As always, Daisuke Hiyama was standing behind him, together with the rest of the Petty Four, as Hajime liked to call them. Ever since they’d started training, the four of them had taken every opportunity they could to bully Hajime. They were half the reason he found training so depressing, with the other half being how pathetic his stats were.
“Yo, Nagumo. What are you doing? You know that sword’s totally useless in your hands anyway, right? I mean, come on, you’re a total weakling!”
“Hey man, that’s going too far. I mean, you’re totally right though, Hiyama... Gyahaha!”
“Why do you even bother coming to training every day? I’d be way too embarrassed if I were you!”
“Hey, Daisuke. He’s just so pitiful... Don’t you think we should help him out with his training a little?” Hiyama and the others laughed hysterically, as if Shinji had actually said something funny.
“Huh? Come on, Shinji, don’t you think you’re being a bit too nice to him? Well, I’m a nice guy too, so I guess I don’t mind helping out.”
“Yeah, that sounds like a great idea. I’m also a super nice guy, so I’ll pitch in. Man, you better thank us, Nagumo. We’re taking out some of our precious time to help out a weakling like you.” They put their arms around Hajime’s shoulders in a false gesture of kindness and dragged him away to an inconspicuous location. Most of his classmates noticed, but they pretended not to see anything.
“Oh no, I’m fine by myself. You don’t have to waste your time on me.” Hajime tried to refuse, though he knew it was pointless.
“Huh!? Here I am going out of my way to train your sorry ass and this is what I get? I can’t believe you! You should be on your knees thanking me!”
As he said that, Hiyama punched Hajime in the side, hard. Hajime groaned in pain as he felt Hiyama’s fist sink into his soft flank. Hiyama’s group had steadily been getting more and more violent with him as of late. While it might’ve been natural for hormone-driven boys in puberty to go mad with power once they got their hands on some, that made it no easier for the one who had to bear the brunt of their lapse in sanity. Though it was not as if there was anything Hajime could do to fight back. All he could do was grit his teeth and try to bear it.
Eventually, they brought him all the way to a secluded corner of the training grounds that couldn’t be easily seen, then Hiyama thrust Hajime down to the ground.
“Come on, get up. It’s time for some fun training.” Hiyama, Nakano, Saitou, and Kondou all surrounded Hajime at those words. Hajime bit his lip in frustration as he stood up.
“Guah!?”
He felt something crash into his back as soon as he rose to his feet. Saitou had hit him with the sheath of his sword. He flew forward, groaning in pain, and was met with another attack.
“Hey now, you can’t sleep there. You’ll get burned if you do! Incinerate all that stands in my path — Fireball.”
Nakano unleashed a fireball at Hajime. As the impact he’d just received made it impossible for him to get back up right away, Hajime frantically rolled to the side, barely avoiding the incoming fireball. However, Saitou had predicted Hajime would dodge, so he’d cast another spell in his direction.
“Rend my foes O wind — Wind Sphere.” The clod of hardened wind hit Hajime just as he was getting up, which made him double over in pain as he was blown back. He collapsed to the ground once more, throwing up.
The magic they had cast were all low-level spells with simple incantations. But even weak magic like that hit as hard as a pro boxer’s punch. The reason even their weak spells hit so hard was because of their magical affinities combined with the rare artifacts they had received from the king.
“Tch, I can’t believe you’re so weak. Are you even trying, Nagumo?” Hiyama lazily kicked Hajime in the stomach as he said that. Hajime desperately tried to keep his stomach from emptying itself entirely.
The lynching disguised as “training” continued for a while longer. Hajime bit his lip, cursing his own powerlessness. Maybe he should have fought back, even if he knew he was too weak to truly achieve anything.
But Hajime had always been averse to violence. He even had trouble really hating people. He’d always folded when cornered into a situation that seemed as if it might devolve into a fight. Always believing that it would end eventually as long as he could put up with it. And that bearing it was always better than fighting back. Some people thought him kind for it, while others simply saw him as a loser. Hajime himself wasn’t sure which he was.
Around the time the pain had grown nearly unbearable, Hajime suddenly heard a girl’s angry voice.
“What do you think you’re doing!?”
Hiyama and the others paled when they heard that voice. It was only natural. After all, it belonged to the girl they were all smitten with, Kaori. And not just her. Shizuku, Kouki, and Ryutarou were all with her.
“Umm, please don’t misunderstand anything. We were just helping Hajime with his training...”
“Nagumo-kun!”
Kaori ignored Hiyama’s excuses and ran over to Hajime, who was huddled on the ground, coughing. Hiyama and the others had ceased to matter at all to Kaori when she saw the state Hajime was in.
“Training, huh? Wouldn’t you say that was a bit too one-sided to be called training?” Shizuku uttered those words in an icy tone.
“We were just...”
“Save your breath. No matter how unfit for battle Nagumo-kun may be, he’s still our classmate. Make sure you don’t do it again,” Kouki calmly interjected.
“If you’ve got time to be messing around, then work on your own damn skills instead!” Ryutarou bellowed.
Hiyama and everyone else started giving different excuses as they smiled awkwardly and beat a hasty retreat. Kaori cast some healing magic on Hajime, and he gradually felt the pain recede.
“Th-Thank you, Shirasaki-san. You saved me.”
Hajime smiled painfully and Kaori shook her head at his words, her eyes filled with tears.
“Do they always do things like that to you? If so, I’ll...” Kaori glared angrily in the direction Hiyama and the others ran off to, but Hajime hurriedly stopped her.
“No, no, it’s not always this bad! I’m fine, really, so please don’t mind me!”
“But...”
Kaori didn’t seem fully convinced, so Hajime smiled and said, “I’m fine, really.” At those words, Kaori reluctantly gave in.
“Nagumo-kun, if anything else happens, please, for Kaori’s sake too, tell us right away.” Shizuku said that with a sidelong glance at Kaori, a strained expression on her face all the while. Hajime was about to thank her for her concern, but the resident hero had to go and ruin the mood.
“But you know, Nagumo, you need to put in some effort of your own. You’ll never grow strong if you keep using your weakness as an excuse. I’ve been hearing that you’re spending all your time in the library when we’re not training. If I was in your shoes, I’d spend every spare moment training to get stronger. I really think you need to start taking this more seriously, Nagumo. Don’t you think Hiyama and the others might have done this because they were trying to fix that frivolous attitude of yours?”
No matter what Hajime did, Kouki always interpreted it like that. Hajime was dumbstruck for a moment before he remembered that Amanogawa-kun was the kind of person who believed that all people were inherently good, and filtered everything he saw through that world view.
To Kouki, it was actually unthinkable on a fundamental level that humans could be so cruel. If that was how he saw everything, then it stood to reason that he believed there was a proper reason behind all cruel acts. “Maybe the problem was with the person they were attacking!” was a natural conclusion to draw with that kind of mindset.
Kouki’s words contained no real ill will. His warnings toward Hajime were actually sincere, in fact. That was why Hajime no longer possessed the strength to even try and correct Kouki. Besides, it was pointless to say anything to someone so convin
ced of their own righteousness.
Shizuku knew that as well, so she put a hand over her mouth to stifle a sigh before apologizing to Hajime.
“Sorry about that. Kouki at least means well.”
“Ahaha, yeah, I know. Don’t worry about it.” Hajime smiled and replied with the same reassuring words he always did. He slowly stood up, brushing the dust off his clothes.
“Anyway, it’s almost time for training to start. Shall we head back?” They all walked back to the training grounds together at Hajime’s insistence. Kaori kept shooting him worried glances, but Hajime pretended not to notice. As a man, it felt somewhat wrong to let himself be doted on by a girl the same age.
As they returned to the training grounds, Hajime breathed a sigh for the umpteenth time that day. The road ahead certainly looked grim for him.
Normally the students were given free time after training until dinner, but Captain Meld held them back after training had ended on that day. The students all looked at him curiously, and once he had their attention, he proclaimed loudly,
“Tomorrow, as part of your practical training, we will be going on an expedition to the Great Orcus Labyrinth. I’ll prepare all the necessary equipment you guys will need, but don’t think this is going to be anything like the monster hunts you’ve been going on outside the capital! You guys better prepare yourselves! Get as much rest as possible tonight so you’re ready! That’s all, dismissed!” He kept his announcement brief, then left right after he had delivered it.
Hajime stood at the end of the line of chattering students and looked up at the sky. Very grim indeed.
The Great Orcus Labyrinth. It was a massive dungeon said to span a hundred floors. As it was one of the seven great labyrinths, the deeper one went, the stronger the monsters they faced. Despite the dangers, it was a very popular training spot for adventurers, mercenaries, and new troops alike. The main reasons for that were because it was easy enough to measure the relative strength of the monsters one would have to face based on the floor they were on, and that the mana crystals contained within the monsters were of a higher quality than the ones harvested from monsters on the surface.
A mana crystal was the core of a monster; it was what made a monster a monster. The more powerful a monster, the bigger and purer a mana crystal it held inside. Mana crystals were an important component in magic circles. A magic circle only needed to be drawn to be able to cast the spell inscribed within, but it would have reduced effectiveness without powdered mana crystals used in the engraving of the circle. In fact, it would only be one third as powerful.
Mana crystals allowed for more efficient transferal of mana, which was why they improved effectiveness so much. In addition, most commonplace magical tools used mana crystals as a power source. Because they were used by the common folk and not just the military, mana crystals were always in rather high demand.
However, monsters that possessed high quality mana crystals were also capable of using powerful specialized magic. It was specialized because while they had large quantities of mana, monsters were incapable of using magic circles or chants, meaning that they could only ever use a single type of spell. Still, being able to unleash that spell without needing a magic circle or incantation was a powerful asset. It was the number one reason one could never let their guard down when fighting a monster.
Hajime and the others arrived in the outpost town of Horaud, together with Captain Meld and a few of his knights. It was a small town that primarily existed to service the adventurers who traveled there wishing to challenge the Great Orcus Labyrinth. As the labyrinth was also used as a training arena for new soldiers, the kingdom maintained a state-run inn at the town, which was where the students were all staying.
Hajime was glad to see a normal room for once, and happily dived into his bed with a relieved sigh. Every other room had at least two people in it, but Hajime had one all for himself.
“Wow, lucky me,” Hajime muttered, somewhat disappointed. He did feel a little lonely being in a room alone, after all.
Tomorrow they would all enter the labyrinth. The plan was to go no further than floor twenty, which according to Captain Meld was still high enough that the knights would be able to protect him. All Hajime could say in response were apologies for how much of a burden he was. He honestly would’ve preferred if they left him behind and went on by themselves... but he didn’t have the courage to say that to Captain Meld, considering the atmosphere and all.
Hajime started reading the picture book he had borrowed that described some of the monsters that inhabited the lower levels of the dungeon. After a while, however, he decided he would need as much rest as he could get, so he planted himself down in bed despite the early hour. The skills he’d developed in school to allow him to sleep in any situation still worked even in another world.
But just as he was dozing off, he heard a knock on his door that broke him out of his stupor. Though he had mentioned it was still a little early, that had meant early for him, who was used to pulling back to back all-nighters. It was actually quite late for the people of Tortus. Suspecting the unexpected late night visitor might be Hiyama and the others, Hajime tensed up. However, his fears vanished when he heard the voice on the other side of the door.
“Nagumo-kun, are you awake? It’s me, Shirasaki. Can we talk for a bit?”
What on earth? Hajime stiffened up for a second before hurriedly rushing over to the door. He quickly unbolted and opened his door. Standing on the other side was Kaori, wearing nothing but a cardigan over her pure white negligee.
“...What in tarnation?”
“Huh?” Hajime was so shocked that he unintentionally slipped into an odd accent for a moment there. Kaori looked at him blankly, so she must not have heard him right.
Hajime composed himself as best he could and asked what she wanted while trying to avoid looking at her as much as possible. As much of a 2D advocate as he might’ve been, Hajime was still a teenage boy. Kaori’s appearance was a bit too stimulating for him.
“Ah, umm, it’s nothing. Anyway, what’s up? Do you have a message for me or something?”
“No. I was hoping we could talk for a bit, Nagumo-kun... But I guess I’m being a bother, aren’t I?”
“...Come on in.” Hajime asked what he thought was the most likely reason for Kaori’s appearance, but she bluntly refused and gave a most unexpected reply. And she had asked him with such pleading puppy dog eyes too. The combination was super effective! Before he knew it, Hajime had already thrown the door wide and invited Kaori in.
“Thanks!” Kaori happily stepped inside without any hesitation, then sat down at the table by the window.
Still somewhat confused, Hajime began reflexively brewing her some tea. Brewing might have been a bit of an overstatement, however, as it was just some crappy black tea he made by dumping some teabags into a pot of water. He made enough tea for the both of them and offered Kaori a cup. Once the tea had been served, he sat down across from her.
“Thank you.” Despite the terrible quality of the tea, Kaori still accepted it graciously. She gently brought the cup to her lips, and the moonlight illuminated her figure as she did. Her black hair glowed faintly in the silver light, wreathing her in a halo. She looked almost like an angel.
Hajime stared, captivated in a purely platonic manner by her mysterious aura. He finally returned to his senses after Kaori put the cup down with a clink. In an attempt to calm himself down, Hajime downed his cup of crappy black tea in one big gulp. He choked a little as the deluge of liquid poured down his throat. Well, that was rather embarrassing.
Kaori chuckled as she saw him sputter. In order to distract himself from the embarrassment, Hajime quickly started talking.
“So, what was it you wanted to talk to me about? The dungeon trip tomorrow?” Kaori nodded in affirmation, and her smile was replaced by an unbelievably grave expression.
“I want you... to stay here when we go to the labyrinth tomorrow. I’ll convince the instruc
tors and the rest of our classmates, so please, don’t go!” Kaori grew more and more heated as she spoke, and by the end she was leaning forward into Hajime, pleading with him.
For his part, Hajime was utterly bewildered. She seemed a bit too desperate to be someone who just wanted him out of the way because he would be a burden.
“Umm... I do realize I’d just get in your way, but... I don’t think they’ll let me skip out after I’ve come this far already.”
“That’s not it! It’s not because I think you’re a burden or anything!” Kaori hurriedly tried to correct Hajime’s misunderstanding. Realizing she’d gotten a bit too heated, she placed a hand on her chest and took a deep breath. After calming herself down, she softly muttered, “I’m sorry,” and began talking once more.
“Umm, you see, I just have this really bad feeling. I was sleeping just a moment ago, and... I was having this dream... You were in it, Nagumo-kun... but you wouldn’t answer even when I called your name... and no matter how much I ran, I could never reach you... Then at the end...” Kaori faltered, afraid to say what happened next, but Hajime calmly pushed her to continue.
“And then at the end?”
Kaori bit her lip and looked up at Hajime with tears in her eyes.
“...You vanished...”
“I see...”
Silence filled the room. Hajime stared at Kaori, who was hanging her head again. That certainly sounded like a sinister dream. But in the end, it was still just a nightmare. Hajime doubted he could get permission to stay behind for a flimsy reason like that, and even if he could, his classmates would have all condemned him for it. Regardless of how it turned out, he would’ve had nowhere left to go if he asked. Which was why, sadly, Hajime had no choice but to go.
He spoke as gently as he could, trying his best to reassure Kaori.
“It was just a dream, Shirasaki-san. We’ll have Captain Meld’s veteran knights with us, along with some ridiculously strong people like Amanogawa-kun. Or rather, a ton, since all of our classmates have pretty broken skills. So much so that I actually pity our enemies a little. You probably just had that kind of dream because you’ve been seeing just how weak I am up close recently.” Hajime’s words only seemed to make Kaori even more worried
Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest Vol. 1 (Premium) Page 5