I Was in Charge of Scouting for the Hero’s Party

91. Standing still

“Austin…. Hey, try this too….”

Adrien tried to smile and gave me the meat that was far away.

“… It’s okay. Eat you.”

After answering briefly, I slipped away what Adrien was handing me.

“… ….”

Again, silence.

Since I talked with them last night, it has been like this all along.

Dalgrak. Dalgrak. The breakfast continued, with only the tender meat poked with a fork and moved to the mouth.

In the meantime, no one opened their mouth. Even Robin.

“Haa….”

As I let out a sigh, the party of warriors sitting across from me flinched.

What should I do with this atmosphere right now?

There is a way. I just need to accept what the hero said to me yesterday….

At that time, Isabel and Maya, who were sitting across from me and eating, spoke cautiously.

“Oh, Austin… ?”

“If there is any inconvenience….”

“No. Are you okay.”

Since yesterday my mind has been all messed up, I can’t taste anything in the food. I felt like I was going to pretend if I continued to eat like this, so I put down the tableware and got up.

“I’ll go up first. I have no appetite.”

“Uh, yes…. Okay….”

“If you’re hungry, tell me, Austin. I again….”

“It’s okay. Thank you.”

Without looking back, I hurried back into the room.

Looking at the empty room, I was relieved that there was nothing to disturb my thoughts.

I pulled out a chair and sat down, staring blankly out the window.

Unlike the lively atmosphere outside, my heart was boiling.

I wanted to solve this troubled feeling by talking with Roiman, but unfortunately Roiman went to the cathedral today too.

Get up from the chair and flop onto the soft-looking bed! Blown away As I lay down in a comfortable position and buried myself in the bed, it seemed that my consciousness was gradually drifting away from fatigue.

“Whoa….”

Is there any way?

I quietly closed my eyes and recalled the conversation I had with the hero yesterday.

* * *

“A very important story…. Was that it?”

“Yes. That… sorry….”

“No…. Ha….”

I washed my face repeatedly. I buried my face in his hands, so I couldn’t see anything because it was pitch black.

I must have heard it wrong. I’m sure it is.

However, despite my wishes, when I raised my head again, the warrior’s face was still in my eyes.

“… Return to the warrior party. Even in the name of the king.”

The hero nodded heavily.

“Yes….”

“No, that…. Haaa….”

The name of the king. King name. No, you’re not trying to joke with me right now, Wangmyeong?

f*ck. Should I just stick my nose in a bowl and die?

No, more than that. Even when I hear that nonsense, I’m like, ‘Yeah~. I understand~.’ Are you saying you took it lightly?

“That, how can I not do it?”

No matter how much he is the king of this country, he can’t completely ignore the words of the one and only hero in the world.

“Mo, I don’t know…. I was going to say something, but I….”

“… Ah.”

Come to think of it, the hero…. I was very nervous when I first had an audience with the king. I mean, while sweating profusely.

A picture emerges just by looking at it. He must have been messing around in the audience room, and then he accidentally accepted it and left it.

“No, I shouldn’t have done something like rejecting it….”

“Mi-sorry….”

It just felt like I was hit hard in the back of the head with a hammer. My mind went blank.

“That, that…. Whoa….”

I sighed for the number of times already, and glanced at the warrior who was watching me.

“Go back to the royal palace, go to the throne room, meet His Majesty the King, and tell him he hates you. Say no. With your mouth, directly.”

“Ha, but….”

“But…. Not this! No, common sense! Think about it from my point of view! Royman, Robin, Luna, Princess Alexis, Sylvia! There are only five party members with me right now! If I end up with a hero party, what will they do?!”

“No, it’s not like that… !”

“Other than that, what.”

The warrior’s face gradually turned to tears. As she hesitated, unable to come up with an answer, Gracie, who was sitting next to her, stepped out.

“Austin. The king’s name cannot be disobeyed. I’m sorry, but can you bend over just this once? There will never be any treatment like before. I promise on my honor.”

“No, that’s not the problem….”

“What do you want? A mountain of goods? Fame? Honor? Or not….”

Again. Also. Gracie didn’t even listen to me, he started to get lost in his own world.

“No, Gracie. I don’t need any of that….”

“Austin. I don’t know what the Hero and Adrien will think, but I think this is an opportunity.”

Somehow, Gracie’s eyes, as she slowly leaned toward me, flashed a little dangerously.

“A chance?”

“Yes. A very decisive moment for our party to go back to normal….”

Damn it. I was wondering what to say, but I sat down writing a novel.

“No! If I leave like that, what will my party members do!”

“Five corps commanders have disappeared! There are only three corps commanders left, so the journey won’t end soon! Austin, the others who followed you told me to stay in the capital for a while….”

“Hey f*ck, that’s what farts! No matter how much it is the king’s order, leave to do that sh*t again? Abandoning my party members?! No! Never go!”

“That….”

Gracie stiffened with a shocked expression. Then, this time, Adrien, who was sitting next to Gracie, spoke up.

“Austin. I’d like to take your side if possible, but I can’t help it. In a country of humans, the king’s name is absolute, right?”

“… I’m not going I can’t go anywhere without my party members.”

Even if I was asked to come back to the party so suddenly, I couldn’t obey. Why did I leave the party?

If 80% of the reason for leaving the party was the thirst of the warrior party, the other 20% was due to all kinds of fatigue and stress received during the journey to subdue the demon lord.

Moreover, I still haven’t fully accepted what they did to me. By the way, to recklessly return to the party like this? It’s the same as telling me to die.

“Austin. Why don’t you think about it a little more?”

“… Sorry, but my answer is the same. No.”

“But…. We need Austin’s help…. So please…. Huh?”

“… I’m sorry, Adrien. Still… no.”

As I held on to the end, Adrien suddenly slammed her desk in a huff.

“Ah… ! Really! Austin! We can’t help this?!”

“Ai-san, what a surprise! Why are you freaking out all of a sudden!”

I tried to talk about it, but I ended up blushing like this.

I too slammed her desk and glared at Adrienne, but Adrienne gritted her teeth and continued her words.

“Even if you work like a child like that, nothing changes! This is the name of a king! There’s nothing we can do about it!”

“So, did you even argue?! In the first place, from the time I first joined the hero’s party, there was no word anywhere to stay until I caught the Demon King! I’m going to go my own way now, but why are the high-ranking people who are discussing tabletop discussions all of a sudden interfering!”

“You… ! About that, you go to the audience room and talk about it yourself! It’s a pierced mouth now… !”

“Sifal, I don’t like the fact that you guys just took it for granted! No, no matter how much I was chosen as a member of the hero’s party, this is too much to do!”

“Don’t you understand what I mean?! It’s the name of a king! King name! No matter how much I came from the Elven Kingdom, how could I resist the decision of the king of a country!”

“A warrior has enough strength! If you stayed silent after hearing that, it must have been because of your personal greed!”

In an instant, Adrienne trembled and stung her body.

That’s right.

“Huh, stop talking nonsense, Austin! In the first place, it wasn’t only because of us that we were so hard on you, after all!”

“What bullsh*t is that? Didn’t I take care of you guys too long to give you another excuse?”

“Profit… !”

Adrien snorted and glared at me.

What. What to do I also glared at Adrien.

“Now, now. Adrien. That…. Calm down for now Calm.”

“Senior. You were so excited. Calm down a little.”

Really? I can’t calm down.

It seems like only yesterday that you made up your mind to forgive at best, but you’re already coming out so brazenly? No matter how much you forgive, you can’t help but be angry.

Let’s stare at each other for a moment while being held by Gracie and Robin.

Suddenly, Adrienne lifted her finger up and she pointed at me.

“That, you! Even though I was in charge of the night watch at that time, I left without any responsibility like that! You can ditch us, but can’t ditch your new party members?! You know how selfish you are?!”

“… Her. What?”

“You irresponsible bastard! After all, you were the one who left the party on your own! Why should we understand you!”

“Ah, Adrien! Stop! Stop!”

“Adrien! Calm down first! You’re so excited right now, you keep saying nonsense!”

“What! Did I say something wrong?! Austin! Retort with your own mouth! You left the party on your own without any sense of responsibility, and now you’re going to disobey the king’s command to come back?! I can understand why you left the party on your own, but how can we rebel against the king’s order! You don’t have to force yourself to the point!”

“Adrien!”

“… ….”

My mind went blank for a moment. I can’t say anything

“… Okay.”

You guys have always had that thought.

Adrien, who was caught by Gracie and Isabel, put on a look of regret for a moment, but it was useless to come out like that now.

The words you just said were sincere.

“Until now, you had that thought.”

“No, I… uh, that’s not it….”

“Yes. Okay. Back to the party, I’ll think about it.”

“Ah… ! Excuse me… ! Now wait!”

As Adrienne urgently tried to grab me, she roughly shook me off.

“Ah… !”

“You guys… In particular, I know Adrien’s thoughts very well, so stop it.”

To Adrien, who lowered her head, she didn’t answer.

To think that Adrienne had had such thoughts until now, a considerable sense of betrayal flooded her.

Speaking of swearing and arguing, and from Adrien’s point of view, that’s how it is. It’s true that I left the party without a word.

By the way, isn’t that what you’re talking about?

Even though everyone went back to their respective rooms and even Royman fell asleep.

I tossed and turned until late at night.

* * *

And then again now.

“Haa….”

After that incident yesterday, the hero’s party, especially with Adrien, has become extremely awkward.

I don’t know if Adrien just said nonsense, but maybe it’s because the things she said to me were right again, and I was also in a very mixed mood.

We wanted to have a good new start, but in the end we ended up walking in place.

Smart.

“Austin…. Can I come in… ?”

At that time, along with the sound of knocking on the door, Adrien’s voice, a little weak, was heard.

I got up and sat on the bed as I spoke.

“… Come in.”

The door opened, and Adrien, watching me, cautiously stepped into her room.

Adrienne, who had pulled her chair from the table across from her bed, spoke to her cautiously.

“Hey, Austin….”

“Sorry. I’ll find a way somehow.”

“Uh, uh… ?”

“You were right. That I left the party without any responsibility. Come to think of it, you were right.”

“Oh no… I am….”

Adrien’s voice trembled nervously. Even so, I kept my head down and continued the conversation without making eye contact with Adrienne.

“But…. Huh. I can’t abandon my party members right now. I’ll find a way somehow, so could you wait a bit?”

“Ah… eww…. Me, i… I didn’t come here for that….”

“I’m sorry for not being responsible. When we’re done talking, I’ll get up first.”

I heard faint whimpering from Adrien, but I walked out of the room without looking back.

In terms of relationships, distance, and differences in thinking.

At least Adrien and I were still at our feet.