WeTried Translations
Translator: Goku
Editor: Sty
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ The War Hero in the NTR Game Wants to Die ◈
Chapter 024
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Lingering Light (5)
It's not even funny.
How I ended up entangled like this.
I slapped Rione's hand, which was clutching my collar, away.
Her hand, pushed away without strength, lingered in the air for a moment.
"Big Brother, you always belonged in the mansion."
"Then you should have just left me there to keep drinking."
"……Perhaps I should have."
"Crazy bitch."
Rione didn't answer.
Clutching her stomach, she leaned against the wall and gasped for breath.
After keeping her head bowed for a while, Rione opened her mouth.
"Why are you fighting like that?"
Her gaze slowly rose and stopped at my left hand.
"Why…… could you bring your arm there, even knowing it would be cut?"
I approached Rione.
As my footsteps drew near, Rione hastily wrapped her arms around her stomach.
She huddled herself smaller, even bowing her head.
It seemed she thought I might kick her again.
It would be a lie to say I didn't think of it, but...
"Because I could."
"You weren't that kind of person."
Rione lifted her head.
"Always, always! You were the kind of person who couldn't even properly block when I swung lightly, and just squeezed your eyes shut..."
Her voice cracked.
"You... shouldn't have changed like this."
I looked down at her for a while.
I didn't know what to say.
I wasn't even sure if I had anything to say in the first place.
I pressed my eyes firmly with my palm.
I turned my back and left the professor's office.
As I walked down the corridor for a long time, I felt somehow dizzy.
Come to think of it, blood was still flowing from my left arm.
If I died like this, to what point in time would I return?
I wondered if I would return to the time Rione swung her sword from top to bottom... but I wasn't in the mood to push my sibling against the wall and hit her again, so I changed direction and headed towards where the academy's priests resided.
It also served as a sort of infirmary.
After all, given the nature of the school, there were always plenty of injured people.
When I opened the door and entered, a priest who was sorting herbs inside looked up.
The priest's eyes, which had been casually looking at me, widened when they landed on my left arm.
"No, what in the world..."
The priest dropped the herbs he was holding as if throwing them away and rushed over.
"Who dares do such a thing to someone sent by Her Holiness! Surely the students on the list didn't attack the professor?"
"Calm down and treat the wound."
"But...!"
"It's just a family matter, so there's no need to worry much about it."
The priest closed his mouth.
He immediately went inside and brought a small medicine bottle and bandages.
Following his gesture to sit in a chair, I sat down and extended my left arm.
The priest rolled up my sleeve and examined the wound.
"It will sting a little."
Then he opened the medicine bottle and poured it directly onto the wound.
When I was on the front lines, it was precious enough to be applied with a cloth and rubbed in.
A hissing sound like burning flesh was heard, and white steam rose.
The wound, red with blood, slowly became clean.
Not that the wound was healed, nor that the bleeding lessened.
The priest closed his eyes, recited a short prayer, and began to wrap the bandage around my arm.
When the bandage was tied, I stood up.
The priest tried to grab me and say something more, but when I stood up, he merely made the sign of the cross without opening his mouth.
I had been held up by Rione for a long time... but in the end, I had come out to look for Arin.
I tried to recall places she might go, but nothing specific came to mind.
Then it suddenly occurred to me that there was no reason for me to go wandering around looking for Arin.
After all, Arin was dispatched by the Adventurers' Guild, so if I went there, I would probably be able to find out where she was.
I left the academy, hailed a suitable carriage, and headed to the Adventurers' Guild.
The guild building was larger than I expected.
One side was used as an inn, and the other side sold alcohol and food.
In the center were a bulletin board covered with various requests and a reception desk.
Although the space was divided, there were no walls.
The smell of alcohol, food, and sweat-soaked leather mingled together, assaulting my nose.
I went inside and looked around.
The reception desk, quest board, tables in the corner... it was chaotic.
So Arin had been working and living in a place like this?
Living in such a peaceful village, then ending up here?
"Looks like some young master got lost here."
As I was looking around inside, someone loudly spoke to me.
"This isn't a place for brats like you! We don't even hire male prostitutes separately here!"
Laughter erupted from a nearby table.
"Wow, you could dress him in women's clothes. Wonder what his mom looks like."
A few adventurers with drinks in hand snickered, looking at me.
I was about to ignore them and pass by, but I stopped.
If they could make such a racket in the guild... they must be somewhat famous adventurers, I suppose.
Putting aside the quality of the humans, that is.
Compared to the soldiers I'd seen on the front lines... this was fairly tame.
I approached them.
The large man who had been laughing the loudest put down his drink.
"What?"
The man stood up from his seat.
The chair scraped against the floor, sliding back.
The adventurer pulled out the short mace hanging from his waist and rested it on his shoulder.
"Do you have something to say?"
I didn't answer and just stared at the man.
The man snorted and poked my chest with the tip of his mace.
This guy wouldn't last thirty minutes on the front lines before dying.
Putting aside his skill, his body was too big. He'd stand out too much.
Anyway, as I was pushed back a step by the mace, I simultaneously drew my sword.
I lightly stabbed the man's stomach with the sword tip, then slashed it upwards diagonally, cutting the shoulder holding the mace.
Blood didn't spray.
Only a moderate amount flowed down the open wound.
Thanks to the muscles being appropriately severed, the mace, now devoid of strength in his hand, fell to the floor.
Thud.
The man clutched his shoulder and collapsed backward.
The adventurers who had been laughing just moments before all fell silent.
However, the silence was only for a moment.
The sound of chairs scraping against the floor echoed in succession.
The people sitting at the tables one by one got up and put distance between themselves and me.
With swords, axes, and daggers drawn, they were only eyeing each other nervously.
"I think... you'd better put your weapons down."
Naturally, no one listened.
A faint presence was felt behind me.
And... I could see the adventurers' eyes darting around.
That's why I didn't bother to turn around.
I calmly listened to the sound of my opponent quietly shifting their feet and holding their breath as they adjusted their weapon.
Soon, there was a sound of someone pushing off the floor.
I lightly swung the sword I was holding backward.
"Gwaaaaahk!"
The adventurer who tried to ambush me from behind clutched his face and fell.
I hadn't cut him deeply or sliced his eyes, so he wouldn't die, though he'd have a small scar, and he wouldn't have significant problems living his life from now on.
It was a bit vexing, but I had no intention of drawing my sword against strangers like this.
Anyway, I could feel that the momentum had definitely shifted to my side.
The adventurers who had drawn their weapons stealthily lowered their sword tips.
I approached the man who was sitting slumped and placed the tip of my sword at his throat.
"I'm looking for an assistant named Arin... who was dispatched from this place."
The man's face turned pale.
"Do you know her?"
"N-not personally, but I know who she is!"
Avoiding the sword tip at his neck, the man hastily pulled his chin back and continued.
"Did that girl make some mistake with the elder?"
"She did. Rather excessively."
The man gulped.
"Anyway, do you know where she is?"
"She's probably at Bruno's base right about now!"
"Speak clearly so I understand."
"Although she's part of the guild, when she doesn't have quests, she doesn't stay here; she uses a tavern near the East Wall as her base."
"A tavern near the East Wall, you said?"
"Yes. If you follow the main road leading to the East Gate, you'll see the largest tavern with a red roof."
I sheathed my sword and turned around.
From behind, I heard someone let out a long breath.
I stopped, turned back to the man, pulled a wad of bills from my pocket, and threw them on the floor.
"You'd better get that treated quickly."
"Yes, yes!"
"And get treated with that friend there."
Leaving the man, who was nodding with a face that looked like he was about to cry, behind me, I exited the guild and hailed another carriage.
It felt like I'd been wandering around all day.
Every time I tried to head somewhere, I was blocked, and just when a path seemed to open up, I was blocked again.
By now, the streets were so dark that nothing could be seen without the light of the streetlights.
Red roof... red roof.
Perhaps because it was dark, the color of the roof wasn't easily discernible.
However, a rather large tavern with lights on caught my eye.
Why doesn't she understand that if she just told me she still liked me, it would sound genuine?
I understand the feeling of running away because you don't trust yourself... but why would I push you away?
I tried to cling to your side no matter what.
When I couldn't cling to your side, I ended up hanging from the ceiling.
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