An ordinary profession creates the world's strongest

"Indeed, and he seems to be putting demons and monsters on the same level. If he meant to say that, then there's nothing wrong with that..."

"Yes, he was undoubtedly unconscious, and he was operating under the 'ignorance is innocent' mentality. In a sense, it's unfortunate that such a person is still alive. I don't know if it's because of the nature of this world, or because of his superior abilities. Regardless, he's still a troublesome figure. However, since he's an 'Apostle of God', we can't ignore him. We can only cooperate with him and deal with him appropriately."

It seemed that in the Emperor's mind, the Hero's Glory was considered a failing grade. However, considering that he had been an ordinary student, untouched by battle just a few months ago, and recalling his superior abilities, Gaharud shrugged his shoulders and made his conclusion with reservations.

"But once the war with the demons begins in earnest, he might change. We'll have to wait until then to make any comments. Right now, the important thing is to handle things properly and not get dragged down by those little brats. The one we need to be careful of is the Pope."

"As commanded."

Not knowing that he was being evaluated in that way, Guanghui and others saw off the emperor and his entourage the next day. Since the matter had been completed, there was no reason to stay any longer. He was truly an emperor with amazing mobility.

There was another incident where the Emperor saw Shizuku training that morning and was very impressed with her. He asked her seriously if she would be his lover. Shizuku emphatically refused, and the Emperor replied with a fearless smile, "Okay, no rush," and the matter was left alone, so it didn't escalate into a major incident. However, when he saw Kouki at that time, he sneered disdainfully. Kouki felt that she and this man were definitely not compatible, and she was in a bad mood for a while.

The fact that Shizuku was sighing more often was self-evident.

The final chapter of volume 1 begins

Hajime felt as if his entire body was being enveloped by something warm and soft. That feeling was quite nostalgic. Yes, it was the bed. Feeling the soft cushions gently supporting the weight of his head and back, and the soft feathers enveloping his body, Hajime's half-awake consciousness began to blur.

(What? This is supposed to be a maze… Why am I in bed…)

While still half-conscious, Hajime reached out to feel around. However, his right hand wouldn't budge, despite his will. Or rather, a softness different from the bed enveloped his right hand, preventing it from moving.

(What's this?)

Hajime was lost in thought, moving his hands a few times. Something clamped his hand, something elastic and smooth. That thing matched Hajime's hand movements, sending back a springy feeling. That feeling, as if addictive, made Hajime unable to help but touch it intently—

“…Ah…”

(!?)

Hajime heard a sexy gasp. The next moment, his half-asleep consciousness snapped back to life. Hajime hurriedly sat up, realizing he was actually sleeping in a bed. It was a luxurious, luxurious bed covered in pure white sheets and topped with a luxurious canopy.

This seemed to be a terrace without walls, built on a raised stone staircase. A cool breeze caressed the roof and Hajime's cheeks, surrounded by thick pillars and thin curtains. If I had to describe it, I'd say there was a bed on the building attached to the center of the Parthenon. The entire space was filled with a warm sunlight I hadn't seen in a long time.

“Until just now, I was clearly still engaged in a life-and-death battle in this dark maze?”, Hajime’s thoughts became confused.

(Where is this place… Could this be that world…?)

Because this place felt solemn and dignified, an ominous thought flashed through Hajime's mind, but that thought was interrupted by a seductive voice coming from the side.

“…Ah… Hajime… Ah…”

「!?」

Hajime frantically kicked back the sheets, only to find a girl as beautiful as a porcelain doll lying naked beside him. Yue was curled up, holding Hajime's right hand between her thighs as she slept. Only now did Hajime realize he was naked too.

"I see... This is the morning after... It's not like that!"

Hajime, in his confused state, couldn't help but say something foolish, and then he started to criticize himself. Feeling a sense of emptiness in his heart, he woke Yue up.

"Tsuki, wake up, Yue."

“Hmm…”

Although Hajime called her, Yue was dragging her feet and refused to get up. She curled up even more, and Hajime's right hand gradually approached the dangerous place.

"Ugh... could this really be that world... is this heaven?"

He started saying even more stupid things while trying to pull his right hand free, but every time he tried to pull his hand free...

“…Hmm…Hmm…Ah…”

Yue moaned very sexy like this.

“Ugh, calm down, Hajime. Even though she’s older than you, she still looks tiny. There’s no way you’ll be shaken by that! I’m definitely not a lolicon!”

Hajime, with a shuddering expression, told himself he was standing at the crossroads of whether or not he was a perverted gentleman. He gave up on pulling out his right hand and tried to call out to her, to wake her up, but Yue just licked her lips comfortably, showing no sign of getting up.

During this time, Hajime's anger was steadily rising. His mind was already swirling with confusion, while Yue was sleeping peacefully. A vein popped out on Hajime's forehead.

Then, the anger reached its peak...

"Get up now! You natural erotic vampire!"

He activated "Thunder Entanglement", and electricity sizzled out of his right hand.

"!? Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh."

Yue's body convulsed from the electric shock. As soon as Hajime released her, she trembled and finally opened her eyes.

"……beginning?"

"Yes, I'm Hajime. You sleepyhead, wake up..."

"beginning!"

「!?」

After Yue woke up, she stared at Hajime with a dull look in her eyes. The next moment, her eyes suddenly opened wide and she threw herself into Hajime's arms. Naked, of course. The soft, almost addictive feeling, coupled with the sweet fragrance that filled her nostrils, shook Hajime's heart violently.

However, Hajime noticed Yue burying her face in his neck and sniffing. He reluctantly gave her a troubled smile and gently stroked her head.

"I'm sorry, I made you worry."

"Hmm... I'm worried..."

Because Yue held him for a while and showed no signs of letting go, and Hajime thought that it was Yue who took care of him after he fainted, so he gently caressed Yue and decided to let her hold him until she was satisfied.

After a while, Yue finally calmed down, so Hajime asked her what happened. Incidentally, Yue was indeed wrapped in a sheet.

"So, what happened after that? Where is this place?"

“…After that…”

According to Yue, afterward, her magic power drained and her body became unstable. She leaned against the fallen Hajime. Suddenly, the door opened automatically. "A new enemy?" Yue was on full alert, but after a long moment, there was no movement. Having recovered some strength over time, Yue entered the door to check.

While Hajime was slowly recovering thanks to the effects of the sacred water, he remained gravely wounded and in danger. His strong body had saved his life, but no one knew when Aurora's poison would surpass the sacred water's effectiveness. If a new enemy appeared in that state, they would both be dead, so Yue had to go and check.

Just like that, Yue stepped into the door.

"...That's where the rebels live."

It was said to be a vast space, containing comfortable quarters. Later, Yue, while checking for danger, discovered this bedroom. He then carried Hajime to the bed and, drawing from the divine crystals the sacred water, whose production had recently declined, continued to let Hajime drink it. When the sacred water's effects finally overcame the toxins and returned to their normal healing properties, Yue, exhausted, fainted.

"...I see. Thank you for your care. Thank you, Yue."

"Um!"

After Hajime expressed his gratitude, Yuelu showed a look of genuine joy. Although there was no expression on her face, the emotions revealed in her eyes were irrefutable.

"By the way...why am I not wearing any clothes?"

Hajime asked the question that had been on his mind for a long time. He didn't want it to be the morning after. It wasn't that he hated Yue, it was just... "I should be mentally prepared, right?" Hajime muttered to himself, unheard.

"...Because you're dirty...I'll clean you up..."

"...Why are you licking your lips?"

When Yue heard Shi's question, she immediately showed a charming smile after sucking blood and licked her lips. Shi's body couldn't help but tremble.

"Then why is Yue sleeping next to me? And... naked..."

"……hehe……"

"Wait a minute, what do you mean by that smile?! What did you do?! No, I should say stop licking your lips!"

Although Hajime questioned Yue fiercely, Yue just stared at Hajime with a seductive look and said nothing. Hajime questioned Yue for a while, but Yue had a happy expression on her face and didn't answer at all, so Hajime gave up and decided to explore the rebels' residence.

Yue brought out some fine clothing he'd found somewhere—men's clothing. The rebels were probably men. Hajime put it on, checked his body, and after determining it was alright, prepared his own gear. He didn't know what traps might be in store, so he erred on the safe side. Noticing Yue behind him, wearing the same clothing, and seemingly ready as well, Hajime turned to look.

In front of my sight, Yue...she was wearing only a shirt for some reason.

"Yue...did you do this on purpose?"

"? ...The size doesn't fit."

It's true that men's clothing wouldn't suit Yue, who was only 140cm tall. However, perhaps because of the aura Yue exuded, the slight swell of her chest and her snow-white legs, in stark contrast to her youthful appearance, looked incredibly provocative. Hajime didn't know where to look.

"...If it was unintentional, that's still scary..."

It's unclear whether she did it intentionally or not, but Yue is terrifying in many ways.

When Hajime came out of the dormitory, he was shocked by the scene around him and could not help but stand there in a daze.

The first thing that comes into view is the sun.

This was an underground labyrinth, so that wasn't a real sun. Above, a cone-shaped object floated high in the ceiling, and at its base, a shimmering sphere. It felt slightly warm, but lacked the mineral glow of fluorescent light, so Hajime couldn't help but call it the 'sun.'

"...At night, it will look like the moon."

“Is this true…?”

While the shock was still there, what reached my ears was the pleasant sound of water.

This space, roughly the size of a football field, boasted a waterfall on its inner wall. Water flowed down from the wall near the ceiling, gathering in a river before flowing into the caverns beyond. A refreshing breeze, laden with negative ions, wafted down the waterfall, creating a pleasant breeze. Upon closer inspection, fish were seen swimming in the water, perhaps drawn in from the river above ground.

A little further from the river lies a vast expanse of farmland, seemingly uncultivated at the moment. However, surrounding it lies a vast expanse of livestock sheds. While there's no sign of animals, as long as there's water, fish, meat, vegetables, and other ingredients, you can prepare everything yourself. Furthermore, the area is lush and green, with a variety of trees growing everywhere.

Hajime walked towards the opposite direction of the river and farmland - towards the building adjacent to the dormitory. It was more like a residence carved directly into the rock face than a building.

"...I did a quick search, but many of the doors to the rooms can't be opened."

"I see... Yue, we need to investigate carefully."

"Um……"

The stone dwelling felt like white lime and looked clean and pristine. A pedestal protruded from the ceiling at the entrance, and a warm glowing orb emanated from the front. Having spent so long in the dim light, Hajime and his companions found it a bit dazzling. It appeared the building had three floors, each connected.

Anyway, Hajime and the others decided to start their inspection from the first floor.

They found a fireplace, soft blankets, a living room with a sofa, a kitchen, and a bathroom—none of them looked like they'd been abandoned for years. Though it lacked a human presence... it felt like returning home after a trip. The atmosphere made it clear that the place hadn't been used for a while. It was as if, despite being uninhabited, it was still being maintained...

Hajime and Yue moved forward more cautiously.

After walking deeper, I emerged from the house again. There was a large circular hole, surrounded by statues of lion-like creatures with their mouths open. A magic circle was engraved next to the statues. I tried to inject magic power into them, and a powerful burst of warm water erupted from their mouths. It seemed that no matter what world, lions spitting water was a common practice.

"This is the bath, right? It's great! I haven't bathed in months."

Hajime couldn't help but smile. At first, Hajime didn't have the time to care about the dirt on his body, but once he had some free time, he felt itchy. Previously, he would draw a large magic circle and use magic to conjure water to wipe his body.

However, Hajime was also Japanese. Without exception, he loved bathing. It was only natural for Hajime to smile at the thought of enjoying himself once he was sure it was safe.

Yue saw Hajime's expression and said something.

"...Want to wash? Let's do it together..."

"...Can you let me wash at my leisure?"

“Ugh…”

Seeing Yue's bare feet splashing the warm water, Hajime thought that if he took a bath with him, he would never be able to relax, so he refused her. Yue pouted, looking dissatisfied.

Later, they discovered a study and what looked like a workshop on the second floor. However, both the bookshelves and the doors to the workshop seemed sealed and could not be opened. Hajime and the others had no choice but to give up and continue exploring.

The two went to the room inside the third floor.

The third floor seemed to contain only one room. Upon opening the door, I saw a slender magic circle, seven or eight meters in diameter, painted in the center. Its level of refinement was unprecedented. The geometric pattern was so ingenious that it could be called a work of art.

However, the place that deserves more attention is the figure sitting on a luxurious chair opposite the magic circle.

The figure was a corpse, reduced to bones, draped in a gorgeous black robe embroidered with gold. It didn't look dirty at all, so if it were the kind of decoration you'd see in a haunted house, it would make sense.

The corpse, head bowed, leaned back in a chair, likely maintaining that position as it decayed, turning to bones. What was the corpse thinking in this room, where only the magic circle was? He chose this place to die, not in the bedroom, not in the living room. What was his intention?

“…This is suspicious…What should I do?”

It seemed Yue also had doubts about the corpse. Perhaps it was one of the so-called rebels. However, he didn't seem to be in pain, simply sitting in a chair and passing away, as if he was waiting for someone.

"This room is the key to finding the path to the surface. Right now, we can only investigate the seals on the study and workshop... which even my refinement can't stop. Yue, wait here. I'm counting on you if anything happens."

"Hmm... be careful."

Hajime said, and walked towards the magic circle.

Then, the moment Hajime stepped into the center of the magic circle, a radiance like the sun shone brightly, illuminating the room as if it were daytime.

Hajime closed his eyes because of the glare of the light, and then some images seemed to enter his mind. Like a kaleidoscope, everything that had happened since he fell into the abyss flashed through his mind.

Soon, the magical light originating from the magic circle faded away, and Shige opened his eyes, only to see before him... a young man in black appeared silently without a sound.

As the magic circle glowed faintly, filling the room with a mysterious light, Hajime immediately took a defensive stance. However, he quickly lowered his guard, as the young man before him, far from harboring hostility or ill will, didn't even seem to exist. Upon closer inspection, he saw he was wearing the same robes as the corpse behind him, and from this, Hajime vaguely guessed his identity.

As Hajime observed the young man in silence, the young man slowly spoke.

"Congratulations on passing the trials and reaching here. My name is Oscar Orcus, the creator of this maze. You should know I'm a rebel, right?"

The man who spoke seemed to be named Oscar Orcus, the creator of the Great Orcus Labyrinth. They listened to him with a mixture of surprise and astonishment.