I Became the Porter of a Somewhat Strange Hero Party

28 – Class (2)

Allen looked puzzled for a moment, then exclaimed in surprise.

“Well, wait… What? You’re going to sleep?”

“…Yes.”

“Ah… no!!”

Bewildered and speechless, Allen observed Letitia’s actions.

Letitia turned away and still didn’t look at him. However, she remained resolute in her decision.

“Why? It’s only natural to protect party members who could be in danger.”

Letitia nonchalantly made a bold and audacious statement. Allen quickly raised his head and responded.

“W-Why are you assuming things? I appreciate your concern, but I’ll be fine. If that guy shows up, I’ll raise hell.”

“…Do you know what Kael’s profession is?”

“…An assassin?”

“If that’s the case, will there be enough time to make a sound?”

Allen pondered Letitia’s question and reached a conclusion.

‘No, there won’t be.’

Although Allen considered the possibility that Kael might already be dead without anyone noticing, he couldn’t easily accept Letitia’s statement about him going to sleep.

Even if she didn’t have any intention like that, she could be misunderstood in various ways, and Allen was not someone who held his self-restraint in such high regard.

So he presented a suggestion.

“No, but still… Can’t we leave one spirit here and go?”

“You can’t even read the spirit.”

“Um…?”

“Would an assassin be of great help to a hero’s party? Our party is a bit like thieves, and it may seem similar at first glance, but assassins and thieves are a bit different.”

Letitia said.

“Assassins are specialized in killing people. Thieves are specialized in stealing something, dismantling traps, and obtaining information. Our thief is a bit… different.”

“But isn’t it still a sign of skill to be a part of the party?”

“Yes, that’s right. Considering that there has never been a proven crime despite the rumors being abundant, you never know.”

In response to Letitia’s question, Allen recalled Kaell’s reaction when he was waiting in the room a while ago.

‘After all, when he was caught earlier, his response wasn’t very careless, was it…?’

Whether Letitia knew that Allen was thinking that or not, she came to a conclusion and continued to speak.

“Anyway, it’s very dangerous to leave you alone in the current situation, Allen.”

“…I see.”

Allen unintentionally understood and responded with that answer.

Whether it was okay to be persuaded like this, whether it was right for a young man and woman without any ill intentions to sleep in the same room… Allen, who had belatedly worried about it, cautiously spoke.

“People might misunderstand…”

“If that was a concern, you shouldn’t have come into this room in the first place.”

There was nothing more to say. That statement was definitely correct. A woman, full of confusion, entering a man’s room late at night, who wouldn’t misunderstand?

“In any case, there is no need to worry about what others think.”

Allen looked at her in slight bewilderment when she said she didn’t care. It seemed contradictory that while she claimed not to care, she was so concerned about the cute cat ears.

Keeping his doubts to himself, Allen subtly asked Letitia.

“…But where will you sleep?”

“What do you mean?”

“There’s only one bed…”

Letitia gazed silently at the bed for a moment. Then, she playfully smiled at Allen and spoke.

“Well, I guess you can sleep on the sofa.”

“…I don’t want to.”

“Wow, are you saying you want to sleep with me?”

“I’ve never slept on a soft bed before!”

Allen couldn’t give up the bed. It was finally an opportunity to sleep in a good bed after sleeping on hard inn beds every time. For modern people who had gotten used to soft beds, it was like a sweet honey-like opportunity that had come after a long time.

“I can’t concede this.” Allen thought stubbornly, rather choosing death over giving up that comfort.

Letitia also seemed to know that she couldn’t break Allen’s insistence, so she let out a sigh. And reluctantly said, as if there was no other choice.

“Well then, I’ll sleep on the sofa.”

“That…”

As they talked like that, she once again showed a sorry expression for no reason. Allen thought to himself, “Did I go too far?”

“She promised to protect me… Should I concede the bed after all?”

The softness of the bed clashed with the conscience urging for compassion. Allen fell into deep contemplation, creasing his brow in thought.

Then Leticia, interpreting his expression differently, spoke up.

“You don’t like it either?”

“No… Maybe it’s more like feeling sorry.”

“Just a moment ago, you said you couldn’t give up no matter what.”

“…Well, that’s true.”

As Allen looked at Leticia, who was asking him with an incredulous gaze, he had no choice but to avert his eyes discreetly. And the dilemma he had been struggling with continued.

‘…Even though they’re doing all this for me, should I sacrifice the comfort of the bed and sleep on the sofa?’

Still, at the moment when Allen, who chose his conscience over his own comfort, was about to mention sleeping on the sofa…

“…Should we lie down together?”

“Huh?”

Leticia slightly opened her eyes and spoke as if questioning whether she had to be the one to bring it up again.

“I said let’s lie down together.”

Surprised by Leticia’s bold remark, Allen was greatly taken aback as he spoke.

“What are you talking about…!?”

“You understood, didn’t you?”

“Oh, no! Of course, I understood, but then…!”

“I won’t do anything to you, Allen.”

Her pale green eyes, filled only with sincerity, gazed at Allen. It seemed clear that this was all an action meant for Allen.

However, Allen was a bit different. Letitia was one of the party members chosen by Allen himself, who automatically thought she was beautiful just by looking at her from afar and had the appearance that matched his taste.

To sleep with her in the same bed?

Holy moly.

Allen couldn’t possibly think rationally. He felt somewhat embarrassed earlier, yet it also felt like he was blurting out such audacious words as a kind of flirting.

“…Leti, Letitia.”

“Yes?”

“Let’s just study magic together….”

“…I’m tired.”

The last method didn’t work either. Upon realizing this, Allen let out a deep sigh and said.

“Just let me sleep on the couch…”

“You can use the same bed though.”

“Please don’t say things like that casually.”

Allen narrowed his eyes and looked at Letitia. Then he lightly tapped her shoulder and spoke.

“Even if I understand, other people misunderstand. Especially when a pretty girl like you says that, they misunderstand even more.”

“What? Yes, I’m pretty…?”

“Based on objective aesthetic standards.”

Upon Allen’s remark, Letitia’s ears drooped slightly, as if disappointed. Allen looked at her and tried his best to not pay attention, repeating his thoughts as he spoke.

“Sleeping on the couch.”

Allen took out a suitable blanket from the luggage. Whether it was because the bed was so big that it required two, or if it was just an extra one, he didn’t know. But it wasn’t a problem as there happened to be two pillows.

As Letitia quietly observed Allen, she could definitely sense it.

He was different now, without a doubt.

If it were the old him, he wouldn’t hesitate to lie on the same bed without any concerns.

But the current Allen… He wasn’t someone who casually meddled with his party members.

On the day of the accident, Erin’s impulsive actions might have been a stroke of luck, not only for Letitia herself but also for the other party members. Although Letitia felt sorry for Erin, it was an inevitable change that couldn’t help but be felt.

“…Allen.”

“What?”

Letitia lightly grabbed Allen’s arm as he took the blanket and headed towards the sofa.

“It’s okay, lie down on the bed. Just not having you next to me can be dangerous.”

“…Is it because of that level of skill?”

“Yes.”

It wasn’t a lie. One person who was presumed to have been murdered was sleeping beside his own wife at the time.

Of course, it was an incident that went unnoticed by ordinary people not able to read his presence, but Letisia, even among the party members, was the most lacking in vigilance along with Frey… She didn’t know if it would be dangerous to be too far away.

Seeing Allen’s deeply troubled expression upon hearing the story, Letisia slightly twitched the finger that was holding onto his arm and said,

“…I’ll understand even if you act a little selfishly.”

“…Huh?”

“Hurry, come quickly. I’m really sleepy.”

Letitia let go of Allen’s arm after saying that. Those words were probably a bit impulsive. Maybe it was because she was a bit drunk, or maybe it was because he had told her she was the prettiest. Maybe she liked seeing Allen change.

Anyway, the fact was that Allen’s heart was moved by her actions. He followed Letitia, who crawled onto the bed.

“….”

He was an unstoppable man, even though he said he wouldn’t act recklessly anymore. Letitia closed her eyes slightly, understanding the consequences of the words she had spoken.

“….sigh.”

Allen let out a light sigh. He pulled back the blanket and lay down next to her. Then, with a slightly rustling sound, Allen’s touch…

“…?”

It didn’t come. Letitia, who was preparing herself mentally, turned her head slightly in surprise. Beside her, Allen was trying to turn away and fall asleep, pretending not to

Letitia was really, very surprised. She was astonished that she could still show patience in this situation.

And without realizing it, she let out a light tension and smiled softly. Squeak-squeak, this time Letitia moved her body.

She lay down, looking at Allen’s back towards her. Seeing him treat her as a valuable ally now, Letitia held back a small laugh and fell asleep.

#

The next day, whether it was because Letitia was by my side or not, I safely greeted the morning. Just like a porter who had to wake up early to prepare, my body welcomed another early bird wake-up call. It was still dawn, with the sun not completely rising yet.

“……”

“Koo….”

There was Leticia, fast asleep next to me, so deeply that she wouldn’t even realize I had gotten up.

Didn’t she promise to watch over me? I wonder if it was really possible for her to protect me while sleeping so soundly.

After briefly admiring her face, I got up from the bed. Carefully stepping away, I headed towards the bathroom in the room.

Come to think of it, I didn’t properly wash up before going to bed last night. It was a situation where there was no chance to think about such things. Last night, the story whispered by Leticia still echoed in my ears.

“…Do as you wish.”

If I had done that, it would have been a big problem. In many ways. If the others found out, it would be obvious trouble, and there were other issues as well.

Think about it, even though Leticia may appear normal on the surface, she is actually a severe sadist. So, let’s say the atmosphere was really good yesterday and such a situation arose…

Then, will the actions of the severe sadist Leticia continue in a normal situation… or will they lead to a more dangerous situation?

It was obvious even without saying it. I mean that there was no one who matched my taste for hitting.

As befitting a guest room in a palace, the room had a bathroom attached, so I brought the clothes I would change into and opened the bathroom door.

“Wow.”

An exclamation escaped involuntarily. It was a really nice bathroom, incomparable to the bathroom in an inn. Maybe it could even be compared to a real bathroom.

There was a bathtub suitable for an adult man to get in. I immediately undressed, roughly rinsed myself with water, and then immersed my body in the bathtub.

The moderately warm water wrapped around my whole body, making me feel good.

“…This is like paradise on earth.”

I looked up at the bathroom ceiling. As I stared at the droplets that had formed from the steam, my mind wandered with unnecessary thoughts.

But then, a more practical thought came to mind.

“What should I do about Kyle, who was here yesterday….”

If he was someone who left no evidence behind in his murders, it was highly likely that he quickly erased any traces of intrusion and left. In that case, there would be no evidence other than what Letitia and I saw…

If that guy didn’t admit it, there would be no way to prove it. With two eyewitness testimonies, there will be an investigation, but since there would be no discovery of evidence, any official punishment would practically be out of reach…

Only personal retribution would remain.

“…I should talk to Erin about this.”

When I talk to her, the party planner, I wonder if she’ll have an answer. After cleaning my body thoroughly, I tried to change my clothes and saw a soft gown hanging in the bathroom.

“Oh…”

It’s obviously a good material. I want to wear it once. Instead of changing into clothes, I put on the gown.

It was indeed a good quality. The feeling of softness seemed to wrap around my whole body. It was really great. When I came out of the bathroom wearing the gown, I saw Leticia waking up.

“Are you awake?”

“Hmm, Allen, when did you wake up … Ah, Allen?”

“Yeah?”

“Why, why did you come out like that…?”

“What? Just because there was a gown, I wanted to try it on…”

Leticia turned her head with cat ears perked up.

In English:

The author describes the main character’s desire to ask the party planner something and how she saw a soft gown while trying to change her clothes. She decides to wear the gown instead and enjoys its softness. Later, Leticia wakes up and questions why the main character is wearing the gown.

“Cover my chest…”

“…Ah, sorry.”

It seemed like his robe was slightly open. As he was leisurely adjusting it, someone suddenly knocked on his door, thump thump.

“Allen! Is Letitia here?”

…!

The party members who had woken up noticed Letitia’s absence and came to my room to find her. I looked at Letitia with an asking gaze, and she glanced around, then said,

“Well, pretend to be alone since I’ll be hiding in the bathroom.”

Uh…

Even if I were to misunderstand yesterday’s situation, it wouldn’t matter, right? Letitia stood up from the bed and cautiously took steps towards the bathroom.

“What’s wrong? Are you still asleep? Then I’ll come in!”

“…!?”

Why is she coming in while I’m asleep, this crazy woman!?

Though I had locked the door, it was useless against this reckless drunkard. The doorknob broke, and the door forcefully swung open, causing me to hastily grab Letitia and pull her behind me.

“Allan! Where’s Letitia… Ah?”

“…Have you lost your mind.”

Ser-Aria looked at me with a bewildered expression.

“Ah, I couldn’t answer you earlier because I was bathing! Sorry!”

“No, why are you breaking the door? What do you plan to do?”

“I…sorry! I’ll fix it!”

“What do you mean by ‘fix’….”

I guess I can understand if I just admit that I broke it while drunk. Ser-Aria seemed to awkwardly laugh and said.

“By the way…you didn’t see Leticia? I haven’t seen her since we left the party early yesterday.”

“I didn’t leave with Leticia.”

“Oh, that’s true. I was just wondering if you saw her. She still hasn’t come back to the room?”

“…I came back to the room right away yesterday and I don’t know. I was tired and went to sleep.”

Fortunately or unfortunately, Ser-Aria came to my room alone. The other party members seemed to have gone elsewhere. I wonder if she can be fooled to some extent.

“Hmm…really?”

Ser-Aria looked at me for a moment and then said with a sly smile.

“Allen, by the way.”

“What?”

“You have four legs.”

“……?”

I followed Ser-Aria’s gaze and lowered my head. And between my legs, Letitia’s legs, which had not been noticed, were visible.

“Well … it’s not something I care about…”

“Wait. Aria, it’s really a misunderstanding…”

Ser-Aria looked at me with cold sweat, and probably Letitia, who was startled behind me, felt the same way.

“What are you two doing…?”