Book 4: Rookie Adventurer Arc
Chapter 1: Arrival at the Free City
Yururu let out a sigh. She was sitting at a table in a dining establishment in the royal capital. Across from her sat her friend and maid, Mei.
“Is something the matter, my lady?”
“Ugh… I feel heavy…”
“Indeed, there do seem to be slight signs of swelling in your physique…”
“There aren’t! Stop saying things like that, Mei!”
“My apologies, my lady. As a klutz maid, I couldn’t help myself.”
“Klutz… maid?”
“Ah, never mind. Please forget I said that.”
Yururu tilted her head in confusion at the term “klutz maid.” Mei, realizing she wouldn’t understand, swiftly changed the subject.
“Hey, Mei… How much longer until Fei gets back?”
“Hmm… I believe he was scheduled to return today, but I don’t know the exact time…”
“…I see. Ugh, I’m so bored…”
“My lady, people are watching… You shouldn’t say such things out loud. I understand you feel lonely without Fei-sama and lack motivation, but…”
“Ughhh, I miss Fei…”
“My lady… you’re twenty-three years old, you know?”
“I know… But I’m lonely.”
“Lonely… My lady, you’re twenty-three.”
“I wanna see Fei…”
“Haven’t you said that like a thousand times already?”
Mei couldn’t bear to watch Yururu, who was clearly suffering from severe Fei-withdrawal. She was that desperate to see him.
“Here you go! I don’t know what’s going on, but cheer up! Have some food!”
A woman with bright red hair and crimson eyes appeared, carrying their order. She set the dishes on the table with a clatter.
“What’s this? Missing your boyfriend while he’s away working?”
“B-Boyfriend?! N-No, we’re not… not like that yet…”
“Oh? My mistake… Well, he’s still someone important to you, right? It’s tough, but hang in there.”
“Yeah… Thank you.”
Though they were strangers, the woman’s encouragement lifted Yururu’s spirits—if only slightly. At the very least, she decided to try and enjoy the meal.
“My lady, cheer up. You can do it!”
“Did you just say ‘Fei’?!”
“No, I didn’t. Calm down, my lady.”
Her mood hadn’t improved at all.
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As the year came to an end, snow blanketed the royal capital, turning everything white. Yururu and Mei were out shopping for dinner.
The frigid air stung her lungs. “I used to come here a lot…” Yururu mused nostalgically. For some reason, whenever Fei wasn’t around, she’d find herself lost in the past—so much so that the present almost didn’t matter.
Where are my brothers now? What are they doing?
She had no idea. None at all.
And if—if she ever met them again… A faint unease crept in. What should I do? If we meet… There’s no room for discussion anymore. Then…
Will I have to kill them?
…Could I even do it?
She hesitated. The thought of her hands stained with the blood of her own family terrified her.
“My lady.”
“…”
“My lady!”
“…Huh?”
“Forgive me for raising my voice. You seemed completely lost in thought.”
“Ah… Sorry. Thanks, Mei.”
“Not at all.”
Suddenly, she felt lonely. Like the snow piling up outside, sadness weighed on her heart. Even with friends around, the cold in her chest refused to melt. After finishing their shopping, she stopped in her tracks.
“My lady?”
“Sorry, can we make a quick detour?”
“Of course.”
Yururu headed to their usual training spot—a clearing with three trees. She wanted to relive the memories of her time with Fei, if only to forget everything else for a little while.
Mei said nothing, simply following behind. But when Yururu arrived, eyes wide with emotion, she saw a man swinging his sword as usual. The snowflakes landing on his shoulders melted instantly from his body heat.
Despite the freezing winter, Fei was drenched in sweat as if it were midsummer.
“F-Fei?!”
“…Fei-sama!”
Their voices overlapped as they called out to him. Hearing them, Fei halted his swings and turned around.
“——!”
In that moment, both their hearts skipped a beat. He looked even more gallant than before—refined, as if he had shattered his limits and ascended to a new level of strength.
(Huh?! Fei… he looks even cooler now! He was always handsome, but now there’s something… alluring?)
(Wh-What is this pounding in my chest?! That sharp gaze… As expected of a romance protagonist, my prince—!)
Fei had undoubtedly crossed the threshold of death and reached new heights. His progress might have been incremental, but there was no denying he had grown stronger and more rugged. Whether that was good or bad remained to be seen…
“Fei… you’re back?”
“Just now.”
“O-Oh, I see…”
His responses were as curt as ever. Yururu knew he wasn’t much of a talker, but she couldn’t help wishing he’d open up just a little more.
“Um… Are you going to keep training?”
“Yeah.”
“So… how was the training?”
“Average. I only found a fraction of what I was looking for.”
“Oh… So it wasn’t very satisfying?”
“Not really. Only the very end was somewhat worthwhile.”
“Ah… W-Well, what kind of training was it? I didn’t participate, so I’m curious.”
“Weird rooms. Sword swings. Weird rooms with sword swings and push-ups. Weird rooms with squats. Then outdoor swings. Ended with mock battles.”
“I… see.”
(I have no idea what any of that means…)
Between his sparse replies and peculiar phrasing, Yururu couldn’t visualize his experiences at all.
Maybe… talking to me isn’t very fun for him? The thought made her insecure.
Just then, something flew toward her. A wooden training sword. Fei tossed it to her, leaving her even more confused.
“This is the first thing I wanted to do when I saw you.”
“A spar?”
“Yeah.”
“Sure, why not?”
They clashed as usual—but Yururu could tell. Fei was catching up to her. Years of dedication had given her the advantage, but his relentless training was closing the gap at an unnatural speed.
After several minutes, she won. But the victory left her feeling hollow.
“Lost again.”
“…But you’ve gotten stronger, Fei.”
“…Thanks to you.”
“N-No, it’s all your hard work… I… wouldn’t have made a difference.”
“…”
“Ah, s-sorry. I didn’t mean to bring the mood down.”
(I’m his teacher, yet here I am whining to my student… Pathetic.)
Self-loathing settled in. When it came to Fei, her emotions swung wildly—for better or worse.
“Don’t worry about it.”
“Thank you…”
She couldn’t meet his eyes. Fei probably didn’t fully grasp her feelings, but sensing something, he took a single step closer.
“I’ll only say this once.”
“Huh?”
“This trip confirmed it… I still need you.”
“Wh-Wha—WHAAAT?!”
The sudden, almost proposal-like statement made her snap her gaze back to him. Her expression, which had been that of a jaded office worker just moments ago, instantly morphed into that of a lovestruck maiden.
“I kept thinking how much better it’d be if you were there.”
“Wha—?! I-I feel the same way…!”
(Ahhh! Okay, he definitely means it in a training sense, and he’s probably just trying to cheer me up, but… I’m still happy!)
“Good. That training was full of wasted effort. Sparring with you is way more productive.”
“…Ah, yeah, of course…”
(Yep, definitely meant it that way. Totally expected. Still… Does he not see me as a woman at all?)
(Ugh, can’t he be a little more aware? I even make him breakfast and lunch sometimes… He’s the only one I do this for!)
(What if he only ever sees me as his teacher? That’s kinda depressing… But maybe I should think positively, like Fei does…)
(Actually… Do I spend the most time with Fei? We eat together a lot too.)
(…Has Fei ever said anything this passionately to anyone else? The only suspect is Maria… Which means… maybe I’m actually the closest to him?! Could it be…?)
(I-I’ll do my best! I’ll make Fei see me not as a teacher, but as a lover!)
“What’s wrong?”
Fei’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts. Yururu had been making faces while lost in her internal monologue.
“N-Nothing! I’ve just made up my mind!”
“I see… You’re growing every day too.”
“Yes!”
Fei had no idea what she was talking about, but he nodded along. Then, as if remembering something, he picked up a paper bag resting by a tree.
“What’s that?”
“Got some wine and cheese. Dunno why.”
“Oh…”
“…I’d usually enjoy it alone… But since you always help me train… Wanna drink?”
“——! R-Really?!”
“That’s what I said.”
“O-Of course! Let’s have it in my room!”
First time being treated like a woman, Yururu was buzzing with excitement. Perhaps luck had finally smiled on her after all her relentless efforts. But as Mei watched the romantic scene unfold between them, she blinked rapidly in confusion.
(Huh? Mei’s… invisible? Mei, who’s supposed to be the romantic lead, is just… background noise? No way… That can’t be! She’s the one who’s supposed to have all these events happen around her!)
Mei had just realized she’d become a mere spectator. And so, she silently observed the two from the sidelines. Though Yururu had invited her to join them for drinks, Mei couldn’t help but feel a pang of melancholy.
As Yururu flirted with Fei, pretending to be tipsy and leaning against him with a playful “I might be a little drunk~”, Fei couldn’t help but wonder if this was foreshadowing some drunken martial arts antics—but that’s another story.
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