Seeing Guanghui's hesitation, Gu Lide seemed to judge that he couldn't expect an answer, so he turned his gaze to Shia. The question he asked made it possible to guess why he was concerned about Shia.
"Hey, Bunny-chan, I want to ask...what happened to my subordinates?"
"Subordinate? What are you talking about—ah, could it be…"
Gulide's question was very abrupt.
For a moment, Xia didn't understand what he was asking, but she soon realized the reason and opened her eyes wide in surprise.
The number of imperial soldiers directly connected to Shia is very limited.
Of course, it was the group of soldiers who hunted the Hauriya tribe when they just came out of the forest.
Those imperial soldiers were enemies. They killed and abducted many of Shia's family members and sold them as slaves, and forced them to the [Lesin Grand Canyon].
"That's strange. None of my men have returned, yet you're still alive? And here you are? Tell me."
"what……"
Gulide forced Xia to retreat.
That's right, he was the captain of the team that attacked Shia and the others when they first came out of the forest.
As the company captain, Gu Lide was only responsible for commanding the overall situation and did not directly participate in the search and arrest operation, so Xiya did not remember Gu Lide, but...
Since Xia was a rare rabbit-man with blue and white hair, Gu Lide remembered her clearly.
Shia's mind flashed back to the expressions of the imperial soldiers when they attacked them, and the despair of those who had lost their families at that time also surged in her heart.
She groaned unconsciously, her expression stiff, and was about to take a step back...
She suddenly felt a warm sensation on her cheek, which woke her up instantly.
Looking closely, Hajime was pinching her cheek like he usually did, and her other hand felt warm as well, it was Yue holding her hand.
There was no worry in Yue's eyes when she looked at herself, but rather a look that was both speechless and reprimanding.
It was as if she was telling Shia, "Don't be intimidated by a small fry like this, you immature person."
Xia smiled bitterly.
Even if that incident could be considered a psychological trauma, Shia now possessed the strength and courage to defeat the monsters of the Great Labyrinth. She was undoubtedly a strong person and had no reason to be intimidated by a mere Imperial officer.
Xia used her eyes to signal to Shi and Yue that she was fine, straightened her ears and back, and smiled sweetly at Gu Lide who was constantly approaching.
He shouted to Gulide, who had involuntarily stopped:
"What do your subordinates have to do with me? They look stupid. They must have been eaten by monsters. Besides, there's no need for me to report anything about myself."
"...You're so arrogant, huh? You think you're okay with being with the Hero? Since you're not even a slave, you must be using your body to please the Hero, right? You're just a whore, stop being so arrogant."
Gu Lide's eyes flashed with evil and he uttered foul words, but Xia didn't even look at him and didn't take him seriously at all.
On the contrary, his vulgar language angered the other female members.
Although he was unhappy with Xiya's attitude, Gu Lide also noticed that the atmosphere was not right, so he smiled apologetically and suggested to Guanghui:
"I'm sorry, brave man. My subordinates have been missing for two months, and this bunnyman seems to know something. Could you please hand her over to us? If you need a bunnyman woman, we can prepare another one. Please do me a favor—"
"Hey, little one."
However, before Gu Lide could finish his words, someone interrupted him.
The timing and words the other party used made Gu Lide so angry that his cheeks twitched. He turned around and saw Shi looking at him with impatience.
"What did you say—"
"Shut up, little one. You've said everything you need to say. I don't care about the lives of your men. Don't bother us with such nonsense. Cut the crap and lead the way."
"you--"
"Don't you understand the word shut up? We don't have time to waste on you. Know your place."
Shi's attitude was as if he was dealing with a street thug. Gu Lide was so angry that not only was his face red, but his eyes were also bloodshot.
Even so, as the company captain, he seemed to still have self-control, knowing that he couldn't take action against the group of "God's Apostles", so he used his eyes to signal his subordinates behind him to lead the way for Hajime and the others.
Gu Lide glared at Shi fiercely, but the group walked out of the office as if nothing had happened.
Kouki and Ryuutarou's cheeks twitched at Hajime's words, but the female members all looked very pleased.
As far as Hajime was concerned, he didn't even feel that he was being sarcastic...
If Gu Lide knew about this, he would probably be so angry that his blood vessels would burst.
But if Gu Lide hadn't known what was best for him, and Hajime had been planning to use the "Crotch Smash" without mercy, Gu Lide might have been grateful for his self-control.
Hajime and the others paid no particular attention to the menacing gazes behind them, and followed the pale-faced soldier leading the way across the huge suspension bridge.
"and then?"
This was the first thing Liliana said while waiting for Hajime and the others.
She smiled broadly, but her eyes held no smile, and her tone was icy cold, implying, "Hey! Explain to me!"
It was clear she was under a lot of pressure. In a sense, by showing her inner feelings on her face, she was also opening her heart to Hajime. However, seeing her friend's unprecedented behavior, Shizuku and Kaori couldn't help but look away.
"Regardless of the farce that happened in the imperial capital, why are you all here? Give me an acceptable explanation. I solemnly demand it. No half-heartedness allowed! Especially Mr. Nanyun! You're definitely the one pulling the strings! Don't caress Shia-san's bunny ears like it's none of your business! And Miss Yue, why are you pinching Shia-san's cheeks!"
Liliana glared at Hajime. In her mind, Hajime lacked common sense. For Liliana, the theory that Hajime was the mastermind was undeniable.
Meanwhile, Hajime, who Liliana had been targeting, did as she had said and, in a rare move, let Shia sit on his lap, gently stroking her ears. Yue sat on the other thigh, pinching Shia's cheeks from the front with both hands.
"Hmm? Did you say anything just now, Princess?"
Since entering the Imperial City, although Hajime was petting Shia's rabbit ears, he seemed a little absent-minded.
He tilted his head in confusion, as if he really didn't hear Liliana speak, which was rare.
Liliana wanted to cry. She was a princess, but Hajime didn't listen to her seriously.
So he repeated it even louder, solemnly asking Shi to explain.
"Princess, you're so loud. You're so close, I can hear you without even shouting."
"Didn't you hear it just now?"
"Calm down, Lily! What should I do? Shizuku-chan, this is the first time I've seen Lily this angry!"
"Nagumo-san is the only one who could make a true princess tear up and get angry. Okay, Lily, calm down. I'll explain it now, okay?"
Kaori and Shizuku comforted the panting Liliana.
Hajime said nonchalantly:
"Please bear with me, Princess. There's a reason for this. Shia is a little emotionally unstable right now."
"Are you feeling uneasy? Are you feeling unwell, Ms. Shia?"
From the momentary look of worry on her face, it was clear that Liliana had a kind heart.
Xia bit her lip, as if suppressing some emotion, but after being touched on the ear and pinched on the face, her expression gradually softened. She raised her head to assure everyone that she was fine, her usual smile returning to her face.
Needless to say, the reason why Xia was emotionally unstable was because of Gu Lide.
However, Xia was not feeling frightened or uneasy.
In fact, it was just the opposite. She was suppressing the murderous intent that kept surging.
After all, Gulide is the hateful enemy who killed many of Xia's family members. As long as he overcomes the psychological trauma, what follows is only a strong desire to kill.
However, considering her purpose of coming here, she couldn't kill Gulide so early.
That's why she tried so hard to endure it. Hajime and Yue noticed her mood and soothed her emotions by doting on her.
To clarify the situation for those unaware, Hajime explained the details of Gulide and Shia's conflict, and everyone's expressions became distraught. Kouki and the others were understandably angry, while Liliana lowered her head with a gloomy expression.
For Liliana, selling demihumans into slavery was common sense in this world, and she had always accepted this common sense, so she felt that her outrage was unreasonable.
Now that she knew the truth about the Church and God, Liliana's prejudice against demihumans drastically faded.
"Demihumans are a race abandoned by God"—now that this God is humanity's enemy, it would be ridiculous if he still discriminated against demihumans. Not only Liliana, but everyone who knew the truth held the same view.
Having said that, the sins of discrimination against subhumans in the past cannot be wiped out.
Liliana felt that she had no right to speak at the moment, but seeing Shia's usual smile, she felt extremely dazzling and urged Hajime to get back to the topic.
"So what? Why are you here? Aren't you here to conquer the Great Labyrinth in the Sea of Trees? And what about the mask commotion last night? His Majesty Gaharud should send for you soon. I'm only trying to meet with you to collude, so please give me the bare minimum."
"Don't panic, Princess. You'll understand everything by evening. As for our business... just say we finished our business early and came to say hello before our long journey."
“How could you be so careless… You’ll understand by tonight. Are you planning on putting on a mask and causing trouble again? I know everything! It was Mr. Nagumo who made Shizuku and the others wear such shameful masks!”
"Don't be so angry, or you'll go bald, princess."
"I'm not bald! How can you say that to a woman?!"
"...Bald Princess."
"Ms. Yue!?"
Realizing that Hajime and the others didn't want to talk about it, and being treated so casually, Liliana said dejectedly, "I'm a princess..." Next to her, Shizuku murmured, "Shameful mask...", feeling distraught at the thought of her own dark past.
"...Last night, besides the mask riot, there was also a prison break in the dungeon of the Imperial Castle. The culprit was, of course, Mr. Nagumo—"
"You're calling someone a criminal for no reason... That's really too much."
"How dare you criticize others... I haven't heard the details, but the captured rabbit-people are from the Hauria tribe, right? I understand you rescued them for Miss Shia, but I don't understand why you've returned here after all this. What are you thinking?"
Her eyes told her that she could both cooperate with Hajime's statement and provide assistance if necessary.
Being able to lead a country at the age of fourteen must have been under tremendous pressure.
Liliana, however, wanted to take action for Hajime and the others without hesitation. Not only Kouki and the others, but even Yue and the others showed warm smiles, thinking that the princess was truly kind-hearted.
Looking back, she had been like this from the beginning. While those around her praised the summoned students as "Apostles of God," she felt that she had dragged them into the world's conflicts and devoted herself to them.
Because Liliana showed a serious look, and then smiled and said to her -
"I don't understand what you're talking about."
"How could you not understand!?"
Liliana was furious, as if she would pounce on Hajime at any moment.
Kaori and Shizuku immediately held her from behind and tried their best to comfort her.
After that, no matter how Liliana asked, Hajime kept dodging the question absentmindedly; because Hajime refused to say anything, the others kept silent for the sake of safety. In the end, Liliana could only helplessly say "Really~ I~~ Never mind~" and give up.
In addition, Hajime didn't say anything simply because he thought it was troublesome, and the other members deliberately didn't interrupt because they understood that he was very busy at the moment.
Just as Kaori and the others were comforting Liliana, the time to meet the emperor finally arrived.
Hajime and the others followed the guide and went to meet Gaharud.
They were led into a simple room with a long table that could seat thirty people.
Sitting at the head of the table, Gaharud rested his elbows on the table, a proud smile on his face.
There were two men behind him, both of whom exuded a sharp aura and whose skills were obviously very impressive.
Furthermore, though there was no sign of anyone inside the room, Hajime clearly sensed two figures behind the wall, four on the ceiling, and two more standing silently outside the closed door. While not as skilled as the two men behind Jaharud, they were nonetheless quite capable.
The audience seemed to begin in a state of complete encirclement.
"Are you Nagumo Hajime?"
As soon as Hajime and the others entered the room, Jaharud, without waiting for Liliana's introduction or greeting the hero, went straight to Hajime. His gaze was sharp and direct, radiating such intense pressure that it felt as if a battle would begin at any moment.
The man in front of him could control hundreds of thousands of strong men with his strength, and his aura and pressure were extraordinary.
Guanghui and the others couldn't help but step back and be on guard. Liliana, a non-combatant, seemed to be having trouble breathing and let out a small groan.
However, even under such intense pressure, Hajime, Yue, Shia, Tio, and Kaori acted as if nothing had happened.
Even Kaori, who had the least experience, had survived the intense and crazy aura of the [Melkinen Undersea Ruins] and the battle against the undead monsters that had existed since ancient times.
Although it is the emperor's pressure, to the Great Maze Conquerors, it is just like a gentle breeze.
Seeing their reactions, Gaharud raised the corner of his mouth happily and replied:
"Yes, I am Nan Yun Hajime. I am honored to be summoned by your Majesty."
“““““!?”””””””
He placed one hand on his chest, bowed slightly, and uttered appropriate greetings.
Kouki is stunned when he hears this, Ryuutarou pinches his cheeks, Suzu is terrified, and Shizuku is worried that Hajime is sick.
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