“And... And if you’re still worried...”
“Then what?” Hajime felt a little embarrassed, but he still looked Kaori in the eyes, then muttered—
“Why don’t you protect me?”
“Eh?”
Hajime realized that it was embarrassing for a man to ask such a thing of a girl. In fact, he was blushing bright red from how embarrassed he felt. The moon was shining bright, so the inside of the room was lit well enough that Kaori must’ve easily been able to see how red he was as well.
“Your job was Priest, right, Shirasaki-san? That’s a job that excels in healing magic, isn’t it? So no matter what happens to me... even if I get mortally wounded, you should be able to heal me, Shirasaki-san. So will you protect me, please? That way I’ll be fine no matter what happens.” Kaori stared at Hajime for a long time after hearing his words. Hajime knew he couldn’t turn his eyes away in a situation like that, so he held Kaori’s gaze despite nearly dying from the embarrassment of what he’d just said.
Hajime had once heard that people’s worst fear was the unknown. At the moment, Kaori was scared because she didn’t know what it was that was going to attack Hajime. So even if it was just for her own peace of mind, Hajime wanted to give her the confidence that she could handle anything that came at him, regardless of what it was.
Kaori and Hajime stared at each other for a few moments, but she finally broke the silence with a smile.
“You never change, do you, Nagumo-kun?”
“Huh?” Hajime tilted his head quizzically at Kaori’s words, and Kaori chuckled at his confusion.
“Nagumo-kun, you met me for the first time in high school, right? But you know, I’ve known you since the second year of middle school.”
Hajime’s eyes went as wide as dinner plates when he heard that. He racked his brain, trying to remember where he had met her before, but turned up blank. Kaori chuckled again when she saw him groaning to himself.
“I knew you, but you didn’t know me... I first saw you when you were kneeling on the ground, so it’s natural you didn’t see me.”
“Kn-Kneeling!?”
She saw him in such a pathetic state!? Hajime squirmed in embarrassment for a totally different reason when he heard that. Frantically, he tried to remember where he could’ve possibly kneeled like that in public. Kaori continued her tale while Hajime went through a pantomime of weird expressions.
“Yep. You were prostrating yourself in front of a bunch of delinquents. You didn’t stop even when they spat on you, or poured juice on you... or even stepped on you. Eventually they just gave up and left.”
“S-Sorry you had to see something so unsightly...”
Hajime wished he could just melt into the floor. That was almost as bad as having someone’s angsty teenage middle school past brought up again. He could only smile weakly. It was the same awkward smile he’d had when his mom had found his porn collection and neatly organized it on his shelf.
However, Kaori looked at him kindly, with not an ounce of scorn in her gaze.
“That’s not true. It wasn’t unsightly at all. In fact, when I saw it, I thought you were a really strong and kind person, Nagumo-kun.”
“...Huh?” Hajime couldn’t believe what he had just heard. Certainly didn’t seem like the proper impression to get from watching a scene like that. Don’t tell me Shirasaki-san has some kind of weird fetish for that!? Hajime thought, rather rudely.
“I mean, you did all that for the sake of a little boy and his grandmother, didn’t you, Nagumo-kun?”
At those words, Hajime finally remembered. Something like that had indeed happened during his middle school days.
A little kid had bumped into some delinquents and the takoyaki he’d been eating had spilled over their clothes. The guys he had bumped into all snapped, and the boy started crying while his grandmother cowered in a corner. It had been quite the scene.
Hajime was just passing by at the time, and he’d planned on ignoring the commotion. However, even after the boy’s grandmother gave the delinquents some money, most likely as an apology for ruining the shirt, they continued harassing them. In fact, they got even worse and by the end of it just snatched the poor lady’s wallet right out of her hands. It was at that point that Hajime’s body had moved instinctively.
But of course, he was someone who hated violence. The only killer moves he knew were the cringey ones he practiced at home after watching action shows. So he did the only thing he could, prostrate himself before them and beg for mercy. It was, of course, unbelievably embarrassing for him, but also surprisingly embarrassing to the ones he was kneeling to. In fact, it was so embarrassing that they couldn’t stand it. And as planned, the delinquents did eventually just leave.
“It’s easy for strong people to solve things with violence. People like Kouki-kun can easily fling themselves into trouble and just fight their way out of it... but few people who’re weak have the courage to stand up for others, and even fewer could bow down like that for someone else... You know, I was always scared back then... I always made excuses for not helping other people by telling myself things like ‘I’m not strong like Shizuku-chan,’ so when I got in trouble, I always waited for other people to come save me instead.”
“Shirasaki-san...”
“That’s why I think you’re really the strongest out of everyone here, Nagumo-kun. I was really happy when I saw you again in high school, you know... I wanted to become more like you. I wanted to talk to you more, to learn more about you. Though you always just fell asleep whenever you were at school...”
“Ahaha, sorry about that.” Since he’d finally realized why Kaori always hung around him, and why she held him in such high regard, Hajime blushed and smiled awkwardly.
“That might be why I’m so worried. You might do something reckless again for someone else’s sake, Nagumo-kun. Just like you did when you took on those delinquents... but fine.” She gazed at Hajime resolutely.
“I’ll protect you, Nagumo-kun.”
Hajime looked Kaori in the eyes, then nodded, accepting her resolve.
“Thank you.”
Hajime smiled bitterly at the exchange. Their roles as boy and girl had been completely reversed. Though Hajime had to admit, Kaori made for a great hero. That would’ve made Hajime the heroine, though. As a guy, he wasn’t quite sure how to feel about that, so all he could do was smile.
They chatted for a while longer, and then Kaori went back to her room. When Hajime finally sank down into his bed, his mind was working furiously. He had to find something he could do at all costs, and rid himself of the “worthless” stigma. He couldn’t stay the protected princess forever. Hajime renewed his resolve as he drifted off to sleep.
Kaori had returned to her own room after leaving Hajime’s. A figure hidden in the shadows watched as she left his room and headed to her own. No one was there to see... when his face twisted into a horrifying expression.
The next morning, everyone reported to the plaza that served as the entrance to the Great Orcus Labyrinth early enough that the sun had still yet to rise.
The students were all filled with equal parts trepidation and curiosity. Hajime, however, had a more complicated expression on his face. He was also somewhat excited and nervous about his first excursion into a dungeon, but when he saw what the entrance to the Great Orcus Labyrinth looked like, some of his excitement faded.
What Hajime had expected was the standard cavern entrance leading into unknown dark depths. However, the sight that greeted him was something that looked more akin to the entrance to a museum, complete with its own receptionist counter. A girl in uniform was checking over the people going in and out of the labyrinth with a smile. It appeared that everyone’s status plate was checked at the entrance. That way, the number of casualties could be accurately tallied. With the threat of war looming overhead, the government wanted to avoid losing too many men, so they implemented that policy as one of their countermeasures.
Numerous
stalls were lined up on the plaza surrounding the entrance, the merchants all competing with each other to show off their wares. It felt almost like a festival.
Shallower labyrinths that didn’t have as many floors were popular with merchants, since people naturally gathered there. The people present ranged from boisterous adventurers who talked big but quickly lost their lives in the labyrinth, to criminals who operated out of back alleys and other unsavory locations. As the government was preparing for war, they didn’t want to waste too many resources handling those problems, so they cooperated with the local adventurer’s guild to keep the area safe. People were selling their wares all the way up to the receptionist’s desk at the entrance, which in a sense made life easier for the adventurers who were setting out into the labyrinth’s depths.
Hajime pulled himself together and scratched his head as he looked around, seeing all of the other students gawking like country bumpkins as they followed Captain Meld in single file, like a row of little ducklings.
Once inside, the lively atmosphere that had surrounded them mere moments ago vanished. In front of them was a passage that was a little over five meters wide. Though there was no obvious light source, the entire labyrinth was dimly lit, enough that one could vaguely make out their surroundings without the help of a torch or magical item. In truth, the passages were all lit by a special mineral called green glowstone that was buried in the walls. The entire Great Orcus Labyrinth was actually an excavated vein of green glowstone ore.
The party all filed into ranks and slowly advanced through the labyrinth. After a few uneventful minutes, the passage they were walking down opened up into a wide plaza.
Towering seven or eight meters above them was a dome-shaped ceiling. The students were all looking around curiously, when suddenly a number of gray creatures resembling furballs burst out from cracks in the wall.
“Alright, Kouki, your team’s up front! Everyone else fall back! I’ll have you switch in after some time, so stay sharp! These monsters are called Ratmen! They’re quick on their feet, but not all that strong. Keep your cool as you fight!”
As Captain Meld had said, the Ratmen were quite fast, and rushed at them with alarming agility. Pairs of dark red eyes gleamed with a ghastly light from within the balls of fur. Their name was rather fitting, as they looked like giant, muscular rats... that stood on two feet. Only the area around their corded chests and impressive eight-packs was bereft of fur, almost as if they were trying to show them off.
Kouki’s group, who were facing them head on, all grimaced when they got a better look—especially Shizuku, who was standing up front. They certainly did look disgusting.
Once the Ratmen entered into range, Kouki, Shizuku, and Ryutarou all attacked at once. In the meantime, Kaori and two of her close female friends, the glasses-wearing Eri Nakamura and the childish and energetic Suzu Taniguchi, started chanting their spells. They were preparing their magic already. That was the basic formation they’d practiced during training.
Kouki swung his bastard sword faster than the eye could follow, and slaughtered a score of them with his first swing. His sword was one of the artifacts that had been resting in the Heiligh treasury, and had the rather cliched name of “The Holy Sword.” It was blessed with the light element, which had the sickeningly efficient properties of simultaneously weakening enemies that were hit by the light it emitted, while also increasing one’s own physical strength. It sure played dirty for a “holy” sword.
Ryutarou, on the other hand, had the job of Monk, which was a martial arts class that fought with its fists. He was equipped with a pair of gauntlets and greaves. Those were also artifacts, and were capable of unleashing enchanted shockwaves. They were also unbreakable. Ryutarou took up a stance and splendidly beat down any enemy that came close with punches and kicks, not letting a single one pass. Despite being practically bare-handed, his massive frame made him seem like an armored heavy knight.
Shizuku, meanwhile, possessed the job of Swordsman, which was fitting for a samurai-esque girl like her. She wielded a blade that was midway between a katana and a shamshir, and made short work of any enemies that got within reach of her sword with her quick-draw skills. She had refined her swordplay even further since arriving in Tortus, and had even earned the admiration of many of the knights. While everyone was busy watching Kouki and the others fight, the girls in the back line finished their chants.
“Flames blacker than pitch, swirl about thine enemies! Burn until naught but their ashes remain, Spiral Blaze!”
They cast the spell in unison, and a huge whirlwind of flames enveloped the Ratmen, burning them to a crisp. The Ratmen screeched in pain, flailing wildly until the flames pouring down on them reduced them to ash. In the blink of an eye, all of the Ratmen had been annihilated. The other students didn’t even get a chance to fight. It looked like monsters on the first floor were far too weak to even put up a fight against Kouki’s party.
“Wow, well done! Alright, the rest of you will be up next, so don’t relax just yet!”
Captain Meld reminded the class not to let their guard down, though he was smiling, impressed at their prowess. Still, he couldn’t prevent the students from getting pumped up about their first dungeon monster elimination expedition. He shrugged his shoulders helplessly as he saw the students breaking out into smiles.
“Oh, and... while you don’t have to worry about it this time since it’s training, in the future try and kill your enemies in a way that preserves their mana crystals. What you did back there was overkill.”
Kaori and the others blushed at Captain Meld’s words, realizing they may have gone too far. From then on, the class smoothly advanced through the floors of the labyrinth, rotating the vanguard between battles.
Eventually, they arrived at the twentieth floor, the floor that separated skilled adventurers from rank amateurs. Currently, the deepest floor people had managed to reach was floor sixty-five. However, that was a legendary feat that hadn’t been replicated since, so in recent times anyone who made it past the first twenty floors was considered a highly skilled fighter. Anyone who made it past the first forty was superhuman.
With Kouki at their head, the students were able to easily advance through the floors. Though they had little combat experience, their overpowered abilities more than compensated. The most dangerous enemy the students faced was actually the traps scattered about. Some of them were even lethal.
The most common countermeasure for traps was something known as a Fair Scope. A Fair Scope was a handy tool that detected traps by reading the flow of mana. Most of the traps in the labyrinth were magical in nature, so a Fair Scope detected around 80% of them. However, the Scope possessed a very limited range, so it was only effective in the hands of an experienced user.
Therefore, the real reason Hajime and the others were able to descend so smoothly was because of how well their knight mentors were guiding them. Captain Meld also often reminded the students to never enter a room that hadn’t been scoured for traps first.
“Alright everyone, from this point on, monsters won’t come at you just one species at a time. They’ll coordinate with each other and attack in large groups. Don’t let your guard down just because we’ve had nothing but easy victories so far! Today’s training will conclude once we clear the twentieth floor, so let’s end things with a bang!” Captain Meld’s voice echoed throughout the room.
Up until that point, Hajime hadn’t done much of anything. He’d once taken on a monster the knights had weakened for him, trapping it in a pitfall and stabbing it to death with his sword, but that was all.
Essentially, he had just spent his time standing by in the rear protected by the knights, without being able to join anyone’s party. It was honestly rather pathetic. However, using his skills in combat helped increase his magic stat, so it wasn’t completely useless. Hajime’s magic stat grew enough to raise him two levels, so the combat practice had helped some.
But man, I totally feel like a leec
her for doing this. Haaah... The knights sent another weakened monster Hajime‘s way, and he approached it with a sigh, placing his hands on the ground to transmute the earth around it. He immobilized it in a pitfall on the off chance that it might still pose a threat, then skewered it with his sword.
Well, at least my transmutation skills are growing a little... I’ll just have to keep at it. Hajime swallowed a mana pill and wiped the sweat off his brow. He didn’t notice that the knights were all staring at him in admiration.
In truth, the knights hadn’t been expecting much of anything from Hajime. They were just having such an easy time of it that they decided to send a few monsters over to him, since he’d seemed so bored. Weakened, of course.
They’d all thought he would just flail his sword around helplessly for a bit. However, he had effectively used his transmutation skill to immobilize the enemy before dispatching it, a tactic the knights had never seen before. They had assumed Synergists were only good for blacksmithing, hence their belief that their skills would be useless in combat.
Hajime only had his single transmutation skill, so he had trained it diligently, assuming that his ability to transmute ore could extend to the earth as well. It had worked, but with how difficult it was for him to take down a single weakened monster, and how strong everyone around him was, he still thought himself weak.
That was the first time he’d shown this ability to people. He’d made an utter fool of himself during their previous excursion to slay monsters outside of the capital, and this was the solution he had come up with.
While he was taking a short break, Hajime glanced over to the front lines, and his eyes met Kaori’s. She was smiling at him. She had taken her promise to “protect” him quite seriously, and Hajime looked away, embarrassed, as he realized she had been watching over him the whole time. Kaori pouted a little when she saw him look away. Shizuku chuckled softly as she watched their little exchange out of the corner of her eye, then softly spoke.
Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest Vol. 1 (Premium) Page 6