Chapter 13: A Good Reason for His Absence, Part 1
The Milaan sisters had insisted on hearing my adventures as an adventurer, so I shared my experiences with them, albeit in a vague manner. However, I wanted to return to the conversation that followed immediately after.
After listening to my story, Milaan hesitantly asked me, “That story, um, the one Roh-nii-san told earlier, is it about Hero Ryuguin and his legendary deeds, right?”
I was so taken aback by her question that I couldn’t respond.
“Roh-nii-san, pretending not to know won’t work. Are you teasing me? I know what’s going on; the secret’s already out.”
Seeing my reaction, Milaan crossed her arms and gave me a sidelong glance.
“Well, even if you say ‘secret’… I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Roh-nii-san, are you saying that it’s just a coincidence that your story and the tale of Ryuguin-sama are so similar?”
“Uh… well, that’s…”
I was at a loss, and a wave of dizziness washed over me.
“Sorry, Milaan. If you don’t mind, could you tell me about this ‘Hero Ryuguin’ and his legendary deeds?”
With a skeptical look, Milaan sighed and began to recount the tale, which was utterly unbelievable to me.
This is a story that took place after I and Ryuguin were summoned. The seven dungeons I primarily tackled in the Newly Constructed Ultimate Labyrinth are as follows (four of which I conquered solo):
- Mirror Labyrinth
- Light Labyrinth
- Labyrinth of Power
- Labyrinth of Immortality
- Ice Labyrinth
- Flame Labyrinth
- Blade Labyrinth
However, it seemed that all of these dungeons were conquered by the Hero Party centered around Ryuguin.
The tales involving the party members Mika, Ange, and Eris were heavily embellished, each portraying deep bonds between Ryuguin and them.
There was the story of Mika and Ryuguin daringly attacking a dungeon together.
The tale of how I helped the mage Angelica, who could only use Basic Magic, rise to the level of a Sage.
The account of enduring hellish training with Eris, guiding her to become the strongest swordswoman.
In all these stories, Ryuguin had seamlessly taken my place.
Conversely, my portrayal was dishearteningly abysmal.
In the tales, the “Holy Knight Yamada” was depicted as a chubby, lazy character who never trained. He was someone who loved women and alcohol above all else and was careless with money. Yet, when it came to battle, he was a nuisance who always hindered the heroes.
The “Holy Knight Yamada” was not just that; he was a braggart who tried to appear larger than life, looked down on others, and was devoid of any semblance of humility—a truly wicked character.
But the story didn’t end there. To top it off, this so-called Holy Knight Yamada, terrified of fighting, declared, “I don’t care what happens to this world as long as I’m fine!” and abandoned the Hero Party to flee.
As Milaan finished her tale, I faintly sensed the dawn approaching, heralded by the chirping of birds signaling the end of night.
“Yawn,” Milaan stifled a yawn without covering her mouth.
I felt guilty for keeping the still-young Milaan up so late, but most of my thoughts were consumed by the content of her story.
“I’m sorry, Milaan! Tomorrow, as a token of my gratitude, I’ll treat you to something delicious.”
“Um, I thought about it, but Roh-nii-san, you still don’t seem convinced, do you? I can tell.”
If only I could shout that I was far from convinced!
“So instead of a feast, take me to the theater tomorrow! They’re currently showing ‘Hero Ryuguin and the Blade Labyrinth (The Encounter with the Sword Saint)’! I’ve been wanting to see it!”
What kind of performance is that…?
They say that when humans encounter an excessively bizarre situation, their thoughts shut down. I was experiencing something very close to that.
“The story of Ryuguin-sama currently being shown is a hot topic because he himself supervised the script!”
“O-Okay. I don’t know much about that theater or whatever, but if it helps me come to terms with things, I’ll take you, and not just you, but Maro-san and Fio too.”
“Yay! I love you, Roh-nii-san!” Milaan cheered, but I was in no mood to celebrate; my mind was swirling with various thoughts.
As the tale of Ryuguin’s exploits unfolded in the theater, I left before the final moments and curtain call.
I couldn’t stay there any longer.
I wandered aimlessly after exiting the theater. I just wanted to be somewhere devoid of people.
However, since the theater was located right in the heart of the entertainment district, my wish was not easily granted.
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