Chapter 188
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Ash leads me to the largest restaurant in town.
「Surprisingly, everyone in the group, including him, was worried about you, Low. If you’re up for it, why not show them you’re doing well?」
「It feels strange to think those guys were worried about me.」
「While I’d love to chat more with you now that you’re awake, Low, I still have some work to finish… It’s unfortunate, but I need to step away for a bit.
Since I brought you here, it feels odd to say this, but you’re probably still not fully recovered from your fatigue. Don’t push yourself too hard, and if things run long, feel free to head back to your room.」
Ash is almost exactly my height, which naturally means our eye levels match. Her gaze meets mine in parallel.
「By the way, Low—」
Ash embraces me.
「I’m so glad you’re safe.」
Her body presses tightly against mine.
「And thank you for freeing me from fate.」
Before I can ask about 「fate,」
「Well then, see you later!!」
She turns her back to me. I watch her leave before entering the restaurant. Immediately,
「Ohhh! If it ain’t Low!!」
A sweaty giant of a man shouts my name and approaches.
His footsteps—thump! thump! thump!—even sound manly.
This is none other than Saga Assaultbody himself, leader of the powerful clan known as Berserga.
「We just got word from Lady Omi that you’d woken up. As expected of the man I put my faith in! I knew you’d complete the mission and return!」
「I haven’t forgotten the looks on your faces back then, Saga and everyone.」
If my memory serves correctly, when I was about to enter the Sealed Dungeon, they sent me off with an atmosphere more fitting for a funeral.
Saga seems to notice my accusing glare, because he says:
「What, are you still hung up about how we sent you off? Low, that ain’t right! Your thinking’s too narrow!」
He slaps my back—bang! bang! bang!—and lets out a hearty 「Gahaha!」 laugh.
With his armor removed, he’s really just a cheerful older guy with a good build who talks casually and has this incredibly masculine (literally) presence.
This guy sits me down in a chair and starts talking in high spirits.
From what I hear, even after I entered the Sealed Dungeon, he continued leading Berserga to various accomplishments.
He shares episodes from that time, taking swigs of ale in broad daylight while gesturing animatedly, and I nod along.
After listening to his stories for a while, suddenly:
「Big bro!」 「Low!」 「Big bro Low!」 「Low, big bro!」 「Big bro!!」
Saga’s son Milo, Diete, and the Berserga members appear.
「Wait, what’s with this ‘big bro’ thing?」
I don’t remember having such rock-solid looking younger siblings.
「Well, about that—」
When Saga calls 「Come forward,」 about ten group members who were present, along with two young girls whose presence I’d been wondering about, line up in front of me.
「These are my daughters. Both of you, introduce yourselves to Low!」
Following Saga’s instruction, the two girls begin their introductions.
The older sister is fifteen-year-old Shion, and the younger sister is twelve-year-old Kanon.
Particularly the younger sister would have been strictly off-limits in my original world.
Still, like the pretty boy Milo, neither of them resembles Saga—they’re both beautiful young girls. Well done, Saga’s genes, well done!
Though if I had to find some similarity, their healthily tanned skin and energetic personalities might be somewhat Saga-like.
「What I’m trying to say is, Low, marry my daughters! Pick whichever one you like! If you fancy both, you can marry both of them!」
「Hey… saying I can marry both of them is way too casual! Usually, there should be more emotion or refinement or something! This sounds just like a neighborhood aunt saying ‘We got vegetables from the countryside, take whichever ones you like!’」
Seemingly deaf to my objections, Milo wraps his arm firmly around my waist.
「Now you’ll really become my big bro!」
「No, I won’t!?」
Milo, unable to contain his emotions, starts crying, and the other members follow suit with various cries of 「Ah, big bro!」 「Big brother!」 「Big brooo!」 「Big brotheeeer!!」
「Stop building up to this from the sidelines!」
While protesting, I at least respond to the two girls with 「Nice to meet you, I’m Low.」
「Are you to be my husband?」
「Husband?」
The two girls tilt their heads and ask me.
I sigh and answer 「Nope,」 giving them some biscuits from my magic bag as a greeting.
After that, several tables are pulled together, and people gather around me. Of course, besides the Berserga members, there are others who participated in the recent Fog subjugation, and even shop owners from when I went on my shopping spree before. Before I know it, the restaurant is packed with people, most of them cheerfully drinking.
During this time, news arrives that the Victory Festival—originally planned as a three-day celebration starting tomorrow that would involve Boldaf and the surrounding areas—has been suddenly changed to a four-day festival starting today, thanks to the enthusiastic petition of the happily drunk Saga and his group. The man himself is right in front of me, chugging distilled liquor. This is why adults are…
The two girls continue diligently pouring drinks for me, while Saga, who turns out to be quite a good listener, keeps prompting me to tell stories, drawing out tales of the Sealed Dungeon. Each time I speak in response to Saga’s questions, the place erupts with cheers and excitement. Between stories, many people praise me with comments like 「Amazing!」 「If I were a woman, I’d marry big bro!」 「No one else could do that!」 From townspeople who’ve mixed into the drinking party, I receive many words of gratitude like 「Thank you!」 「We’re so grateful!」 「It’s all thanks to you!」 「Hidden nobleman’s bro! You’re so cool!」
This must be what it feels like to be in the spotlight.
That’s why I can’t help but compare.
—Ichiro
Since being summoned to this world, this is the first time I’ve received gratitude from so many people.
When I was in the party, I avoided publicly announcing the fact that I’d conquered dungeons because I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. Then after leaving the party, I secluded myself in Hidden Mountain, and by the time my wounds had healed somewhat and I came down, I was treated almost like a criminal.
So while I may say I don’t need compensation, this situation honestly makes me happy.
But I feel a little…
—I, you…
「A bit tired.」
Milo shows a 「Huh?」 expression.
「Seems I’m not quite back to normal yet. I’ll see you all tomorrow.」
I leave behind the useless drunk adults, Milo, and his two sisters.
We had entered the restaurant before noon for lunch, but now it’s already snack time in the afternoon.
Though I only spent about three hours with Saga and the others, it was enough time for word to spread throughout town about both my awakening and the early start of the Victory Festival.
On my way back to the Guild’s bed, various people thank me—the spice seller old man, the fruit shop lady, familiar street vendors, and the chocolate seller young man with his Kansai dialect.
「Thanks mate! Rich boy!」
「Shut up! I’m not rich!」
「Brother, you must be some noble, wanna hear about my money-making scheme?」
「Maybe next time.」
After that, I continue receiving words of gratitude and praise from both familiar and unfamiliar faces in a noisy chorus.
「Young master! I’ll give you my daughter!」
「I’ll have to decline!」
However, I can’t genuinely feel happy about any of this.
—I’m thinking of going to a monastery at the northernmost edge, away from the secular world.
Suddenly, a scene I’ve never seen before appears in my mind.
So this must be just my imagination.
It’s a vast, desolate land.
Far from any settlement, with no visitors ever coming. That’s why there are no paved roads, only animal trails as far as the eye can see. At the end of these pathless paths stands a humble stone building, all alone.
It’s already a stone building with good ventilation. In winter, the drafts blow through the gaps, the hard floor becomes bitterly cold, chilling the inhabitants to their core. Breath turns white, and doing laundry quickly leads to chapped hands.
She will spend her long life there, in a place called the end of the world, praying to God and atoning for the trouble she caused to me and others.
—Are you crying?
She said to me.
—Don’t hide it. At least not in front of me.
That day, she told me.
—It’s okay. I’m by your side.
Time has passed, and everything has changed dramatically.
「Damn it.」
Why did things turn out this way?
The question wells up, threatening to crush my chest.
「Damn it all.」
Wiping my eyes with my sleeve, I hurry back without letting anyone notice.
Returning to my room at the Guild, I lock the door.
I don’t want to see anyone for a while.
「Mika—」
Once I call out her name, I can’t hold back anymore.
Her smile appears—the one that used to be beside me.
—Ichiro
Her clear, pleasant voice calls my name.
Back then, she was definitely by my side.
Those days we spent together definitely existed.
They definitely did.
「Uh, uuh… uh,」
No matter how much I tell myself to forget, to forget, the memories of our days together flood back into my mind.
I absolutely cannot stop these unstoppable tears.
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