Chapter 30
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I was pestered by the sisters to tell them about my adventures as an adventurer, so I reluctantly shared my experiences with them, albeit in a vague manner. I want to return to the conversation that immediately followed.
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After hearing my story, Milan timidly asks me a question.
「That story- Um, the one you just told us. That was the heroic tale of the Hero Ryūgūin and his companions, wasn’t it?」
Taken aback by Milan’s question, I find myself at a loss for words.
Observing my reaction, Milan seems to come to her own conclusion.
「Low, you can’t just pretend you don’t know. Are you trying to tease me? I get it, you’re just messing around, but the cat’s already out of the bag.」
She says, crossing her arms and eyeing me sideways.
「No, when you say the cat’s out of the bag… I honestly have no idea what you’re talking about.」
「Come on, Low. So, are you saying it’s just a coincidence that your story and Sir Ryūgūin’s story happen to be so similar?」
「Well… that’s…」
Feeling disoriented and unable to grasp the situation, I experience a moment of dizziness.
「I’m sorry, Milan.
If you don’t mind, could you please tell me about the heroic tales of this ‘Hero Ryūgūin’ you mentioned?」
Still eyeing me suspiciously, Milan sighs and begins to recount the story, as if she has no choice. The contents of her tale are utterly unbelievable to me.
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This is the story of what happened after Ryūgūin and I were summoned to this world.
I played a key role in conquering the following seven 「Newly Constructed Most Challenging Dungeons」 (four of which I cleared solo):
《Mirror Dungeon》
《Light Dungeon》
《Strength Dungeon》
《Immortality Dungeon》
《Ice Dungeon》
《Flame Dungeon》
《Blade Dungeon》
However, according to the story, all of these dungeons were supposedly conquered by the Hero’s party, with Ryūgūin at the center.
The episodes involving Mika, Angie, and Eris, who joined the party, were also heavily embellished, portraying them as moments that deepened the bonds between Ryūgūin and the girls.
There’s the story of Mika and Ryūgūin’s reckless dungeon challenge as a duo.
The story of how he elevate Angelica, a mage who could only use beginner-level magic, to the level of the wise.
The story of how he guided Eris, who was struggling to improve, through hellish training to become the strongest swordswoman.
In all of these stories, Ryūgūin has seamlessly taken over the role that should have been mine.
And as for my own role in the story, it’s so disheartening that it’s almost laughable.
The 「Holy Knight Yamada」 in the story is described as a short, plump, and lazy character who avoids training. His greatest loves are women and alcohol, and he’s careless with money. To make matters worse, he always hinders the heroes during battles, becoming a troublesome burden.
「Holy Knight Yamada」 doesn’t stop there. He’s also portrayed as a pretentious show-off who looks down on others with an arrogant attitude, completely lacking in humility and possessing a wicked personality.
But the story doesn’t end there.
To top it all off, the Holy Knight Yamada, overcome by his fear of fighting, allegedly declared, 「As long as I’m fine, I don’t care what happens to this world!」 He then abandoned the Hero’s party members and fled.
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As Milan’s story comes to an end, the sound of birds singing heralds the approaching dawn, and I sense the faint presence of the morning sun.
Milan lets out a yawn without even covering her mouth.
Feeling guilty for making the still-young Milan stay up late to tell the story, I find my thoughts mostly consumed by the contents of her tale.
「Sorry about that, Milan! Tomorrow, I’ll treat you to something delicious as a token of my gratitude.」
「Hmm, I’ve been thinking, Low. You’re still not convinced, are you? I can tell.」
I wanted to shout, 「How could I possibly be convinced?!」 if I could.
「So, instead of treating me tomorrow, take me to the theater! They’re currently showing ‘Hero Ryūgūin and the Blade Dungeon (The Encounter with the Sword Saint).’ I’ve been wanting to see it!」
What kind of play is that…?
They say that when humans encounter an overwhelming and inexplicable situation, their minds tend to shut down.
That’s exactly how I feel right now.
「The current Ryūgūin story being performed is super popular because Sir Ryūgūin himself supervised the script!」
「Oh, okay. If going to this theater or whatever will convince me, then I’ll take not just you, Milan, but Marlo and Fio as well.」
「Yay! I love you, Low!」 Milan exclaims happily, but I’m not in the mood to celebrate. Instead, I find myself grappling with various thoughts.
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Leaving behind the last bit of Ryūgūin’s heroic tale unfolding on stage and the curtain call, I distance myself from the theater.
I couldn’t bear to stay there any longer.
I exit the theater and walk aimlessly.
All I want is to find a place devoid of people.
However, with the theater located in the heart of the entertainment district, my wish remains unfulfilled for quite some time.
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