"Hehe, well, never mind that, can I have some of that? It smelled so good the moment I saw it, I got hungry."
It's shameless, but it's true I made a little extra. I sigh and place two plates on the table.
"...Well, fine. I made about enough for two."
"Hehe, you're so nice, darling. I love you!"
I inwardly scoff and pile the freshly made tomato and basil pasta onto two plates. I also prepare a simple vegetable salad as a side.
"Here you go. Eat up before it gets cold."
"Okay, thanks for the food!"
Seena immediately twirls the pasta with her fork and takes a bite. At that moment, her eyes light up and she exclaims, "Mmm, delicious!"
"The tomatoes are sweet and sour, but there's a good depth of flavor, and the basil is so fragrant! This looks simple, but the balance is really good. Darling, you have a talent for cooking, don't you?"
"No, it's just my own style... It's not something that deserves so much praise."
Even as I say that, seeing Seena eating so happily makes me feel good. Cooking is worthwhile when the person you made it for enjoys it.
"Thanks for the meal! Wow, I'm really full. Thank you, darling!"
Seena puts down her fork, satisfied, and then looks at me as if she just remembered something.
"Oh, right, actually, the branch manager asked me to give some pointers to the adventurers tomorrow."
"Pointers? You're going to teach people?"
The story is too unexpected, and I can't help but ask.
Seena has the body of a young girl but is incredibly forceful and gives off a careless impression, so I can't imagine she's at a level where she can teach others.
"What do you mean? I'm an S-rank adventurer, you know? So, I'd say I'm qualified to teach. ...Didn't you know?"
"Huh, S-rank... that's the highest level in the guild, isn't it? Seriously...?"
I never thought Seena was at such a ridiculously high rank. It sounds like a story from another world to me, who's always doing dirty jobs.
"So, there's a guild-sponsored training session tomorrow, and it'll be tough for me to handle alone, so -- come with me, darling."
"Ehh... I'm good. I don't really want to get stronger than I am now."
"Huh? It's the opposite. You're not going to be receiving pointers; you should be the one giving them."
"...Huh?"
I'm left speechless. Me, a lecturer? What is Seena thinking?
"Wait a minute, I'm just an F-rank adventurer, right? The lowest of the low, how could I possibly teach anyone?"
"Adventurer ranks aren't reliable. Whether you go up or down is decided by the guild's rules, it has nothing to do with your actual strength."
Ah, I see.
That's true, it's weird that someone like Seena is S-rank. So, actual strength and rank aren't related, huh.
"Besides, all I want you to do tomorrow is support. That should be easy for you to participate in, right?"
"I don't know..."
As I say that reluctantly, Seena's expression sharpens.
"Come on, darling~. I just wanted to be with you~. ...And I already told the branch manager that you'd be there as my support."
"Ugh... Seriously?"
The branch manager is a really important person, isn't he?
I don't know what kind of person he is, but I've heard rumors that he's scary.
As someone who gets work from the guild, I don't want to give him a bad impression. My past life's corporate trauma is tingling. I wanted to avoid this kind of atmosphere of expectations from important people if possible...
"So, I don't have a choice..."
"Yay~! Then it's decided. Meet me in front of the guild tomorrow morning. See you then, darling!"
Seena concludes the conversation as she pleases and starts helping to clear the dishes with a satisfied smile.
As for me, I have a stomachache because I hate the pointer thing so much.
I was supposed to live a peaceful life just doing dirty jobs, so why is this happening...?
...Well, now that it's come to this, there's nothing I can do.
It's best to just get it over with lightly and then make a quick escape rather than resisting and causing trouble.
"Sigh... Tomorrow's going to be a gloomy day..."
As I say that and sigh, I quietly lower my gaze.
Next to me, Seena is nonchalantly muttering, "I'm so excited to be with darling tomorrow~." It's not just my imagination that my precious peace is slipping away...
◆
--The same dream again...
I = Lilia Welt, was standing in a large arena.
Spotlights poured down from the crowds of fans filling the stands. Their cheers and passion made my skin tingle.
When I won MVP in the student league, everyone praised me. The audience and my teammates were smiling and waving at me. Back then, I believed in my talent and never doubted that greater glory awaited me in the professional league...
But as soon as I turned pro, the situation changed completely.
How many times had I heard that I was not performing as expected?
Boos, sighs, "Disappointing," "Overrated"—those words pierced my ears every day. Before I knew it, I felt like my teammates were distancing themselves, and I became isolated.
Even when I stood on the field, the cheers gradually turned into jeers. The light that had praised me fell into darkness, like a bottomless swamp dragging me down.
No matter how much I reached out, there was nothing to grab onto, and I was just waving my hands in the air...
"...!"
And then I woke up.
Cold sweat drenched my back, and my breathing was unusually ragged.
It looked like the morning light was streaming in from outside, but an indescribable terror was spreading slowly from deep within my chest. How many more times would I have to have the same dream before I could be free?
I looked around the hotel room where I was staying alone. It was a pretty nice room. There was a plush carpet on the floor, and a large sofa in the corner. But even that luxury felt meaningless now.
"...Yes, please."
The hotel manager said in a solemn voice from beyond the door.
"Lady Lilia, you have been staying for a week, but we have only received payment for three days. If you do not pay the additional accommodation fee by the end of today, I regret to inform you that you will have to leave."
...I knew this kind of thing was coming. I was annoyed, but it wouldn't be right to blame the manager. They were just doing their job.
"I understand. I'll earn the money and pay today. Don't worry."
The manager bowed slightly and left, saying only, "Then we will expect payment by the end of today... Thank you."
I could earn the money. I had a plan. If I took on a request from the guild, I could take care of the accommodation fee somehow.
I convinced myself of this, checked my luggage and weapons, and carefully got ready.
The only reason I was insisting on staying in a luxury hotel was because I came from a noble family and had the title of Chivalreid equestrian fighting athlete.
But now, I realized that this pride was something to be ashamed of.
Because I had learned.
About the existence of Setsu --.
To him, my pride would be something so trivial that he would laugh at it.
I wanted to become stronger again.
That should have been the most important goal for me.
But now I didn't even know if that was what I really wanted to do.
◇
In the evening, I yawned and pushed open the guild doors. Unlike the tense atmosphere of the early morning, the adventurer's guild was relaxed.
The carcass of the "Crow Banker" on my back was unbearably heavy...
"Seriously, to think I'd end up having to defeat something like this."
A large quadrupedal monster, the "Crow Banker."
Sharp claws, thick hide, danger rating C. It was a formidable foe.
"Welcome back, Lilia!"
The receptionist, Serena, greeted me from behind the counter.
She smiled and waved as soon as she saw me, but her gaze immediately went to my back.
Well, of course.
Carrying back a C-rank monster alone, it was bound to be noticeable.
"Wow... A Crow Banker! And you took it down so cleanly... There are hardly any wounds."
Serena's eyes widened as she peered curiously at the Crow Banker's corpse.
In response, I shrugged casually.
"I aimed from a blind spot and took it down in one hit. That's the quickest way, right?"
"I see... As expected of Lilia. It's in such good condition that we should be able to buy it for a high price. I'm sure you can expect a good payout!"
Contrary to Serena's rising tone, I felt somehow unfulfilled.
I could hear voices whispering from the surrounding adventurers, "One hit... amazing," or "Did she take it down alone...?" I might have felt proud to hear that before.
But now, I felt strangely itchy and couldn't honestly be happy.
Because if it was that Setsu, he could probably wipe out a monster like this in an instant...
When I thought about it, the sight of me proudly puffing out my chest seemed like a child's game of make-believe.
"...Lilia, is something the matter? You don't seem to be feeling well."
Serena lowered her eyebrows worriedly. Oh no, was it showing on my face? I hastily put on a smile.
"Oh, no. I'm just a little tired. The Crow Banker is pretty heavy."
"Is that so? ...Well, I hate to bother you when you're tired, but please do the handover paperwork first."
Serena quickly prepared the documents, and I signed them with an almost practiced hand. I hadn't been to the adventurer's guild for very long, but I learned this part quickly.
"Okay... Well, we'll do the assessment later, so please wait here for a moment. And the reward... well, I'll give you the basic reward first."
"Thank you."
While thanking her, I lightly accepted the coins in the envelope and quickly checked them. It wasn't a bad amount. I could probably afford to pay for lodging for a while... It was pathetic, but that was what mattered right now.
"Oh, and Lilia, just now a notice came that your adventurer rank has been promoted to C. Congratulations!"
At Serena's cheerful voice, the surrounding adventurers cheered.
Well, yeah, I guess so.
It was quite an achievement for a newbie who had been F-rank until recently (although in reality I had barely been active) to be promoted to C-rank so quickly.
"...Is that so, thank you. Well, it's about right, I guess."
At least the old me might have gotten excited and said "Yay!" But now, I just felt depressed when I thought about Setsu.
What was there to be excited about with just a C-rank now...? He was more...
Just as I was about to swallow a sigh, a large poster posted on the guild wall caught my eye. There was a large crowd of people around it.
"What's going on?"
When I asked out of curiosity, a random adventurer said excitedly.
"Hey, look at this! It's a special lecture by the Witch of the Endless Expanse, Seena!"
"Witch of the Endless Expanse... Wait, is she coming!? Really?"
I almost stopped breathing. Even I knew the name of the Witch of the Endless Expanse.
She's rumored to be one of the world's leading magicians, a monster-class figure.
Would the Witch of the Endless Expanse really come all the way to a backwater guild like this?
Surprised, I looked at the poster, which had "Lecture to be held at the guild training grounds tomorrow at noon!" printed in large letters.
Participants wanted, beginners welcome - but honestly, it's a bit scary. There's usually no way you can get the chance to learn directly from someone of that legendary level.
I could feel my heart pounding. I still couldn't shake off the shock of Setsu... But even so, when I heard that I could learn from the Witch of the Endless Expanse, my heart was still racing.
To get closer to that person... and if I just stayed stagnant, nothing would change. Should I give it a try?
At that moment, I unconsciously traced the poster with my finger. I had made it to C-rank, but I still lacked something.
To understand even a little of Setsu's overwhelming... indescribable, extraordinary power, it wouldn't be bad to take a lecture from someone strong.
"...Okay, I'll participate tomorrow."
I lightly clenched my fist. I mixed in with the excited adventurers around me and quietly strengthened my resolve.
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