How To Leave The Hero Party- Chapter 31

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Xrecker
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A supporter’s role also involved mental care. And delicious food and a good night’s sleep were essential for that.

That was why I had focused on mastering these skills first and foremost during the main storyline.

“Wow~ I heard rumors about it, but it’s true. Sleeping in the wild with you is like sleeping at home.”

“I know, right? It’s as comfortable as my own house. How do you do it?”

I had to handle everything myself when traveling with the Hero’s Party, so I had leveled up these skills to make mental care during battles and the storyline easier.

Most adventurers focused on combat and neglected life skills, but these skills were also very helpful in progressing through the game.

“What did you expect? He’s the Sage. By the way, Princess, are you alright?”

Valtin asked Lucille, for whom this was her first time camping. He tossed a branch into the campfire and asked with concern. Lucille hugged her sleeping bag, her expression awkward.

“I- I’m fine.”

“You don’t look fine. If you want, you can sleep next to Rukendi. Humans seem to like the fur of beastmen.”

Rukendi, the lioness beastman archer from Valtin’s party, waved. She opened her arms, her fluffy golden fur impressive. Lucille looked back and forth between the spot I had prepared for her and Rukendi, then shook her head.

“Tutor prepared this for me…”

“Then I’ll go to the spot next to you~”

Rukendi grinned and moved next to Lucille. Lucille seemed about to refuse, but she also seemed to appreciate the warmth of Rukendi’s fur against the cold night air.

“Your fur is so soft.”

“Hehe, right? Valtin fell in love with it and every night…”

“Ah! Ah! D- Don’t talk about… that…”

“Oh, right. You’re of noble birth, so you wouldn’t know about such things. Alright, then I’ll give you a lesson in sex education tonight… or better yet, Your Highness, have you had your first love? Hmm?”

“W- Well… I… I… Tutor…”

“Ooh~ you like the Sage? Mr. Sage, you’ve set a young girl’s heart on fire. You’re quite the heartbreaker. But what should we do? There are many adventurers who like the Sage too. There’s even a rumor that he’s impotent…”

“Huh?!”

“…What…?”

Lucille and Veronica looked at me, stunned. I shouted, my voice cracking,

“Who’s impotent?! I’m perfectly fine!”

“Then why? I know a lot of adventurers who like you.”

“I just haven’t met a woman I think of in that way yet.”

“What’s your type, Mr. Sage?”

My type?

Hmm…

First and foremost, she would have to be mentally stable.

As I fell silent, Rukendi, having lost interest, started a racy conversation with a sly grin. Lucille’s face turned bright red.

Rukendi was a surprisingly good conversationalist. Valtin’s party, an S-Rank adventurer party, seemed to understand the importance of mental care.

As they chattered on, their attention shifting to other topics, Galik’s party gathered around the campfire.

“Ugh… it’s cold at night.”

“Lizardmen are weak to the cold. Want me to cast a spell?”

“Please.”

I cast Warm, raising the surrounding temperature. The lizardmen, finally comfortable, curled up together, their tails wrapped around them, and quickly fell asleep.

“Who’s on watch duty?”

“I’ll do it, so everyone, get some sleep.”

“Aren’t we relying on you too much? Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.”

I tossed another branch into the fire and picked up a tin kettle. As I made tea, the others gradually fell asleep.

“Tutor, are you alright?”

“Yes. But are you alright, Your Highness?”

“Yes…”

She didn’t look alright. But Lucille, who had been trying to fall asleep, finally buried her face in Rukendi’s fur.

“…Cardinal Veronica seems comfortable.”

“I’m used to this.”

Veronica, lying on the spot I had prepared near me, replied nonchalantly. This wasn’t our first time camping together.

“The Sage’s touch is…”

“…Ah.”

A strange atmosphere began to settle again. Well, as long as they didn’t start strangling each other, it was fine.

“I wonder how much of Tutor’s touch you’ve experienced.”

“Well…”

Veronica trailed off, then slowly turned her head. She met Lucille’s gaze and smiled.

“Probably more than you, Your Highness. We’ve known each other for a long time, after all.”

“……”

Lucille clenched her jaw, then closed her eyes, seemingly giving up on the conversation. She buried her face in Rukendi’s fur. Veronica, looking strangely satisfied, turned her gaze to the night sky.

“This brings back memories. It was when the Hero’s Party was fighting a subordinate of the Demon King, wasn’t it? I remember fighting a common enemy of the Church with you.”

It was probably around Chapter 7. When we were fighting the Earl of Discord, one of the Demon King’s subordinates.

The Earl of Discord specialized in attacks that caused discord among party members with low affinity. If I had joined the fight, the party would have likely collapsed.

So, I had to sit that one out. I had handled other matters with Veronica instead.

“That was a good time.”

“Was it?”

It was true that I had been more relaxed back then. I could focus on other achievements instead of the main storyline.

“You were distracted, though.”

“I had to be.”

“It was strange, how you dedicated yourself to the Hero’s Party. I wondered if they were that important to you. Honestly, they…”

Whatever they were, to me, the Hero’s Party was like a child left unattended by the water.

A party that had gone all-in on offense, without a single healer. One wrong move and it would have been game over. And to cover for them, I had to make a deal with Veronica.

“If you had joined me, we could have continued that deal.”

The deal was simple. If I helped her with her work, she would provide the Hero’s Party with holy artifacts, holy water, and potions.

Anyway, we had defeated the Earl of Discord and continued the main storyline.

“It’s in the past.”

“Do you regret it?”

“Regret what?”

“Helping… Claire.”

“Not at all.”

I took another sip of tea. She stared at me, her gaze burning a hole in the side of my head, then smiled faintly.

“Still… I’m glad you’re free from them now. It would be even better if you joined me. I sometimes think… that if you were with me… under my protection… you might be happier.”

In the darkness, filled with the chirping of insects, I took another sip of tea. The flames of the campfire flickered in the wind.

As the silence stretched on, Veronica broke it with a single word.

“You’re expensive.”

“I’m the only Sage in the world. What did you expect?”

I scoffed. Veronica chuckled softly.

“It’s not easy to obtain something precious. The same goes for following the light. It may seem impossible at first, but with constant effort, you can reach it.”

“Is that so?”

“That’s why I’m a little relieved.”

Veronica, who had been lying on her back, rolled onto her stomach and looked at me, a faint smile on her face.

“Now that you’re free from Claire’s party, I don’t think anyone will be able to touch you.”

The next morning, I transformed Moonlight into a trumpet.

–Reveille~

The familiar sound of the morning call was the best way to wake up. As I played, the sleeping figures stirred and slowly sat up.

“Ugh… is it morning already?”

“I’ve already prepared breakfast, so eat up. And wash up at the stream.”

Today’s breakfast was pancakes, fried eggs, grilled bacon, and soup. I served the food, and the others, still groggy, gathered around.

“I don’t feel like I slept outside at all…”

“Hey, Sage, the Princess is still half-asleep.”

Rukendi pointed at Lucille, who was hugging her tightly. As Rukendi debated whether to shake her awake, I gently stroked Lucille’s head.

“Your Highness, it’s time to wake up.”

“Ugh…”

I whispered in her ear. Lucille’s eyes slowly fluttered open. She looked at me, still dazed, then smiled awkwardly in the morning sunlight.

“Good morning… I wish every morning was like this…”

“Breakfast is ready, so please eat.”

“Okay…”

I had been worried about her first time camping, but she seemed to be fine. As she sat down with a cute yawn, I woke up Veronica, who was sleeping like a log.

“Wake up.”

“Ugh… is it morning already?”

“Yes. Aren’t you going to do your morning prayers?”

“Hehe. When you’re a cardinal, you can skip morning prayers.”

“Wow, what a delinquent priest…”

She stretched and joined the others for breakfast. After a simple meal and a quick wash, we immediately set off. By the afternoon, we had arrived near the Frost Caverns.

“It’s a good thing we didn’t have to fight. Alright, Sage, we’ll set up camp here and wait.”

“Right. Thanks.”

The lizardmen and lion beastmen began to set up camp. As the adventurers stood guard, weapons at the ready, Lucille gripped her staff tightly.

“Tutor, will we be alright…?”

Lucille, for whom this was her first dungeon, seemed quite nervous. Veronica, glancing at her, checked her mace and said calmly,

“You can back out if you’re scared.”

“…I’m not scared. Because Tutor is with me.”

“…Hmph.”

“Hey, I’m not asking you two to be friends, but try not to cause any trouble.”

“Heh. How many times have we fought together? Do I look like the type of person who causes trouble?”

“I have no intention of fighting. Are you saying you don’t trust your Tutor’s only student?”

The beautiful woman and the beautiful girl stared at me. I looked back and forth between them and shook my head.

“I trust you.”

Of course, I had made preparations, just in case.

“Ugh.”

“…You always…”

“What? What? What?”

I averted my gaze from the two of them, who were blushing slightly, and reviewed the strategy for the Frost Caverns.

Upon entering the Frost Caverns, you were immediately hit with a cold debuff. Without the Warm spell, your movement and attack speed would decrease, and your health would drain.

The enemies were Ice Wolves, Ice Elementals,

And Ice Crystals.

Most of them were weak to fire, so Lucille would have to fight properly.

And if we were going to use a mage as our main damage dealer, we needed a frontliner.

“Oh.”

I transformed Moonlight into a greatsword. As the massive sword materialized, glowing brightly, Veronica stared in awe. Lucille’s eyes sparkled.

“That’s so cool…”

Moonlight definitely looked coolest as a greatsword.

“Tutor… you’re so… Ah, no… um… I was just thinking out loud. Let’s go. I’m ready.”

“Yes. Then let’s go. Veronica, you’re on healing duty.”

“Leave it to me.”

Wielding a greatsword meant I would be the tank. Veronica, with her experience, knew her role in a basic party of a warrior, priest, and mage.

“Alright, let’s go.”

I stepped into the Frost Caverns. A wave of cold washed over me.

“Warm.”

The cold receded around me. As we prepared to explore the Frost Caverns, monsters began to appear, as if on cue.

–Grrrrr…

–Wheeeen!

An encounter right at the entrance. Well…

Anyway, I was the tank, so I had to act like one.

–Swoosh!

I swung Moonlight, unleashing Sword Wind, one of the Warrior’s skills. As the crescent-shaped wind blade struck the monsters, drawing their attention, I immediately used another skill, the Jester’s powerful taunt.

“What do you call a king who falls down?! King Kong! Hahaha! My sides hurt! And here’s a bo-nus joke! What’s a cat’s least favorite animal?! A meerkat! Haha! Oh! And one more…”

–GRRRRRR!! KRAAAAAAA!!!

The taunt, “Cold Joke,” was a great success.

So much so that even Lucille and Veronica looked disgusted.

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