Chapter 4: Hero: Yerin’s regret, Part 2

Sob… sniffle…

Standing before me is a delicate, pitiful, weeping man.

Not brawny, nor a shota-like pretty boy that would appeal to… certain tastes.

Just a normal, reasonably tall, handsome, gentle-looking guy named Allen.

The original owner of the body I now inhabit.

Even after my outburst about this world’s disregard for clichés, he just keeps crying, completely unfazed.

There has to be a reason why I’m meeting him in this dream… but if he won’t talk…

“…Hey, Allen. Why are you crying?”

Oops… I blurted that out.

“Sniff… These are tears of joy. Sniff… I’m finally free…”

He stops crying and looks at me.

So he was just going to keep crying until I said something?

“Joy? Why?”

“Because you did what I always wanted to do.”

“I haven’t done anything you wanted.”

“Yes, you have. You were cruel. I always wanted to lash out, to be harsh, but I was too weak. I always chose to endure the abuse instead. But you… you did it for me. I’m so grateful.”

He wanted out that badly?

I criticized his spinelessness when I read the novel, but seeing him like this… I can’t help but feel sorry for him. He really was pathetic.

“Okay, I get that. So, do you know why I’m having this dream? Why you’re here?”

“Because this is the only way I can interact with that world.”

Interact?

“Interact how…?”

“That’s all. I’ve reached the limit of my interaction. Wake up now.”

“Huh?”

Wake up? The limit?

What limit?! I have no idea what’s going on!

“Hey, wait—!”

“Gasp!”

…I’m awake.

Back in my room at the inn.

“…What was that…?”

That dream… it was definitely significant.

The vivid memories, the lingering emotions… it felt like some kind of system, a cliché isekai mechanic in this otherwise cliché-defying world.

I don’t know if I’ll have this dream again. Or what triggers it. Or how often.

“I need to figure this out.”

Allen said he could only interact with the world to a certain extent.

A limited amount of interaction… It can’t be a time limit. Dreams don’t work that way.

I’ll have to time it next time.

Maybe it’s a limit on the number of words exchanged.

Including his final statement… ten sentences.

Eleven, if you count the one I was about to say. That seems plausible.

Or maybe it’s the number of questions I ask.

I asked four: why he was crying, why he was happy, what he wanted, and why he was in my dream.

Four… not three, not five. An odd number.

The question limit theory is possible, but I think the total number of sentences exchanged is more likely.

Or maybe it’s a limit on my sentences, or only his… Ugh, I don’t know.

Enough about the dream.

Time to do something else.

I planned on resting today, but I feel surprisingly refreshed after a good night’s sleep.

I can’t advance the plot yet, so I might as well prepare.

And how does someone with the potion-making talent prepare?

By gathering potion ingredients, of course.

I head downstairs.

“Oh? Going out? Have a good one~!”

“Yep.”

The innkeeper greets me cheerfully.

A short walk from the inn leads to a small forest.

This is another reason why Allen liked this place.

A small, two-story inn near a forest wasn’t ideal for most, but it was perfect for Allen, who frequently gathered ingredients.

There are a few other regulars, but I don’t see them now.

I’m here for teleportation and paralysis potion ingredients.

You’re probably wondering if I can really make both potions in a single day, and if this small forest has all the necessary ingredients.

The answer to both is yes.

The three basic potions—healing, paralysis, and anesthetic—can be made by anyone, and I always carry my potion-making kit.

So, the paralysis potion is no problem.

And the teleportation potion… the ingredients are easy to find.

The teleportation potion is Allen’s unique creation, unknown to anyone else.

The recipe is complex, but it doesn’t take long to make, and the ingredients are simple. Perfect for today.

The ingredients for the two potions are completely different, so it’ll take some time to gather everything…

“That was faster than expected.”

I was expecting to get lost, but the forest layout was described in detail in the early chapters of the novel.

I memorized it, thinking it might be important later. That really paid off.

I left early in the morning, and now it’s almost noon. Time to head back to the inn.

Even though gathering the ingredients was quick, I ventured deep into the forest, so it’ll take a while to get back.

“Oh, this is…”

I’m standing where Allen and Yerin first met.

Yerin, the hero, was also from Earth.

Allen found her in the forest, confused and disoriented after being forcibly summoned to this world.

He helped her adjust, explaining things she didn’t understand about this world’s culture.

Like in many isekai stories, Yerin was chosen by a holy sword, becoming the hero.

And since Allen was the first person she met, they formed a party.

Allen had a crush on Yerin.

Love at first sight, or something.

He described her as having long, flowing black hair, obsidian eyes, delicate features, and a cute face.

It was hard to picture her from the novel’s description alone, but she really was pretty and cute.

Of course, the only times I saw her were when she was exhausted from fighting the Demon King, and then devastated when I left.

But even then, she was easily a top-tier beauty, even by Earth standards.

“Anyway…”

This isn’t the time to reminisce about Allen’s memories.

I should be able to find my way back from here…

“…Allen?”

“…!!”

Wait, that voice…

“Is… is that really you, Allen? I’m… I’m not seeing things, am I?”

What the—?! Why is she here?! This wasn’t part of the plan!

It’s been a day since Allen left. It still doesn’t feel real. I don’t want to accept it.

His harsh words, his sudden departure… it was a huge shock.

I need to see him. I need to apologize. But I don’t know where he is.

I slept well during our travels, even through late mornings in our makeshift camps. But without Allen, I couldn’t sleep in the palace. I woke up early, restless.

I didn’t even dream of him, so I didn’t want to go back to sleep. I left my room, and…

“Hmm…? What’s up, Hero Yerin? It’s not like you to be up early.”

Lilia, who usually wakes up early, greets me, rubbing her eyes.

“Oh… I couldn’t sleep…”

“…Because of Allen?”

“!!!”

How did she know?

“You’ve been down since he disappeared. You still look heartbroken.”

…Is it that obvious?

“Well… I’m quite shocked as well. I never thought Allen would suddenly change like that.”

“…I need to apologize.”

“…?”

“I need to apologize for what we did to Allen…!”

“I agree that we need to talk to him. If he had complaints, why didn’t he tell us? Why did he choose to leave like that?”

Lilia doesn’t understand.

She doesn’t realize that Allen tried to speak up many times, but she never listened.

She’s overlooking her own fault in this.

And… I’m guilty too.

I knew what was happening, but I stayed silent, hoping Allen would continue to endure.

I need to apologize to him as well.

Footsteps

“Where are you going…?”

“Just… I want to clear my head. I’m going for a walk…”

“Alright. Don’t be out too late.”

I’m heading to the place where I first met Allen.

I always visit this place whenever I’m in the capital, to remember our first encounter.

The palace is far from the forest.

I’d usually take a carriage to the edge of the forest, but Allen has all our money. So, I’m walking.

I feel like I need to walk there.

People recognize me as the hero and try to talk to me, but I ignore them.

I don’t want to talk to anyone right now.

I need to get there… quickly.

Lost in my thoughts, I finally arrive.

But there’s someone else here… wait…

“Allen?”

He’s not wearing his usual armor. He’s in casual clothes, like when I first met him.

I can only see his back, but it’s definitely him. I’m not hallucinating.

“…Is it really you, Allen?”

If… if it’s really you… please… turn around, look at me, and smile…

Call my name in your cheerful voice…！