Chapter 6: Saintess VII
I was brought to the largest dining establishment in this town by Ash.
“Surprisingly, everyone in the group, including him, was worried about you, Row-kun. If you feel up to it, show them your cheerful face.”
“The fact that those guys are worried about me feels… strange.”
“I want to talk to you about various things now that you’ve woken up safely, Row-kun, but I still have some work left to do… Unfortunately, I’ll have to head back to my room for now. Given that I brought you here, it feels a bit odd to say this, but you still look a bit fatigued, so don’t push yourself too hard. If it gets too long, feel free to wrap things up and head back to your room.”
Ash, who was almost the same height as me, naturally met my gaze. Our eyes connected.
“By the way, Row-kun—”
Suddenly, Ash hugged me tightly.
“I’m so glad you’re safe.”
Her soft body pressed against mine.
“And thank you for freeing me from my fate.”
Fate? Before I could ask, she turned her back to me.
“See you later!!”
I watched Ash walk away until she disappeared from view, then stepped into the dining establishment before me. Almost immediately, I heard a loud voice.
“Oh! It’s Row!!”
A sweaty giant called my name and approached me. His footsteps were heavy and manly—thud! thud! thud! It was none other than Saga Assaultbody, the leader of the formidable clan, the Berserga Mercenary Corps.
“I just received word from Omi that Row has awakened. As expected of a man I believed in, I knew you would definitely return with results!”
“I won’t forget the looks on Saga and the others’ faces back then.”
If my memory serves me right, they had sent me off to the Sealed Labyrinth with an atmosphere akin to a funeral. Saga seemed to notice my reproachful gaze.
“What? Are you still holding a grudge about how we sent you off? Row, that’s not cool! You’re being too uptight!”
He patted my back with a loud thud and laughed heartily, “Gahhahaha!”
Now that I saw him without his armor, he was a robust, boisterous man who spoke casually.
Saga then sat me down in a chair and began to talk cheerfully. From what I gathered, even after I had entered the Sealed Labyrinth, he had been quite active leading the Berserga Mercenary Corps. He animatedly recounted his stories while sipping ale in broad daylight, and I nodded along.
As we continued talking, suddenly,
“Brother!” “Row-san!” “Row’s big bro!” “Row-nii!” “Big bro!!” “Brother!” “Ronii-ki!”
Saga’s son, Miro, and Deete, along with members of the Berserga Mercenary Corps, appeared.
“By the way, what does ‘big bro’ mean?”
I had no memory of having such rock-solid younger brothers.
“Well, about that—”
As Saga called out, “Step forward quickly!” the ten or so members present stepped back, and two stunningly beautiful girls lined up in front of me. They were the two girls I had been wondering about in this rough crowd.
“These are my daughters. Both of you, introduce yourselves to Row!”
Following Saga’s instruction, the two girls began their introductions. The elder was Shion, fifteen years old, and the younger was Kanon, twelve. Both were at an age where, if I made any advances, it would be considered a crime back in my original world. Especially Kanon—if I did anything with her, I would definitely be labeled a lolicon.
Still, just like Miro, who was a handsome boy, both girls were stunning beauties who bore no resemblance to Saga. Good, good. They could take after Saga’s genes all they wanted! They better not end up working!
…That said, if I were to give Saga a little credit, they did have healthy, sun-kissed skin and a lively demeanor that could be considered similar to him.
“What I want to say is, Row, you should marry one of my daughters! Choose whichever one you like! If you fancy both, feel free to take them both as wives!”
“Uh… what?”
I was taken aback.
“To say you can have both as wives is way too casual! Even if we’re not talking about marriage, this is a serious matter! Normally, there should be some sentiment or charm involved! What you just said sounded like a neighborly aunt saying, ‘I got some vegetables from the countryside, take whichever you like!'”
Miro wrapped his arm around my waist tightly. Whether he heard my opinion or not, he looked up at me with sparkling eyes.
“Does this mean you’ll really become my big bro now?”
“Absolutely not!?”
Miro couldn’t hold back his tears, and the other members joined in, crying out, “Oh, big bro!” “Brother!” “Aniki!” “We love you, big bro!” “Brother!” “Ronii-ki!”
“Stop trying to corner me!”
As I protested, I turned to the two girls and said, “Nice to meet you, I’m Row.”
“Are you my master?”
“Master?”
The two girls tilted their heads and asked me. I sighed and replied, “No way,” handing them biscuits from my Magic Bag as a greeting.
After that, several tables were brought together, and people gathered around me. Of course, there were not only members of the Berserga Mercenary Corps but also participants from the Fog subjugation and even the shopkeeper from my previous shopping spree. Before I knew it, the place was filled with people, most of whom were joyfully drinking.
During this time, it was announced that the Raucous Festivity, which was supposed to start in three days, would be moved up a day due to Saga and the others’ enthusiastic requests, making it a four-day festival starting today. Saga was right in front of me, chugging distilled liquor. This is what adults do…
Meanwhile, the two girls diligently poured drinks for me, and the surprisingly good listener, Saga, kept asking me questions, drawing out stories from my time in the Sealed Labyrinth. Each time I spoke, the atmosphere grew lively, and cheers erupted. In between my stories, many people chimed in with praises like, “Amazing!” “If I were a girl, I’d marry Aniki!” “I could never do that!” “So cool!” “I admire you!” and from the townsfolk who had joined in, “Thank you!” “Much appreciated!” “It’s all thanks to you!” “You hidden noble brother! So cool!”
This might be what it means to be in the spotlight.
So I couldn’t help but compare.
───Ichiro
Since being summoned to this world, this was the first time I had received such gratitude from so many people. When I was in the party, I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it, so I avoided publicly announcing that I had conquered the Labyrinth. After leaving the party, I had secluded myself in the Hidden Mountain, and by the time I descended, I was treated almost like a criminal.
So, while I claimed I didn’t need any rewards, I couldn’t deny that this situation made me genuinely happy. But I felt just a bit—
───I have feelings for you.
“I’m a little tired.”
Miro looked at me with a puzzled expression, “Huh?”
“I still don’t feel quite back to normal. Let’s do this again tomorrow.”
Leaving behind the drunken adults, Miro, and his two sisters, I exited the scene.
I had entered the establishment just before lunchtime, but it was already the afternoon snack time. I had spent nearly three hours with Saga and the others, which was more than enough time for news of my awakening and the early start of the Raucous Festivity to spread throughout the town.
On my way back to the Guild’s bed, the spice vendor, the fruit seller, familiar street vendors, and even the young man selling chocolate with a Kansai accent all came up to me to express their gratitude.
“Thanks a lot! You’re a rich guy now!”
“Shut up! I’m not rich!”
“Hey, you must be some noble, want to invest in my business?”
“Maybe next time.”
I continued to receive a flurry of thanks and praises from both familiar and unfamiliar faces.
“Hey, young man! I’ll give you my daughter!”
“I’ll pass!”
But I couldn’t truly feel joy from the bottom of my heart.
───I think I will go to the monastery located at the northernmost edge, far removed from the secular world.
Suddenly, an unfamiliar landscape appeared in my mind. So, this was merely my imagination.
It was a vast, desolate land. Far away from human settlements, no one ever visited. There were no cobblestone paths, only beast trails stretching endlessly. At the end of such a path, stood a solitary, crude stone building.
Being made of stone, it was well-ventilated, but in winter, the cold drafts would seep through the gaps, chilling the hard floor and freezing the very core of anyone who lived there. Breathing would turn the air white, and any water work would quickly lead to cracked hands.
In such a far-off place, often referred to as the end of the world, she would spend her long life praying to God and confessing to me and those she had troubled.
───Are you crying?
She asked me.
───Please don’t hide it. At least not in front of me.
That day, she told me.
───It’s okay. I’ll be by your side.
Time flowed on, and everything changed drastically.
“Damn it.”
How did it come to this? The feelings that surged within me felt like they were crushing my chest.
“Damn it all.”
I wiped my eyes with my sleeve, hurrying home so that no one would notice. Once I returned to the Guild’s room, I locked the door. I didn’t want to see anyone for a while.
“Mika───”
Once I called her name, it was all over. Her smile, which had been beside me, floated back into my mind.
───Ichiro.
That pleasant, clear voice called out to me. She had indeed been by my side back then. The days we spent together were real. They truly existed.
“Ugh… u…”
No matter how much I told myself to forget, the memories of our days together resurfaced in my mind. I couldn’t stop the tears that flowed uncontrollably.
──────
I’ve done similar things a few times, but to celebrate reaching 1,000 evaluators, I will respond to all the thoughts on this story, so please send in your feedback!!
I read every single comment!
Thank you always!