75 The Hero Returns

It was a truly surreal sight. Hundreds of beastmen stood huddled together, pinching

their cheeks or slapping their faces or staring out the window in disbelief. The wind

howled past their ears and an endless sea of clouds spread out beneath them. From

the few gaps in cloud cover, they could make out the ground speeding past them at an

unbelievable rate. Unbelievable as it seemed, they were actually flying through the sky.

More specifically, they were riding Hajime's gravity-manipulating airship Artifact, the

Fernir. He had attached a large gondola to its bottom, which was where they were

currently stationed. The reason they were riding the first airship in Tortus' history

was because of another historical event that had concluded just yesterday. All of

Hoelscher's slaves had been freed following a battle that would later come to be

known as "The Haulia Rebellion" or "The Crimson Ball" by the people of the empire.

Shea's father, Cam, had led the Haulia in an attack on the empire's capital and felled it

in a single night. He'd demanded the emperor free all of the empire's slaves, and those

former slaves were now riding Hajime's Fernir back home to Haltina.

Hajime had actually already set up a warp gate in the sea of trees, so he could have

teleported them all home instantly if he'd wanted to. The reason he'd chosen not to,

and instead brought Fernir down outside the capital was because he'd needed to make

a big show of the whole emancipation. Basically, he'd wanted to emphasize to the

citizens of Hoelscher that freeing all the slaves really was something that god himself

had decreed. And it had worked as intended. Seeing a giant flying ship descend to take

the beastmen back home had left the empire's residents in awe.

Naturally Hajime was just using god's name. In truth, Ehit had nothing to do with this.

Hajime was just following through with his principle of "When in doubt, just pin all

the blame on god." Whether or not Ehit took issue with that wasn't something Hajime

particularly cared about. At any rate, while it did make for an impressive spectacle,

moving an Artifact as complex as Fernir took up a lot of concentration.

"Aaah…."

Hajime sighed lazily as he lounged on the bridge's sofa. He didn't look like he was

concentrating in the slightest. His arms and legs were sprawled across the sofa, and

he looked more like an office worker on break than someone piloting an airship.

However, the fact that he was enveloped in layers of crimson mana made it obvious

that even now he was still expending a lot of energy to drive Fernir.

In truth, he was actually having a bit of a hard time. The more weight there was loaded

on Fernir, the more difficult it was to pilot. That being said, his posture, combined with

the fact that he was surrounded by beautiful girls, made it seem like he was just

lording his superiority over people.

"Oi Hajime Nagumo, don't you think you're being rather rude, relaxing like that in front

of the emperor?"

The bridge's door slid open with a mechanical whir, and Hoelscher's emperor, Gahard

D Hoelscher, strode into the room, glaring angrily at Hajime. With Yue and Shea to

either side of him, and Kaori behind him, Hajime really did look like a king indulging

in his harem. Especially considering how closely the three of them were sticking to

him. They claimed it was so they could keep replenishing his mana, but everyone knew

they didn't need to be glued to him to do that. Considering that Hajime was burning

through vast quantities of mana each second, and operating an extremely complicated

machine on top of that, one could say he was training seriously, it just didn't look like

that at all. It was a bit of a shame, really. Neither Gahard nor any of the other people

present realized just how much effort Hajime put into getting stronger.

"I wish I could be the— Ahem, you shouldn't act so indecent in public, Nagumo-san."

"Liliana-sama, your letting your real intentions slip again."

The princess of Heiligh, Liliana S B Heiligh, and her maid Helina followed in behind

Gahard. The reason she was also coming along to Haltina was because she needed to

be a witness to Gahard's oaths.

The battle the other day hadn't been between the empire and Verbergen, but between

the empire and the Haulia, which was why Gahard needed to head to Verbergen and

swear the same oaths he'd given to Cam. That had been one of Cam's conditions, after

all.

The other people in the room included Kouki Amanogawa, Ryutarou Sakagami,

Shizuku Yaegashi, Suzu Taniguchi, and Tio, who was lying on the ground twitching in

pleasure. The reason she was on the floor this time was because she'd tried to leap

into Hajime's arms a few moments ago. Disgusted by the perverted dragon's antics,

Hajime had reflexively kicked her away, then strangled her until she nearly fell

unconscious. As she seemed to be enjoying it, no one had bothered to stop him. In fact,

her ecstatic expression had caused everyone to look away in disgust.

Following Liliana's remarks, Shizuku and the others started to rebuke Hajime as well.

Unwilling to listen to their nagging, he quickly changed the subject.

"Gahard, did you finish exploring the ship?"

"Yeah. This thing is insane. I don't even understand how this giant lump of metal can

fly. Either way, this is one hell of an Artifact you made! Oi, Hajime Nagumo. Make one

for me too. I'll pay you as much as you want."

Gahard settled into the sofa across from Hajime, his eyes brimming with excitement.

Hajime frowned in annoyance.

"I don't need money. Give it a rest already. This is the only time I'm letting you ride

Fernir. Enjoy it while it lasts."

"Come now, don't be like that. I'm just asking for one measly ship. It can even be a small

one."

"There's nothing in it for me, so no."

"Mrr, fine if you don't need money how about women? One of my daughters is of

marriageable age now. Her name's Tracy, and she's a bit of a battle nut, but she's

definitely a looker. She'd make a good addition to your harem, right? What do you

say?"

Gahard seemed to think Hajime was a hardcore womanizer. Considering how Hajime

was surrounded by three girls at the moment, it was a hard claim to deny. That being

said, the last thing Hajime wanted was Gahard's battle-crazy daughter pushed onto

him. He looked disdainfully down at Gahard, but before he could refuse, his harem

came to his defense.

"I'll turn you into ash if you try." "I'll crush you!" "That was a joke, right emperor?

Right?" "Please don't put Nagumo-kun in the same category as you, Your Majesty."

"Absolutely not! I won't allow it! Hajime-kun belongs to me!"

Hajime shrugged and continued.

"There you have it."

"Tch, showoff…. Hm? Wait, did I hear Princess Liliana's voice mixed in with the rest?"

Gahard clicked his tongue, then suddenly turned back toward Liliana. The others

followed his gaze.

"Huh? O-Of course not. You must have been hearing things."

"Kuku. Come to think of it, you ignored Baius entirely during the ball too. Though you

seemed to be enjoying yourself dancing with a certain someone. Hey, Hajime Nagumo.

Just how fast do you work? Even I'm getting tired of seeing everyone fall for you."

"Wh-Wh-Wh-Wh-What are you saying, Your Majesty!? N-Nagumo-san and I don't have

that kind of relationship. Isn't that right, Nagumo-san?"

"Yeah. Hell'll freeze over before that happens."

"You didn't have to be so blunt about it…." Liliana's shoulders slumped. She sulkily

looked away, making it obvious that she wasn't against the idea of being Hajime's lover.

Though, everyone who'd seen her dance at the ball had already known she was

enamored with him.

Naturally, Hajime wasn't oblivious either. Yet he'd still shot her down without mercy.

Yue and the others gave Liliana sympathetic looks, then turned to glare at Hajime.

"Why're you all looking at me like that? Besides, the princess' already engaged. I mean,

her fiance got beheaded, but she still needs to get married to someone from the

empire, right? Gahard'll just find another prince for her to marry."

"Oh, about that…."

Liliana trailed off, and Gahard turned to Hajime with a bitter expression.

"To be honest, my family's in no position to be making political ties right now. We're

kind of busy dealing with these cursed necklaces that'll kill us if we break our oaths."

He pointed to the ruby dangling from his neck. The Necklace of Vows was an artifact

that forced its wearer to adhere to any oaths they made. It carved the vow into the

pledger's soul, so any attempt to break their promise or take the necklace off caused

them to go insane and die.

"According to our contract, if my subjects try to attack beastmen, we won't lose our

lives as long as we punish them for it. But that doesn't change the fact that the entire

empire is being held hostage. I need to make radical changes to our government and

start imposing strict punishments on my people. On top of that we still have to inform

the rest of the empire about our new policy and find a way to free all the remaining

slaves. Me and my family are too busy to think about marriage." Gahard leaned back

in his seat and scratched his head.

"And it's not like I can marry the princess off to someone who might die at any minute.

Besides, without slaves we've lost our biggest supply of labor. Your speech might have

worked for the capital, but I guarantee the other cities will riot. My soldiers are going

to be busy getting the empire under control, so we wouldn't be able to send

reinforcements to the kingdom anyway. If anything, we're the ones who need help

now."

"I see. So basically, the princess isn't getting married anymore."

"More or less. Once things calm down and the imperial family isn't in danger of being

wiped out, Prince Lundel will probably be old enough that it would be better to give

him one of my daughters to cement our alliance instead."

Hajime and the others nodded in understanding. Incidentally, the reason Gahard's

family was willing to follow along so obediently was because one of his relatives had

tried removing their necklace earlier. As expected, they'd gone crazy, rampaged

around the palace for a few minutes, then fell limp, like a doll with its strings cut.

"That's wonderful, Lily!"

"Yeah…. I don't know if you'll be able to marry someone you truly love now, but at least

you've bought yourself some time."

"Yep! Isn't it great, Lily!?"

Kouki, Shizuku, and Kaori all said excitedly. Even Yue and the others congratulated

Liliana on getting her engagement annulled.

"Th-Thank you," Liliana replied awkwardly. While she was glad she didn't have to get

married to Baius anymore, his father was sitting in front of her, and Baius himself had

been decapitated the night before. Still, she was happy she wouldn't have to deal with

the man who'd tried to rape her anymore. Normally she hid her feelings, but this time

she let her happiness show. Even Gahard couldn't help but smile.

"Anyway, that's how it is. So Princess Liliana's free to do as she pleases. Hajime

Nagumo. If you really want her, I'll use my authority as emperor to make it happen."

"Wha!? Your Majesty, what are you saying!? I-I don't…." Shaken, Liliana looked to her

maid for help.

"This is your chance, Princess! Make him yours!" she replied excitedly.

Not noticing Yue's dangerous glare, Liliana looked bashfully toward Hajime. The slight

blush that colored her cheeks gave her just the perfect amount of cuteness. Naturally,

Hajime wasn't fazed by it in the slightest. Her charms did nothing to sway him, and he

casually turned back to Gahard.

"And in return you want me to make you a ship, right? How many times do I have to

say it, there's nothing in that for me. In fact, I'd only be losing out in an exchange like

that."

"What's that supposed to mean, Nagumo-san!?" Liliana screamed. Hajime ignored that

too.

Shocked, Gahard replied.

"Come on, we're talking about the princess of a kingdom here! How can you call

yourself a man if you don't want her!?"

"Don't lump me in together with you. I'm not trying to collect a bunch of girls here. If

anything, the fact that she's a princess would make things more of a pain."

"Heeey, over here! I'm still here you know! Please stop talking about me like I'm not in

the room! Listen to me!"

Liliana waved her hands in the air, trying to remind people she existed. Unfortunately,

she was still ignored.

"You really have no interest in authority, huh? Or perhaps you're just not interested in

the princess."

"Both."

"Okay okay, I get it, you're ignoring me. I'm not important enough for anyone to listen

to. I guess it's because you're not interested in me, huh….Sniffle…. Even though I'm the

princess…." Tears trailed down Liliana's cheeks and the hope vanished from her eyes.

"Liliana-sama…. you poor thing…."

"Lily…. Even though you're the princess. I'm so sorry…."

"L-Lily! I'll listen to you! Please, cheer up!" Helina dabbed at her eyes with a

handkerchief while Shizuku and Kouki tried to console her.

Hajime watched them out of the corner of his eye while simultaneously monitoring

Gahard's reaction. Seeing as he had no intention of giving up, Hajime sighed and spoke.

"Right now, there's nothing I want so give it up. Maybe you'll stumble across something

you can use as a bargaining chip later…. so just wait until them."

"Nnngh, is there really nothing you want? Nothing I can do for you? Tell me truly. All

humans want something. The only people who say they want nothing have stopped

being human, or are plotting something. Then again, I suppose you are a devil."

"You trying to pick a fight? Well, I guess I get what you're saying. But…."

Hajime wrapped his arms around Yue and Shea.

"As you can see, everything I want is already in my arms. What else could I possibly

ask for?"

So stop wasting your time trying to negotiate. Yue snuggled up to Hajime, while Shea

was still in shock over the fact that Hajime had hugged her just as tight as he'd hugged

Yue. A second later, her ears and tail started twitching happily, and she hugged Hajime

back. Her eyes met Yue's and the two of them giggled happily to each other.

"Ah, so that's how it is. Tch, I can't stand to watch this flirting. I'm going up to the deck

for some fresh air…."

Gahard got to his feet with an annoyed huff and stalked off. Hajime once again leaned

back into the sofa and returned to looking like he was doing nothing. Shizuku and Suzu

snuck bashful glances at him, while Kouki and Ryutarou were unable to look at him.

Flirting so openly had made the atmosphere rather awkward. It didn't help that Liliana

was looking up at the ceiling with dead eyes. However, the girl standing behind Hajime

and the one at his feet were unaffected by the uncomfortable atmosphere.

"Uuu, how come it's only Yue and Shea!? H-Hey Hajime-kun, when you said everything

you wanted was already in your arms, you meant that figuratively, right? It's not just

Yue and Shea you care about, right?"

"M-Master. I understand it's an odd request to make moments after being kicked by

you, but would you please embrace me as well? I, too, wish to be in your arms…."

Kaori hugged Hajime from behind while Tio lifted herself off the ground and begged.

Yue lifted her head off Hajime's chest, looked at the two of them, and said, "Too bad."

"Wh-What's that supposed to mean!?"

"Wha!? I cannot let that go unchallenged, Yue!"

Kaori and Tio bristled at Yue's remark. Yue titled her head and put a finger on her chin,

thinking. Then she pointed to herself and Shea.

"Winners."

Then she pointed to Kaori and Tio.

"Losers."

She then went back to nuzzling Hajime's chest. It was at that point that Kaori snapped.

"Fufufufu….You're a weird one, Yue. Sometimes you say things that just don't make any

sense…. Did you hit your head somewhere?"

Kaori swayed back and forth, and her sword-wielding demon stand flared to life

behind her in a flurry of wind and snow.

"Indeed, there appears to be something wrong with Yue. It falls upon us to correct her,

Kaori."

Tio staggered to her feet. A black dragon wreathed in an aura of pitch spread its wings

and roared behind her.

"And there's one simple way to do that."

"Indeed, when something is broken…."

"You beat it back into shape!" "One must beat it into shape!"

Fighting spirit started oozing out of the two of them. Kouki, Ryutarou, and Suzu

hugged each other tight, terrified of the pressure Kaori and Tio were emitting.

"I-Is that really Kaori?" Kouki muttered.

Yue once again lifted her head off of Hajime's chest and grinned faintly at the two of

them.

"Don't do it. You know you don't stand a chance if I got serious, right?"

It really irritated them to hear that familiar phrase come from Yue's mouth.

"Bring it on!" "I'd like to see you try!" As expected, neither of them were backing down.

"Mmm, do your worst."

Yue provoked them even further. Dark clouds formed behind her, and her trademark

lightning dragon appeared to complete the trio.

"W-Wait, you three! Calm down! And Nagumo-kun, don't just sit there, help me stop

them!"

Shizuku desperately tried to mediate between them. Unfortunately, even though they

should have just been illusions, the pressure coming off of the demon, black dragon,

and lightning dragon was all too real. She backed off and looked to Hajime for help.

However, Hajime's response was none too promising.

"Can't do it. Too tired…."

He sunk deeper into the sofa. He obviously wasn't going to move. In the first place,

fights like these were an everyday occurrence. It was how the three of them

communicated, really. Hence why Hajime didn't particularly mind.

"Y-You lazy little—"

Shizuku, who wasn't privy to the background behind their fights, fumed at his

response. Just then, one of the fighters asked for her assistance.

"Shizuku-chan, I'll leave the vanguard to you!"

"What!? Why do I have to get mixed up in all this!?"

And so, Shizuku was smoothly integrated into their quarrel. Seeing that Kaori had

enlisted reinforcements, Tio decided to find some of her own.

"Come, Princess. We shall wade into battle together! You are a master of barrier magic,

are you not? I shall need yours and Suzu's assistance!"

"Wait, you want me!? Why!?"

"Did you just include me!?"

The perverted dragon grabbed the two crying girls and hauled them into the fray using

her monstrous strength. She looked almost like a mother disciplining her children.

"Even though I'm the princess…. no one listens to me…." Liliana mumbled sadly. She

looked to her maid for salvation, but Helina simply cheered her on.

"Go for it, Liliana-sama! This is your chance to make yourself his wife!"

It appeared not even her maid understood her. Liliana once again reverted to looking

at the ceiling with dead eyes… Suzu, too, beseeched Kouki and Ryutarou for help, but

they both awkwardly averted their gazes. They had no desire to get in the middle of a

fight between these girls. It wouldn't do for guys to butt in, after all.

"Are you really abandoning me!? You are, aren't you!? I won't forget this!"

Poor Suzu was doomed to the same fate as Liliana.

"Shea, be my vanguard."

"Roger! I won't let anyone get close to you, Yue-san! I'll turn them all into mincemeat!"

Shea was raring to go. Her bunny ears stood straight up and her lips curled up into a

fearless smile. She smacked her fists together, causing a shockwave of mana to ripple

outward. Yue smiled at Hajime, much like a wife smiling at her husband before

marching off to war. Wasn't it supposed to be the other way around, normally?

"I'll be going, Hajime. It's time to teach them the difference between us."

"Yeah, have fun. Just don't break anything."

"Will you give me a reward when I come back?"

"Yeah, so don't take too long."

"Okay…."

Their little exchange riled up Kaori and Tio even more. They could hardly hold back

their bloodlust. The group filed out of the bridge, taking their unwilling conscripts

with them. Above the clouds, the weather was always clear. Which made every day a

good day for fighting. Before long, the sounds of rumbling thunder and exploding

breath could be heard outside. Kouki and Ryutarou both jumped every time there was

another bang. Is it really okay to leave them alone like this?

"They sound like they're having fun."

However, Hajime remained utterly unconcerned.

"You're fine even after hearing all that!? Ngh, so this is the difference between me and

Nagumo."

"Uhh, I don't think that's quite it. Just calm down, Kouki.

Kouki ground his teeth, frustrated that he was getting worked up while Hajime

continued lying on the sofa. Meanwhile, Ryutarou just sighed. His voice carried

through the bridge which had been emptied of all but the guys.

The sea of trees came into view around the same time that Yue and the others' bout

came to a close. The beastmen, terrified by the sounds they'd been hearing for the past

few minutes, eagerly crowded near the front of the gondola. Oddly enough, a few of

the beastmen could have sworn they'd heard the emperor's screams during the fight,

but they chalked it up to their imagination.

They arrived just as the sun was finishing its trek below the horizon. Verbergen's

streets were filled with warm, natural light emitted by torches placed at regular

intervals. The torches were created from a wood that burned easily and last a long

time. There was also a plethora of lamps that used caged phosphorescent insects for

light.

Thanks to Kaori's assistance, Verbergen's recovery had progressed quite smoothly. It

now resembled the same fantastical city of fey illusions that Hajime had been awed by

on his first trip to the city. At a glance, it almost seemed as if the demon army's invasion

and the empire's assault had never happened. One would have expected that all of

Verbergen's residents had returned to their former, peaceful lives and were happily

spending time with their families. And indeed, that's how it should have been.

"Does anyone know how many supplies the western settlements have left!?"

"Have you guys still not finished allotting everyone houses!? We don't have any time,

hurry it up!"

"Eeek!? One of the Haulia— Oh, you're just a normal rabbitman…."

"Stop gushing about Kaori-sama and get back to work, you slackers!"

The city was as busy as Fuhren's streets on market day. Everyone, regardless of age,

race, or occupation, was working on some task or another. However, while they were

clearly busy, no one appeared to be panicking. In fact, they all seemed strangely

hopeful. One of Verbergen's elders, the elf Ulfric Heipyst, watched the proceedings

through an open window and sighed. He let the night breeze wash over his face for a

few seconds longer, then rubbed his eyes tiredly. He once again looked down at the

documents in his hand, his expression unreadable. The documents were reports on

how to integrate a few thousand of their brethren back into Verbergen's cities, and

requests for all manners of supplies and personnel.

"Hey, Cam. Are all they all really coming home?"

At Ulfric's muttered question, a figure materialized in the room, as if it had appeared

out of thin air.

"How many times are you going to ask that question? Nothing I say will be able to

confirm it for you. So stop worrying and get back to your preparations," Cam Haulia

said sharply.

Cam and the others had returned to Verbergen ahead of time using one of Hajime's

portals. They'd needed to warn the city of the beastmen's upcoming return, so they'd

be ready to hold them all. Thanks to the telepathy stones that only the Haulia could

use, they were able to quickly inform all of Verbergen and its outlying settlements.

Incidentally, the reason why Cam had been hiding his presence was because it had

become a hobby of his.

Ulfric smiled wanly and said, "I know. But it's just so hard to believe. To think the

empire, of all people, would release all their slaves…."

"Well you'll be able to see the truth for yourself in a few hours. It's not like I don't get

where you're coming from. If it weren't for our boss, we wouldn't have been able to

come this far either."

"By boss…. you mean Hajime Nagumo, don't you? If what you say is true, he's saved

not only my granddaughter's life, but the lives of all beastmen everywhere. We owe

him a debt we can never hope to repay…."

"Boss doesn't want you to repay him anyway. Now get back to work. You've still got a

bunch of reports to sort through."

At Cam's blunt words, Ulfric turned to look at him. The rabbitman was looking off into

the distance, likely conversing with his comrades via Telepathy, yet he had no

openings. In fact, he was wrapped in a dignified aura, befitting his status as chief of his

tribe. It was hard to believe he hadn't even been noticeable moments ago.

To think this is the same man who prostrated himself before me only a few months ago,

begging me not to execute his tribe…. It was hard to fathom. His former gentle nature

was nowhere to be seen. Now the air around him was so sharp it felt as though just

touching him would cut you. And Ulfric had seen firsthand what happened to anyone

who opposed him.

When Cam and the others had first returned to Verbergen, the elders, Ulfric included,

hadn't believed their report that they'd defeated the empire and forced them to free

all of its slaves. Their doubts were understandable. After all, it was unthinkable that a

single clan would be able to take on the might of the empire and survive, much less

achieve victory.

Sure they might have taken out an elite unit of bearmen in the past, and also saved

Verbergen from the demon onslaught, but defeating an empire was on a completely

different level. It was a difficult claim to believe. Most of the elders had dismissed

Cam's story and his request that Verbergen prepare to receive the thousands of

beastmen that would be returning as falsehoods. Some of them even went as far as to

say that the Haulia were still holding a grudge over the fact that Verbergen had exiled

them and at one point attempted to execute them, and that this was all part of some

elaborate revenge plot. That had been a mistake.

Zel, the tigerman elder, had gotten heated up and accused Cam and the others of

plotting rebellion. He then had unsheathed his weapon, which had led to the incident

that nearly saw him beheaded. Haulia had sprung up out of nowhere, and ended the

fight before it even started.

Zel had found himself with a short sword pressed against his windpipe, and it was

only thanks to Ulfric stepping in and mediating that he hadn't lost his life then and

there. Still, the fact that a seasoned warrior like Zel hadn't been able to do a single

thing, and that the Haulia had slipped past all of the elders guards proved that the

Haulia were far stronger than the elders had given them credit for.

The elders were forced to accept that maybe there was some truth to the Haulia's

claims that they'd toppled the imperial capital. After what they'd seen, they had no

choice but to believe. Besides, no one wanted to argue with the Haulia when they were

that scary. More than one elder had wet their pants when they saw the Haulia pop out

of nowhere.

Regin, the bearman who'd led the ill-fated raid on the Haulia, had been guarding the

hall and had broken out in a cold sweat and hidden in a corner when they'd appeared.

For nights afterward, he'd been tormented by nightmares where rabbits chased him

down and killed him over and over. After seeing one of their strongest warriors cower

because of the trauma he'd received at the Haulia's hands, the elders quickly bowed

their heads and quietly listened to what Cam had to say.

Just thinking about that incident left Ulfric in a cold sweat. He looked back down at

the documents Cam had told him to start working on, but before he could start

someone walked into the room.

"Grandfather, we've gathered enough emergency rations. This is how much is left in

our granaries now."

A gentle voice, like the pealing of a bell, interrupted Ulfric. His granddaughter, Altina,

handed him another sheaf of papers. She had long blonde hair that reached down to

her legs, and pure green eyes that looked like the depths of a forest. Her skin had

regained much of its lost luster after she'd been rescued by Hajime and brought back

home. After returning to Verbergen, she'd enthusiastically thrown herself into work,

helping Ulfric with his duties. Still, Ulfric was worried the kidnapping incident had left

deep scars on Altina's psyche. She was just a young girl, after all.

"Thank you. But Altina, it's only been a few days since you came back. You don't have

to push yourself so hard. Why not rest for a bit?"

"I'll be fine, grandfather. Our comrades are coming home, I can't just sit around doing

nothing."

Altina gently but firmly reassured Ulfric. Seeing her dazzling resolve, Ulfric couldn't

help but be amazed. Though she'd been raised as a sheltered princess, she was far

more capable than her upbringing would suggest. She possessed quite a bit of grit too.

And if Ulfric was honest with himself, he did appreciate the help. It warmed his heart

to see the granddaughter he'd written off as dead being so lively, but at the same

time— Fidget, squirm, glance

There was obviously something on her mind. From what Ulfric could tell, she was

elated about something.

Where did that serious expression from earlier go? Ulfric followed her gaze, and realized

she was staring at Cam. He sighed wearily and made his point.

"Altina, if you're worried about him why not just ask Cam?"

"I-I don't particularly care about what Nagumo-dono's doing or…."

"I never said I was referring to Hajime Nagumo."

"Grandfather, please don't tease me like that!"

Ulfric grinned, but inwardly he thought, Surely she hasn't truly fallen for him? It was a

worrying prospect to consider. Thanks to her personality, status, and looks, Altina had

had many suitors, but she'd turned them all down. Supposedly the reason she gave

each of them was that she had wanted to inherit her grandfather's position and devote

herself to serving Verbergen.

This was the first time Ulfric had seen her look like this. He couldn't help but be a little

concerned, and his overprotective side came out a little.

"Mmm. While Hajime Nagumo may have saved your life, you would do well to

remember he doesn't consider you anyone special. Furthermore, the ones who

actually rescued you were the Haulia, not him. Personally, I don't think he would make

a good match for you…."

"Like I said, I'm not interested in him! Sheesh, I was just wondering when he'd come

back with all the other beastmen. That's all!"

Altina huffed and looked away. It appeared Ulfric had touched a nerve. Or rather, Altina

was just trying to hide her embarrassment at having been seen through.

Sweating, Altina tried to sneak out of the room before her grandfather interrogated

her any further. At least she's not aware of her own feelings yet. Ulfric thought with a

weary sigh. If she actually tried to chase after him, she'd have an impossible road

ahead of her. Ideally, Ulfric wanted his granddaughter to pick the safer road.

To his surprise, Cam called out to Altina as she ducked under the doorway.

"Lady Altina."

"Huh? Wh-What is it, Cam-san? Did you need something?"

A knowing smile played across Cam's lips, and Altina instantly went on guard.

"Our boss may look like he has a harem of girls surrounding him, but in truth he's only

interested in one of them. And she's the only one who'll ever be truly special to him. If

you want to have even a chance of reaching his heart, you'll have to invest a lot of time

and effort into gaining his trust."

"U-Uh…. okay?"

Cam's lips curled even further upward, and he grinned triumphantly.

"By the way, the person closest to becoming the next special person to him is my

daughter—Shea. After all, the only reason he assisted us and made an enemy out of

the empire was because he didn't want her smile to vanish."

"I-Is that really true!?"

"It is. Our boss was willing to take on an entire empire for Shea's sake, and Shea's sake

alone. Fufufufu."

"Ah!"

It was obvious what Cam was implying. "You don't stand a chance against my daughter!"

Incidentally, Altina was the same age as Shea, 16. So naturally, Altina felt a little angry

when Cam told her she didn't even stand a chance against someone her own age.

"Shea-san…. is that girl with pale blue hair, isn't she? This may be arrogant of me to

say, but I don't see how I'm inferior to her in any way. It's true that she may have spent

more time with Nagumo-dono than me, but…. given time I'm sure…."

"Oh no. You see, our Shea's more special than you think. I'm only warning you now so

you don't waste your time. If you waste your time chasing after an unattainable dream,

you'll grow old alone, you know?"

"Well I don't need your advice!"

"Haaah…. Cam, please stop teasing my granddaughter…."

Ulfric sighed as he saw Cam's childish smirk. The reason Cam had bothered poking his

nose in at all was because he wanted to help his daughter out a little.

When Shea had first left with Hajime, it was obvious to everyone that her crush was a

one-sided affair. But when he'd seen them the night before the battle, the two of them

had been much closer. After facing so many hardships together, it seemed their bond

had grown. Their relationship had progressed to the point where another push from

Shea would be enough to get Hajime to fall for her.

And so, Cam hoped that by provoking Altina into trying something drastic, it would

nudge Shea into taking that final step. Of course he knew that were his daughter to

ever find out she'd be furious with him, but he still wanted to support her.

Seeing as he'd succeeded in riling Altina up, Cam chuckled to himself. The fact that he

was willing to use an innocent maiden's first love—even if she wasn't aware of her

own feelings—to further his own agenda proved that he was every bit the devil his

boss was.

Just then, the three of them heard a commotion outside. It was different from the usual

tumult of people working; something strange was clearly going on. In fact, some

people were even yelling.

"What's going on!?"

Ulfric ran over to the window and looked outside. Seconds later, he realized what the

source of the commotion was.

"A pillar…. of light?" A beam of light far brighter than any the sun could produce rained

down from above the trees and illuminated Verbergen's main square. Ulfric stared in

awe, unable to comprehend what he was seeing. Behind him, Cam reassured him in a

calm and arrogant voice,

"Don't worry, Ulfric. That light means Boss's here."

The intense beam of light shining down on the city square was Fernir's searchlight.

Verbergen's residents scurried away from the light as fast as they could. Once they

were safely under the cover of darkness they looked up timidly to see what was going

on. The soldiers gingerly unsheathed their weapons, determined to die in the defense

of their homeland.

Hajime's massive airship descended on the now-empty square, snapping branches

and crushing leaves as it passed through the trees.

Naturally, none of the beastmen knew what an airship was, so they were worried that

some new kind of monster had showed up in their midst. Hajime slowly lowered the

gondola attached to Fernir to the ground, then with a shower of red sparks, separated

it from the main ship. He then landed the airship itself next to the gondola.

After seeing that, the citizens of Verbergen realized they weren't dealing with a

monster. But then what were they dealing with? And what did it want with them?

Even if it wasn't a monster, there was still plenty of reason to be afraid. All of

Verbergen's residents nervously watched Fernir to see what would happen next.

After a brief pause, there was a loud clang, and the front and back of the gondola slid

open. Everyone shrunk back, including the soldiers. Their ears stood on end, and every

beastman with a tail had it tucked firmly between their legs.

As the citizens watched, a single figure stepped out of the gondola's dark depths.

Naturally it was no monster, but a timid-looking rabbitman. Her ears drooped a little

as she saw everyone staring at her with grim expressions on their faces.

That was the kind of reaction most people expected from a rabbitman, not the

boundless bravado shown by the headhunting Haulia. Once they realized they weren't

up against an unknown monster, the residents of Verbergen relaxed somewhat. After

a few more seconds, it finally hit them.

"They really came back…." Someone muttered.

Many of the residents still hadn't been fully convinced, but now they realized that their

dreams had really come true. Starting with the rabbitman, former beastmen slaves

started pouring out of the gondola. They were finally able to step foot on the homeland

they had thought lost to them forever.

As they walked out into the square, they examined their surroundings in disbelief. It

still didn't feel real to them. But it was the same crisp air they'd used to breathe, the

same trees that had given them a sense of security, the same nostalgic lamps that lit

the streets, and the same friends and family they thought they'd never see again.

Their surroundings forced them to accept that this was reality. They'd really come

home. The residents of Verbergen were just as amazed. A woman in her mid-thirties

timidly stepped forward, her dog ears drooping. With tears in her eyes, she called out

to one of the young dogboys that had exited the gondola.

Upon hearing his name, he looked up, and tears sprang to his eyes. He was the same

boy that Kouki had tried to save back at the capital. He ran over to the woman and

screamed.

"Mom!"

The woman knelt down and scooped the boy up into her arms. She hugged him tight,

as if trying to make sure he was really there, and not just an illusion. The two of them

wept openly, rejoicing at this reunion they thought would never come.

That seemed to be the signal for everyone else, and beastmen from both sides rushed

toward each other, crying tears of joy. Friends, family, lovers—each time a group was

reunited, another deafening cheer rang out. The streets of Verbergen were more lively

than ever. Rarely had this tranquil capital been the sight of such boisterous cheering.

Amidst the chaos, Hajime and the others descended Fernir's ramp. When the elders

spotted them coming out, they all rushed toward Hajime at once.

"Hajime Nagumo…. you really know how to make an entrance."

"Ulfric. Yeah, that probably just made more work for you, huh. Sorry about that."

Ulfric smiled wanly as he looked up at the broken tree branches Fernir had left in its

wake. Hajime scratched his cheek awkwardly and apologized.

Using so much mana had left him drained, and unable to control Fernir as precisely as

he would have liked. That being said, walking all the way back or sending all of the

freed beastmen back in groups through portals both would have taken more time, and

been more of a pain. Especially since Verbergen was difficult to locate. Hajime had only

known where it was because he'd given Cam an Artifact that broadcasted its

coordinates at all times. Naturally this meant he'd been planning on landing Fernir

inside the city the whole time. Despite his apology, he'd done this on purpose.

In some ways, he was a little insane. After all, when he'd first visited the city he'd found

it unbelievably beautiful. Yet he had no compunction about destroying its scenery for

the sake of convenience. Though for once, it appeared he did at least feel somewhat

remorseful. He turned bashfully to Kaori and asked for help.

"Sorry Kaori, but could you fix this up for me?"

"Thank goodness. It looks like you haven't gone completely insane yet."

Wait, did she just casually insult me? Hajime was surprised by her shift in personality,

but he didn't want to get burned so he didn't mention it. And is it just my imagination,

or are Yue and the others snickering too? Kaori raised her hand toward the shattered

foliage and spoke a single word.

"Tetragrammaton!"

Tetragrammaton was a spell that restored any object to its original state. In seconds,

the bent and broken trees had returned to their original shape. No matter how many

times Hajime saw it, he couldn't help but be amazed by the spell.

Furthermore, Kaori truly did look divine, wrapped in glowing silver mana. It rose up

from her in a spiral, that ascended past the trees and high into the sky.

"Whoa, our Kaori-sama just performed another miracle!"

"All hail Kaori-sama, Verbergen's goddess!"

The beastmen started cheering for Kaori. Some of them even knelt before her, tears

streaming from their eyes.

"Stop! Please, don't look at me like that! I don't want to be worshiiiped!" Kaori ran

from beastman to beastman, forcibly hauling each one to their feet.

"It appears yet another goddess has been born. I must say, it's quite a surprise to see

so many new deities popping up on the continent where only a single god is meant to

be worshiped. First Aiko-dono, now Kaori."

Hajime couldn't tell if Tio was moved, or just nonplussed. She was the one who'd

obliterated the head temple along with Aiko after all. On the other hand, Yue stroked

her chin and made a comment.

"Mmm…. So this is how you're going to pick a fight with god. I like your style, Hajime."

"Thanks, Yue. You know, I feel like something like this happened back in Ankaji too."

"Oh yeah, I remember. The citizens made a 'Kaori-sama fan club' or something."

Said fan club's present president was the duke of Ankaji's son. He was probably

fervently praying for a chance to meet Kaori again.

"Kaori's…. really grown."

"You sound like her mom, Shizushizu. Also don't you think it's kind of dirty for Kaorin

to gain fame for fixing things Nagumo-kun himself broke?"

Suzu pointed out the harsh truth to Shizuku, who was starting to get emotional. She's

got a point! Kouki and Ryutarou thought simultaneously. Though the beastmen were

supposed to be nonreligious, it really did seem like they would soon convert to the

church of Kaori. Amidst the chaos, Altina came up to Ulfric and whispered,

"Grandfather, Isn't it about time we…."

Altina nodded to the last party descending Fernir's ramp—Gahard, Liliana, and her

royal entourage. Of the three, Gahard was unrecognizable because of the mask he was

wearing. In order to prevent any information on Verbergen from being leaked to the

empire, Hajime had made him a golden mask—in the same power rangers style as he

had the others—that blocked out all light and sound.

Though his face wasn't visible, Altina could tell that he and Liliana were both highranking nobility just from their attire, and the fact that they had attendants following

them. Since Cam's claim all the slaves had been freed proved to be true, the elders

realized his insistence that he'd forced the emperor to surrender must have been the

truth as well. And so, while Gahard looked like nothing more than a masked pervert,

they were able to guess he was indeed the emperor.

All of Verbergen's leaders had been informed of Gahard's arrival, but none of the

citizens had. They had feared that someone might try to kill the emperor had they

made that information public. Especially now that he'd arrived in this ridiculous mask.

Verbergen's citizens would probably think he was trying to make fun of them. The last

thing Verbergen's elders wanted was the emperor dead. Even if they despised him,

they needed him alive and bound to the Haulia's contract if they wished for peace with

the empire.

It was also for that reason that Altina was in a hurry to get Gahard out of the public

eye. Though her worries weren't nearly as great as her confusion. Why on earth is the

emperor wearing such a ridiculously colored mask? Next to her, Shizuku twitched. As

the infamous pink ranger, seeing that mask brought back unpleasant memories.

"Hmm, I suppose you're right. Hajime Nagumo, no, Nagumo-dono. Cam has already

explained the situation to me. Though I find it hard to believe, it appears our brethren

have truly been freed from the empire's grasp. As Verbergen's representative, I thank

you from the bottom of my heart."

"You're thanking the wrong guy. It's the Haulia who did this, not me. Try not to forget

that, will you?"

Hajime casually waved off Ulfric's thanks as he put both Fernir and the gondola into

his Treasure Trove. The beastmen who'd been busy celebrating blinked in surprise as

two massive objects vanished right before their eyes. They then focused their

attention on the group the elders were talking to, Hajime and the others.

"I can't tell if you're trying to be humble, or really speaking the truth. Regardless, it's

not like you," Ulfric replied with a wry smile.

"At any rate, I understand. I'll give my thanks to the Haulia. Though I find it hard to

believe that the weakest of all races, the rabbitmen, were able to defeat the empire….

I suppose if you live long enough you really do live to see everything. This is certainly

a historic moment for Verbergen."

Ulfric turned to his people and declared that it was the Haulia who'd defeated the

empire and rescued everyone's friends and family. Upon learning who their saviors

were, the residents all turned to Cam, who was standing next to Ulfric. They were

looking at him not with scorn, but with the unique mixture of respect and awe

reserved for heroes.

Even though the Haulia had been forced to flee from their home, lost many of their

brethren, had been exiled from Verbergen upon their return, and had been considered

traitors by most residents of the city, now they were being treated like heroes. Shea

felt an swell of emotion as she watched her dad bask in the cheers of the people. She

was so happy, and so proud. As tears pooled in the corner of her eyes, she felt someone

take hold of her hand.

"Yue-san…."

"Mmm…."

Yue didn't say anything. But just holding Shea's hand was enough to convey her

feelings. Shea turned to Yue and saw her looking back with a more gentle expression

than she ever had before. Her bunny ears hopped back and forth.

"Why not stand with him?" Hajime said casually.

Even though she'd started out as a worthless rabbit, she'd conquered numerous

labyrinths alongside Hajime. The number of trials she'd faced were far greater than

anyone here. She had just as much right to be hailed a hero as her father did. Show

them how far the girl they called a monster's come, his gaze seemed to say.

His supportive attitude came as such a shock to Kouki, Shizuku, and Liliana that their

jaws dropped open. They'd never seen Hajime act that kind to anyone other than Yue.

Upon seeing his expression Kaori grumbled to herself and lapsed into thought, while

Tio looked on happily and muttered "Oho." Heartened by her comrades' support, Shea

smiled and said "I'll be going then!" She boldly strode forward and stood next to her

father.

However, to her surprise, Cam ignored her. He seemed to be pondering something as

he observed the expressions of his fellow beastmen. After a few seconds, a crafty grin

spread across his face. He raised his right hand high, and in an instant, there were

Haulia all around the square. There was no visible cover nearby, and it looked as if

they'd popped out of thin air. They lined up in front of Cam and stood at parade rest.

All around, the residents started muttering to each other.

"Whoa, where'd they come from!?" "How'd we miss them!?" "Hiii not them! Someone

get me my medicine!"

"H-Huh? Dad? What are you—"

"Listen up, my brethren!"

Shea trudged back to Hajime and the others, a dejected expression on her face.

"I knew it. I knew dad would ignore me right when it mattered most," she muttered

sadly.

Hajime and Yue stroked her ears and comforted her. Cam didn't even seem to notice

Shea's sad expression as he glared sharply at the people of Verbergen—specifically

the rabbitmen.

"For centuries have we been scorned, humiliated and disparaged. Hear me! For the

first time in history, we were able to defeat the empire. But know that no peace lasts

forever. Before long, your futures will be threatened once more."

The hundreds of rabbitmen in the crowd started shivering in fear. They looked to Cam

in supplication, begging him to prevent those horrible days from ever returning.

"And once it is, your lives will go back to the miserable existences they were until

yesterday. And that's not all. Next time, your friends and family who escaped will be

captured too."

This time all of the beastmen looked down in worry.

"Are you willing to accept that?"

Of course not! They thought simultaneously. No one wanted to return to those days

where they'd been beaten and humiliated on a daily basis, where they'd had their

pride stepped on over and over. Nor did they want any of their fellow beastmen to

taste that same pain. But what could they hope to do about it? Seeing everyone's

downtrodden expressions, Cam raised his voice and continued.

"Of course you're not! So the question is, what are you gonna do about it? The answer's

simple. If you want to protect the people close to you…. then fight. If you're tired of

just resigning yourself to your fates…. then stand and fight. If you want to change the

way the rabbitmen are treated…. then fill your heart with rage! That's what we Haulia

did! Rabbitmen are not the weakest! So long as you have the resolve, you can grow as

strong as you want! We're living proof of that!"

Someone in the audience gasped. Everyone was once again reminded of the fact that

their savior hadn't been some special, all-powerful being, but one of their very own

clans. One by one, the rabbitmen lifted their heads.

"Remember the humiliation you suffered at the empire's hands. Don't just take it lying

down! Protect those you love with your own two hands! If you have time to lament

your fate, then spend that time sharpening your fangs! Light a fire in your heart and

fight!"

The faintest glimmers of hope began to shine in the eyes of the rabbitmen. Their

drooping ears stood on end, as if they'd been imbued with new life. Cam's lips curled

up into a grin.

"If you don't know how to fight, we'll teach you. If you have the will to resist, if you

desire power, come to us. The Haulia will welcome you with open arms!"

With that, Cam ended his speech. The Haulia lined up in front of him all smiled

fearlessly. Their eyes seemed to be silently inviting the others to join them. Cam gave

a second hand signal. Like ninjas, the Haulia dispersed and vanished into the darkness.

Upon seeing such an impressive display, the rabbitmen in the crowd grew even more

determined. A few of the younger ones looked ready to run out and join the Haulia this

instant.

Cam chuckled to himself. Perfect, now we've got more fresh recruits! Once they've signed

up, I won't let any of them escape. They'll be stuck in boot camp hell until they're one of

us!

"Sorry for interrupting your conversation, Boss. This was just the perfect opportunity

to scout out some new talent."

"I-I see. I don't really mind, but…."

Hajime trailed off. For some reason, the thought of the Haulia propagating didn't sit

well with him. Even though the root cause of the Haulia's transformation was him, he

didn't necessarily want Haltina to become filled with bloodthirsty rabbits. Cold sweat

poured down his back as he realized far too late what kind of monsters he'd unleashed

into the sea of trees.

"And so, the kind rabbits of the forest went extinct…."

"Please don't say that, Yue-san! As a member of the original Haulia, I won't be able to

show my face here if that really happens!" Shea screamed in despair.

In the near future, the kind and timid rabbits of Haltina would most likely be replaced

by wild, aggressive rabbits who loved nothing more than beheading people. If anyone

ever asked her in the afterlife "Who was the one who turned the rabbitmen into killing

machines!?" she would have no choice but to say: "My husband and my dad."

Her embarrassment was certainly understandable.

"Mmm. At any rate, we should probably head inside. Altina, if you would be so kind as

to guide us."

Ulfric was just as terrified of the Haulia multiplying as Hajime, but he managed to put

the thought out of his mind and returned to the matter at hand. His composure was

commendable. While the other elders, especially the bearman elder, looked ready to

faint, he alone maintained the presence of mind to lead everyone back on topic. There

was a reason he was the eldest of the elders.

"This way, Nagumo-dono. I'll take you to the conference hall. Come, follow me."