“I made the wrong call,” Liluetta continued. “I stormed off on my own, left the party without a word, and threw myself into a dangerous situation. Because of that, you ended up in danger just from coming to help us. I understand all of that now. So I want to apologize.”
She was still looking right at me. Her expression was composed as she stood with a hand resting over her chest, but her voice trembled as she spoke. She wasn’t trying to get out of anything or making any excuses. Instead, she was standing firm and ready to shoulder every bit of blame for the mistake she’d made.
Seeing Liluetta like that made me understand something at last. That unwavering, righteous resolve, so noble it was almost painful, was what I’d been missing all along. What I really needed—what would let me move forward—was not anger.
“I’m sorry for hitting you,” I said.
Last night, Chikka had told me to yell and get mad at the girls the next time I saw them. She’d said that was what adventurers did. But I couldn’t do that. All I could do was say the words that wouldn’t come out until now and apologize to Liluetta.
My memories of the fight were in pieces. Things had gotten hazy when I saw goblins attacking Liluetta and Yune. I could remember the scenes, but they were disconnected, scattered flashes. Maybe it was the adrenaline from being so angry or the blow to my head. Either way, I couldn’t really remember what I’d done, and I found myself wondering how I had taken down three goblins.
Chikka had told me that wasn’t uncommon after a life-and-death battle. But there were things that had seared themselves into my memory: the burning, uncontrollable rage, the sickening, vivid sensation of taking a life, a girl’s tears...and the fact that I’d slapped her.
“That was only natural. I was wrong,” Liluetta replied.
Thoughts filled my head when she said that. No, it’s not natural. There’s no way. There should’ve been a better way to stop the two of you. Why didn’t I grab you and drag you back before you left? Did I really need to hit you?
If even one thing had gone differently, maybe the outcome would’ve changed too. Regret pierced my heart like thorns, and I had been trying to ignore that pain.
Liluetta and Yune were wrong, and I was right, but that was only the result. The process, the path that had gotten us here, wasn’t so clear. Of course, those thorns remained. If this moment hadn’t come along, they probably would’ve stayed buried in me forever.
We had left everything unfinished. We hadn’t resolved or accomplished a single thing, and I had ended up running away. But Liluetta had broken through all of that, even though facing your mistakes head-on was one of the hardest things you could do. She really was amazing.
“And so,” Liluetta continued, “Kiri, we came to ask you something today.”
“Yes, it’s a request from me too,” Yune added with a gentle smile.
A request. That was the same word I had used when I’d asked Waine and Sheya for help.
Liluetta and Yune were probably here today thanks to those two. They must’ve talked to Waine and Sheya, then realized that things couldn’t stay the same—that they had to do something because this couldn’t be the end. Meanwhile, I’d had no idea what I’d wanted last night. Instead of figuring it out, I’d just thrown out a half-formed request with no explanation before running away from a situation I couldn’t handle.
There’s no way that was the right thing to do, and now I have to face the consequences. I didn’t know what kind of conversation had led us here, so all I could do was brace myself for the words that were about to circle back to me.
“Would you accept us as official members of your party?” Liluetta asked.
Her request was so unexpected, so surprising, that all I could do at first was scratch my cheek with my finger. What kind of magic did Waine and Sheya use on them? I wondered. I’d thought Liluetta and Yune were going to quit being adventurers for sure. Even if they didn’t, I figured they would go back to their original plan and move on with new companions. At the very least, I didn’t think the three of us would ever go on another adventure together.
But now...
I nodded. “Yeah. Okay.” I didn’t think it through. I just knew what I wanted and said so.
“Of course, I know it’s presumptuous of us to ask,” Liluetta said. “But we don’t want things to end like... W-Wait. What?”
The three of us had come dangerously close to dying. If someone was reckless enough to endanger the whole party by underestimating monsters, they were not the kind of companion you wanted no matter how good they were with magic. Waine, Sheya, or even Chikka probably would’ve said no in my place. Old Badger would’ve laughed in their faces before turning them away.
But Liluetta had owned up to her mistakes. After regret and reflection, she had come straight to me and apologized. I was moved by what she had done, and I admired her for it. Maybe that was enough.
Because the truth is, I don’t want things to end either.
“Let’s make it official. Welcome to the party, Liluetta. Welcome, Yune.” I held out my hand.
The girls were still frozen in surprise. They must’ve thought I would turn them down or at least be upset. But they were the first friends around my age I’d made in this town, and I really was happy to be going on adventures with them again.
When they finally reached out and shook my hand, I smiled from the bottom of my heart.