Chapter 1: A Flower for You
“You are—”
As I looked at them—well, in this case, it was just me—Saintess Mika, one of the three women, involuntarily let out a voice filled with surprise. In that instant, I could feel the tension in the air around them. Additionally, I noticed that Ash, who was standing next to me, had entered a clear battle-ready stance.
“Ah, it’s been a while… hasn’t it?”
I raised my hand, oblivious to the atmosphere. No, that’s not quite right… To be honest, it wasn’t that I ignored the situation. In a scenario where I couldn’t run away or pretend it wasn’t happening, I had no choice but to act this way. Though I tried to maintain my composure, my heart was pounding like a war drum, threatening to leap out of my mouth.
“…It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Since you disappeared from the party?”
Mika returned the greeting so naturally that I felt a bit taken aback. But this was far from over. I really hoped they would go easy on me. After all, they had a knack for targeting me directly.
“Hey, that’s right, isn’t it? Holy Knight—no, would it be better to call you this?”
Saintess Mika smiled sweetly.
“Fugitive Holy Knight Yamada Ichiro-sama.”
Oh dear.
“It’s truly strange, isn’t it? The Holy Knight, who should be the backbone of the Hero Party, has abandoned the important task of conquering the Newly Constructed Ultimate Labyrinth to hide away and play in such a remote place… It’s truly embarrassing.”
Mage Angelica remarked, fidgeting with her hat as if she couldn’t find a comfortable position. Her gaze was sharp, even aggressive.
Just moments after Angelica’s words, Ash, realizing that the term “Holy Knight” was directed at her, turned to me with a look of disbelief.
“Sorry, Ash. I promise I’ll explain everything once this is over…”
Perhaps sensing my anxiety, Ash smiled gently to reassure me.
“—Row-kun, it’s okay. No matter what happens, I believe in you. So please, don’t make that face.”
Her words were endlessly kind. On the other hand, Sensei remained silent, but her eyes were fierce, as if she was trying to discern something.
“I see. Are those two new party members? You really are a person with no sense of responsibility. To abandon everything and enjoy yourself in such a backwater place—oh, wait, you are…”
Saintess Mika’s gaze shifted to Ash as if she had realized something.
“Ah, you are—Holy Knight Ashley Noble, aren’t you?”
“Isn’t Holy Knight Ashley the one who stood in our way when we went to retrieve Eris’s sword? Now that you mention it, it does seem like it,” Angelica said, snapping her fingers. Perhaps she only just realized it, or maybe she was being sarcastic about how insignificant Ash seemed to her.
“Ashley Noble. I won’t say anything bad, but you should really avoid associating with that man.”
“What do you mean…?”
Ash muttered, genuinely confused by the Saintess’s advice. In response, Angelica spoke with a hint of disdain.
“He is a man devoid of any sense of responsibility. He was like that even when he was part of our party. All he did was drown in Decadent Indulgence and drag us down from behind.”
Having said that, Angelica added, “Though it’s absolutely impossible,” and continued her words.
“I’ll ask just to be sure. You’re not here to conquer the Sealed Labyrinth, are you?”
“That’s the plan.”
At my answer, Angelica shrugged mockingly.
“You’ll probably end up crying again soon, tucking your tail between your legs and running away.”
Unable to contain my anger, Ash shouted, “Row-kun is not that kind of person!!”
She tried to lunge at Angelica, but I restrained her with my hand.
“Fugitive Holy Knight. Your lazy and cowardly nature hasn’t changed at all, has it? Hiding behind women is truly…”
This is… strange. I’ve never hidden from anyone. My battles have always been on the front lines. The enemies were always stronger, and the fights were always life-or-death. Until now, I had always been both the shield protecting them and the spear piercing the enemy—at least, I thought I had. Yet…
“Well, I suppose you have suitable companions. A Fugitive Holy Knight and a foolish loser who knelt before us after standing in the way of the Hero-sama—let’s call you the ‘Defeated Holy Knight’ since you both are Holy Knights in matching outfits. You should accept this blessing. Congratulations.”
“Congratulations.”
Saintess Mika said this with exaggerated cheerfulness, placing her hand on her cheek, while Angelica further mocked us.
“Hey, I want to ask something.”
They all looked at me with expressions that seemed to say, “What’s with the sudden question?”
“How can you say something like that?”
I voiced the question that had naturally bubbled up inside me.
“How can I say that?”
Angelica seemed to tremble at my question.
“Myself and the Hero-sama have been risking our lives fighting for this world for a long time. What were you doing during that time? Were you sleeping soundly and indulging in laziness?”
“That’s not—”
I instinctively swallowed the urge to shout. I realized that no matter how much I tried to communicate, it was futile. They were… off.
“I thought you were living peacefully and comfortably after running away, but I never imagined you were here in this remote place, enjoying yourself with women.”
After they became Ryuguin’s subordinates, they often echoed his sentiments, cursing me. However, they had never claimed my achievements as their own. It was something anyone could understand with a little thought. To take credit for someone else’s achievements and act as if it were natural… that was not sane behavior.
As Pulmy-san had said, something was wrong. I could only think that some kind of force was at play.
“We’re not blaming you. A cowardly Holy Knight can do whatever they want. Just like back then, as long as you don’t interfere with us, you can do as you please.”
They were people who could show compassion.
“I don’t care how much you badmouth me. But—don’t you dare say anything about my friends. Apologize to Ash.”
—It’s okay. I’m here by your side.
Mika said she would stay by my side.
—If I were a healer, I would never leave Ichiro, who continues to fight even when covered in wounds!
Angelica cried tears of worry for my injuries as if they were her own.
—I don’t want to leave you alone.
Eris had always been there to comfort my sorrow.
I could no longer bear to continue the conversation with them. I felt an unprecedented anger at their disparagement. At the same time, I was painfully reminded that the women who had once stood by my side were no longer there.
My heart was a tangled mess of anger and sadness, and I felt tears welling up in my eyes from the overwhelming emotions.
“Incoming!”
Sensei, who had remained silent until now, announced. Immediately, a sound like something bursting—bajijiji—echoed through the Labyrinth. The source of the sound was my Magic Bag. As soon as I realized it, something shot out of the Magic Bag with great force. The identity of that something was—
“Talisman—?”
Floating in the air was the talisman that Sena had given me, crafted by her own hands. The talisman suddenly emitted a brilliant light. When the light subsided, before us appeared—