An ordinary profession creates the world's strongest

"……moon."

"I'm Shia."

"...I'm Hajime's woman." "I'm Hajime-san's woman."

"Woman?"

Aiko spoke with a slight stammer, looking questioningly at Hajime and the two beautiful girls, seemingly unable to process the information she was receiving.

Nana and Taeko, who were standing behind Aiko, let out a surprised "Huh!?" and their eyes shifted back and forth between Yue and Shia; Atsushi and the other boys were stunned as if they had seen something impossible; Yuka seemed to hear the sound of breaking glass behind her, and she froze again.

"Hey, Yue is fine, but Shia, you're not, are you?"

"How can you say that! That's too much, Hajime-san. You took my first kiss!"

"No, how long do you want to talk about this? It's about saving—"

"Nagumo-san?"

"...What is it, Sensei?"

After hearing Shia's declaration of "stealing my first kiss," Aiko's brain seemed to finally catch up, and her voice deepened. From her expression, it was clear that she was replaying the scene of Hajime hugging two beautiful girls and laughing heartily in her mind.

Aiko interrupted Hajime with a blush on her face, her expression full of determination to guide the misguided student back on the right track.

Then, a huge lightning bolt called "Teacher's Wrath" fell on the most luxurious inn in [Ur Town].

"Not only did you steal a girl's first kiss, you even cheated on her with two girls! You didn't come back right away, so you went out sightseeing? If that's the case... I can't allow it! Yes, the teacher absolutely won't allow that! I'm going to lecture you! Listen to me, Nanyun-san!"

Hajime glanced at his yelling Aiko and sighed deeply, thinking how troublesome things had become.

After Aiko's lecture, Hajime and the others were invited to the VIP seats out of concern for the opinions of other guests.

As a result, despite being questioned repeatedly by students like Aiko and Yuka, Hajime continued to concentrate on eating the only remaining Nilsiru (another-worldly version of curry) in front of him for today, and answered questions casually.

Q. What happened to you after you fell from the bridge?

A. I tried very hard.

Q. Why did your hair turn gray?

A. The result of extraordinary effort.

Q. What's with that eye?

A. The result of extraordinary efforts.

Q. Why didn't you come back right away?

A. There is no reason to go back.

Hearing this, Aiko puffed up her cheeks and shouted angrily, "Answer seriously!", but she didn't feel any pressure at all, which was really sad.

As expected, Hajime acted indifferent and submissive, not even glancing at his beloved son. He occasionally exchanged thoughts with Yue and Shia, enjoying the Nilsilu with gusto, his expression seeming extremely satisfied.

Seeing his attitude, David couldn't contain his anger. Perhaps he couldn't stand the woman he loved being ignored. He glared at her, punched the table, and shouted loudly:

“Hey, you! Aiko is asking you a question! Answer me seriously!”

Hajime glanced at David, sighed, and said:

"It's dinner time now, huh? Please observe proper etiquette."

It was obvious that he was not taken seriously by this statement. David was not only a Knight of the Temple, but also the captain of the guard of an important person. Naturally, he was very arrogant, and his face turned red all of a sudden.

No matter what he said, Hajime kept dodging and not giving a clear answer, so David shifted his focus to Shia.

"Hmph, you're talking to me about etiquette? I'll return that to you completely. You have no manners at all, actually letting a filthy beast sit at the same table with humans. How about at least cutting off those ugly ears? That way you'll look a little more human."

Shia's body trembled at the insulting stare.

In Brook Town, the first impression of the inn, Catherine's friendly attitude, and Hajime's presence led many people to be friendly to Shia. Although many people in Fren looked at her with contempt, she was treated like a slave, so no one directly said anything malicious to her.

In other words, this was the first time Shia had been subjected to overt discrimination and verbal abuse against demihumans since traveling with Hajime. She should have gotten over it and ignored the gossip, but just as she was getting used to the outside world, she was caught off guard by this sudden attack, causing her greater harm than she had imagined. Shia lowered her head in frustration.

A closer look revealed that it wasn't just David; the other knights also looked at Shia with the same gaze. Regardless of their closeness with Aiko and the others, they were still Templar Knights and Royal Guards, close to the Holy Church and the Kingdom's core. This also meant that they held strong discrimination against demihumans, a sentiment borne of the Holy Church and the Kingdom itself.

Although David and his friends' thoughts have softened slightly since they met their beloved son, their deeply ingrained values ​​cannot be changed in just a few months.

Because such words were too much, Aiko couldn't help but want to correct them. But before that, Yue held the hand of Shia, who lowered her head, and looked at David with a gaze of absolute zero.

David took a step back, caught in the icy gaze of a beautiful girl who looked like a top-grade porcelain doll. However, being overwhelmed by a girl who still looked childish, David was completely enraged.

Normally, he wasn't someone who got angry easily, but because he couldn't help blurting out the words, his beloved son looked at him with accusing eyes, causing him to lose his mind.

"What's that look? You rude fellow, someone who's not even an apostle of God, dares to resist the Knights Templar!?"

David couldn't help but stand up. Even though Vice Captain Chase wanted to dissuade him, Yue's words echoed clearly throughout the noisy scene before he could do so:

"...a narrow-minded man."

Those were mocking words, mocking his narrow-mindedness, the way he yelled and screamed just because of a difference in race, and how he got angry and embarrassed because of a girl's gaze.

David had already lost his composure due to anger, and was then ridiculed in front of his beloved son for being narrow-minded as a man, so he completely lost his mind.

"...You damned pagan, I'm sending you to hell with that beast."

He spoke quietly, expressionless, and placed his hand on the sword at his side.

Seeing that violence was about to break out, Yuka and Atsushi immediately reached for their own artifacts, while Aiko and Chase tried to stop David with words.

However, David seemed to have lost the ability to hear the sounds around him, and finally drew his sword slightly.

At that moment, bang! A crisp explosion resounded throughout the Water Fairy Inn. David was about to rush forward, but his head seemed to be bounced back.

The back of his head slammed against the wall behind him with a loud bang. His eyes rolled back and he slid down the wall. The sword fell from his hand to the ground with a loud clang.

No one knew what had just happened. Everyone froze in place, looking at David who fell to the ground with his eyes rolled back.

At this moment, a huge explosion was heard. Not knowing what was happening, Foss opened the curtain and rushed in. Seeing the tragic scene before him, his eyes widened and his body stiffened.

As Foss entered, Aiko and the others came to their senses, and their eyes, which were originally looking at David, were naturally drawn to the source of the explosion.

There, sitting in his seat, was Hajime, clutching something. To Aiko and the others, that object was something they had knowledge of but had never actually seen, something that shouldn't exist in this other world. To the knights, it was a completely unknown item—a 『Large Revolver』.

I saw Donal emitting white smoke, but basically what he had just fired were non-lethal rubber bullets.

Although they were not clear about the details, Chase and the others saw that it was Shi who launched the attack, so they all put their hands on their swords and emitted murderous intent.

However, then a murderous aura that was so strong that the knights could not match it came down like a hammer from the sky, forcing the knights who were halfway up to sit back in their seats.

Although they were not directly subjected to the murderous aura, the extraordinary sense of oppression from Hajime made Aiko and the others pale and tremble with fear.

All that was heard was a deliberate knock from Hajime, who placed Donald on the table in a threatening manner. He clearly stated his position and the position he wanted Aiko and the others to take.

"I have no interest in you, and I don't want to be privy to your affairs, so I don't want you to ask about my situation either. I don't intend to report everything that has happened so far or what will happen in the future. I'm only here for work, and when it's over, I'll set off on my journey again. Then we'll go our separate ways and not interfere with each other. You're free to do whatever you want, so don't get in my way. If you harbor hostility towards me like you did just now... I might accidentally kill someone."

"Do you understand?" Hajime's gaze demanded, but no one could utter a word. Chase and the other knights, bearing his gaze directly, desperately tried to endure the pressure placed upon them. Simply nodding in agreement was a struggle.

Hajime then turned his gaze towards Aiko and the others. Aiko said nothing. No, she probably couldn't bring herself to say anything. It wasn't just because she felt pressured, but if she agreed with what Hajime said, it would be like ignoring students who had completely changed without knowing anything about them. Aiko's dignity as a teacher wouldn't allow that.

Hajime sighed and shrugged, releasing the pressure. Even if Aiko didn't answer, Hajime probably understood her feelings and didn't force her to answer.

Nana and Taeko were clearly frightened, while Atsushi and the others were frozen with nervousness, so it was assumed they wouldn't actively engage with Hajime. However, Yuuka's expression was more confused and slightly sad than fearful, but Hajime didn't particularly notice.

The strong feeling of oppression disappeared, and Chase and others immediately collapsed, gasping for breath. Aiko and others slumped in their chairs as if exhausted.

Hajime continued eating his meal as if nothing had happened, and said to the frustrated Shia:

"Hey, Shia, this is normal outside. If you take it too seriously, it'll just keep going on and on, okay?"

"Yeah, that's true... I knew it... Humans really do find these rabbit ears disgusting."

Shia said with a self-deprecating tone, stroking her rabbit ears and giving a wry smile. Seeing Shia's expression, Yue looked at her sincerely and whispered to her:

"...Shia's bunny ears are so cute."

"Ms. Yue... is that so?"

Even so, Shia still seemed to lack confidence, and this time, Hajime comforted her, seemingly unable to bear it. Ever since Yue had often called her "bad boy!", Hajime's attitude towards Shia had gradually softened, and this was his best attempt at comfort.

"Look, these guys only have such strong feelings of disgust because they've been brainwashed by the church and the government. Bunnymen are the most in-demand pet slaves, right? So, most people don't find them disgusting."

“Is that so… U-um, Hajime-san… what do you think of my rabbit ears?”

Realizing that Hajime was trying to comfort her, Shia seemed a little pleased, her cheeks flushed, and she asked with a pitiful look in her eyes. Her bunny ears, as if wanting to listen but not daring to, remained drooped, though occasionally they would flutter towards Hajime.

“…Not so good…”

Hajime glanced at her bunny ears, and as if trying to hide something, he turned his gaze back to the food and answered stiffly. Shia's bunny ears seemed to droop with some regret.

However, after hearing what Yue said next, the rabbit ears suddenly regained their spirits and stood up suddenly.

"...Those are Hajime's favorites. He would secretly touch them when Shia was asleep."

"Yue!? We agreed to keep this a secret, didn't we!?"

“H-So… Mr. Hajime likes my rabbit ears… Hehe.”

Shia put her hands on her flushed cheeks and twisted her body non-stop, while the bunny ears on her head kept moving up and down as if shouting "Wow!" and expressing her joy.

Until a moment ago, the air had been filled with tension, giving the impression that everyone would be killed if they weren't careful, but now, for some reason, it had transformed into a space filled with a lewd atmosphere. Aiko, Yuuka, and the others, as well as the knights, were all stunned by this incredible scene.

After watching Hajime and the others' romantic comedy-like interactions for a while, Atsushi spoke his mind:

“Huh? This is unbelievable. Just now I thought Nagumo was scary, but now I only have murderous intent towards him…”

"You too? Those two are so adorable... exactly my type... Seeing them being so affectionate right in front of me is like torture..."

Junshi deeply agreed with what Sheng said. He clenched his fists and looked at his two friends with a resolute look.

“…Nagumo is right. What happened to him before is completely irrelevant. But the only way to become close friends with girls from another world… I want to know no matter what!… Noboru! Akito!”

"Well, let's die together, Atsushi!"

The three boys of Ai's Guard stood united, their eyes blazing with jealousy as they glared at Hajime, who had just made them tremble with fear. The solemn atmosphere suddenly vanished, and Nana, Taeko, and Yuuka, having returned to their normal composure, looked at the boys with a very cold gaze.

Chase sensed the atmosphere had calmed down, so he ordered his men to treat David. Meanwhile, suppressing his wariness and hostility, he approached Hajime with a smile. Putting aside Hajime's hidden agenda, there was one thing he absolutely had to ask:

"Can I call you Nanyun-san? It was the captain who was rude earlier. After all, we are responsible for protecting Miss Aiko. When it comes to matters related to Miss Aiko, we are inevitably a little sensitive. I hope you can forgive us."

Although Hajime wanted to complain, "Are you so sensitive that you'd suddenly kill someone?", he had no right to lecture him on the subject of murder, so he kept silent and waved his hand to let it go.

Seeing his casual attitude, Chase's eyebrows moved for a moment, but the mask of smile did not break. Chase's mind was working quickly. According to his estimation, it was something that could not be ignored after all. He looked at the artifact in front of him and said straight to the point:

"That's a divine weapon... huh? Forgive my ignorance, I don't know of such things, but I can tell it's a very powerful weapon. It's clearly a long-range weapon, yet it's faster and more powerful than a bow and arrow. And it doesn't require any chanting or magic circles like magic. Where did you get it?"

Even though Chase smiled, his eyes didn't. Judging from the lack of magic in the previous attack, if it were a purely physical device like a bow and arrow, it might be mass-produced. If so, it could potentially even influence the outcome of the war. So, even though he knew that even combined, they wouldn't be a match for Hajime, Chase still asked.

Hajime glanced at Chase and was about to say something when he was interrupted by an excited voice. The owner of the voice was Atsushi.

“I-I mean, Nagumo, that’s a gun, right? Why do you have something like that?!”

Chase responded to Junshi's cry.

"A gun? Does Tamai know what that is?"

"Huh? Yeah, of course I know, because it's a weapon from our world."

Chase's eyes lit up at Junshi's words, and he slowly looked at Hajime.

"Oh, so that means it's not a divine artifact originally from this world... If so, it must have been created by someone from another world... Of course, the creator..."

"it's me."

Hajime readily replied that he had done it. Chase had always held the impression that Hajime was a secretive person, so he was a little surprised to hear Hajime's frank admission.

"You admitted it so readily, Nagumo-san. Do you understand the significance of possessing that weapon? That weapon..."

"If it could be mass-produced, it would be enough to change the world's wars...right? So, what you're trying to say is, you want me to go back, or at least teach you how to make it, right? Of course, I reject all of this. Just give up."

There was no room for negotiation in Hajime's words, as if he were speaking a pre-prepared line. However, Chase didn't give up, because guns have that kind of charm.

"But if we can mass-produce them, even low-ranked soldiers will have high attack power. That way, more people will survive the upcoming war, significantly increasing our chances of victory. Your assistance will also be a boon to your friends and teachers, right? So..."

"No matter what you say, I won't help you. If you try to seize it, I will consider you an enemy. Then... please be prepared to perish before the battle even begins."

Hearing Shi's calm words, Cai suddenly felt a chill all over his body and dared not say a word. At this time, Ai Zi interrupted to help smooth things over:

"Mr. Chase, Nagumo-kun has his own ideas. Please don't force them on my student. Also, Nagumo-kun, please refrain from saying anything overly provocative. Try to be calm and rational... Are you really not planning on coming back?"

"Yes, I don't plan to go back. I'm going to work tomorrow morning. After I complete the commission, I will leave here directly."

"Why……"

Aiko looked at Hajime sadly and was about to ask him why, but Hajime had already stood up from his seat. Before she knew it, Yue and Shia had also finished their meal. Aiko tried to ask him to stay, but Hajime ignored her and took Yue and Shia up the stairs to the second floor and left.

An indescribable subtle atmosphere permeated the space between Ai Zi and the others who were left behind.