Dark Magician Girl's Up and Down Guides My Left and Right - A15

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A/N: Don't take this fanfic volume seriously; it's just a writing exercise for me and to help me. Butttttt it's also an Artiferia fanfic with some Yugioh elements on the side.

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"Open wide~ Say ahhhhhh." Dark Magician Girl held out an onigiri, playfully feeding Gojo as he lay with his head in her lap.

Gojo obediently opened his mouth, allowing her to gently place the plain onigiri inside.

It was a simple onigiri, just seaweed and white rice—no seasoning, no add-ons. Yet it tasted good to him, simply because Dark Magician Girl was feeding it to him. However, the onigiri she offered was one she had already bitten into, which meant she didn't like it.

Gojo didn't mind; in fact, it amused him. He took a bite from the spot where Dark Magician Girl had bitten.

She shook her head, her eyes meeting his. "I prefer the ones with fillings. This one's too plain for me."

They shared a quiet moment, the chaos around them fading into the background. For a brief time, it was just the two of them, enjoying a simple onigiri and each other's company.

Tsk. The villagers, busy fixing the damage to their village, clicked their tongues in envy and jealousy as they glanced at the pair. They couldn't understand how Gojo and Dark Magician Girl could find a moment of peace and intimacy amidst the turmoil.

Gojo noticed the stares but paid them no mind. Dark Magician Girl took out a triangular onigiri filled with seaweed salad and munched on it happily.

"You seem to be enjoying that one," Gojo remarked, watching her with a smile.

"It's my favorite," she replied between bites, her eyes lighting up with each taste.

As they continued sharing their snacks, the villagers gradually resumed their work. Maybe, just maybe, seeing the couple's simple joy reminded them that even in the darkest times, there were still moments worth cherishing.

The peaceful atmosphere shattered as six gunshots rang out, unmistakably from Hajime's gun; moments later, another barrage of gunfire echoed through the air.

After a brief silence, confusion and fear gripped the villagers who had heard the shots fire.

"Don't worry. That was Hajime taking down the mastermind," Gojo reassured them loudly, rising to calm the villagers. "We've won this war."

"All hail Aiko's sword and spear!" Gojo chirped with enthusiasm.

The villagers exchanged glances, their faces slowly relaxing into smiles. "All hail Aiko's sword and spear!" they echoed, their voices carrying relief and gratitude.

Gojo and Dark Magician Girl rose and made their way to the outskirts of the village where Hajime and the others were. However, as they approached, they noticed a sense of panic in the air.

"Damn it, damn it. Aiko! Aiko!" David was incredibly shaken. The person they loved was on the brink of death, so it was only natural.

"No... Sensei! What do we do? What do we do, Nagumo? Sensei's going to die!" Yuka was just as shaken. But it was even worse for Yuka since seeing Aiko on the verge of death triggered flashbacks to when she'd seen Hajime fall. She didn't want to see someone she knew die again. "S-Shea-san looks like she's in bad shape too! Goddammit! It's going to happen again..."

With a single scream Hajime silenced the entire crowd, and they took a hesitant step back.

"Well, this is a surprise. I caught the Shimizu and gave it to y'all and this shit still happened?" Gojo interjected nonchalantly, his tone almost as if he had just caught a Pokémon. He still had some rice smeared on his face, as if he had been eating onigiri.

"Gojo..." Hajime's voice remained calm as he squinted his eyes, his expression unreadable. "You were right about Shimizu working with the enemy, and he was collaborating with the demons."

"Now that's a fallen hero tale if I ever heard one." Gojo shrugged and moved closer to Hajime.

"We don't have much time. Aiko-sensei and Shea are both on the brink of death. I am going to use Ambrosia on Aiko," Hajime urgently took out the vial.

"Can I help?" Dark Magician Girl tilted her head, assessing the situation. It seemed to her that Hajime had things under control, both emotionally and mentally, but she wasn't entirely sure.

'The amount of vials containing Ambrosia (God water) left is in the single digits. I can't use it too liberally,' Hajime thought to himself, feeling the weight of the situation.

Hajime glanced at her briefly, weighing her offer before nodding slightly. "Help Shea, please." As he took out a vial from his treasure trove as he went to tend to Aiko.

Dark Magician Girl nodded in acknowledgment, her focus shifting to Shea, who lay nearby. She approached cautiously, her hands glowing faintly with magical energy as she began her own healing efforts.

Shea layed on the ground with a gaping hole in her stomach, her body strengthening abilities barely managing to staunch the bleeding. Despite the pain etched on her face, she managed a faint smile.

Dark Magician Girl decided to use her curse technique: Heart of the Cards - Gift Card. As she activated the technique, a magical gift card materialized in her hand, adorned with a kuriboh sign. She approached Shea gently and handed her the gift card. Shea accepted it with a mix of confusion and curiosity, unsure of what to make of the strange object in such a dire moment.

As Shea held the gift card, it began to glow dimly with yellow light. The light flowed into her body, wrapping her in a gentle, healing aura. She gasped softly as the wound in her stomach began to close, the pain gradually easing and her strength returning with each passing moment.

Hajime watched from the corner of his eye with relief as Anam's magic worked, aiding Shea's recovery.

He was honestly a little surprised. He was angrier about Shea getting hurt than he thought he'd be. Without him even noticing it, she'd become someone dear to him. And that was why he was so furious with himself for failing to consider the possibility that the demon Shimizu had made a deal with was waiting somewhere nearby.

Despite Gojo's exceptional eyesight, it appears he didn't detect the demon, suggesting either it was beyond the range he focused on or he intentionally ignored it, considering it not his concern. Hajime leaned towards the latter belief, convinced that Gojo chose not to care about the demon.

He'd assumed that if anyone wanted to harm Aiko or the students, they would have done it while he was away fighting on the front line. So when no one had come for them during the battle, he'd mistakenly felt that they were rather safe from further threats, despite having no basis for that conclusion.

Hajime guessed that the demon had intended to assassinate Aiko during the confusion of the battle. However, Hajime and his party's overwhelming strength left the demon with no choice but to watch pitifully from the shadows.

The demon waited for another opportunity, it was at this moment that Gojo was out of the picture, Shimizu and Aiko were talking. Initially, he had planned to let Shimizu finish off Aiko and just observe. However, midway through their conversation, he realized that Hajime was so powerful that they could likely rescue Aiko before Shimizu had a chance. So instead, he decided to try and kill them both with his magic.

However, the nimble demon had made a single mistake. He'd included Hajime and the others as a target, in an attempt to eliminate all dangerous threats at once. Unfortunately for him, that had caused Shea's special magic to activate. Namely, Future Sight. Because Hajime, and Shea who had been standing behind him, had been in the path of the demon's rupture, Shea had been able to see it seconds before it actually happened.

Thanks to that, she'd been able to save Aiko's life. At the risk of her own, she'd changed the future. Hajime wasn't sure why she'd risked herself for Aiko when she hadn't even known her all that well, but he wasn't about to let her sacrifice go to waste. And so, he didn't hesitate to use one of his Ambrosia vials on Aiko. There wasn't enough time to try anything else, since her condition was at its worst.

However, Aiko's entire body had started spasming, and she was having trouble swallowing the liquid that could save her life. Worse, she ended up getting it down her airway and coughed a lot of it back out.

"Tch, this doesn't look good... Looks like I don't have a choice." Seeing that Aiko no longer had the strength left to swallow on her own, Hajime poured the remnants of the vial down his own mouth and covered Aiko's lips with his own, forcing the liquid down her throat.

Suddenly, Gojo appeared behind Hajime, his sharp eyes immediately assessing Aiko's dire state.

"Wha—!?" Aiko's eyes opened wide. The people around Hajime and Gojo all yelled in surprise. He ignored them and plunged his tongue deeper into Aiko's mouth to ensure all of the Ambrosia went down her throat. There was no embarrassment or guilt in his expression. He was simply doing what he needed to save her life.

In Gojo's eyes, Aiko-sensei's condition visibly improved, thanks to the potent effects of the Ambrosia.

"That Ambrosia is way too overpowered." Gojo muttered, aware of their dwindling supply.

Finally, the last drops of Ambrosia slid down Aiko's throat. The pain began to recede from her body, as the liquid worked its magic. Aiko felt as if someone had lit a fire inside her.

Ambrosia worked its magic, as it always did. Compared to healing a body ravaged from within by monster meat, dealing with poison was child's play. The effects were immediate. Hajime pondered this as he watched.

After a second that felt like an eternity, Hajime pulled his lips away. There was a single silver strand connecting their mouths. Hajime continued watching Aiko for a few seconds more, just to make sure Ambrosia had healed her through the worst of the poison.

Meanwhile, Aiko was staring at Hajime with a blank look on her face.

"Sensei."

"..."

Hajime called out to his teacher. Annoyed, Gojo approached and slapped her cheek, causing Aiko to cry out in surprise.

"Wake the fuck up." Gojo's voice was loud, ignoring the protests of the students and knights about his disrespectful behavior.

"How are you feeling? Does it still hurt anywhere?" Hajime asked.

"Eh? Ah, umm, no, I-I-I'm fine. In fact, I feel better than fine... Wait, that's not the problem here! I-I didn't mean to imply that what just happened was what felt good, I mean the medicine!"

"Alright, good." Hajime dismissed the flustered Aiko with a curt nod and released her. Then, he looked back at Shea in concern. Though she was surprised by the sudden kiss, Aiko quickly composed herself, realizing now was neither the time nor place to worry about such things.

Dark Magician Girl stood beside Shea, gently tending to her wounds. Shea winced slightly as the Dark Magician Girl gently probed the injured area. Dark Magician Girl had quickly administered emergency aid, allowing Hajime more time to assist Aiko sensei.

Hajime splashed half of another vial of Ambrosia onto Shea's wound, and then brought the remainder up to her lips. There was a faint hissing noise as the hole in her stomach started closing up quickly. However, Shea refused to drink the rest of the Ambrosia and shook her head.

"H-Hajime-san..."

"Shea, why—"

"I want you... to feed it to me... ngh... mouth to mouth too~"

"A-Are you kidding me..." Even though earlier she was drenched in sweat from the agonizing pain, the maddening rabbit still prioritized seducing Hajime over everything.

Gojo and Anam exchanged knowing glances, stifling snickers. They understood Shea's desperate desire for Hajime's attention and decided to lend a hand.

"Just go for it. She risked her life to save your sensei, all while thinking of you," Gojo urged.

"Yeah yeah! She was also brave enough to do so without hesitation!" Anam added.

"...Hajime." Yue even seemed to be giving a sign of approval.

Even Hajime couldn't help but admire such staunch opportunism. Still, he had no reason to kiss her in public, so he ignored Yue's silent entreaty and forcibly shoved the vial into her mouth. He was going to kiss her at night and that's it.

"Mmph...!? Mmmgh... Pwah... Hajime-san, you meanie. I'm jealous of your teacher now."

"Hajime... Hmph."

"Huh!? S-Shea-san, that was different. He only did that to save my life! It's completely different from what you're thinking! I'm his teacher, I could never do that with a student!" Flustered, Aiko started explaining what everyone present already understood.

Hajime sighed, a mixture of exhaustion and relief on his face as he turned away from Shea's pouting stare and Yue's disapproving gaze.

"So this is the brat? The one who was using dark magic to amass an army of monsters?" Gojo suddenly appeared beside the robed student, who appeared to be on the brink of death.

Gojo brought everyone's attention back to the person they'd forgotten. There was a collective sense of realization as everyone's attention returned to Shimizu, who was still collapsed on the floor.

He had a hole in his chest as large as the one Shea had had in her stomach. It was still spurting blood, despite the massive pool of it that he was already lying in. If he wasn't dead already, he wouldn't last more than a few minutes more.

Only Aiko looked around with a confused expression for a second before remembering what it was that Shea had protected her from. Her face paled, and she quickly ran over to where Shimizu was laying and grabbed his hand.

"Shimizu-kun! Aaah how... awful."

"I-I don't want to die... S-Someone please save me... It wasn't supposed to... This... can't be happening..." Whether he was talking to Aiko or just to himself, no one was sure.

Aiko desperately cast her glance around her, but the people around her awkwardly averted their gaze. He was already beyond help. And it was clear from their expressions that even if he wasn't, they didn't want to save him anyway. Only the students were different. True, they couldn't forgive Shimizu's atrocities, but they still didn't want him to die. They haltingly looked over at Hajime. Aiko, too, turned to Hajime and shouted desperately.

Desperation rising, Aiko turned to Hajime and called out urgently, "Nagumo-kun! Your medicine could still save him! Please!"

Immediately Gojo rejected the idea.

But Gojo immediately dismissed the idea. "No way. Even if he used a vial, it wouldn't come close to bringing him back fully," he explained flatly.

"Then. Then." Aiko's desperation peaked. She turned to someone who might have a chance.

"A-Anam-san, please!" Her voice cracked, pleading for a miracle.

Dark Magician Girl shuddered, communicating with Gojo telepathically. [Is this what you meant by canon event?]

[Yep. So, don't save him.] Gojo replied, also using telepathy.

Dark Magician Girl shakes her head with her gaze lowered.

"Figures..." Hajime sighed and walked over to Shimizu. He'd expected this, but even knowing what her answer would be, he still asked to make sure.

"Do you really want to save him, Sensei? He tried to kill you. He had this whole plan working alongside demons. Even if you're his teacher, you don't have to go this far for him."

'I wonder how many teachers out there would be this desperate to save their student even after they tried to kill them. Especially for a reason as flimsy as "because he's my student."' That was far above and beyond what was required of any teacher.

Aiko realized what Hajime was really trying to ask with his question. For a second her gaze wavered, but then she set her jaw and answered resolutely,

"You may have a point. In fact, you're probably right. However, this is the kind of teacher I want to be. When I became a teacher, I swore an oath that I would always be there for my students. Nagumo-kun... please... save him..."

Hajime scratched his head and sighed unhappily.

"I guess that's just how you are," he said, defeated. He looked up at the sky and lapsed into thought for a few seconds. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Finally, he came to a decision. He opened his eyes and knelt next to Shimizu.

"Shimizu. Can you hear me? I can save your life."

"Huh!?"

"But before I do, I need to ask you something."

"..." At Hajime's words, Shimizu stopped his mumblings and looked at Hajime, eyes bulging in surprise. Whether those mutterings had been begging for salvation or cursing the world around him, it seemed Hajime had his attention now. After a brief pause, Hajime continued

"Are you...my enemy?" Shimizu shook his head without hesitation. He smiled weakly and started talking.

"I-I'm not... I-I don't know what came over me. I promise... I won't do it again. If you save me, I-I'll do anything you ask. I'll make you... an army... I'll even brainwash any girl you want... I-I swear... I'll be loyal to you forever. Please... I'm begging you... save me..." Hajime's face went blank. He stared hard into Shimizu's eyes, as if trying to discern the veracity of his words.

Feeling as if his every secret was being laid bare, Shimizu hurriedly averted his gaze. However, Hajime had seen all that he needed to. Shimizu had sunk even further into insanity.

Hajime was certain. No matter what Aiko said, she could no longer sway Shimizu's heart. And if he saved him now, Shimizu would definitely come back as an enemy someday. Of course, there was only one fate that awaited enemies...

[Oh, he's beyond saving.] Dark Magician Girl realized silently, already aware of Shimizu's impending fate.

Gojo, having heard enough, moved to stand beside Hajime with a crazed grin, pulling his right hand into a fist and drawing it back as if preparing for a devastating blow.

Hajime looked over briefly at Aiko. Their eyes met. In that instant, Aiko realized what Hajime was about to do. The blood drained from her face, and she tried to stop him. "Don't!" However, Hajime was faster. Two gunshots resounded throughout the town.

"Huh!?" Someone let out a gasp of surprise.

One shot to the head, another to the heart. Shimizu was granted a certain and swift death at Hajime's hands.

Immediately after surprising even Hajime, Gojo lunged forward with full force, aiming a punch directly at Shimizu's head.

[Cursed Technique Lapse - Maximum Output: BLUE!!]

In an instant, the punch obliterated Shimizu's head. His body collapsed, sucked into a swirling blue orb that compressed him into a compact circle before launching him out into the desolate outskirts of nowhere. Moments later, the orb exploded, painting the landscape crimson in a gruesome scene of gore.

The onlookers, save for Hajime, struggled to comprehend the spectacle. Gojo's punch had caused Shimizu's head to explode, his body then compressed into a circle and flung towards where the corpses of monsters lay.

No one said a word in the seconds that followed, and the only thing that moved was a thin plume of white smoke rising from Hajime's revolver and Gojo just stretching and yawning. Finally, a tiny voice broke through the oppressive silence.

"Why?" Aiko. She stared dumbfounded at the place where Shimizu's body was originally. His soul had already begun the journey to the afterlife.

Hajime turned to look at Aiko. She quietly met his gaze. In her eyes was a mixture of anger and sadness, doubt and fear. Each of her emotions vied for supremacy, appearing and disappearing at regular intervals.

"Because he was my enemy." His answer was short and to the point.

"No! Shimizu-kun was..."

"Did you honestly believe you could reform him? Sorry, but I'm not trusting enough to believe that. And more importantly, I have faith in my ability to judge people." At the end, Shimizu's eyes had betrayed just how far he had fallen.

"What a cute explanation." Gojo rolled his eyes with his blindfold on. "As for me…"

"I wasn't going to leave it to chance if those Demons do have necromancy skills. But I'm with Hajime with this one. That guy needs to die, whether you like it or not. I was ready to do it myself if Hajime didn't, after hearing that nonsense. Sending him back to Japan with those skills would have made him a real menace. Imagine him mind-controlling citizens like some hentai protagonist," Gojo continued.

Yuka and the others shuddered at Gojo's explanation, the weight of his words sinking in after hearing Shimizu's desperate plea.

"That doesn't mean you guys had to kill him! If we'd just locked him up in the palace, maybe when we'd finally made it back to Japan he'd... There was still a chance!"

"Oh, wow. Did you not hear what I just said—" Gojo retorted.

"I know no matter what I say, you won't be able to accept what I did, Sensei. I killed one of your precious students. I'll let you decide what you want to do with me." Hajime interjected.

"But that's..."

"You said that my way of life was 'lonely.' Those words really made me rethink a lot of things. Even so, I don't think I can change my mindset so easily... not in this world where life is cheaper than dirt. And honestly, I don't want to. Rather, I don't have the luxury to."

"Nagumo-kun..."

"I may do the same thing again. If I think it's necessary... I'll pull the trigger as many times as it takes. If you think I'm wrong... then do what you think you must, Sensei. Just remember, whether it's you, or any of my other classmates, I'll kill anyone that becomes my enemy without hesitation."

Aiko bit her lip and hung her head. She was the one who had told Hajime that she wouldn't hold it against him if he chose not to help after listening to what she said. Now she didn't know what else to say.

Hajime silently turned on his heel and headed back to Yue and Shea. There was nothing more for him to do here. Seeing his piercing gaze, Will reluctantly followed behind Hajime, though he frequently glanced back to see how Aiko and the town were faring. Gojo and Anam followed along silently.

The mayor and Aiko's guards reached out to stop Hajime, but gave up when he unleashed his Intimidation. Though they were interested in his artifacts, and in himself as a person, the memory of what he'd done to the monster army was still fresh in their minds, so their outstretched hands limply fell to their sides.

"Nagumo..." Yuka muttered. She didn't want to stop him. She wasn't even sure why she'd called out to him. The whirlwind of events that had just occurred had left her too confused to know what she was feeling anymore.

"Nagumo-kun! I... I..." Though she still didn't know what to say, Aiko's pride as a teacher refused to let Hajime go just like that. Hajime stopped and said something without looking back.

"You guys shut up already for fuck—" Dark Magician Girl abruptly covered Gojo's mouth, silencing him, and forcefully nudged him to keep walking.

"Sensei, your ideals are already dead, but despite all that, I'm glad that even in this world, you continue to be our teacher no matter what. I hope you can continue to stay strong." He started walking again and didn't stop until he was outside the ring of villagers. Then, he pulled out Brise and rode off into the distance, leaving behind a solemn group of students and a town full of people still happy to be alive.

Hajime drove south down the highway, with Brise kicking up clouds of dust that obscured the northern mountains. Brise was now equipped with proper suspension, making the drive far smoother than their last trip. Additionally, they were now on a dirt road instead of a mountain path, which added to the improved journey.

Shea seemed to prefer Steiff over Brise however, as she'd opened her window and stuck her head outside to enjoy the outside air. Her rabbit ears flapped wildly in the breeze. She much preferred a style of travel where she could feel the wind whistling past her ears and could wrap her arms around Hajime.

As always, Hajime was in the driver's seat. Next to him was, of course, Yue. Next to her was Shea, while Will sat in the back with Gojo and Anam. Gojo's intense gaze silenced Will, who appeared on the verge of asking Hajime something.

Will smiled awkwardly at that. Not only had he mourned over the deaths of adventurers he couldn't have known for more than a few days, he stayed behind to help townspeople that had nothing to do with him, and even forgave Tio. And now, despite the fact that Hajime had practically kidnapped him, Will was still worried about Hajime's relationship with Aiko. He was truly an oddball. A noble who worries about others and commoners.

Afterwards, as everyone engaged in conversation, Gojo was deep in thought. There was a certain feeling he couldn't quite grasp. Unlike Gojo Satoru from JJK, our main character here, despite holding his knowledge and memories of curse energy, he couldn't evoke the sensation he sought—a feeling that could only come with awakening.

First and foremost what is an awakening? Awakening latent potential? An asspull (like Goku pulling off ultra instinct), or something more. He wanted to reach that awakening state. He knew one thing for certain: to achieve this state, he needed to execute a black flash technique at least twice.

While everyone else was engaged in a hearty banter. Gojo was thinking about how to become stronger. Since his reincarnation into the world of GX, he hadn't successfully executed a Black Flash once and even now.

'Now how the fuck did Yuji do it? Consecutive black flashes are rare to pull off.' Gojo sincerely thought. His thoughts were abruptly interrupted by the sound of Shea's voice.

"Okay, then I want you to take my first—"

"Denied." Hajime instantly shot her down. Shea glared sulkily at him.

"But why? That was clearly supposed to be your dere moment! Right? Right? Come on, can't you read the mood a little!?"

"I told you to keep it reasonable."

Gojo had no choice but to shift his attention to this intense conversation.

"That's totally reasonable! You do it with Yue-san all the time! Don't think I don't see you two sneak off every now and then! How do you think I feel, watching you two go off to have sex all the time!? I bet you two are going to send me off on some errand when we get to Fuhren so you can fuck like rabbits all day again! Hic... I'm... I'm going to be sent off alone again. I even have to pretend I don't notice Gojo and Anam fucking like animals too. And then I'll have to pretend I don't notice Yue-san's disheveled hair when I get back... Poor me…"

Anam and Gojo both coughed in surprise. They never expected to be dragged into the conversation so abruptly. "I thought we were hiding that really well," they said in unison.

"Yeah, I can't hear a thing at night from your room, but I sure feel the ground shaking from all the racket you're making." Shea retorted, tears streaming down her face.

'Yeah, we can't do anything about that because we are always passionate,' Gojo and Anam both thought. They averted their eyes from Shea, who was glaring at them with puffy eyes.

"Come on, don't cry... Yue's the one I'm in love with, I can't change that now. And you, well, I do care about you, but that's not really the same thing as love... so you know..." Hajime

[Is this guy really a harem protagonist?] Dark Magician Girl questionably asked. [He seemed really devoted to Yue as always.]

[Trust me. He is for a good reason. Shea was technically considered one of the main reasons why Hajime opened up to the idea of having a harem.] Gojo replied.

"Waaa... Hajime, you limp-dick bastard!"

"Hey..."

"Dickless wimp! Homo! Good-for-nothing loser! Pervert!" In the span of a few seconds, Shea's excitement had transformed into indignation. She let out all of her pent-up frustration at once, pelting Hajime with insults. Behind her, Will, Tio, Gojo, and Anam let out a chuckle.

"Hahaha... She really called the guy who wiped out an army of sixty thousand monsters... a limp-dick bastard... Hahaha."

"Master is surprisingly pure at heart. To think he hasn't even lain with her yet... I suppose that means even I'm ahead of her, as he violated my anus..."

"As much as I liked to defend Hajime against that, you are technically right, Tio." Gojo commented, which made Shea cry even harder after hearing what Gojo said.

Hajime seriously considered throwing them out of the car for a second, but Yue's reproachful glare kept him in check. Hajime awkwardly turned back to Shea. He promised to himself he'd strangle Will and Gojo later. As for Tio... she'd only enjoy it, so he decided to ignore her.

"Shea. Can't you lower the bar a bit? Anything else, I'll..."

"...Hajime, is it really impossible?" For some reason, Yue was taking Shea's side. Shea hugged Yue and started sobbing in her arms.

It was obvious Yue had no problem with Hajime sleeping with Shea. Yue had really started taking a liking to Shea. At first their relationship had been more like friends, but it had grown into something more akin to an older sister looking after her excitable younger sibling. And said older sister seemed to have a huge sister complex.

It wasn't everyday someone's lover asked them to have sex with another girl. Hajime buried his face in his hands, despairing. But no matter what anyone said, he had his own principles.

"The only person my heart desires is you, Yue. I don't have anything against Shea, and I do care about her, but... I can't treat her the same as you." Yue let out a strange sound in response. Shea's rabbit ears perked up and she looked suspiciously at Hajime, suddenly wary.

"I want to be faithful to you Yue. And no matter what the reason is, I don't think I could accept you having another man, either. Call me selfish or petty all you want, but... I was hoping you'd feel the same way about me, Yue. So whether it's Shea, or any other girl, could you please stop telling me to have sex with them?"

"...Hajime." With Shea still in her arms, Yue stared into Hajime's eyes, a faint blush spreading across her cheeks. Hajime gently stroked her cheek. The two were lost in their own world again. It almost seemed as if the air around them turned visibly more pink. Shea slowly nudged her way closer and closer to their faces.

"They've totally forgotten about me again, haven't they? Even though this was supposed to be about my reward..." Shea glared daggers at the two of them. However, they were too busy flirting to notice. Finally, they came back to reality and slowly broke away from each other. Yue shyly twirled a stray strand of hair with her fingers.

She hadn't been ready for such a passionate confession, so there was still a faint smile on her usually expressionless face. Other people might have found Hajime's words a bit too possessive, but Yue couldn't have been happier to hear them. That was why she'd forgotten about everything but him for a few minutes.

"Though I truly understand where Hajime is coming from. Being devoted to one person is a matter of principle, built by your understanding in your world—or supposedly, common sense." Gojo paused, reflecting. "But my wife keeps suggesting I take another lover in my world, when I'm just happy by being with her."

Anam was taken aback. "Huh?!"

"If you can just set aside the firm thoughts of lovers, how about taking in Shea as your girlfriend?" Gojo continued, his tone thoughtful. "Since it's already considered that Yue is your main wife, why not have Shea as a consort or something similar?"

Hearing this, Shea exclaimed, "G-Gojo!" She was surprised that Gojo was helping her.

Gojo was extending a helping hand to Shea, who had been an incredible friend to Anam during their difficult times in the Reisen Gorge. Truth be told, Gojo felt a little bit indebted to Shea, Yue, and Hajime. They had looked after Dark Magician Girl when she was alone, even though she always had Gojo on her mind. Sometimes, having someone physically there is just as crucial for maintaining sanity.

"Don't joke with me," Hajime stated seriously. "Shea means more to me than just a girlfriend."

Shea blushed deeply, her heart skipping a beat at his candid confession. Yet, before she could respond, Hajime added matter-of-factly,

"But she isn't my wife."

Shea's face fell dramatically, her eyes widening in mock disbelief.

"Well, that's as much help as you're going to get from me," Gojo said, looking at Shea with pity.

"I see. So that's how your relationship is, then... It must be hard for you, Shea-dono. Hmm... Master's bond with Yue certainly is strong. Squeezing your way inside it won't be easy... but well, I'm satisfied just being insulted, so it's of no matter to me."

Will quietly watched their sickeningly sweet displays of affection. Next to him, Tio was panting heavily, but he pretended not to hear her.

"...I'm sorry, Hajime." Yue began softly. "But I really think... Shea deserves to be rewarded too... Can't you at least spend one day... with just her?"

"Yue-saaaaaaan." Despite everything, Yue still insisted on including Shea. She gently patted Shea's head, who dug her face even deeper into Yue's chest. Hajime smiled, clearly defeated, and replied to her.

"If that's all, you don't even need to ask. But Shea, are you really okay with me just saying yes because Yue asked me? If there's anything else you want to ask, I won't say no."

"Hajime-san... it's fine, really. I don't care how I get you to like me, as long as it happens somehow!"

"You really don't give up, huh...?"

"Well, I guess that's too much to ask for right now, so I'll settle with a date for now. I'll just have to work my way up. When we get back to Fuhren, you're taking me around the tourists' district, alright?"

"Yeah, sounds good." Hajime had tried to emphasize once more that it was only Yue that he gave special treatment to, but despite picking up on his hint, Shea refused to give up. In a way, he had to respect her tenacity. 'Well, I guess it's okay to do what she wants every now and then,' Hajime thought to himself as he agreed to the date.

[Hajime's wall of defense is slowly breaking…] Anam quietly telepathically said out loud.

[Yep. He didn't choose the harem protagonist's life. The harem protagonist's life chose him.] Gojo joked.

The two were heavily engrossed in their own private conversation about them.

Will watched the trio's flirting with an awkward expression. Though no one had invited her to join, Tio had stowed away in Brise's truck bed. At some point she'd stuck her head in through the window and joined in the conversation of her own accord.

She'd asked Hajime to be allowed to travel together with him before the battle, but once it had ended he'd more or less forgotten she'd even existed and left without her. Tio had hurriedly chased after him and managed to leap into Brise's trunk before Hajime took off. Her excessive panting had creeped everyone out, however, so they'd ignored her even when she stuck her head through the window.

At first Hajime had driven like a madman to try and throw her off, but Tio had used her considerable mana reserves to hang on through even the roughest turns. As his rough driving had only served to excite Tio more, Hajime had eventually given up and resorted to just ignoring her. After all, giving a pervert attention of any kind was just playing into their hands. Gojo and Anam refused to hurt her much to Hajime's dislike.

At first Tio had enjoyed deliberately being ignored, but before long she grew lonely as she saw the trio up front having fun, and started begging for attention. Only Gojo and Anam talked to her once in a while when she was asking for attention.

However, even then the trio ignored her, so she slowly started trying to slide into the backseat through the window. The way her black hair covered her face as she creeped forward bore a striking resemblance to the girl from The Ring. Seeing this, Gojo and Anam were incredibly creeped out, because they had watched that movie before and they weren't good at handling horror movies.

"Hm? I-I seem to be stuck. My bosom is... getting in the way. Excuse me, young Will, could you lend me a hand?" Tio stretched out a hand to Will, her massive breasts contorting painfully due to the window's small size. She really looked like a banshee trying to curse someone. Hajime casually pulled Schlag out of its holster and fired at Tio over his shoulder. Normally Gojo and Anam would have helped out. But the reminiscence of Sadako from the ring was scaring them.

"Nuooh!?" The bullet hit her square in the forehead, sending her flying back into the truck bed. She slammed into the back wall and started rolling around in pain.

"H-How could you do that? If you don't give me any warning... I won't be able to contain myself." She rubbed her forehead happily, blushing as she complained to Hajime... or rather asked for more. Hoping to avoid a repeat of last time, Tio tried entering through the window feet first.

This time, it was her plump butt that got stuck in the window. She started squirming back and forth, trying to squeeze her voluptuous behind through.

Hajime fired another set of bullets with Schlag, but he was unable to excise Tio from the window. Not only was her butt more firmly stuck than her boobs had been, the soft layers of fat cushioned the bullets' impact, weakening their force.

And so, instead of dislodging Tio, all Hajime succeeded in doing was giving her more pleasure.

"More, Master," she moaned, and Hajime disgustedly holstered his gun, giving up on shooting her out. The moment he engaged with that pervert was the moment he lost.

Yue had long since lost any respect she might have originally held for the dragonmen, but this was a new low. She rubbed her eyes in disbelief.

Hearing the crazy shit that was coming out of Tio's mouth, Gojo and Anam regained their composure and hurried to assist her into the car.

"Haah... Haah... Thank you, Gojo-Dono and Anam-dono. But…truly unbelievable... No matter the situation, Master doesn't hesitate. What a hopeless master you are. But fear not. For I can take any kind of love you wish to dish out. So... don't hold back. You can be even more violent with me if you desire. In fact, please be more violent with me."

"Shut up, crazy pervert. And get the fuck away from me. In fact, open that door and jump out right now."

Will, Gojo, Shea, Yue, and Anam weren't sure what to do here but it was so entertaining nonetheless. This type of entertainment is extremely rare.

"Wha—!? Haah... Haah... I am truly blessed to have such an understanding master. However, I must refuse. I have decided to follow you wherever you may go. Not only is it the most efficient way to complete my mission, I must have you take responsibility for teaching me such pleasure. Thus, I have no reason to leave. No matter what you say, I shall chase after you. You will not escape me." Hajime's blunt refusal set Tio panting again, but she stubbornly refused his request. Her tone was in stark contrast to her ecstatic expression.

"You've gotta be kidding me. I don't have to take responsibility for anything. I was just trying to kill you back there. You should be glad I didn't actually end up finishing you off. And as for your mission, why not just go straight to the hero? He's the one at the center of this whole summoned warriors business, so go bug him."

"I wholeheartedly refuse. I know not what kind of man this hero is, but I am certain no one is more merciless and unforgiving than you, Master! Don't underestimate my tenacity. I have already decided you are the only one fit to command me! I am not so fickle that I would change masters on a whim!" Tio's eyes were open wide and her hands clenched into fists. She was trying to sound cool, but in the end she was just a hopeless pervert who wanted Hajime to walk all over her.

"No matter where you run, I'll find you. I'll go to every town I can find and tell people I'm searching for the man that cruelly took my first, did this and that to me, made me unable to live without him, and then abandoned me."

"Now look here..." Hajime narrowed his eyes dangerously. He toyed with the idea of just killing her, but she wasn't an enemy and Yue definitely wouldn't let him. Another option was to beat her until she forgot ever meeting him, but with how tough she was she'd probably keep her memories and end up enjoying it.

All he could do was glare at her, but even that glare served to excite her. 'Maybe it's already too late to get rid of her…'

"Don't look so disgusted, Master. I promise I'll be of use to you. I may not be as strong as you or Gojo-dono, but surely you saw what I was capable of in our previous battle. I'm not quite sure what your goals are, but I will help you achieve them. I'm begging you, Master."

"You're too repulsive to take along."

"Wha—!? Haah... Gaah... Mmmm!" Tio wrapped her arms around herself and rubbed her thighs together. Everyone just stared at her in revulsion. Finally, Hajime breathed a long sigh, then rescinded his statement.

'She sure is giving Darkness vibe. I forgot how funny it was the first time I read the scene like this.' Gojo reminisced about his memories of Konosuba.

"...Or so I'd like to say, but it won't really matter if I refuse, will it? As long as you don't get in our way, you can do whatever you want. I can't muster the willpower to deal with you anymore..." Hajime gave up.

"Oh? Oooh, very good! In that case, I will be in your care from now on, Master, Yue, Shea, Gojo, and Anam. You may call me Tio! Fufufu, this is going to be an enjoyable journey."

"Hmph."

"G-Glad to have you aboard..."

"I was already calling you Tio without your permission. Was that actually okay?"

"Don't cause trouble for us."

Hajime sighed again, Yue just harrumphed unhappily, while Shea was the only one that tried to be polite. Gojo asked a question and she happily replied. Anam was chill with Tio. With that, the perverted reptile, Tio, joined Hajime's party as they sped toward the city of Fuhren. And that even further down the road, there would be one even more important reunion.

***

We found ourselves back at Fuhren, standing in line amidst merchants, wagons, and carts of all shapes and sizes. A line stretched out from the main gate, weaving among adventurers, merchants, and curious tourists alike, all awaiting Fuhren's trademark inspection. Some lounged lazily while others tapped their feet impatiently, each absorbed in their own anticipation of what lay beyond the city's gates.

Many people stared in wonder and confusion at Hajime's Brise (Car) until its door finally opened.

"Man, this line is always so damn long."

"...Yeah. What can you do, though?" Hajime and Yue stepped out of the car, heedless of the fear and confusion they'd caused. Shea and Tio followed after, then Anam and Gojo with Will Cudeta coming out last. Will's expression seemed somewhat stiff.

Will bowed uncharacteristically low for a noble and apologized for startling all of the people waiting in line. However, he realized quickly that no one was paying any attention to him.

Everyone's gazes were focused on the four beautiful ladies. The fact that they'd just come out of a speeding black box was of little importance. The men only had eyes for them now. Every time they so much as moved, sighs of appreciation rang out among the crowd.

Hajime sat down on Brise's hood and studied the line. Gojo sat on the roof only to immediately get off because it was fucking hot.

"Probably gonna take another hour, it looks like," he said as he narrowed his eyes. Sitting in the car for so long had left Hajime a little stiff, so he started stretching along with Yue and the others. There was still a lot of time until they got in, so he might as well relax, he thought.

They couldn't play music anymore unless they wanted to attract attention. Gojo pondered skipping the line with Anam by flying. Dark Magician Girl firmly grasped his shirt, vehemently advising against it.

Brise was operated via the direct application of mana, so he could control it without actually sitting in the driver's seat. Of course, his control wasn't nearly as precise as when he was behind the wheel, but he could still move it forward slowly as the line progressed.

He cracked his neck from side to side, loosening up. Yue sat down behind him and massaged his shoulders. Smiling, Hajime leaned back into Yue. Shea's rabbit ears drooped a little. Feeling left out, she clambered up the hood and sat down next to Hajime.

"Allow me to join you as well!" Tio proclaimed. She climbed to Hajime's other side and attempted to press her breasts against his arm. However, a slap from Hajime sent her sprawling. Though, the way she moaned as he slapped her implied she'd enjoyed it. He'd hit her hard enough that she'd spun around a few times, but... for the masochistic Tio, there was no greater reward.

Hajime scowled as she panted excitedly at his feet. Smiling awkwardly, Shea asked him the foremost question on his mind.

"Umm, Hajime-san? Was it really alright to drive all the way here in Brise? I thought you wanted to hide your abilities..."

"It's a bit late for that now. We broadcast them to a whole village already. I guarantee you everywhere but the sticks will have heard of us in a week. Besides, I expected this day would come eventually. Though, I was hoping it wouldn't happen so soon."

Hajime shrugged his shoulders. Until recently, he'd been willing to suffer a little inconvenience if it saved him trouble down the line. However, after the battle at Ur, he had no doubt tales of his wondrous artifacts would spread throughout the kingdom in no time. Since his cover had already been blown, there was no reason for him to hide his abilities or equipment anymore.

"And here I was hoping that we could skip the line and call it a day." Gojo retorted he was leaning on the car door with Anam.

"Your silver rank adventurer's pass wouldn't even let us skip the line. Who knew ranks were useless in front of inspections," Hajime remarked, gently tapping Shea's fake slave collar.

"I know, right," Gojo agreed with a sigh. "Absolutely useless."

Shea was strong enough to beat down anyone who tried to mess with her, so there was no reason not to let her walk around as their equal anymore. To Hajime's surprise though, Shea gently touched her collar and shook her head.

"It's fine, I don't mind staying like this. It is still technically the first thing you ever gave me, Hajime-san... and it's proof that I belong to you. Besides, I've actually started to like wearing it so... I'll keep it on." A faint blush spread up her cheeks. Her bunny ears were twitching in embarrassment too. Even Hajime had to admit the way she looked down shyly was cute.

"Pretty sure giving a slave collar as a first gift back in Japan will land you in jail instantly," Gojo quipped.

"I see. Gotta at least make it look nicer, though." Hajime replied, dismissing Gojo's comment.

"H-Hajime-san?" Hajime gently lifted Shea's chin up. Her face was completely flushed now.

[Only in a fantasy, damn it! Who the hell would be happy about being given a slave collar?!] Gojo telepathically yelled, scaring Dark Magician Girl a little.

Hajime pulled a set of dazzling jewels from his Treasure Trove and transmuted them onto Shea's collar. Furthermore, he rearranged the gems already on there. Shea's collar had served the purpose of making it look like she was Hajime's slave, so he hadn't spent much time on its initial design. Because of that it had come out looking rather plain. It had just been to avoid trouble after all.

However, if Shea was going to keep wearing it because she liked it, Hajime felt it deserved an upgrade in the looks department too. That was why he retailored it to suit her appearance more.

Her new collar had white and blue ornaments adorning the simple black fabric. Furthermore, he had transmuted a fragment of his now spent Divinity Stone into a luminous sky blue cross, and transfixed it to the front of her collar. It now resembled a fashionable choker from his old world. No one would think it was a simple collar meant to identify a slave.

"Nice, nice, all she needs now is a womb tattoo—" Gojo started to say, but his words were cut off when Anam quickly covered his mouth. Hajime glared at Gojo, clearly not amused.

Hajime turned back to Shea and nodded in satisfaction. Shea had lost herself in the sensation of Hajime's fingers on her neck, but she snapped back to herself when he handed her a mirror. She excitedly looked at her neck. The beautiful choker was a huge improvement from her old collar. It seemed the color of the cross was the same as her eyes.

"Wow~ This is the first time I've ever had something so pretty." Shea beamed happily as she played with the tiny cross. She had never owned fancy things like jewelry. Of course, that didn't mean she hadn't liked them. She'd always been jealous of the girls she'd seen in Verbergen. The ones rich enough to afford the scant amount of gems that could be found in the sea of trees.

And now she finally had jewelry like that of her own. She was ecstatic. Doubly so because it had been gifted to her by the boy she loved. Her bunny ears hopped up and down with joy.

"Thank you so much, Hajime-saaan!" She hugged his arm and buried her head in his chest with a smile. Her ears rubbed against him and her tail twitched happily.

Hajime simply shrugged his shoulders while Yue sidled up, smiling faintly, and started patting Shea's head. When Tio tried to do the same, Hajime slapped her away. Meanwhile, Gojo struggled to pry Dark Magician Girl's hand from his mouth, but she held firm. They too were a sight to behold themselves.

The sight of them all flirting brought the onlookers to their senses, and they looked at the party with a mixture of emotions clouding their faces.

'Is there not a single normal person in this group?' Will sincerely thought to himself.

Will alone sat in the back of the truck, hugging his knees. He was trying his best to pretend like he had nothing to do with the group up front. Just then, a huge commotion broke out at the front of the line.

Hajime looked over, spotting the gate guards heading this way. Three men in armor had ridden out on horses and were questioning the nearby merchants as they made their way toward Hajime. One of the merchants pointed to Hajime. So the three guards headed toward Hajime and the others, who were still flirting on top of Brise's hood. Their gazes hardened. Not because that was their duty as guards... but because they were jealous.

"Hey, you! What's all this commotion about!? And what's that black box thing!? Explain yourself!" Though he was addressing Hajime, his gaze kept shifting over to Yue, so he didn't really sound as intimidating as he intended. Hajime had expected this, so he answered without hesitation.

"This is my artifact. It's a vehicle that can move without horses."

However, the other guard tilted his neck and examined Hajime and then back at the black box. Suddenly, a look of realization passed over him and he started whispering to the other guard.

"Come to think of it, you're right," the other guard muttered, as he looked over Hajime.

"Could you five be Hajime, Yue, Shea, Anam, and Gojo?"

"Hm? Yeah, we are, but..."

"I see. Does that mean you've returned from the quest the branch chief sent you on?"

"Yeah, that's right... Do you have some kind of message from him or something?"

The guards nodded. They'd been informed by Ilwa to let Hajime's party through right away. Thanks to that, Hajime wouldn't have to wait in line. He started up Brise and followed after the guards. The rest of the travelers watched with curiosity as Hajime rode into Fuhren for the second time.

Once they were inside, the group headed straight for the adventurers guild. They were let into the same waiting room as last time.

They eagerly devoured the tea and cakes offered to them while they waited. Though the food in this world often lacked seasoning, the sweets and teas were truly delectable. Five minutes later, the door slammed open, and Ilwa Chang stepped into the room.

"Will, are you alright!? You're not hurt, are you!?" There was none of the calm composure he'd had last time. Without even greeting anyone, he dashed toward Will, fretting over his safety. 'He must have been really worried.'

"Ilwa-san... I'm sorry. Because I insisted on going, I ended up causing you so much trouble..."

Hajime and the others ignored them and continued devouring the expensive tea and sweets. Gojo, undeterred, demanded a third serving from a guild employee even though he had already devoured the second portion by himself.

Ilwa told Will where they were staying and urged him to see them at once. Will expressed his thanks to Ilwa for setting up a search party, promised Hajime he'd properly repay him later, and left the room. Hajime would have been fine at leaving things there, but Will insisted that he owed him.

Once Will left, Ilwa focused his attention on Hajime. He smiled and bowed his head low.

"Hajime-kun, thank you so much for finding Will. I honestly did not believe I would see him alive again. I cannot express how grateful I am that you brought him back alive."

Wiping his lips with a napkin. "It was his own luck that let him survive for that long."

"Hohoho, is that really so? I suppose that did play a part in it, but... I heard you also defended him from an army of monsters. Isn't that right, Sir Goddess' Knight?" Ilwa grinned mischievously as he spoke the nickname Hajime had been given in Ur. Hajime's expression stiffened. It looked like information between guild branches traveled even faster than Brise.

"So you found out already, huh?"

"I also received a message from Catherina, specifically for you, Gojo," Ilwa said with a smile. Gojo paused, looking up from his cookies. "Good job." He immediately resumed munching as if her message meant nothing at all.

"You see, most of the guild's higher-ups have an artifact that allows them to communicate with each other over long distances. Ur's branch chief isn't ranked high enough to have one, so I'd actually sent one of my subordinates there to relay information to me. The first time I'd ever heard him cry was when he tearfully reported how he'd lost sight of you a few minutes after you'd left Fuhren." Ilwa smiled wryly facing Hajime. It seemed whoever he'd sent to Ur had wanted to tail Hajime to learn his secrets.

Whether that had been on Ilwa's instructions, or his own decision, he must have been quite frustrated that he'd lost sight of Hajime so soon. Then, after riding to Ur as fast as he could, he'd seen four people face off against an army of sixty thousand. Moments after that was over, he'd probably raced out of town to head back as fast as he could. He was probably riding to Fuhren as they spoke... Hajime couldn't help but sympathize with the guy a little.

"Oh, I think I saw that guy." Gojo muttered as he took on another serving of sweets.

Ilwa cleared his throat and put the subject of his spy's trials and tribulations to the side. Seeing how Gojo was munching on the sweets they had provided, he decided to face Hajime for the duration of the talk.

"Regardless, it must have been tough. To think the anomalies in the northern mountains had been the signs of such a disaster... I'm doubly grateful you chose to take this request. I'm truly interested in what power you must possess to be able to eliminate such an enormous army so easily... Would you mind telling me what happened there first?"

"Sure, I don't mind. But could you get Yue and Shea their status plates first? As for Tio—"

"I see... You plan to show this man their stats. Very well. If that is your decision, Master, then may I be granted a plate as well?"

"Well, you heard her."

"I suppose seeing all of your stats will lend some credibility to the story that you annihilated an army of monsters... Very well." Ilwa could tell there was something special to Hajime and his party, even the newly added Tio. And so, he called over an attendant and had them bring three new status plates.

After Ilwa inspected the status plates of Yue and the others, he was taken aback by their strength. Though they weren't as broken as Hajime, each of them was strong enough to take on the rest of Hajime's cheat-level classmates all at once. Their best stats were so high that even Kouki, with his Limit Break, wouldn't have been able to match them. Naturally, most combat jobs wouldn't come close to their level of strength.

And that was just their stats. Their unique skills and abilities left Ilwa completely speechless.

"My word... I had expected to see something out of the ordinary, but not this out of the ordinary..." Sweat dripped down his forehead, and his usual smile was conspicuously absent. Unconcerned, Hajime began explaining what had happened at Ur. Normally, Ilwa would have laughed such a story off as impossible, but he had no choice but to believe Hajime after seeing their stats and skills.

Once Hajime finished talking, Ilwa crumpled into the sofa, looking like he'd aged a decade.

"No wonder you caught Master Catherine's attention. I had assumed you were one of the summoned heroes, Hajime-kun, but... all of you guys are all far beyond my expectations."

"So, what are you gonna do? Report us to the Holy Church for being heretics?"

Ilwa hurriedly straightened up under Hajime's piercing gaze.

"That's a good joke. I couldn't even if I wanted to. Turning you into my enemy would spell disaster not just for me, but literally the entire guild. Besides, what kind of monster do you think I am? You lot are my saviors. I'll never forget that, not for the rest of my life."

"I see. Then we're good." Hajime shrugged, as if apologizing for testing Ilwa. He gestured his thanks. Ilwa smiled and nodded in response.

"As promised, I'll do everything in my power to support you. Both as a manager of the guild, and as an individual. In order to make this easier for us, we'll make your adventurer rank gold as well. Normally there's a lot of silly ceremonies and formalities that accompany a promotion to gold rank, but... well I'll make sure everyone accepts it. It'll be easier since you have Master Catherine's recommendation, along with my own. That, and your reputation as 'The Goddess' Knight.'" Along with all of that, Ilwa also allowed them to stay at the VIP room in the guild managed inn for as long as they were staying in Fuhren.

Furthermore, he provided them with a letter bearing his personal crest. He was serious about maintaining a friendly relationship with Hajime and his party.

"Sooo, are we done?" Gojo asked, his voice tinged with boredom. He had indulged in more than enough sweets and had even secretly stashed some away in a bag. Truthfully, he hadn't been paying much attention to the conversation. Instead, he had focused on convincing the guild employee to bring out every variety of tea and sweets they had in storage.

"Appeared so. Anyways thanks a lot. The more cards we have to play, the better. Looks like it was worth racing all the way out to Ur after all." Hajime brought his teacup to his mouth and shrugged his shoulders.

Ilwa scratched his cheek and smiled bitterly.

After they parted ways with Ilwa, Hajime and the others went to the guild-managed inn in the center of the city. It was a massive, twenty-story building, and their room was situated at the top floor. They had an unobstructed view of the tourist quarter. The room they'd been given was magnificent as well. There was a wide living room, as well as six separate bedrooms, each furnished with a massive canopy bed. Both the sofas and the rug were soft and fluffy, and they could tell at a glance every piece of furniture was high-class.

Gojo and Anam decided to stick together in one of the bedrooms and partake in a wrestling match discreetly. 

***