I guess coming to a world of swords and magic brought back a little bit of his childish side.
When he thought about it like that, Ryutarou’s actions seemed kind of cute. He was tempted to tell Shizuku and Kaori about it. Ryutarou himself was still sulking and had gone out to do some extra training. The poor guys he’d roped into joining him were suffering his misplaced wrath right about now. Kouki glanced over at the holy sword leaning against his bed. It really was a magnificent piece of craftsmanship. He could feel something inside him stirring as he stared at it. Before he knew it, he had his sword in his hand and was standing in front of the mirror. He put his left hand on his hip and raised his sword up high, striking a daunting pose.
“Hmm, this feels a bit plain.” Kouki swapped to a different pose. He was getting steadily more into it. After cycling through a few more poses, he remembered something from movie posters and swung his sword in a mighty arc.
“I’ll protect everyone! I swear it on my pride as a hero!”
That was perfect. Kouki sighed contentedly and smiled to himself. Just then, someone barged into the room.
“Kouki-kun, are you here!? We’ve got a big problem! Ryutarou-kun’s started fighting with the other boys and—” Kaori stopped mid-sentence, her mouth hanging open. Kouki was still in the middle of posing in front of his mirror. It felt like time stopped for the second time that day.
Sweat began dripping from Kouki’s forehead. He gave what he thought was a confident smile, his body still frozen in the same pose. With each second that passed, however, his smile grew stiffer until Kaori finally broke the silence.
“G-Guys do this kind of stuff all the time, right? It’s no big deal or anything, right?” Kaori smiled awkwardly and backed out of the room, closing the door behind her. Kouki heard her scream, “Shizuku-chaaaaaaaaaaaaaan” as her footsteps faded into the distance. A few minutes later, Kouki finally recovered enough to stop posing.
“Wait Kaoriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii! It was just a misunderstandiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!” His embarrassed shout echoed through the hallway. For days afterward, he could feel his classmates shooting him pitying looks. Needless to say, Kouki was traumatized from that day onward.
Sometime earlier, around when Kouki was discovering the marvels of Ryutarou’s naked body, Kaori was chatting to one of the palace’s maids. They were just talking about usual girl things. It had all started when one of the maids had asked Kaori what kind of drinks one of the male students in her class liked. From there, the discussion had devolved into the topic of love.
One of the maids had been bold enough to say, “I bet if I said ‘I’m here to serve you personally, Master,’ I could make any of the boys fall for me.”
The topic had gotten a bit too stimulating for the still innocent Kaori. Once the maids started talking about the gory details of seducing men, Kaori had fled from the conversation.
“I never knew the palace maids were so lewd...” As the blush faded from Kaori’s cheeks, she noticed something. In her hurry to get away from the maids, she hadn’t been paying attention to where she was going. As a result, she’d wandered into the storage closet used by the palace servants.
On top of one of the shelves she spotted a pile of maid uniforms next to a sign that said “spare.” Five minutes later, the shelf was one maid uniform short. Kaori dashed back to her room as fast as her legs would take her and held the stolen maid uniform up to her chest. She examined herself in the mirror for a few seconds, blushed, then changed into the uniform.
This was her first time wearing something like this. Had any of the boys in her class spotted her in it, they would have gotten nosebleeds instantly. She did a little twirl, and her skirt fluttered up. Kaori examined herself in the mirror and muttered something.
“I-It looks pretty good.” A certain boy’s face popped into her mind. After a moment’s hesitation, she said something to the boy in her imagination.
“L-Let me service you, Master~”
She leaned forward, emphasizing her bust, and winked. Her actions were a little stiff, but it was still an impressive display. When she realized what she’d done, Kaori buried her face in her hands and hunched over. Finally, she got over herself and stood back up. She still couldn’t believe she’d actually said that. As she grabbed the hem of her skirt and turned around, she found herself face to face with Shizuku, who was sitting in her bed, a book hanging limply from her hands.
“Sh-Sh-Sh-Shizuku-chan!? How long have you been here!?”
“Since you got back?”
Kaori had been so preoccupied that she hadn’t even noticed Shizuku was in the room. For her part, Shizuku had been too shocked by the chain of events to say anything. First her best friend barged into their room, then she changed into a maid outfit, then she started doing sexy poses.
“Umm, so, Shizuku-chan. This isn’t what you think. So, like, basically, the maids were all acting really lewd, and then—”
“Don’t worry, Kaori. It’s okay. I understand.”
“Y-You do? Thank goodness. Hey, Shizuku-chan, why are you trying to sneak out of the room? Where do you think you’re going?”
Shizuku surreptitiously put one hand on the doorknob. She smiled as sincerely as she could to Kaori, but Kaori wasn’t buying it. Kaori reached out to stop Shizuku, but before she could, Shizuku bolted out of the door.
“Nagumo-kuuuuun! Kaori’s, Kaori’s—”
“Noooooooooooooooooo! Stoooooooooooooooooop! Shizuku-chan I hate youuuuuuuuuuuu!” Her embarrassed shout echoed through the hallway. For days afterward, she could feel her classmates shooting her pitying looks. From that day onward, the story of Shizuku running around while Kaori chased her in a maid uniform became a legend among the palace residents.
Midnight Tag
The moon’s sinister silver light shone down on the world. A thick layer of clouds sparkled, forming complex patterns, creating an ethereal world of seas, mountains and cathedrals. Such fantastic shapes wouldn’t be possible with the clouds on earth. A single black shape glided through the illusory scenery. It was Tio. Her black scales scintillated in the moonlight as she slipped past towering cloud castles.
“You really enjoy this, don’t you, Master?” Tio flapped her elegant wings and turned to speak to Hajime, who was riding on her back.
“Well, yeah. It’s starting to become kind of a hobby. If it bothers you, you can tell me to stop asking anytime.”
“Oh no, it’s no bother at all. In fact, I am glad you enjoy our nighttime jaunts through the skies. Though, you are the first person to ever ride upon my back. In a way, you could say you took my ‘first time.’”
“Could you shut your mouth? And never open it again?”
“More insults!? Perfect!” Tio started panting, ruining her majestic image. Hajime grimaced and turned his attention to the brilliant night sky. Thanks to the shimmering clouds, it wasn’t too dark.
I’m in a parallel world, riding on the back of a dragon. This was the kind of thing every child dreamed of experiencing. And thanks to Tio, Hajime had been able to experience it for real. He’d enjoyed it so much that it had started becoming a hobby of his. On nights where the sky was overcast and there was no danger of anyone on the ground spotting Tio, he would soar through the skies on her transformed back.
Tio, too, had come to enjoy their nighttime excursions. It was the only time she got to see Hajime, who normally only insulted her, meekly come up to her and ask, “Is it okay... if I ride you tonight?”
She also felt a twinge of pride that he would choose to ask her. After all, if all he wanted to do was fly through the sky, he could easily craft an artifact that would let him. However, he went out of his way to specifically ask her. And while they didn’t talk much during their flights, Tio could tell Hajime enjoyed them immensely.
It made her feel warm and fuzzy inside to know that she was making him happy. To Tio, these trips were an irreplaceable treasure.
“What do you say, Master? Shall we fly through those cloud arche
s? You won’t see such formations often.”
“Hm? Sure, that sounds good. You know, now that I get a good look at them, some of them aren’t arches at all. They’re rings. I should have expected as much from a fantasy world. Tio, since we’re already up here, why not show me just how fast you can fly?”
“Fufufu. If that is what you wish, Master. I suppose I can show off if you insist. Hang on tight; you wouldn’t want to be blown off!”
“You got it!” Hajime was unusually spirited. Spurred on by his excited response, Tio roared and flapped her wings. They accelerated toward the natural obstacle course the clouds had made for them.
She sped through the sky like a bullet, a black streak through the midnight blue sky. She made sure Hajime was still hanging on and soared through the first arch. Then, she skillfully maneuvered through the next series of rings, using the air resistance to help her turn.
“Haha, you’re amazing, Tio! I should have known a legendary dragon wouldn’t have any trouble with a few rings!”
“You honor me with your praise, Master. If you are in a generous mood, I would like to take my reward in the form of kisses and abuse.”
“I’ll abuse you all you want, but no kisses.”
“Very well. How about kissing me while slapping my arse? Nothing would make me happier.”
“Pervert. These night dates I can accept, but I will not allow you to do something so disgusting with Hajime.”
“Please, could you—” Halfway through her sentence, Tio realized it wasn’t Hajime she was talking to. Yue was flying next to Tio, her arms crossed. Her glare was so intense that most people would have fainted just from being on its receiving end.
“Yo, Yue. What’s up?”
“It looked like you two were having a lot of fun, so I wanted to join in.” There was one part of what Yue said that struck Tio as odd.
“How could you discern what we looked like? We were flying rather high in the sky, not to mention the fact that the clouds were obscuring us. Did you use some form of magic?”
“Hm? I don’t need to use magic to know what Hajime’s feeling.”
“I-I see.”
Hajime was taken aback. It was a bit of a shock that she could tell what he was feeling all the time, no matter where he was. Especially since she claimed to not need magic to do it.
“Your love is very stalk— Ahem, deep,” Tio muttered quietly. Yue turned her intense stare onto Hajime. It felt as if she were looking through his very soul.
“It looked like you two were really enjoying yourselves,” she repeated herself. Tio could see the flames of jealousy burning deep within her eyes.
“W-We should probably head back soon. Let’s do this again sometime, Master.” Pressured by Yue’s glare, Tio suggested they return. Oddly enough, Hajime didn’t respond right away. Normally he spoiled Yue, so it was rare to see him not acquiescing to her wishes. He put his hand on his chin and lapsed into thought. Then, in a flash of inspiration, he grinned at Yue and said something.
“Hey, Tio. If I’m your master, then that means you have to listen to my orders.”
“Fwah!? O-Of course. If there is an order you wish to give me, I will gladly accept.” This would be Hajime’s first formal order for Tio. She was both confused and somewhat excited by the prospect. Hajime’s grin grew wider, and he gave Tio her order.
“Alright Tio, I order you to leave that vampire in the dust!”
“Ah! I see, Master. I must say, I didn’t expect you to have such a mischievous side to you. Still, that’s what makes you interesting! Very well, I shall do as you command!” Tio let out a playful howl and accelerated even more. She easily outstripped Yue. While she was still recovering from the shock of what had just happened, Hajime called out to her.
“Hey, vampire princess! Catch us if you can! If you manage to get us, I’ll give you anything you want!”
“Are you sure you want to make that bet? You know you have no chance of winning, right?”
“This dragon of mine might be a hopeless pervert, but she’s pretty fast! You sure you can win that easily?”
“Hmph, as if I would lose to a pervert. You’ll regret choosing the dragon over me!”
“M-My dear Master, could you please not insult me in the middle of a conversation with someone else? Haaah... Haaah... I might get so excited that I accidentally cancel my transformation.”
Now that he was finally able to enjoy his time in this other world, Hajime wanted to savor it to the fullest. A game of tag through the night sky with Yue was the perfect way to do that. And though her words were harsh, Yue was grinning, too. Panting excitedly, Tio blazed through the sky. Yue used her gravity magic to close in on them. The moment she saw her chance, she would rush in for the kill. “Aaah, I’m begging you, Master! Please whip my arse into shape! Drive me like you would a horse! I am certain I could go even faster that way. If you punish me, I’ll have enough strength to sprint through that wall of clouds!”
Hajime ignored the dragon’s perverted words and focused on the race. He didn’t want her ruining this perfect night. Meanwhile, on the ground, Shea had been left all alone.
“The rain won’t stop... and no one’s back yet... Don’t tell me they forgot about me? Don’t they know that rabbits die from loneliness? Hurry up and come baaaaack~ Hic...” Shea huddled inside her tent and stared up at the cloudy sky.
Don’t Call Me A Goddess!
“Whoa, look at that! It’s the Fertility Goddess!”
“To think she would visit our lowly town...”
“Her kindness knows no bounds. I heard she stood up to an army of sixty thousand monsters just to save the town of Ur.”
“Not only is she improving all of our lives, she’s putting her own on the line to protect us. Though she’s a bit different from what I expected. I thought she would be more... adult-like and beautiful.”
“That’s what makes her such an amazing goddess. Even though she’s short, she’s still working so hard for our sake. This may be rude, but I honestly think she’s kind of cute.”
“I know what you mean. She may be a goddess, but honestly, she reminds me of a baby squirrel. I just want to cuddle her.”
“Oh, you too? I know it’s rude to think this of a goddess, which is why I didn’t say it before... but she’s really cute. I want to take her home and take care of her.”
“Personally, I want to give her a big hug. I’d sit her on my lap and admire her all day long.”
“I just want to look after her.”
The villagers were talking so loudly that it was hard to believe they were even trying to keep Aiko from hearing them. Aiko flushed bright red and tried her best not to say anything. Some time had passed after the incident at Ur, and Aiko had heard the same things from every village they’d gone through on their way back to the capital. Thanks to Hajime’s little scheme, everyone thought it was Aiko the Fertility Goddess who’d saved the town of Ur.
The stories had spread like wildfire, and her name was already known throughout the kingdom. She’d accelerated her fame by making sure she improved the agricultural conditions of every single village she stopped at on the way back as well. Though it was her own actions that had made her look so endearing, and made the villagers all think she was adorable.
Despite her petite appearance, Aiko was 25 years old. She was an independent, working, contributing member of society. She didn’t like being treated like a goddess, nor did she like being treated like a child. She glared angrily at the villagers, but it had the opposite effect of what she’d intended.
“Ah, the goddess looked at us! All hail the Fertility Goddess! Come on everyone, cheer with me!”
“All hail our goddess! All hail the Fertility Goddess!”
Now they were cheering her on in the streets. Tears of embarrassment welled up in Aiko’s eyes.
“E-Everyone, my name is Aiko! Aiko Hatayama! Please stop calling me a goddess!” Aiko had tried to stop people from calling her a goddess wherever she’d go
ne, but to no avail.
“H-How humble... To think she would allow us poor villagers to call her by her name...”
“Her kindness truly knows no bounds... I have never been so moved in my life.”
“All hail our Fertility Goddess!”
“All hail our kind and merciful Fertility Goddess!”
Trembling with emotion, the villagers continued to cheer on Aiko. Her words had only served to deepen their faith in her.
“Grrrrrr, what do I have to do to get them to use my actual name? Are they trying to kill me with embarrassment? Are the villagers all actually hitmen out to end my life?” Aiko was so embarrassed that she couldn’t even think straight, which was why she was seriously entertaining the possibility that all the villagers were hitmen.
David and the rest of Aiko’s guards tried to cheer her up, but they couldn’t hide their own happiness at how popular their goddess had become. Their obviously insincere attempts to make her feel better only made Aiko feel more depressed.
“Umm, Ai-chansensei. We’re the hero’s comrades, and Ehit’s warriors, so we’ll always stand out no matter where we go. You shouldn’t worry so much about the attention.”
“Sonobe-san... I don’t mind the attention. Well, I do a little, but there’s nothing we can do about that. It’s just hard acting like a grown adult when everyone around you is calling you a goddess!”
Without a moment’s delay, David and the other knights started telling Aiko how she wasn’t really that old, and that she was too cute to be an adult. Aiko ignored them.
“Now now, Ai-chansensei. Your fame as the Fertility Goddess was spreading even before Ur. All that did was speed it up a little.” Atsushi and the others nodded in agreement.
“I suppose you’re right, but still...” Aiko just didn’t want to accept it. The students all watched her with a mixture of pity and amusement. She decided to flee back to their inn, trying to escape from the villagers’ gazes, but before she made it inside, she heard them start talking about someone else.
Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest: Short Stories (Premium) Page 7