Arc 2 - Chapter 13: Establishment of the New Party (3/3)

"Are you getting along well with Yurine? From what you say, she seems to have gotten used to you."

She was talking about the incident Yu told to embarrass Yurine. Yurine had wet herself and Yu had to sleep next to her.

"Has Yurine gotten used to me?"

Yurine called him a murderer.

That was because Yu had caused her mother's death.

Then he committed another murder in front of her.

He thought Yurine wouldn't like him, he believed that she didn't like him, but somehow after the Wizarding Academy, Yurine started to get closer to Yu.

"Do I deserve such a thing? Can I be loved? Can someone love me, knowing who I am?"

Today was the best day Yu had ever had since he came into this world. If he could strip his memories of the First World of his older sisters, he could say it was the best day of his entire life.

He knew that the warmth he felt when he ran with Yurine in his arms and she rested her head on his shoulder was special.

He wanted to be loved, and being loved made him happy to the point of tears.

"But do I deserve to be loved?"

He realized now that he had felt good even during the debate at the Wizarding Academy. In fact, he had always felt good after that moment.

Although it hadn't been that long, remorse hadn't bothered Yu for a while. It was all thanks to having Yurine by his side.

At first he thought their relationship was going to be brother and sister, but suddenly it was father and daughter, and Yu was happy about it, and because he was happy about it, he accepted it very quickly.

Yurine loved him, even if she hadn't done anything special to make him love her. The fact that she loved him made him forget the thoughts that plagued him when he spent time with her.

"But how can I forget? Why do I think I have to feel bad?"

He wanted to feel good, he wanted to be happy.

"I'm not even sure what to think, I'm just going straight ahead."

"I was asking a simple question, is there a problem that you need to think about?" Lucia brought her face closer to Yu's and he felt her warm, odorless breath.

"The problems are with myself, it was exciting to think that I could be loved."

Lucia didn't understand him.

"Isn't it normal for Yurine to get used to me right away? I'm a great person after all."

As the rain stopped, he could see the rainbow outside the window. He wondered when he had last seen a rainbow. He had several memories, but he couldn't remember which was the most recent.

"I'm the only one who can share Yurine's secrets, which inevitably strengthens the relationship. It's not nice that she doesn't have any friends other than me, though."

"I can understand. I had a lonely childhood too, because low birth rates."

"You say it like it was a century ago."

"It was."

If she says she had a lonely childhood, the age difference between her and Lucie must have been big. At least compared to the lifespans of human beings.

"Actually, I know a sword fairy, she's older than Yurine, but it might make her feel better to chat with someone of her own kind."

"Another sword fairy... I don't know, I'm not sure."

"Every child needs to go for a walk with a close friend. What's bothering you?"

"Which one should I say?"

The first was that he was terrified of losing Yurine. The second was the possibility of an epilepsy attack while she was away. Even though he had an attack in his first week on this world and never had one after that, he couldn't let his guard down. The third was the strange-looking man.

"I don't want to let her out while some strange man is looking for Yurine. She can probably protect herself better than I can protect her, but if something happens to her..." Yu couldn't forgive himself.

"Nerissa is an adult and a very powerful fairy, Yurine will be safe with her. I don't think things like kidnapping in broad daylight will happen."

It would have been good for Yurine to have a friend. Maybe because Yu was an adult, Yurine couldn't talk to him about everything she wanted.

Lucia had said that the other sword fairy was also an adult, but Yurine might warm up to her more easily because they were of the same species.

It scared him that someone else would get along better with Yurine than he did, but he would accept it for Yurine's sake.

"If you say so, I think it will be good for Yurine. Of course, I'll get to meet Nerissa too."

"Of course. They should be back from their mission next week, I'll talk to Nerissa and ask her then."

"Thank you."

Out of the corner of Yu's eye, a white girl appeared, Yurine coming out of the bathroom.

"What do you want to ask from this person you mentioned?"

"I thought you fell in the hole, you stood too long."

"Don't be silly, I don't do such things. Now I order you to answer me."

"No, it's a secret."

He didn't want Yurine to find out today, it would be a surprise for her.

"When did I give you the right to keep secrets from me? You will tell me, I command you!"

"How sweetly you give orders."

When Yurine sat down next to him, he pulled her close to him with his left hand.

"Your..." As if she had discovered something much more important, Yurine forgot about what she had just said and opened her eyes wide and looked at Yu's right hand. "Why is that elf holding your hand? You pervert, are you seducing girls?"

"Uh..." Yu was not at all uncomfortable with a beautiful girl holding his hand, so he didn't pull it back. "Are you jealous of me?"

"NONSENSE!"

"Okay, let's not shout and draw attention to ourselves."

He pulled his hand away and made Yurine, who had stood up to shout, sit back down.

Lucia was laughing. "Then let me tell you something else."

"What do you want to say?"

"How about being an adventurer?"

What had previously been a topic of discussion between him and Yurine was brought up again. When the subject first came up, Yu had refused, thinking that adventurism would be dangerous.

Lucia's purpose in bringing this up now could not have been to ignite a fight between the two of them again. Yu became quiet and listened to what she had to say.

"Not everyone who is an adventurer has to go and hunt monsters, there are adventurers who do simpler jobs. Now that you've signed up with a team from the adventurers' guild and you're going to do a quest from the adventurers' guild, it might be useful to get at least a dog tag."

"What good can it do?"

"This mission is in the middle class, and if you get an adventurer's tag, you can increase your rank a little bit. I know you don't have an eye for adventuring, but if you want to do something adventurous later on, this will come in handy. Also..." Lucia was about to make an offer that Yu couldn't easily refuse. "...If you have adventurer tags, you can stay and eat cheaply in adventurer guilds in other regions during your quest. It is also sometimes useful to show people your adventurer tag. I think these things will be useful to you."

"You've already won me over by saying cheap."

If he had received this information earlier, he might not have had to argue with Yurine. Then he felt bad for rejecting Yurine.

"What do you think, Yurine?"

"I thought you didn't want to be an adventurer."

"Would it surprise you if I changed my mind?"

The only source of income was child benefit, which was not high by Rolderhelm standards. It was useful for families with a separate source of income, but on its own it was a low source.

Not only would their income be insufficient, but their expenses would increase with the task ahead of them. If this was the case, cheap accommodation and food was an offer Yu could not say no to.

It also made Yurine's dream of adventure come true.

"Adventurers, then."

Yurine smiled slightly. After Lucia enrolled them in the adventurer's guild and issued their tags, they left the guild to find out what the guards who were looking for them wanted.