* * *
I get it… But being by your side makes those feelings feel so intense it’s scary.
“H-Hey, I can totally do it. I’ve got more than enough power.”
I’m not sure a Hero should really be doing something like this, though…
“Are… are you going to bury him?”
I asked with trembling eyes.
I’m not completely against it!
If I were the one doing it, maybe—but if the Hero personally takes revenge, wouldn’t the gods be disappointed?
That would be a problem!
He shot me a look like I was pathetic. It clearly meant: “As if.”
“Right? Bati, you don’t need to deal with this mess. Leave it to me!”
“Why are you talking like burying him is a given?”
“So, we’re not burying him?”
Smack!
He hit me on the back.
“Just leave him alone.”
“Why!”
Bati narrowed his eyes.
I shut up, sensing I’d be in trouble if I pushed any further.
“He’s garbage anyway.”
Well, true.
“He’s not even particularly good garbage, just cocky with his half-baked abilities. One day, he’ll trip over his own mess and die a miserable death.”
That was… a scathing review.
But fair.
He gets close to people easily, but it’s always with the intent of using them.
No real relationships could ever come from that.
He’s not incompetent as an adventurer, but he’s not amazing either.
There are plenty of adventurers with that level of skill.
If he has one unique trait, it’s that he’s from a noble family—but even that got him kicked out ages ago.
He should’ve gotten his act together and carved out a path for himself.
But he’s still addicted to gambling, drowning in debt.
He’s hopeless.
Sooner or later, he’ll either regret it to death—or just die.
“I hope that guy dies like that.”
Bati’s voice was like he’d carved out all the emotion from it.
“Letting him die quickly would be too kind.”
…Yeah, I don’t really know how to make someone suffer to death.
That’s probably more up the alley of the loan sharks chasing after Gaspar’s gambling debts.
He’s probably just buying time now by throwing Bati’s name around, but if he doesn’t pay up, what’ll happen then?
He might end up in even more trouble, counting the cost of mocking people with fake trust.
He brought it on himself, though.
‘But Bati’s still using the last name Gaspar gave him.’
Even if everything we’re saying is true, the fact remains—Bati hasn’t cut things off.
There are still lingering feelings from the years they spent together.
He even threw Gaspar out the moment they met again, without so much as a real conversation.
Probably because if they actually talked, Bati might waver.
So he avoided contact altogether.
Ugh, it’s frustrating.
I hate that Bati’s still giving any part of himself to someone like that.
Can’t Gaspar just get brutally murdered by someone with a grudge already?
When I think about all the garbage Gaspar has done, the righteous thing for a Hero to do would be to erase him from the world entirely.
Seriously—Bati’s just too kind.
Too deep-hearted.
Suddenly, I was overwhelmed by pity for the Bati of our childhood and hugged him tight.
“But still… if he causes you trouble again, let’s make sure he regrets it.”
“Oh? And how, exactly?”
“Well… I’ve got my ways.”
Even if I don’t know how to make someone suffer, my friends can definitely help.
Conveniently, I know a lot of people!
Bati gave me a slightly suspicious look but nodded soon enough.
What I said made sense, after all.
No way we can just let a guy who keeps interfering with us roam free.
“By the way…”
“What is it?”
I hesitated. Was now the right time to ask?
Could I say this now?
“Then after that… what about your last name?”
Silence fell in the room. Maybe that was too sensitive.
Still, if Bati wants to sever his ties with Gaspar, it’s an important issue.
Not gonna lie, I’m also kind of jealous!
“…The Demon King,” he said.
Huh? Where did that come from?
“Out of nowhere? If you’re talking about the one you’re supposed to defeat, then yeah…”
“After I defeat the Demon King, if we’re still together, we’ll get married.”
“…Huh?”
Huh?
“Then you can take my last name—Florence.”
WHAT?!
M-M-Married?
We only started dating yesterday, and now we’re talking about marriage?
Things are moving way too fast—I think I’m gonna die.
No, actually, my heart might explode.
My head is spinning.
“Y-You and I… marriage?”
“Don’t want to?”
“No! I love it!”
But is it even okay for me to do that?!
Can someone like me marry a Hero?!
No, wait—if we defeat the Demon King, what can’t we do?
Whatever Bati says, I’ll go along with it.
If you ask whether I want it or not… I definitely want it.
To death!
I’m so shocked I can’t think straight.
My mind is just a complete mess, a jumble of chaotic thoughts.
I need to calm down.
Deep breath. Inhale, exhale.
This isn’t the time for this—I need to pack.
We’re leaving for Swindlin.
There’s nothing left to gain in the temple Bati grew up in, and he hates this village anyway, so there’s no point staying.
Time to leave.
That’s why we decided to vacate the room today.
I started stuffing my scattered belongings into my bag.
“Hehehe…”
Marriage?
Marrying Bati? Just imagining it makes me giddy.
Where should the wedding be?
Ideally, I want to do it in my hometown.
It’d be hard for my parents to come all the way to Swindlin, after all.
Where did people usually get married back home…?
Oh, right—since Bati’s devout, maybe he’d want a traditional ceremony with a priest officiating.
There’s a temple back home too, so I should decorate it beautifully like a real wedding.
And of course we’ll need food.
Lots of it.
I’ll have to hire multiple chefs!
Make all of Bati’s favorite dishes…
“Are you that happy?”
A large hand rested on my shoulder.
As ridiculous as it sounds, that’s when I realized I’d been grinning like an idiot.
Startled, I covered my mouth.
We haven’t even officially decided on marriage yet, but I’d already gone way off into fantasy-land all by myself.
But come on—it was just too tempting!
Erasing the shadow of Gaspar from Bati’s life and becoming a family with him forever?
That’s an incredible win! I wanna take the Demon King’s head off ASAP!
‘……’
The Demon King…
Thinking about him brought my mood crashing down.
Sure, I said it lightheartedly, but he’s not someone we can beat easily.
Now’s not the time to be fantasizing about marriage—I need to think about how to defeat the Demon King…
“What now?” Bati asked, as if wondering why I was moping again.
It was a little embarrassing to go from grinning to gloom so fast.
“It’s nothing.”
I’m not gonna say. I’ve shown enough of my uncool side today.
Bati’s eyes grew sharp.
“I-I said it’s nothing!”
Ow!
That hurts!
“…I was just thinking… to get married, we’ll have to defeat the Demon King first. And honestly, I’ve never even really fought demons properly before…”
In the end, I lost to Bati’s overwhelming pressure.
Sure, the physical sting hurt, but more than that—it was the way he looked at me, like I was stabbing his conscience by keeping another secret.
How could I keep pretending not to notice?
* * *
