An ordinary profession creates the world's strongest

The accelerator and brakes can also be operated with magic, so it is much simpler than Earth's motorcycles... Even so, her skills are so advanced that even Hajime can't catch up.

Shia's bunny ears would sometimes glare at Hajime, as if to say, "Hey, how's my driving?" This annoyed Hajime a bit. Some people's personalities change drastically when they're behind the wheel of a vehicle, and perhaps Shia was one of those people.

Yue sat beside Hajime, watching Shia ride, and seemed to want to ride too. If Yue also shouted "Ah ...

Yue was completely unaware of Hajime's thoughts. On Yue's other side, a three or four-year-old girl poked her head out of the car, looking quite comfortable. Myuu happily climbed onto Yue's lap, her big, round eyes gleaming with excitement. She pointed at Shia, who was holding the faucet and doing a handstand, and pleaded, "What are you doing?"

"Dad! Dad! Myuu wants to play that too!"

"Of course not!"

Seeing that Hajime refused outright, Myuu sat on Yue's lap and yelled with all her might, "No! Myuu wants to play too!"

In order to prevent the restless Myu from falling off the seat, Yue hugged her from behind and scolded her, "...Don't move!" Myu made a cute "wuwu~" sound, looking disappointed and frustrated, and Hajime showed a helpless expression.

"Myuu, I'll give you a ride later, so just be patient for now."

"……May I?"

"Okay, I absolutely won't let you ride on Shia's bike...but it's okay to ride on mine."

"Isn't it okay with Sister Shia?"

"Absolutely not. Look, that guy's standing on the dragon head this time, striking a strange pose. That pose somehow touched me, but... you absolutely cannot ride a motorcycle that dangerously."

I saw Xia standing on the dragon head of the Huetiful, making a strange posture - she spread out the five fingers of her right hand to cover her face, her left hand hanging down, her shoulders slightly raised, and she was laughing in an American style.

Seeing her posing in a ridiculous manner like JO○O, Hajime looked at her coldly and sternly warned Myuu: You can’t hide it from me and get in Shia’s car, okay?

"Speaking of which, motorcycles are inherently dangerous. I don't want Myuu to ride them if possible... How about we make a child safety seat for motorcycles? The materials are... (mumbling)"

"Sister Yue, Dad keeps mumbling. It's so weird."

“… Hajime’s father is worried about Myuu… Hajime is being unexpectedly overprotective.”

"Hehe, Master is actually worried about his child. Hmm, this contrast is quite... huhu."

"Sister Yue, Sister Tio is calling."

"...She has an incurable disease. Don't worry about her."

Miao sat on his lap and looked up at him, Yue stroked her head and talked to her.

It hadn't been long since Hajime and the others had started their journey with Myuu when he gave up resisting the term "Dad".

At the beginning, he tried everything to make Myu change the name, but every time, Myu would have tears in her eyes, and she would look at him with tearful eyes and say, "Is it not possible? Does Dad hate Myu?" Even the monsters from the abyss could be defeated by Shi, but for some reason, Myu was just like Yue. Shi didn't think he could defeat her at all, and the name "Dad" gradually became fixed.

Ever since accepting (or actually giving up) the title of "Dad," Hajime has been taking good care of Myuu, now bordering on overprotective. Hajime seems to believe that Shia is a sorry rabbit and Tio is a pervert, and that he must protect Myuu before returning her to her mother! When Hajime overdoses her, Yue is the one who intervenes, teaching her common sense. This is the current relationship between Hajime and his group.

Because Myu was so attached to Hajime, Yue had no chance to talk about love with Hajime, which made her feel a little dissatisfied. However, she also came to terms with it. Myu being intimate with her was very cute, so it was something she could not do about it.

Behind the seat, Tio was imagining something, making increasingly annoying breathing sounds. Yue shot magic at Tio to silence her, and at the same time, because she was not good at educating children, Yue covered Myuu's ears.

Hajime continued to mutter, mulling over how to make a special seat for Myuu. Shia finally stopped riding the Hi-Tiaf, letting it move on its own. Shia then grabbed the back of the Hi-Tiaf and slid along the ground. Seeing Hajime and Shia, Yue made a somewhat empty resolution: "I'm going to pull myself together!"

After the magic-powered car sped uncontrollably along the highway for a while, Hajime and his group finally arrived at the [Inn City Holyard].

They could have passed through without stopping, but Ilva of [Fren] had something to ask of them, so they took a detour to fulfill Ilva's request. That being said, since they were already passing through on their way to the [Gulun Desert], it wasn't too much of a hassle.

Hajime, with a nostalgic look in his eyes, walked down the town's main street, heading towards the Adventurer's Guild in [Horyard]. Myuu, sitting on Hajime's shoulder, seemed to notice the change in Hajime's appearance and, with a puzzled expression, patted Hajime's forehead with her small, maple-leaf-like hand.

"Dad, what's wrong?"

"Hmm? Ah~ No, because the last time I came... it was only about four months ago, but it felt like ages ago..."

“…Hajime, are you okay?”

Hajime had a complicated expression on his face, while Yue placed his hand gently on Hajime's arm, looking at him worriedly. Hajime shrugged, and the next moment, he had returned to his usual demeanor.

"Ah, I'm fine. Just thinking about all the things that have happened recently, I can't help but feel a surge of emotion. Looking back, it all started right here... Feeling nervous, terrified, and a bit of self-destruction, I stayed here for one night, then dived into the labyrinth the next day... and fell into the abyss."

"..."

In a sense, that day could be said to be a fateful day. Hajime thought back to that day, while Yue and the others listened to Hajime's monologue in a strange atmosphere. Yue stared at Hajime, while Tio asked with interest:

"Well, Master, wouldn't you want to start over? Your former companions are here, right? I've heard some of your experiences... but not all of them hurt you, right? There are probably some you're close to, right?"

Tio and Hajime's acquaintance had only been brief, and to understand their inner thoughts, she would sometimes ask questions like these. Objectively speaking, such questions were quite direct, and most people would probably consider Hajime's feelings and avoid asking such questions.

This is because Tio doesn't want to be just a fellow traveler, she wants to be a companion to Hajime and the others, so she makes such efforts. Although Tio is a difficult pervert to deal with, Hajime really appreciates her mentality in this regard.

Hajime didn't feel unhappy, he thought about Tio's question sincerely.

Then, he suddenly remembered the late-night tea party under the moonlight; he remembered the unpalatable fake black tea, the white pajamas, the shiny black hair reflecting the moonlight, and the girl who swore to protect him - he remembered her in the last moments, the look of grief on her face, and how she reached out to grab Hajime even though her companions held her back.

Suddenly, Hajime felt the hand on his arm tighten, snapping him out of his thoughts. Looking closely, he saw Yue staring at him with an unwavering determination, and the hand that had touched him was gripping Hajime's sleeve.

Shi's eyes met Yue's, and a gentle look suddenly appeared in his eyes, and Yue also looked at Shi.

"There are indeed people like that... But even if I go back to that day, no matter how many times I have to do it again, I will still follow the same path."

"Oh? Why?"

Even though the answer was obvious from Hajime's expression, Tio seemed to find it quite amusing and deliberately asked the question even though she knew the answer already.

Hajime, still looking at Yue, placed his other hand on Yue's hand and gently held it. Yue's expression showed a little joy, and her cheeks flushed slightly.

"...Of course, it's because I want to meet Yue."

"……beginning."

The Great Labyrinth of Orcus is a labyrinth where you can earn money by leveling up or recycling magic stones within a safe distance. The Inn City of Holyard, due to its proximity to the Great Labyrinth of Orcus, attracts many adventurers, mercenaries, and state soldiers. Merchants also flock to the area to profit from these opportunities, making the town bustling with activity. Of course, the main street is especially bustling.

On the main street, which was bustling with people coming and going, Hajime and Yue suddenly stopped in the middle of the street and stared at each other.

They ignored the people around them, entering a world of their own, reaching out to touch each other's cheeks, as if they were about to kiss. Curious and jealous eyes were all focused on the two of them, almost forming a human wall around them, but Hajime and Yue were completely oblivious, as if they could only see each other.

"Miss Tio, did you hear that? Don't you think you should have answered 'I met you' at a time like this? But it was only Miss Yue. They've entered their own world again, completely disregarding the situation and the occasion. What should we do as the people who are watching? I think Mr. Hajime and I should have had a similar atmosphere. I'm clearly ready to accept Mr. Hajime at any time, but he always treats me as an apologetic... No, I also understand that Miss Yue is special, right? I wanted to be with them because I admired their relationship. So of course Miss Yue should have a special status, and I hope so. No, it should be said that if Mr. Hajime didn't value Miss Yue, he wouldn't be Mr. Hajime. If Mr. Hajime ignored Miss Yue and made her sad, I would want to kill him. But... Lately, I've been thinking that maybe Hajime-san might have developed feelings for me, and that it's almost time for me to transition from a girl to a woman. I've been so hopeful, but nothing's happened. Even if Miss Yue is special, don't you think Hajime-san should be a bit interested in me? Is he still a man if he doesn't accept a sexual opportunity that's right in his doorway? I've clearly expressed my welcome, but he's come up with all sorts of excuses and completely ignores me. I can't say enough, "You coward!" in my heart. I want to have a romantic relationship with Hajime-san too! I want him to do this and that to me in bed! I want him to do some intense things with me, just like he did with Miss Yue! As the epitome of perverts, what do you think about this?!

"Shi-Shia, I understand you've accumulated a lot of resentment, but calm down a bit! You're getting more attention than them for yelling such shameful things in public. And you actually scolded me nonchalantly at the end... Being treated like a pervert in public like this, huhu, I feel like the gazes from those around me are so cold... huhu, ah~"

In the middle of the main street, a bunny-eared girl yelled that she hoped someone would do something lewd to her. Another young woman, being called a pervert, still exuded a seductive aura and panted with excitement. The crowd, originally gathered out of curiosity, was now frightened and could not help but retreat.

"Dad~ Shia-nee and Tio-nee and the others..."

"Myuu, don't look over there. Pretend you don't know them."

“…Shia… Next time, tie up Hajime, and Shia too…”

Hearing Shia's cry, Hajime and Yue finally came to their senses. Myuu opened her eyes wide, confused as to what was happening. Anyway, Hajime told Myuu not to look at Shia and Tio and to pretend not to know them.

Yue seemed to whisper something terrifying, but Hajime ignored it. If he paid attention to that remark, Hajime would have to suspect a trap whenever they were alone from now on, so he allowed the strange words to sink in. If it were Yue, she wouldn't do such a thing...right? ...Definitely, probably...Although Yue seemed to have a history of this, Hajime convinced himself it was okay!

The town guards appeared in the distance, shouting, "What's that noise over there!" Hajime was helpless and had no choice but to grab Shia and Tio by the scruff of the neck and drag them away from the scene.

Every time he entered a town, surrounded by beautiful women and girls, Hajime always had to endure envious and jealous looks, but... only at this time, for some reason, did he feel that there were more sympathetic looks. This must not be an illusion.

After getting rid of the guards and everyone's gaze, they finally arrived at the Horya branch of the Adventurer's Guild.

Still holding Myuu on his shoulders, Hajime opened the guild's door. Unlike the doors of guilds in other towns, the doors of the Holya branch were made of metal. A heavy sound echoed, a signal that someone had entered.

The last time Hajime came to Holyard, he had neither the time nor the need to visit the Adventurer's Guild, so this was his first visit. The interior and atmosphere of the Holyard branch completely matched Hajime's initial impression of the Adventurer's Guild.

The walls and floors were covered in signs of damage or crude repairs: dirt or something else was everywhere, giving the impression of being unsanitary. The interior layout was similar to the other branches, with a counter at the front and a restaurant to the left. However, unlike the other branches, this restaurant seemed to serve alcohol properly, so drunken men gathered there in broad daylight.

There seemed to be seating on the second floor as well, and those who looked like adventurers were looking down from the railings. Most of the people on the second floor exuded an aura of strength. It was unclear whether it was a system or a tacit understanding, but high-level adventurers generally used the second floor.

The impression given by the adventurers is also different from other towns. Everyone here has a fierce look in their eyes, completely different from the relaxed atmosphere of [Brook]. Adventurers and mercenaries are all combat talents who volunteer to conquer the Great Labyrinth and fight monsters. It is natural that they are full of courage.

Even so, the atmosphere in the guild was tense, and the situation seemed unusual. It was obvious that something had occurred that would make even the most battle-hardened adventurers look solemn.

The moment Hajime and the others stepped into the guild, all the adventurers' eyes were focused on them.

Because the gaze was so sharp, Myuu, who was sitting on Hajime's shoulder, couldn't help but cry out in pain and immediately hugged Hajime's head tightly.

The adventurers saw that not only was Hajime surrounded by beautiful women and girls, but there was even a little girl sitting on his shoulders, and they began to emit murderous intent towards Hajime in various ways.

Seeing that Myu was trembling with fear even more, Hajime let her down from his shoulders and held her with one hand instead; Myu buried her head in Hajime's chest, completely blocking out the outside world.

Some adventurers began to stand up from their seats. Some of them were hot-blooded, while others were drunk and looking to cause trouble. Their eyes clearly said, "Beat up this bastard!" They clearly wanted to vent the frustration accumulated from the strange atmosphere in the meeting, or simply to find trouble.

Although it was possible that Hajime and the others were simply clients... those adventurers didn't seem to consider that possibility at all. They just wanted to beat him up first and then deal with it. With such violent thoughts, they were about to take a step towards Hajime.

However, Hajime has recently become an overprotective father to his daughter. Although they are not his biological children, when his daughter is frightened by them, Hajime cannot remain silent. A vein bulges on his forehead. His gestures of comforting Myuu are gentle, but his eyes are fierce.

then……

Boom! It was as if one could hear the sound of the impact. A ferocious and powerful pressure came over the heavens and earth, mercilessly pressing down on the adventurers who were staring at Hajime and the others.

The murderous aura the adventurers had exuded earlier seemed like a child's temper compared to this overwhelming pressure. This pressure felt like a physical force, instantly knocking the junior adventurers unconscious. Without even touching them, Hajime had already forced the standing adventurers back to their seats.

Most of those who managed to hold onto consciousness despite Hajime's pressure—the 'pressure' and 'magic radiation'—were trembling all over, desperately trying to maintain their consciousness and bodies. Their faces turned pale and they were sweating profusely.

At this moment, the pressure that had been thought to last forever suddenly weakened. The adventurers took advantage of this opportunity to desperately replenish fresh air, and some of them even lost control of their bladders or vomited... Hajime said to them with a grin, looking at their ugly faces:

"Hey, the guy who was glaring at us just now."

“““““““!”””””””””

Hearing Hajime's voice, the adventurers shuddered, their bodies trembling as they looked at him, their eyes filled with fear, as if they had seen a monster. Hajime ignored their fear and made a request... no, he gave an order.

"Smile for me."

“““““““Huh?”””””””””

The adventurers were confused by this sudden, disregarding order, but Hajime continued:

"Didn't you hear me? I told you to laugh, and laugh happily, to act like you're not scary at all, and wave your hands while you're at it. You scared my child, what if she's traumatized? Ahhh? You're responsible for this!"

"In that case, don't bring a child to a place like this!" The adventurers wanted to rant like this, but the other party was a monster, so they couldn't say it. Just as they were confused, Hajime's eyes became sharper. Although their cheeks twitched, the adventurers tried their best to smile and began to wave their hands.

The men, with their rough, scary looks, all smiled stiffly and waved their hands slightly, creating a truly bizarre scene. However, Hajime didn't care, nodding contentedly and whispering softly in Myuu's ear as she buried her face in his chest.

Not knowing what Shi said, Miao timidly raised her head and looked up at Shi with watery eyes. Then, guided by Shi's gaze, Miao slowly turned her head back.

What she saw was of course... a group of people with ferocious looks but trying hard to smile.

"babble!"

As expected, Myuu, terrified, buried her face in Hajime's chest again. Hajime's brows furrowed, his eyes sharpening as he glared at the adventurers, his gaze demanding, "Hey! What's going on?" The adventurers, looking on the verge of tears, internally complained, "Don't force me!" Finally, the adventurers looked at Yue and the others beside Hajime with pleading eyes, as if asking for help.

Seeing their gaze, Yue sighed deeply and walked towards Myuu, whispering softly in her ear, just as she had just done. Then, Myuu, as expected, timidly raised her head and looked at the adventurers again, who quickly smiled to please her.

Myuu stared at the adventurers for a moment, then, seemingly realizing something, smiled brightly and waved back. Her smile and gestures were so adorable that the ferocious army, oblivious to their situation, couldn't help but smile along. Hajime, seemingly satisfied, once again carried Myuu on his shoulders, losing interest in the adventurers and turning back to the counter.

When Hajime and the others walked towards the counter, they heard sounds of people falling everywhere. However, Hajime ignored the sounds, walked to the front of the counter, and told the receptionist their purpose.

Incidentally, the receptionist was very cute, about the same age as Hajime, and seemed to be a lively girl. A typical receptionist was here, but the usually charming receptionist was now nervous and stiff.

"Is the branch manager here? I'm delivering a letter on behalf of the guild leader from Fren... He instructed that it be delivered directly to him."

Hajime said as he handed his status board to the receptionist. Despite her nervousness, the receptionist remained professional, straightening her appearance before taking the board.

"Okay, okay, I received your status board. Um, um, was this commissioned by the guild leader of the Fren branch?"

Normally, a mere adventurer wouldn't be personally commissioned by a guild branch manager, so the receptionist looked a bit surprised. However, upon seeing the information displayed on the status board, her eyes widened in astonishment.

"Gold, Gold, wait!?"

Less than 10% of all adventurers possessed the "Gold" rank. Information on those recognized as "Gold" would be shared with guild staff, so the receptionist would undoubtedly know who the "Gold" rank adventurers were. However, she didn't know Hajime and exclaimed in surprise.

Upon hearing her shout, everyone in the guild, including adventurers and staff, reacted in the same way as the receptionist—staring at Hajime with wide eyes, and the building became noisy.

The receptionist realized that she had loudly leaked personal information, her face turned pale, and she bowed her head violently to apologize.

“I’m so sorry! I’m so sorry!”

"Ah~ No, it's okay. Could you please inform the branch manager?"

"Yes, yes! Please wait!"

If this situation were left alone, the receptionist would probably keep apologizing. Hajime couldn't help but smile bitterly. They had fought a war in [Uru Town] and defeated the underground organization in [Fren]. Now that things had gotten so serious, there was no need to hide their identities.

The guild's attention was focused on the adventurers, including 'Kin', who looked like a teenager, had a child, a harem of beautiful women, and other girls. However, being accustomed to the attention, Hajime and the others remained unfazed, waiting for the receptionist to come and report.

Myuu wasn't used to being noticed and seemed quite uncomfortable, so Hajime and the others all tried to comfort her. Tio's soothing method might have had a negative impact on the child, so Hajime slapped her, causing even more commotion around her, but Hajime, as usual, ignored them.

Finally… Having said that, in fact, it was less than five minutes later when the sound of someone running came from deep inside the guild.

Curious about what was happening, they looked in the direction of the sound, only to see a young man dressed in black slithering across the floor and darting out of the passage next to the counter. He then began to look around, as if searching for someone.

Hajime recognized the man, he didn't expect to meet him here, he couldn't help but open his eyes wide and called out his name.

"...Endo?"

That’s right, the person in front of him was Hajime’s classmate—Endo Kousuke.

When Hajime called out his name, Endo's head erupted with a '!', and he reacted like an enemy soldier in a game about a mercenary who loves cardboard boxes. He shook his head and looked around, but couldn't find his target, so he began to yell anxiously. (Editor's note: The protagonist of the game "Metal Gear Solid" often hides in cardboard boxes.)