You've Gone Mad!
You've Gone Mad!
After buying the ring, I dropped by a restaurant to enjoy lunch with my party members for the first time in a while, savoring the peace.
"Saintess-nim said she'd eat separately, right?"
"Yes, she said she'd eat and come back with the priests."
"Ah ha..."
It was an unavoidable situation since Ria had decided to have lunch with the priests, but it was still a little disappointing, and that couldn't be helped.
Of course, I knew Ria wasn't on ordinary terms with the priests, so I couldn't really say anything about it.
'...It's been a while since I had lunch without Ria.'
My memories of eating lunch without Ria had become so distant, so I guess the emptiness from her absence felt even greater.
"You're totally lovesick, aren't you?"
"...Well, it can't be helped."
Bina tore off a piece of bread and laughed hehe, grinning at me.
"It's delicious!"
"Hahaha! Eat a lot!"
Hart patted Bina's head, pressing down on it, even though he wasn't the one paying.
'I wonder how long he plans to keep treating her like a child.'
I let out a soft chuckle as I slowly sipped my beef stew.
I had dispelled the transformation magic long ago.
The reason I had cast the transformation spell at the jeweler's in the first place was so it wouldn't be discovered that I had bought a proposal ring for Ria.
'Anyway, I think it might cause quite a stir.'
I wanted to keep the formal proposal with the ring quiet.
"By the way... No one's rushing over?"
"......."
Until I dispelled the magic, Bina had been worried whether someone might rush over or a crowd might gather, but now she tilted her head, puzzled.
As Bina had worried, no one approached to talk to us while we were eating.
They just sent respectful glances from afar and then disappeared.
"...I wish my master could have seen this scene too."
Bina said that with a sheepish smile.
It wasn't strange to miss a departed comrade.
Especially since, to Bina, her departed master was like a mother.
'Miss her.'
The Archmage I met at the guild when Ria and I had just started our adventure not long ago.
She declared she would test me, a rookie hero, and how flustered both Ria and I were.
The level of magic that Bina, now before me, possesses is already equal to hers.
After all, she inherited the secret tome containing all her arcane knowledge.
"Are you going straight to the Magic Tower?"
"Hmm, I'm not sure. My master also wrote me a recommendation letter telling me to try the Academy too."
Saying that, Bina stuck her hand into her subspace and popped out a recommendation letter.
Looking at the letter, which showed a bit of the wear of time, I wondered if they even accepted such things, but...
"As long as it's not one that's already been written, the Academy accepts all recommendation letters."
"I see."
"Hero-nim, you could write one too."
"...Really?"
Me, write a recommendation letter?
I'm not even an Academy graduate.
I just rolled around the countryside without a family until Ria found me holding the Holy Sword and I became the Hero.
As I tilted my head, Bina gave a sheepish smile as if she knew what I was thinking and opened her mouth.
"You don't necessarily have to be an Academy graduate. Anyone reputable is fine."
"Is that so..."
"Hero-nim, you're the hero who saved the entire world now. It's okay to have a little more confidence."
Saying that, Bina told me to brag a little more, instead.
"It's an achievement too precious to be forgotten."
"Is that so."
I let out a soft chuckle.
An achievement too precious to be forgotten.
Well, that may be true, but...
'If it's truly a precious achievement, future generations will recognize it even if I don't spread the word.'
Thinking that, I nodded.
In fact, the 10 heroes before me weren't the type to go around blabbering either.
People just naturally recognized the heroes' deeds.
Being forgotten is a natural providence.
Eventually, I'll be forgotten too someday.
Even if I went around boasting, it would only be for a while.
"I don't want to spend time on such things."
Saying that, I gave a bright smile, and Hart beside me laughed heartily and slapped my back.
"You really are something else!"
"...That hurts."
"My apologies!"
"Uncle, are you going straight back to the guild?"
"Hmm, I guess so."
Hart said he'd go wherever he was called, be it the Academy or the guild.
I nodded, thinking it would be interesting to see Hart working as a professor.
A comrade working as a professor.
Doesn't seem so bad.
I could ask him to show me around the school later when I visit.
He could also give special lectures to the budding sprouts.
Though the only kind of class I could teach is practical combat methods.
The kind of combat methods that might shatter the children's fantasies about heroes a bit.
As I thought about what it would be like to be a professor, a question suddenly popped into my head.
"By the way, with Bina's skills, you probably don't even need to enter as a student."
I was curious why Bina wanted a recommendation letter written in the first place.
I could confidently say Bina's skills were already superior to most professors.
Her master was once the master of a Magic Tower.
For the direct disciple of a Magic Tower master to enter an Academy as a student...
In a way, it was a rather strange thing.
As I tilted my head, Bina slowly answered.
"Ah... that, my master always regretted it."
"Regretted what?"
"She wanted to send me to school. She said making friends and building connections was important."
"Ah ha..."
Well, it is important, but...
'Isn't Bina an adult now?'
When I asked if Bina wasn't an adult now,
"T-that's right."
Bina nodded, her face turning red.
"Then becoming a professor might not be a bad idea either... Just in case, could you write me a professor recommendation letter too?"
"Sure, I'll ask Ria too."
"Yes."
If I did this, maybe Bina could receive a little better treatment.
Thinking that, I nodded readily.
After that, I finished the meal, shaking hands with the occasional people who approached, and then headed back to the palace to wait for the evening ball.
Ria, who had lunch with Ricardo and the other priests, sent them back to the Holy Kingdom.
The sight of them, reluctant to say goodbye, didn't leave her mind, but...
'We'll see each other again.'
Knowing that now there was plenty of time and the world was peaceful, so they could meet again soon, Ria just smiled.
"I wonder when Hero-nim will return..."
Thinking that, Ria slowly strolled through the palace grounds.
She smiled with her eyes at the respectful glances the butlers and maids sent her, and the place she headed to was...
"...It's beautiful."
It was the still-beautiful, enormous garden located within the palace.
She slowly stepped inside it at that moment.
"Nyaong, nyaooooong..."
"......."
Ria ended up witnessing a rather cute sight.
She witnessed the princess of a nation smiling brightly at the cat before her and going 'nyaong nyaong.'
Perhaps the cat liked Lucia's hands, as it didn't particularly try to leave.
Lucia also stroked the cat and slowly asked a question.
"Hey kitty, why are you here?"
"Nyaa."
"Hmm?"
Lucia tilted her head, following the cat who tilted its head.
At this, Ria, suppressing a laugh, slowly approached the two.
"...Unni had a really sad thing happen today."
"Nyaang."
"I got rejected, you know... but what can I do? There was no chance for us from the start anyway?"
Lucia lifted the cat, slipping her hand under its side.
At this, the cat went 'nyaang' and stretched out long.
Seeing that, Lucia burst out laughing with a 'pooh' at that moment.
"...Were you very sad?"
"Hic!?"
Ria cautiously approached Lucia's side and spoke to her.
"S-s-s-Saintess-nim...?! H-how long have you been here!?"
Flustered, but having re-equipped her princess-like speech, she fell backwards, and the startled cat scampered away.
Seeing the flustered princess, Ria gave a faint smile and slowly opened her mouth.
"I saw a very precious scene."
"W-what part did you see, p-please don't say...?"
"No, I have no reason to tell you."
"Ugh......"
Going 'ugh,' Lucia still leaned against Ria.
Looking at such Lucia, Ria smiled awkwardly and answered.
"I... Lucia."
"Yes?"
"I'm sorry... It feels like I'm the one who made Lucia sad."
"......."
Lucia said nothing and just leaned on Ria.
At this, Ria slowly embraced Lucia and stroked her hair.
"It's okay. I'm happy as long as Hero-nim is happy."
"Is that so?"
"Please make him happy... I might steal him away, you know."
"I will."
Lucia burst out laughing with a 'pooh.'
Such a Lucia then separated from Ria and let out a deep sigh.
"Now I don't know who to take as my groom."
"...W-what if you came into Hero-nim's household as a concubine?"
"You've gone mad?!"
Lucia, startled, grabbed Ria's shoulders.
As Ria widened her eyes, Lucia pinched and pulled her cheeks.
"You've gone mad!"
"Eeh."
"Hero-nim is Ria unni's now!? You have to monopolize him!?"
"B-but...? B-but you were so sad, Lucia."
"Hah, just how kind-hearted can you be."
Lucia went 'kkeung' and held her forehead.
"I'm sorry, Lucia."
"It's okay... Just don't yield to others, at least not Hero-nim!"
So advised Lucia.