Fraying Bonds and Bloody Robes
Porter: Johann 16
It was a shadowy night. The sun had slipped beyond the horizon, and a blood-red moon hung in the sky. The Priest and Johann still hadn't returned.
"N-No way... Did something happen to the Priest?"
The Hero's arms trembled as he spoke in an anxious voice. He was trying hard to suppress his unease, but his expression betrayed him completely. The Mage responded to his reaction with silence.
"......"
"Mage. What if she got eaten by a monster or something..."
"Hero. Don't worry too much. We already reported it to the guild. They'll send a search party at first light."
"At first light?! That's too late! We can't just sit here. We need to go rescue her right now!"
The Hero wasn't just paying lip service. But the Mage shook her head, trying to dissuade him.
"Your body's already a wreck. Who do you think you're going to rescue in that state!?"
As the Mage said, the Hero's body was covered in injuries. He hadn't recovered even half his stamina from the monster fight, and the wounds etched across his body were still healing slowly. Without the Priest, recovery was even slower.
"But we can't just sit here!"
"The porter's with her, so she'll be fine."
"Mage! Aren't you worried about the Priest at all!? You think monsters will just slink away because some unreliable guy is by her side!?"
The Hero shouted, his emotions raw. The Mage bit her lip hard.
She wanted to fire back. Look at the situation properly, you idiot.
Rushing into the dungeon in their current state would put the Hero's life at risk too. Of course she was worried about the Priest, but she couldn't drag another comrade into danger.
"This is all your fault, Mage! You sent the Priest away first...!"
"W-What!? Don't talk nonsense! In that situation, it was the best choice! Sending the combat-weak Priest to safety first..."
"Cut the crap! That means you didn't trust me! You didn't think I could take that thing down! You didn't believe in me, so you sent the Priest away first, right!?"
"If I really didn't trust you, I would've run too. Hero! You're getting way too carried away! I stayed behind for you..."
Their emotions were heating up. When feelings run high, words spill out without passing through the brain.
"It would've been better if you'd stayed and the Priest had gone...!"
"What did you say!? Hero! You done talking!? If you think about it, this is all your fault!"
"What are you talking about!?"
"If you hadn't insisted on exploring the Dream Eater's lair, none of this would've happened!"
"What are you talking about!? You didn't object either! Tch! Fine! I'll go find the Priest myself!"
With those cold words, the Hero slammed the inn door shut behind him. The Mage stared at the door long after he'd gone, her fist clenching automatically, her mouth clamping shut. She bit her lip until it nearly bled.
If the Priest had stayed instead of her, the Hero would've been monster food. It was she who'd landed the finishing blow, exploiting its opening.
The Hero was always like this. Emotional, headstrong. From the beginning until now.
"Haa... How did things end up like this?"
The Mage sank to the floor, crouching. Her staff clattered limply to the ground. Strength drained from her body, and her mind went blank.
Of course she was worried about the Priest. The fact that she hadn't returned to the village yet meant something had gone wrong. She didn't want to think it, but maybe by now...
"N-No! The Priest will be fine... She'll be fine... Right?"
The Priest's idiotically bright face floated into her mind. Her innocent smile as she called out "Hero!" so cheerfully—it was as vivid as if she were standing right there.
When the Priest said that, the Hero would flash a dumb grin and reply, "What's up, Priest?" She'd watch the two of them, alternating glances, and force a wry smile.
"Really... How did it come to this...?"
Headstrong Hero, idiot Priest, and her stuck in the middle.
It wasn't a perfect party, but it wasn't bad either. The Hero was strong, the Priest was kind. She was somewhere in between.
It was a well-balanced group, which was why they'd cleared so many dungeons. There were minor squabbles, but nothing like this rift today.
"......No time to sit around."
A bad premonition gripped her. If the party broke now, they'd never see each other's faces again.
The Mage stood, brushing off her rear. Changing the Hero's stubborn mind was impossible. He'd stubbornly hired a porter despite their tight funds, after all.
First, find the Priest with the Hero.
The Priest was a bit naive, but she had decent survival instincts. She was probably holed up somewhere in the dungeon.
If only she'd used that porter as bait to survive... But expecting cunning from the Priest is a stretch.
The Mage decided to think positively. Find the Priest somehow, reconcile with the Hero, reform the party. They could tackle dungeons again once they recovered. It'd be tight financially for a while, but...
With her resolve firm, the Mage took a deep breath and headed for the door. To catch up with the Hero, she needed to hurry. She stepped forward—and
Clunk!
"Mage! We're back!"
The Priest burst through the inn door in an outrageously immodest outfit the Mage had never seen before.
"I see... So that's what happened."
After hearing the rough outline from the Priest, the Mage nodded. Her eyes followed Johann, who was smiling amiably. Johann met her gaze without a hint of discomfort. In fact, the Mage looked away first.
"So... putting it all together, you got lost in the dungeon, but the porter awakened there, beat the monsters, and got you out safely?"
"Yes! The porter's amazing! He might even be as strong as the Hero!"
Words that would've stung the Hero if he'd heard them. Good thing he wasn't here.
"What an unbelievable stroke of luck and coincidence. Hard to buy just hearing about it."
The Mage eyed Johann suspiciously. He shrugged with an easy laugh.
"I'm just really resilient to bad luck."
"If that's true, 'good luck' doesn't even begin to cover it. Sounds like you've got some special destiny."
"Honestly, I think so too."
"Well, whatever. Thanks for saving the Priest safely."
The Mage expressed her gratitude sincerely, though her suspicious glance lingered. The process didn't matter—the result was that he'd saved the Priest.
"By the way, what's with that outfit? Never pegged you for such a bold style."
The Priest's full-body stocking getup was impossible to ignore.
"Ah! Th-This isn't my style...! It's equipment from a treasure chest! I put it on without thinking, and now it feels cursed...!"
"Doesn't suit you at all. Putting on dungeon gear without an appraisal? Even newbie adventurers don't make that mistake."
"Sorry..."
The Priest bowed her head deeply. She didn't really owe the Mage an apology.
"We should head to the church at first light."
"Yeah. The church can definitely remove it. But hey, despite the look, the performance is great. It helped a ton escaping the dungeon."
"Cursed gear usually has killer options as a tradeoff. I'd pass even if it was free."
"M-Me too! I only wore it because I had no choice...! R-Right, porter!?"
"Huh? I thought it was your taste, Priest."
Johann's playful retort made the Priest's face flush even redder.
"Argh! Don't say that—you make me sound like a weirdo! Mage! The porter's a liar, so don't believe him!"
The Priest playfully swatted Johann's shoulder. It was a heartwarming sight that drew a natural smile even from the Mage. They looked like a couple hitting it off.
Then it hit her—she'd forgotten something. It didn't take long to remember what.
"Oh, right! The Hero!"
"Huh? Where's the Hero?"
The Priest, who would've asked for him first thing normally, finally looked around. It wasn't like her, but the Mage was too frazzled to dwell on the change.
"He stormed off to the dungeon alone to find you! Did you miss him?"
"No. Maybe our paths crossed?"
The Priest tilted her head. Johann turned away with a meaningful smile.
"Since you're back safe, we need to call him..."
"Urk!"
Suddenly, Johann groaned and slumped. The Priest jumped in surprise.
"Porter! You okay!?"
"Sudden pain in my shoulder... Looks like the battle wounds aren't fully healed."
"Let me check!"
The Priest examined his shoulder with practiced hands. The Mage watched, feeling a strange dissonance. The Priest and porter seemed as close as the Priest and Hero—or maybe even closer.
"Priest. We need to fetch the Hero now..."
"I'll tend to the porter's injury first. The church is probably closed this late, so I'm the only one who can help him."
"Ugh... Fine. I'll go get the Hero alone."
The porter spoke up.
"It's too late."
"But the Hero went into that dangerous dungeon alone. He could get seriously hurt..."
"With the Hero's pace, even you'd struggle to catch up alone, right? If he's in danger, he can escape on his own."
True, the Hero was strong. Without anyone to protect, escaping would be easier.
"I... guess?"
A weird unease wrapped around her, but the Mage nodded at Johann's words. Maybe it was the lingering resentment from the Hero's outburst earlier.
"The Hero will return safely tomorrow."
The Mage nodded. Her sense of responsibility faded quickly.
"Haa... Haa..."
Bloodshot eyes. Despite exhaustion and pain devouring his body, the Hero pressed on. Clutching the hope that the Priest was somewhere ahead, he kept moving forward.
"Hm? What's this...?"
Something appeared before him. It took no time to recognize it as clothing. It was painfully familiar.
"These are the Priest's clothes..."
Torn to shreds, barely retaining its shape, the Priest's robes were crusted with dark red bloodstains.