This is my first base in about a week.

Perhaps because it had been a day since the battle with the Demon King's army ended, supplies and weapons in the base had been cleared away, and the knights who had been Mr./Ms. were about to return to their respective countries.

After getting out of the carriage, we were divided into two groups: Kazuki, a senior who reported the details of "The Journey to Slay the Demon King" to Mr./Ms., and me, who went to see Rose, his immediate superior.

Leona Mr./Ms. accompanied Senpai and Kazuki, and I was accompanied by the lifeguards Nea, Ferm, Nak, and Amako.

As soon as Kukuru got out of the carriage, he went somewhere, but he knew where he was going, so he left it alone.

 

「…… Am I glad I came here?"

 

As they made their way to where Rose and the others were, Nak looked around the base and muttered anxiously.

The knights passing by looked exhausted, and some of them were wearing blood-stained bandages. Just because the battle is over doesn't mean it's over.

He must be aware of this, and he talks to him in a reassuring way.

 

"It's okay, if you do, you just need me to hit you."

"It's not about being angry, it's about being beaten......

 

Amako looks dumbfounded.

To cheer up the gloomy Nak, I'm going to tell you a joke here.

 

"Well, it's quicker that way to end up being beaten, hahaha."

「「「「……」」」」

"Oh, you guys, are you kidding? I'm joking, so don't keep Nak away from me."

 

Ferm looks at me like "you, you," while Nea and Amako move away from me, as well as her.

I'm not saying it's better to be beaten either, right?

It's just a quick fix, right?

 

「…… I know. Usato likes to be in pain, right? I'm going to hit you?"

"If I nod to that, I'll end up as a human being!"

 

I was told to hit it in a very gentle voice.

Moreover, it is a bright smile that is rarely seen.

 

"We're done as a human race."

"Certainly."

 

It's noisy! Vampires and demons there!!

Seeing my reaction, Amako broke her smile and looked forward, touching both cheeks.

 

"Hmm, just kidding."

"Yes......."

"I'm not going to do that to Usato."

 

Before I knew it, I was joking back at the joke.

…… Next time, I should come up with a milder joke.

During such exchanges, the base of the rescue team's activities comes into view. There were a lot of tents lined up, and some of the supplies piled up, although they were somewhat reduced.

 

"Usato-kun!!"

 

Among them, we find a woman who exclaimed in surprise when she saw us.

I waved to Mr./Ms. Uluru, the woman who dropped the box she was holding and hung it over me.

 

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

"Hmm? Amako, what's wrong?"

"Well, I guess that's good. yes."

"Huh?"

 

While listening to the conversation between Amako and Nea next to her, she tries to call out to Mr./Ms. Uluru, but she shows no sign of stopping.

What? At that moment when I was stunned by the unstoppable Uluru Mr./Ms., she jumped at me with such force that it could be mistaken for a ramming.

 

"Usato Kuuuuuu I'm glad you're safe!!"

"Oh my gosh!?"

 

I've had the same experience with Nea, who used to play a village girl, but the momentum is not half as good.

Trying not to hurt her, she manages to escape the impact by stepping back, and realizes that Mr./Ms. Uluru is crying.

 

"I've been worried since I heard that Usato-kun has fallen and been transported to the kingdom......!"

"Uluru Mr./Ms......."

"The tongs weren't worried about the shards, but I wasn't worried about ......."

"I'll punch you later."

 

They're going to have to worry about me a little bit.

…… I'm worried about Mr./Ms. Uluru.

I know she's not the kind of person to be vulnerable, but she's been healing the wounded on the battlefield to this day.

The burden and the anxiety that I have had to this day must be considerable.

Knowing this, I decided not to tear off the Uluru Mr./Ms. and wait until she stopped crying.

 

 

After a while, Uluru Mr./Ms.regained her composure and welcomed us into her base of operations with a shy smile.

Once inside the tent, there were almost no injuries.

After the battle, this place must have been full of injured people, but everyone in the rescue team was doing their best until today.

 

"Uluru Mr./Ms., Olga's Mr./Ms. is ......."

"What about your brother...... I collapsed yesterday."

"What!? Where are you!?"

"Oh, oh! Even if you say that you collapsed, you are overworked! As long as you rest, you'll be fine! And Mr./Ms. Sharun is with me!"

"Oh, I see...... It ...... good."

 

Mr./Ms., who was weak, was healing people to the limit of falling.

Mr./Ms. Uluru is also acting in a dignified manner, but you can see that she is quite overwhelmed.

The other members of the group are cleaning up supplies and tents that are no longer in use, so when we leave the tent for the time being, we notice that something is approaching us.

 

"Hmm?"

 

I looked at Uluru Mr./Ms. and felt a little déjà vu, but when I turned around, I saw a blue blob approaching with a thud and heavy footsteps.

 

"Grr

"Bulllin!!"

 

When I recognized him, Bulllin, I spread my arms wide to catch him as he pounced on me.

Unlike Mr./Ms. Uluru, thanks to her preparedness in advance, she lowers Bulllyn without much hesitation.

 

"You missed me!"

"Grr

"Hahaha, don't bite, don't bite, I'm glad to see you again, I'm not bothering everyone, right?"

"Gru!!"

 

Of course, he strokes the bottom of Bulllin's chin.

Bullyn did a really good job.

They carried the wounded on their backs and rushed into the enemy with me.

 

"He didn't even back down when he was hit by Bulllin's lunge just now, did he......?"

 

As I was dealing with Bulllin, who was squirming at me with my front paws, Ferm was muttering something to myself behind me.

She thinks it's not worth worrying about, but Nea and the others react to her voice.

 

"It's not surprising, is it?"

"Yes."

"If it's Mr./Ms. Usato, well, ......."

"Even if you're used to it, I'm not...... Whew!!"

 

As for me, I'm not sure if I should be happy to get used to it.

 

"Amako, can I leave Bullyn in charge?"

"It's good...... What are you going to do about Usato?"

"I'm going to see the leader soon, and Nak is coming, isn't he?"

"Yes!"

 

Nodding to Nak in response, I ask Mr./Ms. where Rose is.

 

"Mr./Ms. Uluru, where's the leader?"

"I'm resting in that tent."

"I heard you're injured......

"It looks like he hasn't healed his injuries yet, but he seems to be fine...... Think. But the leader Mr./Ms. is a person who overdoes it as much as Usato-kun......

 

…… Well, there's no way he's going to behave in a way that makes Uluru Mr./Ms. and the others uneasy.

I don't know if I don't know unless I meet Rose first and ask her about the condition of her wound.

He separates himself from Amako and the others and walks with Nak to the tent where Rose is.

 

「……」

 

The last time we saw her was when she was engulfed by a tornado created by Nero Argeens' lineage.

I was always being tampered with by Nero Argens.

Even if it was tampered with, it was still slashed from the top of the resistance spell...... If he had gotten serious, I might have been killed without being able to do anything.

When I heard that I had been injured fighting such an opponent, I couldn't help but think about the possibilities.

Without saying a word, Nak and I reached the entrance of the tent where Rose would be, and we spoke so that she could hear us inside.

 

"Leader, this is Usato, we just returned from the Ringle Kingdom."

 

After a few seconds, I get a short reply in the same voice as usual, "Put it in."

Passing through the entrance, Nak and I stepped into the tent and found Rose sitting on two wooden berths side by side.

She wears her usual uniform over her shoulders, and underneath it is a black underwear. The wound seems to have not healed yet, as he supports his left arm as if it were threaded through a cloth around his neck.

And, as it should be, on his right shoulder, which was not injured, was Kukuru, who had been with him earlier.

 

"I just changed the bandages."

"Kyu"

 

If you look, you can see that the blood-stained bandage has been discarded on the bed where Rose is sitting.

Knack gasps at the sight of blood.

…… First of all, I should explain that I brought Nak with me.

 

"I've already heard from the kingdom that you and the brave men are going on a journey."

"Yes, I was chosen as a healing wizard to support Senpai and Kazuki."

"Fight after fight, ...... you don't have time to rest at all."

"Hahaha......"

 

He smiles wryly at Rose, who sighs in dismay.

From a smirk on my face, she shifted her gaze to a nervous knuckle.

 

"You can roughly guess...... Why did you bring Nak with you?"

"We brought him here because we were going to be left alone, and even though he was 12 years old, he was a fine lifeguard. I can't let them join the fight, but I should be able to help them with the work here."

 

When he said that, Nak, who was beside him, took a step forward.

He looked frightened by Rose's gaze, but he still raised his voice.

 

"Oh, me! I came here because I wanted to help Mr./Ms.! I will never spit out a weak sound!!"

「……」

 

After a moment of silence, Rose spoke.

 

"Now that we've come this far, it's ...... good."

「! Thank you!!"

"Alec and the others are cleaning up the base outside, come and help me."

"Yes!"

 

Nak, whose expression brightened, said, "Excuse me!" After bowing deeply, he trotted out of the tent.

I saw off his happy back and turned to Rose in front of me again.

 

"Can I sit down?"

"Do it yourself."

 

She sits on the other bunk next to the one where Rose is sitting.

 

"Are you okay with your injuries?"

"It's not as serious as it looks, and it doesn't hurt to be quiet."

"What? Are you sure it's okay? It's not like you're in the air, are you?"

 

I heard that he was slashed in the left shoulder.

She sighed as I wondered if it was really okay.

 

"Who do you think I am?"

「……」

 

I don't know what to do, but those words are enough to make me feel okay.

In fact, I was really worried, but now that I am in front of it, I realize that my worries were unfounded.

…… Even though he is my mentor, he is a really non-standard person.

 

"Is the curse of Nero Argen's magic sword still there?"

"The curse was lifted in about four days."

「…… What is the Leader's curse?"

"Damn it, it's still there.

 

With a very disgusted look on her face, Rose put her hand on her left shoulder.

 

"I received his sword in my left shoulder when I punched that damned blonde, but he seems to have had a certain amount of strength in it, and it seems that the wound on my shoulder has been cursed more strongly than the others."

「…… Is that kind of obsession?"

"Well, it's nothing but a nuisance to me."

 

With a really annoying look on his face, it may be that Rose perceives Nero's presence as an enemy who is just standing in her way.

 

"Can the curse be lifted?"

"It's going to take a little while, but you'll get it, and in the meantime, your left arm won't be useful."

 

In fact, I tried on the battlefield to see if I could somehow solve it with the spell of Nea's liberation, but I couldn't.

The power of Nero's magic sword is a curse, but it is not a curse caused by magic, but a simpler pure emotion that comes from the hatred of a person that seems to have been imprinted on the sword as a curse.

I can't help but wonder how you can swing such a thing around normally and be okay.

Don't you think it's haunted or something? At the very least, I'd be scared the moment I held it and smash it on the spot.

After thinking about it, I suddenly looked at Rose's left arm and a thought came to my mind.

 

「…… If I were to compete with you now, would I win?"

"Ha, if you think you can win, do it."

「……」

 

Oh, I can't do this.

Even if I can't use my arms, I can't think of a vision that I can win.

It's easy to imagine yourself being kicked away with a full-power roundhouse kick.

I quietly admitted defeat, and Rose smiled happily.

 

"You seem to have gone on a rampage this time."

"I didn't mean it ......, but I'm going to die, I'm going to be stalked by an annoying stalker, and I'm going to be called the devil at the end of the day, right?"

"Ha, devil, it's going to be a lot of fun, Oi."

"It's no laughing matter......

 

It's okay to call it the devil because it's not that widespread.

 

"Anyway, I came back alive well."

「…… Yes."

"Whoa, aren't you going to start crying this time?"

"Do you want to pull it out now?"

 

At the end of the first battle, I cried uncontrollably when Rose complimented me.

To be honest, I vividly remember it as an embarrassing memory at the time, and now my face heats up when I say it.

 

"Haha, don't glare, it was bad."

 

- Rose laughed after seeing me like that, and while being tormented by even more shame, I thought about how to return the words.

___________________________________

For Usato, Uluru's tackle was more shocking than Bullin's.