𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐮𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬
After that incident where I interrupted, the hero’s departure ceremony that had become chaotic ultimately ended without a hitch. The hero’s party, now including me, set off on their journey to defeat the Demon King as planned.
I thought there would be more resistance, but the influence of the old knight, Ruberto-san, was stronger than I expected. Stella and the rest of the Hero’s Party also accepted me, so there were no complaints.
On the contrary, the Holy God Church Pope seemed delighted that the Hero’s Party’s strength had increased. He happily convinced the crowd that I was a new hero.
I thought the King of Sirius Kingdom, who had treated me like an intruder during the ceremony, would object. But after witnessing my fight, he merely said, “Do as you wish,” with a disinterested face.
So, without anyone’s objection, I joined Stella’s party. After the ceremony ended, we all rode in a specially prepared, extremely spacious and comfortable carriage, embarking on our journey to defeat the Demon King.
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And now, we are leaving the capital and moving to a more peaceful location where we won’t attract human or monster attention.
We’ve decided to do self-introductions there.
Right now, it’s just Stella and me since Rin wisely left with the other two to the driver’s seat.
Though I am curious about what Rin whispered to Stella that made her nervous, this is a perfect opportunity to catch up on what happened while we were apart.
. . . . . .But for some reason, an awkward silence has filled the air between us.
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“. . . . . .”
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This is why.
Stella is sitting next to me in the carriage, close enough for our shoulders to almost touch. She holds the hem of my robe and keeps silent, her face red.
I missed the opportunity to joke or question her because she came so close with such a serious expression.
Her odd behavior puzzles me.
What did Rin say to her?
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“. . . . . .”
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But what is this feeling?
I’ve been trying to start a conversation, but somehow, my chest feels tight, and the words won’t come out.
My face feels hot, and my heart is pounding.
Is it because I’m tired from the fight with Ruberto-san?
Although I felt nothing until now?
. . . . . .And actually, when I look at her from this close distance, I realize again how much more beautiful she has become.
I always thought she had a well-formed face, but now at 15, she has lost her childishness while retaining some youthful features, transforming into an incredibly beautiful young woman.
She also smells nice, and we were hugging until just now. . . . . .
Grrr?!
My heart is pounding so fast?!
Calm down!
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“. . . . . .Stella.”
“Ah?!”
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When I finally spoke, Stella let out a strange sound.
Why are you so flustered?
You’re the one who came close in the first place.
If it bothers you that much, you could just move away.
But then again, I kind of want to stay like this for a bit longer. . . . . .Ah, stop overthinking!
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“Uh, so. . . . . . have you been well?”
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Considering how long we’ve been silent, that’s a pretty commonplace thing to say.
But it’s what I’ve been wanting to ask sincerely.
I’ve been worried about whether she’s been okay during the time we were apart.
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“Well, I was fine, just a bit stressed. But the people in the kingdom took extra care of me.”
“Is that so. . . . . .You didn’t almost die during training or anything?”
“I had a few close calls in combat training. But honestly, Ruberto-san’s tough training was even worse.”
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As we talked, the mysterious tension between us seemed to dissipate, allowing us to converse normally.
However, Stella still clings to the hem of my robe.
. . . . . .For now, I’ll just ignore it.
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“. . . . . .After training with Ruberto-san and his team, fighting against demons, I’ve come to understand just how powerful divine protection can be. I can only imagine the incredible effort it took for Allan to become this strong without it.”
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Saying that, Stella touched my face with her slender hand.
She touched the scar on my face, one I got during training.
It made my heart skip a beat.
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“I’m sorry. You got hurt because of me.”
“. . . . . .Hm. There’s no need to apologize. I did what I wanted to do.”
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More importantly, having my face touched in such a serious atmosphere is putting more strain on my heart, so I wish she would stop.
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“Speaking of which, you’re unusually subdued. It’s not like you.”
“Maybe so. But let me say this.”
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Stella looked straight into my eyes and said, with a face so serious it made her earlier restlessness seem like nothing,
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“Allan, thank you for working so hard for me. That’s why I promise you, I will become a woman worthy of the life you’re willing to risk.”
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The look on Stella’s face as she declared this was filled with the kind of strength and dignity that made me think, “Ah, so this is what a hero looks like.”
She’s strong.
Her hand that’s touching my face is marred with calluses and scars, typical of someone who has swung a sword in desperation.
There are scars on her body that even Healing Magic couldn’t remove, that have naturally healed and settled as permanent marks.
This is undeniable proof that Stella has also put in an extraordinary amount of effort.
That kind of person is strong.
And yet. . . . . .
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“Honestly, if you’d be happy and alive, I wouldn’t mind abandoning the role of the hero and running away.”
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You don’t have to be strong.
You don’t have to be a glorious hero.
The reason I risk my life is enough if it’s for Stella being Stella.
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“. . . . . .But, if you’re serious about this, then do your best. I’ll support you with all my might, and if things go south, I’ll tie you up and run away with you.”
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I’m sure that there is no happiness at the end of a road where we abandon others and run away.
A life without happiness is hard.
It’s so hard that you might wonder if there’s any value in living at all.
I can say this because I’ve seen that nightmare.
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If that’s the case, all I have to do is protect Stella’s happiness and Stella herself.
I’ll do whatever it takes.
Defeat the Demon King, eliminate sorrow, and return to the village together.
That’s my ideal happy ending.
Running away can be saved for when there’s truly no other option.
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“Yeah!”
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Upon hearing my words, Stella broke into a genuinely joyful smile.
. . . . . .The old her would probably give a more competitive smile.
The current Stella is oddly candid and it’s making me uncomfortable. Or rather, it’s somewhat ticklish.
It’s cute in its own way. . . . . .Ah, damn it, if I let my guard down, this happens right away.
I’m thrown off.
For now, to hide my embarrassment, I tousled Stella’s hair.
Her hair got a bit messy and Stella snapped at me.
Ah, the usual Stella.
It’s comforting.
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Later, as we were playfully teasing each other, the carriage came to a stop, and Rin returned from the driver’s seat.
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“We’ve arrived at a good spot. I think we’ll camp here for tonight.”
“I see.”
“Thank you, Rin.”
“You’re welcome.”
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After such an exchange, Rin looked at us as if she was probing the situation.
Then she made eye contact with Stella.
This girl must’ve whispered something to Stella.
I figured that Stella’s weird behavior earlier was because of her.
I’ll remember this for later.
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Eventually, the eye contact between the two women ended, and Rin broached a new topic.
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“Well, it looks like everyone has calmed down, so let’s do a welcome gathering or, rather, self-introduction for Allan-kun. Please, follow me.”
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With that, Rin disembarked from the carriage.
Following her lead, Stella and I also got off the carriage, where we found the Hero’s Party of three people, including Rin, seated on simple chairs surrounding what appeared to be a campfire.
The time was evening.
The sun would set soon.
At such a time, I finally got to introduce myself to the members of the Hero’s Party.
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