* * *
I want to just say “okay” since Batista insists on it so much.
I want to agree right away.
But I can’t.
Because I can’t ignore the fact that this is still a god-given opportunity.
Then what about love?
If I cut off my last possible chance to make contact with him, then what am I supposed to do?
Should I just help Fer build a deep friendship with Batista instead?
That doesn’t even make sense.
Sure, Fer was close to Batista when they were kids, but it was a shallow relationship.
A simple conversation wouldn’t shake Batista the way Gaspar does.
Even the gods must know this is the best opportunity.
Otherwise, why would Gaspar have been near the temple at the same time Batista and I arrived?
“Ah, ow. Ow.”
Since I was slow to answer, Batista deliberately tightened his grip on my arm.
It was so strong that I could barely breathe, so I tapped his back, begging for mercy.
Only then did he finally let go.
“Well?”
“That’s… a little hard to promise.”
“Do you want to die?”
“Hey, of course not.”
Since I couldn’t give him the answer he wanted, I decided to be as shameless as possible.
If I wavered from his threats, I might end up agreeing to whatever he wanted without realizing it.
“Heh.”
“Don’t laugh like that. You need me too, don’t you? Huh? If I hug you when you’re struggling like this, and then I die and disappear, wouldn’t that leave you feeling lonely and empty?”
“……”
Was that too shameless?
Maybe. But I am close to Batista, so I just grinned.
People are more convincing when they say things with confidence, after all.
“Then what? Are you saying you’re going to betray me?”
Huh?
I was shocked. Just meeting someone he doesn’t like—how is that betrayal?
This childish black-and-white thinking is so unlike him.
Even though I thought that, I quickly answered.
“No, no, not at all!”
It’d be a problem if Batista misunderstood and thought I wasn’t on his side.
“It’s just… you seem really shaken up after seeing Gaspar—”
“Don’t call him by name.”
“Then, Master?”
“He’s my former master.”
Oh, sure.
“Anyway, just seeing your former master was enough to stress you out and make you tremble.
If someone as strong as you is reacting like this, it means there are serious unresolved issues between you two.”
As I explained, Batista’s expression grew darker and darker.
I had to work hard to act unfazed.
“If you don’t deal with this… you’re going to react like this every time you see your former master.
And I don’t want to watch you suffer like that.”
Even if I said it as an excuse, it was also how I truly felt.
Of course, the best happy ending would be if Batista reconciled with his master.
If they could resolve their long-standing conflict, their bond might become even stronger.
But what if that doesn’t happen?
What if Batista has no desire to make amends?
What if he never wants to repair their relationship?
That would be sad.
But if Batista really doesn’t want it, then there’s nothing I can do.
I’m only stepping in because I don’t want to waste this golden opportunity the gods have given us—
but I would never force Batista into something he doesn’t want.
Regardless of what I personally think about Gaspar.
If it turns out Batista truly refuses, then I wouldn’t have a reason to interfere anymore.
But… I still want to help.
Batista isn’t good with people, and he’s not particularly eloquent either.
His usual way of speaking is either “Get lost” or “Do you want to die?”—which says it all.
If I leave him alone, he’ll probably do nothing to fix this situation.
If I don’t step up, nothing will ever change.
Meanwhile, Gaspar seems to want to mend their relationship.
If he keeps trying to reach out, Batista will just keep getting stressed every time they meet.
I don’t want that to happen.
If Gaspar really hurt Batista, then I want to make him apologize properly.
And if what he did was unforgivable, then I at least want to make him promise never to approach Batista again.
I hope it’s just a misunderstanding.
But even if it’s not—
“I’ll do my best to help. If this is a bad connection, then let’s end it properly this time.”
I gripped Batista’s hand firmly.
This time, my hands didn’t shake.
“Don’t waste your time…”
He didn’t pull his hand away, but his face looked troubled.
But the fact that he didn’t shake me off gave me hope.
I locked eyes with him and kept smiling, pouring all my enthusiasm into my gaze.
“Just once! Just this one time! Give me a chance to help you.”
His hesitation made my heart race with anticipation.
It felt like he was close to agreeing.
But I had underestimated how much Batista despised Gaspar.
“Haven’t I already said it’s useless?”
He let out a deep sigh.
“My former master is trash. Irredeemable. No matter what you do, nothing will change.”
…Wow.
This was the first time I’d ever heard Batista talk about someone like this.
I don’t understand why Gaspar is being judged so harshly.
From what I’ve seen, he’s not that bad.
He’s helped people in the marketplace, and even when he was poor, he always repaid his debts when he had the money.
And let’s not forget— it’s highly likely that the gods orchestrated this situation.
I already messed up their plan to have the hero regress.
If I let this opportunity slip away, I’d be the biggest idiot in the world.
But if I argue with Batista when he’s this sure of himself, that’s basically asking him to get mad at me.
“…But still.”
I was about to ask why he thought that way.
But before I could finish my sentence, Batista’s expression hardened.
“You don’t believe me.”
“Huh?”
“You’re doubting my words. Aren’t you?”
No way!
Okay, technically I wasn’t fully trusting everything he said.
But isn’t it normal to withhold judgment about someone you haven’t personally experienced?
Especially when the opinion is this extreme?
That’s just common sense!
I’m usually pretty good at keeping my expressions in check, so I don’t know how he saw right through me.
Even when Batista gets scary, I can still force myself to smile.
That alone should mean my poker face is top-tier.
I could just lie and say I didn’t think that.
That would be the safest way to get out of this situation.
But…
I kept hearing his voice in my head.
“I’ll let it slide this time.”
Ugh.
How could I ever lie to the hero?
“That… is true! But it’s not that I doubted you or anything! I just thought it’d be better if that weren’t the case!”
In the end, I had practically admitted it, so I fumbled to wrap my words in a way that wouldn’t provoke Batista.
“He’s still your former mentor, right? Someone you can’t completely erase from your life. If that’s the case, wouldn’t it be better if he turned out to be a decent person? Huh?”
“I told you, he’s not.”
He placed a hand on the wall behind me.
* * *
