CH 27

Chapter 27 :  Reunion

--That bastard, I finally found him.

Aston made eye contact with Gyle and ran off.

Zenos still didn't seem to have noticed them.

A dainty girl, who appeared to be an elf, was hobbling along next to him.

"Lily, over here."

"Yes. Lily, having trouble remembering the way......."

"In the favelas, the streets are so intricate."

"You know well Zenos, after all, you used to live there?"

"I lived farther back, but I've been known to come around here, too. I think Lily was living on the streets in the favelas, too."

"T.... That's right....."

"Oi... Zenos!"

When he didn't seem to notice at all, Aston called out numbly.

Zenos stopped where he was, narrowed his eyes, and then said with a slightly surprised look on his face.

"...... Huh? Don't tell me you're Aston...... and Gyle?"

"Kukukuku, you're right. Looks like you're reluctantly alive, Zenos."

"Why are you here?"

"Kwhahaahhah... I wonder why... Why you think..?"

"Dunno. Then, I'm busy."

"W.... Wait!!!"

Zenos was about to cross the street, but Aston desperately stopped him.

"You... It's... You....!"

".... Eh?"

"We've been looking for you. You've got some nerve trying to walk away when We've come to see you like this."

"You've been looking for me?...... Why?"

While Zenos was annoyed with him, Aston crossed his arms dignifiedly.

"Yorokobe, Zenos. I'll turn you back into a phoenix of steel."

Zenos pouted and replied with a single word.

"Kotowaru."

TLN : Yorokobe = Rejoice...., Kotowaru = Nope.... 

"Hahahaha... I Know... You can thank me for my mercy. Don't cry with happin...... Haaaaaah...?"

Aston screamed out, crowded Zenos.

"Did I hear you wrong? Don't tell me you said no?"

"I told you, though."

"Wh..... Why?"

"Why or why not, I''ll be treated unfairly, I won't be paid, and I'll have zero benefits, so I'd normally say no."

"T.... That's not the point. I'm the one who's asking you out here."

Zenos scratched his head in a troubled manner.

"Well, if you insist, I'll even consider accompanying you on one quest in my spare time, but make sure you can pay me properly."

".... Ha?"

"I've decided to stop working for free. Tens of thousands of wen for each recovery. A million wen for serious wounds. Triple that if you use protective magic and ability enhancement. You'll have to pay me what I say."

"W..... What the hell is that......?"

Aston bit down on his back teeth.

There's no way they have that kind of money right now.

"Don't be too full of yourself. There's no place for you here anyway."

In the favela, there happened to be an extraordinary person with the same name, who seemed to be greatly admired by the demi-humans, but the man in front of me was different.

There was no way I would believe that this person was a high-level healer who could heal wounds in an instant, and also used other types of barrier and enhancing magic.

When Aston looked at him, several demi-humans walked by.

"Ah, Zenos-sensei, hello there." 

"Oh, how's your leg?"

"Thanks to you, I'm doing well. Sensei treatment made the wound better in no time."

"Praise won't get you anything. You can work until midnight, but don't take it too hard."

"Supp. Zenos-san, thank you for the treatment the other day. I've got some fine meat in there, I'll bring it to you sometime."

"Thanks. The last one was good, too."

"..... Eh?"

Aston and Gyle looked at each other.

One by one, the demi-human passing by greeted Zenos.

It seems zenos is the great one who are worshiped by demi-humans.

But this guy in front of them is......

"O.... Oi.., Aston. I knew it, This Zenos, is Zenos......"

"...."

Aston couldn't immediately reply to Gyle's words.

But he think the demi-human were saying how grateful they were that their wounds got better so quickly.

Then............ what?

Were all the words of this guy who said he was helping the party true?

So thanks to Zenos, Party Phoenix of Steel was able to survive unscathed.

Gyle opened his mouth in a panic.

"Oi, Aston. You are the one who said that you will banish Zenos, what are you going to do about it?"

"S, Shut up. You guys happily agreed to it, didn't you?"

Aston and Gyle started grabbing each other.

"These oji-san are kind of loud, Zenos."

"I'm not oji-san!

"Right. Then we'll go, Lily."

"Don't just walk away, Zenos!"

"What, is there more to it?"

Aston glared at Zenos, breathing on his shoulder.

"You're not really going to come back, are you......?"

"So I told you I won't. And I'm having a pretty good time here."

"I'm the one asking you to do this!"

"Sorry, Aston."

--It's already too late.

With that, Zenos turned his back on Aston.

A pretty elf girl walked next to him, and the demi-human who adored Zenos surrounded him with a lively crowd.

He not sure what to do, but He sure He'll be able to do it.

"D, Don't ignore me... You are just a nice man who is a little too good to be adored by residents at the bottom. I am a man who will eventually become a noble........"

Slowly drawing the sword at his waist, Aston rushed forward.

"I won't forgive you...... I won't forgive you, Zeno--"

Bogu~a~aan!

"Gwaaaaahh..."

Aston rolled on the ground as he received a strong impact on his side.

When he managed to look up, he saw a beautiful woman with blond hair and blue eyes looking down at him coldly with a magic gun in her hand.

"It's bold of you to attack a man on a public street. As the Royal Guard Division, we can't let you off the hook."

"Ro... Royal Guard Devision?"

It was a large unit that was in charge of maintaining the security of the capital.

Zenos, who was walking in front of Aston, looked back.

"Hey, Krishna, why are you here?"

"I came to see you. My fingertips are scratched."

"It will heal if you spit it."

"I, It's okay. I' m going to pay for the treatment."

"Well, okay, I just happen to be making a house call. My house isn't around here."

"I'm Lost."

"You're never change."

"But we did meet after all, so you should thank my lack of direction for that."

"You can really talk."

"Krishna" Name sounded familiar.

As Aston recall, he was the youngest ever deputy division commander of the Royal Guard Division, and was rumored to have made great achievements in a major case involving the nobility.

Such a person is having a friendly conversation with Zenos.

He is adored by the leading figures of the favelas and is close to the executives of the Royal Guard Division.

"Zenos..... What the hell...... what the hell... are you...?"

As Aston sat up, holding his side, Krishna approached him.

"Now, while I'm at it, I'm going to have to turn you over to the nearest jail for attempted assault."

Aston quickly pointed to Gyle, who was behind him.

"No, it wasn't me. I didn't want to, but he forced me to do it......"

"What? Aston, what are you......?"

The moment Krishna's gaze turned to the surprised Gyle, Aston ran out of there.

He jumped into a narrow path to avoid being shot in the back and ran like hell.

--I won't forgive you, I won't forgive you.......

An inexplicable feeling swirled in the pit of his stomach.

TLN : It wouldn't be funny if he actually got away == "....

I hate a character like this that the author allows to live just to mess up later...