An ordinary profession creates the world's strongest

"No, no, I heard it... But the process of recovering from the desperate situation seemed too smooth to be real... I just can't believe it..."

The surrounding Hauriya tribesmen also had the same bewildered expressions. It seemed that for the demihumans, the decisions of the Elders Council were absolutely binding. Seeing Shia's bewildered face, Yue murmured:

"...You can laugh frankly."

"Ms. Yue?"

“…Hajime has already saved you. This is a fact. Just accept it and laugh it off.”

"..."

Yue's words made Shia look at Hajime who was walking quietly beside her. Hajime looked straight ahead and shrugged and replied:

"It's a deal anyway."

"Well……"

Shia's shoulders trembled. He protected Shia and her family's lives as the price of being a guide in the sea of ​​trees, and this was the agreement Shia desperately made with Shi.

She had originally seen through her "future vision" that Hajime would protect the clan's future, but the future she saw wasn't absolute. What actually happened would depend on Shia's choices, and that's why she desperately sought Hajime's assistance. The other party was a human, unlike demihumans, and Shia herself had no leverage, only her identity as a woman and her unique magic. When Hajime so swiftly disregarded these conditions, she was completely overwhelmed and on the verge of tears.

Despite this, she still tried her best to make a promise, and during her conversation with Hajime on the way, she somehow believed that Hajime would not break the promise. One of the reasons was probably because Hajime did not care that she was a demihuman and never looked at her with discrimination.

But these were just "feelings," not true convictions. Therefore, she still felt uneasy, trying to convince herself, "He's someone who'll keep his promise," even trying to get Hajime to say, "I won't hesitate to fight even if the other party is human." So, when she actually saw Hajime engage the Imperial soldiers without hesitation, she finally felt relieved.

Even so, she felt that even Hajime would have stood by and watched them die. The situation was different from the time they encountered the Imperial soldiers; strictly speaking, this was tantamount to declaring war before the Emperor. Hajime, however, paid no heed to these matters, refusing to compromise his promise. Even if all this was done for his own sake, the fact remained, as Yue had said, that Hajime had indeed saved her and her precious family.

She found her heart, which had been beating so fast just now, was beating again, her cheeks were burning, and an indescribable urge surged in her heart, making her feel uneasy. Was this the joy of knowing her family was alive, or was it...

As soon as Shia started thinking seriously, she felt like her head was overheating and she couldn't go on. She finally decided to follow Yue's advice and feel happy straightforwardly, letting her impulse drive her and releasing all the emotions that had just surged up. In other words, she would hug Hajime with all her strength!

"Mr. Hajime! Thank you~!"

“Uh-oh!… What are you doing all of a sudden?!”

“Ugh…”

Shia, with a tearful expression on her face, pressed her whole body against Hajime's shoulders, as if to say, "I'll never let go." Her expression gradually softened, and her cheeks took on a rosy hue.

Seeing this scene, Yue muttered something unhappily, but as if she had some idea, she only took Shiya's other arm and did not stop her.

Seeing Shia bursting with joy, hugging Hajime and rubbing her hands around him, the Hauriyas finally felt that they had truly been saved. Some hugged each other tightly, while others high-fived each other to share their joy.

The elders stared at them with complicated expressions, and further away, many people cast their gazes with displeasure and hatred.

Having grasped all the circumstances, Hajime knew that even if he left here, he would still be in trouble for a while, and he couldn't help but smile bitterly.

Volume 2 Chapter 2 The Rabbits with a New Look

"Next, I'm going to have you guys undergo combat training."

Banished by Fjallbergen, Hajime and his companions found a base near a large tree to rest. These were Hajime's first words. While this was a base, it was actually just a barrier created using the Fjallian crystals that Hajime had so casually stolen... Within the barrier, the rabbits perched on the logs wore stunned expressions.

“Um, um, Hajime-san, the combat training you mentioned is…”

Xia asked on behalf of the confused tribesmen.

"That's exactly what it means. You won't be able to go to the tree for the next ten days, right? So I want to use this time effectively to train you, those weak, fragile, and homeless people you have deep-seated, into warriors capable of standing on your own."

"Why, why would you do something like this..."

The rabbits trembled at the sight of Hajime's unmoved eyes and the oppressive feeling emanating from his body. Shia, as if to question Hajime's sudden declaration, seemed perfectly natural.

"Why? Are you asking me why? Sorry, bunny."

"Ah, you still won't call my name..."

Glancing at the dejected Shia from the corner of his eye, Hajime continued:

"Listen carefully. The agreement I made with you is to protect you until your guidance work is completed. What will happen after that? Have you thought about it?"

The Hauriya people looked at each other and shook their heads. Kam also showed an embarrassment. Although he felt vaguely uneasy, the successive events made it impossible for him to think clearly. Or should I say, he was deliberately not thinking about it...

"I see you haven't thought about this yet, and even if you were to start thinking about it, you wouldn't be able to come up with a conclusion. You're too weak. When someone has ill intentions towards you, you can only run away or hide. Eventually, you won't even have the safe haven of Feyalbergen. In other words, the moment you lose my protection, you'll be in trouble again."

““““““…””””””””

Hajime completely hit the nail on the head about their situation, causing all the Hauriya people to lower their heads with gloomy expressions. Hajime then continued,

"You have nowhere to escape, no safe haven, no one to protect you. But monsters and others will attack you without hesitation. If you continue as you are, no matter who your opponent is, you will all be wiped out sooner or later... Is this okay? Can you allow yourself to be eliminated from the world because of your weakness? Are you going to waste the life you've been lucky enough to save? What do you want?"

No one spoke, and the atmosphere was filled with a heavy feeling. Then someone said:

"I don't want that."

These words seemed to awaken the Hauriya people. They all raised their heads, and a strong light appeared in Shia's eyes. When Hajime saw their attitude, his past weakness inadvertently emerged in his mind. He recalled these past events and said:

"That's right. No one wants that. So, what can you do? The answer is simple: just become stronger. Just break through the obstacles that come your way and earn the right to survive."

"...But we're the Bunnymen. We don't have the tough bodies of the Tigermen or Bearmen, nor do we have the special skills of the Wingmen and the Earthmen. We don't have those..."

Everyone knew the Bunnymen were weak, and this common knowledge made them react negatively to Hajime's words. They were too weak to fight, and no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't become as strong as Hajime, right?

Hajime scoffed at the Hauriya tribe for displaying such an attitude.

"My former companions called me 'incompetent', didn't they?"

"what?"

"'Incompetent' means 'incompetent'! My abilities and skills were once mediocre. I was just an ordinary person, the weakest among my companions, and a mere hindrance in battle. That's why my former companions called me 'incompetent', and it was true."

Hajime's confession stunned all the Hauriya people. It was unbelievable that Hajime, who had easily defeated both the ferocious monsters of the Raisen Canyon and the skilled bear-man elders, could be called "incompetent" and "the weakest."

"But after falling into the abyss, I worked hard to become stronger, not even considering whether I could succeed. If I didn't work hard at that time, I would only die, so I fought with all my might... When I came to my senses, I became like this."

What he said in a plain and straightforward manner was so heroic that it made the people of the Haolia tribe feel cold all over.

His abilities, no different from those of an average human, meant his physical condition was once even worse than that of the Bunnymen. The monsters of the [Lesen Grand Canyon] had already left the Bunnymen helpless, yet Hajime, in such poor condition, had fought monsters far stronger than those. What terrified the Hauriyas was not his strength or his survival, but his strangely strong spirit—as the weakest of them, he had the courage to challenge those monsters. In their place, they would have collapsed in despair, perhaps even serenely accepting their own death, just as they had accepted the decision of the Elders' Council.

"Your situation is similar to my own. Since we're still within our agreement, I'll help you break this despair. If you feel it's impossible, I won't blame you. At most, I'll just wipe you out the next time you encounter trouble. After all, I have no intention of helping you after this agreement ends. The worst that can happen is that you'll spend the rest of your lives like a pack of stray dogs, licking each other's wounds."

So what do you want to do? Facing Hajime's question with his eyes, the Hauriya tribe couldn't immediately give an answer. No, it should be said that they couldn't give an answer.

They knew they had no other way to survive except to become stronger. Hajime's continued protection of the Hauriya tribe wasn't motivated by a sense of justice; once their agreement was fulfilled, he would abandon them without mercy. Yet, even with this understanding, Hajime's proposal posed a daunting challenge for the gentle, peace-loving, kindhearted Bunnymen, who were not prone to argument. Unlike Hajime, they weren't caught in such a unique situation, so changing their character was still difficult.

The Hauriya tribe members looked at each other in silence. After taking a look at the movements of the tribe members, Xiya, who had been looking resolute from before, stood up.

"I do. Please teach me how to fight! I don't want to be so weak anymore!"

Her screams echoed through the forest, her declaration brimming with resolve. Shia hated fighting. It was terrifying and painful, and most importantly, it made her feel bad, whether she hurt or was hurt.

However, she was undoubtedly the main reason why her people had fallen to this point, so she would never allow her people to be wiped out without any effort. For another purpose, she had to become stronger, even if it meant going against the nature of the Rabbit People.

Her eyes held a determination to never give in, and she stared straight at Hajime. Kam and the other members of the Hauriya tribe were speechless at her expression, but then their faces shared her resolve, and one by one they stood up. Not only the men, but eventually even the girls stood up. Seeing everyone standing, Kam, the representative, stepped forward and said:

"Mr. Hajime... excuse me for your trouble."

This sentence is very short, but it contains a strong will - the will to fight against the brutal and unreasonable future.

"I understand. You must be prepared, okay? You must train your minds to be even stronger, because I'm only assisting you. If anyone gives up along the way, I won't try to persuade them gently. Besides, we only have ten days... You must give it your all, because the only choices waiting for you are life or death."

After hearing Shi's call, all the members of the Haolia tribe nodded with determination.

Hajime's first step in training the Hauriya tribe was to retrieve the equipment he had crafted during his training from the "treasure vault" and hand it to the Hauriya people. Besides the knives he had previously given them, they also included a single-edged short sword with a curved edge, known in Japan as a kodachi. These knives were forged with meticulous precision by Hajime. Despite their practice in crafting extremely thin blades, they felt incredibly sharp when struck. Furthermore, being made of taurus ore, they could withstand considerable impact. Despite their slenderness, their strength rivaled that of other knives.

Hajime then taught them the basics of sword wielding. Of course, Hajime knew nothing about martial arts; what little he had learned was superficial from comics and games, techniques that were difficult to teach. Therefore, he didn't teach them that knowledge, but rather the "proper movements" honed through battles with numerous monsters in the Abyss. In addition to strict instruction, he also drew monsters to force them to gain practical combat experience. The Hauriya tribe's strengths lay in their ability to locate their enemies and maintain their stealth, so Hajime believed that simply teaching them teamwork, emphasizing surprise attacks and coordinated efforts, would be sufficient.

Incidentally, Shia is receiving one-on-one magic training from Yue. Although a demihuman, she possesses magical powers and can manipulate them directly. With the necessary knowledge, she should be able to construct magic circles and perform spells without chanting. Sometimes, the Hauriya people can hear Shia's screams from the other side of the fog, so the training should be going smoothly.

But on the second day of training, veins popped out of Hajime's forehead as he glared at the Hauriya training with impatience. The Hauriya were indeed striving to overcome their own innate tendencies, diligently following the instructions. Even though they'd sustained minor injuries from the monsters, they still fought hard to defeat them, but...

Gulp!

Hajime stabbed a monster with his specially made katana, killing it.

"Ahh~ Please forgive me for my deep sins~"

The Hauriya man was hugging the monster and howling at the sky, just like a man who killed his best friend because of his uncompromising belief.

Phew!

Another monster was lying on the ground with its head and body separated.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! This is all I can do!"

The Hauriya woman held the small sword that had just cut off the monster's neck in both hands, trembling all over, just like a woman who fell madly in love and killed her lover with her own hands.

Bang!

The dying monster used up its last bit of strength to knock its opponent away and kill him, avenging the blow. The knocked-away Cam fell to the ground, muttering to himself:

"Heh, is this retribution for turning my blade against you? This is as it should be..."

These words brought tears to the eyes of the surrounding Hauriya people, and they shouted to Kamu with sorrowful expressions:

"Chief! Please don't say that! We are all equally sinful!"

"That's right! Even if the day of divine retribution will come eventually, it definitely won't be now! Please cheer up, Clan Leader!"

"We have already embarked on a path of no return, Chief. Let us go as far as we can together."

"Y-you guys...yes, I can't stop here. Even for the sake of him (the mouse-like monster) who has passed away, we must transcend this death and move on!"

“““““““““Chief!””””””””””

Looking at Cam and others who were emitting a touching atmosphere, I couldn't help but complain:

"Enough of that! You idiots! Stop making such a fuss every time you kill a monster! What kind of soap opera is this? Why has it gotten to this point? Shut up and kill the monsters! Kill them now! Stop calling them 'he'! It's disgusting!"

Indeed, while he knew the Hauliya tribe worked very hard, perhaps it was their nature to stage an exaggerated tragedy every time they killed a monster. Hajime had witnessed this countless times in the past two days, and no matter how many times he corrected them, the Hauliya tribe remained stubborn, always causing the volcano to erupt.

Although the people of the Hauriya tribe were frightened by Hajime's angry voice, they still murmured aggrievedly, "Even if you say so...", "Even if they are monsters, they are still pitiful..."

This made the vein on Hajime's forehead bulge. Unable to bear watching, the young Hauriya approached, as if to comfort him. This young man had nearly been eaten by Hyberia in the [Raysen Grand Canyon], but had been saved by Hajime at the critical moment, and therefore had a special feeling for Hajime.

However, when the boy was about to say something to Hajime, he suddenly took three steps back.

Hajime asked the boy in surprise:

"?What's wrong?"

The young man silently placed his hands on the ground and replied:

"Ah, well, I almost stepped on Hana-san... That's great! If I hadn't noticed, I would have crushed her. It would have been so pitiful if I had crushed her, even though she's so beautiful."

Hajime's cheeks began to twitch.

"M-Ms. Hua?"

"Yeah! Hajime-nii! I, like flower-chan the most! There are so many beautiful flower-chans around here, it's really hard to avoid them all during training~"

The rabbit-eared boy smiled, and the other Hauriya people also smiled and stared at him. Hajime slowly lowered his head, his drooping white hair obscuring his expression, and then asked in a low voice:

"...So sometimes you jump around at strange moments... just for these 'Flower Ladies'?"

As Shi said, the Hauriya people would always change their pace or dodge at strange times during training. Although he always found it strange, they were able to connect to the next move smoothly, so he thought they were looking for a better position to attack.

"No, no, how could that be? We wouldn't do that."

"Haha, that's what I mean?"

When Cam said this with a wry smile, Hajime's expression relaxed, but...

"Yeah, we don't just pay attention to flowers, we also pay attention to insects! When they suddenly appear, I get anxious and try to avoid stepping on them."

Kamu's words caused Hajime's expression to drop instantly, and he began to stagger back and forth like a ghost. The Hauriya people looked at each other nervously, worried, "Did they say something wrong?" Unexpectedly, Hajime slowly approached the boy, revealing an unexpected smile. The boy smiled back at him.

From the beginning... with a smile on his face, he crushed the flowers in front of him, and then rubbed them with the soles of his shoes after stepping on them slowly.

The boy stared at his hand in dumbfounded silence. When Hajime's foot finally left, "Flower-san" had been so miserable that not even a trace of her original form remained. Only the fallen wreckage remained.

"Hana-chan!"

The boy's mournful voice echoed throughout the forest. "What the hell are you doing?" The Hauriya people looked at Shi with astonishment. Although veins bulged on Shi's forehead, he remained smiling.

"Ahhh~ I get it, I know it all too well! I was so naive, it's my fault! I misjudged your species! Haha, I didn't expect you to care about 'Flower-san' and 'bugs' in such a life-or-death situation... Combat skills and combat experience aren't as big a problem as this! I should have realized this sooner, I'm furious at my own naiveté... Hahaha!"

"Mr. Hajime?"

Hajime laughed, a chilling laugh that brought the atmosphere to a freezing point. Cam, fearfully asking, received only the following reply...

Boom!

It was Donal's bullet. Cam was flung backward, flying a short distance in midair before crashing to the ground. Then, the non-lethal rubber bullet that struck Cam's forehead fell to the ground. Silence instantly dominated the scene, the only sound being the whistling wind. Hajime approached Cam, his eyes rolled back and unconscious, and fired a rubber bullet into his stomach.

“Ahhh!”

Cam woke up whimpering and coughing, looking at Hajime with tears in his eyes. A middle-aged man with bunny ears sat on the ground, his eyes filled with tears. Hajime ignored the surreal scene and said: