Chapter 296: Takatsuki Makoto reunites with the Moon Oracle (1/2)

“Eh?”

Furiae-san was making a face as if she had just met a ghost in broad daylight.

It has been 1,000 years.

Despite that, she still looks beautiful in my eyes. But right now she is opening her mouth wide and making a dumbfounded expression.

“Heya there, it has been a while.” (Makoto)

I raised a hand and greeted Furiae-san, and she went ‘hah!’.

And then, her eyes swam for a moment there.

…Suuh.

And her face changed to an expressionless one.

“Princess?” (Makoto)

“…Who are you speaking to?” (Furiae)

Furiae-san turned her face away and said this coldly.

Eh?

It is different from what I thought.

(Oh my oh my, the now Queen of Laphroaig has become cold to Makoto~.) (Noah)

I heard the teasing voice of Noah-sama.

Does this attitude mean that?

(Right now Furiae-chan is the ruler of a country, you know? Her standing is way too different to a commoner like you, Makoto.) (Noah)

(I see…is that how it works?) (Makoto)

She is a past travelling companion of mine, but she is now a queen.

Compared to that, I am a former Hero commoner.

There’s a big gap between us.

It probably can’t be helped.

“I am glad to see you are doing well. See ya.” (Makoto)

I managed to fulfill my objective of reuniting with Furiae-san and greeting her.

I did feel a slight hint of sadness, but I thought that I shouldn’t be staying any longer.

I turned around and decided to leave.

Because I jumped here with Teleport, I don’t know my current location, but I should head to the inn for now.

Just when I was thinking that…

“Ah…that’s not it, wait…” (Furiae)

I heard a voice from behind.

When I turned around, my eyes made contact with Furiae-san who was stretching her hand over here.

I think she told me to wait, so I stopped my feet.

“…”

“…”

We look at each other just like that for a while.

I waited for her next words, but they weren’t coming.

A silent time continued.

“W-What are you staring at me so much for! So lecherous!” (Furiae)

Furiae-san covers her body with both hands as if hiding it.

…What’s with this woman?

Just when I was troubled with how to respond to all this, a shadow suddenly covered me.

Just before I could tell what it was…

“Waah! Move out of the way, Makoto!”

“Ah, Fu-chan!”

I heard a loud voice from above.

“Gue.” (Makoto)

I let out that voice as I ended up being crushed below them.

“…Oi, Lucy.” (Makoto)

“S-Sorry, Makoto!” (Lucy)

I spit out the sand that went into my mouth as I looked at Lucy reproachfully.

Looks like they came here with Teleport.

Right on top of me.

“Furiae-sama! Are you okay?!”

“You bastards! Where did you come from?!”

“Miscreants! Capture them!”

It must be because we were shouting.

A whole lot of knights came in in droves.

When I look closely, there’s also the close aide of Furiae-san, Havel, who we met the other day.

Wasn’t he supposed to not be here?

“What are you doing?! Knock down those ruffians!”

“Yes! Leave it to—wait, isn’t that…”

“The two of the Crimson Fangs?”

“…Capure…Lucy-sama and Aya-sama…? Us?”

“We can’t.”

“We are the ones who will get knocked down.”

Looks like the bodyguards of Furiae-san were indecisive after seeing that the other party is Lucy and Sa-san.

As expected of famous people.

“Takatsuki Makoto! To think you would sneak past the eyes of the bodyguards and approach Furiae-sama. Normally, this would merit severe punishment, but I will let this one go for this time only! Leave at once!” (Havel)

The close aide Havel said this threateningly.

Telling me to leave at once.

(…I approached the Queen of the Moon Country without permission, so is it okay to just drive me off?) (Makoto)

It felt slightly off, but it would be troubling if we were to take our sweet time here and then they just go ‘changed my mind, off with your heads!’.

‘Excuse the intrusion. I will leave at once’, is what I was about to say, but there were people who wanted to put some words in.

There’s no need to confirm. It was Lucy and Sa-san.

“Hey, Furi! Makoto came to meet you, you know?!” (Lucy)

“That’s right. You wanted to meet him that much!” (Aya)

“…”

Furiae-san was silent at the words of the two.

“Wait! Furiae-sama is currently tired and…” (Havel)

“Shut up, Havel! Want to eat a Fireball?!” (Lucy)

“I am going to punch your face in, Havel-kun.” (Aya)

“…..Right.” (Havel)

Havel-kun went in to stop this, but Lucy’s threatening attitude and Sa-san pressure made him withdraw in low spirits.

Is he really a leader of the Moon Country?

“Furi! Why aren’t you saying anything?!” (Lucy)

“What’s happened to you, Fu-chan?!” (Aya)

Even with that, Furiae-san was silent.

“We are causing way too much trouble here already. Let’s leave.” (Makoto)

I decided to pull away these two who were complaining.

Seeing this, Havel made a relieved expression.

“There’s a mountain of things we have to do with the next 3rd Nothern Expedition. We have no time to spare for a retired Hero! Just return to Rozes and relax in a hot spring or something, Former Hero!” (Havel)

Despite the negative tone, he directed kind words at me.

Also, there was one detail that bothered me in what he said.

3rd Northern Expedition, huh…

I should ask the details from Princess Sofia or Sakurai-kun.

“Hmph! Makoto will soon be back to being a Country Designated Hero!” (Lucy)

“That’s right. When that happens, he will be a related party in the Northern Expedition since he will be a Hero of the Water Country!” (Aya)

The one who reacted to the words of Lucy and Sa-san was Furiae-san who has been silent all this time.

“What did you say?!” (Furiae)

Her inexpressive face changed to shock as she turned here.

Our eyes met.

“Princess?” (Makoto)

“T-That’s not it!” (Furiae)

She went ‘hah!’ again and turns her face away.

She is mumbling something really low.

Havel directs his eyes at me.

“…Takatsuki Makoto…you are going to go back to being a Country Designated Hero?” (Havel)

That threatening attitude of before suddenly simmered down as he asked this.

I have no obligation to answer.

I was wondering what I should do about this and…

“That’s right! Princess Sofia is already doing the procedures!” (Lucy)

“Takatsuki-kun has all the intentions of fighting the Great Demon Lord after all~.” (Aya)

Lucy and Sa-san seem to be answering for me, so I decided to just leave it to them.

Havel didn’t react much to that response.

But Furiae-san who was looking back was trembling.

“So it seems, Furiae-sama.” (Havel)

“…”

Havel speaks to Furiae-san.

Furiae-san’s voice was so low I couldn’t hear it.

“Takatsuki Makoto, you have defeated a Demon Lord in Spring Log, aided the Light Hero in the defeat of the Beast King Zagan, and even fulfilled the oracle of the Sun Goddess Althena. You are already a legend of Rozes who has achieved plenty enough. There’s no need to fight anymore. Why are you seeking to battle even more?” (Havel)

That was one long talk he gave there.

“Even if you ask me why…” (Makoto)

‘Because there’s a Demon Lord’, I decided not to make that stupid and baffling statement.

“If there’s a Demon Lord, Takatsuki-kun will go!” (Aya)