Celebration Party!

◈

After the Monster Parade was completely over, we proceeded with the cleanup of the mass of monster corpses together with the city people.

Some people had evacuated, but quite a few remained.

When we announced that the Monster Parade was over, the city people rejoiced with cheers no less enthusiastic than the adventurers.

And since they couldn’t fight, they offered to help with the cleanup.

We couldn’t clear everything, but we were somehow able to process the corpses of monsters that were worth money.

And when evening came.

“”Cheeeeeers!””

We all held a celebration party in the Adventurer’s Guild.

“Yeah! At that time! With my bri~lliant mind, I used slimes and whoosh whoosh whoosh!”

And I boasted freely about my accomplishments today in the midst of the drinking party.

“I really didn’t think the slimes would grow.”

“Your magical power is really ridiculous. Why’d you become a healer? You should’ve used attack magic.”

“My body has a rejection reaction when I try to use magic other than recovery magic.”

“Wow… that’s really unfortunate.”

“But deliberately evolving monsters… especially slimes, is illegal…”

“Hey! Who cares about that in a crisis situation! Besides, I didn’t do it with bad intentions!”

“Yeah, that’s right. We shouldn’t be nitpicking about that!”

“Drink, drink!”

“Hey, Jin-sang! Your heal was really awesome! No, that monster-like thing, when I got hit by its club and was blown away, I thought I was done for. But I recovered right away.”

“Uwahaha! Are you just realizing that now?”

Not just the magician team, but vanguard members who were indebted to me also came to talk to me.

“To recover not just wounds but also stamina and magic…”

“Hey, Jin-sang! If you’re interested, would you like to join our party?”

A party composed of only C-rank adventurers even went so far as to invite me.

“Ah…!”

Of course, I wouldn’t accept such an offer!

“Ebebere, no thanks! It’s already too late! I already have Luna noona, the strongest partner! Right, noona!”

“Y-yes! Th-that’s r-right! J-Jin-sang and I are the st-strongest combo! So y-you absolutely c-can’t have him!”

“Hahahaha! I was just joking.”

“We have consciences too. Would we take away someone who’s in the same party as Luna?”

“Ah, but let’s occasionally take on requests together. With Jin-sang and Luna, we’d feel more secure.”

“That’s fine. Right, Luna noona?”

If it’s joint commissions, we can earn money safely.

“Y-yes…”

“But why are you only talking to me! Of course, I’m the nu!mber! one! contributor to this crisis! But our Luna noona is also super awesome! She took down the Ogre Champion!”

Our strongest combo isn’t just me, Luna noona is awesome too!

“That’s right. Luna was also incredible.”

“To be able to attack so quickly…”

“Honestly, I’m confident in my speed too, but I couldn’t see it at all.”

“The final blow was really amazing.”

“If stamina wasn’t an issue, she’d be completely A-rank material. Ah, with Jin-sang together, is she practically A-rank already?”

“Uwahaha! That’s why we’re the strongest combo! Luna noona! Let’s shout together! We are the strongest combo!”

“W-we are the st-strongest combo…!”

“Hey, Jin-sang. Luna is embarrassed?”

“Shut up! At times like this, you should shout with excitement!”

I hadn’t drunk any alcohol, but I was thoroughly intoxicated by the atmosphere.

And just as the mood was becoming lively.

“Ahem, everyone’s attention please.”

The Guild Master stood up and addressed everyone.

We all closed our mouths to listen to the Guild Master.

“Thanks to everyone’s strength, we were able to overcome the Monster Parade. Because none of you ran away and fought bravely, we can face this very moment right now. However.”

The Guild Master paused for a moment before speaking.

“Nevertheless, there is one person at this gathering who made the greatest contribution. And I believe that person is Jin-sang. Without him, we would have faced great difficulties in less than an hour, and even if we had won, we wouldn’t have been able to hold such a joyful celebration.”

Hehehe, it’s a fact, but being praised feels so good.

“Jin-sang’s contribution must be rewarded! Therefore! I hereby declare that our Kellion’s greatest quack healer, Jin-sang, will be promoted to C-rank! Does anyone object!”

“”No objections!””

Wow! C-rank!

“Luna noona! I’m now C-rank! The same C-rank as Luna noona!”

“Y-yes! Co-congratulations, J-Jin-sang! R-really… co-congratulations…”

Luna noona was perhaps so happy that she conveyed her congratulations with a dazed expression.

This is Luna noona’s cute side.

“Jin-sang, would you come and share your thoughts?”

“Of course! I’ll be right back! Noona!”

“Y-yes!”

I quickly went to the Guild Master’s side and shared my thoughts.

“I’m sooooo~! Happy! Yay! I’m a C-rank now! But, while I may be the best, could you drop the ‘quack healer’ part?”

“I can’t tell a lie, can I?”

“”Hahahahaha!””

The adventurers all laughed at the Guild Master’s words as he shrugged his shoulders.

“That’s right! The Guild Master can’t lie!”

“Congratulations on becoming the best quack healer, Jin-sang!”

“If you’re upset, get certified or something~”

“Ah, you people! I won’t treat your hangovers!”

“Even if you’re a quack, Jin-sang is the best! Jin-sang’s warm heal… I still remember it~♡”

“Eeeeek! A-anyway, my promotion and everything else, let’s all enjoy today to the fullest! Once more, cheeeers!”

“”Cheeeeeers!””

◈

Late into the night.

No, with the energy to stay up all night, Luna noona and I slipped out midway from the burning Adventurer’s Guild.

“Phew, we finally got out.”

“J-Jin-sang. Is it o-okay to leave?”

“It’s fine. I’ve already said everything I wanted to say. And I’ve eaten everything! Rather, if we stayed, I could only see a future of being forced to drink lots of alcohol and getting sick.”

“I-I see.”

I walked along the night street with Luna noona.

Not just the Adventurer’s Guild, but people who knew the Monster Parade had ended or those who arrived late at night were holding parties in restaurants.

While it was noisy inside the establishments, the streets were somewhat quiet at night.

It was quite a cheerful and pleasant atmosphere.

“Luna noona.”

“Y-yes!”

“Thinking about it again, didn’t our strongest combo perform amazingly? We created a slime wall, I healed, Luna noona helped me, and at the end, Luna noona delivered the finishing blow!”

“It’s a-all thanks to y-you, Jin-sang. Without y-you, I couldn’t have d-done any of that.”

“Conversely, without Luna noona, I couldn’t have moved so quickly… If it wasn’t for Luna noona, healing the raiding people would have been delayed! Indeed, we two are a perfect match!”

I extended my hand to Luna noona.

“Looking forward to working with you in the future, Luna noona!”

Let’s grow together and join a hero party!

“Y-yes! L-looking forward to w-working with you too, Jin-sang! He-hehe!”

Luna noona seemed happy as she firmly grasped my hand and swung it back and forth.

After escorting Luna noona home.

I made my way to Miriana noona’s place.

Knock knock knock!

“Miriana noonaaaaa!”

“Is that Jin-sang?”

As I knocked on the door, Miriana noona opened it and welcomed me.

“Yes!”

“…Jin-sang, have you been drinking? You smell of alcohol.”

“No. Maybe the smell rubbed off from all the people drinking heavily at the guild?”

“Really? Then come in and wash up. The smell is really strong.”

Is it that bad?

After entering Miriana noona’s house, I immediately washed up and came out.

“Phew! Refreshing!”

“That’s better now. So Jin-sang, why did you come? Shouldn’t you be enjoying yourself more at the guild?”

“It became full of drunk people, and they looked like they were about to force me to drink too.”

“You could just drink?”

“I don’t like alcohol.”

“Your taste is still so childish. So you came to my house to take refuge?”

“Yes, I’ll sleep on the sofa and go.”

At my words, Miriana noona shrugged and said.

“I thought you came to offer me your pity after overcoming the Monster Parade.”

“Hey! My principles are firm!”

“Yeaah~ you’re just a scaredy-cat with principles~”

“Geez, noona!”

“Pfft.”

Miriana noona patted the space beside her and said.

“Jin-sang, come here.”

“M-my principles are firm…”

“It’s not about that, so come here.”

“Okay.”

As I sat next to Miriana noona.

Suddenly, Miriana noona hugged me.

“Mi-Miriana noona!?”

How could this be!

She tricked me!?

Oh, no!

At this rate, my principles will be brokennn…!

“Jin-sang.”

Miriana noona whispered in my ear with a very gentle voice.

“Thank you.”

“N-noona?”

“Both then and now, I saved my life thanks to you. Thank you so much, Jin-sang.”

“Um… th-this time, it wasn’t just me, other people also worked hard…”

“Still.”

Hugging me even tighter, Miriana noona said.

“The person with the greatest contribution to overcoming this crisis is you, isn’t it?”

“Th-that’s true!”

“Fufu, so to me, it’s thanks to Jin-sang. Thank you so much, Jin-sang. Jin-sang is… my hero.”

Hero.

That word lingered in my ears as if echoing multiple times.

I thought that someday I would join a hero party and defeat the Demon King together.

I would eventually become a hero.

But even so.

It wasn’t bad to first become Miriana noona’s hero like this.

“Noona…”

“Well, you do have aspects like an incel who can’t even respond when a woman makes a move?”

“H-hey!”

No harsh truths allowed!