Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai Saikyou (WN)

Chapter 470

Nagumo Family’s Morning Part 3 ~University Daily Life Episode~

Soon it would be two months since the spring break was over.

Even though it was a bit messy at the beginning, the life rhythm of those who plunged into a new daily life finally started to settle down around this time.

At the early morning when the weather report was reporting that the rainy season was approaching,

「The “possible worlds” that are further outside the nine worlds, eh.」

*Gishi* The work chair made a creaking sound inside the workshop located underground of Nagumo family house.

The underground space was more than eight times the size of the plot above it. It was about as big as baseball field. Even so it was overflowing with materials and objects to an immense degree.

There were many golems with difference size and appearance that seemed to be prototype, standing in lines and making the place cramped. Firearms and fanciful weapons with imposing as well as bewitching form were stuffed on the wall. Various kind of parts and materials like ore and the like were scattered everywhere as though to fill out the gaps in between.

The wall and also the ceiling that was around six until seven meter above also had every single inch engraved with magic circles to assist with the creation or research.

Compared when this underground workshop was set up at the beginning, it had been expanded to a degree that would make even his relatives astonished.

Inside such underground workshop, there was a small room relatively near the entrance that was partitioned with reinforced glass. Because it was stuffed with precision equipment like PC and the like, the room was relatively in order.

Inside there was a desk with six screens around it. The screens were projecting various data. There were also document shelves and whiteboard that were pasted full with memo pads.

Hajime was letting out a deep sigh inside that space.

「……Don’t perceive what we called “other world” at the level of a “single planet”. Perceive it wider as a “single universe”, huh. Well, certainly that tracks. Even the desert world has outer space outside the planet and also other planets. Perhaps there is also planet with abundant nature and life somewhere in that vast universe.」

What Hajime and others vaguely called “other world” wasn’t a “different planet” that existed inside the same universe by all means. The universe itself was different from their universe, and the planet that they knew there was nothing more than a single planet inside that different universe.

Hajime once more spoke of the great premise that he had to base his perception on while tossing the tablet in his hand on the desk. He joined his hands behind his head and leaned back deeply on his chair. He stared at the empty space in order to sort his thinking.

「In other words, the “nine other worlds”, should be called as “nine other universes” to be more accurate……」

The tablet was displaying the report from Kouki.

Other than reporting what happened in the desert world, the report also summarized really well about the structure of the world that Kouki heard from Foltina.

Around this time, Kouki must be putting in effort to mop up the “infected species” and “Dark Beings”. From his progress report, it looked like they would enter the final phase over there. It was worthwhile for Hajime to diligently continue sending ammos and treasure warehouses that were stuffed with various energies until now.

That progress report also included the follow-up survey regarding the “Calamity” that was the cause of everything. But, it seemed currently there was still no trace or new information at all about it.

Even so, Hajime had reread the written reports many times. It was so that he wouldn’t miss even the slightest thing. He had even memorized all the reports by heart.

「The “Calamity” is a visitor from even further outside the “nine other universes” huh.」

That was one of the facts that Foltina tried to cover up.

The visitor didn’t come from the desert world, or even from some different planet in the same universe with the desert world. Far from it, it didn’t even came from the other eight universes.

Something that didn’t exist, mustn’t exist in their world, It was an Irregular in the truest sense.

「That’s something that I had been hypothesizing. That our world might be nothing more than a small part of a branch that grew from the World Tree. But……」

Bitterness surfaced on Hajime’s expression.

「It certainly is something beyond human intellect.」

Most of the story of world structure that Foltina talked about was something that he had already known. Most were nothing more than information that supported the story that Aularodde had told them.

There was just one additional point, an information that made him wanted to throw up his hands and think “Won’t it be pointless to think about it anymore than this?” despite how interesting it was.

That was the existence of “possible world”.

According to Foltina, even their nine universes were located on nothing more than a single branch from a major branch that extended from the world tree. Furthermore their universes were nothing more than the leaves that grew at the further end of a smaller branch. There were other branches and leaves beside their branch. Nearby branch would have similar worlds with theirs, while the far away branch could possibly could have worlds with completely different culture and history engraved on them.

Not only that, it might even be possible that there were different major branches that grew from the world tree, where mankind itself didn’t exist there in the first place, where the worlds were completely different, in law of physics, concept, or the world’s underlying principle.

「It’s not a simple story where there’s an origin world and that’s it huh.」

Even a goddess didn’t have a clear grasp of the details or the full picture, they couldn’t. But, as an avatar of a great tree, they simply understood that the world was like that from the moment they were born.

The way to know everything was to access the World Tree──that was to say the origin world, but it seemed their instinct or perhaps their soul warned them. That it was hopeless. That it was beyond them. Their existence itself would warp if they stepped further ahead, that they would never be able to return back to normal.

「If even a goddess will turn like that, it’ll be dangerous to go out of my way to investigate with the compass huh……」

He summoned the compass on his hand. He toyed with that object that was shaped like pocket watch on his palm while recalling when he searched for existence outside of the nine worlds.

The result went without saying. The compass showed no reaction at all.

Perhaps there was a powerful partition that even the compass was unable to grasp. Or perhaps something like the rule of the world was obstructing it.

Either way, he had no intention of going as far as braving danger just to ascertain it.

At the very least until he was able to secure his own safety.

Most of all, the most important thing from Foltina’s story wasn’t in that aspect.

「The problem is, this so called “Calamity” of the desert world was “something” that came from that “possible world”.」

Hajime firmly grasped the compass that he had been juggling casually. Then crimson magic power enveloped him.

It reacted to “infected species”. The same with “Dark Being”. The compass told him that the same species like the specimen that had its photo attached inside the report still existed. He also got the image of where they were located right now.

But, the reaction quietly died out when he inquired about the “Calamity”.

「……Should I feel relieved. Or perhaps……」

A sigh.

Even if he didn’t know the target’s actual appearance, as long as he held the image of “god” in his mind, the compass would be able to accurately search the target with just that image.

A visitor from the outer space. The existence that became the source of miasma. Just those two factors were already more than enough to show how dangerous that existence was.

Then, he should feel relieved that the compass showed no reaction. Kouki and others would also feel at ease if he told them the result of the compass.

But, the fact that the compass couldn’t detect the world outside the “nine universes” strangely latched into his mind. Perhaps, existence that came from there was also beyond the power of the compass. Such possibility──

「No, as expected I’m thinking too much.」

Hajime stored the compass into his treasure warehouse and shook his head. He felt like his head was a bit heavy. It seemed the fatigue had caught up to him. It was useless to think about it any more than this. Or rather, the same idea had been running in his mind many times ever since he received the report. He should realize already just how fruitless the thought was.

Perhaps his brain lacked sugar content……Hajime thought with a wry smile.

It was then.

「……Hajime?」

「! Woah. Yue huh……wait, what’s with that appearance?」

Hajime was slightly startled from getting called out so suddenly. He swiveled on his chair.

The door of the room of reinforced glass was half opened. Yue was peeking from there with a stare that was more piercing than usual.

She was in a grown-up form that looked like twenty years old using metamorphosis magic.

But, that wasn’t what Hajime was referring to. Since enrolling into university, she was basically in her “university student mode” that had the appearance of twenty year old woman when spending time outside. She turned back into her original form only when at home or there were only relatives around. It seemed that she wanted to have fun with university life together with Hajime with appearance befitting a university student.

And so, what Hajime was referring to was her attire.

She must be wearing camisole and hot pants. The pink frilly apron she was wearing made it looked like she was doing naked apron style from a certain angle.

She was holding a ladle in one hand in that appearance that stirred up dirty imagination. Her hair that was tied together with a scrunchie was dangling forward over her shoulder. She truly looked like a young wife coming to wake up her husband.

However, her expression wasn’t smiling.

It seemed the young wife today was deeply displeased.

「Are we going to do a cosplay play before sleeping today?」

「……You don’t notice as expected. It’s already morning.」

「…………Eh? Seriously?」

Hajime looked flabbergasted for a moment. He hurriedly turned his gaze toward the clock hanging on the wall. And indeed, certainly the clock’s hands were showing that it already a bit past seven in the morning.

「……You said that you would return after reaching a good stopping point so I waited, and yet in the end I slept alone last night. Even though I’m a newlywed wife」

「Uu, my bad. I unintentionally got too absorbed with my research……」

「……Recently, you often fell asleep in your workshop, so I came in newlywed wife style to wake you up, but it turned out you pulled an all-nighter.」

「No, that’s why I unintentionally forgot the time──」

「──Even though I planned to say 『Dear, wake up. The breakfast is ready』 with a kiss, then after enjoying the cute grumbling Hajime for a bit, Hajime would woke up and say 『I see. The breakfast look great!』 before pushing me down and I would say 『Yes, dear? Eat up?』」

「Isn’t the morning plan too specific and erotic!?」

「……I’m a newlywed wife after all」

「Isn’t Yue’s idea of newlywed wife strange?」

「Something like newlywed wife is obviously 24-hour system.」

「I won’t ask 24-hour system for what but, for now apologize to all the newlywed wives of this country. You ero vampire」

The newlywed wife-sama’s affection was overflowing even more also because they had officially submitted the marriage registration. It seemed that her mood had improved slightly just from this kind of exchange.

She smiled Mufuu~ and then ran with small footsteps *tetetete* before diving on Hajime’s lap. Yue in her current university student mode had magnificent breasts that weren’t at all inferior compared to Shia, so Hajime’s face got buried in happiness.

Rather than feeling excited, it was sleepiness that suddenly drowned him……what a terrific sense of ease. And also euphoria. A yawn 「Fuwaa~」 spontaneously escaped his mouth.

「……Do you want to take a day off today?」

Yue slightly separated from him. She asked him while wiping the tear that trickled out from the corner of his eyes with her fingertip. Today was weekday. Naturally there would be lecture in the university today.

Hajime smiled wryly and shook his head.

「Don’t spoil me too much. I’m reaping what I sow. I’ll go like normal.」

「……Nn. Got it. ……Hajime, as expected, how about you made imitation sun here like in Oscar residence?」

「H~mm, the light amount changing minutely feel annoying when I’m concentrating. Well, certainly I often forgot the time recently, so I’ll think about it I guess.」

Hajime sounded like he wasn’t enthused at all about the idea. Yue stared fixedly at him. She was wishing to stare with each other sweetly like this forever……wasn’t what she was wishing. It was clear that she was looking a bit worried.

Hajime thought 「So overprotective huh」 inside his heart with a wry smile, then another visitor came.

「Myuu is aware. Yue-oneechan said that she will go and wake up papa, but she almost never woke him up properly.」

Myuu was sending a gaze that was even more piercing than Yue. There was no way she could cling even closer than this in front of that.

Yue apologized 「Uu, I’m sorry……」 with an expression that really didn’t know what to say while getting up from Hajime’s lap. Then Myuu leaped as though to switch with her──

Just as it looked like she was going to do that, she stopped when she was in the verge of diving. Then she gave a morning greeting 「Good morning nano」 with a prim face.

She had quickly put on air like a big sis since advancing to elementary school. She held the idea that a lady wouldn’t dive on her papa’s chest that easily.

Though ninety percent of the times she would only remember that after already hugging her papa. Well, it feels nice so it’s alright! She would often get deviant like that in the aftermath.

「Good morning, Myuu. My bad. You’re going to be late if we don’t eat breakfast soon, and yet you went out of your way to call me here.」

「Myuu want to eat breakfast together nano. Also, Yue-oneechan! Shia-oneechan is troubled that the ladle is gone nano. She can’t stir the miso soup like that.」

「Uu, sorry.」

The newlywed wife-san apologized to a little girl twice already from the morning.

Putting that aside.

「Myuu is really great. Recently you always woke up earlier than me. Your preparation before going to school is also always perfect.」

「Ehhen! I’m a big sis after all!」

Her emerald blond wavy hair was glossy and set up perfectly too today. Her attire too, even though it was just a simple trousers look, it was arranged with good style that possessed both cuteness and coolness. She was perfectly wearing Remia’s selection.

In addition even though two months had passed since the new school term began, she kept being energetic right from the morning and always looking motivated I want to go to school quickly! even now.

For Nagumo family who was weak in the morning, the figure of Myuu waking up early in the morning and looking energetic made them happy from receiving a share of her liveliness, but at the same time it also made them a bit envious.

「Is school fun?」

Hajime patted Myuu’s head gently so as to not mess up her hairstyle. Myuu’s expression that was putting on the big sister air immediately melted like jello.

「It’s suuu—per fun nano! Rather, there is nothing but fun nano! Myuu also managed to make a lot of friends, and Myuu also learned a lot of things that Myuu didn’t know before nano!」

「I see……that’s great.」

Actually, he was a bit worried. No matter how fluent she was in Japanese language, Myuu’s appearance was clearly not that of a Japanese person.

That kind of child becoming a target of ostracism in elementary school was a news that could often be heard.

Also, children were innocent, because of that sometimes they could also act cruelly. That was a fact.

「……Even us can’t compete against Myuu’s communication ability. Hajime is a worrywart.」

Yue chucked. Hajime shrugged in respond.

Certainly that was true. Myuu could foster friendship even with those who didn’t speak the same language like her, or rather she could do so even with evil spirits of rivers and mountains. There was no way she would get bullied by mere fellow student in the same grade──

「Ah, but there is this kid who’s bullying Myuu nano.」

「Tell me their name. I’ll find out their address using the compass.」

「……Hajime, don’t be hasty.」

Yue scolded him bad- like a little kid. She also confiscated the compass that Hajime had already taken out.

「……But, Myuu. That’s also the first time Yue-oneechan and others heard about that. Are you okay?」

「Myu! Completely fine nano!」

「But, you’re getting bullied right?」

「That’s right but……Myuu doesn’t get any bad feeling? That kid doesn’t feel like he hate Myuu……he’s just a bit dishonest with himself, something like that?」

Myuu was talking while pressing her index finger on her chin and staring at empty air. Hajime and Yue looked at each other, then they got it at the same time.

「……Myuu. That kid you mentioned, is he perhaps a boy?」

「Yes nano!」

「………………Already huh. I thought someone like that would appear one day but this is fast.」

Just as expected. It was that kind of child who bullied the person who they liked.

As a papa, he couldn’t allow some annoying insect to buzz around his daughter, but he had no intention of going as far as meddling with elementary school friendship that contained no malice.

Rather, as a fellow male he couldn’t help but feel sympathy toward the boy who was being warmly perceived by the target of his feeling as merely “kid who couldn’t be honest with himself”. Sorry that my kid is so precocious. The exp point is just too different……He thought.

Also, it wasn’t a lie that he felt conflicted as a papa. Perhaps he should try talking with Tomoichi-san next time about it……he thought about something like that.

「……Fufu. I see. Myuu, you don’t hate that boy?」

「No nano. He’s mean but he also has this kind side to him. Besides, how to say it, it’s difficult to take off your eyes from him……」

「You can’t, take off your eyes from himmm? Do you have feeling toward that boy?」

Papa, was struck dumb. His hand reached toward his smartphone. Tomoichi-san, this time has come a hundred times faster than expected! Can you clear up your schedule to meet up todayyy!?

Yue looked at Hajime with a slightly exasperated gaze while asking Myuu 「What made him caught your eye?」.

Then……

「Err, it’s Nagisa-chan and others who can take off their eyes from him nano.」

「……What do you mean?」

「Myuu said that he isn’t a bad kid but……each time that kid do something, the look in Nagisa-chan and other girls’ eyes will become like murderer or something」

The children who had been together and especially got along with Myuu since kindergarten apparently would react like yakuza sometimes. Myuu was worried about that.

Yue’s gaze turned toward Hajime. Hajime papa quietly averted his gaze.

Those children often came to play to this house too. The first wife’s guess that surely he had asked a favor from them to not allow any annoying insect to approach Myuu seemed to be right on the spot.

「Myuu told them that Myuu doesn’t hate him, so everyone should get along, but it only made them even more ready to fight nano.」

「……Nn. Of course they would.」

Myuu tilted her head seeing Yue’s enlightened expression.

Ny the way, during the elementary school’s entrance ceremony, as expected there were many children pointing their finger seeing Myuu’s rare hair color but……

Nagisa-chan, Madoka-chan, and Hitomi-chan, the trio whose fondness toward Myuu was especially off the chart took the lead over the group of girls who were from the same kindergarten like Myuu to casually surround and guard her. Furthermore they sent out penetrating glares that were unthinkable for new students to suppress everyone else.

That scene was like, putting it nicely it was like the queen and her royal guards, and putting it not nicely it was like a mafia boss and her hitman bodyguards……

Naturally, the teachers who saw that,

『A-a bigshot new student has enrolled this year……』

They all shuddered together. It went without saying that the teacher who was planned to be in charge of Myuu’s class got a faraway look to escape from reality.

Getting back on topic.

「Err, should I try talking with Nagisa-chan and others? The next time they come playing here」

「Myuu doesn’t want to papa to get involved nano!」

「Eh……」

Papa was shocked. The clear rejection from his beloved daughter made him pressed his hand on his chest as he got taken aback.

Myuu also lightly leaned back. However, it wasn’t from shock but from puffing out her chest boldly.

「Myuu’s classmates, will be put in order by Myuu herself nano! Just like papa! Just like papa! Blaze your soul! Nano!」

「Please stop. I’m going to die from embarrassment.」

Papa was shocked. The memory of his speech in the demon king castle got thoroughly teased by his parents peeked out 「You call?」. It was a necessary thing to do, but it was a history that made him a bit embarrassed looking back now. It was to a degree he covered up his reddening face with both hands.

Yue cheerfully poked on the cheek of Hajime who was like that. What’s wrong with papa? What’s so embarrassing from a memory that cool? Myuu pondered while poking his cheek too.

While doing such thing,

「Aa~, it’s Yue-san just as I thought! The ladle, please give it back quickly! Or rather, there’s no time already! Breakfast! I need to tidy it up already!」

Shia also got down. For her she was normally wearing jeans and blouse and a simple light blue apron over it.

The way she put her hands on her waist while urging everyone to finish their morning preparation had gone beyond being a wife and into mom territory……

「Hajime-san, did you stay up all night again desu? It’s not good for your body if you only use things like energy drink or magic instead of sleeping properly you know?」

「O-ou. You’re right. I’ll be careful.」

「It feels like I have been telling you the same thing over and over recently……. If you don’t fix the habit I’ll put you into a forced suplex sleep okay?」

「……That’s, not sleeping. It’s fainting. I’ll seriously fix it so spare me from that.」

Her feeling of care was conveyed fully despite her huffy attitude, so Hajime apologized obediently.

Shia made a you really can’t be helped face and approached. And then she gave 「A good morning kiss desu!」 on his forehead very casually. There was also a radiant smile accompanying it,

It was truly a newlywed wife act. Yue went 「C-curse you Shia. You’ve done it now-」 with a bit of frustration.

Shia swiftly deprived the ladle from such Yue, then she muttered something like 「I need to wake up Okaa-sama and Otou-sama too. Aa, so busy, so busy. Morning is battlefield desuu!」 while going out of the workshop with her slipper making pitter-patter sound.

「Ah, wait nano, Shia-oneechan! Myuu will wake up Obaa-chan and Ojii-chan nano!」

「That’s helpful! Yue-san too, don’t make any plan to assault Hajime-san or something and please make your own preparation okayy~」

「Ah, yes.」

Yue’s eyes unconsciously wandered around after her ulterior motive got plainly seen through.

Suddenly her gaze met Hajime. They felt the same inside. Shia who was briskly finishing up the morning housework already had the dignity of a housewife……they thought.

「How to describe it, it’s that huh. Perhaps even with the university life, she’s the one who is enjoying it the most among all of us. Her boldness? Her vigor? They are all increasing even more should I say, her aura of someone having an amazingly satisfying life is terrific……」

「……Her good woman aura is improving on and on. Shia is truly, the normie incarnate-」

Strange. It felt like Shia was enjoying her normal life fully, even more than her who was the only one who had gotten marriage registration submitted and had her fill making newlywed wife move everyday……Yue thought while she shuddered.

In fact, it seemed that Shia had made several new friends from the club she joined. She was also the only one among Hajime and others who joined a circle.

「This weekend too she has plan to go touring by bike with her circle’s friends isn’t she?」

「……Nn. Cursed you Shia……she will have fun with her biking friends while leaving me behind. While leaving me behind」

Apparently it was an important thing so she said it twice.

Yes, the circle that Shia joined was limited for female rider. It seemed there they were talking with their fellow girls who also loved bike and did activity together, like touring.

The circle was small with member less than ten. The membership was limited to girl only and it had lighthearted atmosphere. The circle was practically an association of like-minded people with lax atmosphere and also wasn’t restricted by schedule. When Shia checked it out, everyone including the seniors felt like good people so she decided to join.

Also, the circle’s name was apparently “Gouon!”. The reason why the circle was started because of the members idolizing the female high schoolers who belonged to a certain high school’s bike club or something. Surely they were all making their bike’s explosive sound(bakuon) be heard everyday.

「……I thought that perhaps I’ll also be able to keep up with their talk but……unfortunate. It’s hard to sympathize with them. I think car is safer and more convenient, and also more pleasant……」

「I too recently are exclusively devoted to car. There isn’t fellow male around me who I can talk about bike with. It must be real fun if only I was able to find hobby friend. After all she even went as far as borrowing money from me, got the driver’s license properly, and bought a large bike from the market.」

「……She said, she want to use her own money for her hobby, wasn’t it?」

「Yeah. Well, I understand her feeling.」

Shia who loved clothing that exposed much skin was recently wearing trouser more often. The reason for that was apparently because her circle friend witnessed her riding bike while wearing miniskirt and they scolded her hard for that.

Certainly someone who didn’t know about Shia’s physical ability and steel-like body toughness would warn her from doing something like that. No, regardless of her toughness Don’t wear skirt while riding bike! was an extremely natural thing to be pointed out.

By the way, there was one more reason why she bought commercial bike despite still possessing Brieze. Or rather, this was the main reason. Naturally that was because the circle members often showed off their bike to each other.

Something like ridiculous machine that moved by using magic power as fuel was impossible to explain no matter how. If knowledgeable people saw it, they would see through how abnormal the vehicle was in a glance.

How’s it moving!? Or rather, there’s no way this thing can pass the inspection! This is completely illegal!! There was no doubt the circle members would give that kind of retort.

「Hajime-saan! Yue-saan! Whaat are you two doinggg–! The breakfast will get colddd!」

Hajime and Yue looked at each other once more and chuckled together.

Anyway. The high school era where Hajime and co had other students who knew about their special circumstance around them and they spent the majority of their time with their comrades in a kind of isolated environment was over.

In their university life, the number of people who didn’t know anything about Hajime and co and got involved with their daily life had increased drastically.

Amidst that, Shia’s way of living where she smoothly increased the number of her friend and things that she wanted to do while still enjoying her personal life and university life to the fullest was a good example in a sense, even for Hajime and Yue.

It had been like that even during their time in Tortus. Shia’s liveliness always brightened the two’s feeling and also raised their morale.

Hajime’s feeling was becoming invigorated somehow while he stood up from his chair and stretched his back to clear up his drowsiness──

「Also Tio-san too! How long are you going to stay in the toilet desu! Please stop doing that kind of thing right from the morning! You’re playing around with the bidet anyway there, right!?」

「Tha-, t-t-t-tha-, that art not it though!?」

The voice of the hopeless dragon that was obviously shaken hurt his invigorated feeling a little.

He exchanged a look with Yue and sighed.

Hajime shifted his emotional gear and got out of the room of reinforce glass. Then he suddenly thrust one hand toward the back of the room.

His left arm──the artificial arm that was disguised to look like a normal human arm lighted up with lines that looked like computer circuit running on the back of the hand part.

Yue blinked. That was because it was her first time seeing that.

「Return」

One word. The moment Hajime muttered it, the room that could be mistaken as a mountain of rubble had silver colored liquid surging from all over the place like tsunami.

「……Hajime? This is?」

「Hm? Aa, I still haven’t told you huh. I completed this just the other day, a new artifact. Well, it still need adjustment and testing though.」

Silver slime, or perhaps it should be described as a large snake that floated in the air. Several of such thing were whirling around Hajime. They branched off and joined different silver liquid to form multiple layers of beautiful helix.

Yue remembered seeing something like this before. The coloring was subtly different but, she had certainly seen it. Inside a past replay.

Yes,

「……Mother’s liquid metal?」

「Yeah. One of the spoils of war that I recovered along with the element conversion system. I arranged it for my exclusive use with electronic control system from earth and the machine world along with several age of gods magic enchanted on it.」

The wall and ceiling peeled off. The falling fragments were returning into silver liquid in the air. It seemed that it even had camouflage function.

「Earth has plenty of concepts like Terminato* or Iron Ma*’s nano tech after all. It was a pain because there was a lot of functions I wanted to add but, it was worth it forgoing sleep for many nights for this.」

The liquid metal got absorbed into the treasure warehouse. But, a part of it disguised itself as Hajime’s necklace and belt or got absorbed into his left arm.

「……Could it be, that left arm’s disguise is……」

「You noticed?」

The part that looked like the left arm’s living flesh instantly changed color to silver. It didn’t stop there and even transformed to take the shape of sharp knife or shield.

「My combat clothes can also be created instantly with just this thing. I’ve registered the form into the system after all. I don’t even need to think about it, and it’ll be able to create a coat with even more overwhelming toughness than any metal or monster material until now anytime. I also became able to fly to some degree with the liquid’s floating function, and if necessary I can also just transform it into weapon.」

「……That so」

It truly could be said as a masterpiece that fused the technologies of three worlds.

Hajime was immensely proud. It still needed further adjustment and testing, but it seemed he was thinking that it was a satisfying result even for him.

He was covering his workshop with it was also to verify the camouflage function, and testing whether he could use transmutation magic through it just as programmed to process material.

But, Yue’s reaction toward such masterpiece was weak. Rather than saying that she wasn’t interested, it looked like her attention was taken by something else……

Shia would get angry if they didn’t quickly get to the breakfast table so, Hajime split his focus to tidy up the chaotic workshop in somewhat of a hurry. He didn’t notice the state Yue was in.

「Netemp.」

「Yes, my lord.」

Hajime made the treasure warehouse shined again. Then a beautiful maid appeared as though to take the place of the liquid metal.

Clad in a classical maid uniform that gave off a neat and clean impression was Netemp-san who performed a professional courtesy that would make anyone who knew her wanted to say 「Eh? Who?」 or 「Ain’t this just a normal god’s apostle」.

「I’ll leave the clean up to you.」

「As my lord will it. Will it be fine if I also make my subordinates to help as training for them?」

「Aa, guess this will be just right for them huh. Don’t get overthrown okay?」

「A funny joke my lord.」

If there was anyone else than Yue in this place, surely they all would say the same thing.

No, that’s Neunte right!? She isn’t Netemp but Neunte right!! That was just how unbelievable the overflowing serious and prim atmosphere from Netemp-san who usually was always joking and screwing around.

「……Who?」

As expected Yue couldn’t hold back her question after seeing this.

「Madam. I am your loyal servant, Netemp.」

「……What are you saying with that serious face? As expected are you Neunte?」

「I am Netemp. The super perfect elegant beautiful maid who swore fealty to everyone of Nagumo Family with my whole heart, body, and soul, Netemp-tan. From good morning until good evening, I ask to be allowed to perform every kind of service (deep meaning) ──」

「……Ah, it’s fine already. You’re Netemp. Anyone can see it.」

「It’s a great honor.」

She hadn’t changed deep inside. An extremely screwed up existence. She felt a bit relieved.

Also, Netemp changed character to serious and prim archetype was because she found it unbearable for her character to overlap with Etemp-oneesan.

Getting back on topic(Who the hell care).

「Now, everyone! It’s time for work!」

Netemp’s brooch shined and several humanoid metal golems came out from there. They looked like female mannequin and they were also wearing classical maid uniform.

Netemp had the appearance of god’s apostle by combining Mother’s body and living golem’s technology wrapped in high end model liquid metal that performed the disguise. In a glance it could be seen that these metal golems had lower quality. To make it easier to understand, it was like the difference between a custom made against mass-produced model.

Those mass produced maid golems were,

──aaAAAAAAA!!

──GIiIIIIIH!!

──OoOOOHH!!

Attacking Netemp as the first thing they did.

And so first thing first, Netemp-san shut them up with slaps that had the force to rotate their head 180 degree.

Their inside was demon so it couldn’t be helped. If there was an opening, no, even if there was no opening they would challenge their superior to overthrow her for the position of the number one maid of their master who wouldn’t be an exaggeration to be called as a demon god right now.

Also, as expected the high end model body that was handmade by their master was something they all desired!!

「Do you want this beautiful face? Then I’ll give it to you. Work! These vulgar female demons! Don’t think that you will be given reward without showing result first!」

The mass produced maid golems started cleaning up even while letting out resentful shriek. It seemed that their inside was female demon.

『You can only act cocky for now. I’ll snatch that beautiful face from you one day.』

There was also a demon who could talk fluently like that with telepathic method mixed in. It was just a guess but, she must be a named class demon who even had appearance in bible.

Seeing that they had no chance right now, they withdrew, however they gave a proper courtesy only Hajime and Yue before starting to clean up the room eagerly. It was a bit of an unbelievable sight.

「Is that okay, promising them to hand over the apostle form? I avoided asking for her real name but, that one might be a big shot you know?」

「There is no problem. I am not Neunte, but my lord’s Netemp. Staying in my previous appearance all the time is dissatisfying instead. No to mention this is the same appearance like Etemp-neesan!」

「Your true feeling slipped out there. Get along with her, you two are sisters.」

「Exactly because we are sisters there are things that are simply unacceptable. And so, right now I’m in the middle of thinking an appearance that will hit my lord’s preference as well as overflowing with originality. Please, look forward to it.」

「I don’t really care. More importantly, I want to upgrade the weaponry for your body as well as the mass produced model.」

「For romance isn’t it!」

「Yeah, for romance!」

Regardless of everything they were master and servant with what seemed to be a good affinity.

Either way, it seemed that another powerful golem group other than Demon Rangers and Grim Reapers was being formed.

I’ll leave the rest to you, Hajime said while turning around. This time he really headed toward the dining room. He climbed up the stair to the above ground.

「By the way, I also upgraded the living golems themselves. I fused the machine soldier technology from machine world into them.」

「……Is that so? If I remember right, there were more than 5000 of them……」

「I still haven’t upgraded all of them. For now I’m trying out various things with the maid golems. I’m planning to increase their number if it goes well and the mass production get easier.」

「……I see.」

It seemed they would still increase in number and their capability would also improve. The demon king army’s expansion was insane.

Just what in the world Hajime was aiming for? Even though he claimed to be a good-natured pacifist Japanese person.

Yue was pondering such thing.

She was exasperated, but she didn’t poke fun at him──she was feeling anxious quite seriously.

「……Hajime.」

She tightly pinched the sleeve of Hajime who was going up the stairs. Hajime looked back over his shoulder. He was bewildered by Yue’s unexpectedly serious expression.

「What’s wrong?」

「……」

*Jii-*, Yue was staring at Hajime just like when she was on his lap before this. Her gaze was as though she was saying that she wouldn’t overlook even the slightest change of expression. Hajime felt slightly pressured by that.

「……Are you, anxious about something?」

Hajime’s eyes widened as though she had gotten asked a really unexpected question. Yue couldn’t see any sign of him trying to dodge the question or hide something inside his heart.

「Anxious? Me? ……Does it look like that?」

Hajime looked seriously confused. A bit of tension left Yue’s shoulders seeing that. She knew that it was impossible for Hajime to act like that toward her but, as expected Hajime didn’t seem like he was burdened by something and trying to hide that.

「……Sorry. It might just be my imagination.」

She was aware that it was Hajime’s hard to fix bad habit to stay up late because he got too absorbed in something.

But, for some reason she had a thought.

Even though he was already busy with things related to the harm caused by the King Tree’s revival, recently the time he was doing a different work in parallel to a degree that he stayed up late was increasing.

The liquid metal and the like just now were also like that. Rather than tools for the convenience of their daily life, it felt like he was putting more importance in developing weapon and armor.

And then, actually there were also many days where he was sleeping but only lightly.

Taking all of those into consideration, when Yue saw the way Hajime immersed himself into his work recently, usual words like romance or boasting about his work came out from his mouth but, somewhere in it there was something that went beyond doing it for enjoyment……yes, if she had to put it into word it was like someone whose work also doubled as his hobby, but he was working a bit desperately because he was unsure if he would be able to meet the deadline.

Yue openly explained that thinking of her to Hajime while continuing with 「Besides」.

「……Myuu’s intensive training too, even though it was only for a year it was a bit unexpected that you took such a method.」

「That……was because Myuu’s will was stubborn.」

「……Nn. That was why I also agreed. But other than that……for example, the experiment to make it easier to learn age of god magic. I think, you were really rushed with it.」

「Well, I guess. But that too was because I thought it doesn’t really matter if Amanogawa is the one using it.」

He had explanation for every action he took. Those were actions that he took with proper reasoning behind them.

That was why, surely it was just Yue’s imagination, no doubt about it.

It must be nothing more than an insignificant sense of discomfort that formed from Hajime’s actions that by chance were subtly different from her thinking “If it’s the usual Hajime wouldn’t he do this?” happening multiple times.

Yue became convinced like that and her expression softened this time.

「……Sorry. I said strange things.」

「No, don’t apologize. If Yue felt something, then perhaps that is what actually happened. I also said it before but, I must be getting a bit tense from the case of King Tree’s revival’s harmful effect, and there was also the change in environment from the university life that happened around the same time. There were too many things that I wanted to do and I had to do that I might be too tense somewhere inside me……」

「……Hajime」

Yue’s eyes were tinged with happiness and then passion seeing Hajime seriously listening to her words no matter how trivial it was.

When she stepped on the same stair level with Hajime, the face of Yue who was in her university student mode was at the same height with Hajime’s shoulder. It was a position that was far closer to his face compared to her original form.

She put her hands around Hajime’s neck to hug his head. She pressed her body on his to cling firmly on him.

Hajime also put her arms around Yue and hugged her tightly.

「Thanks for worrying. I’ll seriously take care of myself.」

「……Nn-」

They stared at each other from point-blank range. They were hugging so tightly that Yue’s breasts were almost spilling out from the apron. And then they were going to kiss to their heart’s content ──

「I said that there’s no timeeee!!」

「「Yes-, we’re sorry!!」」

Shia mama scolded them.

And so, Hajime and Yue only exchanged a light kiss *chu* before they hurriedly dashed toward Shia mama who was standing imposingly above the stairs.

.

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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.

Before entering the last long arc, I want to write a bit of daily life story about each character’s university life and about each character that I don’t think will get included in the long arc, as well as stories to retrieve the small foreshadowing and the like. The chapter this time is something like the prologue for that. Best regards!

※Material introduction

– Gouon!

From [Bakuon!]. By the way, Shia’s bike is undecided. I’m currently at a loss what bike will suit her.