#98: Chapter 98 — I’ll Live My Life Surrounded by Monsters! (WN)

“Alright, let me introduce everyone. This knight is Gran; he’s my sword instructor. And this sister is Maria. She’s like a kind older sister who always supports us.”

“Now, Thea-chan, not ‘like’ an older sister—I am your sister, right? Nice to meet you, Ryu. I’m Maria, Thea’s big sister.”

“I’ve heard a lot about you. You’re a priestess specializing in recovery magic, right?”

“That’s right. And you don’t need to be so formal. Any friend of Thea-chan is like a younger brother to me.”

“I am Gran, Commander of the Knights. If you want to know anything about the sword, just say the word. However… keep your hands off the girl.”

“Ah, so you’re Gran. Nice to meet you.”

“I feel like I’m getting a strange vibe here…”

Well, that’s because you’re usually the butt of the jokes. I’ve heard all sorts of things, like how you punched a young knight at a tavern just for trying to hit on Thea—basically, everything involves her. I’d heard you treated her like a niece or a daughter, and that comment just confirmed it.

“And once again, this is my friend, Ryu.”

“I’m Ryu. Profession: Tamer. Currently working as an adventurer,” I said with a dry smile.

With Thea at the center, we all exchanged introductions. By the way, we were currently in the guild’s dining hall. The people who knew me couldn’t take their eyes off us. I could feel it too—the tension in the air made it feel like a war could break out at any second.

However, looking at her now that I’ve grown stronger, Thea didn’t actually seem that powerful. If she were solo, she’d probably be around Rank A. Together, this party of four might be able to take down an AA-rank, but I could tell instantly that they were nowhere near the level of the Fenrir Grandfather.

How could they talk so casually about “defeating” him? Ah, I guess they don’t know because they haven’t actually met him. That makes sense.

“So, Ryu, how did you get to the Great Forest? It’s a five-day journey from Light-Light. How did you get there?”

“Yeah, Ryu. Why go that far?” Taiga added.

Now, here’s the problem. How do I bluff my way through this? If I suddenly mention Ril, they’ll definitely go on a killing spree, but if I’m too vague, Taiga won’t shut up. What should I say?

“Well… I was kidnapped by a stupidly huge dog.”

“A huge dog?”

“Yeah, yeah. An oversized dog-type monster abducted me.”

“Sounds fake.”

“Don’t be like that! It’s the truth!”

Because I insisted so firmly, Taiga went silent with a begrudging look.

“And then?”

“I was dragged all the way to the Great Forest, where their boss was waiting.”

“What did you do to that monster?”

“Apparently, the reason they kidnapped me was because they wanted me to heal their injuries. I didn’t have much of a choice, so I did.”

“You healed it!?”

This time Thea was the one who was shocked. I suppose from the perspective of someone whose job is to hunt monsters, that’s a surprising reaction.

“What else was I supposed to do? I was surrounded by a pack of monsters. If I didn’t heal it, I would’ve been killed.”

“And after that?”

“I was finally released recently because it finally recovered. They gave me food and everything, so I was fine. They even protected me from other monsters.”

““Haaah…””

For some reason, both Thea and Taiga let out deep sighs. What was that for?

“I think Ryu is the only person who could survive like that.”

“True. But I mean, didn’t you try to capture it or anything?”

“If I did, I’d go bankrupt just trying to feed the thing.”

As we chatted, Maria spoke up.

“As expected of Thea-chan’s friend, that’s quite the extraordinary survival story.”

“Wait, Maria, you’re making it sound like I’m not ‘ordinary’ normally.”

“You’re far from ordinary. Anyone who sees Thea-chan charge into a swarm of monsters solo would agree.”

Thea started flustering at that, while Taiga and Gran still looked suspicious. Someone help!

“Hey Ryu, is that explanation really okay?”

“Gen, help!”

“How am I supposed to help in this situation?”

“Aren’t you the Intelligence Department Captain!? Information manipulation is supposed to be your specialty!”

“Our job is primarily gathering information. The actual manipulation is handled by the state.”

Dammit! Is there no way out for me?!

“Anyway, Ryu came back alive, so isn’t that enough?”

Alice, who had been quietly sipping juice, spoke up. A “well, I guess so” atmosphere filled the room. Nice one, Alice! Keep it flowing!

“I… suppose that’s fine, but what about Taiga?”

“…If you put it that way, I can’t really argue.”

Yes! I got through it! I’ll treat you to some delicious meat later, Alice!

“In that case, Ryu, let’s go back. Back to Light-Light.”

Wait, what? Go back?

“I mean, you don’t need to be here anymore, right? So there’s no problem.”

“Whoa, hold on. Becoming an adventurer was my own decision, and there are people who’ve helped me out here. I can’t just quit that easily.”

“You have to. Ryu, you’re a Tamer. You finally made it back alive; there’s no reason for you to stay in such a dangerous profession.”

“I do it because I want to. I have no intention of changing jobs.”

“…………”

We both fell silent, locking eyes and glaring at each other. After a long moment of staring, Thea spoke.

“Then show me your strength.”

“Huh?”

“If you’re so confident, show me. You’re strong, aren’t you, Ryu?”

“Well, in my own way.”

“Show me that you’ll be okay.”

This is… what should I do? Honestly, I could beat Thea with ease. No matter how many monsters she’s slain, I can’t imagine she’s hiding power on the level of Grandfather, Aoi, or Azi Dahaka. In that sense, she might be the strongest among humans, but having fought real monsters, I stopped being “human” a long time ago. If anything, I was worried about ruining the Hero’s reputation.

“Are you scared?”

“It’s not that, but are you sure? Really?”

“Don’t get cocky. Capturing a criminal group was impressive, but I could do that too.”

That’s not the point. Ugh, what do I do? I can’t really turn her down… Ah, wait.

“Then I have one condition.”

“What?”

“Let’s make it a wager. If I win, you grant me a wish. If you win, I grant yours. How about it? Also, once the wish is declared, there’s no changing it.”

“…You really are getting overconfident, Ryu. I’m the Hero.”

“That’s fine. Gen, Alice—my wish is for Thea to cancel the subjugation of the Fenrir and the Garuda.”

Alice, caught off guard, scrambled to take notes before letting out a surprised “Eh?”

“Are you sure about that?”

“I’m sure. Your turn, Thea.”

“What’s the reason for that wish?”

“I’m not telling.”

Her face twisted with irritation for a moment, but she immediately closed her eyes to think. Her face turned red once or twice—I wonder what she was imagining? Finally, Thea opened her eyes and addressed Alice.

“My wish is for Ryu to go back to our country and stay put. I won’t let him go to dangerous places ever again.”

“Got it. Gen, Alice, did you get that?”

“Recorded.”

“I’ve got it in my notes.”

“Good. Now, what about the inn? Have you guys already booked one?”

I quickly dispersed the hostile atmosphere and asked normally. Alice looked a bit hesitant as she spoke.

“Actually… it’s the same inn as the Hero and her party.”

“Gah, that place sounds incredibly expensive.”

“King Dowal said it was his treat.”

“Typical Hero treatment. Not bad.”

“But apparently, it’s two large rooms, split by gender.”

“…He’s stingy in the weirdest places. Well, I don’t mind.”