“Th-then it’s okay if we go play during our break?”
“Of course. You’re free to do whatever you want.”
With upturned eyes, Elulu asks:
“D-does that mean we can go to the casino, too?”
“Sure, if you want.”
“Really?! Yay!”
Elulu and Mash bounce up and down, happy as can be.
“Hey, Seiya! If you have time, then let’s play together for a bit!”
But as usual, Seiya coldly states:
“I need all the time I can get to search for ingredients to use in synthesizing.”
“O-oh, okay! Yeah, I figured!”
Elulu’s expression clouds over slightly. However, after a few moments of silence, Seiya lowers his gaze and softly mutters:
“But…I guess having a little fun from time to time wouldn’t kill me.”
““Whaaat?!”” Mash and I shout simultaneously.
Did he just say “fun”?! Never in a thousand years did I expect the day to come where I would hear that word come out of his mouth!
Seiya stands, then suggests:
“Let’s meet up here again tonight. Then we can all go out and spend some time together.”
After temporarily parting ways with Seiya, the three of us leave the castle and take a stroll around the capital.
“Man! I can’t believe Master Seiya said that!”
“Right?! I was so surprised!”
They’re beaming with joy. I was being self-conscious when we were in the castle, so I’ve kept my mouth shut up until now, but…
“Hee-hee-hee… Heh-heh-heh…”
I no longer need to hold back the mirth roiling in my stomach.
“Ha-ha-ha-ha!”
With a long stride, I reach out for the heavens and roar with laughter, making Mash and Elulu jump.
“R-Rista?! What’s gotten into you?!”
“Y-you’re scaring me, Ristie!”
“Can you blame me?! How could I not be excited about this?! That berserker has finally said himself that he wanted to have some fun! At long last, it’s time for our slice-of-life moment!”
“What the hell does that mean?”
“You don’t know, Mash? Normally, whenever you’re on an adventure, you always have a slice-of-life moment to enjoy somewhere. Like, while on a boat, or in the mountains, or by the river, on in a hot spring, or wearing a swimsuit, or something lewd—there’s always some sort of development to take your mind off the action!”
“U-uh… Really?”
“Yes, really! And yet, all we’ve been doing is training, training, training, fighting, fighting, fighting, fighting! I was getting sick of it! So, guys, let’s have some fun today!”
Elated, Mash announces:
“Then to the casino we go!”
But I move my index finger back and forth like a pendulum and stop him.
“Casinos are places you go at night. Besides, we shouldn’t enjoy the main dish without Seiya. Let’s do a little warming up until then!”
I check out Elulu’s clothes.
“I-is there a problem, Ristie?”
“Elulu, you can’t wear a lame robe like that while we’re out having fun.”
“But…this is all I have…”
I pat her on the shoulder.
“I’ve got money, and it’s burning a hole in my pocket! We better go out and spend it!”
“What?! Really?!”
“Of course! You’re coming, too, Mash! I’ll pick out some cool clothes for you!”
“Seriously?! All right!”
Raising my fist into the air, I yell:
“Who’s ready to have some fun?!”
““Yeaaah!!””
There’s a clothing store on the corner of the main street. Inside stands a female shopkeeper who looks around thirty years old. She welcomes us with a bow.
“Wow! This is sooo cute!”
“This leather vest is freaking cool, too!”
Exploding with curiosity, Mash and Elulu gawk at the clothes on display. It makes sense, though. In smaller towns, the only clothes you’ll find are either very simple or folk costumes, but this is the capital. There’s a robust selection of fashionable clothing.
One outfit in the corner catches my eye. At first glance, it looks like underwear, but it appears to be using a special material that won’t become see-through in water.
“Oh, hey… Is this a swimsuit?”
But the beach is really far away from here… I’m surprised they sell these. When I ask the owner about it, she cheerfully smiles.
“That swimsuit’s for the capital’s hot springs.”
“Huh?! There are hot springs here?!”
“Orphée is famous for its hot springs. Many people, even from other nations, come here just to enjoy the mixed baths.”
Mixed baths…? Like men and women together?! Like Seiya and me together?!
Pant… Hff… Pant… Hff… Unnoticed by all, I start breathing heavily.
Ah…! My brain…! It’s going to explode!
I become more interested in the bathing suits than anything else, and I silently begin rummaging through them in pursuit of the perfect one.
“Hey, Ristie, what are you doing?”
Elulu and Mash walk over.
“Swimsuits! The lady said there were hot springs here! Pick out your favorite!”
And just like that, all three of us begin looking through the swimsuits. There are bikinis, or “two-piece swimsuits” as they call them in Seiya’s world. In fact, there is a large variety of swimwear, but all the designs are lame. Incidentally, the clothing shop in the unified spirit world goes beyond what’s popular in the human world. The clothing to be found there can be described as nothing short of spectacular. Gaeabrande, on the other hand, is still a developing world. It’s a land of swords and sorcery. While totally understandable, the difference is staggering from my point of view.
“These bathing suits are hideous… Hopefully, I can find something at least halfway decent.”
The moment I utter that, I notice the owner standing right beside me.
Ack! Did she hear that?
But she simply smiles. Thank goodness. It looks like she didn’t hear me. The shopkeeper then approaches Elulu and shows her a peach bathing suit.
“This is a two-piece bathing suit. The top and bottom are made from different pieces of fabric. I bet this would look wonderful on you.”
She holds the suit over Elulu’s clothes.
“Wow! This is really cute! I think I might go with this one!”
It’s not bad…for swimwear from this world. The shopkeeper suddenly approaches me while I glare at the suit, making little to no effort to hide my condescension.
“How about something like this?”
The owner hands me what appears to be just the bottom half a bikini—no different from a pair of panties.
“Huh? Hey, um… Where’s the top half?”
“There isn’t one. It’s a topless swimsuit.”
She wears a sinister grin.
“I’m sure it would look absolutely lovely on you.”
H-how rude…! She must have heard me trashing her bathing suits! She’s clearly doing this out of spite!
Fuming, I shout:
“This defeats the entire point of wearing a bathing suit! My breasts would be out for everyone to see!”
“Oh, you don’t like it? That’s a shame. Then how about this?”
The next bathing suit she suggests has a top with fabric covering one side, but nothing more than a few strings on the other.
“This is a single-breast-type bathing suit. It would look ever so charming on you.”
I brush the bathing suit away.
“What’s charming about this?! Just what do you take me for?! Some kind of pervert?!”
“I happen to think it’s really fashionable.”
“What part of this is fashionable?!”
“You know the type—people who wear ey
epatches even though they can see with both eyes, right? It’s kind of like that.”
“Don’t try to compare a one-boobed swimsuit to eyepatch cosplay! Some people might cover an eye for fashion, but I know damn well there ain’t nobody walkin’ around with a whole titty out!”
“R-Rista, relax! You’re slipping into some kind of accent!”
“D-don’t blame me! It’s her fault for recommending these weird swimsuits to me!”
“There is a bottomless bikini if you would prefer that.”
“…?! Wouldn’t I just be naked if I wore that with the topless bikini?! …I’ve had enough of this! I’ll search for a bathing suit myself! Mash, you pick out something for Seiya!”
“Oh? Is this Seiya person your boyfriend by any chance?”
“Yes! He is!”
“R-Ristie…! No, he’s not…!”
“Then I have just the thing for your wonderful boyfriend. Behold, an open-flap bathing suit.”
Wearing a vile smirk, the shopkeeper shows me a men’s bathing suit with a huge hole in the crotch.
“Ah…!”
Elulu’s face turns bright red.
“The hell?! Now you’ve gone too far!”
Even Mash is pissed, but I whip out the pouch of gold coins in my pocket and ask:
“…How much?”
“““Seriously?!”””
It goes without saying that Mash and Elulu are taken aback, but even the shopkeeper is blown away. My motive for buying this is extremely simple, though.
B-because if Seiya puts this on, then his elephant is going to be on full display and… Pant… Hff… Pant… Hff… Pant… Hff… Pant… Hff…!
I pick up the one-boobed bathing suit and hand it to the shopkeeper.
“I’ll take this as well. Now that I think about it, it will probably come in handy later tonight.”
“T-tonight…? Rista?! What’s happening tonight?!”
“I’ll tell you when you’re older.”
The shopkeeper shrugs before letting out a deep sigh.
“Never in my wildest dreams…did I think someone would actually purchase the swimsuit I made when I was blackout drunk.”
She holds her hand out to me.
“You win. I’ll sell you the single-breast swimsuit and the open-flap trunks together at a discount.”
“Thanks.”
We exchange a firm handshake. While comforted by the friendly atmosphere, Elulu and Mash choose their swimsuits and clothes before leaving the store. After that, we wander around the capital, essentially window-shopping. I stare at the item shop in the distance where Seiya said he was going to go, but he doesn’t seem to be there. He probably already went back to the castle to synthesize. We explore the city until we find a marketplace to check out. After messing around, we buy some food and drinks to take back to our room.
The time flies by, and eventually, the sun begins to set.
“All right, you two! Ready to head back?”
Holding bags of food and such in each hand, we make our way back toward the castle in high spirits.
I come up with a plan for tonight while walking.
…First, we’ll hang out at the casino before heading to the bar. Then, after getting a little tipsy, we’ll head to the hot spring! A-after that, we’ll put the kids to sleep while Seiya and I…eh-heh-heh! I-it’ll be fine! My brain’s taking the day off today! Besides, he already did it with Valkyrie, so nobody has any right to complain!
I cheerfully say to the castle guards:
“Yo! Keep up the good work!”
Then Mash, Elulu, and I stroll on inside. Before long, we reach Seiya’s room, and I throw open the door, and shout:
“Seiyaaa! Hey! Sorry for the wait! Let’s get this party started!”
But Seiya is nowhere to be found.
“Hmm? Maybe he went to the bathroom?”
“I dunno. I bet he’s still out shopping for things to synthesize with.”
“Well, I guess we’ll just wait here till he gets back.”
An hour goes by. The scenery outside gradually gets darker.
“He said he’d be back by nightfall, right? I assumed he would be more punctual, but…”
“Hmm… Maybe he just lost track of time while he was shopping? I’m sure he’ll be here before we know it!”
“Yeah, you’re right!”
But thirty more minutes pass after that.
Then an hour…
And no matter how long we wait, the Hero never returns.
CHAPTER 47
A Missing Hero
Worried that something might have happened to Seiya, we head to the item shop where he said he was going. While it’s late in the night, the main road of Orphée is bright and full of life. After arriving at the item shop, I ask the owner about Seiya.
“Oh, hey. If it isn’t the lady who lost to my herbs… Huh? The man you were with? No, he hasn’t been here. In fact, I haven’t seen him all day.”
“What…? He wasn’t here? But Seiya said he was going to buy some items for synthesizing…”
“Hey, Rista? Maybe he went to a different item shop.”
“Oh yeah. Excuse me, are there any other item shops around here?”
“There’s one on the outskirts of town, but it’s got nothing on my shop.”
Going to the other item shop turns out to be a waste of time, too. The shopkeeper apparently hasn’t seen Seiya. It’s no different when we go to the weapons shop or armor shop.
“Let’s head back to the castle for now. Master Seiya might already be there for all we know.”
We return to the castle like Mash suggested. A far cry from when we skipped to the castle earlier, we now drag our feet with a darkness weighing us down.
“Where in the world did he go?”
The moment my brain switches back on, I get a bad feeling about it in the pit of my stomach. Just as I thought, even after returning to the castle, Seiya is nowhere to be found. I ask around, but no one in the castle has seen him, either.
It’s been around three hours since we promised to meet up. While helplessly waiting in Seiya’s room, Elulu suddenly mutters:
“Y-you don’t think…Seiya went to go fight the Demon Lord by himself, right?”
I swallow my breath, briefly in shock until…
“No, that wouldn’t even make any sense! The embodiment of overcautiousness himself? He would never do that! I mean, he was reflecting on how to improve after his close battle with the emperor! So there’s no way he would go straight to the Demon Lord after all that. I would bet my life on it!”
Mash agrees with me.
“Yeah, you’re right. That wouldn’t be like him.”
“Besides, the Demon Lord has Chain Destruction! Seiya would die permanently if he lost, which is why he’s going to be extra-careful with his preparations!”
“Yeah… I guess you’re right… But then…where did Seiya go?”
It’s unusual that we can’t find him even after all this searching.
I stand and head toward the door.
“Rista! Where are you going?”
“I don’t know, but I can’t just sit around and wait any longer!”
After opening the door, I rush into the hallway, where I run into the imperial mage Flashika.
“Ah! Flashika! Have you seen Seiya?”
But he hasn’t seen Seiya, either.
“Oh? The Hero disappeared right before the final battle against the Demon Lord?”
He places a finger on his chin while pondering, then frowns.
“While he may be the Hero, he is still human. Perhaps he ran away?”
Mash raises his voice in response to Flashika’s speculation.
“L-like hell he did! Master Seiya would never run away from a fight!”
“But Madam Rosalie told me the Demon Lord has a weapon that could shatter the Hero’s soul. He seems to still be young, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he was afraid…”
“Seiya isn’t like tha
t! He’s no coward!”
Both Mash and I berate Flashika. I’m pissed. It almost feels like I’m being personally attacked.
“I apologize if I offended you. Please forget my careless remarks…”
After parting ways with Flashika, I give in to my rage and storm through the castle, but what Flashika said replays in my head the entire time.
He got scared and ran away? Th-that’s ridiculous…!
Even during his battle against the emperor, Seiya acted like it was nothing. When I saw that, I thought Seiya must be mentally strong as well. But…maybe he was simply putting on a brave front? Maybe he was in so much pain and agony that he couldn’t take it anymore and it broke him? Maybe that’s even why he slept at the castle for three days…?
The more I think about it, the more pessimistic I become. Then, out of nowhere, a certain thought pops into my head.
“Wait… Did Seiya commit suicide before the Demon Lord could kill him…?”
“Wh-what?! The hell are you talking about?!”
“What do you mean, Ristie?!”
“If the Demon Lord kills him, then his soul will be destroyed! But if he dies outside of the Chain Destruction’s range, then his soul wouldn’t completely disappear, and he would be able to return to his world! Th-that’s why Seiya…”
“Are you saying he abandoned us?!”
“I don’t know! I’m just thinking out loud!”
So much for our slice-of-life moment…
I create a gate to the spirit world.
“I didn’t want to do this, but we don’t have any other choice! We’re going to have to ask Great Goddess Ishtar where Seiya is!”
Taking Mash and Elulu with me, I walk through the portal to the unified spirit world…
I appear right before Ishtar’s room and then, without knocking…
“I’m coming in!”
I lunge through the door, but the Great Goddess isn’t there—and unusually so. Instead, a very familiar goddess stands alone by the window. Ariadoa is gazing out the window with her back to us.
“Aria?! What are you doing here?! More importantly, where’s Great Goddess Ishtar?! We’re in trouble! Seiya’s gone, and we need her to find him!”
Aria slowly turns around as I continue to rattle on. But when I see her face, I am taken off guard, for tears are running down her cheeks.
“A-Aria…?”
The Hero Is Overpowered but Overly Cautious, Vol. 2 Page 16