Chapter 80 At The Beginning Of A New Chapter, With A Side Of Romantic Comedy
The clouds stretch across the blue sky.
Today, under the clear sunny sky, I was happily walking down the main street, tapping my heels.
(Yo, check it out, Ruthless. Every folks walkin' by's staring at me like they're hypnotized by my gaudy knight getup.)
Yeah, today I'm different. I finally joined the main team, and I'm wearing the Brunhilde squad's version of the Hiiro armor. It's super cool, with blue as the main color.
Of course, if the protagonist like me is dressed like this, it's no surprise I'm getting attention.
(Huh? Where? From the outside, you just look like a punk who stole knight armor. Come on, Master, make your jokes a bit funnier.)
(You're straight savage today, Ruru, ain't holdin' nothin' back.)
But this iron pipe (ring mode) just shot me down right away. Isn't that a bit too much?
My dear sister, Sara, even said I looked cool. I mean, she's not biased. The protagonist's sister doesn't lie.
I worked hard during that Ruzure incident, so they should at least give me some credit.
As I kept chatting with myself in my head, I realized I had arrived at the entrance of the knight order Headquarters, Valhalla.
"You're late."
"Yeah, you took your time."
The two familiar faces greeted me as if they had been waiting.
"Aight, forget that noise... what's good wit' you, thinkin' I'm gonna show up to no planned meet-up I ain't recall?"
"I don't remember either."
"Me neither. But knowing you, with your messy ways and terrible sense of direction, I thought you might get lost on the way to Headquarters."
"Exactly. If you're like that, it's embarrassing for me too... so I was just keeping an eye on you."
"Now I see you're straight-up reppin' real talk, fool."
That was quite the greeting. Even though we helped each other out in a tough spot, this is how I get treated. I mean, there's no way I'd get lost on the way to Headquarters now.
Anyway, since we met up, it's just right. The 3 of us are officially part of the main team now, so let's head to Headquarters together.
"By the way, Hiiro. After that incident, you went back to the village at the foot of the mountain, right? It must have caused quite a stir."
"Word is, it went down. The villagers were gettin' all up in my grill, houndin' me like I was some kinda big shot. Ha!"
Just thinking about my visit back to Helmel makes me smile. I heard from Sara that people were seeing me in a new light, but when I got back, the cheers were overwhelming.
It felt amazing to be called the village hero, full of pride.
The looks of admiration and envy from everyone in the village felt so good. Hehe.
"Hey, Hiiro."
"Yeah?"
"You have a sister, right? Named Sara? She's living alone in the village now, right? Are you taking care of her?"
"Ha. Ain't nobody gotta stress 'bout my sis. She's straight fire, independent and all that. She got this."
"Oh, I see. Well, just make sure to take care of her."
I was a bit surprised by Shura's unexpected concern. Her expression seemed a bit off too.
Maybe from her rival perspective, I still look like a risky guy.
"Nah, it's her who's overthinking. Always hollerin' 'bout me eatin' right or tryin' to hook me up with someone. It's like, chill, sis."
"Wow, poor you. That worry probably won't go away anytime soon."
"What you mean by that, though?"
"Hehe. It means no one is going to fall for a guy like you."
"What, you're diggin' your own grave! If that's the case, maybe you ain't gettin' none neither, lookin' like a lost mutt!"
"Who are you calling a lost mutt? Just so you know, I get way more attention than a no-name punk like you!"
"What!? Just 'cause ya got a rep don't mean ya special. But at least people know my name."
"Can you please be a little more aware of your surroundings, you two?"
Quollio's sighs and comments are totally right, but if I back down now, I'll look weak.
I can't just take it without saying anything. Just like that time before, I'm going to boldly declare war on my rival.
"Listen up──you're gonna stop callin' me nobody before too long."
"Oh really? That sounds interesting. Are you saying you'll actually do something like you did in Korghi Village?"
"Yup, and this time it's gonna be real──watch and see, Ash Valkyrie."
Yeah.
Being a nobody is only temporary.
Just wait, Shura. My rival, Ash Valkyrie.
One day, I'll definitely surpass your famous name.
"Soon, you'll be mine..." (I'll make sure to take the title of famous person for myself!)
Heh, it's settled.
...
......
Wait, what?
Did something just go really wrong?
"...Eek!?"
Oh, Shura just made that sound like before. It's so nostalgic.
No, wait, this isn't the time to be nostalgic.
(Hey! Filter, what's gotten into you!!!)
(Master, are you stupid?)
((I ain't trippin', it's just a miscommunication!)
(What the...?)
Why is this happening?
Why is there such a huge misunderstanding at this moment?! It turned into a confession out of nowhere!?
This is crazy! I thought I was throwing a forkball, but somehow it turned into a straight pitch right down the middle!?
"Wait... what are you saying?! What do you mean?"
"Huh?"
"'Huh?' That's not an answer! Are you crazy?! Why are you saying that now... what do you even mean?! Huh!? I-I don't get it! It makes no sense! Go away! Idiot! Pervert!"
"......"
Look at Shura's face, it's bright red. She's totally flustered. But honestly, her reaction makes sense. If someone suddenly claimed me as theirs, anyone would react like that.
But I got lucky. Even though she's a beautiful girl, she's a strong rival. If I wasn't careful, I could've ended up as just a rusty sword.
"Hiiro."
"What?"
"You should really care about how others see you... and about a girl's feelings."
"......Shut up, damn it."
But I can't really push back against Quollio's advice, which sounds so exasperated.
A girl's feelings, huh? They say it's as changeable as the autumn sky, but it's almost summer now.
The cobalt blue sky and the clouds spread out like a road, hinting at something new starting.
"Hiiro, you idiot! Idiot, ugh, umm... idiot! You're such an idiot!"
"......"
Also, I discovered something surprising.
Shura's insults have a surprisingly limited vocabulary.
What? You think it's totally unimportant?
...Huh.
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