Chapter 18 - 18: Dragon Engraved Hourglass (2/2)
Talking with this guy was such a pain.
I turned my back on Motoyasu and ignored him while heading back to the clock tower's entrance.
”What in the name of Melromarc, Motoyasu-sama is talking to you! Open your ears wide and pay attention to him.”
A fangirl bitch from behind Motoyasu said as they all glared at me with eyes full of contempt and bloodlust.
After that came the stereotypical mockery. They began to provoke me by sticking out their tongues and jeering.
This bitch, I'll kill her someday.
”Naofumi-sama? Who are these people...?”
Raphtalia inclined her head and pointed at Motoyasu's group.
”...”
I tried to walk away, deciding that it was best to simply leave and not answer her.
At that same moment, Itsuki came waltzing through the entrance.
”Tsk.”
”Oh, Motoyasu-san and... Naofumi-san.”
Itsuki seemed displeased with me clicking my tongue at him, but his 'good boy' features soon returned.
”...”
Ren had also come and walked up to us in silence, pretending to act cool. His equipment was undoubtedly much stronger than when his journey began.
And then, both of their companions popped up one after another.
The population within the clock tower quickly escalated.
4 + 12 + 1
We, the four summoned heroes, along with the twelve adventurers chosen by the king, and finally Raphtalia.
That added up to a grand total of 17 people, a rather disappointing amount of troops for the impending threat.
”Haa...”
”Just who is this beauty? She's simply adorable.”
Motoyasu pointed at Raphtalia and uttered.
This guy, he's fine with anyone as long as they're female?
To think that a hero would ŀust after a little girl... this country was finished.
On top of that, he approached Raphtalia with filthy motives while affectionately introducing himself.
”Nice to meet you, young miss. I was summoned to this world as one of the four great heroes. Please call me by my name, Kitamura Motoyasu. I'm honored to make your acquaintance.”
”Ah, yes... so you are one of those heroes.”
Raphtalia nodded timidly while her eyes eluded his gaze.
”May I have the pŀėȧsurė of knowing your name?”
”Umm...”
A troubled Raphtalia looked over at me and darted her glance back to Motoyasu.
”I'm Ra-Raphtalia. It's nice to meet you.”
She had probably guessed that I was quite ticked off. I understood that much from the cold sweat running down her face.
This girl also wanted to ditch me and join Motoyasu's fanclub, didn't she?
Goddamn it, I already tried making a peaceful retreat here, so why did these bastards still have to fuċk with my heart?
”What's your business here today, cutie? For what purpose are you carrying around such a dangerous sword and equipment?”
”I am here to fight along with Naofumi-sama, that's why.”
”Hah? For Naofumi?”
Motoyasu turned and stared at me with eyes full of suspicion.
”... The hell are you looking at?”
”You fiend, why are you dragging such a cute girl into these dangerous places?”
Motoyasu said while looked down on me with his eyes.
”I don't need to tell you the reason, ȧsshole.”
”And here I thought you would shoulder this battle alone... so you're just leeching off Raphtalia's kindness in the end.”
”Damn, delusional retard.”
The trash spewing out from this son of a bitch, who trusted this parallel world's biggest whore more than a fellow hero, was seriously beginning to piss me off.
I headed toward Itsuki and Ren's direction in order to make my exit.
Those two and their merry companies opened up a path for me.
”Let's meet again during the wave.”
”Don't be a burden to us.”
I walked pass them with Itsuki giving off a professional response, while Ren gave a cruel, bossy one like a real lone wolf hero.
Surprised by my suddenness, Raphtalia quickly rushed over to my side while looking around restlessly.
”I'm going.”
”Ah, hai! Naofumi-sama!”
After hearing my voice, she finally returned to her energetic self.
Good grief, that was painfully unpleasant.
Exiting the clock tower at long last, I quickly pass through the castle town and made a beeline towards the meadow, growing more and more frustrated with each passing second.
”Um, Naofumi-sama? What happened to you?”
”Nothing really...”
”Back then...”
”What?”
”Never mind...”
Sensing my awful mood, Raphtalia hung her head dejectedly as she followed behind me.
... Then a wild Balloon appear!
Raphtalia immediately unsheathed her sword.
”Wait, let me handle this one alone.”
”Eh... but--”
”Just let me!”
Raphtalia cowered in surprise from my sudden shout.
The Balloon appeared before my eyes.
”Ora ora ora ora!”
Shit! Shit shit shit shit shit shit!
Distracting myself by pummeling the balloon, I was able to calm down a little.
I checked the remaining time from the corner of my vision.
18:01
18 more hours.
I needed to do what I could until then.
After that, I went on a Balloon Hunt and collected medical meadow herbs along the way.
They still needed to be compounded into beneficial medicine in preparation for the incoming wave.
Then came the evening... after returning to the inn to rest, Raphtalia humbly spoke to me.
”Naofumi-sama.”
”... What?”
”This morning, those people were heroes just like Naofumi-sama, right?”
”... Urg.”
She had to remind me of that terrible experience.
And here I had finally forgotten about it after all that diversion.
”Just... what happened between all of you?”
”I don't want to talk about it. If you want to know then go to a bar and ask around.”
No one believed me when I told them the truth anyway. This girl was probably the same as the lot of them.
However, a big difference between Raphtalia and others was that she was my slave.
If she refused my orders, tried to escape, or rebelled against me then she would be tormented by the curse.
Judging it was for the best, Raphtalia didn't press the issue since I wasn't going to talk.
To prepare for tomorrow, I compounded medicines until I fell asleep; I continued doing so for a long while.