An ordinary profession creates the world's strongest

Just when Yuka was at a loss, Xia and the others seemed to have grasped some clues and ran quickly towards the depths of the forest.

Mao looked at their departing backs, intentionally or unintentionally, with an expression of helplessness and admiration on her face, and said this.

"Speaking of which, it's quite remarkable that Kaori was able to intervene in the relationship between those two. Ai-sensei and Lily also seem to be quite relaxed."

“…Yeah, they all let loose. Yeah, Nagumo-san is really amazing, like a true demon king.”

Ayako agreed. Was that predictable? The reaction of some of the other girls was—

"I...what should I do to become a pet of the Nagumo family?"

"If I live in the Nanyun family as a maid... maybe there's a chance!"

"No chance. You two will wait and let Teacher Xiao Ai use soul magic to heal your head. Don't forget."

It seems that it’s not just the boys, some girls have their heads messed up too.

The harsh life in another world and the unconventional flirting of a certain couple have severely affected their mental health. No, perhaps it's their sexual preferences that have been affected.

Friends sincerely hope that their distorted sexual preferences can be corrected one day.

Seeing some of his classmates in such a miserable state, Ryuutarou massaged his temples, feeling a headache. Then, he glanced tentatively downward, at Suzu. Like Ryuutarou, she looked at her classmates helplessly, speechless, and could only let out a dry laugh, "Ahaha..."

"Ling, don't you want to go with us to look for it?" Ryutaro asked Ling.

Ryutaro's question seemed to surprise Ling. Ling's expression was as stunned as if she was being greeted by a complete stranger on the street and asked "Long time no see".

"No, of course I'm not going with you. Why are you asking this all of a sudden?"

"...It's okay. Just forget about going. I just wanted to say... you're always so well behaved around Nagumo... should I say restrained? More like a normal girl. I thought you'd just join in the fun and join Kaori and the others."

“…Hey, you brat, are you trying to tell me I’m clueless and without moral integrity? As for Nagumo-san, he agreed to a lot of my impulsive requests regarding Eri, and of course I’m grateful to him. That’s all.”

Ryutaro's wrong evaluation of Ling made her very dissatisfied, and she glared at him angrily.

"Ryuutarou-kun... I think I need to have a proper talk with you about your perception of me."

"I...I apologize. But you're essentially a pervert, aren't you? I'm thinking you might be hoping for a lucky break and want to spy on their intimate interactions."

"Okay, you just want to cause trouble, right? You want to fight me? I'll show you my evolved barrier bombardment!"

Ryuutarou scratched his face and spoke his mind honestly. Then, veins popped out on Suzu's forehead as she raised the iron fan that Hajime had repaired for her.

Guanghui hurriedly stopped him.

"Rin, calm down. Ryuutarou doesn't mean any harm by saying that. So, how about—"

"Mr. Kouki, stop interrupting! It seems this simple-minded, strong-limbed guy is naturally careless and insensitive. I must have a good talk with him no matter what!"

Ling interrupted Guanghui and growled like a beast.

However, being accused like this, Ryutaro would of course want to refute it.

"What?! You were planning to snoop into Nagumo and the others' dorm room in the middle of the night. How can you say I'm careless?! You don't have the reservedness or shame a woman should have. You should be thrown to the side of the road!"

"Well, well... I'm just really curious! My sisters are going to do this and that! Of course I have to see it all and memorize it! Otherwise, wouldn't this life be wasted?!"

"Is this your life's goal?! If I had actually peeked, not only would my life have been in vain, but I wouldn't even have wanted to live! Luckily, I was stopped, and this kind of thing shouldn't have happened in the first place!"

"You actually said something like that! Well, I won't go with you next time!"

"Don't ask me for something like that! Is there anything more embarrassing than being asked by a girl in the same class to peek into someone else's dorm room?!"

The giant man and the petite girl were arguing (?) non-stop.

This kind of scene has been happening quite often lately, so the people around me are looking at me with warm regards.

The look of Guanghui being caught between the two and being at a loss also made others feel a little pity for him.

For a while, Guanghui hadn't smiled. But after the day's restoration work was over, he returned to [Feyaberugen]. On such an important day, he had to go with Ryuutarou and the others.

He usually doesn't smile, but only when he's with Ryuutarou and the others does he look a little more relaxed, even when he's at a loss.

In addition, he had previously communicated with Yuka and other classmates in the Walled City, so today he seemed to be able to express his emotions more frankly.

Seeing him like this, the classmates felt a lot more relieved.

We have lost a lot, and many things have changed. Not only have we gained more things to bear, but we have also incurred a lifetime of heartache that will never be erased.

Even so, returning home has become a possible hope, and everyone can gather together like this to talk and laugh. For the students, this is the happiest moment since they were summoned to this world.

Everyone laughed sincerely.

Sometimes life requires a life-threatening struggle—they understood this truth and overcame such difficulties. Therefore, their smiles were powerful and as bright as the sun.

On the other hand, at the same time.

Yue, who had forcibly taken Hajime away, came to the foot of the large tree, Uya Aruto, at Hajime's request. He seemed to be looking for a place that was just far enough away from the capital, sparsely populated, and had a picturesque view.

Although Yue was puzzled by Hajime's request, she returned to her girlish appearance and let Hajime hold her hand as they walked briskly towards the tree as if taking a stroll.

The weather is very sunny today.

The white mist from the sea of ​​trees does not spread to this spot, and the sunlight is very strong.

After conquering the Great Labyrinth, the tree returned to its dead state, and the sunlight that streamed directly under the tree, without any thick branches to block it, was even a bit dizzying.

"Yue, cast regeneration magic."

“…Hmm? Got it.”

If they just wanted to get in, proving their strategy would have been enough. Hajime, however, had requested regeneration, and Yue didn't understand why. Did he not want to bask in the sun? Or perhaps he wanted to enjoy the beautiful scenery with her? Without dwelling on it, Yue activated the regeneration magic as he had requested.

Suddenly, the tree began to glow, and was filled with lush greenery.

The process of the tree coming back to life is so dreamy and touching no matter how many times you watch it.

In the tranquil forest, sunlight filters through the branches, creating pillars of light that resemble an "angel's ladder." No matter how many times you see it, it leaves you feeling a sense of spiritual cleansing.

Hajime nodded in satisfaction, took Yue's hand, and sat down at the roots of the tree.

Yue sat on Hajime's lap, leaning towards him at an angle.

Seeing Yue approaching without hesitation, Hajime supported her from the back and held her in his arms. The young Yue could always fit perfectly in Hajime's arms.

The two of them felt each other's body temperature and heartbeat, admiring the silence of the forest and the artistic beauty of nature. The occasional rustle of branches and the gentle breeze caressing their skin were refreshing.

After a while, Hajime put his mouth close to Yue's ear and whispered softly.

"moon."

"……Um?"

"There's something I want you to see."

"...You want me to see it?"

"Honestly, I should have shown you this earlier... It's so important, and I was looking for the right time. So I put it off until everything was concluded. Sorry."

"...? Actually, I don't quite understand what you mean. As long as you think now is the right time, I have no objection."

Seeing Yue in his arms looking up at him, Hajime's eyes became softer.

Then he gently kissed the golden hair swaying in the wind and took out a magical weapon.

It was a colorless, transparent crystal-like mineral, about the size of a ping-pong ball. It was a video recording artifact he had found in the sealed room of the Abyss.

He embraced Yue with one hand and held the artifact in the other, raising it in front of him.

The artifact began to glow and projected an image directly in front of it.

Yue gasped at the sight of the person in the image. Even without seeing her expression, Hajime could sense her reaction. Yue opened her eyes wide in surprise and muttered in confusion.

"……uncle?"

Hajime said nothing and hugged Yue tighter.

Whether intentionally or unintentionally, Yue tightened her grip on Hajime's hand that was around her waist.

Before the two of them in this state, the figure in the image—Tinrid Jarudia Vesperitio Alfadar—began to speak in a calm tone.

"...Eledia, long time no see... No, that doesn't seem quite right. Because, you must really hate me. No, even 'hate' isn't enough to describe how you feel about me right now. Because of what I did... No, that's not right. That's not what I want to say. I've thought so much, but when it comes to leaving my last words, I can't find the words."

A self-deprecating smile appeared on Tinrid's face, and he took a deep breath.

He closed his eyes, collected his thoughts, paused, and then opened his eyes.

The look he gave this side was extremely kind, full of gratitude, without any pretense.

"...By the way. I must first express my gratitude, Eletia. You must have someone by your side now whom you can truly trust. At least someone who has mastered Transformation Magic and is worthy of challenging the true Great Labyrinth of Orcus. And who saved you from the guardians I prepared, without abandoning you to your fate."

Hajime could sense Yue's confusion. Her hands were trembling slightly.

However, Shi said nothing, only closing his eyes, as if he himself was also listening to Tinrid's words with all his heart, as if he was mourning for a deceased person.

"...O unknown you, you who support my beloved niece, are you a man or a woman? What kind of existence are you to Eletia?"

Are they lovers? Or close friends? Could they already be family? Or perhaps partners in adventure?

Tinred's tone was full of joy, and the expression on his face was nothing like that of a fool who betrayed the queen because his ambition blinded his mind. Instead, he looked like an uncle who was full of dreams for his niece's future.

"I'm truly sorry that I can't thank you in person. But please listen to me—thank you. Thank you for saving that child and staying by her side. Thank you. I owe you the greatest gratitude of my life."

Hajime didn't know what Yue's expression was right now.

However, he didn't want to confirm it specifically.

Because now is the time that belongs only to this uncle and nephew.

"Eledia, you must be filled with doubts right now. Or perhaps you've already learned the truth? The reason I hurt you and plunged you into darkness... and what kind of existence you are, and your true enemy."

What Tinreid told next was not far from known facts and speculations.

That is, the truth about God, and the fact that Yue Tiansheng possesses the perfect qualities to become God's vessel, enough to be regarded as the "Son of God" and coveted by God.

Realizing God's intentions, Tinrid devised a plan to deal with it.

One of them was to pretend that he was obsessed with the throne, causing a coup and killing Yue, but in reality he sealed Yue in the depths of the abyss.

The reason for sealing the moon was to avoid leaving any clues for the gods to find, so he had to make such a painful decision.

"I've been hesitant about whether or not to tell you the truth... However, in order to truly deceive God, I finally decided not to tell you. Furthermore, if you continue to see me as a betrayer and hate me, perhaps this emotion will become your motivation to live."

In order to deceive God, Tinrid could not stay in the sealed room for too long.

Therefore, after pretending to rebel and killing Yue in the royal city, there must not be much time for talking.

In the video, Tinreed clenched his fists, and you can see how sad and helpless he was at the time.

"...I'm not asking you to forgive me. But...but, you must believe this one thing. Even if this truth is worthless to you, I hope you can understand it."

Tinreed's expression shifted from pain to a tearful smile.

The expression was incredibly gentle and full of love, yet at the same time held an immense sadness.

"I love you. Eletia. I love you with all my heart. I've never been tired of you, not even once. You're like my own daughter to me."

“…Uncle, uncle…Uncle Tinrid! Me, me too…!”

Yue's emotions finally broke down. Her uncle's words proved that the fragments of memories she had recovered in the Ice Cave were not false, and all the tender memories she had shared with her uncle flooded back to her mind.

──I also regard you as a real father──

Although such feelings were not expressed out loud, they continued to slide down the cheeks along with the tears.

"I couldn't protect you, and could only entrust you to someone in the future... I'm sorry. I'm a useless father..."

“That’s not true…!”

What appeared before her were only images of the past, Tinrid's last words. However, to Yue, it didn't matter. She couldn't help but shout out what she wanted to say to him.

Tinrid's eyes sparkled, but he didn't let it fade until the very end. He forced himself to suppress it and continued to express his feelings to his beloved daughter.

"How I long to be by your side, to see you one day master your own happiness. Punching the man beside you is a dream I've never spoken out loud. After that, I'll drink with that man, entrust you to him, and say, 'I leave my daughter in your care.' Eletia, since this is the man you've chosen, he will surely promise me your happiness with the most sincere expression."

Tinreed in the image looks into the distance, as if he is imagining a dream scene.

His expression was exactly like that of a father who was imagining his daughter's bright future.

"It's almost time. I have something else to tell you, but... my creation magic can only create artifacts of this level."

“…No, don’t go! Uncle—Father!”

Sensing the limit of the artifact's recording capacity was approaching, Tinrid smiled wryly. Yue burst into tears, stretched out her hands, and cried out.

The sincere and deep love of his uncle—no, his father—and his sad yet strong awareness made Yue very emotional, filled with indescribable feelings.

So, Hajime hugged Yue tighter.