Chapter 88
Chapter 88
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 88
Chapter Title: The Hero Party is Always Together
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Ten days later, in the academy's grand hall.
"The mana erosion from the Herba Great Labyrinth has stabilized.
Thanks to the noble efforts of the academy students carrying on the hero's legacy!
Today, cast aside your usual fatigue and drink and revel to your heart's content!"
At the principal's command, a cocktail party kicked off in the academy gardens.
"Whoa~!"
"Wooow!"
Conquering up to C-rank cores had weakened the Great Labyrinth's mana erosion.
The academy was buzzing with festival vibes, everyone hyped up.
I knew this was just the calm before a bigger storm, but preaching against the fun would've been lame, so I decided to blend in moderately.
"Moro!!"
Today's star, Rak, grabbed my hand from the crowd and dragged me toward where the heroines were gathered.
All eyes were blatantly on me.
「Who's that guy?」
「He's the porter for Stella Link, apparently.」
「Lucky bastard.」
「I wanna sneak in there and catch a glimpse of the Saintess's bare face too.」
I was soaking up all the students' envy solo.
They didn't whisper so openly about Rak or the main heroines.
It was because I seemed like an easy target—the kind where everyone thinks, 'I could do better than that loser.'
That much I knew.
And it was exactly what I'd planned.
I was coasting along in the hero party, keeping a low profile.
Meanwhile, Rak actually liked me.
"We pulled this off thanks to you, Moro. Thanks."
Rak hugged me and grinned.
"You hugging me looks weird with our size difference."
"It's a bro hug! Ack, damn. You're so huge I get buried!"
Rak whined, 「I wanna do that cool movie bro-hug thing where we clap each other on the back,」
just as Elysia, Arukaris, and Karina approached.
"At this rate, we'll really be a hero party in no time."
"We missed first in the whole grade due to points~."
"For first-years, we did plenty good. That's what you're saying, right, Karina!"
Arukaris was eyeing the snack bowls like a hawk.
"Whatever, let's eat already. I'm starving!"
"You scarfed all of Elysia's snacks before we even came out."
Aru flinched at my jab.
"D-dragons have big stomachs, you know."
"Go ahead and eat, I don't mind."
"I'm fine. Hehe. It's like Aru's helping with my diet."
"See? Even Elysia says it's cool! You mob!"
Who's the mob, who!
I was already on edge with my death event looming.
"Mob! Can't you just bail on this party? Me and the dragon warrior handle everything anyway! No rear support from you!"
Elysia grabbed Aru's horn and grinned menacingly.
"Apologize to Moro. You can't say mean things to a teammate, Aru."
"Eek!! Sorry. I'm sorry!"
"Can't stand up to the Saintess at all, huh, Aru."
She definitely got smacked for talking smack before.
"Got hit in the bathhouse last time for badmouthing... by Elysia...."
And Rak confirmed my guess right on cue.
"Bathhouse? You mean the women's bath? How'd you know that?"
"......"
"......"
What the hell is with this silence?
No way there was a 'protagonist stumbles into the girls' bath' event?
"I'll spill if you don't swear to keep it secret, Rak?"
"N-no, don't! Karina~!"
"He thought it was the men's bath."
Our hideout has the men's and women's baths on opposite ends—how do you mix those up?
I almost said that, but then I remembered: this guy's the protagonist. It all clicked.
Rak's face turned beet red, trembling.
"It was a total accident..."
"Think you could play it off as an accident if I wandered in? Elysia?"
"Not you, Moro. I'd punish you right away."
"Ahahat."
Karina laughed beside her as Elysia said that.
"I wouldn't mind~ if it was you, Moro."
"Any male besides the dragon warrior seeing me naked? Unthinkable. It'd be a sin punishable by death—don't forget it!"
"We're both guys in the party... what's with the double standard......"
Well, Elysia and Karina were heroines who liked Rak.
Arukaris was straightforward, already maxed affection as the 'dragon warrior' girl.
"Moro! You're drinking today, right?"
Rak offered me a glass from the party table.
"Nah......"
Thinking about tomorrow made me hesitate.
"I'll stay sober."
"The Demon King's omens are fading anyway. One day of relaxing can't hurt,"
Elysia rarely tried persuading me like this.
True, everyone was drinking—it'd look weird if I was the only one sitting out.
"Have fun among yourselves. Someone's gotta stay sharp for emergencies."
"Moro~~! Trying to distance yourself again, huh? I'll close that gap. Hup! Hup!"
Rak kept clinging.
"Get off, man! It's not that—booze just seems like a bad idea tonight."
"My foresight says nothing major's coming?"
"Even Elysia says so?"
"Then......"
Damn.
Those earnest puppy eyes from Rak always melted me.
The reason even the Saintess's foresight couldn't see the grim future? She hadn't awakened yet...
And the foe was a mid-boss way beyond our current hero party.
I knew of about seven mid-bosses; no clue which one. Not all appeared in the story—pure luck.
"Just one glass."
But damn, I'd grown to like these guys.
I didn't wanna bail on this.
"Cheers!"
Gulp.
My gut burned hot. Not used to alcohol, my body resisted, but the vibe and booze aroma weren't bad.
Actually, pretty nice.
"You're Elysia, right?"
Then some handsome third-years approached. Two guys, four girls.
Overheard whispers: sounded like a named party.
The blond leader-type was hitting on Elysia.
「That's the Special Hunters, second in the whole grade.」
Rang a bell.
Leader was meh, but their party had one crazy-talented heroine.
Party disbanded? She wasn't with them.
"Yeah. And?"
"Heard a first-year did pretty well, so came to check it out. Impressive."
"Thanks."
Elysia wrapped it up curtly and turned, but he grabbed her arm.
"Hey, drop the high-and-mighty act, yeah? You know why I'm here. Join our party next time?"
"No thanks."
"First-years are all dead weight anyway, right? You'll snap your skinny waist hauling logs solo."
Setting aside the asshole delivery, he wasn't wrong.
If the Saintess was in a normie party, yeah.
But now? First-year future hero Rak, top-tier talent Karina, perfect fighter Arukaris.
Potential alone made first in grade a lock.
Oh, almost forgot—the party's got a pro at ogling heroine asses from behind too.
"Said no. Let go."
"Little punk glaring? Gonna swing?"
Rak's eyes sharpened.
"I'll hit you. For real. Let Elysia go."
"......"
The fun party vibe tensed up.
I sipped my glass casually, zero crisis vibes.
Feels like this watching the protag defend his heroine up close.
That was my takeaway.
They'd trade childish taunts, then brawl soon.
"Hya!!"
Of course, Rak whipped out his signature moves and pummeled them.
"Gah, guaaack!"
'Dude flies even without a sword.'
Sigh, time to bounce?
Have fun with the three-color heroines, Rak.
"......Huh?"
Karina grabbed me as I tried to slip away.
Yanked my sleeve tight and flashed her glass.
"What?"
"Cheers.... One more."
"We said just one......"
"......If you're staying... I won't......"
Busted trying to dip.
Damn.
No choice—I clinked another with Karina.
"Have a good time."
"...Pig farming, hit platinum?"
"Huh...? How'd you know I was raising them?"
"Added you... as a friend. Pigs are cute, right?"
Karina clung naturally.
What's with her?
"Don't go, Moro."
"Got it, got it. I'll do drinks instead. Cool?"
"Hehe...."
Her phone showed our buddy pigs frolicking on the same farm, good colors.
Remembered she liked this in-game, so I'd checked in occasionally...
"You like me?"
"Like you~. Rak too, Elysia...... Aru too."
Yeah... as a friend.
"If Moro didn't have a girlfriend..."
"Huh?"
"Yeah?"
What if scenario?
"What're you on about?"
"Secret...."
Karina's pink eyes gleamed more seductively under the moonlight.
The next day, 11 a.m.
Teachers rushed about as tension gripped the academy amid the disaster alert.
I'd come down early from the hideout, geared up—and they all emerged with fresh faces.
"Huh? What? Didn't you guys drink last night?"
"What're you on about?"
Rak snorted.
"If Moro doesn't drink, neither do we."
"───."
"Duh. You're our friend and teammate. We talked it out. Seemed like you sensed something, so we prepped."
Elysia smiled brightly.
"Saintess intuition's not bad, huh? What do you think?"
"Fine, you got me."
Couldn't exactly say 'death event tomorrow, can't drink.'
But given my usual chill image, Elysia had reason to suspect.
"You, always so laid-back, seemed tense. Figured something big was coming."
"Arukaris still sleeping, huh."
"She's just oversleeping~ Gonna get left behind solo♬"
"Can't leave Karina, so she's waking her."
No lying to these guys anymore.
"So, what's coming, Moro?"
"Demons."