"...Hey~ Yaegashi, hurry up and find a way to deal with this idiot who's forgotten his purpose. He's under your jurisdiction, right?"
Hajime had saved Myuu before, so seeing a child suffering before his eyes certainly wasn't indifferent... If it were an adult, Hajime thought they should figure it out on their own.
Having said that, he couldn't abandon his original purpose and join the slave liberation movement at this moment. Too lazy to deal with Guanghui, he left everything to Yaegashi, who specialized in dealing with trouble.
Although she was rubbing her temples, Shizuku was still ready to persuade her... But before she could open her mouth, Kouki started to attack her first. It seemed that this time she couldn't stand the way Hajime relied on Shizuku.
"This has nothing to do with Shizuku! I'm talking to you! You clearly value Shia-san so much, yet you're leaving these suffering demihumans to die!"
Guanghui spoke louder and louder, and the people around him looked over curiously. Several imperial soldiers who were responsible for surveillance in the distance also spied on Hajime and his group.
As things stand, there's a high possibility that Kam and the others they're looking for could be in the hands of the Empire, so they can't start a commotion or get into an argument with the officers and soldiers without permission.
This matter concerns the safety of Xia's family.
Therefore, Hajime narrowed his eyes and glared at the light directed at him.
A slight anger and a huge pressure concentrated at one point suddenly enveloped the light.
"...Amanogawa, I've said it before. I don't want to hear your high-flown speeches, nor do I want to discuss ethics and justice with you. I don't remember becoming your companion, nor do I intend to hang out with you. I don't want to share your values, nor do I intend to match your pace. I only 'allowed' you to 'come with me,' so don't pick on me all the time. If you can't even speak appropriately...be careful, I'll break your limbs and send you back to the Kingdom, okay?"
"——!"
Hajime suppressed his stress, sighed, and continued:
"On the contrary, I won't interfere with your values. As long as it doesn't cause us any trouble, you can do whatever you want. Of course, if your words or actions put Kam and the others in danger, I can't just sit back and watch... Also, other demihumans can't be compared to Shia, so don't ask such obvious questions."
Guanghui gnashed his teeth in indignation, shook his head, and turned away.
Slavery was a natural rule in this world. Although demihumans were indeed treated cruelly, saving enslaved demihumans was generally considered a "sin" in this world, as it was equivalent to stealing someone else's "property."
If they still wanted to free the slaves, they would have to be prepared to make enemies with the entire Empire, and they would also have to establish a way for the Empire to prevent the enslavement of demihumans.
Otherwise, even if they rescue the slaves by force now, the empire's retaliation and capture of the demihumans in the future may become more intense, and the demihumans will then face an even more cruel hell.
I don't know if Guanghui understands these interests...
Kouki glared at Hajime's back, standing still.
“…Although it’s infuriating, let’s go now, Kouki.”
"Let's prioritize Shia-san's family for now, shall we?"
After hearing what Ryuutarou and Ling said, Guanghui knew that his companions were concerned about his feelings and sighed deeply.
Shizuku called:
"Glory."
"……I know."
Guanghui finally nodded in agreement reluctantly.
If Hajime really puts his mind to it, he can definitely send them back. Now they need strength, and to do what they want, they need a stronger strength than Hajime has.
To do this, he must learn the magic of the Age of Gods at all costs.
That’s right, no matter how dissatisfied they were, they had to follow Shi and the others.
This is the surest way to gain strength.
After Guanghui convinced himself of this, he suppressed the dissatisfaction in his heart and followed the crowd silently.
"You've really been working hard."
At some point, Tio came to Shizuku and said with a wry smile.
"...Because human hearts are just so complicated."
"That's right. It's really hard for you to observe things more carefully than others, including your personality that can't be ignored."
Her usual perverse personality disappeared, and Shizuku was speechless when she looked at her with such deep eyes.
"You can treat what I'm about to say as the ramblings of an elder, and pretend you didn't hear it, but... it's best if you rely on others a little. If you're always busy taking care of others, you'll lose your own direction, you know? Anyway, look, isn't there someone here you can rely on?"
"what?"
Shizuku looked forward—
"Shizuku-chan, you've been looking so gloomy, are you okay?"
Kaori beside her asked worriedly.
Shizuku quickly turned around.
Kaori's hand gently held Shizuku's.
"...Hehe, thank you, Kaori, I'm fine. How should I put it? I'm worried about Kouki, but now I have a close friend who's like an apostle of God. If anything goes wrong, I'll rely on you, okay?"
"Alright! Leave it to me, Shizuku-chan!"
Grateful for her best friend's concern and Tio's kind advice, Shizuku relaxed a little and caught up with Hajime and the others who were walking ahead.
In an awkward atmosphere (only Guanghui and his friends felt awkward), the group arrived at the Adventurer's Guild in the Imperial Capital, only to discover that it was simply a bar.
There are many tables scattered around in the spacious space, and there are two counters.
One was for paperwork, and the receptionist, though female, seemed rather rude. The other was a bar. Even though it was still daytime, drunken middle-aged men were everywhere, making one wonder: If you have so much free time, why not help with post-war reconstruction?
As Hajime and the others entered the guild, the people around them immediately gave them the same reaction they had experienced countless times.
In other words, he was looking at Yue and the others in a rude and vulgar way. So, Hajime impatiently activated his "Intimidation" and walked towards the counter.
Even though that group of people were drunk, they were still adventurers from a military country. Unlike the adventurers from the [Inn City Holyard], no one present fainted, but all of them were alert and vigilant.
The lady at the counter didn't smile like the other townspeople. She just looked at Hajime with a lazy expression, as if urging him to "speak quickly if you have something to say."
"I'd like to gather information. Have any demihumans caused any unrest in the imperial capital recently?"
Hearing Hajime's question, the receptionist looked at him in confusion, probably because the question was strange.
If you want information on demihuman slaves, just go to the Merchant Guild or find a trade association. Besides, the slaves' collars make the demihumans defenseless, so no slaves can cause unrest in the imperial capital.
Furthermore, the demihumans in the Imperial Capital were all slaves, so Hajime's question was tantamount to asking about the possibility that it wouldn't happen.
As a result, the receptionist, either because she was too lazy to deal with it or because this was the correct way to get information, just pointed towards the bar.
"... Ask the people over there for that information."
Hajime looked towards the bar, where a middle-aged man with grizzled hair was wiping glasses. It seemed the old rule of gathering intelligence at a bar was being followed. The receptionist, seemingly finished with her work, turned away.
Hajime smiled wryly and moved to the bar.
The adventurers cast menacing glances at him, and the hot-blooded Ryuutarou glared back at them. Suzu, seemingly unaccustomed to such a place, hid her petite form behind Shizuku, her hands clutching the hem of her shirt, looking rather adorable.
Hajime sat at the bar and asked the white-haired man who looked like the bar owner the same question he had asked the receptionist.
The boss ignored him and continued wiping the cup.
Hajime narrowed his eyes.
immediately--
"This is a bar, not a place for kids to go on an outing. I'm not going to entertain non-drinkers. Get out of here!"
The boss gave a standard answer.
What a perfect bar owner! Hajime's mood brightened instantly. Even though every glass was sparkling, the owner kept polishing it, which Hajime appreciated highly. Since he was such a perfect bar owner, if Hajime just had a few drinks, the owner would surely be pleased.
Being able to feel the emotions of a fantasy protagonist, Hajime was secretly pleased, but he didn't show it on his face. He agreed with the boss's words and put the money for the drinks on the table.
Hajime didn't notice that the middle school boy in his heart was slightly poking his head out; nor did he notice that Yue beside him was looking at him, his eyes seemed a little helpless, but also like he was looking at someone troublesome.
I love the classics and old jokes the most!
"That's right, boss. Bring out the strongest and lowest quality liquor you have in your store. I want a whole bottle."
"...If you dare to spit it out, I'll kick you out."
When the boss heard the drink ordered, his eyebrows moved instantly, but he did not refuse. He took out a bottle of wine from the wine cabinet behind him and placed it on the bar.
He called Shi a kid, but he still took the wine obediently. Perhaps it was from the oppressive feeling Shi exuded and the vigilant atmosphere of the adventurers around him that he could tell that he was no ordinary person.
He picked up the bottle and, with a caress of his fingertips, instantly severed the bottle's opening. This action, combined with the smoothness of the bottle's surface, caused everyone around him to gasp, and even the owner was slightly startled.
The strong smell of alcohol wafted out of the opened bottle. Xia and Kaori couldn't help but cover their noses. Guanghui and others couldn't stand it either and took a few steps back.
"Nangu-kun? Are you really planning on drinking? I think it's best not to drink at all, okay?"
"Yeah, that's right, you're definitely going to throw up. Ling almost threw up."
"Hajime-kun, if you're going to drink, you might as well choose a nice bar."
"Kaori-san is right, Hajime-san. Why did you specifically order inferior wine..."
Shizuku, Ling, Kaori, and Shia all tried to dissuade them.
Yue, who was standing beside him, frowned when he smelled the alcohol and tugged at Shi's clothes.
"No, ordering a good wine and drinking it without intending to taste it...isn't that a blasphemy against the wine?"
Ignoring the women's concerns, Hajime made these remarks and secretly glanced at the boss.
A slight smile appeared on the boss's lips!
Just as Shi expected, this boss is a typical boss who understands the old tricks!
Ignoring the disgruntled female members, Hajime gulped down the wine, which practically smelled foul.
Now all Hajime could think was, "See? Standard boss. I expect a standard reaction from you." Inside, the chuunibyou Hajime's left hand ached.
The store was completely silent, with only the sound of people pouring wine, and the drinking never stopped, finishing a bottle in just a few seconds.
Hajime held the bottle and placed it on the bar with a clang. He looked at the boss with a smile on his face, as if to say, "Are you satisfied?"
"...I understand, I understand. You are a guest."
The boss raised his hands in surrender and gave a wry smile. He was indeed an experienced bar owner.
“…Hajime, are you satisfied?”
"oh."
Yue asked with a warm look in her eyes, and Hajime nodded with a smile. Hajime was content to actually experience the old but still captivating "negotiating with the bar owner who knows everything" plot.
Incidentally, Hajime's inability to get drunk stems from his "poison resistance." Back in Japan, his father had taught him how to enjoy alcohol, and he was quite fond of it. However, his "poison resistance" prevented him from getting drunk at all, which was a bit of a shame for Hajime.
"...So, do you have any information regarding my previous question? Of course, I will pay you the full reward."
"No, the money for the drinks is enough as payment... You're asking about the Bunnymen, right?"
"!...It seems like there is information. Please tell me the details."
The boss seems to have the relevant information.
According to him, a large-scale arrest operation took place a few days ago. At that time, a powerful group, although they were rabbit people, defeated the imperial soldiers and tried to escape.
However, there were only a dozen or so Bunnymen, and they were surrounded by more than a hundred Imperial soldiers in the Imperial Capital and unable to escape. As a result, all of them were arrested and taken to the castle.
Even so, the Bunnymen's ability to subvert common sense still caused a lot of discussion, and even asking around on the street could gather information.
"A castle..."
Hajime said as he looked at Shia beside him. As expected, she looked worried.
What kind of treatment will be given to demihumans who illegally invade the imperial capital...
At least we can't expect a bright future.
However, just because they were taken away, there is still hope.
Even though there was still a demand for male Bunnymen as pet slaves, it was unlikely anyone would want a middle-aged or older man like Cam. Furthermore, since they rebelled against the Empire, it wouldn't be surprising if they were executed on the spot. No, it would be normal to execute them on the spot.
In other words, the Empire decided to keep them alive because they still had value to it. If that were the case, the chances of them still being alive would be very high.
Hopefully, Hajime grasped Shia's hand beneath the counter. Upon closer inspection, Yue was holding her other hand. Shia, seemingly sensing Hajime and Yue's feelings, nodded in response with a determined look.
The boss looked at Shia, a bunny-man with a rare hair color, with a meaningful look, probably trying to guess her relationship with the captured bunny-men.
Hajime asked the boss nonchalantly.
"Boss, if you can name the price, how much intelligence on the Imperial Capital can you give me?"
"! You can't joke about this... but you don't look like you're joking..."
Although Hajime was smiling, his eyes were fixed on the boss, without a trace of smile in them.
The young man who seemed to be playing with him just now no longer existed. He was like a ferocious beast, and the boss couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.
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