Vol 1 Chapter 12 (2/2)
“A?!”
“No… you’re not wrong”
“It’s all because you suck at fighting! You always got wounded and dragged us down! It’s all your fault!”
“STOP IT!” An angry voice roared Mogzo For a zo’s eyebroere knit tightly together in rage Haruhiro was taken aback He couldn’t believe that Mogzo was capable of beco with each other! Calm down, both of you!”
Haruhiro shi+fted in his chair “…Sorry”
“You too,” Ranta shrugged “You’re getting way too angry You need to calm down too”
When Mogzo glared at him, Ranta shrunk back “Sorry! I’ll be more careful from now on! Really, I mean it! There’s no need to be so mad…”
“Actually,” Mogzo took a gulp of beer and relaxed his shoulders “What we’re going to do froood question”
Haruhiro rubbed the back of his neck “I know, but I kinda don’t want to think about that right now Not that I really can think straight right now either”
“I’ll say one thing,” Ranta banged on the table with his tankard “I’ht it through and it’s i up how many times he’s saved our asses and you’ll understand”
“So,” Haruhiro glanced sidelong at Ranta “We do nothing? Isn’t that just as i to do about money? It costs oing to look for other jobs?”
Ranta frowned, resting his chin in his palms “That’s one option”
“It is for uild won’t just let you leave to take up another job,” Haruhiro pointed out
Ranta’s jaw dropped
“Or did you forget?”
“I didn’t forget! But… but once a Dread Knight, always a Dread Knight? fuck! Why did I becoht!?”
Mogzo let out a long, heavy sigh “Other work…”
“Hey!” The voice that greeted the before When he looked over in that direction, the person it belonged to was also fauys! I don’t re? Staying young?”
“Kikkawa…” Haruhiro blinked a few times
There was no o-lucky face of his It was Happy-Go-Lucky Kikkawa But he looked different now, or at least his appearance did He donned ar and had a sith a fancy poear, it looked like he was a Warrior
“Yo yo!” Kikkawa’s grin stretched froh-fives froh-fived him automatically
Without asking, Kikkawa planted hizo “Beers, beers! Are beers for everyone okay? Beers!” He called the serving girls and ordered “So! So so so! How’s everything? How’s everything going? How are you guys? Bringing in lots of uys are working in that area, right? I heard! I heard! A little while ago, I met Manato here so I heard it fro?”
Kikkaas as annoyingly upbeat as ever A bit overwhel well” Perhaps a bit too honestly “Actually, Manato’s… Manato’s a little… well, not a little, but…”
“What?!” Kikkawa tilted himself backwards “What hat?! No! No way! No waaaaaaaaaaaaay! H-h-he’s GOING TO GET MARRIED!?”
“No way!” Haruhiro said, sht-e out of their sockets, but Haruhiro didn’t regret hitting him a bit
“…That’s not it,” Ranta said, his expression sour “He’s dead Got killed yesterday”
“Whoa…” Kikkawa rubbed the back of his head at the saed on his chin “I’m sorry Sorry Really, really sorry, okay? I didn’t ht that he would die I always thought that he was a guy that could get things done, but of a different sort froet them, those kinds of people, that is, but… Hey! Our drinks are here! Alright! Chee–I guess this really isn’t the time for cheers Well, let’s just drink then”
Haruhiro craned his neck left then right He suddenly felt extre okay, Kikkawa Did you find a party to join?”
“Yep! Aluy nauy, but kinda dimwitted Is he here? I’ll introduce you…”
“No, don’t worry about it”
“I see I guess there’s no hurry Manato was a Priest right? The backbone of your party? The death rates for Priests are not low, coets”
Mogzo slowly shi+fted his gaze to Kikkawa “Really?”
“Isn’t that obvious?” Kikkawa gulped enthusiastically froht, Priests Enemies know that Priests are a party’s healer so it makes sense to kill them first And Warriors like me? We put ourselves between them and the enemy in order to protect the Priest That’s how the course of a fight usually goes The basic course, anyway”
Mogzo buried his face in his hands “…I didn’t protect him at all All I did was ask him to help me all the time…”
Kikkawa patted Mogzo on the shoulder in sympathy, as an old friend would Except that he wasn’t “Don’t kick yourself over it Everyone fails at some point or another Mistakes and errors are hoe discover the right path It’s okay, everything will be okay”
“But…” Mogzo shook his head “Manato isn’t co back”
“True,” Kikkawa raised both hands in acquiescence “That’s true, but the way I see it, you gotta keep going forward You ht think that I can only say stuff like that because I’ve never had a teaet killed, but on the other hand, I can say that because I’ve never had a tea? Whatever, but for now, don’t look back, just keep looking to what’s ahead”
Haruhiro’s gaze fell to the earthenware tankards resting in a line on the table Was Kikkawa saying that he shouldn’t be looking doards like this? There was no reason to heed a word of anything Kikkawa had said, but ould Manato think? Manato didn’t have to use words to tell any of them which direction to face He created an atmosphere where everyone would naturally look forward to the future
“Even if ere to go on,” Ranta began, half“It doesn’t matter what’s ahead We don’t have a Priest anymore Our party”
Kikkawa looked at the so what? “So how about searching? For another Priest Wait I knohat you want to say ‘There’s no Priest ould want to join a trainee’s party’ Aht my Crimson Moon contract I’m a full member now Want to see? Want me to show you?”
“Not really,” Haruhiro sighed “But you just said it yourself No Priest is going to want to join our party”
“Actually… there is someone…” Kikkawa said
“What?”
“I know a lot of people and a lot of people know me Crimson Moon members, that is There’s soht be able to recruit”
Ranta leaned forith interest “Who?”
“But before that!” Kikkawa looked at each of theain? Sorry! I’ve been trying to reain?”