Arifureta After III Tortus Travel Journal ⑤
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After finishing the luncheon meeting with the queen, Hajime’s group that was joined by Liliana who was acting as guide set out to the new capital that was in the middle of reconstruction.
The sound of craftsmen exercising their skill was resounding from everywhere. Furthermore magic power lights of various colors were surging from the surrounding.
It seemed the magic used was mainly transmutation magic, but body strengthening magic and wind element magic to assist with material transport were also being used. The fantastical scene that couldn’t be found at earth caused the eyes of Sumire and others to shine.
Especially someone like Tomoichi who was a first class architect, as expected the stimulation to him was strong due to the nature of his occupation. When other noticed he was already getting drawn toward the dazzling sight ahead of his gaze with unsteady steps.
His figure was like a lost child wandering around following his curiosity. Kaori smiled wryly while grasping Tomoichi’s hand firmly.
「Looks like the recognition obstruction is working properly……」
「……Nn. No problem.」
In respond to Hajime’s words, Yue coolly pushed up her red framed glasses while nodding.
If the demon king’s group was walking at the capital, obviously the people would instantly mob them. Because of that, right now everyone was wearing Hajime’s quality product, the recognition obstruction artifact.
「So, Hajime-san. Where are we going?」
Liliana imitated Yue with coolly pushing her glasses while asking. Perhaps because she was the princess who was making work as her priority, that gesture looked excessively appropriate on her. If she was also wearing earth’s ladies suit, she would look like a female director that seemed really capable. She would be the director princess.
「We haven’t really decided. I was only thinking of getting them experiencing the fantasy world for now……. It also depends on how much the reconstruction has progressed.」
「I guess that’s understandable. Everyone, do you have any request――」
「I want to go to the adventurer guild!」
「I want to go to the adventurer guild though!」
The two people who were splendidly raising their hand swiftly in harmony were as expected, the Nagumo couple. They had bright smile on their face.
「Adventurer guild……if my memory isn’t mistaken, it is the organization of people who make fighting in this world as their occupation huh.」
「Hmm, that’s certainly interesting.」
「I wish to see what kind of weapons they are using there.」
‘Eh? Suddenly the guild? There are other places we can go sightseeing to you know?’ Liliana almost said that, but before she could, the members of Yaegashi family displayed strong approval. With fierce smile on their face.
「I’m sorry Lily. Can I ask you to take us to the adventurer guild first? If we postpone it, Ojii-chan and others might assault that place on their own instead.」
「I agree with Shizuku. It looks like Tou-san and others were talking with each other last night, that it’s the custom for earthling that arrive in other world to go to the adventurer guild first. They might rush there on their own if we ignore them.」
The eyes of Shizuku and Hajime looked distant. They were thoroughly familiar with their parents’ behavior……. Their ability to take action sometimes could slip through even the awareness of the demon king and the swordswoman who would sometimes argue in the other world.
「I, I understand. The requests that are coming to the adventurer guild is in rapid increase because of the ongoing reconstruction, so we had prioritized its reorganization. I believe that everyone will be able to see it in a state that is no different from before.」
‘Yahoo!’ The intimate spouses Sumire and Shuu high-fived with each other. And then there was also the intimate (?) spouses of Koichi and Kirino who were making dangerous statements like 「I’m itching to have a go」「I’ll have them show us the degree of their strength」 for some reason. Their daughter was sending them a fixed gaze hearing that.
And so, Hajime and co went to the adventurer guild that was newly set up slightly to the eastern side from the center of the capital.
Previously the guild’s building made from wood with solemnity that gave the impression of its long history, but the new guild headquarter now was a building with a lot of metals used in its construction, giving it a solemnity in a different sense from before. Perhaps because the building’s solidness had increased, its height had increased by three times, from the previous two floors into six floors right now.
There was a large double-leaf door at the front entrance, but surprisingly there was a very thick iron bars above that door. From its construction, it seemed that it was something like a shutter that could be dropped down or lifted up.
「It has really changed huh……」
「Yes. It was the idea of the headquarters’ guild master. He said that previously we were overestimating the capital’s great barrier. He intended for the guild to serve the role of a fortress when push comes to shove.」
Hajime and others were listening to that explanation while getting hurried on by Sumire and others who looked like they were going to charge in anytime.
Due to the requests regarding the reconstruction or being the guard of the people who were coming and going because of the progressing cooperation with other countries, it seemed that it was the truth that works were rapidly increasing here. The enlarged request board was fully covered with request forms.
Adventurers with various appearances were tearing off those request forms one after another. The guild staffs were putting up new request forms continuously.
The place was extremely busy……it was clear that the guild was filled with energy.
Sumire and Shuu cheered ‘waaaaaah’ and rushed toward the request board. It looked like they were somewhat regressing to become kids after seeing the basic staple of the fantasy in other world that they yearned for. They were completely like kids getting highly spirited in an amusement park.
The two were hopping up and down behind the many tough looking adventurers gathering in front of the board while staring at said board. Tomoichi was getting concerned with the attention from the surrounding while raising his voice toward the two.
「O, oi Nagumo Shuu! You’re too high spirited! It’s embarrassing so restrain yourself!」
「Tomoichi-kun! There is a request for construction work see! In order to produce a novel architectural style that is worthy for the new capital, they are recruiting people who are knowledgeable about the architectural style of foreign country!」
「Secure that request!」
Tomoichi-san raised a cheer ‘waaaaah’ and rushed toward Shuu. Kaori’s hand was shaken off and she raised her voice 「Ah!」.
Kaoruko put her hands on her cheeks seeing her husband’s childish act and her face blushed.
「Tha, that person, really-. How embarrassi――」
「Kaoruko! There is a request about cooking here! Looks like it’s looking for assistant, but it’s written that if you want then the shop’s original recipe will be added as the reward too!」
「……」
Kaoruko-san wordlessly moved with soundless footsteps smoothly. The woman who was also a researcher in the level where she could open her own cooking class used Sumire’s shoulder as support while hopping up and down to confirm the request.
「E, even Okaa-san」
「Kaori. State of emptiness. Empty your heart and then count prime number in your head.」
The high spirit of the two groups of spouses that didn’t look like adventurer at all no matter how you looked at them bewildered the surrounding adventurers and caused them to look at the spouses with warm gaze. Kaori covered her face with both hands seeing that.
Hajime kindly patted the shoulder of such Kaori. He was showing a clear smile like somehow whose mind had opened to enlightenment.
Shizuku suddenly gasped and looked around. The Nagumo spouses and Shirasaki spouses were like that. There was no way her hopeless family would just stay still!
As she expected.
「Hou. You guys have the atmosphere of really “capable” people……your weapons are also really something.」
「You yourself have a sword that is quite high quality. If you don’t mind can you tell me the workshop where you got that?」
There, Koichi and an unfamiliar adventurer were showing to each other their kunai and long sword,
「You……you ain’t a normal person. It’s like your footsteps ain’t making sound at all.」
「Fuh. Just as I claimed, I have taken your back. Now teach me about that special short sword.」
And, there was also Shuuzou who was placing his ninja sword on the neck of a coldly sweating adventurer from behind,
「Fufu, this is just a side show, so please calm down, the two of you.」
「I, I get it! I get it already so untie this!」
「It’s digging into me! It’s digging into me I’m telling youuu!」
And, Kirino were with two adventurers that were tied with superfine string which forced them into the posture seiza……
‘WAAAAAAH’, Shizuku raised her voice angrily while dashing forward. She dealt a blow to her family that had too much freedom using her black katana (sheathed).
Just where in the world they were hiding weapons like ninja sword or kunai? She should have made them toss away those when departing from home, and yet……
「Ojii-chan, Otou-san, Okaa-san. Try jumping for a bit over there. Jump quickly, now! Come on, quick!」
「Oh my, Shizuku. It sounds like extortion you know?」
「Okaa-san, shut up!」
‘Come on, just jump already!’ Shizuku pressed with a fixed gaze. Everyone of Yaegashi family shrugged their shoulders and jumped up and down.
Instantly, flashes of slashes ran through the air. Shizuku’s exquisite skill that only cut what she wished to cut caressed the body of her grandpa and parents.
Immediately, *drop drop clang* the sound of things dropping――caltrop, throwing star, dozens of type of bundle filled with unknown powder, sickle and chain, blowgun set, retractable claw, camouflaged thin fabric, log――from many kinds of ninja tool.
「Log!? Where did you keep something like log on you!?」
「It’s just a bit of storage technique. We were thinking of teaching it to Shizuku too but, you know, that. You received treasure warehouse from Hajime-kun so we thought you must have no need for it.」
「That’s not the problem! Ojii-chan you idiot!」
Just where in the world they were storing that many hidden weapons and dangerous looking drugs and even a log inside their clothing that wasn’t really that loose?
The surrounding adventurers were taking steps back for about ten steps. 「These guys, they’re absolute bad news!」 was written on their face.
In contrast, there was a single man who was getting excited.
「I, is that for substitution technique!? Is that log for that!? Shuuzou-san! Please show me the substitution technique in the flesh at least once!」
「Hajime!?」
Shizuku was taken aback. Hajime’s eyes that seemed to have opened to enlightenment now were sparkling with curiosity and romance. And then, Myuu beside him was also……
「Myuu too! Myuu also want to see substitution technique nano! Or rather, Myuu want to do it nano! Shuuzou-ojiichan! Please teach it to Myuu too!」
「No way, Myuu-chan!? These similar father daughter!」
Hajime and Myuu were going to rush toward Shuuzou while going ‘waaaaaah’, but Shizuku put herself on the line to not let them pass. Shuuzou-san, he didn’t look that dissatisfied to be asked so by the two.
‘These guys, they are already hopeless!’ With expression that seemed like that, Shizuku sent a gaze that was asking for help.
「Right right, Hajime-san. Let’s calm down.」
「My my, Myuu. Let’s try asking again at night okay?」
Hajime, Shia put him in choke sleeper while dragging him back.
Myuu, she was carried up in Remia mama’s arm and got brought back.
Shuuzou-san, he got dejected because he couldn’t show his technique to the two while storing away the log.
As expected, it was unclear where and how he stored away the log.
Perhaps because they were making ruckus like that, someone called out to them.
「Oh myy! Isn’t this the demon king-sama! Long time no seee. What are you doing at this kind of place?」
「Eh?」
A voice that sounded familiar made Hajime to tap on the arm of Shia that was around his neck and he turned his gaze toward the voice……
「……?」
It made him blink.
Ahead of his gaze, there was a beautiful woman of blooming age that he didn’t recognize. Although she seemed to be of considerable age, her exceptional figure and her unique atmosphere that was bewitching even while giving the impression of liveliness and coolness made her a woman that was attracting much attention.
She was middle aged woman that looked really young for her age as though through magic. It was clear she was a staff of the guild from the uniform she was wearing.
She should be an acquaintance from how she was saying long time no see, but frankly speaking Hajime had no recollection of her.
「My bad, who are you?」
Hajime who was released from the choke sleeper tilted his head while asking. Just in case he also looked around to Yue and others, but they too were only tilting their head. As expected it seemed they also didn’t know this woman.
The bewitching middle-aged guild staff folded her arms and shook her head toward Hajime and co who were like that. The twin hills that rivaled even Tio’s got emphasized which spontaneously drawn in the gaze of the adventurers whose attention was caught because of the words “demon king”.
「What is this. Could it be you don’t remember me? How heartless. Who do you think took care of the adventurer registration of you all?」
「? It was the granny guild staff in Brook city whose appearance show the harshness of time progression though?」
「What, so you actually remember.」
「???」
Hajime was getting increasingly bewildered at the talk that didn’t mesh with each other, but Yue and Shia looked like they noticed something. Their eyes opened widely and then they asked with a trembling voice that seemed to say ‘that’s impossible’.
「……Co, could it be, you are Catherine?」
「Are you Catherine-san?」
「That’s right you know?」
‘What did you saaay――!?’ Hajime’s yell resounded. Sumire and others gathered toward them wondering what was going on.
「Ahahah, you children are talking strangely. Who else can I be other than Catherine.」
「Rather, you look like someone who cannot possibly be Catherine! Is this metamorphosis magic? Are you using metamorphosis magic!? You have completely metamorphed here!」

