"Excuse me! I’d like to sign up for this quest!"
"Yes, coming right up!"
"Hey, you jerk! I saw that quest first!"
"Huh? How should I know? I’m the one who grabbed it!"
"Don’t you cut in line!"
"W-whoa! Please, don't fight!"
The day after the commotion surrounding the duel between Wolka and Ramsey had settled, the lobby of the Adventurer's Guild was already swarming from early morning. Crowds of adventurers loitered in front of the bulletin board where quests were posted.
It was a sight that had become rare over the past month. Ever since the Clear Approval Accident, an awkward atmosphere had hung over the entire guild. Adventurers had increasingly avoided quests—particularly those involving dungeons. Today, however, there was a remarkable surge in activity, and the guild staff were running around frantically, completely overwhelmed.
It seemed the period of stagnation had come to an abrupt end.
"Hey, I'll take this—upped."
"Hey now, isn't it a bit rude to make that face when you see a lady?"
As soon as he reached the counter, a middle-aged adventurer flinched with a bitter expression. Shannon greeted him with a chilling, lingering stare from behind her glasses. Today, Shannon was acting as a receptionist. Normally, she was an office clerk whose job was staring down paperwork, but her bright and charming personality was highly valued, so she occasionally sat at the reception desk for a change of pace.
The somewhat lackluster man before her was one of the adventurers who had been abruptly exposed for bad-mouthing Wolka during yesterday's duel. Shannon quickly forced her face back into a smile.
"Are you taking a quest?"
"…Yeah."
She took the quest slip from the man, who reacted awkwardly. "Please wait a moment," she said, before heading to the back to find his records.
"Hmm… oh, this is quite an ambitious quest. You’re really motivated, aren’t you?"
"W-well, yeah."
"Even though you were talking trash about Wol-kun."
The man coughed into his hand, looking pained. "S-stop talking about that already! I said I was sorry…!"
"As you should be. Malicious slander is subject to penalties, you know."
After the duel Ramsey caused was over, Shannon had followed through on her declaration. She had hauled this man into a private room and grilled him thoroughly until sundown. The reason he recoiled as soon as he saw her face was likely because it triggered those bitter memories.
Shannon asked the man a few simple questions and proceeded with the quest registration with practiced hands. For a moment, silence fell between them. Meanwhile, over at the bulletin board, adventurers were still fighting over quests, shouting things like, "Fine, then let’s duel for it!"
The man didn't offer a preamble before he spoke again.
"…To be honest, at first, I wondered what all the fuss was about him dueling Ramsey."
Shannon slowly looked up. The man leaned his elbows on the counter, watching the heated scramble for quests with a distant look in his eyes.
"It’s true I didn't like that Wolka guy much. That Quick-draw Technique or whatever sounded fishy as hell, and above all, he was in a party with three cute girls all to himself! What a joke…!"
"Is that what it comes down to in the end?"
"What else is there?!"
Shannon was appalled from the bottom of her heart. The profession of adventurer was overwhelmingly male, and it was widely considered an industry with few romantic prospects.
"Just so you know, fifteen years is too late," Shannon said flatly. "That’s a matter for the authorities."
"Dammit all."
The man gritted his teeth and clenched his fists in frustration, but he quickly relaxed his expression and exhaled.
"Well, I kept thinking that way, but… after being shown something like that, I just can't say a word against him anymore."
The duel between Wolka and Ramsey had become the talk of the town overnight. By now, there wasn't an adventurer who hadn't heard of it. It was likely already starting to reach the ears of the knights.
After all, a young swordsman who had lost an eye and a leg had achieved a complete victory using only swordsmanship against a veteran whose skill alone was A-rank quality—and at the very end, he had added the miracle of slashing through magic.
Both Shannon and the man were among the spectators who had witnessed it with their own eyes.
"I don't really get it myself, but… apparently, magic isn't something that can normally be slashed with a sword," Shannon remarked.
"It depends on the type of magic, but for the most part, yeah. If someone suddenly handed you a sword and told you to try slashing fire or water, could you do it?"
Of course, it was impossible. Not because Shannon was an amateur, but because common sense dictated it wasn't a feat that should be possible.
"Slashing magic itself… I’ve seen people do it, and if I mimicked them, I could probably do it a little bit. But strictly speaking, they 'cloak their weapon in magic and slash it with magic.' Magic is supposed to be countered by magic."
However, Wolka at that moment…
"That guy did it with a single sword and zero magic. All he used was Strength… as far as I could see."
That was why many adventurers, both young and veteran alike, were amazed.
"So, I finally realized it—that guy is a complete idiot who’s seriously bet his entire life on swinging that sword, no joke."
In his use of the word "idiot," there wasn't a single trace of mockery. Rather, his words sounded like someone squinting after accidentally looking directly at a blinding light.
"…I just got fired up, despite my age."
"……"
"Isn't it the same for those guys gathered over there? Any man who’s an adventurer has dreamed of 'strength' at least once. Of course they’re going to be influenced by that."
The scramble for quests had apparently been settled by rock-paper-scissors. The light and shadow were divided between the adventurer who thrust his fist in the air shouting "Uooooh!" and the one who collapsed in despair. However, the defeated man immediately stood up and charged back at the bulletin board to find another quest. Shannon’s colleague was shouting desperately, "The quests aren't going anywhere, so please calm down!!"
Wolka’s power, which had crushed everything head-on, had elevated the spirits of the adventurers.
"…Men sure are simple," Shannon smiled. "But I think that sort of thing is kind of nice."
"Oh? Don't tell me you’ve finally realized my charm? Then how about this: once this quest is over, let's go for a meal—"
"Okay, hurry up and get going, you sexual harassment geezer."
"Dammit, if only I were younger!" the man shouted as he ran off. Shannon waved her hand to see him off, then rested her chin in her hand and sank into deep thought.
"It feels like everything’s settled quite nicely."
When she first heard that Wolka had been challenged to a duel, she had been worried sick.
"It really has," a senior clerk sitting at the next counter agreed. Her brows furrowed with a slightly bittersweet aftertaste. "But I never thought he’d quit. Ramsey, I mean."
"…Yeah."
It was right after the guild opened today that Ramsey had returned his Sword & Wand talisman—the proof of his profession—effectively retiring. He had simply said, "It’s time."
He had always been a difficult adventurer to handle, but Shannon couldn't help but feel a strange sense of loneliness now that he had suddenly disappeared.
"His only merit was his brawn, so I wonder how he’ll earn a living. He probably doesn't have much in savings."
"…Well, I'm sure he'll manage somehow." Shannon wasn't particularly worried. Part of her wanted to be stubborn and think she wouldn't worry about someone who bad-mouthed Wol-kun, but more than that… "He looked like he’d had a literal weight lifted off him. It’s like a fresh start in life, probably."
The senior clerk thought for a moment and let out a small laugh. "…I suppose. He'll find a way, one way or another. He's not a child."
"Exactly."
If he felt like it, even someone who wasn't an adventurer could sell monster Drops for money, so unless something extreme happened, he likely wouldn't end up on the streets. He might even be at the port right now, leisurely swinging a fishing rod.
"Excuse me! I’d like to take this quest!"
"Yes, coming!"
The Adventurer's Guild had regained its former vitality, and Ramsey’s expression had been cleared of its burdens.
Maybe what Wol-kun slashed through wasn't just magic, Shannon thought to herself.
I swear, I absolutely made sure not to cross the line.
I emphasized my innocence to myself, though not to anyone in particular. After being surrounded by the four of them yesterday, fortunately, nothing happened… well, I wouldn't say nothing. Still, I held the line firmly and managed to welcome the next morning safely.
"Alright, this Master will be the one to help Wolka today! You can leave everything to me!"
In the bright room where the morning sun shone gently, my Master was brimming with motivation. If you just looked at this scene, it was a daily occurrence that had hardly changed at all… but for now, I needed to review our current situation.
First, our location. It wasn't the usual Le Bouquet, but a First-class Medical Ward in a corner of the Great Cathedral.
As the name suggested, it was a high-grade room equivalent to VIP treatment. It was more than twice as large as the room I had stayed in back in the city of Luther, and it even came with its own private bathroom. One could practically live their entire life within this single room; it was more like a luxury hotel than a ward.
According to Anze, "Since Wolka-sama is staying for his recovery, this much is only natural!"
It wasn't that I was getting special treatment through connections; apparently, anyone who held the Silver Commendation given to me by Dia recently was eligible to use it. I had heard that I would receive various benefits at church-related facilities, but I hadn't expected it to be useful so soon.
While it felt a bit out of place for a commoner, I was grateful for it. The fact that my life could be mostly contained within this room meant I could reduce the burden on everyone else.
"I'll try not to be too much trouble," I said.
"Oh, don't say that! I am Wolka's Master, after all!"
As for who would look after me until my new prosthetic arrived, we had reached a compromise. After desperate negotiations, I got them to agree to a rotation. Starting today, it would be the Master's day, then Yulitia's, then Atri's, and finally Anze's. That was why the Master was so fired up.
I was already well-acquainted with the Master, so I didn't mind much, and I trusted Yulitia to support me within the bounds of common sense. My concerns were Atri, whose common sense was a bit skewed, and Anze, who looked likely to go overboard. Anze, in particular, had been acting a bit strange since this morning.
"Wolka-sama… I am thinking of you at all times! Please, let my everything be for your sake…!!"
She had left me with that soul-stirring oath first thing in the morning. Too heavy…!
Anze, your emotional scale is really just too large. You shouldn't say such things to a man you aren't betrothed to. It was the same with Dia, whose sense of distance was completely broken. What on earth is the church’s emotional education like? In my previous life, there was a famous saying: Too much is as bad as too little…
Anyway, even with the four-person rotation, my stomach was still signaling anxiety. Yulitia and Atri had headed off to training first thing this morning. Anze also seemed to be running around doing her church duties ahead of schedule to prepare for her shift.
To a man, having four girls take turns looking after you might sound like a dream. However, what lay at the root of their behavior were heavy negative emotions like guilt, helplessness, and regret over my injury. It was a distorted state. Turning a blind eye to their suffering and being pleased by the idea of 'girls taking care of me' felt wrong.
Atri had said a man's job was to take responsibility. In that regard, the responsibility I should fulfill was to return to society properly and dispel their negative emotions.
"It’s okay," I told the Master. "Only my leg is missing; the rest of me is fine. I'll try to do as much as I can on my own—"
"Wolka…"
I was immediately cut off by the Master's sorrowful voice. She sat next to me on the bed and looked up at me with an expression of pained endurance.
"You don't have to try so hard all alone—" She fell silent and looked down. Her throat moved as if she were suppressing words that were overflowing, and then she looked at me again as if her heart were about to break. "I will definitely never go anywhere…! I'll stay by Wolka's side forever, forever and ever and ever…!!"
Wait, what was she talking about?
"Once your prosthetic arrives, you can work hard again! So until then, you can just leave it to us and rest…!!"
Oh, so that was it. That startled me; I thought for a moment she had some fatal misunderstanding. I intended to resign myself and take it easy. I felt indebted to everyone for having them endure watching the duel with Ramsey. I’d limit myself to basic muscle training and meditation.
"I understand. I'll rest properly."
"Good…"
However, the Master didn't seem to brighten up much. I could feel a sense of distrust toward her foolish disciple beginning to sprout because I had broken two prosthetics in about half a month. Sorry, Master…
As I thought, with a makeshift prosthetic, I wasn't making any progress toward returning to society. I realized once again that for the Happy End I was after, upgrading my prosthetic was the most important task of all.
For now, I just hoped the replacement arrived sooner.
I had no way of knowing that Anze, who was in charge of those arrangements, had made meticulous preparations, saying, "Please deliver the prosthetic four days from today. It must be in exactly four days."
Since I would be living at the Great Cathedral for the time being, I thought I should go say hello to Ruerie and Shiarie, who were also recuperating there. Just as I was about to have the Master bring me a wheelchair, a voice called out.
"Wo-Wolka-san! Um, it's Shiarie! Ruerie’s big sister! Is this the right place?! Wolka-san!"
Shiarie had come to visit me instead. However, for some reason, she seemed to be in a panic, and the sound of her voice and knocking were frantic.
"You’ve got the right place. Come in."
"T-thank goodness! Excuse me!"
As soon as I invited her in, the door burst open, and Shiarie practically fell into the room.
"Um! I just heard from a Sister that Wolka-san was brought in because he got into a fight—"
Shiarie, who was out of breath, froze the moment she saw me—or more accurately, the space where my left leg should have been.
After a five-second pause…
"Gywaaaaaa! Wol-Wol-Wol-Wolka-san’s l-l-l-leg! Your leg! It’s gone!"
"C-calm down. It’s okay."
She staggered with a scream, turned pale, and started foaming at the mouth. Wait… did Shiarie not know about my prosthetic?
"Neesama!"
Ruerie, who had caught up late, supported her sister’s collapsing body from behind. "Get a hold of yourself, Neesama! Did you already forget that Wolka-san has a prosthetic?!"
"Ababababa."
Between nearly being killed during the incident with the Ruffians and my accidentally intruding while she was eating the other day, why was it that every time I met Shiarie, there was a commotion? It was very much like her, though.
Anyway, I got the high-maintenance older sister to calm down and have a seat in a chair.
"A-ahaha, sorry! I knew about the prosthetic, but, well, it was my first time suddenly seeing it 'not there'…"
"I guess so… Sorry for startling you."
"No, no, I'm just clumsy!"
Shiarie looked much better. Perhaps because she was steadily replenishing her energy with the delicious food at the Cathedral, her hair and skin looked even healthier than last time. Her smile was as bright and energetic as a clear blue sky.
"By the way, Wolka-san, it's a fact that Neesama is clumsy," Ruerie noted.
"H-huh? Ruerie, you’re not going to back your sister up…?"
"Back when we lived as adventurers and stayed at inns, she was always entering the wrong rooms—"
"Nuwaaaa, nuwaaaa!"
It was good to see that their relationship hadn't changed.
"A-anyway, I'm just glad you aren't injured! Since they said you were in a fight, I thought for sure…"
While Shiarie was relieved, Ruerie checked my appearance with suspicious eyes. "But for a prosthetic to break… was it really just a fight?"
"Yeah, actually—"
I gave a brief explanation of the last two days. The sisters listened intently at first, but when I got to the part where I accepted the challenge, their faces turned serious.
"…Um, Wolka-san, that sounds less like a fight and more like a duel, doesn't it…? With a veteran that old, in that condition…? Er…"
For some reason, Shiarie was looking at me like I was some kind of dangerous battle junkie. Wait a minute, that’s a misunderstanding. It's not like I was eager to pick a fight; it was just how things ended up going.
"So you fought alone and broke your leg. …As usual, you’re always doing reckless things."
"Yes, exactly!" the Master chimed in. "Wolka always tries to shoulder everything alone…!"
"Yes, I understand that well," Ruerie added. "Wolka-san is truly a handful."
Ruerie had hit it off with the Master in an instant. This was strange; why had that image of me taken root even with Ruerie? It had only been about a week since we met.
"I thought silencing them with strength was the most certain way. It’s one thing if it’s just me, but I wouldn't want anything to happen to the Master and the others."
"…Hah." Ruerie let out a sigh. "I suppose Wolka-san is just being Wolka-san."
S-stop it! Don't look at me with those pitying eyes! I haven't said anything strange, have I?!
"Ahaha… somehow, Wolka-san really is exactly the person I imagined him to be…"
If even Shiarie was on that side, it was over for me. Feeling the atmosphere in the room become uncomfortable, I changed the subject as naturally as I could.
"S-so. Shiarie, how is your physical condition?"
"Oh, it's perfect! …I can't say that yet, though. I started rehabilitation yesterday. Moving my body is the one thing I'm good at!" Shiarie struck a pose, showing off her biceps. However, she soon seemed to remember something. "Oh, speaking of rehabilitation…"
She fell into thought with a dark expression, exchanged a brief look with Ruerie, and then… "Wolka-san… if you don't mind, could you help me with an experiment?"
"An experiment?"
Shiarie nodded awkwardly, came over to me, and fearfully held out her right hand. Her fingers were clenched tight. As I waited for her to speak, puzzled…
"I want you to try grabbing my wrist. A bit firmly…"
"That is—"
I couldn't answer immediately. Was that something I was allowed to do? Because Shiarie was…
Ruerie, whose face had also darkened, answered for her. "It seems like Neesama… can't handle being touched by men anymore."
Apparently, they had found out yesterday. While she was undergoing a simple examination, an elderly Priest had touched Shiarie's shoulder. It wasn't just a gentle hand; he had grabbed her with some strength.
That was all it took. Shiarie couldn't stop shaking, she couldn't speak, and she couldn't even stay standing. In the end, they had to conduct her rehabilitation while avoiding contact with men.
"I think it’s… a seizure."
Shiarie didn't remember much of her time being held by the Ruffians. To be more precise, she had sealed away her own memories. Likely because she would break if she remembered.
Looking at her smiling, I had almost forgotten, but Shiarie bore a wound in her heart that would never disappear. She had developed an instinctive fear of physical contact with men, which could serve as a trigger.
But if that was the case, why was she asking me?
"I might have a very rude reaction. If that happens, I'm sorry. …But!" Shiarie suppressed her anxiety and looked at me as if clinging to hope. "I just felt like… maybe Wolka-san would be okay…!"
"……"
I felt a nasty emotion spread through my gut like black ink. To think that just being touched by a man would make her unable to stand—would she have to live the rest of her life protecting such a wound? Was even an ordinary future, like finding a man she could trust and building a home, about to be taken away from her?
That was surely something incomparable to my missing eye and leg.
God, I really hate this. It was the same with the Clear Approval Accident. Just as the Master and the others were still suffering from guilt, why couldn't things just be settled cleanly? Why did wounds that wouldn't heal always remain? If this were a story, surely a Happy End without any unnecessary mess would be permitted.
Looking at Ruerie, she gave a small nod with a determined expression.
"…I understand. Are you sure?"
"Y-yes…"
Shiarie closed her eyes tight. The right hand she held out was shaking. She was terrified. I didn't think she needed to force it. But if she was summoning her courage, I wanted to pray that there was at least a glimmer of hope here.
I grabbed Shiarie's wrist.
"…!"
Shiarie's shoulders jerked. Her entire body stiffened so much that the shaking in her right hand stopped. However, that was it. She didn't violently shake my arm off, nor did she let out a scream.
"…Nn."
Shiarie timidly opened her eyes. And when she confirmed that her wrist was indeed being held by me, a look of relief spread across her face.
"…T-thank goodness! As I thought, Wolka-san is okay!"
"Is that… so?" I couldn't help but feel relieved as I asked. "Are you enduring it?"
"Not at all! Normally, I wouldn't even be able to think straight anymore!"
It didn't seem like she was forcing herself. Ruerie also let out a long sigh of relief.
"That’s good, Neesama."
"Yeah! I'm really glad… I was worried about what I’d do if even Wolka-san was no good."
"…I’m relieved too."
Considering the wound Shiarie had received, this might not be something that could be called salvation, but it was something.
"Oh, wait!" When I tried to let go, Shiarie stopped me in a hurry. I was still holding her right wrist, and she grabbed her own wrist from above with her left hand. "Yes… this is Wolka-san's hand. The one that saved me back then…"
Then Shiarie realized what she was doing. "Oh… s-sorry! I'm okay now!"
"O-oh."
We both let go. It had become a bit of a strange atmosphere, but if I was able to lighten Shiarie's heart even a little, then there was some meaning to what had happened.
The Master let out a sigh. "So for Shiarie, Wolka is the only 'exception'… Not that I mind, though."
"I am truly grateful to Wolka-san," Ruerie said. "But… I’m a bit worried about your future."
Why am I getting these reactions?! I object! What have I even done?!
"Ehehe… once again, I look forward to being in your care! Wolka-san."
"…Yeah."
Well, if Shiarie was smiling, then worrying about the details would be uncouth.
"Even so, this room is very impressive! As I thought, Wolka-san is the kind of adventurer the church gives VIP treatment to…!"
"It’s not like I’m being given special treatment. I was called by the church the other day—"
And so, the four of us enjoyed a peaceful conversation for a while. A smile is a treasure that cannot be replaced by anything else.
"Well then… we’re starting to get hungry, so we’ll come visit again!"
"You have to rest properly. Neesama and I will come back to check on you."
With those words, I parted with the sisters. After that, I had a magic lesson from the Master and received a visit from Roze. I spent a quiet day doing muscle training and meditation.
In the evening, just as Yulitia and Atri were about to return, I ran into Shannon. She told me about the guild—how it had been bustling all day after being stimulated by the duel. And she confirmed that Ramsey had returned his adventurer's talisman.
So he quit.
Strangely, I wasn't surprised. Ramsey had likely projected someone from his past onto me. Regardless of his intention, the duel had resulted in him severing those ghosts. After the match, he had a look on his face like a literal weight had been lifted. I didn't know if that was a blessing for him or not. But there was a report that he’d been seen leisurely fishing at the port, so he was doing all right.
When I returned to my room in the wheelchair the Master was pushing, I felt an obvious sense of wrongness.
My bed was bulging. It was slowly repeating a gentle rise and fall. Someone was sleeping in it.
The Master let out a sigh. "I bet it’s Atri. Honestly."
I could see white hair peeking out from a gap in the blanket. Had she come back while we were out and fallen asleep? Honestly, Atri… I would have to hold a common-sense lesson on not crawling into the opposite sex's bed.
The Master stopped my wheelchair and strode over to the bed. "Hey, A-tri! What do you think you’re—"
She grabbed the blanket and yanked it off.
"…Kuu."
"Huh?"
I stood there, stunned. The one sleeping under the blanket wasn't Atri.
It was Dia.
Restardia, the Saint of Hakua, was sleeping peacefully in my bed. I remembered that Dia also had white hair—but wait, what on earth was the Saint doing?
I thought calmly. Ever since our last encounter, I knew Dia had a broken sense of distance. Had she come for some business and fallen asleep because she was tired? No matter how I tried to justify it, there was no way the Saint should be crawling into a common man's bed. My head was starting to hurt. Dealing with Atri and Anze was hard enough, but now another girl required a common-sense lesson.
Before I could find the words, the Master, who had been trembling, let out a roar like a volcanic eruption.
"YOU THIEVING CAT———————!!"
"Kyaaaah?!"
The Master lunged forward, and Dia jumped awake in surprise. The two of them proceeded to bounce around on the bed, shouting at each other.
Dia can make quite a cute sound at times like this, I thought.