Chapter 30 The Rank A from the Royal Capital
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
My dad told me to go to the guild after school. When I talked to Kazumi and Rena, it turns out their parents told them to go to the guild too.
”Let’s go home first, then meet at your house, Rena. After we visit Ares, we can head to the guild.”
Kazumi said this while sitting next to me, crossing her arms. Lately, she’s been getting a bit too close. She doesn’t need to press her chest against me… her elbow is poking me.
”Speaking of Ares… Liz has been staying by his side in the hospital… so admirable…”
Rena is holding my hand on my left and has a dreamy look on her face.
”…Well, he did break a leg and a few ribs, right? It’s good that’s all it was. He’s conscious, right? There’s no need for someone to stay by him all the time…”
”Well, you’ll understand when we get there, Hiroya. I’m heading home first! See you later!”
Rena waved and ran off.
”I wonder what’s going on. I’m curious, but Ares isn’t in bad shape, right?”
”I think I can guess what’s happening.”
Kazumi smiled mysteriously.
”Really?”
In response to my question, Kazumi just kept smiling and walked next to me.
* * *
”See you later. I’ll come pick you up, and we can go to Rena’s house together.”
Kazumi stood in front of the house and said that, closing her eyes and pouting her lips. Yeah, she’s been really bold lately.
”Okay. Later then.”
After checking around a bit, I lightly pressed my lips against hers with a “mwah.”
”Geez! Well, it’s fine, but…”
She puffed her cheeks a little in dissatisfaction, but then quickly smiled and waved as she ran back into the house.
(Hmm. I don’t really get it.)
I also ran back home.
* * *
”Welcome back, you two!”
When I opened the door to the clinic, I was greeted with Martina’s usual warm welcome. Kazumi and I were both hugged tightly by her soft chest.
”Bufa… Ares, let me go to Ares.”
It was hard to pull away, but I managed to get my face out of Martina’s embrace and headed to the second-floor patient room.
In front of Ares’s room, Rena was peeking inside.
”What are you do──Mmmph!”
Just as I was about to call out, Kazumi covered my mouth from behind.
”Shh.”
Rena put her index finger to her lips and waved us over. Kazumi, Martina, and I quietly approached the door.
”…Come on, open your mouth quickly…”
It was Liz’s voice.
”I can eat by myself… I can move my hands, you know.”
That was Ares.
”Just listen! At least when you’re hurt, you should do what I say. Come on!”
As I peeked in, I saw Liz sitting by the bedside, offering a spoonful of stew or something to Ares, who was sitting up in bed.
Eventually, Ares, with a bright red face, opened his mouth, and Liz cheerfully fed him with the spoon.
”…Get better soon, so the 3 of us can work together again.”
Ares reply, looking away shyly.
”…I’m fine like this for now… Oh, it’s not that I want your injury to stay or anything.”
* * *
”…No way… I feel like I’m going to throw up from all this sugar… It’s so sweet… so precious…”
Rena, that expression is not something an 8-year-old girl should have.
”…Liz looks like a girl… she’s really cute.”
”Kazumi, you’re acting like an big sister. But well…”
Liz’s happy smile as she brings a spoon to Ares’s mouth…
”Yeah, Liz is definitely beautiful…”
The moment I muttered that, Kazumi and Martina shot me sharp glares. Huh? Even Martina?
* * *
”Ah, sorry!”
At Liz’s apologetic voice, the 4 of us peeked back inside. It seems Ares has stew on his cheek.
”Ah, it’s fine… um, let me find something to wipe it off…”
”No, Ares, hold still.”
Liz held Ares’s face and… licked the stew off.
”──!”
”Ah… Rena can’t take it anymore… I’m going to die from cuteness…”
Rena collapsed, causing the door to swing wide open.
”──Hey, you guys! What are you peeking at?!”
Ares, his face bright red, leaned forward and shouted.
”Uh, hey Ares… we, we came to visit!”
”Then stop peeking and just come in already!”
”…I thought it would be rude to interrupt… right?”
Kazumi looked to Martina for agreement, and Martina nodded vigorously. Rena was… passed out at the entrance.
Martina helped Rena up, and we all entered the room.
”Anyway, I really owe you guys… thanks a lot. I was seriously about to die.”
Ares scratched his head. Liz kept looking down with a bright red face.
”Also, Thanks to you Kazumi. I was able to be a proper ‘shield’ for you.”
Ares continued as he pulled a pendant from his chest and proudly showed it to Kazumi.
”Ares…”
Kazumi puts her hands to her mouth, her eyes glistening with tears.
”…You did well… I’ll give you a reward.”
Kazumi says this in a teacher-like tone, just like that morning, and gives Ares a light kiss on the cheek.
”Alright, Rena too!”
”I want to as well~!”
Ares receives kisses on the cheek from 3 beautiful girls. It’s a bit jealousy-inducing, but this time Ares is the ‘knight’ who protected Liz during the party, so he deserves this blessing.
”I… might die from happiness…”
”Idiot!”
Even though Liz’s punch lands on Ares’s cheek, his relaxed expression doesn’t change.
* * *
”Hiroya and the others are going to the guild now. I’ve been invited too, but… I wonder what it’s about?”
Leaving Ares, who can’t stop making a silly face, in the hospital room, we head out of the treatment center towards the guild.
Mr. Rudolf and Ms. Giselle seem to know the reason, and as we leave the treatment center, they say,
”Rena. Just do what you think is best. Oh, and it’s fine for Martina to go with you too.”
”I wonder. Maybe they’re giving us a reward for defeating the troll?”
Rena says this, but I feel like it might be canceled out by the fact that we did something dangerous without permission.
* * *
”Isaac got into the investigation party? No wonder that ‘Tank’ Guido had a hard time!”
Just as I was about to open the guild door, I heard a loud voice from inside the room.
”You should have stayed under us instead of running away to a place like this!”
”Roana and I didn’t run away!”
As I opened the door, Isaac’s angry voice rang out.
Then, all the eyes in the room turned to us.
”Isaac, what’s going on? Who’s this guy?”
I understood from the rumors that Isaac and Roana had been given a tough job by an adventurer when they were in the royal capital, but I decided to ask anyway. I called him “this guy.”
”Ah, don’t worry about it. Everyone is waiting in the back room.”
Isaac guided the 5 of us to the room.
”Huh? Who are these kids? This isn’t a place for brats like you.”
From his voice, I could tell he was the guy who had been arguing with Isaac. It was obvious he was an adventurer.
”We came because we were called. Also, I don’t know what the guild in the royal capital is like, but a guy like you shouldn’t be in a place like the Razia Village guild.”
I shot back without making eye contact and headed toward the back room.
”Just a kid pretending to be an adventurer.”
The man stood in front of me, looking down at me.
”Really? You’re just a kid, yet you’re holding a weapon. If you want to play adventurer, do it outside.”
He turned to the guys behind him, looking for their agreement.
”Mr. Geeza, these guys must be the main adventurers from Razia Village.”
”Yeah, yeah. That’s why we came all the way from the royal capital. We have to do something about this place.”
The men laughed loudly.
”Adventurers from the royal capital have such bad attitudes. They’re just a bunch of thugs.”
Kazumi laughed mockingly. Rena and Martina glared at the man.
”What did you say, you little brats?!”
The man called Geeza reached out toward Kazumi. But I pointed my Ōwakizashi at his throat, sheath and all.
”Don’t touch Kazumi.”
I let a bit of my sword pressure show.
”Oh… you know what it means to point a sword at an A-rank like me, right?”
”──Hey! What’s with you, A-rank adventurer, getting all worked up over a kid?!”
Liz stands in front of me to protect me. But I pull her hand and make her step back.
”Hey, is this guy really rank A, Isaac?”
”What’s wrong, scared?”
”No… hey Isaac. Can you tell the guild master? ‘You should be suspicious about the rank from the royal capital’.”
I’m not just teasing. I really mean it. I don’t feel anything from the guy in front of me.
(Ares was more intimidating during the duel.)
”Brat… enough already…”
The guy named Geeza is getting more worked up. But even so, he’s still just at the level of a ‘punk’ from my previous world.
”This guild has a training area too. Brat! Come outside! I’ll show you the real strength of an adventurer!”
Behind the counter, the guild receptionist, Miyori, is panicking and runs into the back room.
”Okay. I’ll show you the strength of this ‘brat’ from Razia Village.”
For now, I’ll make him regret insulting Isaac and trying to mess with Kazumi.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.