Volume 3 Chapter 29 Chatting With The Brave, But...
Back in one of the guest rooms set up in the royal castle, I flop down onto the bed like a sack of potatoes.
"Ugh... so tired."
"Welcome back, partner. Looks like you're really worn out."
"Yeah, no kidding... seriously, you're being the only one slacking off."
"Well, you can't really bring 'weapons' to a 'party' now, can you? Besides, even if I were there, it wouldn't have made much of a different."
"Well, yeah."
After the audience with the king, it was time for the victory celebration, also known as the party. I've been at it since forever.
Most of the nobles at the party don't know the real deal about fighting demon. They just think the Brave kicked them out. Some of them knew the truth, but the king himself made sure no one talked about it.
Even so, my role of "buying time until the Brave arrives" was clear. That meant I had to entertain the guests to some extent. Thankfully, only a few people came to me, and they were all laid-back people who seemed to understand mercenaries.
But Kyunei and Mikage must have had it tougher than me.
Among the nobles, there were many women, but Kyunei and Mikage's beauty stood out. Not just in their faces, but their whole appearance was stunning. Even though they wore their usual clothes, it was no less impressive than the dressed-up noblewomen.
And then there was Aina. Clad in a party dress, she exuded a beauty that stood out in the venue. Always by the king's side, I couldn't approach her, but every time our eyes met from afar, she blushed and smiled at me. I'd like to think I managed to smile back somehow.
"Originally, you could've totally rocked the party as the main star, partner."
"Ugh, whatever. I'm beat. Food was good though."
Anyway, I concentrated on eating the food that had been prepared for me, being careful not to cause any disturbances to those around me. I mean, when else am I gonna get to chow down on noble cuisine like this, right? So, I thoroughly enjoyed it to my heart's content.
So, thanks to the mental exhaustion and the full stomach, I was starting to feel sleepy. I guess I'll just go to bed for today.
Just when I was thinking that, there's a knock on the door.
Who the heck is bothering me at this ungodly hour? Seriously, let me sleep. Feeling kinda annoyed, I reluctantly open the door, but any irritation I had vanishes in an instant.
"Hey, Yukina. It's been a while."
It's Relix who's dropped by.
As he said, this wasn't the first time we met today. Of course, Relix also attended the victory party.
Relix, who's supposed to be the big shot around here, had a crowd swarming around him. But I could tell he was probably feeling pretty mixed up inside, even if he was putting on a polite smile.
There were so many people hanging around Relix that I couldn't even get close. At best, I could only catch a glimpse from afar.
And now, there he was right in front of me.
"What's up, at this time of night?"
"Just wanted to talk. I've been busy lately, so I figured now's a good time to catch up."
"Yeah... it makes sense."
I originally came to this fancy royal capital to be Relix's 'conversation buddy', so sticking to that plan isn't a big deal.
To shake off the drowsiness, we decided to change locations.
We ended up at this balcony where you could see the whole royal capital. It It must be a great view during the day, but right now, it's just a few scattered lights. No one else around, though, so it's perfect for a quiet chat between the two of us.
By the way, Gram stayed behind. It was getting in the way, after all.
As we stood side by side, gazing up at the night sky...
"So, where do we start?"
"Yeah, that's right. There's just too much to talk about. It's almost overwhelming."
The last time we had a proper conversation was before the Monster Rampage (Stampede). Since then, there have been so many topics that it's hard to find a starting point for our talks.
But it was Relix who finally broke the ice.
"I heard. You got engaged to Aina-sama, huh?"
"Yeah... engagement, huh? Well, I guess you could call it that."
The conversation at the audience was something that was commonly called "Give me your daughter."
It's a bit embarrassing, really. Even though the king had officially approved of our engagement, there were still plenty of people who weren't exactly happy about Aina and me being together. Maybe that's why no one had brought it up during the party.
"First of all, let me say congratulations."
"...Well, in your case, it's like getting your fiancée stolen right from under you."
It wasn't just the king who had considered Aina as Brave's wife. He might not have said it out loud, but he must've hinted at it in some way to Relix.
"Yeah, I guess so in a way. It's true that Aina-sama is beautiful and I admired her. But, I kind of figured she had feelings for someone else."
"I didn't expect it to be you," Relix chuckled. For now, I was relieved that he didn't complain about Aina. Not that I would yield even if he did.
"...Yukina's something else, huh?"
"From rags to royalty."
"Before I know it, you're about to marry a princess. Just a while back, you were just some villager."
"You mocking me or something?"
"No, I actually think it's impressive. You left the village with nothing but yourself and made it all the way here on your own strength."
"Not just my strength── not just mine."
Gram, Kyunei, and Mikage were all there.
And then, there was── Aina.
Meeting all of them made me who I am today.
"But, it was Yukina himself who brought them all together. That's amazing. Without you, it wouldn't have been possible."
"You're praising me too much."
"No, it's true. I knew you were that kind of person from the start."
Relix looked at me.
His expression seemed calm, but I felt there was more to it.
"You're always like that. You always notice what's really going on. While others don't see it, you do. I've always admired that about you."
"But," Relix said,
"...it made me really jealous."
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