Chapter 13 – [Hero] At Deron Castle
We arrived at the accommodation Mr. Jeren guided us to.
There were no guests anyway, so the innkeeper said we could use a private room.
Arin and Uni jumped up at those words, but I couldn’t be happier.
What on earth did you two do?
Mr. Jeren said he helped Seria who drank too much water, but he still had no doubts.
Had he lied?
If so, it means that he lied to me after noticing that I was by his side.
How can you still be calm?
His usual, no, more active attitude than usual confused me.
Was it because he was really as he said?
If it was a lie, I wouldn’t be so confident.
I was at a loss and couldn’t come to a conclusion.
I wanted to ask Seria.
What happened?
Perhaps this is the fastest and most accurate way.
Even though I knew the answer, I was hesitant to act.
I don’t know how to react when I hear the answer.
Should I be angry? Should I be concerned?
Or should I just laugh and say I’m sorry because it was my mistake?
I’m more afraid to ask Mr. Jeren.
How will I react when I hear his answer?
Can you believe his words in the first place?
… No, I don’t know anything yet.
Let’s not jump to conclusions.
I realized at some point that I was taking the relationship between the two as a fait accompli.
There is no evidence yet.
I am having some doubts now.
I tried to tell myself like that, but I couldn’t calm down at all.
Why do you care so much in the first place?
I vaguely notice the kindness she sends me.
But Seria is neither my lover nor her family. She’s just a member of the same party.
May I presumptuously interfere?
Concerns continue to bite their tail after tail.
At this rate, it seemed like I would just worry about it all night.
I have to meet the lord too… The Four Heavenly Kings… Even the demon king…
Smart.
Then someone knocked on the door.
“… Huh.”
The door opened softly.
The first thing I saw was long blonde hair.
Pretty hair appeared through the crack in the door, and soon Arin’s face peeked out.
“Hero, are you busy?”
“No it’s okay…”
Not busy.
Because my worries are not really my business.
But now I want to be alone.
The energy to deal with someone else today…
“Would you like to go out with me for a while?”
Tried to refuse.
“Sorry, but now…”
“I want to stop by church for a while.”
Is there something I have to do as a priest?
If this is the case, you cannot refuse.
As the party leader, I had to listen to the requests of the party members.
“Okay. Let’s go now.”
Let’s put the complicated thoughts aside for now.
Maybe if I get outside for a while, I’ll feel better.
When I agreed, her anxious face brightened.
“Now then, let’s start right away, hero.”
She grabbed my arm.
“Oh, Arin?”
“It’s a date. But can you not even do this?”
She smiled and crossed her arms around mine.
Then I glanced over.
“No… Huh. Do what is comfortable for you.”
Isn’t that a date?
I may have been tricked by her.
I left my room as if I was being half-forced.
As I descended the stairs, my eyes unknowingly returned to the room on the left, across from me.
Sarah’s room.
It was now firmly closed.
What is she doing inside now?
“Hero! Come on!”
“Ah, yes…”
I averted my gaze.
“Oh.”
When I came down to the first floor, I ran into Yuni who was restless for some reason.
“Scale… Please.”
“Huh! Leave it to me.”
The two chatted for a while.
“Then Eric, see you later.”
Uni said that and she went upstairs first.
Why were you on the first floor?
I was puzzled, but Arin wouldn’t let me stand on the first floor.
The inside of the castle was sinking, no matter who could see it.
The market, which would normally be crowded with people, was closed and quiet, and in every alley, the homeless with wide eyes stared at us with scary eyes.
“The situation is also very bad.”
Arin said worriedly.
“I am too late. Defeat the Four Heavenly Kings as soon as possible…”
“Stop! No more talking about it today.”
I didn’t even know what I was talking about until she covered my mouth.
I just put the thoughts that came to my mind into my mouth.
You were blaming yourself again.
It reminds me of a conversation I had with Yuni in front of a bonfire at dawn.
Sorry, uni. I couldn’t keep my promise
Once the words came out, I couldn’t think of anything else to say after that.
… What conversations did you usually have?
I don’t remember.
Arin was also quiet.
We walked all the way to the church without saying a word.
“Arrived.”
Arin untied her arms in front of the church.
It was not a very large building.
The size alone makes it look similar to the inn we are staying in.
However, judging from the circle and straight line engraved in the center of the building, the church would be correct.
“It’s not that big after all… Let’s go.”
Arin dragged me inside.
Sigh.
“Anybody home?”
Arin’s voice rang out.
The interior of the two-story building consisted of a huge hall. Other than that, there are a few small doors in the corners.
Chairs were neatly arranged around us, and in front of them we could see the carved Saint Dantrius.
If it was the morning of worship, the light would come in from the window behind it and brightly illuminate the interior, but perhaps it was in the afternoon, the light came from behind rather than in front of us.
“Who are you?”
An old priest came out of a room next to the sculpture.
Long white hair and tattered clothes.
He seemed like someone who had been in the church for quite some time.
“Arin, the servant of the Goddess who announces the morning, is meeting the Bishop of Deren.”
“You are a sister. Nice to meet you. I am Sern, the servant of the goddess who announces the morning.”
My grandfather, who introduced me as Sern, bowed his head.
“But the sister and the people next to her seem like people I’ve never met before. Are you from outside?”
The bishop asked kindly.
I was taken aback, not knowing what to answer for a moment.
“There was the protection of the goddess.”
Arin, evasive.
Can you pass on that?
I thought so, but surprisingly, Sern nodded her head.
“Okay. It must be his grace. Then what are you doing at church?”
When the bishop asked, Arin politely put his hands together and asked.
“I’d like to talk to you in the morning. Could you please let me?”
“Looks like you need something to forget. Of course.”
“Is it okay if I replace you?”
“Hmm…”
The Bishop pondered for a moment.
I couldn’t understand what the heck this meant.
Is it a password?
“All right. May the oblivion of dawn be with you.”
The bishop said so with a benevolent smile.
I still didn’t know why and just followed Arin’s instructions.
Arin guided me to a small room.
It was a suspicious room with one wall covered with a black cloth and only a chair placed in front of it.
I don’t know what the situation is, but I sat down in a chair first.
Then, there was a popular chuckle from across the cloth.
“Right now, the sun has not risen and the dew has not formed at dawn. No one is listening to you.”
It was Arin’s voice.
She suddenly made a strange noise across from me.
“What are you talking about?”
“… I am not here.”
“Huh?”
Is it a game I don’t know about?
I couldn’t understand the situation, so I just tilted my head and wondered, and I heard a sigh from the other side.
“I want to listen to your concerns.”
“Worry?”
“Yes. Have you been thinking about something ever since you came here? Could you please talk to me?”
Was she also noticing?
I tried to act as usual as much as possible, but it seems that it didn’t go well.
“I was worried about Uni too. I won’t tell anyone what I heard, so can you tell me? Even if you can’t help, just talking about your worries to someone can ease the burden on your heart.”
She said so in a soft voice.
I’ve been a nuisance to the other party members.
I felt sorry for nothing.
But… Can I talk about this?
What should I say
“It’s okay to talk to yourself. Please bring your concerns out. Keeping it inside only makes it worse.”
She could feel that she cared about me.
I am… Okay.
It’s nothing.
It’s just a misunderstanding.
“… I don’t know.”
“What?”
What is it
Even as I pondered, my mouth was spitting out words on its own.
“… In the aisle…”
