/
[The next day].
Me and Alice stopped by the Adventurer’s Guild again.
It was a pity. But I couldn’t accept a guild request the day before because I got involved with Leticia.
“What should we do? Is there any request that Haru wants to take?”
“Hmm, that’s right .. I have….”
“Oh, I remembered. Leave it to me right now. After you would probably be making bad decisions.”
My ears fliched
“Why is that?”
“Because … Haru doesn’t know too much of the common sense of this world.”
“Well, when you say it like that … I can’t really rebuke.”
I can’t argue.
“I’m not saying that for the rest of the future … Can you leave it to me to decide which request to accept for now? Of course, I won’t decide it on my own, and I will listen to Haru’s opinion too.”
It was a good suggestion. At least she took care of my feelings unlike a certain someone. Somehow whenever I am with Alice I never feel bad about anything and I would tribute it to he amiable personality.
“Okay, I’ll leave it to you then.”
“Thank you”
“And I have another thing to ask …”
“What is it?”
“Hmm… What should I do about it?”
At the back of the guild … the door leading to the staff room was slightly open. One could only wonder if it was on purpose but I knew the truth…
As from there, there is someone staring at me at all times, following my every movement and every action. The stalker didn’t even move an inch as she stared at me intently.
I couldn’t even look back as it was too scary. But I knew who it was.
Leticia.
“Um … what is she doing?”
“She couldn’t make you agree to it easily, but I think she has no plans to withdraw … I think she decided to fall back and monitor me from nearby, right?”
“Hmm … She has a pretty nasty personality.”
It’s like she had become a stalker from the kind and benevolent hero..
I want her to just leave me alone.
“You don’t have to worry about it. As long as she is just watching from a distance and not doing anything suspicious, it won’t hurt you would it?”
“Even if you say so …”
I’m really worried. One cannot let a stalker be and allow her to follow him at all times. As long as Alice was around, probably nothing bad can happen in public. But what if I am alone? I can’t help with the unease in my heart.
“Someday, she would stop bothering us, don’t worry.” she continued paying no heed to Leticia “Hmm, this one looks nice. Let’s accept this request.”
“Oh”
Alice pulled the request bill and headed for the receptionist.
But at that moment, I felt like I could hear someone gnashing their teeth against each other..
――――――――――
……A few days later.
“I’m sorry … I’m still worried. I can’t bear this anymore”
“That’s right……it’s getting absurd….”
Since then, Leticia had continued to keep me under her surveillance. I couldn’t help but have chills running down my spine.
It was not just limited to the Adventurer’s Guild …
When walking in the city.
When shopping at a store.
Even when I’m eating at the inn.
Furthermore, even when I was sleeping, I felt like she was stalking me from somewhere… How could I sleep like that?
We were completely out of sleep.
“Je …”
I’m having lunch on the first floor of the inn right now …
Leticia was sitting at a table a little further away and staring at me.
“At first I thought I wouldn’t care, but if she continues to do this, I’m sure I’ll go insane.”
“Well …?”
“What should I do?”
“Speaking directly to Leticia doesn’t seem to be very effective …”
On the contrary, ther more we talked to her about it the more the situation seemed to be getting worse from there, I felt like it wasn’t going to get better by words alone.
So is there nothing we could do?
“I can’t believe, the person who was awarded the title of hero was a stalker …”
“Do you want me to compare with patience? Until the other side gives up which I don’t think is going to happen, this will continue to plague me at all times. I haven’t slept for days.”
“… Is it that serious?”
“I’m sorry. When I think about it, it can’t seem to calm myself down, so I’ll just can’t fall asleep.”
“I feel sorry for you.”
HaHaHa …both of us could do nothing other than giving a dry laugh.
“Hmm … better yet, why don’t you go to places that Leticia doesn’t know …”
bam
“Wait. That’s it!”
Alice responded greatly to the spilled tweet.
“Cut it down, speak quietly! Or else Leticia will hear everything.”
“Let’s leave this city and go far away, and Leticia may give up … I don’t think it would be realistic for her to follow behind you in that case. She would be giving up in no time.”
“That might be … no, maybe that’s the only possible option. Yeah.”
I feel that it is the most realistic idea.
There is no reason for me to stay in this city … neither a family nor a friend. I have nothing now.
There were times when I thought that it would be better to start from scratch at a new place. But I hadn’t really acted on that idea. But…
It might be a good idea.
“But what about Leticia? I think it’s difficult to sneak out of the city if I am being stalked at all times.”
“Leave it to me. Is it okay to agree if I manage this for the time being?”
“Oh, I do. I will leave it to you..”
“Okay, then … Leticia!”
“What!?”
What does she think she is doing? Before I knew it, Alice called out to Leticia.
Leticia comes to our table, with somewhat quivering steps.
“Oh, if it is not Haru and Alice. Isn’t it strange that we are meeting in a place like this. After all, It’s not like I was following you or watching over you.”
“Yes, yes. I like that cheap tsundere. Or maybe… I mean, you’re more of a yandere.”
“Yand !?”
“Anyway … let’s talk.”
“Hey … what? Maybe Haru was going to come back to me? I wonder if he finally realized who his master is.”
Alice shook his head.
“No, not at all”
“Gigigigi …!”
Leticia naturally gnashed her teeth at my prompt response.
It was Alice who spoke next.
“Would you like to duel again?”
“duel?”
“You’ve had a duel with us before, right? Then, let’s have another duel. So, this time we’ll settle clearly and firmly. Don’t complain about it this time.”
“Hey … Now you are making an interesting proposal. I thought you were only a female fox who was leaching onto Haruu, but it looks like you can talk of business too.. I’ll praise you for that.”
Before I knew it, I was told that I was actually being fooled by Alice …
Why is that so?
I am aware that she was a stranger a few days ago. But even so she had never hurt me till now.
As usual, Leticia’s thought circuit is unclear.
“We’re ready for tomorrow. It’s better to be early in the morning. The place is the plain at the end of the south gate. I’ll be the witness and the referee. Of course, I will no show any form of favouritism. I swear to God. I promise. How about something like this? “
“Yeah … yes, that’s okay. That would work out.”
“It’s decided. Don’t run away tomorrow, okay?”
“That’s my line. It’s impossible for a small fry like Haru to beat me. I’ll prove that the last time was just a coincidence and a miracle. Haru, watch your neck and wait. You are my thing! HAhahaha “
Having been given a duel promise, Leticia was in a good mood and left the inn with a laugh.
I’m sure we’re ready for tomorrow.
It seems unlikely that she would continue to monitor me after this.
“What are you going to do, Alice?”
“As I said right now.”
“But … even if I win the duel, I don’t think Leticia will listen to what I say obediently. It would be the same old loop. The promise of the previous duel was also violated … I don’t know if I can even win twice consecutively… … “
“It’s okay. she broke her promise first, so neither do we have any obligation or duty to keep ours.”
“What? Are you going to cheat in the duel?”
“Hmm, no we won’t do that. But what I’m thinking about …”
――――――――――
[The next day.]
Me and Alice …
“Hmm, it’s a nice view”
“… That’s right.”
We were swayed by a carriage and were looking at the scenery leisurely.
The destination was a different city.
“No way, I wouldn’t have thought that we would ditch the duel and move to another city in the meantime …”
“If we hadn’t done that, would you be able to leave the city safely and surely? Leticia seems to be too focused on you and was pretty straightforward, so I thought it would be relatively easy to deceive her.”
That was really cruel though. Just because someone is straightforward… to be taking advantage of that…
“Somehow the Alice now is like a villain of a fairy tale.”
“Oh, excuse me, Please. Call me a genius girl with a brain.”
“Should you say that yourself? Talk about self proclamation…”
“Ehehe”
Her smile was too bright for me. I couldn’t help but smile along.
“Well, even if you are villainous, you are still a beautiful girl.”
Somehow I blurted out.
“…”
“What happened?”
Did she got mad?
“If you can say that kind of thing all of a sudden, you are likely to be a mess. I wonder… Leticia’s actions come from a desire for possessiveness and exclusivity. I wonder if these two things are related?”
“What are you talking about?”
I was more confused than I could possibly be. Desire? Exclucivity? Leticia is but someone who is rotten to the core. There was no point brooding over a reasoning that I don’t even understand.
“…”
“Come on, what are you talking about?”
Alice was completely out of focus. She seemed not to be able to hear me anymore.
Anyway……
I was able to shake off Leticia and set out for a new city.
I don’t know though how long this blissful freedom would last … I couldn’t help but feel unease.
All I want now is to enjoy my freedom.
“Alice”
She was finally able to hear.
“what?”
“Let’s do our best together”
“Yes, of course”
What is waiting for me in this new world?
I feel a burning excitement in my chest …
It would be only later that I did realize that I was fated to meet Leticia again … who was once my childhood friend.