CH 41

「Uwa! This is bad!」

「Hang on!」

They frantically held onto the warp. The net split at the same time that Tsuchigumo and the truck together dropped to the bottom of the elevator.

「Did that actually kill the Tsuchigumo?」

「I don’t know, probably.」

When Ritone muttered, a spark flashed alongside a sound at the bottom of the elevator.

Ritone looked on in a panic.

「Hurry up and climb! With this, the promise could be…」

Urging on Littlette, he used his last bit of strength to climb up the warp.

The second they finally arrived at the upper floor, a huge explosion went off and, the elevator and the underground residence area was wrapped in flames.

「Tsuchigumo… was defeated? By you? Despite not being a hero.」

「Onii-chan! You’re amazing!」

「Thank you for saving my family.」

Though Ritone was getting praises from those three people, his face still turned pale.

(This is bad. At the bottom is the airborne fortress Pegasus Wing… What should I do?)

Destroying the hero’s ship which would enable the hero to go to the Castle in the Sky Labuta*, now he was at a loss on what’s the best thing to do.

[Daily: Obvious reference]

(This is bad, this is bad… Huh?)

Suddenly the air became sullen.

「Onii-chan! Are you ok? Stay with us!」

「Ritone!」

「Ritone-sama!」

Hearing the worrying voices of those three people, Ritone’s consciousness fell into darkness.

「… Huh?」

When Ritone regained consciousness, he found himself in a white sickroom.

For some reason, there were three girls including Rin, who were sitting on chairs around him, asleep.

「What’s with this situation?」

While Ritone pondered, the door of the sickroom opened and several men and women entered.

「You’re Nady’s fiancé, the hero Ritone-chan? Thank you. You saved us.」

The first to approach was a smiling, white-skinned, peerless beauty. She held a PET bottle with white liquid in her hand.

「… I’m in your debt.」

A stocky dwarf slightly bowed his head.

「Certainly, for such a boy to defeat Tsuchigumo, against whom I couldn’t win… Moreover, to be surrounded by lovely children! Damn, is this a genuine hero!?」

A good-looking swordsman expresses his frustration. It appears that the members of the “White Princess Norn”, were completely mistaking Ritone for a hero.

「N-n-no, that’s…」

The last person took Ritone hand who was trying to explain.

「Hero Ritone-dono, Our family earnestly thanks you for saving us. The «Copper Rank» Lilliput Family will brand you. A true hero…」

A strange man with a grown mustache although visually young, was deeply moved to tears.

「That’s not true! I’m not a hero!」

Although Ritone desperately denied it, since that day the rumor of the “Little Hero Ritone” extended to the 12 states.

The room suddenly became noisy and the three people woke up.

「… Ritone, you’re awake? Are you o-…」

The moment Nady started rising from her seat, two shadows move.

「Onii-chan!」

「Ritone-sama!」

Rin and Littlette embraced Ritone with all their strength.

「Are you okay? Does your body feel any pain?」

「You, I thought you had died! I was worried!」

The two people shed tears as they cling, while Nady, who got a late start, sat down on her chair idly.

Looking at her daughter as such, the smiling Norn was laughing.

「What’s the matter? Why don’t you go?」

「……」

Nady shook her head silently.

「Well, well, at last, an ideal hero has suddenly appeared in front of Nady-chan~ 」

Norn laughed with glee.

「This guy, is not a hero.」

Nady pretending to not care turned her face away.