* * *
“Well, there’s still a little left in storage—”
“I checked this morning! That’s spoiled. You’ve been hoarding it so long it went bad!”
“…My apologies! These are the only dishes we can offer.”
So, no meat.
The explanation wasn’t hard to figure out.
‘The spiked wolves.’
The beasts weren’t being killed by humans; they were fighting each other.
Why? Beasts weren’t as complex as humans.
The reason was likely simple: food.
With the demonic energy growing stronger, monsters were breeding more rapidly, and that meant prey was scarce.
Eventually, they had to invade other territories.
The spiked wolves we saw had probably lost a territorial battle.
Which led to hungry wolves prowling near human villages.
Even if they knew better than to provoke humans, desperation drives risk.
Villagers who went out hunting or gathering likely became prey.
And merchants who would normally trade here wouldn’t bother, seeing the increased danger.
No wonder they were caught up debating whether or not to hire an adventurer.
But they’re in luck.
Zerbin said, “That wouldn’t be a bad idea,” earlier.
And Zerbin doesn’t make empty statements.
Whatever his reason, he intended to take action.
“So, how about stepping up for a bit?”
If we hunt, the cook might thank us with a good meal.
At least, that’s what I thought.
“You’re going,” Zerbin replied.
Wait, why me?
When we have a hero right here!
I wanted to ask if he was joking.
“Zerbin… joking?”
Not a chance.
I’ve never heard him crack a joke.
In fact, I’ve never even seen him laugh properly—except for a hollow chuckle now and then.
A man who doesn’t even laugh himself wouldn’t bother about someone else’s laughter.
But still.
Isn’t giving me a task that Zerbin could finish in less than half a day just a waste of time?
I wanted to get to the temple as quickly as possible to figure out the relationship between Zerbin and the Guardian, so this was incredibly inconvenient.
Could it be that he’s annoyed and making me do this because of that adventurer I mentioned, someone he probably doesn’t even know?
No, Zerbin isn’t that petty… but I can’t think of any other reason he’d specifically send me.
Even so, it’s not like I can say no when Zerbin specifically told me to go.
What if he starts thinking of me as some cold-hearted, unprincipled, and utterly shameless person?
“Do I really… have to go?”
I ended up asking. I couldn’t understand why Zerbin was making this choice, and I couldn’t outright refuse, so I didn’t have many options left.
At the very least, I wanted to know why.
“Can’t you do it?”
“…”
I can, but still!
“If I go, it’ll take forever! Wouldn’t it be quicker and more efficient if you did it?”
“It’s not an urgent matter, so there’s no need to rush.”
He wasn’t wrong.
The only one in a hurry was me.
Thinking about it, Zerbin is essentially just stopping by his hometown.
There’s no reason for him to feel anxious about being delayed.
It’s not like he promised to arrive at a specific time.
But the clock is still ticking toward the Demon King’s invasion… Should I tell him?
Should I just say it outright? T
he pressure was suffocating.
“You asked if you could fight alongside me.”
“Huh? Oh, yeah.”
Wait, why bring that up now?
Still, since that was something I desperately wanted, I quickly nodded, even though the topic had suddenly shifted.
“This time, I’ll assess your skills.”
Ah!
“Show me how useful you can be to me.”
In that moment, all the foolish things I’d said felt unbearably embarrassing.
Zerbin had been giving me a chance all along.
In this situation, there was only one thing I could say.
“I’ll work my butt off!”
I shot to my feet.
Even though I was exhausted from traveling and starving, if it meant gaining Zerbin’s recognition, that was nothing.
I could muster strength from anywhere.
“Sit down.”
“I can do it right now! What’s so hard about catching a few wolves? While I’m at it, I’ll hunt some pheasants too—those ones you like.”
Then at least, even if dinner was just potatoes, we could have a hearty midnight snack.
I wasn’t sure if Zerbin actually liked pheasant, but every time we went to a rotisserie restaurant, he always ate it with gusto, so I thought it might leave a good impression.
“…”
Zerbin’s expression was less than encouraging.
Does he think I’m unreliable?
I mean, I’m used to working while tired.
Besides, it’s not like I’d be facing demons—just a few thorn wolves.
They might take time, but they’re hardly a real threat.
“Rest here tonight.”
“I’m just a little tired, that’s all. Want me to prove it? I’m pretty good at throwing daggers…”
“I said, rest.”
I sat back down.
When Zerbin insists like that, what choice do I have?
The hero gets what the hero wants.
Still, for him to be so adamant—what does he see when he looks at me?
Could he be taking care of me?
Like when he carried me into the inn and up to my room.
Just thinking about that incident still makes me want to crawl into a hole.
My image… It’s probably beyond repair.
To someone as strong as Zerbin, the world’s mightiest hero, everyone must seem weak.
But I didn’t want to stand out as someone so feeble he felt compelled to look after me.
Still, there’s hope!
“I’ll turn things around tomorrow!”
If I rest well tonight and show him what I’m capable of, things might change.
At the very least, I won’t be treated like someone who needs to be carried around like luggage.
That has to happen.
Who would want to travel with a deadweight during a war?
It’d be more of a nuisance than anything.
If I don’t prove myself, there’s a chance I won’t be able to join him again…
No, of course I won’t.
Why would Zerbin include me in the hero’s party?
If I could wield the holy sword, humanity would gain an edge over the demons.
I believe in Zerbin.
With him leading the fight, the heroes who tragically died during the war will survive this time.
They’ll save the world, and I’ll step back to do whatever I can.
There has to be something I can contribute.
So why do I feel so oddly regretful?
Have I already grown too used to being with Zerbin?
Pathetic.
I should know better than to cling to something out of reach.
Someone like me doesn’t belong by the hero’s side.
I should’ve given up on that the moment I stole his chance to reset the timeline.
“But I’ll be with Zerbin for now.”
If I don’t want to be treated like baggage while I’m still with him, I’ll have to prove my worth tomorrow.
For now, I’ll focus on resting.
With that resolve, I wolfed down the potato dish Zerbin had ordered for me.
It was dry, so I ended up finishing the still-simmering soup as well.
It wasn’t exactly appetizing, but thinking about the war made it easy to swallow.
At least I can still enjoy a hot meal in peace.
* * *
