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Chapter 66 : Pomera’s Story
I listened to Pomera’s story as I brushed Philia’s– it’s the name I’d decided on for the girl since, to be honest, Zorophilia was an extremely long name– head.
「Really now, yesterday was hectic…」
Pomera had been running around non-stop, either guiding the citizens or healing them with her white magic.
Even after Notes’ 《Sacrifice》 was cancelled, she’d somehow become the leader who’d organized the people to take care of the aftermath of the incident. Soon, she’d collapsed here from the exhaustion.
Though the chaos had yet to subside, it seems that she’d asked the people to let her go for the time being since she wanted to meet me.
「In the end… the citizens have no idea what really happened yesterday. E-Even though Pomera heard a little bit about Notes from the rumors in the city… Pomera only knew that he really was in this city when Kanata-san told Pomera about your meeting with Notes. 」
Pomera spoke, heaving a sigh.
According to the information that I’d managed to gather yesterday and today, what happened between the City Lord, Garland, and Notes had yet to be discovered since Garland’s mansion had collapsed due to yesterday’s incident. Plus, it seems that all of Garland’s subordinates who’d received the direct orders from Notes had also been in the mansion yesterday. Since that was the case, all of them had died a horrible death and mummified since they had been the closest to the center of 《Sacrifice》.
Along with the death of the city lord, even though the adventurer’s guild was functioning somewhat minimally, the guild was literally closed since the people were too busy with dealing with the aftermath of the chaos. Though the city lord’s distant relative had taken over the city lord’s position, things weren’t looking that good for now.
Meanwhile, since adventurers couldn’t receive commissions properly, most of them had left for other cities in groups.
The reason they moved as a group had something to do with the degree of danger traveling outside the city ramparts in this world.
The humans of this world could only sleep peacefully after they built tall and tough ramparts complete with an amulet barrier to prevent monsters from attacking the rampart.
The weak adventurers couldn’t move out from the city on their own without a surplus of money or connections with high-ranking adventurers to accompany them outside of the city. For that reason, several parties had joined hands to form bigger groups as they moved out from the city.
I actually felt relieved seeing the humans of this world could adapt so nicely to the hard environment of this world. But… honestly, I felt disgusted whenever I was reminded that the harsh environment of this world might have something to do with the “adjustments” that the Evil Gods, Nyarlhotep and co. did to balance this world.
「I almost didn’t sleep yesterday… I never expected that I would be spontaneously drinking the drug that will keep me awake when Kanata-san wasn’t there.」
It seems that Pomera has yet to get used to the doping series drugs. I mean, I myself would drink the doping series drug if I deemed it necessary.
Since Pomera always made a reluctant face whenever I said 『C’mon, you’ve to get used to this kind of doping』, I decided not to step on that obvious landmine and steer the conversation away.
「But still… seeing how hardworking you were during that situation should change the way the people look at you right, Pomera?」
「You’re… right.」
Pomera agreed with a rather complicated look on her face.
「Though Pomera might be a bit too hopeful… Pomera noticed that something has changed. Pomera… is really happy that she has more friends who treated her as an equal but…」
「So you don’t like it?」
「Somehow… the feeling is hard to describe, it’s more like an uncomfortable feeling. Ah, no, I don’t mean to say that I feel uncomfortable with Kanata-san’s special training, not at all.」
「Uncomfortable… is it?」
「Yes… Uhm, Pomera just searched for the weakened people while constantly using 《Area Heal》 and drank the doping drug in between but, the people who saw that… seems to think that Pomera has bottomless mana, and kept giving high praise to Pomera. And finally, when the barrier got destroyed, those people even thought that Pomera was the one who did that, calling her something like Messenger of God or Saint…」
Pomera was ducking her head. It seems that she’s truly troubled by this matter.
I gave her a wry smile.
「Yeah… those titles are extreme. In the end, no one sees Pomera for who she really is. Pomera… has no idea what to do about that situation.」
Pomera’s shoulders slumped down.
「But, I think it’s better to leave it that way. I mean, being liked by so many unknown people isn’t necessarily a good thing either. The most important thing is to find and befriend someone important to you, someone who knows Pomera-san for who you really are, right?」
「Befriend… someone important to Pomera. Yes, that might be the best way.」
Pomera’s cheeks were tinted a faint red color as she nodded.
「In addition… even if some people were getting along with Pomera-san, you cannot forget the fact that the majority of them might only be trying to get along with Pomera-san on the surface. Some of them might try to force their demands on you just because you’re a half-elf, some might try to curry your favor to use you for their own gain by acting extremely servile in front of you. Though in my honest opinion, Pomera is an extremely kind and charming girl… I think a useless piece of trash human isn’t worthy of your worry and concern.」
I paused to drink water.
In the meantime, Pomera was looking at my face with a slightly troubled expression.
I placed my cup on the table.
「Whichever it is, if you think that you can’t handle such biased opinions about you, maybe you should try to leave this city for a while and see the world. Though Pomera-san had told me before that you want to erase the prejudice of the citizen in this city toward the elves, I think such prejudice has already lessened a lot after Pomera’s efforts to heal the citizens yesterday along with the death of the City Lord Garland who’d created that prejudice.」
「Thank you very much… let me consider for a while.」
Pomera nodded to me.
Seeing her speech and conduct so far, I was sure that Pomera was simply not blessed with being in a good environment. Maybe she simply had yet to know what to do when she was praised after suddenly getting stronger.
She still has some soft spot left for that Roy since she literally has no other acquaintances. That’s why, I have to warn her properly over this matter.
「P-Pome-.. No, Saint Pomera! As I thought! I knew it, there’s a high chance that I’ll be able to meet you if I visit the adventurer’s guild!」
Suddenly, someone interrupted our conversation.
When I looked at the person who’d interrupted our conversation, it turned out to be none other than Roy.
I grimaced upon seeing him.
「L-Long time no see… Roy-san.」
Pomera bowed lightly to Roy.
「Pomera… please forgive me! Please forgive me for treating you so cruelly! Please forgive me… we were such idiots! When I heard that you were running around frantically yesterday to save the citizens of this city, I realized just how idiotic we are!」
Roy bowed to Pomera, crying as he did so.
Pomera looked at Roy who’d lowered his head with a cold look in her eyes.
Maybe I too was looking at him with the same piercing cold eyes as Pomera.
The matter of 『People who try to force their demands on you just because you’re a half-elf』 which I told Pomera just few minutes ago was referring to Roy but I never expected that 『People who try to currying your favor to use you for their own gain by acting extremely servile in front of you』 would also fit the bill for him.
Though Pomera tried to defend Roy and co on many occasions, honestly I think that this person called Roy was a good for nothing b*st*rd.
「D… don’t worry, Pomera really doesn’t care about such things.」
「Oooh, such kindness! and yet, I treated you so cruelly! No, I think apologizing alone won’t be enough for Pomera to forgive me! Please… let me atone for my sins! Let’s go on an adventure again! This time… as true comrades!」
「Uhm… I appreciate your offer.」
「What…? As I thought, you’re still angry right? Please, I want to go on an adventure with Pomera again! I… won’t be able to move forward unless I atone for my sins towards you!」
When Pomera kept her silence, I saw that Roy was starting to get irritated.
「Moreover… see, you love me right, Pomera? Isn’t that why you’re following me, ri-EH!!」
After looking around with a slightly troubled face, Pomera suddenly hugged my arm.
「Pomera… san?」
「Thank you for the offer but, currently… Pomera is the member of Kanata-san’s party! in addition, Pomera never thought of Roy-san in that way!」
Pomera declared loudly right in front of Roy.
「W-W-W-W-WUT!」
Roy’s expression of despair couldn’t simply be described by words.
「Let’s go, Kanata-san. Let’s not use the adventurer’s guild as our meeting place again, ever.」
Just like that, I was pulled along by Pomera.
I hurriedly tapped Philia’s shoulder to wake her up before we left the adventurer’s guild.
When we passed the entrance of the adventurer’s guild, Roy was still staring at her motionlessly with a bright red face.
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TN : ZAMAAAAAA