Following that, one person unsteadily moved within Kouki's party. With a smile plastered on her face which didn't reach the eyes... it was Kaori. Kaori unsteadily approached him and suddenly, glare, her eyes opened wide then she caught Hajime.
"Hajime-kun! What does this mean!? Is she really Hajime-kun's daughter!? Who's the mother!? Yue-san!? Shia-san!? Or, is it that black-haired person!? Don't tell me, there are others!? Just how many did you make pregnant!? Answer me! Hajime-kun!"
Gripping Hajime's collar, Kaori shook Hajime in confusion. Although Hajime tried to say it was a misunderstanding and get away from her, he couldn't get away because Kaori gripped him with such ridiculous strength he had no idea she had. From behind Kaori, "Kaori, please calm down! There's no way she is his daughter, you know!" Shizuku admonished and pinioned her, but it seemed like Kaori did not hear her.
On the other hand, they could hear whispers and rumours coming from the surroundings.
"What's this? A scene of carnage?"
"It looks like, he got another woman pregnant while he has another woman?"
"And not only one or two."
"Doesn't it seem like he got five pregnant at the same time?"
"Well, I heard he created a harem and made tens of women pregnant, I think?"
"But, he seemed to have hidden it from the wife."
"I see... so today he got found out huh."
"To create a harem... how enviable."
"What an honorable man... he is better off dead though."
Apparently, it turned out that Hajime was a married brute who hid the fact that he was the master of a harem and made tens of women pregnant while keeping it a secret from his wife. Hajime, who was currently being shaken by Kaori, was looking at the ceiling with half-closed eyes, and then he leaked a deep sigh while patting Myuu, who wondered what happened and tilted her head.
* * *
The appearance of Kaori, whose head was buried in Shizuku's chest with a crimson face, looked as though she wanted to bury herself in a hole. Regaining her composure, she noticed she had shouted something unbelievable, and her embarrassment came in at mach-speed. "It's okay~, it's okay," the appearance of Shizuku comforting her was just like a mother... no, let's stop here.
Hajime and the others had moved away from the entrance gate and arrived at the plaza in the town's entrance. After his honor, which had gone up made a sharp fall in the public eyes, he reported to the branch head, Lorr, about the accomplishment of the request. And after two or three conversations, he decided to leave the town quickly to escape the various commotions. To begin with, he had only come here to deliver the letter from Ilwa to Lorr, so there was neither a need to resupply nor problem if they left immediately.
Kouki's party came back one by one after the leaving Hajime's party due to following Kaori. Kaori, still writhing in embarrassment, was desperately thinking about what she should do. She had to decide whether she would separate from Hajime as she was or follow him. Her feelings were more inclined to follow him. She didn't want to separate after they were finally reunited.
However, she could not make a clear decision because of her her guilt from leaving Kouki's party and how she was shaken by Hajime's changes. Moreover, there was the effect from her shaking being seen through and sneered at.
Kaori, just like what Yue did to her, had guessed how strong Yue's feelings were towards Hajime. Following that, more than anything, how Hajime thought of Yue as someone important to him became a thorn that pierced and stuck onto her heart. The two thought of each other. Then, the one-sidedly ridicule, "So that's the extent of your feelings" doubted the strength of Kaori's shaken feelings.
She was wondering whether her feelings would lose to Yue's, and now, whether her feelings should be set aside so it would not become a nuisance. But more importantly, was she really looking at the current Hajime beside her? Or was she only thinking of the past Hajime? That, coupled with Yue's extraordinarily high abilities as his partner and how dignified she was made Kaori... overwhelmed. In short, she had lost her confidence in herself as a woman, as a magic-user, and even her feelings towards Hajime.
Finally, it was the time for Hajime's party to leave, and for some reason the atmosphere was full of unrest. Noticing that and raising her face, Kaori saw around ten of men blocking their way.
"Oi oi, just where do you think you are going? You made our comrades into such rag-tags, do you think you can go without an apology? Ah? Ah!?"
The dirty looking armed man smiled inappropriately as he looked at Tio and said. Apparently, they were the comrades of the fellows who previously tried to kidnap Myuu. They came to take revenge on Tio. But, those vulgar gazes were obviously