I Wanted a Cute Girl to Cast Healing Magic on Me, So I Kept Protecting My Allies—and Ended Up with an Overprotective Party - 24

Chapter 24: It Really Existed

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Today was finally the day of the joint expedition. For this occasion, Miya had rushed to reach E-Rank. We were supposed to gather at the guild at noon. Right now, it was 7 AM Since it only took about ten minutes on foot to get from our party base to the guild, I had definitely woken up way too early.

I guess my internal clock from my previous life, when I still went to school, hadn’t completely adjusted to my new schedule yet. I stepped out of my room thinking I’d get some water and started heading to the right where the kitchen was, when the door of the room next to mine opened. Out came a beautiful girl with light blue, medium-length hair—Miya.

“You’re up early too, Miya?”

“Rikuto!?”

Apparently not expecting me to speak to her, Miya let out a startled voice that cracked slightly when she saw me.

“What’s so surprising? Our rooms are next to each other, so it’s not that strange we’d run into each other at the same time.”

“Well, yeah, but still!”

Then Miya and I began walking—heading in the same direction.

“Why are you following me?”

“I’m on my way to the kitchen to get some water.”

“I see. I’m about to make breakfast. I’ll wake you up when it’s ready, so you can go back to sleep if you want.”

Since the four of us started living together, Miya had taken care of all the meals. In exchange, the other three of us shared the rest of the housework. Miya always woke up earlier than anyone and made breakfast for everyone.

“Sorry for always making you do that. Thanks.”

“You know, Rikuto, you’re surprisingly good at saying stuff like that.”

“You mean saying thank you? Of course I say thank you. And by the way, ‘surprisingly’ is unnecessary.”

This was something I made a point of valuing—making sure to properly express my gratitude. It was just common sense, really. If you felt thankful to someone, the words just came out naturally like that. 

“Hey, Rikuto. Are you planning to keep being an adventurer as a tank, the shield role?”

“Hmm, I’m not exactly going to dedicate myself to that role or anything, but I’m confident in my defense, so it just naturally ends up that way.”

“I see. But just like when we went to that forest, you’re the only one who ends up in danger.”

“That just means I’m the only one in danger, right? So it’s not really a problem.”

“No, that’s not okay. Hey, if it ever looks like you’re about to do something reckless again, is it alright if I stop you—no matter what it takes?”

“Hm? Ah, yeah… That just means you care about me, right? Thanks.”

Something about that felt a little off, but it was probably fine.  After that, I gratefully went back to sleep for a bit, and later all the members ate the breakfast Miya made. What a luxurious way to start the day.

When we got to the guild, we saw a crowd of adventurers gathered outside, and it was clear right away they were the participants for the joint expedition. There were about fifty people, give or take. That was quite a large group.

Each adventurer there was waiting for departure in their own way. Then a man stepped forward and climbed up onto a prepared platform. All the adventurers quieted down and turned their attention to the man on the stage. It felt just like a school assembly. And the man standing in the position of the principal was apparently the Guild Master.

He looked to be in his mid-forties, with short brown hair that spiked straight up toward the sky. His body was clearly large, and you could tell he never skipped his daily training. Then, the Guild Master began speaking to everyone from the stage with a deep, powerful voice.

“Thank you all for participating in today’s joint expedition. As Guild Master, I offer my deepest gratitude. Thank you! First, we will perform a ritual to ensure everyone returns safely!”

With that, the Guild Master motioned for a woman to join him on stage. The woman wore a pure white robe with a hood. Other than the hood, it was similar to what Emil wore, but the robe had beautiful embroidery, making it clear it was something of high-quality.

She was probably in her twenties, with a face so beautiful you couldn’t help but stare, and she carried an air of refinement.

“Karinka-san, who is that woman?”

I whispered to Karinka, who was standing next to me.

“That lady is the Saintess.”

So she’s the real Saintess… Wait, what does “real Saintess” even mean? I guess I’m still influenced by how Miya recently said “Emil’s a Saintess!?” like it was a big deal.

More importantly, I hadn’t expected a Saintess to actually exist. Maybe she was a reincarnator too.

“Adventurers, thank you as always. Because of your efforts, we’re able to live in peace without fear of monsters. I will do everything I can so that you can explore as safely as possible. May every one of you return safely.”

Speaking in a gentle voice, the Saintess pressed her hands together in front of her and closed her eyes. Her fingers were tightly interlocked, as if in a solemn prayer. Time seemed to flow more slowly in that moment, and the Guild Master and all the adventurers quietly watched over her.

Eventually, the Saintess lowered her hands and spoke once more to the adventurers.

“This is all I can do, but I will always pray for your safety.”

Then she stepped down from the platform, leaving only the Guild Master behind.

“Now then, let’s work together to build a bright future, all of us adventurers gathered here!”

With a shout as forceful as a war cry, the Guild Master’s voice stirred the crowd. The adventurers raised their voices in response with a thunderous “Oooh!”

It looked like morale was high. Then, one after another, the adventurers bravely boarded the carriages headed for the dungeon. We joined them and moved forward. On the way, I caught sight of the Guild Master heading off in the opposite direction from the carriages.

You’re going home instead!? 

I couldn’t help but think to myself.

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