Chapter 19: A Sudden Change of Heart [Third-Person Perspective]
*As there are quite a few characters appearing, this chapter will temporarily be in the third-person.
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Ghuftok, whose arm had been broken by the Golem, was bedridden for recovery.
However, having failed the quest, Ghuftok had no financial leeway to afford a hotel…
He had a small, simple bed made for him under the eaves of a stable, and that’s where he slept.
“Damn it… Why me…? Cough, cough…”
Lacking the money to treat his broken arm, he was still enduring the pain.
Moreover, due to the unsanitary conditions within the dungeon, his arm was swollen up tight.
Furthermore, exposed to the wind and rain while sleeping outdoors, he had even caught a cold.
“Hey, you two! Go get some food…!”
Ghuftok ordered his party members, Plum and Natalia, in a harsh tone.
Cartina, the Mercenary, had already left Ghuftok.
Ordered by Ghuftok, Plum and Natalia reluctantly nodded.
“Y-yes…”
As the two of them cared for the sick Ghuftok, they began to calmly wonder, “Why are we even doing this…?”
There was no longer any point in obeying Ghuftok, who had no money and would likely be unable to fight in the future.
He was no longer a strong man.
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Out in the town, Plum and Natalia were venting their dissatisfaction with Ghuftok.
“It’s like… Ghuftok-sama is really on the decline, isn’t he…?”
“Well, he’s pretty much finished, that man.”
Once their feelings had cooled, all that remained was for them to grow completely cold.
As if a veil had been lifted from their eyes, the two had completely given up on Ghuftok.
“Until now, I thought he was reasonably strong and cool…” said Natalia.
However, Plum had a different opinion.
“Really? His face wasn’t good to begin with, was it…? I only stuck with him because I thought he was a little strong. If he can’t be active as an adventurer, a guy like that is worthless…”
Such were their harsh words.
And no wonder; Ghuftok, using his illness as an excuse, was now being as selfish as he possibly could.
It was only natural that such a man would be abandoned.
“Besides, he’s drowning in debt from compensation owed to the Guild, right? We have no obligation to get dragged into that…”
“Indeed… Shall we just skip town and leave him?”
Yes, Ghuftok had been billed a large sum by the Guild.
According to Guild regulations, adventurers who find themselves in a pinch must pay a reward to the adventurer who saved them.
In other words, Ghuftok was now heavily indebted to Loin.
It was perfectly logical for them to lose patience with such a man.
“You’re right. We can just leave a man like that be. He won’t make it anyway, looking like that.”
“I agree…! I feel bad for Ghuftok-sama, but I don’t want to end up in debt hell…”
And so, the two walked through the town, complaining about Ghuftok.
As they did, a certain rumor reached their ears.
“Hey, I heard Hero Alester was defeated!”
“S-seriously…?! By who…?!”
“Apparently… by an unknown rookie adventurer, the one who’s currently ranked 5th.”
“You mean that Loin guy…?!”
Plum and Natalia had been listening to the conversation casually up to that point, but…
Hearing the name Loin, they stopped dead in their tracks.
Yes, the two of them recognized that name.
It was Loin, the porter whom Ghuftok had previously expelled from the party.
Though they thought it couldn’t possibly be, the two couldn’t resist finding out the truth.
“Hey, um, excuse me…!”
“Y-yes…?”
The two of them called out to the men who were discussing the rumor.
“That person, Loin… Do you mean Loin Canberras…?”
“Ah, yeah… I think that was his name.”
“…!?”
The two were speechless…
To think that that Loin had become strong enough to overwhelm the Hero…!?
They were filled with disbelief, but that wasn’t the issue.
For the two of them, this was good news.
A former acquaintance was now ranked 5th and had even defeated the Hero…
Having lost their party leader, Ghuftok, their thoughts were the same.
If he was ranked 5th, a considerable income could be expected.
“Loin…! We thought he was a useless man… but it seems our judgment was clouded…”
“Indeed… This is our chance to switch sides! With our beauty…! A man like that will be a pushover!”
And so, the two of them found Loin and called out to him.
Loin seemed to remember them and listened to what they had to say.
“U-um…! Loin-san, we’re very sorry for all the rude things we did before!”
“Eh, ah… well… it’s fine now, but… I appreciate the apology, though…”
“Loin-san, you’re so kind after all! How about it! Won’t you let us join your party! We’ll do anything!”
The two of them thought that since Loin was kind, he would easily accept them.
However, Loin’s attitude changed, and he glared at them.
“No… That’s out of the question…”
“…Huh?”