And here is an apology chapter, for not having posted last weekend. I really am sorry about that.

The Heroes, Reunite

Although I was seen off by the students and had gone outside of the academy, because I had no way of knowing where the other three were, I went back to the Kitten’s Purr to pick up my luggage.

I thought I’d give Bernadette a word of farewell or something but she wasn’t at the Purr.

「If it’s the missy you’re looking for, she hasn’t come back yet, you know?」

Having been told before I even tried asking the question to Ossan who stuck his head out from the kitchen, I lowered the hand I had raised.

「Want me to tell the missy once she returns?」

……Just why are you so good at being considerate!

It’s already at the point where I can only think that you’re reading my mind you know?

「Then, mind if I have you do that?」

「I won’t accept a message of words of farewell you know?」

「Are you an ESPer or something!?」

「You damned fool. ……I’m just, your Senpai in life is all.」

While laugh with a 「Fu」, Ossan was wiping a cup. He looked so refined that, if the place were different, it was enough that I might have called him Master[1]……!

「You know, it’s because of that part of you that criticizes people right in their face that you aren’t popular.」

「What the heck, is this a sermon?」

「Call it advice, stupid Yuu.」

When I sit at a counter seat, Ossan poured milk into the glass he just wiped and put it in front of me.

「To make a man, moreover me, drink such dense milk, who’d benefit from that.」

「We aren’t a cafeteria for brats. What we give out is only either alcohol, water, or that.」

Saying that, Ossan sat down in the seat next to me.

When I reluctantly tried drinking it, how mysterious, it tasted refreshing.

「This is delicious.」

「It’s milk from the rare animal Fancy Sheep. It’s pretty expensive, you know?」

Isn’t Fancy Sheep that? The sheep that bares its teeth and has coarse pink fur. Seeming to be what women call cute, it’s a monster with enough popularity that you could catch sight of Fancy Sheep merchandise.

It’s a rare animal that is said to be fundamentally harmless, but, when it experiences fear, will scatter out a poisonous nerve gas and run away.

「I’m surprised that something as delicious as this could come from such a strange animal like that.」

「When a strange animal is delicious, the market price goes up as well without fail.」

Because both Ossan and I were people who didn’t think that rare animal was cute, we had a wry smile look.

「You leaving already?」

「……Well, I might’ve stayed here a bit too long after all.」

「Is that so. ……Having seen you after such a long time, it was fun, got it?」

Saying that, Ossan messed up my hair and went back into the kitchen.

「……Damn it, that kind of mess up my mood.」

I stood up after lightly fixing up my disheveled hair and then I left the Kitten’s Purr.

◇

「Kukeh」

「Ah~, like I said, don’t pout.」

The silver feathered Kulkel, Silber. I borrowed this guy from Sylvia but, maybe because I haven’t ridden him for a while, he was in a bad mood.

「Kukeh」

「Uwah, don’t peck at me. Huh? What about this?」

Being suddenly pecked at from behind, when I turn around to look, it seems that the pouch-type magic bag (in a fourth dimensional pocket way) that was attached to my waist was the target.

When I thought that, he undid the pouch’s fastener, and he held my leg in his mouth.

「My leg? ……Fuah!?」

By the time I noticed, I was being held in Silber’s mouth and dangling.

「Noaahh!? Silber! You, if you don’t want to be turned into yakitori, put me down rightuwahh! Stop! Stop it! Right now!! Quit iiiiiiittttttt!」

When I tried to yell at Silber to put me down, Silber shook me up and down as if to throw out all of the contents of the bag.

And then, just as it would in reality, the bedding, the tableware, the change of clothes, the daggers, the throwing spears, the twin swords, everything that was crammed into the pouch was thrown out, making clanking sound.

And then, finally, Silber swung like a pendulum and,

*Poi* (Toss)

tossed me away.

「Gefuh! ……Ugigi, why you little……Hn?」

Landing on my face, when I got up while enduring the pain, I lowered myself down to one knee in front of the scattered items.

「……Is it that? You saying “if you’re not going to ride on me, put this luggage on me”?」

「Kukeh」

Silber replied to my question with a slow cry.

Kulkel were one of the mountable animals that had popularity that rivaled horses. In some regions, especially in Leezelion, they are considered divine birds and are spread out even more than horses.

As for the Kulkels’ greatest characteristic, it’s their walking ability. They easily surpass horses in terms of maximum speed and are powerful enough to easily pull luggage no matter how heavy it is.

However, on the other hand, they don’t have stamina and if they were to run with all of their might, they wouldn’t even last ten minutes. And then they are more timid and sensitive than horses (it goes without saying that Silber’s sensitivity is shameless).

That’s how Kulkels are, but they possess an unusual mentality of liking having something heavy placed on their backs.

Silber probably wants to say 「If you’re not going to ride on me, at the very least put something on me」. He wouldn’t move away from in front of the scattered stuff.

…………

「I got it. However, dangerous things like the spears are not allowed, got it?」

Silber nodded with a *koku koku*, then, with his beak, picked up a rope that seemed to have fallen out of the pouch with the other stuff and handed it over to me.

Tie them up with this, is what he’s saying, isn’t it. Good grief.

「Yashiro, kun?」

「Ah?」

Saying things like daggers and spears, when I crouched down to gather up those objects that could never be called as livingware and put them inside of the pouch, I was suddenly called out to.

While thinking that it was a voice that I had heard before, when I turn around to look, what was there was Pretty Boy-kun, who was wearing white clothing that looked like it formal dress, looking down at me.

「It really is you! I sure am surprised. To think that you would really be here!」

When I grasp the hand that Pretty Boy-kun put out, Pretty Boy-kun pulled my arm and got me to stand up.

「It sure has been a while, Yashiro-kun. I had heard from Norn-san that you left to travel and thought that we just might meet up. But I didn’t really think that you’d be here.」

Without letting his smile disappear, Pretty Boy-kun struck my shoulder.

However, as if to halfway ignore how Pretty Boy-kun was amicably touching me, I chewed on the words that Pretty Boy-kun had leaked out of his mouth inside my head.

(There’s no mistake. There’s no mistake that he said Norn, right?)

I don’t know what happened after I had left, but it would seem that Pretty Boy-kun and the others had come into contact with Baba-chan. ……Now then, the question is what did Baba-chan tell them about me……

「Ba, ……So you know about Norn-san?」

「Yeah. Or rather, ever since we heard that you had gone to her side, we had only known the name, but the first time we met her was when the Queen of a country called Leezelion introduced us to her. It was at that time that we heard that you had gone on a journey.」

Leezelion……Sylvia huh.

Come to think of it, Luxeria held a festival-like victory commemoration or something, didn’t it.

Being the major power it is, I guess it’s natural that the Emperor of Leezelion would be invited to the political party. She does love that kind of formal stuff after all.

「Nevertheless, it’s great to see that you are looking healthy. I was surprised at the time that I heard that you suddenly went to the Guild head Norn-san’s side in order to learn defensive techniques. ……Since we also had various things going on, we couldn’t do anything but be concerned about you.」

……I see, so it’s that kind of setting, Baba-chan.

But still, various things, huh.

If I’m not mistaken, the time when you went at it with Agniera was after I had left, wasn’t it?

Having gotten out of danger numerous times, a feeling of being right here, right now. It was only for a moment, but gloom could be seen on Pretty Boy-kun’s face.

「Sorry about that, making you worry and all.」

「It’s fine, please don’t mind it at all. I’ve come to know that you’re in good health just like this. That itself is enough.」

What’s with this guy. Is he seriously a Pretty Boy by nature!?

Translator’s Notes:

[1] In Japan, bartenders and the like are often called Master.