CH 13

Chapter 13:- Brave Man's Story

"Damn it!"

In the dense forest, the brave Arios clicked his tongue.

It had been a week since he started to conquer the Lost Forest.

However, he still hasn't been able to defeat the boss.

Or to be more precise, he can't get to the boss.

As the name suggests, the Lost Forest is a maze that confuses adventurers.

It is said that once you casually step into the forest, you will never be able to get out and will even end up rotting away.

Normally, I would ignore such a place, but ......

I'm sure you'll agree with me.

The boss of this place owns the legendary shield of truth, the armour needed to fight the demon king.

That's why I started to attack the "Lost Forest".......

"What the heck is this forest? No matter where I look, I can't find the right path. ...... Are you sure this is where the legendary armour is?"

"There is no doubt about it. I have it from someone I trust.

"Damn, I can't believe I'm going to have to spend a week in a forest like this .......

"I'm tired of....... I need to take a bath.

"Rin. Don't be so selfish. We're on a noble journey to save the world.

"I know, I know....... But it's been a week.　　Aren't you getting sick of it?

"That's......."

It's a good idea to have a better grasp of the surrounding area to help in finding what you're looking for.

I've been making a map, but it's useless.

As time goes by, the path changes and the destination gets further away.

I couldn't go on properly because I was just repeating the same thing.

"......, if only he were here at a time like this."

"That guy? Aggus, who are you talking about?

"You know who I'm talking about, Arios.　　It's Rain.

"What?"

Arios bit his lip in annoyance.

"With Rain's abilities, we can explore every inch of this forest. From above, we might be able to find a new path. It was useless, but ...... that was the only use for it."

"Don't be silly! I'm not sure what to make of that. I can't accept that kind of nonsense.

"Yes, I do. I'm against it too. I couldn't wait to get rid of that worm. You did the right thing by expelling him there.

"I agree with Lean....... I don't want to see that parasite continue to live there....... I agree with Lean.

"You're right. I don't disagree with you on the banishment of Rain. But don't you think it was bad timing?

"Gosh."

I'm not sure what to say.

Inwardly, he acknowledged Aggas's words.

I'm not sure what to make of it.

If they can't choose the right path and reach the depths, nothing will matter.

And the only person who could do that was ...... Rain.

Rain is certainly not powerful.

It was slowing him down when he fought the enemy.

However, she was very good at using her Beast Tamer abilities for support.

For example, letting animals carry his luggage.

By taming bears and other animals, they could carry dozens of times more cargo than they could by hand.

This was an extremely useful skill for adventurers.

If you can carry a lot of stuff, you can travel farther.

She would be able to fight to the fullest without running out of water or food.

Rain was supporting the supply line all by himself.

Arios and his group had let him go without realizing it.

Now, though, they recognize Rain's importance. ......

Arios does not recognize this.

No, he doesn't want to admit it.

Who can admit that the man they banished as useless was actually playing an important role in the party?

Arios' bad habit came out.

He had been called a brave man and had received a lot of respect from the people, so he sometimes lacked consideration for others.

That's exactly what happened to Rain this time.

"Isn't it strange that that trash bug is useful?　　Absolutely not."

Rin was the same way as Arios.

She can find a lot more than 1,000 different types of magic, and from an early age she was touted as a genius,......, and she was smug about it.

It is impossible for a genius to care for an ordinary...... or even lesser person.

She was  really thinking like that.

"'Maybe we are lacking in our efforts. We can't think of anything like that...... that we can't conquer without that kind of person."

Mina was in the same boat as the two.

You will find a lot of things that you can do to make your life easier.

Rain, who can't fight properly, is just a hindrance to her noble mission.

"I understand what they're saying. I know what they mean, and I know what Arios means. But...... you must get is there any other way?"

Aggas's words were heavy and pierced the hearts of the three of them.

For a week, they challenged the attack.

However, instead of defeating the boss, they could not even move forward properly.

If we continue like this, our journey to defeat the Demon King will stagnate here.

And in a sense, it would be imprinted in our minds that we failed because Rain was not here.

That's the only thing I can't tolerate.

Arios banged his fist against a nearby tree in frustration.

"Why don't we use him just once? We're not bringing him back to the party. We're just hiring him as a guide here. That's a good compromise, don't you think?"

At Aggas's words, the other three  fell silent.

"But, do you think he'll come back now?

"Yes, I do....... After all, we are asking him.

"I don't see a problem with that.

"I guess......."

Arios agrees with Aggas.

"I'm sorry about that time. I'm sorry about that time, I didn't mean it....... or something, just say something appropriate and he'll be back soon. Then, after you've conquered the Lost Forest, you can throw it away again.

"Wow, that's crazy!"

"So Lean wants to stay with us?

"Oh, no. I don't want to be with that worm. I'm sick of the thought of her coming back just once.

"I don't have a choice. It's hard enough without him....... It's a one-time thing. Let's be patient."

"Then it's settled.

"Yeah. I'll pull Rain back. Once that's decided, we have no business here. Let's get ready to leave.

When Arios said that, he didn't have any feelings of apology or repentance towards Rain.

He was using him.

That was all he was thinking about.

Thus, Arios and his group returned to Horizon.......

They didn't realize it.

They didn't realize that even Rain, who is a softie to the core, had given up on them.

Rain has already found a true friend in Kanade.