I have to say which one, he is a gag personnel instead.」

By the way, they casually left behind Mr. Brandon. It couldn't be helped, so Hajime and Shia left the boat where Brandon was at to be carried away by the flow. Surely, he too would drift away to somewhere.

「Now then, Shia. About from here on……」

「Yes desu. What to do?」

Hajime showed a pondering gesture for a bit.

「Let's see. At first our objective is to search for Hauria's base farther at the back region of the ruin, but now, I'm thinking it should be fine if we just make that ancient ruin into Hauria's base.」

「Isn't that riiight. It's easily a fortress already after allll. An underground labyrinth overflowing with killing intent.」

「Right? They are a bunches who greatly love booby trap after all. They are going to be happy for sure. Right now it's submerged and broken, but it can just be fixed later.」

「But, as a hideout……that Reletense company whatever know about it already.」

「About that, the local people won't get near because of the rumor of the curse, and the government of this country doesn't know of its worth. In that case, it's necessary to do something about the recognition of the foreigners.」

If only that point could be cleared, then the ancient ruin's underground labyrinth would definitely become a good base for Hauria clan.

Hajime said 「And so……」 as preface,

「I'm thinking to march into Reletense company for a bit. Right away. I'm also curious about their information on us.」

「Isn't that right~. I'm concerned about the information about us. It's unfortunate that the date is interrupted, but yes, let's go right away.」

Both of them nodded to each other, then Hajime took out the compass and crystal key and immediately teleported from the forest area to the center of a metropolis in America.

–

–

–

A metropolis in west coast. A high rise building in a corner of that city――Reletense company's floor thirty,

「To think that a robbery case already occurred at the place we infiltrated, this is just too much.」

「As expected of Hajime-san. No matter where and what you try to do, you will encounter trouble. It's only Hajime-san that is impossible to find the "expected unexpected" happen to you.」

Such conversation between Hajime and Shia resounded.

Ahead of the gaze of the two was flickering light, glass wall that was partly smashed, a little bit of scattered blood, and then several collapsed guards, along with several people who seemed to be staffs.

No matter how they looked, it was a scene of a case.

Due to the difference of time zone, the curtain of night had already descended here. It seemed that most people had gone home, so there was few presence of people inside the company. Seeing how there wasn't any alarm or commotion that could be heard, it seemed that what happened in this floor hadn't been discovered yet.

The two came here with the guidance of the compass, so they should be able to find the file regarding returnee or ancient ruin at the terminal in this floor, but……

「Is this done by industrial espionage? According to Luffy, it looks like this is a company that is prosperous at behind the scene.」

「Hajime-san, Hajime-san. Before we get dragged into a strange trouble again, let's accomplish our objective quickly.」

Hajime nodded to Shia's words and called out the Arachne-san group. It was in order to inject sleeping drug into the collapsed people, just in case.

Seen from the side, it was like an inhuman act of beating a corpse, but because the guard whose wound seemed serious also got a tiny bit of healing medicine injected into them, it was a good deed instead. Even if they were starting to convulse *twitch twitch* from it.

「Come to think of it Hajime-san, how are we going to check the information? I imagine that the PC has protection right?」

For the data related to ancient ruin, they could just destroy the server later and also apply recognition manipulation to the staffs with something like 「Heh? Feels like I forgot something? Well, it mustn't be a big deal if I forgot about it」.

Although, regarding the information of returnee, just in case they also wanted to confirm how much the company actually grasped and how skilled their information gathering ability was.

And so, it would be the quickest to browse the data from the terminal, but something like the data of a company naturally couldn't be browsed that easily. The data was obviously being protected using password and so on.

Something like hacking was completely the field of earth technology> Hajime could do programming for things related to create game, but he had no technology to infiltrate the terminal of a company.

And so, Shia's question was only natural.

「No problem. I'll use this.」

「What is it?」

Hajime took out two sunglasses from Treasure Warehouse. He put one on himself while also putting the other on Shia.

「It's an artifact to replay the sight of the past through the lens――Urd Glass.」

It was an artifact that Tio often used to gather image album. In Tio's case, the camera she used had Urd Glass as its lens.

Seeing the past using this artifact would consume magic power in proportion of the time that was traced back, that consumption rate was also at a level that couldn't be made fun of, but just peeking back through this one whole day to look at the password wouldn't be a problem.

'I see', Shia nodded while for now she cracked her neck. She was putting in fighting spirit~

「Why is it only my sunglass that looks like party-goer's specification!? Isn't the frame absurdly heart shaped!?」

「That's not all y'know. Try filling it with magic power.」

She tried pouring. The glasses shined really shiny! Light of seven colors brilliantly and super colorfully decorated inside the dark room!

Shia was shining bright!

「Is there other?」

「What are you dissatisfied about?」

「Mostly everything.」

Even though he created it for Shia's sake. Even though Yue was pleased with it. Hajime muttered such things while taking out different sunglass. It was teardrop type.

Shia personally felt something like 「Ee~, isn't there anything with smarter look?」, but……when she put it on she thought 「Eh? It's unexpectedly suited me?」.

「Well, I'm fine with this but……when Hajime-san is wearing round type sunglass, it feels terribly suspicious, or really fishy.」

「It's the booming recently. When you meet the people of government wearing this, they generally will draw back. The bunches who should be good in poker face will have their thought 『Thi, this guy, he is totally fishy!』 completely appear on their face.」

「Please don't play around with the reaction of government's people.」

Hajime cackled while prompting Shia to activate the ability of Urd Glass to see the past.

Through Urd Glass, the past image of the room began to be projected.

First, the situation of the incident was projected.

「Oo, it's like movie desuu! This mister thief somehow is amazing! Hajime-san, let's look from the beginning of the assault!」

「Certainly it's like movie huh. Yosh, then starting from the beginning of the attack……」

The image was projected like a replay and the beginning of the attack was normally played back.

Just as the two said, a sight that was like a movie scene spread out.

The attacker wore a really fit coat with his face hidden by mask. That mask was like the face of Kao○shi of a certain anime movie of spirited away phenomenon, it looked really eerie.

It seemed the attacker was alone. He made several staffs who were working overtime to faint, then threatened the last one with a knife and began to browse the information terminal. And then, he gave instruction to the male staff who was stiff from terror and began to copy the information to a storage medium.

「……This guy.」

The browsed information and the copied content caused Hajime to narrow his eyes and reflexively leaked out his voice.

「It's the information of the ancient ruin isn't it~. How timely. Well, that is fine but, why, even the information of returnee……」

「Rather than it being his objective, it feels more like he discovered it by chance and snatched it on the occasion huh.」

Although, Hajime wondered why there was a need to expressly go as far as copying the data. If the man was an industrial spy, there should be other information that could be more profitable.

The image was progressing even while Hajime and Shia tilted their head in puzzlement. Then, two guards carelessly arrived in the middle of the copying progress. Looks like they were patrolling.

The threatened staff instantly looked relieved, but right after that he was punched and fainted. The attacker also attacked the guards. He sent flying one guard using old-looking collapsed baton, while the other one was blown away to the glass wall with a midair spinning kick.

After confirming that the guards were silenced, the attacker pulled out the storage media that had finished the data copying before vanishing inside the dark corridor as though melting into darkness.

「Hoee~, it was amazing. That's obviously a pro. Just who in the world could he be?」

Shia raised an admiring voice, but Hajime didn't react. When she looked, Hajime was folding his arms thinking of something.

「What's wrong? Is Hajime-san concerned with the information of returnee getting taken?」

「No, that's not really a big problem. After all using compass we can find the attacker's whereabouts right away. There is no rush. Just……」

「Just? What is it? Is there something concerning?」

「It was just for an instant but, the baton that guy showed, also when he jumped, at the inner part of his exposed coat……I saw cross mark.」

「??」

'What's wrong with that?' Shia's rabbit ears tilted. Hajime explained while pondering.

「If you say that it might be just a fashion, then that's that, but if that's not the case, then it will be quite troublesome I guess. If that guy has a backing just like what I'm imagining, the people behind him will become interested in "returnee".」

「The people behind him……you mean that attacker-san belong to an organization, and that organization is troublesome?」

「I don't know whether they are troublesome or not though. I also don't know what their intention is.」

「H~m? Who could it be?」

「Luffy said it right? The organization that should be avoided in this business?」

「Ee~rr……ah」

Shia hit her palm *pon* when she remembered. Hajime who saw that nodded and spoke the organization, or rather the country the attacker might belonged to.

「Right, it's Vatican.」

–

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A residential area in a certain place at Britain.

The town had splendid harmony between new and old building. Inside a house at a tranquil area slightly distanced from the center of the city, resounded a voice of a girl that sounded delighted, or joyful, or it wouldn't even be an exaggeration to say that the voice sounded happy.

「Ko~suke~! The pie is finished baking~!」

The voice's owner was a blonde haired beautiful girl with hair in side tail style and wearing frilly apron and fluffy kitchen mitten――Emily Grant.

Her hands had a container of apple pie that was baked just now. She sniffed *sun sun-* at the sweet gentle aroma in enjoyment, with her almond-shaped eyes that were like cat narrowing in satisfaction.

「Ko~suke~! Can you hear me~? You can leave trimming the garden for later, so let's eat before it get cold~」

Emily-chan was calling at her beloved person who was currently tending the garden with a voice that sounded sweeter than apple pie.

At present, the one at the garden was Kousuke E Abyssga――not, it was Endo Kousuke.

Although, to be more accurate it was one of his clones. The main body was at Japan. Although, even though it was clone body, it could share information with the main body in real time, it also could eat. The sense of taste could also be shared.

From the point that it "wasn't the main body", Emily personally felt lonely, she also longed for the real one, but she convinced herself with saying 「A convenient communication method that is a bit real」.

By the way, right now her family wasn't at home. They were going out. And so, there was just the two of them. Emily would restrain herself in front of her family, but when it was just the two of them she became awfully indulgent. In various things.

From the garden, 「Got it~! I'm coming soon!」 such voice could be heard. Just from that, Emily's expression loosened 'funya~'.

She put the apple pie on the plate while humming, and went toward the living room with light footsteps.

And then,

「Yo, sorry for the intrusion.」

There was a demon king.

「HIIIIIIIIH, HE CAME OUUUTT!?」

Emily-chan screamed and leaped on the spot. The apple pie danced in the air.

「WATCH O~UT! AND THEN IT'S A WASTEE~E! DESUU!」

Shia caught the plate and apple pie while generating afterimage. Hajime glanced at that while speaking his dissatisfaction with throbbing vein on his forehead.

「Oi you, why are you screaming right after seeing my face?」

「I'm sorry! My Kousuke is always much obliged to you!」

She stood at attention before giving a beautiful bow. It was as though her husband's superior――furthermore it was someone at the rank of president or chairman suddenly visited her home. Even while at her wits' end, Emily-chan desperately greeted like a young wife.

At their first meeting, various things happened. Various things.

「Geez, Hajime-san you dummy! That's why I told you not to teleport directly, but visit from the entrance. Please don't scare my cute little sis. Are you all right, Emily-chan?」

「Shi, Shia-oneesan……I'm, ALL RIGHT DESSU!」

She didn't look okay at all no matter how one looked at her.

By the way, they teleported directly inside the house was because there were the guards from Britain's intelligence bureau around Grant house, so this was so they wouldn't get spooked. Though Shia wished that they didn't spook Emily rather than them.

Then, there Kousuke entered the living room saying 「Emily? Are you okay? Looks like Nagumo and Shia came though」 while wiping his hands with a towel.

「Kousukee!」

Emily quickly snuggled beside Kousuke. It seemed she was really nervous to be in the presence of the demon king.

Kousuke comforted Emily 'there, there' while asking.

「Nagumo, and also Shia-san. What's the matter you two? If I remember right, you two were in the middle of a trip right?」

「Aa, it became a bit troublesome mater. This is work request.」

「……Trouble?」

Kousuke's vigilance jumped up. He looked at Hajime with reluctant face.

Hajime smiled wryly at such Kousuke while putting a metal box beside the apple pie.

「You see, this is something we found at an underground dungeon of an ancient ruin. A powerful biological weapon that destroyed several countries in the past.」

「WAIT A SECOOOOOOND-! There are a lot of place to tsukkomi than I don't know where to begin here! But for now, don't put that beside Emily's apple pie!」

Kousuke recovered the apple pie swiftly while putting in a deft tsukkomi.

His gaze was intensely pleading 「Explain the situation right from the start! No, as expected just go home!」.

Of course, demon king-sama didn't go home!

Emily said 「Come to think of it, sheesh me, I didn't even bring out tea!」, she then returned to the kitchen with hurried footsteps looking like a young wife as expected. Hajime gave her a glance while starting to explain the situation without allowing any argument.

Hajime talked while yummily enjoying Emily's handmade tea and apple pie. When he finished talking, Kousuke raised a dry laughing voice saying 「Earth, is seriously fantasy」. Hajime grinned widely at him and said.

「And so, it will be a lot of hard work investigating that guy's too big backing, so I'll leave it to you.」

「Don't leave it to me. Stop. I don't know anything.」

「You see, this biological weapon, it seems that originally it would become a cure-all when it's mixed using peculiar way.」

「No, listen to me. I'm not going to accept it you listening.」

「If Emily is interested then it's find if you turn it over to her. It's something like this after all. I'll prepare the facility, I'll also set up any necessary things. It's going to be a part of the reward. If you aren't interested, I cannot handle it so I'll just dispose of it.」

「Oi Nagumo, listen. I said already I'm not gonna do it. The opponent is just too big, you said it yourself. Rather than me doing it solo, you guys doing it is――」

「The reward is this much see. You will need funds for the wedding right?」

「What do you mean wedding fund!? If you think I'm going to get lured by such words――」

Kousuke howled to Hajime who ignored his words and continued talking, but beside him the girl with superabundance attribute, Emily tensed her face and taking the bait, she answered.

「Accepted! Demon king-sama! Let's do our best, Kousuke!」

「Emily is baited!? That's just too easy right!? Or rather, which is it? Which got you hooked? Is it the ancient cure-all? Or else the marriage fund with me!?」

「Ko, Kousuke……in front of demon king-sama and Shia-oneesan, you said "marry with me" like that……I'm, embarrassed……」

「Can you stop extracting only convenient words from my comment like a journalist!?」

Emily-chan pressed her cheeks with both hands while fidgeting with faked reluctance. Her trademark side tail also swayed *furi furi*.

「It's great that you two got along really well. If you need anything else contact me again later.」

「Ah, wait, Nagumo! Why are you looking like you aren't going to touch this even with a pole! You are leaving this wholesale to me too much! At the very least do this job together with me!」

Hajime stood up from his seat and opened a gate, to which Kousuke pleaded earnestly to him.

Hajime smiled brightly to such Kousuke once more and,

「I'm in the middle of date with Shia. Telling me to suspend it like that……Endo, since when you became that kind of terrible guy?」

「Shut up-. I don't want getting told that I'm a "terrible guy" only by you!」

'You've really changed huh……'. Hajime said such thing with that kind of attitude. In respond Kousuke put in a tsukkomi with throbbing vein on his forehead.

However, such objection was just like a breeze against swaying willow,

「Because it's true right? For the moment, you already got the result from mock exam to your targeted medical university that can be said as certain, if you do nothing but studying then you'll want to move your body, and then you said that you want to do something, not sports, but something with tension. That's why, I suggested this to help you refresh, and yet, you told me to do it myself even if it will make Shia sad, really, someone like you is just――」

「DAaaAAAAH, I got it! I got it already! I just need to do it right!?」

*mumble mumble, grumble grumble* Seeing Hajime starting to talk like that, Kousuke responded in abandonment.

To that, Hajime bestowed 「Oo, so you will accept huh. As expected from Abyssgate!」 words of praise (?) to him.

「Then, take care of the rest.」

He easily said that and walked to the other side of the gate accompanied by Shia.

From behind, 「I'll contact you later for sure! Pick up the call okay!」 such voice resounded. It was regarding information leak of their comrades, so in the end, surely Kousuke wouldn't hesitate to help out Hajime right from the start. It was just the opponent would be too big if their worry was right in the mark, that he was a bit anxious to do it alone.

Perhaps guessing such complicated worry of Kousuke, Shia groaned after the gate closed.

「Uu~n, will he be okay I wonder?[

「It's going to be all right, if we leave it to Endo.」

In a sense, that was the greatest proof of demon king-sama's trust.

「Certainly the date with Shia is a priority, but when the date is over, I want to reconsider about things related to enterprise. Just like Reletense company. Besides, there is no one that is superior to that guy in covert investigation, so he is the suitable person to deal with an opponent that we don't want to discern our movement. Well, if it's necessary, I'll lend him as much help as possible.」

Hajime said that with a shrug. He then pulled himself together and suggested something.

「Rather than that, Shia. This place is still Britain, but are we going to continue the search for base? We still have time remaining in the trip schedule anyway.]

「What are we going to do with the ancient ruin?」

「We are keeping it on hold for now. In Britain there is a lot of forest with abundant nature. And there are many famous story of forest with witch in it. Occult story like sorcery or magic is also the staple here. So perhaps, we might find new earth fantasy here?」

「Oo, that sounds good! Then, let's go to a date in Britain's forest for the remaining time!」

Shia hopped around happily.

Hajime too naturally smiled.

It felt like they would get the attention of some kind of great power like this, but in front of the smile of the rabbit that was the very definition of innocence, he could think of it as just trivial problem.

After having a lot of fun spending important time with Shia……then, he would check at the lord's condition just in case. Hajime muttered that inside his heart while……

Hajime strongly gripped back the hand that Shia presented to him with delighted smile on her face.

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AN: Thank you very much for reading this every time.

Thank you very much too for the thoughts, opinions, and reports about misspelling and omitted words.

Continuing from last week, I received a lot of congratulating comment for getting anime.

Really thank you very much!

Now then, there are about two notifications.

• At Gardo, Arifureta Nichijou's latest chapter is updated!

It's interesting as usual. To the degree it make me want to reimport the material back to the main story lol

If you like, please go there to look by all means.

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• The second is apology.

The spin-off [Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai Saikyou   Zero 1] that was planned to be launched at 25 December will move to 28 December

It get delayed. ……It seems there are various circumstances.

Volume 7 will still be launched at 25 December.

My deepest apology to those who has made a plan or looking forward to it.

It will be delayed by three days but, please kindly take care of it.