Arifureta After III Tortus Travel Journal ⑳
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――Keep living. Keep struggling, and struggling to live like you’re going to die from here on too. Do that, and one day……there is meaning in you surviving this day, the day you can think so is going to come for sure
Behind the roaring waterfall. Inside that natural cave, a voice that was heavy like rock, hard like steel, and unshakeable like a great tree echoed.
At the northern mountain range, near the summit of the first mountain there. It was the place where Hajime and co found Will Cudeta who was stranded here.
The scene of that time was being watched through past replay.
He was a young master of a house of count. He asked for unreasonable things and accompanied some veteran adventurers. He wasn’t any use at all, yet he was the only one who survived. He harbored a terrible feeling of guilt about it, however at the same time he was helplessly happy of the fact that he survived.
Will sobbed with a crumpled face saying that he was an ugly human. Hajime grabbed his collar and threw those words on him.
Inside the past replay, Hajime immediately came back to his senses and let go of Will. It was as though he was feeling embarrassed that he got so heated up. He was giving off an awkward air.
「There is certainly a meaning of your survival huh?」
Shuu messed up Hajime’s hair with a rough stroke. Hajime averted his eyes as though he was faced with a black history. He slapped down Shuu’s hand with embarrassment.
But, even though he averted his gaze from his father, Sumire was lying in wait ahead of his gaze.
「You don’t need to be that embarrassed. Look, Will-kun is it? A bit of strength has returned into his eyes.」
「……It was mostly me venting out my anger. It was too childish of me I can’t bear to look at it.」
Hajime and Will’s circumstance overlapped at the aspect of “surviving alone inside a cave”. That Will spouting out words that it was shameful for him to survive sounded like he was saying that Hajime’s own survival was a mistake and he spontaneously spoke that line just now. Certainly, it could be called as him venting out.
「That’s not true! Papa, you were cool nano!」
「Myuu……」
Myuu tightly hugged the legs of the self-depreciating Hajime. Her perfectly round eyes were sparkling. At the same time, a kind tune could also be vaguely felt from her voice, it conveyed both her true feeling and consideration.
A smile naturally formed on Hajime’s face. He unconsciously stroked Myuu’s head. Myuu narrowed her eyes pleasantly, as though she was entering a warm bath. 「Myu~~」 An adorable voice that lacked tension slipped out.
Aiko’s expression loosened smilingly seeing such Myuu while showing her agreement.
「That’s right. Those words also echoed deeply at the bottom of our heart. Just how heavy the experience of Hajime-kun in the abyss. It felt like we were able to slightly sympathize with that experience that we could only imagine about.」
Just as Aiko said, Aiko and Yuuka and others inside the past replay were all showing expression as though they were greatly moved by something. It was like they were in front of a small hearth within harsh winter. Hajime who only showed his cold side to them since their reunion gave off a humane heat, and that heat melted the freezing part inside themselves. Their expression showed that.
Tomoichi and others who had actually watched the struggle for survival in the abyss were also feeling something from those words just now. They were sending gaze that was filled with warmth somewhere inside toward Hajime. Tomoichi asked with a gentle tone.
「Hajime-kun. Is he still an adventurer even now?」
「I’m sorry, I don’t really know how he is doing right now. After the final battle, he came with his parents and brothers one time for greeting but……it seemed they were really busy with the reconstruction, perhaps he is helping his parents right now.」
Hajime tilted his head in puzzlement, but Liliana told them the answer.
「Cudeta House’s contribution for the reconstruction is immense. They cooperated with Fuhren, and they even use their own private fortune in the effort. To reward that dedication, now they are the feudal lord that govern over the southern territory of the kingdom.」
It seemed they obtained great success where their influence was at duke level.
When the devil race invaded the capital, many high class nobles became sacrifice. And then the number of surviving nobles who perceived that as chance to fatten their own pocket also wasn’t few.
Liliana’s eyes for judging people were the real thing, so there was no problem in discerning that type of people but, it couldn’t be denied that “people who could be trusted” was lacking in supply.
In such situation, the count who underwent great hardships to fulfill his duty as noble and also returned the favor to his majesty the demon king who saved Will and helped Liliana who was the demon king’s wife seemed to be someone who could be strongly trusted even in Liliana’s eye. Right now he was even becoming one of the kingdom’s mainstay leaders.
「Inevitably the responsibility that the lord is shouldering is also becoming immense, so Will-san also washed his hand from being an adventurer and give his all in helping with his house’s work. Right now he is holding the post as the official responsible for the aid commodities and the like in Fuhren as the representative of Cudeta House.」
「Hee, so he is the one in charge of negotiating with that metropolis of commerce, that’s amazing. Your average joe will get cajoled and has all his possession stripped away from him in that job though.」
「Right now everyone is united so even Fuhren isn’t being that opportunist. If they are doing business greedily which cause the people’s dissatisfaction to pile up, and that news enter a certain someone’s ear……they’ll end up like a certain underground organization in the past! Or so they think.」
So that’s how it is. The tragedy that befell the underground organization that auctioned Myuu and caused dirty fireworks to bloom in a part of Fuhren seemed to left a lasting impression in the mind of the upper echelon there.
It wasn’t like Hajime was the ally of the people but, Liliana had worked hard doing everything she could. Then, seeing that Hajime would move……surely they couldn’t discard such possibility.
「Fufu. To say nothing of how Will-san is someone who his majesty the demon king personally saved. They can do nothing else but treating him with sincerity and good faith. Fufufu.」
Oh? It felt like Princess Liliana’s smiling face was wicked……
「Hey, Lily. Could it be, you did something like advising the lord regarding Will’s placement……」
「Pyu~pyupyu~pyu~♪」
A lovely whistling voice echoed in the cave. What a cliché way to play innocent. Even though it was just whistling but the way it had absurdly delicate and beautiful tune was aggravating. Furthermore, the tune was from the magical girl song before this. What fast learning. The slight arrangement so that the tune was usable for whistling was even more irritaiting.
The tough princess who made use of her husband’s influence without reservation caused everyone to look conflicted. Setting that aside……Kaori returned her focus into the past replay.
「……Muu. Hajime-kun entered a world with Yue all alone again.」
「That’s right, Kaori-san. They’re creating this pink world anytime anywhere. Do you understand my feeling when we were still traveling with just the three of us?」
「Yes, I understand it, Shia. Because, Shia is making an amazing face even inside the projection. This face, filled with things like alienation or loneliness or emptiness, it’s like all those are all jumbled up. Surely I’ll also be like that in your position!」
「Kaori-san!」
「Shia!」
Somehow the friendship value of Kaori and Shia was rising. They hugged each other tightly. It might be understandable. After all, inside the past projection, tightly grasping Hajime’s hand,
――It’s fine, Hajime isn’t wrong
――Yue
――Live with your all. Keep living. Forever together with me. Okay?
Yue’s expression was compassionate like the holy mother. Hajime was lovingly staring at such Yue while caressing her cheek.
Of course, Yue was also rubbing her cheek on Hajime’s hand fawningly. There was the illusion of heart shaped bubbles were drifting airily and the air being colored pink. Even though it was inside the projection, somehow even the air felt sweet like cookies.
And then that sickly sweet scene became paused as a still image. The culprit was of course Yue-sama. Her face was smug. It was really smug. At the same time she was even pointing her finger and bending backward like a certain pirate empress when looking down on others.
With godspeed Kaori moved behind Yue and restrained her. In the same beat Shia carried out a tickling execution with her rabbit ears. Shizuku and Aiko and Liliana also joined in nonchalantly. Shia held Yue’s waist and lifted her up horizontally. Even her shoes were taken off and not just her sides, even the back of her feet were tickled.
「……Nh!? Nnh!? Sto, stop-, fuhih!? Hyawa!?」
The moment she tried to shake them off, 「That looks fun nano~!」 Myuu also joined in the tickling! Yue became unable to act roughly and screamed ‘ahi ahi’ with tearful eyes.
The parents were watching their frolicking with gaze that seemed to say ‘They’re really getting along’. During that, Hajime suddenly noticed. How Tio was strangely docile.
「Oi, what’s the matter Tio? You’re making a face like a normal dragon race like that.」
「I am a normal dragon race people though!?」
「……haha-」
「Why art thou laughing!?」
‘How insulting!’ Tio huffed as though to say that. Seeing her like that Hajime narrowed his eyes thinking that something was strange as expected. Because, she wasn’t going ‘haa haa’ even though he just insulted her with something like 「You are a dragon race that is not dragon race. You’re dragon race (lol) right?」. It was abnormal.
「And, what’s wrong?」
「……Good grief, goshujin-sama art sharp. Well, it’s delightful that thou art watching me carefully like that――」
「A docile Tio is so strange that it’s conspicuous to anyone whether they want to notice or not, right?」
「Nh fuuh. Mine overwhelming gratitude for the sharp words that floweth like water and yet sharp like spear!」
「Enough, just say quickly what’s wrong.」
Hajime was slightly relived seeing Tio finally going ‘haa haa’ and urged her. Then Tio turned around and bared open her feeling while smiling bitterly.
「It’s nothing, it’s not something that needst to be worried about. I am merely a little ashamed of mine blunder.」
Hajime guessed Tio’s thought from those words.
Most likely, she was reminded once more from seeing Will inside the past projection. How she was controlled and killed the adventurers.
「It was truly, an irredeemable mistake.」
Indignation could be seen inside her bitter smile. Behind her golden pupils, there was a flicker of flame that blazed fiercely as though burning herself.
Yue and others stopped messing around seeing that. They looked at Tio with a quiet expression. And then the parents gasped and opened their eyes wide.
Kaoruko and Akiko got flustered by the stifling air. They gave a follow up toward Tio.
「Bu, but, if I remember right, Tio-san was controlled wasn’t it?」
「That was what I heard from Aiko too. Then――」
「Both of you, mine gratitude for thy consideration. But, human lives were lost. It couldst not be put away merely by saying that it couldst not be helped.」
Kaoruko and Akiko became speechless from Tio’s decisive reply. Shuuzou and other Yaegashi family members seemed to understand Tio’s feeling. They were watching her with a calm gaze.
Sumire and Shuu looked at each other and asked Tio.
「Didn’t you obtain the forgiveness from Will-kun and the other adventurers’ family?」
「After the final battle, you went to apologize to them before going to earth didn’t you? Hajime also accompanied you right?」
Actually, Tio already went to apologize to the families that were left behind by those adventurers. Not just from Will, she also obtained forgiveness from them. It seemed there was already explanation about the circumstance from Will beforehand, and there was also Tio’s achievement in the final battle and other place that they received Tio’s apologize with no ill feeling so much that Tio felt troubled instead but……
「That is that, this is this. Due to mine mistake, lives were lost needlessly. Whether I am forgiven or not for it, it’s something that I must not forget for mine whole life.」
Tio spun words of admonition like a strict judge, or perhaps like a priest that preached the truth.
From her words there was certainly the figure of strict and moral dragon race who wouldn’t allow any pampering for herself or averting her gaze from what she should shoulder.
With self-reproach and self-admonition, and then prayer to the death for happiness in the next world in her heart, Tio silently closed her eyes. While solemn atmosphere was filling the cave, a small silhouette came running with rapid steps.
「……Fufu, thank you. Myuu.」
「Myu……」
Before it was to Hajime. Now it was to Tio. However, this time it wasn’t with words. Myuu was simply clinging on Tio’s leg.
Yue and others, also the parents too were praying for happiness in the next life for the dead. Time flowed solemnly for a while.
Before long, Hajime broke the silence.
「Well, she isn’t worrying or anything, if it’s something that Tio decided herself then I don’t really have anything to say but……」
「What is it goshujin-sama?」
Hajime didn’t mind if she wasn’t being tormented by guilty conscience and trapped in it. In that respect, Tio was more level headed than anyone else despite being a total pervert, so he wasn’t worried. Though although he said that, Hajime’s expression softened with consideration somewhere in it. Tio tilted her head seeing that.
「There might be negligence in your part. You must be really confident in the defense power of the unbreakable dragon scale. You were also undoubtedly very tired after flying continuously from the far away solitary island without stopping until here.」
「That’s, well……that art the case. However……」
Tio tried to argue back, however, Hajime interrupted her with his hand and continued.
「Above all else, you were unlucky. Even though you were hiding within a vast mountain range, you still encountered that guy. What’s more it was in a superb timing where he was in the middle of carrying out his plan. It made me wonder just what kind of coincidence was that.」
Hajime folded his arms while talking. Everyone focused on him. Hearing the word 「Unlucky」, her expression looked like she wanted to object 「That’s not an excuse」 so much, but she stayed quiet and lent her ear.
「Tio, should I say as expected from the dragon race, that mental strength of yours isn’t a joke. I’ve never seen you shaken no matter what kind of trial it was in the great dungeons.」
「……I hath, lived for more than five hundred years after all.」
Yes, whether it was at Great Dungeon Haltina, or the cave of ice and snow, against trial that tested the mind, she would face it with more firmness than anyone, and broke through it.
「Yeah, that’s why I’m saying this. You were unlucky.」
「Goshujin-sama, that’s……」
「Of all people, you got found out by an absurd genius like Shimizu.」
「Genius……」
It was Shuuzou who was muttering with a questioning tone. But, it seemed everyone felt the same. They harbored surprise and puzzlement toward Hajime praising Shimizu Yukitoshi as genius without exaggerating.