393 - Hero Party 3


    TL/Editor: raei


    Status: 5/Week Mon-fri


    Illustrations: Posted in discord.


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    Good-looking people drew attention wherever they went. I hadn''t realized this as a military student, but I felt it firsthand since becoming Roland.


    When a handsome man or beautiful woman with a good physique walked confidently with an upright posture, their beautiful hair swaying gracefully, even most nobles couldn''t compare. Thanks to our inventory and magic, we always stayed clean even during exploration, so we weren''t just pretty faces - we were on a whole different level from commoners. No wonder we attracted stares.


    The gazes of merchant guild workers carrying luggage, squires running errands for the knight order, and mercenaries flush with gold heading to drink all converged on us.


    And when gazes gathered like that, rumors started to spread. There was always someone ready to pick up on those stories.


    "Here they come again. They''re pretending not to notice, but their bodies are pointed right at us."


    "Again? How the hell do rumors spread so quickly?"


    "I guess they''re bored being stuck in this underground city."


    -Their response time feels like those forum addicts waiting for new posts


    -At this point, it''s like they sent spies for intel instead of errand boys to the market lol


    -What is this, some variety show fan club desperately searching for celebrity sightings? What the fuck


    -Lmao the kid looks like he''s about to cry, is this really okay?


    Those nobles who entered the Tower out of fear of being kidnapped in fake safe zones were exactly that type of person.


    Thinking about it, it was as natural as water flowing downhill or Han Se-ah''s gaming intelligence being as low as her luck stat that nobles tried to cling to hero parties when they saw them. After all, weren''t these the nobles who burned dozens of gold coins on a single word or handshake?


    "Hey, I went to the Tower''s extraordinary city and happened to meet the hero party breaking through the front lines. I invited them over and we even enjoyed tea together!"


    --If you shouted that magical incantation loudly, it was like some class-reversal world where a viscount or baron could make a count or Duke envious in the kingdom''s social circles. If you treated us lavishly at a huge financial loss, you gained intangible benefits worth more than double the gold coins you poured out.


    But that was only if we accepted.


    "Haah, should we duck into an alley this time? A few turns should do it."


    "Please, Hanna. I''m begging you..."


    We''d already been caught once at the market intersection with "Excuse me, are you perhaps the heroes...?", once while walking down the street with "If you have a moment...", and now by a servant saying "The viscount so-and-so..."


    It was more than enough time for Katie''s excited smile at the thought of seeing her newly reborn beloved weapon, thanks to the special enhancement stone, to droop downwards.


    No matter how divinely chosen the hero party might be, we couldn''t just shout "Fuck off!" at people politely addressing us. Especially if they were nobles.


    With a cool ''shing'', the one-handed longsword slid into its sheath. Old man Didi, who had an uncanny knack for pocketing enhancement fees, took the pouch of gold coins Katie had prepared without even checking it, mimicking how I usually handed over gold without complaint.


    Come to think of it, our whole party must have quite a bit saved up, not just me, since we didn''t have many expenses. Whether they deposited gold in the bank or stored it in Han Se-ah''s inventory, they must have amassed a fortune. Grace seemed to have sent some to her parents in the village, and Irene donated to the temple, but given how lucrative our work was, those two probably had plenty left over too.


    "We''re heading back to the 53rd floor tomorrow, right? Mmm~ I can''t wait!"


    "You''re that excited?"


    "Of course! Any knight who uses a sword - no, any adventurer or mercenary - would be speechless with envy if they saw this."


    Katie naturally looked forward to real combat now that her weapon had been reborn. I''d have liked to spar with her in an open area, but there were no empty spaces in the Stone Dwarves'' city. The buildings were carved from rock, so we''d have to go outside the city... but she didn''t seem interested in that.


    Still, she couldn''t hide her excitement. Her lips were curled up in a constant smile. Her hands couldn''t stay still either, fidgeting around her waist.


    Her restless fingers idly tapped her belt, then slyly brushed the sword hilt before quickly retreating from the chill to caress the scabbard, then back to the belt. Seeing this, a mischievous urge welled up in me. I swiftly grabbed her busy hand and gave it a firm squeeze.


    "Wh-what?! Roland? Why?"


    "Oh, your hand looked bored."


    Katie''s cheeks flushed bright red, either realizing how frantically her hands were moving, or feeling self-conscious under Irene''s knowing smile and Grace''s teasing laughter behind her hand.


    As Han Se-ah silently captured the sudden display of affection on camera, a warm, cozy silence settled over the party returning to their lodgings. Not awkward or unpleasant, but a pleasant silence with a soft, rosy atmosphere flowing through it.


    But as with the date with Grace, uninvited guests always intruded on joyful moments. As we left the underground city and took the elevator-like magic device back to our lodgings in the Harpy Empire, a truly unwelcome visitor awaited us.


    "Um, heroes? There''s someone in the reception room who claims to be an Imperial noble..."


    The maid sent by Emma and Sebastian lowered her gaze and mumbled, clearly troubled. Judging by her utterly deflated appearance, the visitor must have been quite pushy.


    Since this wasn''t a mansion bestowed by the princess, but temporary lodgings within the Tower, maybe it was a noble of too high a rank for a maid skilled in housework to handle, even without a ★ rating. If I''d known, I would have brought Emma or Sebastian along.


    Still, not a Kingdom noble, but an Imperial one... Could it be my guest?


    "Oh, oh! Sir Roland!"


    Yep, fuck me.


    Why were my bad premonitions never wrong?


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