Decision

◈

Even though it was night, it wasn’t yet time to sleep.

“Slurp. Haah…”

I drank the warm fruit tea that Miriana-noona had given me.

“It’s delicious.”

“I bought it specially for Jin-sang with his childish taste. How about that? Isn’t noona the best?”

“Yes!”

“My goodness, you only answer properly at times like this.”

Miriana-noona took a sip of her fruit tea and then asked me.

“Come to think of it, Jin-sang, what are you going to do now?”

“Huh? About what?”

“You’ve become a C-rank now, just like Luna, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then you can’t stay in this city forever. Didn’t our Jin-sang’s goal involve joining a hero party and defeating the Demon King?”

“That’s true. Hmm, but I just became a C-rank. First, I need to get used to missions appropriate for C-rank.”

“Well, that makes sense. So once you get used to it, you’ll leave?”

“I suppose so.”

“…Jin-sang. I’m curious. What will our Jin-sang do after defeating the Demon King?”

“After defeating it? Hmm…”

Well, first I’d ask the goddess to grant my wish for the power to travel between this world and my original world.

But even if I got that power, I probably wouldn’t use it right away.

After defeating the Demon King, there would surely be festivals, and we’d receive huge rewards…

Hehehe, it would be good to enjoy everything this world has to offer to the fullest, then leisurely return to my original world.

But above all else…

“I’d come back here after receiving the reward.”

“You’ll come back? Really?”

“Yes.”

I nodded and then said with a grin:

“I’ll come back to brag to everyone! Especially to Miriana-noona!”

“To me?”

“Yes. That I’m no longer a coward, but Hero Jin-sang!”

“Pfft, what’s that? Even if you become a hero, won’t you still be a coward?”

“H-hey! You shouldn’t say such things to a future hero!”

“Yeah~ yeah~.”

Miriana-noona laughed playfully and then smiled gently.

“Anyway, you’ll come back, right?”

“Of course.”

“Then that’s fine.”

“Huh? What is?”

“Just something. More importantly, Jin-sang, you need to tell me before you leave, okay? I’ll be upset if you suddenly disappear.”

“I understand.”

“If you tell me the date, I’ll prepare Ogre Champion steak for that day.”

“I’ll definitely tell you!”

I can’t resist Ogre Champion steak!

“Oh, but Jin-sang. Will Luna be going with you when you leave?”

“Huh?”

Why is this noona suddenly asking such a strange question?

“Isn’t that obvious? We’re the strongest combo! Of course we’ll go together!”

“That’s a relief. I was worried that our Jin-sang might have gotten famous and decided to form a party with others instead of Luna.”

What is this noona saying!

“Hey! I’ll get angry if you say things like that! Do I look that heartless to you? And there’s no strongest combo that could replace Luna-noona anywhere!”

“Well, though you’re a coward, our kind-hearted Jin-sang wouldn’t do that.”

Stop calling me a coward.

Ah.

“Ah.”

“Hmm? What’s wrong?”

“There’s something that’s been bothering me a little.”

“What is it?”

I shared with Miriana-noona a concern that had been on my mind for a while.

“Luna-noona… has a house she bought in Kellion.”

“And?”

“If she leaves with me… she’ll have to leave the house she just bought, right? I feel a bit sorry about that… Plus, don’t you have to pay basic taxes when you own a house?”

“You do.”

“I feel guilty about making taxes pile up for a house that won’t be used while we’re gone…”

“Our Jin-sang worries about the strangest things.”

“Of course I do! How important is a home! Honestly, it’s hard to get a house! So asking her to leave it behind and go on an adventure with me seems… I feel really guilty!”

“Then can’t she sell it?”

“That would solve the tax issue, but asking her to sell a house she just managed to buy because we’re going on an adventure also makes me feel guilty!”

Besides, it’s not my house, it’s Luna-noona’s.

“Hmm… Well, if Luna bought the house with the intention of living here permanently, that would be one thing… But honestly, if it’s Luna, if you asked her to leave together, wouldn’t she happily dispose of the house and go with you?”

“Uh… really?”

“Yes. Don’t you know Luna’s personality? She was always sad because her parties kept breaking up. But if you, Jin-sang, ask her to leave together? She’d be overjoyed.”

I-is that so?

“And Jin-sang, you don’t plan to dissolve your party with Luna, right?”

“Of course not.”

“Then you can discuss the future of your party and decide what to do. Whether to keep the house or sell it. That’s Luna’s choice, isn’t it? If you feel guilty, you can just apologize.”

As expected of Miriana-noona.

She was giving me clear answers to the issues troubling my mind.

“Yes, I’ll try that! …When it’s time to prepare to leave.”

It doesn’t seem right to ask right away.

As if she saw through my thoughts.

“Coward.”

Miriana-noona said with a look of someone staring at a truly pathetic person.

Ahem, ahem!

◈

Two weeks had passed since we resolved the Monster Parade.

All the people who had evacuated returned, and Kellion regained its usual vitality.

But something different from the usual emerged.

That was… the attitude toward this awesome healer, Lee Jin-sang!

“Jin-sang. I got injured during this quest. Can you heal me?”

“Jin-sang! I’m doing some magic experiments, can you come with me? Fill up my mana a bit.”

“Hey, Jin-sang! Make a recovery area so I can do some training!”

“Jin-saaaang! …Does your magic by any chance affect vitality?”

Voices asking for my help were increasing from everywhere!

But…

“Pay up, people! I can offer services a couple of times because we overcame the Monster Parade together, but now you’re trying to get it for free! You’re trying to bleed me dry!”

“”Tch.””

People immediately backed away with a hissing sound.

Just because I’m a bit kind, they try to take advantage of me.

“Luna-noona! Let’s go on a quest! Today’s C-rank monster was… Fuse Lizard, right?”

“Y-yes! L-let’s go, Jin-sang!”

After shaking off the cheapskates who didn’t want to pay, Luna-noona and I went outside to take on a quest.

As soon as we left the guild, I hopped onto Luna-noona’s back.

“Stamina Regeneration! Go, go, go!”

“G-go, go!”

Tatatatatatadadak!

We set off toward our destination using Luna-noona’s fast legs and my recovery magic for high-speed travel.

On the way, I complained to Luna-noona.

“Noona, wasn’t that too much earlier? They were trying to get treated for free without paying, seriously.”

“Y-yeah…”

“Well! It’s all because everyone knows how awesome my recovery magic is! Recently, the number of people who want to take quests with our strongest combo has also increased.”

“I-I… um… p-prefer doing quests j-just with Jin-sang…”

“I feel more comfortable with Luna-noona too.”

“R-right? H-hehe…”

On the day the Monster Parade occurred.

Luna-noona said it would be good to accept joint quests with others as a party.

But for some reason, when another party actually asked to do a quest together, Luna-noona refused.

-I-I’ll only do it w-with Jin-sang!

That was unexpected at the time.

Well, if Luna-noona doesn’t want to, I don’t particularly mind.

Besides, we can handle C-rank monster subjugation quests with just our strongest combo.

After arriving at the quest location.

We were immediately able to find our target monster, the Fuse Lizard.

-Shaaaaah!

A lizard monster that looked about twice the size of an adult man but made a snake-like sound.

Since it’s a C-rank monster, we only needed to subjugate this one.

And in front of our Luna-noona, who even took down an Ogre Champion!

“Let’s go, Luna-noona! Dance of the Moon Rabbit! Dance of the Fire Rabbit!”

“Flame Burst!”

Shashashashashashak!

-Shaaaaaaaak!

One technique is all it takes.

“Oh my, the Fuse Lizard was subjugated so quickly… Thank you.”

“Hehehe, I just did what an adventurer should do! Ah, please give me the certificate.”

“Certainly.”

After getting the certificate of monster subjugation from the village chief.

Luna-noona and I headed back toward Kellion.

“Since we finished early, we should arrive by evening.”

“Y-yes!”

“Today we’re having dinner at Luna-noona’s place, right?”

“T-that’s right! I-I’ll make d-delicious carrot dishes!”

“There will be meat too, right?”

“Y-yes! C-carrot and meat stir-fry! I also have carrot meat roast! And carrot meat stew! And carrot meat soup!”

“Oh, sounds delicious!”

Luna-noona’s cooking is delicious, even though carrots are the main ingredient.

Well… there are too many carrots, but…

By the way, what’s carrot meat stew?

While thinking about the food we’d eat for dinner, I organized my thoughts about everything that had happened so far.

During these two weeks, Luna-noona and I had already completed more than 10 C-rank quests together.

That’s enough to say we’ve become familiar with C-rank quests.

Which means… it’s about time to prepare to leave Kellion.

I need to tell Miriana-noona that we’ll be leaving soon.

Most importantly.

I need to ask Luna-noona to leave together…!

And tell her that we’ll either have to abandon or sell her house!

Coming from my original world where real estate was especially precious and valuable, this made it particularly difficult to bring up.

But the time has finally come to gather my courage and speak up.

Alright.

I’ll say it.

Tonight.

I’ll tell Luna-noona!

For the future of our strongest combo!