CH 101

The Queen’s face took on a less dignified expression for the briefest moment but quickly regained its composure. She looked at me with a puzzled expression, then opened her mouth.

“You say you want to become stronger after defeating three Disasters?”

“Like I said before, being stronger would be nice. To reduce the number of people they affect, I would need to overpower them.

I asserted. To fight something that could destroy this world, one must literally be stronger than the world. The Queen stared into my eyes. She was reading me, and I was reading her.

“I’m afraid I don’t know how to make you stronger. I could give you a mountain of relics and treasures, but they would be no better than the Holy Sword…”

She placed her hand on her chin and stayed quiet for some time.

“I know.”

Then she glanced sideways at her royal guards and waved one of them to come closer.

“It will take time to prepare, so I will summon you to the palace when it’s ready. I will show you the best I can provide, but don’t expect too much.”

“I’m glad you’re thinking of me, Your Majesty. I’ll be sure to repay the favor.”

She seemed to be on to something. I nodded happily, and the Queen gave me another smile.

“Of course, I didn’t mean to ask you alone. After all the hard work the whole party has put in, I decided to offer the same to them.

Agnes’ gaze turned to Georg, Daphne, and Marianne. They all turned toward her, eyes wide with surprise. She gave them a small smile and a nod. Then, as if to give them time to think, she left them alone to converse in hushed voices.

“Speak, and do not be shy. Let’s begin with Georg.”

Georg exchanged glances with Daphne and Marianne, then spoke up as if it was something he’d always had in mind.

“The three of us have decided on a single favor.”

An intense curiosity flashed over the Queen’s red eyes. Georg glanced over to me and said something very unexpected and, to me, embarrassing.

“I hope you will see to it that Elroy does not become entangled in other affairs during his vacation, at least until the signs of the next Disaster, so that he may enjoy his time to the fullest.”

I furrowed my brow, and Agnes smiled with amusement. ‘No, what the hell kind of context is he talking in? Besides, Daphne and Marianne agree with this….’

“You really do care for the Hero, even though he doesn’t seem to care for himself all that much. He certainly needs a quiet vacation.”

Georg nodded in agreement. They were discussing my vacation without the person who should be deciding how to spend it. Does my opinion not exist here?

“When was the last time he was able to take a break? He just finished dealing with a Disaster; before that, he had dealt with the situation in Bactins. Furthermore, we stayed in Evernode for quite some time, and the time before that was trying to sort out our internal affairs. Even before the Third Disaster, he was busy training to fulfill his role as the Hero, so he hasn’t had much of a break in the last few years.”

But Georg didn’t even bother to turn his head toward me. I watched, completely ignored, as he ranted about my need for a break.

“Please allow the Hero to rest, even if it’s just a moment to catch his breath. That is what we wish for.”

Agnes nodded without hesitation. She glanced at me frowning, then turned back to Georg.

“Very well. Unless a Disaster suddenly strikes, I will not assign the Hero’s Party on another mission. In the meantime, you may rest as long as you wish.”

Indefinite vacation. I turned my head toward Georg, but he shrugged his shoulders in disbelief.

“If you run too much, your legs will eventually give out. That fact doesn’t change even if you’re the Hero.”

“Useless consideration.”

Georg saw my annoyed expression and smirked like a man who’d just succeeded in annoying the crap out of his opponent.

“It’s not the end of the world for you to take a break, or it would’ve already done that a few times.”

I long sighed at Georg’s laugh, and Agnes smiled as she watched.

***

A snowflake fell on my head as I walked out of the palace. The snow-covered streets of the Capital weren’t as cold as they looked. The area around the castle has been constantly maintained, so only a little snow has piled up. I continued to walk with mist coming out of my mouth.

“Congratulations, you’ve earned a long vacation, Elroy.”

“…I didn’t think I needed it. Also, why did all of you agree on that?”

I didn’t need a vacation, and I didn’t need pity. I grumbled to myself and shoved my hands in my pockets. My other hand held the bag with the uniform I’d changed into before entering the palace. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to this white uniform.

“We need to rest, too. Otherwise, I really believe I will die of exhaustion and worry.”

Daphne said bitterly. I shut my mouth, unable to retort to her words. It was true that I wasn’t the only one who had been marching hard. Somehow, Daphne was getting the hang of keeping me quiet.

“No… We’ll have quite a bit of time before we have to deal with the Sixth Disaster. Since the Queen has guaranteed it, we can enjoy ourselves with some well-deserved rest.”

Unless a bunch of monsters go crazy and attack the Capital, we’ll be fine until we have to deal with the Sixth Disaster, the Meteor.

Not that I had any intention of staying put.

“Let’s think about how we’ll spend our vacation and worry about the Disasters later.”

Daphne said with a smile. My eyes fell on the bridge of her nose. I crossed my arms, looking at the ragtag party.

“Okay, you guys are dismissed for the night. I’m sure you’re all tired, so go to bed, and starting tomorrow, you don’t need to report to work until you’re called. If you want to come in and help organize the budget, I’d appreciate it.”

Daphne shot me a cold glare at my joke.

“Maybe we should all take a trip somewhere because I’m afraid Elroy will do work again if I leave him alone. We definitely need to keep an eye on him.”

With that, Daphne turned to Marianne.

“…Keep an eye on him, Marianne. Don’t get caught up in his pace.”

“Of course.”

Marianne replied confidently. I swallowed dryly, feeling the strange connection between the two of them. They didn’t look like they were fighting at all. I had heard that Daphne had stopped Marianne from going into the fog. I watched their conversation with mixed feelings.

“Well, I’ll go first. Stay safe.”

To my surprise, Daphne was the first to leave. I sighed, raising my eyes to follow her as she waved lightly and walked away. I’ll have to talk to her later. Right now, she was giving me the distinct impression that she wanted to be left alone and that I shouldn’t bother her.

“I’ll go back, too. I really should spend this vacation doing nothing. Why don’t we go winter fishing, Elroy? I know some good spots.”

Winter fishing. I’ve never been much of a fisherman, but there was something about the suggestion from a guy who could catch anything that made it appealing. Seeing my mild interest, Georg put a hand on my shoulder and raised an eyebrow.

“Intrigued? You’ll be completely out in the wilderness. No firewood, no fire, self-sufficient, locally sourced food. You probably won’t regret it.”

With that remark, Georg waved his hand and walked away. Left alone in the snowy street with Marianne, I looked back at her. She was pretending to be herself again. She looked expressionless, but her eyes sparkled, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Shall we go back, too?”

Marianne nodded as if nothing had happened. Some kids playing in the snow eventually gathered and started talking. They walk away, their noses red and their teeth chattering. The icy road is barely passable. Marianne walked beside me, taking in the sights.

“Aren’t you hungry?”

“Yes. I’ll prepare something when we return.”

“What about eating outside?”

Marianne shook her head at my question.

“No, I’ll cook. Let’s buy a few things before we get back.”

We walked to the market. I took care of the toiletries while Marianne picked out the vegetables and meats with an eager eye. Typically, I would have offered to pay for everything. I looked at Marianne, listening to a merchant nodding her head ever so slightly.

“…Thank you.”

Marianne said, holding up the ingredients in her arms. The tip of a baguette in a paper bag poked my chin. The snow on top of my head drifted away with each step.

“What are you making?”

“I was thinking of making a dish modeled after a stew I used to eat as a child. I remember eating it one day in the orphanage, and it was probably the first time I ever ate meat.”

In a rare moment, Marianne talked about herself.

“I couldn’t forget the taste, so I kept trying to find it, even after I became an inquisitor.”

A secluded alley off the marketplace was the shortcut to our headquarters. Under the shadows of the buildings, I stood still and listened to Marianne’s story.

“Eventually, I realized that it would be impossible to recreate the flavors I had as a child because no matter how much I tried, it just didn’t taste the same.”

Marianne told the story without emotion. It didn’t seem to matter at this point. We reached the headquarters, and I looked around the somewhat deserted lobby and muttered.

“I’m back.”

I lit the fireplace, warm colors filling the lobby. Marianne went to the kitchen, carrying a bundle of groceries, and began to cook. I waited as the house filled with the smell of Marianne’s cooking. It was a soft, warm smell.

“It’s ready.”

Marianne called out to me, half dozing in the rocking chair near the fireplace. I went straight up to the kitchen to help her finish up. A glance at the pot revealed a nice, thick broth and a dense pile of crumbs.

“…You’ve done quite a bit.”

“Let’s make another pot; it’s delicious.”

Marianne replied as she scooped the stew into my bowl. We ate dinner in a quiet but relaxed atmosphere. Marianne took a bite of stew, her eyes widened in surprise, and she put her spoon down to wipe her lips. I smiled at the sight.

“It’s delicious. Is this what you were after?”

“…I thought I’d never taste anything like it again.”

Marianne muttered, looking down at her bowl, then up again, locking eyes with me. The candlelight in the kitchen shone as brightly as Marianne’s golden eyes.

“Why?”

Marianne mumbled again and picked up her spoon. Marianne took another bite of stew and licked her lips slowly as if to savor the flavor for a very long time.

“I guess I really do think this is home.”

Marianne said, almost confessionally.

“I want to stay by Elroy’s side forever.”

As she said that, Marianne had a smile on her face. I stared at it, dumbfounded, and opened my mouth to respond, but Marianne quickly held up a hand.

“I’ll listen to Elroy when we’re done, but let me be content for now.”

Marianne looked at me again, her smile softening into something more natural. We stared at each other like that, and then she picked up her spoon again and began to eat the stew. The sound of spoons coming and going filled the kitchen for a while.