Hey there, everyone. It’s been a looooong time, hasn’t it. So long that I can’t even come up with an excuse. So I’m just going to shut up and give you what I’ve got. Enjoy.

The Preceding Hero and the Large Sailing Ship

「U, uoooohh!! It’s huge~!!」

Right now, what was in front of me was a large transport ship floating in the ocean and it was swaying.

On the ship that had three masts lined up and had a design of the Heleott family crest plaited into the sail in a huge way, they were currently bringing in luggage to be transported.

「If it’s for you Sensei, we could have prepared a whole ship just for you……Is this really alright?」

Making his tough face look uneasy, Vodan-shi said that sounding apologetic.

“As thanks for resolving the incident, here’s a whole ship as a present!” is what Vodan-shi said, but I politely declined it.

「Ahaha……, It’s fine as long as I can go to Galarie……」

Even if I were to accept it, I at least know that the ship can’t move with only one or two people. It’ll become a useless object if it can’t move after all.

That’s why I got them to let me board a transport ship that was going to make a stop at Galarie.

It’s three days after the incident was resolved. ……It’s two days after the day that I embarrassingly cried in front of Bernadette.

Taking Bernadette, who made a full recovery after one day of rest, to pay a visit to Vodan-shi’s residence, we received an extravagantly warm reception that they called a modest expression of gratitude.

Leaving Bernadette, who had gone Food Buster for the first time in a while, alone, I got Vodan-shi to arrange plans for a ship.

「Ohh, it would seem that we made it in time.」

「Oh?」

When I turned my head to the voice that I knew, there was a middle-aged man with an appearance that had presence and a woman that walked nestled close next to him.

It was Falhart Enhans and Princess Mary Fi Crestolia.

「Yah, Yashiro-kun. Pardon us, our departure preparations took a bit of time.」

Beside Falhart who was expressing a gentle smile, Mary displayed a sullen look.

「Naturally, it will take time for a lady’s preparations!」

Well, that is true. For things like personal appearance, etc., girls take up a lot of time after all.

“In that case, wouldn’t it be fine if you start acting at a much earlier time” is something that should not be said.

That’s a promise with Onii-san.

「I see, so you two are departing Be Io. Have you decided your destination?」

「Fufufu. Yes, it’s a town of the southern countries, 『Lentenago』 of the southern Gehl Archipelago!」

Mary said that with a tension that sounded like she would laugh with an Oh~ ho ho ho! at any moment.

「Oh~ ho ho ho! Sir Falhart and I……Ahem. It will be a vacation of love with my h, husband!」

Ah, she really said it. Rather, if you’re going to get embarrassed about it, you don’t have to call him your husband.

Come to think of it, they did say something about a premarital trip. ……Come to think of it, what was the age difference between these two?

I wanted to speak ill of them with things like “you riajuus should explode” or “you damned lolicon” but since I felt that I totally didn’t have the right to say them, I can’t retort with them……!

「Yeah yeah, may you have happin–……っ!?」

As I was giving a halfhearted reply to the bashful Mary-san and Falhart-san, a shadow suddenly obstructed the sun.

Looking up at the sky with a snap, in my field of vision, I saw a muscular giant, Ulgan dropping down with his arms folded.

「Hmph!! ……Group Boss-dono, all of the moving of the cargo has finished.」

Making a thunderous *Don* sound as he landed on the ground, Ulgan lightly bowed his head to Vodan-shi with his arms still folded.

What the heck is the church’s priest doing by moving cargo around? It really does suit him though!

「Ohh, thanks for that, Priest-dono. That really helped.」

Vodan-shi did a hearty laugh with a *Gahaha*. With these two lined up together, there’s an “end-of-a-century”-like feeling to it.

「Yuu Yashiro. I had come to see you off but it seemed that I came a bit too early. And so I did some loading of cargo in place of exercise since I had some spare time.」

「Thanks for the explanation. Wait, you didn’t need to explain every little thing……」

「I did since you were making a face that went 「Why is a Priest loading cargo?」.」

I’m often told that by acquaintances like Sylvia, but does it really appear on my face that much?

「……」

「……」

Casually, the conversation paused, and we were at a loss of words for each other.

In the next moment,

*Gah!!*

「……Magnificent!」

「Same to you. I got chills.」

An arm that grazed past my face, and my fist that I pushed out right before Ulgan’s eyes.

To Ulgan who swung his stout arm, I turned away that fist of Ulgan with one hand and stepped in.

Having a moment of entanglement while confirming each other’s physical strength, Ulgan and I lightly tapped fists and did a handshake.

「Let us meet again someday.」

「Ou.」

Not needing many words, Ulgan folded his arms again and left.

「How envious. ……Yashiro-kun, how about having a battle with me as well?」

「If Sir Falhar……Ahem. If my husband is going to cross swords with you, I wish to request a battle with me as well.」

「Give me a break.」

Why do I have to fight right before my departure?

No, well, I did fight with Ulgan though.

「You’re awfully popular, aren’t you, Yuu Yashiro.」

「Kuushe! Is your body doing alright already?」

「All thanks to Bernadette.」

The one that appeared making clopping sounds was the demi-human that had a lower half of a horse, the Centuar tribe, Kuushe the Centaur.

Actually, Kuushe was hit with Stun magic like other people that were kidnapped. Until yesterday, she was able to move her head but her body had a paralysis condition and was unable to move.

「Fufun! It’s all thanks to one of the 48 Certain Heal Techniques, 『Paralysis Heal』[1], that is passed down in the church!」

Maybe because they were talking with each other earlier, Bernadette, who was beside Kuushe, talked with boastful energy.

「Wouldn’t it be fine with the normal healing magic, Cure?」

「That one is way too broad. There are several patterns of paralysis toxins and Cure works in practical use but the effect is weak, but for the Certain Heal Techniques, because the uses are separated from each other, there is a large variety and is hard to learn, but the effect is high in proportion to that.」

Fumu, I see.

「……Yuu Yashiro, I have been entrusted with a message from Patriarch Liishe. Would you listen to it?」

When Bernadette finished her explanation, Kuushe corrected her bearing.

「Of course.」

Since it seemed like a serious speech, I obediently nodded without screwing around.

「「We, the people of 『Keiron』, give you our deepest gratitude and respect. We, the people of 『Keiron』, will draw our bows at your enemies if it is for your sake, and will become horses if it is for your sake. May you have the best of luck on your heroic travels.」……That’s it.」

I’m surprised. No, as for what, even though it was lip service, she said they would become horses…… Maybe because of a persistence during their times with humans from the olden days, Centaurs tremendously hated being treated as 『horses』.

Despite that, they came and said “it’s alright if the entire tribe becomes horses!”

「……Three years ago, how you saved many different tribes and our brethren, the 『Ixio』 people, is famous. ……The second descent of the Hero, and how you once again saved our brethren, I’m sorry that it seems like I turned my back towards you but……I am deeply, deeply grateful. ……Thank you!」

Kuushe sat down in front of me, and greatly lowered her head.

Three years ago……In other words, when I was acting as the Hero, there were times where I saved many demi-humans that received persecution from the church.

「You don’t have to do that. I was just doing what I wanted after all.」

When I took a peek beside her, Bernadette lightly put her hands together, and apologized gesturing 「I told her」.

I didn’t really mind, but I don’t really want rumors to spread.

I’ll warn her afterwards.

Translator’s Notes:

[1] Original: マヒナオール. Might be a Doraemon game reference. Looking it up, I got to a wiki page for “Doraemon: Giga Zombie no Gyakushuu”