A Mere Porter Dares to Look Away?
It was quite a refreshing feeling.
The scenery passing by, accompanied by the scent of a wind still carrying a hint of salt, felt cool and open.
Perhaps because he had slept long and deeply, Rin was in excellent condition.
Thanks to that, he was able to execute smooth corners without even slowing down the carriage.
"Wow, that's amazing, Rin!"
"Huh? This?"
"We turned the corner into the alley without leaning even a bit."
Yet, when they had rounded the corner, Lucy had definitely leaned into Rin with an exaggerated movement.
Even now, she was clinging to his shoulder, resting her head against him.
[How pathetic.]
"Shut up."
"Huh? What did you say?"
"It's nothing!"
As Abyss, strapped to her waist, sneered, Lucy's expression instantly hardened.
This damn demon sword went out of its way to speak only to Lucy.
Sometimes it was completely silent, and other times it wouldn't stop chattering for a single second, driving Lucy to the brink of a nervous breakdown.
"Lucy, it might be a bit late to ask this now, but..."
After another sailing ship arrived from the Zramun Archipelago, the Hero's party had departed for the port town, receiving extremely lavish treatment.
"What is it?"
Having utterly ignored the rest of the Hero's party on the ship, Lucy had done nothing but shut herself in the room with Rin until they arrived.
And after arriving at the port town, the Hero's party was now traveling to a nearby city with a teleportation circle, riding in a carriage driven by Rin.
"Why aren't you sitting inside the carriage with the other party members instead of out here?"
"I like being next to Rin."
"But it's more comfortable and nicer inside."
"I like being next to Rin."
"Still..."
"If I stay in there, I'll be the only one left alive by the time we arrive."
"Yeah, the driver's seat has its own charm!"
"You're so cool!"
Abyss did not like this situation where Rin was humoring her.
"Lucy, do you want to come a bit closer?"
"L-like this?"
Watching her approach with a blushing face made Abyss feel utterly nauseous.
"I'm going to tell you something important now."
"R-Rin. I'm not... worthy or prepared yet...!"
Despite her words, she was wetting her lips with her tongue, clearly wanting to kiss him.
She was even twisting her thick thighs together, looking completely in heat.
Lucy leaned her ear in, filled to the brim with anticipation.
"Lucy."
"Mmh! Rin..."
They say a woman in love is beautiful, but her baby talk was downright goosebump-inducing.
What would Rin say to her?
Good job? Thank you for saving me? Thank you for protecting me? Or... you're the best?
Suppressing her dirty fantasies, she brought her ear even closer. Rin whispered with absolute seriousness.
"What are you going to do about your engagement with Reinhold?"
Crack.
The Hero froze, her gentle smile instantly locking in place.
Though her body didn't move an inch, her pupils shook violently.
"Publicly, they said you died along with the Demon King or went missing, but officially, the engagement is still active..."
"I... see..."
Abyss smacked its lips.
It wasn't the absolute finest, but it was a sufficiently savory taste of regret.
Not too salty, not too bland—just the right level of flavor for an appetizer.
"If... well, if you still have lingering feelings, should I try to use my head and keep the relationship going?"
Ah, now this is a bit spicy.
Her frozen smile crumbled into a tearful face as Lucy hung her head.
A past that was like an inescapable shackle.
Since the sin of looking at another man in front of Rin was far deeper than any harm she had caused him, the wound torn open in her chest by her guilt would never heal.
As long as that man remained alive.
"Rin, if I kill Reinhold right here, will you believe me?"
"Lucy."
"Believe me, Rin. I never liked a bastard like that..."
"Lucy."
At his cold gaze, the Hero gasped.
"Don't turn away from the past."
Rin spoke softly, keeping his eyes on the road ahead.
"People have plenty of pasts they want to avoid, but it's because we went through those pasts that we are who we are today."
"Yeah... I'm sorry..."
She covered her mouth with her fist.
After a sob passed through her throat, Lucy spoke to Rin, her voice trembling with tears.
"The me of today doesn't love the Shield Knight."
I love you.
My only ally, my best companion, my Rin.
Yet she still couldn't bring herself to say the words, and his heart felt further away than ever.
"Alright. I'll help you with that."
Lucy could only cherish and fiddle with the red thread tied to her pinky finger.
Teleportation could be used anywhere by a high-tier archmage, but they couldn't take responsibility for the outcome.
Because the safety of the destination coordinates had to be considered, they traveled through magic circles connected between cities unless it was an emergency—a setting that was just a long-winded explanation for a game's fast-travel shortcut.
What RPG in the world would make players run across the entire map on foot?
"Preparation complete. Commencing transport."
As the Hero's party formed up, Tigria channeled mana directly into the circuit, and the magic circle began to glow brightly.
"Injecting. Activating."
She doesn't even need to speak since it's not a spell she's casting directly, but Tigria really sticks to her concept.
Thinking idle thoughts, Rin stood in a corner.
Standing at the very front, Lucy swallowed hard and grew tense as she was separated from Rin.
"Casting."
Sssssss—!
Originally, teleportation magic made no sound, but it was said that a spell formula was intentionally added to the circuit because it was hard to tell if it was casting or not.
Flash—!
As the sudden burst of light faded and he could finally open his eyes, Rin found himself surrounded by nobles.
And her, too.
"Hero Luciena Estelle! Welcome. Hero of the Empire, Hero of the Continent! I, Rinacien Carlun, Crown Princess of the Carlun Empire, sincerely welcome you."
She was as beautiful as ever.
Her platinum blonde hair, long eyelashes, and emerald-like eyes.
This emotion, which felt heavy rather than painful, was like cold, leftover ashes.
Five years had passed since he had spoken those insolent words to her.
Yet, he was still just a lowly porter.
He wanted to hide, not out of shame toward her, but because he felt embarrassed before the self that had made that declaration that day.
Did I like her?
Yes. Very much.
So, was it a foolish romance?
It was a one-sided love. Rather than foolish, it was childish.
He had been too young to know his place, too young to be mature in the face of unrequited love.
Even though he wore a mask, Lucy could tell.
That Rin was staring intently at the Crown Princess.
At that gaze, which carried a lingering affection even if it wasn't visible, Lucy felt a surge of jealousy.
Indeed, she felt jealousy, not anger, toward the Crown Princess who had tried to harm her.
"We have prepared a banquet to honor the savior of the world. I hope everyone will join us in celebrating and enjoying the savior's return."
At her clumsy concluding tone, Reinhold's eyebrow twitched upward.
As expected, Ganal Protec possessed a far more refined, noble grace when she spoke.
Witnessing Reinhold let out a soft sigh, Rinacien swallowed hard.
He was not satisfied.
That fact intimidated her.
And Rin was watching all of this unfold.
Flustered, Lucy took a step forward.
Her simple yet disciplined movement drew everyone's attention.
"Ahem."
Clearing her throat, Lucy looked around with an air of boredom.
Believing she had dragged it out long enough, the Hero finally spoke.
"I, Luciena Estelle, hereby declare the annulment of my engagement to Lord Morgan Reinhold as of this moment."
How was that, Rin? I did exactly as you asked.
It's finally, completely over with that bastard.
Now I can stand proudly before you.
The crowd began to murmur.
Reinhold and Rinacien were also startled by this unexpected opening.
"I have learned a great deal through this subjugation of the Demon King."
I'm sorry, Rin. I should have said 'I' formally, but I said it informally.
I messed up.
...Rin?
"Even though the Demon King was subjugated, I suffered severe wounds and had to focus on recovery. And before I could fully heal, I learned that demons still remain in this world. Therefore, I..."
Rin, I'm speaking.
I'm doing exactly as you told me.
"I... must focus more on my duty as the Hero and do my best..."
I get it. You're doing this because I made a mistake just now, right?
Other than that, I haven't gotten a single syllable wrong from what you taught me.
"Therefore, I break off my engagement with Morgan Reinhold, and to become a Hero who saves the world..."
...Rin?
"A Hero who will overcome the crisis of this world..."
Lucy, who had been delivering her speech with simple gestures, slowly lowered her arm.
Creaking like a broken doll, she walked over to where the porter stood, staring endlessly at only one person.
"You should be looking at me."
Her voice was filled with deep disappointment.
As the porter's head turned toward Lucy, the Hero, at a loss for what to do, let out a deep breath.
"Not another woman. You should look at me, only me."
Rin snapped out of his old memories.
Realizing his behavior had been out of line, Rin opened his mouth to apologize, but at that exact moment, the Crown Princess gestured toward someone.
Crack!
"You insolent bastard!"
"...?!"
A knight standing next to the magic circle struck Rin with his gauntlet.
Seeing Rin collapse with a crash, Lucy froze.
"How dare you look away while the Hero is speaking!"
The knight didn't stop there, stomping on Rin several times while shouting.
Rin curled his body as much as possible, taking the kicks.
Lucy, frozen as she watched.
And the Hero's party, watching the scene in sheer horror.
Even Tigria's mouth hung open in shock.
"Hero! What shall we do with this disrespectful wretch!"
The knight shouted proudly, grabbing Rin to pull him up.
Lucy instantly grabbed his armored arm and ripped it off.
"...Argh?"
By the time the knight realized his arm had been torn off, he was already collapsing, his face smashed by his own severed arm swung by Lucy.
"You insect...! Who do you think you're touching...!"
Crack! Thud!
"He is not... someone a piece of trash like you... can treat so lightly!!"
Even though the knight's skull and the armor on his arm were completely crushed, Lucy did not stop the beating.
"Lucy! Stop!"
Only when Rin stepped in to block her did Lucy toss the severed arm onto the floor.
"You're finally looking at me..."
Lucy wore a sorrowful expression like a madwoman, only to start giggling again a moment later.
"Good, good... I like it when you look at me. My only ally."
She took his hand.
And rubbed her cheek against it.
"My Rin..."
Rin?
And that incredibly common name somehow tickled the Crown Princess's ears.
"You there, take off your mask..."
"Now! As you can see, the Hero is in a highly unstable state of mind and body. Can you not see how fierce the battle with the Demon King was, and the deep wounds it left behind? Regrettably, we must postpone this gathering to honor the savior of the world for another time."
Reinhold quickly announced the end of the gathering, cutting off the Crown Princess.
No one pointed out his rudeness.
It was because the Hero's actions had been so utterly shocking.
"Are you okay where you got hit? Is it bleeding? What if it's swollen?"
"Lucy, I'm fine."
"What do you mean fine! You're hurt!"
With that, Lucy burst into tears again.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for letting you get hurt even though I was right beside you..."
Holding and patting the sobbing Hero, Rin spoke to Reinhold, seemingly in quite a hurry.
"Excuse us, but we will head to our room first. We will send word as soon as she calms down."
Though the tone felt strangely as if he were speaking to an equal, Reinhold had no choice but to nod.
Watching the two walk away under the guidance of a servant, he glared covertly at Rinacien, who had ruined the plan.