It was the third day.
That meant the baton had been passed from Yulitia to Atri; she would be the one supporting me today. For me, this was perhaps the day I needed to stay the most alert. Raised as part of a warrior race, Atri’s sense of common decorum was significantly skewed compared to ours. She had a habit of receiving strange signals from somewhere and acting on them in the most bizarre ways.
For instance, trying to climb into the shower with me...
It had actually happened back when I was recuperating in the town of Luther. I had happened to mutter, "I could probably manage a shower if I had my prosthetic," and that was the end of my luck. I was nearly kidnapped as she declared, "Then I’ll wash you." From her perspective, she was simply prioritizing my safety, but... Atri truly was a terrifying girl.
Liesel and Yulitia had rushed in that time to save me, but I couldn't count on them always having such perfect timing. I needed a thorough mental preparation and a plan to handle Atri whenever she started picking up those odd signals.
Despite all that, I had hoped for a peaceful, uneventful day.
"—I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry. Your eye, your leg—it’s all our fault they ended up like this. It’s all of it, every bit of it, our fault."
Somewhere in my heart, I must have sensed this coming. On the first day, Dia had tried to take over my bed; on the second, Yulitia had suffered a total emotional collapse. Given the pattern, it was probably impossible for the third day to end without some kind of incident.
"I know an apology won't earn us forgiveness. So, let me hear your honest thoughts. Tell me off. Your big sister can take whatever you have to say."
Before me stood Frixell, a member of the adventurer party Flamberge.
The female warrior, who usually led her party with a personality that put most men to shame, was currently clutching my hand while radiating an aura of intense, burning mission.
"You can hurl every insult you've got at me...!"
As far as first greetings went, this was the absolute worst.
Someone, please, help me.
/
"...Umu. Er, I think I have the wrong room. Goodbye..."
"Wait! No, wait! Please don't go! I'm perfectly sane, I promise!"
Even Liesel was visibly repulsed. For a moment, I allowed myself to retreat into a world of pure escapism.
To summarize the situation: this was the meeting with Flamberge that I had promised Dia two days ago. Since today was the appointed date, we had all come to the designated meeting place—a reception room in a corner of the Cathedral.
It was an elegant space, furnished with high-end sofas, tables, and carpets, the walls adorned with solemn religious paintings. Atri had pushed my wheelchair through the heavy, ornate door to find the three remaining members of Flamberge already waiting.
The moment she saw me, Frixell—a woman with eye-catching, vivid orange side-tails—had lunged forward. It was as if her emotions had exploded, much like Anze’s often did. Before we could even exchange proper greetings, she had closed the distance, stared into my eyes, and delivered that problematic request.
"I know it’s a shock to hear that out of nowhere! I’m sorry! But I have a reason—please, just listen to what I have to say!"
Frixell, the warrior of Flamberge.
As I mentioned, her orange hair made her stand out in any crowd. From what I knew, she was a blunt, fearless woman with a sharp sense of justice—a "big sister" type. She certainly wasn't the kind of suspicious person who made dangerous remarks to strangers... Maybe I really did have the wrong room?
The other two members of Flamberge—Rex, the handsome red-head, and Dino, the blonde giant—were looking at her as if she were a threat rather than an ally.
"Frixell... that was uncalled for. Seriously."
"Even for us, that’s pushing it, I think."
"Shut up or I'll blast you both!"
Ah, there was the Frixell I remembered. Well, I’d had enough of organizing my thoughts to avoid reality.
"For now, can we just pretend I didn't hear that?"
"No, I really do want you to yell at me. ...But there’s a reason! I want us to understand each other, and I want to start there!"
Liesel tried to back away again, but Frixell desperately held her back. Not long ago, I’d had a similar experience meeting Shiarie, the "Gluttonous Girl," and realizing she wasn't at all who I expected. It really was true that you never knew a person until you actually spoke with them.
"Fine, fine. ...Go ahead, tell me the story."
"Right. ...You already know what happened to our party, right?"
"Most of it."
As I recalled, a woman they recently added to their ranks was actually a villain with Vampire blood. She had charmed Rex and Dino, essentially hijacking the party. They had also become negligent, eventually abandoning the clear approval investigation of the Gouzel dungeon halfway through.
"...Even now, the memory of my own pathetic weakness makes my skin crawl."
"...I've got nothing to say for myself."
Rex and Dino bit their lips. Frixell’s eyes clouded with a deep, lingering sorrow.
"I knew something was wrong with these two... but I did nothing. I just got stubborn, turned my back on them, and worked alone. I’m just as guilty."
She let out a long breath.
"...During the Judgment. We fought the Life Reaper."
"...What?"
The word slipped out before I could stop it. They fought the Life Reaper during their Judgment? What did that mean?
"It was a punishment given to us by the Saint... in a dream, of course."
I still didn't follow the logic.
"Do you know her? The Saint of Fortune and Woe? The one who floats and has the incredibly long hair?"
"...In a manner of speaking."
"That Saint can take a person's wi—"
Frixell’s words suddenly cut off. She pressed her fingers to her temple as if overcome by a sudden spell of dizziness.
"—Huh. Uh..."
She blinked several times, her eyes darting back and forth.
"............Right. Anyway, it seems the church has its own magic for making sinners repent for their crimes."
...? What was that? It didn't seem like she was being vague on purpose; it was more as if the memory she tried to access had been rewritten midway through.
It bothered me, but I set it aside. In short, the Saint of Fortune and Woe had used that magic to punish Frixell and her comrades.
"We felt like... we needed to know how you felt when you were forced to face that monster."
That seemed... well, incredibly reckless of them. Given the purpose of "making sinners repent," it must have been a high-level spell capable of reproducing pain and terror with terrifying realism. If one were to face the Life Reaper in such a dream...
"We were completely powerless. We couldn't see a single path to victory. ...I can’t even remember how many times it killed us."
Ugh. Well, that made sense. In the original story, the Reaper was treated as little more than a stepping stone for the protagonist, but in reality, it was a genuine anomaly. One had no choice but to beg for mercy or die cursing their fate. That was why it was a monster granted the name of a "God."
Frixell’s face had gone pale, and she was visibly trembling.
"Just the memory makes us shake like this. So, how scared must you have been, forced to fight that thing all alone? How much pain and suffering did you endure? How much resolve did it take for you to stand back up to protect your friends? Just how much...!"
"..."
"You were forced into a fight like that, you lost an eye and a leg, and the reason for it all was our pathetic, petty bickering. You should be furious. You’re still a child—it’s okay to scream at the adults who failed you."
Her words were earnest, weighted with tears.
"If you don’t let it out, where does all that pain go? You can vent it all on me...! This big sister will take whatever you need to throw...!"
I see. So that was the reason behind her "abuse me" request.
"Venting" was a harsh way to put it, but I understood the sentiment that one should release their bottled-up pain. When I first realized what it meant to lose my leg, I had certainly let out my fair share of complaints. If I were the person I was back then, I might have been swept up in the emotion of her offer.
"—Let me correct one misunderstanding. I don’t think of my injuries as 'painful.'"
But that was a story from the past. I was different now. Facing the thoughts and feelings of Liesel, Yulitia, Atri, Anze, Rosche, Ruerie, Shiarie, Shannon, and even Ramsey—I had been supported, helped, and sometimes scolded until I became the man I am today.
"Whose fault it was, who was to blame—none of that matters now. To me, the future I can change is far more important than a past I can’t."
It sounded a bit too heroic when put into words, but that was the core of my feelings. I didn't want Liesel or the others to die. I didn't want Ruerie to lose hope. I didn't want Shiarie to be left unrescued. My emotions only ever overrode my logic when someone was crying right in front of me.
"That's why I'm having them look for a prosthetic. I've asked the church, and—"
"—You really are something."
The words escaped Frixell in a soft, airy whisper.
"You really, truly are. To be like that... truly... tru... ly...!"
And it wasn't just words that escaped her.
"Hey, don't cry. Don't cry."
"I-I’m sorry. But it’s so frustrating. Why did someone like you—only you—have to push yourself until you were broken...!"
As I thought, she might have been a tough person within her party, but she was fundamentally kind. We had only just met, yet she was weeping for me as if my pain were her own. I started to worry Rex and Dino might actually bite through their lips from the sheer weight of their guilt.
Well... it was good. They seemed like good people.
In the end, the source of the tragedy was a single woman named Alphana. She had been exiled and was being forced to answer for her crimes in every country she had ever set foot in. I had no further complaints.
Therefore,
"I'm alright. ...I'm just relieved you guys aren't villains."
"Ngh..."
Frixell wiped her tears and turned to Liesel with a helpless, shaky smile.
"Tell me... is he always like this?"
"Umu."
For some reason, Liesel puffed out her cheeks slightly, looking at me with an expression that was half-annoyed and half-adoring.
"Wolka is always exactly like this. Honestly..."
"I see... how cruel. If you say things like that, then I... I...!"
Wait, I hadn't said anything cruel at all. I was just trying to be honest.
"I think Senior is in the wrong here."
"Mm. Wolka's fault."
Yulitia and Atri too?! Hey, Rosche, didn't you once tell me that things won't get across unless I put them into words? Was I failing to communicate even now?
I looked to Rex and Dino as my last hope. Both of them simply slumped their shoulders and let out heavy sighs.
"I give up... that really hits where it hurts."
"...Yeah. No winning against a guy like that."
How was I being abandoned by people I’d only just met?
Someone... help me...
/
"—Then, let us help you from now on! If anything happens, I’ll come running even from the other side of the world!"
"I-I understand. I'll let you know if something comes up..."
"Anything at all, okay?!"
After I had endured a fair amount of stomach-turning awkwardness, the conversation finally settled. The members of Flamberge had pledged to lend their strength to our future whenever we needed it.
Frixell’s intensity was just as massive as Anze’s, but I suspected she would be fine. She didn't seem like the type to let regret fester. Now that she’d had her moment of breakdown, she would likely bounce back and become the reliable "big sister" she was meant to be.
In any case—all the issues stemming from Gouzel were finally settled. I could move toward the future without any lingering bitterness.
The best part was that the relationships around me had landed in a good place. Ruerie and Shiarie were a given; Shannon, Flamberge, and even Ramsey... I hadn't seen him since the duel, but he was probably fine.
Hostile relationships were the natural enemy of a Happy End, after all.
After saying our goodbyes to Frixell and the others, we made our way back to the medical ward.
"Oh? Ramsey."
"...Guh."
Speak of the devil. We ran straight into Ramsey near the entrance to the ward.
The moment he saw us, he flinched, looking incredibly uncomfortable. Liesel immediately stepped forward with a sarcastic, needle-sharp smile. "My, my, thanks for your help the other day."
"That’s quite a greeting, letting out a 'Guh' when you see someone’s face. Hmm?"
"Kuh... do as you like."
"I'm not going to hit you."
Why was he acting like a martyr from a bad knight story? No one was asking for that.
I’d heard he had retired from adventuring, and indeed, Ramsey had stripped off all his gear for a rough, casual look that made him look like a typical "Sunday Dad." Since he was coming out of the ward, had he been visiting someone? And what was with the bucket in his hand? It smelled like the sea.
"What a coincidence. Visiting someone?"
"No, uh... well, that is..."
Where was the vigor he’d had when he picked a fight with me? Ramsey awkwardly looked away, unable to give a straight answer. Because of his villainous face, his shifty behavior just made him look like a criminal. I really hoped he wasn't about to cause more trouble.
Just then, a young Sister stepped out of the ward. She noticed us, stopped, and looked back and forth between Ramsey and our group.
"Oh, you finally caught up with them. That’s good."
"Guh."
Ramsey flinched again, his face a mask of "You’re saying too much!" Liesel tilted her head and asked the Sister.
"What do you mean?"
"Eh? ...Well, he came to visit Wolka-san, didn't he?"
"Guh..."
Under the Sister’s questioning gaze, Ramsey let out a strangled groan. I smirked inwardly. So he actually came to visit me? That was a fascinating bit of news.
The Sister continued, "He was wandering around here for ages, muttering to himself. He looked so suspicious that I actually had the knights detain him once, but..."
I nearly burst out laughing. He got arrested because he was too suspicious? That was gold.
"It turns out he just wanted to visit Wolka-san. But since you were all out..."
So he was dejectedly heading home when we ran into him. I’m glad we didn't miss each other—mostly because I got to witness such a hilarious scene.
"It's alright, he's an acquaintance. He's not dangerous."
"I see~."
Relieved, the Sister wagged a finger at Ramsey.
"You can't be doing suspicious things anymore, okay? Promise?"
"O-Oh..."
What on earth had happened during his interrogation? Ramsey was being surprisingly timid. Where was the guy who had been harassing me? He’d turned into a strangely amusing old man.
"Well then, take care~."
The Sister hummed as she walked away, leaving us in a very awkward silence. Ramsey grit his teeth in shame.
"Kuh, just kill me...!"
Like I said, no one wants that.
Liesel suppressed her giggles. "Pff, hee, hee... it seems you had quite an adventure."
"Shut up!"
To be picked up by the knights immediately—he really must have looked like a criminal. I wasn't one to talk, but he truly did have a surly, villainous face. The fact that he was now jobless and had no obvious status probably didn't help.
"Should I say... thanks for coming? I assumed you’d forgotten all about me."
"Hah, you've got some nerve saying that after beating me into the dirt."
The moment he addressed me, Ramsey regained his usual bite. He gave a sharp, provocative smirk.
"Hehehe... even a monster like you looks pretty pathetic without a leg."
"Liesel, this guy is still getting cocky. Should I hit him?"
"Go right ahead, Atri."
"Ah, enough! I was wrong! I said I was wrong!"
He surrendered instantly.
"You really do have a foul mouth... are you actually reflecting on your actions?"
"This is just how I am...! I had a rough upbringing—"
"No excuses!"
"Gugugu."
Whether it was because the memory of those slaps was still fresh or not, Ramsey seemed unable to stand his ground against Liesel and the others. The sight of a grown man losing a verbal fight to Liesel, who looked like a little girl, was honestly quite entertaining.
"So? I get that you came to visit, but what’s in the bucket?"
I asked about the thing that had been bothering me. Ramsey lifted the bucket, which was covered with a wooden lid. A faint scent of the sea wafted out.
"Ah... this."
When Ramsey pulled off the lid at my feet, the contents were exactly what I’d guessed. Yulitia leaned in and widened her eyes.
"Wow, there are so many fish...!"
Inside were four impressive fish, clearly caught quite recently. I remembered hearing that he’d been fishing at the northern port since retiring. He’d actually gone to the trouble of bringing a gift.
Liesel and Atri peered into the bucket as well.
"Looks delicious."
"Well, look at you. Is this an apology gift?"
"Well... the catch was good today, so..."
Ramsey’s words were mumbled and clipped.
"It's not to make up for everything... but I know I was a pain in the ass before..."
"Hmm... quite a commendable attitude. Well, I'll accept it as a sign of your penance."
Liesel seemed satisfied—or so it appeared, until she flared her magic at Ramsey for a split second.
The warmth vanished from her voice, and the light faded from her golden eyes.
"I’m sure you understand, but... there won't be a next time. If you harass Wolka again... fufu."
"You wouldn't dream of it, would you? Ramsey-san is an adult, after all."
"It’s better for your health if you stay this way. Next time, it won't just be a few slaps."
Yulitia’s smile was completely devoid of emotion, and Atri looked like a predator silently baring its fangs. Ramsey completely shriveled.
"...Y-Yeah. Right..."
"The answer is 'Yes,' isn't it?"
"Y-Yes..."
I gave a dry smile. It seemed Ramsey was destined to be under the thumb of the girls for the rest of his life. Well, at least it provided a bit of entertainment.
"...So, what are you going to do now? Are you actually becoming a fisherman?"
Ramsey snapped back to himself at my question.
"It doesn't matter. I’ll figure something out. I’m not so pathetic that I need a kid like you worrying about me."
"'Figure something out,' huh?"
"Just worry about your own body. Worrying about adults is ten years too early for you."
I see. He was as prickly as ever, but I sensed a clumsy sort of concern buried beneath the surface. Perhaps I was being too soft just because he’d brought some fish.
"I’m done here. Sorry for the trouble."
With that, Ramsey turned and walked away. I had Atri turn my wheelchair around.
"See you around."
Ramsey didn't look back, but he did stop. His back seemed slightly less rigid than before. After a few seconds of internal struggle, he let out a gruff, "...Yeah."
Then, he gave a brusque wave of his hand and disappeared.
—From that day on, even after returning to Le Bouquet, Ramsey would frequently show up with gifts of fish or fruit.
Every time he arrived, he wore the same scowl, leading us to whisper that his face had probably just frozen that way permanently.
In the early afternoon, since Yulitia was going to be putting all her effort into making dinner, I decided to train with Atri.
Because I didn't have my prosthetic, my options were limited to stretching and muscle training I could do in the room. I worked through exercises from my previous life, things Grandpa had taught me, and the rehabilitation routines from the church. With Atri’s support, I pushed myself. My restricted body provided a good challenge, and two hours passed in a flash.
However... there was a long, unblinking stare with unreadable emotions boring into the side of my face.
"...Hey, Atri."
"Hmm?"
"Isn't it boring, just watching me?"
"Not at all."
For some reason, Atri was staring at me intensely.
It was natural for her to watch me since she was helping me, but this was beyond that. Even when she wasn't actively assisting, she sat right next to me and sta-a-ared. It was as if she were refusing to let anything else enter her field of vision.
Atri? Even between close friends, being stared at like this was starting to feel a little awkward.
"I-Is it really that fun to watch?"
"Yeah."
Atri nodded slowly, a faint look of satisfaction crossing her face.
"Watching Wolka work hard... the way the sweat runs down your neck..."
"You don't have to watch that closely..."
"And, I was thinking about the 'future.'"
What kind of future are you seeing from watching me do push-ups?
"The people back home always trained like this when they were injured."
Ah, right—her warrior-race background. I’d heard her village started training people from the moment they were born. Whether it was elite education or just savagery, my memories of my previous life gave me a vision of people covered in bandages doing muscle training with bright smiles. What a terrifying place.
Still, being stared at wasn't entirely bad. It kept me alert, and I felt I was putting more effort into my training than usual. It seemed men really were the kind of creatures who wanted to show off when a girl was watching.
"Done?"
"No, just a bit more."
I decided to give it one last push—handstand push-ups. It was a routine most people couldn't manage, but with Strength, it was well within my capabilities.
Under Atri’s intense gaze, I focused my mind and began. My surroundings faded away as I lost myself in the movement. Ten more, ten more... I kept pushing until—
"...Hah, hah... Haaah...! Cough."
I’d overdone it.
"...Are you okay?"
"Hah, haaa... I, I might have... gone too far."
I collapsed onto the floor, staring up at the ceiling as I gasped for air. My arms had gone completely numb. I’d focused a little too hard on being "mindless."
"A-Atri... could you... get me... some water...?"
"..."
My stamina had dropped more than I’d realized. I needed to pull myself together—but for now, I needed a rest.
I lay there for a while, panting and drenched in sweat, when...
"...Mm."
"Ngh...? Atri...?"
Suddenly, Atri was straddling me, or rather, pinning me to the floor.
"............"
"A-Atri? The water..."
Being pinned to the floor while exhausted was an odd situation, but my brain was currently too short on oxygen to process it properly.
Atri pinned my wrists to the floor. Her eyes, looking down at me, held a strange, shimmering light that sent a shiver down my spine. She looked as if she were in a trance, yet also incredibly focused. Her expression was silent and unreadable. She inhaled and exhaled slowly, and then she gave a small, suggestive lick of her lips.
"Wolka—"
Finally, my head started to clear. Wait, what about the water? I was going to dry up at this rate—no, wait, more importantly, why was she on top of me? Atri, what on earth are you—
A sharp, rhythmic knock sounded at the door.
"..."
Still pinning me down, Atri looked toward the door. Please, let go... I need water. Give me water!
"Wolka-sama, are you in?"
"...Muu."
It was Anze’s voice. Atri reluctantly got off me and finally reached for the water on the table.
"Here, water."
"Th-Thanks..."
I finally got a drink and caught my breath as Atri opened the door.
"Ah, Atri-sama. Is Wolka-sama...?"
"He was training. He’s taking a break."
"Oh my."
"Anze, did something happen?"
As I regained my composure, Anze hurried over to me.
"Wolka-sama, thank you for your hard work!"
"Yeah... sorry for being a sweaty mess."
"Not at all! ...Here, let me wipe your face."
Wait, wait, don't use that expensive-looking handkerchief on me! Think about the value!
"Atri, a towel."
"Mm."
I managed to intercept her with a towel from Atri. Anze slumped her shoulders in disappointment, but—
"Anze, today is my day."
"I-I suppose so... then tomorrow, I shall assist you with every ounce of my being!"
"H-Haha..."
She was too bright. I’d thought Frixell was intense, but Anze was in a league of her own. Please, go easy on me tomorrow.
As for what she wanted, it was about the Prosthetic Upgrade Plan.
It was a project to obtain a high-quality prosthetic capable of withstanding my Quick-draw Technique. We were currently working through the church to negotiate with the best craftsmen in the country.
"Actually, a short while ago, a direct petition arrived from a certain workshop."
"A petition?"
"Yes. They requested a meeting to discuss the prosthetic directly with you."
Directly with me? To go as far as petitioning the church, they must have been quite serious.
"It was a bit of a sudden request, so we turned them away for today. We wanted to see if you would be interested in meeting with them later, Wolka-sama."
"I see."
Why would they be so desperate to talk to me? I was the kind of guy who fell asleep during magic lectures. I suspected it might be some kind of scam to sell me a weird prosthetic, taking advantage of my lack of knowledge.
"Hmm. What kind of people are they?" Atri asked.
Anze’s answer swept my suspicions away.
"They claim to have a blueprint for an unknown prosthetic left behind by a predecessor. They said they desperately wanted to use it to help you, Wolka-sama."
Heh. Well now. It seemed a rather interesting opportunity had just dropped into my lap.