An ordinary profession creates the world's strongest

As for what transpired between them and Aiko...it's a long story, so I won't go into detail here. Basically, as Aiko's tireless efforts proved fruitless, those around her sensed her sincerity and the contrasting charm of her, and unknowingly became her followers. If I were to elaborate, it would be a whole new story... Anyway, a lot of things happened.

Based on the factors mentioned above, the students are now divided into three groups: the brave group of Guanghui and others who are undergoing actual combat training in the [Orcus Great Labyrinth], the group staying in the palace, and the Aiko Guard group who have left the stranded group.

The members of the "Ai Guards," transformed from the "Anti-Men's Army to Protect Ai," include Yuuka Sonobe, who takes the lead and assumes a de facto leadership role, along with her friends Nana Miyazaki and Taeko Sugawara, and male members Atsushi Tamai, Noboru Aikawa, Akito Nimura, and Yukitoshi Shimizu. Seven students in total, each carrying their own trauma, join the "Ai Guards."

More than two months had passed since the Empire's envoys—or rather, the Emperor and his entourage—visited the Kingdom of Heilig.

They had set out from the capital and were now en route to the lakeside town of Ur, a new agricultural development area. The carriage, lacking a suspension system, shook and vibrated, causing considerable impact on the buttocks of those born on modern Earth. (Editor's note: A system designed to maintain interior comfort and adequately isolate the vehicle from road noise, bounce, and vibration.)

"Aiko, are you tired? If you are, please don't hesitate to tell me and we can rest right away, okay?"

"No, I'm fine, Mr. David. Besides, didn't I just rest? I'm not that weak."

In the spacious carriage, David, the captain of Aiko's personal guard, asked worriedly, and Aiko answered with a wry smile.

"Hehe, the captain is really worried about Miss Aiko. Just a while ago, just moving for a whole day was exhausting for you... So I'm worried too. You really can't be polite to us."

"I'm sorry I caused trouble for everyone back then, because it was my first time traveling in a carriage... But I'm pretty much used to it now, so it's really okay. Thank you for your concern, Mr. Chase."

The unfamiliar experience of riding in a carriage had exposed Aiko's awkwardness. Recalling her past self, Aiko blushed and thanked Chase, the deputy captain of the escort team.

Seeing his beloved son's blushing cheeks, Chase covered his mouth with his hands, suppressed his impulse, and pretended to be calm as he was about to hold her hand... but was stopped by a cough and a sharp look.

The one who stopped him was Sonobe Yuka, who was sitting diagonally in front of Aiko.

Since Yuuka and the others were essentially considered "Apostles of God" summoned from another world along with the heroes, a special carriage was prepared for them. However, because they were worried about what might happen if Aiko was left alone with the handsome men in such a confined space, they were half-forced to board the same carriage.

Yuka dyed her shoulder-length hair a light brown, her beautiful features accentuated by a sharp gaze. While in Japan, she wasn't considered a delinquent; technically, she was a diligent student. However, her fashion sense bordered on delinquent, and her informality often led to her being misunderstood. Simply crossing her arms, crossing her legs, furrowing her brow, and raising her eyes sharply... she was quite intimidating, enough to make her fellow passenger, Atsushi, look away.

Incidentally, this carriage could seat eight. "Even though there's a small group of knights guarding the area, the captain and vice-captain are both sitting inside the carriage. Is that okay?" Despite being teased, the handsome men still found excuses to board the carriage, seemingly unwilling to leave their beloved son.

"Oh my, I'm getting glared at. Frowning so hard will ruin your cute face, you know?"

Chase said this with a handsome smile. For some reason, his smile was particularly bright. Most women would probably blush when seeing such a charming smile, but Yuka said with a look of disdain:

"He's right next to you, Ai-sensei, yet he's still praising another woman as 'cute'? Ai-sensei, this guy is definitely a playboy. You have to be careful with him, okay?"

Yuka makes a small counterattack, arguing that "people who praise other women for being cute in front of the woman they like are definitely not good people." Moreover, they seem to fully understand their responsibility as beauty trappers. As long as they show words and deeds that make use of their looks, they are just bad playboys to Yuka.

"Sono, Sonobe-san, don't look like you're about to start a fight. It's rare for you to call me 'Sensei', but you still won't change the name 'Ai-chan'... Can't you just call me Aiko-sensei normally?"

"No, because Teacher Xiao Ai is 'Xiao Ai', so we must call her Teacher Xiao Ai. This is the consensus of all students."

"H-What should I do? I don't understand what that means, and they say it's the students' consensus? Is this how the "easy generation" thinks? You have to work hard, Aiko, this is a test to become a teacher with authority and reliability! I must do everything I can to understand my students' thoughts!" (Editor's note: The generation born in Japan after 1987. It is generally believed that the easy generation has lower learning ability and competitiveness than previous generations.)

Seeing Ai-sensei's fighting spirit ignite on her own, the tension that had been building up due to Yuka and Chase's conversation gradually eased. This was why Aiko was called "Ai-sensei," but she didn't realize it. It seemed that she still had a long way to go before she could become a teacher with authority.

Then he rocked in the carriage for another four days.

The handsome men nonchalantly approached Aiko. Seeing their eagerness to show her concern, Aiko, knowing it was an order from higher-ups, brushed it off, unaware they were truly in love with her. Yuuka and the others kept a close watch, preventing them from approaching Aiko again. Each time, the atmosphere grew tense, only to be softened by Aiko's words and actions... This cycle continued endlessly until the group finally arrived at the lakeside town of Ur.

They spent their travels relaxing at the town's inn while investigating farmland and planning improvements near Ur. During that time, there were also a lot of romantic comedy-style commotions centered around Aiko... but that's another story.

Just like that, as they embarked on the land reform, the "Goddess of Fertility"—a nickname that had recently spread throughout the city, causing Aiko both shyness and worry, also spread throughout [Ure Town]. At this time, an incident occurred that further oppressed Aiko's spirit—a student disappeared.

Aiko runs around for her beloved students.

Little did she know that what was waiting for her was a shocking reunion and an unwanted outcome.

Volume 3 Chapter 1 Adventurer's Work

"Haha, I'm going to show you all your shameful looks today!"

Though sometimes obscured by clouds, the crescent moon still shone brilliantly in the darkness. Now, it peeked through the wind-blown clouds, revealing its brilliance. Its light illuminated a building on the ground. More specifically, it illuminated a young girl. She lowered a rope from the building's roof and climbed it, displaying the dazzling rappelling skills of a special forces soldier.

After she descended to the window of the corner room on the third floor, she immediately turned her body around, hanging upside down, and quietly peeked out from the upper half of the window.

"I learned rock climbing and other techniques from Miss Christabel just for this day! They'd never guess I'd be in a place like this, right? Hehehe! Come on, let me see for myself what kind of unusual tricks you're pulling!"

The girl gasped with excitement, her eyes wide open as she peered into the room. She was none other than Sona, the featured girl at the Masaka Inn in Brook Town. She was cheerful and lively, articulate, and incredibly hardworking. While not a beauty, she was a simple and lovely girl, like a wild flower, and many men in town were eager to win her heart.

That girl was currently using all her skills to 'peek' into a certain guest room. If the men who were fascinated by her saw her expression now, they would surely be instantly disillusioned... because it was the expression of a perverted old man.

"Hmm, it's really dark, I can't see clearly. I'll try a slightly different angle..."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, this angle is fine... But isn't it too quiet? I thought I could hear some moans..."

"If I use magic, I can block out the sound, right?"

“Ah!? So there’s this trick! Ugh, so cunning! But I won’t give up! At least I have to brand their shameful appearances in my eyes…”

Again, this was outside the third-floor window. Unless someone was doing the same stupid thing as Sona, she couldn't have heard the conversation next to her. Sweat poured down her face, and like a machine that had forgotten to be lubricated, she turned her head stiffly. There she was...

Standing upright in the air, Hajime had a sinister smile on his face.

"No, no, guest, I'm, uh... oh right! I'm doing the hotel's regular maintenance!"

"Oh~ So late at night?"

"That's right. Think about it. If we finish the repairs early in the middle of the night, no one will see us doing it during the day, right? It's not good to let people think the hotel is old, right?"

"I see, reputation is important, right?"

"Right, that's right! Reputation is important!"

"By the way, it seems like there's a peeping Tom in this hotel. What are your thoughts on this?"

"T-This is extremely serious! Someone actually peeped. No, this is unforgivable!"

"Yeah, that's right, peeping is unforgivable, right?"

"Y-yes, of course it's unforgivable..."

Hajime and Sona were facing each other, laughing "Hahaha" and "Hehehe", but there was no smile in Hajime's eyes, while Sona was trembling with cold sweat, and the smiles of the two were in stark contrast.

"Go to hell."

“Eh~! I’m sorry~!”

Hajime's face suddenly darkened, and he unleashed his Iron Claw Technique on Sona's face. His fingers clenched with a sound as they dug into her flesh. Sona thrashed in the air, wailing and desperately begging for mercy.

Sona was an ordinary girl, and Hajime's punishment was a bit harsh for a normal girl. If it had been her first offense, Hajime might have shown some leniency. However, starting the night after Hajime and the others returned from the Great Labyrinth of Lazen, Sona resorted to various methods of spying on them every night, and when they were caught, she simply brushed off the punishment. Sona's leniency gradually wore off. Incidentally, Hajime and the others continued to stay here because the food was delicious.

Hajime sighed and hugged Sona, who was already in a convulsive state, back to his waist. Sona, thinking she was finally free, breathed a sigh of relief. But when she looked down... there was a ghost there, a ghost with a smile on its face, but its eyes were as dull as Hajime's. It was called Mother.

"babble!!"

Perhaps realizing that Sona had seen her, the mother slowly raised her hand and beckoned Sona over, which was like an invitation to hell.

"This time, I'm not going to just spank you a hundred times and be done with it."

“Nooo ...

Hearing Hajime's words, Sona screamed, remembering the punishments she had received so far. The next morning at breakfast, Sona's eyes would surely be filled with tears, her bottom red and swollen. Hajime couldn't help but sigh at the daily routine.

Hajime handed Sona over to her mother and returned to her room, where he collapsed directly onto the bed.

"……Thanks for your hard work."

"Welcome back."

The people greeting Hajime were, of course, Yue and Shia. The moonlight streaming in through the window illuminated the room, faintly illuminating the two figures.

Yue sat on the bed across from her, kneeling with her legs spread apart, while Shia sat shallowly on the edge. Both dressed only in their nightgowns, they looked incredibly sensual and alluring. Their combined beauty would surely become a masterpiece, even if painted by a second-rate artist.

"Oh, but then again, what could have driven that girl to such lengths... rappelling from a rooftop? That's pretty unusual, isn't it? Even if the meal is delicious, maybe we should just find another inn."

Hajime said this, seemingly defeated. Shia smiled, stood up, and sat down beside Hajime's bed. Yue also hurriedly stood up and moved to Hajime's bed. She gently lifted Hajime's head from where he lay, and moved her thighs underneath his head. The soft, springy feeling immediately spread across the back of Hajime's head. The feeling of a lap pillow was truly wonderful.

"It must be because of us that the girl in Sona was ignited. It's normal for her to be curious, isn't that cute?"

"...But her methods are becoming increasingly sophisticated, which is really worrying..."

"She even used a homemade snorkel yesterday to dive to the bottom of the pool... When I spotted a pair of dazzling eyes in the water, even I couldn't help but shudder."

"Hmm~ As the innkeeper's daughter, that's certainly not appropriate... Although she doesn't seem to be spying on anyone other than us..."

Shia, chatting about Sona's strange behavior, leaned in close to Hajime. She naturally reached out and took Hajime's hand, guiding it to her chest. Shia's cheeks flushed, her expression reflecting the nervousness and anticipation of what was about to happen.

Hajime gently returned the grip. Just by tightening his grip, Shia's body immediately shuddered, and she seemed to increase the strength of her grip as if in joy, while Hajime pressed even harder.

Clench tight... shake your body, squeeze tighter... shake your body, tighten... tremble, squeeze... shudder.

"Wait, Hajime-san! It's breaking! My hand is breaking!"

Snap!

“Eh~! I’m sorry, it’s my fault! I got carried away! So please let go! It’s going to break! It’s going to break if you keep going like this!”

"Why are you trying to create a romantic atmosphere without any hesitation? Besides, your room is next door, right? Why are you here?"

Shia's body trembled as she tried to free herself from Hajime's grip, but her hand felt like it was clamped in a vise, unable to move at all.

"Well, that's because I wanted to see if I could sneak in and get to home plate. ☆Besides, we've already kissed once, so what's the harm in doing it again?"

"Of course it matters. I told you I was saving your life."

After conquering the Great Labyrinth of Layson, Hajime and the others were treated like toilet waste by the labyrinth's owner, Miredy Layson, and flushed into the underground waterway. At that time, Shia was drowning after witnessing a strange creature, and Hajime gave her artificial respiration...

After repeated mouth-to-mouth artificial respiration, as soon as Xia regained consciousness, she immediately used her superhuman physical ability to pounce on Shi and kissed him deeply.

Of course, after that, she was pulled away by Hajime and thrown into the spring...but for Shia, it was still an important memory of her first kiss.

Hajime responded to Shia's dissatisfaction with a cold tone. But Usagi wasn't going to be discouraged. Like a detective closing in on a criminal, she refuted with a smug expression:

“No, I can tell from my gut that Hajime-san is already falling for me! You’ve become much gentler than you were at the beginning! If you keep going like this, the matter will be settled… Hehehehe (squeezing) Stop it! My hand will break!”

Hajime couldn't bear to listen to Shia's crude plan, and unconsciously increased the strength in his hands.

Shia reluctantly pulled her hand free—it was making an ominous sound, and crouched beside the bed, cradling her throbbing hand. Her body trembled, trying to hold back the pain, her rabbit ears twitching as if to say, "This is too much~ too much~."

Hajime ignored Shia and turned his gaze to Yue. With his head resting on her lap, Yue was looking up at Hajime, and she was staring straight at him.

"By the way, Yue, you haven't been trying to stop Shia lately? What's the change in your mindset?"

Hearing Hajime's question, Yue tilted his head slightly, as if thinking about it. As Hajime said, Yue had been very tolerant towards Shia since escaping the Great Labyrinth of Laisen.

In the past, whenever Shia tried to lean on Hajime, Yue would push her away without a word, but lately, even if there was some slight physical contact, she wouldn't say anything. Even so, if it was excessive contact - such as trying to kiss Hajime, Yue would still be unhappy...

“…Shia works hard and will continue to work hard because she likes me and Hajime.”

“Well, that’s right…”

"...And I... don't hate her either."

"Anyway, you two have a good relationship, I can see that, huh~"

From Yue's brief words, Hajime could sense that Yue's feelings for Shia had gone beyond caring for her and that he was gradually beginning to feel that she was very important.

That's true.

Because the [Rysen Great Labyrinth] possessed a more powerful magic-decomposing effect than the canyon itself, Yue's full power couldn't be fully utilized, and the same was true for Hajime. If they were alone, it would have been extremely difficult. While Hajime could certainly have conquered it alone, it would likely have required the use of a bottle or two of the sacred water. Their success with virtually no losses was entirely thanks to Shia.

Until recently, Shia had no affinity for fighting. Far from being unsuitable, she wasn't even good at it. Her race was a bunny girl, considered the "weakest peace-loving race."

She must have been filled with fear and anxiety, yet she bravely followed Hajime and Yue through the hellish maze without complaining once. Then, she gritted her teeth, and despite a sad face, she still achieved fruitful results in the end.

That was all out of her love for Hajime and her friendship for Yue. It was because she wanted to be with both of them that Shia changed herself and moved forward with all her might.

Of course, Yue also has possessiveness and jealousy, so she finds it difficult to accept Shia's feelings for Hajime. Because of this, she was particularly harsh on Shia in the beginning, but...

Seeing how Shia, no matter how harshly she was treated, still threw herself into their arms, and constantly expressed her friendship for Hajime and Yue, and finally proved all of this by conquering the Great Labyrinth... To put it bluntly, I was obsessed with her.

Looking back, Yue's memories of friends were nonexistent. Before being sealed, she had been so busy with study and government affairs that she had never made any friends of equal standing. In other words, she had no friends.

At this time, he met Shia who kept saying "We are companions~!", and was consistent and showed her true feelings. Putting aside the matter of Hajime, Yue actually didn't dislike Shia.

It was for this reason that Yue had been tolerant and turned a blind eye to Shia recently, even when it came to things concerning Hajime.

"and……"

"Um?"

Hajime looked up at Yue, who continued to speak, and saw her radiant smile, filled with confidence, allure, awareness, sincerity, and everything else. It was so utterly charming and alluring that Hajime couldn't help but hold his breath. That smile itself seemed to possess a magnetic force, drawing Hajime's gaze inward, unable to move, mesmerized. Yue, in turn, stared back at Hajime.

“…I already have Hajime’s heart.”

"..."

Even if someone falls in love with Shi, even if Shi wants to embrace someone, the one he loves the most and is the most special to him...

--just me.

That sentence was a declaration of all these things, a declaration of war from Yue. It was a challenge to everyone she had met so far, and to everyone she would meet in the future.

Hajime was speechless, staring into those gleaming eyes that seemed to draw him in. Yue, as if drawn in, met Hajime's gaze. Hajime raised his hand and gently placed it on Yue's cheek. Yue, enchanted, placed her own hand on Hajime's. The moonlight cast their silhouettes on the wall of the room, and their shadows slowly approached.