Whereabouts of the Fixed Party #2
Whereabouts of the Fixed Party #2
"What kind of Tower Shield are you looking for, specifically?"
"Something wide but lightweight would be ideal. My party member is a woman, you see."
"A female party member serving as the tank? That's unusual. Understood. I'll find you an appropriate piece."
The blacksmith nodded and began scanning the shop's display racks. While he searched for a shield, I found myself fidgeting with my coin purse, struck by a strange feeling.
'Who would've thought the first thing I ever buy at a blacksmith's would be a gift for a party member.'
Until now, I'd always been too stingy with my gear to ever set foot in a forge. And now, the first piece of equipment I bought from a blacksmith was going to be a present for my party member. The old me could never have imagined it.
But I didn't begrudge a single coin.
Rebecca's shield skills were genuinely outstanding.
Her shield had saved my life more times than I could count during the Giant Subjugation Quest. She'd risked death to protect me — there was no way I'd regret buying her a shield.
"I happen to have just the thing. A Tower Shield crafted from a large crustacean-type monster. Its strength is incredible given how light it is — you'd hardly believe it. The surface is so smooth you could even use it as a mirror in a pinch."
"How light are we talking?"
"Pick it up and see for yourself."
I lifted the Tower Shield the blacksmith handed me. It was light enough that even with my strength, I could handle it easily. Rebecca, with her martial training, would have no trouble carrying it around at all.
The design was also far better than her old shattered Tower Shield made from a shell. That one genuinely made her look like a ninja turtle the moment she strapped it on — this was a major upgrade.
"This is good. How much?"
"It's made with high-grade materials, so it's quite pricey. Five silver."
Five silver.
The same price as the shell Tower Shield. With the bounty and reward money from killing the giant coming in tomorrow, there was no reason to hesitate. I handed the blacksmith the five silver without a second thought.
"Thank you. I hope your party member likes it."
"She will. Probably."
I carried the Tower Shield out of the forge. I hurried back to the inn to wash up, and by the time I stepped outside again, evening had already settled in. With the Tower Shield strapped to my back, I set off for the Moon's Blessing Tavern where I'd agreed to meet Rebecca.
*
The Moon's Blessing Tavern was bustling with patrons.
Once inside, I spotted Rebecca at her table right away. With that vivid red hair and an exceptional figure, she was impossible to miss. The moment I approached, Rebecca's eyes went wide with surprise.
"Luke! Don't tell me—"
"Huh?"
"You're planning to become a warrior? Giving up on being a mage? What's wrong with you?!"
"There's no way that's happening."
"Then what's with the shield on your back? It looks way cooler than my broken one."
Rebecca was staring at the shield on my back with pure envy in her eyes. She was so envious that drool practically threatened to spill from her slightly parted lips.
No wait, fuck. She's actually drooling.
How jealous can one person be?
"Wipe your mouth."
"Huh? Oh..."
I grinned at Rebecca as she hurriedly wiped her lips.
"There's no need to be that envious. I bought this Tower Shield as a gift for you."
"Wh-what did you say?!"
Rebecca practically leapt out of her seat in shock.
I handed her the Tower Shield with a flourish. She took it in both hands and stared at it in disbelief for a moment, then clutched it to her chest like something precious. When she looked back at me, there was a hint of unease in her eyes.
"Y-you're not going to give it to me and then take it back, right? I'll curse you as a cheapskate for the rest of your life if you do."
"Do I look that petty to you?"
"N-no, that's not it, but I didn't prepare any kind of gift! If I'd known, I would've at least bought you a magic book or something."
Rebecca looked genuinely disappointed. She kept glancing around and half-rising from her seat, as if she was about to bolt straight to a magic shop in Yoen-su. Though she probably had no idea where one even was.
I put a hand on Rebecca's shoulder and sat her back down.
"Why would you need to give me a present?"
"So I can just accept the Tower Shield for free? This looks really expensive."
"Strictly speaking, it's not free. Consider it a bribe."
"A bribe?"
I flagged down a barmaid and ordered food and drinks first.
It'd be better to talk while we ate.
"We'll take the roast lamb and the braised chicken. And cold beer, please."
"Yes, sir."
Soon enough, our order arrived.
Golden-brown roast lamb, braised chicken swimming in piping-hot broth, and beer beaded with icy condensation. Generous portions, as expected from the Moon's Blessing Tavern. My mouth started watering the second the food hit the table.
"Let's eat while we talk."
"Yeah! It looks so good..."
For the past five days, I'd been sating my hunger with nothing but flavorless jerky — I thought my tongue had gone numb. The moment tender meat appeared on the table, I lost all control over my appetite. I grabbed a fork and stabbed at the meat with enthusiasm. Rebecca was equally absorbed in filling her stomach.
Midway through the meal, Rebecca lifted her head and asked,
"So why are you giving me a bribe? What could you possibly wring out of a broke adventurer like me?"
"We made a promise a month ago. The promise to decide, after a month had passed, whether to disband this fixed party or keep it going."
"Ah... we did make that promise. But has it really been that long? A whole month already?"
"Strictly speaking, there are three days left. But we don't need to wait until then, do we? We've got nothing planned for those three days anyway. Let's just decide now. What we're going to do about this fixed party."
"Th-that's a good idea. Honestly, I've been a little anxious about it too."
Rebecca looked at me with a tense expression.
Her fork was already resting primly on the table.
No need for long-winded speeches.
I got straight to the point.
"I like having you as a party member. Your adventuring knowledge might be lacking, but I think you're an excellent tank. Good enough that I, as a mage, can trust you with my back. So I want to keep this fixed party going with you."
I met Rebecca's eyes and asked.
With an expression that couldn't have been more earnest.
"What about you, Rebecca?"
"Me? Obviously I..."
Rebecca smiled and opened her mouth.
The moment her answer reached me, I finally felt at ease.
"I'd love that! Forming a fixed party with a mage — the aristocracy of adventurer parties. There's no way I'd pass up an opportunity like this. If anything, I'm the one who should be bowing my head and begging you."
Rebecca went on excitedly for a while, then cooled down and spoke again.
For some reason, there were tears glistening at the corners of her eyes.
"Honestly... I've been so anxious this whole time. If we parted ways, I had no idea how I'd keep doing adventurer work. I don't know anything about this line of work. I don't know how to handle monsters, I don't know which quests to take. Without you, I would've gotten myself killed within a month of adventuring..."
"I appreciate the high praise, but you'd have managed fine on your own. You seem like the type who'd do just fine without me."
"...That's not true! Luke, having you by my side has always made me feel secure. I've felt that way ever since we first met. This Tower Shield... it's way too much to just accept as a bribe. So I'll definitely repay you!"
Rebecca said with a smile.
"By working with you as a fixed party, of course!"
"Oh."
That one sentence was all I needed.
It was exactly what I'd wanted to hear.
In that moment, inside the tavern, my fixed party was born anew.
The birth of the Bronze Duo destined to shake up the adventurer world.
"A toast, to our new fixed party!"
"Cheers."
Clink!
Rebecca and I clinked our cold beer mugs and drank.
The beer slid down my throat with a sweetness that couldn't be matched.
The mood felt just right now.
Time to give her the answer she'd been waiting for.
About the thoughts I'd kept to myself — the ones Rebecca wanted to know.
"Rebecca. Wasn't there something I needed to tell you?"
"Say whatever you want! I'm feeling very generous today. Heehee."
"Back when I fished your comb out of the well. You definitely asked me something. Whether I like you."
"H-hyaaaaaaaaah—!"
The moment I casually brought it up, Rebecca shot up from her seat with a horrified expression. She was so flustered that her pupils looked like they were experiencing an earthquake.
I hadn't expected such an intense reaction — honestly, I was the one caught off guard.
"What's wrong?"
"I-I did say that, didn't I."
Rebecca buried her face in her hands. Her face had gone beet red, as if she were recalling a deeply embarrassing memory.
When she'd asked at the well, she'd been completely composed. So why was she getting embarrassed now?
Was she the type to act first and then curl up in shame later?
"Can you sit down first?"
"Uh... Luke! I, um. Could I go get some fresh air for a bit? I suddenly really feel like running...! I'll just do one lap around the tavern and come back...!"
Why the hell would you go running when you're embarrassed?
'Is she joking?'
I thought maybe this was the moment to laugh. But Rebecca was dead serious. She stepped away from the table, her face still flushed crimson, and started doing what looked like warm-up stretches. She was seriously about to go jogging. I hastily grabbed her hand and pulled her back into her seat.
"Please, please don't. It's too embarrassing..."
"S-sorry...!"
I bowed my head to Rebecca as she flailed her hands in protest.
"No. I'm the one who should be sorry."
"Why do you have anything to be sorry about...?"
"Because I made you wait so long. It's not even a difficult question. At first, I really didn't know. But as we spent time together, I figured it out. Please understand that I can be pretty dense. I can't give easy answers to questions like that. I have to think about it. And think about it some more."
"......Think about it?"
I looked at Rebecca and gave a bitter smile.
Without thinking, I reached up and touched the horns on my head.
"Because I'm an incubus."
"Because I was born a Dream Demon that people despise. I can't just casually voice feelings like liking someone."
As I spoke, memories of the past surfaced in my mind.
Twenty years of memories stretching all the way back to the orphanage.
The horns on my head, which I'd first seen in a mirror when I was barely learning to walk.
The other kids at the orphanage who played with me without distinction in childhood, yet for some reason gradually drifted away as we grew older.
The word "incubus" echoing among my peers.
The winter night I finally understood what that word meant.
I let all the rising memories wash over me and spoke in a calm voice.
"There's never been a woman who liked me as a man. Even if I confessed my feelings, it would never be reciprocated. I thought the idea of liking someone was an emotion far too good for someone like me."
"I figured I'd live my whole life without ever forming a real connection."
"So I had no choice but to live with my guard up. I couldn't stand getting hurt again because I'd gotten the wrong idea all on my own."
I looked at Rebecca.
For some reason, the moment I looked at her, I could be honest with my heart. The memories of the month I'd spent with Rebecca rose in my mind. Being with her always made me feel happy. Every conversation stirred a fluttering feeling in the corner of my chest. Even without the aching squeeze around my heart, I realized it was the same emotion.
I liked Rebecca.
I wanted to hold her hand. I wanted to be her lover.
Even if my confession was rejected, it didn't matter.
I just wanted to be honest about these feelings.
"I like you."
"I definitely like you, Rebecca."
My heartfelt confession reached Rebecca.
Even in the noisy, bustling tavern, Rebecca heard my words clearly.
Because the moment my confession rang out, tears spilled from her eyes.
Thick, clear tears slid down her cheeks.
"You idiot..."
Rebecca answered.
"...What does it matter whether people hate you? I like your horns. I like the broad back that carried me, your sun-darkened skin, your golden hair, your pitch-black eyes — I like all of it."
"I'm your connection. The person who's going to stay by your side for the rest of your life — that's me."
With all her heart.
Rebecca answered my confession.
"I like you too, Luke."