Chapter 6: Hus, 5+ Days, Men Relocating to the Provinces Welcome
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 6: Hus, 5+ Days, Men Relocating to the Provinces Welcome
I stepped back into the party house, but it was no longer a place of comfort or rest for me.
To put it dramatically, it felt like returning to a battlefield after a long absence.
From the moment I opened the door, I completely masked my presence, creeping down the hallway and into my room.
I thought I sensed Resin in the dining-cum-living room, but what did it matter?
Only after reaching my room did I check the clock.
It was past midnight, nearing two in the morning.
Krima and Diane had delayed me significantly.
Honestly, it was irritating to see them clinging to me when everything was already over.
I wasn’t the one who ended things.
They were the ones who met other men and slept with them without my consent, shattering our relationship long ago.
I was merely the one who took the blow.
“Let’s see… three sets of clothes.”
Our bond had lasted a full five years.
“Two daggers and a basic medical kit.”
I had joined this party, drawn in by their straight, honest gazes back when they were still greenhorns.
“And the 1.5 million Dalk in emergency funds I’ve scraped together… I’ll have to be extremely frugal until the next subsidy.”
Mirei used to get angry at me for trying to protect them in dungeons, claiming I wasn’t treating them like proper adventurers.
Then, two years ago, she started getting angry at me simply because I was ugly.
The others were much the same.
In the early days of the party, even if they only saw me as a comrade, we did everything together.
During our breaks, Krima and Resin would help me cook, while Mirei and Diane cleaned the party house. Once finished, we’d feast on piles of rice balls and meat soup served in giant basins.
We earned far less back then, and my national subsidy was our only source of income, but we were full of hope as we ground through bottom-tier quests.
“Is that everything?”
Yes, that was the time when I believed that if I just worked hard, I could make it.
“Is there anything else?”
I made that resolution for them—to be liked by them, to find a place in their hearts. I wanted to hear a title more intimate and embarrassing than just ‘comrade,’ the word they used to draw a line between us.
“Anything else?”
Nothing.
Not that resolution, nor anything left for me to do in this room.
It felt hollow.
In five years, our party house and our status had grown so large, yet there were so few things in here that belonged to me or even reminded me of myself.
Was it because I failed to provide for myself, or because they had built a wall and refused to let me in?
Only after facing the truth did I realize that while I had spent the most money, I possessed the least.
I was even in the red because of loans.
To say I ‘realized’ it isn’t quite right.
I ‘awakened’ to it.
Without realizing it, I dropped to one knee and pressed my injured hand against my eyes.
“I’m so lonely…”
Immediately after the victory in the Final War, the emotion I felt among my fallen comrades was the sadness of being left all alone.
Now, inside the home of the party members who betrayed and cheated on me, the emotion I felt was a biting loneliness—the realization that I had already been abandoned and utterly used.
Tears spilled over, tracing down my fingers and stinging the open wound.
The wound, which hadn’t even hurt when I was gouging it with a knife, now throbbed with a sharp, searing pain.
I didn’t sob.
I simply let the tears flow silently.
Diane had sharp ears; she might notice.
She seemed dead drunk earlier, but you never know.
You never know.
Maybe she’d notice me like this, beg for my forgiveness, and cling to me even now.
I found myself caught in a contradiction, wanting that while simultaneously not wanting it at all.
If they truly begged for forgiveness, I’d want to savor the scene for a moment before leaving.
It’s not strange to want a scene like that, is it?
They are the perpetrators and I am the victim, so why do I have to be so careful about leaving?
Why does the victim have to be so considerate and struggle so hard to end things cleanly?
Those four feel no guilt, no prick of conscience—I know that all too well. That’s why, in my exhaustion, I just wanted to find some comfort in the hope that they might at least feel sorry.
But strangely enough, the moment I actually tried to imagine them holding me back?
My tears stopped instantly.
The only thing my meager imagination could conjure was Krima’s half-hearted attempt to ask me on a date earlier!
“That worked wonders.”
The moment I thought of it, instead of the superiority I sought, I was flooded with irritation and rage.
I was able to shake off the sadness and depression regarding this party quite easily.
I don’t know when those feelings might come back to haunt me, but for now, my head is remarkably clear.
It was a mistake from the start.
So, breaking up is the right answer.
Dammit, if you’re so sorry, come here right now and apologize sincerely!
Wait…
What’s wrong with me?
Why are my moods swinging like this?
Come to think of it, I haven’t eaten anything since yesterday.
Is this hunger?
Hunger is a terrifying thing.
Back in my soldier days, I went nearly a week without rations. I remember thinking I wanted to kill everyone, only to weep a moment later, feeling like I’d sell my soul for a single bowl of soup.
But right now, I don’t feel hungry at all.
I straightened my back.
“Sssph.”
I brought the wound on my hand to my nose and inhaled the scent of blood.
If I keep going like this, I won’t finish this by morning.
The smell of blood, which used to drive me mad on the battlefield, calmed me down this time.
“There really is nothing left now.”
On the folding desk sat a few notebooks I always kept open.
I have to leave those behind.
They contain the ledgers for the party’s operating funds and a sort of handover manual.
I’ve been handling it all myself, but Resin is a mage and Krima is a priest; they’ll get the hang of it quickly if they study a little.
Or they could just outsource the administration through the Adventurer Guild.
The fees are steep, but since they’re a Hero-rank party, they should earn more than enough to cover it.
Speaking of which, the party’s operating funds for this month are actually at a decent level.
However, there are still two weeks left until next month, so if they waste even a little, they’ll run out.
Why is a Hero-rank party so broke?
Actually, until four years ago, we had quite a bit of money saved up in the operating fund.
It was an amount we could have lived on for a year and a half without working.
But starting six months ago, their spending became extravagant. Within days of receiving their personal allowances, they’d spend it all. Then they started nibbling away at the party funds, which were under a joint name for credit score reasons, until I caught them.
When?
A month ago.
I tried to use a party note to buy a large quantity of seasonal herbs and consumables, only to be told there was no money.
I rushed to the bank and saw pages of withdrawal records from Mirei’s party. Sensing a crisis, I changed the account to Mirei’s sole name and told them not to touch the operating funds.
There was some pushback, but since I was consistently putting my entire national subsidy into those funds, they didn’t have the nerve to push too hard.
Once I did that, Mirei and the others started asking me for money.
And that… is how I ended up taking out loans.
You know the reason why, don’t you?
Right. Six months ago, Claude and Gerend approached Mirei’s party and bled them dry.
They were handsome men famous for their extreme extravagance.
I felt a little sorry for them.
In truth, those four didn’t spend any of that money on themselves.
They gave it all to those men.
So, I actually debated leaving a portion of my saved money behind.
What? Stop talking nonsense?
Wasn’t more than half the money they gave those men originally mine?
And didn’t those women sleep around with them in exchange for that money?
Am I really thinking this after seeing two of them playing with Claude during the day and the other two coming back from a night with Gerend?
You’re right.
That almost ended badly.
I’m sorry, don’t be mad.
I don’t want to face you in reality again.
Why are you acting like this after being asleep for five years?
Because I’m being too frustrating?
I’m sorry, I’ll get it together.
Look, I’ve packed everything.
It’s not much, is it?
I’m leaving with almost nothing but the clothes on my back.
I’ve got the bills tucked neatly in my pocket… Good, let’s get out of here.
However, as I masked my presence again and walked down the hallway, I surprisingly heard Resin and Krima talking.
What are they doing up at this hour?
How annoying.
“Alto is acting strange.”
“He’s always been a bit dim.”
Resin usually speaks informally to everyone.
Claude is the only exception.
“It’s not that. He’s acting like he has absolutely no interest in us. Before, his feelings for us were obvious, but his attitude has turned completely cold.”
“Hmm~. Isn’t it because of that?”
“Because of what?”
“The loan.”
It’s not entirely unrelated.
As expected of Resin.
She hit the nail on the head.
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“What do you mean? Krima, if you took out a 40 million Dalk loan to buy your precious Gerend a brand-new wallet, shouldn’t you have at least treated our party’s man to something? Isn’t this a bit of an unfair trade?”
“Resin, why are you being so prickly? Did Lord Claude get mad because he didn’t get his Archiyo?”
“Heh… interesting.”
“Sigh…”
I wasn’t listening because I wanted to.
To move without making a sound, I had to go slowly, so I had no choice.
Do you think I’m enjoying listening to this kind of conversation until the end?
“Let’s talk about that later. Alto’s attitude is really different from before. I ran into him in front of the party house earlier, and he had injured his hand somewhere. When I offered to heal him, he just performed first aid with a knife right there and went inside, saying he was fine.”
“It’s obvious. He’s mad at you.”
“That’s why I asked him on a date when I have free time, but he just went inside anyway. Diane interfered, but he didn’t seem interested at all.”
“He ignored a date invitation?”
Well, when you offer a date like you’re granting a slave a sip of water, how do you expect me to react?
To put it bluntly, you give everything to other men while playing hard to get with me?
“I’ll have to talk to him tomorrow. Between this and the party fund issue from a while ago, he might be mad at all of us.”
“Even if that’s not it, we have been too neglectful. Neglecting the party’s man and failing to check on his condition was poor conduct, even as comrades.”
No, Krima.
We aren’t comrades anymore.
“It’s a pain, but since all the money is coming from him, I just wish Lord Claude would take us away soon.”
“Oh, you mean Lord Gerend, don’t you?”
“Lord Claude is much more handsome!”
Right…
You were right.
I should have left sooner.
Sorry for making excuses.
The well-oiled front door opened smoothly, without a single creak, just as it always did.
Only after carefully closing the door did I feel, in the colder air, that I was truly alone.
The party house.
The foundation of my life, which I had built up for five years.
Did you kick me out, or am I abandoning you?
The more I distanced myself from it, the more my stifled body and heavy heart felt refreshed and light.
The path stretching out before me looked so incredibly different.
Perhaps I observed it more intently because I thought I might never return.
I walked briskly until I reached the carriage station.
The station operates 24 hours a day to prepare for unexpected travel.
In the waiting room, drivers were sprawled out on sofas, sleeping.
Most of the women sleeping here weren’t residents of Lukart.
They were outsiders who had brought passengers from other regions and were looking for passengers to take back to their own provinces.
[Hus, 5+ Days, Men Relocating to the Provinces Welcome]
I shook awake a woman who was sleeping while hugging a sign.
“Wha—what is it?”
“Hus. Man. Relocating to the provinces.”
Reading the sign made me sound like a golem for some reason.
The woman, initially delighted by the deep voice of a man, looked at my face and was immediately disappointed.
I told you, didn’t I?
In this world, everyone is beautiful except for me.
“Relocating to the provinces, right? Men relocating have to go to Dakuren in Hus and obtain permission from Lord Dakuus first.”
“Yes, let’s go.”
“Are you sure? The commission for a man relocating is quite lucrative. If this turns out to be a wasted trip, I’m telling another man. I have a husband back home, you know?”
It was an obvious lie.
A common script women use when dealing with men.
She was bluffing about having another man so she wouldn’t be pushed around.
But I…
Despicably, I loved this attitude.
In Lukart, everyone treated me poorly because I was ugly, but this woman from another province treated me with such caution. That alone satisfied my low self-esteem.
I hated that about myself.
Maybe that’s why I impulsively held out the money.
“Cast a speed buff on the horses and get me there within three days.”
500,000 Dalk.
The driver snatched the bills the moment she confirmed them. Fearing another driver might steal her customer, she wrapped an arm around my shoulder and led me to her carriage.
“Welcome to the First-Class Carriage bound for Hus!”
It must have been an expensive carriage, as it was very plush and quite spacious.
I heard the driver’s urgent voice from outside.
“Hey! Hey! Manager! Hus, Dakuren! A man relocating to Hus! Speed buff! Hurry up and buff them, then stamp the papers!”
“We don’t provide speed buffs for free. That’ll be 100,000 Dalk.”
“Here, here. Just hurry up! The man is waiting!”
“Wait, what kind of man leaves Lukart for Hus? At this hour? Who is it?”
“Hey! Are you trying to steal my client right now?! Should I take this as you trying to steal a Hus man?!”
“Alright, alright. Everyone’s going to find out in a few weeks anyway.”
They were so loud.
They were practically advertising my departure.
Won’t I be caught tomorrow?
That anxiety lasted only a moment.
“Customer, we’re heading out!”
With a sharp crack of the whip, the carriage began to move.
Through the small window, the familiar sights of Lukart passed by.
And before long, unfamiliar landscapes entered my view.
I made it out.
It was surprisingly easy.
Once I decided to leave, it didn’t take long at all.
I had thought I would never leave Lukart.
I leaned my head out.
The walls of Lukart were growing smaller and smaller.
Inside those walls, now just a tiny dot, were my five years and the women who had made my life miserable.
Since I couldn’t stop even if I wanted to, I soon quietly buried myself in the plush seat of the carriage.
For some reason, I kept smiling.
It wasn’t a smile filled with bitterness or pain, but a smile of wonder that I had actually done it.
Caught up in this strange mood, a thought suddenly occurred to me.
“Ah.”
I’m hungry.