* * *

Both of them claimed I had fainted because I couldn’t handle following the Hero, but only Naike actually showed concern for me.

“What are you even saying? Do I look nice right now? We both got rejected, but you got to sleep in Zerbin’s arms. Do you know how much effort it’s taking just to sit here listening to this crap?”

“Hey, keep it down a little. Everyone around us can hear.”

Sure, Carmen had every reason to be upset, but I had already promised to treat him to drinks tonight as a peace offering.

That’s the limit of what I can do.

Besides, didn’t he approach knowing full well he might get completely ignored?

Although, for someone supposedly jealous, he seemed to be enjoying the story quite a bit.

“If only he were boldly gay, I could at least understand why he rejected me…”

Ah, so that’s what this is about.

Sorry I couldn’t meet your expectations. But you know…

“Still… holding Raul, who had a nightmare, in his arms… It’s possible he’s more comfortable with men than women,” Naike said thoughtfully.

“Stop tiptoeing around it. What you’re really saying is, ‘Take everything else out of the picture, and he totally seems gay,’ right?” Carmen spat out bluntly.

Carmen’s straightforward way of speaking is often misleading, but this time, I couldn’t disagree.

If someone who hates even hanging out with women is okay with cradling a man in his arms, then yeah, it’s hard not to think he prefers men.

“Oh, so Raul, does this mean Zerbin’s chosen you?”

Carmen, who seemed to have accepted the idea that Zerbin was out of his league, looked oddly enthusiastic now.

Naike, who had brought it up, seemed flustered at how definitive Carmen was being.

“Stop talking nonsense. What could Zerbin possibly lack that he’d be interested in me?”

I waved my hands dismissively.

Just because it’s about someone else doesn’t mean you can start spouting scary theories.

“Why not? You’re handsome.”

“That’s way too simplistic—”

“Hey! Don’t you dare call being handsome ‘simplistic.’ Do you know how much balance and harmony it takes to be called good-looking? One good feature doesn’t make someone handsome. If something stands out too much, it just looks weird.”

Ugh, I’ve stepped on a landmine.

Carmen, tipsy from the drinks, was now launching into an unnecessary dissertation on beauty.

“Take your hair, for example. It’s just plain black, right? And your eyes—on their own, they’re these wild, yellow things that look more creepy than lively.”

“That’s an insult.”

“No, listen! But when you combine that jet-black hair with those wild eyes, suddenly the yellow looks more like gold, and it gives off this mysterious predator-in-the-dark vibe. It’s sexy. Get it? It’s all about the combination.”

Should I tell him to stop drinking?

“Do you even realize how slim the odds are of all these features—hair, facial structure, everything—coming together just right?”

“Uh, sure.”

“Don’t ever call being handsome simple again.”

If Zerbin were the type to care about appearances like Carmen, he would’ve gone for one of the many other pretty boys and girls who had tried to join his party.

That would’ve been a lot simpler.

But that’s impossible.

Do you know how many people have tried to use their looks to get close to the Hero?

There’s no way.

When I woke up in Zerbin’s arms, I’d been too shocked to think straight, but now I can guess why he did it.

“I must’ve looked worse off than I thought.”

Nightmares.

They might not sound like a big deal to others, but recently, my dreams have been about the war with the demons—civilians slaughtered, loved ones dying, and the Hero’s party sustaining grievous injuries to fight back.

And me? I can’t do anything.

All I do is prepare herbs and bandages in the back, praying they make it home alive.

Watching those brutal battles unfold without being able to lift a finger is agonizing.

I wonder if, in my latest nightmare, I was writhing in pain from just watching it all.

For the first few days after my return, the nightmares were so bad even Aimone was worried.

He, who’s never put faith in gods, suggested we go to a temple, convinced I was possessed.

I had to tell him my last party had been wiped out before he finally dropped the idea.

Honestly, it’s not like I couldn’t go to a temple.

But would the gods really look kindly on someone who snatched away their chosen Hero’s fate?

I might be struck down where I stand.

So, no thanks.

Anyway, I must’ve looked pretty bad to someone seeing me for the first time, enough that a noble Hero couldn’t just leave me be.

“But isn’t there still a chance, like Carmen said?”

Naike, ever kind and considerate but with a weakness for gossip, asked with a sly grin.

“Don’t you feel like trying to make a move?”

Because both Naike and Carmen had romantic feelings for the Hero, they seemed to keep dragging the conversation in that direction.

I, however, had no such feelings.

The Hero should be with someone strong and resolute, someone who can stand as his equal.

That’s definitely not me. I know my place.

“No way, absolutely not! Over my dead body!”

That wasn’t me.

It was someone else who suddenly shoved his massive frame into our conversation.

“Oh, Vincente, you’re back,” Naike greeted.

Vincente Kin.

Not quite as impressive as the Hero, but he stands at a towering 190 cm, with a muscular build that radiates power.

“Raul has to stay with me, okay? There aren’t many guys into big, burly dudes like me.”

…He’s someone I occasionally sleep with.

Calling him a “sex partner” feels a bit much—we just hook up now and then when we’re in the mood.

“Or maybe it’s because no one wants to sleep with you since you blab about it everywhere?” Carmen stuffed a piece of meat into Vincente’s mouth before he could continue.

After swallowing it, he pulled a chair over and sat down with us uninvited.

Not that anyone told him to join.

Adventurers are like this—bold and loud at best, and crass at worst.

While the Hero seems to dislike that vibe, I find it lively and fun.

“Come on, it’s not like it matters. Most people who come here are just looking for a one-night stand anyway,” Vincente shrugged.

“Here,” by the way, isn’t just any bar.

It started as a safe space for same-sex couples, run by a retired adventurer who was openly gay.

Over time, it evolved into a spot where lonely souls could flirt and find someone for the night.

Women aren’t excluded, but they’re not the primary clientele.

Naike prefers places like this because he hates guys hitting on him.

Ironically, I ended up bringing Carmen and Naike, thinking, ‘If women aren’t an option for the hero, I’ll find him a decent man instead.’

“Giving up after two rejections? Never. Even if I’m rejected twenty times, I’ll try again.

I truly feel sorry for the hero who has to endure these matchmaking attempts they never even wanted.

But I have no choice. I’m ready to face all the scorn in the world once the truth comes out.

Just please, let it slide for now.

If the hero doesn’t fall in love, humanity will perish.

And it’s because I robbed him of his chance to regress?

The mere thought of it sends shivers down my spine every time.

Just imagining it makes my chest tighten.

* * *