TownTown - A8

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.

***

"No way! What kind of training would turn them into this!? They're all totally different people! Hey, don't you avert your gaze! Look at me!" Shea yelled.

"...They haven't changed that much."

"Is that eye of yours just for show!? Look at them! They're all staring at their knives with murder in their eyes! Look, one of them even named theirs Julia! They're totally in love with their weapons! This is not normal!" Shea's hysterical screams rang out through the sea of trees.

[...This was your definition of Hajime's way of protecting them?] Dark Magician Girl was equally in disbelief.

[...Yes. Look, they can defend themselves now. Hajime worked really hard.]

[WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM?] She telepathically screamed.

[Change. Change is good.] Gojo recalled a very important line.

Cam ignored his daughter's confusion, then presented the fangs and claws of some of the forest's more powerful monsters to Hajime.

"I thought I told you one was enough..."

Hajime's final task for his minions had been to take down one of the stronger inhabitants of the sea of trees as a team. But judging from the quantity of monster parts the rabbits had harvested, they'd easily killed more than ten. Cam grinned wolfishly as he replied.

"That you did, Boss. But as we were hunting our target, the damned thing's friends showed up… Those bastards dared to bare their fangs at us, so we simply did what was natural. Isn't that right guys?"

"That's right, Boss. Those damned monsters need to learn their place." Another Haulia spoke up in excitement.

"We made sure none of them escaped. They all got what they deserved."

Hajime awkwardly averted his eyes from Shea's glowering glare and made excuses to explain away the situation. Realizing she wouldn't get anywhere questioning Hajime, Shea turned to Cam instead.

"Dad! Guys! What happened to you all!? It's like you've become completely different people! Even the way you guys talk has gotten scary... Come back to your senses, everyone!" Shea desperately pleaded with her father, and the dangerous glint in Cam's eyes slowly faded away as his normal gentle expression returned. She let out a sigh of relief. However...

There was noise coming out from the sea of trees.

From the depths of the fog emerged the Haulia boy who had once loved flowers. Slung across his shoulders was a massive crossbow, and two knives and a slingshot dangled from a belt strapped to his waist. For reference this boy is ten years old.

It was doubly shocking because Shea distinctly remembered the boy calling her "Shea onee-chan" in the past. He walked past Shea and gave Hajime a crisp, respectful salute.

"Boss! I apologize for returning empty-handed! However, I have a report to make! Permission to speak?"

"What is it?" When he saw the boy acting like a seasoned veteran, Hajime might have to admit that he might have taken his spartan training techniques a little too far. Elderly and children were not spared from this gruesome training.

The boy nonchalantly continued his report. "Sir! As I was pursuing the target, I discovered a battalion of armed bearmen. I located them on the route to the Grand Tree. I suspect they foolishly believe they can ambush us!"

"Ah, so they really came. I figured they'd try and track us down right away, but... I see. So, they actually have the gall to try and stop us right before our destination, huh? They've got guts... And?"

"With your permission, sir, we Haulia shall take care of them!"

"Hmm... What do you think, Cam? You heard the kid." Cam grinned that same wolfish grin, then nodded his head in agreement.

"With your permission, we'll gladly destroy them. This is a good opportunity... to see how well we fare against opponents of their caliber. Don't worry, we won't bring shame to your name." At Cam's words, the other Haulia all began sporting bloodthirsty grins. Shea watched on in utter despair.

"...Are you sure you can do it?" Hajime awkwardly asked.

"We are, sir!" The one who'd replied was the boy who delivered the initial report.

Hajime closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them again. 

"Listen up, men of the Haulia! Proud and courageous warriors! Today is the day you finally graduate from being worthless maggots! You used to be pieces of trash that were worth less than the spit on my boot! But that's true no longer! With force you crush the irrationality of this world, and with cunning you run circles around any who would dare oppose you! You have been reborn as great warriors of the Haulia tribe! Now go, and teach those bear bastards that can't think of anything but their misguided revenge who's boss! They're nothing but stepping stones in your path! Worthless bastards that don't even deserve consideration! Build a mountain with their corpses, and plant your flag atop its summit! That flag is proof that you're alive! That the Haulia are meek little rabbits no longer! Let all of Haltina Woods know of your existence!"

"Sir, yes sir!

"Tell me, men! You are the most powerful warriors in all of Haltina! What is your wish!?"

"Slaughter! Slaughter! Slaughter!"

"What is your specialty!?"

"Slaughter! Slaughter! Slaughter!"

"And what do you do to your enemies!?" "Slaughter! Slaughter! Slaughter!"

"That's right, slaughter them! That is what you achieved strength for! Fight for your right to live!"

"Aye aye, sir!"

"That's the spirit! Proud members of the Haulia tribe, here are my orders! Search and destroy! Now go!"

"Yahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

At Hajime's command, the Haulia all turned as one and ventured forth into the fog. There was no trace of the old peace-loving race they used to be. Shea crumpled to her knees and wailed wordlessly. Her cries echoed throughout the forest. Even Yue couldn't help but be moved by such a display of emotion, and she comfortingly patted Shea's head.

Aiming to join his companions, the little boy who was in charge of providing intel ran out from behind Shea, but she called out to him to hold him back.

"Par-kun! Please wait! L-Look, there's a pretty little flower right here! You don't have to go with them...You can just wait here with me. What do you say? Don't you want to stay?" If nothing else, she wanted to at least save this one little boy from going down the wrong path. She was desperately trying to entice him back with the promise of flowers. Why flowers? That was because he was none other than the same boy who had been so enamored with them before.

At Shea's words, the young boy, Par, stopped. He breathed out an exasperated sigh and shrugged his shoulders. It was a bit of an exaggerated reaction considering the question.

"Lady Shea, please don't dig up bad memories. I've already thrown away my past. That weak, flower-loving boy's no more."

To reiterate, Par was still ten years old.

"B-Bad memories? Thrown away your past? Umm, I don't really get it, but does that mean you don't like flowers anymore?"

"That's right, I threw that love away along with my past."

"But you used to love them so much..."

"Hmph, that was nothing more than the folly of youth." Then proceeded to run after his comrades.

Shea helplessly stretched her hand out to the fog, looking like she'd just lost her family. But there was no reply; her once kind family had all marched excitedly off to war. And so, she simply hung her head and resumed her sobbing. The family she had known was gone. One couldn't help but pity her plight.

Shea considered herself the last remaining trace of the kind and gentle Haulia tribe. Unsure of what to say to cheer her up, Yue could only smile awkwardly. Anam looked at the scene with a heavy heart, muttering "unforgivable" under her breath, while Hajime uncomfortably averted his gaze.

[Hubby… What the hell happened for them to change this much!?]

[Even the elderly and children are... excited to fight to the death.] She added.

Gojo did the only thing he could and shut up.

Seeing Anam's depressed mood and Shea's wailing, Gojo knew he had to calm them down and come up with a plan.

Anam quickly approached Hajime and whispered her idea in his ear. His eyebrow arch before turning to face Shea.

Whatever he saw in Anam's eyes must have convinced him because Hajime finally gave in with a sigh.

Hajime approached Shea and openly revealed that he begrudgingly accepts Shea into their group for the adventure to gain the Seven Age of God Magic. Shea was instantly cheered up, jumping up and down with joy. She was accepted. She was accepted by Hajime himself! That stubborn boy was even making a face with annoyance when he accepted her as a comrade.

Hajime could only smile wryly as he lamented the future that awaited him. Shea cupped her cheeks and let out a strange series of laughs that sounded like "Ehehe! Uheheheh! Kufufu!" as she happily jumped with joy. Her sad and depressed expression from earlier had vanished without a trace.

"...Disgusting." Yue muttered. Shea's sensitive rabbit ears didn't miss the whispered insult, though.

"Hey, just what's disgusting here, huh? I can't believe you... I'm just so happy that I can't help it, okay? This is like the first time Hajime's been nice to me. Did you see him? How he looked at the end there? I felt my heart skip a beat when I saw that. At this rate, I'll be head over heels for him pretty soon." Shea was over the moon. In fact, she was probably over the stars even. Tired of her excited gaggling, both Yue and Hajime simultaneously opened their mouths.

"...Stupid rabbit."

[Right, Shea was still desperately trying to join in the group who she could only see as kindred. Mana manipulation users, chantless users.] Gojo remarked.

"Wha!? What was that!? Why can't you just say my name already! Pleaaase, we're even traveling companions now. Don't tell me you're going to keep using those terrible nicknames forever. You won't, right?"

"..."

"Wh-Why are you suddenly going quiet... Wait, please don't avert your eyes like that. Come on, it's not a hard name to say. Shea. She-ah. Repeat after me. She-ah." The duo ignored Shea, who kept trying to get them to say her name, and began discussing their future plans. At which point Shea started clinging to them crying, "Please don't ignore meeee... I'm one of you guys now toooo!" Just because they'd become companions didn't meant Hajime and Yue will treat her any better.

The only one who was treating Shea well and helping with her mental health was Anam, who was patting her head awkwardly, smiling. Even she can't convince the duo to treat Shea better.

And so, the noisy group, mostly due to Shea, made their way through the fog to where the rest of the Haulia were ahead. Upon closer inspection, it was apparent that Cam had already dispatched the Bearman who was planning on ambushing them but got ambushed instead.

***

A few hours later, after Hajime had thoroughly resolved the situation after threatening the bearman's race, Cam and the others led them through the fog to the Sacred Tree, Uralt.

Cam was in the lead, while the other Haulia, much wiser now thanks to their training, spread out to scout the surrounding area. The idea that carelessness led to death had been thoroughly ingrained into each of their minds, so they all took their job seriously.

The party had finally reached the Grand Tree of what seemed to be the real labyrinth, and Hajime was the first to speak.

"The hell is this?" His voice was tinged with both disbelief and amazement. Yue also gazed up in confusion. The two of them had been expecting a super sized version of the trees they'd seen in Verbergen. A kind of majestic, awe-inspiring spectacle. Instead, what they got was... a very withered tree.

"I don't see any cave-like entrances for the labyrinth," Anam said as she examined the withered tree.

After a couple of minutes, they discovered what they needed to know. Hajime inserted Oscar's ring into a socket on a stone tablet, revealing that they needed to have conquered three other labyrinths with the power of regeneration before they could enter this one.

"What a pain." Hajime complained.

Hajime was frustrated that they'd have to turn back after expending so much effort to get here. Yue didn't look too happy either. But unless they could find some alternate entrance, there was no point in sitting there complaining about it. Hajime quickly got over his frustration and decided to change his immediate goal to clearing three other labyrinths.

"We're going to find that labyrinth in the Reisen Gorge then," Hajime said, looking at Anam.

Anam shrugged. "We'll need to be lucky to be able to find it. I couldn't find it despite searching for months. I used all kinds of methods, but it might be sealed behind rocks now that I think about it." She held her chin thoughtfully.

Hajime stood up and called all the Haulia over. "As you saw, we'll have to clear three other labyrinths before we get back to this one. My promise to protect you guys until you led us here has now been fulfilled. As you are now, even without Verbergen's protection, you should have no trouble living safely in this forest. And so, this is where we part."

Hajime then turned back to Shea. His gaze made it clear that if she had any parting words she wanted to say to them, now was the only time to do it. Even though they were guaranteed to return here eventually, conquering three labyrinths would take quite some time. She wouldn't be able to see her family for quite a while.

After a short reunion and emotional goodbyes, Shea was ready to leave her tribe. They parted ways at the edge of the forest. Once the farewells were done, Hajime pulled out the car and they started racing across the plains.

"So, are we heading toward the Reisen Gorge right now?" Anam leaned back in her seat, crossing her legs and folding her arms.

"No, not yet." Hajime replied, keeping his eyes on the road ahead.

"We're going to stop at a town nearby to stock up on supplies and turn some of the items I have into cash. According to the map you gave me, there should be a town around here," he added.

Hajime's stomach rumbled at the thought of a decent meal. Cooking wasn't his forte, and their food in the abyss was dull. In the sea of trees, the training rabbitmen left no time for cooking; they relied on preserved food and Anam's provisions. He was craving something that was cooked by someone with actual skill. And if he was going to be spending nights at inns and buying supplies, they needed money. Luckily they had collected more rare monster materials, so he wanted to convert some of it into cash. He also just wanted to relax a bit before they went back down into the Gorge and started fighting again.

"Here, take these," Anam offered, passing a bag of coins to Hajime without missing a beat. It was money she got from raiding the imperial caravan a while back and left over money from the time of the kingdom.

As expected, Anam was proving her worth in this group.

They caught sight of the town a few hours later, around the time the sun was starting to set. A smile split Hajime's face. Just like when he'd first seen the sun, the sight of that town really drove home the fact that he was finally free of the abyss. Yue was bouncing up and down in his lap too. Like him, she was excited to see civilization again. They exchanged glances and their smiles grew even wider. Anam warmly smiled at Hajime and Yue. While Shea complained and sought attention, the group ignored her.

As they neared the town, Hajime led them on foot, storing away the car to avoid drawing attention.

Shea wore a collar Hajime had made, marking her as a slave. In a human town, demi-humans like her couldn't wander freely unless marked as a slave with a collar around their neck, tethered to their master.

Anam couldn't hide her discomfort at seeing Hajime naturally attach the collar to Shea. Well, it couldn't be helped either.

[We need to abolish slavery in this world.] Dark Magician Girl telepathically voiced this outloud.

[...]

Shea complained during the entire trip, but Hajime and Yue simply ignored her all the while, as they swiftly journeyed towards their next destination. Anam had to repeatedly calm Shea down with some comforting words.

Eventually, when they reached the town, two armored men came out of the huts on either side of the gate. They were covered in simple leather breastplates, and the longswords strapped to their waist were the only arms they carried. Rather than soldiers, they looked more like adventurers. They called for Hajime to stop who seemed to be the leader of this group. Meanwhile, Anam had already disguised herself as a man using her abilities.

"Halt. Show us your status plates, and tell us what you're here for." Standard procedure. The guards knew it too, and didn't seem all that alert. Hajime dutifully took out his status plate and offered it to one of the guards. Anam did the same thing and gave it to the other guard her status plate, but with her status plate edited.

"I'm mostly here to stock up on supplies. We're on a journey." The soldier-adventurer hmm'd disinterestedly and took a look at Hajime's status plate. His eyes went wide. He quickly held it up to the light, then rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't just seeing things. Realizing what must have happened, Hajime knew he must have forgotten to disguise his stats.

Meanwhile, the other guard whistled as he inspected Anam's status plate, nodded at Anam and let her pass. Unbeknownst to him, Anam was using an illusion spell, taking on the appearance of Gojo Satoru, with her status plate adjusted to that of a typical ranked adventurer.

There actually was a skill in this world that let one alter the numbers on one's status plate. Adventurers and soldiers made use of it extensively as having their information get out to the wrong people could be fatal. A dozen different lies flashed through the back of Hajime's mind, so he just picked one at random.

"I was attacked by monsters a while back. It's been broken ever since."

Hearing Hajime's lie, Anam raised an eyebrow but remained silent. 'HE FORGOT?!' she thought.

"B-Broken? But..." One of the gate guards sputtered. It was only natural. Not only was the level listed as unknown, but his stats and skills were utterly ridiculous. Status plates could break, but usually only in the physical sense, never something like this where it looked like it was glitching out. Normally, the guard would have laughed at him for telling an obvious lie, but with Hajime's numbers being so stupidly high meant he wasn't sure what to believe anymore. Hajime just shrugged his shoulders helplessly, then followed up on his previous statement.

"How else do you explain those numbers? If it was real, then I'd be some kind of monster. Do I look like the kind of person who could blow this whole town away just by lifting my finger?" He spread his arms wide like he was joking, and the guard smiled with him. If the status plate really was telling the truth, then Hajime was a monster far more powerful than any hero or demon lord. Even if it was unheard of, it still made more sense for his plate to be broken. 

Anam, Yue, and Shea watched on in amazement, Hajime lied as naturally as he breathed.

"Haha, yeah, you certainly don't look anything like a monster. I've never heard of a status plate breaking like this, but I guess there's a first time for everything... Anyway, moving on to you two..." The guard switched his gaze to the two girls standing behind Hajime. They'd been partially hidden by Hajime's frame before, so he hadn't gotten a good look at them earlier, but he froze when he saw who Hajime was traveling with.

A crimson blush slowly spread up on the guard's face as he stared at Yue and Shea.

Hajime cleared his throat loudly. Returning to their senses, the two quickly looked back at Hajime.

"These two lost their plates when we were attacked by the monsters I was telling you about earlier. And this bunny girl here is, well... you understand, right?" The two of them nodded knowingly and returned Hajime's status plate to him.

"But man, you sure got your hands on a cutie. I hear light-haired rabbitmen are pretty rare. You must be pretty rich, huh?" The two of them kept stealing glances at the girls as the man spoke, his voice clearly filled with envy. Hajime merely shrugged his shoulders in reply, saying nothing. 

"Well, whatever. You're all free to pass."

"Thanks. Oh, yeah. Is there anywhere I can sell some of the materials I harvested?"

"Hm? There's an adventurer's guild down the central road. They'd be the people to ask about that."

"Cool, thanks for the heads up." Information in hand, Hajime and the others headed into town.

According to the sign hanging from the main gate, the town's name was Brooke. The town was bustling with activity.

Seeing all this activity around him made Hajime giddy with excitement. Yue, too, was grinning happily. Only Shea was trembling uncontrollably, glaring at Hajime with teary eyes. She was latching on to Anam's arm.

Shea couldn't shake off the shock of her companions seemingly treating her like a slave, even though she knew the collar Hajime had placed on her wasn't meant to bind her. After Anam explained the situation, Shea's anger gave way to a more subdued understanding of their intentions. This is a human town where demi-humans aren't allowed unless they are slaves.

When the trio asked about Anam's change in appearance, she gently explained why. "I don't want to attract attention or be recognized as a hero. After all, you guys forgot, but my appearance is well-known. Remember the crazy human in the Gorge?" she sighed exasperatedly. "It's safer to conceal my identity and use the fake persona I prepared in advance." 

Shea was taken aback when Anam casually mentioned that her current form resembled her husband. "Handsome!" Shea exclaimed, her jaw dropping in surprise.

Hajime nodded in understanding, while Yue simply glanced at Anam briefly before shrugging and intertwining her hands with Hajime's.

After a few more minutes of walking, the merry troupe found themselves staring at a building with a big longsword drawn onto its signboard. It was the same sign Hajime had seen in Horaud, the mark of the adventurer's guild. Though this building seemed to be only roughly half the size of the one in Horaud.

Hajime pushed open the heavy wood doors and stepped inside. Since the words adventurer's guild brought to mind images of rough and tumble types, Hajime had expected the inside to be dingy, but it was surprisingly clean. There was a counter directly ahead, while the entire left-hand side seemed to be a restaurant. Numbers of adventurers were sitting around chatting or eating meals. Judging by the fact that not a single one of them was drinking alcohol, Hajime assumed the establishment didn't serve any. Guess they don't want drunks messing up the place.

The moment Hajime and Anam stepped through the door, everyone's attention shifted towards them. Normally, an unknown group of four wouldn't attract attention for too long, but their curiosity was piqued once people's gazes shifted from Hajime to Anam and then to the two girls standing behind him. There was more than one appreciative murmur, and a few of the adventurers were smacked by their female companions. That there were more punches than slaps seemed fitting for a group of adventurers.

Judging by how things went in fantasy novels, Hajime anticipated a few catcalls too, but contrary to expectations, most people remained silent. It was so weird and a bit anticlimactic, but Hajime was still glad no one decided to get in his way.

As he walked up to the counter, he found himself face to face with a charmingly smiling... middle-aged woman. The stereotype that all guild receptionists were beautiful women seemed to be a false one. Just like how in reality most of the maids were actually older women. No matter which world one was in, truth was harsher than fiction.

Not that Hajime had been hoping the receptionist would be a beauty. Nope, not one bit. That was why he was hoping Shea, Yue, and Anam would stop glaring at him soon.

The guild receptionist's brow rose as she looked at Anam before turning back to glance at Hajime. She couldn't quite get a read on Anam but easily read Hajime.

"You've got thre—two gorgeous girls with you already and you're still not satisfied? Well, unfortunately for you, this receptionist's no beauty."

...Can this lady use mind-reading magic or something? Hajime's expression stiffened and he tried to casually reply.

"Oh, I wasn't thinking anything like that at all."

"Ahaha, don't underestimate a woman's intuition, boy. We can read you men like an open book. Your two friends and young lad over there won't like it if you keep looking to ogle every girl you meet, you know?"

"...I'll keep that in mind." When she heard his despondent reply, though, she apologized immediately.

"Oh, look at what age does to you. I'm sorry for lecturing you when we've only just met."

When Hajime glanced back at the other adventurers, he saw they were all giving him looks of pity, as if to say "poor kid, so she got you too, huh?" It appeared the reason the adventurers here were all so mature was because of her.

"Anyway, welcome to the Brooke branch of the adventurer's guild. What business do you have with us?"

"Oh, yeah, right... I'm looking to sell some materials."

"I see. May I ask to see your status plate?"

"Huh? I need to show you my status plate just to sell things?"

The old lady gave Hajime a puzzled look.

Anam, standing beside Hajime, stepped in. "Ah, can you look at mine then? I'm with their group. I'm actually an adventurer!" she offered, trying to sound like a man. However, the receptionist saw through her act and slowly nodded her head as she turned to face Anam.

"Alright, I'll need to see your status plate then," the receptionist said calmly.

Anam handed over her status plate. The receptionist examined it carefully after a moment, she looked up and smiled.

"Satoru Gojo? Well if it isn't that rumored silver rank adventurer? Do you happen to have a letter of recommendation or anything of that sort?" 

Immediately a lot of adventures here were murmuring. They have heard of this news before but they never knew who it was or what the person even looked like.

Naturally, Hajime and the group turned to look at Anam with a weird expression. Is this what she meant by setting up a fake identity? What did she do before?

Anam tried to remain composed and nodded before taking out a letter she had been given by the guild leader in Horaud. The receptionist took the letter, opened it, and read it. She nodded knowingly and smiled before turning to Anam and stored it away.

"Well, this got a lot more interesting." The receptionist muttered.

"Alright, so I can sell my stuff now, right?" Hajime asked.

"Feel free. I'm a qualified appraiser, so I can take care of it for you." So not only was she a receptionist, but she was also an appraiser. What a talented woman.

Hajime had put some of the materials in his Treasure Trove into his bag beforehand, which he now pulled out. It was an odd assortment of monster pelts, claws, fangs, and mana crystals. He put them all in the little container on the counter designed for this purpose, and the old lady stared at them in awe.

"Th-These are—!" She timidly picked up each item, examining them thoroughly. After a nerve-wracking examination, the old lady sighed and looked up at Hajime.

"You've brought me some crazy things here, boy. These... are from monsters found in the sea of trees, right?"

"Yep, that's right." This too, deviated from Hajime's expectations.

Hajime had purposely avoided trying to sell anything he'd harvested in the abyss, since he'd assumed such monsters didn't roam the surface. If he brought out those, there would've been a huge commotion. He had expected materials from monsters in the forest to still be somewhat rare, but he hadn't had anything else on hand to sell. And based off the old lady's reaction, they were indeed rare.

Of course, Hajime totally hadn't been hoping the guild receptionist would have panicked at the sight of what he'd brought, call over the branch head, and instantly have him upgraded to the max rank for adventurers. Nor had he been hoping she'd instantly fall for him after seeing how amazing he was... Nope, not one bit. So could you three please stop looking at me like that? You're starting to scare me.

"You just don't learn, do you?" The old lady glared at Hajime.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." The abyss could shave away every other part of his personality, but the heart of an otaku was not so easily wiped away... Not that it was something to be proud of. Hajime averted his gaze and tried playing dumb.

"Most things from the sea of trees are pretty high quality, so I'd be happy to take these off your hands." She continued nonchalantly. Looks like she knows how to take a hint too. What a nice old lady. Hajime doubted there was any old woman out there more amazing than her.

The old lady glanced at Shea. She probably thinks we got her to guide us through. Thanks to Shea's presence, it didn't seem odd for Hajime to have materials from the sea of trees. Instead, she had a worried look on her face, and mumbled something like, "Doing something so dangerous even though you're so young..."

After appraising all of the goods, the old woman offered a price of 888,000 Luta for the entire stash. Quite a large sum.

"Are you really alright with that? You could get more near the capital."

"Nah, that's fine. This is enough."

Hajime gratefully received his Luta coins. Perhaps it had something to do with the ore they were made of, but the coins were extremely light. He put himself in charge of the group's finances.

"By the way, could we get a map? I heard I could get one anywhere I go!" Anam smiled as she asked.

"Oh, yes. Excuse me for just a moment... Here, found it. The inns and shops I recommend are all marked on it."

The map she'd handed over was extremely detailed, and all of the most important information was easy to find. Anam happily gave it to Hajime. It resembled tourist pamphlets Hajime was used to. He couldn't believe the guild gave away something this nice for free.

"Hey, is it really okay to just take this for free? This is a really good map."

"I don't mind. I just draw them for fun in my spare time. Actually, my job is Scribe, so something like this is easy for me."

Anam, Yue, Shea, and Hajime thought she was cool af.

"You sure? Well, thanks then."

"It's fine. Anyway, since you've got a decent amount of money now, I'd recommend staying somewhere nice. This town's pretty safe, but I'm sure there's at least a few guys that'll try and do something stupid since you have those two by your side."

Helpful until the very end. Hajime smiled appreciatively, thanked her, and headed for the door. Yue and Shea bowed to her too before following after him. Anam waved goodbye to everyone she saw. The adventurers were all whispering furiously to each other as they watched the girls leave the building.

"Heh. So, that was the fugitive hero causing trouble for the guild. What an interesting bunch," the old lady muttered to herself. She knew exactly who Anam was and what the branch guild leader, Horald, had told her about.

~

Hajime and the others looked over their map, which was more of a guidebook really, and decided to spend the night at the "Masaka Inn." According to the blurb on the map, it had very good food, was in a safe neighborhood, and most importantly, it had a bath. That last one was what decided it for the group. It was a bit on the pricey side, but since they were rich, that wasn't a problem. He was a little bothered by the name, but... The entire first floor of the inn was its restaurant, and when they arrived they found a few people eating dinner there. And just like with the adventurer's guild, everyone's attention was drawn to Yue and Shea. They ignored Hajime and Anam. As they walked up to the counter, where a lively girl of maybe fifteen came out to greet them.

"Welcome to the Masaka Inn! Are you here for a room or for a meal?"

"I'd like to rent a room. We came here following this guidebook, is the price still the same as what's on here?" Hajime showed her the map, and the girl nodded in understanding.

"Oh? You came here on Catherine's recommendation. Yep, our prices are still the same. How many nights will you be staying?" She continued briskly.

However, Hajime's mind was elsewhere. It had come as quite a shock to him that the old lady's name was Catherine.

"Umm, excuse me, sir?" The girl's words brought Hajime back to his senses.

"O-Oh, sorry. Just one night. Also, we'd like dinner and a bath too." "Okay. It costs 100 Luta for every 15 minutes in the bath. Right now, we have these time slots free."

She held up a little board with time slots written on it. Hajime wanted to take his time in the bath, and they'd have to split up the guys and girls, so he'd need 2 hours at least.

The girl cried out in surprise when he mentioned as much, but as a born-and-bred Japanese, Hajime would settle for no less.

"A-Also, umm, I'm guessing you need two-two person bedrooms."

There was a hint of curiosity in her eyes as she asked that. She was around that age where she was interested in things like romance. Which of the boys are going with which girl? Though Hajime wished the other guests would stop trying to eavesdrop on the conversation too. He'd known Yue, Shea, and even Anam were all very good-looking, but this exceeded even his expectations.

"Yeah, that would be fine. Gojo and Shea will take one room and—"

However, someone objected to Hajime's choice.

"No! I want a room with Hajime. Yue and Gojo can share!" Shea interjected.

"...?"

"What are you on about, you stupid rabbit?" Both Hajime and Yue looked at her.

"Hey, why are you calling me that!? Come on, let's just all share a room then!" Shea protested.

"Ummm, sorry. There is no four-bedroom room available at the moment," the girl at the counter said excitedly. Why was she excited? Well, there was a romance drama unfolding right in front of her.

"F-Fine, then you go in the other room, Yue! I'm sharing a room with Hajime!"

"...No."

"Why not?"

"...Because you'll get in the way."

"Get in the way of what... Wait, what are you planning to do in there?"

"...Isn't it obvious? Sex."

"Bwah!? H-How can you just say that with so many people around!? Don't you have any class!?"

"...Why do you even want a room with Hajime?" Yue's gaze was as cold as a winter blizzard. That cold gaze brought back traumatic memories of her training, so Shea started trembling in fear, but she steeled her resolve and glared right back.

"S-So that I can give Hajime-san my virginity!"

Silence fell upon the room. No one uttered a word or even made a sound. All eyes were fixed on Hajime and the others. Even the girl's parents had emerged from the kitchen, watching with expressions that seemed to say, "Must be nice to be young." At this point, Yue could have frozen hell over with her glare alone.

"Any last words?" she asked.

"Ugh. I-I won't lose to you! Today's the day I beat you and take over as the main heroine!" Shea declared, her voice trembling slightly.

Just then, Anam stepped in and bonked both Yue and Shea on their heads.

"Stop embarrassing Hajime-san and me. We'll take a three-bedroom suite, and I'll have a room to myself. Hmph." Anam's intervention put a halt to the escalating situation.

Hajime gave both Yue and Shea a stern glare before offering an apologetic look at Anam. Turning back to the girl at the counter, he said, "Sorry for the commotion. Two two-person rooms will be fine. Shea with Gojo."

Anything Hajime said might have made the misunderstanding worse, so he silently took the keys, handed one to Anam, and picked up Yue. Anam held Shea's hand and led her to their room on the third floor. The whole ordeal had exhausted Hajime, and he tried not to think about it.

That night, Anam had a tough time with Shea. Shea kept trying to sneak out of their room to get into Hajime's bed. Each time, Anam had to physically stop her.

"Shea, you need to stay here!" Anam insisted, pulling her back into the room.

"But I want to be with Hajime!" Shea protested.

"I will teach you how to seduce him!" Anam blurted out something outrageous.

Shea pouted but reluctantly stayed put. Anam kept a close watch, making sure Shea didn't try to escape again.

The next morning, Hajime woke up feeling slightly more rested. He went downstairs to find Anam eating breakfast. Yue was sitting at the table across from her, looking as serene as ever. Shea, however, looked a bit disheveled, clearly from her attempts to sneak out last night.

"Good morning," Hajime greeted them, taking a seat.

"Morning, Hajime," Anam replied with a tired smile. "Shea tried sneaking out last night."

Shea blushed, looking away. "I just wanted to be with Hajime..."

Hajime notices and apologizes to Anam before settling down for breakfast and ignoring Shea's remark.

Once they'd eaten breakfast, Hajime paid for the food, then asked the two girls to get the supplies they'd need. Checkout wasn't until noon, so he could still use their room for a while longer. Hajime had something he wanted to finish while the girls were out shopping. Anam decided to stay and watch Hajime work on his crafting.

Hajime set to work, focusing intently on his project. Anam watched in awe as Hajime added features to a weapon. They were discussing the ideas of what Hajime is capable of crafting for now. By the time Yue and Shea returned with the supplies, Hajime was done.

"Do we have everything we need?" he asked

"Yeah. We got it all." Yue answered.

"Yep. We got a ton of food too, so we won't go hungry anytime soon. That Treasure Trove of yours sure is useful!" Shea added.

Hajime had let them borrow his Treasure Trove while they were out shopping. Shea stared enviously at the ring, to which Hajime only smiled awkwardly. At his current level of skill, he wasn't able to create something like the Treasure Trove. But because of how convenient it was, he wanted to be able to make some for Yue, Shea, and Anam too.

"Now then, Shea. This is for you." Hajime held out a cylindrical, mechanical object that was about fifty centimeters long and forty centimeters in diameter. The whole thing was a glossy silver, and there was a little griplike thing attached to the side.

The item he had been working on—a custom-made hammer specifically tailored for her.

Shea reflexively took it in her hands, and the unexpected weight of it caused her to stumble backward. Hurriedly, she used her body strengthening to steady herself and lift it up.

Shea's eyes widened in surprise and gratitude as she took the hammer from him. It was clear that Hajime had put a lot of thought and effort into making it just right for her.

When she poured her mana into it, the oddly shaped hammer made a bunch of mechanical clinks as the grip extended backward, so it was in the perfect place to hold a hammer. This was a battle artifact Hajime had created, that he'd named Drucken.

He'd added a lot of extra features to it that a normal hammer didn't have. In its base bombardment mode, the grip was kept close to the end because it was used as a trigger to fire massive shells at enemies. Pouring mana into a certain section of it made it transform into the more familiar hammer shape Shea was used to. Shooting bullets wasn't the only gimmick this hammer had, either.

This was what Hajime had wanted to stay behind and complete. He'd spent the morning perfecting it while Yue and Shea had gone shopping.

Gojo and Dark Magician Girl couldn't wait to see what Hajime will make when he has all seven ages of god magics and better materials in the future.

***

Meanwhile, Kouki and his group of heroes were deep inside the labyrinth. They had been training hard and had reached the seventieth floor. The monsters on this floor were much stronger and more numerous than before. Realizing they needed to rest and regroup, the party decided to temporarily head back to town.

They decided to take a few days to relax in Horaud. Everyone spent their break however they saw fit.

Kouki had a lot on his mind. He couldn't find out where Anam went. Her last known whereabouts were around Horaud the day they left after that incident. But since then, there hadn't been a single clue about her whereabouts. Then the Church declared her a wanted fugitive. Kouki tried to oppose this, but he had no evidence, no signs, nothing. Even the Church thought she might have died. So for now, they declared her a fugitive.

Despite this, Kouki trained hard, hoping to become strong enough to make Anam proud. He tried not to let thoughts of her cloud his mind.

Kaori, on the other hand, had her own worries. She still dreamed of finding Hajime in the depths of the dungeon and trained herself rigorously to become stronger as a priest.

Some time later, the group met up with Captain Meld to continue their exploration. They were joined by Nagayama's and Hiyama's teams, and together they set off to explore the uncharted seventieth floor. No one realized that one among them had brought a bomb along.

***