Chapter 149: Farewell, Lily
“The port town was in total chaos… and for some reason, Esther stubbornly refused to evacuate. She wouldn’t leave even when I asked her to…”
“Oh my! That must have been terrible. Haha!”
“That’s no laughing matter…”
After defeating the demons, Lily had faced the mysterious meteor but survived safely thanks to the efforts of her ally, Ryu.
The meteor had been visible even from the port town, causing panic and turning the streets into a scene of chaos and screams. Yet, when Ryu’s lightning-based destructive beam obliterated the meteor instantly, the townspeople declared it a miracle from the Sea God or a blessing from the Dragon God. Somehow, in typical seafarer fashion, the citizens were now excited and celebrating the strange event.
Later, Lily’s subordinate and Esther received reports of the successful demon hunt. The subordinates sighed in relief, while Esther, as if it were obvious, happily munched on some sweets.
“So… who exactly is that person?” the subordinate asked, glancing at the swordsman beside Lily.
“This one? Umm… what was your name again?”
“Louise.”
“Right, right! A-Rank adventurer, swordsman Louise!”
Though the constant presence of Ryu and Lily had dulled their sense of awe, A-Rank adventurer status was a rare and prestigious title, reserved only for the fiercest of warriors. The subordinate’s eyes reflected a hint of respect.
“Such a remarkable person… why are you here?”
“Actually, thanks to his actions this time, he’s joining the First Special Division! Yay!”
“Eh!?”
The subordinate reacted with genuine surprise, as if a bolt of unexpected news had struck them.
Louise muttered under his breath.
“I don’t like how that makes it sound as if I volunteered for the division myself…”
“Oh, come on! Don’t be so picky! You’re a swordsman, after all!” Lily patted him firmly on the back.
“Ow! How strong is that…?”
“You grimace over gentle physical contact from a delicate young lady like me? You need more training, Louise-kun~”
“Delicate? You must mean sadistic.”
“I agree. If the captain were truly delicate, she’d already have a boyfriend a long time ago.”
“Waaaaaaahhh!”
At the next table, Ryu handed Esther a small gift.
“Here, the demon’s horns. Got two of them as part of the reward.”
“Ohh~ hmm hmm… nuhooo~” Esther muttered, patting the horns and murmuring in fascination.
“This is a rather special material…”
“Oh? How so?”
“It carries the same scent as precious monster materials like dragon reverse scales, silver wolf fangs, or kraken poison sacs—rare items that appear only at the auctions of great nations.”
“Could it be used for alchemy?”
“Of course. Grind it to powder, store it in bottles, and use it gradually. My world just expanded again! Kakkakka!”
“Good to know. By the way, I also took a mana-concealing cloak from the demon.”
“Ohh. That’s a magical item not commonly seen on this continent… Perhaps a product of the Demon Continent?”
“That’s what I think. I plan to entrust it to a research institution in a certain nation.”
“Mimi doesn’t need it anyway.”
Mimi, the sole assassin of the Arden Viscount family, had no magical power of her own, making the cloak useless to her. It would be better to present it to the Empress and claim a reward instead.
As they were talking, Lily and the others arrived.
“Sorry~ I just heard from my subordinate, but why didn’t Esther evacuate?”
“Of course I didn’t. Ryu was here. A trivial meteor like that doesn’t merit running.”
“…That confidence comes from trust?”
“Yes.”
Lily and Louise thought silently.
(Well, if she’s Ryu’s ally, she must understand all of Ryu’s abilities and magic. That makes sense.)
(This loli-elf is allied with Ryu… so she must possess some special power. And that baby red dragon on her shoulder…)
“Besides, I’m Ryu’s wife.”
“““!?!?!””
The three stared wide-eyed.
“Wha—!? Esther is Ryu’s wife!?”
“Yes.” “Indeed.”
Lily glanced between them.
“Eh… so that explains the size difference…!?”
“What nonsense are you saying?”
“Only someone with a lover has the right to ask that. Singletons, step aside.”
“Ugh… I won’t give up!”
The subordinate and Louise sighed.
“Captain… that’s certainly concerning, but normally, you don’t ask directly. You’re lucky they’re Ryu and his kind-hearted allies.”
“Am I now going to be a subordinate of this tactless captain…? Maybe I should decline.”
“D-Don’t look at me like that…”
Lily noticed a small vial in her subordinate’s pocket.
“Hey, what’s that?”
“Oh… th-this is…”
“That’s a medicine I gave to the subordinate.”
“Medicine!? Esther, you’re a professional healer!?”
“Sort of.”
“What kind of medicine did you make?”
“In response to the subordinate’s requests, I prepared mana recovery pills and a potion for nighttime vigor.”
“Nighttime vigor…?”
The subordinate averted their gaze, cheeks flushed, and cleared their throat.
“Well, that’s not something the captain will need.”
“Waaaaahhh! I want a boyfriend toooo!”
After various conversations, the cooperation with Lily and her companions was considered complete.
…Or so it seemed.
───Now, outside the main gate of the port town.
“Ryu. Your power is essential to defeating the Demon King. Even if you don’t join the division, I’d like you to stay within the kingdom for a while so we can contact you anytime…”
“Once this trip is over, I plan to return to the Gran Federation, so I can’t comply. Sorry.”
“Eh?”
“You really thought I’d stay here?”
“But… that’s how it seemed to go!”
“Unfortunately, I’m not particularly interested in the Demon King, nor am I that altruistic. Accept it.”
“I won’t give up!”
Ryu scratched his head and sighed. He then scribbled something on a small piece of paper, folded it, and handed it to Lily.
“What’s this?”
“This paper has my address. You’ll probably face missions related to the Demon King, and if you hit an insurmountable wall, if there comes a moment when there’s truly no way forward, send me a letter as a last resort. Until then, never open this paper. …Understood?”
“Y-Yeah… I understand…”
Lily clutched the paper tightly. The subordinate and Louise looked somewhat muted.
Ryu and Esther exchanged a “finally done” glance, exhaling in relief.
“…You’ll worry about a lot of things, but when the time comes to write me, think of it as boarding a winning ship.”
“No need for comfort! I’m still the captain here!” Lily smiled broadly, waving off the concern.
Ryu couldn’t help but smile back.
(It’s the first time Ryu has ever smiled at me…!)
Ryu and Esther turned to leave, but he glanced back for just a moment.
“Lily. One last thing—this is not comfort. This is the absolute truth. ────
───The Demon King is not even near my level.”