Chapter 57 – Raust’s True Feeling v2c18

—Raust—

「…………What?」

Hearing my answer, Zieg-san was dumbstruck.
After that, he stuck like that for a while.
Seeing his reaction, I wondered if the feeling failed to get across, I got such a worry in my mind.

「Ah, no, I’m sorry. I just didn’t think that you’re this prepared…」

But after a while, he returned to his sense.
Apparently, my worry was unfounded.
It seemed that he was just stunned by the surprise.

「No, it’s okay. Can I continue?」

「G-Go ahead.」

Understanding that, I confirmed if Zieg-san mental faculties fully returned and then continued talking.

「About the party’s house, I have no intention to buy it now……. The reason is pathetic, but I don’t believe I won’t make any mistake if I live together with Narsena.」

I felt self-hatred for myself, but I still told Zieg-san the truth.
Of course, I had no intention to lose to my lust and make a move on Narsena.

……Still, if I’m asked whether or not that’s possible, I wouldn’t be able to give a positive answer.

It sounds like an excuse, but that’s just how attractive Narsena is to me.

「That’s why, until I’m in a relationship where Narsena allows me to do so, I don’t intend to buy a party’s house. Narsena may forgive me even if I make a move on her now…… Still, I don’t want to treat this in an easy-going manner when there is a possibility that Narsena could be sad.」

That was the reason I didn’t want to but a party’s house.
It was also the reason I wanted us to not stay in the same inn.
Narsena probably doesn’t dislike me.
But, until Narsena’s feeling to me is clear whether it’s just affection or love, I won’t make a move on her.

And so, I didn’t want to buy a party’s house until I confessed.

「I-I see…」

After listening to my reasoning, Zieg-san only gave a brief answer and looked really surprised.

「…Wait, if you’re this determined, why haven’t you confess?」

However, the next moment, Zieg-san seemed to wonder about something and then he asked that with a dubious look.
That was a natural question.
Listening to Narsena would clue you how badly she wanted a party’s house.
There was a certain reason I didn’t confess yet despite that fact.

「…Actually, my preparation to confess is not finished yet.」

「Preparation?」

「Yes. In truth, the necklace I planned to give to her alongside my confession has yet to be finished.」

「Ah…」

The next moment, Zieg-san exclaimed as if he realized something.
Seeing his expression, I knew what he had noticed.
It was the reason I was at the accessory artisan’s store before I met him.

Yes, what I ordered from Nashia was the necklace I wanted to give to Narsena.

「If Narsena accepts the confession, I was thinking about making something a memento. Narsena would definitely be pleased in that case.」

I talked to Zieg-san while recalling my feeling from when I ordered the necklace from Nashia-san.

Having Narsena waited for too long because of an exquisite necklace could be called thoughtless.
However, I ordered the necklace was because I wanted to give her as much happiness as I could.

「…You’re going that far?」

After he finished listening to my story, Zieg-san looked visibly surprised.
What he said was the best proof that he doubted my words.
However, I didn’t feel any displeasure from his words.

Because for adventurers, that was the natural reaction.

Normally, love between adventurers was drier.
Some high-ranking adventurers even treated women as an object.
It was common for the relationship between such adventurers to be more about physical relationships.
For Zieg-san’s perspective who knew about that, it was natural he would look at me weirdly for going this far.
But, it doesn’t matter what others think about me.

「This much is nothing.」

If Narsena is happy, I don’t care what other people think about me, those are just minor stuff.
Narsena was so special to me that I would go that far.

Memories of Narsena resurfaced in my mind.
Our conversation in the carriage a couple of years ago.
She was my first party member when I was banished from Sword of Lightning.
Fighting with a mutated hydra.

For me, Narsena wasn’t just someone my heart set my sight on.
She was an irreplaceable benefactor, my one and only trusted comrade, and someone more precious than anyone else.
That was Narsena for me now.
I could only describe how special she was in such corny words.

However, the feeling I put into those words by no means weak.

「Even if I’m being laughed for being so awkward, I want to make Narsena as happy as I can. I want to see her happy.」

That was why I decided to do my best to make her happy.
I might not be able to repay the big favor I received from her.
Even so, to show my gratitude, I decided to do so.

「…Seriously, you have changed.」

Zieg-san who listened to me muttered those words.
His eyes were opened wide, showing his surprise.

「But, that’s not bad.」

But the next moment, Zieg-san laughed.
His words also made me smile.
Apparently, Zieg-san was someone who thought similarly like me.

「…Though, depending on Narsena’s feeling, everything might become a waste of time and effort.」

…However, I recalled a certain concern of mine and made a clouded smile.
That’s right, even though I’ve prepared this far, I still don’t know if Narsena will accept the confession yet.
She doesn’t hate me, but I still can’t tell if Narsena’s feeling is an affection or love.

「… So dense.」

「Huh?」

However, when he heard my serious worry, he only smiled while visibly dumbfounded.

「That attitude of yours……… No, this is not something you should be hearing from me.」

As he looked at me while still looking dumbfounded, he opened his mouth to say something, but he immediately shook his head and stopped himself.
I looked questioningly at him, but Zieg-san never continued what he was about to say.

「Well, worry not, if it’s you, then it should be fine.」

Instead, he gave me an awkward encouragement.
I responded to that with a chuckle.

Zieg-san considered me as weird for an adventurer, but so was him.
I’ve never seen such a soft-hearted adventurer that would listen to a love consultation like this.
Thinking about that, I laughed.

「Thank you for everything, Zieg-san.」

And then, after deciding there was nothing else to talk about anymore, I stood up from my chair and bowed my head.

「Ahh, do your best.」

With those words as parting words, I left the cafe.

◇ ◆ ◇

My gait after leaving the cafe was lighter.
For the past few days, I was a little nervous over the thought that I was about to tell Narsena about my feeling, but after talking about various things with Zieg-san, I was a lot more relaxed.
While thanking Zieg-san for that, I sped up.

Currently, I was heading toward the adventurer guild like I was planned before Zieg-san stopped me.
Concerning money, there were still leftover from the subjugation of super-high difficulty monsters, quite a considerable sum at that.
So, there was no need for me to take any quest.

However, I doubt any problem would arise from having too much money, also, I had another reason I wanted to take a quest.
It was to try the physical reinforcement I couldn’t do when I fought War God’s Great Sword.
Also, my body felt worked up from reaffirming my feeling toward Narsena.

I was in the guild, and while still feeling excited, I started looking for a quest.

「……………What?」

However, the moment I saw a big poster pasted on the adventurer’s guild reception, blood drained from my face.

…On the poster, it was written that I, Raust, and my party were prohibited from entering the labyrinth because of committing unjust violence toward another adventurer party.