Chapter 74

74 – The Time to Muster Up Your Intrepid Spirit is Now

「Tag…Tournament…」

Nicola absentmindedly repeats.

「Oh, I should probably mention that you have to find your own partner. Lem is a very busy man. He has no time to waste his Magical Energy like that.」

The nine years’ worth of stored Magical Energy in the horn was all used up in the fight with Fenix, so I’m currently in the middle of replenishing that storage in the horn.

You could say that the power and duration of my magic have gotten proficient, so with how my Magical Energy is being portioned off and stored into the horn whenever I use my magic, the storage is filling up at a much faster pace than before.

The Magical Energy Organ can be trained regardless of whether the Magical Energy was consumed when casting magic or when it’s being poured into the horn.

「But I…if I go with my brother, he’ll definitely ask me to go out as the Silver Prince…」

Milla let out an exaggerated sigh.

「Oh Nicola. I know you’re feeling down right now but you really shouldn’t be saying「but」and「maybe」so much. I understand that you are still young…you are young, yes? You’re old enough to be an Adventurer so are you about seventeen or eighteen?」

「I’m sixteen…」

Milla looked at Nicola’s chest and her eyes started twitching.

「…so this is the raw sex appeal of a sixteen-year-old.」

Certainly, Nicola’s Avatar gives the impression of a pretty androgynous woman, but the real Nicola can be called a beautiful woman. The shape of her face is perfect, her smile is exquisite and her bust, voluptuous.

「Huh?」

「Nothing, nothing at all. Returning to the topic at hand. There’s nothing wrong with being worried. The problem is being worried and not making a choice. Lem set a goal for himself to become the number one hero despite his Job. He anguished over it and made a decision. And then he ran up the rankings to become the world’s 4th ranked.」

「R-right.」

「But you, on the other hand, have yet to set your goal. Do you want to succeed together with your current party? Or do you want to become the hero you desired to be, no matter what? You must get your priorities straight. If you can’t do that, then there’s no point in worrying.」

That’s a bit harsh, but I can’t bring myself to interject either.

What’s wrong with worrying but not making a choice?

The answer is simple.

When you’re busy worrying about「Which one should I choose?」, the answer almost always comes from the bottom of your heart.

「I actually want to do this.」is said with intent while paralyzed by the obstructing wall of reality.

In my case, I worried about「wanting to become a hero but」「I’m a Black Sorcerer」,「I’m not strong」,「I don’t have any great Aptitudes」,「no one wants me in their party」,「no one wants to watch me」, and「I’m sure that no matter how hard I tried, I wouldn’t become popular」.

The wall was huge, but my answer was already there in the beginning.

「I want to become」, so the only thing left was to choose.

Do I challenge it? Or do I give up?

Looking back on it later, I think it’s unlikely that the time spent agonizing over it was meaningful. If anything, the most important treasures are the words I received from someone during the time I was struggling or something that I accidentally found that cheered me up.

In that sense, it may not be a complete waste of time, but I can’t say it’s worth it to agonize over what to choose, alone. It’s hard to say.

If you’re going to worry, worry after you have made a decision.

If you choose to challenge it, worry about how to succeed.

If you choose to give up, worry about what to do next.

It’s much more constructive to think like that.

「Define clearly what it is you truly want to do.」

「What I…want to do…」

Nicola’s gaze fell to look at her hands. She stared fixedly at her palms.

「If you choose to enter the tournament with an altered Avatar, I’ll arrange things so that you can use the Beginner’s Dungeon’s Avatar Generation machines.」

It’s not like you can just waltz into an Adventurer-catering shop and say「I want to make my Avatar look like a Monster.」. Rumors will spread in an instant which is the opposite of hiding your identity.

Wait, now that I think about it, Fenix said something about creating a Monster-looking Avatar for himself. I wonder if he actually did. Well, not like there’s any rush, and he probably knows some tight-lipped businessman. I’m not even sure if he was serious about it in the first place.

「OK…thanks.」

She raised her head and the expression she has on her face already looks more lively than the one she had when she first arrived here.

「I…I love my current party. There are things I don’t agree with, but I don’t hate my brother. But even so, I can’t give up the hero I yearned to be since long ago. And that’s why my choice is to find a way for both to coexist.」

「…fufu, the fact that you’re not hesitant is splendid.」

「Thank you, Lem, Milla. I’ll persuade my brother and enter the Tournament. If I disguise myself as a Monster, I suppose I can’t enter together with Lem, huh?」

「More precisely, even Lord Lemegeton can’t go with you if you plan to reveal your identity in the case that you’re well-received. If people found out that Lord Lemegeton personally knows a Hero, it would draw too much attention.」

「I…I know that. It’s not that I plan to use Lem or anything. It’s just that, other people don’t know where Lem went, right? I thought that maybe…appearing out of nowhere with a mysterious Monster in a Tag Tournament would improve the public opinion of him. Besides, the fewer people who know about this plan, the better.」

「Absolutely absurd. You just want to fight alongside Lem! I certainly understand that desire, but I will not allow it!」

「D-didn’t you fight alongside him in the tenth stratum battle?」

「I’m one of the Big Four.」

「Well, I’m his friend…I think.」

「No means no!」

「Are you saying that as Carmilla, or as Milla?」

「Both.」

「Doesn’t Lem get the final say in this?」

「Hmph.」

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They both turn to look straight at me.

…Well, I am interested in it. The Tag Tournament. A new stage for Adventurers and Monsters alike.

Getting excited for the tournament itself doesn’t run counter to the current mission.

Besides, I would be glad to either fight a strong Monster as an Adventurer or a strong Adventurer as the Chief of Staff.

I was planning on going as a spectator but if I went as a participant, I’d be able to gather much more information.

…Also, I’ve been looking for an opportunity to see the results of my training with Furcus.

「Sure sounds good. I’ll have to consult with her Highness first, though.」

「Really?! Thank you, Lem! I’m so happy!」

She stood up and shook my hand with both of hers.

Her smile, like that of a blooming flower, seemed appropriate for her age.

「…Does Lem prefer minors with huge breasts?」

I felt the room become as cold as ice. I know it was just a hallucination, but I swear it felt like it did.

「N-no, hold on. I’m sure it’d be fun to go out with you as the Demon King Castle Duo but you’re busy, right?」

Also, she’s used up all of her paid vacations to come here.

「…ugh, hate. I hate working at the shallow strata.」

Milla motioned to sadly wipe her eyes. Crocodile tears.

「…Do you prefer aggressive mature women, Lem?」

Nicola being Nicola, her smile changed slightly.

It was the kind where the eyes aren’t smiling along.

「I…I-I think it’s about time you went back, huh? Everyone must be worried about you.」

「…Yeah, you’re right. We could always continue this conversation another time.」

I wonder how it will continue. I’m scared.

「Let me walk you to your inn.」

「Hm? Oh, I’m fine. I’m a Hero after all.」

「This is nothing to do with Jobs. I can’t send a girl out alone in the middle of the night.」

「…I see. I-I understand. Sure, well, I’m in your care.」

Said Nicola while looking down and muttering. Her ears were turning red.

「Lem treats everyone like that. On the day we first met, he walked me home as well.」

「I see. I’m curious.」

「Hum, good. Allow me to regale you while we walk, about the tale of when our love first began.」

「You two aren’t going out, right? I think that’s the wrong expression to use.」

「Don’t sweat the small stuff.」

「I think that’s a pretty important detail, like huge.」

「Oh? Important to who?」

「…To everyone present here.」

「Really?」

「…uhm, Lem. The truth is I…I’m not good with the dark.」

Saying that, Nicola moved closer to my side.

「While you’re walking me home, do you mind if I walk close to you?」

Didn’t she say that she’d be fine on her own earlier?

「Well, as long as it’s this distance, sure.」

「Oh Lem, I couldn’t help but feel ever so lonely with you not around. It’s alright if I stick to you like I always do, right? Right?」

Saying that, Milla wraps herself around my arm.

「Wha- Mi-Milla! Isn’t that too close…?!」

「This sort of distance is the norm when you know each other as Lem and I do.」

「Uu..urgh…」

Despite looking frustrated, Nicola doesn’t cling to my other arm in opposition.

What exactly is the right move in this type of situation? I have no clue.

Just like how I have a teacher for Black Magic and a teacher for the sword, I’m gonna need a teacher for personal relationships.

I’ve never really been able to find people who like me, so I don’t know how to interact with them. I don’t have enough experience.

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While thinking that, the three of us walk out into town.

As we approach Nicola’s inn.

「Nico!」

Just as I thought.

I wondered if he would be running around town looking for his little sister today as well. Here comes Philip rushing over to us.