Chapter 48
“Phew.”
Wiping the sweat off my forehead with one hand, I looked ahead. A massive fortress and city gates, with a long line of people trying to enter. It was clear that this place was a major stronghold of the kingdom.
“Is this it?”
“Yes, this is the capital of the Vesta Kingdom, Poclum.”
So, the regular reporting meeting is being held here. I heard the largest city in the Vesta Kingdom is somewhere else, but Poclum was still quite sizable.
The claim that it rivals Athene didn’t seem like an exaggeration.
“…We’re back, huh.”
Selin, standing next to me, let out a deep sigh.
Hmm… I guess she really doesn’t want to go back. Well, who would want to keep working with a colleague like that?
“Saint Selin, relax. If Levius’s attitude is still as bad as ever, you can just stick with us.”
“…Really?”
“Yeah.”
It might be a bit inefficient, but isn’t two potions better than one? Plus, it’ll lighten the burden on the saint a bit.
That’s what I thought when I said it, but the saint got all huffy and asked why I was making decisions without consulting her.
“Hero, what do you mean by that without even discussing it with me?”
“If Selin shares the responsibility of healing me, it’ll be less tiring for you, right? Wouldn’t that be better for you too?”
“No, it wouldn’t!”
…Was that really necessary? And what’s the reason it’s a no?
“Is there a reason it’s a no?”
“Because… just no!”
“…Huh?”
What do you mean, “just no,” you brat?
“You’re always exhausted when you heal me after I get seriously injured. Why can’t we share that burden?”
“Hero.”
Selin spoke up as I was arguing with the saint, not understanding her reasoning.
“I’m fine. Once this regular reporting meeting is over, I’ll return to Hero Levius.”
…Back to that hell?
“…There’s no need for that. I’ll convince Saint Estelle…”
“I understand Saint Estelle’s feelings, so you don’t need to worry about me.”
…You understand the saint’s feelings? Am I the only one who doesn’t get it?
“…Saint, do you really have to send Selin back like that?”
“…She’s just returning to her original position.”
“So you’re saying you’re sending her back to someone like Levius? Don’t you feel sorry for Selin’s situation?”
The saint narrowed her eyes and glared at me.
Well, did I say something wrong? I’m right.
“…You idiot…”
“Huh?”
“I don’t know! Do whatever you want, Hero!”
…Huh, why are you sulking?
I was so dumbfounded I didn’t even feel like trying to cheer her up.
“…Alright! I’ll do as I please, then!”
“…Hmph!”
Fine, let’s see who wins. Stay sulky all day!
#
Selin was in a tough spot. The reason she said she’d return to Levius was simple. She knew what kind of feelings Estelle had when she opposed the hero’s suggestion.
Selin didn’t intend to interfere. She didn’t have feelings for Abel, and she already knew Estelle did.
If she were in Estelle’s position, liking the hero, she probably would’ve opposed bringing in another female companion too. Besides, the role of a saint only required one person by the hero’s side.
Selin spoke to Abel and Estelle, who were glaring at each other without saying a word.
“…Hero, Saint Estelle. Why are you two fighting?”
“…I don’t know.”
Estelle turned her head away and didn’t answer. Selin made a troubled expression at her attitude.
‘…Does the hero really not understand Saint Estelle’s feelings at all?’
Honestly, even if he teases her a bit too much, anyone could notice Estelle’s actions toward Abel. But whether he’s pretending not to notice or genuinely doesn’t know, Abel didn’t show any signs of understanding.
‘…This is frustrating.’
The two didn’t exchange a single word until they entered the banquet hall.
The three of them entered the banquet hall without even having time to tidy up their appearances, causing a stir among the people.
“Oh my, who is that…?”
“That’s Hero Abel from the Mars Empire.”
“He’s so handsome, hoho.”
The noblewomen immediately started praising Abel’s looks, and Selin could somewhat agree. Even without any special grooming, his looks were striking.
Then, a woman approached them. With dazzling golden hair and deep blue eyes like the ocean, there was no one on the continent who didn’t know her.
“Abel.”
“…Elfride!”
It was Elfride Batory, known as the strongest among the current heroes. Abel greeted her with a smile, and Elfride smiled back, pleased to see him.
“You’ve had a long journey. You must be tired.”
“Haha, it was really hot.”
“The weather’s been getting hotter lately. It’s been a while, Saint Estelle.”
Estelle, who had been avoiding Abel’s gaze, glanced at Elfride.
“…Estelle, faithful servant of the Goddess Solaria, greets Hero Elfride.”
Her tone was stiff and formal, and her voice didn’t sound happy. Seeing Estelle like this, Elfride asked Abel.
“Abel, what’s wrong with Saint Estelle?”
“…I don’t know.”
“…You don’t know?”
Elfride was a bit taken aback by Abel’s curt tone. Come to think of it, the two hadn’t been looking at each other since earlier.
‘…I don’t know what happened, but they must’ve fought.’
It was clear just from seeing Estelle, who had previously tried to distance herself from Abel, standing quietly.
Elfride didn’t know why they fought, but she thought this was the perfect opportunity. She decided to get closer to Abel while the saint wasn’t interfering.
As Elfride turned her gaze to Abel, she noticed another woman beside him and was startled.
“…Saint Selin?”
“It’s been a while, Hero Elfride.”
It was Selin, the saint from the Rudria Church who had fled from Levius’s side and was now with Abel. Elfride asked Abel what was going on.
Abel explained the whole situation to Elfride.
“…So, I thought it wouldn’t be right to send Saint Selin back to the church. That’s why we’ve been traveling together recently.”
Hearing the story, Elfride’s brows furrowed. She couldn’t believe Levius had acted so recklessly after their fight.
“…I’ll formally protest to Levius. That guy needs to be disciplined.”
At Elfride’s sharp words, Selin waved her hand to stop her.
“There’s no need for you to do that, Hero Elfride. This is between me and Hero Levius.”
“If a junior hero is going down the wrong path, it’s my role to correct them.”
“Really, it’s fine. You don’t need to worry about it…”
“…Selin?”
Just then, a familiar voice called out. Selin quickly turned around, and Elfride and Abel also looked in that direction.
It was a man with short red hair—Levius Grosspel.
#
Levius was puzzled. Selin, who had run away from him and showed no intention of returning, was here. And she was with Abel, that commoner hero.
‘Why is she here with him?’
Levius narrowed his eyes. He wanted to demand why she was with Abel, but noticing the attention from the surroundings, he quickly changed his expression.
“Selin! Where have you been? Do you know how worried I’ve been?”
Instead of confronting her, Levius greeted Selin with a sly smile. Selin frowned at his attitude, but Levius ignored it and spoke to her.
“I’m sorry about what happened before. I’ll apologize properly, so let go of your anger and come back.”
It was an apology without a shred of sincerity. But to the onlookers, it would seem like Levius was humbly asking Selin to return.
Realizing Levius had planned this situation, Selin sighed. If she refused his apology here, she would be the one who looked bad.
Just as Selin was about to accept Levius’s offer, someone next to her…
Elfride let out a forced laugh.
“Ha…”
“Elfride, why are you glaring at me so fiercely? If you’re still holding a grudge from last time, I’ll apologize. Please, let go of your anger.”
Elfride was about to retort to Levius’s shameless attitude, but Selin stopped her.
“Hero Elfride, if you start a fight in this atmosphere, it will only harm your reputation.”
Elfride couldn’t argue with Selin’s words. To the nobles who didn’t know the full context, it only looked like Levius was apologizing for his mistakes and seeking forgiveness.
If Elfride criticized Levius in such a situation, the nobles would undoubtedly see her in a bad light. Selin was trying to prevent such a disaster.
“…Selin, come here. Let’s have a reconciliation hug or something. It’s not like we’ve done anything serious enough to drift apart. I think it was just a minor mistake.”
A minor mistake. Selin almost let out a bitter laugh at those words but managed to keep her expression in check.
“You left me too. We both made mistakes, so why don’t we just let this go?”
Levius spread his arms as if he really wanted to hug her. Reconciliation was one thing, but why a hug?
Contrary to Selin’s thoughts, Levius was trying to show the nobles that he was remorseful, hoping to restore his tarnished reputation.
In that sense, this exaggerated gesture was an effective tactic. Selin was a sharp woman. She wouldn’t refuse his offer in this atmosphere. That’s what Levius thought as he acted.
Selin let out a deep sigh but walked over to Levius. She decided it was the right thing to do.
Even though she had impulsively asked Abel to take her in as a companion, she realized while being with him that her presence wouldn’t be of much help to Abel.
Compared to Estelle, who was by Abel’s side, Selin felt she couldn’t contribute much. If only their roles didn’t overlap, she might have had something to do.
With a sense of regret, Selin walked over to Levius, who greeted her with a cheerful voice.
“Let’s forget the past and start anew, Selin.”
“…Listening to you makes me sick.”
The voice that followed wasn’t Selin’s. It was a man’s voice from behind her. At the same time, a loud *thud* echoed through the hall.
“Ugh…!?”
A sudden punch landed on Levius’s nose. Caught off guard by the unexpected attack, Levius fell backward.
Selin, Elfride, and all the nobles in the banquet hall were stunned.
And for good reason—the person who threw the punch was…
“…Hero Abel!?”
It was Abel. He growled at Levius, who was now sitting on the floor.
“You, do you really have no shame?”
#
The hall buzzed with chatter over Abel’s sudden action.
“Did… did Hero Abel just punch Hero Levius…?”
“…He’s insane.”
“Why would he do that?”
While everyone was in shock, the most bewildered was Levius himself.
The embarrassment of being caught off guard by a sudden attack, and the fact that it was Abel, a commoner, who did it.
Levius was furious and shouted at Abel.
“What the hell are you doing!? Have you lost your mind, Hero Abel!?”
“Shut your mouth, you filthy bug.”
“What…?”
Levius exploded with anger at Abel’s blatant disrespect.
“How dare a commoner like you lay a hand on me, the heir of the Grosspell family, and then insult me!? I won’t let this slide!”
“You’re mad that I laid a hand on you, but…”
Abel looked down at Levius with disgust and loudly exposed his misdeeds.
“How can you call what you did to Saint Selin a ‘minor mistake’?”
“What do you know…!?”
“You laid hands on a saint representing an entire church and call it a minor mistake? Do you have no conscience!?”
The nobles buzzed at Abel’s words.
“…Did Hero Levius hit the saint?”
“Is… is that true?”
“If it’s true, as a follower of the Rudria Church, I can’t tolerate this.”
The nobles’ gazes turned to Levius, demanding an explanation. Sensing the shift in the atmosphere, Levius quickly tried to explain.
“N-no! Everyone, are you really going to believe this commoner’s words!? How could I ever lay a hand on the saint of the church!?”
Despite his explanation, some sharp nobles had already figured it out. Selin, who had suddenly fled from Levius and returned with another hero, and Abel, who was now berating Levius, told them all they needed to know.
Moreover, regardless of the facts, this commotion was juicy gossip. The gossip-loving nobles were already enjoying tearing Levius apart.
“Damn it…”
Levius trembled with rage. But he knew that the regular reporting meeting was about to start, and losing his temper here would only further damage his reputation.
“…Selin, come back.”
Levius, suppressing his anger, looked at Selin. It was his final plea to her.
But instead of looking at Levius, Selin glanced at Abel. Seeing this, Abel declared to Levius.
“I’ll be taking Saint Selin with me.”
“…Hah!”
Levius was furious. No matter how much he had messed up, he thought Selin choosing that commoner was ridiculous.
“Did you fall for that lowlife in such a short time?”
“…Please stop with the insults, Hero Levius.”
“Fine, go have fun with him. I don’t need a boring woman like you.”
Levius scoffed and moved away, followed by Natali and Sonia, who apologized on his behalf.
“We apologize for the disturbance, everyone.”
Abel frowned. The one who should be apologizing wasn’t, and his companions were doing it for him.
Natali cautiously asked Selin.
“…Selin, are you really not coming back?”
“If Hero Levius had shown even a hint of remorse, I might have considered it, but he hasn’t.”
“…Alright, I understand.”
Sonia sighed and left, while Natali told Selin to take care and followed Levius.
Selin let out a sigh of relief and looked at Abel beside her.
“…Hero Abel, that was reckless.”
“Even if you’re angry, you should refrain from hitting a fellow hero, Abel.”
Even Elfride agreed with Selin, prompting Abel to scratch his head and reply.
“…Honestly, I regret it a bit.”
“If you really want to fight, challenge him to a duel. Use that method next time. Just be careful from now on.”
“Alright…”
Selin looked at Abel for a moment.
Honestly, she had thought she was a burden to Abel too. That’s why she had considered going back to Levius, but it seemed Abel didn’t see her that way.
He had argued with Estelle to take her in, and just now, he had gotten angry at Levius for her sake.
Selin and Abel hadn’t spent much time together. There wasn’t enough time for any deep bond to form. The fact that he would act like this for her sake meant it was just his nature.
“Saint Selin, what’s wrong?”
Selin smiled at him and replied.
“Thank you so much, Hero Abel.”
