Chapter 194

194 – A Hot Spring Tour?

That day, we decided to stay in a certain village.

It was situated in the middle of a mountain crossing, but the village also had…hot springs.

It’s nighttime. After our meal, when I decided to head to the hot spring, both Ex and Arthur decided to accompany me.

「Whoa.」

Passing through the dressing room, I couldn’t help but be in awe as I stepped out to the open-air bath.

Constructed with stone, the steam rising out of the hot spring gives off a unique scent.

The twinkling stars in the night sky and the tranquil atmosphere is comforting.

「What a wonderful atmosphere.」

The Jet-Black Hero Ex enters. His well-trained body is dazzling.

「It seems to be a common thing in this region to drink sake while soaking in the bath. I have asked the innkeeper for some drinks, will you be joining us, Lem?」

The Knight Lord Arthur is thinner than Ex, but his body is still pretty firm.

「Oh, I see. Yes, I will join you, thank you.」

If we were to enter the Original Dungeon tomorrow, I would refrain, but our journey is still underway. It’s fine as long as I don’t drink enough to have an effect on me tomorrow.

「Hm…by the way, Lem, you truly have trained well.」

「Yes, to harden your body to that level as a Black Sorcerer must have been tough. You did say that you want to be a hero.」

Said Ex and Arthur, praising me.

「Ahaha…thank you very much. Let’s wash up before our bodies get cold.」

「Heh, you’re right. By the way, do you know about the special usage of my Spirit Magic, Lem?」

「Special usage?」

「Hey, Ex…」

「Haha, it’s fine. There’s no one to show off to.」

「…Do as you please.」

Arthur smiles wryly and heads toward the washing area.

「So, Lem. The Spirit that I formed a contract with lets me manipulate shadows. I can freely manipulate my own shadow, and materialize it, or manipulate my enemy’s shadow. But in order to manipulate anyone’s shadow, my own shadow has to touch my target’s shadow, but I’m sure you already knew that.」

「Yes.」

「Manipulating shadows is pretty difficult, I think it’s easier to imagine it to be as difficult as Wizards manipulating Magical Energy.」

「Ah, I see…」

Magical Energy is invisible and doesn’t have a specific shape. It takes a considerable amount of training to be able to manipulate it freely.

「So I had a thought. If I use my shadow every day, I’ll improve quicker.」

「Right, I thought that as well.」

In that respect, it may be similar to my own training method with my Black Magic.

By constantly casting it on myself, I train my Magical Energy organ while training my Magical Energy control.

「Through many long years of training, this is the level that my Spirit Magic has reached…! Observe!」

Ex extends his arm rather exaggeratedly, and his shadow begins to move.

It turned into countless arms, each moving nimbly.

There was an arm that grabbed the soap. Several arms lathered up and covered Ex in foam.

There was also an arm that was scrubbing his hair. And it didn’t end there, one took a bucket and poured hot water over Ex.

「I don’t have to use my own hands anymore.」

His technical skill is incredible, but the scene was so surreal that I…burst out laughing.

I tried my best to hold it in, but seeing his shadow take the form of a shampoo hat on his head to stop the suds from going in his eyes was the final straw and I just started laughing.

「Ahaha, no… I’m sorry, Ex, it…heh…it’s amazing…t-truly.」

「Hah hah hah…! See Arthur, he thinks it’s funny.」

「Hmph, that’s because he hasn’t seen it a thousand times.」

「Oh, it’s fine. Right, Lem?」

「Ah, yes. Uhm… I think, uh, it’s about time I…」

「Hm? Want me to wash you too?」

「I can do it myself…!」

I hurried to the washing area.

Seeing me hurry, he laughed heartily again.

After this and that, we entered the bath.

I breathe a sigh of relief as I feel all my tiredness melt away into the bath.

Traveling from town to town in search of Dungeons meant that I didn’t get to take a bath every day.

I would wipe my body down with a wet cloth but I also had to think about the remaining water we had and the distance left until our destination.

There’s a saying in the Adventurer business that is said half-jokingly, “Make sure you have a Water Magic-user in your party.”

Whether you have one or not would drastically change the level of comfort of a trip.

Because we had Fenix, a fire could be started in an instant.

「Ooh, that’s the stuff…」

「Right you are. Ah, here, you two.」

There was a wooden floating tray. On it was a peculiarly shaped earthenware pot and small bowls.

Arthur poured sake from the pot into the bowls and we each took one.

「Well then, cheers!」

Saying to no one in particular, we hold up the bowls.

When I bring it to my mouth, the aroma like that of a clear river stream passes through my nose.

「Mm, delicious.」

From then on, we talked about this and that.

Before long, Arthur said that he would get up first and then left the bath area.

I think it was around that time…

That Ex’s mood changed a little.

Perhaps just a little, but a shadow seemed to be cast over his expression.

「Lem… I had something I wanted to ask you.」

「What is it?」

「I said this before we departed, about how your efforts inspire more people than you realize. I’m one of them. Even while having an unfortunate Job, the party you were a part of dashed up the ranks to 4th rank. 4th rank! Out of the tens of thousands of parties, you guys were the 4th ranked from the top.」

「…Yes.」

「And yet, there was no end to those who called you unnecessary. That is the result of the perceived status of a Black Sorcerer in the industry, the sheer brilliance of the Flame Hero, and your…chosen supporting style all piled up on top of each other.」

More than thinking that a Black Sorcerer who is 4th rank could be adequately strong, people would naturally rather think that the contractor of one of the Four Great Spirits was amazing enough to get to 4th rank despite having a Black Sorcerer in the party. It’s normal. Easy. Funny. Something to joke about.

1st ranked to 3rd hasn’t changed for a long time.

Actually, you could say it was almost until the 4th rank until they traded places.

The Scathach party fell to 5th rank when the Fenix party overtook them.

Because of this, there is a perception among Adventurer fans that if there is a group of Adventurers that can make it into the top three parties, they are the real deal.

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That’s one of the reasons that I aimed for the top three.

Think about it.

The Aerial party, the Ex party, and the Hervor party.

If I could rise higher in rank than them, no one would complain even if there was a Black Sorcerer mixed in the party.

From my point of view, there are a lot of people who are strong and respectable regardless of ranking, but at the time, I needed a result that was easy to understand.

「I don’t regret forming a party with Fenix.」

「I know that. What I want to ask is…why did you leave? Because I know for sure that you wanted to rise to 1st rank with Fenix.」

「That…」

Of course, I did.

No, I’m sure Ex knows that as well.

「I’m sure you know, Ex. I wasn’t able to persuade the other three, and kicking them out of the party was out of the question. Who would admire a Hero who would kick out perfectly good allies for his hindrance of a best friend?」

Not long after leaving, Alba said many things about it during interviews, so even the general public know the gist of it.

「So, it was for Fenix’s sake?」

「…」

It hit me. That’s it, that’s what he’s asking me.

「…No, it wasn’t. It was a decision I made for myself.」

「…Alright.」

「I longed to be a hero who could lead his allies to victory. Even though I was a Black Sorcerer, I wanted to contribute towards the party’s triumph, advancing towards realizing my dream. But…on the day I left, I realized something.」

Alba’s complaining was the same as always, although he was particularly serious at that time, and I could have just brushed it off. I’ve gotten used to taking it.

Yet, I decided to leave that day because…

「Choosing to stay behind, furthering the awkwardness in the party, or, worst come to worst, breaking up the party. Is that what a hero would do?」

「……」

「I was far and away from the hero that I longed to be. I believe that is why I left. It was necessary to continue challenging myself.」

「I see…」

Ex scooped up some water and splashed it at his own face. Then he violently slaps his cheeks.

「You are strong.」

「Huh?」

「I am ashamed of myself. I thought that, even if only for a moment. When I heard the news about your withdrawal, I was saddened by the thought that even you had given up. When I saw you in the Tag Tournament, I was overjoyed, and being able to work with you now is an honor. However, I was curious about what you were thinking at that time.」

「Ex…」

「I can imagine how Black Magic looks to people. Our Merlin has a lot of problems as well. Arthur and me, too.」

Merlin is a rare individual who wields magic as powerful as the Four Great Spirits.

Ex and Arthur received the divine blessings of Spirits other than the Four Great Spirits.

From the point of view of the government, abnormal Heroes are simply those who wield strong powers.

There was a period where they were infamous due to the baseless rumors that they were being monitored by the government or that they should be regarded as dangerous wherever they are.

Surpassing all of that, the Ex party stands as the world’s 2nd rank.

「But when I say you’re strong, I’m not talking about that kind of strength. Lem…you have a strong heart.」

In the past, my master said those words to me.

First, my master who I am greatly indebted to, now a senior who I respect has said it.

「I…am weak.」

Due to the sound of women coming into the women’s bath over the partition wall, I couldn’t really hear what he said.

「Wow! Aren’t the stars beautiful, Sister?」

「Uhm…as I said before, you can refrain from calling me that.」

That embarrassed-sounding voice was Milla’s.

「Want me to wash your back, Fufu?」

「Mm.」

「What are you eating?」

「Hot spring egg.」

「Hmm? You look kinda cute when you’re eating. I want to feed you!」

「Later.」

「Yaay.」

Sitri and Furcus are there as well.

「…Everyone is…certainly quite well-endowed…」

「Heh, don’t make that face, Maggie. The worth of a woman isn’t decided by the size of her breasts.」

「Thank you very much, Lady Merlin. So then, what does decide a person’s worth?」

「Their soul.」

「I-I…see?」

Maggie and Merlin too.

I can hear a few other voices as well. Perhaps they all talked and decided to go together in advance.

「Hahaha, the girls are nice and lively, eh? Ah, no peeking, Lem.」

「I wasn’t planning to…」

I smiled wryly, but I was interested in the look Ex had a moment ago.

Right now, he’s his usual calm and slightly mischievous self.

Just now, it felt like he was trying to tell me something…

「By the way, Lem, how far have you gotten with Miss Milla? Go on, tell this old man some stories.」

「Huh? N-no I…」

I tried to run away gently, but my body wouldn’t move.

「I’ve stepped on your shadow. There’s no escape, Lem. Hah hah hah.」

For a while after that, he asked me all sorts of inquisitive questions.

I was released from my shadow prison when other men from the team came in and he asked them “Do you know about the special usage of my Spirit Magic?” and proceeded to do the same laughter-inducing washing act he did earlier.

I’m curious, but I don’t want to ask him when he isn’t in a mood to talk about it.

And like that, we were able to get some rest in the middle of our journey.

◇

I woke up to the sound of something tapping the window.

It wasn’t a single bedroom, it was a large room where several of the investigation team members slept.

I slowly get up and approach the window.

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When I looked, it was a bat. A vampire bat. Milla’s Demi-Beast.

I opened the window and looked down at the beautiful woman below.

「Would you like to join me for a little walk?」

Being invited by a beautiful vampire standing under the moonlight, I nod.

「Sure, I’ll be right down.」