Class 1-A’s Mini-Reunion
The party thrown to celebrate the blight dragons’ defeat was over, and the area had been cleared away. That said, there were still plenty of people drinking. I assumed they’d continue until the morning. With quite a few folks making a racket, it felt like pretty much the same atmosphere as the guild back in Macallan.
Just as I was thinking we should go, I heard a yell from Sakurai.
“Takatsuki!”
“Hm?”
“You’re leaving already?” he asked. “Fancy stopping off before the night’s over?”
An after-party? “Hmmm...well today was pretty tiring, so I kinda want to sleep.”
“I see...” Sakurai answered, slumping. The look on his face made me feel pretty awkward...
“Come now, my esteemed Tackie, it is an opportunity for us classmates to gather once more.” Even Fujiyan was for it.
“Oh, hey, Saki!”
“Aya!”
Sasa and Yokoyama are coming too...
“I’m going to go to bed now,” Lucy declared before leaving.
Well, if everyone else’s going, I guess I can join them...
◇
“Cheers!” we all chorused.
There were five of us here: Sakurai, Yokoyama, Sasa, Fujiyan, and me. Nina had offered to keep watch and was waiting outside.
Suddenly, I realized something: Everyone here is from Japan.
Nina and Lucy probably had begged off to arrange it like that.
Soon, I heard the girls start gossiping.
“Hey, Aya? How far have you and Takatsuki gone?” Yokoyama asked.
“Wha?! W-Well... What about you and Sakurai?” Sasa answered.
“Us? We’re already engaged.”
“You are?! Congratulations!”
Oh? Sakurai’s engaged?
“Takatsuki, Fujiwara, the two of you usually stay in Roses, right?” asked the guy in question.
Fujiyan answered for us both. “We do indeed, in a town called Macallan.”
“What do you usually do there?”
“Hmm,” I murmured, thinking. “Hunt goblins, I guess?”
“G-Goblins?”
“Yeah, they’re nasty monsters that attack travelers. But they’re also weak enough that I can take them out, no problem.”
“Wow...” Sakurai nodded several times in admiration. Still, his reaction...
“You’ve never seen one before?” I asked.
“I-I have!” he stammered. “From a distance though...barely.”
So he’d never fought one.
“Takatsuki,” Yokoyama interjected, “Ryousuke’s the hero, so he shouldn’t need to fight the small-fry monsters. That’s what his subordinate knights and I are for.”
I nodded in understanding, but Sakurai didn’t look particularly happy. He probably didn’t appreciate that things were made easier for him by his “subordinates.” As good a person as ever.
“Sakurai, you’re like the ultimate weapon, so they’ve got to keep you safe,” I commented.
“Making the knights and Saki fight, just so I stay safe... It feels pathetic.”
“You’re nothing like that,” I countered. “You were the only one that could beat those blight dragons, and that’s what heroes are for.” Even now, the memory of his single attack splitting those drakes apart was overwhelming. Man, heroes are cool...
“Takatsuki, you were awesome when you took down the harpy queen,” Sasa said, patting me on the shoulder. Had I looked jealous?
“Regardless, it is wonderful for us 1-A students to be gathered in one place!” Fujiyan exclaimed brightly.
He was right. I’d been left behind at the water temple, and Sasa had been reincarnated into a monster. Sakurai had gained his hero skill, but that had set him against foes like the blight dragons.
We’d all done well to make it here.
And so, we spent much of the night making merry with our classmates.
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