Arifureta After II So Close That They Squabbled With Each Other? Middle Part
AN: For Hakumei, three chapters are "short story".
「Welcome! This is the church of "AAAAAAA" village. Will you carry out a confession? Or else will you carry out a confession? I also won't mind if you want to carry out a confession you know?」
Yue finally calmed down, and while Kaori was talking with Yue in order to grasp their current situation, the priest-san was smilingly inviting a confession standing in the middle of the wreckage of the collapsed church. As expected perhaps he was holding a grudge.
Kaori was making confirmation to Yue while her cheeks were twitching at the priest-san who was earnestly throwing words confession, confession at them.
「As I thought, this place is really inside that game device isn't it?」
「……Nn. Based on the situation there is no doubt. Furthermore, there is a big possibility that it's broken somewhere.」
「Broken?」
「……Nn. It's indeed true that the first position we appeared at is set randomly, but the speech of the NPC shouldn't be this strange. I was taught a bit about the content and the system so there is no doubt about that.」
「I, I see, indeed. There is no way Hajime-kun will make the default setting to be "regrettable" or "screw loose" even though this is a game created for Myuu-chan's sake.」(TN: Sorry, I changed the deplorable into regrettable)
Kaori nodded in comprehension. At the same time she let out a sigh that sounded a bit uneasy. She imagined something a little bit unpleasant, that perhaps by any chance Hajime was thinking that she was regrettable.
「……Anyway, we should logout but……」
「……That function doesn't broke right?」
Kaori was feeling something ominous from Yue's voice with her gaze turning toward Yue, while Yue called out the individual information screen using a game gesture just like what she was taught before. She was whispering「Open」while her hand was waved as though stroking the empty air in front of her.
As the result a blue shining window materialized in front of Yue's eyes. A unique sound *von* resounded, and then window fragments gathered from up, down, right, and left as though it was a block game, and in the blink of eye a screen the size of a 24 inch television was completed. It was Hajime's fixation that took all night to finish.
Anyway, Yue let out a sigh of relieve that the individual information screen was opened normally, next she clicked on the button "return to home" at the right bottom of the screen while feeling a bit nervous.
――Why are you giving up here! Do your best, do your best! You can do it, you can do it!
A voice of heaven descended. It seemed they couldn't go home. It appeared that more passion and guts were necessary.
「……」
「……」
Yue clicked the button wordlessly once more.
――If you give up, that will be the end of your adventure! Now, dash toward that sunset!
As expected, it seemed the voice of heaven wouldn't allow returning to home. And then, what should be rising right now was the morning sun, telling them to dash toward the sunset was just…
「I, I'll give it a try.」
While Kaori's cheeks were twitching seeing Yue throwing a dreadfully scornful gaze at empty air with her usual stare having advanced until the third stage, Kaori imitated Yue and called out her individual information screen, and she clicked the button "return to home".
――You shitty maggot-. What are you doing trying to go home as you damn please-. The destination of you bastard is only to hell or to hell-. If you don't want me to "pii―* you then return to your squad! That's your one and only home you bastard!
「Hiih!?」
Having suddenly poured with the angry yell of Hajime, Kaori spontaneously held her head with both hands and she became unable to stand up from surprise.
「……Come to think of it, it seems that the program for Hauria use was also included separately.」
「The, the training for mass producing those berserk rabbits? Hajime-kun, how far she is planning to evolve those people?」
Yue shrugged toward Kaori who was trembling all over.
In the end their bad premonition hit the bull's eye and they couldn't logout from the game. It was unclear why when it was Yue, Hajime's voice had the tone of Matsuoka ○zo, while when it was Kaori, Hajime's voice had a tone like Sergeant Hartma○, but surely this too was the adverse effect from the broken device. (TN: Matsuoka Shuzo is a retired tennis player who is currently hosting a TV show. He is known for his energetic and passionate character)
「What will we do, Yue. How are we going home……ah, that's right! Yue, use soul magic!」
「Mu, there is that method.」
This game device was created by applying soul magic. The highly precise sensation where there was almost no difference with reality was because of that. In that case, it could be thought that for an expert of soul magic it should be possible to logout even without relying on the system.
Yue wasted no time trying to use soul magic.
――Insufficient level
「Mu? ……Mumuh」
「Yue?」
Each time Yue persisted with something while mumbling「Mumuh」, the heavenly voice "insufficient level" descended down. At the end a hypocritically courteous words "let's understand your standing" descended.
Kaori who somehow guessed the situation asked.
「It looks no good isn't it?」
「Muu. Even though it absorbed us because it's broken, but I cannot accept it at all that only this system is perfectly working.」
According to Yue, Yue herself was also participating at the creation of this bodily sensation system that applied soul magic. And then, the "binding" of the game system that was directly affecting the soul was operating effectively even at Yue herself who was a cooperator in the artifact's creation.
If this effect was purely due to Yue's own magic, then she would only need to break that restriction, but if Hajime's artifact was involved there then it would be next to impossible for Yue to cancel it.
Yue who was unable to release her "binding" no matter how many times she tried dropped her shoulders dejectedly.
「……As expected from Hajime's artifact. And then my magic. We have done a good work.」
「This is not the time for singing your own praise, Yue……what to do. Is there no other way to logout?」
「……Nn. It's not that there is none. If I remember correctly, there is a safe point at each village, we should be able to logout from there too. Myuu can go home anytime she want, but Hajime said that he won't let Hauria to escape as they please, and he said that he picked base logout method for them.」
「Hajime-kun, he is merciless to the people of Hauria isn't he……」
They couldn't stop even if they wanted to stop. If they wanted to stop then they could only progress inside the game. And what's more that too surely would be a game scenario with an extraordinarily lovely hard mode, no, hell mode in Hajime style.
Thinking about the people of Hauria who someday would be thrown in here, Kaori quietly prayed for their happiness in the next world.
「And Yue. If there is save point in each village, then what about this village? Let's quickly try out that save point.」
「……………………………………There is none in this village.」
「Eh? Why? You said just now that each village has one.」
「……Be, because this is the village of beginning. So it's not needed.」
「………………Yue?」
Kaori quickly asked Yue about the save point of this village, but for some reason Yue was answering with her gaze subtly looking away. It felt like her tone was also subtly strange.
Kaori turned a suspicious gaze at Yue, but Yue was muttering to herself「……Well then, we have to go to the next village now that we have decided」with a subtly strange tone as expected.
Kaori turned her gaze. Toward the direction of the priest-san who was still eloquently urging for confession in the middle of the wreckage.
「Excuse me Father. Can you please tell me where is the save point of this village?」
「……Kaori! You doubt me? That's crue――」
「Village chief's regrettable daughter-san. You are regrettable as usual. You know don't you? It's right here in this church!」
The church, was no more.
Kaori turned her face calmly toward Yue still with a smiling face. Yue calmly turned toward the direction of the far beyond.
A time of silence flowed for a while. The gaze was also flowing from Kaori=>Yue=>brilliantly shining sun.
A beat later.
「YUE YOU IDIOOOOOOOOT!!」
「……Ka, KAORI YOU STUPIID――mugyuh!?」
Kaori's yell resounded.
Yue talked back in reflex, but her words sounded unusually frailer. In addition, her cheeks were swiftly stretched out *mugyuuuu* and her words were cut off.
「Idiot idiot idiot idiot-, Yue you idiot! Why was the first thing you do after the game started was destroying the save point!? This screw loose sister-saN-!!」
「Re, rerause――」
「Don't say because!」
「Fho, fhovefer――」
「Don't say however! Geez-, you are really-! The way of thinking of blowing away everything the first thing if there is something that you cannot stomach, I think that's completely no good! I think, that's really no good!」
Kaori preached while inflicting *mugyuuuuu* at Yue's cheeks. Perhaps she was using a lot of strength, Yue's soft cheeks were stretching and stretching and her eyes turned delicately teary.
As expected it seemed Yue recognized that she had been rash, at first she was obediently letting herself treated like that and listened meekly, but right after Yue heard「In the first place Yue is~」and she felt the atmosphere that the preaching would become long, first thing first she counterattacked. Her index fingers poked *dosu-* at both sides of Kaori's stomach.
「Hehyah!?」
Kaori-san's body bent stra――ight backward stiffly. Seeing such Kaori, Yue-san laughed「You said 'hehyah'. It was 'hehyah'. Puh, giggle giggle」.
The outcome was obvious.
――Nyah―nyaah! Mui muih, fushaa――――!!
The gong of the usual cat fight rang. Both of them scuffled with each other while rolling around on the church that was transformed into a mountain of rubble and in front of the priest whose suggestion of sin confession was becoming forceful.
But, there several villagers were passing by.
「Okaa-san, those people……」
「Shih. You must not stare at the screw loose sister and village chief's regrettable daughter!」
When a young child pointed his finger, his mother hurriedly covered her child's eyes and they quickly left as though they had just witnessed something terrifying.
「Those two did that to the church……the hell with them.」
「I thought that someday they would actually do it. After all, they are the village chief's regrettable daughter-san and the sister-san with a screw loose.」
A young man shouldering farming tool was looking at the destroyed church and said that pitifully, while the uncle beside him sighed while saying that.
「A really good person, has left us.」
「How sad this incident is.」
An uncle pushing a cart looked at the church with an anguished expression, and another uncle who was similarly carrying a baggage faced the church and offered words of prayer. The priest was still alive despite the destruction of the church though……
The air of the surrounding villagers felt somewhat strange, or rather their atmosphere was dark. Yue and Kaori who were covered with dust from rolling around finally noticed. Both of them stood up feeling unable to stay there longer from being surrounded at a distance while being seen with a gaze as though they were dangerous character.
「……Err, Yue. For now there is nothing that can be done for what is broken, about what should we do from here on……」
「……Nn. I am Yue. A woman who won't look back to the past.」
「How about you look back? The next time you do another destructive activity irresponsibly, I'll seriously make you eat disintegration bombardment okay?」
Yue averted her gaze from Kaori whose blood vein was emerging on her forehead still with a smiling face, and she called out her individual information screen once more.
「……Cough-. Just like I said before, if it's save point, the next village also has it. And so, for now we should aim to go there.」
「I guess. Our body might be in the real world I think, and when Hajime-kun go home he will surely do something somehow, but if there is anything we can do then it's better to give it a try.」
「……Nn. But, look here.」
The two easily progressed their talk so smoothly to the degree that would make anyone wonder just what was with the quarrel just now.
Yue pointed at her status screen, so Kaori got close to Yue's shoulder and peered in with her body glued close on Yue. The content that was projected there was,
========================================
Name : Yue-pon
Rank : 1 / 50 remaining until the next liberation
Job : Apprentice Sister
Title : Sister With a Screw Loose
Skill : No Chant Imagination Configuration
Magic : Flame Magic [Fireball]
Equipment : A set of apprentice sister outfit
Special mention : Has criminal record
Money : 1,000
========================================
Other than those there were also items at hand and also playing time recorded, but there was no list for specs that were quantified into number like in Tortus's status plate. It was made like this with the reason so the player wouldn't misunderstand the number as their own strength in real battle and so that the player couldn't overwhelm the enemy using the difference in status amount.
HP gauge that was common for RPG also didn't exist with similar reasons. Conforming to reality, no matter how strong someone was they would get instant game over if their head was cut off, but in reverse no matter what kind of strong enemy could possibly be defeated depending on the method.
Kaori who saw Yue's status nodded and said「I see」.
「As expected you have a criminal record.」
「……Oi, Kaori. What do you mean by as expected? I am always obeying law――」
「Nn」
Kaori replied just like Yue while her finger was pointing toward the destroyed church. A beat after Yue turned her gaze there.
「……I'm generally obeying law in the real world.」
「You nonchalantly ranked down "always" into "generally" even in the real world there.」
Yue-sama wouldn't look back to the past! She also wouldn't accept Kaori's straight-man retort!
「……Rather than that, the problem is this "rank" and "money".」
「Before that, let me ask a little bit more, Yue-pon. See here, about my individual information screen, Yue-pon. In my special mention the word 'accomplice' is written. Yue-pon, why is this I wonder? I didn't really do anything but now I have criminal record, Yue-pon. Tell me Yue-pon. Heey, heey, Yue-pon. Yue-pon, sheesh Yue-pon-」
Very unusually Yue was covering her face with both hands and her ears were bright red for some reason while she crouched down on the spot. She whispered with a small voice「……uu, because of a passing fancy I unconsciously」while trembling in shame.
The expression of Kaori who was crouching down beside such Yue was truly a really wide grin. She was showing her friendly smile that always charmed the surrounding while poking Yue's cheek with her index finger. Kaori was enjoying the squishy sensation that might became a habit while intently speaking piercing words.
「Well, it doesn't matter now, Yue-pon. I still cannot accept it but, we won't finish anything like this Yue-pon. And? What is this "rank" and "money" about, Yue-pon?」
「……Kaori, what nerve. This sister with a screw loose Yue-pon will turn the village girl into cinder for the peaceful life of the village.」
「Wawawah, calm down Yue! I'm sorry! I won't say it anymore!」
A ball of flame lit up on Yue's fingertip. Its appearance was shabby but the pressure that it gave off was a bad news. It seemed that even the most basic of elementary magic could be filled with high class power by the way one controlled the amount of magic power and the compression rate.
The sister with a screw loose Yue-pon pointed finger gun gesture at Kaori and mercilessly shot a lot of that. That magic that was shot wildly like the sweeping of a gatling gun was somehow evaded by Kaori even while her face was going pale.
In exchange, from behind Kaori countless explosions and screams were……
「Aah!? The shoemaker Rodriguez is blown away!」
「What!? What is happening!? My house is gone!?」
「Kuu! Everyone-, I'll hold them back here! Run while you all still can!」
「Village chief! That's reckless! Your opponent is that sister-san with a screw loose you know!? Even for you that's rash!」
「Hah, don't worry about me. Even like this when I was young I did quite much as an adventurer. I'll just take her on a bit and then I'll catch up to you later.」
「Chief, someone like you is……」
For some reason Kaori's father was becoming the hero of the village, but seeing that the daughter of that hero was involved with the turmoil, in a sense this was like a family scandal, or even like stirring up trouble to get credit from solving it.
After that, Yue who mercilessly turned the village chief into something like a ragged cloth and destroyed Rodriguez and the shoe shop mistaken the remaining amount of her magic power that was restrained more than she imagined by the system, and she collapsed face first from her magic power running dry. Similarly, Kaori whose physical ability was restrained and now not only she couldn't transform into apostle, she couldn't even use magic was also ran out of stamina and collapsed face first.
「Ju, just what are, we doing, in this time of emergency……zee, zee」
「……Haa haa. Uu, certainly」
While feeling the intense gazes of the villagers who were surrounding the two from a distance, Yue and Kaori got up somehow and they sat down side by side.
「Le, let's return to our talk. And, what is this "rank" and "money" about?」
「……Nn. About this "rank", this is the restriction level that is put on us. I cannot use anything other than fireball, and Kaori's physical ability is low with apostle transformation and magic unusable are also because of that. By leveling up, we will get closer to our ability in the real world.」
「Is that so. Even when in not perfect state, manage it somehow with what you can do……this concept is really like Hajime-kun.」
By the way, Kaori's individual information screen was something like this.
========================================
Name : Kaori
Rank : 1 / 50 remaining until the next liberation
Job : Villager Girl
Title : Village Chief's Regrettable Daughter
Skill : Villager girl-style Twin Large Sword Art
Magic :
Equipment : A set of villager girl outfit
Special mention : Yue-pon's accomplice
Money : 1,000
========================================
「……Nn. Our ability is given limitation, but our individual technique is not given any limitation at all. It was because it's me that kind of elementary level magic could show such power and rapid fire. A mere villager girl could dodge all those is also the same.」
「I see. Err, is there any problem with that?」
Kaori nodded in understanding at Yue's explanation. It seemed that Kaori's father was revived at the corner of their sight. The mournful villagers applauded their village chief.
「……Normally, we will raise our level at the surrounding area of the village of beginning while gathering money at the same time, we then will head to the next village after putting our equipment in order to a certain degree. The concrete scenario haven't been established yet, but if the enemy characters that were inserted for their behavior checking are without change, then they should be really strong.」
「Aah, I see. In other words, there is a chance we won't be able to reach the next village with our current level isn't it? Also we don't even have money to put our equipment in order.」
「……Nn. I think that it will be fine if it's me and Kaori but……in the case we received damage in this game that is in the verge of breaking, I don't know what kind of effect it will have to us. Based on how there is the prospect of Hajime definitely rescuing us, it's also an option to not move from here.」
「Fufufu, you aren't thinking of that at all aren't you, Yue. There is no way we will choose avoiding risk and not doing anything.」
Help would come sooner or later and so let's not do anything. In a sense it was a solid method. However, the people who got close to Hajime wouldn't choose that option.
「……Exactly. Besides, we also don't understand how long the current circumstance will continue. By any chance, perhaps before Hajime come home a fatal breakdown will occur and it will became a situation that cannot be recovered from.」
「You're right. Like that we also cannot leisurely level up and gather money around the village then.」
「……Nn. We need to put our equipment in order as much as possible with the current money at our hand.」
Yue understood their problems. They needed to reach the neighboring village by struggling through quite strong enemies using only the minimum equipment while trying to not get hit even once as much as possible.
Indeed, it was a very severe situation.
But,
「Yep, I don't see any problem. Yue is here after all.」
「……Nn. There is no problem. Kaori is here.」
That was how it was.
Yue and Kaori stood up and dusted off the dirt attached on their respective fluttering sister and villager girl clothes. The gazes of the villagers were as usual as though they were looking at dangerous characters. It was the truth that they were guilty so they couldn't bear at all to be there for longer. Even though it was a game world, wasn't the speech and conduct of the mob characters too free?
Even though it was fine even if it wasn't this realistic at this aspect……Yue and Kaori were modestly venting their anger at Hajime's obsession while heading toward the equipment shop of the village.
Yue had magic job, so even in the worst case she wouldn't mind buying just several items for recovering magic power, but Kaori who seemed to be a user of villager girl-style twin large swords art needed weapon. If possible, she also wanted pants and tunic that were easy to move in, not her current loose one piece clothes for villager girl.
Midway they were also exposed to intense violence of gazes.
Kaori thought, 'This is, like that'. Yes, the stares were like the stares that were directed at a lion that escaped from its cage in a zoo. She saw it some time ago, the news of multiple wild beasts including lion escaping their cage and then moved freely inside the zoo.
At that time the gazes of the people that were running away filled with trepidation were truly the same like the gazes of the villagers toward them right now.
Am I a lion……?
Kaori was feeling complicated and she looked at Yue who was walking beside her.
Luxuriant golden hair. Flexible limbs. Unmistakably a carnivore (hidden meaning). And then, her status as the strongest.
(Yep, it fit. Here is Yue lion. Yep.
Kaori imagined Yue wearing a lion cosplay while roaring 'gaoo~~' on all fours and she strangely comprehended it.
By the way, the lion commotion of that time was the revenge of the zoo's former worker who got fired where he was also going to steal the zoo's proceeds at the same time, he released the animals was also for diversion, but the escaping lion and other animals were then taken care by a certain couple.
Actually, it had also become a hot topic how one of the couple, a small girl easily tamed the lion and then used that lion to catch the criminal. Then, it was also a hot topic how the boyfriend knocked down with his bare arm a bear that was escaping together and then returned it into its cage.
Kaori was imagining the news of that time and Yue lion half to escape the reality while chasing away the gazes of the villagers from inside her mind, and then her gaze caught sight of the equipment shop they were searching ahead.
「Both of us combined has 2,000 yen……can we buy anything?」
「……I don't know the prize so I cannot say anything. In the worst case, I want to at least secure Kaori's sword.」
Kaori had inherited the combat skill of god's apostle, so she had also learned martial art to a high level. However, as expected her greatest offense was the apostle's characteristic ability and the twin large swords art. As expected there would be a large difference in Kaori's combat skill from whether she had sword or not.
Yue opened the shop's door. And right away,
「Go home! Go back home! There ain't anyone here that will sell to you two criminals! Go home right away!」
「「……」」
The equipment shop owner with thick moustache looking very obstinate suddenly gave the two a present of angry yell. Yue and Kaori reflexively stiffened.
The two understood what the owner was saying. Kaori timidly opened her mouth with twitching expression.
「E, excuse me, I, want to buy――」
「Shut up, this damned accomplice of Yue-pon! Just get out now!」
Kaori's expression stiffened. This was the first time in her life she was treated like this by a person that she met for the first time. Kaori who was always polite and bright was often favored especially by the elders. Naturally, her endurance was low against something like this.
「Yu, Yuee~」
「……Nn. Leave it to me. Cough-. ――Owner-san, please listen to my story. We――」
「Shut your mouth, this great sinner, priest killer! How dare you did that to a kind person like that-」
「Ah, no, that, that person is still ali――」
「Good grief, even though you are a sister but to do something so terrifying! Listen here, this shop will only deal with honest customer! Someone criminal like you with a screw loose can just get out, now-」
A super condensed fireball materialized on the fingertip of Yue-sama. Its radiance, its heat, it was truly just like a sun!
「Don't be hasty Yueee-! Calm down! This is you reaping what you sow!」
「……Kaori, don't worry. Not even ash will be left behind. The owner of the equipment shop just disappeared. He only left behind a farewell letter that mentioned the property of the shop is handed over to the sister.」
「That's murder! What's more it's robbery murder! Just where is this mind of obeying law you said before!?」
「……The sister with screw loose, doesn't understa~~~nd.」
「A child!? Are you a child!? Geez-, it doesn't matter so just toss away that fireball! Quickly toss it away!」
「……You wish to set fire here?」
「Aaah!? As I thought don't toss it away! Extinguish it quickly! Come on, quickly!」
In deference to Kaori who was persuading with a desperate look, Yue erased the sun on her fingertip.
It seemed that a situation that often appeared in game, where they earned the hate of the villagers too much and now they got hit with the demerit had been generated.
Not only the destruction of the church, the destruction of the shoe store and the private houses surely also added to their crime. When they tried looking at the individual information screen, at Yue's special mention part, the "has criminal record" had changed into "wanted criminal (Destroyer Yue-pon)".
Kaori thought that if they were denied to use the shop by the game's system, then it couldn't be helped anymore, they should give up, and so she pulled at Yue's clothes to get out of the shop, but Yue didn't move and stood firmly in place.
「……Kaori. It's too fast to give up.」
「Eh, but, this is the game's system isn't it? There is nothing more that we can…..」
「……You're wrong. Just like I said before, this game's characteristic is that you can overturn the difference in strength depending on your method. It's too fast to conclude that it's impossible because it's the system. I'll proof it to you. Watch.」
「Geez, I have nothing but bad premonition here.」
Ahead of Kaori's disheartened gaze, Yue talked toward the shop owner. It seemed she was planning to find a path by negotiating……
「No matter what you are going to say, there is nothing that I will sell to――」
「……I beg you. Please choose, will your shop be burned, or will you hand over your goods quietly.」
It wasn't a negotiation, but a threat. With a gesture that was like a sister, both her hands clasped in front of her chest, and an expression like a pious lamb praying wholeheartedly to the god, she spoke something that would make even gang members to have cold sweat.
「……I have faith, that you will surely understand our plight! That our heart can communicate with each other if we just talk it out! Now, let's not be stubborn and be obedient.」
'He is not being stubborn but making the justified reaction though……'. That was what Kaori-san thought but she didn't butt in.
「……The god hath spoken. Child, choose equipment for the sister in front of your eyes within the range of 2,000 yen, he said. Rather, give her a discount, a lot of it! He said. If you do that, then your sin too shall be forgiven.」
Who would believe a god haggling? Or rather, the shop owner-san didn't commit any sin. Rather, the sinner here was Yue. Kaori-san just barely endured from saying those retorts.
The sun-like flame materialized once more in front of Yue.
「……Owner-san. I really don't want to see you receiving the judgment of god. I beg you, please obediently sell to us a gre~~~atly discounted merchandises!」
That wasn't god's judgment, but a punishment from Yue personally wasn't it? What's more it was exceedingly malicious. No matter how and where one looked at it, this person was really a splendid sister with a screw loose. Kaori couldn't endure and those straight-man retorts leaked out from her mouth. Yue-sama ignored it like nothing.
The shop owner's state was strange. His gaze was turning round and round, and his head was moving up and down. Perhaps his program was bustlingly performing data processing because he encountered this unexpected situation.
Inside the shop that was wrapped in silence except the roar of the blazing flame, the shop owner's gaze finally settled down.
「Welcome to the equipment shop of "AAAAAAA" village! Today we are in a middle of a special promotion sale!」
It seemed the sister-san's sincere prayer reached the shop owner and the system.
「……nn. Kaori, which item do you want?」
「If possible, a cheap one that can suppress my guilt even just for a little I think.」
Seeing Yue who turned toward her with a triumphant look, Kaori resolved that when they returned to reality she would train her once more about the meaning of obeying the law.
In the end, they couldn't buy anything in the equipment shop except for a single "Iron Long Sword". In the first place, the starting price for equipment was around several tens of thousands yen, a few thousand yen could only buy things like wooden sword or stone sword. By the time "Iron Long Sword" that had a price of 70,000 yen reduced to 1,500 yen, it could be easily guessed just what had happened between the shop owner and Yue, must be.
With feeling of guilt gouging out inside the chest grindingly, after that the same thing was also done in the general store and several potions for Yue's magic power recovery were bought, and the two then headed toward the village's entrance.
But, not even ten seconds after they exited the shop……*kon-*, a light impact assaulted Kaori's shoulder. When Kaori turned her gaze in wonder of what happened, she saw among the villagers who were staring at them from a distance that had increased relatively much, there were two children sticking out a bit from the crowd preparing to throw small rock.
Kaori's expression convulsed greatly.
「These criminals! Get out from the village!」
「Get out! Get out!」
The pure anger from the pure children smashed the pure (?) heart of Kaori-san. Kaori screamed「Hauh」and she pressed on her chest while falling on all fours!
Furthermore, the children of the village were gathering bustlingly and they were throwing rocks while hurling abuse with their lisping speech. And then perhaps that became the trigger, even the adults started to join in. They were yelling things like「Get out you sister with a screw loose!」or「I have thought from long ago that the village chief's regrettable daughter will someday become criminal!」while a chorus of「Get out from the village!」was arising.
「……They are looking for war. Very well, I'll accept the challenge. I am Yue. A woman who will buy the fight sold to me until they run out of stock!」(TN: In Japan, selling a fight is how they said picking a fight)
「Stoopp! Just be obedient already, Yueee! If the village is obliterated with this, then I have the confidence I'll be annihilated along with my soul from guilt!」
Seeing the sister-san with a screw loose lifting the corner of her lips like a demon king with the tips of her spread out hands materializing flame, Kaori pleaded at her to not act rashly while holding her down by pinioning her from behind.
No matter how one thought about it, this was the just dessert of the overbearing Yue. The hate that had been piling up and up had reached the critical point, they weren't just ostracized anymore, a campaign to exile them from the village had started.
Yue who even in this situation was far from reflecting, she even announced her intention really naturally to counter attack was truly the wife of the demon king. She was the avatar of being overbearing and unreasonable.
Regret? Restrain? Never heard about that! Come at me from anywhere you li~~ke!
Kaori caught the scruff of the neck of Yue who was getting spirited like that and without pause she ran toward the exit of the village while apologizing「I'm sorry! I'm really sorry for our Yue!」with one hand deflecting all the rocks flying at them using the long sword that she had unsheathed.
Seen from the side, the picture of the villager girl running around while swinging around a long sword with one hand, and the other hand dragging away a sister who was smiling fearlessly――it was truly the very picture of a village chief's regrettable daughter.
When the two got out of the village, the villagers' yell suddenly stopped completely. It seemed the commotion calmed down if they went out of the village. Kaori who was filled with trepidation that perhaps they would be kept getting chased even outside the village let out a sigh of relief and she sat down on the spot.
「……Kaori, are you okay?」
「My guilt is not okay at all, Yue you idiot.」
For Kaori who didn't have experience of being the target of the whole village's hostility and anger, it seemed she received substantial amount of mental damage. Her atmosphere felt somehow like she was sobbing.
「Geez, how can you be that calm? Even if this is a world of game, but I believe that normally anyone will get shocked if they got rock thrown at them by children that small……I never even dreamed that you would actually try to counter attack.」
Kaori turned an expression that looked like she was speechless, like she was blaming her, like she was in admiration at that mental of steel or rather that shameless mental, and like she was in exasperation toward Yue. Yue's expression suddenly turned gentle and she answered.
「……Because I had experienced it already.」
「? Experience? ……aa」
For a moment Kaori didn't understand what Yue was talking about, but she guessed it after thinking for a bit. And then, her expression turned very much like「Oh no!」and she attempted to change the topic in panic but……the time was already late.
「……Compared to getting beaten up to near death by my trusted vassals and my uncle who was like father, having rock thrown at me by children who I don't know, what's more by something that's nothing more than a program is really nothing at all.」
「Tha, that, Yue? It's, I'm sorry.」
「…..What are you apologizing for, Kaori? I just want to say that compared to the experience of getting ganged up by people who were like family, this is only trivial. Fufu, that time really hurt. Inside that storm of magic until my automatic regeneration ran out. Fufufuh, my heart hurt that timee~~」
「Sorry Yue! I asked you something stupid! That's why return backkk!」
Seeing and hearing the empty laugh of Yue who was staring at the faraway past with eyes that looked like dead fish, Kaori embraced her with teary eyes while apologizing. She should have become unbound by the past after knowing the true motive of her uncle Denreed, but no matter the fact it still didn't change that it was an event that was hard to forget.
Yue gently patted Kaori who was clinging on her with teary eyes while she turned at her and spoke with eyes that had recovered their light.
「……I'm fine. I who had met Hajime, traveled, knew the truth about Oji-sama, and opened my eyes to the truth, has no more blind spot now.」
「Tru, truth?」
Yue nodded shortly and she puffed up her chest with an extremely triumphant look while replying full of confidence.
「Setting aside the reason, just slaughter everyone for the time being. If there is something that bothers you, then resurrect them again at opportune time.」
「……Everyone all liberators. Everyone's magic is completed by perhaps the person who must not have it the most. I'm sorry.」
This is the first wife of the demon king! In front of her, life was just too light. No, surely, she was a bit more prudent in the real world, should be, Kaori was half praying while she lowered her head toward the protectors of the other world.
Kaori was crestfallen thinking that her strength had suddenly faded off even before departing to their journey, but right after that, they were visited by a situation that made them lost such composure.
*flap-*, such sound of flapping wings resounded once, twice……it resounded inside the two's ears one after another.
When the two went 'hah' and they lifted up their face, over there were multiple beings descending down from the sky.
The beings were flapping beautiful white wings on their back, they were clad in impressive dress armor that looked beautiful, while their hand was each holding spear or sword or weapon that looked famous. The forms of the women who were emitting abnormal pressure were beautiful in contrast with that threatening atmosphere. Their beautiful look that ought to be said as god's creation was completed with dreamy silver hair that looked flowing.
Kaori couldn't even say anything. The existence and strength of these women were obviously boss class where in a game they would come out at the middle stage, no, at the latter stage.
'Aah, I see, this is an event!' Right after Kaori almost convinced herself like that, a ruthless voice of heaven descended.
――Wild Valkyries appeared!!
The women who were greatly popular even among the Norse myth carelessly appeared as though they were goblin level enemy, *jakin-* their weapons were readied with such sound. They were brimming with hostility. They were fully motivated.
Kaori briefly said.
「This kind of world, is just mistakeenn……」
Kaori doubted her beloved person's sanity just for a bit.
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.
Things like the setting, the information screen, or the content, currently it is still a prototype and on top of that its behaving baggily, that's the setting so please forgive the vagueness.
I plan to someday make it into the stage of a long After arc, so at that time I'll think up the detailed content.
PS
The comic version of Arifureta is updated in the homepage of Overlap-sama.
As always the illustration has impact, Yue is also cute.
Please try to have a look if you like.