An ordinary profession creates the world's strongest

When the two shadows are about to overlap...

"Wuwu, um, at least don't forget I exist, okay? This feels so empty and lonely...wuwu."

Shia sat hugging her knees in the corner of the bed, sobbing as she watched Hajime and Yue enter their own world. Her rabbit ears drooped in frustration, as if reflecting her feelings.

That sight was so pitiful that Hajime couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. Yue, with a troubled expression, waved to Shia. Shia cried out, "Miss Yue~," and sobbed into Yue's arms. With Yue's comforting pat on her head, Shia's eyelids gradually grew heavy, and she drifted off to sleep.

Seeing her like that, Hajime smiled bitterly and murmured:

"You're more like her mother than her friend."

"...I'd rather have Hajime's child."

"..."

"...Can you please be gentle with Shia?"

"...I'll handle it properly."

"Hmm... I love Hajime the most."

"……oh."

As a result, Hajime fell asleep with Shia sleeping on the left and Yue sleeping on the right, and the three of them fell asleep together.

From that day on, Shia was allowed to sleep in the same room with him. She became even more complacent after her joy, and every night she would attack Shi and then be cruelly punished, and this situation would repeat itself over and over again.

Incidentally, Shia's wail when Hajime held her hand only deepened Sona's misunderstanding, curiosity, and delusion, and thus the inn's sign girl with superb stealth skills was born... But that's another story.

With a clanging sound, the door of the Adventurer's Guild's [Brook Branch] opened, and three figures walked in - they were Hajime, Yue, and Shia, who had become famous in recent days.

As usual, the guild's café was filled with adventurers, spending their leisure time. Some noticed Hajime and the others and raised their hands in greeting. The men, still fascinated by Yue and Shia, cast glances of envy and jealousy at Hajime, but there was no dark feeling in their gazes.

During Brook's week-long stay, countless duels erupted in the pursuit of Yue or Shia. While they couldn't directly approach Yue—after all, she had previously performed such astounding feats as "crotch crushing"—some, however, took the approach of shooting the horse first, planning to capture her from the beginning.

Of course, Hajime would never agree to such a troublesome thing. In the end, when the opponent uttered the word "Jue" in "Let's duel!", Hajime had already pulled the trigger. The non-lethal rubber bullet hit the poor challenger's head, causing the opponent to roll three times and kiss the ground - this scene has become commonplace.

Therefore, Yue, known as the "crotch crusher", and Hajime, who is loved by Yue and can kill opponents in seconds before the duel begins, are a well-known and respected existence in this town.

They hadn't even submitted their team name application to the guild yet, but the name "Crushing Couples" had already spread far and wide. The look of bewildered gazing into the distance when Hajime learned his nickname and team name was still fresh in my memory.

As an aside, Xia couldn't help but shed tears because of her weak sense of existence.

"Oh, are there three of you here today?"

As Hajime and the others approached the counter, "The counter..." Catherine spoke to them first. Her tone sounded surprised because, during the past week, Hajime had mostly come alone, or with Shia and Yue.

"Yes, we're leaving this town tomorrow. Since you've been so kind to us, I came to say hello. And to see if there are any requests related to our destination."

By "being taken care of," Hajime had borrowed a room from the guild for free. Hajime wanted to combine his hard-earned gravity magic into a magical power, which inevitably required repeated experiments, so he needed a spacious room. After asking Catherine if she had a suitable room, she replied that she could use the guild room and was willing to provide it free of charge.

Meanwhile, Yue and Shia were practicing gravity magic in the suburbs.

"Is that so? Are you guys leaving? I'd be really lonely. The town has been so lively since you guys came back~"

"Give me a break. Whether it's the perverts at the inn, the perverts at the clothing store, the perverts who suddenly knelt before me on the street, saying they wanted Yue and Shia to step on them, the perverts who followed them, calling out 'Onee-sama', or the idiots who challenged me to a duel... there's not a single normal person. 70% of the people I meet are perverts, and 20% are idiots... What's wrong with this town?"

Hajime's complaints, with a bitter expression, were all true. Of course, Sona, the innkeeper's daughter, was also a factor. Every time she met Christabel, the clothing store manager, she would lick her lips and look Hajime up and down with a ferocious gaze, giving Hajime countless chills.

Furthermore, three major factions have emerged in Brook Town, fiercely competing against each other daily. First is the "Team Who Wants to Be Trampled by Satsuki," then the "Team Who Wants to Be Sorry," and finally the "Team Who Wants to Become Onee-sama's Sisters." Each of them harbors a wish, as exemplified by their name, and the competition seems to be based on the number of members who fulfill their wishes.

Shi and others really didn't dare to follow the group whose names and thinking were different from those of ordinary people.

A grown man suddenly knelt down on the street and shouted to the moon, "Please step on me!" This can only be described as terrifying.

As for Shia, what kind of thought process did these people go through to reach such a conclusion? It was incomprehensible. Aren't demihumans a discriminated race? And yet, you've become her slaves. How could that be justified? While there were so many things to complain about, Hajime didn't want to dwell on them. He would eliminate them immediately upon encountering them.

The last group was composed entirely of women, whose primary goal was to harass Yue and Shia, or to eliminate Hajime. There was also a girl who rushed towards Hajime, knife in one hand, shouting, "You pest who's pestering Onee-sama! I'll kill you, ahhhhhhhhh!"

After all, killing a girl in town would be very troublesome, so Hajime stripped her naked, tied her up with a fake tortoise shell bondage (because he didn't have the knowledge), hung her from the tallest building, taped a note saying "Next time I will really kill someone," and left her there. Seeing this cold and ruthless act and the plain words on the paper, the girls restrained their violent actions, which was a good thing.

Hajime frowned at the memory of what had happened, and Catherine smiled wryly at that.

"Alright, alright. Regardless, it's a fact that the town is very lively."

"What an annoying energy."

"So where are you going?"

"Flen."

Despite such idle chat, Catherine still did her work well and immediately looked for any commissions related to Fran.

The so-called "Flen" is a neutral commercial city. Their next destination was the "Gulun Great Volcano," one of the seven great labyrinths, located in the "Gulun Great Desert." To reach this destination, they had to travel westward, and since the "Neutral Commercial City of Flen" was located along the way, they decided to visit this continent's largest commercial city while they were passing through. Furthermore, their destination after the "Gulun Great Volcano" was the "Melkinne Undersea Ruins," a vast underwater labyrinth located further west across the desert.

"Hmm~ Oh, there's a case that's suitable. It's a request to protect a caravan, and there's only one person left... What do you think? Will you take it?"

Hajime took the letter of commission from Catherine and confirmed the contents. It appeared to be for a caravan of around fifteen escorts. Since Yue and Shia weren't registered as adventurers, that meant the total number, including Hajime, was exactly fifteen.

"Can I bring someone with me?"

"Yes, no problem. Although the client might complain if there are too many people, some adventurers will hire people to carry their luggage or bring slaves with them. Besides, Xiaoyue and Xiaoxi are very powerful. This means we can hire two more excellent adventurers for the price of one person. There is no reason for them to refuse."

"Is that so? Hmm~ Do you want to take it?"

Hajime considered this for a moment, then glanced at Yue and Shia as if seeking their opinion. Honestly, Hajime had been hoping for a delivery job. He said that because if it were just Hajime and them, they could use a magic-powered vehicle and reach Fren several times faster than a horse-drawn carriage. Taking on an escort mission and having to coordinate with everyone else would be rather cumbersome.

"...Our journey is not in a hurry."

"Yeah~ Maybe it's nice to travel with other adventurers sometimes. Maybe you can learn from the knowledge of experienced adventurers?"

"...That's true. There's no point in being anxious. Even once in a while is good..."

Hajime nodded in agreement with the two and informed Catherine that he was willing to accept the commission. As Yue had said, conquering the seven labyrinths would undoubtedly take considerable time. As the saying goes, haste makes waste. And just as Shia had said, learning from the unique experiences of adventurers might prove beneficial in future journeys.

"Got it. I'll notify them. Please gather at the main gate early tomorrow morning."

"learn."

After confirming that Hajime had accepted the letter of commission, Catherine said to Yue and Shia behind Hajime:

"You guys need to take care of yourselves, okay? If he bullies you, you can always come to my house and I'll help you beat him up."

"...Well, thank you for your care."

"Okay, Miss Catherine, thank you for being so kind to us!"

Hearing Catherine's kind words, Yue and Shia's faces also broke into smiles. Shia, in particular, seemed extremely happy.

Since arriving in this town, Shia has almost forgotten her demihuman identity. Of course, not everyone is friendly to her. Even so, Catherine, Sona, Christabel, and even those who claim to be Shia's fans don't discriminate against her simply because she's a demihuman. Whether it's simply the local sentiment or whether such people naturally flock to this town, for Shia, this is a place where she can feel the warmth of her hometown, the sea of ​​trees.

"You too, don't make these wonderful girls cry, okay? There will be retribution if you don't cherish them."

"...You're such a busybody! I already know this without you telling me."

Hearing Catherine say this, Hajime replied with a wry smile. At this moment, Catherine handed Hajime a letter, and Hajime took it with a questioning look on his face.

"This is?"

"You seem to be burdened with a lot of trouble. Consider this as an apology for the troubles the townspeople have caused you. If you encounter disputes with guilds in other towns, show this letter to the higher-ups. It might be helpful."

Catherine winked at Shi after she finished speaking, and Shi's cheek twitched unconsciously. "Who the hell are you, to be able to influence the higher-ups with just one letter?" A question crossed his face.

"Hey, better not ask too many questions, okay? Good women all have secrets."

"...Well, I understand. I'll accept this letter with gratitude."

"That's very frank, very good! You'll definitely encounter a lot of trouble, but don't die."

Catherine, a guild employee in a rural town with many mysteries. Hajime and the others watched as she left with a charming smile.

After that, Hajime and the others also went to Christabel's shop. Although Hajime firmly refused, Yue and Shia insisted on going, so he had no choice but to accompany them...

However, upon hearing they were leaving town, Christabel, as if seizing her last chance, transformed into a gigantic monster and attacked Hajime. Terrified, Hajime attempted to destroy her with Vibration Shatter, while Yue and Shia desperately tried to stop him. While such a shocking event unfolded... I won't go into detail here.

Upon hearing that this was their last night, Sona finally brazenly broke into the bathhouse and then the room, only to be bound by her enraged mother in a real tortoiseshell bondage and hung from the front of the inn all night. This incident will not be elaborated on. As for why the landlady knew about tortoiseshell bondage, that part is also skipped.

The next morning.

Reminiscing about these interesting (?) Brook townspeople, Hajime and the others arrived at the main gate, where they were greeted by the caravan leader and the other adventurers who had been commissioned. Hajime and his group seemed to be the last to arrive, and upon seeing them, the person who seemed to be the leader and the fourteen adventurers all got agitated.

"Hey, hey, could it be that the final guard is the 'Couple Smasher'?!"

"Is this true? Joy and fear are coming at the same time!"

"Look, my hands have been shaking since just now, huh?"

"No, that's because you're addicted to alcohol."

Their reactions varied. Some were overjoyed at Yue and Shia's arrival; some covered their crotch with their hands, tears welling in their eyes; some blamed their shaking hands on Hajime and the others, only to be ridiculed by their companions. Hajime approached with a disgusted expression, and the person who seemed to be the caravan leader spoke to him:

"Are you the last guard?"

"Yes, this is the power of attorney."

Hajime took out the letter of authorization from his pocket and showed it to the other party. After confirming the letter of authorization, the man in charge nodded to indicate that there was no problem and began to introduce himself:

"My name is Mordo Yongkel, and I'm the captain of this caravan. Lady Catherine told me that, although you're still at the blue level, you're exceptional adventurers. I look forward to your escort on your journey."

"... ※More Yunker? The caravan leader is having a hard time..."

Hearing this name, which reminded him of a certain Japanese functional beverage, Hajime's eyes flashed with sympathy. Modo didn't understand why he was being looked at that way, and while feeling puzzled, he replied with a wry smile, "It's tough, but I'm used to it."

"I think we'll live up to your expectations. I'm Hajime, and these two are Yue and Shia."

"That's quite reliable... By the way, are you planning on selling this rabbit-man tribe? I can offer a pretty high price..."

Modo looked at Shia as if assessing the price. She was a bunny-man, a strikingly beautiful girl with white hair streaked with blue. As a merchant by nature, he couldn't help but ask for something rare. After seeing the collar and concluding that Shia was a slave, he immediately approached the owner, Hajime, to negotiate a sale. He must have been a skilled merchant.

Being stared at like that, Shia let out a disgusted "Ouch" and quickly hid behind Hajime. Yue, on the other hand, looked at Modo with a stern gaze. However, in common sense, the demihumans of the Sea of ​​Trees were equivalent to slaves, and as a merchant, it was natural for him to negotiate the sale of rare slaves, so Modo couldn't be blamed for saying so.

"Oh, she's quite close to you...it seems you cherish her very much. So, I'd like to raise the price. What do you think?"

"You seem to be a very good businessman... I think you should understand my answer, right?"

Modo observed Shia with great interest, and continued to negotiate with Hajime, but Hajime's response was decisive and clear. Modo could sense that Hajime would not give up, but because the benefits Shia could bring were so tempting, he tried to prolong the conversation, hoping to find materials for negotiation.

But Hajime had probably anticipated that intention. His attitude remained clear, and he spoke to Modo with an unwavering determination:

"Even if God wants me to, I won't do that... Do you understand?"

"...Yes, I understand. There's nothing I can do, so I'll have to give up for now... But if you change your mind, please be sure to look after the Yongkel Chamber of Commerce. Also, we'll be leaving soon, so please ask the captain there for details on the escort."

Hajime's statement was extremely dangerous. If he wasn't careful, he could be branded a heretic by the Holy Church. Basically, since demons believed in different gods, and besides the historical supreme god "Esid," other gods were worshipped, such a statement wouldn't be considered a direct declaration of war against the Holy Church.

Even so, those words still treaded the line of danger, and that fact remained unchanged. Therefore, Modo understood from the bottom of his heart that Hajime would not transfer Shia. Even so, perhaps due to his businessman's nature, he seemed to have not yet completely given up on the idea. Finally, he changed his tone, as if addressing a client, intending to establish a relationship with Hajime.

Modo's personality was very much in line with that of a businessman. As he watched him stride back to the caravan, he noticed a new wave of discussion brewing around him.

"So strong... to go to such lengths for a woman... so admirable!"

"He really is a duel crusher, showing no mercy to the guy who attacked his woman... Phew, what a man."

"That's great~ I really want someone to say something like that for me."

“No, you’re a man, right? Who would say something like that… Ah, I’m sorry, I apologize, please stop it!!”

Hajime put his hand to his head, as if he was having a headache from the funny (?) remarks of his fellow guards. The people of Brook Town really were all idiots.

Just as such thoughts came to Shi’s mind, he felt a soft touch on his back, and then a pair of hands came from behind and hugged him tightly.

Hajime turned his head and saw Shia's face from a very close distance, her chin resting on his shoulder. Her face was flushed, and she had a very happy smile on her face.

"...Listen carefully. I didn't mean anything special by saying that. Please don't misunderstand me, okay?"

"Hehehe, I understand~ Hehehe~"

Hajime clearly told her that his words simply meant he didn't want to abandon his companions, not because Shia was "his woman," as the noisy people around them were saying. But Shia didn't listen at all. After all, the man she loved declared, "Even if he were a god, I wouldn't give her up," and regardless of his intentions, she was still very happy.

The speech he made to quickly and easily end the negotiation was, in many ways, too much, and Hajime felt that he had made a mistake. Yue walked over to Hajime and tugged at his sleeve.

"? What's wrong? Yue."

"Yeah... that's pretty cool, don't worry about it."

"...Thank you for your comfort."

Yue noticed Hajime's mood and tried to comfort her. Hajime thanked her and gently stroked her cheek. Yue closed her eyes in comfort.

In front of the main gate in the morning, under the gaze of everyone, a man with a bunny-eared beautiful girl with a happy face pressed against his back, and his right hand was hugged by a blonde, red-eyed girl who was also beautiful - that was Nan Yun Hajime.

The female members of the caravan looked at the scene with gentle eyes, while the male members looked at it with dead eyes. These annoying looks and words that stung Hajime must have been the result of Hajime's own actions.

It takes about six days to travel from Brook to the [neutral commercial city of Fren] by carriage.

After setting out before sunrise and preparing for camp before sunset three times, Hajime and the others arrived three days' journey from Furen, halfway to the end of their journey. So far, everything had gone smoothly, with nothing much happening. Even though Hajime and the others were guarding the rear of the group, the journey had been very leisurely and peaceful.

That day, preparations for camping were made without incident. Adventurers were responsible for their own food. Since adventurers would be vigilant while eating, it would be quite uncomfortable for the caravan members to eat with them. Therefore, it seemed like an unspoken rule that each person ate separately.