Volume 5 Chapter 9 Side Braver Xiii - Brave's Departure
We finally left the royal capital after a grand farewell.
Up to now, I have received training on our journey from Gabert, a 1st rank mercenary. However, our activities have all been within the country, and we have received some support from the nation.
Now, we are going to another country, so it will be harder to receive help from Arcus. From now on, as a 'Brave', I will travel to various countries and build trust from scratch.
A genuine journey is about to begin. With the revival of the Demon King, there are whispers of demons lurking in various places. A confrontation with a formidable enemy is certain to come. The future is uncertain, and although there is anxiety, there is also a sense of excitement deep in my heart.
When I took the first step out of my hometown village, it felt like a mix of anxiety and excitement washed over me. I'm sure what I'm feeling now is something similar.
Our initial destination is the border of the neighboring country. From there, we'll truly step into an unknown world.
However, we won't actually walk all the way there. For now, we'll use a carriage provided by the kingdom.
The carriage looks simple on the outside, and the inside is pretty ordinary too. This is to consider leaving it behind on the way and to prepare for any trouble we might encounter along the journey.
We've visited branches of the Mercenary Guild all over the country, and every town we've visited, once they knew I was a Brave, they gave us a grand welcome. While it's very heartwarming, sometimes it wastes quite a bit of time before the excitement settles down.
We don't have unlimited time. So, it's better to avoid unnecessary trouble if we can.
"Oh yeah, was it Yukina? He's familiar with Relix and now he's hanging out with Silver Flash, that kid."
After passing through the royal capital, Gabert let slip those words.
"In the end, he didn't even come to see you off. Even though he might never see his Brave friend again."
"For me, it feels just like him (Yukina), you know?"
"Is that so..."
I replied to Gabert with a vague smile. In Yukina's case, whether I go to play nearby or embark on a journey to defeat the Demon King, it won't make a difference.
I couldn't help but feel a mix of happiness and frustration. Yukina would always be the same, whether I went to play in the neighborhood or set off on a journey to defeat the Demon King. For him, I would always be Relix, and Brave was just a title.
I want Yukina to acknowledge my existence. Besides defeating the Demon King, this feeling is strongly in my heart.
Shion, holding the reins of the horse, turned around from the coachman's seat.
"Oh, Black Blade―― right. After the incident in the cave, I also heard some rumors. Although I never actually spoke with them, I heard some interesting stories. Indeed, they are a friend of Relix-san, it seems."
"I wonder what's so impressive about them, but I'm too scared to ask."
Shion had a very interesting smile on his face. I've heard a few stories about 'Yukina the Black Blade', but what Shion learned was probably much more detailed.
"Mayuri said she met Black Blade in person once. What do you think of him from your point of view?"
Mayuri shrugged when asked about it.
"I'm not much different from Gabert-san. I only briefly crossed paths with him when I went to see the town doctor to recruit allies."
It was when I went to Kyunei-san's clinic, who is now Yukina's boyfriend.
"Were they a potential ally of mine? What were they like?"
"They seemed very polite and kind. Yes, really... They had really big... um... you know..."
"Um, Mayuri-san?"
As Mayuri's voice gradually lowers, Shion's expression turns into one of concern. And that concern is probably not misplaced.
At some point, Mayuri becomes expressionless and starts touching her own chest. Unfortunately, what lies there is not mountains but plains, and no matter how much one explores, no new mountains will be found.
Eventually, Mayuri stops her futile actions and hugs her knees, burying her face.
And in a chilling, resentment-filled voice, she muttered.
"Breasts... must die."
(((Scary!?)))
At that moment, the men's hearts became one. Gabert and I quickly looked away, while Shion seemed determined to pretend he hadn't heard anything, focusing on his role as the coachman. In my mind, I blamed Shion for bringing up the topic.
(It seems that talking about "breasts" in front of Mayuri is a big no-no. To maintain a good relationship with your teammates, it's best to be careful.)
I strongly agreed with Leiva's advice.
Despite this being the beginning of the journey to defeat the Demon King, the atmosphere was far from serious.
――Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind.
What would have happened if I hadn't brought Yukina to the royal capital?
Most likely, I wouldn't have met these friends. Mayuri aside, I probably wouldn't have had conversations with Gabert and Shion like this.
Mayuri, Gabert, and Shion are important friends to me now. Because they have been there for me, I have been able to make it this far today and have the determination to face the hardships that lie ahead.
However, sometimes I can't help but imagine the possibility of 'what if'. Kyunei-san, Mikage-san, or even Aina-sama may have been on this carriage. With them, we set off on a journey to defeat the Demon King.
In my mind, I keep picturing those three.
――Thud.
The carriage shook up and down.
"Oops, sorry about that. It seems like we hit a big rock."
Shion apologized, but I couldn't focus on that.
What would have happened if Kyunei-san and the others were on this carriage when the shaking occurred?
The current shaking oddly made me imagine this.
――The sight of those three's ample chests swaying.
Even though I'm brave, I'm still a guy. Being brave doesn't really matter in this case, but the point is, I'm just as interested in women as anyone else.
It's natural for my eyes to be drawn to a woman's chest. Especially when they are beautifully shaped and attract so much attention. And in this case, there were three of them.
To repeat, I really do trust my friends. This is my honest opinion. But at this moment, surrounded by three women, I couldn’t help but feel a bit jealous.
"――Relix-sama?"
"Huh!?"
I suddenly noticed that Mayuri, with her deep, abyss-like eyes, was standing right next to me. Instead of wondering how she got there so quickly, I felt a bit scared of her empty stare.
"W-what's up, Mayuri?"
"Nothing much. I just sensed a suspicious vibe coming from you, Relix-sama."
"It must be your imagination. Yeah, definitely your imagination."
Trying not to show my inner turmoil, I struggled to keep my voice from shaking. As a result, my lines came out stiff and awkward, but Mayuri just tilted her head and didn't press me further.
It was quite an awkward start, but that's how the journey of the Brave group began.
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