I couldn’t bring myself to dedicate most of my life to following the glorious path of my childhood friends as part of the “Hero” party.
That’s why I’m parting ways with Cotton here.
I believe it’s the best for both of us.
I want to keep my memories of Cotton beautiful, so that when we meet again in a few years, we can laugh and say, “We were young back then.”
I don’t want to stay together and drag things out, only to have her stolen by Blaze, ending up in a relationship where I hate her.
“I-I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Ed. I-I don’t want to break up. Then, I’ll leave the party too—”
“—Like I’d ever allow that, Cotton.”
Blaze’s harsh voice made Cotton let out a small squeak.
“I don’t need a ‘bounty hunter,’ but a ‘saint’ is essential for my ‘Hero’ party. So if Cotton leaves, Ed would have to stay in my party… as a baggage carrier.”
Blaze glared at me, so I shrugged my shoulders.
I considered what would happen if I couldn’t leave this party peacefully. In that case, I’d probably get beaten to a pulp by Blaze and the others, treated like a slave under the guise of some private punishment.
With my current strength, if I fought against the entire Hero party, my odds would be about fifty-fifty.
We’re childhood friends, but apart from Cotton, the rest seem to have already fallen for the allure of the “Hero” profession and no longer feel any friendship toward someone like me with a low-ranking job.
That’s why none of them are raising any objections to me leaving.
(It’d be nice if someone said something…)
It’s lonely, but I don’t bring it up. If they said something, I’m sure it would crush my spirits.
As for that private punishment, adventurers are of such low social standing that it’s tolerated to some extent. The law is underdeveloped, and civilization isn’t advanced enough yet.
I took a sip of ale and let out a booze-scented sigh.
“Sorry, Cotton. But I really don’t want to deal with Blaze constantly hounding me—it’s a total pain.”
I could handle Blaze on his own, and maybe even the Hero party, depending on the situation.
But there’d be problems afterward too.
When I first considered leaving, I thought about taking Cotton with me against her will.
But that would certainly lead to a difficult journey.
Three months from now might be different, but if I took Cotton and beat Blaze half to death now, I’d be the one to face consequences.
The Hero, with his promising future, has the backing of the nobility.
If I half-killed that Hero, I’d be hunted.
And escaping from the fortress city of Exes while evading the city guard or the soldiers of the nobility would be extremely difficult.
Even if the soldiers didn’t pursue us, if two beginner adventurers were walking along the highway unguarded, we’d soon be killed by monsters or bandits.
I know this world is that dangerous.
Cotton looked at me with pleading eyes.
But… the resolve in those eyes was far too weak.
My heart, still wavering in its decision, wasn’t swayed enough by Cotton’s weak resolve to change my mind.
(Why couldn’t you want me more strongly?)
So, reluctantly, I decided to say something harsh to Cotton.
“Cotton, you didn’t seem too upset when Blaze was hitting on you, right? When he touched your shoulder or hugged you, it pissed me off just watching. So, you know, after a while, you’ll probably forget about me, so don’t worry about it, seriously.”
“U… Ugh… Uwaaaaaaaahhh!!”
Cotton broke down crying at my cruel words.
Of course, I knew why Cotton had been drawn to Blaze.
It wasn’t because she was some kind of loose woman.
In this world, there are things called “status values,” and one of them is CHA, charisma, essentially a charm stat.
Charisma—the power to attract and earn the trust of others, regardless of gender.
Heroes have a higher charm stat than other professions.
That’s why in this party, people like Elena, the Sage, and Asha, the Sword Saint, seemed to have already fallen for Blaze, completely under his spell from what I could see.
(I’ve slept with all of them at some point… well, it was inevitable.)
The five of us were childhood friends from a small village.
The village was a small world.
And in that small world, Blaze, despite being the village chief’s son, was incompetent, arrogant, crude, ugly, and dim-witted.
On the other hand, I was capable, decent-looking, and smart.
Before we were granted our professions, it was only natural that everyone gravitated toward me. Back then, everyone thought I’d be given a better profession than Blaze.
(It wasn’t really cheating since I wasn’t dating Cotton yet… and it was such a small village. Honestly, there wasn’t much else to do besides sex.)
I also knew that Blaze had been jealous of me back then.
Looking back on those days, it’s no surprise that Blaze, now a Hero, would want to torment me, stuck with a bottom-tier job.
(But from his perspective, there’s no real reason to bother with someone like me, a confirmed loser, right?)
He probably thinks that if I leave him, I’ll end up dead in a ditch somewhere.
(Does he actually want to kill me?)
No, he should realize that if he fights me while our levels aren’t too different, it won’t end with just a few scratches… right?
He’s never physically attacked me, just mocked me.
(That’s right. That’s why I’ve been thinking.)
If I offer everything up before it gets taken, there shouldn’t be a problem.
I feel bad about doing this to Cotton, but Blaze is the “Hero,” the most prestigious profession in this world, after all.
(Blaze was such an ugly little brat, but thanks to his increased charm stat, he looks pretty decent now.)
I didn’t voice any of these thoughts aloud. Instead, I downed my ale in one gulp, stood up from my seat, and prepared to leave.
“Do your best, guys. I’m rooting for you.”
With Cotton crying and offering no resistance as Blaze pulled her close by the shoulder, I left the adventurers’ guild tavern, leaving the money for my drink on the table, without a second glance.
—If only Cotton had come running after me… then maybe I…
No, it’s just lingering feelings. Just lingering feelings.
(But… facing Blaze now would be… difficult.)
It wouldn’t just be Blaze I’d have to fight.
Should I be relieved that Cotton didn’t come running after me?
