Arifureta Chapter 286

Arifureta After III Shia Arc Lovely Base Search

 

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A clear, cloudless sky. Hot weather. Trees growing so abundantly that it could be considered a dense forest. A large, light-brown river that was winding throughout it like a snake.

At a certain place in a certain country along the river, two foreigners, a male and a female, were traveling by foot on a path without any pavement but was created by the passing of a long year.

「Coming to this kind of place right from the middle of Japan’s city makes it feel like returning to Tortus, doesn’t it? Well, this side is lovelier though simply due to the lack of a heavy mist covering it like in the sea of trees.」

「It more or less feels hotter than Haltina’s sea of trees though.」

The two people walking along the previously mentioned long road, which perhaps would make one exaggerate and call it an “endless road”, with light steps were Shia and Hajime.

Unusually, Shia was wearing her light-bluish white hair tied together in a ponytail by a largish ribbon. Her lively footsteps made her hair and the rabbit ears, which could only be seen by Hajime, prance around *pyon pyon* energetically. (The ribbon was an artifact which made ordinary people unable to recognize the rabbit ears.)

Shia was wearing a plain cutter shirt with its sleeves rolled up, short pants, and short boots while carrying a large bag on her back. The rucksack that had the mark of a winking bunny on it seemed to make the statement that「This is Shia’s property desu」.

Hajime was also dressed in a white simple cutter shirt and jeans. As expected, he was also carrying a large bag on his back.

「Hey, Shia. Is it no good if I take out Schuteif?」

Hajime suddenly asked. His gaze was directed toward the sun blazing down on them while his hand was wiping the faint sweat trickling down his forehead using the wristband on his wrist. The emotion of 「I don’t want to walk anymore, troublesome!」 was oozing out together with the sweat.

Hajime suggested to move using a bike; however, Shia made an X – mark using her hands, full of energy,j to show her rejection.

「No! We rarely travel with just the two of us like this! Advancing so quickly like that is no good.」

「Even if you say that……」

「Geez. This act of meaninglessly walking, and also this surrounding with an unchanging scenery consisting of only a dense forest and river, how can Hajime-san not enjoy them.」

「It’s because of the meaninglessly walking and the unchanging scenery that I want to ride on Schuteif……」

「Hajime-san, you bean sprout kid! Traveling is something done with public transportation or by your own feet!」

「Don’t you start saying things like Aby――like Endo.」

Even though Hajime let out a long sigh ‘haa’, he raised both his hands in an expression of surrender in order to respond to Shia’s wish.

In the first place, why were these two here in this kind of foreign land, in the backwoods overflowing with nature which was unrelated to civilization?

「In the first place, if we were just going to search out prospective land for the Hauria clan’s Earth settlement, we could just find the optimum place using the Compass and teleport there using the Crystal Key. Convenient tools are fundamentally forbidden on our trip this time desu! After all, this is a date under the guise of searching for prospective land!」

「I get it; I get it. After all, it has been really long since it was just the two of us alone. This time I’ll fully go along with your demand.」

In other words, it was like that.

The Hauria clan who remained behind in Tortus was in the middle of steadily expanding their power even now. Taking down the Empire, liberating slaves, heroic achievements in the legendary decisive battle……through all that, the Hauria clan was abusing their name as the clan that was recognized by everyone as the strongest among the beastmen.

Admiration, sympathy, flattery. There were various reasons, but naturally, at present, a lot of the rabbit-man clans were merging with the Hauria clan. There were also a great number of people who, while belonging to other races, went down on their knees wanting to become the Hauria clan’s subordinate.

Their subordinates came from the Kingdom, the Dukedom, also the Church; not to mention the Empire territories too. Furthermore, there were even those from the South Continent.

As that continued, they finally wanted to put a base on Earth too and came to Hajime for consultation.

They said that eventually they wished to raise a secret clan that would serve the Nagumo family even through its descendants.

Hajime plainly replied 「Eh? No need」, but Kam and the others doggedly pushed the idea. Not just them, but the whole clan was doggedly begging. 「It’s for the future generations! Please let our clan stay at your side! Forever and ever at your side! Bossss!」 A group of middle-aged men with rabbit ears growing on their heads were wailing while clinging onto Hajime like that.

As a result, Hajime compromised because each time he went to Tortus, they appeared every time, everywhere. The middle-aged rabbit-eared men staring at him with wanting eyes, or possibly moist, sad eyes……

Hajime’s heart couldn’t endure.

「Rather, if they are going to move to this side, they can just live normally in the city. Just live in Japan directly.」

「Because there is the Hauria’s exclusive “gate” after all~. It doesn’t matter where the base will be located; it won’t be that much of a hindrance. As expected, the beastmen will calm down the most in the middle of a forest. Perhaps a savage land, no, that’s going too far, but inside the forest of a developing country where people don’t really go into will be especially good.」

「……Before long, it feels like the rabbit-eared clan will be featured on TV like “Eyewitness testimony in an undeveloped land! Is it a new UMA!?”.」

「Ahaha, my family isn’t that soft that they can be apprehended by a TV crew you know~」

Shia cackled while holding her stomach, but Hajime wondered about it.

The guts of a TV crew couldn’t be underestimated. If it was for the sake of increasing their audience rates, then they would go anywhere as far as their budget would allow.

And then, what was especially terrifying was the cameraman. They were shouldering their camera while closely following a star or professional right beside them whether they were going to a savage land, dangerous region, or climbing the highest mountain in the world.

Even in a situation where a star would whine 「No more!」 looking like they were really at their limit, where the viewers would unconsciously go 「Do your best!」 in front of their television, the cameraman would merely stay silent, recording that image perfectly to send it to the viewer’s living room.

Frankly speaking, every time Hajime watched that kind of program, he wondered if the profession of cameraman could only be done by superhumans. He thought of things like perhaps if a guy with a vocation of “cameraman” on his status plate appeared in Tortus, wouldn’t that guy be the strongest?

「Well, they can do as they please if they won’t reap the head of every fellow they encounter.」

「How rude! What does Hajime-san think my family is! Even if some TV personnel come, such a thing……such a thing……won’t happen, you know?」

「Stop it, don’t speak in a question. As the daughter of the clan head declare it clearly there.」

Shia insisted that “They aren’t a savage clan desuu!’, but midway through it seemed she lost her confidence. Toward the end of her sentence, her voice was vanishing. Hajime was half-joking, but he shuddered because it might become a reality. Perhaps a lecture would be needed before they moved to this side.

By the way, before their trip this time, it was Yue’s suggestion that he went with only Shia. It seemed she guessed what was inside of Shia’s heart 「I want to go on a date with just the two of us sometime desuu.」. Yue encouraged the two of them by saying ‘It’s a nice time for you to accept the proposal of Kam and the others, so how about going traveling while searching for prospective land?’.

What first wife power it was. It went without saying that for a while after Shia hugged Yue tightly and didn’t let go.

Like that, it was a trip to search for a base on Earth for an environment that resembled the sea of trees for the Hauria clan――that was the cover. Shia’s rabbit ears were suddenly twitching in reaction as they were leisurely enjoying the overseas trip with just the two of them.

「Mu? Hajime-san, there is a human presence. It’s far but……it looks like there is quite a commotion.」

「Commotion? Is it something troublesome?」

「No, if I have to say, it feels like cheers.」

「Hmm? Is it a festival or something?」

Hajime tilted his head. Shia tilted her rabbit ears while saying 「I don’t know about that」.

The footpath in front of them bent greatly. The dense forest obstructed their sight ahead. However, there wasn’t any other path that seemed like a path, so Hajime and Shia nodded to each other and advanced forward just like that.

Before long, even Hajime’s ears started to catch the sound of cheering, and from there they advanced along the path as though circling around the dense forest for five minutes.

The two finally discovered the source of the cheers.

「Woow! It’s a village inside this dense forest. What’s more, it really is a festival just like we thought so. It’s lucky desuu!」

「Festival? Is that a festival?」

An unforeseen encounter in the middle of their trip! Beside Shia, whose tension was rising, Hajime had a「?」 mark floating over his head.

「I’ve seen it on TV before, but it seems in this world there are also festivals with the main event of jabbing at each other like a fight. This village is also the same!」

Just as Shia said, a stage like a boxing ring was created in the village, and two burly young men were standing on it while punching each other. The villagers were gathered around the ring while clamoring hectically.

Hajime looked doubtful because the young men looked quite bloody. He thought whether it was too stimulating for a festival’s sideshow, but watching carefully, everyone looks like they were having fun. A lot of food and drinks had also been prepared. It didn’t seem mistaken that it was a festival.

「Come on Hajime-san! Let’s try going there too!」

「You are highly tensed huh. I get it, so don’t pull my hand.」

Shia hopped around like a child while pulling Hajime’s hand. Her rabbit ears were also moving wildly with an unruly high tension, expressing the inside of Shia’s heart really clearly.

Hajime’s mouth couldn’t stop loosening into a smile seeing Shia as such. He let his hand be pulled by Shia. The emotion residing inside his eyes was extraordinarily gentle.

On the other hand, the villagers also noticed Hajime and Shia.

They had darkish skin and black hair with finely chiseled features. At a glance, their appearance was different from that of Hajime and Shia. Also, their clothing, which didn’t resemble a tribe of an undeveloped land, were familiar things like T-shirts, short pants, and so on. But the appearance of Hajime and Shia, who were in the middle traveling, made it quickly clear that the two of them were foreign travelers.

That must be why. The villagers who noticed them expressed shock with their eyes turning round, and they immediately raised their voice toward the people around them. The people who noticed had their eyes similarly opened wide when they saw Hajime and Shia and were pointing their fingers at them.

「Nice to meet you! You can call me Shia! Everyone, is it okay for us to watch the festival too?」

Full of liveliness, Shia, who said such a thing with a wide affable smile, caused the eyes of the villagers to turn even rounder with shock.

The choker around Shia’s neck was instilled with “Language Comprehension”. The thing called a language barrier didn’t exist.

Nevertheless, from the point of view of the locals who didn’t know about such outrageous circumstances, it looked like a young girl, who was obviously a foreigner, was fluently talking in their own language. It was only natural that they were surprised.

But, their expression burst into smiles without even any cautiousness.

「What a rare guest! Of course, it’s fine! Come over here!」

「My my, it must be hard to come to this kind of place. Now, please drink this.」

「Uwaa, somehow there is a foreigner here!」

「You’ve got good timing coming during this fighting festival day.」

They talked to Shia one after another. The children of the village were also shuffling to gather toward the foreigner that was unusual here.

As expected, Shia’s smile and affable atmosphere seemed to be the greatest magic to dispel everybody’s vigilance. The innocent rabbit who was sparkling with curiosity invited smiling faces from the villagers.

「Fighting festival? Is it a festival for fighting?」

「That’s right. Once a year we decide the strongest person in the village. The family of the winner can receive favorable treatment for a year. They will receive bigger shares of the hunting and fishing, and they will get more shares from the things we barter in the city.」

「Most of all, the champion will be respected. It’s about honor. That’s why the young men of the village train since they are little. They were told that they absolutely have to become a champion once in their life.」

「Hoe~」

Shia looked at the ring above with an expression of admiration and understanding. The two young men there kept concentrating and punching at each other regardless of the sudden appearance of the foreigners. Although it was a festival, it was certain that it was also a serious battle that concerned their honor.

「Somehow, their moves resemble Muay Thai. It looks like they have the proper form, but it’s different from just simply punching each other. It must have a long history.」

「Oo, you get it?」

Hajime was slurping down a sweet juice that he received from the village’s grandma while muttering. Hearing that, a muscular middle-aged man made an admiring expression.

「Long ago in the past, in order to hunt and fight other villages, the men of the village learned various martial arts, and it kept being handed down until even now. It’s called Uga.」

「Of course, right now it’s only used during the festival.」

「But in order to win that festival, as expected it’s necessary to learn Uga, so the men of the village all learn it from their fathers.」

By now, they normally use tools both in hunting and fishing after all. The village’s men laughed while explaining.

「And, why are you two here? You two are really fluent in our tongue, but you aren’t someone from around here right?」

「Yeah. We’re only traveling where it struck our fancy. Looking at the map, it seems there is quite a big city at the upper section of this river, so, for now, we are going that way.」

「Aah, Puhang City. That place is near the place where the branch streams are merging, and there are also a lot of restaurants with delicious foods there. However, if you are going there by foot right now, the sun will set for sure before you arrive there, you know?」

「Well, at that time we’re going to camp out.」

Hajime shrugged. To which the uncles frowned. Their gaze was directed toward Shia who was swinging her fist while cheering 「Gooo desuu! There desuu! Aa, do your best! Stand up-, stand up Joeeee!」 together with the grandmas. (TN: Reference to Ashita no Joe)

By the way, the name of the downed young man was Urt. The grandma beside Shia gave a straight man retort of 「My kid’s name is Urt you know! Who is Joe!?」.

「Oi oi. You said you’re going to make that cute girl sleep out in the open? Around this area isn’t that particularly dangerous, but it’s not safe by any means, you know?」

「Yeah. I heard that recently delinquents from other villages are loitering around. Naturally, there are also animals.」

The village uncles seemed to worry from the bottom of their hearts; they were good people. Even while saying thanks to them Hajime repeated,

「It’s fine. We are used to traveling, and we are strong.」

The village uncles were getting increasingly worried, thinking that it might be the excessive confidence of a foreign traveler. They unanimously suggested that the two of them should stay in the village for today. One reason they were doing this was because they could understand each other’s words, but they were also really good people.

Amidst that, Shia, who was together with the villagers, no, rather she was taking up a position near the center of the villagers by the time Hajime noticed, was doing shadow boxing perhaps because she got heated up from watching while saying out advice-like things.

「Mister, what are you doing! Please look carefully at your opponent! He has a habit in his movements! See through it and then gouge him out!」

*shu-shu-shu-shu-shu-shu-BAM!* Consecutive punches that shook the air were unleashed. From Shia.

Those deft punches that looked like they were generating afterimages caused the people around to feel shocked「uwah」 while taking a distance from her.

「Oo! Just now looks like a technique! Make the one-two into a decoy and then combine with the elbow! Like this, is it!」

One-, Two-, elbow strike! Shia-chan was perfectly tracing and stealing the technique that downed the opponent on the ring just now.

Different from boxing, it seemed there wasn’t any countdown even when one side had fallen onto his knee. The downed young man rose up with guts while launching a sweeping kick. In addition, right after that kick was evaded a roundhouse kick from the opposite leg came!

「Splendid combo from kneeling! Like this, is it!」

Shia-chan perfectly traced it as expected. No, rather no matter from where anyone looked, Shia’s movement was clearly sharper than the two fighters on the ring. It was an adroit movement. The moment Shia launched a kick, *GOU-* the wind groaned!

Gazes were gradually gathering on Shia rather than on the ring.

The girl of a foreign country who perfectly traced and absorbed the martial arts handed down in their village just from watching the motion of two people fighting……it was understandable that it gathered more interest than the important fight.

「Hajime-san, Hajime-san! It really makes the blood boil, doesn’t it!」

「Right, I guess.」

The disappointed rabbit that once said 「I’m no good at fighting desuu」 didn’t exist anymore. In her place, there was only a superhuman rabbit whose blood would seethe and her flesh dance if there was hand-to-hand combat. The incarnation of a bugged character, the martial arts maniac who would beat to death even god’s apostle.

Thinking back on the past Shia who would blunder every time she was doing something, Hajime couldn’t help but get a distant look.

But, at that time, the fight on the ring was finally settled. It seemed the next fight would be the final. The young man who won would fight the last year’s champion.

However……

「Aa, looks like this will be a bit harsh for Urt.」

「It looks like just standing is all he can manage.」

Urt-kun, who managed to advance to the finale, seemed like he would have to withdraw from the fight.

「Oh my~. It was a good match, so I looked forward to the finale too though……it’s unfortunate.」

「Well, even if you say that, with the current Urt he is still not a match against Bantas.」

Shia tilted her head toward the villager who spoke with a wry smile.

「That’s the strongest man in this village currently. He has been hogging the champion title for nearly fifteen years already. He is really strong. It’s to the degree that recently rather than the championship, defeating Bantas is the real honor!」,people said.

「Hoe~. So there is an absolute champion here.」

Looking closer, Bantas, who earned the title of the champion because the opponent withdrew, was being congratulated by the whole village. Different from Urt-kun, there was only some hit marks on his body without looking like he was really wounded. He was a huge man whose age was around forty. He really had the appearance of the fighting festival champion that would make anyone nodded in understanding of his status.

Bantas climbed on the ring and put on a show by lifting up the champion trophy that looked aged. The villagers sent him an applause and cheer. Hajime and Shia also sent him an applause together.

There, Bantas suddenly turned his gaze to Hajime and Shia.

「This is a rare chance. If you like, how about participating in the fighting festival?」

Above the ring, Bantas was gesturing with his hand in an inviting motion. It was clear that it was an invitation to try fighting him. His gaze was turned once at Shia before turning to Hajime in amusement. From there it was clear that he was referring to Hajime.

「Of course, I won’t fight seriously. I’ll go easy on you, but this is a rare chance so you can show off to your girlfriend――」

「It’s really okay!? I really, really wish to be allowed to participate desuu!」

「Eh?」

Bantas-san’s eyes turned into dots. The villagers’ eyes also turned into dots.

At the same time, Shia hopped *pyon* lightly and jumped on the ring. She rotated her wrist around and turned around her ankle. She jerked around her neck to warm up.

「What a fortuitous thing to be able to directly experience the unique martial arts that are handed down in this village deep inside the forest! I’m grateful for your hospitality desuu!」

「Eh?」

「No need for holding back any, please come at me seriously desuu!」

「Eh?」

「Now, come at me yaah! Desuu!」

*BAAM-* The sound of the air rupturing resounded. It was the sound of Shia-chan hitting her fists together. For such a sound to resound when it wasn’t expressly a clap was because there was a shockwave generated from that gesture……

「Wa, wait you! Is it okay that you don’t stop your girlfriend!?」

「If it’s Bantas then he will surely go easy on her skillfully, but there is a lot of dangerous techniques in Uga, you know!」

The villagers spoke up worriedly. Above the ring, Bantas also couldn’t hide his bewilderment.

「No, rather from my point of view, it’s that girl who looks like she is too high-spirited that I’m worried about the opponent instead though……. I won’t say anything bad. Just stop fighting Shia.」

On the other hand, 「If you’re going to fight, remember to hold back okay, Shia! End it in a good vibe, don’t forget!」 Hajime urged caution to the high-tensioned Shia who he worried would overdo it.

Doing something like beating up the leading part of the festival of the village who were welcoming them was something that would make the later development to be the most awkward it could be. Hajime-san was staring worriedly at the unruly rabbit ears.

Hajime’s words that weren’t to stop his lover, they weren’t even saying ‘I’ll fight in her place!’, rather they were worrying for the absolute reigning champion Bantas caught the villagers off-guard, and they got tongue-tied.

But, Bantas was instead coming out of his bewilderment. For someone to think that it was only natural for a young girl to go easy on him……his pride as the absolute champion was stimulated.

Something like the fist of a girl wouldn’t even be an itch against his trained body no matter how hard it hit. Then, he would at least let himself get hit and show an imperturbable presence despite that. Then, in the end, he would get serious and stop just an inch before his fist hit, which would open the eye of these foreigner travelers. His fighting spirit overflowed with that decision.

「Good grief, making his own lover fight, as a man your boyfriend is really unbecoming.」

「Here I comeee!」

Shia-chan wasn’t listening at all.

Bantas shrugged his shoulders in exasperation. He imagined the light slap of a girl while spreading his hands in a pose of 「Come at me from anywhere」.

When he looked closer at Shia, who was mimicking the Uga stance, he noticed she was making a shockingly beautiful face. Honestly, she must be the most beautiful female he had ever seen until now. In a sense, to be able to spend a playful time with this kind of super first-class beautiful girl…… Bantas’s face almost broke into a grin thinking about it……

「SHAORAAAAAAA-!!」

「Eh?」

A war cry exploded, and an impact sound akin to a cannon exploding resounded the moment she took a step forward.

Within an instant Shia’s figure was right before Bantas’s eyes. Without any time to even become conscious of it, a twisting BODY BLOW! generated an impact sound akin to a cannon firing once again!

「GOHOOH!?」

The grinning face distorted grandly from the impact and was replaced by shock and light panic. But, the rabbit with sky-high tension was swinging her fist with a cheerfully smiling face.

「If I remember right; it’s like this!」

Traditional martial art’s hidden technique (imitation)! The copied technique assaulted Bantas!

「Oy, wai-, gefuu!?」

「Ora ora ora ora ora ora-! Desuu!」

Left then right, Bantas-san continued to get toyed with. The villagers got into an uproar!

Seeing Shia, who was absorbed with testing out the technique that she newly acquired, Hajime covered his face with his hand saying 「So it’s just as I thought」. For now, if this continued then the absolute champion’s heart would break, so Hajime put a stop to Shia with telepathy that was on the level of a sound explosion.

Shia went ‘hah’ in surprise and stopped moving.

「Qyu, qyuite something, a, aren’t you……」

The absolute champion who was already dead on his feet was desperately keeping his pride. It really looked as though he wanted to say 「Just now I purposefully got hit without fighting back, you know? It’s true, you know? There is no damage at all from your attack. I’m not lying, okay.」.

The villagers were deathly quiet.

As expected, Shia too seemed to realize that she got too carried away. She smiled to varnish over the awkwardness.

「As, as expected from the champion. I don’t get the feeling that I’ll be able to win no matter what.」

The absolute champion looked like he was going to faint at any moment now.

Hajime sighed. He secretly sent out a spider-shaped living golem “Arachne” under Bantas. Arachne’s leg struck a needle *pshew* into Bantas’s ankle.

Bantas didn’t notice at all because of the pain all over his upper body. Far from noticing, the damage was leaving from him rapidly, and he was staring in wonder at his own body.

「Wha, what? The pain is suddenly receding……. Ah, no, it’s not like I was pained or anything from the start. My body feels light somehow but……hah, don’t tell me, did I receive god’s divine protection?」

It seemed they also had their own faith. The mysterious experience was thanks to god.

Actually, it was the apology of the demon king, but he surely couldn’t even imagine that.

‘I can fight like this! This beautiful girl in front of me too. I’m not thinking of her as a normal girl anymore!’ Bantas-san thought, and he stepped forward.

「UOOOOOOOH」

「Nice spirit! Please show me your technique desuu!」

A clash. The fist, leg, and elbow strike from both sides collided into each other like surging waves. A terrific exchange of offenses was unfolding.

「As I thought, my body is light! Strength is welling up! Oh god! My gratitude to you! Right now, I will display the greatest battle that will ever exist!」

Bantas-san’s tension was rising. Though it wasn’t god’s divine protection, but just doping……

「HAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!」

「Urya-rya-rya-rya-rya-rya! Desuu!」

A terrific kind of fight that was never seen before!

Even the villagers who fell deathly silent finally returned to their senses from witnessing that heated fight. They began raising their cheers with a mentality of 「Who cares about the trivial details anymore, huh!」.

「Keep going, missy! That’s absurd, oi!」

「Bantas! Get a hold of yourself! Don’t lose to a girl younger than you!」

「O, oi! That girl, did she use the hidden technique just now!?」

「Thi, this is a great match that happens only once a century!」

The fierce fight between the absolute champion who received the doping of the demon king’s specially made medicine unknowingly and the bugged rabbit who outdid even the god’s apostle (body strengthening level I) became a hectic great furor in the village.

After that, the battle between the two ended up in a draw with nice feelings (Shia fixed the match properly). Bantas smiled wryly while taking Shia’s hand and lifted it up high to the sky. Then a grand applause echoed in response to it.

Shia, who got down from the ring, was crowded by the villagers, especially the children. They bombarded her with questions like how could she become that strong, and just who in the world she was.

Hajime also went through the same thing. He was given a storm of questioning and praise like ‘Just what in the world is your lover?’ while his shoulder and back kept getting clapped.

In the end, even when the sun had set, the atmosphere didn’t show any signs of cooling down. They ate and drank while Shia was exhibiting other martial arts like karate or eight extremities fist or capoeira and so on, and the place got even more heated up. In the end, she held a bout with Hajime 「Even the boyfriend is strong!?」 which shocked the villagers to their heart’s content.

「Ahahaa~, it was really fun. Getting heated up with the locals that you accidentally meet. This is exactly the real pleasure of traveling!」

Shia was in an extremely good mood. Hajime was making the bed (complete removal of dust and mite using Arachne) while smiling back 「You’re right」.

The party broke up after a fashion and right now they were staying at the house of a certain husband and wife. They were lent a room because the villagers wished for them to stay no matter what as their thanks for showing them a magnificent fight.

Shia sat down with a plop on the bed that had been cleaned while her rabbit ears were swinging *piko piko*.

「Incidentally Hajime-san. I have a bit of rabbit good news.」(TN: This is a play of words using the kanji. There is a word ‘mimiyori’ which means welcome news. The ‘mimi’ means ear, and Shia added the word rabbit before it.)

「What do you mean by rabbit good news? You can just say good news normally right……and, what is it?」

「I heard from the villagers, it looks like there are some ruins deep in the back regions far away upstream where no one is living.」

「Ruins?」

Shia, who was lying upside-down with her legs and rabbit tail kicking around, nodded.

「Yes. It’s really old, and the locals don’t really go near it. They said it’s cursed or something……」

「So to speak, it’s like a horror spot huh……. And?」

Hajime also sat on the bed while asking. Shia rolled around and put her head on Hajime’s lap. She rubbed her cheek on Hajime’s thigh.

「It seems that this country’s investigation team and foreign research team once went there to investigate, but in the end, they didn’t find anything, and from the style of the ruins, they concluded that most likely in the past it was used as a dwelling spot for people. It’s not really recognized as historically valuable. Even us can enter if we go there, you know?」

「In other words, you want to try seeing it?」

「Yes desu.」

Hajime patted her rabbit ears. Hajime’s hand was loving the rabbit ears on a subconscious level. Shia’s body was shuddering pleasantly. Her eyes were getting slightly moist.

「Well, isn’t that fine? The more unexplored and uninhabited the area is the better it is for Hauria’s earth base, right? Let’s set the backwoods area further than the ruins as our target. We’ll go and take a look around there while we’re at it. If people don’t go near it, then those ruins might become one kind of boundary line to push away people.」

「Nh. Going deeper than the ruins, nn~, it feels like there will be a dense forest that is really untouched by human hand, fuwaa」

*Pat pat*. *Pat pat*. Shia’s voice was starting to get mixed with sweetness even while they were talking. Even while having a lap pillow, Shia’s hands were going around Hajime’s waist and began to hug tightly.

「I see. Then tomorrow we will go to Puhang only to have a meal and resupply there. After that, we will aim for those ruins.」

「Yeees, desuu~. By, by the way, Hajime-saaan」

「Hm?」

Shia spoke with a sweet voice and melting expression that was dripping with bewitchment.

「Errr, the ba, barrier……the wall looks thin so……」

「It’s okay. Don’t worry.」

Hajime got it even without Shia finishing her sentence. He already finished laying countermeasures. The group of Arachne-san had finished deploying a barrier with each of them as the starting point.

The light inside the room vanished.

Under the moonlight shining in from the window, the shadow of the two slowly became one as though it was only natural.

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AN: Thank you very much for reading this every time.

Thank you very much too for the thoughts, opinions, and reports about misspelling and omitted words.

It’s Shia’s arc, but it won’t be a long arc (in the plan).

For Shia’s long arc, I’m planning it to be the teleportation incident from Akihabara.

But that story will not involve the other members at that time……

During the After Story, there isn’t a single chapter where Shia is the main, so I wanted to write a story for her where it’s just her with Hajime.

 

PS

This story became ranked 2.

Thank you very much for the many congratulatory comments!

Please take care of [Arifureta] from here on too!

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