Day-8
...
"So, how is it? Are you done?" I asked as he walked toward the counter where I was sitting.
He sat down on the chair right beside me. Looking at me, he gave a small nod.
"Yeah, I got the information I needed. It seems like tomorrow we'll be changing our hunting location," he said.
"…I see. Well, that's probably necessary. A place like the forest doesn't really guarantee a stable income."
He simply nodded in agreement.
Then I shifted my gaze toward the rows of tables. The crowd had already started to fade. Only a few people were still awake—the rest had fallen asleep, drunk.
It felt strangely unsettling, how a place that had been so lively could become this quiet.
"Hm, what's wrong, Sirus?" Manato suddenly asked.
I shook my head. "No, it's nothing… It just feels strange. It was so lively earlier, and before I even realized it, it all faded. Now there are barely any voices left."
Manato followed my gaze.
"…Yeah, you're right. It really does feel strange."
After that, we sat in silence for a while. I took a sip of my drink—this was my third tonight, and it still wasn't enough to make me drunk.
Seems like I have a pretty high tolerance.
Then I looked at Manato.
"Hey, Manato…"
He turned to me, looking slightly puzzled. "Is something wrong, Sirus?"
"No, it's nothing really… I'm just a little worried. About whether your party members will accept me," I said, forcing a faint, awkward smile.
"You don't need to worry about that. They're all good people, so I think they'll welcome you just fine."
"Yeah… I guess you're right. There's no point worrying about it," I said calmly. "By the way, Manato… would you mind telling me what your party is like?"
I was a little curious… about the people who would become my companions.
"No problem. I'll tell you a bit about them."
Then Manato began talking about his party members.
Starting with Ranta—according to him, he's the one who livens things up, though his personality is a bit… questionable.
Then there's Yume—she's the cheerful type.
Next is Shihoru—she's shy.
Then Mogzo—he doesn't talk much, but he's the tank of the party.
"And lastly, there's . You could say he's kind of the glue of the party… and now that I think about it, he's a bit similar to you, Sirus."
"Huh?" I frowned slightly.
"In what way?" I asked, genuinely confused how someone could be compared to me.
Manato smiled. "I don't really know. But when I talk to you… it feels a bit like when I talk to him."
…I guess that's fine.
"I see…"
From what he said, I could tell his party had a complete composition—Manato as a priest, Mogzo as a warrior, Ranta as a dark knight, Haruhiro as a thief, Yume as a hunter, and Shihoru as a mage.
Basically, a standard party setup.
Honestly, it sounded like a good one. If this were a game, I'd probably use that composition too.
And if I were to join… my role would probably be something like a tank, but more flexible.
Maybe in a MOBA, I'd be a semi-tank.
"I think that's a good party. Everyone has their own role," I nodded. "…I'm just worried… that I might mess it up."
"We don't know what will happen yet. But I hope… you'll all get along," Manato said, trying to ease my concerns.
"Yeah… I know…"
"…"
-
Day-9
...
Time passed quickly, and before long, morning arrived.
The two of us decided to head back. There wasn't any particular reason—it just felt like the right time.
Along the way, we barely spoke. The streets at dawn were incredibly quiet. There wasn't a single person in sight besides us.
After walking for a while, we reached an intersection. Manato, who had been leading, suddenly stopped and turned toward me.
"Looks like this is as far as I can go with you," he said with his usual smile.
I looked at him for a moment before replying.
"Yeah… I guess so. See you later."
He simply nodded, waved, and walked down one of the paths.
I watched him until he completely disappeared from sight.
"…Well, I guess I'm alone again."
I started walking in the opposite direction.
It had been a while since I walked around this early in the morning. No people, no noise… honestly, it felt quite comfortable.
But at times like this… I just couldn't relax.
Thoughts would start to surface, one after another.
And honestly… it was really annoying.
-
Not long after, I arrived at the inn. I went straight to my room and dropped myself onto the pile of straw I called a bed.
I closed my eyes, trying to sleep—but my consciousness wouldn't fade.
All I could do was lie there… thinking.
"… "
"…Damn… I'm getting nervous…"
Thinking about meeting Manato's party later made it even harder for me to sleep.
My heart was beating faster.
My mind kept running—imagining all kinds of scenarios. Rejection. Being ignored. And many more.
"…Huh…"
A sigh escaped my lips.
"This is why… I hate thinking…"
...