Chapter 67 - Volume 7 (1/2)
Chapter 7 : Hajime becomes a Papa I
“Fufufufu~n, fufufu~n! What a fine weather~ It’s a splendid weather for a date~.”
In Fhuren’s main street, the rabbit eared girl, Shia, was cheerfully walking while skipping. Her clothing was different from her usual durable adventurer style clothes — it was a lovely milk-white one-piece dress. With narrowed collar, there was a big opening in the cleavage and Shia’s rich breasts were boing, boing!, swaying as she walked. A slender, black belt was attached on her waist. Her rich hip-line and the indescribably enchanting curve were clearly displayed. Slender, tight, and beautiful legs were extended from the skirt 15 cm above her knees, and the gazes of men were gathered on the pair of bouncing hills.
But the most attractive thing about her was her atmosphere and her smile. With blushing cheeks, I am happy, so it cannot be helped!, was overflowing from her without any effort to conceal it. About her being a demi-human or how she wore a slave’s collar-like thing, could be said as something trivial as the surrounding people fell for her. There were also elderlies who smiled as if they saw something pleasant.
Behind the ecstatic Shia, was Hajime who walked on with a wry smile. Maybe because she was so elated, Shia repeatedly walked a little ahead, and then turned around with a smile as she waited for Hajime to catch up. Just like the surrounding people, Hajime inadvertently smiled.
“Your spirit is too high, Shia. You will fall down if you don’t look in front, you know?”
“Fufufu, I won’t make such blunder~, after all I have been trained by Yue-sa—!?”
Because of Hajime’s warning, Shia turned around again as she replied to him, she almost fell down. Hajime promptly held her waist to support her. Though there wouldn’t be any problem considering Shia’s physical strength, she wore a short skirt today. He would not let the men who pant as they looked at Shia to become lucky perverts.
“I-I am sorry.”
“See, now that you understand, walk right beside me.”
As she shrunk her body because of the embarrassment from being held by the waist, Shia demurely tugged Hajime’s sleeve, and this time she began to walk in slower pace next to him. Because of how lovely she looked with blushing cheeks, most of the surrounding men seemed to have been knocked out. Some of them were because of the fists from the lovers by their side.
Hajime and Shia kept collecting the surrounding gazes, and they finally entered the Sightseeing Ward. There were various facilities inside the Sightseeing Ward. For example were theatres and street performers avenue, circus, music halls, aquarium, arena, game studio, observatory, colorful flower garden along with huge maze of flowers, and even beautiful buildings along with the plazas.
“Hajime-san, Hajime-san! Let’s go to Meerstat first! I have never seen a marine creature before!”
With a guide book in hand, Shia’s rabbit ears moved as though to express, “Let’s go! Let’s go!” She seemed to have never seen any marine creature because she lived in «Haltina Sea of Trees», so she wanted to go to Meerstat, a famous aquarium in Fhuren’s Sightseeing Ward.
Incidentally, she was used to seeing freshwater fishes because there were lakes and rivers in the Sea of Trees. However, she felt they weren’t the same even though the marine creatures were shaped similar to those fishes. Though Hajime thought them as only fish… he didn’t say anything since he read the mood. Hajime was going to be nice to Shia today.
“Hee~, for marine creatures to be inland… that’s the point. Though the management, maintenance, and transportation must be troublesome…”
Though Hajime wasn’t interested at all, he didn’t reject it since he didn’t have any reason to refuse her. Furthermore, Shia was happily smiling as she pulled Hajime’s hand.
On the way in street performers avenue, their eyes were caught by people who did acrobatic as they challenged the human’s limit, when they finally reached the big facility of Meerstat. Maybe as to represent the sea, the whole building was painted in blue and there were crowds of people in there.
The interior was extremely similar to the aquarium in the Earth. However, maybe because they didn’t have the technology to make transparent water tanks that could endure the water pressure like the ones on Earth, bulky glass tiles were buried in the fence made of crystal-like metal, and it only somewhat visible.
However, Shia didn’t mind it. Her eyes sparkled from seeing the marine creatures for the first time, and she spoke to Hajime while pointing her finger. Right next to them, was a little girl with her family who also pointing with sparkling eyes. Unexpectedly, his gaze met the father-like person’s gaze and because Hajime noticed he looked at him with warm gaze. Hajime, who felt awkward, took Shia’s hand and moved elsewhere. Shia was surprised by Hajime’s action but she was happy he took her hand, and needless to say she returned his grasp while blushing.
After this and that, they enjoyed the aquarium for one hour, when Shia suddenly became wide-eyed when she looked at a certain water tank again, and began to stare at it.
Inside was… a Seaman. It was human-faced fish very similar to the one from the game Hajime knew.
“… Wh-why is he here…”
Shia backed away and trembled. Maybe because the Seaman noticed Shia, it turned to watch her with the same lazy expression from inside the water tank. The tension raised for some unknown reason. Because of two people, Hajime looked at the explanation placed beside the water tank.
According to it, this Seaman was an aquatic demonic beast, and it capable of using peculiar magic called “Telepathy.” It seemed to be able to speak fluently though it rarely spoke, and he confirmed from the description that it was famous as a demonic beast one could converse with.
However, even if it was possible to talk to, it would only answer with an unmotivated voice as though the talk was very troublesome for it. Also, caution was necessary because the person it spoke to would become depressed as a side effect. It like alcohol and becomes talkative as it drinks. However, it wouldn’t be called a conversation as a person would one-sidedly continued to preach to the conversation partner… Incidentally, it was named Lehman.
Since Hajime didn’t know whether Shia was simply staring or if she was having at argument with it. However, when sweat lines started to appear on her face and she didn’t reply to him, or when he talked to it in the normal way, he used “Telepathy” instead.
“You, can you really use telepathy? Can you really converse? Can you understand my words?”
Because of the sudden telepathy, Lehman’s eyes twitched for a moment in response. It followed by shifting its gaze from Shia to slowly looking at Hajime. Shia whose expression expressed, Somehow I won!, was ignored.
“… Tch, this should be our first meeting. First, introduce yourself. That is how you show your manner. Good grief, this is why the young people these days…”
He was taught about manners by the fish with a face of an old man. He regretted his mistake. With cramped cheeks, Hajime tried to talk again.
“… My bad. I am Hajime. Looks like you really can converse. Just what is Lehman?”
“… You know. Just what is human? How can you answer that? That’s why, how would I know the answer. Well, I only can say I am me. No more no less. Also, call me by my name or whatever you like.”
Hajime had thought, “Just how does it think…” But somehow it spoke about common sense, moreover it was rather cool. That was completely unexpected. Wasn’t it written that it was unmotivated?, he wanted to complaint to the aquarium’s staff. Hajime was slightly looking at the distance in escapism, but this time a question came from the Lehman.
“I also want to ask one thing. You, why can you use telepathy? There’s no sign of the use of human’s magic… It was as if you are the same as me.”
It was nothing but a natural question. After all, a human was using the peculiar magic, “Telepathy.” It was curious as to why he was able to casually use just like it. It might be the cause of why the rarely talkative Lehman was responding to Hajime’s conversation. Hajime explained he was able to use it by eating the demonic beast that was capable of using telepathy.
“… That’s a lot of hardships for someone so young. Okay, ask me anything you want. This old man will answer anything in my knowledge.”
He was sympathized. Apparently, it thought he was so poor that there was no choice other than eating the demonic beast. When it saw his current appearance and he was wearing good clothing, it said as it sniffled, “Looks like you’ve worked so hard, good boy! It make me want to cry.”
Hajime didn’t correct it because it was the true he had some hard times. However, for him to be sympathized by a fish… it was somewhat depressing. He somehow managed to set it aside and asked Lehman various things. For examples, Does a demonic beast have a clear will?, How were the demonic beasts born?, Are there any other demonic beasts people can communicate with?, … Lehman answered that most demonic beasts didn’t have clear will. It didn’t know any other demonic beasts that could understand human language other than its species. Moreover, it didn’t know how the demonic beasts were born.
Moderate amount of time had passed as he asked a lot of things, and they began to gather attention because it was a surreal spectacle for the onlookers to see a young man and a fish with a face of an old man staring at each other. Shia, who began to feel restless, was tugging Hajime’s sleeve, so Hajime rounded up the conversation.
Even though his conversation with Lehman was somewhat interesting, today was decided for him to go out and spend it with Shia. He would not neglect his promise. Lehman also said, “Oops, looks like I have obstructed your date,” as it rounded up the conversation by reading the mood. By the way, they got along so well that they called each other with “Leh-san” and “Ha-boy.” Hajime could see the “nobleness” inside the Lehman.
In the end, Hajime asked why Lehman was in such a place. The answer was…
“Nn? Just as I said before, I was traveling freely… but the underground water which I was swimming through suddenly sprouted outside and I was thrown away… Before I knew, I was in a grassy place beside a spring. Though I won’t die even without water, I cannot move without it. When I tried to ask for help using telepathy… Well, I was brought here.”
Immediately, a line of sweat flowed from Hajime’s forehead. It was obviously the time when they got out from the Great Dungeon of Raisen. Apparently, Lehman was involved and was launched together with them at that spring. Though the real culprit was the idiot Miledi, there was no change that they got it involved.
Hajime, ahem, cleared his throat, then asked the Lehman.
“Ah~, Leh-san. That is, what can I say. Do you want to get out of here?”
“? That’s, of course. For I am more suited for traveling freely. It is the best for a living thing to live the natural way. Rather than inside such a cage, I prefer to die in the ocean.”
Lehman used lot of connotations in those words. Therefore, Hajime who liked the Lehman decided to help it because he was also at fault.
“Leh-san. If so, I will bring you to a nearby river. Apparently, your situation was caused by my party. Since I will bring you out in few minutes, please believe in me and I will quietly transport you.”
“Ha-boy… Heh, though you are young, to have such way of thinking… I don’t know what will you do, but no one should be able to match your power. I will believe in Ha-boy and wait.”