Arifureta After IV Demon King & Hero Arc No Really, I’m Just a Frail Maiden. I Swear I’m Not Lying
Going back slightly in time.
Hajime and others who safely won the war against the large crowd of apparitions gathered at the top of the heaven tree once more.
Aularodde once more shrieked 「Nngyaaa——–!!」 that was really bad to come out from a goddess and released her sword form. She wiped her tears and snots and drools and then acted like nothing had happened. It was pointless effort.
「Hero-sama, demon king sama, and then……………the plan gentleman.」
「Just call me Kousuke.」
「I offer everyone my heartfelt thanks for saving the heaven tree.」
Kousuke who was hugging his knees until just now at the root of the heaven tree while trying to stabilize his mind immediately demanded a correction at the goddess’s novel way of calling him, but he was ignored. How sad.
「But, the large crowd just now in the end was just something temporary that took advantage when I was fatigued. This world is still in the verge of destruction. An invasion in the same scale or even bigger will surely start again in the near future.」
Aularodde said that with a pained look. Kouki was watching her with a calmly observing gaze. He was trying to ascertain the truth of her words using his whole body and mind.Hajime replied to her in Kouki’s place.
「You are saying a lot of concerning words there. Goddess, right now I’m really interested with the truth concerning the heaven tree. Fess up everything without any omission if you don’t want the world to be destroyed like this.」
「Nagumo, sugarcoat it.」
「Won’t it be fine if you share your kindness to your relative to other people a little?」
The words of the demon king who was obeyed by an army of demon made Aularodde started to tremble. Even now she looked like she was going to vomit from stress.
The goddess would transform into merlion who vomited blood if they left things to Hajime like this, so Kouki sighed while sugarcoating the question.
「Goddess-sama, what in the world is going on here in this world? You mentioned apparitions……why are they in frenzy like that? Why are they targeting the heaven tree? Besides……a lot of them are strikingly similar with the existences that are talked in our world’s legend and story. Why is that?」
Kouki endeavored to speak the torrent of questions with kind tone and polite wording as much as possible.
Then,
「Hero-sama, you don’t need to use respectful language like that. I won’t mind if you speak more, normally, no, rougher to me.」
「Why!?」
Why was she asking him to speak casually with rough tone even though she looked like she was going to vomit when addressed with rough tone just now? The goddess’s eyes that were shining with expectation caught the hero-sama and wouldn’t move away!
「Oy, don’t waste time. Explain the situation already you useless goddess.」
「Please talk with a kinder tone-」
It seemed she wanted the demon king-sama to be kinder. Kousuke muttered 「Emotionally unstable goddess……」 with a complicated expression while Hajime’s eyes narrowed.
It was that. Like the detective in drama that was investigating a case. From the goddess’s personality, he guessed that it would be a lot easier for many things if Kouki and he played the good cop and bad cop role. It was so that Aularodde wouldn’t dodge their questions.
It wasn’t the case that his sadistic goshujin-sama disposition like when dealing with Tio was showing its face「You call?」, not at all. ……Perhaps.
「Err, about that you see……first, about why the apparitions are strikingly similar with the existences that hero-sama and others know, your perception isn’t wrong.」
「What do you mean by that?」
「……Tone.」
The goddess was despondent. Just like a loner who had mustered her courage to act friendly, and yet the other party ignored it and interacted with her no different from before.
「Nnh, goddess-sama, can you tell me what do you mean by that?」
「! C-call me with my name, no, in this occasion, I won’t mind even if you call me Aula familiarly!」
The goddess’s face brightened drastically. This goddess was wearing her emotion on her sleeve.
If possibly Kouki wanted to keep the emotional distance between them like with a relative that he only met once a year at New Year, but the talk wouldn’t progress like this so he cleared his throat.
「Aula, can you tell me what do you mean?」
「Fuhih」
It felt like she leaked out a joyful voice that was unbecoming for a goddess, but Kouki also gave his all here to ignore it too. In addition Hajime and Kousuke, also Etemp & Netemp were irritatingly smirking at him 「Hyuu~, GJ heroo~」, but he also did his best to ignore them.
Aularodde looked very satisfied. She also cleared her throat and put on her serious atmosphere.
「Apparitions are existences that is born from legends of other worlds. The heaven tree absorbed the thoughts of the people that are filled with those legends and grant them shape. The heaven tree is the lynchpin of this world with such role.」
According to her, the residences of this world were existences that were materialized from the legends of other worlds.
Legends were the wishes and prayers of the people, or perhaps objects of reverence, or even symbols of fear.
Those things were called as “conception” in general. It was a form of energy that was similar to magic power and the like.
And then, this conception existed in any world. The heaven world absorbed those conceptions through the great trees of other worlds, converted them into the unique energy of this world that was called “thought element”, and gave it form.
「Then……that nine-tails and karasu tengu……they are really existences like in the books?」
「No hero-sama. Certainly the origin of the apparitions are legends, so they possess similar ability. However, their personality is different. They are born in this world, and the self of each of them is established while living in this world. They aren’t existence inside fairy tales, but a living life in this world.」
Aularodde spoke with a serious gaze. Affectionate heart that was befitting a goddess could be seen from her eyes. It was as though she loved those apparitions from her heart.
「In addition, it’s not just hero-sama’s world that has legends. ……There are tens of thousands, hundreds of millions of legends across many worlds. There are many similar existences among those legends, and sometimes they will mix and raise their first cry of birth in this world.」
Hajime’s eyes twitched. Because he didn’t miss it. How Aularodde intentionally didn’t speak of any concrete number when saying “many worlds”.
His eyes naturally narrowed.
She didn’t understand the reason, but for some reason the demon king-sama was looking with demon king’s gaze, so Aularodde moved slowly to put Kouki in between to hide her from the demon king’s view.
And so, Hajime also slowly moved to stare still at Aularodde. Aularodde unconsciously began to caress her stomach.
「I see……that’s why you said that they are immortal.」
「Yes. An apparition’s death will only come when the legend that is their origin is completely forgotten.」
Aularodde nodded and continued explaining. According to her, naturally the existences that were talked in mythology――the like of god, divine beast, and evil god seemed to exist too.
There was no mythology bunch among the invasion this time was because in the past Aularodde had faced them at the very beginning and defeated them. Even now she kept interfering with the conception to prevent them from being revived.
In other words, she succeeded in temporarily sealing the mythological existences, but because of that Aularodde’s power was constantly being greatly limited.
Hearing that, Hajime recalled the relationship between Lutria and her divine spirits. He understood that Aularodde’s original power must be terrific and asked.
「And, about the reason of their insanity……」
「Ah, err, that’s」
Aularodde was too nervous when dealing with Hajime. Even though she was a goddess who could seal mythological existences even though they weren’t exactly as powerful like in the myth.
As expected Kousuke seemed to sympathize with her. He sent Hajime a cold gaze. For some reason Hajime then changed his tone to be relaxed and add his words.
「I can guess. The origin that produces life in this world, the energy that the apparitions needed to live……this thought element thing is in influx and vanishing right?」
「Tsu, how did you……」
「I’m just guessing but, they are like that because of being starved aren’t they? Even humans would go mad like that when starved.」
「……If I can add, as the result of the influx and circulation slowing down, the thought element of this world is stagnating. That’s also one of the causes.」
「So it’s like the air is polluted.」
「Yes. Because of that they lost all reason and……」
「They are seized by their ego that is the origin of their existence. They are showing disposition just like in their legend while swarming at the heaven tree that is the tree producing their food. In reality the influx of conception hasn’t actually reach zero right?」
「You understand that much……don’t tell me, you……no, all of you has gone to multiple worlds?」
It seemed that Hajime’s deduction hit the mark. Aularodde’s eyes widened like saucer in shock. And then she thought of a single possibility and spontaneously raised her voice.
「Could it be, you know of the reason why the influx of conception has dropped sharply!?」
「Well, about that, I only have a guess.」
Hajime shrugged, however his gaze was sharp.
「Or rather, you yourself also understand why right?」
「……It’s impossible for the legends themselves are vanishing from all the worlds. Then the most possible reason is……something happened to the heaven trees in each world.」
「Yeah. At the very least the trees at earth and helltwo worlds are gone. Even at the previous world where you called us from, the tree there was in the verge of rotting because its energy kept getting sucked out with abandon. Ua Alto is being preserved in a state that can be revived anytime, but usually it is intentionally kept in a withered state.」
「……As I thought.」
Aularodde fell into thought with a difficult expression. Hajime pressed her with questions like a terrifying interrogator, or perhaps like a young boy who couldn’t hide his curiosity.
Aularodde who was deep in thought failed to escape. When she noticed she found the smileevil countenance of the demon king right before her eyes. She was petrified like a frog that was glared by a snake.
「Tell me goddess. How many worlds there are in total?」
「……Does that has any relation, with the situation right now?」
Aularodde slowly moved in a circle to behind Kouki. She replied to Hajime while looking across her shoulder.
Hajime also slowly walked toward her.
「There are nine in totals. Am I wrong?」
「!」
This goddess really wore her heart on her sleeve. She evacuated to the opposite side of Kouki to use him as shield. Naturally Hajime also circled around.
「And then, all those worlds each has a great tree. All of them are connected to the origin world. To the world that produce an energy that should be called “elements” that can be converted to every kind of energy. Isn’t that right?」
「！？」
The two of them walked round and round around Kouki. Hajime would sometimes turn around to catch the goddess from the front where she would go 「Hyah」 before she turned around in panic to walk round and round to the opposite direction. Round and round.
The game of tag of the goddess and demon king was repeated with the extremely annoying with Kouki at the center.
「If you’re a goddess then you must know. What kind of place this origin world is? What is there? What is the structure of this world? Now, tell me. Noow, nooww!!」
「Uu……」
The goddess clung on Kouki with tearful eyes, however, a beat later she took a deep breath and……changed her expression 180 degree. She walked out from behind Kouki while radiating a pressure that was worthy to be called divine.
「Know your place human. There are things in this world that the child of man shouldn’t know.」
「A-Aula?」
Kousuke and Etemp & Netemp Mother reflexively put up their guard. Her voice was so harsh that Kouki was bewildered. Her tone was definitely a reprimanding tone of a god to a human.
Her yandere and hopeless figure from before had vanished without a trace. Aularodde looked back across her shoulder and turned a strict gaze even toward Kouki while radiating light.
「I don’t know how many worlds all of you have traversed. However, originally only heros chosen by the great world tree is permitted to cross over worlds. Know that excessive curiosity will bring ruin onto yourself!」
It was like god’s authority was radiated as a pulse.
Kouki, Kousuke, Etemp & Netemp too were speechless.
And so,
「Ah, is that so. You’re going back on your word. Even though you’re a goddess.」
「Eh!?」
Hajime-san spoke with a heartfelt voice of contempt. His eyes were also awfully fully of contempt.
「Even though I desperately protected the heaven tree because you said that you will pay any compensation we wish for. Even though we risked our life facing such terrifying army.」
「E-err……no! This and that are two different――」
「Then you should make the condition clear beforehand before forming the contract. If you one-sidedly add a condition like this at the aftermath, that is a valid cause for a law suit if this is in human world you know? Goddess-sama, you’re horrible.」
「W-wrong! I just didn’t expect that kind of question from you……」
「A goddess won’t lie. You said something like that didn’t you?」
「B-but……when I took over from the previous goddess, she told me that information about the structure of this world shouldn’t be easily disclosed……」
「Even so, to try to crush my question using that kind of intimidation is just……haa~, I’m real shocked.」
「Uu, I, I’m sorry. I was just acting following the instruction written in the work manual……in most case deal with the situation like that, it said.」
The goddess’s majesty had dispersed before anyone knew it. Her figure was withering weakly, weakly, and even more weakly.
Kousuke muttered 「Eh, there is a manual for goddesses occupation? My image of goddesses is breaking」 with an expression that was pained by this tough world. Etemp & Netemp Mother went 「A goddess who displays majesty using manual and effort……」 with atmosphere of someone seeing something disappointing.
「Well, it’s fine if you really don’t want to answer no matter what.」
「Eh?」
Hajime casually shrugged and said that with a lighthearted atmosphere. Aularodde felt it was anticlimax.
「I’ll just go home if there is no benefit for me here. We can go home on our own anyway.」
「Wwhaa-!?」
That’s impossible! She couldn’t declare that. After all there was no doubt Hajime was asking her all those questions because it was possible for him to travel between worlds.
Aularodde’s expression was colored with anxiety.
「I-is there any other demand――」
「No, my questions just now are my cheapest demand.」
「Just what kind of demand were you going to make when you made me promise to reward you!?」
No more, this demon king is really scary! Aularodde trembled looking like she wanted to say that.
Hajime mercilessly gave her additional blow.
「Don’t worry. It’s not like I’m going to force you to answer or anything. I’ll just ask the goddess from other worlds.」
Of course he was bluffing. It seemed that the structure of the world was something that was generally kept secret. It was unknown whether Lutria would voluntarily tell Hajime who seemed like someone who might perpetrate something using that information.
Even so, Aularodde naturally had no way to know about that.
When Hajime showed a glimpse of “Lutria’s Orb” from his pocket……
「Wai-, please wait a second! T-that’s!?」
Aularodde ran toward Hajime in hurry. She stared fixedly at the orb on Hajime’s hand before she looked up at Hajime, then she stared at the orb again――she repeated that five times. 「L-lies……you are recognized by other world’s heaven tree? Eh, this kind of atrocious human is? What kind of insane goddess did that?」 She whispered. To her it looked like Hajime was trusted by a heaven tree at somewhere else.
Kousuke and Kouki trembled seeing that Aularodde was starting to waver. This guy is really crooked, they thought.
Hajime turned a smile at that Kouki. It was as though he was saying Amanogawa-kun? It’s a chance for you to pay your debt you know? Kouki shook even more.
「Ee~rr, Aula. Nagumo certainly look atrocious, and he is actually terrifying in the inside too however……」
「Oi hero.」
「How – e – ver! He isn’t a guy who will put a world in danger just for fun. He is also not a guy who revel in other people’s misfortune. This guy only bare his fangs for real when danger approachs himself or his family. I’ll at least guarantee that he is just wanting to know the truth.」
「Hero-sama……」
Hajime was making a very conflicted expression. Actually he only wanted Kouki to say to Aularodde that he would go back too. Surely even Aularodde would fold if even the hero said that he would go back too.
And yet Kouki lost his mind for some reason and suddenly said all that……
For the time being, he used his artificial arm and flicked the forehead of Kousuke who came to his side while smirking. Kousuke was writhing and bending backward like a bridge.
「Can you agree to Nagumo’s demand in exchange for his help in saving this world? No matter what happen, I’ll stay here until the end so……I’m begging you! Please!」
Kouki bowed deeply. He thought that he himself had a debt that he couldn’t possibly pay back to Hajime, but he didn’t think that he would be able to arrange things skillfully, so like this he could only wholeheartedly requested Aularodde with earnestness.
Aularodde stared hard at such Kouki. Before long she smiled wryly and,
「Actually, it was truly unexpected that two people this powerful were summoned along with hero-sama.」
「Aula?」
Kouki lifted his face and looked puzzled. The expression of Hajime and others were also turning dubious.
「Just now, I said that the apparitions are lives that live in this world, but actually there are also other lives here. They can’t revive like the apparitions.」
「Wha-, you mean they will die normally? Don’t tell me, there were also some among that large group……」
Kouki turned pale. Aularodde gazed at him affectionately like a goddess while gently shaking her head.
「They are lives born in this world. Therefore they don’t need conception from other worlds and they also don’t go mad.」
In exchange, they didn’t have powerful strength like in legend. They had the power of conception that they were born with that would be lost along with passage of time until their lifespan ran out at the end.
The first life that was born with the wish of this world’s gods and apparitions. In a sense they should be called as the descendant of the legends.
The name of that race was,
「――They are called “fairy”.」
Hajime and others looked at each other in intrigue. It seemed that other than the fairy tale fairies mixed among the previous large group――of course they were like zombie and insane on top of that――there was another different inhabitant of this world that was also called fairy.
「Err……and those fairies……」
「They are alive. But only in few number compared to the past though.」
According to her, there were countries and cities at the past all across the continent. Some were ruled by apparitions or mythological existences, while some were ruled by only fairies because fairies could reproduce and filled those countries and cities after some generations. Sometimes there would also be conflict because of difference in interests or sense of values, or simply because of someone’s ambition, no different from other worlds.
Aularodde turned her gaze down.
「There are their cities inside this heaven tree, and at the eastern and northern most of the continent but……previously even if the hero summoning succeed, there was already no hope for the east and north cities in this situation.」
「That’s……no, you said previously……」
「Yes hero-sama. If Nagumo-sama and Endou-sama lend their help, it might be possible to save both cities.」
That’s why, Aularodde called Hajime and Kousuke’s names for the first time and turned her gaze toward them earnestly.
「I will keep my promise. That’s why, please, I ask you two to help with the salvation of this world together with the hero.」
Aularodde held her hands together in front of her chest as though praying. Hajime smiled wryly at her earnest request while Kousuke scratched his cheek and nodded.
And then,
「Then let’s not waste any time.」
「Yes, about the truth of the world is it?」
「No, it looks like it will be a long talk for that, so I want to go to a place where we can relax. Or rather, I want to see the real fairies with my own eyes. That’s why for now show us to that fairy city――」
「Absolutely no way.」
The goddess firmly refused. Even though she had even decided to talk about something that was forbidden by her predecessor just now, she refused Hajime’s suggestion with a will of steel within her words.
「Aula? Nagumo doesn’t have any plan to harm the fairies you know?」
「No, if you want to meet them then feel free. I don’t mind if you go to them. I will also open the path to there. But, I absolutely won’t go. I’ll wait here.」
「What the hell?」
Aularodde averted her gaze away with all her strength from Hajime’s tsukkomi.
Kouki spoke of the possibility that crossed his mind with a worried expression.
「Could it be……that Aula hate the fairies?」
「No way. Obviously I love them.」
「Then why?」
Aularodde’s gaze wandered around nervously looking like she didn’t want to talk no matter what. But, she became unable to endure the gazes of Hajime and co that stabbed into her. She began to mumble with small voice.
「……I must be, hated by them, absolutely mon.」(TN: “Mon” are usually by girl to indicate dissatisfaction or desire to be indulged)
「Ha? Hated……the fairy hate Aula?」
「It must be like that mon.」
「N-no, why? Aula has protected them for 5000 years until now right? How can they possibly hate you?」
「Conversely speaking, that means I haven’t been able to solve the problem even after 5000 years while the situation only keep worsening toward destruction isn’t it? They are surely thinking something like “Uwah, isn’t our goddess just totally incompetent?” mon.」
「Err, have they ever said something like that before?」
「I can’t ask them because I’m scared mon! But they absolutely are thinking like that mon!」
5000 years old goddess who added “mon” at the end of her sentence. It seemed this was a really delicate problem for Aularodde. To the degree that her mental age was regressing like a child.
Aularodde finally started to sit at the corner while hugging her knees.
She had no more face to meet with them at this point. Or rather, she was scared to meet her people. If they looked at her with a cold gaze……if they threw stone at her……her heart would break. If that happened she didn’t have the confidence to get back on her feet. I want to become a shellfish……she was muttering such pathetic words.
It couldn’t be helped so,
「Yosh, then let’s go. For now we just need to go down right?」
「Wait, stop! Don’t carry me on your shoulder! This is insolent! I’ll curse you!」
Hajime casually put this extremely troublesome goddess on his shoulder.
「I absolutely won’t open the path――ah, don’t use that orrbb-」
The goddess was completely shaking in her boots with the prospect of meeting her beloved people, but Hajime used “Lutria’s Orb” and opened a path inside the heaven tree as he pleased, so she struggled violently.
Her dress’s hem got flipped and her panty was exposed fully. It was exposed to Kouki and Kousuke but she didn’t even notice. Just how desperate she could be?
「Oi, goddess. Don’t resist. If not I’ll open a hole physically in the heaven tree.」
「B-but! What are you going to do if the fairies say “Go work if you have free time to come to the city” to me!?」
「It might just be your paranoia talking.」
「It’s scaryy~, I’ll rather immerse myself in my work than being told something like thattt~」
Although she was sobbing, she stopped resisting because it would be troubling if a hole was opened in the heaven tree. Like that she was being carried away on Hajime’s shoulder like a helpless calf.
Seeing that, Kouki and others looked at each other.
「Say Amanogawa, this completely looks like a kidnapping though……」
「It’s Nagumo after all……but, you know, he is a bit considerate seeing that he isn’t dragging her by her shouldering.」
「Ii~ (Master is also nonchalantly using mind recovery artifact on her~)」
「I- (Ah, just now, something is injected into the goddess’s neck…..that’s recovery medicine)」
Did Hajime do that because it was the logical thing to do or as apology for showing his sadistic side?
Either way, Aularodde was twitching like crazy after the injection into her neck while making an expression of ecstasy. She was really in a horrible state.
And so, Kouki and others smiled wryly while following behind Hajime who was making the situation looked worse than it actually was.
And, the story returned to the encounter with an existence that was a blasphemy for the fairy.
Right after the soulful cry Screw thiiissss was let out from the male faction.
「Hiih, don’t yell like thaaatt-」
The muscular fairy took the Charisma G○ard pose. She placed both her hands on her head and crouched while trembling.
「P-please stop! She is a just a frail maiden who is unrelated from fighting!」
「Keep the joke limited to just her existence.」
Aularodde couldn’t bear to see this and ran in a hurry toward the muscle fairy. She then gently consoled her.
「I’m not joking. Her name is Blau(ブラウ). She is a compassionate child of Niebel(ニーベル) Clan that hate conflict and love housework, cooking, and sewing above all else.」
「She look like a brownie from Bel Clan to me though. What’s with her status that is like a household fairy in fairytale huh. What’s with those muscles. What was she doing that those muscles became that trained. Tell me what is the definition of housework and cooking and sewing. By that you must mean iron forging and protein production and surgery skill ain’t that right?」
「That’s a horrible accusation! Everyone in Niebel Clan is just slightly chubby! Their hobby is baking sweets after all!」
Hajime’s well-executed tsukkomi was followed with an extremely original follow up by Aularodde. Those were just fats that looked like muscle she said, but that in itself was abnormal.
「In the first place, she is the priestess that I picked you know? Obviously I picked the one with the kindest disposition among the whole clan! She absolutely never get angry or looking at me with a cold gaze. Although my socializing with her is only kept to the minimum, she is the only one I can muster my courage to talk to!」
「That’s an amazing persuasiveness.」
「It’s also a very sad persuasiveness.」
「It might be too late to ask this, but I wonder why did the former goddess pick this person as the next goddess.」
It seemed that the muscles of this muscular fairy Blau Niebel was really just outside appearance.
「Err, sorry that we made loud voice like that. We were just surprised because your appearance is a bit similar with our fiendish acquaintance.」
「I was also at fault okay.」
「Blau Niebel-san, my apologies.」
It was the truth that they had made judgment based only on appearance, so Hajime and others apologized.
Blau Niebel slowly lifted her face.
「It’s fine pyon. I’m the one who should apologize for getting scared just from that.」
Blau Niebel stood up weakly. Indeed, she certainly had a gentle disposition. It was a mystery.
「And, goddess-sama? Who in the world are these lovely gentlemen……besides, how are you able to directly come here? Even though usually goddess-sama would only talk directly into my head……」
Blau Niebel tilted her head cutely. Aularodde explained to her about the background of Hajime and co and about what had transpired until now simply.
Immediately after that, oOOOOOOOOOONN there was a loud roar like a lion. The roar became a shockwave that trampled the area. Hajime and others covered their ears and shook their head.
「Unbelievable! How unbelievable non! The salvation of the world is finally done! No, this is even more than that! To think that goddess-sama will finally allow us to have a glimpse of your exalted presence with our own eyes!」
「It’s your cry that is “unbelievable” here!」
「My, m-m-m-my eardrums are bleeding――」
「Kuh――”Wind Wall”! “Heaven Rotation”!」
Kouki immediately casted a wind barrier to obstruct the sound propagation. At the same time he activated intermediate level healing magic for multiple people in order to heal the damage to their eardrums.
「I won’t! I won’t show myself! I’ll wait over here! Please show only them inside!」
「No way, why is that non!? Just as I thought, goddess-sama is disappointed by us fairies isn’t it!?」
「Eh!? I’m not though!? Rather I’m the one who has been disappointing everyone……」
「How can we feel disappointed to goddess-sama!? Even though you have protected us all this time for 5000 years-」
「Lies. Brau Niebel is saying that only because you are kind, the other children are undoubtedly thinking things like “The historically worst goddess” or “Apologize to the previous goddess” or “It’s strange that the goddess can’t save this world. Conversely isn’t it because of the goddess that the world is heading to destruction!? This cursed evil god!” about me.」
「There is no way that’s true pyon!」
Hajime and others looked at each other after their hearing recovered. It seemed, or rather as expected it was just Aularodde’s paranoia. What’s more the fairy also had similar paranoia.
Aularodde obstinately didn’t want to go to the city, while Blau Niebel was begging to her to show herself to the people. Kouki walked forward to intermediate between them.
And then, when he heard about their story calmly……
It seemed both the fairies and Aularodde felt guilty to each other.
From the fairy’s perspective, they didn’t have any strength and could only allow themselves to be protected.
Aularodde had immense talent even among the successive generations of goddesses and possessed the aptitude to become the heaven tree’s avatar. There was no way the fairies could possibly become her replacement and as the result she was forced to shoulder the burden for 5000 years nonstop.
That was why, even though the goddess and the fairies were living close to each other in the city for the first 1000 years, Aularodde gradually stopped showing herself and now the fairies couldn’t even hear her voice.
They thought to go out of the city to at least cheer for her when she was fighting outside, but even that wasn’t possible because the heaven tree was manipulated so they couldn’t come out.
There was no respond even when they offered their gratitude to her daily in the city’s shrine.
Even when they tried various ways to meet with Aularodde, she would leave as though to say that it disgusted her to even see them……
「T-that’s wrong! I left the city because I was unable to stay there any longer from guilt, and I didn’t let anyone come out so that they won’t be exposed to danger!」
「But goddess-sama? Our prayer in the shrine……if we pray there, our prayer should have reached goddess-sama no matter where you are yon.」
「Uh……because, my heart will break if vilification reached me so……」
The goddess-sama was like an artist who was scared to google for comment about herself in internet and got hurt by the hurtful comments. It was like she had shut out all the voices in her surroundings to avoid that.
Surely when she turned her back on the fairies who came to meet her, it should be called “running away” than “leaving”.
When she guessed that, Blau Niebel knitted her eyebrows (that had no hair). The goddess’s voice that reached her was always dignified, but now that she realized the truth she didn’t know what to say.
Even after hearing the feeling of the fairy race, the goddess still muttered something like「……How many percent? How many percent of the whole clan who actually think like that? 90% of them are actually thinking that I’m incompetent isn’t it? Don’t hold back on my account. Please tell me the actual number.」. Kouki talked to her with an exasperated face.
「Aula, isn’t it fine already?」
「Hero-sama?」
Aularodde was bewildered. Kouki relaxed his expression a little and said.
「Aula never gave up till the very end. That’s why your voice reached me. Regardless of what they actually think, Aula has accomplished your duty.」
「……Accomplished, my duty?」
「The world is saved. There isn’t just me here, there are also Nagumo and others. That’s why, Aula has already succeeded. You succeeded in your hero summoning.」
「……」
Kouki said that with confidence and conviction and looked around at others. Hajime and others also shrugged and nodded in response.
Seeing that, the scale in Aularodde’s heart also tilted toward the direction of believing although not completely. Her face twisted as though she was going to cry.
「Then, I think it’s fine for you to hold your head high and show yourself in front of your people. What need is there to feel uneasy like that? Just where is the need for you to feel ashamed for?」
「Uu……」
Aularodde let out a small groan and looked down to calm down her thoughts that were coming and going inside her head. She then slowly lifted her face a little.
And then,
「Thank you very much……. I’ll also, go to the city.」
She said that with a bashful smile.]
「Fufu, I’m glad pyon. Today will surely become the greatest day! Besides, my judgment isn’t mistaken as I thought! All of you are good men!」
Blau winked heavily. The male faction was afflicted with bad status. They desperately endured from being turned into vomiting merlion. Hajime unconsciously almost drew out Donner, but Netemp Mother swiftly grabbed his hand to prevent him from doing that. Good job.
「E-err……Nagumo-dono.」
「Y-yeah. What is it goddess?」
Hajime was calming down his breathing ‘fuu fuu’. Aularodde came in front of him while he was doing that.
「Forgive me but……if possible, can you please lend me the tool that is covering everyone’s eye too?」
「Ah? You mean sunglasses? Well, alright.」
Hajime had no particular reason to refuse so he took out one from his treasure warehouse and lent it to Aularodde.
Then, Aularodde seemed to think of something. She wore the sunglasses, and in addition she made her outfit shined. It seemed the outfit that was made from plant fiber could be changed in shape and size optionally with her mind.
With that, she created a hood and covered her head deeply until her eyes weren’t visible……in addition she created a mask and equipped it.
「Kofuuh, kofuuh. I’m still a bit scared, so I’m thinking to go incognito kofuuh. I want to gauge the right timing to show myself to the people kofuuh. And most of all, about the structure of the world and the way to save the world kofuuh, I have to talk about that first kofuuh. Like this surely there will be nobody who notice that I’m the goddess kofuuh, kofuuh.」
「You look completely suspicious like that.」
「Anyone won’t want to have this kind of goddess huh.」
「For now, Aula. You don’t need to wear the mask that tightly……your breathing sound is bad.」
「Kofuuh?」
She became even more conspicuous like that.
「First, let’s go to my house. You can take the view of the city from there. We won’t pass through the street so it will be fine. I’ll also cook for everyone!」
Blau Niebel was certainly a considerate fairy.
And so, the group was guided by Blau Niebel to the gate that connected to the city,
「Theeen, I’ll open the gate so please back a way a little pyon.」
Blau Niebel said that and crouched down. She then put her hands at the lower part of the gate and,
「ZEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!」
She began to lift the gate with physical strength while screaming loudly.
The gate that was formed from knitted tree branches was seven meter tall and four meter wide. It boasted a huge size.
Naturally, its weight should also be considerable……
Blau Niebel’s whole body bulged up hardly. Blood veins pulsed and there were even the sound of flesh creaking.
「They are really muscles ain’t they-」
Hajime’s tsukkomi was drowned under Blau Niebel’s vigorous roar.
*Gogogo* The gate was making such sound while Blau Niebel lifted it up like a weight lifting athlete. She then turned her bloodshot gaze toward everyone. Her eyes were saying「Now, quickly pass through while I’m holding this」.
Hajime and others walked through beside her.
Right after that, *zushin* the gate fell with an impact that caused a tremor.
Blau Niebel was sweating with steam rising from her whole body. Her nose huffed loudly with steam coming out. She truly looked like a fighting god. She was the very picture of Bel Clan at the legendary decisive battle of Tortus.
「Goddess, confess. This guy is absolutely powerful right?」
「Kofuu~」
Aularodde quietly averted her gaze. As though she was averting her gaze from a reality that she didn’t want to see.
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