Chapter 6

"Miralka, why do you hate Dick so much?"

The princess removed her hood, revealing her face, and asked Miralka with a puzzled look. Miralka sighed and began to explain the situation.

"I was watching Manarina and the duke's duel. Normally, it would be difficult for Manarina to beat that man... No, realistically, it would be impossible to overcome the gap in their abilities. However, Manarina significantly improved her combat evaluation in a short time and defeated him. The only one who could make that possible... is Dick. You are the only one."

Even among the members of the hero party, it's impossible to hide one's presence from each other. I steeled myself and stepped forward in front of Miralka. The princess was surprised to see me but smiled shyly. Her impression of me had changed quite a bit from the first time we met.

Miralka, with her arms still crossed, looked at me. The chest on her arms was a formidable temptation, but I resisted the gravity and made an effort to look at Miralka's face. She was angry, her eyes were scary, but I couldn't run away.

"Miralka, why do you call the princess by her first name? What kind of relationship do you have with her?"

"I am Manarina's teacher. She attends the magic university... and is in my seminar. Since she can't use magic, I started by teaching her that."

Some people have a talent for magic, and it takes a year for some to learn, while others can learn in a day. I can hardly sense any magical power from Princess Manarina, so she is probably more suited to the sword.

"I apologize for pretending to be someone else... My real name is Manarina Rira Albein. However, from the look on Dick's face, it seems you already knew, didn't you?"

"Ah... No, no. I just became sure after Miralka said it."

"Liar. You always do that, which makes me so irritated."

She threw harsh words at me without mercy—had I not had the resilience to treat a beautiful girl's scolding as a reward, I would have suffered irreparable mental damage.

"I always receive help from the magic university, thanks to Miralka. Actually, I learned about this guild from her..."

"If I had known it would come to this, I wouldn't have told you. Dick, I thought you had more sense, but you're just an animal."

"An animal... What did I do?"

Seeing my genuine confusion, Miralka gave me a look that said, "Are you stupid?" This face makes me want to die, so I wish she would tone it down.

"Miralka, the method Dick used to make Manarina win has a downside. Manarina is now widely believed to be overwhelmingly stronger than the Duke of Vinsbruck. If she has to show the same strength again, she will inevitably have to meet Dick again. It's like an antlion trap, teaching the unsuspecting Manarina the sweetness of becoming strong and making it impossible for her to escape... You pervert. Pervert Dick."

Miralka mercilessly destroyed my plan to finish the mission without Manarina knowing what I had done.

"You are waiting for Manarina in the antlion's nest, and... you are going to stab her with a venomous needle when she can't move."

"Wait, wait! That's only if I had ulterior motives with the princess. I just wanted to buy her a drink and ask how she was doing."

"...I doubt it."

Miralka doesn't believe a word I say. Well, I can't blame her. But the venomous needle metaphor is a bit too much, even as a figure of speech.

There is one reason why Miralka is so stubborn and hostile towards me.

A year ago, when I was taking care of a drunk Aileen for the first time, Miralka misunderstood and thought Aileen and I had a romantic relationship.

That's why she can't forgive me for trying to keep the princess close to me.

If I had said, "I don't want you to interfere," Miralka would probably... well, she's grown up, so maybe not.

I have seen Miralka cry three times. When she left the guild house to return home after the demon king's defeat, and when she saw Aileen and me together.

So I can tell that she might cry this time too. When she cries, I suffer just as much, and the effects last for a week, so I want to resolve this without making her cry.

Just then, Aileen, who had somehow disappeared, was behind Miralka.

For some reason, she reached around from behind and grabbed Miralka's ample chest.

"Ah...!?"

"Miralka, aren't they bigger than mine? If you show Dick this, he won't be able to keep his mind on anything."

"Y-You, Aileen, you have no tact..."

Miralka escaped from Aileen's hands and adjusted her clothes. With her cheeks flushed, she looked at me— I don't know what kind of face I should make.

I can tell she has grown, but only women can do this kind of checking. I am left out. The demon king doesn't seem to be affected, but Princess Manarina's face is completely red.

"Dick has no interest in me. After all, he has Aileen..."

The conversation suddenly turned to the core of the issue. I wanted to correct her misunderstanding, but time had passed—anything I said would sound like an excuse.

However, Aileen laughed carelessly and said,

"Oh, that? It was my first time drinking, so I got drunk. Dick massaged my back, and it made me feel better, so I didn't have to show my embarrassing side. Right, Dick?"

"Ah, yeah... It was a close call. But when you started taking off your clothes because you felt uncomfortable, I was surprised."

"Ahaha, I don't really remember much when I was drunk, but did I do that? It was just youthful indiscretion, I guess."

It might sound like we are covering up, but it's the truth.

However, seeing Aileen's skin made me aware of women, and that's something I can't deny.

Miralka, still looking unhappy, refused to look at us. She probably thought we were lying.

The one who mediated for us was—Princess Manarina, who had been listening silently.

"I don't think you two are lying. Miralka, why don't you believe them?"

"...I... Even if it's true, I was going to bless you. Dick and Aileen suit each other, and it's not strange at all..."

Miralka has always been like this. Her words are always harsh, but she has considered us as comrades since the journey began.

However, the misunderstanding must be corrected for Aileen's sake.

"Aileen has the right to choose her partner. It would be a bother to be paired with me without her consent..."

Just as I said that, the atmosphere changed. For some reason, the demon king, Aileen, Miralka, and Princess Manarina all focused their gazes on me.

"Well, I know you have this kind of personality. You could have a bit more confidence."

"Your thinking is always defensive, which is why you end up like this. A pervert who doesn't openly admit it is just halfway there."

"What... Why am I being blamed? We were just about to wrap things up nicely."

"Master, it's only natural to be criticized. Even Princess Manarina is disappointed."

"N-No... I, I... Your Highness, I... the modesty I showed you five years ago..."

Her face turned completely red, and she looked like a lovesick girl as she spoke.

I was a bit slow to realize it, but there was an unexpected word in the princess's words.

"Five years ago... Did you say five years ago, Your Highness?"

"Y-You don't need to use formal language with me. Call me by my first name, Hero Dick. I have never forgotten the name 'Dick of Forgetfulness' since I saw you in the audience chamber five years ago."

The princess who was on standby next to the audience chamber, in case the king or his aide might want her as a wife.

That princess turned out to be the first princess, Manarina, who had been watching me and even found me appealing.

Such a convenient plot twist couldn't possibly be real. But it happened—like winning the lottery.

"No... I didn't do anything special, and being made the guild master was more like a favor... Wasn't it?"

"Ah, you're being modest, but you were counted as the fifth member of the demon king's slaying party."

"If you were just following, you wouldn't have been given the position of guild master, even if the guild was in financial trouble. Dick, you are truly fortunate."

That's true, but... The king and his aides, after giving the reward, forgot about me in half a year. I confirmed this through an investigation by the guild members.

However, the first princess, who was in the audience chamber, remembered me clearly. What a one-sided situation. If the "Dick of Forgetfulness" is remembered, he's just Dick.

"Sir Dick... You always downplay your achievements and remain humble. But it's clear to anyone who observes. You were an important member of the demon king's slaying party."

The demon king nodded in agreement. I wish they would stop pointing out things that were already obvious. I feel embarrassed and want to hide in a hole.

"When we met again in this tavern, you seemed like a pitiful man who was escaping into alcohol, but you were actually thinking about me without letting me notice. When you served milk, I felt sad because I thought you were treating me like a child... But then you served me a wonderful drink. Do you understand how happy I was...?"

I remember that smile, but now I realize it was directed at the person she had been waiting to meet for five years, not the person I met that day. The meaning of that smile has completely changed.

Princess Manarina put her hand into her sleeve and took out a symbol of the royal family, placing it in my hand and holding it tightly.

"This is a token of gratitude for this time. It's not enough, but I hope to repay you by being of service to you in the future, Sir Dick."

"...If you say so, Your Highness... No, no formal language. Manarina, if you do that, it will help me. If I need your help with anything related to the royal family, I'll ask you."

"Yes. If it is your wish, Sir Dick, I will do anything..."

Both the demon king and Manarina, the noble women I meet, go to great lengths to serve the men they trust.

"Hey, Miralka, there's no point in being angry about Dick. He's always like this."

"...I apologize for the misunderstanding, but Dick is still a slob. Perhaps I should visit occasionally to keep him in line."

The friendship between Aileen and Miralka was restored—now the challenge is to survive the drinking party to celebrate the successful completion of the mission, avoiding their concentrated attacks. I hope they will go easy on me so as not to interfere with the night's business, I thought to myself.