episode_0077

Having freed himself from Bellita’s mental control, Heid returned to Phellmia with the red-haired warrior who had transformed into a submissive follower.

Since their original goal, Yotun’s heart, had been destroyed, there was no longer any reason to seek out Vesperian.

The plan to recruit someone who had rectified Vesperian’s tragedy and punished the giant’s corpse was merely a fabricated excuse to naturally step foot in this region.

“The hero has returned!”

“Hurrah for Heibor! Hurrah for His Highness the Prince!”

The people of Phellmia, filling the streets, showered Heid with abundant cheers and praise upon his return from battle.

It was truly praiseworthy.

A hero who repelled two Abyssal Priests near Phellmia without any harm. Heid’s feat of overwhelming hundreds of monsters summoned by the Abyssal Priests was truly seen as an unparalleled heroic achievement in their eyes.

“No need to bow your heads. Your lively appearance is truly welcomed.”

With an elegant yet compassionate smile, Heid raised one arm in gratitude for their warm welcome.

The cheers grew even louder.

“Rest assured and take peace. The groups of sociable creatures that threatened you have all been eradicated.”

There is no need for further anxiety.

Trust me and enjoy peaceful days once again.

Words of comfort to provide reassurance and trust. His expression and tone were vastly different from when he confronted Bellita.

“…Hypocrite.”

Diarin, who had been watching him from behind, turned her head away, unable to contain her disapproving thoughts.

She directed them towards the woman silently walking behind her.

“….”

A red-haired warrior, wearing a helmet and a cloak covering her face and left arm.

Following Heid’s order not to speak, Bellita maintained her silence, but she briefly lifted her head to meet Diarin’s gaze with eyes that showed not a hint of enmity, but rather a semblance of goodwill. This gaze sent shivers down Diarin’s spine, causing her to tremble slightly at the sight.

The power of Tiring, which completely suppresses the personality of a person and turns them into a devotee to oneself, was so horrifying and terrifying whenever one experienced its effects firsthand.

======[ Hilde ]======

“Sigh….”

After Belita sprang out like she was going to start a decisive battle, we sat down where we were, tending to our wounds and taking a rest.

“I’m really exhausted….”

“Yeah, finally feeling relaxed now.”

I took off my cloak and let the northern chill cool me down, letting out a long sigh. I was tired. Very much so.

The mental exhaustion that I had to concentrate on to the extreme in order to avoid Belita’s accelerated charge, and the stamina depleted by several rounds of intense combat, now rushed over me like a wave, something I hadn’t realized while facing the enemy.

As we sat quietly for a while, Bardu, who had been watching from a distance, approached us and expressed his gratitude with a cough.

“Thanks for the help. Whether it’s you or Jane, thanks to you guys, I survived.”

He knew exactly who saved him and promptly expressed his gratitude. He was a decent guy for an adventurer.

Although he didn’t hand over a hefty purse, indicating that ultimately he couldn’t surpass the limits of an adventurer.

Adventurers, they should always accompany sincere gratitude with a substantial reward. They don’t even know such basic manners.

“Don’t worry about it. It’s just what we had to do.”

It wouldn’t be right to demand a show of appreciation when expressing gratitude face to face. It would seem too petty. And embarrassing.

So instead of mentioning a reward and making the atmosphere awkward, I waved my left hand lightly and told him not to worry about it.

“Doing what needs to be done… It’s easier said than done, isn’t it?”

Bardu let out a wry smile.

“Rumors are never to be believed. It’s absurd, who would come up with such groundless accusations. It’s an unfounded slander.”

Leaning against Bardu, Jane also smiled softly and offered her praise.

Praise costs nothing, so one can give it as much as they want, right?

Not offering a single silver coin seemed to prick my conscience, as I felt a pang of guilt on my face.

“Well… because I’m hiding the iron mask on my face.”

I chuckled and made a joke.

“Ahaha…”

Perhaps it wasn’t a very funny pun. Jane awkwardly laughed and turned her gaze slightly.

“Haha, that’s true!”

On the other hand, Bardu burst into hearty laughter as if it suited his taste.

His genuine laughter without pretense seemed to indicate that he really enjoyed this kind of wordplay. Is it because he’s over thirty?

◆◆

A little later.

Bardu coughed and stopped laughing, then got to the point.

“…So, what will you do now?”

A question about future plans.

“For now, Jane and I plan to return to Vesperia. There’s no point in heading to Felmia like this.”

“We also need to report to the guild. Whether it’s the Reville upper echelon or whatever, they were complete frauds.”

Bardu and Jane expressed their intention to return.

Since the escort mission ended not just in failure but in total failure, there was no reason to go to Felmia anymore.

Well, that’s the honest truth.

Rather than wasting days heading to Felmia without receiving a single penny, returning to the guild to report the situation and collect the deposited reward would be several times more profitable in terms of time.

“I think that would be better too. That woman from earlier, she might still be following the carriage. There’s no need to invite danger, right?”

Amy also agreed.

Continuing on like this, if that woman were to come back after treating her wounds with a potion, wouldn’t we be putting ourselves in danger?

“That’s true, isn’t it…?”

It was a difficult concern to deny.

Unless it was Nana Pridera, Amy and Kikel’s skills were unlikely to react to Bellita’s surprise attack, even with Ami’s abilities.

If Kikel had a high body temperature, he might react… But it was unreasonable for Kikel, whose body temperature dropped after the battle.

So, considering the safety and time efficiency of the group, it was the right thing to turn back as it was.

“Hmm…”

The problem was that even if this request wasn’t mine, I had a personal reason to head to Felmia.

“This is awkward…”

I closed my eyes, tilted my head slightly, and let out a shallow sigh.

There was intense internal conflict.

The opinion to go back was very rational, but heading to Felmia like this was initiating unnecessary and meaningless danger.

At least for the rest of the group.

But… I was an exception.

Should I say I was the opposite of an exception? For me, going back to Vespyr was several times more dangerous.

Why?

No, do you really not know?

If we go back like this, we’ll meet him. That brainwashed warrior guy.

If we returned to Vespyr, there was a chance, unfortunately, that we would run into Heid and Hayd.

According to the receptionist, he said he would come to Vespyr within a few days due to the giant corpse problem.

…He might already be there.

That’s why I couldn’t rashly suggest going back.

Think about it. Wasn’t the reason for taking on this long-term request in the first place to avoid him?

But now you want to go back?

…Ha, seriously. If that were the case, I wouldn’t have left the city in the first place.

If so, I might have avoided all the trouble up until now.

“Haah…”

I sighed again and sighed deeply in my heart.

To go or not to go, that is the question. It’s like being in a real Hamlet situation.

Really, even if things get complicated, can they get this complicated?

It felt like I should go to a church and receive a purification prayer.

“Heh, Miss Hilde, which way do you prefer…?”

As I pondered for a moment, Freide cautiously approached me and asked. Whether she wanted a knee pillow… no, a thigh pillow, she gently shook her face near my leg.

I didn’t have the courage to say those words out loud, did I?

Subtly peeking through half-closed eyes and scrutinizing my expression, it was so comical that it was almost cute.

She’s the same age as me, but I can’t believe it, really.

Are we really the same age?

Actually, could she be a year or four older than me?

“Hilde, sir?”

…Oh, well. If that’s what you want.

This time, since she fought as hard as I did, I could easily comply with that kind of praise if she wanted it.

It might be impossible for a common guy, but Freide’s appearance and actions were surprisingly cute, so honestly, I found her somewhat likeable.

…Of course, when I say “likeable,” I meant the affection one feels for a junior, a younger sibling, or a pet.

It’s not about liking someone romantically, or even more clandestine reproductive desires.

Naturally, right?

Unless one is completely out of their mind, how could they consider a girl who looks no more than sixteen as a romantic interest, even if she seems mature for her age?

People with such preferences aren’t uncommon, but… no, to be honest, there were quite a lot of them, but at least I wasn’t one of them.

– Sigh.

That’s why I could casually place my hand on Freide’s head without any hesitation and lay it on my thigh.

“Huh?! H-hey, Hilde!”

It was unimaginable that she would allow herself to lie down like that, so Freide was utterly startled and flustered, but…

“Stay still. You look tired.”

I said nonchalantly as I lightly stroked Freide’s head while lying on my thigh.

“What did you ask… um, which side I prefer?”

“Y-yeah…!”

“Well… to be honest, I do want to go to Phelmia like this. Think about it. We’ve come all this way; we should at least see the city before we leave, shouldn’t we?”

As I crafted a reasonable answer, implying that I wanted to visit Phelmia, I calculated that Freide would readily agree.

Even though I thought it was a rather clever move.

“Ah, um, well… Then… Okay, let’s do that.”

After hearing my response, Priddy muttered to herself in a nearly incoherent manner, then nodded vigorously and exclaimed.

“I’ve decided! Let’s go back!”

Contrary to my expectation of agreement with my opinion, she expressed an unmistakable and firm denial.

“…Go back?”

“Yes…”

Priddy replied, avoiding my gaze with a slightly hesitant expression.

“Well… I’m sorry, but honestly, Miss Hilde seems to have… somewhat bad luck, right? So, it seems like we should go against Miss Hilde’s choice in this matter…!”

“……”

I lost my words to say.

Because my thoughts were completely blocked by such a sharp factual attack.

“…I see.”

In the end, I could only nod in agreement. I had no rebuttal.

“Okay, you’re making sensible remarks.”

“You’re so smart! A real genius!”

Amy and Kikel also nodded quickly, creating an atmosphere where even if there were words to refute, they couldn’t be brought up.