/
Leticia rushed up to me as if to recreate the scene that had happened just a day before..
She was glaring daggers at me.
Had she had some kind of power in her eyes, I would have already had a hole in my face.
Guild officials who were aware of the recent uproar got really noisy whispering amongst themselves. Such unusual behavior by her happening twice around the same person. Couldn’t have been a coincidence right?
Meanwhile, Leticia grabbed onto my hand and

“I have something to discuss. Come with me.”
Leticia tried to pull me outside.
As expected, it seemed that she wouldn’t be repeating the same mistakes as she had done before.
However, whether or not I obediently follow her is another story.
“Come on, walk quickly. What are you waiting for. Really, Haru is such crap
“I refuse.”
“
 What?!?”
“I don’t know who you are 
 But isn’t it too unscrupulous for you to suddenly pull me around and tell me to go outside?”
“Hey 
 Haru, you, why do you pretend you don’t know me !? Doing that 
 Oh, is that because of what you told me yesterday
?
We are strangers from now on. That’s what I had told her but

Leticia looked at me with regret in her shaking pupils, as if she remembered the words of the other day.
“Obviously, I have to be polite in tone 
 UwU, that’s because I lost last time 
 UGhh 
!”
It surprisingly seemed that Leticia was disciplined compared to her usual self.
Or maybe she just didn’t want to make a scene in front of the public eyes. Her benevolent mask was something she had kept up for quite a few years now.
“Huh 
”
I couldn’t help but sigh.
I turned towards Alice.
“I’m sorry to delay our business. But can I talk to her for a moment?”
“It’s okay 
 but can I be with you?”
“Eh? Alice too?”
“I’m a party member, right? Then I can’t leave Haru alone in a pinch.”
A sweet smile formed on her lips. And as if to mirror that a similar smile formed on my lips as well. No words could explain how thankful I was to her.
“Ah

Thank you”
――――――――――
After that, I moved to the park with Alice and Leticia.
The sun was overhead up the horizon, but there were no children adoninig it. It was as empty as ever.
Why? Are things like this?
I could only wonder 

It was convenient for me anyway, so I didn’t dare to look for a reason.
“
 So?”
I turned to Leticia. If she had to say something it had to be now.
Her mouth was left open in a daze with her face turning pale..
“Why is Haru like that to me 
”
“If you stick to the rottne attitude that you’ve always had, there’s nothing for us to talk here.”
My decision was firm. I wasn’t gonna look back..
If Leticia doesn’t change anymore, if she continues to be a tyrant 

As I said the other day, I will too just become another person. I too would change. And after that we would forever be strangers.
No matter what she says it won’t change my mind..
No matter what she does I won’t let her stop me.
I will just ignore everything.
“Hmm 
!?”
Leticia seemed to be basking in regret with her downturned mouth as a sigh left from it. As she seemed to feel the seriousness in the air her face pinched up.
I was wondering if abusive words would pop out of her rotten mouth again 

But surprisingly I didn’t turn away and waited for it to come. There was this curiosity 
 no it was something else that wanted to know about it.
“
 I understand why Haru left my party. I’m not convinced and I still won’t allow it, but I understand now what I have been doing 
 “
“Leticia?”
“But 
 anyway! I’ll just accept the fact that Haru is leaving my part. party.”
“Well, then we’re strangers. That’s it. Goodbye.”
“I am done yet, you idiot! Don’t decide on your own, Haru!”
Has this childhood friend transgressed to the point that she can now no longer live without ranting? Even if we are strangers?
I couldn’t help but be amazed 

I thought that there was a part of me that wanted me to listen to her words now and consider it, so I decided to listen to it. But she is struck in the same loop forever with no way out.
“The main thing is yet to come!”
“Main thing?”
“Haru might have left my party. It’s okay
 I understand. So, then 
 I’ll join Haru’s party this time!”


What?! Words fell out of my mouth unable to make a sound as I stumbled on my step.
“Hmm, honor me! I’m the hero, won’t it be great grace if I join in a party like yours? You should shed tears, kneel, and thank God as if you were begging to him for his grace!”
“Oh I see, Good bye”
“Wait, didn’t you listen to what I said?”
“I don’t have to agree to it now, do I?”
“Gugagaga !!!!”
Leticia made a whimpering voice like a broken toy.
I completely disregarded Leticia’s whimpering which the old me would have probably failed to do.
It’s strangely powerful and scary.
“
 Is it all good now?” Alice asked.
She had been watching patiently for a long time, and only opened her mouth for the first time when she knew that I was done with Leticia.
“What! Who are you? I’m talking to Haru right now, so fuck off 
”
Leticia glared daggers at her with an intent to kill. But suprisingly Alice didn’t even moved an inch.
“I’m Alice Sprite. Adventurer. Nice to meet you.”
“Eh? Ah 
 yeah. Nice to meet you 
”
Alice smiled a friendly smile towards Leticia, who but barked like a mad dog. While Leticia seemed rotten and undeniably arrogant, Alice had a touch of a mature side to her..
Leticia seemed to be wanting to get rid of the poison called Alice, but even so Leticia responded to her handshake rather obediently.
“I thought that maybe I could understand the situation if I listened to the conversation between the two of you, but it’s still difficult and confusing. It would really be helpful if you could explain the general situation maybe?”
Maybe 

Did Alice open her mouth to act as a cushioning material to direct the topic away when she saw me and Leticia about to collide again?
I thought it was so before. But now I am no longer sure of that.
Welp, sooner or later I had to explain the situation to Alice anyway. I can’t expect her to trust me as a party member otherwise.
“actually

”
Thanks to Alice and her polite attention to me that never tried to judge anyway, I was able to explain to her my relationship with Leticia.
It felt like a weight off my shoulders. Maybe Alice wasn’t like the others and would actually believe it?
“Hmm, I see.”
After hearing the explanation, Alice nodded with a convincing face several times.
“
 Simply put, her tyrant is completely out of control, and she seems to be too particular about it
 directing it to Haru only? But its like even though I understand the situation it doesn’t really make much sense. Why is she so fixated? Is there anything more to it than just wanting to bully? “ Alice muttered to herself.
That was probably the first words that she spoke that seemed to judge the situation with a calm mind.
“Alice?”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I was thinking a little. Um 
 can I call you Ms. Leticia?”
“Okay, but I’ll call you by your name, Alice.”
“Yeah, nice to meet you”
Perhaps it was because we were the only ones and Leticia wanted to join our party in the first place. Leticia didn’t hold back.
She exposed her true character to Alice that was devoid of any outward masks. The benevolent and kind hero was nowhere to be found.
As usual, the rotten persona looked natural for her quite in contrast to her hero self.
“First of all, I have a question 
 If you join our party, what happens to your companions in your existing party?”
“No problem, because I’ve already separated from them.”
“Huh !?”
Did I just hear something outrageous again?
“Everyone was over level 40? And you broke up from them?”
“It would be ridiculous to hope for them to transfer all at once, isn’t it? And, it’s not convenient for me to attend Haru’s party alone.”
“you

”
Why do you care so much for me?
I don’t understand and get confused.
Who knows? Maybe she wants to join my party all alone so that she could abuse me all she wants without any barriers preventing her. She had to keep her angelic appearance in front of her previous party members after all.
But in the end the question still persists. Why? Just why
. Why me of all people?
Alice was aware of my stupefied gaze. She turned towards me.
“Haru, leave this to me”
“But

”
“You can’t really talk because you’re too emotional, right? That’s okay. You don’t have to worry. Leave this to me. And I am a member of the party too so I can take care of this.”
I nodded. Now that I think about it. Alice has to have an equal say in regards to whether she wants the hero to join the pary. It was her party too after all.
“
 Okay, I’ll leave it to you.”
As Alice says, I’m not confident that I can talk calmly with Leticia.
Leticia would be the same no matter what happens between us..
What is her purpose?
What the hell do you want from me?
Wasn’t those years of tormenting enough?
I’m sorry. I can’t figure it out and can’t even take the trouble. I want Alice to do it. I am tired.
“Then the next question. If you join our party, can you stop harassing Haru from now on?”
“
”
An unscrupulous silence followed between the two of them.
“Hmm, it seems you have no reply. Do you have an answer?”
“
 No comment”
“HMm”
At first glance, Leticia seemed to be somewhat secretive? 

While Alice on the other hand seemed to have caught onto an inkling onto something as she pondered over it poking her cheek..
“Then I would continue to ask. Why were you doing terrible things to Haru?”
“No Comment”
Again, it was the same.
“Both of you used to be good friends, yet why did you have to do this?”
“No Comment”
Again.
“What are you planning to do to him, if you are allowed to attend our party?”
“No comment 
”
Again and again. I wanted to pull off my hair.
But

“Oh 
 yeah, I understand.”
Alice nodded, yeah, as if she was convinced 

Understand? What do you understand? Damn, what is there to even understand here.
Contrary to my emotions her face bloomed to a reallly refreshing smile.
“Unfortunately. After the questions and getting a gist of it, the result did not end up with what you wanted. It’s unfortunate but we can’t let you join us. I pray for Leticia’s success in the future.”
“Why !?” She screamed at the top of her voice.
After being refused to join the party, Leticia seemed unable to be quiet and shouted with a raging force.
“I somehow understood it now
. that you weren’t bullying Harull just because you didn’t like him or were sick of him. Neither of them was the actual reason.”
Leticia raised his brows seemingly suspicious of her claims.
“Is that so?”
“Haru says that you have changed. But my hunch is that you have probably not changed at all, neither now nor in the past, but your priorities have changed, so you started to harass poor Haru. That’s how it seems to me at least.”
Really? Did Alice figure out something.
If her priorities had changed

If so 
 what is the reason?
“But I can’t let you join the party nor hurt Haru any more. I’ll continue to do the same. I am sorry but I can’t support this and let you do as you please. I have a duty to protect Haru as his companion and it goes both ways as Haru has a duty to protect me as well. And you Leticia 
 are but hims enemy. “
“Guu 
 !!!”
Leticia is so angry that she tries to reach for the sword on her waist 
 but she didn’t pull it out
“
 I’ll leave it here for today, but Haru is mine !!!” She screamed as she stormed off.
Leticia left, leaving behind such confusing lines, as she seemed to endure and control her anger at the very last minute.
Good grief


I thought I broke up with her, but it doesn’t seem that easy.
What’s wrong with her?
Welp, let’s devise some measures first.