The capital was still in chaos. Although the large-scale transfer magic circle had been removed, Liliana really didn't want Hajime and the others to leave as she didn't know when the demon army would attack.
The enemy's leader, Fried, retreated because of Hajime's presence, so as long as Hajime and his men stayed here, they could achieve a deterrent effect.
"We have officially begun the war with the Apostles of God, so I want to travel as quickly as possible. It will take another five days to revive Kaori, so I plan to leave tomorrow."
Liliana's shoulders slumped in disappointment. If they left, there was no guarantee that Fried's army wouldn't turn around and attack again. As a princess, Liliana couldn't give up.
"I beg you...at least that pillar of light, that's also Mr. Nagumo's artifact, right? Can you use that artifact as a visible protection mechanism for the royal capital? I will reward you as much as I can."
"...Ah, you mean the Hyperion? No, that artifact broke after the first strike... It was originally an experiment, so it needs to be improved."
The Hyperion was an anti-army annihilation weapon designed to annihilate the demon army. Simply put, it was a solar beam laser cannon. Before descending the Sacred Mountain, Hajime had already piloted it into the air.
Hyperion can use lenses within its massive body to concentrate sunlight and store its thermal energy in a "treasure house" built inside.
The immense heat overflowing from the critically-situated "treasure vault" was concentrated again through the launch port infused with gravity magic and launched towards the ground.
The Hyperion's greatest feature is its ability to gather sunlight even at night. This secret lies in the simulated sun that illuminates Oscar Orcus's room. This object, created by the "Liberators," combines sunlight with space magic, regeneration magic, and magical powers from the Age of Gods that even Hajime cannot grasp.
Even if it was just a simulation, Hajime couldn't create one now. Furthermore, since Hyperion was still in its experimental stages, it couldn't withstand its own heat and would be destroyed, so it couldn't launch such a strike again.
However, the Hyperion wasn't the only anti-army annihilation weapon Hajime had created...
"Is that so..."
Hearing what Hajime said, Liliana slumped her shoulders in disappointment again.
At this moment, Kaori, Shizuku, and Aiko's gazes turned directly to Hajime. They all understood his approach. Although Hajime had begun to care about those around him, he remained fundamentally indifferent to the world. His willingness to help those around him was also to avoid indirectly causing grief to Yue and the others.
Therefore, none of the three said anything, but even though they didn't say it... their eyes spoke louder than words.
Hajime tried his best to ignore them while drinking his tea, but their looks were too annoying. The muscles on his cheeks twitched, and he said reluctantly:
"...Before you depart, I will help you build the great barrier."
"Mr. Nagumo! Thank you!"
Ignoring Liliana's delighted expression, Hajime glanced at Kaori and the others, "Is this all right?" The three responded with smiles as cheerful as Liliana's.
Although he felt himself softening, seeing that Yue and Shia beside him were smiling at him, Hajime shrugged his shoulders and thought that this was not bad, with a wry smile on his face.
"So, where are you going, Nagumo-san? If you're pursuing Age of Gods magic, you're heading to the Great Labyrinth, right? Since you're coming back from the west... your destination is the Great Sea of Trees, right?"
"Yes, that's what we planned. We originally planned to go via Fren, but going further south would be troublesome, so I decided to head directly east."
After listening to Hajime's planned itinerary, Liliana seemed to have an idea.
"You will pass through Imperial territory, right?"
"That's right..."
"In that case, can I go with you?"
"Hmm? Why?"
"The capital has been invaded, and our country has many matters to discuss with the Empire. We have already sent messengers and ambassadors to the Empire, but the sooner the negotiations begin, the better. With Mr. Nagumo's divine tool for transportation, we should be able to reach them in no time, right? In that case, I would like to go directly to negotiate with them."
Liliana was both bold and proactive. Although Hajime was slightly surprised by her proposal, upon closer reflection, it was perfectly natural for a princess to have such thoughts, considering she had actually left the royal city alone to seek reinforcements and joined a caravan to escape the capital.
And if it was just a matter of giving her a ride, it wouldn't take much effort, so he agreed. However, he also didn't forget to add a proviso.
"I'll give you a ride, but I won't be entering the Imperial City. Okay? I absolutely won't be accompanying you in your meeting with the Emperor."
"Haha, I wouldn't make such a shameless request. It's enough if you're willing to give me a ride."
Hearing Hajime's cautious words, Liliana couldn't help but let out a wry smile. At this moment, Kouki, who had been intimidated into silence by Hajime, spoke again:
"In that case, we'll follow you. I can't leave Lily to someone who doesn't care about this world, so we'll be the ones protecting her along the way. Also, since Nagumo won't do anything, I'll save this world! To do that, I need power! I need the power of Age of Gods magic! If I follow you, I can obtain Age of Gods magic!"
"No, I can tell you the location, and you can go there by yourself. It would be extremely troublesome for you to follow me."
Seeing Guanghui's blood boiling without permission, Shi felt only annoyance. He blamed Shi, but also wanted to rely on Shi. I really didn't know what he was talking about.
At this time, Aiko timidly pointed out what Hajime had said before.
"But didn't Nagumo-san say that with our current strength, even if we challenged the Great Labyrinth, we would only return with our feathers forged?"
"...No, that's it~ If even someone as 'incompetent' as me can do it, you guys can definitely do it. It's all right, it's all right. What matters is drive and perseverance."
Hearing that Aiko still clearly remembered what he had said, Hajime looked away, spouting irresponsible remarks.
"We can't do that, right?"
Hajime turned his head away.
As for Hajime, once they got a way to travel through the world, he wouldn't mind giving his classmates a ride back.
However, if Hajime were to help them regain the magic of the Age of Gods, Hajime would politely decline, as that would only waste time.
While Guanghui was excited and angry, Shizuku was thinking silently about the defeats so far. At this moment, she raised her head with a bitter expression.
"...Nagumo-san, can you please help us? Just once, let us follow you to conquer the Great Labyrinth. Possessing just one Age of Gods magic will make a decisive difference in conquering other Great Labyrinths. Can't you let us follow you just once?"
"You won't be able to obtain magic just by relying on us, you know? You need corresponding actions and results to make the labyrinth recognize the success of the conquest."
"Of course. Putting aside the gods, we want to go back just as much as you do. We'll demonstrate our unwavering resolve and fight the labyrinth with all our might, so... I'm counting on you. You've saved us so many times, and we just said we want to repay you. You might think I have the nerve to ask such a thing, but we can only rely on you now. Please help us one more time."
After hearing Aiko say they couldn't get through the maze with their current abilities, Shizuku asks Hajime for help in obtaining a piece of magic from the Age of Gods. Perhaps because she's still owed a debt of gratitude, and still needs to rely on Hajime, her expression is frozen.
"Nagumo-kun, I'm asking you for Suzu's help. Suzu wants to become stronger and talk to Eri again. Please! Suzu will definitely repay you, so please take us with you!"
Influenced by Shizuku, even Suzu, who had remained silent, bowed her head and begged.
It seemed that Huili's matter made Ling think for a long time. From her tone and expression, you can see how anxious she was.
"Nanyun, please, I hope to at least be able to protect myself and my companions. I don't want to watch my childhood friend die without being able to do anything."
Speaking of eagerness, Ryutaro was also the same. As far as the beginning was concerned, this was the first time he saw Ryutaro begging someone with his head bowed, even to the point of almost kneeling and kowtowing.
Whether it was what happened in the Orcus Great Labyrinth or this incident, Ryuutarou seemed to blame himself for being powerless, and blood was seeping from his clenched fists.
Seeing the appearance of Shizuku and the others, Hajime couldn't help but start to hesitate.
Originally, he would never agree to such a troublesome task as taking Guanghui and others to conquer the [Hartrina Forest]. He even refused it outright and let them go to the [Orcus Great Labyrinth] or the [Lesin Great Labyrinth] to die.
However, the battle with Noin flashed through Hajime's mind, and he hesitated for a moment.
Hajime hesitated because Noin was like what he had witnessed in the Hartrina Sea of Trees. She would appear at turning points in the times, manipulating those in power or removing those who stood in the way. This puppet, a subordinate of God, had been secretly manipulating the situation until now.
"God's Apostle (Noin)" is obviously a created being. Is there really only one Noin?
If this is really the case, it would be too optimistic.
Noin once said:
Shi was an anomaly, and God wanted him to suffer before dying.
If this were the case, God would most likely send a large number of beings similar to Noin. Hajime thought that if this were the case, it would be a good idea to help Kouki and the others increase their strength before that moment arrives, allowing them to fight the enemy.
Let others deal with the enemies who want your life.
It was natural for Hajime to think of this evil method.
If anyone knew what was going on, everyone would have jeered, "Are you a demon?" However, Hajime simply thought, "Since the heroes are planning to fight the gods anyway, they probably won't object, right?" So, he ultimately agreed to let them go with him on this trip to the Hartrina Sea of Trees. Hajime glanced at Yue and the others, but they didn't seem to object.
Shizuku and the other students breathed a sigh of relief, smiles on their faces.
They never imagined that they would be used as a human shield and bait by Shi, and even thanked Shi.
“…Hashima is terrifying.”
"As expected of you, Master. Your thoughts surpass those of humans."
It seemed that Yue and Tio saw through Hajime's thoughts, but they spoke quietly so that no one could hear them.
Hajime ignored them and imagined what would happen in the future.
The journey is gradually coming to an end.
No matter what obstacles stood in his way, no matter what situation he found himself in, Hajime would overcome everything and return to his hometown, bringing with him the "important people" he had found in this world.
The flame of determination and awareness burned fiercely in his heart.
After the discussion ended and everyone dispersed, Hajime, Yue, and Shizuku appeared on the streets of the royal capital.
The capital was noisier than usual.
Normally, they would be described as "full of energy." But right now, the expressions of the people in the capital were filled with too much sadness.
Even though five days had passed since the capital was invaded, the loss and sorrow in people's hearts had not diminished, and they were still hurt.
However, the pace of reconstruction did not stop. Everyone was running around with grief in their hearts. This must be the so-called "human resilience."
Hajime and his group walked along the main street of the royal capital, which was filled with sadness and resilience, holding a large number of fake hot dogs (because they didn't contain sausages).
Hajime and the others were busy chewing. Their destination was the Adventurer's Guild in the Royal Capital. Shizuku had come along because after finishing their business at the guild headquarters, Hajime and the others were going to repair the Great Barrier, and Shizuku had volunteered to lead the way.
Shia and the others stayed behind in the palace. They felt that if people of other races were to roam freely in the current capital, it would cause unnecessary irritation to the people, so they decided to stay.
Even if the people of the capital knew they weren't the demons who launched the attack, they could become targets of wrath simply because they were 'not human'.
In the capital ruled by the Holy Church, even subhuman slaves were ostracized. Besides humans, there were almost no other races, so this judgment could be said to be quite correct.
Now Kaori's appearance is also different from that of an ordinary person. Aiko and others have to help the busy Liliana; Tio has been consuming magic power continuously in the past few days and is sleeping to replenish her magic power.
"So...what exactly did you go to the guild headquarters for?"
Shizuku puffed up her cheeks and ate the fake cheese-flavored hot dog burger and asked:
"I'd like to ask the guild to deliver my report on the completion of the commission. While it's an urgent matter and I should report in person, it's also troublesome to go to the Sea of Trees and then take a detour to Fren. So, if it's headquarters, they should probably accept my report."
"The report you're talking about...could it be that child named Myuu? So I haven't seen her..."
Shizuku frowned, seeming a little regretful, and Hajime informed Myuu that he had reunited with his mother safely.
Perhaps because she was captivated by Myuu's cuteness for a short time, Shizuku murmured, "I want to hug her..." However, Yue's next words left Shizuku dumbfounded.
“…It’s okay, you’ll meet again because Hajime will take her to Japan.”
“………………Going to Japan? Nagumo-san, what’s going on?”
"Nothing happened, just as you heard. I made an appointment with Myuu to take her to my hometown."
"Eh? No, but... isn't Myuu a child of the Sea People?"
Shizuku was confused, but Hajime shrugged and replied nonchalantly:
"I understand what you're saying, but that's not a big deal, is it? There are plenty of solutions, and if there aren't any, I'll just create them myself. Isn't there a saying that goes, 'Nothing is impossible for a person who sets his mind to it?'"
"That's right..."
"Besides, it's too late to worry about this now, isn't it? Shia has rabbit ears... Yue isn't white, but she has such bright red eyes and sharp canine teeth. Even if time passes, her appearance won't change. Yaegashi doesn't think I'll leave them behind and return to Japan alone, right?"
After hearing Hajime's explanation, Shizuku, believing it to be true, smiled wryly. Beside her, Yue, a smile curled her lips as she gently grasped the hem of Hajime's shirt.
A sweet atmosphere filled the air, and Shizuku's body temperature rose slightly. She said, "What a loving couple!" and fanned herself with her hands.
Seeing the loving couple, Shizuku felt inexplicably certain that no matter what happened, Hajime would be able to overcome it. Thinking of the difficult path her best friend had chosen, she couldn't help but frown.
"...Are you taking care of Kaori?"
Shizuku asked, feeling worried.
"Hmm? You should ask her that question. No matter what I say, the final result still depends on how she feels, right? As for me, I believe I have kept my promise and have not treated her unfairly."
Shizuku probably knew the answer after seeing Kaori's situation, but she couldn't help asking. Hajime looked at her with a look that said, "You're overprotective."
Shizuku felt a little embarrassed, and at this time Yue couldn't stand Hajime's speech anymore and dropped a bomb.
“…That’s how you get ambushed, Hajime, cheer up.”
"Okay, okay."
"Huh? Wait, a sneak attack? Who was ambushed by whom?"
"...Kaori ambushed Hajime and she seemed to have taken advantage of the chaos to kiss him. Damn Kaori."
"Kaori, a surprise attack... is that so? Kaori grew up first..."
Shizuku's cheeks twitched as she gazed into the distance, her best friend having somehow improved in so many ways. A sense of loneliness, of having been left behind, spread through her heart.
“…Aiko is also in danger, Hajime, you have to be careful.”
“…No way, there’s no way that could happen.”
Seeing Yue's sharp gaze, Hajime abruptly looked away, dismissing the possibility a second later. Shizuku, upon hearing their conversation, snapped back to reality, thinking, "That's it!" Her gaze became as sharp as Yue's, and she demanded, "What?"
"From the way you sound, you seem to be aware of this, right? So, Nagumo-kun, what did you do to Ai?"
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