Chapter 167
○○○
When Angie sees my hand, she hesitates for a moment before finally taking it.
Unable to hold back her sobs any longer, she lets even bigger tears fall than before, repeatedly saying 「I’m so sorry.」
I don’t tell her that apologies aren’t necessary. Or rather, I can’t tell her that, to be more accurate.
「Angie, it’ll take time, but let’s get along again, okay?」
Instead, I manage to say those words.
In response, she mumbles 「Thank you」 and clings to me. When I help her stand up, we naturally end up embracing. I tell myself this can’t be helped, this is necessary, and I pat her back to help calm her down.
After staying like that for a while, she seems to come back to her senses, wiping her face with her sleeve and looking flustered.
「I’m fine, so why don’t you go see Puru?」
I suggest this to Angie, trying to show her that I’m not bothered by anything. However, Angie seems to make up her mind and asks me:
「Ichiro, I’m sorry. I know this might be presumptuous, but there’s just one thing I’d like to ask.」
「What is it?」
「The one closest to you now… it’s that white-haired girl who demolished the three of us, right?」
Ah, that’s right, that was quite the shocking battle.
The fight between Talisman Sena and the three of them— wait, wasn’t Sena at that time— no, more importantly…
「Yeah, that’s right. She’s the one who’s been supporting me all this time when I was close to death.
I love her. I can say that clearly.」
At my answer, she murmurs, 「I knew it… I knew it…」 Then she wipes her eyes again and manages to smile despite her puffy eyes. It’s painful to watch.
「Ichiro, thank you for answering. Well then, I’m going to see Puru now.」
With those words, Angie turns her back to us and heads toward where Puru is tending to the larger group.
「She’s crying, you know.」
Says Orphe, who had somehow appeared beside me.
「Yeah, she is.」
「Look at her, rubbing her face with her sleeve, totally bawling. Ah, she just tripped. What are you gonna do about it, lover boy?」
「Shut up. I don’t know either. People sometimes don’t know what to do, you know?」
「Well, you’re right about that. Sorry for butting in where I shouldn’t.」
Orphe studies my face. During the recent battle, she had shown incredible prowess, taking on numerous Dragonauts and deflecting two dangerous energy beams, but I’m amazed that her expression shows no sign of fatigue.
「Anyway, I need to keep my promise. You asked me if we’d met somewhere before, right? We haven’t.」
Orphe’s gaze suddenly becomes incredibly sharp.
「Listen here, that’s not what I wanted to—」
Oh crap! Oh crap!
These are definitely not the eyes of an ordinary person!!
「Wait, wait, let me finish. While I haven’t met Orphe before, I think you might have seen me. I heard something about this. They said ‘S-rank adventurer Orphelia’ was observing our training.」
「When? When was this? And training? Who were you training with?!」
Why is she getting so excited?
She’s as excited as someone who just pulled a super rare character in a gacha game.
「Ah, more than six months ago, in that town near the Blade Dungeon— what was it called? Well, I guess that doesn’t matter—」
「It’s Sangaf. The town near the Blade Dungeon.」
「Oh, right. I was there training my disciple, and I heard later that you— Orphe— were among the spectators.」
VICTORY!!
Orphe throws up both fists with tears in her eyes.
She looks like she’s about to shout 「GOAL!」 or something. Actually…
「What’s going on? I can’t follow this conversation and it’s kind of scary…」
「You see, I took an extended leave from the Seventh Blue and traveled all the way here to the southernmost part of the Arcana Kingdom. It was truly a long journey. And it was all to meet you.」
These muscle-heads are so troublesome.
She’s completing the conversation only in her head, moving forward regardless of whether I understand or not.
「Ichiro, please, cross swords with me.」
She— Orphelia Verite— bows her head to me.
○○○
If there’s such a thing as a life without regrets, I’d like to see it just once.
I should have believed in everyone until the end.
I should have properly questioned Ryūgūin.
I should have properly expressed my feelings while I still could, without fearing the outcome.
Once you start listing them, there’s no end.
I’m always just full of regrets.
That’s exactly why, next time, I absolutely—
If you enjoy it and wish to see more, please consider giving it a 5-star rating for the series on NU. Click Here.
Check out my Patreon for early access to upcoming updates. Patreon Link