It’s an Adventure until you reach Home

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It was now late into the night, and so the fun drinking party came to an end.

I would return to Goran’s mansion, and Ario and Josh would go to an inn.

 

I turned to them and said:

 

“Ario and Josh. If you ever need an extra hand, just let me know.”

“That would be a great help. But how would we contact you?”

 

Well, that would be a problem.

 

“What inn do you usually stay at, Locke?”

“Umm…”

 

I couldn’t exactly say that I stayed at Goran’s mansion.

It would seem strange for some F Rank Adventurer to be staying with the Grand Master of the guild.

 

“The inn I stay at…”

“I see.”

“Of course.”

 

I muttered incomprehensibly, but Ario and Josh were satisfied for some reason.

Ario slapped me on the right shoulder.

 

“Locke. I know how you feel.”

“…Feel about what?”

 

Ario was nodding vigorously.

I wasn’t sure what it was he knew, and that was a problem.

 

Josh slapped my other shoulder.

 

“You don’t need to say anything.”

“Anything about what?”

“That strength. Locke, you’re clearly not some average Adventurer, are you?”

“Oh, oh really?”

 

Damn it. Could they have realized that I was Ruck?

I was a little worried.

 

But I only killed normal goblins in front of Ario and Josh.

I’m sure that I looked good doing it, but not so good that I could be exposed as the Hero Ruck.

…Surely.

 

Ario looked at me seriously.

 

“Yes. If there was an inn you were a regular at, assassins would start to target you. Indeed.”

“Exactly.”

 

Josh agreed.

 

“No, I don’t think they’d target me.”

“We understand. You are an F Rank Adventurer now, Locke.”

“Exactly. Locke is an F Rank Adventurer, so no one would target him.”

“No, they wouldn’t. Yes.”

 

After hearing this much, I finally understood.

Ario and Josh had realized that I was hiding my identity.

However, it seemed like they thought my reason for doing so was to hide from the criminal underworld.

They probably thought that I was a former assassin.

 

“…Uhh.”

“You don’t need to tell us anything.”

“Yes, everyone has things in their past that they want to keep secret.”

“Yes, like being a former a…no, never mind.”

 

Josh had been about to say something. I really wanted to hear the rest of it.

But asking further would only make matters worse, and so I decided to ignore it.

 

“Anyway, I will try to visit the Adventurer’s guild every day.”

“Ah, yes. If we ever need any help, we will go there and search for you.”

“Thank you so much, Mister Locke.”

 

And with the false assumption that I was being targeted still in their minds, Ario and Josh returned to their inn.

By the way, Shia was chuckling under her breath during this whole interaction.

 

“In their minds, you have become quite the dangerous person.”

“…Seems like it.”

“Yes, you have. When I was washing my hands earlier, I overheard them talking…”

“Oh, oh?”

“They were speculating that you must be a former officer of some order of assassins.”

“…Order of assassins.”

 

That was even worse than a lone killer for hire. This was not good…I think.

No, it was not as if they would go around spreading this, so it probably didn’t matter at all.

 

As I was thinking this, Shia bowed her head once again.

 

“Thank you so much for helping me on this matter.”

“Don’t mention it. Are you going back to your home now?”

“Yes, I am. I must return once to restore our honor.”

“If you ever need any help as well, you just let me know.”

“I’m thankful that you said that.”

 

Shia’s face became serious and her face came up close to mine.

She whispered.

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Koko wa Ore ni Makasete Saki ni Ike to Itte kara 10 Nen ga Tattara Densetsu ni Natteita