“Ah? Ed? Umm, what’s up? Well, you’ve worked hard, so how about we talk over some drinks?”
When I said, “Sure,” Blaze didn’t seem to care about my words and, if anything, seemed rather cheerful as he called out to the waitress, “Ale! Five servings!! And a mountain of sausages and potatoes for snacks!!” After starting to drink the ale that had arrived, he finally turned to face me.
“So, what’s up? You’re quitting? The party?”
“Yeah, after training with you guys, I realized I probably can’t keep up.”
My name is Edward—no last name. If I had to pick one, I guess you could say I’m Edward Agato, since I’m from Agato Village near the fortress city of Egxes. Among Blaze and the rest of the ‘Hero’ party—and to be honest, in society as a whole—I’m assigned the ‘Bounty Hunter’ job, which has a pretty low reputation.
“Yeah, well. Makes sense. You’re the only one who got stuck with a garbage job, unlike us chosen ones. Heh heh heh.”
‘Bounty Hunter’—this job allows you to ‘equip’ almost any weapon or armor, but it has a low attack power boost for anything other than firearms and hunting tools.
For example, if you’re a ‘Swordsman,’ equipping a sword doubles or even triples its attack power, but ‘Bounty Hunters’ don’t get those kinds of equipment boosts.
Because of that, it’s said that you can’t even tell if you’re actually wearing equipment or not. Some people say there’s no point in wearing anything at all. On top of that, the stat growth for ‘Bounty Hunters’ is just average, which leads to it being labeled as an unfortunate or bottom-tier job.
(It’s not that bad to be called a garbage job, though…)
At least it’s better than the real garbage job, ‘Tourist.’ And anyway, I could have picked one of the more favorable jobs, but I deliberately chose ‘Bounty Hunter’ for the future… not that anyone would believe me if I said that now. If I explained my reasoning and it spread around, I’d lose my advantage, so I’ve just been silently enduring Blaze’s insults up until now.
With those thoughts in mind, I finally said what I needed to say to Blaze, who was looking at me with mocking eyes.
“So, Blaze, aside from training, I haven’t really done much with the party, so it shouldn’t be a problem if I leave, right?”
Blaze, having downed his first ale, slowly sipped from the second one the waitress brought over.
“Yeah, sure,” he replied, not looking at my face but rather at the waitress’s skirt-covered backside.
Yes! I clenched my fist under the table, relieved that I could leave the party without any trouble.
“…Eh, Ed? Are you really leaving?”
“Yeah, sorry, Cotton.”
This cute childhood friend—my girlfriend—was finally facing me today, and I told her in one breath:
“Also, while we’re at it, do you mind if we break up? Oh, of course, I mean as a couple. I’ve been thinking about it, and it’s tough being the ‘Bounty Hunter’ guy dating a ‘Saint’ like you. People talk.”
I wondered if my words sounded pathetic—or maybe I was just trying to preempt any damage.
The rational part of my brain was pointing out how lame my words sounded.
(But still, I have to break up. I will break up.)
I didn’t have any complaints about this beautiful childhood friend of mine.
Honestly, there was no real reason to break up, but… ever since Blaze became a ‘Hero,’ one of the best jobs out there, Cotton seemed more attracted to him than to me, a lowly ‘Bounty Hunter.’
(We should probably talk things through, but…)
But then I looked at Cotton. This girl, despite having me as her boyfriend, was sitting next to Blaze. She even let him touch her sometimes, acting like it was no big deal.
(Am I just being narrow-minded? But still… taking Cotton with me and quitting the party together?)
If it was just me, Blaze would let me leave the party.
But if I were to take Cotton along… how would that go?
I had a feeling Blaze would get all whiny and make a huge fuss.
Could I really beat Blaze in a fight right now? And win without a scratch?
I couldn’t afford the treatment costs if I ended up losing an arm or a leg.
Could I do it? I asked myself again. Then I looked at Cotton. Was there any trust for me in her eyes? Was she worth enough for me to risk a fight with Blaze?
“Would Cotton follow me if she still has feelings for me?”
(Is this some kind of test? Am I being lame?)
As I was lost in these thoughts, Cotton showed signs of distress, her face clearly flustered as she looked at me in panic.
“Uh, E-Ed… Why? You didn’t seem to care when we left the village—”
“Gwahahaha! Nice! Just break up with her, Cotton. You’d be better off with a ‘Hero’ like me than with someone in a useless job like his!”
Blaze, trying to forcefully pull Cotton into his arms, was met with a slap from her tear-streaked face.
Blaze’s expression twisted into a mix of anger and frustration. Cotton, torn and teary, stood before me, visibly shaken.
“I… but, I haven’t even… Blaze, I…”
For the first time, Cotton, who had been passively accepting Blaze’s advances since he gained the ‘Hero’ job, was rejecting him.
Only now, it hit me that the root of our breakup was probably a series of moments like this, where she allowed Blaze to get too close without pushing him away.
(Am I just being petty for resenting that?)
As lovers… should I not care about things like that? These words, filled with frustration that had built up over time, finally spilled out toward Cotton.
It was my true feelings. Nothing but honesty.
“Hey, Cotton. Even if we keep dating like this, being in different parties means we’d be in a long-distance relationship, right? While we’re apart, I won’t be able to stop Blaze from doing anything to you. Honestly, he’s going to get you, for sure. And to be straight, as a mere ‘Bounty Hunter,’ I don’t have the confidence to keep you away from a persistent ‘Hero’ like him.”
Of course, if I really wanted to, I could try to stop Cotton from getting closer to Blaze.
Killing him is out of the question, but if I get serious, I could probably beat him half to death.
But Cotton never showed any real disgust toward Blaze’s advances, so I just didn’t have the will to go that far.
(If I start beating Blaze up and Cotton jumps in to stop me, or worse, starts cursing at me, what then?)
Besides…
I do take pride in my strength. But if Blaze, as a ‘Hero,’ were to fight me seriously, there’s no guarantee I’d win without a scratch.
(And in this world… if it’s exactly like the world I know, wasting too much time here could be dangerous.)
It’s not just about fighting Blaze. This world is unforgiving. If you’re weak, you could die at any moment.
Spending too much time and effort maintaining my relationship with Cotton felt like a simple waste of precious time.
(Am I a jerk for thinking this way? But isn’t love meaningless if I’m the only one who cares?)
A relationship only works if both people are mutually in love, right?
I wasn’t sure anymore.
But I had to live my own life. If I kept clinging to this party, I could fail an adventure someday and end up dead, killed by monsters.
(That’s right… I’m a ‘Bounty Hunter’ now.)
Cotton is just a girl from my small hometown, nothing more than a childhood friend.
Since becoming a ‘Saint,’ she’s blossomed into quite a beauty.
But before that, she wasn’t anything remarkable—just a simple, pastoral girl with a warmth to her.
I liked her gentle smile. I really did.
I love her. I do. But I don’t have the resolve to make enemies out of a ‘Hero,’ the Adventurers’ Guild, or even the local lords who support him.
And Cotton doesn’t give me the strength to do so. She doesn’t give me the push I need.
If she would just tell me to defeat Blaze, even once, I might find the courage to do it.
(Even in this situation, you can’t say it, can you?)
All she did was look at me in confusion, muttering teary pleas.
“E-Ed… Think it over… Please, come on.”
“I’m sorry. Truly. It’s my weakness.”
“Ugh… ah…”
Say something, Cotton.
