An ordinary profession creates the world's strongest

"Oh, okay. We're such nice people, willing to spend time with incompetent people~ Nagumo~ you wanna thank us, okay?"

As Hiyama and the others said this, they put their arms around Hajime's shoulders and led him to a less conspicuous place. Although the classmates noticed, they pretended not to notice.

"No, it's okay. I'll practice on my own. You don't have to worry about me."

Hajime tried to decline politely.

"What? We specifically wanted to train you, you useless one, what are you saying? It's totally incomprehensible. Just say thank you!"

Having said that, Hiyama punched Hajime in the side. "Ouch," Hajime groaned in pain, frowning. Hiyama and his companions were becoming less and less hesitant about using violence. If adolescent boys suddenly gained immense power, they would inevitably become addicted to it, but being used as a target was unbearable. Even so, Hajime didn't have the strength to resist, so he could only grit his teeth and bear it.

Soon, they reached a deserted corner of the training facility, and Hiyama violently knocked Hajime down.

"Hey, hurry up and stand up. It's time for fun training now."

Hiyama, Nakano, Saito, and Kondo surrounded Hajime. Hajime stood up with his lips puckered in anger.

“Ugh!?”

In an instant, Kondo struck Hajime's back with the scabbard of his sword. Hajime screamed and fell forward, and the others continued to pursue him.

"Hey, why are you sleeping? You'll burn! Please, burn this place, 'Fireball'."

Nakano unleashed the fire-attribute magic "Fireball." Having just fallen, and with the severe pain in his back, Hajime couldn't get up immediately, so he desperately rolled to dodge the attack. However, as if they had anticipated this, it was Saito's turn to cast the magic.

"Ask for wind to strike this place, 'Wind Ball'."

Just as Hajime was about to stand up, a gust of wind struck him directly in the abdomen. Hajime was swept away, curling up on the spot, and squatted down, retching.

Although these spells were merely low-level, they still possessed the power of a professional boxer's punch. This was due to their high aptitude and the fact that the medium engraved with the magic circle was a nationally issued artifact.

"Tsk, you're so weak. Hey Nagumo~ are you really serious?"

Having said that, Hiyama kicked Hajime in the stomach. Hajime tried his best to suppress the urge to vomit.

After that, the bullying, called practice, continued for quite a while. Hajime endured the pain, biting his lip in frustration, wondering why he was the only one so weak. Logically, even if he couldn't defeat the other party, he should probably fight back.

But even from a young age, Hajime had never been good at arguing with others, nor had he harbored hostility or ill will towards anyone. So whenever he was about to argue with someone, he would always give in. "If I just endure it, it will be over." Hajime felt that this was much better than arguing.

Some people think that Shi is very gentle, while others think that he is just a loser. Shi doesn't know which category he belongs to.

Just when the pain began to become unbearable, an angry girl's voice suddenly rang out.

"What are you doing!?"

Upon hearing this voice, Hiyama and the others immediately showed expressions of worry. And it was no wonder. After all, that girl was Kaori, whom Hiyama and the others were infatuated with. Besides Kaori, Shizuku, Kouki, and Ryuutarou were also there.

"No, please don't misunderstand. We're just accompanying Nagumo for special training..."

"Nagumo-kun!"

Ignoring Hiyama's defense, Kaori rushed over to Hajime, who was squatting on the ground coughing non-stop. The moment she saw Hajime like this, Hiyama and the others seemed to disappear from her mind without a trace.

"Special training, huh? But it seems a bit too one-sided, doesn't it?"

"No, that's..."

"No need to make excuses. Even if Nagumo isn't fit for combat, he's still a classmate. Don't let this happen again."

"If you have free time to do boring things, why not use it to train yourself?"

Shizuku, Kouki, and Ryuutarou each finished their righteous speeches, and Hiyama and the others gave a perfunctory smile before quickly leaving the scene. Under Kaori's healing magic, Hajime's injuries slowly recovered.

"Thank you, Shirosaki-san. You've been a great help to me."

Facing Hajime’s wry smile, Kaori shook her head vigorously with a tearful expression.

"Do they always treat you like this? If so, I..."

Kaori glared at the direction Hiyama and the others were leaving with a slightly angry look on her face. Hajime quickly stopped her.

"No, it's not always like this! I'm fine, you really don't have to worry!"

"But……"

However, Kaori still looked unconvinced. Hajime smiled again and said it was okay, and Kaori reluctantly stopped pursuing the matter.

"Nagumo-kun, if anything happens, please don't hesitate to tell me. That way, Kaori will feel at ease."

Shizuku glanced at Kaori, whose face was gloomy, and said with a wry smile. Hajime thanked her for her kindness. However, the radiance of a brave man poured cold water on Hajime at this moment.

"But Nagumo should also work harder. You won't get stronger if you keep making excuses about being weak, right? I heard you spend your free time in the library burying yourself in books when you're not training, right? If it were me, I'd even spend my free time training to get stronger. Nagumo better get more serious. Hiyama and the others might also want to help Nagumo, who's not very motivated."

"How can I explain this?" Hajime was almost dumbfounded. "Ah, if I remember correctly, Amanogawa-san usually explains other people's actions from the perspective of human nature being good." Thinking of this, Hajime couldn't help but smile bitterly.

"Humans generally don't do bad things. If it looks like they've done something bad, there must be some legitimate reason. Maybe the problem lies with the other person!" This is Guanghui's thought process.

And there was truly no malice in Guanghui's words. He was speaking out of genuine concern for Hajime's sake. Hajime no longer had the energy to clear up the misunderstanding. Since Guanghui was so convinced of his own ideas, or rather, his sense of justice, nothing he said would be of any use.

Not sure if she understood this, Shizuku rubbed her face, sighed, and apologized softly to Hajime.

"I'm sorry, Kouki meant no harm."

"Ahahaha, yeah, it's okay, I know."

Hajime, still smiling, assured himself that he was fine. He stood up while brushing off his dirty clothes.

"Alright, training has begun. Shall we go?"

At Hajime's urging, the group returned to the training facility. Kaori seemed worried, but Hajime pretended not to notice. As a boy, Hajime didn't really want to rely on the girls in his grade.

On the way back to the training facility, Hajime sighed deeply for the umpteenth time that day. The future was filled with many troubles.

After training, everyone was usually free to do what they wanted until dinner time, but this time, Captain Meld had something to say, so he kept everyone behind. Under the students' curious gaze, Captain Meld spoke in a deep voice:

"Starting tomorrow, we'll be heading out to the Orcus Great Labyrinth as part of our combat training. We'll prepare the necessary supplies, but don't mistake this for our previous combat training against monsters outside the Royal Capital! Anyway, everyone, work hard! Get some rest today! Dismissed!"

After finishing what he needed to say, Captain Meld quickly left. As the students fell into an uproar, Hajime stood at the end of the group, looking up at the sky.

(…The future is filled with many disasters.)

[The Great Labyrinth of Orcus].

It's said to be a massive maze with a total of one hundred levels. Not only is it one of the seven great mazes, but the deeper the levels, the more powerful monsters appear. Despite this, this maze is often used by adventurers, mercenaries, and new recruits for training. This is primarily because it's easy to estimate a monster's strength based on its level, and the magic stone contained within monsters here is far superior to those found on land.

Magic Stone is the core of a monster's power. Powerful monsters often possess large, high-quality Magic Stone, which is the raw material for crafting magic circles. While a magic circle can be effectively created simply by drawing it, its effectiveness is reduced to only one-third compared to grinding the magic stone for engraving or using it as a dye.

In short, using magic stones allows for more efficient transfer of magical energy. Furthermore, magic items used in everyday life also use magic stones as their power source. Magic stones are not only relevant to the military but are also a highly sought-after necessity in everyday life.

Incidentally, monsters with high-quality magic stones often possess powerful special magic. Unable to use chants or magic circles, even with their magical power, monsters are unable to cast a wide variety of spells. However, special magic is the only type of magic a monster can use. While there is only one type, it requires no chants or magic circles to cast. This is the biggest reason why monsters should not be underestimated.

Hajime and his companions, along with several other members of the Knights led by Captain Meld, arrived in Holyard. This town provided accommodations for adventurers embarking on the Great Labyrinth of Orcus. It was rumored to be frequently used for new recruits' training, so Hajime and his companions stayed at a Kingdom-run inn.

It felt like it had been ages since I'd seen a normal room, so I couldn't help but throw myself on the bed and let out a sigh of relief. Everyone else was sleeping in a double room, at least, but Hajime was staying in a single. "But this is kind of relaxing," Hajime muttered, a bit defiantly. I didn't feel lonely at all...

Tomorrow we'll be challenging the labyrinth. This time, we'll only go as far as the twentieth floor. Even with the weakest Hajime around, we can handle it. That's what the leader himself said. From Hajime's perspective, all he could do was apologize for causing trouble. He could just leave him in the capital and let them go on their own... Even so, the timid Hajime knew how to read the situation and kept those words to himself.

Hajime spent some time looking at the borrowed maze's lower-level monster guide, but decided to go to bed early to get as much rest as possible. Even in this alternate world, the napping skills Hajime had developed during his school days were still fully utilized.

However, just as Hajime dozed off, a sudden knock on the door interrupted his sleep. While going to bed early was Hajime's viewpoint, as someone who often stayed up late in Japan, in Todas's world, it was already quite late at night. "Could it be Hiyama and the others?" Hajime's expression suddenly tensed at the strange late-night visitor.

However, the voice that came later proved that Shi's worries were just unfounded.

"Nagumo-san, are you still awake? I'm Shirasaki. Is it convenient to talk now?"

"What?" Although he froze for a moment, Hajime still hurried to the door. He unlocked it and opened it, only to see Kaori standing there, wearing only a cardigan over her pure white pajamas.

“…What are you doing?”

"what?"

Witnessing this in some ways shocking scene, Hajime couldn't help but grumble in his Kansai accent. Kaori looked bewildered, perhaps because she didn't hear him clearly.

Hajime quickly perked up and asked Kaori what she was up to, trying not to look in her direction. While Hajime might not have much interest in reality, he was still a grown-up, adolescent boy. Kaori's current outfit was a bit too provocative.

"Ah~ No, it's nothing. Um, what's wrong? Is there anything you want to tell me?"

"No. Um, I wanted to chat with Nagumo-san for a moment... am I disturbing you?"

“…Please come in.”

Although Hajime had anticipated the most likely scenario, Kaori flatly denied it and fired a single shot. She even raised her eyes and looked up at Hajime, a bombshell that was incredibly effective! When she came to her senses, Hajime had already opened the door and invited Kaori in.

"Um!"

Kaori entered the room happily and sat down at the table by the window without any precautions.

Despite the confusion, Hajime instinctively prepared tea. He simply dropped what looked like a tea bag into the teapot and extracted what looked like black tea. Hajime prepared his own and Kaori's portions, handed them the tea, and sat down on the chair across from them.

"Thank you."

Kaori happily took the cup and sipped the tea-like liquid. The moonlight streaming in from the window illuminated her pure white. A faint halo of light shone through her black hair, making her look like a true angel.

Hajime felt no lust, simply gazing at the mysterious Kaori. Only when Kaori set her cup down with a clang did Hajime come to his senses. To calm himself, he downed his fake tea in one gulp, choking slightly. How embarrassing.

Kaori chuckled at this. To hide his embarrassment, Hajime hurriedly urged Kaori to speak.

"So what do you want to talk about? Is it about tomorrow?"

In response to Hajime's question, Kaori nodded and said "hmm." Then, she looked thoughtful, as if her previous smile was a lie.

"Regarding tomorrow's maze... I'd like Nagumo-san to stay in town and wait. I'll definitely convince the instructor and my classmates, so please!"

Perhaps because she was getting more excited, Kaori thrust herself forward and pleaded. Hajime was perplexed. If she was just trying to stumble because of Hajime, wasn't she trying too hard?

“Well… I’m certainly in the way… but now that everyone’s here, there’s no way they’ll let me stay here and wait…”

"No! I don't think you're in the way!"

Kaori hurriedly explained to the misunderstood Hajime. Perhaps realizing she was being too impatient, she placed her hands on her chest and took a deep breath. After calming down a bit, she apologized, "I'm sorry, I was so abrupt," she said, then quietly began to explain.

"Well, actually, I have a bad feeling. I just dozed off a bit... and had a dream... Although Nagumo-san appeared in the dream... he didn't hear me calling him at all... and no matter how hard I ran, he couldn't catch up... and finally..."

Kaori remained silent, as if afraid to continue. Hajime asked calmly.

"at last?"

Kaori bit her lips tightly and raised her head with a tearful expression.

"...Finally, it disappeared..."

“…I see.”

For a long moment, silence reigned all around.

Hajime watched Kaori lower her head once more. This dream was indeed ominous, but dreams were only dreams after all. The instructors wouldn't allow Hajime to stay back on standby for such a reason; even if they did, he'd likely face fierce criticism from his classmates. Regardless, Hajime would truly be without a place to stay. Therefore, not going wasn't an option for him.

In order to appease Kaori, Hajime took special care to soften his tone and said:

"Dreams are just dreams, Shirosaki-san. This time we're accompanied by veteran knights led by Captain Meld, and there are also many powerful people like Amanogawa-san. Besides, everyone in our class has cheats, so the enemy is the one who has to suffer. Isn't it because I'm weak and have shown myself vulnerable so many times that you have such a dream?"

While listening to Hajime's words, Kaori continued to stare at Hajime with an uneasy look on her face.

"If...if I'm still worried..."

"...would you be worried?"

Although it was a bit embarrassing, Hajime looked directly into Kaori's eyes and said:

"Can you protect me?"

"what?"

As a man, Hajime knew he had said something shameful. He was already blushing with shame. The moonlight illuminated the room, and Kaori could clearly see Hajime's expression.

"Shirosaki-san is a 'healer', right? That's a vocation bestowed upon those gifted with healing magic. No matter what happens... even if I'm seriously injured, Shirosaki-san can heal me. Can you use that power to protect me? I'll definitely be safe."

Kaori stared at Hajime for a while without blinking. Hajime felt that he couldn't look away in this situation, so he tried his best to endure it even though he was about to faint from embarrassment.

Hajime had heard somewhere before that the biggest source of anxiety is ignorance. Kaori was probably feeling uneasy about the unknown, the possibility of Hajime being attacked. Even if it might only serve as comfort, Hajime wanted to build Kaori's confidence that she could handle whatever the unknown presented.

Hajime and Kaori stared at each other for a long moment, and finally Kaori broke the silence with a smile.

"Nagumo-kun hasn't changed at all."

"?"

After hearing what Kaori said, Hajime showed a surprised expression. Seeing this, Kaori smiled softly.

"Nagumo-kun, you thought you were meeting me for the first time after entering high school, right? But, I've known you since the second year of junior high."

Hearing this unexpected confession, Hajime's eyes widened in surprise. Even though he desperately searched his memory, he still had no recollection. Facing Hajime who was lost in thought, Kaori smiled again.

"That's just me knowing you... When I first met Nagumo-san, you were kneeling on the ground, so you couldn't have seen me."

“Kneel, kneel on the ground!?”

"I was actually seen in this embarrassing state!" This time, Hajime was almost fainting in a different sense. "When and where did I kneel down in such a conspicuous place!?" Hajime searched desperately in his memory. Looking at Hajime's changing expressions, Kaori continued: