An ordinary profession creates the world's strongest

Tsukimi no Shizuku's feminine charm is simply at the level of a cheat.

Kaori looked at Yue with an expression of immense pride for some reason. Then, right in front of Yue, she pushed Shizuku hard (she panicked under the intense scrutiny, a stark contrast to her usual heroic demeanor).

Yue made an unpleasant "hmm" sound and pushed Shia forward as if to protest. Shia asked in confusion, "Huh? W-What's going on?" Yue used wind magic to twitch Shia's bunny ears, highlighting her features even more. Then, he smiled fearlessly at Kaori.

It looked like a duel of partners. A pantomime-style showdown that played out, "My bestie is definitely cuter!"

Seeing that Kaori and Yue were still the same, Xia smiled and tried to persuade them with a worried look.

However, Kaori and Yue refused to listen, and sparks flew between them as naturally as breathing.

So, Shia tapped her shoulder with the Drukken and smiled slightly.

Yue and Kaori froze. After a pause, they quietly returned to their original positions, staring straight ahead.

Seeing this, everyone looked at Xia with respect.

Hajime, with an expression of admiration on his face, spoke of what he had mentioned earlier, as if suddenly realizing something.

"But then again, Shia fought seriously and ended up in a draw with Yue, right? And she even scolded Yue. We need to prepare a reward for Shia."

"Eh? Is it okay?"

This time, Shia was undoubtedly the most deserving of the MVP award. After all, she was the one who had managed to force Yue to retract his joke through her own strength. Yue himself didn't seem to object, simply glaring at Shia as usual.

"...Yeah. Even my parents never hit me, but Shia slapped me. That was my first time getting spanked. I'll never forget the pain in my cheek. Shia, just make a wish."

"... Miss Yue, you're holding a grudge, aren't you? Well, I don't have any special wishes. They've all been granted. Just give me a gift handmade by Hajime-san. And I did those things to Miss Yue voluntarily."

If it were Shia from the past, she would have shouted "Date!" or "My first time!" But now, she didn't show any particular excitement, just a happy smile, looking quite elegant.

Looking at Shia's expression, it was Kaori who felt trembling this time.

"How effortless... Shia is already a match for Yue. No, maybe even a formidable opponent. I was so careless."

"Eh, uh, Kaori? Your face has become like a geki-style anime, huh?"

"Shizuku-chan. In order to achieve mastery, I think we can no longer be content with the position of a challenger."

"Well……"

Shia's calm demeanor made Kaori begin to feel anxious. She crossed her arms, one hand resting on her chin, deep in thought, like a scholar seeking the truth. Shizuku, on the other hand, was bewildered by her friend's strange behavior.

Kaori's eyes suddenly widened, and she declared to Shizuku:

"That's right, we shouldn't be challengers, we should be attackers!"

"...Kaori, you're tired. Can you calm down a bit?"

"Shizuku-chan, after we finish clearing the Great Labyrinth, let's all go to bed together and have a night raid on Hajime-san."

"Do you really know what you're talking about!?"

"Don't worry. After this trial, I've almost mastered this body. I think if we work together, we can do it."

"It's Kaori's head that needs to be dealt with. Cast the regeneration magic quickly. Now, quickly, and surely."

"Even though this is both of our first time...it's fine as long as we're together!"

“…Should I slap her like Shia did?”

Shizuku looked at Kaori, whose cheeks flushed, fists clenched, and whose snorting, excited expression of determination, made her look weary. Should she emulate Shia? But breaking Kaori's habit of sudden attacks seemed like a struggle.

"...Stop acting like a romantic comedy and move on."

"After everyone got together, I felt tired. What's going on?"

Ling and Ryuutarou, who were walking at the back, urged them on with a hint of annoyance, and the group finally started walking again.

Despite the glory of not having passed the trials, no new trials were coming, so it looked like they could reach the deepest point. Hajime and the others continued forward with an optimistic attitude.

After walking for about ten minutes, they finally reached the end.

A heptagonal crest was carved into the ice wall before me. At each vertex of the heptagon were crests of various shapes, the same liberator emblems I'd seen in other large labyrinths.

As they approached, the emblem began to glow faintly, and soon the entire wall was covered in a film of light.

Hajime gently touched the wall with his fingertips, and ripples appeared on it, like a stone thrown into water. This was the light of the "portal" he had seen countless times before.

Hajime turned around and looked at everyone, then nodded. Yue and the others nodded in response, their eyes fixed on determination.

After preparing themselves mentally, Hajime and his companions jumped into the wall of light.

……

……

……

"...Looks like they didn't get torn apart this time."

"...Yeah. And look at that."

"Hmm. Looks like we've finally arrived."

"It's so beautiful here. Is that... a palace?"

The light that obscured their vision disappeared, revealing a vast expanse of space.

The square space, supported by several thick, cylindrical icicles, was indeed still composed of ice. While conventional ice walls had a high reflectivity like a mirror, the ice here seemed composed of pure ice, incredibly clear.

And then, the most striking thing was the ground. It was overflowing with water, something I had never seen before.

It seems that the temperature in this space is not that low.

Small fountains dotted the vast lake, suggesting a large amount of water was flowing into this space. Perhaps there was a hole somewhere for the water to escape.

There are also ice-made stone walkways and several intricately carved ice bridges across the lake. Scattered among the small islands are even covered with ice flowers, creating a scene resembling a garden.

And deep in this beautiful space, as Xia said, there stands a palace.

The palace was majestic and beautiful, and the walls carved with flowers and statues looked like works of art.

Coupled with the ice garden, it feels like entering a dream world.

The group was so engrossed in watching that they stood there for a while. It was not until Hajime slowly removed the cold-weather artifact, the "Air Zone", that they came back to their senses.

"It's not cold after all. Not only is it cool, but the air is also fresh. This space is truly cozy and pleasant."

In other words──

"No mistake. This is the deepest part of the ice cave—the secret base of Bandu Schoni." (Editor's note: From this volume on, Bandu Schoni is the same as the outside world.)

After confirming with the compass, Hajime curled his lips and said with a smile.

Ling's eyes suddenly became moist.

“…We’ve conquered…the ice cave… woo!”

Suzu was so moved that tears welled up in her eyes. After pushing her body and mind to their limits, gritting her teeth and forging ahead, it was inevitable and natural for her to feel moved upon finally reaching her destination. Shizuku and Ryuutarou were equally moved.

“…We did it.”

"Yes. Although I don't know how many times I've been on the brink of life and death."

"That's because you always rush around without thinking."

"Oh, haha. Never mind, as long as the result is good."

Shizuku glared at Ryuutarou. But when her eyes met the guilty Ryuutarou's, they both burst out laughing.

Ling also joined the two of them. The three of them showed expressions of accomplishment and clapped each other on the shoulders.

Kaori, Shia, and Tio also laughed, and Yue smiled as well. Even Hajime closed his eyes, a rare occurrence, and curled his lips.

"Nagumo, there aren't any traps or anything like that, right?"

Ryutaro was about to take a step towards the palace excitedly, but then he retracted his foot.

"What? Aren't you going to rush forward alone again and become a man in ice?"

"Forget, forget that embarrassing incident. I'm someone who learns from my mistakes, you know?"

The thought of exposing his private parts in front of the girls made Ryuutarou's eyes turn dark. Learning his lesson, he resolved to never let it happen again. Seeing Ryuutarou like this, Hajime couldn't help but laugh. To be on the safe side, he used the Mystic Eye Stone to check the path and bridge, then led the way.

Nothing happened along the way and the group arrived safely at the side where the palace was located.

There was an elaborate magic circle in front of the palace. Since no reaction occurred when they tried to step on it, and considering the location, everyone concluded that it was just a magic circle used for shortcuts.

The palace itself is made of light blue ice with zero transparency.

The entrance door was a massive double door. A crest resembling a snow crystal pattern was carved across the doors, spanning both sides. It was the symbol of the Liberator, Bandu Schoni.

He pushed the door once and it opened.

The fact that it opened so smoothly without any ice falling off was probably because Fried had opened it not long ago.

"...Hmm? It looks a lot like Oscar's secret base, doesn't it?"

"Yes, that's true. Although this place is more spacious and luxurious."

The structure itself was, as Yue had said, somewhat similar to Oscar's residence.

But it was much larger and more magnificent—or rather, filled with artistic flair, unlike Oscar's residence. The ice crystal chandelier, the stair railings, and the doors to each room were all intricately carved.

If Oscar is naturally fond of functional beauty, then Bandhu is naturally fond of artistic beauty.

Oscar's diary also wrote that he "didn't get along with Ben." After actually seeing this difference, one can't help but think that it was true, and even seem to see the two of them mocking each other at the time.

That being said, the relationship between the two must be... Hajime looked at Yue and Kaori for no reason.

They both said "Hmm?" at the same time, tilting their heads in confusion.

Hajime shook his head to indicate it was nothing, then picked up the compass and searched for the location of the magic circle that granted the strategy certificate and the magic of the New Age of Gods.

"Is it positive?"

It seems to be deep in the front passage on the first floor.

Led by Hajime, the group continued onward. They passed several rooms along the way. Upon opening the doors, they saw nothing but ordinary wooden and metal furniture. The ice wall, though clearly made of ice, felt only chilly to the touch, not freezing cold. Perhaps, like Hajime's "Air Zone," some sort of protection against the cold had been implemented.

In this way, the group walked in the palace with admiration in their hearts, and finally came to a particularly heavy door.

"This is it."

Hajime opened the door without hesitation. There was indeed the magic circle they were looking for.

Ling and Ryuutarou looked at Hajime with excitement and anticipation, their eyes looking at him like puppies waiting for instructions.

There was no point in keeping them in suspense, so Hajime simply nodded. The group entered the magic circle in high spirits.

As before, after the magic circle explored the memories of the group in this great maze, it directly engraved the magic of the Age of Gods in the brains of those who were deemed to have successfully conquered it.

The sudden enlightenment made Suzu, Ryuutarou, and Shizuku somewhat unsteady, but they were trembling with joy at having learned the final magic of the Age of Gods—"Transformation Magic."

Just like that, everyone looked at each other and was about to cheer—

“Hmm!? Gua ...

“…!? Ugh, wuwuwuwu!!”

A scream full of pain sounded.

Shia and the others were so frightened that they quickly looked in the direction of the screams. They saw Hajime and Yue kneeling with their heads in their hands, as if suffering from a severe headache.

"Mr. Hajime!? Miss Yue!?"

“What!? What happened!?”

Shia and Shizuku screamed in surprise.

"Don't panic! Kaori! Don't be dazed!"

"Huh? Ah, yes! I'll diagnose it right away!"

Shia and the others panicked because of the suddenness of the incident, and were scolded by Tio. The therapist Kaori was also scolded before she came to her senses.

Just as Kaori was about to step forward to examine him—

“—Hmm.”

"……Um."

Shihe Yue, who was sweating madly, seemed to have gotten rid of the unexplained pain and collapsed on the spot with powerlessness all over.

Shia supported Hajime in time, and Shizuku immediately helped Yue up.

It looked like both of them had fainted.