The World After Leaving the Hero Party

6 – reunited – 1

The room prepared for me was quite nice. It’s called a room, but it’s better to call it a house.

Not only the luxurious carpet, but all the decorations were gorgeous, I sat in a room and raised the teleportation ring.

The red jewel in the center of the black ring was proving its magical power by emitting a soft light.

It seemed possible to use it inside the royal palace where magic was blocked, probably because it was obtained by completing an achievement.

After confirming the light of the ring, I immediately looked at the remaining achievements.

There were still quite a few quests to achieve ‘From now on, I’m an S-class adventurer’ as well.

In a game, it’s just a few mouse clicks, but it’s a reality, so it’s not a waste of time.

From waiting time to travel time, it’s really…

It’s terrible.

That’s not to say it can’t be done, so I’ll have to overlap it with other achievements as much as possible…

“and…”

opened the schedule.

Among the achievements that can only be obtained by participating in festivals or events in each village, one achievement caught my eye.

[Royal Road Summer Waterway Festival 2nd consecutive victory]

[Participant in 1st consecutive loss – Claire Layfield]

Those words brought the past before my eyes.

—

“festival?”

Defeated the third subordinate of the Demon King.

He was a powerful being called the Doppelganger King, and he was a pretty strong guy who turned people into undead while borrowing the body of a noble of the kingdom.

I was able to defeat him by revealing his identity with the Mirror of Truth obtained from the Dream Demon’s Cave.

Since then, there was no sign of the Demon King’s subordinates appearing, so the warrior party was able to rest comfortably in the capital for the first time in a long time, and they were preparing for their achievements.

“Umm… can we join the festival now…?”

Claire, who was perplexed, glanced at me and nodded slightly.

“What are Tia and Eva doing?”

“Leventia said that I should return to the Knights and go to formal summer training, and Evangeline said that I don’t like places with a lot of humans.”

“Really? Then, can we go alone?”

“right.”

“Kuh, keuh. Are you okay? You must be tired. Or do you have anything else to do?”

me?

Of course I’m fine

Even if you are in the middle of the main story, you have to unlock the achievements as quickly as possible.

In particular, in the case of summer and winter festivals in the royal capital, the period during which you can pick them is limited, so you must do it while you can.

Eyes resembling the sun gleamed. Claire crossed her arms and shook her head, then smiled and collapsed on the bed.

“Ah~ But I’m tired too, so I want to sleep…”

“Okay? Rest then.”

Grab someone and take them with you. You don’t have to take them with you as festival partners.

You don’t have to forcefully take someone you don’t like.

“Aww! Now, wait! Sorry! Sorry! Come with me! Huh?!”

Claire, who had just been grinning like a Cheshire cat, grabbed the hem of my robe. I shrugged my shoulders as I looked at her with a clear expression of bewilderment.

Bounce while going.

In the royal capital, festivals are held every summer and winter.

One of them is the Summer Waterway Festival using the river that runs through the center of the capital to overcome the hot weather.

In games, it’s just an event to show colleagues or female characters in swimsuits.

Participating in this event twice and enjoying it both times is also an achievement, so you should do it.

At the entrance to the festival grounds by the river, blankly thinking of achievements to do during the main story.

I felt someone tap my shoulder.

“Did you wait long?”

I could hear the people around me whispering or exclaiming.

It was worth it.

Golden hair glistening in the warm sunlight.

Because she, with the sun-like eyes in her white and slim face, was shining more than anyone else in the room.

A beauty who showed off her bare feet in a sleeveless dress slightly above the knee, and white sandals that go well with her white skin, not boots that she always wears.

Claire Layfield was showing off her bright and lively beauty just like in the game.

“Hehe.”

“Isn’t that a bit excessive?”

Claire has a great body and beautiful appearance that any man or woman should look back on at least once, but she is still a country girl on the inside.

For a woman who would blush at the sight of armor that was slightly exposed, her arms and armpits, and her white thighs were exposed whenever she swayed, which was quite extreme for her.

So when I asked, she blushed slightly.

“Yo, you’re a warrior.”

“What does it matter?”

“It took courage!”

“Really? They look good anyway.”

I just praised him because he looked at me as if I was openly hoping for a compliment.

To achieve this achievement, you must visit all minigames and shops during the festival period.

That’s why there’s no reason to waste time with pointless squabbles.

“Oh, oh~. Hyeonu. Can you see? You wore it specially today. I think it’s an honor.”

She didn’t know what to do with my praise and made a fuss. She was smug and patted me on the back, then smirked.

“Let’s go. There’s a lot to do.”

“yes!”

Claire laughed.

Like it’s so much fun.

—

It was for achievement, but to be honest, it was quite fun at the time.

It’s a thing of the past now.

Anyway, who should I go with this year?

In addition to the achievements of winning the second round of the summer festival, other achievements were also confirmed, and the blueprint for the future was reexamined. Nothing particularly deviated from the plan.

Some did more than expected, some did less, but this is within the margin of error.

As long as there were no major problems, it seemed that all achievements could be accomplished within a year or two.

okay.

Unless it’s a big problem.

-smart.

A knock was heard at the door. After allowing me to enter, the lady-in-waiting politely opened the door. She bowed her head politely as she did when she entered, and continued speaking in a calm tone.

“Your Majesty is looking for it.”

“Is that so?”

I have to go looking for it.

I went outside with the maid, and found it quite noisy outside.

“What is it?”

“General Leoden has returned to the capital for a while.”

General Leoden is also a named NPC in the game. A masterful general who leads the war against monsters, and a great general who is loyal to the king.

Of course, he has a naive side, but he is still a man who knows how to fulfill his role in his position.

The fact that he came, whom I met a few times during the main storyline…

“Huh? Did Claire, Leventia, or Evangeline come too?”

“I heard that only the warrior came today.”

“okay.”

I expected it, but I wasn’t upset in the slightest that I might see them again. I just think that it is.

However, the lady-in-waiting seemed to know the relationship between me and the hero’s party, and the expression on her face looked dark. Did they think I would at least run away from them?

What crime did I commit to run away?

“let’s go.”

“Yes.”

The road to the throne room was not too busy. It was because most of the manpower went there to greet General Leoden and the warriors.

That’s why when I was waiting in front of the audience room after completing the minimum inspection.

– Cheekyung! Chunk!

I hear the sound of heavy heavy armor moving. I turned my eyes towards it and found it.

whitewashed.

eyes wide open.

A blonde beauty whose hands and feet trembled and did not know what to do.

“…Hyun…Woo?”

Claire, who called me with a rather pensive voice instead of the beautiful voice of the past, took a step forward. As she tried to approach me, as if she couldn’t even properly recognize whether this situation was a dream or reality, a large old man with a shaggy beard raised his arm to stop her.

“It’s audience time soon.”

“We barely met! We barely met! Hyunwoo!! But! But, it’s Hyunwoo!! Hyunwoo is over there!!!”

“Do it later. The important thing now is…”

– Kkeudeuk

“…don’t interfere. I, I tell him…”

“Her Majesty the Queen has arrived!! Everyone enter!”

“It doesn’t matter…!!”

“Shh.”

When I put my finger to my lips, Claire, who seemed ready to draw her weapon and knock out those who stood in her way at any moment, stiffened. She stared blankly at me, then lowered her head slightly, and General Leoden winked at me.

Thank you.

thank you for what

living by helping each other

I’ve gotten quite a bit of help in the past.

I turned my gaze away from them. Then he quietly went inside, and General Leoden and Claire also went inside.

The back of my head tingles as if Claire was still staring at me.

“You’ve suffered a lot. General Leoden.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No. You have nothing to apologize for.”

Sitting arrogantly on her throne in the audience room, the queen looked down at us with a cold gaze. Even though her daughter, Princess Lucille Ermeyer, was suppressed by her spirit, the queen maintained her characteristic arrogance.

“Hero. According to reports, the leader of Leventia Shuma, my sword and shield, is causing quite a bit of trouble on the battlefield. Is that true?”

uh? is it?

This is a story I’ve never heard of before.

“Excessively brutal monster slaughter, refusal to recover, pushing away the priest who was trying to recover by force is common… Other than that, there are a few failures to follow instructions… and not taking a proper rest.”

“That…that’s it.”

“Because she wanted to, I didn’t return to the knights and let her belong to the warrior’s party… Hero. Are the party members out of control?”

Claire bit her lip and glanced at me. So what.

“…It’s because I’m lacking.”

“Really? Things that you could never find in the past are happening again and again after defeating the demon lord. The elf archer Evangeline Lutweize… I heard that she refuses all communication and doesn’t come out of the barracks after the battle is over. .”

“……”

“I wonder if there’s a mental problem there… There are people who don’t have it and they say they mumble.”

“…that…”

“When they approach to heal you, they try to threaten you. Sometimes they enter the battlefield on their own and wander alone as if they are looking for something. So far, there are no problems…”

The Queen calmly read the report and asked.

“Is all this true?”

Claire nodded slightly. The haggard face loses its strength.

“Sage. In the past, you were a member of the warrior’s party.

“I wasn’t a formal party member, and I was just following around.”

“Really? Then, what do you think is the reason why the warrior party members are different from when you applied?”

I answered.

Showing an open displeasure.

“It seems to me that His Majesty knows, too…”

“I know roughly.”

“Why do you ask when you know?

The servants around him showed displeasure, as if they didn’t like the warning to pay attention to others and not cross the line.

But she was the first to bring up the unpleasant question.

And what would they do if I answered like this?

I’m not even a servant of the Queen, I’m just a contract employee.

If you twist it, cut it.

In response to my answer, she tapped the armrest of the throne with her long fingers, then smiled and nodded before speaking in a more relaxed tone.

It was her own gesture of apology.

“…Hmm. Well, that’s also true. I apologize for the question of privacy. Then, in the past, when you applied, the warrior party was fine, and now, if not… can you support them again?”

Claire’s expression brightened instantly. But sullen again. Then his eyes twinkle and he sighs.

I glanced at her, who looked quite complicated, and shook my head.

“I don’t like it.”

“why?”

“I have more important things to do than that.”

At my answer, the hero distorted his beauty as if he would cry at any moment.

After that, after a few questions and answers, the audience ended. General Leoden, who was holding Claire who seemed to keep coming to me, sighed and glanced at me.

I nodded and he went away, and Claire hesitated.

Like a frightened cat at a loss.

Like a dog scolded by its owner lowering its tail and looking at it.

When the two of them were left, she was unable to speak to me, unlike how she had been so enthusiastic earlier.

i saw her Claire’s eyes met mine, and her expression twisted and she smiled.

That awkward smile, as if I didn’t know what to do, was very similar to the smile she gave me in the past, not knowing what to say after Leventia and Evangeline abused me.

But that was only for a moment.

Claire was visibly embarrassed and hurriedly lowered her head.

“Mi… sorry… uh, I laughed at my own will…”

I haven’t said anything yet?!