Chapter 76

76 – To the Busy, Heartless Diamond Hero, a Black Sorcerer is… 2 

「Oho, this is the first time I’ve seen you angry.」

「Who wouldn’t be?」

「But it’s true, isn’t it? I can understand why he’s popular, but he’s not much of a leader. Including you in the party was a mistake, needless to say, but he also lacks initiative. His allies are merely following him, he isn’t leading them. He should assemble allies that can serve to make him stand out more. Instead, he got a gloomy Paladin, a boisterous Warrior, and an Elf, despite how closely she resembles a normal person, she’s still an Elf. It’s a wonder that a party like that dashed up the ranks to the 4th rank. Maybe Fenix was just lucky to get the Fire Spirit.」

「Heh.」

I let a laugh slip, unconsciously.

He has some good points.

Fenix never wanted to become an Adventurer in the first place.

He’s a kid that I made a promise with to become the No.1 together one day.

That’s why he doesn’t possess any knowledge or even consideration of leadership or ways to become popular.

By nature, he was just a kind child who’s bad at dealing with people.

His defeating Floor Bosses in one hit was a plan created by his allies, and the line he always says about never losing is a way of him expressing his belief that a hero always wins.

Certainly, they would have been more popular if he had gathered allies such as a Wind Wizard to make his flames bigger, or a second-in-command type member to match his honest image.

It probably would have been difficult to rise up to the 4th rank as fast as we did if he wasn’t chosen by the Fire Spirit.

Man, he really does have good points.

But so what?

There’s no way I can stay silent after he called my best friend second-rate.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a man or woman, young or old, if you can’t get mad at someone who is making fun of your friend, then you don’t deserve to be called a friend.

But, I didn’t swing my clenched fist.

I remembered that, only a few moments ago, I held back Milla, who got angry for my sake.

I can’t forgive what he said, but Philip didn’t resort to violence either.

「Whoa hey, please don’t mind me, Sir Lem. We’re Adventurers, we don’t make a fuss over small jokes like that.」

Said Philip, noticing my clenched fist.

The one who replied next was Milla.

「Oh my, you don’t realize how narrowly you escaped death. I suppose it is to be expected from a 99th ranked party.」

「…What a charming lady. -Hey watch it!」

Nicola threw a punch at him but he barely caught it before it hit him.

「You are the worst…」

「It was all for you, Nico-」

「You’re lying, aren’t you?」

「…Got something to say, Sir Lem?」

Having calmed down, I put on my usual smile.

「You’re not doing anything for Nicola’s sake. Everything you’ve thought about has been for the success of the party and raising the popularity of the Silver Prince.」

「And I’m saying that all of that is for my little sister.」

「I couldn’t get any proof before I talked with you directly, but now I understand.」

「Huh? Proof of what?」

「Fenix isn’t good at ordering people around. But he never pretended otherwise, thus he can continue being an Adventurer. Forcing oneself will gnaw at one’s own heart. Adventurers are people too, a wounded heart will have effects on the body, which results in sub-optimal performances. Raising someone’s commercial value while damaging their heart only serves to shorten their career as an Adventurer.」

「…」

The fact that he isn’t denying it means that he knows that too.

「Also, about what you said about the other party members. In my party, we all shared the same desire. To get to the top with Fenix was the same as making Fenix the No.1 ranked. That’s why we were able to cooperate. We didn’t look for allies to supplement the Hero.」

Bella was added to gain popularity though…that was probably Alba’s recommendation, but after seeing her fight in the Demon King Castle, I knew. She was remarkable in that time in the tenth stratum. She aimed to seize victory with all her might.

I may not be able to tell what she’s thinking, but she’s already a splendid Hero.

「Lastly, I laughed at that part about the Spirit because I thought it was utterly ridiculous. He was lucky he got picked? What, do you think you draw a lottery when you visit the shrine or something? Spirits have a mind of their own. They watch us and choose who to bestow their divine blessing upon. The Fire Spirit chose him because he is who he is. Good or bad luck, you’re missing the point. Personality isn’t decided by luck.」

「…It’s clear how much you love the Hero that threw you away. So? What is it that you finally understood?」

「It is true that an Adventurer is an occupation that relies on popularity. It’s an occupation that is more about how to use your strength and magical prowess attractively, rather than how strong they are. Which is why I don’t think that your methods for chasing popularity are wrong.」

「I don’t need you to tell me that. I learned from failure. An Adventurer who isn’t seen or wanted by the world is trash. I will not let my sister and I become trash. No matter what it takes, I’ll show the world our brilliant shine and success. That’s why I don’t want a has-been like you getting in our way.」

Has-been, huh? Heh, I guess so. A Black Sorcerer who was kicked out of his party and there was no news of his reemployment. It’s only natural that he wouldn’t want to get involved with, much less get near, someone like me.

「Is your sister shining brilliantly?」

「Huh? What are you…」

「You polished and polished and held it up to the light, you have succeeded in producing a beautiful exterior. I don’t deny that. However, I mentioned earlier that Adventurers are people too. How about what’s inside? Her heart? Is it trivial? So long as she has her commercial value, you don’t care if her heart began to crack?」

「…I…」

「Viewers want Adventurers to set their hearts ablaze. It’s an occupation that inspires emotions. Sometimes you have to cold-heartedly devote yourself to it. But that doesn’t mean that you should neglect the hearts of those that fight alongside you.」

「…I can imagine what my sister has told you, but I don’t plan on letting her have her way. People have things that suit them. My sister’s appearance, voice, magic, unrefined fighting style, and the like all didn’t suit her. Our past is proof of that. If she had a wounded heart, it was at that period of time. What does someone like you, know about us? You, a successful person who was with a chosen Hero since the start and climbed the ranks without ever experiencing setbacks. No, wait. How could you not know? You’re someone who’s been knocked down into the very depths of despair. You probably want to get out from there as soon as possible. We will never go back to where you stand now.」

So that is the basis of his desires.

Siblings who mutually once felt what it was like to be at rock bottom.

Both of them once had their own separate party, and they were their leaders, individually.

But they both weren’t able to become popular alongside their allies.

He believes that he is responsible for that.

That he is the leader, so it falls to him to ensure that his allies are popular and the party can become popular.

I wonder if he hates Fenix because he became a star without doing any of the aforementioned things solely because of his charisma and absolute power?

I don’t know, but still.

「I’ll prove it to you.」

「…You’ll what?」

「Nicola and I are entering the Tag Tournament together.」

「Not happening.」

「The defective Black Sorcerer and Nicola’s chosen hero form that you judged as trash in the past. Together, we will excite the crowd more than anyone there and win!」

This isn’t like me, or rather, this isn’t like「Lem」.

However, if I let this chance slip by, we won’t get another chance to have a discussion.

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So it’s fine if I’m a little arrogant. Anyway, I’ll let him hear the discussion and then make him decide.

「Out of the question, SIr Lem.」

「If we lose, I swear to never approach your sister again. As well as…hmm, what would you like? Please let me know if there’s anything I could do for you, like money or otherwise. I’m gonna win anyway.」

Possibly noticing my intentions, he shrugged.

「…My, my. You’re quite the instigator. Your Black Magic is good and you’re skilled at things unsuited for Adventurers. Have you thought about finding a job that makes use of those?」

「That’s not a bad idea. I’ll think about that if I lose.」

Phillip blatantly displays his disdain.

「If…if I lose, I promise I’ll never talk back to you ever again. I’ll do everything properly and won’t just walk out on my own. If there are instructions, I’ll follow them to the letter. I know that you did a lot of things for the sake of popularity, but…but I just can’t give it up. So please, let me take the challenge.」

I’m sure he senses that his sister’s enthusiasm doesn’t come from a mere suggestion or escapism.

The unmoving, purposefully ignoring attitude he had from the start till now was fading.

「…Nico. I…no, but…」

「If you’re worried, how about if we altered the appearance of Nicola’s Avatar? If you don’t know a tight-lipped dealer, I can introduce you to a Dungeon I know. We can secretly borrow their creation machine. If possible, maybe make it look like a Monster? She definitely won’t be found out that way, because even her fighting style will be different, right?」

Said Milla, who was unusually happy as I was about to object.

Philip had a worried look on his face at that comment.

「…If you take the challenge and lose, you’ll do everything I say properly?」

He’s onboard.

We managed to change his mindset from「absolutely impossible」to「considering it」.

「Y-yeah. If I find out that it’s impossible for me, then I think I can give it up.」

「I see.」

「But, I’ll win.」

For a moment, the siblings gazed at each other.

「How about you, Sir Lem? Are you OK appearing in the tournament alongside a Monster? You’re planning on going out as the Black Sorcerer Lem, right?」

「You’re able to freely pair up with anyone in the first place, right? Besides, I like the tournament’s way of thinking. Adventurers and Monsters aren’t good or evil. They are treated equally and either one can win.」

With the exception of his desire to destroy the Dungeon industry, I approve of Fellow’s ideas. I believe her Highness feels the same way.

「If I told you to quit being an Adventurer if you lose, will you still do it?」

「Absolutely, because we’ll win.」

He glared at me.

He doesn’t really mean anything he just said. I know that much.

He is asking me if I have that much confidence and if I am ready.

My expression didn’t change.

It’s not like I’m cooperating out of the goodness of my heart. I’m not entering the contest with a light heart.

「Go ahead and lay down your terms if you two win. If we’re making a wager, it’s not fair if the other side doesn’t state their terms.」

His anger over his sister’s case caused a nasty outburst but I suppose he isn’t fundamentally a bad person.

「I don’t really want anything from you except for one thing.」

「What?」

「I want you to take back what you said about Fenix being second-rate.」

He was shocked and stared in wonder. Soon after, he laughed.

「…Hmph, understood. When the time comes, I will take back what I said and apologize in front of you. But this is still uneven. There must be something else you’d want, perhaps money…ah, I know. The tournament will be aired on TV at a later date, and on the show, they will seek a comment or two from those that lost, and so it goes. If you two become the champions, you would have definitely fought me at some point, right? If I lose, I will praise you and the mysterious Monster you were with on TV.」

Once again, he assumes that he is going to win.

That’s good.

If he loses to the two people he dubbed defective and trash, he’ll put in a good word about us on TV for all the world to see.

As the brother of the Silver Prince.

He placed a bet on the other side of the scale to balance it out. He considers this as something serious.

「So how about you, Nico?」

「Eh? Eh? I can…go?」

「I was racking my brain about it. If this can get your thoughts in order without too much of a loss, then I think it’d be better to let you do it. It’s a shame that we can’t enter together but I’m sure we’ll get another chance. However, I’m entering too. Don’t think for a second that I’m gonna give you an easy win.」

「I…I, I…uhm, what should I…ah, is it alright for me to meet Lem in the future?」

「Huh?」

「We, we became friends! I promised little Cashew that I’d have a meal with her, also…well, there are a lot of things I want to talk with him about.」

「Fear not, O she of silver hair. During those times, I will be sitting with you. Nothing indecent will happen on my watch.」

Milla smiled sweetly.

「…Fine. Sir Lem seems to have magic that affects people’s recognition of him after all.」

「Later you should apologize for all the reckless remarks you made about Lem, Mr. Silver Hair.」

「Ah…that’s right. Then, if I win, maybe I’ll hit you for every bad word you said about Lem. Also, things that you discuss with me should always be discussed with everyone in the party. Whether it be making an appointment with a Dungeon or some other job. And then-」

「…I’ll hear you out later. Feel free to pile on as many demands as you like. I’ll have to follow them as an Adventurer, in order to keep the scales balanced. And so, my lady.」

He looked at Milla.

「If these two become champions, then it can be said that he isn’t incompetent in the slightest. I don’t believe I am wrong about his marketability, but I will recognize his abilities and apologize for my impoliteness. That goes without saying. Which is why even Sir Lem didn’t bother adding it to the list of conditions.」

「Is that so? If that’s the case, then I shall silently look forward to your apology.」

「I see that you have faith in Sir Lem. While I can’t say I understand…well, I suppose he did say he will prove it to me, so I, too, shall look forward to it.」

And with that, this unexpected discussion was at an end.

「Her Avatar will be readied on my end. I will allow the two of you to meet because you will need to work together, but you must do it at the time that I specify in the underground training area of the Adventurer Union in this town. I want the two of you to enter the facility separately, thirty minutes apart. I would also like Sir Lem to employ the practical magic he’s so good at using.」

Looks like he doesn’t want to take any chances with people finding out about us.

I nod.

「Uhm, I’ll do my best. My brother was a real jerk this time, so let’s beat him to a pulp!」

It seems she got as mad as Milla did about the bad things said about me.

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Maybe it hit extra hard because she’s one of my followers.

「Let’s win as the form of the hero you desire.」

「…! Y-yeah!」

And that is how it was decided that we would enter the Tournament.