S-Rank Adventurer Betrayed by His Fiancée in the Hero’s Party Sets Off on a Journey to Heal His Broken Heart ~The Strongest Betrayed Adventurer Ends Up Forming a Harem Party~ - Chapter 06: An Awkward Reunion

Chapter 06: An Awkward Reunion

“I’m really glad to see all three of you. But what are you doing in a place like this?”

Pushing aside my gloomy feelings, I asked the three of them.

The Demon King had made his stronghold in the northern lands.

Because of that, most of the incidents involving magical beasts happened up north.

“Wasn’t there a lot of work in the north with all the magical beasts running wild? Anyone wanting to make money as an adventurer would’ve gone there.”

Even during the three years I spent traveling and helping the Hero’s party, I ran into them a few times, but never in the north.

Sildiel was in the central part of the continent. This place was on the southern edge, meaning there were fewer opportunities to make money compared to the north. 

A lot of adventurers had taken advantage of the Hero’s (that guy’s) achievements and flocked to the north.

“That’s exactly why. If all the strong adventurers go to the north, the people living here will be in trouble, right?”

“Even if the Hero defeats the Demon King, it doesn’t mean much if there’s no one left to protect the people, right? So, as an A-rank party, we decided to stay around here.”

“It was Elmie’s decision. She wanted to use her strength to help those who can’t protect themselves.”

“Hey! Maria, don’t say that!”

Elmie shouted in embarrassment.

As the leader of their party, Oathsworn Radiant Swords, it was clear this was her policy.

“Elmie, you’ve always been so kind. It was the same when you taught me how to use a sword. You really are a great teacher.”

“Abel, not you too!? I told you to stop calling me that! There’s no way I can live up to being the teacher of an S-rank adventurer!”

Elmie twisted in embarrassment, her face turning red. 

Three years ago, when I was still a C-rank adventurer, the only way I could support Millia was by getting stronger. 

Staying weak meant I couldn’t do anything. So, I begged Elmie, who was already an A-rank adventurer and held the powerful swordmaster class, Sword Saint, to teach me for three months.

I didn’t see much improvement at the time, but thanks to that training, I was able to become as strong as I am now. Elmie was also my sword instructor.

“Yeah, I know… sorry for being such a lousy student who had to rely on magic swords instead of pure skill…”

“That’s not what I meant! Geez!”

“Ufufu!” “Hehe!”

Even though I apologized, I couldn’t help teasing her a little. 

Elmie really is fun to mess with.

It was such a familiar scene from our past, and I found myself smiling without thinking.

“Oh, right! Abel, what are you doing here, anyway? I thought you’d be in the royal capital—Sildent—to meet Millia!”

Uh-oh, that was a strong counterpunch. 

By the way, Sildent is the official name of the royal capital.

“You know, I saw the guild news before we left for this escort job. It said the Hero had returned in triumph! That means Millia must have come back too, and by now, maybe you’ve had time to meet up with her and… wait, that’s not what I meant to suggest!”

“Ah… yeah, well… um… yeah.”

Elmie was flustered, but I didn’t mind. I couldn’t.

After all, Elmie had been one of the people who helped me. Back when I was just an ordinary C-rank adventurer, this top-tier A-rank adventurer had stuck by me for three months, teaching me how to fight.

Even after that, she helped me a few times, always supporting my relationship with Millia, knowing about us and cheering me on. I owed her my thanks, and I needed to apologize too.

“Millia… yeah, well, uh—”

“Abel…?”

But the words caught in my throat. I couldn’t speak. I wanted to apologize for the pathetic way things had turned out.

“What happened? Did something happen between you and Millia—?”

“Alright, Elmie, that’s enough!”

Just as Elmie was about to press further, Maria came up from behind and covered her mouth.

“I know you have a lot to catch up on with Abel, but don’t hog him all to yourself! Besides, we’re still on the job, right, leader? The client said the horses have calmed down, and they’re ready to move again.”

After the wyverns left, she apparently went to check with the merchant for any damage. I watched as Elmie hurried over, while Maria turned to me.

“We need to escort them to Cahel, but what about you, Abel? If you’re headed there too, why don’t you come with us?”

“Yeah, sure. I was planning to go to Cahel anyway, and I’m a bit tired…”

“Great! We should arrive by evening, so let’s grab dinner together, okay?”

“Yeah… sounds good.”

With that, Maria ran off to join her sister in chasing after Elmie. 

They were probably being considerate of me.

Frey may come across as strong-willed, but her younger sister Maria is the type who observes those around her and keeps things balanced.

It was like she was saying, “Now’s not the time, but I’d love to hear about it over dinner later.”

I appreciated their thoughtfulness, but at the same time, I felt pathetic.

・　・　・　・　・

“Who would have thought I’d meet the famous Four Swords Abel himself? I can’t thank you enough for your help earlier.”

“Don’t worry about it. I just stepped in to help some friends.”

“Even so, we at the trading company feel obligated. We don’t have enough to cover the cost of an S-rank adventurer, but we’d like to offer you something as a token of gratitude—”

“Covering the materials from two wyverns should balance things out, so it’s all good.”

Elmie’s client, a merchant named Harriston, was an elderly gentleman with gray hair and a beard. 

He was surprisingly well-built for a merchant. Since he worked as a traveling merchant, his stamina was probably on par with an adventurer. 

He was wearing a hooded cloak because he was on the road.

This area was dry, with dust blowing everywhere. That’s why Elmie and her group were also using hoods to protect themselves from the sand. 

They were using a magical item that repelled sand and debris when worn.

“Not only did you save us from the wyverns, but you’re also traveling with us now. I can’t thank you enough.”

“It wasn’t anything that big…”

“It was a big deal, Abel. Thanks to you, we didn’t fail the job. I’m really grateful. And we’re sorry for any trouble caused, Mr. Harriston.”

“No need to apologize at all. You could’ve easily left me behind and saved yourselves, even if it meant losing the horses and cargo. Instead, you did everything you could to protect the load, and I’m deeply grateful to everyone from Oathsworn Radiant Swords.”

While we were talking on the driver’s seat, Elmie, who was walking alongside the wagon, chimed into the conversation. 

I had been pushed into the driver’s seat since I hadn’t technically taken on the escort job.

“Besides, there was nothing we could do against a group of wyverns while protecting our client. It was my mistake for misjudging the situation.”

“But if Abel hadn’t shown up, we wouldn’t have been able to protect the valuable cargo… So, really, thank you, Abel.”

“Don’t worry about it, we’re friends, aren’t we? By the way, why were there wyverns in this area?”

I asked the question that had been bothering me. 

Wyverns, which fly at high speeds and dominate the skies, usually prefer high altitudes.

This area only had gentle hills, and it was a barren wasteland at that.

Even if wyverns came here to hunt, it would normally be in small numbers.

It was highly unusual to see such a large group in this region, something you’d only expect near their nests.

“That’s because ever since the Demon King was defeated, the habitats of magical beasts have been thrown into chaos.”

“Chaos, huh?”

“Yeah, powerful beasts are showing up in places where they’re normally not found, while in other areas, creatures that should be there are suddenly gone.”

“I’ve heard that some magical beasts, controlled by the Demon King, were forced to live far from their natural habitats for a long time. Now, those stronger beasts are returning to their original territories, which is disrupting the local ecosystems.”

I see, so that’s how it is. 

Magical beasts are just creatures that originally lived in this land. Basically, they’re just animals with magic power, and we call them magical beasts. 

Most of them are similar to regular animals, and goblins supposedly evolved from monkeys.

Magical beasts are part of the ecosystem, just like any other animal, eating and being eaten.

The Demon King had gathered some of the stronger magical beasts in his northern stronghold. Now that they’ve returned to their original territories—territories they left 200 years ago—the ecosystems there have already changed. 

So, when these powerful creatures came back, they caused chaos for the magical beasts already living there.

“The Demon King’s death is causing all this, huh…”

“You didn’t know? Lately, adventurers have been super busy dealing with this.”

“Ah, I was injured and bedridden for a while. When I recovered, I came straight back to the Kingdom of Sildiel, so I didn’t hear about it.”

I rushed straight back to meet Millia in time for her return to the royal capital—Sildent—but… ugh. 

The thought of Millia hit me hard, and I slumped over. I pretended not to notice Elmie sneaking a glance at me. 

There are too many Millia-related landmines everywhere…

“I’d love to hear the tales of the Four Swords, the one they call the hidden hero of the Demon King’s defeat, but it looks like we’re almost there.”

At Harriston’s voice, I lifted my head. 

Before I knew it, the sky had started to turn a faint orange, and in the distance, I could see a city surrounded by tall walls.

It was a trading hub connecting with the southern coastal countries—a battleground for merchants, and the southernmost point of the Kingdom of Sildiel.

“So that’s the border town of Cahel…”

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Hello, this is Sora Akatsuki.

I never imagined I would receive so much feedback just a week after releasing this story.

However, I have some updates regarding the current state of this work.

If you’re interested, please check out my update titled “About the Current Situation of the Betrayed Adventurer” on my author’s notes.

I’ll keep doing my best, so please continue to support me.

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I sometimes borrow it to post announcements, updates, and behind-the-scenes info about the story.

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