Fortunately, the downtown interview wasn’t broadcasted live.
The camera was hindered due to the interference from Lightning Clad. The TV crews withdrew because they weren’t in a state to do recording anymore. They looked terribly frustrated.
It wasn’t because their camera broke, but because it returned to normal after they took a certain distance. Surely that was frustrating for them.
Hajime and Shia dragged away the Haurias from the noisy location to escape. They let out a large sigh when they entered the entrance of a shopping department.
「Hajime-san, are you alright, mentally?」
「It felt like my soul got shaved off a lot, but I’m still alright. Though, don’t let your guard down Shia. Concentrate. If not――you’ll die.」
「No, we aren’t in a battlefield. This is a departm――」
「Boss! This is a really amazing place! If it’s here surely they will have splendid collection of weapons!」
「Around here there are only clothes……. Boss, where are they selling tools? I want to resupply my wire soon.」
「Ah, boss, I also want sharpening stone for my knife.」
「Are they selling hidden weapon here? I want a spare blade for the assassin blade boss bestowed to us.」
「No no, chief. Also all of you too. We are finally able to come to boss’s world yeah? Then, first it has to be explosive! Boss, please show us the best explosive material!」
For the time being, the ladies who were sending feverish gazed to Carm and Io opened their eyes wide in shock. Their eyes were darting around was undoubtedly the proof that they were hesitating whether to report this to the police or not.
Shia raised a dry laugh 「Ahaha……」.
「I retract my words. This place is a battlefield. Our heart will be done in if we let our guard down. Also please don’t report this to police.」
「Perhaps it might be best to go to hardware store.」
There wouldn’t be any explosive or assassin blade there, but perhaps there would be a full set of material there. At the very least, there would be a mountain of product for making trap there.
Although, the store would also have bar or chainsaw. Hajime didn’t want Hauria to equip these two items.
Rabbits equipping “bar-like thing” or “chainsaw” inside forest……that was nightmare. If it was turned into horror movie, it felt like it would give terror that surpassed that person in the 13th Friday.
Hajime shook his head to chase out the scary imagination. He then thoroughly, very thoroughly told Carm and others that there wasn’t any weapon here, that till the end this was a market for general public. He told them to never ask anything like 「I want to buy explosive though, where is it placed?」 to the shop staff no matter what.
Carm and others were a bit disappointed, but they came here today for the sake of learning a part of living in another world. They accepted that they didn’t came for weapon resupply. For the present time they were following behind Hajime obediently.
「Hmm, it’s unfortunate that they have no weapon here, however, this place is really resplendent. It looks like the imperial castle’s audience hall or party venue.」
Carm let out an impressed voice. The first floor that became atrium which reached until third floor was certainly resplendent not just from the ceiling’s lighting, but from the lights of each store too.
「Look around casually. Tell me if there is something that pique your interest. However, don’t go off by your own. Tell me properly. You all get that? This is an absolute order okay? Completely absolute okay?」
「……That’s a joke isn’t it boss?」(TN: Here Carm said the sentence in a slang wording usually used by youngsters in Japan)
「That ain’t it.」
The chief-san grinned broadly and guessed the boss’s meaning. It made Hajime wanted to make a tsukkomi why they knew about earth’s culture (?) only in that kind of area.
The atrium floors that reached until the third floor were basically consisting of only brand clothes or bag shops. Perhaps because of that, it seemed the Haurias weren’t really interested. Their gaze were sliding away from all of those in disinterest other than learning what kind of clothing Japanese people were wearing and just how much was the price.
「Hmm, Mina-san, Nea-chan. Are you two interested in western clothes? Look, something like this, I think it will look good on Mina-san see? Isn’t it cute?」
Shia smiled wryly at the disinterest of her fellow female Haurias toward fashion while pointing at the mannequin display of a certain shop.
The group of good looking people was naturally also standing out inside the department store. Noticing that Shia stopped walking, the female shop staff’s eyes were shining hopefully. She was quickly closing the distance with a perfect smile.
Two beautiful women who looked like foreign model. The female customers inside the shop and also the passing by people inadvertently directed their gaze to them.
Amidst that, Mina who was staring intently at the mannequin display that was dressed in long skirt Shia pointed out was……
「It looks hard to move at. I think it will be a hindrance in battle.」
「……」
The shop employee stopped approaching. The female customers went 「Eh?」 and tilted their head wondering if they were mishearing.
「No, now now, Mina-san. This is a casual wear you know? It’s worn in time like when you are going out shopping for a bit for example, at that kind of time――」
「Fuu. You have become completely lax haven’t you, Shia.」
「Yes?」
In response to Shia who was explaining that it wasn’t a battle clothes with a bitter smile, Mina shrugged her shoulders looking like she was saying 「Oh dear」 really condescendingly. Shia’s expression became somewhat irritated.
「Casual wear? Shopping? I wonder what could you refer to by that. We are the Hauria! How can you be so lax to forget the constant alert state of mind as though you are in a battlefield like this!」
「Eee~」
Shia who was preached at for some reason by her relative who was like her big sister. In addition, Carm and others were also sending her an exasperated expression that said 「Good grief Shia. Can you properly become boss’s wife like that?」. Shia’s irritated expression was getting deeper.
But, she endured! Because, Shia was an able bunny wife after all! Though she couldn’t avoid having her unseen bunny ears trembling.
The female shop employee thought 「Ah, these guys might be a no good type of bunch」 and stopped approaching. Her impregnable friendly smile wasn’t disturbed at the slightest, but her legs stopped moving completely. She was entering a wait-and-see mode.
Mina didn’t even bother with the surrounding’s thought and,
(This is a chance! If I speak as Shia’s big sister that I want to watch over my unworthy little sister, I might be allowed to serve at boss’s side! Ku-ku-ku-. Don’t think bad of me, Shia. Onee-chan is at her limit already here. Each time I listened to the love talk of Rana and you, my heart feels like they are going to crack!)
Mina slipped out a black smile inside her heart. Like this she was going to develop a carefully reasoned logical argument that she ought to stay at the boss’s side using Shia’s clothing choice as excuse. But, however,
「Aa, geez-. What’s with that attitude just because of some clothing! It’s alright to wear cute western clothes occasionally! Even your attire today is lovely you know!?」
(Fuh, that’s naïve, Shia. Really naïve! My outfit right now is trouser look. What’s more, I asked Remia-san to choose one with soft fabric that has elasticity for me! In other words, it doesn’t violate my constant state of mental readiness at all! You who don’t even notice that really need my supervision just as I thought!)
Mina thought that within 0.03 second and replied with an overreaction that wished to express just how exasperated she was toward Shia.
「Fuh, really Shia. You are really a hopeless little sister aren’t you? Now listen, this is――」
「Hajime-san. Don’t you think that this long skirt will absolutely look good on Mina-san?」
「Hm~? Well, I guess it will?」
「Clerk-san! This one, give it to me!」
Mina-san snapped her finger and changed her attitude as easy as turning her palm. Inside her heart the scheme of just a moment ago had been sent flying to the beyond.
(Waa~~~i♪ I was praised by bosss~♪)
She was in a really high spirits. By the way, this year Mina was 23 years old.
She flapped her unseen rabbit ears energetically while passing by Shia who was making a look of incomprehension toward the shop employee.
By the way, each Hauria had been given their own Japanese yen of a certain amount. This was their “first shopping”. It was a part of their learning of currency value and calculation.
It was a brand product, so the price was quite expensive. The shop employee would prepare a different item that was the same like the one in the mannequin display. While waiting for it, Mina was humming ‘un un’ while counting the money she had with all her might.
While waiting for her calculation, the sleeve of Hajime’s clothes got pulled weakly. Hajime went 「Hm?」 and when he turned his gaze, there Nea who was fidgeting went……
「Bo, boss. I also, want some clothes. Is there anything, that suit me?」
The rabbit eared beautiful little girl kept sending glances with an upward look. She was explicitly begging 「I want clothes that boss think will look good on me」.
It seemed there was a gentleman among the passerby. The gentleman made a beautiful turn while passing through. He continued to walk backward while gazing intently at Nea and collided on an auntie with a huge build. *Slap* Such nice sound resounded. The price of staring at a beautiful little girl seemed to be getting hit by an auntie’s slap.
It was Myuu who became flustered by Nea’s attitude.
「Ne, Nea-chan! Myuu and Shia-oneechan will pick up clothes that will look good on Nea-chan nano!」
「Eh? Milady, but, I want boss……」
「Don’t say something bad nano! First-, Myuu and Shia-oneechan will be the one who choose! It’s okay to ask papa whether it look good or not after that!」
Myuu’s stern look was frightening. Myuu tightly grasped Nea’s shoulders and persuaded (?) Nea with a ghastly look.
「That’s right, Nea-chan. It’s just as Myuu-chan said. If not――」
「I, if not?」
「You will end up wearing something like the sweater of a black dragon with terrific fashion taste!」
「You also will end up wearing something like sweater of crap taste with hear mark scattered on it nano!」
It seemed that Hajime-san was thought by his beloved daughter as a person with crap fashion sense. By the way, the black dragon sweater was a loose and oversized sweater with the kanji of “黒龍” printed on it, while the heart mark sweater was a sweater with heart mark printed everywhere on it.
The former was for Tio’s use, while the latter was for Yue’s use. The expression of the two of them became something that was hard to be described which they had never shown until that time when they were wearing the sweater. (TN: This referred to a scene in Arifureta Nichijou when Hajime designed clothes for Tio and Yue. The design and their expression were pretty funny)
「Nea-chan is cute nano! There is no way we can allow papa to choose clothes for you nano!」
「Spare me already Myuu.」
Hajime had a faraway gaze. Just where in the world he could be looking at.
Was he looking at the distant past? His previous offense? Or perhaps only the world of unreality……
Carm clapped Hajime’s shoulder kindly. When Hajime turned his gaze toward him, he found a gaze that was displaying understanding and sympathy there. That was the expression of a father who had gotten the pile bunker of heart driven into him by his daughter who was at that age. Surely Carm had also gotten struck down by Shia in the past.
Hajime made a clear smile and nodded. It was a moment when their heart was connected as fellow father.
After that, Hajime and others were dejectedly following behind the female camp that was getting excited choosing clothes.
Midway, Par alone got treated as dressing doll by Shia and Mina, even his scream and begging 「Stop iiit! Please spare me only from thaaat! Bosss, heeelp!」 ended up in vain and he got dressed with female clothing. He looked like his soul had left his body but……
Baltfeld of certain death was supposed to be a tough man, so surely he would be fine.
After that, Hajime and co entered the general store in the fifth floor. There, Carm and others accomplished a revolutionary meeting.
「Bo, bo-bo-bo, boss!」
「What is it Carm? I told you not to be loud.」
A loud voice came from a slight distance away from Carm who was taking wallet into his hand and staring at it fixedly. The surrounding people were also paying attention to him wondering what was going on. Hajime approached him and Carm showed him that.
「This is-, what is this!?」
「It’s wallet.」
「That’s obvious when looking at it! It isn’t that, it’s this!」
*Rip rip rip* sound resounded.
The wallet opened.
Carm closed the wallet once more. The wallet’s mouth closed without any sound.
Then once more, *rip rip rip*!
「What……the」
Io opened his eyes wide in shock.
「Don’t tell me……this is an artifact?」
Mina took a different wallet with trembling hand. *Rip rip rip-*. *Pop-*. (AN: I just can’t find any good sound word for the wallet closing)
「Just, what in the hell…..」
Young boy Par’s dead and rotten fish eyes recovered their light. *Gulp-*, he swallowed his saliva.
「……」
*Rip rip rip-*. *Pop-*. *Rip rip rip-*. *Pop-*.*Rip rip rip-*. *Pop-*.*Rip rip rip-*. *Pop-*.*Rip rip rip-*. *Pop-*.
Nea-chan wholeheartedly did *rip rip rip-* and *pop-* without stopping while staying wordless and expressionless.
「……It’s called magic tape.」
「Magic……as I thought, it’s magic.」
Hajime smiled wryly while explaining the manufacturing of magic tape. The expression of Carm and others became even more astonished knowing that it was functioning without any magic at all.
「Unbelievable……here is, here is the crystallization of mankind’s wisdom!」
「You are that astonished with it huh.」
Certainly, Hajime also thought that it was a ground-breaking and genius invention, but hearing someone praising something so common for him until that far caused him to make a really complicated expression.
‘Also, Nea-chan, I wish you will stop opening and closing the wallet expressionlessly and wordlessly like that soon’, Hajime thought. The smiling shop employee was slowly closing the distance.
Hajime was making a slightly twitching expression and took away the wallet that was making ripping sound from Nea’s hand.
「Ah……」
Nea-chan, she showed a sad expression that she had never showed before! It looked like she just had her treasure taken away from her. Her eyes were getting moist with tears. He could imagine her rabbit tears drooping down with dejection.
It caused a terrible guilt even for Hajime.
Unconsciously,
「I, I’ll buy it for you, so do the ripping at home.」
Nea-chan’s expression brightened radiantly in a flash! It was the radiance like the shine of a dazzling sunlight after the dark clouds of a century was cleared away. Her usual cool warrior face couldn’t be found at the slightest.
Her rabbit ears and rabbit tail were whooshing up and down fiercely! So much so the illusion was shook off and they became faintly visible, expressing her intense happiness!
「I, I’ll treasure it forever!」
「O, ou. No, don’t make a wallet of only a thousand yen as your treasure. Hearing that make me sad for some reason.」
At that timing, quietly young boy Par――not just him, even Carm and others, all of them were wordlessly, but, with extraordinarily sparkling eyes, they were slowly showing him the crunchy sounding wallet.
「……Geez, I’ll buy the magic tape itself, so put them back.」
「That is that. This is this, boss.」
It seemed what was important for young boy Par was to receive the discovered crystallization of mankind’s wisdom from boss as present.
Hajime was making a difficult expression at the cheap Haurias and purchased matching wallets with five different colors at the cashier. When the female clerk properly received the really crunchy sounding wallets at the counter, her smile also became a genuine smile.
He already came this far, so he also asked for the wallets to be wrapped. He then handed them to the Haurias. The Haurias’ expression became really pleased.
Especially, Nea was,
「Ehehe……」
She was already making a soft and loose smile. Not a trace of her warrior expression or chuuni disease could be seen.
「Tha, thank you very much, Onii-chan!」
「@?」
“!?” came out above Hajime’s head. He was so shocked he took a step back.
A beat later Nea noticed her own statement and she corrected herself 「Tha, that was rude-, boss! My deepest gratitude for this!」 in panic.
However, when Hajime also saw Par’s face that was similarly showing a soft and loose smile that was fitting for his age……
「Shia, this is earth-shattering. I, might have found a way to return them to normal.」
「So it’s “happiness” that surpassed their maximum tolerance! I have to quickly tell Emily-chan about this desuu!」
When they first met, the way the children of Hauria called Hajime was basically 「Onii-chan」. Now that word just came out from a Hauria’s plain self, on top of that looking at their current peaceful and warm atmosphere……
The sign for the betterment of their symptoms had come into sight.
Hajime and Shia nodded to each other and wordlessly did a high-five. Emily-chan! It’s a good news for you!
After that, they went to a shopping spree for bunches of magic tape, and then they also got stuck further with bubble wrap (cushion with a lot of small bags filled with air. The thing that went *pop pop*), and it became a great commotion of the crystallization of mankind’s wisdom part 2, the shop’s employee came out……
Midway, at the toy corner, they encountered with the boss and young leader of the “self-employed profession which started with ‘ya’” that Hajime had previously crushed. It seemed they came to buy present for the birthday of the boss’s granddaughter. It looked like the granddaughter was very loved seeing how the boss directly came to buy the present.
When the two of them saw the good look of the Haurias and the way they called Hajime as boss, they raised a loud voice 「As I thought, you are really a mafia boss!」 half in shock and half in understanding.
Furthermore, that yell was broadcasted to the surrounding, and the department store at afternoon fell into an uproar of ‘there are dangerous organizations having meeting here!?’ and so on……
‘No, what kind of yakuza and mafia will have meeting at toy corner’, Hajime made such tsukkomi……
There, the Haurias who heard that the other party was a group with occupation that was similar with them and they had got beaten up by their boss tried to make it clear which one of them was the superior one. They glared while going forward to introduce themselves……
‘Could it be, it’s not a meeting but gang war!?’, the security came running while trembling……
Hajime applied pressure on everyone and retreated from that place for the time being into the rooftop. When they arrived there, a hero show was playing. When the hero introduced himself, the Haurias went ‘That’s insufficient!’ and tried to interrupt. Hajime tied them up……
And, at the end, they could see police car coming. Knowing that they had got reported, they hurriedly escaped from the department store.
Like that at present Hajime and co was in the middle of moving using a subway train.
「Hey, the place we are going at right now, are you guys really okay with it?」
「Of course. We heard it from Shia, isn’t it the “holy land” in this Japan? In the past, we guided boss to the location of the sacred place, the giant tree. And right now boss is generously guiding us to a holy land……I can completely feel destiny at work here.」
「No, there ain’t anything like that at all though.」
Hajime watched at the corner of his sight of Carm who was soaking in deep feeling alone while nodding to himself. At the same time he stared fixedly at Shia who was sitting beside him.
「Eh? What is it, Hajime-san? Akiba is a holy land isn’t it? Otou-sama and Okaa-sama, and also the people in their workplace also said that you know?」
「……That’s because the people you asked are all people in that business.」
Yes, the holy land of the people who were completely immersed in the subculture, Akibahara, or Akiba for short. That place was exactly the place where they were heading at because of the request of the Haurias.
Incidentally, today was the day of –car-free day. That place was surely bustling right now. For him to bring people with real animal ears there although they were hidden with illusion artifact……
How terrifying. Hajime shivered, at the same time he resolved himself like a hero that was going to face the final battle. Everything was for the sake of giving “hospitality” to the important family of his rabbit eared wife.
Putting that aside,
「Oi, Par, Nea. Sit properly. Are you two kids……no, you two are kids huh.」
Even though there wasn’t anything particularly interesting to see while riding subway train, the kid duo Par & Nea were on their knees on the chair while looking outside the window. When Myuu rebuked them with 「Par-kun and Nea-chan too, mind your manner nano」, they reseated themselves looking somewhat embarrassed.
「Sorry boss, milady. I never thought that there would be a place that is like a great labyrinth in this side too.」
「There are a lot of tunnels and doors outside. Boss, just how large the scale of this place is?」
「Labyrinth you say……no, well, certainly, this is an underground space that is like labyrinth so it I guess it can be called as earth’s underground labyrinth……as for the scale」
For the time being, Hajime put out the track map of the subway train in his smartphone and showed it. Seeing the vastness of the scale, not only Par and Nea, all the Haurias opened their eyes wide in surprise.
「This is astonishing. What about the depth? Is it at the level of the abyss where boss fell into?」
「No, as expected there isn’t anything like that. Till the end this is only an underground route for travelling long range. Even though the extent is vast, the depth doesn’t reach the level of the abyss at all. Although I said that, it seems there is also space under the city that the general public doesn’t know about. It’s unknown how large the scale of it in reality though……」
「Hou……」
Carm’s eyes were shining mysteriously hearing Hajime’s explanation.
Hajime returned a suspicious gaze.
「You, you aren’t thinking anything like this might be a good base candidate right?」
「! As expected from boss! What a keen insight!」
「Stop it, seriously stop. Something like Hauria infesting the underground is seriously scary to imagine. It will completely become an urban legend.」
「Is that so? Really unfortunate.」
That was what Carm said, but his eyes were still shining mysteriously. Somehow, even Par and others gave the impression like 「Ora, that sounds really exciting yeah!」. They were sending gaze outside the window with fiery eyes.
Perhaps the day was near that the underground in the city center got occupied by the rabbits……
While that was happening, the train arrived at the station of Akiba. They got down on the platform and the Haurias were looking with eyes shining with curiosity toward the back of the leaving train……or rather, to the underground space that was continuing deeper. Hajime and others dragged them away and got out to the surface.
Even though it was a familiar sight for Hajime, for the Haurias there were a lot of things that knocked them with surprise as expected, so they were looking around restlessly at the surrounding just like country bumpkins.
「I thought it would be a quieter place because it’s called as a holy land, but, to think that there will be this many pilgrims, it’s shocking.」
Hajime’s face turned complicated at Carm’s statement and he averted his gaze.
They advanced smoothly through the crowd with assassin-like movement and visited the shops that were managed by acquaintances and Hajime often visited. They were people who were friend with his father Shuu, so they were also acquaintance with Hajime since he was a child.
They didn’t go to shops that expanded countrywide and visited by a lot of people was of course as countermeasure for Hauria.
As expected, as soon as they entered the shop, the Haurias saw the promotional video for the animes that were running this season, and then they began to copy the speech and posing from the video.
The people inside the shop was shocked, but as soon as they saw that Carm and others were foreigners, their eyes turned warm and ignored them. As expected from the pilgrims of the holy land.
It was a shop where customer could do trial read of a volume for a lot of books, so the Haurias split up and fished for books with a serious expression as though they were going to a final battle.
「If possible, I want to find the bible for us Hauria here.」
「So the culprit is Vanessa huh.」
「Her affinity with my family is extraordinary after all~」
Hajime and Shia instantly guessed. Hauria wanted to come to Akiba seemed to be for searching for bible.
「Boss! Boss! Please look over here!」
「Wha, what does boss think!?」
「Hah? ……」
The voices of Mina and Nea came from deeper inside the shop. Hajime who turned his gaze there witnessed it.
What was there was a figurine display.
And then, there were the two rabbit eared girls who were mimicking the sexy pose of heroines who showed a lot of skin. Yes, they arbitrarily took off their artifact and displayed their rabbit ears!
‘The heroine we are copying has rabbit ears so it’s fine!’ Perhaps that was what they thought. Mina made a pose that was emphasizing her breasts, while Nea was taking a pose on all fours while giving an upward gaze. Their eyes were sparkling with anticipation as though saying 「Praise me, praise me!」 at Hajime.
At that time, several of the customers inside the shop had their gauge of ignoring power decreased until zero instantly and had blood spurted out. Also several people clapped their hands together and prayed. It seemed they were thanking the god and the girls because they were able to look for free at the sexy pose of undisputedly beautiful woman and girl.
Then, regarding Hajime who was asked for comment,
「Sorry. Shia had also done that. And, Shia is better.」
「What are you saying at outsideee!」
Hajime asserted that his wife was better with a serious face. Nea hung her head down in disappointment, while Mina fell on all fours and hit the floor repeatedly while cursing 「Shiiit, shiiit-」.
Hajime who mercilessly cut down rabbit-eared beautiful girl and woman. While the customers were sending him a shuddering expression, Hajime immediately put the artifact back on them.
A while after that, it seemed Carm and others had discovered manga that was worthy to be their bible seeing from their pleased face. Hajime and others led them to walk around the city casually.
The Haurias who had obtained the crystallization of mankind’s wisdom and the bible seemed to be very satisfied already. They were in a state of complete obedience. It looked like they were purely enjoying the atmosphere of another world.
「Papa. I’m hungry nano.」
「Yeah, I guess it’s a good time to go there now.」
Myuu’s eyebrows arched into a troubled look. One hand was rubbing her stomach, it looked like she had been enduring for quite long. Today was the day they were giving hospitality to Hauria, so they were prioritizing Carm and others. However, it seemed even that would reach the limit soon. *Kukyu~*, a cute empty stomach sound was starting to sound.
Hajime confirmed the time and agreed while carrying up Myuu.
So that they wouldn’t bother other customers in Sonobe family’s western restaurant Wisteria, they planned to go there when it was quite late, but it would soon be a good time.
By the way, the female camp became absorbed with choosing clothes at the department store, and while Par became a noble sacrifice, Hajime made a call to Wisteria. Yuuka who seemed to have become a proper helper there took the call. When she heard that there was a group of Hauria here, it felt like her voice was shaking a bit but……
Also she was huffy saying 「Say something like that sooner! I cannot give a proper welcome like this!」. But, as expected Wisteria was the oasis of his heart at the point how the possibility of Yuka refusing was zero from the start.
The Haurias were obedient, and soon it would be time to go to a safe area. Hajime’s expression also loosened thinking that. Yes, it loosened up. His vigilance to not let any danger approach was slightly loosening!
「What the! There is a fellow family here in another world!?」
When Hajime went ‘Eh?’ and his gaze chased the figure of the Haurias, there was a rabbit-eared maid there calling at customer with energetic voice. She was a resident of this holy land.
「No, chief! Please look closely! That girl……she is a fake!」
Par-kun pointed out with a pointing finger like a detective saying 「You are the culprit!」.
Io’s expression looked uncomprehending.
「Although it’s a fake, why is she wearing animal ears by her own initiative……」
「Iorni――cough-. Io, I’ve heard about this. In this world here, it seems “animal ears are status”. They are raising their status by compensating what they don’t have with that kind of fake.」
「The discrimination toward beastman has lowered considerably even at Tortus but……to think that there are humans who are seeking to put on animal ears by their own, it make me feel strange.」
Mina and Nea stared hard at the rabbit-eared maid with great interest.
「You guys, I think you understand already but――」
Animal-eared people didn’t exist in earth. And then, a part of Japanese people greatly loved animal ear. That’s why, absolutely don’t take off your artifact……
Hajime was about to explain the situation once more like that, but before he could, the rabbit-eared maid who noticed the passionate gaze on her approached them by her own.
「Oo! What a good looking group of people pyon! Do you understand Japanese languagee? If you please, won’t you come to our shop pyon♪」
「Boss, she put an unfamiliar strange word at the end of her sentence. It seems that the translation artifact you lend me is broken.」
‘That’s not it you know, she is just acting that kind of character you know……’
Hajime explained to them about the adding of ‘pyon’ at the end of sentence. A crack appeared on the smile of the rabbit-eared maid who got hit with the calm tsukkomi, but it seemed she was a rabbit-eared maid who was a hard worker and had guts. She desperately smoothed over her smile!
Hajime was explaining, however, Io and Par were tilting their head.
「Character acting, is it……. However, boss, why is it ‘pyon’?」
「Yes, I also cannot understand that point. Rabbit and ‘pyon’, just what is the relation between those two?」
「H, hmm. Err see, you know, rabbit give the impression of pyon pyon with their hopping right?」
「Certainly that’s true but, in the end that is the sound that express the time when rabbit is hopping correct? Then why is it used like it’s a rabbit’s voice? At the very least we have never seen any clan who add ‘pyon’ at the end of their sentence.」
「Even sir Inaba too, he would cry ‘kyu!’, but he never said any ‘pyon’.」
「……」
Hajime was at a loss. ‘These guys, why are they serious at only this kind of thing dammit’, he thought with twitching cheeks. His gaze naturally moved to the rabbit-eared maid in a search for resolution but……
The rabbit-eared maid, she jerked with the smile still fixed on her face. Par launched pursuing attack.
「Onee-san. Please teach us. Why did you use ‘pyon’? Just what kind of obsession you have with the word ‘pyon’?」
In respond to the serious and earnest question from the handsome boy, the rabbit-eared maid……
「……That, I’m sorry for saying ‘pyon’. I won’t say it anymore, so please don’t bully me.」
A smiling face. The smiling face didn’t crumble at all. However, tears were gathering at the corner of her eyes while she was smiling!
The rabbit-eared maid heroically dealt with the troublesome foreigners so that the evaluation of her shop wouldn’t drop. Surely, her rabbit-eared maid café was an amazing café without a doubt. After all it had this kind of rabbit-eared maid as a mirror to reflect it.
「Oi, you guys cut it out already. It’s fine that there are various rabbit ears out there. It’s fine to say ‘pyon’, no problem at all! That is also the rabbit ears of Japan!」
A mediation from Hajime-san. The people at the surrounding who were watching raised admiring voices 「Oo」 for some reason. Shia already took away Myuu from Hajime and pretended to be stranger.
‘Ah, Myuu-chan, you want to eat candy? I’ll eaaat~♪’
The rabbit-eared maid looked at Hajime as though he was a messiah, however, the Haurias were merciless! Because, they were deeply interested with the rabbit-eared person of another world who was mimicking them! They attacked further purely, without any malice, simply because of their pride!
Mia’s face frowned at the rabbit-eared maid’s rabbit ears while opening her mouth.
「Understood. Then, it’s fine already in regard to the ‘pyon’. But, I want to ask you. Is it fine that you are wearing such rabbit ears?」
「I, it’s fine. I think there is no problem.」
As expected from the rabbit-eared maid. Against Mina’s question, she was doing a skillful thing of despairing with a smile because the torture was still continuing while replying with a template answer. As expected, the girl was a capable maid.
「There is no way it’s not a problem!」
「Hii!?」
The one who raised an angry voice was Nea who was raising her eyebrow. The oppressive aura that was too heavy to be coming for a girl in hear early teen caused the rabbit-eared maid to jump *pyon*. She didn’t express it with words, but it seemed she embodied it with her act.
Nea was quietly approaching the rabbit-eared maid who was trembling fiercely like a rabbit.
「You, are you looking down on rabbit ears? Or perhaps, are you actually an idiot?」
「Tha, tha-tha, that’s not my intention……」
「I see. In other words, you simply don’t know what is a real rabbit ears, is that it?」
Nea-chan sighed ‘fuh’ and smiled. Beside her, Mina and Par sighed ‘fuh’ similarly. Carm and Io also stood in sideway posture and sighed ‘fuh’.
「Hajime-san! I’m getting an acutely bad premonition desuu!」
「I know! Oi, you guys! Don’t――」
‘Take off the artifact’, there was no doubt Hajime wanted to say that.
Before he could, Carm took a small pipe from his pocket and threw it on the ground, causing a thick smokescreen to rise. Because of that, screams came from the surrounding and Hajime’s words didn’t reach.
「Observe carefully! O comrade of heart who loves rabbit ears even without rabbit ears of your own! This is the real rabbit ears!」
The smokescreen was blown away. Inside, there were five rabbit eared people who were posing like five men rangers.
*Twitch twitch twitch. Flap flap. Myo~n, myon♪*
The rabbit ears that were moving as though to reflect their emotion.
The rabbit-eared maid swept away her mental state that almost fell into panic due to the smoke screen and spoke with a trembling voice.
「I, it’s like the real thing pyon……」
It was the real thing. Also, the ‘pyon’ was returning.
「It’s fine to touch it you know?」
Nea walked forward. It seemed she was specially allowed to touch the ears because she was a comrade of heart in another world.
The rabbit ears were adorably waving up and down as though to say ‘Come come♪’, The rabbit-eared maid approached Nea with an unsteady footstep as though she was sleepwalking, and then her hand reached nervously toward the rabbit ears.
「Flu, fluffyyy. Soooft~. Ya~ahn, it’s waaarm~」
The rabbit-eared maid instantly lost her backbone. Both her hands moved around to enjoy the fluffiness, and at the end she rubbed her cheeks on the ear and her expression became a look of ecstasy that was a bit dangerous to be exposed in public.
Perhaps it was a bit ticklish getting the ears rubbed like that because Nea twisted her body while letting out 「Nh」. The eyes of the surrounding were starting to emit suspicious light seeing her figure. Furthermore, ‘what what, it’s rabbit eared beautiful girl! Ah, there is also middle-aged man!?’ Like that people were gathering one after another.
「Aa~, Hajime-san, what should we do?」
「Those guys……」
Hajime looked like he got a headache.
There was no way anyone would believe that there could be a genuine animal-eared girl, so naturally they would think that it was a very well made imitation. And so, there was really no need to worry about the concealment.
‘Anyway, let’s punch their stomach and drag them away……’, Hajime decided. It was at that timing,
「Excuse me! Please let me take picture!」
「Please look over here!」
「Can you make a pose!?」
The people who were readying their camera pleaded Nea and others to be allowed to take picture. These were trained people who couldn’t be found on other city looking at how they wouldn’t suddenly take picture without permission.
And then, the trained rabbits couldn’t reject them normally.
Mina brushed up her rabbit ears coolly while saying.
「Fuh. It’s not like I don’t understand the feeling of wanting to leave behind memorial for the rabbit ears of this me, but please refrain from that. Even if it’s just a picture, boss is the only one allowed to put me at his side!」
Mina-san made a wink with all her might that she sent toward her boss. Everyone’s gaze moved toward the Japanese youth who seemed to be the person in the heart of this foreign rabbit-eared beauty. Cloudy gazes that looked like they were filled with mud stabbed Hajime simultaneously.
「E, err, then. Won’t you come home together with me pyon?」
It seemed the rabbit-eared maid had completely became Nea’s prisoner. She was still rubbing and enjoying the fluffiness in a posture that was almost completely hugging.
「Fuh. Although you are a comrade, nh, that cannot be allowed. Be thankful, uh, for being able to touch my rabbit ears already, au, wait a second you are touching too much! Let go already!」
「Just a bit more! Only a little bit more!」
「This is enough! After all my body and my heart, all of them are only for boss!」
The surrounding’s gaze became severe. A girl whose age was in her early teen no matter how they looked said that she was devoting her body and her heart to a Japanese youth while sending said youth a mushy gaze.
Among them there were also people who were sending Hajime a gaze with eyes that were cloudy with jealousy like a black hole. Also, there were also people talking to their smartphone. One could see it from their expression. It was written on their face that they were making report.
「Fuh. That’s how it is. My everything belong to boss.」
「We cannot allow this body to become spectacle without boss’s permission.」
「Because boss is the only one who can do as he please to us.」
Par, Io, and Carm prattled in order with a pleased look.
The surrounding people were making shuddering expression. The beautiful woman was understandable. The beautiful little girl, it was out but still understandable. However, to even lay his hand on a handsome boy, handsome man, and also a dandy gentleman……
「Tha, that man, just how high level is he-」
「That ain’t at the level of having wide strike zone anymore! Monster!」
Certainly, he was the monster of abyss.
That monster of abyss-sama was expressionless.
It was to the degree that everyone there reflexively jerked and stiffened.
Hajime suddenly stroked his face with one hand.
What appeared was a smile as though the expressionless look just now was a lie.
Everyone jerked.
「It’s fine.」
The Haurias replied 「Eh?」 at Hajime’s words. Hajime continued still with a smile.
「It’s fine to take pictures. Take them without any reservation.」
「E, err, boss?」
Carm was trickling cold sweat while asking back, but Hajime kept smiling widely.
「Rabbit-eared maid-san.」
「Hy, hyes!」
「I give you permission.」
「Pe, permission?」
「You want to bring that girl back home, I give you permission.」
「Bo, boss!?」
The rabbit ears of Nea who was sold away stood straight and shivers ran through it, but Hajime looked around him and declared smilingly.
「Everyone, these people love cosplay and Japan’s subculture. Even now they are completely submerging themselves into the character that they remembered from somewhere. In reality they wanted their photo to be taken by everyone so much they can’t help it. Especially, the woman over there seem to want a boyfriend. As for the males, they are willing to do one night stand you know? Please, do with them as you like without holding back.」
「「「「BOSSS!?」」」」
The boss’s conclusion toward the Haurias who violated the boss’s command and displayed their rabbit ears, and also dealt serious damage to the boss’s social status.
The boss left all them in the hand of the holy land’s warriors.
The people themselves said that it would be okay if there was the boss’s permission. Now that boss had given permission. There was nothing in the way anymore!
War cry resounded through the holy land.
People who stretched their hand toward the rabbit ears, people who pushed their camera button like mad, the rabbit-eared maid who was trying to bring Nea home……
「Nuoh, wait-, don’t push! My rabbit ears are boss’s-――Ah!?」
「Sto, stoop! Don’t get neaaaar!」
「Bo, boss! Somehow these guys seem dangerous! Heeelp!」
Carm, Io, and Par were buried under people, especially by women.
Nea and Mina were also losing strength in their waist from the rough breathing and bloodshot eyes of the warriors.
「Now then, Myuu, Shia. You two must be hungry. Let’s go eat delicious meal in Wisteria.」
「Pa, papa……is it okay nano? Ah, Nea-chan is carried away by the rabbit-eared maid-san nano!」
「That, Hajime-san. Par-kun is in charis○ guard pose against the Onee-sans dangerous look though……he is looking like Emily-chan like that though.」
「No problem.」
Hajime was walking toward the station with a calm expression like a Buddha. Shia and Myuu were looking at each other seeing their family and friends in a pinch but……
‘Well, the world’s toughest rabbit clan is going to be fine I guess’, they rethought back and followed Hajime.
「Kuh, what pressure-. In addition their physical ability is also awfully high! You guys! Disperse! Secure your safety using pattern β!」
「「「「YES SIR!」」」」
Such order and angry yell resounded from behind. In addition there was also the command of the warriors 「The targets are running away! Go around and cut their path!」. Amidst the yells, Hajime and the others departed to the safe area――Wisteria and continued on their way without looking back at all.
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Like that, they safely escaped from the holy land and when Wisteria came into view.
「Oh maan, as expected from the holy land. It’s filled to the brim with nothing but people that cannot be underestimated.」
「That rabbit-eared maid, her run was absurdly fast. Even though she was carrying me, no one could catch up with her. She made a sharp turn at the corner without any loss in speed, and she showed super reflex while shouting something like ‘god speed im○lse!’. The rabbit of another world is also amazing.」 (TN: Reference from eyeshield 21)
Carm and others were unharmed, on top of that theywere speaking while looking strangely delighted. The chase that occurred in holy land didn’t become punishment, far from that, it seemed that it ended in a result that satisfied them instead.
「Is that so.」
「Hajime-san……that’s, I’m sorry about my family.」
「Papa……are you okay? Want to eat candy?」
‘Even though the sky is this blue……’, Hajime looked up to the sky with a faraway look that seemed to want to say that. Shia and Myuu turned a considerate expression at him.
Hajime replied 「It’s fine. I’m used with Tio already at this feeling of the opponent getting satisfied no matter what happen like this」 with a strangely enlightened expression while his hand reached at the doorknob of Wisteria.
No matter what happened, his willpower would surely recover after fortifying himself with a meal. He opened the door while thinking so.
*Clang clang*, a pleasant sound was tinkling into the ear while Hajime entered inside the restaurant. What he found was,
「Ah」
「Nn」
「Ahaha……」
They looked at each other’s face.
Kousuke & Emily group, Yue & Tio group, and then Kaori & Shizuku group.
It seemed that everyone had the same thinking.
Sonobe family’s western restaurant was everyone’s oasis of heart.
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AN: Thank you very much for reading this every time.
Thank you very much too for the thoughts, opinions, and reports about misspelling and omitted words.
I was unable to finish writing, so I split the chapter.
I’m sorry but, please accompany the Hauria chapters for one more week.
Regarding the joke material.
I burst out laughing at the seriously indescribable expression of Tio and Yue there lol
It’s from American Football manga that has a main character with number 21 on his back and wearing a certain eyeshield. Amazing reflexes. By the way, the rabbit-eared maid is also able to use Devil ○t Ghost.
At July, Arifureta spin-off――Zero volume 2 and comic volume 1 will be published.
The cover illustration of Zero volume 2 is that person from the undersea ruin. Yes, the person who carelessly throw out Hajime and co into the sea.
The root of the undersea ruin and the newly appearing liberator, what kind of person she is……
Please get the book no matter what and check it yourself. Other than that, I also scattered various things that will connect to the present time, so I will be happy if you readers can enjoy that part too.
The right image is the cover of comic volume 1. In Gardo comic the last scene of little Miledy that is also included in this volume is being published for free, so please take a look if you are interested.
Like usual, there will also be special side story. I will report it as soon as the details are finalized.
Best regards!
