Chapter 13

“And that’s why you came to this town? With Platinum?” “Mm. She’s my close friend. Though she would probably get angry hearing me say that.” “She really cares about you. Anyone can tell with a look.” Lystie turned back toward me. There was a delighted smile on her face. “She gets embarrassed hearing that sort of thing, so go easy on her.” “…She’s an honest and straightforward person. A good person. Though a little trouble-prone at times.” “Mh-hm. And…it’s also for my sake that she tells everyone she’s a Paladin. She said she wanted to wield a shield to protect me.” Platinum’s real vocation was Royal Order. Her role was to serve someone noble. That meant Lystie’s vocation was something worthy of a Royal Order’s service. “Might, I… My vocation is actually…” “Swordfighter. You have unrelated skills like Cooking, but in our party, you’re our close-quarters attacker.” “Ah, Cooking is, um, just something I picked up with no relation to my vocation. And if we’re talking about our roles in our party, you’re much stronger than I am.” “There’s no harm in someone in the back being able to contribute to our damage output, is there?” Lystie pouted a little in response to my nonchalant answer. She was probably unhappy that I interrupted her when she was about to say something important. Of course, I didn’t plan on glossing over it. “The skills that you gain when leveling up depend on your vocation. If you use them in front of us, it’ll become obvious what your vocation is.” “Might, I…” “What I’m saying is, I think you should be free to do whatever you want, no matter what your vocation is. I am a member of your party, and I’ll do whatever I can to realize the goals that our party decides on. That’s what I’m here for.” Lystie didn’t say anything, but her face still looked unsure. “I’m thankful that you decided to accept a guy like me who can’t even use magic properly. That’s why I’ll affirm you with everything I have for as long as you want to continue being an adventurer.” “…Everything? That’s a big promise to make.” “I mean it. Even if you’re really a princess, how I feel wouldn’t change. That’s just how it is.” I had just put it out there as casually as I could, but Lystie didn’t deny it. She turned back around, but I could still see her wiping away tears. When she faced me once again, she was back to her usual self. “Did you also say all this to the people you partied with before?” “Uh…no, I didn’t.” “I was just thinking that anyone would be happy to hear that, even if they weren’t me. Sorry for kind of testing you.” “It’s no biggie. All that matters is that you’re yourself again. We should probably get some sleep now, don’t you think?” Lystie giggled. “It feels like you’re my elder brother, even though we’re the same age.” It looked like she wanted to talk a while longer, but she obediently snuggled into her bed. “Thank you. I’m glad we talked.” “Me too. If you ever need a listening ear again, I’ll be here.” “Can you not tell anyone about Platinum and me yet?” “Don’t worry. My lips are sealed.” After a while, Lystie’s breathing indicated that she had fallen asleep again. I closed my eyes, too, and this time, sleep came easily to me. The last thing I thought about was what Lystie had said: that she became an adventurer because she wanted to get stronger and to see many things in person. It reminded me of when I left this city, dreaming of defeating the Demonic Dragon. Even now, the emotions I felt at the time still remained in my chest.