The Hero Searches Everywhere For The Companion He Expelled (4)

Nick Bluestar was looking for Roylotte Blake too!?

When Vanrost heard that, he bit his lip.

Was Nick really after Roylotte?

(There’s no way he’d be interested in some dull-looking B-rank middle-aged adventurer like that.)

But what if Roylotte was not his true objective, and Yuri was?

What if, just like Vanrost, Nick had learned that Roylotte and Yuri had visited the Eto Branch of the Adventurers’ Guild Hall and had come here to find out where they were?

(Nick Bluestar kept getting on my case before, saying not to treat Yuri so poorly, and that if I was going to treat him like that, he’d make Yuri a member of the Twilight Ravens instead… Damn it, is he seriously planning to take Yuri for himself!?)

However, Vanrost had heard no rumors that Yuri had joined the Twilight Ravens.

A party that famous did not even require an information broker for news to spread whenever a new member joined. Besides, the drunken adventurer at the Eto Branch had also said that Yuri seemed to be working as Roylotte’s partner now.

Most likely, Nick had not yet succeeded in recruiting Yuri.

(Of course not… He’s obviously better off staying with the Hero’s party than joining some ordinary adventuring party. But I can’t afford to take my time. If Yuri gets sweet-talked by Nick Bluestar and joins the Twilight Ravens, that’ll be a problem.)

Vanrost imagined Yuri and Nick Bluestar laughing together and clenched his teeth.

(He belongs to me. There’s no way I’m letting some bastard like him take him. I have to find Yuri as soon as possible.)

While Vanrost’s thoughts continued spiraling, Rosa spoke up.

“Huh. Speaking of Nick, he seemed awfully interested in that bear at the arena.”

“Oh? Rosa, are you curious about the bear too?”

Zenk’s eyes gleamed as he asked, making Rosa flinch.

Apparently, information about the bear was premium material as far as Zenk was concerned.

Vanrost leaned forward and questioned Zenk.

“Do you know what that bear really is? Tell me that too while you’re at it.”

“No, I’m still gathering information on the bear myself.”

“What? You still don’t know?”

“Well, even if I did, I’d have to charge at least five million xenos.”

“Huh?”

“I wouldn’t feel like selling the information unless you prepared at least five million xenos.”

“Why the hell is it that expensive!? What is that bear!?”

“Because Gorius put a five-million-xenos bounty on that bear, that’s why. The bounty looks likely to rise even higher. If you want information about the bear, I’d need at least five million.”

“Why would I pay more than five million for some bear!? Ridiculous. Forget the bear for now!! Just tell me where Roylotte went! He’s away from home on a job right now, isn’t he? Where is he!?”

“What’s this? Are you in that much of a hurry? There’s no need to chase him all the way to his workplace, is there?”

“That’ll be too late!”

If he leisurely waited for Roylotte to return home, Nick Bluestar might get there first.

Vanrost could not imagine that man giving up on Yuri so easily.

He had to find Yuri before anyone else!!

Zenk pulled a notebook from the bookshelf behind him and flipped through its pages.

Perhaps it was written in code, because a quick glance at the pages revealed nothing about their contents.

“Roylotte Blake’s current job is capturing an Ice Deer alive. Seems he took the request in your place because you lot turned it down.”

“Capturing an Ice Deer? Now that you mention it, the Guild did send us that request, but we rejected it. The reward wasn’t worth the trouble.”

Vanrost spoke as if suddenly remembering.

Rosa looked puzzled and questioned Zenk.

“That’s an A-rank monster… No, depending on the circumstances, it could even be S-rank, couldn’t it? Why would a B-rank guy like him take something like that?”

As Rosa tilted her head in confusion, Zenk shrugged.

“There are plenty of people who have the ability but deliberately choose not to rank up. Once you reach A-rank or higher, royalty and nobles start cozying up to you. Adventurers who hate socializing often stop at B-rank.”

“What a waste. Nobles are great sources of money. Still, I guess that does sound like Plain Roy.”

As Rosa nodded to herself, Zenk gave her a wry smile as if to say she was hopeless.

Then Hero Vanrost leaned forward and asked.

“If it’s an Ice Deer, does that mean a frozen region?”

“Aye. Ice Heatland.”

The instant they heard the words Ice Heatland, Irina and Camula visibly grimaced.

Both women immediately raised their voices at Vanrost.

“Why do we have to go that far!? What a pain!!”

“Ice Heatland is that hellish place with insane temperature swings, isn’t it!!”

As Irina and Camula began complaining, Vanrost nearly lost his temper.

He wanted to punch them on the spot, but somehow maintained his self-control and questioned them instead.

“You two have gone to places like that plenty of times before, haven’t you?”

Irina and Camula exchanged looks and remained silent for a while, then eventually looked off in completely different directions and answered quietly.

“Yeah, but back then Yuri always prepared a warm place for us to sleep.”

“They also adjusted the temperature inside our tents and caves so we wouldn’t get cold.”

“Traveling for two days without any of that now would be brutal.”

“I cannot maintain Warm Breeze and Cool Breeze magic for as long as Yuri can, you know?”

Vanrost nearly snapped again.

He had assumed Irina and Camula also handled things like preparing beds, cooking, and shopping.

But apparently, Yuri alone had been doing all of it.

“You two can do that stuff better than Yuri, can’t you!?”

“What are you talking about!? I’m exhausted from fighting!”

“Exactly! I would do those things too if I still had the stamina left!! If you’re going to complain that much, then you can start cooking and preparing the sleeping arrangements yourself!”

Irina and Camula both fired back at Vanrost with tremendous force, leaving him unable to argue.

And somehow, their reasoning even convinced him.

(They do fight hard, after all. Unlike that useless guy. For Irina and Camula’s sake too, I really do have to bring Yuri back.)

Vanrost failed to notice the contradiction in desperately trying to reclaim someone he supposedly considered useless.

He still did not want to admit it.

He did not want to admit that Yuri Claudevel, the companion he had banished, had been an irreplaceable presence in their party.