Volume 4 - CH 7

Chapter 7 – With Your Own Eyes

“Why did the liaison tell such lies? There should be no point for them in doing that.”

That was the first time Eto heard about it. Even the investigation report that Adventurer Guild gave him didn’t inform him about that.

“Apparently they have a huge debt because of gambling. And they deliberately took Eto’s rewards and travel expenses to pay off their debt1.”

“What? No way…”

“Of course, they were severely punished after their deed was revealed. Incidentally, Ronaldo-sama and Mirei-sama seem completely unaware about that matter.”

“Don’t you think Hero-sama might have imposed his sin on them? After all that happened,  they claimed to be unaware of that? There is no way I could believe it.”

“I, too, couldn’t believe it at first. When I was told that all the bad rumors about Eto were lies, I suspected that Ronaldo-sama and Mirei-sama had done it to get Eto out of the party. However, I found that the two don’t really care about where the money goes to. So, I don’t think they would do things in such a roundabout way.”

Hearing that, Eto recalled the face of a sharp-eyed woman who happens to be the liaison for the royal castle. She is the one who Eto asked to give him his reward many times. She was also the one who said that if Eto was troubled because he didn’t get any reward, he just has to hunt monsters for food, while looking down at him. Her boss and the church liaison also agreed with her opinion.

“I see…. Still, even though they’re the culprit, I don’t think Hero-sama really didn’t know anything about this. It is a fact that he thinks of me as a hindrance, after all. Besides, that party revolves around Hero-sama. Wasn’t the liaison discriminating against me because of following that person’s intention?”

“… This is just what I felt, but if the liaison was really influenced by someone to make Eto a target of discrimination, I think that person is Mirei-sama. Mirei-sama always looks down at Eto every time, right?”

“Aa…”

“I thought it would be better to keep Eto and Mirei-sama apart by eating at different places, rather than eating in the same place and bickering every time. Mirei-sama’s attitude towards Eto was just that noticeable, after all2.”

“If you say that, how about the fact that Hero-sama forbade me to use my support magic? I think that’s the biggest problem here. Although I admit I was immature and naive before, forbidding me to use my support magic is just pure harassment.”

“Indeed. I understood very well from the mock battle that Ronaldo-sama decided for himself that Eto doesn’t have the ability to be in the same party as him and imposed his own value on Eto.”

Eto closed his eyes, took a deep breath and exhaled repeatedly. The blood in his head gradually calmed, and he regained his composure.

He judged that it seemed improbable to reveal the real truth there. Because Lana’s story may or may not be true. Although he wanted to know the truth to why he was discriminated against, there is only one thing Eto wanted to ask Lana right now.

“Even so, does Lana still believe in Hero-sama?”

“Ee… I believe that only Ronaldo-sama can save the world when it’s in danger.”

Lana said while staring at Eto’s eyes, who also looked back at her. What Lana said about the Hero was, in fact, also what Eto once believed. That the only person who can save the world from crisis is just the Hero.

It all started from an admiration towards the Hero told in the legends, and that feeling strengthened by actually seeing Ronaldo’s conduct and fighting prowess. Then, the feeling increases further when they learn that the Heroes of the past have saved the world from crisis many times during their training in the royal castle. But, the hope and trust towards the Hero that Eto had already abandoned, was still lingering in Lana.

“I see…”

“Un… Sorry.”

“No, it’s fine. No matter what people say, we just have to judge that after seeing it with our own eyes. And that’s the answer Lana found, right?”

“Un;”

When Eto thinks about it again, perhaps, he never faced Lana and properly talked about what each other thought until now. That is why, Eto was glad he was able to this time.