Chapter 88 The day before departure The hero party is finally back to normal
"Yo."
"Oh, Geek. Good morning."
That day, after finishing his morning practice, Louis was having breakfast in the dining hall when Geek showed up.
It was unusual for him to show up in the dining hall like this, as he usually ate in his room, so she spoke to him as he sat down in the head seat.
"It's rare for you to come to the dining hall."
"Yeah. I was just in the mood today."
"I see."
It wasn't hard for Louis to talk to him.
He can't say he’s good at conversation, but still, conversations with Geek were fun, and since he was his first friend of the same sex, the conversation flowed naturally.
"Geek-sama. Here's your breakfast."
"Okay, thanks."
As they were chatting lightly, breakfast was brought out immediately.
White bread, salad, and soup.
The breakfast was the same as his, and Geek thanked the maid who brought it.
"..."
Seeing him like that, he thought he had made a good friend after all.
There were quite a few nobles who acted as if it was natural for people to serve them.
Indeed---though the number was small---there were nobles like that on their journey so far.
That's why he felt a strong sense of appreciation for nobles who could naturally thank even a lower status person, like Geek.
And there were many red marks around his neck today as well.
(Well, I suppose he could do a bit more about his relationships with women...)
He was a little annoyed at him holding up the love bites like a trophy.
(One of the maids, or a woman he picked up in town?)
It reminded me of an incident that happened in the entrance hall a while ago.
Geek was also bringing in a woman he'd picked up in town.
"Hmm? What's this, are you interested in who I’m with today?"
Perhaps he noticed my gaze, and he gave me a mocking look.
"Ha... that can't be the case."
"Oh, is that okay? You'll probably be surprised when you hear it, too."
"That's fine. I feel sorry for the woman who is being talked about. If I knew her, it would be difficult to face her."
"You're leaving tomorrow, so you're so conscientious."
Yes, the departure was approaching tomorrow.
A month and a half after Louis was poisoned, there was information that the progress of the demon army, which had stopped, was showing signs of resuming.
Yesterday, the departure was postponed because of Iris, but it would be difficult to continue for three or four days like this.
"Good morning."
"Good morning..."
As I was thinking about this, the two people involved, Iris and Claire, came into the dining room.
"Good morning."
"Good morning."
Since it was morning, the two were wearing light clothing.
Claire was originally a morning person, so she looked a little sleepy.
Her cheeks look a little red, but she doesn't have a fever, and she says there's nothing wrong.
As for Iris, she's just a little hoarse... and just like Claire, she doesn't seem to have any problems.
All traces of her recent ill health have completely disappeared, and she's back to her usual intelligent self.
"I'm glad we can have breakfast together again after so long."
"Huh...///"
"///"
It's the day before we leave, so we don't know what to think, but it's been a while since the three of us have met in the morning like this.
When I tell them that honestly, they blush and look away.
"Oh, I'm not blaming you or anything. I'm sorry."
I can tell right away that they feel embarrassed and feel bad for causing trouble.
So when I apologize right away, for some reason... their cheeks get even redder.
"Here's your breakfast."
Just like with Geek, the two of them sat across from me, with Geek at the top, and breakfast was laid out in front of them.
Anyway, it was good that there were no problems with the two of them.
They would be able to leave without any problems tomorrow.
Just thinking about it made me feel excited.
But at the same time, I was sure I felt a little lonely...
A month and a half.
Although most of that time was spent in bed, it was the first time since the beginning of the journey that I had stayed in the same place for such a long time.
Also, since I had made my first friend of the same sex, Geek, I was beginning to feel attached to this town.
If I wasn't a hero with a mission to defeat the Demon King, it might have been a good idea to invite Geek on the journey with me.
"Is something wrong, Louis-sama?"
Iris' voice seemed to be lost in thought.
(We can come again when everything is over.)
Then the three of us will come again.
Thinking this, Louis looks up――
"――――"
-- A bit astonished.
"?"
Iris' face looked this way.
There was something seductive about her expression.
Even though that wasn't the case at all.
Even though she herself was just looking at me curiously.
"Louis-sama?"
"Ah...no, it's nothing."
"Really?"
This had been happening a lot lately.
Perhaps it was just since I woke up from my one-month coma, but I had noticed that the two of them had started to make me flinch more and more.
Even now, even though they were just eating breakfast, I couldn't help but see them as seductive.
The way they brushed their hair back as they drank soup, the way their index fingers moved as they put white bread in their mouths, the way their tongues licked their lips.
Each of those ordinary gestures felt incredibly sexy to me.
...It was all because of all the things Geek had taught me.
Although he was grateful that she had told him about these things, it was also true that some of the images, such as the crystal images, were a bit too extreme.
Because of that, the two's ordinary actions looked sexy...
My heart was struck by the change in how I saw the two party members.
"Louis"
"! Wh-What?"
"? Do you remember what we planned for tonight?"
"Ah, you mean the dinner party? I remember it well."
"Okay."
Since it was before they left, it seemed they were planning a dinner party that night.
They weren't planning on making it too big, just something like the four of them getting together to enjoy a slightly luxurious meal before they left.
Although they were called heroes, they were originally ordinary people.
Dealing with many powerful people was exhausting, so he was grateful.
"Thanks for the meal."
And so it continued for a while.
The four of them continued to talk as they continued their breakfast, and Iris, who was the last one left, finished her meal.
"Well then."
"Yes."
The day before they were to leave.
Me and Claire were making final arrangements, while Iris was going to the church in town.
Geek was probably just spending his time doing whatever he wanted again.
I stood up and looked back at Geek.
"See you later, then."
"Yeah."
I raised my hand to my friend, who was laughing.
◆
The dinner party ended without incident.
A small amount of alcohol was also served at the dinner party.
Louis returned to his room in a good mood and sat alone on his bed, lost in thought.
He was thinking about what had happened up until that point.
At first, it was the horrific event of his mother's death.
The two of them went out to pick wild vegetables.
The fun wild vegetable picking ended in tragedy when they encountered a monster on the way back.
Looking back on it, that was probably also the influence of the resurrected Demon King.
After that, he devoted himself solely to training.
The sight of his mother being killed and eaten right before his eyes.
He couldn't take his eyes off the image, and swung his sword to try to erase it.
If Claire hadn't been there at that time, he would probably have followed in his mother's footsteps and continued his reckless training, and would have ended up in a reckless battle alone and become a silent corpse.
Claire was an indispensable presence.
At first, they were just childhood friends.
Although they had always been close, their relationship, that of a bully and his underling, changed after the death of Louis' mother, and deepened after their encounter with the monster.
"Louis...!!"
That day when he encountered the monster in the mountains.
He remembers her face, filled with tears, running to him after he had crossed paths with the monster.
He doesn't know what she was thinking when she decided to become stronger.
However, from that day on, she changed, and showed that she was more than just someone to be protected.
The days after she was chosen as the hero had been turbulent.
He had never imagined that he would be chosen as the hero, and had just been considering leaving the village and volunteering for the kingdom's army.
An envoy from the Great Holy Church suddenly arrived.
He left the village at the urging of the messenger.
And then he met Iris.
At first, she was a girl whose expression didn't change much.
Her dreamlike features and silver hair, the color of god.
I remember the day I met her vividly.
"-- Welcome."
I thought she was an extremely beautiful girl.
But at the same time, I also thought she was too fragile.
A perfect vessel for a saintess. A special weapon in the fight against demons.
At first, my relationship with her was inevitably drawn to the idea of "hero" and "saint."
Louis didn't often exchange words with people his age, and it seemed the same for her.
Their relationship deepened through the casual conversations they exchanged every day.
About himself, about Claire, about the village.
They talked about many things. At the same time, he taught me many things about her.
As they learned more about each other---her smiles increased.
It was a small smile, but I remember that it burned into my memory.
"Kensei Claire" and "Saintess Iris"
I think we would have made a good party.
My journey as a hero was mostly difficult, but it wasn't so hard with those two together.
In fact, even now, after he fell victim to a demon's trap and was poisoned, he doesn't regret at all that he protected Iris back then.
A month and a half has passed.
Some time has passed, but all three of them are alive and well.
"We'll travel together again tomorrow."
I imagine the journey that will resume tomorrow.
The demons' offensive will surely get stronger from now on.
We must break through them and reach the Demon King hiding in the east of the continent.
On the way, we will likely have to fight the Four Heavenly Kings again.
--But as long as I was with them, I wasn't scared.
I wonder what they are doing now.
I parted ways with Claire and Iris in front of their room after dinner.
If they were the same, they would probably be asleep by now.
---Now that I think of it
When I parted ways with them, there was a servant boy looking at me from behind a pillar.
He was very small, a child about ten years old.
The way he looked at me timidly was somewhat confusing.
What did that look he had meant?
But there's no point in saying that.
When I tried to call out to him, he ran away.
(Well, I guess I can just call out to him if I see him again tomorrow.)
--- Right now, I think about the two of them asleep in the room.
They really took care of me this time.
The nectar of the Lilius flowers, which is said to be running low at this time of year.
They gathered it up and continued to prescribe it to me until I woke up.
I really owe them both a lot.
I'll have to work harder to make up for last time.
Someday, when this is all over, when the time comes to abandon our positions as "Hero," "Sainte," and "Fist Saint," I hope we can build a new relationship.
"---"
A faint thought.
I shook off the thought that had come to my mind and got into bed.
The last night before departure drew on.
--- And so, when Louis had fallen asleep.
"This night is going to be long."
"......❤"
The last night for the three of them together in one room in the mansion was about to begin.
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