An ordinary profession creates the world's strongest

"Hey, you little brat! You dared to attack a graveyard? How foolish of you! If you return that merchandise right now, I can let you die painlessly."

Surrounded by nearly twenty burly men, Myuu raised his head, away from Shiji's neck, and looked up at Shiji anxiously.

"Big Brother..."

"It's okay, I'm here. It's going to be a little noisy, so cover your ears and close your eyes."

After whispering in Myu's ear, Hajime took her hand and placed it against her ear. Myu didn't understand what he meant, but seeing how relaxed and unperturbed he was, she nodded in agreement. She obediently covered her ear with her hand, closed her eyes, and buried her face in Hajime's chest.

"How dare you ignore us!?"

The man in black saw that he was being completely ignored, and veins popped out on his forehead. He angrily ordered, "Kill the brat! Don't damage the merchandise!"

At that moment, a resounding bang echoed. The black-clad figure, seemingly the leader, had his head blown off. The contents of his head spurted out from the back of his skull in a comically exaggerated manner, smearing the faces of his subordinates.

Everyone had their eyes wide open, seemingly unable to comprehend what was happening, their gazes following the man in black who fell like a puppet with broken strings.

Shi took advantage of the opportunity to continue shooting. Just as everyone was still frozen in place, unsure of what kind of attack they were under, the gunshots continued. When they came to their senses, there were eleven bodies with their heads shot out.

"No, nooooooooooooooooooo! Devil!"

"He'll be killed! He's a demon!"

At this moment, the men in black finally realized the young man before them was no ordinary person. They retreated in fear, and the customers screamed and scrambled for the exits. Hajime internally grumbled, "You people who traffic in human beings, how can you call me a devil or a demon?" He didn't even glance at the fleeing customers, his gaze fixed on the men in black surrounding him.

“Who are you? What happened? Why are you doing this…”

A man in black, though confused and trembling with fear, still tried desperately to bluff and shout. Although about ten more people came out from the room to support him, they also began to fear when they saw the tragic scene in the hall.

Hajime scoffed.

"Why? You'll understand after seeing this, right? I'm here to reclaim what was stolen, that's all. And... I want to let everyone know that this is what happens to those who dare to attack my companions. So, I'm going to end it with a bang, huh?"

As soon as Hajime finished speaking, he used his aerodynamics to leap onto the hall's ceiling. Unbeknownst to him, a hole had opened up in the ceiling, leading to the outside. Hajime jumped into the hole and burst out onto the ground.

"Yue, I successfully rescued Myuu. How's it going on your end?"

"...Yes, evacuation is complete. Also, guests are pouring in."

"Is that so? Then let's have a grand finale."

"Um!"

Hajime continued to soar into the sky using his "Aero Power" while speaking to Myuu.

Myuu was still obediently following Hajime's instructions, rubbing her ears with her hands and burying her face in Hajime's chest. Hajime told Myuu to put her hands down and open her eyes. Only then did Myuu open her eyes and look around... "Wa ...

It was no wonder. When she opened her eyes, she was in the sky, with a sweeping view of the vast city of [Flen]. Beyond the horizon, the crimson sunset was gradually sinking, painting the sky a fiery crimson. Dots of artificial lights began to illuminate the ground, creating a beautiful nightscape.

Seeing such a magnificent sight for the first time, Myuu exclaimed in amazement, his eyes sparkling, and happily grabbed the clothes on his chest.

"Big Brother is awesome! We're flying in the sky!"

"I'm not actually flying, I'm just jumping in the air... Never mind, Myuu, there are some gorgeous fireworks to watch next, right?"

"Fireworks?"

"Fireworks are just...explosions."

"explode?"

Hajime didn't elaborate, but since he was still going to do the same thing, he didn't care. Holding Myuu in one hand, Hajime used his "air power" to stay aloft while he retrieved a ring from his "treasure vault"—a remote bomb detonator made from a "sensory stone." While searching for Myuu, Hajime had already been dropping a large number of bombs at the right locations.

"Let's start, ※Tama-ya～" (Translator's note: A Japanese term for watching fireworks, originating from the name of a fireworks manufacturer in the Edo period)

"Tama~house~?"

The long-lasting voices of Hajime and Murat echoed in the dusk sky—the next moment, accompanied by the sound of an explosion, a tremor strong enough to shake the entire [Fren].

The art gallery that served as the venue for the underground auction was blasted to pieces, seemingly disregarding the historical building and artworks. The impact and flames swept through like a tsunami, instantly destroying all surrounding cemetery-related facilities.

To prevent the fire from spreading, flames, pre-planned to prevent it from spreading, shot violently upward, tinting the surrounding buildings a red hue distinct from the setting sun. The scene was surreal, as if a volcano had erupted in the middle of the city.

“Ehhhhhhh!?”

"How is it? Myuu, are you surprised? These are fireworks."

"Fireworks are scary."

Seeing the magnificent sight of the explosion, Myuu couldn't help but tremble with fear, clinging to Hajime with tears in her eyes. However, a party held to welcome Hajime's enemies couldn't end so easily...

"Big brother! Something's coming out!"

"It's so beautiful."

“Eh!?”

As if to add insult to injury to Myuu's mental strength, the sky a little further away suddenly became covered with dark clouds, and the next second - four "Thunder Dragons" appeared with a roar.

Although the four brontosauruses were much smaller than a single one, their oppressive presence remained the same. They coiled in the dark, overcast sky, looking down upon the ground. The mere sight of them would nearly scare the faint of heart.

The four Thunder Dragons released by Yue burst into flames, leisurely moving in different directions across the crimson sky.

Anyone in [Flen] has probably witnessed their majesty.

As if to display their majesty, four thunder dragons soared leisurely in the sky above the metropolis. The next moment, thunder roared, and the four thunder dragons simultaneously "landed" at the remaining four important strongholds in the cemetery.

Lightning illuminated the city and the sky. After a loud bang, the buildings disappeared without a trace. The sounds of earthquakes and thunder echoed throughout [Fren].

Flames and dust erupted from explosions everywhere, and under the reflection of the setting sun and the flames, the metropolis of Fren was dyed red - the scene was like a nightmare.

Incidentally, to avoid endangering unrelated civilians, he took special precautions. He flew the Ornis drone over the relevant facilities and their vicinity, carefully confirming that no one unrelated to the cemetery was present. Therefore, those killed or burned were only members of the cemetery.

Some of them might feel guilty about their actions, or have a lingering conscience... But as far as Hajime is concerned, since they belong to a hostile organization, he doesn't care about their individual personalities.

"Mr. Hajime! Is Myuu okay?!"

"Hey, Shia, wait a minute, that's fast, what's the structure of your body like?"

As Hajime and Myuu admired the dwindling fire and smoke, Shia received a telepathic connection. Since Hajime hadn't shared his detailed plan with Shia, she was startled by the explosion and the Thunder Dragon and quickly contacted Hajime.

"Yes, she's fine. Their base has been largely destroyed... Thinking of what Ilva Branch Chief is about to deal with, he's probably wailing. We'll gather at his place."

"Wow~ I'm so glad Myuu-chan is alright~ Let's meet at the branch manager's place, right? Got it, I'll be there right away. Hajime-san, please let me see Myuu quickly, okay?"

"Okay, I get it. Let's meet there."

"yes."

Seeing Hajime suddenly staring off into the distance without saying a word, Myuu looked at him, as if puzzled. Hajime told Myuu that "I'll be able to see you soon," and Myuu immediately smiled happily and called out "Onee-san."

When Hajime landed on the ground, Yue had already handed the imprisoned children to the security guards and walked over. Yue stared at Miu, who was being held by Hajime. Miu's eyes wandered, and she looked up at Hajime, bewildered, as if asking, "Who is this person?"

"Myuu, her name is Yue, and she's my lover."

"Hmm? Lover? ...Where's Shia-nee-sama?"

"Shia is a companion."

"Aren't we lovers?"

"no."

"...That's what you say on the surface, but is that true?"

"What's your reaction? Yue is my lover."

“Hmph~”

Hajime introduced Yue to Myu, but Myu showed a dissatisfied expression towards Yue. Yue continued to look at Myu, and Myu also stared at Yue as if sizing her up.

The two stared at each other for a while, but the balance was suddenly broken and Yue slowly walked forward.

Myuu immediately became wary, but Yue ignored her guard and snatched Myuu from Hajime's hand, holding her tightly in his arms. Myuu moaned "Mmm~" and struggled with her hands and feet, but Yue refused to let her go and said:

"...Foul, this is so cute."

It seemed Yue was quite fond of Miu. Miu finally raised his head, breathing freely, and met Yue's eyes at a very close distance.

"...Myuu, I'm Yue. It's really not easy for you to hold on until now. It's really amazing."

Yue showed a gentle look, hugged Miao and stroked her head.

Feeling Yue's gentle touch and warm atmosphere, Myuu naturally relaxed, tears welling up in her eyes as she sobbed. Myuu had been too tense to cry properly when she reunited with Hajime. At that moment, her tension completely relaxed, and the bitterness she had felt before flowed out with her tears.

Hajime gave a wry smile, thinking to himself, "As expected of Yue." After waiting for Myuu to stop crying, they went to visit the branch manager of the Adventurer's Guild.

"Fifteen buildings collapsed, thirty-two partially destroyed, and nine completely destroyed. Thirty-eight members of the cemetery crew are confirmed dead, forty-four are mentally ill, twenty-eight are seriously injured, and one hundred and nineteen are missing... Do you have any excuses?"

"They pissed me off, so I retaliated in a calculated way. I have no remorse or regret."

“Ah~~~~~~~~~”

Inside the Adventurer's Guild's reception room, Ilva held a report in one hand and glared coldly at Hajime. Hajime, however, let Myuu sit on his lap, and the two of them devoured the snacks served to them, showing no sign of remorse. Seeing Hajime's attitude, Ilva felt completely powerless.

"...I heard that the water tanks and walls of Measutat were damaged, and that Liman escaped into the sky... Could this be related to you?"

"...Myuu, this dessert is delicious too, try it."

"Ah~"

Hajime pretended not to understand Ilva's meaning and calmly fed Myuu a snack. However, Ilva's eyes flickered to the side when he saw Shia sitting next to him. He sighed deeply again and gently stroked his stomach with one hand. Secretary General Det, standing nearby, gave a sympathetic look and calmly handed over some stomach medicine.

"Well, while you might be going a bit overboard, we've always been troubled by the underground, so honestly, this incident is a huge help to us. They never leave any clear evidence, and even if we're caught in the act, they'll cut off their operations and try to survive. Eradicating them completely is simply wishful thinking... but this will drastically shift the balance of power in the underworld... and the Adventurer's Guild working with the Security Bureau will also face a lot of trouble."

"Those matters were originally handled by the Fren administration. This time, they just happened to attack someone close to me, so I retaliated..."

"Just a 'counterattack' wiped out the largest underground organization in Fren in just half a day? This is no joke."

Ilva gave a wry smile, as if he had aged twenty years in a flash. Adding to that, he had aged ten years when he saw the status board of Hajime and the others, and he was already a grandfather. Even Hajime felt a bit sorry for him, so he proposed a plan to Ilva:

"The reason we're making such a big move is to serve as a warning to those criminal groups, to deter them from targeting us again. Branch Manager, you could also mention our names, right? Or, if you just say we're the branch manager's exclusive group of 'Gold' adventurers, that should have a deterrent effect."

"Oh, is that okay? You're doing me a big favor, but...don't you hate being taken advantage of?"

Hearing what Hajime said, Ilva showed a surprised expression, but her eyes clearly said, "Huh? Really? I'd love to." Hajime smiled wryly and shrugged.

"We're already in the same boat, and we'll need your help in the future, so it's fine if we lend you our name. If you're a branch manager, you'll be able to tread carefully. We don't want our connections to provoke a fight with the underworld or affect the general public."

“…Hmm, Hajime-san, you seem to have changed a bit. When we first met, you seemed like the type who didn’t care about other people’s lives. Did anything good happen to you in Ur Town?”

"...For me, a trip to Ur Town isn't entirely a bad idea."

As expected of a guild branch manager in a large city, he was a keen observer of people, and he seemed to have noticed a subtle change in Hajime. Since Ilva welcomed this change, he readily accepted Hajime's proposal.

Incidentally, several underground organizations later attempted to expand their influence after being defeated at the cemetery; however, Ilva effectively used their names to intimidate them, so there was not much chaos.

Due to the impact of this incident, Hajime added many titles, such as "Fren Branch Chief's Ultimate Weapon", "White-haired Eyepatch Explosive Flame User", "Girl Killer", etc. However, Hajime didn't take it seriously. If he said he didn't have any, then he didn't have any.

As for the punishment Hajime and the others faced for causing trouble in Furen, thanks to Ilva's efforts, and the Security Bureau, which was responsible for maintaining public order, also considered the action to be self-defense and surprisingly did not pursue responsibility, so they did not face any difficulties. It seems that the Security Bureau was very angry about the bombing of the Security Bureau and the seizure of the children who were temporarily staying there.

Furthermore, the underground organization constantly engaged in illegal activities, completely disregarding the Security Bureau, which the Bureau seemed to find unbearable. When the Security Bureau Chief, probably over sixty, came to visit, he gave them a very manly smile and a thumbs-up before leaving. Perhaps it was an illusion, but as he left, his steps were so brisk that he seemed to be humming "La La La~♪," his cheerful mood was evident.

"Next, regarding the treatment of little sister Myuu..."

Ilva looked at Miu, who was holding the biscuits in both hands and eating like a little squirrel.

Myuu's body trembled at his gaze. Perhaps worried about being separated from Hajime and the others again, she looked up at Hajime, Yue, and Shia anxiously. The reason she didn't look at Tio was because... it was the responsibility of the elderly to prevent children from seeing things that were harmful to their health and well-being.

"There are two options. We can send her back to Enison through formal procedures, or we can entrust her to you to bring her back... Which one would you choose?"

Hajime tilted his head in confusion. Could the abducted Seaman child not be handed over to the government? According to Ilva's explanation, since Hajime and the others were adventurers like "Gold" and the reason for this commotion was to protect Myuu, he decided it was okay to hand them over.

Ilva showed extraordinary enthusiasm in this matter... but he didn't particularly boast about his achievements. From this perspective, it seems that he was very lucky to have Ilva as his backer.

"Mr. Hajime... I will definitely protect this child. Please... let's take her with us."

Shia bowed her head and pleaded with Hajime, apparently determined to send Myuu home no matter what. Yue and Tio stared at Hajime in silence, leaving the decision to him.

"Big Brother... Myuu can't you come with me?"

Myu sat on Shi's lap, looking up at him pitifully. It was a really unfair sight. However, when he decided to take Myu back, he had already considered that as long as Myu was willing, it would be fine to take her with him. He had come to a conclusion in his mind.

"From the very beginning, I planned to take Myuu with me, which is why I came to her rescue. Since Myuu has developed such deep feelings for us, I will not abandon her now."

"Mr. Hajime!"

"Big Brother!"

Shia and Myuu were beaming with joy. Although they had to conquer the Great Labyrinth of Grun Volcano before heading to the Maritime City of Enison, Hajime, convinced that things would work out in the end, had already made up his mind and allowed Myuu to go along.

"But Myuu, could you please stop calling me big brother? Just call me Hajime. That name makes me itch all over."

Seeing Myuu happily hugging him, Hajime asked with some embarrassment. Because Hajime was a otaku before (?), he felt a lot about the title of "big brother".

Myuu tilted his head and thought for a moment about Hajime's request, then nodded in agreement as if figuring something out... and then called out a name that surprised everyone present.

"Then... Dad."