Haaah…
Ah, this is bad. My head’s spinning.
I almost want to just collapse right now, close my eyes, and pass out.
「Are you alright, onii-san?」
「Are you alright, Master?」
Chris and Wendy were looking at me worriedly from both sides, but it’s not a matter of being alright or not, I’m suffering from magic depletion…
「I’m fine, I’m fine… I just used too much magic power. Didn’t expect all of you to come along, though…」
I took out a Magic Power Recovery Potion(greater) from my magic storage space and gulped it down.
I think someone once said drinking too much of this can cause poisoning… I wonder if I’ll be okay…
I mean, I do drink these pretty often…
The way I treat them, it’s like an energy drink. Those are supposed to be dangerous in excess, too.
「Sorry about that. But it couldn’t be helped.」
「It’s fine, it’s fine.」
「You should be thanking us instead. In an emergency, who else could stop Hayato in his current state?」
Yeah, I’m grateful for that.
Right now, the Hayato in front of me… his aura is actually visible.
What Makoto said might have been a joke, but I can definitely see it.
…Is he angry?
「Well then, I’m ready anytime. What’s wrong?」
Hayato’s provoking them!?
Is he really on edge right now?
Please stay your pure, refreshing self!
「Y-you’re Hayato!?」
「Yes, that’s right. I’m the Hayato you’ve been looking for.」
「You were that guy’s familiar!?」
「…Hah?」
「Eh…」
Yeah, sorry. That one’s on me for giving them the wrong idea.
I mean, you were listening to the conversation and even went along with the whole “I’m the trump card” thing.
「Calling Itsuki-san ‘that guy’… should I make you lower your head after taking it off? If I recall correctly, you can heal it, right?」
Wait, that’s where you went with this!?
Scary! Hayato, you’re terrifying right now!
I’m not that bothered, so it’s fine, okay!?
They’re our enemies at the moment, so I’m not expecting them to show me respect!
「H-hey, Mika! Weren’t the rumors saying he was supposed to be more like a hero!?」
「T-that’s what I thought too…」
「Hmm… yeah, he’s completely pissed off.」
「H-Hayato? Calm down. It’s fine, really. I’m fine, so let’s just… handle this peacefully, okay?」
「Fufu, you’re so kind, Itsuki-san. But I can’t forgive someone who tried to hurt you. Especially over such a pathetic reason!」
Hayato-san! Come on, give us that usual refreshing smile!
Stay pure white! I don’t want to see any black aura or whatever that is!
Please go back to being the kind Hayato-sama!
「W-what do you mean by ‘pathetic’!? You’re someone who has, so of course you can’t understand the feelings of those who have not!」
「You’re right, I don’t understand. Nor do I want to. …Most likely, you just ran away from choosing between the two of them, didn’t you?」
「Wha…」
「If that’s the case, then yes, I understand. I used to run away from choosing just one among the girls myself. But then I met Itsuki-san, and he changed me, no, he made me change! That’s why, when I look at you now, I can see just how foolish I was back then」
「Foolish, you say!?」
「Yes… I won’t let a fool like you lay even a finger on the people important to me」
…So cool!
As expected of Hayato. Those kinds of lines suit him perfectly.
He’s got his sword ready, looking all fired up!
But after catching a glimpse of the dark Hayato earlier, he’s kinda scary too.
「Uh… excuse me, customer-san?」
「Guide-san, what’s up?」
「Well… I didn’t expect the hero Hayato-sama himself to show up. Looks like you really are quite the high-quality customer!」
A big thumbs-up with a good smile!
「Now’s not really the time for that…」
「Anyway… here’s the main point. If Hayato-sama goes all out in a fight….. isn’t this place going to get destroyed?」
…
………Ah!
Right! That’s it!
If Hayato uses his “Holy Sword of Light (Excalibur)”, it’s not just going to make a hole, it’ll split the place clean in half!
And Makoto can cut 95% of the damage!
How many shots are you planning to fire!?
「Guide-san, please stop him!」
「Ahahahahahaha, sorry, I don’t think I can. I’d hate to see this place get wrecked too, and sure, I’d like to say it depends on the money… but my life’s more important」
Right!!
Which means, it’s gotta be Hayato’s wives!
I can’t really ask Chris, but the rest of them said they came here to stop him anyway!
「Letty, Emily, you two stop him, please?」
「Hmm… might be impossible」
「…I am thinking of stopping him, but do you really think I can get close to him right now?」
「That’s… then, Mii, you’re melee! Do your best!」
「Nope nope nope, impossible nano desu. If anyone’s gonna stop him, I think onii-san’s more suited for the job no desu!」
What did you all even come here for!?
Was it the hot spring that’s almost finished!?
Planning to soak together all buddy-buddy after this mess is over!?
I’ll peek, you idiots!
…Wait a sec! Today, we actually have a dependable man here!
「Freed! You’re here! I’m counting on you!」
「…I understand your feelings, sir」
「Freed…」
「However, I am Hayato-sama’s butler. My role is to assist with whatever Hayato-sama wishes to accomplish」
「Freeeeeddddddd!」
No, no, no!
That’s not it! I didn’t bring you here for this kind of ‘annihilation’!
You’re supposed to be a deterrent! My ‘personal’ deterrent!
「…Slightly different from the image, but just as the rumors say, a handsome man surrounded by a beautiful harem. As declared, I’ll face you one-on-one!」
「Very well, shall we? Let’s fight until you give up, your spirit breaks, and you repent」
Huh!? The conversation progressed while I wasn’t looking!
It’s MK5, seriously! ‘Colosseum!’, five seconds before starting!
…That reference probably doesn’t work on today’s youth!
「Wait wait waaaaait! Hold up! Seriously, please wait! I’m begging you, just hold on for a second!」
No way! How many times are you planning to fight!?
The place will break! And we won’t be able to fix it!
「Itsuki-san… but…」
「If you fight, I’ll start hating you! I won’t even contact you anymore!」
「Eh!? That would… be troubling…」
「H-hey!?」
「You too! If you fight, I’ll sue you for trespassing and property damage!」
「Wha…」
「Ma-kun. Hayato is engaged to Chevalier-sama… If something happens, we’ll be wanted criminals…」
「Guh… engaged to a princess… grrrr」
Hold back! I can’t tell you not to defend yourself if they come at you, but…
I also can’t exactly say the bathhouse is more important than Hayato!
If it comes to that, I really won’t be able to stop you, so ‘please hold back’!
「If we’re gonna do it, then outside! Take it outside! Not here!」
「Onii-san, you sound like a little kid nano desu」
「It just means he’s desperate」
「Still, looks like that stopped them」
Say whatever you want!
I worked so hard for this!
I worked so everyone could have a place to come back to!
And now it’s about to be destroyed over something so stupid… just like what happened at the Adventurer’s Guild!
「Then… I guess we’ll fight outside?」
「I don’t mind… ahhh… though I might end up not getting a turn」
Hayato looked toward the rear, up into the mountains, then sheathed his sword.
I followed his gaze and turned in the same direction and…
「My liege!」「Masteeeerrrrrrr!」「My lord!」
The three of them were returning, battered and worn out.
Wait, Shiro wasn’t with them…
「Hmm, I’m back」
「Shiro!? When did you!?」
「Hmm, just now. By the way, we got found out」
「Ah… well, whatever. As long as everyone made it back safely」
Ah… but we didn’t make it in time…
It was so close to being finished…
The three of them called out to me, spreading their arms wide as they ran in to jump at me… jump at me…
No, wait, you’re all still wearing your armor!
「Teleport!」
「Pugya」「Higya」「Wa-o-o-on」
That was close. If I had taken that head-on, I’d have been minced meat…
It wouldn’t have been funny if I had welcomed them home only to die on the spot.
「Cruel! That’s too cruel! Normally, my lord would just catch us!」
「My liege!? This is too much!」
「Non-romantic, master! Learn to read the moodssu!」
Idiots. I ‘did’ read the mood, that’s exactly why I did it!
Would you want me beaten to a pulp just because you decided to tackle me right after coming back safe?
「Haa… But this feeling… We really made it back to our lord」
「Yeahssu… This is definitely master’s atmosphere, for better or worsessu」
「Fufu, hurrying was worth it, huh?」
「Haa… Well, you’re all oka, mgh」
Before I could finish speaking, all three of them clapped their hands over my mouth, cutting me off.
I blinked in surprise, and they all grinned at me before letting go.
「「「We’re back!」」」
Those words, spoken with the brightest smiles, made me freeze for a moment before I returned the smile.
「Yeah. Welcome back」
I couldn’t do it earlier, but now I could.
I pulled all three of them into a tight hug.
They smelled faintly of smoke, were covered in patches of mud, and had cuts here and there, but they were all safe, and that was all that mattered.
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