Chapter 1 (Part 2)

Meanwhile, Kouki and Liliana's guards glared at Hajime, but he ignored

them.

In truth, Hajime had long since guessed Liliana's feelings for him. He'd

had to have been colossally dense not to figure it out after the dance. But he

had no desire to nurture those feelings, so instead of treating her with

halfhearted kindness he just cut her off at every turn. Whether that was

because he was loyal to Yue, or just because he was cold by nature was

anyone's guess.

He sighed wearily to himself and turned to Cam.

"Cam, it looks like the princess wants to keep talking with the elders, but

what about you guys? If you're not planning on staying, could you guide me

back to your village? Driving Fernir across half a continent with thousands of

people on board was exhausting. I want to rest for a bit."

"Hmm. Well you will be challenging the labyrinth starting tomorrow, so

rest certainly would be a good idea. We'll take you back, Boss."

Cam still had to take care of inaugurating all the new recruits and leading

the Haulia left in Verbergen, so he decided to have one of his men guide

Hajime and the others. But before he could snap his fingers and call his

subordinates from the shadows, he was stopped by Ulfric.

"Please wait, Nagumo-dono. We have yet to repay you for all you've

done for us. Would you mind staying here just a while longer?"

"Like I said, thank the Haulia, not me. They're the ones who did this."

"Naturally I intend to reward them as well. However, that doesn't change

the fact that we owe you a great debt. We wouldn't be able to live with

ourselves if we didn't at least do something."

"I mean if you want to believe you owe me, you're welcome to think

that, but... There really isn't anything I need right now."

"Mmm... Then at the very least, let us provide you lodging and food

while you're here... Would that be acceptable?"

Hajime shot a questioning glance back at Yue and the others. None of

them seemed to mind, and Shizuku and Suzu looked like they wanted to stay

and explore the beautiful capital filled with fluffy beastmen. All the other

elders seemed like they were fine with it as well. In fact, they showed none of the hostility that they had to Gahard, or any of the wariness they were

showing Liliana. When it came to Hajime, it seemed all of the elders loved

him. From the bottoms of their hearts, they seemed to sincerely want Hajime

to stay.

Looking at it objectively, Hajime had rescued countless beastmen, had

healed all of their injuries and even repaired their city. Furthermore, so long

as none of the beastmen opposed him, he wouldn't hurt any of them.

Compare to when he'd first met the elders, they had a lot more reasons to like

him. However, Hajime hadn't done any of this to earn their goodwill, so it

made the situation a little awkward. Still, he wasn't one to look a gift horse in

the mouth.

"If that's what you want, then I guess we can stick around," Hajime said

with a shrug.

Ulfric breathed sigh of relief, then turned to Cam.

"Now then, Cam. Though you were exiled from Verbergen, you saved

our capital, and then went on to defeat the empire and force them to return

our enslaved brethren. These are debts that must be repaid. To begin, I would

like you to know that the elders have unanimously agreed to rescind the

Haulia's exile. That was decided in the meeting following the demons'

attack. You and your clan are free to visit Verbergen as you please. If you so

desire, we would even be willing to create a residential quarter for your kin."

To think the elders would actually reverse their old decision, Hajime

thought with some surprise, I guess that's just how big Cam's achievements

were.

However, Cam's response was surprisingly lackluster. "I see," was all he

said flatly. He didn't seem particularly happy about no longer being exiled.

Ulfric cleared his throat awkwardly and went on to list the other rewards

Verbergen's elders had decided to bestow upon the Haulia.

"Furthermore, I would like to propose that the council open a new seat to

be filled by the current head of the Haulia, Cam Haulia, as a reward for his

meritorious service. Do the other elders agree?"

The other beastmen in the room looked at Ulfric in shock. For the past

few centuries, the number of elders and the clans from which those elders

were chosen had remained unchanged. The elves, tigermen, bearmen,

foxmen, dwarves, and harpies were the six most prominent beastmen races,

and the ones from which elders had traditionally been chosen. For the

rabbitmen to be included into the council of elders would be a historically unprecedented honor.

The other elders conferred with themselves for a few seconds, then

nodded to each other and unanimously confirmed Ulfric's proposition.

"Well, there you have it, Cam. Will you accept this seat on the council?"

"Absolutely not."

"...What?"

The elders' jaws dropped open. Considering the festive atmosphere,

they'd all been accepting Cam to agree. But he refused without a second

thought. It made no sense to the elders.

"May I ask why?"

Ulfric quickly recovered. He kept his voice level even as he wondered

why anyone would want to refuse the greatest honor a beastman could be

awarded.

"It's not really a question of why. In the first place, you guys seem to be

under a fundamental misconception about our position."

"And what would that be?"

"You probably think our goal was to save all the beastmen, but that was

just an unintended consequence of our true aim. The reason we attacked the

empire was to save our brethren, the other rabbitmen. In all honestly, I could

care less about all the other beastmen."

"What did you just say?"

The elders looked at Cam in disbelief.

"Don't get the wrong idea here. We Haulia aren't your allies. If you let

our victory get to your head and start thinking you might stand a chance

against the empire yourselves, our next targets will be you. We won't allow

you to act recklessly and cause us or our boss any trouble."

That wasn't a threat. It was a mere statement of fact. Cam's tone made it

clear he really would raze Verbergen if he felt it necessary. After all, if the

other beastmen did something to Gahard or his family, it would destroy

everything Cam and the Haulia had fought for. Without their contract with

the empire, all that awaited the rabbitmen was a dark future. And while

Cam's decision was a rational one, the blunt way in which he said it made it

difficult for Verbergen's elders to swallow.

"Y-You would turn your blades on your own people!? Are you insane!?"

"Hmph, you other beastmen persecuted us rabbitmen as much as the

empire did. Don't try and pretend like we're old friends. Well you can if you

want, but it won't change anything. Point is, we fight only for the sake of securing a better future for rabbitmen. You'd do well to remember that."

Cam resolutely stared down Ulfric and the others. At the same time, he

gave the Haulia behind him a thumbs-up over his shoulder, as if to say "I sure

told them!" His subordinates returned his thumbs-up and grinned in

satisfaction. They were all thinking the same thing. Don't think you can trick

us into joining your council and then use our strength however you please,

you damn cowards!

Part of the reason Ulfric had invited Cam was because he had wanted to

add the Haulia's strength to Verbergen, so he couldn't deny it.

Meanwhile, the people around Hajime all simultaneously turned to glare

at him. Cam's statement bore a striking resemblance to Hajime's ideology of

protecting what was important to him and ignoring everything else.

"You make it sound as if the rabbitmen are walking down a different path

than other beastmen."

"I'm glad you're so quick on the uptake, Ulfric. That's exactly it. From

now on, rabbitmen will only be following their own rules. We have no

interest in joining with Verbergen, and thus being subjected to the nation's

laws and regulations."

Short-tempered as always, Zel bristled at Cam's haughty remarks. He

didn't take kindly to Cam's dismissal of Verbergen and the elders. Cam

maintained a neutral expression, but the Haulia behind him responded to

Zel's physical posturing by attempting to intimidate him in kind. Ulfric,

who'd been thinking to himself this whole time, sighed wearily and gave

Cam a look similar to the one he'd given Hajime when they'd first met.

"In that case, Cam. How about we recognize the Haulia as a tribe equal in

status to the nation of Verbergen? Naturally, you will retain your right to

claim a position on the council if you so wish. This way, you won't be

obligated to follow Verbergen's customs, or any of the council's decrees. On

top of that, you'll still be able to influence our policies."

"Hoho... Now that doesn't sound to bad." Cam's grin made it clear that

he'd been hoping Ulfric would say that. In truth, he'd wanted an alliance with

Verbergen in order to prepare for the eventual, inevitable invasion from the

empire. However, had they joined Verbergen as just part of the council, they

would have been bound by the city's laws and unable to move as freely as

they wished. They could have of course ignored the council's decrees and

done as they pleased anyway, but that would just destroy their relationship

with Verbergen. That was why Cam had believed his best options were to either form an alliance on equal grounds, or remain a separate, neutral entity.

Naturally, Ulfric's proposal was met by complaints from the other elders.

They thought he was giving the Haulia far too preferential treatment. In

response, Ulfric just sighed and stated the fact to them.

"They defeated the empire on their own. Verbergen would never be able

to manage that even if we mustered every soldier we could. I'd say that's a

good enough reason to treat them as equals, wouldn't you? Besides, if we do

nothing we'll lose any connections to the Haulia that we might have had. I'm

sure you all aren't so foolish as to see how harmful that would be to us. If we

welcome them as allies, we'll be able to reforge the bond of trust that was lost

when we first exiled them. These concessions are a paltry price to pay,

considering what they've done for us."

The elders grit their teeth in frustration, but none of them could come up

with a valid argument against Ulfric's reasoning, or a better alternative. So in

the end, they swallowed their pride and agreed to Ulfric's proposal.

"There you have it, Cam. As the council agrees, we will henceforth

welcome you as an allied clan. I trust you have no objections?"

"Well whether you'd agreed to recognize our independence or not, we

would have done what we wanted regardless. Still, we're fine with that. Oh

yeah, we're claiming the land around the Grand Tree and the patch of forest

to its south as Haulia territory. So from now on, don't let anyone go there

without permission. We can't guarantee the safety of any trespassers."

Cam really didn't know when to quit. On top of everything else, he was

now claiming land for his new nation. Even Ulfric couldn't help but twitch a

little at that.

Next to Hajime, Shea buried her face in her hands. Her father's arrogance

was an embarrassment. Her rabbit ears folded over themselves in an attempt

to block out his words.

After a few more rounds of negotiations, Ulfric and Cam finally came to

a settlement they could agree on. Hajime left the exhausted elders to work out

the details of the alliance and went to see what his accommodations in

Verbergen were like.

As he left the conference hall, he found the citizens still reveling in the

streets. Finally free to explore the city as they wished, Kouki, Ryutarou,

Shizuku, and Suzu all eagerly ran off into the crowd. It was the first time

Hajime had seen them so cheerful in a while.

Hajime also thought he saw a group of crazed Kaori worshipers out of the corner of his eye, and he decided to give them a wide berth. Just in case,

Kaori put on a pair of sunglasses Hajime had made for her, along with a ski

mask and a knitted cap. For some reason, the unorthodox getup suited her

well.

A few hours after that, Liliana finished up her talks and decided to go

back to the kingdom. Recent events meant she had a lot of work waiting for

her back home. The kingdom would need a new direction if it was to survive.

Unfortunately for her, her return trip was as unceremonious as Gahard's.

Originally Hajime had just opened up a gate and waited for her to walk

through. However, she'd just stood nervously in front of it, fidgeting. She had

obviously wanted to say something to Hajime, as evidenced by the cheers

Helina and her guards sent her way. But he had no time for her crush, so

Hajime had just thrown her in before she could do anything.

As she'd vanished through the portal Liliana had screamed, "I don't care

if you don't treat me like a princess, but at least treat me like a girl!" At the

very least, it had sounded like she'd yelled that. Hajime preferred to believe

he'd just imagined it though.

That night, Verbergen's celebration had dragged on, and the sounds of

residents partying could still be heard despite the late hour. Meanwhile,

Hajime, Yue, Kaori, and Tio were relaxing in the room they'd been given.

It was just the four of them, as their lively rabbitman companion was

nowhere to be seen.

"Shea's late."

"Mmm... She said she was just going to visit her family, but..."

"Are the Haulia holding their own victory celebration?"

"Hrm. Well, I am certain there is no need to worry about Shea. Even if

something were to happen, she would no doubt blow it away with her

monstrous strength."

Hajime and the others nodded in wholehearted agreement. None of them

looked too worried to begin with. Hajime was nodding off in Yue's lap, and

was practically asleep already. In fact, he would have already been in

dreamland, but for some reason something kept nagging at him. Not even

Yue's lap pillow could calm him down.

Sensing his vague feelings of unease, Yue smiled and gently ran her

fingers through his hair. Kaori and Tio shot her jealous looks, but before they

could say anything, someone opened Hajime's window from outside.

"My apologies for intruding so late, Boss."

"What's up, Cam?"

Cam casually vaulted Hajime's window, which was a good ten meters off

the ground. He then dropped to one knee and continued.

"Boss, I know you need your rest, but would you be willing to

accompany me for a short while?"

"At this time of night?"

"Yes. Please."

Hajime scrutinized Cam. It was rare for the rabbitman to be so curt, or so

insistent. However he knew it wasn't an emergency, since Cam didn't seem

the least bit flustered.

"Did you run into some kind of trouble? Do you want our help too?"

"No, that's not quite it."

Cam smiled cryptically at Kaori. Realizing what this must be about, Yue

nodded to herself and turned to Kaori and Tio.

"Kaori, Tio. Do you want to give Hajime a lap pillow?"

Her question caught them off-guard. Why ask this now? That being said,

there could only be one answer.

"Really? You'll let us try too?"

"Hrm? Of course I wish to."

Seeing their hopeful responses, Yue grinned and spoke up in a mocking

tone.

"Just wanted to know."

"..." "..."

Veins bulged on Kaori's and Tio's foreheads. The sight of Yue

snickering at them irked them to no end. Then, as if to deliver the final blow,

Yue hugged Hajime's head in a lavish display of affection.

"Are you trying to pick a fight, Yue?"

"Fufufu, I consider myself a tolerant person, but even I have my limits."

"You wanna go?"

The two flared up at Yue's provocation, and they soon continued the

fight they had began that afternoon. Incidentally, that afternoon's battle had

ended in Yue and Shea's victory.

"If you can catch me, I'll let you sit next to Hajime for a day."

"Really!?" "Do you... truly mean that?"

Yue didn't want to destroy Verbergen with an all-out fight, so she

proposed a game of tag instead. One with a very enticing reward for the victor. Kaori and Tio both felt adrenaline start pumping into their system.

After making sure they were engrossed in the challenge, she transferred

Hajime's head to the pillow and stroked him one last time. She then hopped

gracefully over to the window and did a pirouette as she landed. Hajime was

still confused by this sudden development, but he realized what was going on

when Yue gave Cam a surreptitious wink. While Hajime didn't know what to

make of her "consideration," Cam clearly appreciated it. He bowed his head

in thanks.

"Mmm... Let the game begin." With that, she shot out of the window and

vanished into the starry night sky.

"Ngh, mark my words, I'll catch you this time!"

"Fufu, this is one challenge I have no intention of losing!"

Two spirited yells filled the room as Kaori summoned her glittering

silver wings and Tio sprouted dragon wings from her back. The two of them

leaped after Yue, but then simultaneously turned back. Kaori looked a little

reluctant, while Tio winked casually at Hajime. Then, the two of them threw

themselves into the case.

"Everyone sure likes Shea, huh?"

"As her father, I'm proud she's so cherished."

Hajime and Cam smiled at each other. Then Hajime followed Cam out of

Verbergen and into the sea of trees... toward the old Haulia village.

A lone girl stared up at a large, gnarled tree. Its roots were so thick that

they were bulging out of the ground. She neither moved nor spoke; just

silently looked up at the tree. Her usual cheerful demeanor was nowhere to be

seen.

From the side, her face had a mystical beauty to it, and the effect was

heightened by her pale blue hair fluttering in the breeze. Anyone who saw her

at this moment would undoubtedly be smitten.

That girl, Shea, felt someone approaching, but she didn't turn around.

The newcomer seemed reluctant to break the silence, and he walked up to her

as quietly as possible.

"Hajime-san."

"Yo."

Shea casually called out to Hajime, so she'd obviously been expecting

him.

He continued walking until he was shoulder to shoulder with her. And for

a few minutes, the two of them just looked up at the tree in companionable silence. Finally, Shea opened her mouth.

"Did Dad bring you here?"

"Yeah. He already left though."

"Fufufu, he's more perceptive than he looks."

As one might have guessed, Cam's business with Hajime had been to

bring him to Shea. Alone, if possible. Yue had guessed as much, hence why

she'd challenged Kaori and Tio to that contest. It was the best way to get

everyone else out of the way.

Of course, Kaori and Tio had figured it out right before they'd left too.

However, they'd been willing to permit Shea some time alone with Hajime.

"Is this where your mom's buried?"

"Yes. Under the roots of this tree."

It was customary in Verbergen to bury the dead under the roots of trees.

Supposedly that way they could once again become one with nature. Having

fulfilled their purpose in life, beastmen were returned to the forest in death,

so that they could create new life and ensure the continued prosperity of the

woods. All beastmen respected the circle of life and death. The tree in front

of Shea had a small gravestone marking the location she was buried.

"I wanted to be a hero."

"Hm?" Hajime tilted his head quizzically.

However, Shea kept her gaze on the tree and continued.

"I wanted to be able to protect my family. I was tired of running and

hiding all the time. If I became a hero, I could fight back anytime someone

tried to take away the people special to me. I could protect everyone."

"..."

"That was something Mom told me when I was young. No matter what

happened to her, she always had the same determined passion."

Even though she'd been a member of the weakest race, and ill to boot,

Shea's mom, Mona Haulia, had possessed an unshakeable will. It was why

Shea had respected her so much.

"That explains how you ended up the way you did."

"Ehehe!" Overjoyed, Shea finally turned to look at Hajime, who was

staring respectfully at the tombstone.

Mona had wished for her daughter to grow up strong. And she had, in

both body and mind. Shea hadn't inherited just a powerful body, she had also

inherited her mother's unbreakable spirit. Even Hajime had to admit her

determination was unbelievable.

Shea smiled bashfully and blushed. Then, she turned back to the massive

tree and spoke.

"Mom, you were right. The world's a harsh place, but sometimes it can

be really nice to you. I finally found the person you said I would. I'll

introduce you to him. His name is Hajime Nagumo... and I love him very

much."

Mona had once told Shea that there were definitely people out there in

the world who could understand her. And that when she met one of them, it

would change her life. Even though Mona couldn't see the future, her

prediction had been one hundred percent accurate.

I guess I still have nothing on you, Mom. I wonder if I'll ever manage to

become as awesome as you? It would definitely take a lot of effort to get

there. There was at least one thing she'd already achieved though.

"Oh yeah, Mom. Me, Dad, and all the other Haulia became heroes!" Shea

wondered what kind of reaction her mom would have to that if she'd still

been alive. Would she have smiled proudly at them, or scolded them for

being so reckless?

She closed her eyes, losing herself in thoughts of her mom.

After a few seconds, Hajime spoke up.

"I'm grateful."

"Huh? Hajime-san?" Shea opened her eyes and turned back to Hajime.

He was still looking up at the tree, and Shea realized he was talking to her

mom, not to her.

"When Yue and I crawled out of the abyss, we were ready to take on the

world with just the two of us. Even if it meant we'd be alone forever, we

were still determined to overcome everything fate might throw at us... But

you know, if we'd kept going like that, life probably wouldn't be as fun as it

is now. The one who brought color to our dull journey, our empty hearts and

our boring lifestyle was without a doubt, your daughter."

"Hajime-san..."

Shea choked up. However, Hajime simply smiled softly and kept going.

"Thank you for bringing Shea into this world."

Shea looked up at the sky. It was the only way she could keep the tears in

her eyes from spilling out.

The two of them stood there in companionable silence, looking up at the

great tree. Even the bewildering fog that normally confused interlopers

seemed to be gently wrapping itself around them.

After a few minutes, Shea finally responded.

"Umm, Hajime-san?"

"Mmm?"

"Thank you. I don't really know else to say it, but... really, thank you so

much."

There was so much she had to thank him for. For saving her family, for

taking her along on his journey, for fighting an entire country for her sake.

For entrusting his back to her, and bringing her along to even the most

dangerous of trials. For trusting her so much. And finally, for spending time

with her together in front of her mother's grave.

Embarrassed by Shea's sincere gratitude, Hajime averted his gaze. It was

unusual for anything to get to him.

"Yeah, you better be thankful. I'm still counting on you to help me with

the remaining labyrinths."

"Fufu. Can't you just say 'you're welcome' like a normal person?" Shea

snickered. However, her expression then grew serious and she posed a

question.

"What will it take to repay you, Hajime-san?"

"You already thanked me, didn't you?"

"But those were just words. I want to do something meaningful for you.

What can I do to make you happy? If it's for you, I'll do anything. I mean

it..."

Her bunny ears twitched back and forth as she sidled up to Hajime. Her

burning, passionate gaze made it clear what she was hoping to do. Hajime

wasn't so dense that he didn't pick up on that, but his only response was to

smile wanly and respond coyly.

"Just keep smiling like you always have, you airhead. It's thanks to you

that we're always having so much fun."

"Jeez, why'd you have to add that airhead bit!? Besides, didn't you hug

me and say you cared about me in front of the emperor? This is where you're

supposed to jump on me and say 'Alright then, you can thank me with your

body, Guhehe!' Can't you read the mood even a little!?"

"I think we need to have a talk about what exactly your mental image of

me is."

"An earnest, spineless wimp."

"Can't we just cut it off at the earnest bit?" Shea puffed her cheeks out

into a pout. She then hung her head, and her rabbit ears drooped over her face.

"Joking aside, I really do want to thank you. You've helped me so much,

but I haven't done anything back for you. Both you and Yue-san keep saying

it's fine as long as I keep smiling, but I just do that naturally because being

with you guys makes me happy. That's not really thanking you at all."

"I said it before didn't I, you've already done more than enough."

"Mrrr, that's not good enough. I want to do something tangible for you

both. But no matter how hard I think, I can't come up with anything. And

since you said you don't want my body... even though you said you cared

about me..."

"Come on, stop sulking about that already..." Hajime scratched his cheek

awkwardly. He understood Shea's feelings, but he really did feel like she'd

done more than enough for him already. She'd stubbornly stuck with the two

of them, even when the journey got so harsh she was reduced to tears. And it

was thanks to that Hajime and Yue hadn't been alone. If anything, he was the

one who owed her. Still, he knew telling her that wouldn't change her mind.

"This would be so much easier if you just fell for me, Hajime-san. I'd

service you every night... Haaah, oh well. I guess I'll just have to work even

harder to pay you back during our journey."

"Yeah, I guess."

Shea shrugged her shoulders, and Hajime smiled awkwardly. She looked

up at the sky again and saw a glimmer through the fog.

By sheer coincidence, the fog had grown thin in the area above them, and

the light of the moon reflecting off the water drops in the air had become

visible.

"Hajime-san, Hajime-san. Can you come with me for a second?"

"Hm? Sure."

Ears flapping wildly, Shea started leaping her way up the large tree.

Hajime lithely followed after her, using the tree's hollows and branches as

hand and footholds.

They kept going until they broke through the foliage at the top of the tree.

Normally the top of a tree had only thin branches, but here a number of them

had twined together to create a cavity sturdy enough to seat people.

"The reason we buried Mom here was because this was her favorite

spot."

"I see, so this was like her secret base."

The two of them picked their way over to the natural sofa and sat down next to each other.

"Look up there, Hajime-san. You can see it pretty well tonight!"

"Hm? Whoa... This is... amazing."

The fog above them had thinned out considerably. They could see the sea

of clouds that lay beyond the mist. The fog was dense around where Hajime

and Shea were sitting, but it thinned out sharply above that. What little

remained reflected moonlight from all different angles, making it appear as if

the veil of fog was shimmering. Seemed almost like someone had thrown a

million jewels into a pure white sea.

"You barely ever get to see it this well. But this view used to be Mom's

favorite. We're pretty lucky the fog was thin today."

"Don't give me that cliched crap." Hajime was certain of it. Somewhere

up from heaven, Shea's mom had performed this miracle for her. It was her

reward to her daughter for hanging in there so long. Hajime explained as

much to Shea, and her bunny ears flapped back and forth in a mixture of

embarrassment and joy.

For a long time, they just sat there and stared at the sparkling mist. Then

suddenly, Hajime turned to Shea. Her hair was shining as brightly as the sky

above. The pale blue strands fluttered in the wind and caught the moonlight

perfectly. As he stared at her profile, Hajime idly thought back to when he'd

hugged Shea and Yue in front of Gahard earlier. In truth, he'd done it almost

unconsciously. But before he'd realized it, they were both in his arms.

He could still say with absolute confidence that Yue was the only one he

thought of as "special." But the reason he'd hugged Shea as well was most

likely because— Hajime cut off his own train of thought and smiled forlornly

to himself. He finally realized how selfish he was being.

Though he kept telling himself no one could be as important to him as

Yue, he still wanted Shea all to himself. He had no idea when it had

happened, but he knew now that he cared a lot more about Shea than he

thought. Enough that he'd unconsciously hugged her alongside Yue.

While no one would ever matter more to him than Yue, he could no

longer deny what he felt for Shea. And now that he'd admitted it to himself,

he couldn't pretend he didn't have these feelings. In which case, shouldn't he

at the very least treat her the way she wanted? After all, she'd worked so hard

to stick with them, even when she'd barely had any strength at all.

"U-Umm, Hajime-san? Is something wrong? You've been staring at me

so long it's getting kind of embarrassing..."

As Hajime returned to his senses he realized Shea was blushing and

fidgeting awkwardly. Her bunny ears were drooping too, though they

occasionally perked up in Hajime's direction every few seconds.

Hajime smiled and stretched out his hand. He reached over to Shea's ears

and patted them gently.

"H-Hajime-san?"

"Hey, Shea. Can you do something for me?"

"You're... asking me for a favor? Of course! I'll do anything!"

Surprised, Shea still eagerly jumped at the opportunity to pay Hajime

back.

"Uh, it's nothing that grand. I just want to lay down for a bit. Is it cool if

I sleep on your lap?"

"You don't even have to ask. Here, you can use it whenever you want."

"Thanks."

Shea looked a little disappointed for a second, but then smiled and patted

her thigh, inviting Hajime to lay down. Hajime smiled again and rested his

head on her legs.

Since Shea was in a mini-skirt, as usual, his head was touching her bare

thighs. Their warmth and softness enveloped the back of his head. A sweet

scent, similar to the one Yue had, wafted across his nostrils.

"Fufu, I know Yue-san does this all the time, but I feel kind of bad for

Kaori-san and Tio-san."

"It's just a lap pillow, you don't have to feel guilty about it or anything."

"Jeez, you can't say stuff like that. Those two are working so hard to get

you to fall for them, Hajime-san. A lap pillow, or even spending time alone

together like this is really important to them. Really, why don't you just give

up and fall in love with them already?"

"I don't suppose I could convince any of you to give up yourselves?"

"Nope~"

"Figures."

Shea gently brushed Hajime's hair. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the

sensation of her fingers on his scalp. At the same time, he ran his fingers

through Shea's hair, as if to return the favor.

The moon shone bright overhead. Despite her happy-go-lucky attitude,

the mysterious light of the moon suited her oddly well. The stronger its light,

the brighter her hair and smiled shined. Anyone who saw her now would

have fallen in love at first sight. The two of them snuggled closer, enveloped in a wreath of fog illuminated by the gentle light of the moon.

Had anyone seen them, they would have likely clutched their heart and

gone HNNNNNNGH. That was just how cute they looked. In fact, right now

the two of them were surrounded by an atmosphere similar to the one Hajime

and Yue created when they were together.

Sadly, Shea herself didn't realize that she'd finally achieved what she'd

always watched jealously before. After all, she was still a worthless rabbit in

the end. Regardless of whether or not she realized it though, the atmosphere

was there. The two of them sat there like that until the thick fog rolled back

in, and blotted out the sky of artificial stars.

Let us turn back time to a short while before Hajime threw Liliana back

to Heiligh via his portal. Back when it was still evening, a good hour or so

before dinner.

A single girl walked across the palace courtyard, toward the mess hall.

She had chestnut-colored hair, slit-like eyes, and a brace of daggers hanging

from her coat— Yuka Sonobe. After Eri's unexpected betrayal, the death of

one of her classmates, and Kouki's departure, many of her classmates had

almost given into despair. It was only thanks to her stellar leadership that

they were still holding on.

Yuka didn't really see herself as a leader, but now that Kouki was gone,

she had filled in the void he had left naturally. Not only was she the one all

the students went to when they needed help, she was also assisting Heiligh's

soldiers in rebuilding the city, and resolving any disputes that cropped up.

She was also helping shore up public safety, and many of the students looked

up to her as a role model. It wasn't just the students either. The new pope, the

queen, and even the prime minister came to Yuka for advice. On top of that,

she served as the head of the pope's guard whenever he needed to leave the

palace.

"Haaah, I'm hungry..." Yuka had spent the past few days running around

the palace and was starting to get exhausted. Her stomach growled loudly,

complaining about the inadequate nutrients it had been receiving recently. No

one heard that, did they? Yuka blushed and glanced around her. To her

chagrin, there was someone nearby.

"Ahaha... Are you going to get dinner, Sonobe-san?"

"Ugh, you heard that didn't you, Ai-chan-sensei?"

Aiko walked out of one of the nearby buildings and into the courtyard.

Though Yuka looked embarrassed, Aiko just smiled gently. In truth, Aiko

was on her way to get dinner as well. The two of them walked side by side

and chatted about recent events.

"You look pretty worn-out, Sonobe-san. Are you sure you're not pushing

yourself too hard?"

"I'll be fine. I just never thought kids could be so demanding."

"What happened?"

According to Yuka, all the children that had been orphaned in the recent

demon invasion were being taken care of by the church, and the new pope

had asked for her help in comforting them. Of course, Yuka had had

absolutely no idea what to say to kids who'd lost their parents or relatives. She was barely 17 years old herself. However, despite her protests, the new

pope had dragged her into the capital's church and gathered all the kids. Once

he had their attention he'd said, "Alright everyone, I brought the super-pretty

super-strong Apostle of God here for you!" It had been quite an ordeal.

The speech Hajime had drafted and Liliana had delivered had hidden the

truth from the citizens, and so most of them still believed that Yuka and the

others were Apostles of God. And so, all the children had looked up to Yuka

with reverence.

"S-So what did you say to them in the end?" Aiko asked, trembling

slightly as she imagined the pressure Yuka must have been under.

Unfortunately, Yuka looked off into the distance and replied dimly.

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Yep, nothing. I couldn't think of anything to say. 'Cheer up?' 'Your

dead parents are watching down on you from heaven together with Ehit?'"

Now that she knew the truth, those words sounded too hollow to Yuka's

ears. She couldn't bring herself to say that to the kids. And so—

"I juggled instead."

"You... juggled? As in threw balls in the air and caught them?"

"Well technically it was ten of my knives, but yes."

"That sounds terrifying! What prompted you to do something like that!?"

Yuka tore at her hair and looked tearfully up at Aiko.

"I had no choice! I couldn't think of anything to say, and they were all

looking at me like I was their last hope! So then I totally lost it, and before I

knew it I was juggling!"

"Oh my!" Aiko exclaimed, and shivered a little, thinking about how that

must have felt.

"What did the kids think?"

"They totally loved it!" Yuka got so swept up in the excitement that she

started adding more and more knives. Once she'd exhausted the 20 she

carried on her, she'd added the nearby cutlery shop owner had suddenly

started throwing in knives of his own, and by the end of it she'd been

juggling a full 100 knives at the same time.

It had been quite a spectacle, seeing her throw knives several meters into

the air, and catch each one with unbelievable dexterity and grace. She'd gone

so fast that she'd looked like a knife-spewing fountain. Thanks to that, the

kids had forgotten their sorrow for a while and watched with rapt attention. Her job wasn't Acrobat for nothing.

Yuka's impromptu performance had attracted kids from all around the

neighborhood, and she'd had a huge crowd watching before long. However

she couldn't find a way to bring the show to a close, and she kept on being

badgered by the kids to keep going.

"That sounds like... quite the ordeal. My condolences, Sonobe-san."

"Thanks..."

Aiko smiled sympathetically at Yuka, who was hanging her head in

exhaustion and decided to change the topic.

"Simon-san sure is a troublesome person to deal with, isn't he?"

"Yeah, I'm a little worried that our new pope is such a proactive old

man."

The new pope that Yuka was referring to was none other than Simon

Levellair. He had originally been a bishop in the central church before he'd

been banished for speaking out against beastman discrimination. Then, at

Liliana's request, he had returned. He was an odd man, one who liked to play

pranks and run away from responsibility whenever the opportunity presented

itself. More often than not, his granddaughter Sibyl was forced to chase after

him and drag him back to work. Despite being over 70 years old, he ran faster

than anyone thought possible for his age.

However, he had proven himself worthy of Liliana's recommendation.

Unlike the old pope Ishtar, he was no fanatic. On top of that, he was a very

tolerant leader.

"Oh yeah, didn't you go to Simon-san for advice before too, Ai-chan-

sensei?"

"Huh? Oh... yes, I suppose I did." Aiko seemed reluctant to reply. When

Aiko and Yuka had first met Simon, they hadn't been aware that he was one

of the candidates to be pope. They were only brought together by

coincidence, but as they kept talking to him, both of them naturally started

trusting him enough to open up about the worries they held deep in their

hearts. Much to their surprise, he'd had very useful advice for both of them.

Afterward, when they'd seen him ascending the altar to accept the pope's

scepter, they'd both exclaimed, "Wait, he's that old man from before!" That

was when they'd learned they'd both consulted him about their problems.

Seeing Aiko's hesitation, Yuka tilted her head and replied casually.

"I guess you've got your own issues too, huh Sensei?"

"Of course I do. I may be your teacher, but I still have a lot of learning to do myself. All I've been doing since we got here is making mistakes and

worrying about everything."

Aiko knew this wasn't the kind of thing she should be burdening her

student with, but she ended up saying it anyway. She smiled bitterly at Yuka,

and Yuka smiled bitterly back.

"Sorry for always making you worry about us."

"Huh?" Aiko replied with a blank look.

"Huh?" Yuka replied with the same blank look.

"Aren't we the things you're worried about?"

"Y-Y-Y-Y-Yes you are! I mean no, you're not!"

"Which is it!?"

In a sense, it was true that one of her students was what was causing

Aiko all this worry. However, it was a very personal worry, directed toward

one male student in particular. But of course, what Yuka had been asking was

whether or not it was all her students as a whole who were worrying her.

Accidentally agreeing to that had stung her consciousness, so she'd

denied it right after. However, her muddled responses only made Yuka more

confused. I can't let her find out how I feel about Nagumo-kun! Aiko

desperately tried to find a way to change the subject.

"By the way, what was it you were worried about, Sonobe-san!? I'd like

to help you out as well! Go ahead, tell me what's bothering you!"

"Why do you sound so desperate!?"

"I'm not desperate! You're just imagining things! Regardless, that's

enough about me! Hurry up and tell me what you're worried about!"

"B-But I already found a solution."

"Couldn't you like, make it a problem again?"

"Do you even realize what the words coming out of your mouth are right

now, Ai-chan-sensei!?" It was obvious to Yuka that Aiko was forcibly trying

to change the topic. What kind of crazy thing did you talk to Simon about, Ai-

chan-sensei!?

As usual, Aiko's efforts only resulted in her going around in circles.

Yuka realized she'd need to get Aiko to stop panicking before she made any

sense.

"Ai-chan-sensei! Calm down!" Yuka gathered her resolve and slapped

Aiko on the face.

"Hawawa!" Aiko exclaimed, and slumped to the ground. And after a few

seconds, she finally came back to reality and spoke up.

"Sorry, Sonobe-san. That was very unbecoming of me."

"I-It's fine. I'm sorry for hitting you."

They both fidgeted awkwardly. After Yuka helped Aiko up, she decided

to tell Aiko what had been bothering her in an attempt to smooth over the

awkward atmosphere.

"Umm. So you know how Nagumo's helped me out a lot, right?"

"Huh!? Y-Yes?"

Aiko twitched when the word Nagumo came out of Yuka's mouth.

However, Yuka was too embarrassed at revealing her own feelings to notice.

"So I was wondering how I could repay him for everything he's done..."

"I-I see. That's what you asked Simon-san for advice with?"

"Yeah, basically. In the end though, he just helped me realize I don't

need to do all that much. I'll just treat Nagumo to my family's—"

"Your family!? You're going to introduce him to your parents!? What are

you thinking, Sonobe-san!? Y-You can't do that! As your teacher, I

absolutely cannot condone any illicit sexual relationships!"

"You've got it all wrong! I was just saying I wanted to treat him to my

family's western-style cooking!"

"So you're planning on making fall for you by going through his

stomach!?" Aiko bore down on Yuka, her eyes spinning. And in response—

"Ai-chan-sensei, calm down!" Yuka ended up slapping her again.

Aiko slumped to the ground once more. After a few seconds, she finally

came back to reality and apologized.

"Sorry, Sonobe-san. That was very unbecoming of me."

"I-It's fine. I'm sorry for hitting you."

Another awkward silence descended between them. Yuka helped Aiko

up and decided to change the subject again in an attempt to dispel the gloomy

mood.

"Ai-chan-sensei. I know that you're dealing with a lot right now, so if it's

okay with you, why not share your worries with me? I'm here for you, so

don't push yourself too hard."

"...I really am sorry for acting out like that."

The evening sun cast their entwined shadows far to the east. It was a

touching moment, seeing student and teacher together like that. Though it

was difficult to tell who was the teacher and who the student.

Afterward, Yuka took Aiko's hand and led her to the dining hall. Since it

was still a little too early for dinner, the hall was mostly deserted. They'd decided to eat a little early mostly because of how insistently Yuka's stomach

was grumbling for food.

Yuka looked around the room, searching for a place to sit. As servants

would bring them their food once they'd settled in, they were free to sit

anywhere. As she was looking, Yuka spotted a few of her classmates sitting

in a corner.

"Hey there. Eating dinner with the rest of your party today?"

Jugo Nagayama, Kentarou Nomura, Ayako Tsuji, and Mao Yoshino

appeared to be in the middle of an early dinner. Jugo turned around and

waved a greeting at Yuka.

"Hey, Sonobe. Good work out there. You too, Sensei. Did you guys

come here for dinner too?"

"Pretty much. I'm starving, and I happened to run into Ai-chan-sensei on

the way," Yuka said, then raised an eyebrow and continued, "Anyway,

what's up with all the serious expressions, guys? Did something happen?"

"Well..." Jugo fell silent, trying to decide how best to word his concern.

After a bit, Yuka turned back to Aiko with a smile and gave her a

thumbs-up.

"We did it, Ai-chan-sensei! Now there are more lost lambs who need

your sage advice! Aren't you glad!?"

"Umm, Sonobe-san? Could you please forget all about that conversation?

I'm not that desperate to find someone else to help..." Aiko's smile stiffened.

"Really?" Yuka replied dubiously, then turned her gaze back to Jugo.

"By the way, where's Endou? He's part of your party too, isn't he...? I

don't see him anywhere, though."

For some reason, Jugo looked up at the sky with a forlorn expression,

while Kentarou covered his face. Ayako and Mao both smiled sadly.

Upon seeing all that, Aiko's expression grew serious, as did her words.

"Come to think of it, I didn't see him at breakfast either. He's been

looking pretty down recently..."

"Yeah, ever since that day..." Kentarou muttered glumly.

"Yeah Ever since Nakamura... well, you know... Actually, ever since he

found out about Meld-san's death..."

"Meld-san..."

Aiko and Yuka's faces fell. He'd been their mentor, someone they'd all

looked up to like an older brother. Among the people of this world, the knight

commander was the one they'd trusted the most.

"He was probably the last person to talk to Meld-san before he died..."

"Wait, really!?"

"That's what he said, anyway. Apparently, he ran into him on his way

back from the bathroom the night he died. Meld-san had looked really scared

back then, according to him. He hadn't thought too much of it at the time, but

now he blames himself for not noticing..."

It was only afterward that he realized that was the last time anyone had

seen Meld alive. In other words, he most likely had been the last person to

talk to Meld before he died.

After a while, Jugo sighed and continued.

"Back when we were ambushed by demons in the Great Orcus Labyrinth,

we all told him to escape alone. Since he was the only one capable of making

it back to the captain safely."

"I heard about that. Didn't all the knights except Meld-san die during that

fight?"

"Yep... All to let Kousuke escape to the surface."

Everyone closed their eyes in respect for the departed knights. Then,

Ayako and Mao smiled faintly and added their peace.

"After that incident, Endou-kun grew really attached to Meld-san."

"He was really glad the captain survived the Orcus assault."

Which was exactly why he was having such a hard time accepting his

death now. The man he'd looked up to, the man who'd survived countless

other death traps, had finally died. Worse, Kousuke had even noticed there

was something off about Meld when he'd last seen him. He blamed himself

for not paying attention, for not sticking with the captain when he should

have.

Looking at it rationally, it was obvious that none of that was his fault.

But he couldn't help but be tortured by the thought that he might have been

able to save Meld.

"Is it really that bad?" Yuka frowned slightly as she said that.

Kentarou shook his head as he started speaking.

"Worse. The fact that you two noticed he's gone shows just how bad it

is."

Yuka and Aiko tilted their heads quizzically. In response, Jugo and

Kentarou said some rather harsh things about their longtime friend.

"Listen up, Sonobe. Kousuke's so good at blending in with the crowd

that no one even remembers he exists. I'm not talking about just his job here either, he was like this even back on earth."

"I mean, you're not wrong, but..."

"We're talking completely unnoticeable here. Even automatic doors

didn't open for him."

"Okay?"

"Even the two of us thought he might be a spirit or something for a

while. We even went to look for proof."

"Uh, Nakamura, Nagayama, you guys are his best friends, right?"

Both of them ignored Yuka's question.

"But there's one time when he becomes more noticeable."

Though with how easy he was to miss normally, his version of becoming

more noticeable just meant people remembered he existed more often. He

didn't start standing out or anything.

"Umm, is that when he gets depressed?" Judging from the way the

conversation was headed, Yuka guessed that was probably the case.

"Yeah, but only when he gets so depressed his heart breaks. I think the

last time it happened was..."

"Middle school, wasn't it? He'd finally worked up the courage to confess

to the girl he'd sat next to all year, and she'd just said 'Uh, what class are you

from again?' He stayed shut up in his room for a while after that."

"Whoa, no way."

Jugo's story was enough to move Ayako and Mao, who hadn't even

known him at the time, to tears. They shook their heads sadly.

"But you know, it's kind of weird. Even though we're in the same party

as him, we always forget he's there. It's only when he's gone that we

remember him."

"Yeah. To be honest, it's kind of strange to hear anyone ever go 'Wait,

where's Endou-kun?'"

Yuka almost responded with "It's almost like Kousuke Endou's some

kind of alien," but she knew what was and wasn't okay to say, so she held her

tongue.

Yuka and Aiko joined Nagayama's party for dinner, and they spent their

time trying to find ways to cheer Kousuke up. Along the way, the

conversation got derailed with tales about how he'd been left behind on

family trips, and even on school field trips. By the time dessert rolled around,

it was hard to tell if they were still thinking of ways to cheer him up, or just

swapping stories about his past.

Suddenly, a hole appeared in the wall closest to their table.

"Wait, isn't that the portal Nagumo left here when—" Before Yuka could

finish, Liliana tumbled out of the gate.

"At least treat me like a womaaaaaan!" She screamed as she fell. She

landed cleanly on the table and slid easily down its polished surface.

Everyone hurriedly picked up their plates, keeping their dessert safely away

from Liliana's face. She came to a screeching halt right in front of Yuka. The

way she held her hands out in front of her in the classic falling pose was a

work of art.

For a few seconds, everyone was stunned silent. Finally—

"Nagumo-sama, I can get—" Helina screeched as she came through the

portal after Liliana. "Home by myself," was probably the end of the sentence

she'd wanted to say. She also slid across the table and came to a stop right

next to Liliana. Unfortunately, they were the only two with graceful landings.

"Your Highness, please get out of the waaaaaay!"

"God damn iiiiiiiiiiiit!"

Liliana's imperial guards were chucked through the portal one after

another. It appeared the perpetrator of this incident had been gentler with

Liliana and Helina than he had with the others. The imperial guards flew

through the air with far more force.

"Liliana-sama, please get out of the— Bwah!"

"Wait, I— Gah!"

They rolled into Liliana and Helina with the force of a bowling ball and

carried them straight off the table. Liliana found herself pinned to the floor

under her own guards. Considering all the armor they were wearing, it must

have been pretty heavy. The princess groaned in pain.

At the same time, the portal that had opened from the painting on the

wall vanished.

"Liliana-san, are you alright!?" Aiko said, then rushed over to Liliana's

side. The imperial guards all apologized, pale-faced.

"We're sorry, Your Highness, but surely that eyepatch demon is to blame

for this!"

Ever since they'd seen his antics in the empire, the imperial guards had

taken to calling Hajime "eyepatch demon."

"D-Don't worry, I understand. And my body's fine. It's my heart that's

broken..."

"How could he just throw a princess out like that..." Liliana muttered with dead eyes.

Yuka could more or less guess what had happened, and gave Liliana a

sympathetic look.

"Nagumo's one hell of a dude..." Kentarou muttered.

"He's probably the only person in the world with the balls to throw a

princess out like that," Jugo added, half-impressed, half-angry.

"Umm, welcome back, Lily?"

"Oh, Yuka-san. And everyone else as well. As you can see, I've returned

home."

Liliana got to her feet and curtsied. She didn't even try smooth over what

had just happened.

"Liliana-sama. I'll go tell your mother, Luluaria-sama, that you've

returned. It will take some time to gather all the ministers for an emergency

meeting, so why don't you get something to eat in the meantime?"

It was only going to take time because the kingdom's ministers would be

too shocked by Helina's report to think for a while at least. She suggested

Liliana stay here, so that the princess could tell Aiko and the others

personally what had happened. Liliana gratefully accepted Helina's proposal

and sat down next to Aiko.

Meanwhile, Helina ran off to report to the queen, while the imperial

guards returned to their stations to make their own reports. Once fresh guards

had come to replenish Liliana's honor guard, she explained what had

happened during her journey.

"Holy shit, Nagumo's insane."

"No wonder those guards are calling him eyepatch demon now."

"W-Will Amanogawa-kun and the others be alright going with him? And

did he seriously make them all wear masks?"

"Is Shizuku's stomach doing okay? She must be getting ulcers from all

that worrying."

Kentarou, Jugo, Ayako, and Mao all looked pityingly to the east.

And to ease the tension, Aiko smiled wanly and provided some

comforting words.

"But isn't that great for you, Liliana-san? I don't like speaking ill of the

dead, but at least you won't have to marry that horrid prince."

"By the way, Lily. How come you never told us about your engagement

plan when you left? I mean I guess it has nothing to do with us, but... if you

don't tell your friends these things, how are we supposed to help you?" Yuka pouted a little.

Liliana blushed a little in embarrassment and responded.

"Aiko-san, Yuka-san, thank you so much for worrying about me. At any

rate, the kingdom's going to be busy repealing the discrimination laws it has

against beastmen. We can't have it turning into a hotbed for illegal slavery.

Things are going to get busier than ever here."

"We never had anything against the beastmen to begin with, so we're

glad you guys are going to stop discriminating against them too. I'm sure the

more devout followers of Ehit will have a hard time coming to terms with the

decree, but Simon-san'll be able to help with that."

"I see... So Simon-sama agreed to become our new pope, then." Liliana

breathed a sigh of relief. She'd left before Simon had announced his decision

to take the post.

Yuka and the others then explained what had happened in the empire

during her absence.

"I see. There's still plenty of issues to deal with, but at least they're all

within expectations. And now that we have a new pope, we should be able to

rebuild the church. Once that happens, the citizens will rally themselves too.

Thank goodness Nagumo-san came up with that story."

"It feels kind of bad to be lying to everyone like this though."

"I agree, but the main culprit behind that incident is me, the Fertility

Goddess everyone trusts so much. If they knew, their faith would be shaken,"

Aiko said glumly. Everyone awkwardly averted their gaze.

"Honestly, I can't believe he's able to come up with such nasty lies on

the spot. Lily, make sure you don't let Nagumo brainwash you or anything."

Yuka said it somewhat jokingly, but for some reason, Liliana blushed at that.

"I-I'm not brainwashed at all... Besides, we're not even close enough yet

that he..."

"Not close enough yet?"

Yuka's expression stiffened. Aiko, too, glared at Liliana.

"Oh, uh, it's nothing."

Liliana couldn't meet their eyes. She wasn't able to maintain a poker

face, despite training for years to remain calm in all situations. Aiko's lips

twitched, and she asked a question in an ice-cold tone.

"Say, Liliana-san. Did anything happen between you and Nagumo-kun?"

"Wh-What could you possibly mean by 'anything?'"

"Lily, you just bit your tongue, didn't you?"

"Ugh," Liliana groaned. However, she wasn't a princess for nothing. She

quickly regained her calm and cleared her throat.

"Please don't misunderstand. There's nothing between me and Nagumo-

san. In the first place, he doesn't even treat me like a woman. You saw how

he just threw me back here, didn't you?"

"Uh, yeah I guess."

"How could I possibly have any feelings for such a savage person? I'm

not Tio-san."

Yuka nodded. Liliana had a point. Thank goodness. I was worried for

nothing, Both her and Aiko thought simultaneously. Unfortunately, their

original guess had been on the mark.

"Honestly, it's unbelievable how mean he is to me. Even though he

knows it'll cause me problems, he makes a scene wherever he goes, and he

doesn't even tell me what he's up to!"

"Umm, I get that you're angry at Nagumo, Lily, so just calm down and

—"

Liliana slammed the table a few times, which made Yuka hurriedly try to

calm her down.

"Oh, I'm more than just angry! I mean, I'm grateful he saved me from

Baius of course. But he didn't even seem the least bit interested in me even

after seeing me in my half-ripped underwear!"

"Wait, what? What exactly happened between you two?"

Liliana ignored Yuka's question.

"Well, I guess it made me a little happy when he said my dress looked

nice. And when he danced with me it was the most fun I had ever had at a

ball."

"Liliana-san, I really think you should explain what—"

"Can you believe it, though!? He said the only reason he saved me was

because he didn't want to make Kaori sad! Couldn't he have just said he did

it for my sake!? I suppose it was nice hearing he wouldn't let anything

terrible happen to me, but still..."

"....."

Yuka and Aiko fell silent. They gave Liliana the same flat stare that Yue

had a while back.

Jugo and the others turned to each other with knowing smiles. And

finally, Liliana realized that she'd said something weird and looked from one

face to the other.

"Umm, everyone? Is something the matter?"

Yuka pursed her lips and muttered, "Nagumo, you absolute moron,"

under her breath. Aiko looked angrier than anyone had ever seen her. Her

cheeks were puffed out to almost comical levels. It was then that Jugo and the

others all thought to themselves, Not again, Nagumo!

Later, at the emergency meeting Liliana called for she once again went

on a rant about Hajime, and so the queen and other ministers all learned about

her not-so-hidden crush as well.

"My my, you're finally growing up, Lily!" Luluaria was overjoyed that

her daughter had finally found her first crush, but it seemed she was the only

one.

"Th-That insolent commoner! Not only has he taken Kaori from me, but

he's stolen my sister's heart as well!? I'll get you for this, you

bastaaaaaaaaard!"

The future king's pained screams echoed throughout the castle.