Farewell to the hero! chapter 11- Flower

Three years ago, in the fall.

“Two bowls of tomato soup here!”

“Got it!”

I was darting back and forth in the busy restaurant, making sure I didn’t forget which customer had ordered.

This time, it was for the two men seated at the table on the left.

“…No, that’s why I said—”

“Excuse me, I’ll take these bowls away.”

I cleared the plates of a customer who had just finished eating and wiped the spot where they sat with a rag, then squeezed through the noisy crowd.

I gathered the empty dishes that had piled up like a mountain.

It was so busy that I didn’t even have time to brush the sweaty hair stuck to my forehead.

1:00 p.m. sharp—the busiest time of day.

“Thank you! Please come again!”

Even while rushing around, I made sure to greet the departing customers with a smile, raising my voice and curving my eyes into a cheerful expression.

After all, smiling, no matter how hard the work, was something I had learned during my years working at the restaurant in Alice’s Inn.

“Alice!”

Once the crowd thinned out, I finally had a moment to breathe and headed toward the kitchen with hurried steps.

Alice was the owner of this place, Alice’s Inn, and also the head chef of the inn’s restaurant.

Though usually kind and gentle, Alice turned into a different person once she stepped into the kitchen.

“Don’t call my name like that—just tell me the order already!”

Just like now.

I peeked out from behind the door, avoiding her sharp gaze.

“Two bowls of tomato soup.”

“Why are these customers only eating tomato soup?”

“It’s probably because it’s the easiest to eat.”

I rolled my eyes and came up with a quick excuse.

Alice’s Inn was the only inn and restaurant in Luther Village, located along the path leading to the Gayat Mountain Range, where the so-called Great Catastrophe was said to be lying dormant.

As a result, it was always packed with people traveling to witness the Catastrophe.

Among the restaurant’s many dishes, tomato soup was the most popular, likely because travelers preferred something simple and easy.

Sighing as if in reluctant agreement, Alice picked up a ladle and stirred the soup.

She fanned the stove and placed a pot on it.

Her skill at warming up the soup, which had cooled due to the surrounding temperature, was impressive, but she had done it countless times before.

I held the silver tray close to me, waiting for her to hand me the two bowls of tomato soup.

Meanwhile, I discreetly eavesdropped on the conversations of the customers.

Most of the time, they were talking about the Great Catastrophe.

“I heard that the monsters living at the entrance of the Gayat Mountain Range are fiercely protective of their children.”

“Hah! A monster with maternal instincts? What nonsense.”

“But it’s true. I almost got killed by one last time when I faced it without knowing. I barely escaped, but I couldn’t defeat it.”

“I also heard they have incredible healing abilities. No matter how much you stab them, they just don’t die.”

“Yes, and—”

“They hunt both day and night, I’ve heard.”

“A monster that doesn’t sleep during the day?”

The monsters at the entrance of the Gayat Mountain Range really were something special.

I made a mental note of this new piece of information.

Working at a restaurant frequented by travelers meant I learned quite a bit about the Great Catastrophe.

Of course, some of the stories were outlandish myths, but still.

The truth was, most of the people who claimed to know all about the Great Catastrophe hadn’t even made it past the Gayat Mountain Range, the final barrier before reaching the Catastrophe.

It was only natural that ordinary people never even caught a glimpse of the Great Catastrophe.

According to rumors, the king once sent a specialized elite force of sixty knights to defeat the Catastrophe.

The result?

The entire force was wiped out.

In fact, even before that, when the Catastrophe first appeared, tearing the sky open, the monsters that came out along with it almost destroyed the Hadelber Kingdom.

People would joke that the kingdom’s population was cut in half because of the Catastrophe, but the reality was probably even worse.

Of course, none of that had anything to do with me.

Even though everyone in the Hadelber Kingdom had lost family to the Catastrophe, I hadn’t.

I was an orphan, left abandoned as a newborn at the entrance of Luther Village one late autumn day. I had no family to lose to the Catastrophe.

So all I could do was live in fear that the Catastrophe might awaken from its deep slumber one day.

“Here you go! Two bowls of tomato soup, right?”

Alice handed me the two bowls of tomato soup, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I shook my head as I carefully placed the bowls onto the tray, trying to shake off the creeping worries.

“Two bowls of tomato soup, coming up!”

I hurried to the table before the soup could cool.

When I reached the table that had ordered the tomato soup, I hesitated for a moment, intimidated by the customers’ rough appearance, but I didn’t let it show.

Swallowing my nerves, I placed the bowls down, and one of the men suddenly handed me some money.

“Here.”

One, two… five.

Five francs in total.

The tomato soup was 15 francs per bowl, and since customers paid before leaving, this was clearly a tip.

I couldn’t stop the smile that crept onto my face.

Among the travelers headed to see the Great Catastrophe, many were nobles, and I often received tips like this.

On average, I earned about 20 francs a day in tips.

“Thank you. Enjoy your meal.”

I bowed, adding a sincere note to my gratitude, and turned away.

It would be embarrassing to grin too broadly in front of the customers.

My dream had always been the same: to move to the safety of the capital before the Catastrophe could cause any more trouble.

Of course, it was only a dream because I never had the courage to leave.

Luther Village was far too dangerous, being so close to the Catastrophe.

If the Catastrophe ever crawled over the Gayat Mountains, Luther Village would be the first place it encountered.

Even though the Catastrophe had been dormant for nearly a hundred years, disasters always strike unexpectedly.

If I could keep working like this for just ten more years, I’d be able to make it.

I glanced down at my apron pocket, now heavier with the tip, and smiled contentedly.

It was at that moment—Bang!

“Really, I’m telling the truth!”

The sudden loud noise startled me, and I hiccuped involuntarily.

What’s going on?

Curious, I looked toward the source of the noise.

A man was loudly insisting on something to another customer at the next table.

“The Hero is on their way here, to defeat the Catastrophe. Finally!”

“What nonsense. The Hero just came of age.”

“The Hero’s powerful enough to defeat even the leader of the knights. Age doesn’t matter.”

“This man is clearly drunk. Spouting nonsense he picked up somewhere.”

“It’s not nonsense! It’s from a reliable source, I swear!”

“And where is this reliable source?”

“……”

“See? You’ve got nothing. Stop drinking. Even the Catastrophe won’t touch someone with a rotting liver.”

The man, who had been passionately raising his voice, fell silent, while the other customer continued chewing on his steak.

A Hero?

It wasn’t an unfamiliar term.

I had heard stories before about a Hero destined to defeat the Catastrophe.

But wasn’t that just a made-up tale to scare kids?

“One more beer here!”

Another order came in, pulling my wandering thoughts back to the task at hand.

I turned to relay the order to the kitchen, when—

“Food’s here, food!”

“Don’t act so uncivilized. It’s embarrassing.”

“We haven’t eaten in a week, of course I’m starving.”

“Enough, both of you.”

A group of four people in robes entered the restaurant—three tall figures and one of average height.

“Excuse me.”

Seeing them looking around for a seat, I cautiously approached them.

“Are you looking for a table?”

As I asked my question, the new arrivals all turned toward me in unison, as if they had planned it.

Although their faces were obscured by hoods, I could see a glimpse of their eyes below—indifferent and disinterested.

It was during the awkward silence, as I waited in vain for a response, that one man among them clicked his tongue in frustration after giving me a long, scrutinizing look.

“And what’s this little thing?”

His rough voice cut through the air like a sharp whip, making me flinch.

His large frame and deep tone intimidated me, causing my shoulders to tense up without even realizing it.

I retraced my steps, wondering if I had made a mistake, but there was nothing. I had only done my job.

Hic…

An ill-timed hiccup slipped out, making things worse.

“Ruen, don’t treat people like objects.”

The man who had tried to break up the earlier fight took off his hood and approached, his tone gentle but firm as he softly chided the woman.

His amber eyes, now fully visible as his hood fell away, sparkled.

“You’re one of the restaurant staff, right?”