* * *

I already had everything planned out.

I even needed him to check if the hero’s involvement was necessary.

Don’t back out now—it’ll ruin everything.

“Well… you’re not wrong.”

Vicente groaned softly.

“It’s just weird to see you like this. If you ever need help with anything, just tell me, okay?”

He usually wore his shamelessness as both his best and worst trait, but now…

“If there’s something I can actually do, I’ll lend you a hand.”

His words stung, leaving me feeling guilty.

The guy he’s so worried about is a terrible person—a selfish bastard who recklessly saved his own life at the cost of someone else’s, without thinking.

Yet here he was, genuinely concerned for me.

Every time I realize how good the people around me are, I can’t help but loathe myself a little more.

Not to mention, I’m planning to use Vicente as a replacement for the hero.

Seeing his sincerity made my chest ache.

At least I still have a conscience.

That’s something, right?

If I were to follow it, I should decline his offer.

“Thanks.”

But I shamelessly decided to accept Vicente’s goodwill.

My inconvenient mission was more important than any guilt I felt.

When I meet the hero tomorrow, I’ll need to look much better than I do now.

For that, Vicente’s help would be crucial.

“So let’s not have sex tonight. Just stay next to me. I sleep better when someone’s there.”

“Hah. You’re so pale I thought you weren’t serious when you agreed. But now I see you just wanted to cuddle after all the action.”

“Take it or leave it.”

“Who’s leaving? You think I’d say no after already giving you the rest of me?”

“Even when you clarify, it all sounds the same.”

Yeah, I definitely can’t introduce him to the hero.

No matter how skilled or secretly kind-hearted he might be, the hero would only see him as crude.

---

Sharing a bed with Vicente, who has a lean, muscular build, was much more effective than when the slender Aimone did the same.

Of course, it wasn’t as restful as sleeping with the hero, but I only woke up twice.

“Maybe my half-asleep brain gets confused enough to feel secure?”

Aside from his build and muscles, Vicente is nothing like the hero, yet somehow, this worked.

It’s baffling—I almost want to interrogate my instincts.

If the hero found out, his pride might be hurt…

No, I shouldn’t think like this about a kind friend.

The fact that my instincts are this stupid is a secondary problem.

What matters is that if this improves my sleep, it’s a big win.

Should I just pay Vicente to do this every night?

“Ugh.”

When I moved away, Vicente woke up right on cue.

Adventurers tend to be light sleepers.

Still drowsy, he waved his arms vaguely around.

Curious, I grabbed his hand.

“What? If you need something, just say it.”

“…You’re fine, huh.”

“Me?”

Vicente yawned widely and flopped back onto the bed, blinking slowly as sleep clung to his eyes.

Did he not sleep well?

“You should go to a temple and get that spirit or whatever exorcised. You were crying in your sleep, you know.”

“Crying?”

“Yeah. Woke me up in the middle of the night. I even considered calling a healer because you wouldn’t wake up when I asked if you were in pain.”

Oh no.

I thought I’d stopped crying after Aimone barged in complaining about the noise.

Turns out I was still doing it.

I can’t believe the hero saw me like that.

Just imagining it makes my face heat up.

So he was just putting up with it?

Ugh, this is so embarrassing.

I kept him up all night.

“Sorry! I didn’t know!”

If I’d known it was that bad, I wouldn’t have asked him to stay!

The hero sleeps fine, so I thought I’d been less of a nuisance with him.

Maybe I feel safer with the hero and act up less. I hate burdening people.

Should I stop asking?

No… If I offer a lot of money, it might be fine.

This is worth debating.

“Why are you apologizing so much? I said I’d help, didn’t I? Just treat me to a meal today.”

Vicente rubbed his eyes and slowly got out of bed.

Fair enough.

I should focus on the immediate tasks anyway.

I’d been meaning to revisit some old restaurants to see if they were as good as I remembered.

During the war, decent meals were scarce, and I couldn’t trust my memories entirely.

It might seem like I’m using Vicente to scout places for the hero, but it’s different.

Those restaurants are expensive anyway—Vicente’s the one benefiting!

I can take a little credit for that.

“Alright. This big bro will fill you up with the finest grease today. Look forward to it.”

Grinning, I led the still-sleepy Vicente outside.

He didn’t insist on staying in bed, saying he needed to replenish his energy instead.

We’d barely taken a few steps when—

“…Vicente, am I still dreaming?”

“Ugh. If you need to check, pinch your own cheek, idiot. What’s got you so spooked?”

“No, it’s just—”

Why is the hero near my house?

“Wait, you—were you always this close with Zerbin?”

Vicente grabbed my arm tightly, his shock evident in how his grip made my arm sting.

Yeah, he was clearly tense.

There are countless adventurers who dream of just teaming up with a hero even once.

For someone like that to personally visit someone else’s house?

It’s almost unimaginable.

“Calm down. Don’t jump to conclusions. He probably just had business nearby.”

Yesterday was the last day of our agreed time together, so maybe he was just being considerate.

Fine. But the week is over.

There’s no reason for the hero to come all the way to my doorstep just to see me now, right?

Thinking otherwise would just be wishful thinking—or outright delusional.

If I said something like that out loud, it’d only make the other person uncomfortable.

Still, meeting the hero by chance?

Lucky me!

I mean, come on.

If I went around asking where the hero was just to tail him, I’d look like a stalker.

Thankfully, fate saved me from stooping that low.

And what if the hero had caught some big lead last night and left for good?

I’d have completely missed my chance to teach him what love is.

Thinking about it sent chills down my spine.

I only have six months left.

No, no. I need to stay positive.

Negative thoughts just eat away at your mind.

After spending a week together, I’ve achieved my initial goal—getting on speaking terms with the hero.

At least now he knows my name.

Whether he thinks I’m insignificant is a separate issue, but hey, that’s still progress.

Sure, I might’ve embarrassed myself yesterday, but at least he didn’t outright cancel our arrangement.

That’s a good sign, right?

So, let’s pull it together and be a little more shameless.

I’ve got a mission here.

What’s not mine, I’ve taken, so I have to work harder than the rightful owner would have.

“I’m going to say hi.”

Backing off out of embarrassment would be a waste of precious time.

First, let’s see if the hero even responds when I talk to him.

“You coming too?”

“Me? M-Me?”

Vicente pointed to himself.

“Only if you’re ready to face some cold shoulders.”

If he didn’t want to, I wouldn’t force him.

But thinking about how humanity’s future rests on my shoulders made me want to do something more helpful for the hero.

Vicente’s former mentor had been a truly formidable knight.

She disappeared under mysterious circumstances, and no one knows why.

Dead? Alive? A traitor?

But who knows?

This could lead to the hero reconnecting with that knight someday.

And that would be a massive win, regaining a major ally.

The possibility was too good to pass up.

And Vicente would… at least try to compose himself in front of the hero, right?

He’d better.

* * *