episode_0239

After filling up our stomachs, we got back into the carriage and continued along the road.

After half a day of moving forward like that, Hermel and I were able to arrive at a fairly large fortress city. To be precise, I was able to stand at the end of the line of carriages entering the fortress city.

Since it was my first time to this place, I was quietly looking around and taking in the atmosphere, when Hermel spoke in a shaky voice.

“Umm… . It felt more and more familiar, but I never expected it to be here… .”

“Do you know this place?”

At my words, Hermel massaged the back of his neck and nodded.

“I’ve solved a few requests from this adventurer’s guild in the past… . There must be someone who recognizes me.”

Hermel sighed as he said that. And from that shocked reaction, I realized what Hermel was worried about.

I guess he’s worried that he might be harmed by someone recognizing him.

“It’ll be okay. As I said last time, my face is almost unknown. Some people will recognize Hermel, but no one will recognize me.”

“But… . Just by focusing attention on me, the risk of Charles getting caught increases.”

“I understand what Hermel is worried about. But it’ll be really okay. Surprisingly, humans are not very interested in other people.”

“Okay… . Sure?”

I nodded as I looked at Hermel, who showed a shocked reaction. Yes, I’m sure nothing will happen. Thinking so, I leaned back against the coach seat.

After repeating the process of advancing and stopping, advancing and stopping fifteen times, the long procession of carriages finally ended and it was our turn.

Hermel came into the luggage compartment for a moment, put the cloak he had taken off over his head, and spoke.

“Charles, don’t come out, stay there.”

“Yes, I understand.”

As I sat in the luggage compartment and held my breath quietly according to Hermel’s words, I heard the voice of a man who was presumed to be a security guard through the tent.

“Stop! Take a moment… . Uh, Hermel!?”

“Hello.”

The guard called Hermel’s name in an extremely excited voice, as if he recognized Hermel, and Hermel calmly accepted the greeting.

It is said that the guard at the castle gate is something you naturally encounter frequently when solving a quest, but to the point where you have to memorize their faces and names… .

“Bar, it is an honor to meet the hero of Barth City, the Dragon Slayer!!”

“Tsk, don’t call me that. Because it’s a nickname I don’t really like.”

“But… !”

“But, please go to sleep and I will show you your pass, so please let me in quickly. I don’t want to make a fuss for no reason.”

“Oh, sorry! Oh, may I ask what’s in the carriage? This is a procedure that must be followed, so you must tell us!”

Hermel, who was scratching his head at those words, entered the carriage, picked up the squid legs that had been hung from the carriage ceiling, and returned to the coachman’s seat.

“Squid.”

“… yes? Hey, this is a squid… ? It’s too big to be called a squid… .”

“It’s a big squid. There is a sucker here too.”

“Ah, ah… . okay. All right. You have passed! Thank you for your cooperation!”

With those last words, Hermel started moving the carriage again, and after confirming that the carriage had entered the city, I spoke to Hermel.

“The guards were in high spirits, and the hero of Barth City was also a dragon slayer… . Didn’t you just say you completed a few quests? What on earth are you doing here?”

“Hmm… . Hehe.”

Hermel, who scratched his cheek and smiled awkwardly, glanced at me and answered quietly.

“Defeating the manticores that were blocking commercial travel, and eliminating the ogre tribe located in a nearby cave… .”

surely… . These were achievements that could make one famous, but they were a bit lacking to be called a hero.

just as expected. Hermel continued speaking for a while.

“Clearing out a group of griffons perched on a nearby mountain, clearing out a group of wyverns that followed the griffons south… . Follow the wyvern and subdue the dragon nesting in the mountain… .”

“Huh… .”

“Roughly like this… ?”

These stories were not at a level that could be easily overlooked by saying, “This is roughly it.”

But when I looked at it, that story… . When I rode up, I was the cause.

The dragon followed the wyvern, and the wyvern followed the griffon. And the griffon lost its nest and wandered here and there, and the ogre probably settled down to avoid the griffon.

… The manticore was probably just passing by and got caught. Anyway, in the end, the biggest reason it all happened was because the griffon lost its nest. I was the one who destroyed the griffon’s largest habitat and nest.

In the end, I was the cause of these things happening.

It was definitely something to be happy about that Hermel was called a hero for his achievements, but I couldn’t be happy when I thought that such a dangerous thing happened because of me.

“I see… .”

I struggled to answer and looked at Hermel.

Hermel must have felt unfamiliar talking about his accomplishments with his own mouth, so he was smiling awkwardly with his ears turning bright red.

What should I say? I’m sure you don’t want to hear that you’re sorry. Hermel probably didn’t say those things because he wanted me to apologize.

After muttering for a moment, I hugged Hermel from behind and said.

“You had a hard time.”

“… lol. Thank you.”

I don’t deserve to hear thank you. I smiled bitterly as I swallowed the words that were floating around in my mouth, and put a little more strength into the arm that was holding Hermel.

After holding on like that for a while, I slowly relaxed my arms and looked around at the noise coming from around me.

―Is it true that the Dragon Slayer has returned to the city!?

-Really! As I was passing near the checkpoint, I clearly heard the name Hermel!

Perhaps the rumor had already spread, but two men who appeared to be adventurers were raising their voices and talking about Hermel.

These were great achievements to say the least, but seeing them like this made me realize just how high Hermel’s status was.

―Great… ! The face! Did you see the face!?

-I didn’t see it… . It was hard to see because it was covered with a cloak… . Still, the momentum was great, right? We didn’t even make eye contact, but just looking at him made me shiver.

―What a fucking envious bastard… . Where have you ever seen anything like that? Dragon Slayer is not even the name of your dog. ha… . Ahhh! Why was I stuck in the adventurer’s guild at that time!!

-Uh, hey… . Dragon slayers are ultimately adventurers too. Wouldn’t it come if I waited at the Adventurer’s Guild?

As I looked at the two adventurers chatting and smiling happily, Hermel pressed my cheek.

At that feeling, I looked to the side and made eye contact with Hermel, who was pouting his lips.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“No… . I feel good because those adventurers are praising Hermel, almost as if they are supporting him.”

“Eh, ehehe… . Even though it’s a little embarrassing, it’s nice to hear Charles say that.”

I found it so cute that he was covering his face with both hands as if he was embarrassed, so I laughed. I took Hermel’s hand away from his face, kissed him lightly, and smiled.

Then, Hermel’s face turned bright red as if he was going to explode at any moment, and I laughed as I looked at Hermel.

“So what are you going to do now?”

“Umm… . First, leave the carriage and horses at the stables and find a comfortable inn to rest. And then I have to retrieve the money and items I left at the Adventurer’s Guild… . I came here without much thought, but now that I’m here, there’s a lot to do.”

I nodded at those words and put my chin on Hermel’s shoulder, remembering what the adventurers said earlier.

“But is it okay to go to the guild? I heard earlier that other adventurers are dying to see Hermel.”

“It’s okay. Most people can’t even talk properly when they stand in front of me anyway. At best, all you can do is glance at them. Because it was like that in the past.”

“Hmm… . I see.”

“I’m more worried about Charles than I am. If you stick next to me, attention will be drawn to Charles too… . However, if I leave Charles alone, I’m worried that there will be people targeting Charles like last time… .”

Hermel became sullen as he said that, and I rubbed his cheek against him to lighten his mood.

Hermel, who seemed to feel a little relieved and returned to his normal face, gently touched my hand and said,

“What should I do? What do you want to do, Charles?”

“Hmm, I will follow whatever Hermel says. If you’re asking my opinion… . well. If I had to choose, it would be the one next to Hermel, right?”

“Are you okay?”

I laughed bitterly at the question, which was a mix of two conflicting emotions: joy and worry.

No matter how I am, I am still a human being. It is said that there is some concern that a one-in-a-thousand or one-in-1000 situation might occur.

Even if the board is carefully designed so that no gaps can enter, it is only what the person who created the board thinks. There is bound to be a gap somewhere, somewhere.

If I imagine that the regression that was broken because of that gap will come back to its original form and strangle me… .

“… … .”

I took a deep breath and slowly closed my eyes.

“I’d like to say it’s okay――, but I’m a little worried.”

“Umm… . Then, I will go to the guild by myself. Charles is resting at the inn.”

“No, I’ll follow you.”

“Really… ?”

To Hermel’s question, I nodded.

It is true that it is scary. Now that I’ve lost all my strength, if I go back again, I’ll have to struggle to live like I did then.

… Or maybe I should keep them inside my body again.

Anyway, if I was really afraid of that, I wouldn’t have come out like this. He must have lived there his entire life without ever leaving that house on the hill.

But I didn’t come out like this. Didn’t I walk out of solitary confinement of my own volition?

no… . I didn’t walk out on my own. I smiled at Hermel, who was looking at me, and nodded.

“It’ll be okay. I could just wear a cape like Hermel.”

And above all, it will be okay because you are by my side.

I silently swallowed any words that might burden Hermel and smiled.