Chapter 77

After completing Belita’s mental subjugation, Heid returned to Pelmia along with the red-haired female warrior who had been reborn as an obedient and loyal servant.

Now that the Jötunn heart, which was the original goal, had been destroyed, there was no longer any reason to go to Vespian.

The claim of wanting to clean up the devastation in Vespian and recruit the one who had subjugated the undead giant was merely a false pretext fabricated to naturally set foot in this remote area.

“The hero has returned!”

“Long live Hervor! Long live the Prince!”

The people of Pelmia, filling the streets, showered flower petals before Heid, who had returned from battle, and offered generous cheers and praise.

It was worthy of praise.

The hero who had repelled two Abyss Priests that appeared near Pelmia without any losses.

Heid’s exploits of cutting down over a hundred monsters summoned by the Abyss Priests must have appeared as unparalleled heroic achievements in their eyes.

“There’s no need to bow your heads. I am truly pleased to see your lively appearance.”

Heid raised one arm to express his gratitude for their welcome, with an elegant yet seemingly benevolent smile.

The cheers grew even louder.

“Rest assured and sleep in peace. The heretical groups that threatened you have been completely eradicated.”

There was no need to worry anymore.

Trust in me and enjoy your peaceful daily lives again.

Words of virtue spoken to give reassurance and trust. His expression and tone were completely different from when he had cornered Belita.

‘…Hypocrite.’

Diarin, who was watching this scene from behind Heid, turned her head away while expressing a sentiment that shouldn’t be voiced aloud.

Toward the woman silently walking behind her.

“…”

A red-haired female warrior with her face and left arm covered by a helmet and cloak.

Belita, who had been ordered by Heid not to say anything, remained silent but slightly raised her head to meet Diarin’s gaze.

“…?”

A gaze containing no hostility, rather even hinting at something close to goodwill. That gaze made Diarin’s fingertips tremble slightly as she felt utterly creeped out.

Tyrving’s power, which completely crushed a person’s personality and turned them into a subordinate offering absolute loyalty to oneself.

Witnessing the effects of that power firsthand was an experience that was terribly disgusting and frightening no matter how many times one encountered it.

* * *[ Hilde ]* * *

“Haaah…”

After Belita, who had been talking big as if she would fight to the death, shot off like a human rocket, we sat down where we were to tend our wounds and rest.

“This is really exhausting…”

“Yeah, I feel completely drained now that it’s over.”

I took off the cloak I had been wearing to cool my body in the northern chill and let out a long sigh. I was tired. Extremely so.

The mental concentration required to dodge Belita’s accelerated charges. The physical stamina consumed by using Iron Arm three or four times.

The fatigue of both mind and body that I hadn’t noticed while facing the enemy was now washing over me like waves, now that the battle was over.

After sitting still like that for a while, Bardu, who had been watching the situation from a distance, approached us and cleared his throat to express his gratitude.

“Thank you for your help. Jane and I, we owe our lives to you.”

Knowing exactly who to thank for surviving and immediately expressing gratitude – he was a man with good character for an adventurer.

Though it seemed he couldn’t ultimately overcome the limitations of an adventurer, as he didn’t hand over a heavy purse saying this was the price for his life.

These adventurers, really. Sincere gratitude should always be accompanied by a hefty reward. Not even knowing such basic etiquette.

“Don’t worry about it. We just did what we had to do.”

Of course, I couldn’t snap at him to show some sincerity with a monetary gesture right to his face when he was expressing gratitude.

Wouldn’t that look too petty? And unsightly too.

So instead of mentioning a reward and making the atmosphere awkward, I waved my left hand lightly and told him not to worry about it.

“What we had to do… it’s easy to say, but in reality that’s the hardest thing to do, isn’t it?”

Bardu burst into laughter.

“Rumors really can’t be trusted. Iron Face? Who on earth came up with such a baseless accusation? It’s an utterly groundless slander.”

Jane, who was leaning slightly against Bardu’s side, also smiled gently and heaped on praise.

Is this because compliments don’t cost money, so they can give them freely?

Perhaps feeling guilty for not offering even a single silver coin, they were practically gilding my face with praise.

“Well… I do have metal covering my face, after all.”

I chuckled and made a joke.

“Ahaha…”

Perhaps it wasn’t a particularly funny wordplay. Jane let out an awkward laugh and slightly averted her gaze.

“Haha, that’s true!”

On the other hand, Bardu seemed to like it and laughed heartily.

His genuine, unaffected laughter suggested that he really enjoyed this kind of wordplay. Is it because he’s an uncle over thirty?

* * *

A little while later.

Bardu stopped laughing with a cough and got to the main point.

“Ahem, ahem. So, what do you all plan to do now?”

A question about our future plans.

“For now, Jane and I are thinking of returning to Vespian. There’s no point in heading to Pelmia like this.”

“We need to report to the guild too. That Rivilla merchant group or whatever, they were complete frauds.”

Bardu and Jane expressed their intention to go back.

Since the escort request had ended in failure, there was no reason to head to Pelmia anymore.

Well, that’s certainly true.

Rather than wasting several days heading to Pelmia in a situation where they wouldn’t receive a single coin, returning to the guild to report the circumstances and collect the deposited compensation would be several times more profitable in terms of time.

“I think that’s better too. That woman from earlier, she must have caught up to the wagon by now. There’s no need to invite unnecessary danger.”

Amy also agreed.

If we continued on like this and that woman treated her wounds with potions and ambushed us again, we might end up in danger instead, she said.

“That’s true…”

It was a concern that was hard to deny.

While Friede and I might be able to handle it, with Amy and Kikel’s skills, there was no way they could react to an ambush by Belita, who had taken down even Amina in one strike.

Kikel with his high body temperature might be able to react, but… the Kikel whose body temperature had lowered again after the battle was over wouldn’t be able to.

So, considering the safety of our companions and time efficiency, turning back now would be the right thing to do.

“Hmm…”

The problem was, I had a personal reason to head to Pelmia even without this request.

‘This is troublesome…’

I closed my eyes, tilted my head back slightly, and let out a faint sigh.

I was in serious internal conflict.

The opinion to return was all too reasonable, while continuing to Pelmia would be inviting unnecessary and meaningless danger.

At least for my other companions, except myself.

But… I was the exception.

Or rather than an exception, should I say the opposite? For me, returning to Vespian was several times more dangerous.

Why, you ask?

Come on, do you really need to ask?

If we go back now, I’ll end up meeting him. That brainwashing hero bastard.

If we returned to Vespian, there was a possibility of running smack into Heid if we were unlucky.

The receptionist girl had said he was planning to visit Vespian personally in the near future because of the undead giant issue.

…He might have already arrived, for all we know.

That’s why I couldn’t casually suggest going back.

Think about it. Wasn’t the reason I took on this long-term request in the first place to avoid him?

And now I’m supposed to say we should go back?

…Hah, damn it. If that was the case, I shouldn’t have left the city in the first place.

At least then I would have avoided all this suffering up until now.

“Haah…”

I sighed again and let out a lament in my heart.

To go or not to go, that is the question. I’m in quite the Hamlet-like situation here.

Really, how can things get so tangled up like this?

I felt like I might need to go to a church and receive a purification prayer or something.

“H-Hilde, which way do you, do you prefer…?”

As I was pondering like that for a while, Friede snuggled up close to me and asked carefully.

Was she asking for a knee pillow… no, a thigh pillow? She was slightly waving her face with eyes half-closed near my leg.

…Perhaps she didn’t have the courage to actually say those words out loud.

The way she was peeking at my expression with her eyes slightly open was so funny it was almost cute.

I really can’t believe this girl is the same age as me.

Is she really the same age?

Maybe they’ve added about four years to her actual age?

“Hilde?”

…Ah, well. If she really wants it that badly.

She did fight as hard as I did this time, so if she wants that kind of praise, I could certainly oblige her.

If it were a man, it would be out of the question, but Friede was surprisingly cute in both appearance and behavior, so honestly, she was the type I rather liked.

…Ah, of course, when I say I like her, I mean in the sense of feeling affection for a junior, younger sibling, or pet.

Not as a romantic interest, or even worse, as an outlet for breeding instincts.

That’s obvious, right?

Unless one is completely and utterly insane, how could anyone see a girl who looks at most sixteen as a romantic interest?

It’s not uncommon to find people with such tastes… no, to be honest, they’re extremely common, but at least I didn’t have such inclinations.

Thud.

That’s why I could place my hand on Friede’s head and lay it on my thigh without any reservations.

“Heek?! Ah, uhik, Hi-Hilde?!”

Perhaps she hadn’t imagined I would actually let her lie down, Friede was startled and flinched in shock.

“Stay still. You’re tired, aren’t you?”

I gently stroked Friede’s head lying on my thigh and continued in a nonchalant tone.

“What was it you asked… ah, which way I’d prefer, right?”

“Y-Yesh…!”

“Well… to be honest, I’d like to go to Pelmia as planned. Think about it. We’ve come all this way, shouldn’t we at least take a look around the city before going back?”

I made up a reason to head to Pelmia while giving an appropriate answer.

I want to see the city. It was a statement made with the calculation that if I wanted this, Friede would readily agree.

Even I thought it was a shallow ploy, but.

“Ah, um… then… okay, let’s do that.”

Friede, after hearing my answer, mumbled something close to incoherent babbling, and then finally nodded her head vigorously and exclaimed.

“I’ve decided! Let’s go back!”

Contrary to my expectation that she would agree with my opinion, she expressed an utterly resolute rejection.

“…Go back, you say?”

“Yeeees…”

Friede answered while slightly fidgeting and avoiding my gaze.

“Um… I’m sorry, but honestly, Hilde, you’re… kind of unlucky, aren’t you? So for things like this, I think we should go the opposite of what you choose…!”

“…”

I was at a loss for words.

The razor-sharp fact attack left my thoughts completely blocked.

“…I see.”

In the end, I had no choice but to hang my head and agree. I had no words to refute.

“Yeah, you’re saying something unexpectedly wise.”

“You smart! Real genius!”

Amy and Kikel also nodded their heads quickly, creating an atmosphere where even if I had something to say in rebuttal, I couldn’t possibly voice it.