episode_0082

The debt disappeared.

The moment I heard those words, the emptiness and anxiety I felt looking at the one-room apartment I used to live in, the uncertainty about the future, and the thought of meeting those three people again vanished like melting snow.

No, to be precise, the joy and astonishment were so overwhelming that there was no room left in my heart for thoughts about them.

The debt is gone? The retirement pay is sitting in the bank? The two things I had to obtain to achieve my dream came so easily into my hands?

Since turning 20, my life had been so full of hardships that I had thought obtaining compensation from Mei Luina or receiving retirement pay at the emergency room would not go smoothly.

Even if I could legally claim the retirement pay somehow, the issue lay with the compensation from Mei Luina.

In reality, it was quite absurd that Mei Luina, known as the world’s third-ranked hero and saint, failed to keep a simple promise to me. Yet, I had a feeling that something like this would happen.

It’s hard to explain why I had this feeling… Maybe it was just a foreboding sense that things would turn out that way.

Such forebodings often come true, so I was on edge. But then, just now, I heard from Nis that the debt I should have repaid Mei Luina with had disappeared.

Although I felt a bit sad that I, who should rightfully receive compensation, felt like I had won the lottery, that small sadness quickly dissipated in the overwhelming joy that filled my head and heart.

Yes, the lingering attachment I felt towards those three people wasn’t directed at them. It was about the compensation from Mei Luina!

Realizing that this strange emotion directed towards those three people was actually about the compensation, a weight lifted off my chest.

Logically, it didn’t make sense for me to feel attached to them. After all, it wasn’t like they treated me well.

As I was still savoring the relief of resolving this issue, Nis let out a dry laugh, seemingly mistaken, and said, “Did you have any expectations? Did you think you would form a special relationship with the three due to the treatment?”

“What?”

“The treatment that Mr. Stay provided to you, which I cannot fathom… No, no one in this world can understand, whatever the process was, it was undoubtedly remarkable. Since no one could even discover why you ended up like that.”

A sudden praise from Nis.

For someone like me, just an F-rank Awakener, praise was rarely heard. Knowing that this praise was likely a buildup to something more, I shrugged my shoulders and raised my right hand to scratch the back of my head.

The awkward gesture of shrugging while scratching the back of the head, a standard posture for someone receiving praise.

“But that’s it. Mr. Stay’s role ends there. Well… I personally dislike beating around the bush, so I’ll just say it outright. Even if you think of it as harsh criticism, that’s fine. Because it’s true. Mr. Stay’s value plummeted the moment you returned to normalcy.”

The most standard attitude that receives praise was immediately dissolved by Nies’ sharp words.

The shoulders that had been stiffened and the hands placed on the back of the head went back down, but regardless of my response, Nies continued speaking.

“You are so altruistic that you saved the world even at the cost of sacrificing yourself. If I were to demand a meeting using Mr. Stay’s treatment as an excuse, there is no way you would refuse. You possess a dignity and character that cannot be compared with people like us, true heroes who have sacrificed themselves for the world.”

“What?”

Altruistic…? Dignity and character? True heroes??

It was an undeniable fact that the three of them had almost caused the destruction of the world-class EX gate and had become plant-human hybrids due to the dimensional rift curse.

Yes, they did sacrifice themselves for the world…

But only up to that point.

I was someone who had experienced their true nature firsthand, so I could not agree with Nies’ words coming out now.

As I was about to refute it with gritted teeth, suddenly, the words she had said to me on the day we first met flashed through my mind.

“From now on, your job is to take care of the awakened trio. Don’t worry, I won’t cause any trouble, so you don’t need to worry about that. They are all plant-humans, you know.”

“They must be people you know. You’ve met them before. Mei Luina, Dain Adamas, Mir Ryuin. You know them, right? Well, it may not be a pleasant connection from your perspective, but… I’ll double your original salary, so it’s okay, right?”

“For a month, the Association, along with giant guilds worldwide and the Papal See, tried to find a cure, but ultimately failed. The trio will likely have to remain plant-humans for life. Even the Papal See, who venerates Hero Mei Luina as a saint, has confirmed that their recovery is impossible, so this fact will not be overturned.”

Come to think of it, Nies didn’t use honorifics when referring to those three back then. When talking about them, she treated them dryly, almost like handling objects. There was no special treatment for them like heroes as there is now…?

As soon as that thought crossed my mind, a shiver ran down my spine.

Thoughts that didn’t need to be entertained at this moment filled my mind, and simultaneously, my eyes, moving involuntarily, met Nies’ eyes staring at me.

Nies’ gaze at that moment became a huge piece of evidence, confirming that the thoughts in my head were indeed true.

“But even if you are heroes who saved the world… It’s absolutely unacceptable to let Mr. Stay suffer because of you, who have no value to these heroes, who are considered the best in the world. Even if the time of the three you unknowingly intrude upon is deemed the most valuable in the world, it’s not an exaggeration!”

This person Nies… after separating me from those three, she plans to claim credit and say, ‘I took care of the annoying beggars who saved the world.’!

A stance change unfolding before my eyes.

That blatant stance change, using me as a sacrificial lamb to gain points from the trio who will soon awaken, made my head go blank for a moment.

But only for a moment. I also had something to say, so I shook my head vigorously, rebooting my momentarily stunned mind, and spoke to Nies, who was clearly showing her intentions to overdo things here.

“So, Mr. Stay, do you have something to ask of the three?”

“Excuse me, Miss Nis, I feel like there might be a misunderstanding, so I’ll tell you.”

“…What is it?”

“I dislike those three people.”

Words that came out too easily.

My true feelings towards Dain Adamas, Mir Ryuin, and Mei Luina have remained unchanged since the day I first met them until now.

“Really. If I had to choose between ‘meeting or not meeting,’ I would choose ‘not meeting anymore.’”

Despite many events over the past month, I still disliked those three individuals.

“Miss Nis, you know as well, right? Because you belong to the Central Intelligence Agency. Let me tell you about my past relationship with them.”

And the evidence was clear.

“…I see.”

Even Nis, who tried to probe by showing kindness to those three, couldn’t say anything in response to my statement of ‘dislike.’

“Originally, I never even received an apology for past events. But how can I develop positive feelings towards them?”

The grand plan of correcting a lunatic’s behavior, namely narrowing the gap between myself and those three, had been a month-long endeavor.

During that time, I hadn’t heard a single word of apology from those three regarding past events.

“So, you don’t need to worry. Since the debt is already gone, there’s no reason to go to those three. I won’t go to them.”

So, this was my sincere statement without a hint of falsehood.

“I see… Well then, I’ll take my leave. I have to return the room today. Thank you for coming. Take care.”

“Oh, okay.”

Having said all that needed to be said, there was no need to face Nis any longer.

While it was truly kind of her to pay off my debt and even give me my retirement pay, there was no special reason to feel more grateful than necessary to someone who had initially planned to use my dismissal to turn against those three.

With my boxes packed, I left Nis behind and walked away.

But suddenly, a thought crossed my mind, feeling like something I still needed to do. I stopped briefly, turned around, and with a slightly awkward expression, I told Nis who was looking at me with a puzzled face.

“Well, please don’t bother saying hello to those three. It’s fine if you don’t. No need.”

Thus, I fulfilled my final duty as a caregiver.

Now, shall we go fulfill our dreams?