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 12: If There’s No Magic Sword

[Side: S-Rank Adventurer]

“Yaaawn… So sleepy.”

I rubbed my sleepy eyes.

The empty bottle I had finished drinking rolled across the table with a small clinking sound. I’ll clean it up later, I guess.

“《Rejuvenation (Re-Life)》, 《Recovery Boost (Re-Laxje)》—Alright.”

I used magic to energize my body, which was still whining about wanting to rest.

It’s like giving myself a mental push, forcing my body to move. The magic spread nutrients throughout my body, getting me to a point where I could function again.

I strapped on the belt that holds my swords.

On my right hip, I placed the Breathslate (Piercing Wind Sword), and on my left, the Granchario (Azure Ice Sword).

Behind me on the right, I hung the Heedrise (Blazing Flame Sword), and on the left, Chronovale, a black cursed sword.

With two swords on my hips and two crossed on my back, I was back in my usual “Four-Swords” form.

With everything ready, I headed downstairs to the inn’s dining area.

“Oh, good morni—morning, Abel.”

“Morning, Elmie.”

Elmie was already seated in the dining area. Her face seemed a little flushed. Is it just me, or is she acting a bit distant?

“Where are the twins?”

“They’re not up yet. They were at the church late last night.”

“Still as devout as ever, I see.”

The Souther Sky Faith is the largest religion on this continent.

I rely on the Souther Sky Faith when I need something and make donations when I do, but I wouldn’t say I’m that devout.

“Anyway, Abel. We talked about working together again, so how about forming a party like before?”

“Sure. Same as before, I’ll be a temporary member.”

Normally, a party consists of four members. When someone joins temporarily or becomes a provisional member, we use this temporary slot. We even use this for a fifth member, like a porter or someone carrying our gear.

I have no intention of interfering with their original three-person party from back in the day.

“I wouldn’t mind you joining as a full member, though—”

“Oh dear, did I interrupt~?”

“Sorry for being late! Good morning, you two!”

Elmie was cut off when the sisters walked into the dining area.

They were dressed in clothing that showed off their body lines, without any armor… I quickly looked away and greeted them.

“Morning, you two.”

“Ufufu, it’s been a while since you greeted me like that, Abel~.”

“Yeah, this feels nice.”

For some reason, they were both acting shy.

All I did was say good morning, but at least my face wasn’t turning red.

“By the way, Elmie, were you about to say something?”

“It’s nothing! Now that the two of them are here, let’s order breakfast!”

For some reason, Elmie turned away and quickly went to place an order with the waitress she seemed to know.

After a short while, breakfast was served—bread, grilled meat, soup, and salad. Simple, but there was plenty of it.

I considered pulling out rations from my ring… but I could feel the three of them staring at me with disapproving eyes as soon as I thought about it.

No way was I eating rations right after last night’s dinner. I decided to have the same breakfast as the others.

“After breakfast, let’s head to the guild. I need to take care of my temporary membership registration and pick up the payment for the materials I dropped off yesterday. I’d like to pay you back for covering my inn and meal costs, too.”

While eating, I shared what I had discussed with Elmie earlier with Frey and Maria, and also mentioned that I wanted to return the money they lent me since I was short on cash.

“Oh, don’t worry about that! We’re A-rank, so a bit of money like this is nothing to us!”

“But still, when it comes to money—”

“How about we just say it’s a treat from a mentor to their apprentice?”

“Exactly! Let’s call it a little reward for all the hard work you’ve been doing, Abel!”

I was about to insist, but Frey and Maria pushed the idea, and in the end, they refused to take the money. Instead, they decided to treat me as a reward for my efforts.

I guess I’m not really at the age to be getting “rewards” anymore… but I couldn’t say no to these ladies.

And with that, we finished breakfast and headed to the adventurer’s guild.

・　・　・　・　・

“S-So, you’re here to register the temporary party membership of Abel, the S-Rank Four Swords…?”

When we arrived at the guild, we headed straight to the second-floor general reception to complete the registration.

The receptionist, who had long blonde hair and a vibe similar to Frey, was the one handling it.

Honestly, she was quite attractive… but despite her looks, she was visibly shaking. Why though?

Actually, the whole guild seemed a bit noisy today.

For some reason, a lot of people were sneaking glances at me. They thought they were being subtle, but it was pretty obvious.

“Is this because of me?”

“Maybe it’s because word got out that you’re in town, and that news became an even hotter topic?”

Maria answered when I asked about it.

Ah, right. That news broke the day after that incident, didn’t it?

It was released two days ago, and with everyone hearing I was here yesterday, the gossip must’ve spread even more.

My embarrassment was spreading faster than I could handle. I wanted to cry.

“Thank you for waiting! Your membership registration is complete! Here you go!”

“Alright!”

“Hey, we weren’t waiting that long.”

Elmie jumped in excitement, and no, I wasn’t mad at anyone!

So, please don’t cry… Seriously, seeing those tears well up is just making me feel worse…

Anyway, that’s about half of what we came to the guild for done.

I still need to collect the payment for the materials, but I’m feeling a bit uncomfortable here, so I kind of want to leave quickly.

“So, Abel! Should we look for a request or head downstairs to check on the material buyback?”

“Yeah, I was thinking we could quickly find a request and—”

Just as I was about to suggest we head out—

“Hey-Hey, look at this! The so-called S-Rank who got dumped is already tagging along with some women!”

A loud, obnoxious voice suddenly echoed from nearby, interrupting us at the reception.

When I looked over, I saw a large, rough-looking man grinning at me with a nasty expression.

…Is he trying to pick a fight with me? With an S-Rank?

“G-Gerand!? Stop it, please! Do you even know who this is—”

“Shut it, woman! Of course I know! It’s that S-Rank loser who got played like a toy by the Guild News!”

The guy was huge, with a battle axe strapped to his back. He was probably around two meters tall.

His arms were thick like logs, and his body was just as bulky—a mountain of muscle.

I guess, standing at around 170 centimeters, I must look like a kid to him.

It’s hard to believe, but there are always idiots like this wherever you go. And I’ve silenced plenty before…

“And this little runt is supposed to be an S-Rank? What a joke! Every S-Rank out there is just a bunch of liars, pretending to do amazing things when they’re really full of it!”

“…Huh?”

His words stirred something in my chest.

What is this feeling?

“A runt like you could never take down a magic beast stronger than the ones I’ve fought. Isn’t that right, kid? Or are you too scared to even say anything? Relying on that cursed sword all the time must mean you’ve got no guts!”

As I stayed silent, Elmie couldn’t hold back anymore and snapped at him.

“How dare you insult Abel like that! Who do you think you are?”

But the big guy just laughed even louder, using her words to fuel his mockery.

“Hah! Did you hear that? The big, bad S-Rank has to let a woman defend him because he’s too scared to do it himself! No wonder his girl ran off with someone else!”

The man exaggeratedly mocked me, trying to show off in front of the crowd.

“Hey, Gerand! This is going too far!”

“Shut up!!!”

One of his fellow adventurers—so his name was Gerand—tried to calm him down, but Gerand just yelled and silenced him.

“It pisses me off, seeing this S-Rank loser getting all this attention! I bet I could steal your girls too, you coward! You ladies are pretty hot, what do you say? How about I show you a real man?”

“We’ll pass. Guys like you aren’t our type.”

“Tch, cocky little woman. You’re the famous trio of ladies who’ve been acting all high and mighty around here, right?”

Gerand—no, let’s just call him a piece of trash—looked at the three of them with a disgusting, leering gaze, practically undressing them with his eyes

“Thinking you’re all high and mighty just because you’ve got the job of a Sword Saint or because you’re A-Rank! Women like you just need a good punch to put you in your place!”

“You sound like you’ve had plenty of practice. You’re just mad that a guy like Abel or ‘little girls’ like us surpassed you, aren’t you? I’ve heard of you too—famous for being a loudmouth B-Rank who never improves.”

“What did you just say, you brat!?”

Elmie’s tone was more boyish than usual. She must’ve been really irritated. The twin sisters also looked pretty furious.

But I… I was focused on something else, which kept me silent.

Something felt off.

It was like something that had been missing finally clicked into place, but it had been so long that I couldn’t quite grasp it.

Meanwhile, Elmie and that trash Gerand kept arguing, their fight heating up.

“You probably used your looks to suck up to some noble or the guild, you sluts! And as for that little punk over there, I’ll knock him out and take care of you bitches myself!”

“…What did you just say?”

What did this guy just say about my friends? About the people I care about?

“And this kid being S-Rank? That just proves S-Ranks are nothing special. I’ll kill every single one of them!”

The S-Rank I’ve always admired…

Those people he’s insulting are weak?

…I see now.

“You bastard…!”

“Elmie.”

I gently placed a hand on Elmie’s shoulder as she reached for her sword.

“Abel…?”

“You’ve been running your mouth for a while now, huh? Especially about the people I care about.”

For a split second, he looked startled, but then his face twisted into a nasty grin.

“Hah! What, you gonna fight me? But this is the guild, you know! You can’t use those cursed swords here, or it’ll cause a huge problem! You’re too scared to fight without it, aren’t you? Hahaha!”

“…Wow, you’ve got guts. A mere B-Rank picking a fight with an S-Rank.”

“Idiot! There’s no way a little punk like you is strong. You’re just some amateur relying on cursed swords. Come on, prove it!”

The man slapped my cheek a few times with his hand.

Behind me, Elmie looked like she was about to jump in, but fortunately, she held herself back.

“I’m just trying to give you some advice, kid. Stop pretending to be tough.”

“How kind of you! Well then, let me return the favor.”

I tapped my right fist lightly with my left hand.

“I’m about to punch you. You ready?”

“Huh?”

One second later, my right fist sank deep into his gut.

＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿

“Why not just hit him?”