Chapter 154: The Dagger is Short, the Light Pierces, and the Flame Runs 5
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The Maiden of Light Luu’s request wasn’t so much sightseeing as it was tracing Erica’s life in this town.
Erica’s favorite Baked Goods Shop, Erica’s favorite eatery, the shop that serves Erica’s favorite tea.
It hasn’t even been half a year since Erica and I started living in this town, but even so, these were roads the two of us had grown accustomed to walking together.
We walked them, tracing our usual life, bringing Luu and the Prince along.
Although the massive foreign elements of Master and Elza were present, Erica and Luu walked and laughed naturally, as if they had lived in this town forever.
Even Shara, who was occasionally surprised by their conversation, seemed natural, as if they had always been together.
I thought about how she was so stiff in front of the Maiden of Light yesterday, but Shara has that side to her.
I really respect that about her.
How does someone who was calling her Miko-sama become close enough to call each other Shaa-chan and Luu-chan in just one day?
The way extroverts close the distance like that is honestly scary.
But still, ever since Luu came to this town, things feel somehow distant.
I bite back a sigh with my molars.
Erica is distant, too distant.
Having stopped telling myself off, listing endless excuses like ‘it’s extravagant,’ ‘you’re asking for too much,’ ‘don’t wish for more than this,’ I honestly think:
Erica is distant.
Moreover, I feel like Erica is keeping her distance from me.
It’s not like she’s blatantly avoiding me, but more like… the feeling you get when a cat that isn’t in the mood to play keeps its distance.
Just when I think she’s paying a little attention to me, I realize she’s far away again. That’s how it feels.
Just a moment ago, when Erica and I were both attending to the Maiden of Light, she somehow just… smoothly took the Maiden of Light’s hand and moved away from me.
Suddenly, a terrifying thought occurs to me.
“Could this be… the Relationship Rut?”
“Are you tired or something?”
As I trembled in fear at the terrifying possibility, a voice called out from the side.
“Oh, it’s just you, Miko-sama.”
For some reason, at my words, the Maiden of Light, Lou Memphis, lowered her already downturned eyebrows even further.
“Stop with the Miko-sama, Shin-kun. At least call me Luu-chan or something~”
Forcing an introvert like me to use ‘-chan’ is synonymous with forcing suicide.
“Making a huge concession, how about Menzo?”
“Haven’t I conceded so much I’m at the bottom of a cliff?”
Then just put up with Miko-sama.
I replied while searching for Erica.
I wondered why Luu had left Erica’s side, but ah, so that’s why.
I spotted Erica glaring at the Prince in front of the Baked Goods Shop and understood.
They’re probably arguing over which Baked Goods to buy, or maybe something like, “Are you planning to feed this to the Maiden of Light?”
Meanwhile, Shara was pinching the fat on her stomach over her clothes, looking troubled. What’s she doing?
“Shin-kun, aren’t you a little cold towards girls?”
“I make it a rule not to be nice to anyone but my wife.”
The Maiden of Light gave me the same look she did during our first greeting.
Eyes devoid of malice or hostility, like she was observing me, trying to see through the darkness of a well.
“Hmm. What is it? Have my eyes become clouded too?”
What do you mean? I asked back with just my gaze.
“You don’t look like you’re lying, you know.”
“Because I’m not lying.”
Come to think of it, she thinks I’m a bad guy, doesn’t she?
I want to deny it, but it certainly contains an undeniable truth.
After all, I took advantage of Erica’s predicament and asked her to let me be with her for one year.
Saying it was a request from Erica’s father, the Prime Minister (honorific), isn’t even an excuse.
How did Erica feel when she accepted the request from the introvert who had been watching her constantly at the academy?
Knowing Erica, if she didn’t like a man, no matter who he was, she probably wouldn’t even let him lift a finger near her, let alone breathe the same air.
But setting that aside, wasn’t it simply scary to be told such a request by an introvert like that?
I now deeply regret my past self, who got carried away and flustered by this sudden stroke of luck.
Well, that aside, I’ll keep trying my best now to make Erica fall for me.
I managed to give her the ring. Next is Flowers, yes, Flowers.
“Hmm, yesterday you seemed really like a Virgin, though.”
Are you trying to make a Virgin cry out here in public?
“Today, you seem like a husband trying to get the attention of his wife who’s in a Relationship Rut.”
Is it really a Relationship Rut after all?
No, wait, can a couple in a Farce even experience a Relationship Rut?
“Hahaha, a Relationship Rut? No way. We’re lovey-dovey, lovey-dovey.”
I denied it for the time being.
It’s not a lie. Only I am lovey-dovey, but it’s not a lie.
If I love enough for two, then it’s lovey-dovey.
“That’s not a lie, but it is a lie.”
The Maiden of Light spun around and moved directly in front of me.
“Maybe because I was born in the red-light district, I can tell things like that. It’s not a lie, but it’s not the truth, right?”
Her words confirmed the rumor that the Maiden of Light came from the red-light district was true.
It’s not exactly a reputable story, and besides, once she became the Maiden of Light, it doesn’t matter if she was originally a vagrant.
It probably wouldn’t matter even if she were a mass murderer.
From my perspective, just the fact that she could become friends with Erica convinces me that she must be a good person deep down.
“Maybe it’s because my mom was a prostitute? I’m pretty good at spotting men’s lies.”
“That’s convenient.”
Honestly
“Did she remember me?” I felt an out-of-place happiness, and I couldn’t quite understand myself.
Erica was right in front of me, looking at me with such a sad face; there was no time to be feeling happy about something like that.
If I didn’t say something, I’d make a fatal mistake.
Driven solely by that premonition, I tried to take a step closer to Erica.
“Ericchi?”
But the words didn’t come from me; Luu, who like me had been stunned by Erica’s state, spoke first.
Luu’s voice was one of genuine concern for her friend, and that alone showed how important Erica was to her.
“Ahh…”
The voice that struck my ears felt unreal.
It was like the sigh let out by a lost young child just before bursting into tears.
I couldn’t believe it came from Erica’s mouth.
My body almost moved on impulse.
I didn’t really understand, but regardless of what happened afterward, even if I were beheaded, even if she came to hate me like poison…
I wanted to hold her right now.
“I’m sorry!”
But the step I took was pinned to the ground by those words, and my arms reached for empty air.
My reach is always too short.
Erica turned her back and ran away.
My body just wouldn’t move.
A sense of despair overwhelmed my confusion.
What should I do? What do I want to do?
Even when facing the jaws of a Dragon, my mind, which usually kept churning with messy thoughts, wasn’t working at all.
My legs felt heavy below the knees, as if buried in mud.
What should I do?
The answer to that question was given immediately.
“Shin-kun?”
Luu placed a hand on my shoulder with a smile.
“What did you do?!”
Along with that question, Luu’s fist gouged into my stomach.
What are you doing?! And besides, I don’t know either!
Hey… you shouldn’t make a thud sound when you punch a person, really, you shouldn’t.
I bent over, enduring the pain.
“Shin-san!”
Shara’s voice, close to a scream.
Well yeah, that makes sense. That’s how it would be.
The shrine maiden-sama of her own church suddenly lost her mind.
Of course she’d let out a scream-like voice.
“What are you doing?!”
That’s my line.
Shara’s Shining Knee accurately struck my forehead.
Forcing my head down with a body blow, then striking my forehead with a knee.
What kind of combination is that?
Is it a secret killer combo passed down directly from the Church?
Man, the Church is bloodthirsty.
While catching the Iron Stake that came flying with Elza’s listless voice calling “Senior Disciple~”, I steadied my stance.
Elza-san, stop aiming for the neck on your first move, the neck!
My master was clutching his stomach, roaring with laughter, and I was so grateful it brought tears to my eyes.
Well, yeah.
Funnily enough, the answer came in an instant.
There was nothing else to do but chase after her.
Luu’s eyes were asking what I was dawdling for, and Shara, though delirious and shouting “Hurry! The town will burn!”, was absolutely right.
“Going to go chase her for a bit.”
Saying only that, I started running.
The Prince’s voice called out “Shin!?” behind me, but I ignored it.
The sad reality that only the Prince called my name out of concern was too painful to face directly.
Author’s Afterword
He finally started running.
This chapter had episodes where Shin and Erica were busy working as adventurers, etc.
Even though I cut and cut so much, this is the pacing we have.
From the author’s perspective, I’m dissatisfied that the protagonist’s internal organs have remained unharmed for so long.