/
“……….Hmm?”
In the warm drowsiness, I quietly open my eyes. In my aimless gaze, a flavorful… or perhaps an old ceiling spread, and by slightly tilting my neck, installed shelves and a table came into view. It seems this is a room in the inn I had cleaned and prepared.
“Did I make it back…?”
As my consciousness became clear, I could remember what had happened to me. I was supposed to have taken a blow to the head while protecting Rouge, so I must have passed out after that. For the time being, I tried to sit up…
“Ah…”
“Zzz…”
Rouge, who was sitting on a chair with her head resting on my thigh, was sleeping soundly. Drool was dripping from her mouth, and somehow… it felt like I was seeing something I shouldn’t.
“Hey, Rouge?”
“Zzz… mumble mumble…”
“Wake up. Hey, Rouge-san?”
“I said, be quiet… give me another five hours…”
“That’s too long! Hey, wake up!”
It seemed useless to just call out to her, so I gently shook Rouge’s shoulder. Then her eyes slowly opened, she stared blankly at my face for a few seconds… and then immediately slapped my cheek.
“Guha!? What the hell are you doing all of a sudden!?”
“What about you!? What are you trying to do by peeping at a lady’s sleeping face? You pervert!”
“Don’t be absurd when you’ve been sleeping on someone… Besides, a lady who drools… Ow ow ow!”
“Mou-!”
With the continuous explosion of Rouge’s slaps, I was desperately defending myself. But Rouge’s anger was far from calming down.
“Die! Die! Die, you pervert! You’re an enemy of women!”
“I got it, I got it! It’s my fault!”
“There’s no way I can forgive you! Why… why did you do that?”
At the end, a weak slap landed on my cheek, and Rouge’s voice fell. When I tentatively lowered my guard and looked at her face, an anxious expression was visible.
“I haven’t done anything to be saved by you, have I? So why did you help me?”
“What can I say… I just acted on instinct.”
I answered while scratching my cheek in response to Rouge’s question. In reality, it wasn’t that I moved with deep thought, it was just a case of ‘I found myself moving before I realized it’.
“…I see. So you’ve finally developed a sense of servitude, haven’t you?”
“A sense of servitude…”
I couldn’t help but grin at her choice of words, as usual. I knew that she was trying to hide her embarrassment by looking away.
(..Oh, I see.)
And then I realized I was satisfied with my own actions. If it was back when we first met, I would have been resentful in my heart for taking her words at face value. And if our relationship had stayed that way, I probably wouldn’t have saved Rouge.
After all, it would be convenient. Even if I had a guilty conscience for deliberately abandoning her, there would have been no reason to blame me for not sacrificing my own life to save others. And if I had been expelled from the party by Alexis for “letting a companion die”, I could have cleanly withdrawn from this world.
But, I didn’t do that. The long and harsh journey of the hero’s party had built a little bit of trust between us.
That’s why I helped. I didn’t want to see a companion die without doing anything, even though I had the means to help. That’s all there is to it.
“Really, you’re overdoing it! If our positions were reversed, I would have burned that rock in a moment!”
“Oh, that sounds reliable. I’ll count on you when the time comes.”
“Hmph! I’ll think about it. If you hit your head again and become even more stupid, I can’t stand it!”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m a fool after all.”
I suddenly thought that if she burned the rock above my head, it would turn into lava and cause a great disaster, but it would be unsophisticated to point that out.
“Well, anyway, it’s good that we both survived. Right, Rouge… no, Rouge-sama.”
“…Just call me Rouge.”
After I corrected the way I called her, Rouge added some more corrections. Her face was redder than the flame she uses, her lips were pointed, and she was looking away, but her eyes were occasionally glancing at my face.
“It’s… special! I’ll let you call me Rouge as a really special case! So from now on, call me Rouge! Alright… Ed!”
“……Haha. Alright, Rouge.”
I gently held the small hand that was extended while her face was turned away. Rouge snorted at my grin… and I called out to the person who was probably on the other side of the door.
“So, aren’t you coming in?”
“Hmm? You don’t have to worry about me. Right now, I’m just a passing muscle monk, I won’t bother the youngsters! Ah, but let me warn you that you shouldn’t do any strenuous exercises for a while, even if I’ve healed you properly. Be careful if you’re going to do something!”
“No, I won’t do anything. Rather, I want to hear various stories, can you just come in normally?”
“That’s right. Stop talking nonsense and come in quickly.”
“What a boring response.”
Perhaps it was because of the calm response from Rouge and me, Gonzo with a disappointed expression opened the door and entered the room. This is purely a matter of me being recognized as a companion by Rouge, it won’t turn into a sweet and sour development which Gonzo was imagining.
“Well then, let me explain. But there’s almost nothing to say, right? When I came to help, you were down, and Rouge was just… oh, watching over you.”
I wonder why, in the middle of the conversation, Rouge glared at Gonzo with a very intense look for a moment… no, this is something I’d be in pain if I pursued. Let’s pretend I didn’t notice.
“So, I used recovery magic on you who I saved and then put you to bed… that’s all.”
“I see, thank you… by the way, how long have I been sleeping?”
“Hmm, it’s been about a day. But since you seem to have hit your head hard, I’d like you to rest for at least three more days, okay?”
“I understand. So, why is Rouge here… no, it’s nothing.”
I wanted to ask why Rouge was sleeping here, but I was fiercely glared at this time, so I withdrew in a second. However, despite such a thing, Gonzo told us while laughing.
“Hahaha, Rouge wasn’t injured like you. Even so, she slept for about half a day, but as soon as she woke up, she was worried about you and came here… no, she didn’t. Yes, it seems she visited here about two seconds before you woke up just to kill time.”
“That’s right! It’s just to kill time! Because I overslept, my body became dull, so I just came here as an exercise!”
“Ah, yes. I see.”
Curiosity kills the cat. It’s a famous phrase among mercenary groups. I refuse to stick my neck out out of curiosity and get it cut off, so I absolutely won’t ask any further. Haha, I’m a man who learns.
“As for Alexis, it seems he’s talking to the townspeople about various things. According to Rouge, it seems he was able to defeat the rockworm, but it’s difficult to prove to others if they can’t confirm the body. There’s also the problem of the many juveniles that escaped, so it will take quite a while for the discussion… yes, at least three days…. it seems.”
“…Could it be that you’re looking out for me?”
I have to remain inactive for three days, and being forcibly detained in this town for the same duration through negotiation. Of course, there is also the possibility of it being a coincidence… or rather, considering my incompetence at that time and Alexis’s reaction, that possibility seems more likely. However, I couldn’t just let it slide without asking.
In response to my question, Gonzo grinned.
“Well, I don’t understand complicated things. But if there’s one thing I should say…”
He paused for a moment, and then his large hand gently rested on my head.
“You’ve done well to survive. Good job, Ed.”
“…Thank you.”
Feeling the strength and warmth in that touch, I expressed my gratitude for the second time today.