episode_0011

The hero party traveled through several villages to find Allen and gathered information about him, but there was nothing they could find out.

Currently, the residents of the village where Allen was staying had not spread any rumors about him.

To them, Allen was a grateful presence and at the same time, a strange man who associated with a demon-blooded girl.

“… It’s hard to hear any rumors about him.”

“… Yeah.”

Recently, Eileen couldn’t muster any energy at all.

At first, she was hopeful, but as the hope of finding Allen slowly faded away, her reaction was only natural.

Jenny and Rebecca tried to cheer her up with hopeful words, but hope eventually turned out to be just a seasoning for misfortune.

All hope in the world turned into misfortune if it couldn’t be realized.

“…”

“…”

Jenny and Rebecca exchanged glances with each other.

Although they had often exchanged secretive glances after Allen disappeared, this time it was a truly important issue.

Would Eileen realize her feelings, or would she not?

There was nothing as agonizing as a problem that no matter how much you pondered over, you couldn’t find an answer to.

“It feels a bit awkward to do this without Allen… but there’s no choice.”

“Eileen. Can we talk for a moment?”

“Huh? Suddenly…?”

“Yes. It’s something important.”

Watching Rebecca talking to Eileen, Jenny also sensed something and nodded heavily.

“Me too.”

“…? Okay.”

Rebecca and Jenny, still unnoticed by the clueless Eileen, found a secluded place with no one around.

“What’s the important thing you want to talk about…?”

“…”

“…”

Even though they had made up their minds to speak, the words didn’t come out easily.

Seeing Rebecca hesitating like that, Jenny, with a frustrated look, finally realized that she had to step up and spoke.

“Eileen, how do you feel about Allen?”

“Allen? Well… he’s a trustworthy, valuable comrade.”

Upon hearing that response, Jenny let out a deep sigh.

So that Eileen could see it, very clearly.

“No. You’re wrong.”

“…? What do you mean?”

“It’s wrong to think that your feelings towards Allen are just as a comrade.”

“?”

Eileen still looked at Jenny with a puzzled expression.

Finally, Rebecca also sighed and spoke up.

Since it had already come to this, there was no more delaying the inevitable issue.

“Eileen, you… like Allen. Romantically.”

“…?”

For a moment, Eileen’s expression twisted slightly.

“That can’t be… I just consider him a valuable comrade…”

“Fool. Idiot. A hero who doesn’t even know her own heart.”

“Jenny…”

“No. You have to be this straightforward with this fool. She still hasn’t caught on.”

“Jenny, I really don’t understand what you’re saying…”

“Stop!”

Jenny covered Eileen’s mouth.

Eileen continued to mumble despite being stopped, but the sound coming from her blocked mouth was barely audible, almost like a whimper.

“Now, Eileen. Listen carefully.”

While still covering Eileen’s mouth, Jenny slowly began to explain the reasons why she loved Allen, one by one.

“First of all, you used to hate men. Isn’t that right?”

Nod-

Eileen nodded her head.

“At first, you disliked even Allen approaching you. But later on, you spent time with Allen as if it were nothing. Isn’t that so?”

Nod-

Once again, Eileen nodded her head.

“You probably thought your illness had improved, but you still find it repulsive when other men touch you, right?”

Nod-

“But you thought it was nothing because Allen is a precious colleague to you, right?”

Nod-

“You were wrong. Rebecca and I noticed your feelings for a long time. It seems like you didn’t notice.”

“…”

This time, Aileen did not nod.

She just stared at Jenny with narrowed eyes.

“Sigh… This is driving me crazy.”

Seeing Aileen’s continued lack of understanding, Jenny let out a deep sigh.

“Jenny, I’ll take care of this.”

“Okay.”

With Jenny stepping aside for Rebecca, Aileen finally spoke, her seal broken.

“I… about Allen…”

“Shh. Let me continue.”

“…”

Rebecca hesitated for a moment.

How could she persuade this fool who seemed unaware of her own emotions?

Then, the best way came to mind.

“Aileen, let me ask you one thing. How do you feel in the current situation where Allen is gone, and you don’t even know when you’ll find him?”

“… Sad. I’m anxious at the thought that I might never see him again.”

“Exactly. Now… instead of Allen, imagine that either Jenny or I disappeared like Allen.”

“… I did.”

“Now compare the feelings you have now with that scenario. How different are they?”

…!

Aileen’s eyes wavered as she suddenly realized the truth.

Even to herself, the emotions she felt when Allen disappeared were stronger than if Jenny or Rebecca had vanished.

“Aileen, I understand that your feelings towards men are complicated. You may have developed a phobia of men, which could explain it. But… at least you should understand your own feelings.”

“…”

Thud-

After Rebecca finished speaking, Aileen collapsed on the spot.

Jenny and Rebecca could only watch her with bitter eyes.

From now on, it was a problem she had to solve on her own.

It would be tormenting, difficult, and painful, but only she could overcome those emotions.

‘Me… Allen…’

Aileen, who belatedly realized her own feelings, felt a suffocating agony.

The vivid memories of Allen’s face, voice, and touch still pierced Aileen’s heart like sharp blades.

Aileen’s heart pounded fiercely.

She wanted to run to Allen right now and confess that she had finally understood her feelings.

But he was already far away.

She couldn’t convey her feelings to him.

“…”

[Is this a big problem?]

[It was something that had to happen at least once.]

Rebecca and Jenny exchanged whispers while discreetly observing Aileen’s condition.

Her state appeared so serious at a glance.

[I think we need to find Allen as soon as possible.]

[Yes…]

Aileen crouched for a long time, silently sobbing.

The two couldn’t bring themselves to reach out to her due to the overwhelming gloom surrounding her, but they suddenly realized that something was approaching from afar.

Thud-thud-thud-

“That is…”

At first glance, knights in splendid attire were approaching the hero party on horseback.

They were probably knights sent by the emperor.

“… Could it be.”

An uneasy assumption flashed through their minds.

Despite having defeated the demon king…

“Here you are, noble knight! His Majesty has urgently summoned you to the capital!”

“Wait! We’ve already defeated the Demon King, why are we being called?”

Still crouching to shield Aileen, Rebecca spoke to the knight as if shooting an arrow.

“We received information that remnants of the Demon Army are planning to attack the Empire.”

“… Is it true?”

“Yes!”

“…”

Doubt flickered in Rebecca’s eyes.

It wasn’t unreasonable, but someone’s intentions were strongly felt.

“Let’s go.”

“Aileen?”

“If we kill them all… we can go find Allen.”

…”

Although Aileen was worried, Rebecca silently followed Aileen onto the horse.

Perhaps Aileen needed a way to express her emotions right now.

“So many remnants of the Demon Army left…?”

As they departed with the knights, Jenny muttered with a puzzled expression.

“I want to come along too.”

“Huh?”

Early in the morning, as Allen stepped out of the girl’s house, he turned back at her sudden words.

…”

Seemingly a big decision for the girl, she looked at Allen with a resolute expression despite trembling.

“It might be dangerous, are you okay with this?”

“…Yes!”

With Allen’s almost permission, the girl relaxed and stood by Allen.

“I still don’t know your name. Can you tell me your name?”

…”

After a moment of silence, the girl finally spoke.

“My name is… Lily.”

“Lily…”

Allen nodded with a smile.

“That’s a nice name.”