Chapter 103

「…nn . 」

When I woke up, I didn’t know how many days had passed since then, but it was pitch black outside .

The room I was in felt oddly familiar .

It was the same room in Kurou’s house that he let me sleep in when my magic power was exhausted by『Shadow Magic』 .

I heard the voices of Amelia, Yoru and Kurou in the next room .

I was relieved when I heard Amelia’s energetic voice .

After we had left the dungeon, we dragged our exhausted bodies to Kurou’s house .

We didn’t confirm whether Mahiro and Aulum had left the dungeon as well .

It was more than likely that they were gone by now anyway . .

「Well then, first, eat and then sleep . We’ll talk after that . 」

Just as we arrived at the house, Kurou said that, and held fruits and bread out to us .

I didn’t know how long the battle with the two demons took, but one thing was certain; my stomach was empty and so I graciously accepted his offer .

However, everything after that was a blur .

I had no recollection of getting into bed either, so somebody definitely carried me to bed .

Was I so tired that I fell asleep in the middle of eating?

It was like this when I used『Shadow Magic』as well .

「…it seems that your master has woken up . 」

In the room next door, Kurou said this .

There was a commotion, and then Amelia and Yoru came into the room .

I squinted at the bright light that was coming from the room next door .

「Akiraaa!!」

『Master-donoo!!!』

My eyes had yet to adjust to the light, and they had thrown themselves at me . I quickly fell back into the bed .

It seems that I had yet to make a full recovery .

「Akira, I…I… . 」

I patted Amelia who said that in a trembling voice while rubbing her face on my chest .

There was nothing I could say .

She didn’t intend for it to end up that way, but I was on the verge of death .

If『Shadow Magic』hadn’t healed me, I would’ve been dead by now .

No matter what I say, Amelia would still blame herself .

There was nothing I could do but wait for her to get over it .

Meanwhile, Yoru had jumped onto my shoulder like usual and made himself comfortable .

「Yoru, how long did I sleep for?」

When I asked him this question, he helplessly shook his head .

Somehow, that annoyed me .

『This time, it was only a day . Though you did not use as much magic power as you did before, you are undoubtedly fatigued . Even though Miss Amelia and I woke up after a few hours, how pathetic . 』

I knew that he intentionally said this to cheer Amelia up, but it’s annoying .

Aah, how annoying .

I suppressed these emotions, involuntarily lowering my fist .

「Well, did something happen?」

There was no way that nothing happened the entire day .

When I asked, the look on Amelia’s and Yoru’s faces suddenly stiffened .

「Talk about that here . You have a visitor . 」

Turning around at Kurou’s voice, there was an unexpected person at the door .

Surprised, I threw off the quilt which caused Yoru to fall off of my shoulder

Usually, I would hold him in my arms, but right now, that just wasn’t possible .

「Vice-Commander Zeal!?」

「Aah, it’s been a while . 」

When I ran up to him, Vice-Commander Zeal, who had the usual worried look on his face, gave a wry smile .

He was not wearing the knight’s armor that I had last seen him in, but lightweight equipment meant for traveling . However, he was, unmistakingly, the Vice-Commander of the Retice Kingdom’s chivalric order, Zeal .

He looked over my shoulder at Amelia and Yoru .

Yoru was complaining after having been thrown off my shoulder, and Amelia was comforting him .

Vice-Commander Zeal smiled gently .

「It seems that you were able to meet good friends . 」

I scratched my cheek in embarrassment .

Somehow, I couldn’t keep secrets from Vice-Commander Zeal .

Since he was much more of a psychic than Commander Saran .

「Maa, yes . 」

His smile grew increasingly wider at my ambiguous answer .

Getting back on my shoulder, Yoru looked at me with a smirk .

『Why don’t you say it honestly? Master-dono . 』

As expected, it’s annoying .

I grabbed onto Yoru’s scruff and threw him onto the bed .

Gyao, Gyao, I ignored the screaming cat .

I held out my hand to Amelia .

「Amelia, let’s go . 」

「U, un . 」

Amelia timidly took my hand .

Her movements were somewhat awkward, but that hand was warm as it usually was .

Entering the next room, I was surprised once again .

Vice-Commander Zeal was not the only visitor .

My eyes widened in astonishment when I saw the people sitting in the chairs .

「Yo, Akira . 」

「Kyousuke… . 」

The seven classmates who left Retice Castle were right there .

Satou, the hero, Kyousuke…and I don’t know the rest .

I remembered the names of my classmates and their occupations when we were summoned, but various things happened, and even though not much time had passed since then, I had forgotten everything .

Their eyes weren’t fixated on me, but rather on the sight of Amelia and I holding hands right in front of them .

「Why are you here?」

I took the seat across from Kyousuke as I asked this .

Unfortunately, I’m not the type of person who responded to my classmates’ unspoken question .

「My skill,『Intuition』, said that Akira was here . That, and having decided on going to pay a visit to a skilled blacksmith, we met Zeal-san on the ship that headed to Ul . 」

It seems that Vice-Commander Zeal was acquainted with Kurou, and he was coincidentally on his way here .

He then joined Kyousuke and the others and came here to Kurou’s smithy .

His personality was like that, but Kurou was, without a doubt, a skilled blacksmith .

「Is it ok for Vice-Commander Zeal to leave the castle?」

When I continued the conversation and asked this, Vice-Commander Zeal was fidgeting as if uncomfortable .

「Ah–, about that, please don’t call me Vice-Commander anymore . Since I retired from knighthood . 」

He uttered those shocking words .

My eyes wavered .

Certainly, I thought that his tone of voice had become much gentler than before, but to think that he was no longer a knight .

「No, rather than saying I retired, I was discharged . It seems that the king thought that our chivalric order was a hindrance . 」

I see, I nodded .

Now that Commander Saran had passed away, the strongest within the castle was Vice-Commander Zeal, and so I thought that he had to stay in the castle, but it seems that I didn’t need to worry .

「So, Kurou . Why are there so many people?」

It would’ve been too much of a coincidence .

When I looked at him, Kurou frowned .

「How should I know . I only invited Zeal boy . The brats over there came along on their own . 」

Was Zeal-san referred to as “Zeal boy’ by Kurou?

Perhaps it was because barely any difference in appearance could be seen, there was an extreme sense of discomfort .

「Putting aside the other six people, I came to join up with Akira . Akira, can I go with you?」

Yoru jumped onto my shoulder .

『I’ve said it before too, no way! Master-dono’s partner is me only! Where did you come from? As if we’d let an unknown into our party so easily!!』

It seems this was why I could hear Yoru’s voice even in the room next door .

Amelia was trying to pacify Yoru .

I knew where Kyousuke came from though .

In my opinion, rather than Kyousuke it was Yoru whose origins were truly unknown .

「I’ll listen to Akira . Sorry, but Yoru, please be quiet . 」

『Don’t call me as if we’re familiar with each other!』

Just where was the majesty of the monster “Adorea’s Nightmare” that was feared by others .

And Kyousuke’s taciturn setting disappeared .

My classmates were looking at Kyousuke with surprise as he was too talkative .

First of all, he was so noisy right next to my ear, so I once again grabbed him by the scruff and dropped him onto the table .

「Sorry, but go fight outside . I had just woken up and your voices are hurting my head . 」

It was truly the voice of authority .

From that statement alone, the arguing ceased .

Amelia looked over at me with admiration .

「Is your body alright? Akira . 」

The hero who I had been ignoring up until now opened his mouth to speak for the first time .