Help! My Overprotective S-Rank Master Who Loves Me Too Much Won't Let Me Go on Quests! - Chapter 42: This Time, I’ll Save Aria-san!

Chapter 42: This Time, I’ll Save Aria-san!

“Aria-san…”

We had just gotten closer than ever, so why did things have to turn out like this?

I couldn’t figure out why, but there was one thing I did know… After more than a year of brutal training, all I could do now was stand and watch Aria-san leave────

“Are you really not going to chase after Aria-san?”

“…Huh?”

Milena-san, who was standing in front of me, asked me that question.

“…There was a similar situation before, and back then, I chased after her and ended up causing her a lot of trouble. That’s why────”

“Is that how you really feel, Adin-san?”

…If you had to ask me if that’s what I truly felt, it’s not.

If I had the same level of strength as Aria-san or even greater, I wouldn’t hesitate to chase after her and fight by her side.

“……”

But I don’t have that kind of power.

As I stood there unable to respond, Milena-san sighed before speaking again.

“Honestly… You two make me so anxious. You both care so much about each other, yet it’s like you’re always out of sync… I can’t say much since it’s between you two, and I need to go report the current situation to the other adventurers, but… Let me say one thing: if you don’t go after Aria-san now, you might regret it.”

“……Regret?”

“You might never get the chance to see Aria-san again.”

…What?

I might never see Aria-san again…?

…No way────

“Are you saying my master might lose?”

“Yes, that’s a very real possibility.”

“Th-that’s impossible!”

I couldn’t help but shout, but Milena-san remained calm as she continued.

“When you asked me during the Demon King’s army subjugation if Aria-san would be okay, I told you, ‘I believe Aria-san will most likely succeed without issue.’ However, this time, it’s different. I can’t say with certainty that she’ll come back unscathed. I’m saying there’s a real chance she could lose.”

“But… Is there actually a monster strong enough among that horde to make Aria-san lose?”

“No… I’ve heard there are a few A-rank or B-rank level monsters, nothing Aria-san couldn’t handle.”

“Then────”

“This time… it’s the numbers.”

…Numbers?

It’s a monster horde, so of course there’d be a lot of them, but no matter how many there are, Aria-san wouldn’t lose just because of that.

…But Milena-san must know that too.

“How many monsters are we talking about?”

“I’ve heard there are 10,000 of them, both on the ground and in the air.”

“T-ten thousand…!?”

“Normally, in a quest, the number of monsters you defeat aside from the target is around ten. To completely eliminate this horde, you’d need to complete the equivalent of a thousand quests.”

No matter how many monsters there were, I believed Aria-san couldn’t lose. But when I heard that there were 10,000 of them, I wasn’t so sure anymore.

“But… there are other adventurers too, right? So────”

“Aria-san tends to overestimate her actual strength… and she does have the power to back it up. But at the same time, she’s unlikely to cooperate with other adventurers in this situation.”

“……”

I kept searching for reasons not to follow Aria-san, worried that I might just trouble again, or that I wouldn’t be of any help to her. But──── if this was the last chance I’d have to see her, then…!

“I’m going after her!”

“Yes, the location is at the entrance to the town on the grassland side… Please, save Aria-san. Once I inform some of the other capable adventurers about the situation, I’ll head over there too.”

“That’s reassuring!”

With those words, I rushed out of the inn and headed straight for the town entrance, just as Milena-san had said. This time, I’ll help Aria-san. We’ll fight those monsters together, and I’ll protect this town!

So please, Aria-san… stay safe until I get there!