118. You Gain Something By Letting Go, Isn’t It?

Van’s escorts were Raidoc and Solar. With Jitaro accompanying them, the Casper sisters and I took a break to have a meal.

In front of us, there were heaps of delicious food.

“This… it’s an amazing festival.”

Eva, the eldest of the Casper sisters, muttered quietly.

Given the scale of Golden Dawn rivaling that of the royal capital, it was no wonder she was surprised.

“The food is cheap and delicious, despite it being a festival. Not to mention, the concert we just saw was incredibly innovative.”

“Speaking of the concert, Jitaro must be difficult. Didn’t you enjoy the stage live?”

“No, it was very enjoyable. I was a bit confused at first, but halfway through, I wanted to dance along.”

“Really? If you had danced, it would have been a feast for the eyes.”

“…”

Eva responded with silence.

Was that a sexual harassment comment!?

I hurriedly apologized.

“No, um, I’m sorry.”

“Sigh…”

She followed up with a sigh.

“You don’t have to be that disgusted…”

It’s tough when a light joke is taken that seriously!

“Oh, no. I was thinking about something else.”

“Something else?”

“Yes. We, the sisters, were conceited.”

Eva started to speak slowly, as if confessing in a church.

“After what happened in the Lizardman village, I understood there was a difference between us and Raidoc. But this time, I realized just how immense that difference is.”

She fell silent for a while, then muttered the same words again.

“We were conceited.”

Eva gazed distantly at the sky.

“I don’t think that’s true. Comparing yourself to Raidoc is a mistake. He’s too special.”

After all, he’s the very image of the adventurer I wanted to become.

Eva smiled faintly.

“That’s true. Raidoc is special.”

“…I suddenly feel like shouting out his weaknesses.”

“Does he have any? Weaknesses?”

“Despite appearances, he’s not good with women.”

“Isn’t that more of a charm than a weakness?”

I stood up and shouted.

“Handsome, popular guys should just disappear!!”

The cry of my soul must have reached the stars. Probably. Surely.

Sniffle.

◆

Past midnight, after the festival’s heat had died down, we who were babysitting Van finally reunited with Kyle’s group.

“Ugh, I swore I’d never sing in such an embarrassing outfit again!”

Leafan from Kyle’s group was the first to dive into the alcohol, collapsing onto the table.

I didn’t quite understand the reason.

“Huh? Why? You sang well, and the outfit was cute.”

“Cute!?”

Leafan’s face turned bright red.

Chugging isn’t good for you.

Leafan’s body was trembling slightly from the alcohol, so I turned to Persia.

There was something I wanted to say.

“Ah, Persia, I made you go through something hard again. You don’t like wearing those outfits, do you?”

“No! It’s not like I dislike them to the point of worrying you!”

Persia straightened her back.

Honestly, she must hate it.

In the past, after consulting with Jitaro, we thought that instead of making Persia wear frilly outfits like Leafan, it’d be better to have her dress as a man.

“Wait a minute! Why do you treat Persia and me so differently!?”

“Because, Leafan. I made Persia do something she didn’t want to…”

Though Kyle often becomes clumsy, he’s still a knight.

He wouldn’t feel good about being made a spectacle of.

“But I was made a spectacle too!”

It suits Leafan so well that it doesn’t seem out of place.

“It’s not fine!”

As Leafan and I did our comedy act, Persia muttered something.

“To me, rather than frilly outfits like Leafan’s…”

I could hear the first part, but as she continued, her voice grew so faint that I couldn’t catch the rest.

“Huh? What did you say?”

“N-no! I just said Leafan looked cute!”

“Yeah. Leafan is cute.”

“Wh-what!?”

Leafan froze again, and laughter echoed around us.

Time passed leisurely with Kyle at the center.

When Myrna started to nod off on my lap, familiar faces approached our circle.

“Excuse me, may we have a moment?”

It was Raidoc’s party members, who had been on a different mission for the past few days: the priest Bepp, the mage Bardak, and the warrior Moda.

Their calm expressions held a resolute determination.

The moment I looked into their eyes, I understood what they intended to do. I understood immediately.

The three of them stood before Raidoc and Solar.

“Raidoc, we are leaving the party.”

“Bepp?”

Raidoc was flustered, but I understood. There was no hesitation in Bepp’s words.

“Wait. What is it that you’re dissatisfied with? I’ve tried to lead as fairly as possible. If something is lacking—”

“There’s nothing you lack. Rest assured.”

Bepp interrupted Raidoc’s trembling voice with certainty.

“Then—”

“It’s not you who lacks something. It’s us who are lacking too much.”

“I consider you all—!”

Raidoc tried to stand up in a hurry, but Moda held his shoulder down. Seeing this, Bardak began to speak quietly.

“Raidoc, you have become strong. Truly strong. Solar, you too. Of course, Moda and I have tried our best to keep up with you two. But…”

Bardak glanced at his left hand.

There was no emblem there.

“This is our limit. Beyond this, we’ll only be a hindrance.”

When Raidoc tried to shout, Bardak preemptively stopped him.

“Please, don’t make us say more.”

“…!”

Raidoc gritted his teeth hard.

“You’re telling me to go through the same regret as when Craft left!?”

He looked like he was about to cry, full of frustration.

This guy… he still thinks about my departure that much…

I almost started crying too.

Solar, standing next to Raidoc, occasionally averted her gaze but remained silent.

She must have understood. The gap in skill between them and Bardak and Moda had become too great.

But what about Bepp, who has the priest’s emblem?

As I was about to voice this, Bepp noticed and raised his hand towards me.

“We three will form a new party. A warrior and a mage combination definitely need a healer, right?”

“Wait! By that logic, what about our party with just a swordsman and a ranger—!”

“There is someone I recommend for your party.”

“…What? Recommend?”

Raidoc’s bewilderment was so evident it was painful to watch.

Solar looked away, seemingly in distress.

“Eva-san.”

“Yes!?”

Eva, who had been watching the proceedings, responded with a silly voice when her name was suddenly called.

Yeah. I understand how she feels.

“I’d like to recommend you, the Casper sisters, to join Raidoc and Solar’s party. What do you think? Would you consider it positively?”

“Me… as a member of Raidoc’s party?”

“Yes. You don’t have to decide right now. In a few days, we’ll travel together to the border city of Gandar, right? There’s time to think.”

“Th-that is…”

Ah. Bepp really is something. It might be Bardak’s idea, but the three of them leaving—warrior, mage, priest—maintain the balance.

Adding the Casper sisters to Raidoc’s group would also keep the balance: two frontline fighters, a mid-ranger, a mage, and a priest.

They’re not just leaving. They’re showing the best path forward.

“I… I…”

Raidoc started to say something but bit his lip and swallowed his words.

“What kind of face are you making? We’re not leaving Golden Dawn. In fact, we plan to settle down.”

“…Huh?”

“We’ll be in the same city. We can meet anytime. …If we’re not busy with work.”

Bepp smiled, and Moda nodded silently, while Bardak grinned wryly.

“Yeah… right. It’s not like… we’re parting forever…”

“Depending on the job, we might even work together sometimes.”

“Yeah. Yeah. That’s true.”

Raidoc nodded, tears in his eyes.

They had prepared an excuse for their departure so thoroughly. If he didn’t accept it, he’d be betraying them.

“…Tonight. Until morning, we’re still in the same party, right?”

“…Yes.”

“Then let’s drink. We’ll drink the best liquor until we forget everything!”

“Haha. Just for tonight, we’ll join you.”

“Asking a mage to get drunk… you’re asking a lot. …But for the first and last time.”

“Mm.”

Finally, Moda silently placed his mug on the table.

Raidoc poured expensive liquor into everyone’s cups without hesitation.

“Alright! To our future!”

“”””To our future!!!!””””

As the five of them loudly clinked their cups, I quietly left the scene.

Of course, the other members did too.

I was walking back to the mansion with Kyle and Myrna.

“Somehow… I felt a bit envious.”

“Yeah.”

The deep bond, though sad, was something to be envied, it seems.

Kyle’s words felt like a solace to me.