Volume 2 - CH 2

Before the storm

Translated by SoundDestiny

Edited by SoundDestiny

The day after the Festival of Valour.

As the final examinations were two days away, today was a day of rest for all candidates.

I, for one, am also taking today off, but….that’s only if nothing went wrong.

As expected, many unexpected things happened during the selection process, such as uninvited visitors and fewer people passing the examinations than expected.

I woke up in the inn, had breakfast and headed for the castle.

When I visited the headquarters of the Selection Examination Administration, located in the castle, I found Rushia there on official business.

“Good morning, Ned!”

“Ah, good morning.”

Rushia. Paperwork in hand notices me and greets me cheerfully, to which I respond.

The window of the room was open, probably because of the nice weather. A pleasant breeze and the bustle of the city came into the room through the window.

“Maybe it’s because the final exams are coming up, but there’s a lot of activity in the city.”

“Umu. Thanks to that,it’s given us more work, but that’s a good sign..When I think of the time when I was tormented by the…..poisonous demon dragon, the vitality of the royal capital is heartbreaking.

Rushia said, deeply moved.

“Are the candidates still at the castle?”

“No, after breakfast they are free to go out on their own. The green-shadowed Huzen and his party are going to the weapon shops,the iron-spear Fina and her party are going to the stalls, and the red-haired Alex and his party are going to the Court Magic Institute.”

Each showed individuality in the way they used their rest days. Some were busy preparing for their final examinations, others were looking for a change of scenery, and the rest…..were free to choose how they wanted to spend their time.

“What are you doing Ned?　I thought you were supposed to be on holiday today too…”

“Well, as much as I’d like to take a day off….”

Unfortunately, this is not the case.

I thought this was the time I had a chat with the party.

“….Umu. If there’s anything I can do, please let me know.”

“Aaa. I’ll be counting on you in case of an emergency.”

I stopped by the castle because I wanted to report this.

I left the Examination Administration and headed out of the castle.

“Ned–san…”

Suddenly, someone calls out to me from behind.

When I turned around, there was a blonde girl standing there.

“Seren……?”

“….what’s with the unexpected look on your face?”

“Nothing, I wasn’t expecting to be approached.”

When I answered honestly, Seren looked uncomfortable.

It seems that this perception is not entirely wrong.

“Last night, you stopped a party trying to break into my room, didn’t you?”

“…. you noticed?”

“Of course, I would have noticed if it had made that much noise…Well, to be honest, I could have solved the problem on my own without your help, but let me just say thank you.”

She is more disciplined than one might expect.

No….If I think about it calmly, Seren behaved normally to everyone but me during the first round of interviews. She behaved belligerently in the second round, but I guess she wasn’t unmannerly.”

At least she didn’t break any rules. She is just greedy and wants to win.

“Don’t worry about it. We, too, have a responsibility to run the examinations.”

Seren looked mystified as I replied.

“….. let me ask you one thing.”

Seren says in a small voice.

“The Hero Party Selection Test…. who do you expect the winner to be?”

“That’s ……”

Is it okay for me, the management side, to answer that question?

Seren looked more anxious than ever.

She is probably thinking about that girl at the moment. The girl with bluish black hair and a slender body, the girl who is an equal to Seren in the B block of the  Valour Festival.

“Ned, there you are.”

When I was struggling to answer, someone called out to me again.

A woman in pure white armour was approaching us.

“Re,rerere,Re–Rese!?”

‘Re= rerere = re = rese,Who is Rese?’

Seren was understandably upset but Riese was talking to me.

“Ned, regular report. All security is set, all clear. The 『White Dragon Chivalric Order』will continue to stand guard,other than that any news from you?”

“Not particularly. Keep me posted……but can you at least report back to me using the communication stone?”

“I was going to do that, but I happened to spot Ned heading for the castle. I just thought, since you’re in the vicinity, I’d like to meet you and talk.”

I’m convinced of every word she says.

Next to me, Seren was staring at Riese with a stern face.

Riese looked at Seren for a moment, but──

“…..I shall leave you now.”

“Wai–t!!?”

Riese tried to turn on her heel, but Seren stopped her with a loud voice.

“Why are you ignoring me!!”

“No……if you’re glaring at me so hard, I’m not even sure I’m comfortable talking to you.”

“I wasn’t glaring at you!”

‘You were glaring at her so hard……’

“Ri,–Riese! I am disappointed in you!”

Seren pointed to Riese and told her.

“Mm, Why?”

“Because you’ve been caged by this man!”

Seren says, pointing at me this time.

That’s a terrible thing to say.

“Caged?….That’s strange to say.”

‘Why do you sound so convinced?’

“And I know, I…..! Riese, you would be stroking this man’s head and hugging him in private…..!”

“Aa. That would be comforting.”

Riese nodded, completely unashamed.

“An–and the other day you were giving a lap pillow in the carriage, weren’t you….!!”

“Aaa, it was very relaxing.”

The conversation is not going anywhere.

For some reason, Riese is good at this.

“Hold up, Wait. If I let you guys continue to talk, it’s going to ruin my reputation.”

I mean, why does Seren know so much about us?

I’m sure she’s given a lot of thought to the time and place.

‘……Are you stalking Riese?’

“Seren. You seem to misunderstand, but Riese is the type of person who wants to spoil any young child, not just me. So it’s not that I’ve cajoled her…”

“Such nonsense. The only man I like to spoil is Ned.”

“Eh….?”

I opened my eyes wide at the unexpected words that came out of Riese.

Seren was already glaring at me like a demon, but I’ll leave her alone for a bit.

“……..No, I’ve definitely heard that story. Riese is always on the verge of a motherly outburst towards younger people, so if I don’t act as an outlet for her, she might eventually commit a crime…..”

“Aa, that’s a lie my subordinate made up on their own. My party said that if I told you that, Ned would be reluctant to spoil me…..Oh, so you believed them. I shouldn’t have told you.”

I’ve decided not to believe in the 『White Dragon Chivalric Order』 anymore.

People call them the strongest adventuring party in the Kingdom of Enuvidia, but this is what they are when they open the lid. The people should know more about this fact. Then my headache will lighten.

“Generally speaking! What’s going to happen if you spoil a man like this!”

Seren, whose face turned red with anger, glared at me.

“Your behaviour is perverted from the outside!　It is unhealthy! It is sexual!”

‘Sexual is a little bit of an exaggeration.’

“Seren, it’s just that you don’t know how Ned’s lives. This man has always worked hard towards his goals, and even when he has experienced setbacks, he has always stood up for himself. When I see him like that, I want to…..protect him and help him, or rather, I have the desire for him to entrust everything to me….”

Leaving Riese to talk about her proclivities and reasons with an ecstatic expression on her face, I began to move on to other places.

‘Leave it to Seren to preach to Riese……’

It’s a stupid idea, but maybe me and Seren could hit it off. Because we both want Riese to be better.

‘That is not the time to think about this. I need to find them…..as soon as possible.’

I went outside the castle and started to look around for that person.

Roughly ten minutes later. I found the person I was looking for in a corner of the main street…

“Eeeeeeeeeee ……!”

“Aaaaahhhh ……!”

There was a crying child and a little girl.

The child is a boy, probably about five years old. He is wailing and shedding tears without paying attention to his surroundings.

And next to him, crying as well, was – Alice.

“….. What an odd situation..”

What kind of combination is this? Why are they crying on the street this early in the morning?

The sight of Alice who is no longer a little girl by any means, crying with the boy baffled me.

At that moment, Alice, wiping away her tears, looked at me and noticed my presence.

“Oh, umm!”

Alice approached me, pulling the child’s hand, and called out to me.

“Where is the Fountain Square….!!?”

◆

When we arrived at the fountain square, a woman who appeared to be in her late twenties rushed up to us in a panic.

Apparently, she was the mother of the boy Alice was crying with. The boy pulled away from Alice and hugged his mother.

After parting with the grateful parents and child – I ask Alice what happened.

“….. I see. You intended to help a lost child, but you, yourself, had become lost too.”

“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry….!”

Alice bowed her head repeatedly and apologised.

Alice, who left the Kingdom of Enuvidia a year ago and was active in the Amdo Empire until a short time ago, seems to have completely lost her familiarity with the Royal Capital. The result of her taking on the task of guiding the way, without realising it, was the scene where I saw two of them crying together.

“It’s true….. I’m useless after all……”

Alice looked completely dejected and muttered.

“I can’t even guide a lost child, and in the end, I’ve caused you trouble and….really, I’ve always been a no good, no good person……”

Slowly, tears appeared at the corners of Alice’s eyes.

I looked into her eyes and said.

“Alice, you say you’re not a good person, and yet you want to be a hero?”

“Well, that’s…..”

Alice was at a loss to give a reply.

A bad person cannot be a hero. However, Alice, who lacks self-confidence in herself, is probably not comfortable with affirming herself to someone face to face.

“Just kidding.”

I smile lightly at Alice, who is half crying and half in trouble.

“Speaking of which, where are your other members?  …..Exzair is not with you?”

“Ah, yes. I’m a bit separated at the moment…..Philia-san and Kirch-san are out shopping…..E,Exzair-san is out at the moment, on business…”

“on business?”

“Ye,yes! I don’t know, I don’t know. ……’

Alice replied a little impatiently.

“Well, I’ll take my leave──”

“Wait a minute.”

I stopped Alice as she was about to leave.

“Actually, there is an urgent request from the Adventurers Guild to take down a monster. If you don’t mind, I’d like you to help me.　I’ll let the other members know.”

“Well, er,you see….”

I continue to speak to Alice, who is puzzled.

“Of course, you can refuse. It’s a personal request, so it has nothing to do with the test. However, it seems that the monster is so vicious…that if we don’t deal with it soon, we could be in a dangerous situation.”

When I tell her the seriousness of the situation, Alice, who had been previously frightened, becomes calm.

“Then I’ll go with you…..”

After a brief hesitation, Alice said.

“If there’s someone in trouble, I’d like to….. help them.”

“…..Thank you. Then, please follow me.”

I knew Alice would say that.

As I led Alice to her destination, I took out my communication stone.

After activating the communication stone, I briefly told the other person what I wanted to do.

“May? I have a small favour to ask you──”

◆

Deep in the forest. A huge monster lurking in a lake emerged with a violent splash of water.

Giga Winikis. It is a nasty fish-type monster with a dorsal and tail fin as sharp as blades, and in addition, it ejects a mass of water from its mouth.

Two days ago, a fisherman was victimised by this monster, and yesterday a woodcutter was its victim. Even without approaching the lake, the Giga Winikis is a ferocious monster that shoots water at any creature it finds within range, no questions asked. It was decided that immediate action was needed and a request was made to the guild to take it down.

“──《Snow Origin》”

The snow emblem engraved on the pure white blade of the sword lights up with a phosphorescent glow.

A moment later, Alice drew her sword, and after a short delay, Giga Winikis’s body was cut in two.

“I–I’m done. ……”

“Aaa. You’re a lifesaver.”

Alice sheathes her sword. There is no scar on her body.

She has a strength that makes anyone fall in love with her and a timid personality that makes her uneasy to watch. Alice, who had both of these qualities, seemed to be somewhat unbalanced.

“Are you hurt?”

“Ah, yes, I’m fine.”

That’s good to know. It would be a disaster if she got hurt before the final exam.

If that happens, I shouldn’t have entrusted her with defeating the monsters from the start…….I actually have something I really need to talk to Alice about.

We walked along the lake on our way back to Royal Capital.

“Alice is really strong. You may say your Existence Power Level 5, but….you’re probably closer to 6 already.”

“I don’t know……much, I don’t really feel it…..”

Riese’s guess was right, Alice apparently does not care that much about her own strength.

Now that she has defeated the monster, Alice is probably on the verge of finally reaching existence strength 6. Perhaps her Existence Power will increase during the final test.

“…… If you’re so strong, you could have defeated more parties at the Valour Festival, couldn’t you?”

“Pft.”

Alice jumped in surprise.

No, rather than being surprised – she is upset, like a child whose hidden blunder has been exposed.

“Tha–Tha–That’s not true. ……! Aa, at the time, I had my hands full,and besides, everyone else was strong, or how can I say…..”

Turning her eyes away, Alice makes a desperate excuse.

The slender figure approached the lake in a wobbly manner.

“Alice, watch your step….”

“Hee? ──Hyaa!!”

By the time she realised, it was too late.

Alice slipped and fell into the lake.

“Uuu–ueee….”

When Alice emerged from the lake, tears were running down her eyes, mixed with water.

Her long, bluish black hair was wet and soaked in the water.

“Are you alright?”

“Y–yes……….. Thank you very much…”

I hold out my hand and pull Alice to me.

I looked at Alice as she climbed out of the lake and I immediately looked away.

“Um, what’s wrong ……”

“You might want to cover up the …… front.”

With my eyes averted, I pointed at Alice’s body.

Because her clothes had become wet, Alice’s white underwear was exposed.

“───!!!”

Alice notices her own appearance, hurriedly turns her back towards me.

I thought she had a slender body, but it seems she has some unevenness. The modest bulge of her breasts and the nips of her waist clearly showed the femininity that the young Alice had concealed.

“Sssssssorry,!!! Showing you unsightly things …!!”

“No…”

Due to the fact that her clothes are skin tight against her skin, her rear view is also quite stimulating. With just a slight movement, her hair sways, each time revealing her skin-coloured backside.

I quickly took off my jacket and handed it to Alice.

“Here, put this on.”

“Aa–thank you……”

Alice thanked me and put on the clothes she received from me.

“I’ve always wondered how Alice could be so feeble when you are so strong.”

“Uuu…….”

When I start a conversation as we are walking again, Alice gives me a complicated look.

“That…..I’ve always been a bit of a failure……”

With her eyes downcast, Alice said.

“Up until secondary school, I went to a local school. It was a much smaller school than the academy in the capital, but….I didn’t make any friends there either….. I’m not good at talking, and I was always a bit of a coward…..But that’s why I decided to at least try to be strong. I had been aiming to become a hero since then, and I thought that if I became stronger, people might turn to me for help…..So, as soon as I got out of school, I went to the Adventurers Guild and just kept on taking requests. I was like this, so people around me thought I was just someone who went home right after school……

“…..But you still kept going to the guild and slowly improving your abilities?”

“Yes…..I’ve had plenty of time.”

Alice affirmed haltingly.

“Phylicia and I were childhood friends and classmates. In school, Phylicia was the only one who got along with me, but she didn’t seem to realise that…I was working as an adventurer. So when I came back from the Amdo Empire and told her, she was …… terribly angry. 『Why didn’t you say anything?…..In the end, it was my fault. I was clumsy, I was a coward, and I’ve been spinning my wheels no matter what I do…”

[I kept failing] then only I realised that Alice had a negative personality.

It is a common story. In Alice’s case, however, it was perhaps a little stronger than others.

“….Rin, too, was troubled before he became a hero.”

I mutter, remembering a certain person.

I continue to say to Alice, who looks at me.

“Alice’s goal is to become a hero like Rin, right?”

“Yu, you know Rin the Brave?”

To Alice’s surprise, I nodded.

“Unlike Alice, Rin has quite a fast-paced personality, but he had the same problems as….Alice. He has always been really bad at acting seriously and trying to fit in with others….and he thought he would probably die without getting deeply involved with anyone until the end of his life.”

Alice looked surprised.

“That’s why he feels like a hero.”

Rin is a hero who has become more famous for his petty acts of helping people than for his battles against the Demon King.

If a village is half destroyed, he helps to rebuild it and rather than hunting down the enemy, he reaches out to someone in front of him. He has honestly achieved little in the way of results in battle, but his approach to the people instead has led to a strong sense of popularity.

“From Alice’s point of view, did Rin the Brave seem not serious?”

Alice shakes her head.

“From Alice’s point of view, did Rin the Brave seem uncoordinated?”

Alice shakes her head.

Same for me.

At first I thought that heroes are all perfect.

“It’s hard to notice when you’re admiring someone, isn’t it?　But if you open the lid, even heroes have a problem or two. Heroes that everyone admires…. are also struggling like ordinary people in places where everyone else can’t see them. So Alice, you don’t have to worry about every single failure.”

This was a line that could be said not so much to Alice, who is aiming to be a hero….but to Alice, who is aiming to be the hero Rin.

There are those in the world who became a hero after suffering, struggling and overcoming their complexes. Their existence will be a beacon for Alice.

“Besides, Alice wouldn’t be that timid.”

I continue to say to Alice, who has round eyes.

“[You’re a hero, but can you run away]…..not many people can say that line so clearly. And Alice has a character that can’t overlook people in need. You will help lost children, help defeat dangerous monsters and if you are truly a coward, you would have shut yourself up in your shell and done nothing. Alice, properly, has the conviction befitting a hero.”

Alice had somehow raised her face, which had been downcast.

I look straight at her again.

“I ask you again….you really could have beaten a lot more parties during the Festival of Valour, couldn’t you? So why didn’t you dare to do so?”

I asked her, Alice answered with a small quiver of her lips.

“It’s because …… you told me to…..”

Alice says, grabbing her water-soaked skirt tightly.

“[If you really want to be a hero, I expect you to be honest.] …..Ned–san told me that, and…I, too, thought you were right….”

Those were the words I told Alice just before the Festival of Valour began.

It seems my words were heard.

“Alice”

I stopped and looked at Alice.

It’s time to cut to the chase.

“Are you being blackmailed by Exzair?”

“───!!!”

I told Alice, who was wide-eyed and at a loss for words.

“After the first round of exams, I did a whole bunch of research on the candidates’ identities and backgrounds. As a result, I got information on a lot of parties, but I couldn’t find out anything about…..Alice’s party. Perhaps there is some kind of cover-up going on.”

To Alice, who instantly looks frightened, I continue.

“In the Amdo Empire, there is a certain organisation that I have been unable to find out anything about, no matter how much research I’ve done. Alice’s party and that organisation match up in my inability to find such information…….so I’m already aware of your involvement with that organisation.”

“That’s ….”

And with the power of that organisation, they could easily get one or two tools that could nullify the blessings of the God of Judgement. They used those tools in the interview to make sure they wouldn’t be found out to be lying.

“But from what I can see….Alice is the victim.”

I told her calmly so that Alice would not be confused.

“So I’m hoping that Alice will tell me what’s going on now. I expect the……ringleader to be the man who assisted you in the interview, Exzair, but you don’t need to worry about that man right now. I’ve asked someone I trust to stall him, so he shouldn’t be able to get here.”

Exzair has special armaments that allow him to move through space.

Therefore, if I want to be on the lookout for that man to eavesdrop, it does not make sense to just keep him away. Someone needs to stick with him around at all times to prevent him from using his special armaments.

Right now, I’ve asked Meir to play that role.

I’ve told her to use her title of test director to buy time ……but it’s Meir. I expect that she wouldn’t able hold Exzair for too long.

“Well, but…..I’m…..”

Alice seemed to be trying to squeeze out words somehow. However, no matter how long I waited, she did not speak clearly.

‘…I’m not strong enough to push her’

Perhaps she is being threatened hard. Alice is now losing her mind out of fear rather than calmly agonising over her options.

“Alice. Who do you trust most in this world?”

Alice’s eyes dart at this abrupt question, but she eventually answers.

“Ry, my parents and….party, my friends…….”

Party member. Does that mean Phylicia and Kirch are her friends other than Exzair? Or is it a bluff to hide the threatened case from me?

“Oh, and also…..Rin the Brave…..trusts…..”

He is someone Alice admires. Naturally, she would also trust him.

“I see, I’ll leave it to Rin then.”

“Eh?”

Next to Alice who had a curious look, I pulled out a communication stone from my pouch.

When I connect with the person I’m looking for, I briefly tell him what I’m doing and hand the communication stone to Alice.

“You can speak freely…”

I hand the communication stone to Alice, who holds it close to her ear with a puzzled expression on her face.

“『Hello, helloーI’m Rin the Brave.』”

“……….Eh?”

◇

Alice knew that the magical tool given to her by Ned was called a communication stone.

She had never used it. Originally, Alice was a person with extremely few acquaintances, and after meeting that man in the Amdo Empire, she was forbidden to have any tools related to communication.

It was the first time she had touched an actual communication stone.

So Alice put the communication stone to her ear with unsteady hands.

“『Are?　Is it still connected?　Oーi, it’s Rin the Brave.』”

She didn’t mishear──

“Ah, ah, ah, um…! Um, um, I’m Alice!”

(あ、あああ、あのっ！　あのあのあの、わ、私──アリスでしゅっ!!)

“『Ahahaha!　You’re too nervous!　Yes, yes, Alice-chan.』”

Rin’s bright laughter can be heard over the communication stone.

Alice’s face turned bright red.

“I’m sorry we can only talk over the communication stoneー Aa, how do you know about me?　I heard from Ned earlier that you have a crush on me. Well, I’m glad nevertheless.”

“Fa–Fa–far far from it! I’m sorry that I’m the one who admires you!”

(と、ととと、とんでもありません！その、私なんかが憧れて、申し訳ないですっ！)

The voice, the tone, was definitely that of the hero Rin. Alice is convinced because she admires him….It’s Rin the Brave. She is now talking to the real Rin.

At that moment, a loud [DON!!!] was heard over the communication stone.

It is as if he had punched something with great force. 

“Er, er, Rin–san……”

“『Aaーer, sorry. It’s not like it’s a hassle, but I’m kind of fighting a monster right now.』”

“Eh…?? A–aa,are you okay!?”

“『I’m fine, I’m fine. I can handle this much.』”

Rin says in a fluent tone.

“『I don’tー…… like fighting too seriously…』”

Rin says in a laid-back atmosphere that is disproportionate to the intense sounds of battle.

“『Because if you’re fighting with a kind of serious expression on your face, you make people feel uneasy, right?　I’m a hero, after all, and I don’t want people to feel scared. I’m moderately relaxed to show that I’m totally relaxed…. In other words, it’s about my personal preoccupation, so there’s no need for Alice-chan to be concerned about it at all.』”

A rumbling sound can be heard. It must be a stormy, fierce battle raging.

But the voice emanating from Rin’s mouth gives an idyllic, calm impression, as if he were spending time in the long, quiet countryside.

“I know what you mean…..”

Alice smiles happily.

“When you saved me from being attacked by a monster on the outskirts of the village,…… Rin–san had a kind expression on your face the whole time, as if you were trying to put people at ease…..I was…..to such a Rin-san.

Hearing Alice’s words, Rin spoke after a short pause.

“『Alice-chan……are you perhaps the girl who helped the village at the foot of the mountain?』”

“Y,you remember!?”

“『Yahー, I remember you, properly. You’re the girl with the long hair, right?…..because you were looking at me with those sparkling eyes at that time. ……I see, it was already five years ago…』”

Alice’s hands trembled.

She didn’t think Rin would remember her -Alice was filled with uncontrollable emotion.

“『So now you’re a candidate for the Hero Party…… You’ve worked hardー』”

“Yes…. yes….”

Her eyes were burning. Alice shook her head repeatedly, wiping away the blotting tears with her fingers.

“『So? What happened Alice-chan, what are you worried about now?』”

Rin’s question brought Alice back to her senses.

‘Right. This isn’t the time for sentimentality.’

“Well, actually…..right now, Ned–san is asking me a certain question……”

In a trembling voice, Alice says.

“Well, it’s a question I should answer. But…I’m too scared…to answer it.”

Alice could not explain the situation so easily, even when dealing with the person she admires.

She feels inferior to her own poor speech and cowardice. She doesn’t know how it happened. The remorse was now so exhausted that she was no longer able to think properly.

“『Let’s seeーthe person infront of you is trustworthy, you can talk to him. I can swear to this in the name of Rin the Brave.』”

Rin said in his usual easy–going tone of voice.

Just then, the battle with the monsters was settled, and the sounds of battle could no longer be heard.

“『Ned, you see, is a man who fights with his connections.』”

“『Connections, is it ……?』”

“『Yes. Well, in a word, someone who knows a lot of people.』”

Alice realises how easily Ned introduced Rin the Brave. He certainly has a wide network of contacts.

“『But, you know, I think this is a sword vine with many blades..』”

Rin’s voice was a mixture of respect and dismay.

“『Because he is connected to so many people, if he does anything wrong, rumours about him will spread quickly…..but there are no such rumours on Ned. Ned itself is a puritanical character…… but I’m sure that anyone who stood beside him is convinced of that. Ned is always doing the right thing, he says. …He, himself swore that he won’t  turn to blackmail, fraud or injustice.』”

What Rin spoke of was the strong determination from Ned.

“『So, Alice–chan, you can feel free to rely on Ned. Ned is a friendly guy, so you just need to say a few words and he will help you. I’m sure that wherever you are, the Ned will help you.』”

Rin’s respect for Ned was noticeable.

‘What kind of man is Ned–san who is spoken of so much by the hero Rin?’

“Umm..who is Ned exactly?”

“『Hmm….just a normal person.』”

Rin continued.

“『But you know, if you ask him for help he’s the one person you can count on more than anyone else.』”

◆

Alice and Rin’s conversation continued for some time.

Meanwhile, I take out a stack of papers I had tucked away in my pouch and check to see if there is any unfinished business.

As I rolled up the paper and read over my notes, Alice handed me back the communication stone.

“How did it go?”

I asked, and Alice opened her mouth, her snow-white cheeks flushed.

“Oh, um! Is Ned-san the leader of the party that first conquered the underwater ruins discovered on the Central Continent!?”

Alice asked me excitedly.

“Oh, and there are also stories that Ned-san was chosen as the next chief of the legendary…..Fenrir tribe, and that he obtained the elixir of immortality said to lie dormant in Kakusenkyo……”

(I’m a little loss on this 閣仙郷. I just typed the hiragana for it)

“….That guy talks too much.”

I refused to take the next chief position, and I sold the Elixir of Immortality at random, so I don’t even know where it is now. I continue to hear from Alice that Rin told her about my background in a rambling manner.

“So, what do you think?　Are you ready to answer me now?”

Alice must be planning to tell me herself, since she cut off communication with Lynn and returned the communication stone to me. I wait for Alice to speak.

“You are right, Ned–san….I am being threatened by Exzair–san. He’s holding my parents and my party members hostage….”

I see, I can see that point.

It would have been difficult to even ask Alice what was going on because they are being held hostage. If she leaked this to the outside world, they would bring harm to the hostages.

“Does your party members…..Phylicia and Kirch know about this?”

“No….they don’t know. I am the only one being threatened.”

I had somewhat expected that. Before the start of the Valour Festival B block, I met with Phylicia and Kirch, who, unlike Alice, did not seem too alarmed by Exzair.

Alice trusted me, thus she spoke up.

I guess the persuasion of Rin the Brave worked, but I am sure that she has put her trust in me.

Then I have a duty to respond to that.

“Alice. You don’t have to think about anything else. I’ll take care of everything, Alice’s parents, your friends, everything.”

I told Alice, who looked like she was about to cry.

“So, Alice, in your next final exam──do what you think is right.”