72 The Empire Vs. The Strongest Rabbits Part 2

The meaning was clear. She was offering to take them all on at once. A vein bulged in

Grid's forehead.

"Monster, huh? Big words for a rascally rabbit."

Sure, she's a little different from the usual rabbitman, but she's still just one of them.

Beastmen couldn't even use magic, and she was from the weakest beastman race of

all. It wounded Grid's pride that he'd let one of them intimidate him.

"Listen up, you bastards! The emperor's calling for us! Let's slaughter this worthless

bunny girl and rush to his aid! She may be strong, but she's still just a shitty beastman.

Bring her down with magic!"

Grid's men began chanting at once. A few of them broke off from the group and

charged Shea to keep her occupied.

Shea curled her fingers into a fist and pointed her thumb down at the floor as they

attacked her.

"I'll grind you all into rabbit food!" she said, then leaped forward, destroying the floor

with the force of her jump. Grid's vanguard was blown away by the resulting

shockwave. Before the rearguard had even gotten one word out of their mouths, Shea

was standing before them.

"Ah!?"

Two members of the rearguard looked up in awe. A second later, the upper half of their

bodies went flying. Shea had swung Drucken so fast that it had actually cut them in

half.

The shockwaves that followed in the wake of her swing crushed the internal organs of

another three soldiers. By the time the dead men's blood started falling back to the

ground, Shea had already moved on to her next targets. The members of the vanguard

she'd blown away before.

"Shi—"

"What the hell just—"

Before they could finish, Drucken slammed into them, turning their heads into

pinballs. Drenched in the blood of his men, Grid hastily barked out orders.

"Spread out! Don't clump together!"

It was because they were sticking so close together that Shea could kill multiple

enemies with each swing. Grid realized that and instantly changed tactics. The soldiers

spread out and surrounded Shea from all sides.

"Raaah!" Though Shea's battle cries sounded cute, there was nothing cute about the

way Drucken flattened soldiers like pancakes. She threw her hammer at another

guard, crushing him against the wall. Grid and the others felt a glimmer of hope when

they saw her throw her weapon, but they were soon disappointed. Shea swung her

arm, and Drucken flew back toward her.

Upon closer inspection, Grid realized that she was still holding the hammer's handle,

which was connected to its head by a fine chain. By detaching the head from the

handle, Shea could now transform Drucken into a flail.

"Now's our chance!"

"Dieeeeee!"

Two of the imperial soldiers rushed forward, hoping to bring Shea down before

Drucken's head returned to her, but Shea simply pulled one of the triggers on

Drucken's handle. A second later, a series of loud bangs came from Drucken's head.

Multiple shotgun rounds shot out of the flat side of the hammer and turned the two

charging soldiers into pincushions.

Following that, Shea lightly leaped over their lifeless bodies, and caught Drucken's

head in midair. She transformed Drucken into bombardment mode and fired another

salvo of shotgun shells. Five more soldiers were turned into puddles of blood and flesh.

"Take this, you monster!"

Finally, some of the soldiers finished casting their spells. Ten Crimson Javelins sped

toward Shea. Thanks to the empire's strict training, they all fired in tandem. Shea saw

the flaming spears hurtling toward her and screamed in utter joy.

"Piece of cake!"

Spinning in a circle, Shea built up plenty of centrifugal force and created a minitornado around her. The localized storm struck down all of the javelins heading her

way.

"No way!"

"That's impossible!"

The one advantage humans had over beastmen was magic. And that advantage had

been nullified with unbelievable ease. The two soldiers that cried out in surprise were

turned into corpses seconds later. Two fist-sized balls of steel smashed into their faces,

shattering their skulls. Shea had pulled them out of her Treasure Trove and batted

them at the two soldiers with Drucken. Another two soldiers had their bones crushed

as Shea leaped into range and slammed them into the ground.

Not even a minute had passed since the start of the battle. And yet, half the empire's

soldiers lay dead on the ground.

"Like hell I'll let you get away with this!" Grid roused himself with a yell and slashed

at Shea. As expected, the commander was on a different level than his men. Thanks to

his body strengthening, he moved faster than the eye could follow. The fact that one of

his men followed up with an attack of his own also proved that he'd trained his squad

well.

However, that alone wasn't nearly enough to scratch this overpowered rabbit.

"Wha—"

She had blocked Grid's slash by trapping it between the spike of her heel and its sole.

With the sword still trapped in her shoe, Shea twirled around. Grid was dragged

around with her, and his stance crumbled. A second later, he felt something slam into

the pit of his stomach. Shea had punched him.

"Gah." Grid doubled up and staggered a few steps backward. Shea then followed up

with Hajime's signature front kick, which made him cough up blood as he was sent

flying back into the wall. However, Shea had held back enough that he didn't die. Barely

conscious, Grid could only watch as his men were picked off one after another.

In another thirty seconds, his entire squad had been exterminated. Shea turned and

walked over to Grid, heels clacking against the floor. Despite the bloodbath she'd

caused, there wasn't a single drop of blood on her.

"W-W-Wait… please…"

Blood dribbled from his mouth as Grid begged for his life. The creature standing

before him was so far beyond his comprehension that he could only tremble in fear.

What the hell did I let slip between my fingers back then. He'd first encountered the

Haulia loitering around outside the sea of trees. At the time, he thought he'd lucked

into a great haul. In order to paralyze them with fear, he'd started killing off the clan's

men and elderly. He had expected the rabbitmen, weak as they were, to surrender

quickly. And so, he'd herded them into the Reisen Gorge, and then planned on sending

his soldiers in after them once they'd exhausted themselves.

Personally, he'd just wanted the beauty with light-blue hair. He had so been looking

forward to capturing her and raping her in front of all his men. Did I really think I could

handle someone like her?

Shea grabbed him by the breastplate and lifted him up. Though his armor wasn't the

hardest steel, it was still sturdy iron. Despite that, Shea's grip easily crushed the metal,

molding it into an easy to grip shape.

"I-I'm begging you. Please don't kill me! O-Oh yeah! In return, I'll tell you where I took

all those rabbitmen I captured. If you kill me, you'll never--"

"I have nothing more to say to the likes of you." Shea cut him off and raised him over

her head. Her resentment and anger hadn't abated in the slightest, which was

probably why she'd unconsciously held back earlier. She wouldn't let the man who'd

caused her so much grief and suffering have an easy death.

That being said, she refused to let her desire for revenge consume her. As a Haulia, as

one of Hajime's comrades, she couldn't let herself stoop so low.

I'll end it all with this last hit! Shea Haulia, the monster born in the sea of trees, needed

to settle things in order to move forward with her friends. And so, she flung Grid into

the air and brandished Drucken. Then, with a fearless grin, she let out some parting

words.

"I'll send you to the moon, you bastard!"

"Sto—"

Thunk! Grid crashed through the entryway's skylight and vanished into the night sky.

Looking up, all Shea could see was the crescent moon grinning back at her.

He was heading toward the moon, so maybe I actually did send him all the way there.

Shea swung Drucken one more time, making a breeze whip up in the entryway.

"Guys… I hope this was enough to avenge you." Memories of her departed family

members flashed through her mind. They had been willing to throw away even their

homes for her sake. Shea closed her eyes and offered a silent prayer.

After a few minutes, her rabbit ears picked up on the sound of footsteps heading her

way. It appeared Grid's squad wasn't the only one Cam and the others had missed.

Shea's eyes snapped open and she grinned once more. The imperial guards flung the

door open, but faltered when they saw the carnage waiting for them inside. Shea

puffed her chest out proudly and declared her intent.

"Are you ready to die? Just so you know… this bunny girl's way stronger than you

think!"

The monster of Haltina continued racking up kills for quite some time, until Hajime

finally sent her a message via telepathy.

"Tch, poisoned arrows, huh?" Gahard's pained voice echoed across the silent party

hall. The other members of the empire were still too stunned to do anything. Their

emperor, the symbol of their nation's might, had fallen. One of the Haulia strode up to

Gahard and fed him medicine that restored his hearing and eyesight. He'd need his

senses for the negotiations to come.

"Hmph, that dosage was enough to leave monsters completely paralyzed. I'm

impressed you held out so long."

"Curses, so that was your plan from the start…"

The Haulia confiscated all the artifacts Gahard had hidden inside his clothes, leaving

him utterly defenseless.

Since his hearing and sight had returned, Gahard was able to see the elaborate trap

the Haulia had laid for him, but before he could say anything more, a solitary beam of

light poured down on him. The Haulia were using their flashlights as a makeshift

spotlight in order to emphasize to the guests that their emperor had fallen. Upon

seeing the defeated emperor, a panicked voice called out from the corner of the room,

"Wh-Wh-Wh-Wh-Wh-What on earth is this!? Wh-Wh-Wh-Wh-What's going on!? E-EE-E-Explain yourself, Nagumo-san! J-J-J-J-Just what did you do!?"

"Calm down and watch, Princess. This is the climax."

When the raid had started, Hajime and the others had evacuated to a corner of the

room so as not to get in the way of the Haulia's fight. Liliana had been with Baius, but

Yue had teleported her to the others using spatial magic. While she'd still been

confused about the sudden teleportation, the lights had gone out and all she could

hear was the sound of fighting. Now, suddenly, the emperor was lying defeated on the

ground. Liliana might have been good at keeping a poker face, but even she couldn't

hide her shock.

Kouki and the others were shaken too, but for a different reason. A few of the empire's

nobles had died in the attack, and their deaths had left Kouki, Shizuku, Suzu, and

Ryutarou pale. They silently looked at the corpses with pained grimaces.

However, they knew this was the only chance for the beastmen to put an end to their

centuries of slavery, and that the very fate of the Haulia rested on the outcome of this

battle. Though they found the bloodshed hard to stomach, they held their tongues. Or

rather, they had no choice but to hold their tongues. As there was a certain someone

who would beat them senseless if they tried to speak out and interfere with Cam and

the Haulia's battle. Hajime hadn't taken his eyes off Kouki since the fighting started.

"Now then, Gahard D. Hoelscher. Do you understand why we've let you live?"

"Hmph, I take it you've got demands? Well, spit them out already."

"How unfortunate. It appears you still don't understand the position you're in, Gahard.

That's one mark."

Cam's voice reverberated throughout the hall, admonishing Gahard for his haughty

attitude. Gahard was about to learn that the consequence for his defiance was the lives

of his countrymen.

Another spotlight shined down a few meters away from him, right on top of one of the

nobles who'd had their tendons cut and their tongue removed.

A hand reached out from the darkness, grabbed the noble by the hair, pulled him up,

and mercilessly slit his throat.

"You bastards!"

"Another mark."

The only response to Gahard's angry yell and the guests' screams was Cam's

mechanical voice telling him he'd made a mistake once more.

Yet another spotlight shone down, displaying the beheading of a different noble.

"Vesta! Don't get ahead of yourselves, you little--"

"Another mark."

Vesta had been one of Gahard's close associates. However, his anger at the loss of his

friend worked against him in that particular case, as Cam once again beheaded

another one of the empire's nobles in response to Gahard's outburst.

"...…" This time, Gahard held his tongue. He glared at the darkness in front of him, his

eyes brimming with pure hatred. However, Cam remained unconcerned.

"That's right, now you understand what it means to be the defeated. I would choose

your words carefully, Gahard. The lives of everyone in this room depend on you

making the right decisions."

A hand reached out from the darkness and placed a necklace over his head. There was

a vivid crimson ruby dangling from its fine gold chain.

"That is the Necklace of Vows. It is an artifact that will force you to keep any pledge

you speak. Break any of your promises, and this necklace will kill you. Once activated

it will bind not only you, but those linked to you by blood as well. If you renege on your

word, they die with you."

Cam briefly explained to Gahard that he had his family in their custody as well. Gahard

grit his teeth so hard that it looked like they might break.

The Necklace of Vows was an artifact created with spirit magic. It bound a person's

soul to the promises they made. More specifically, it carved the words a person said

into their soul. If the person wearing the necklace ever did anything to annul those

promises, or attempted to take the necklace off, their soul was destroyed. And, as it

affected anyone who's soul was linked to the wearer's by blood, all of Gahard's family

needed to keep wearing their necklaces forever too, or they died.

In other words, the artifact forced Gahard and his family to uphold their pledges until

the day they died. Incidentally, it only worked through direct blood ties, so relatives

by marriage weren't affected.

"Pledge… you say?"

"There are four simple things I want you to agree to. First, to release all beastmen

slaves. Second, to never invade Haltina again. Third, to forever stop taking beastmen

as slaves, and to treat them as equals. Fourth, to turn the above three into imperial

laws. Do you understand? If you do, then say 'I hereby swear as Hoelscher's

representative to uphold these principles.' By doing so, you will activate the artifact."

"And if I refuse?"

"Then the imperial family shall cease to exist. And until the empire decides to

negotiate, we will continue killing your officers and officials one by one. We will

terrorize your empire until we as a race are destroyed. No man, woman, or child will

be safe so long as we draw breath. If killing your soldiers isn't enough, we'll move on

to assassinating their families as well."

"Don't underestimate the empire, rabbitmen. This nation won't crumble just because

I'm dead. If you kill me here, my soldiers will raise an army tens of thousands strong

and raze your precious sea of trees to the ground. Surely you realize this too? If we

devoted all our forces to it, crushing Verbergen is a very real possibility. The only

reason we haven't is because…"

"You wouldn't be able to hunt for slaves if you killed us all, correct?"

"Looks like you get it. There's still time to repent, though. Even if you did borrow that

boy's strength, I must admit that taking control of the imperial palace in such a short

time is impressive. Not to mention your outstanding combat skills… It would be a

shame to have to kill you. Why not join my army instead? I promise to treat you well."

"Out of the question. Considering how you've treated beastmen in the past, we would

be fools to trust your word. It's because we can't that we prepared these necklaces."

"Then all you'll get from me is war. I'll never agree to those terms." Gahard smirked

triumphantly, but Cam's flat voice didn't waver.

"I see. That's another mark, Gahard."

Yet another beam of light came down. This time—

"Let me go! Do you know who I am, you filthy beasts!? I'll kill you, you fucking

bastards! I'll you all! You hear— Gah!" It was focused on Baius. The nobles in the room

gasped as the future emperor's head was neatly sliced off his shoulders.

"...…"

"So that was your successor, the next in line for the throne. What a worthless,

loudmouthed, pathetic man."

"I believe I already told you. Even if you kill my family, I will never submit. Go ahead,

do your worst. You'll regret incurring the wrath of the empire."

Despite seeing his son murdered before his eyes, Gahard's expression didn't change.

There was no way to tell what he was really thinking, but at the very least he didn't

allow himself to look shaken.

"Unfazed even after seeing your son die? Well, I suppose you never loved your children

to begin with."

The people of the empire valued strength above all, so it was possible they didn't put

any stock in familial ties. In fact, it seemed that Gahard had cared more about the death

of his friend than he did about his son's.

In response to Cam's words, Gahard sniffed dismissively.

"If you understand, then quit wasting my time."

"Now now, don't be so impatient. Are you sure you have no desire to make the pledge?

Do you insist on persecuting beastmen and chasing down the Haulia no matter the

consequences?"

"Stop making me repeat myself."

"I see… How unfortunate. Delta 1, this is Alpha 1. Do it."

Gahard looked up in confusion. Those words made no sense to him, but the massive

explosion he heard a few seconds later made everything clear.

"Tch… What'd you just do!?"

"Oh, nothing much. Just blew up the slave overseers' barracks."

"Blew up? You mean…"

"Indeed, there were probably a few people inside… I imagine a few hundred or so of

your precious soldiers are dead. All because of you, Gahard."

"You're the one who did this, you bastard!"

"No, Gahard, this is your fault. Your unwise decision caused the deaths of your men.

And seeing as you still plan to resist— Delta 1, this is Alpha 1. Next target."

Panicking, Gahard tried to stop Cam.

"Hey, wait, Haulia!"

Another explosion roared in the distance. This time it was much further off. It

probably wasn't anywhere in the castle, but somewhere out in the capital.

Gahard forced himself to remain calm and question Cam.

"What did you blow up this time?"

"A hospital."

"You son of a bitch!"

"Fear not. It was just a military hospital. The only people we've killed are soldiers and

military doctors. Though of course, we've planted explosives at civilian hospitals, inns,

brothels, houses, and even the temporary shelters you set up in the wake of the demon

attack. Is there any particular place you'd like us to start with?"

"You'd even harm civilians!? How low will you stoop, Haulia!?"

"You do the same to us beastmen. None of you have any qualms about kidnapping and

enslaving innocent women and children. You have no right to talk… Delta, next target."

"Wait!"

As far as Cam was concerned, everyone in the empire was equally guilty of oppressing

and enslaving beastmen. He mercilessly ordered another target to be blown up.

Gahard grit his teeth, worried that Cam might actually have blown up a civilian

location this time.

In truth, Cam had only destroyed the drawbridge leading to the castle. Once explosions

started occurring in the capital, naturally people would rush to the palace to report it.

Cam had wanted to make that impossible before he found the place flooded with

troops.

Moreover, his words were half a bluff. He had set plenty more explosives, but none in

civilian locations. Cam was willing to go to great lengths, but even he had some pride.

He refused to stoop as low as the empire had.

Of course if it became necessary he would resort to slaughtering civilians too, but

otherwise he was hoping to get what he wanted through lies and misdirection. That

was the resolve the current Haulia had.

"If you won't agree to our demands, then we have no choice. We'll send the entire

capital to hell along with you. I imagine going down with tens of thousands of your

subjects will make a fitting end for your reign, Emperor."

Looking at it objectively, they weren't too different from terrorists. Anything for the

sake of victory, even underhanded and dirty tactics. One had to wonder what kind of

personality the man who'd trained them had… A number of people turned to glare at

Hajime, but he ignored them.

Gahard fell silent, torn about what to do next. He wracked his brain for a solution to

this predicament, but none came to mind. Cold sweat poured down his handsome face,

the first visible sign of how cornered he felt.

But Cam wasn't about to let up the pressure. The longer Gahard took to decide, the

more places he would blow up.

"Delta 1, this is Alpha 1. Ne—"

"Wait!" Gahard hurriedly called out. He slammed his head against the ground a few

times in frustration. Then, after letting it all out he looked up and spoke in a tone full

of resignation.

"Gah, goddammit! Fine! I lose! I'll agree to all your damn conditions, so stop blowing

up my city!"

"A wise decision. Now, speak the pledge."

Even after getting his demands met, Cam's mechanical tone didn't change. Gahard

grimaced, then slumped in defeat. He turned toward the nobles in the hall and spoke.

"Sorry, guys. They really got us this time. But we're the ones who said might makes

right, and these rabbitmen proved it again by capturing the capital. Our subjects lives'

rest in the palms of their hands, so—"

The remaining nobles grit their teeth in frustration. Gahard burned their resentment

into his soul and continued in a loud voice.

"I hereby swear, as Hoelscher's representative, that I will free all beastmen slaves

within the empire! Furthermore, I swear to never invade Haltina or interfere with its

politics again! I also swear that the empire will stop persecuting beastmen and taking

them as slaves! Any citizen who breaks these rules will be punished according to the

laws of the empire! Finally, I swear to codify the above precepts into imperial law!"

As he completed the pledge, the ruby around his neck began to glow.

Lastly, Gahard made one more declaration as emperor.

"If anyone's got a problem with that, they can take it up with me! If you beat me in a

fight, I'll hand the empire over to you! Then you can do whatever the hell you want!"

In other words, he was effectively saying that if anyone wanted to go back to enslaving

beastmen they needed to do it over his dead body. A fitting declaration for the man

who respected strength above all.

"Very well, the contract has been made."

Another spotlight shone down. This one showcased the emperor's family. They were

all wearing the same necklaces as well.

"Unless you wish for your family line to die out, do not renege on your oath."

"I know, I know."

"Next, you will make an official announcement tomorrow, and release all the slaves

within the capital on the same day."

"You want me to do it all in one day? Do you have any idea how many slaves we…"

"Next target."

"Goddammit! Fine, I'll do it! That's enough, right!?"

"Make sure to guide the released slaves back to Haltina. Furthermore, Gahard. You will

be accompanying us to Verbergen. You need to repeat your oaths in front of

Verbergen's elders."

"By myself? Won't the elders just kill me?"

"As I mentioned, we will be accompanying you. Rest assured, no harm will come to

you. Besides, it is to our advantage to keep you alive."

"Haaah, alright. To be honest, I had a feeling something like this might happen when I

heard you escaped. Though I didn't think I'd be done in so badly. Hey, do you have a

grudge against me and the empire or something— Hajime Nagumo?" Gahard glared

at Hajime, who he had somehow located through the darkness.

However, Hajime said nothing in response. He simply leaned back against the wall and

yawned. This was the Haulia's stage. He had no place saying anything here, and so he

acted as if this had nothing to do with him.

Since there still wasn't much light, Gahard couldn't make out his expression, but he

could still tell Hajime had no intention of answering. The emperor clicked his tongue,

and then Cam interjected.

"A word of warning, Gahard. We did indeed receive assistance from our savior and

benefactor, but the strength he lent us belongs to us now. If we so wished it, we could

infiltrate the capital at any time, and gather all the information we need. Assassinating

you in your sleep would take no effort at all. So if you try and circumvent our

agreement, know that we can deal with you even without our master's aid."

"Belongs to you, huh? Man, I'm jealous. I have no clue how he made such powerful

artifacts that even manaless beastmen can use, but…"

Gahard's frustration was understandable. After all, the biggest reason beastmen were

weaker than the other races was because they couldn't use magic. But now that some

of the beastmen had obtained artifacts that could function like magic, that disparity

had disappeared.

Gahard wanted to yell at Hajime for upsetting the balance that had been preserved for

centuries, but all he could do was curse to himself. How could you do such a thing!?

Don't you know how this will affect the human nations!?

However, Hajime hadn't really provided all that much assistance. He'd just equipped

them, and disarmed some of the traps surrounding the imperial palace. And all of that,

he'd done using his multipurpose spider golems, the Arachnae.

They worked in a similar manner to his Cross Bits, and he could control multiple

spiders at once. One of which had, of course, saved Liliana. The Arachnae were

equipped with steel wires, the ability to transmit everything they saw to Hajime's

Demon Eye or solid crystal display, and they also allowed him to remotely transmute

things in their vicinity. On top of that, the spider's legs were hypodermic needles that

each contained different poisoned vials. The vials had ranging effects from sleep to

paralysis to impotence.

The reason Hajime had looked so out of it ever since entering the palace was because

he'd been concentrating on controlling his Arachnae. It had taken immense

concentration to keep them all moving and disarming traps simultaneously. Once he'd

finished dismantling most of the palace's defenses, he'd had the Arachnae record

every inch of the castle interior and relay the footage back to the Haulia waiting

outside the capital. Furthermore, he'd used improved versions of his old telepathy

stone to provide the Haulia with the perfect silent communication network.

The way he'd made his artifacts usable even for the manaless Haulia was simple. He'd

taken ore that was capable of storing mana and enchanted it with High Speed Mana

Regeneration and Mana Discharge. That way, the ore was constantly absorbing mana.

After that, he'd carved unfinished magic circles into each of the artifacts, and left the

final piece slightly out of alignment. By sliding the switch on any of them, the circle

would be completed, and the properties of the artifact activated.

There was still a lot of design improvements he needed to make, but at least with this

he'd succeeded in making artifacts that even the Haulia could use. Furthermore, he'd

used the same kind of magic that made Status Plates unique to each individual to

ensure that only the Haulia would be able to use his artifacts.

Incidentally, they weren't artifacts he'd created recently. Originally, he had made them

for Myu. After all, he had promised to go back and get her someday. And because she

was cute, there was no doubt in Hajime's mind that uncouth guys would be all over

her. In which case, Myu would need artifacts that could obliterate them for selfdefense. Hajime really was just like an overprotective dad. Ironically, his doting had

inadvertently caused a revolution in race relations. Had anyone in the empire known

that was why their nation had fallen, they would have probably been furious.

"Fear not, Gahard. Only the Haulia were gifted with these artifacts. Verbergen won't

be foolish enough to try and invade you after you give them your oaths. In fact, if they

were to attempt something so foolish we would turn our blades on them ourselves."

At those words, Gahard realized that the Haulia were an independent force from

Verbergen. They had started this fight not for their country's sake, but to improve

living conditions for their fellow beastmen. Or well, actually just their fellow

rabbitmen, but Gahard didn't know that.

"I see. Alright, I understand now, so hurry up and release me already. If you want

everyone freed by tomorrow, then I need to get started now or I won't make it in time."

"Very well. But know that the Haulia will always be watching you. Don't ever forget

that."

All of the spotlights turned off, flooding the hall with darkness once more.

"Hajime-san." Hajime turned to see Shea standing next to him. She'd come back after

Hajime had told her via telepathy that the battle was over. Her smile was a little

different from usual. As if, for the first time in her life, she truly had no worries. It was

so radiant that Hajime was momentarily smitten.

"It's finally over."

Hajime wasn't sure if she meant this battle, or something more. Still, he smiled back

and responded.

"I see. You did good." Hajime hadn't thought it possible for Shea's smile to grow any

brighter, but he was wrong. Before he could respond, he received a transmission

through telepathy.

—Boss, this is Alpha 1. We'll be pulling out now. We are greatly indebted to you for all

of your assistance.

Hajime grinned to himself.

—Don't worry, I did this for Shea. Besides, it's not over yet. In fact, the real battle starts

here. Don't let your guard down, guys. There's definitely a few guys out there who'll

want to keep hunting beastmen even if it means disobeying imperial orders.

—We know, Boss. From the start, we resolved ourselves to keep fighting for as long as

it took. This is the path the new and improved Haulia have chosen to walk down.

Upon hearing Cam's steadfast resolve, Hajime's grin grew wider.

—Well, you've definitely shown me just how determined you are. All of you— Hajime

paused for a moment.

—Well done!

That was the first time the Haulia had received heartfelt praise from their beloved

boss. The shock of it left their ears pointing straight up and their fur standing on end.

It took a few seconds for them to digest what Hajime had just said. But once they did,

their joy was like nothing Hajime had seen before.

—Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

A roar of victory rang out. The weakest of the weak, the losers who had been forced to

swallow the bitter draft of defeat for centuries, had finally been able to pay their

enemies back.

In all honesty, there was still no guarantee the empire would fully comply with their

pledge to stop invading Haltina and capturing slaves. Like Hajime had said, there were

more than a few people in the empire who would want to keep hunting beastmen even

if it meant going against Gahard's orders. Plus, it was entirely possible that Gahard

might find a loophole to get around his pledges.

And so, the Haulia knew too that their fight was just beginning. Still, at the very least,

the oaths they'd forced Gahard to swear meant that the empire wouldn't be attacking

Haltina or capturing rabbitmen anytime soon. With the time they'd bought, the Haulia

would increase their numbers, sharpen their fangs, and master the arts of

assassination and guerrilla warfare. They would grow so strong that even if the empire

found a way to break its promise, they'd have a hard time fighting against the Haulia.

The true purpose of this operation hadn't been to end all conflict, but to muzzle the

emperor and buy the Haulia enough time to strengthen themselves. And in that

respect, they had succeeded. The Haulia, weakest of all beastmen, had won, and

decisively at that.

"Fuck! Those bastards just left me like this! Someone, get the lights… Shit, everyone's

injured or dead… Actually, wait! Hajime Nagumo, you freaking bastard! Quit playing

dumb! I know you're still unharmed, so help me out here!"

Hajime was currently listening to the Haulia's telepathic cheers while he cuddled a

teary-eyed Shea. Thanks to his Night Vision skill, he had no trouble spotting Gahard

rolling helplessly on the ground. However, he wanted to enjoy listening to the Haulia's

celebrations for a while longer.

Incidentally, when Shea had leaped into Hajime's arms, he'd casually thrown Liliana

aside. Hajime's callous treatment had brought her back to her senses and she'd

collapsed into a sobbing heap muttering "Even though I'm a princess…" over and over.

She looked just like a poor girl who'd been dumped by her playboy boyfriend.

"Alright, alright, I'll help…"

Still holding Shea with one hand, Hajime pulled a luminous rock out of his Treasure

Trove with the other. He threw it up at the ceiling, where it stopped and started

floating. Once it was in place, it started glowing much more intensely, and lit up the

room so well it felt like it was noon.

Now that the whole hall was visible, everyone could see just how much of a bloodbath

the battle had been. The floors and ceiling were dyed red, and countless freshly

severed heads littered the floor. None of the nobles lucky enough to have survived

were unscathed. Most had had their tendons cut, and were lying limply on the ground,

groaning in pain. Many of the noble ladies had wet themselves in fear. A few of them

had been lucky enough to faint from the shock.

Those who were tough enough to have held on to their consciousness screamed in

abject terror when they saw Shea's bunny ears and fainted as well. Quite a few of the

men wet themselves too when they saw Shea. It appeared the Haulia had succeeded

in their secondary goal; the people of the empire were filled with dread whenever they

caught sight of a rabbitman.

Hajime, Kouki, and the others stood out as they were the only people in the room who

were untouched. The few soldiers who'd fought until the bitter end glared daggers at

them. It was obvious the soldiers thought Hajime and the others were the Haulia's

accomplices.

"Hey, Hajime Nagumo. Stop flirting and give me a hand here. How cheeky can you get,

flirting with a girl, a rabbitman no less, right after what happened?"

"Sorry. It's just that Shea's a weak little bunny girl, and all that fighting really scared

her. Poor girl. Those assailants sure were terrifying. It took everything I had just to

defend myself." Hajime shivered in an exaggerated manner as he said that.

On the other hand, Shea didn't even bother trying to hide how happy she looked.

Gahard trembled in rage, and the mages who'd had their tongues cut out glared

daggers at Hajime. Kouki and the others were stunned by how brazen Hajime was

acting.

"You impudent little… Either way, you're not hurt, so if you don't have anything against

the empire, I'd like you to help heal me and my men. At the very least, you could call

for help, couldn't you?"

"I don't mind healing you guys, but I get the feeling your men'll rush at me the moment

I do… As long as you don't mind me killing anyone who attacks, I'm fine with helping

out."

"Of course I mind! Hey, you guys! Don't you dare lay a hand on that monster! I don't

want any of you dying a worthless death trying to get revenge against that cheeky,

Haulia-sympathizing, womanizing son of a bitch!"

The nobles all closed their eyes in frustration. They knew Gahard was right in ordering

them to survive, but they didn't like it one bit. Hajime narrowed his eyes in irritation,

but Gahard cut him off.

"Look, even if they wished they could kill you, none of my men are stupid enough to

fling themselves into the jaws of death. Even if they are, I won't let them. Some of them

are in critical condition, so please, Hajime Nagumo. Save them."

"Well if you're sure they won't attack, I guess it's fine. Kaori, you're up."

"Yep, just leave it to me! Aetherflow!"

Kaori instantly cast the strongest healing spell without any incantation or magic circle.

Waves of shimmering mana spread out across the ballroom. In less than a second,

everyone had been fully healed.

"I give up. Somehow, even your healers are monsters."

Gahard looked tired as he watched Kaori's godly healing. Everyone was dumbfounded

by how quickly their wounds had disappeared. Instantly casting the strongest healing

spell in the world should have been impossible.

With the exception of the ladies who were still unconscious, and the nobles who were

still too stunned to react, everyone in the room rushed to Gahard's side and formed a

protective circle around him. They all eyed Hajime warily.

"I just said don't fight him. If you so much as direct your fighting spirit at him, he'll

slaughter us all, so stop!"

"But, Your Majesty, they're clearly in league with the assailants!"

"Exactly! They even killed the crown prince… We can't just let them go!"

"Our reputation would be ruined if we did!"

Gahard's men argued vehemently with him. They were itching to fight. Sure, they had

caught a glimpse of Kaori's true strength when she'd healed them all instantly, but

none of them knew anything about Hajime's. Quite a few them had, however, seen

Gahard's duel with Kouki. The fact that Gahard had beaten Kouki back then was the

foundation for their confidence.

In response, Gahard sighed sadly and aimed his anger toward them. His men groaned

and staggered backward, all will to fight lost. Gahard looked across the room, sucked

in a huge breath, and exclaimed something in a loud, dignified voice.

"Quit causing a scene! I said it before and I'll say it again, I won't allow any of you to

die a dog's death here! Listen up, that white-haired kid with the eyepatch is a genuine

monster! The kind of monster who took down an entire army without breaking a

sweat. He's so strong I probably wouldn't be able to even scratch him. I won't ask you

to submit to him, but if you're real men of the empire, then stop throwing a tantrum

and accept that he's stronger than you! Might makes right, remember?"

Both the soldiers and the nobles stiffened in the face of his will.

"That goes for the Haulia, too. Those bastards were supposed to be the weakest, but

they trained until they were strong enough to challenge us. The fact that they led us

around the nose means we were really the weak ones! I don't plan on letting things

end like this, and I'm sure those rabbitmen know that too, but… accept it for now. This

time, we lost. And the losers have to respect the winner's wishes. That's the number

one rule of the empire! If you still can't accept it, then bring your complaints to me!

Beat me in a fight and force me to admit I'm wrong, just like they did!"

Gahard's voice reverberated across the room. The more weak-willed among the

nobles couldn't even meet Gahard's gaze, while his soldiers and those who'd fought

with him bowed their heads reluctantly. Among them all, only Gahard had actually

kept fighting for any length of time. He was both their emperor, and the strongest

among them. Naturally, his words carried weight.

As the ballroom fell silent once more, Hajime nodded in satisfaction.

"Perfect, glad to see everything's settled."

Naturally, everyone in the room turned to glare at Hajime. Their gazes spoke more

eloquently than any words ever could. "You have no right to say that, you cursed brat!"

The repercussions of that day were felt throughout the capital.

The next morning, Gahard issued an imperial decree stating that all beastmen slaves

had to be freed immediately, and that enslaving beastmen was henceforth forbidden.

It didn't matter whether they were owned by individuals or slave traders, the

government would not allow anyone to keep beastmen. Naturally there was much

confusion, and plenty of people refused to comply. Hordes of citizens crowded the

palace gates, demanding an explanation.

Eventually, Gahard walked out onto the castle's balcony where his people could see

him and shouted in a somewhat strained voice.

"The reason for this sudden decree is because I received an oracle from our hallowed

creator, Ehit! Behold, citizens of the empire! Lord Ehit has sent us his apostles, the

hero and his friends!"

Countless beams of light rained from the sky, and an angel with silver wings

descended onto the balcony next to Gahard. Shimmering silver feathers floated down

around her. Ripples of pure white light, created through a combination of spirit magic

and restoration magic, spread out over the capital. The sublime divinity of it all awed

the anger out of people.

Once Kaori had finished her performance, Kouki walked out and held his Holy Sword

aloft. It appeared to be glowing even more than usual.

"Freeing the beastmen shall lead our glorious empire to far greater heights! Such is

what was written in the vision I received from Lord Ehit! I know many of you are

confused by this sudden declaration, but fear not! Those who have lost slaves shall be

fully compensated from the imperial treasury! I believe that your patriotism and piety

can see us through these turbulent times!"

Silver feathers, the mark of a true Apostle of God, fell among the gathered crowd.

Those who happened to pick up one were instantly converted, and started cheering

for the emperor and the hero.

Some of the citizens, however, were still worried if "fully compensated" really meant

they would get all their money back, but only Gahard could alleviate those concerns.

"Well, good luck, Emperor." Hajime called out to Gahard from inside the room

connecting to the balcony. Yue and Tio were standing next to him. Kaori was still

floating outside as part of the spectacle.

The earlier beams of light had been created by one of Hajime's artifacts. And naturally,

Gahard's speech had been written by him as well.

Gahard had informed all of his chief officers and ministers about the situation last

night. Most of them had been present at the ball, so it didn't take long to get everyone

on board.

First, they'd needed a way to inform all the citizens. After that, they needed a place to

gather all the capital's slaves. Gahard still had some more time to free all the slaves in

the empire's outlying cities, but he needed to get everyone in the capital out by the

end of the day, or his head would fly off.

Knowing that their emperor's life depended on them, the empire's top brass moved

swiftly. However, they soon ran into a problem. They had no good way of convincing

the people to abide by their decision. Sure, private slave owners might not be affected

too terribly, but the slave traders would be ruined if their assets were seized all at

once. Chances were they would riot if the empire tried to destroy their livelihood. And

if that happened, some of the slaves would even get hurt. Which again, would lead to

Gahard's head flying off.

Gahard had been at his wits' end when Hajime had come in with a smile and offered a

solution.

"If you're out of ideas, then just pin it all on Ehit." Hajime had then outlined his plan to

make it sound like it was all Ehit's will. He'd make the speech more convincing by using

Kouki and Kaori to make it look like the Apostle of God really had come down and

graced the empire with their divine silver feathers.

None of the empire's citizens suspected that the Apostle of God's feathers were

actually deadly weapons that could be controlled at will.

The healing spell Kaori had bathed the capital with had not only soothed the hearts of

the citizens, but also healed the minds and bodies of the beastmen slaves who had

suffered long years of enslavement. While the citizens were all gathered in front of the

palace, imperial soldiers went around herding the beastmen to the ruins of the

coliseum so they could remove all their collars.

Gahard watched for a while longer to make sure everything was going smoothly. After

a few minutes he turned back to Hajime and grumbled.

"I take it all back, you're not just any damned brat. You're the devil!" Kouki, Ryutarou,

Suzu, Shizuku, and even Yue and Tio all nodded in agreement.

As all of the soldiers stationed in the capital were assisting in the beastmen

emancipation, it didn't take very long before they were freed from their shackles. The

thousands of beastmen were still in shock, unable to comprehend what was going on.

Even if they had, they wouldn't have believed it anyway. Dumbfounded, they meekly

followed Kouki out of the capital.

Even after they passed through the city's gates, they kept glancing fearfully backward.

Most of them were convinced that this was some new twisted game of the empire.

That the moment they tried to run they'd be chased down and captured again. But

then, something happened that blew that thought out of their minds.

A massive ship descended from the sky. It was Fernir, but it now had a giant gondola

attached to it.

As the beastmen stared up in wonder, a single bunny girl leaned out over the ship's

railing and waved. The girl, Shea, shouted the words the beastmen had been longing

to hear, but hadn't dared to hope they would.

"Everyoooooooooooone! We're here to save you! It's time to go back home to

Verbergen!"

They'd had their wounds healed, their shackles removed, been led out of the capital

by the hero, been greeted by some strange ship, and on that ship stood a member of

their own race. Though they could scarce believe it, all the evidence suggested that

they really were being freed.

After a moment of silence, the beastmen broke out in wild cheers.

"Wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!" The earth shook from the force

of their voices. Everyone hugged the person closest to them as they burst into tears.

"Go back home, huh…?" Hajime watched the proceedings from the bridge, through his

crystal display. He had an odd expression on his face, one that was hard to describe in

words. It was hard to tell whether it was envy, sympathy, or something else entirely.

Regardless, it was a very human expression.

He suddenly felt someone take hold of his hand. Hajime turned to see Yue looking

gently up at him. He smiled at her, then focused on lowering Fernir's drawbridge so

the beastmen could get on.

Behind him, Kaori, Tio, and even Shizuku watched him with warm smiles on their

faces.