My Cute Hero, ♡
“Thank you! Thanks to you, I got a big chunk of forest wolf fur!”
With the forest wolves finally defeated, I distributed the loot. I handed out plenty of fur to Roland and Reti, who had been waiting for it, and that was their reaction.
“Come on, Reti. You kept me alive out there.”
Reti scratched her cheek, looking a little embarrassed as she said that.
“It was thanks to Abel saving us time. I’m a mage, after all—I need a lot of mana to cast even basic spells… so I’ve been dragging Roland around every single day.”
“Still, the power is definitely there.”
I didn’t know much about magic, but watching a giant forest wolf lose its balance and get knocked back by Reti’s spell was enough to show how powerful it was.
“Hehe, thank you.”
“Roland, how are your wounds?”
“Thanks to Estelle. She’s got incredible divine power.”
It looked like the saint had properly healed him. Once we defeated the forest wolves, the ranch owner kept thanking us.
“Oh my! Really, I can’t thank you enough. I was so suspicious for nothing…”
“It’s fine. Anyone would’ve thought that.”
“I’ve got a request already, so the guild will handle the reward separately, but I’m so grateful I can’t just give you this much. I’d really like to give you something else…”
“Eh, it’s okay.”
“Don’t refuse. See, our ranch’s beef is really delicious.”
The ranch owner handed each of us a generous portion of beef—enough for a solid meal.
“Thank you, I’ll eat it well.”
“I don’t have anything else to offer except this, so I feel a little sorry…”
“Hey, you’ve already spoiled us rotten.”
“Heh heh, you’re a good-hearted friend.”
After saying goodbye to the ranch owner, we headed back to the guild. The receptionist at the guild nodded approvingly as we showed him the wolf fangs and claws.
“Quest successful! I’ll pay the reward right away!”
At that moment, the saint spoke up.
“Just convert the loot into gold, too.”
“Oh? The other three are fine with that?”
Roland and Reti both shook their heads.
“Ah, we’re good. We’ve got our own uses for the fur anyway…”
“I’ll convert mine.”
The receptionist only converted our share into gold. We sold the loot for 30,000 gold, but the reward money was 100,000 gold.
We had to split the 100,000 gold four ways. Since Estelle and I were traveling together anyway, we could each take 50,000—and the other two could have the remaining 50,000.
The saint asked Roland and Reti.
“If I give each of you 50,000 gold, that should cover it, right?”
“No. We’ll just take the fur.”
“Huh?”
The saint looked surprised, but Reti flashed a bright smile.
“It’s because you two helped us. And you gave us most of the fur anyway. This is enough for us.”
There were people who turned down money like that? It seemed the world really did have all kinds of strange people.
“Still, you should take it. This kind of thing should be divided fairly. The fur was just a bonus we didn’t need, but the reward is separate.”
I said that, and the saint nodded. She must have been thinking the same thing.
When we kept pushing, Roland and Reti exchanged glances before reluctantly agreeing.
“If you insist like that, we’ll accept it.”
“Yes. This is correct.”
We handed over 50,000 gold to each of them, then bid farewell and left.
Roland and Reti bowed and walked out of the guild building.
“A partner.”
Traveling with a partner… This was the feeling. One day when I got stronger, I’d look for companions whose hearts matched mine and team up with them.
“Hero-nim.”
“Hm?”
Should we take the next quest right away?”
“...When are we ever going to rest, anyway?”
“You have to get strong quickly, Hero-nim. You can’t stay a weakling hero forever~?”
Heh heh. Finishing one quest in the middle of the night left me with another one waiting, so it looked like I’d be staying up all night again.
...Damn it.
But the saint had already found a simple enough quest to defeat the kobolds, and it was resolved quickly.
We took some damage because of the numbers, but thanks to the saint teasing me while she healed me properly, my body recovered in no time.
“Where are we staying tonight?”
Normally we camped out every night—street, forest, anywhere.
What always surprised me was how comfortable the saint, who had probably been pampered by the church her whole life, was with camping.
I had seen her happily sprawled out on the grass more than once, even though she must have found it uncomfortable.
But today was different. This wasn’t a street or forest—this was a village.
Villages had inns! So I asked if we should go to one.
“We should go to the inn. Is asking about that your idea of a question, Hero-nim~? You’re such a dummy♡”
“...I was just asking.”
That was exactly what I wanted to say.
...Reti and Roland were already missing me.
The saint wandered around the village looking for the inn. She really did look for it.
“Saint.”
“Yes?”
“Are you looking for the inn? It’s probably that way. There are travelers coming and going from there.”
“...”
The saint stayed quiet for a moment. Then she turned her head and answered.
“I-I knew that!”
“Ah, yes…”
I guess you didn’t know.
Following my directions, we really did reach the inn.
See? That’s observation skills, you idiot!
“Welcome… Whoa.”
The innkeeper was a young lady for an inn, and she let out a natural sigh of amazement at the saint’s beauty.
Even a woman could see she was pretty.
“Welcome, young man, young lady.”
She looked like she might be older, but she didn’t care. The saint spoke naturally, as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world.
“Do you have any rooms?”
“Of course we do.”
“Just one room.”
Eh?
“Why one room?”
“I have to save money. Does the Hero-nim think digging in the ground will bring up gold~?”
“No, that’s not it…”
Were we really that tight on money? We had the money from the quest earlier.
The saint seemed to read my thoughts and said in a tone that sounded like she was mocking me.
“We have to be frugal. Who knows when we’ll get a big sum of money? You really don’t have any plan, do you, Hero-nim♡”
“...I feel like I said something pointless.”
The saint rented only one room. Hopefully there was no misunderstanding.
And just as I expected, the innkeeper’s mind was already full of wild imagination.
She handed Estelle the key and tried to follow her, whispering, “Hey, young man, you don’t need a condom? Contraception is super important these days. I’ll give you one cheap, okay?”
“...No.”
“What? You’re gay? Or a faggot?”
“I’m not!?”
This isn’t the medieval era? How do you even know the word ‘faggot’?
The innkeeper tilted her head. “But why not?”
“Damn it, shut up. That woman and I aren’t like that.”
“Really? Hmm.”
These women were crazy.
Passing by while muttering, the innkeeper mumbled something about honey dripping from the woman’s eyes.
“What did you say?”
I couldn’t quite catch it. Well, whatever.
#
“Saint, we really stay here together?”
“There’s only one bed. What are we supposed to do~? You should think before speaking…”
“No, no! That’s why I’m asking—because I’m thinking!”
The room was smaller than I thought. It wasn’t a fancy hotel; a village inn room was a village inn room.
The real problem was there was only one bed. If we slept like this, Estelle and I might be sharing one bed.
Think about it. A big strong man and woman sleeping in the same bed? That didn’t make any sense.
Two strong people sleeping peacefully in the same bed? Stop bullshitting me.
“Haa, Hero-nim.”
“Hm?”
“I don’t have any plans with a Hero-nim who looks like a goblin, so don’t worry~♡ If you don’t start shaking your hips because you’re in heat, nothing will happen. Are you an uncastrated monkey who can’t control his urges~?”
Her sharp words left me stunned.
“...Damn it.”
“Bad word.”
You’re the one throwing down terrible words, you bitch.
“I’ll go wash first. I don’t want to use the bathroom you used~♡”
“...Yes, please.”
The saint headed for the bathroom, and I collapsed onto the bed.
Sitting on such a fluffy bed for the first time in a while felt good, but a wave of fatigue crashed over me.
“...I want to go home.”
Not this novel’s house. I wanted my precious real-life room back.
“Why the hell am I suffering like this…”
I’d been reincarnated into a novel I hadn’t even read and was suffering, while the saint kept picking out my worst lines.
If that was the case, I should have made my actions and heart feel just as shitty so she couldn’t hate me.
“Sigh.”
My life was so shitty~.
At that moment the bathroom door opened. I froze.
She stepped out with her hair wrapped in a towel and just a single towel around her body. I couldn’t tear my eyes away.
Steam rising from her snow-white skin made her even more mesmerizing.
The subtle cleavage peeking above the towel and the sharp collarbone line were enough to drive me crazy.
The saint noticed and her eyes curved like a crescent moon.
“Hero-nim, what are you staring at~? A pervert♡ Your gaze is so lewd♡”
“Ah, no. Sorry…”
Damn it. If this had been Korea, I would have been sued on the spot. I quickly apologized, and the saint giggled.
“You don’t seem to have any interest in my body, Hero-nim~♥”
“Don’t say weird things, Saint.”
“Can I call you Perverted Hero-nim♡ from now on?”
“Don’t do that, please.”
I had to wash quickly. Grabbing the towel and my clothes, I headed for the bathroom, but the saint called out to me.
“Hero-nim~.”
“What?”
“You’re going into the bath I used?”
“...What are you talking about.”
“Just don’t have any weird fantasies, okay♡”
“I won’t!”
I slammed the bathroom door shut.
#
“She’s so cute.”
Abel was truly a cute person. No matter how handsome he was, the way he reacted made it impossible for her to stop teasing him.
She had been calling him goblin-like all along, but in reality he was closer to a handsome pretty boy. He had the exact look she liked.
His hair had a fine texture that was easy to see at a glance, and it was even rarer than black hair—pure white.
She had been looking forward to it ever since she received the portrait from the church.
When she actually met him in the village, she had prayed nonstop in her heart, thanking the Solaria Goddess.
“How did the goddess pick such a perfect match for my taste and make him the hero.”
She felt grateful to the Holy Sword of Order too.
Estelle had deliberately gone into the bath without bringing clothes on purpose. She wanted to tease the innocent Abel.
As she expected, stepping out with just a towel, his face turned bright red and he was at a loss what to do.
Abel probably thought she didn’t notice, but Estelle felt exactly where his gaze was fixed. Especially on her chest and collarbone.
“Aah♥ You keep coming out so cutely, I can’t stop teasing you♥”
Estelle lowered the towel and dressed. The saint’s nun robes stayed clean with divine power, so she didn’t need to wash them.
She dressed, fixed her hair, and waited for Abel to come out. Eventually the bathroom door opened, and Abel stepped out.
He was fully dressed, but his damp hair and skin still showed off his other charms.
“You’re all washed?”
“...Yes.”
“It took a while. Were you imagining things while you were in there~?”
“No…”
Abel looked disgusted. Seeing that expression, Estelle decided today would be the end of teasing. She looked at him and said,
“Hero-nim, you worked hard today♥”
“...Eh?”
“You worked hard. You didn’t hear me?”
“Ah… yes, Saint.”
“Then let’s sleep. You must be tired.”
“...Yes.”
Abel gave her an odd look. Seeing his reaction, Estelle smiled inwardly as she lay down comfortably.
“My cute hero. I can’t wait for the day you’ll be cool♥”