100 – Misalignment (7)

Unlike other parties, we didn’t have strong friendships and teamwork.

Instead, there is only distrust, jealousy, and vigilance. They gathered for only one reason: they gathered for me.

In other words, it meant that I was the only one who could coordinate between the party members.

“My lord. Are you back?”

As always, Kayla politely bowed her head. While I went to see Yulia, Celica and Kayla stayed at her quarters.

Before, Kyla would have followed me, but it was different now. She chose to take care of the children with Celica.

Has there been a change of heart since meeting Celica? The obsession with me has decreased a lot.

“You’re back.”

Celica was chatting with Kayla. I don’t know what the two of them were talking about, but I could tell that the distance had shortened a lot.

However, the children who were supposed to be with Celica were nowhere to be seen.

“Where are the children?”

“Oh, they are hanging out in the next room.”

It was certainly not a lie when Yulia said she would help us. She subsidized all the inn and meal expenses, which would normally have cost a considerable amount.

Thanks to that, I was able to get a separate room for the children. Even though I didn’t give a confirmation that I would join the Adventurers’ League, they provided it for free.

When I opened the door to the next room and entered, the children were playing house.

However, the bright atmosphere did not flow. I was just doing it forcibly to appease boredom.

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When I entered the room, the children looked at me nervously. To be precise, he was showing alertness to Erina next to me.

“What were you doing?”

“Playing with dolls…”

He approached Jack, the youngest of the children, and asked. There was a bit of a wary look in her eyes, but she picked up the doll and showed it to me.

A shabby, stained doll. It was a doll made of sewn pieces of cloth, but he was holding it tightly as if it were precious.

“I’ll be able to play other games later when I go to the capital.”

“…And hide and seek?”

“Yes. I’ll let you play tag or play ball.”

The children’s faces lit up at my words. Mark, the eldest at least, was wary, but at least he wasn’t hostile.

After stroking the children’s hair and soothing them, she took Erina’s hand and led them.

“Erina. Let’s talk for a minute.”

“Yes… !”

I felt the need for an individual interview time from before. Now was the only time to listen to personal opinions from colleagues who would be with me every day.

Among them, Erina was the first. Before she knew it, she was the center of a feud within the party.

However, in front of me, he only showed infinite devotion. Although it was accompanied by great obsession.

As I looked at her, Erina smiled and accepted my hand.

“Guys. Can I go to the next room for a minute?”

Fortunately, the children quietly moved away. Mark led the children to the next room where Celica was.

After sending the children out like that, I immediately closed the door.

Then, a heavy sensation came into my arms. The moment she looked back in surprise, Erina’s face came right up to her nose.

“Ugh…”

Again, their lips overlapped. The arms wrapped around her waist squeezed hard and held her tight. She noticed the situation and hurriedly pushed Erina away, but it was too late.

Her second kiss followed the first one. I pushed Erina away with an angry expression, but her face was already melting.

“Erina. Stop.”

“Please stroke her hair too…!”

“I told you to stop.”

“Please let me do it just one more time… !”

“From now on without my permission, I will never let you hold my hand again.”

Then her body trembled and flinched into her arms. Her downcast body slowly fell away from me. With a look of regret on her face, she put her hands together.

“I heard you liked it so much earlier…”

“I did it because you wanted it.”

She vowed never to touch her again. She didn’t know if left alone she might really cross her line.

She barely managed to calm her down before I could start talking to her.

“Erina. As I said before, she decided to bring Celica in as her teammate.”

“I know.”

When the name of her other colleague was mentioned, Erina frowned as if she didn’t like it.

Still, she recognized her as her colleague. She didn’t push Celica at all, so she was rather fortunate.

“And one more will come in from now on.”

“…”

At my words, she didn’t say anything. Maybe Erina knows too.

Tyria. A female archer who worked with Erina. She couldn’t forget her. Because she was together against the demon king’s army, and they were together.

She may have expected it since she brought Celica.

“I absolutely hate it.”

“Erina. Think a little more. In order to subdue the Demon King,”

“Isn’t that enough?”

Her mouth fell shut at Erina’s words.

Erina, Kayla, Celica, and me. It was already a great party.

He already had a record of defeating the Four Heavenly Kings, Ragnar. At this level, she was confident that she would win even if she faced the demon king head-on.

However, facing the demon king and facing the demon king were on a different level.

In the end, she had to punish the demon lord. To be honest, it is true that we are still lacking to face the demon lord.

Of course, it wasn’t that she didn’t have a selfish desire to see Tyria in person, which she only saw in games.

Still, the biggest reason was Tyria’s ability. She knew how strong she was and wanted to bring her as an ally.

She didn’t want to give up on her because if she joined Tyria, she could have her confidence that she could kill the demon lord.

Will Erina be able to understand my feelings? Probably never possible

“But you’re not going to give up, are you?”

At Erina’s words, she nodded. As Erina said, she had no intention of giving up on Tyria.

She got used to me as much as I got used to Erina. We knew how each other felt.

Erina also bit her lip as if she had given up halfway.

“I believe in you. You will always be by my side.”

“…”

“Do you remember the promise you made with me in the past?”

A promise to be by her side no matter what. Of course I couldn’t forget.

Neither I nor Erina had any intention of leaving each other’s side. Right now, at this very moment.

Erina looked at my complexion and left a self-deprecating smile.

“I will never leave your side. Until I die.”

Even after killing the demon king, she decided to stay by my side.

Because she was the one who wanted to meet me in the first place. However, Erina was not satisfied with this.

She didn’t want anyone approaching me except her.

“At least I’m the only one who can do this with you, right?”

“…Yes.”

Skinship that I couldn’t even do with Kyla. Erina was obviously the first.

“That’s enough for now. But if you want to bring another colleague, it’s the same as this time.”

Next time it won’t end with a kiss. Because Erina’s greed knows no bounds.

I could have asked for the irreversible.

“Do whatever you want. But I will not stand still.”

In the end, I had a choice.

***

“I believe my lord made the right choice.”

While Erina retreated, she called Kayla to her room.

Perhaps Erina is overhearing us outside. But Kayla didn’t care and was held in my arms.

As if inviting me, I actively entered her heart. Even so, it naturally led me to a place where I could not see through the crack in the door.

“I thought joining the Adventurers League would hide you.”

“I didn’t want to join the Knights either. Above all, I don’t think Julia-sama is a bad person either.”

“At least I won’t be the one to stab you in the back.”

Actually, I didn’t know much about Yulia. In her first playthrough, after joining her knights, she ended her adventurer life, and contact with her disappeared.

He didn’t even know that the Adventurers League was created by Yulia in the first place. As far as I can remember, she was an extra in the game, nothing more, nothing less.

Who would have predicted that she would emerge as such an important person?

‘Still, it’s not strange.’

The story has already gone too far. From now on, rather than copying the knowledge of the game, I will have to make my own decisions and act.

In that sense, I thought holding Yulia’s hand was the right choice. It’s all a choice I’m responsible for.

“Kayla.”

“Yes.”

“Do you trust me?”

Kayla said in a voice that didn’t hesitate at all. Even though she was serious about the question, she rather smiled happily.

“My lord, my faith will never change.”

“…”

“If I act against the orders of my lord, I will apologize with death.”

With her determination, Kayla hugged my body. On the day she signed the contract with the dragon knight, the oath she had recited lingered in her ears.

Dani even brought up her own death as a means to prove her faith. It was an oath that could not be easily made even with empty words.

“Please don’t worry too much. I will prove that my lord’s choice was correct.”

Although it was all talk, I didn’t think Kayla was talking empty words. Before, now and in the future, she will work for me.

That’s how we shared warmth while hugging each other in silence for a long time.

She wanted to go to sleep, but she couldn’t close her eyes with Kayla beside her.

Ignoring Erina, who was listening to her outside, continued her hug.

Suddenly, Kayla came close to her in my arms. She then brought her face closer.

Her eyes came close to her eyes. The golden pupils were filled with my face.

“You can do whatever you want…”

Her cheeks were flushed red from the heat. It was only then that he realized what Kayla meant.

Her red-stained lips met her gaze. Just like Erina, she slightly tilted her head.

Her voice, always strong and polite, trembled just slightly. A soft voice rang in my ears along with hot breath.

“No matter what your lord does,”

“…”

“I will always follow my lord… “

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