Loser, look up (1)
Loser, look up (1)
In front of the dungeon entrance.
I shook the bottle containing the Twiit Scorpion's venom.
Chalang chalang.
The bottle was filled to the brim with blue venom.
For once, the journey back here after finishing the request had been quiet.
I figured the lack of any conversation about when they would see me next played a big part.
That topic had always steered our talks before, but this time there was none.
Maybe the three women were being considerate now that I had told them I had a girlfriend?
Originally, even if I said I had a girlfriend, I had expected something like,
"So what? Whatever, make time."
If things stayed like this, did that mean another five days of rest? My heart pounded with excitement at the thought.
It felt just like back when I lived with Rus in the kingdom guard, right before payday.
I looked toward the dungeon exit.
This expedition was over too.
When I turned around, everyone was still silent.
I opened my mouth.
"This time there were no crises, and everyone did great. I mentioned it yesterday, right? I said I would test the waters on whether we could handle a B-rank request."
It was enough. Worth the gamble.
It had taken two days to find the scorpion, but from a combat perspective, there had not been a single dangerous moment.
My physical condition was the first reason, and the second was that the other party members, perhaps stimulated by my state, had all fought with fierce determination.
Vien's prayers had become a bit more effective,
Rus had become a bit rougher and more unrefined,
and Lily noona had become a bit more destructive.
Overall, our firepower had improved.
"Next week we will challenge a B-rank request. I have decided."
"..."
"..."
No one spoke, perhaps because of the tension.
Everyone probably already knew this would be the most dangerous request we had ever attempted.
"As long as we perform like today, it should be fine. Still... if anyone thinks it is still too early for B-rank, tell me now. I do not want to drag anyone along unwillingly when they are not ready."
"..."
"..."
Still no answer.
Everyone seemed to agree.
After all, both Vien and Rus had already told me they could handle more, so I had not expected any opposition.
In the end, the only one hesitating about the B-rank request had been me.
"It will be an important day, so everyone take good care of yourselves. If there is anything you need to prepare, get it ready."
"..."
With no replies, I started feeling awkward for no reason.
Well, rather than building unnecessary tension by talking about it now, I should save it for when we enter the dungeon next time.
For now, I should just wrap things up here so everyone could rest.
I had already shared the plan.
"Um... well. I have said everything I needed to. Then, see you all in five days. We will talk more then."
"W-wait...!"
Vien, who had been quiet until now, reached out to me and spoke.
I turned back to face her.
"Oh, Vien."
Even after calling out, she kept a sullen expression, her lips moving as if chewing on words, before asking in a hesitant voice.
"... Do you not have time this week...?"
Ah. Right. This was the expected reaction. I had been wondering if she would really stay silent until the end.
What I had not anticipated was how cautiously she asked.
Did she think she would be getting in the way between me and Elzain?
I had simply not wanted to see the party members every single day during the five rest days; it was not that I disliked meeting them at all.
So the suggestion did not bother me in the slightest.
It was not like I was actually busy with a girlfriend for those five days anyway.
And since we were attempting a B-rank request the next day, having dinner together beforehand seemed like a good idea.
"Hmm... Then how about we meet on the last day of the break? The day before we enter the dungeon."
Vien's expression brightened instantly.
Meanwhile, Rus and Lily noona spoke up in a hurry.
"Me... me too! I want to meet you too, Chis-ya. Is there another day with no plans?"
"Stachys, meet with noona too...!"
"Whoa, calm down for a second."
I was startled by how suddenly they jumped in.
The moment I suggested meeting, they acted like they had found an opening and tried to secure promises one after another.
There seemed to be some misunderstanding.
"I did not mean meeting Vien alone on the last day. I meant all of us together. Since we are attempting a B-rank request the next day, we should at least have dinner together."
Vien muttered something inaudible again.
"... What? I wanted to meet alone..."
Lily noona asked.
"... Huh? Together...?"
"Yeah. Let us all meet. We will have a group meal."
"Ah... a group meal..."
Rus approached and grabbed my arm.
"Huh?"
"Chis-ya... is there really no other rest day? A day we can meet just the two of us, not for a group meal..."
Just the two of us?
"What... do you have something to say? You can tell me now if you want."
"Ah... no. It is not that I have anything particular to say... I just want to hang out..."
I was excited about the five days of rest too, but Rus really had no sense of tension.
We were about to face a request where we might die, after all.
Wanting to hang out? That was so like the Rus I knew that it made me laugh.
At the same time, it felt a little scary, like she wanted to boss me around even more.
But we were already meeting for the group meal, so was there really a need to meet more?
I did not dislike meeting Rus, but I still wanted to enjoy a bit more rest without the party members around.
With a B-rank request coming up, I wanted to prepare my body.
The lie about having a girlfriend was made for moments like this, so I should use it.
"Sorry, Rus."
"Ha... one day! Just one day is not enough?"
"One day is fine. That is why I suggested the group meal."
"Not that, Chis-ya! I am asking if there is not even one day we can meet separately!"
If meeting separately did not count as one day, then Lily noona and Vien would probably feel the same.
Then it would just turn into "me too, me too!" and end up exactly like before.
We could meet separately later, but for now, I needed to draw the line.
"... That will not work, Rus."
Rus let out an "Ah..." and slumped.
Then she slowly began to tremble.
Dul dul dul. The surrounding air started vibrating, and the atmosphere shifted.
It felt like an even greater tension than when facing a Twiit Scorpion.
"... Rus?"
"This is not right... I expected something like this, but... this is too much..."
"What do you mean?"
"Still, you are closer to me than to Elzain, right? We have known each other for six years...!"
"Rus, what is wrong?"
"Being busy meeting your lover is fine. But does that mean you can just throw away your friends?"
"Come on~. You know that is not what I meant."
"What do you mean it is not? This is exactly being thrown away!"
It was not like I had rejected meeting promises for a whole year, nor had it been that long since we last saw each other. I could not understand what she was saying.
"How long has it been since we last met for you to call it being thrown away?"
But she shook her head firmly, as if refusing to accept it.
"If it is not being thrown away, then how can you not meet even one day out of the five rest days? We did not meet separately last week either! This week is the same?"
I could not find the words to reply, and since Rus was good at talking, I always struggled to find proper comebacks in these arguments. I also disliked continuing to fight, so there were times I just gave in.
But now I had something to say.
A reliable weapon that could win this argument.
Even though it was a lie, on the surface, I had a girlfriend.
"Rus."
"Just one day... I am just asking to meet for one single day..."
"Next time we enter the dungeon, it will be a B-rank request. We need to take care of our bodies."
"That is why I am asking to meet...!"
What did that even mean?
I scratched my head.
I imagined Elzain in my mind. What if she actually existed?
"One day we can meet separately."
"Th-then...!"
It was not like we would never meet separately again.
"But not right now. We should meet when we have not seen each other for a long time and have personal stories built up, or when something happens."
"Is this not exactly when something is happening? We might lose our lives in the next dungeon."
I knew that. That was why I was resting, to avoid losing my life.
We needed to show the same form as today.
"No, Rus. I will not back down on this."
"What is that.... what is that! We are friends!"
I could understand why Rus was acting this way.
Having known Rus for a long time, I knew a little about her surroundings.
As beautiful as Rus was, she hated the men around her who approached her, so she had driven them all away,
and most women were jealous of her, so she did not have many female acquaintances either.
In short, I was her only male friend, and she had few female friends.
So it was understandable that she had many expectations from me.
Among those few friends, I was the closest to her.
I also knew that she might still feel awkward about opposite-sex friends.
I needed to teach her that female friends and male friends were different.
"Even if we are friends, as a guy, it is bound to be different when I have a lover and when I do not."
"... Why...? What difference does having a lover make."
Well... the reason was... I should add the setting that Elzain liked me so much.
"Elzain does not like me meeting other women who are not her."
The oppressive pressure in the air intensified.
"What...? You are just going to follow that? Right now she is ruining our six-year friendship...?"
"That is right, Stachys. It is too much to neglect us just because you got a girlfriend."
Lily noona cut in,
and Vien nodded instead of speaking.
Everyone seemed to think the same.
I could not back down here.
"Would our relationship really be ruined just because we do not see each other for a while?"
"Ugh...!"
"You all know, right? I have always done my best to listen to your requests until now."
No one could answer.
They probably knew.
"..."
"Just like that, I will also listen to my girlfriend telling me not to meet other people."
"... So obediently? Then what about my request to meet me...?"
Rus asked.
Once again, I imagined Elzain to find the words.
The more I kept imagining, the stranger it felt, like I really had a girlfriend.
So I spoke my true feelings, not a lie.
The words I would have said if I really had a girlfriend.
"Rus. You are mistaken,"
Rus looked at me, blinking with somehow moist eyes.
"My top priority is my girlfriend."
At my words,
Shuk-
The tension that had been pressing down on the air disappeared.
The oppressive feeling vanished as well.
Rus lowered her head deeply.
"Not a six-year friend, not a party member, not even my brother—my girlfriend."
I was a pure love enthusiast, after all. This was my true feeling that I had always thought.
".... Still, you have only been seeing her for a few weeks... There is no way the love is that deep yet.."
That was true. Even if Elzain were a real person, that statement would be correct.
"It is not that I prioritize her because I like her. It is just... because she is my girlfriend, she has to be the top priority."
"..."
"Even if the day comes when I end up disliking my girlfriend, as long as she is my girlfriend, she will still be my top priority."
Late evening.
After handing over the venom at the request office, I was on my way back to the lodging.
I could not deny that I had spoken a bit firmly.
Honestly, they would probably feel hurt.
If I put myself in their shoes, I would feel hurt too.
If Rus, Vien, or Lily noona got a boyfriend and then rejected a promise to meet, it would hurt.
If my brother got a girlfriend and rejected all my meeting requests, it would hurt a little too.
But they would understand.
So even if Vien, Rus, and Lily noona felt hurt by my actions, they would still understand.
What could possibly go wrong?
The lodging came into view.
Before going up to my room, I should eat something first.
When I entered the dining hall, there were only one or two people besides me.
I spoke to the auntie sitting idly.
"Auntie, I am here!"
"Oh my, young man. You are here?"
The inn auntie greeted me with a big smile.
"Yes. Please make me anything to eat."
"Before that, young man."
"...?"
She fumbled around in her clothes and pulled out a piece of paper.
It was a note folded in half.
"What is this?"
"Steon...? Or something like that? Anyway, a nice-looking young man left this for you and went."
Ah, so it was my brother.
"When?"
"This morning. I did not look at the contents."
I took the note she handed me.
"Thank you."
"Sure, I will bring the food soon, so wait a bit."
I took a seat in a corner.
Once the inn auntie went into the kitchen, I unfolded the note.
-Stachys, let us go night fishing with your brother. The day after tomorrow.
I grinned.
How could the timing be so perfect.
The B-rank request was dangerous.
Of course, I felt a little less tense now that I thought we could handle it, but it seemed right to meet with the people I loved or cherished.
Right now, that meant... my brother and Vien, Rus, Lily noona.
I had already arranged to meet Vien, Rus, and Lily noona for a group meal,
and I had been planning to visit my brother, but he contacted me first like this.
And what he suggested was night fishing.
There were many memories of starting to fish at night with my brother when we were young and finishing as the morning sun rose.
Reviving some old memories like that sounded wonderful.
Even if I stayed up all night, no one would call for me, so I could sleep straight through and recover. It was a good plan.
Suddenly, there was a commotion outside.
When I turned around, two large men entered.
They looked like they knew how to fight at a glance.
They were a head taller than me.
Their clothes, on the other hand, looked expensive and neat, but they spoke in loud voices.
"Hey!! Make some space!"
"We are sorry! Please make some space!"
The inn auntie rushed out of the kitchen after hearing the noise.
I just watched the scene with amusement.
"Excuse me, what is going on...? There are plenty of seats...?"
The auntie looked nervous.
But from what I could see, the two men had no intention of causing trouble.
One large man dealt with the auntie while the other approached us, including me, sitting in the dining hall, and handed each of us a silver coin. It was not a lot of money, but it was not little either.
The bald large man who came to me asked politely.
"We are sorry. Could you please move aside? This is a token of our sincerity."
"What is going on?"
I felt favorable toward him because, despite his imposing size, he was not using it and was simply being obsequious.
It was not like he was swinging his strength around just because he had it.
Honestly, if they had tried to use force, I would not have known, but the other two guests would have just been kicked out.
"Well... our master is extremely overprotective of the young lady, and she will be coming here soon."
"Here? Why?"
"We have heard many rumors that this place serves delicious commoner food."
The other large man over there must have said the same thing to the inn auntie, because she burst into laughter, going "hohoho."
Seeing the auntie in a good mood for no reason made me feel a little more at ease too.
Still, I had to ask what needed asking.
"I understand the overprotectiveness, but why do I have to move aside?"
"It is hard to understand, right? We actually understand as well. But our master extremely dislikes the young lady going near men..."
Whether he had finished talking with the auntie or saw that the man in front of me was struggling, the man who had been in front of her flew over to me as well.
The two of them started rubbing their hands together frantically.
"Please... could you please understand...?"
"Big brother..! No, stylish big brother...!"
They looked so desperate that it was oddly funny.
I had been planning to move aside anyway.
Whether I ate here or in my room did not make much difference.
I could just ask the inn auntie to bring the food over.
And after they went this far, there was no reason to be stubborn.
In the end, I burst out laughing.
"Hahaha, I was going to move anyway. Please stop bowing."
At my words, the two men's faces lit up.
"Thank you!"
"Muscular big brother! Thank you! You will be blessed!"
"Good luck to you two as well."
Everyone really seemed to live a hard life.
The other guests also happily left the dining hall after receiving the silver coins.
I slowly picked up the tonfa I had placed beside me and started climbing the stairs.
The auntie was happily looking inside the coin pouch the size of a fist.
She always put so much care into the food, and it was all coming back to her.
"The young lady is entering!!"
The two large men had already taken positions on either side of the door, standing in a sturdy posture.
As I was about to go up, I got curious about what this precious noble young lady looked like and glanced back.
She was wearing a large hat, so her face was not visible, but the hair flowing down from under the hat was pink.
Pink hair...
Hmm....
It was a somewhat common color, but for some reason it made me feel guilty, so I quickly entered my room.