* * *

At that, a few people decided they didn’t want to risk injury just to meet Zerbin and backed off.

“So, what? Are you just going to keep hanging out with the king by yourself? That’s so unfair!”

“Yeah, Raul Florenti! You’re all about loyalty, but you just cling to him for yourself whenever you get the chance. Does it feel good? Huh? Does it?”

The ones who remained were the reckless fanatics who wouldn’t take no for an answer.

These guys had probably already tried talking to Zerbin and been flung away a few times themselves.

The fact that they hadn’t given up yet was… impressive in its own way.

Too bad their persistence wasn’t the kind that would ever catch Zerbin’s interest.

Seriously, after being rejected so thoroughly, they should just give up already.

It’s not like they were on some grand mission to save humanity—leave the hero alone.

“When did I say I’d just keep hanging out with him by myself? I’m saying it’s just not a good time right now.”

Of course, telling them outright to give up wouldn’t work, so I tried to calm them down instead.

“If I get closer to him and we’re on good enough terms that he’d listen to my requests, I’ll try talking to him. Just wait until then.”

“Well… I guess even you aren’t close enough to ask Zerbin for favors yet.”

“I heard you’re tagging along as his porter?”

Huh… was I?

That… might be true?

I was probably just like a walking pantry to him.

He might’ve thought it’d be convenient to drag me along since I was already planning to visit my hometown.

Still, in its own way, it meant he trusted me, so I didn’t mind.

“…So, how long do we have to wait?”

Huh?

The voice was oddly subdued, almost gloomy.

It sounded drained of energy, even sorrowful.

What surprised me even more was that I recognized the voice’s owner.

Wasn’t that Heros?

What was he doing here instead of lounging around the guild building?

His vibe was so different that I almost didn’t realize it was him.

Had he come out here just to talk to me?

“Well? Answer me!”

When I hesitated, caught off guard, Heros urged me impatiently.

So even he secretly admired Zerbin?

No wonder he seemed so delighted when I got snubbed by Zerbin at first—he must’ve had his reasons.

If he couldn’t have it, no one else should either.

But when he heard that I’d somehow managed to get close to Zerbin, he must’ve panicked and rushed out of his usual seat.

This was bad.

If someone who normally stayed out of things decided to get involved, it could turn into a huge hassle.

“How should I know? Do you think getting close to him is easy? I’m just tagging along as his porter right now.”

And even if I did get the chance, there was no way I’d hand it over to someone like you!

You barely even take on proper requests and just sit around the guild gossiping, and now you want to piggyback on this?

Get real.

“Then, how….”

Heros spoke again, his voice tight like he was holding something back.

“How did you even approach him?”

“That’s what I want to know!”

Another guy, who hadn’t left yet, shot his hand up.

This was a question adventurers had been asking me over and over.

What a pain.

Not that I could tell them the truth—it’d be like handing over Zerbin’s weaknesses on a silver platter.

“I didn’t do anything special. I just have a naturally charming personality, you know?”

I tilted my chin up and struck a smug pose, earning groans and jeers.

But no one outright denied it—guess my reputation wasn’t too bad.

Instead, they waited, clearly eager to hear what I’d say next.

Fine, I’ll throw you a bone.

“If I had to say, snacks? He doesn’t say no to sweet bread or cookies when I offer them.”

“Sweet bread? Thanks!”

“If it works, I’ll owe you one!”

“Hey, stop pushing! Ow!”

The moment I gave them a tip, they scattered, rushing off to buy bribes.

For some reason, I felt a twinge of guilt toward Zerbin.

‘…It’ll be fine, right?’

He does like sweet things, after all.

This wasn’t matchmaking, was it?

We’re friends, so he wouldn’t be mad at me just for talking about him… right?

Honestly, if even one of them managed to win Zerbin over, it’d be a win for me.

Good luck, guys.

‘Huh?’

But Heros was still here.

Maybe he thought there was no point rushing off when everyone else had already gone.

Persistent bastard.

Should I just let him tag along for now?

He didn’t seem to like me much, so if he kept pestering me, I could just send him packing.

“I’ve got nothing more to say. I’ve got stuff to do.”

Still, Heros didn’t leave.

I decided to ignore him.

He kept twitching like he wanted to say something but held back.

Fine. Let him stew until he gives up.

By now, the market would be closing soon, and I had to grab the best supplies for the hero.

Only the best would do, after all.

The marketplace was bustling as always.

Despite many adventurers being out on requests, it was packed.

Swindlin really was a populous city.

Even here, Heros shadowed me, muttering something under his breath as he bit his nails.

Seriously, what’s his deal?

I couldn’t shake the unease but didn’t have time to deal with him.

Another familiar face had approached me first.

“Raul! You said you didn’t care about that freak at all!”

A buddy I sometimes took on requests glared at me like I’d wronged him.

Well, I had said that… but so what?

Was he mad because he’d wanted to befriend Zerbin but couldn’t, while I had?

Was this another Heros situation?

“So, why are you hanging out with him now?”

“That was then, but honestly, after talking to him, he seems alright.”

“What? Seriously? That’s the first time I’ve ever heard someone say that.”

Ricardo clicked his tongue in disapproval.

“Someone who’s a big shot with a bad reputation behind the scenes, but only you think he’s fine? What does that say? He’s putting on a show.”

The harsh tone caught me off guard.

Does he really dislike him that much?

Although Ricardo had an aggressive personality, he was usually the upbeat type and rarely tore anyone down.

Maybe it’s because the people who recently crowded around me were all followers pestering me to arrange a meeting with Zerbin.

That sharp attitude felt even more out of place.

“Why would Zerbin fake anything around me? And that joke you just made wasn’t funny.”

“He might if he wants to impress you.”

The unexpected remark made me burst into laughter.

I couldn’t stop myself, shaking with laughter until I barely managed to pull myself together.

Honestly, I remembered the rumors among adventurers about Zerbin weren’t great.

I didn’t care to hear gossip about someone I wasn’t interested in, so I stayed out of it.

But I’d admit it influenced me at first.

I even speculated wildly—like, would he secretly bury me in some hidden spot?

But I’d personally seen otherwise.

Zerbin is a man destined to be a hero.

He wouldn’t kill someone just because they annoyed him.

“Now that was funny.”

“Hey, I wasn’t joking! Sometimes you act surprisingly naive for someone so jaded.”

“I’ll take it seriously when you start making sense. How is it logical for someone who doesn’t have any close connections to still have rumors about their hidden side or dangerous persona?”

How could there be stories about his ‘hidden side’ when no one’s been close enough to even see the surface?

Honestly, the gossip about Zerbin all sounded like slander from washed-up adventurers consumed by jealousy.

If he were truly a terrible person, I’d have been dragged to some unknown place and killed already.

Considering how much trouble I’ve caused him, it’s amazing he’s let me off.

The rumors are good to know, sure, but they’re not worth taking seriously.

* * *