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~

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Chapter 08: A Warm Meal Before the Storm

“You guys took down these wyverns so cleanly! This will sell for a high price.”

“Thanks.”

“But as for this Titan Grizzly, we won’t know until we take it apart. It’s all shredded up.”

At the dismantling area next to the guild, a bald-headed old man was appraising the materials I’d taken out of my ring.

“That’s fine, I wasn’t expecting much from it. I just brought it along, just in case.”

“Well, sometimes smaller pieces are easier to work with. I doubt it won’t sell, but you know, Titan Grizzlies—‘Giant Bears’—are tougher than rock. I’ve never seen one shredded like this before.”

Apparently, Titan Grizzlies were also called Giant Bears, not because they looked like giants, but because they were bears from a giant’s perspective. That thing was huge… though other than its size, it wasn’t all that different from a regular bear.

“Yeah, well, it was my first time too. I tore it up like that because I was taking out some frustration.”

“You did that out of frustration, huh? Still, I guess to someone like you, even a Giant Bear is just something to vent on.”

The old man glanced at my sword, scratched his bald head, and handed me a numbered ticket.

“We’ve got a lot of big ones here. It’s going to take some time. Come back to the guild tomorrow, and if it’s ready, you can get your money. Ugh, looks like I’ll be working all night.”

“I need the money right now.”

“Then just take a fang or something and sell it.”

The old man, without looking back, turned his bald head away. Now I had to decide what to take—either claws or fangs would probably sell.

“Abel, I’ve finished up my paperwork. How about you?”

Maria, who had been talking to a different dismantler, came over.

“They said the appraisal will take days. When I asked for some quick cash, he told me to just take something and sell it.”

“I see. Well, we could go back to the reception and—”

“Abel!!!”

Suddenly, a voice echoed through the area. It was Elmie, storming down the hallway from the main guild building. Frey was trying, unsuccessfully, to stop her. Something was clearly wrong.

“Oh, Elmie. Are you done with your part?”

“Abel! What is this about!?”

She ignored my question.

Elmie stopped right in front of me and shoved a stack of papers in my face. On the front page was—

“S-rank adventurer Abel, the Four Swords, heartbroken!?“

Alongside that headline was a picture of Millia, arm in arm with the Hero, walking together.

“…”

“This just came out in the guild news. What’s going on!? I was wondering why you were here, but… what happened!?”

Elmie’s expression showed pure confusion.

Maria, after glancing at the article, also looked at me in shock.

“Ah, I get that you’re curious, but…”

“Wait, is that… Millia? Why?”

“You’re definitely going to explain everything. Abel.”

And so, I was dragged through the night streets by the three of them.

I didn’t even get to sell anything for cash…

・　・　・　・　・

Guild News—it’s a newspaper published by a company partnered with the Adventurer’s Guild.

The information it spreads, through magic tools placed in guilds worldwide, is packed with tips on where to find lucrative jobs and hot request spots, all aimed at adventurers.

It also includes interviews and news about famous adventurers, which can be interesting sometimes… but I didn’t think they were into gossip too!

The article Elmie brought had the Hero and Millia on the front page.

And because the two were caught together, the focus shifted onto me, implying my connection with Millia.

The headlines were full of ridiculous things like, “S-rank Adventurer Heartbroken!” and “Even an S-rank Can’t Beat the Hero!”

They were writing whatever they wanted. A newspaper aimed at adventurers writing S-rank gossip—bold move…!

And now… Elmie and the others found out I’d been cheated on, and it’s turning into a real mess.

“Alright, Abel. Time to spill everything. You’re not getting away.”

“Shouldn’t we wait until after we’ve eaten something? Isn’t it a bit much to start questioning me as soon as we sit down?”

“Big sister doesn’t like pointless resistance, you know?”

“Resistance? No, no… Look, Frey, Maria, why don’t you two sit next to each other? I’ll move.”

“Today, we feel like sitting right next to you, Abel!”

“Why though…”

We were at Sunset Lodge on the Wasteland, the inn Elmie and the others recommended.

As soon as we arrived, they booked three rooms, and I was dragged straight to the inn’s dining hall.

Now, I’m cornered at a table by the wall, with Elmie sitting directly in front of me and the twins on either side, all grilling me with questions.

Damn, I’ve been trapped in a situation where brute force won’t help!

“I knew that after the Hero’s party journey ended, Millia returned to the royal capital. But I kept wondering, why is Abel here, in a place like this?”

Elmie spoke while looking directly into my eyes. Her question was serious, coming from someone who knew us well.

“And then that Guild News article came out. Hey… Abel. You know something, don’t you? Are you… hiding something from us?”

“…”

Elmie stared at me from the front.

I could feel the twin sisters on either side also watching me closely. There was no escape.

They weren’t trying to force it out of me, just genuinely concerned, and I realized I couldn’t keep it hidden anymore.

“Alright. I’ll talk… but it’s really hard to explain. I need a moment to… prepare myself and organize my thoughts.”

“Abel…”

“So, how about we eat first? You said the food here is good, right? Let’s eat, and then I’ll tell you everything.”

I smiled awkwardly as I asked Elmie that.

“Sigh… fine, but you better keep your promise.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry.”

“If we keep pressing you now, we’ll just end up being the bad guys… So, we’ll listen carefully while we eat.”

“Good. Make sure you explain everything to your big sisters, okay?”

“After we’ve finished eating, alright?”

“Aw, but Abel might run away~!”

“That’s why we need to keep a hold on him, right?”

“Frey! Maria! Stop clinging to him, both of you!”

“”Ufufufu.””

The twin sisters clung tightly to me, while Elmie yelled at them.

I couldn’t help but think that the atmosphere hadn’t changed at all from the old days.

“”We give thanks for the blessings of the heavens and the efforts of humankind.“”

With the two religious sisters leading the pre-meal prayer, we began to eat.

The food, as expected of a town on the border, was prepared incredibly fast at Sunset Lodge on the Wasteland, from the moment we ordered until it was served. Everything looked delicious.

The dishes made use of salt and seafood from the southern countries and a variety of ingredients from the Kingdom of Sildiel.

There were steaks of pork and beef, grilled simply with salt and pepper.

Rabbit meat—likely from a magical beast called the Horned Hopper Rabbit—was sautéed, and its herb fragrance filled the air.

There was also a stew made from a fish-like magical beast, slowly simmered until the meat was so tender it fell apart.

Lastly, there were enormous shellfish, grilled simply, each one bigger than a fist and plump with juice.

Seeing steaming hot food like this for the first time in a while, I couldn’t help but stare in awe.

Adventurers tend to have large appetites, and despite how packed the table was, the food disappeared in no time.

“Nom—mm… munch…”

Elmie was steadily eating the large servings of meat and bread piled in front of her.

While most adventurers tend to be rough and lack table manners, her way of eating was surprisingly graceful.

She didn’t make a mess, eating carefully and almost elegantly.

The drink she chose to go with her meal was wine. Though it was served in a barrel-sized mug, making it anything but refined, Elmie had always preferred wine.

Her cheeks puffed up in a satisfied smile, enjoying the delicious food.

“Here you go, sis, say ‘ahhh.’”

“Ahhh… mmm! Thanks, Maria. Here, your turn—say ‘ahhh.’”

“Mmm!“

The twin sisters, Frey and Maria, were feeding each other playfully.

Watching the two identical beauties take turns offering bites of food was… something.

It was a familiar sight by now, though this was still on the tame side.

Things could get worse—like when they had too much ale… but let’s not go there.

Despite their similarities, their tastes were a bit different. Frey loved hearty meat dishes, thick seafood, and fish-like magical beast meat. Maria, on the other hand, often went for chicken salad and stew.

Cahel’s proximity to the southern coastal nations meant seafood and salt were specialties here.

I’d heard that this inn sourced imported goods at affordable prices, especially items that needed to be used quickly.

“You’ve been watching us eat for a while now. What’s up? …Are you not hungry?”

“Huh? Oh, no, I’m fine. I’m definitely hungry—just tired, that’s all.”

As I watched the three of them eat, Elmie noticed and asked me with a concerned look.

“It’s just… it’s been a while since I’ve eaten with other people, that’s all.”

“Aww… Abel~…”

“Abel…”

“And lately, I’ve been eating nothing but rations, so I haven’t had a hot meal in a while. My body’s kind of shocked by it.”

“Abel, you should eat this too.”

“Let big sister feed you~.”

“My scallop is really tasty, you know?”