Seiryuu City, DesuMachi Planet…
For the next few days, Hachiman and the others stayed at the guesthouse given to them. That same evening of their first night there, Earl Seiryuu himself arrived, accompanied by commanders, captains, and senior civil officials. They came before the group to personally offer their apologies.
After enduring a wave of overwhelming displays of apologies, both Hachiman and Mei just accepted and forgave them, just to make them stop bowing so deeply. They did, however, request one condition: that those arrested alongside them would be given proper meals, warm clothing, and anything necessary to endure their confinement.
The Earl agreed without hesitation, turning to his officials and issuing orders on the spot. Supplies were to be procured and delivered to the prison without delay. With that settled, Hachiman and Mei let the matter rest.
During those days of their confinement, Mei took the opportunity to put Sora back into study mode. With nowhere to run, Sora was forced to sit through her lessons, her resistance written plainly on her face.
"…You're really not letting this go, huh?" Sora muttered as she stared at the pages of her books in front of her.
Mei just stared at Sora, unbothered by her complaints. "Of course not. You already had enough fun. Time for you to face your other duties."
Sora let out a long sigh and slumped forward. "This is unfair…"
Tama and Pochi, curious about what Sora was doing, peeked at the side. Seeing them, Mei asked if they wanted to join. Within those days, Sora found herself with study partners and, before she realized it, she was the one teaching them how to read and write.
Hachiman, meanwhile, used the time for his own research, to study the world itself. He buried himself in books detailing this world's history. About its heroes, its war against the demons, and the long record of the Shiga Kingdom and its neighboring nations. From what he gathered, the kingdom they were currently in had been founded a couple of hundred years ago by a summoned hero from the Saga Empire.
The founding king was known as Ancient King Shiga Yamato in today's time. His greatest achievement was the defeat of the Golden Boar Head Demon Lord, a threat that once devastated the entire continent. During his journey as a hero and later as king, he even managed to establish a tacit cooperation with a Heavenly Dragon, an important event that secured Shiga's survival in its earliest years.
In the present era, the throne is held by King Seteralick Shiga, with Soltrick Shiga serving as Crown Prince. The other princes and princesses enjoy high social standing, princes ranked equivalent to marquises, the crown prince treated on par with a duke, but none of them possess formal governing authority.
Politically, the Shiga Kingdom functions under a feudal faction system. Noble houses form alliances, cultivate rivalries, and maneuver for advantage at court. The Prime Minister, coming from the House Dukus, acts as the king's chief advisor, while competing factions continuously test one another's influence. Even so, the monarchy retains the final word. The king holds the authority to promote or demote nobles when the kingdom's interests demand it, a power that past rulers have exercised without hesitation, whether to punish treason or censure failure.
"Demoting a count to a baron for misconduct isn't unheard of," Hachiman muttered, eyes still scanning the page. "Keeps everyone nervous enough to behave."
He closed the book partway, thoughts settling into place.
'Overall, Shiga Kingdom's political structure is a centralized kingship supported by feudal vassals,' he analyzed thoughtfully, 'with a careful balance between royal authority and noble autonomy, the kingdom is maintained through tradition, merit, and occasional intervention from the crown.'
After a brief pause, he added with a dry note, "In simpler terms, it's a fairly standard medieval society… just with swords, magic, and a lot more ways to die."
Turning the page, Hachiman moved from politics to the kingdom's military doctrine. Its strength revolved around elite knights and specialized magical defenders.
At the pinnacle stood the Shiga Eight Swords, eight holy knights revered as the kingdom's champions. They were described as "the pike that shields the kingdom," a poetic way of saying they stood first whenever an existential threat emerged.
Supporting them were the Shiga 33 Wands, also known as the Thirty‑Three Canes. These royal court magicians represented the peak of magical talent within the kingdom, tasked with defensive spellcraft, battlefield support, and countermeasures that allowed the Eight Swords to operate at full strength.
Aside from these elite orders were the conventional forces. Each noble granted territory was obligated to maintain soldiers or knights for local defense, while standing armies were stationed permanently along volatile border regions.
Strategically, the structure walked a careful line between feudal autonomy and centralized authority. Dukes, marquesses, and earls could raise their own troops, but ultimate command rested with the crown and its appointed generals. Even national defense policy flowed through the Prime Minister of House Dukus, ensuring coordination rather than fragmentation.
Hachiman paused, fingers resting on the page.
"So they're allowed to hold armies," he muttered, "but the leash never leaves the king's hand."
He leaned back slightly, the conclusion settling in. "A clean balance. Enough power to deter rebellion… not enough to challenge the throne."
He also took note of the neighboring regions. One of them was the Bolenan Forest, homeland of the Fairykin. It shared a vast mountain range with the Silga Kingdom and the Ougoch Duchy of Shiga Kingdom, a range notorious for its wyvern population.
The highest peak rivaled Mount Everest back on Earth, with multiple summits rising beyond eight thousand meters. Even the valleys sat no lower than four thousand meters above sea level, turning the entire range into a natural fortress claimed almost exclusively by wyverns.
Within the territory lay a Sea of Forest, and at its heart stood the World Tree. It was visible even from the entrance of Ougoch Duchy, its colossal trunk rising straight into the sky. From a distance, it reminded Hachiman of an orbital elevator that extends towards outer space.
Scattered across the mountains were several small villages, each home to no more than ten to twenty people. Humans, fairykin, bearmen, and other races lived side by side in these settlements, isolated yet coexisting in a place most would consider uninhabitable.
Hachiman also finally came to understand how the timekeeping system of this world worked, something noticeably different from his home world.
"Hmm… so a single day is twenty‑eight hours. A month has thirty days. And a year runs ten months, totaling three hundred days," he muttered, rubbing his chin as he did the mental math. "That puts a full year at around eight thousand four hundred hours… close enough from back home, but still a little off by a few hundred hours."
Meanwhile, Ruan Mei, aside from spending much of her time with Kagura, occasionally joined Hachiman during his studies. She showed a fascination with this world's cultures and the sheer diversity of races that inhabited it. At one point, she even asked him to take her to Dragon's Valley. She wanted to see the Scalekins and Dragons for herself, curious about how the so‑called True Dragons of this world compared to the Long's Scions scattered across the universe, the descendants of the fallen Aeon of Permanence, Long.
Speaking of dragons, during their first night at the guesthouse, Ruan Mei had shared something far more personal with both Mei and Hachiman: what she had discovered about Kagura and her wish to take part in raising her, not merely as an observer, but as a mother.
—---
Flashback to their first night at the guesthouse.
Ruan Mei shared her findings about Kagura that night, catching both of them completely off guard. Of all the possibilities they had prepared themselves for, this was the one neither Hachiman nor Mei had considered.
"As I was saying," Ruan Mei explained evenly, "genetically, Kagura is indeed a natural-born Herrscher. Whatever authority she will awaken in the future will be deeply tied to her spiritual makeup, especially since her former self, Akon Kagura, was undeniably one of Long's Scions."
She continued without hesitation, as if explaining a simple theorem. "Because of that, I can hypothesize a considerable chance that Kagura may eventually ascend… as the next Aeon of Permanence."
She took a bite of her plum-scented soybean cake, chewing thoughtfully before adding, almost casually, "Ah, before I forget. I would like to join the two of you in raising her. Opportunities to observe the growth of a potential Aeon are exceedingly rare."
Then she tilted her head slightly, her next words stunned both Hachiman and Mei.
"So, because of that, I wish to become Kagura's mother as well."
"...HUH?!"
Ruan Mei showed no sign of being bothered by their reaction. She calmly lifted her cup and took a sip of her traditional Xianzhou tea, as if she had just commented on the weather.
"Wait—wait a minute. Just wait a minute!" Hachiman snapped out of his shock and jumped to his feet. "How did you even get to that conclusion?! You skipped way too many steps there, oi!"
"Did I?" Ruan Mei tilted her head again, genuinely puzzled. "I thought it was a perfectly reasonable progression."
"NO, IT WAS NOT!" Hachiman shot back. "Wanting to help raise Kagura? That part is fine. I actually welcome that. But how did that suddenly turn into you becoming her mother?!"
"Ruan Mei-san," Mei interjected calmly, stepping in between them, "correct me if I'm wrong… but the reason you wanted to raise Kagura in the first place was because of who she is and what she might become. Is that right?"
Ruan Mei nodded, setting her teacup down before looking directly at Mei.
"Yes," she replied. "I wanted to be as close as possible, to witness how Kagura grows from being a Herrscher into a potential Aeon of Permanence."
"But that's not all, is it?" Mei asked gently.
Ruan Mei blinked, slightly caught off guard, before smiling. "Fufufu. It seems becoming a mother has sharpened your insight, Mei."
"Huh? What? I'm kind of lost here," Hachiman muttered, his eyes bouncing between the two of them.
"I don't know when it started." Ruan Mei closed her eyes, placing a hand over her chest. "But after just two days spending my time with Kagura, I felt something within me change. Hearing her laughter. Seeing her smile. Watching her look around the world with such pure curiosity…"
Her fingers curled on each other. "It made me want to be always there for her. To not miss any of it. Not even a single second of her life."
She slowly opened her eyes, a faint smile forming as memories from the past few days flashed back.
"I may be an accomplished scientist with countless achievements. Known throughout the universe as a Genius," she continued. "But… there are still things I've never truly understood."
She lifted her gaze and met Mei's eyes head-on. "What is love? What is the true essence of life? Why did my parents love one another… and choose to give birth to me?"
Mei remained silent, letting her speak without interruption.
"And I believe Kagura is the key for me to see the answers to those questions," Ruan Mei said softly. "That is why I wish to become her mother as well, just as my own mother and grandmother were to me."
"I see," Mei said softly, exhaling gently. "Thank you for telling us how you truly feel, Ruan Mei-san."
With another small exhale, Mei rose from her seat and offered her hand to Ruan Mei. "We'll probably argue more than once about how to raise Kagura," she said honestly, "but… I'm willing to try. To share this responsibility with you. I hope you won't mind."
Ruan Mei blinked, and a genuine surprise appeared on her usual aloof expression. It took her a moment to process Mei's words before a small, sincere smile appeared. She stood as well and took the offered hand.
"I am the one intruding into your family," she replied softly. "Of course, I wouldn't mind. It would be far ruder of me to refuse."
After a brief pause, she added, almost thoughtfully, "Just let me know your plans for raising such an… overpowered child. I will contribute however I can."
"That is something I truly welcome," Mei replied, her smile turning slightly stiff. "I prepared myself to raise a Dragon God… not a candidate for Aeonhood."
"Ah…" Ruan Mei's smile mirrored hers, just as tight. "…I'm feeling the same thing now."
"Well, this is all very touching and meaningful," Hachiman muttered, breaking the moment, "but is anyone going to ask for my opinion? I'm still Kagura's dad, you know."
Neither of the two mothers responded.
'…I feel like my parental rights just vanished,' Hachiman thought, his cheek twitching.
—------
And just like that, five days passed since their house arrest. According to Auna, the information blockade had finally been lifted that morning, meaning they were now free to step outside the guesthouse once more. Zena and Iona also confirmed that the other survivors would be released as well.
With the delay stretching nearly a full week, Hachiman decided it was time to meet Nidoren and formally settle the matter of the beastkin trio, about their ownership and their release. After some light preparations and calling of additional personnel, more out of caution than necessity, the group assembled. Alongside the usual trio of Auna, Zena, and Iona, three others joined them.
One was a familiar face, Lilio, whom they had met when they first arrived in the Seiryuu Earldom.
"Hello! It's good to see you all again," Lilio greeted them with an easy smile, giving them a small wave. "Looks like things finally calmed down, huh?"
The second was a new face altogether. Ruu was a tall, broad-shouldered woman with a sturdy build, a large shield strapped securely to her back. Her posture was disciplined, giving a reliable presence, the kind that shows she was used to standing between danger and those she protected.
"I'm Ruu," she introduced herself simply, placing a hand over her chest. "I'll be assisting as part of the escort today."
And finally, there was the rumored younger brother of Zena and Auna's sweetheart—Yukel Marienteil. At first glance, Hachiman's impression of him was a straight‑laced, earnest young man. Passionate, serious… and clearly trying far too hard to hide his feelings for Auna. Unfortunately for him, he was also, rather unexpectedly, a devoted sis‑con.
"Greetings, Hero‑sama. My name is Yukel," he said, bowing properly. "I've been meaning to meet you for a long time. Thank you for protecting Ane‑sama and Auna‑sama in the Labyrinth."
Then he straightened, eyes narrowing just a little as he looked directly at Hachiman. "If I may be so bold… You seem quite close to my sister. What exactly is your relationship with her?"
"Y‑Yukel?! J‑just what do you think you're saying?!" Zena rushed forward, grabbing him by the arm, her face turning bright red as she tried to drag him back.
And aside from all that, the moment Mei, Sora, and Patricia laid eyes on Yukel, their expressions visibly lit up. After spending enough time with Auna, the three of them had long since become enthusiastic supporters of the Auna–Yukel ship.
Mei let out a small, amused sigh. "The way he looks at Auna-san… he's trying so hard not to show it."
Patricia covered her mouth with a hand, smiling knowingly. "It's almost impressive how obvious it is. And yet, Auna-sama still pretends she doesn't notice."
"Oh!" Sora whispered, eyes twinkling as she leaned closer to the others. "It's just like how Mei-nee looked at Hachi-nii back then. She thought no one noticed… but everyone was watching their rom-com unfold."
Mei's brows twitched, her smile stiffening. "…Sora-chan, just what are you saying, I wonder??"
Skipping that… ehem.. Anyways, for them, it was genuinely amusing to watch Auna try to play it cool whenever they teased her about Yukel—especially how she would immediately slip back into her dignified, saintly demeanor the moment he was anywhere nearby.
After seeing how casually she behaved around them during their stay at the guesthouse, Hachiman had almost forgotten that Auna was, in fact, an Oracle Priestess. Not a food-loving girl (exclusively devoted to Mei's cooking), not a shameless hero admirer, and not a dandere with a saintly noble aura, notably, only ever activated around Yukel.
So when she suddenly reverted to the prim and proper Oracle Priestess she had been when they first met, it honestly weirded him out.
"So this is a love comedy between a straight-laced boy who's convinced his feelings are unrequited and a 'saintly' noble girl desperately trying to keep her true feelings hidden…" Hachiman muttered, a smirk slowly forming on his lips. "Yeah. I'll admit, it's pretty interesting."
—-------
And just like that, Hachiman and Mei's party grew larger as they made their way toward the western block, heading for Nidoren's shop. Zena and her fellow soldiers dressed casually instead of wearing their usual armor, blending in as they traveled incognito.
"What's with this group?" Sora asked, glancing around at their lightly equipped yet unmistakably capable escort. "Are we going shopping, or are we about to raid a dungeon?"
Zena let out a wry laugh. "Even knowing your true strength and identities, the Western block is still… complicated. It's the gray area of the city, where all kinds of people live." She glanced briefly at Auna and Kagura. "And with Auna-sama and Kagura-chan with us, we'd rather be cautious."
"That's right, Sora-chan," Lilio added. "A lot of people there live on the edge of the law. Letting our guard down wouldn't be wise."
"To be honest," Iona said flatly, "we're less protection for you and more for anyone foolish enough to try something against you."
"Eh?" Sora blinked.
Iona shrugged. "I don't even want to imagine what would happen to someone who tried to hurt, rob, or provoke the hero and his companions."
Hachiman felt his cheek twitch. 'Just what are we, exactly? Some kind of walking hazard?'
After a while of traveling, they finally reached Nidoren's shop. The carriage came to a careful stop, and one by one they stepped down before entering.
The moment they crossed the threshold, Hachiman halted.
The shop was packed.
"Ah—they're here!"
"Hero-sama!"
"Mei-sama!"
Nidoren stood at the center of it all, surrounded by the very people who had survived the labyrinth. The moment they spotted Hachiman and Mei, the cramped space erupted with voices.
"The prison guards told us you sent warm food and cushions for us," Nidoren said quickly, smiling as he addressed the clearly confused pair. "Everyone wanted to meet you in person and thank you properly."
"Thank you so much, Hero-sama! Mei-sama!"
"We're all incredibly grateful to you!"
"It was even better than the food in the western block!"
"I agree! No alcohol, sure—but getting stew with actual meat while locked up? I thought I was dreaming!"
"Yeah, it was so good I almost didn't mind staying a few more days!"
"Nobody's gonna believe this when we tell it back in the west quarter."
"No kiddin'!"
With that, everyone laughed heartily. Seeing how well they had taken their imprisonment and knowing that their treatment had genuinely improved, Hachiman and Mei finally felt relieved. After a few more words of thanks directed at them, and especially toward Sora, who had stood alone against the Greater Demon to protect everyone, the group began to leave Nidoren's shop one by one.
"Hey, you! With the dog ears!"
"Is there something you want?" Sora stepped forward at once, placing herself in front of Pochi as the same blond young man they had rescued from the spider in the labyrinth approached.
"No, not you, young miss," he said, stopping a short distance away. His tone was polite, careful. "I just have something I want to say to the kid."
Sora didn't move. She glared at him on instinct, but he never once met her eyes. Even with her standing in his way, he directed his words past her, toward Pochi.
"…Thanks for saving me. And… I'm sorry I kicked you."
He said in a low voice before turning and walking away, but everyone heard it clearly.
Pochi froze for a second, then looked up at Sora triumphantly before clinging to her with all her strength. Her tail wagged so hard it looked like it might snap off. Tama rushed over to join in, nearly knocking them over.
Liza, who is standing nearby, looks at them and nods with a fond smile.
"Well… that sure is a surprise," Sora muttered, finally snapping out of her daze.
Mei chuckled softly as she patted the three girls' heads. "See, Sora-chan? Our faith in them has been answered."
Sora looked up at Mei, then broke into a wide smile. "Uhm!"
After that, Hachiman signed the contract to become the 'Master' of Liza, Pochi, and Tama. His first instinct was to free them immediately, but the slave trader quickly entreated him to at least take a look at the remaining slaves who hadn't sold at the auction.
Hachiman turned to Mei, silently pleading for help. She only smiled back at him and gave a small wave, clearly leaving him to deal with it himself. With no one coming to his rescue, he had no choice but to follow Nidoren.
'No wonder these people were left over from the auction… they all have their quirks,' Hachiman thought just after he saw a few of the remaining slaves. At this point, he was only half‑listening to Nidoren's explanations.
Even Mei, who had initially wanted to buy everyone simply to release them from slavery, hesitated this time. Patricia noticed immediately. She leaned in and whispered something into Mei's ear. After nodding a few times, Mei let out a sigh and gave a final nod in return, accepting whatever Patricia had just said.
Eventually, they reached the last two slaves Nidoren wanted to show him.
The moment he saw them, Hachiman instantly revised his opinion of the old man's salesmanship.
'No way… did this guy show me all those people with bizarre quirks first just to make these two look better by comparison?!' He shot Nidoren with a stunned look.
The first was a young black‑haired girl, a little older than Sora. She carried a unique charm reminiscent of people from the eastern parts of Asia back on Earth. Her long, glossy hair flowed so smoothly it looked like it belonged in a shampoo commercial.
"M‑my name is Lulu," she said in a whisper. After she introduced herself, she immediately lowered her head, hiding her beautiful face behind her hair.
"She might be difficult to look at," Nidoren added quickly, "but she does possess the 'Etiquette' skill!"
'You're saying… She's ugly?!' Hachiman screamed internally. 'If this girl isn't good‑looking, then neither is ninety‑nine percent of all women! Are you also trying to tell me my "wife" is ugly as well, huh?!'
Nidoren then gestured toward the final slave.
She was a little girl with lilac‑colored hair, around eleven years old, her soft features unmistakably Northern European. Long, flowing locks framed her face, her round, wide eyes fixed on Hachiman with an almost pleading intensity.
'Okay… please stop staring like that,' he thought, unsettled despite himself.
"I'm terribly sorry—Heroooh… ehem, Hachiman‑san," Nidoren corrected himself midway. "She is normally quite clever. Even her ill‑omened purple hair would usually be considered a trifling matter, but it seems she has been… captivated by your charms."
With that odd remark, Nidoren prompted the girl forward.
"It's a pleasure to meet you… Hachiman‑sama."
Hachiman perked up from the strange way she pronounced his name.
"My name is Arisa," she continued. "I became a slave after losing my kingdom, but I can provide any information about this world that you might wish to know. Thanks for your consideration (Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu)."
The moment the words left her mouth, Hachiman and Mei were stunned. Patricia, standing beside them, let out a small gasp. Even Sora, watching from the back, looks at Arisa in open shock.
'Did… Did she just speak in Japanese?!' Hachiman, Mei, Patricia, and Sora all thought at once.
======