Promise
Translated by GXYRU
Edited by GXYRU
I invited Jessica and Marcia to move to an available table.
“Jessica, today I’ll treat you both to celebrate your promotion to S-rank. Marcia, feel free to order whatever you like,” I said.
“Sure. Thank you, Arius…” Jessica replied.
“As expected of you, Arius-kun. You’re quite generous. Master, bring us the most expensive bottle of alcohol! And bring us dishes in order of their prices!” Marcia chimed in.
I’m not exactly sure what she meant by “as expected,” but I could tell that Marcia was in high spirits.
“Marcia! Wait a moment!” Jessica exclaimed.
“Well, I don’t mind. But Marcia, make sure you finish what you order,” I added.
“Of course. I have plenty of room for it,” Marcia assured.
Drinks and dishes for the three of us were brought one after another. Marcia ordered quite a lot, without any hesitation.
“Marcia, you’re unbelievable… Sorry, Arius,” Jessica apologized.
“No need to worry about it, Jessica,” I replied.
I ate the food while sipping my ale. It might seem like I can’t stop eating, but I’m perfectly capable of eating more.
“So, Jessica, what did you want to talk to me about?” I asked.
“Well, I just thought it would be nice to catch up since it’s been a while. Oh, by the way… Grey-san and Serena-san aren’t with you. Did you leave their party?” Jessica inquired.
“Yeah, I’m currently solo. Due to certain circumstances at home, I had to return to the capital of Ronaudia. It wouldn’t be feasible to ask them to accompany me,” I explained.
“I see, so you’re alone. It’s a shame that you can’t see them, but in that case, how about spending time with me… Huh? Wait, did you say you’re returning to Ronaudia?” Jessica seemed flustered.
Why is Jessica in a panic all of a sudden?
“It seems like there’s a misunderstanding. I’m already back in Ronaudia. I use teleportation magic every day to reach the dungeon,” I clarified.
“Teleportation magic every day? Why are you wasting so much mana like that?” Jessica questioned.
Teleportation magic requires a significant amount of MP depending on the distance traveled. I understand what Jessica means. But with my MP, it’s not a problem.
“I have other matters to attend to in Ronaudia during the day. So I go to the dungeon after 3 p.m. Well, it can’t be helped, it’s a promise with my parents,” I explained.
“I see… Arius, you seem busy,” Jessica said, sounding a bit disheartened.
Her tone seems off. It’s unlike Jessica.
“Hey, Jessica. If you have something to say, just say it clearly,” I urged.
It feels like I’ve said something like this before.
“Um… It’s really nothing, really,” Jessica stammered.
“Jessica, you always get nervous at crucial moments. Well, that’s one of your charming points,” Marcia interjected with a grin.
She said that instead of pointing out the fact that most of the food we ordered has disappeared while we were talking.
“Marcia, hold on! You’re about to say something unnecessary again!” Jessica scolded.
“Okay, okay. Anyway, Arius-kun, I heard that you became the youngest SSS-ranked adventurer in history,” Marcia said.
“Yeah, that’s true,” I confirmed.
It’s true that I became an SSS-ranked adventurer at the age of 12,
making me the youngest in history. But considering my age in my previous life, I don’t really feel it’s a big deal.
“Oh? You don’t seem to have much of a reaction,” Marcia commented.
“I do think it’s impressive. So, Marcia, what’s your intention behind suddenly bringing that up?” I asked.
She brought up the topic out of nowhere. There must be something more to it.
“No, I don’t have any ulterior motives. I’m not trying to flatter you or anything like that,” Marcia replied.
“Marcia, you’ve already showered him with plenty of flattery,” Jessica added.
“Well, let’s put that aside for now. I have a request for you, Arius-kun. Would you consider forming a party with us?” Marcia asked.
“Wait a moment, Marcia! Why are you suddenly saying that?” Jessica tried to stop her, but Marcia seemed determined.
“We believe that we’ve become quite strong since reaching the S-rank. But we shouldn’t get conceited. We want you to show us the true power of an SSS-ranked adventurer,” Marcia explained.
Well, Marcia’s request does have some reasoning behind it. But I can’t see her as someone who would think of such noble things.
“I’m currently testing how far I can fight solo. So I don’t plan on forming a party for a while,” I declined.
“Can’t you reconsider it? Think of it as a celebration for Jessica’s promotion to S-rank,” Marcia tried to persuade me.
“So, Marcia, you should consider Arius’s circumstances. It would be troublesome if you said something thoughtless,” Jessica scolded.
So Jessica does care about me. I thought she would treat me worse. It seems like Jessica has grown too.
“Hey, Jessica, do you also want to form a party with me?” I asked.
“Well, I mean… Yes, but I don’t want to inconvenience you, Arius…” Jessica replied.
She’s always been serious about wanting to become stronger. Gray and Serena are her goals, after all.
“In that case, I don’t mind if it’s just for this weekend,” I said.
“What? Really… Arius, are you serious?” Jessica’s face brightened up.
“Yeah. I can accompany you for about two days. I’m not in a hurry or anything,” I reassured her.
It’s not wise to rush in solo to conquer the toughest dungeons.
Besides, Jessica went from being a B-rank five years ago to reaching S-rank. It’s true that she worked hard, so I want to reward her in some way.
But the problem lies with Marcia and her schemes.
“Hey, Marcia. Don’t go doing anything unnecessary. We’re just forming a party, that’s all,” I warned.
“Huh? What are you talking about, Arius-kun? I have no intention of doing anything,” Marcia claimed.
Marcia is trying to provoke Jessica. She’s acting like a character from the romance-centric game “Koigaku.” But Jessica and I don’t have that kind of relationship. I need to make it clear, though I doubt it will have any effect on Marcia. But time’s running out.
“I have curfew, so I should head back. Master, please settle the bill,” I said.
Marcia’s order hasn’t been paid for yet. It ended up being quite a sum, but it’s not a problem.
“Arius, what do you mean by curfew?” Jessica asked.
It means exactly what it sounds like. I have to be back home by 22:00. Due to the time difference, it’s 20:00 in Carnel.
Since I can directly teleport to my room using teleportation magic, there’s a low chance of getting caught breaking curfew. But it would be troublesome if I were caught, so I intend to abide by it as much as possible.
“I see. Hey, Arius… Thank you for forming a party with us,” Jessica said.
What’s with this noble Jessica? And Marcia is grinning.
“It’s not a big deal. I already said I don’t mind,” I replied.
When she says it so sincerely, I can’t help but feel a bit embarrassed.
“Well then, I’ll be heading home now,” I said.
“Yeah. Goodnight, Arius,” Jessica bid me farewell.
I left the Adventurer’s Guild, trying to play it off casually.
※ ※ ※ ※
Arius Gilbert, 15 years old
Level: ????
HP: ????
MP: ????
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