CH 10

I’m Thea (ティア). Occupation, [Hero].

I came back for the first time in a long time.

I’m fatigued both physically and mentally, as I just led the triumph against a large army of monsters.

But as a [Hero],  I can’t be whining.

It would decrease the morale of the knights and put all of us in greater danger.

So I have to stay resolute and dauntless.

I can’t lose. I need to win every fight I fight.

“Are you ok, Thea?”

The one who talks to me is my childhood friend, Taiga (タイガ).

Occupation, [Sage]. He’s also a comrade in arms who’s fought with me for years.

“What are you asking about, Taiga?”

“You were the vanguard in this conflict as well. You should get some rest.”

“I can’t. Besides, I’m the hero, it’s only right for me to take the lead.”

“It’s also part of your job to rest when you can.”

“That’s only what a regular warrior does. I don’t need rest.”

“…Then I guess I’ll go alone to see Ryu again.”

“Ryu?”

When I turned to look at him after hearing that name, Taiga looked back with a smirk on his face.

He probably thinks he got me again.

Ryu’s the only one out of the three of us who’s a normal person.

With the job of a tamer, he lives a mundane life, but without the need to rush into battle like we do, it’s peaceful.

He’s unlike the others.

Kind, accepting us as we are whenever we meet each other. Everyone around me changed when I got my occupation. Even the madam at the general store and the butcher started speaking politely to me, a child. There were also a lot of people who started calling themselves my relatives. Yeah, I know my aunts and uncles, but I’ve never met these uncles of my uncles and such.

Everyone acted differently.

But Ryu always spoke to us like he did before, not treating us as heroes, but instead as his friends.

That’s why he was the one person I could complain and whine to.

“What’ll you do? I’m gonna go.”

“…I’ll go too.”

“Then let’s go together.”

It shouldn’t be a problem if it’s just for a little while, maybe?

I got happy thinking that I could see Ryu again.

We went to the ranch outside of the town on horseback to see him.

“What stories should we tell him this time?”

“The stupid funny stories as usual are fine, no?”

“No, let’s do something different once in a while. I think Ryu’d also be bored if it’s the same kind of stories every time.”

“Then what stories are you thinking?”

We discussed what stories from our journey we would talk about as we headed closer to the ranch.

Ryu preferred stories like these over physical souvenirs, always laughing at them.

Maybe because we were talking so excitedly about what to share with him, we arrived at the ranch quickly.

“W, why hello there, heroes. What would you like this time?”

The rancher asked, looking flustered.

The reason we come here is always the same, so usually we’re never asked.

“Mister, where’s Ryu?”

“That, um…”

He stutters. Did something happen to Ryu?

“What happened to Ryu?”

“Well to say that something happened, how should I say…”

“Say it straight.”

“Thea, calm down. You too mister, it would be great if you don’t talk all jumbly.”

Taiga says, trying to calm the situation down. Maybe I was talking too harshly.

The mister said, after taking a deep breath.

“Ryu… is missing.”

Missing? Ryu?

“Missing, you said?”

Taiga asked.

“Yes.”

“Since when?”

The mister replied, ashamedly.

“Two months ago, wolves appeared here, but as they left, Ryu had also disappeared…”

“Was he attacked by the wolves?”

“There were no traces of anything of that sort. But that’s why we aren’t sure at all! He worked hard everyday, and he was liked by the animals, so we aren’t sure why he would leave so suddenly!”

“Please, calm down! At the very least, it wasn’t like he was attacked, right?”

“That seems to be the case.”

“Is what he says, Thea.”

Really, what happened? The only sure thing is that Ryu isn’t here.

“Thea?”

“I’ll go back for today. Thank you for letting us know about Ryu.”

“No, I’m very sorry for not being of any assistance.”

On the way back to the town.

“Taiga,  I’ll go look for Ryu.”

“Wait, what about your work as a hero?!”

“It’ll just be on top of my work as a hero. There’s no problem if it’s like that, right?”

“Well if you’re gonna do your job as a hero… But we have no clue where he is.

""

“That’s why I’ll search for him. I won’t forgive him if he’s dead.”

I’ll find you no matter what, Ryu.