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 20: Just the You from That Day

Changes:

The name of the inn where the characters are staying has been updated:
“Sunset Lodge on the Wasteland” → “The Earth’s Rest Lodge”

Adjustments have been made to the description of the scene where Abel and Maria were alone in the previous chapter.

Apologies for any confusion.

Now, please enjoy the chapter.

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[Side: Betrayed Adventurer]

—It was a dream.

A dream of a boy, sitting alone and crying.

That boy… was Abel Sixam.

I was an orphan.

I barely remember it now, but the village where I was born was destroyed in a magical beast attack.

The couple who took me in had no children of their own, so they treated me with care.

But losing my real parents so suddenly left me feeling completely alone.

At some point, likely due to the stress, my hair turned white.

The unfamiliar land, filled with strangers, felt terrifying to me.

For a child who had lost everything, the world seemed like an endless void.

Even in the new village, I remained an outsider.

If things had stayed that way, I probably would’ve fallen ill or taken my own life eventually.

But then—

“Are you all alone? Let’s play together!”

Millia was the one who grabbed my hand and refused to let me be alone.

She pulled my weak, tiny hand and dragged me into a circle of other kids.

I’d just arrived in the village, didn’t speak much, and had a strange hair color—probably an unsettling child to others. It wouldn’t have been surprising if I’d been bullied.

But Millia didn’t let go of my hand.

She pulled me out of the darkness of isolation and gave me a place in the world again.

Thanks to her, I was able to move forward.

I was able to call my new parents “Dad” and “Mom.”

I regained something I thought I’d lost forever—a family.

From then on, I was always with Millia.

She was a cheerful, lively girl who smiled a lot, but she was also a tomboy, constantly getting herself into trouble.

She often wandered outside the village, ending up in dangerous situations. And yet, she never learned her lesson.

I can’t count how many times I had to carry a crying, injured Millia on my back and take her home.

Even when she was recognized for her magical talent and started attending a magic academy.

Even when we moved to the royal capital, and she fulfilled her dream of becoming an adventurer.

No matter what, I was always the one carrying Millia on my back when she needed it.

The Millia I remember was straightforward, curious, and absolutely in love with magic.

She was hot-headed, quick to get carried away, but always brimming with emotions—a bright, adorable girl.

Looking back,

I think the root of my love for Millia began with the day she reached out her hand to me.

She pulled me out of the darkness of loneliness and gave me the strength to keep living.

—And that’s why,

Now that Millia has shaken off my hand, I feel like I’m sinking back into that same darkness, unable to see anything ahead.

Yet the memory of being saved back then clings to me, chaining me down, telling me to keep loving her even if I don’t want to anymore.

I… I don’t know what to do…

・　・　・　・　・

“…Huh?”

When I came to, I realized I was sitting on the bed in the inn.

I thought I’d been dreaming, but apparently, I’d just been lost in my thoughts while dozing off.

“I was just about to fall asleep too… damn it.”

I covered my eyes with a hand and let myself collapse onto the bed.

It was already night. My face twisted in discomfort as a headache throbbed.

Ever since that day—ever since I ran into Millia again—I haven’t been able to sleep.

Whenever I try, memories of her and that scene flash through my mind.

I’ve been getting by with stamina potions and healing magic, but… I’m starting to run out of strength.

“Hah… this is really wearing me down…”

With a raspy sigh, I muttered quietly to myself.

To be honest, “a little worn out” didn’t even begin to cover it.

—My entire life until now was something Millia gave me.

I lived for her. For the person I loved.

And now, night after night, everything about that life… is being denied.

It’s like being told that my life was meaningless, that it had no value.

I only survived because of someone else—because of Millia.

And yet, instead of honoring what she gave me, it feels like I’m failing to repay her completely.

…Is that why I loved her in the first place?

I didn’t know anymore. Everything felt like it was slipping out of my grasp.

“Ah… the ring, White Phantom’s Vault… where did I put the potions?”

I got up unsteadily, looking for the potions I’d practically been drinking daily. As I fumbled around, my hand hit something.

It was one of my magic swords—a black katana.

“…”

Without much thought, I picked it up and slid the blade from its intricately darkened sheath.

Its dull, shadow-like blade gleamed faintly in the dim light.

I stared at it, unmoving.

I didn’t know why I did it.

There was no particular reason—no purpose.

Maybe… I was just drawn to it, unconsciously.

“If everything until now… meant nothing, then… from now on—”

I whispered those words to no one in particular.

[Side: Pure-Hearted Sword Saint]

“Frey, you went too far—way too far.”

“Big sis, guilty as charged.”

“Whyyy?!”

Frey sat on the bed, clutching her head in defeat.

Right now, Maria and I had teamed up to hold a little “intervention,” questioning Frey about her breach of the Ladies’ Pact earlier today.

And yes, we were all in our pajamas.

I wore a simple tank top and shorts—light clothes make it easier to sleep, after all.

The other two? Matching, but differently colored, sexy negligees.

Frey, collapsed in despair, was wearing a sheer negligee that… well, let’s just say it wasn’t leaving much to the imagination. Her assets were squished under her weight—ugh, if only I had that kind of volume…!

Is that what it takes to catch Abel’s attention?

Do I have to wear something like that? Just thinking about it makes me embarrassed…!

Anyway, back to the topic at hand.

“What were you thinking?! Bringing up that to tempt him, of all things! Not to mention touching on such a sensitive topic like the bond! You basically hit every nerve!”

“I’m just glad we’re questioning her here in Elmie’s room. If it was just me, I wouldn’t have been able to stop her rampage.”

I knew about their failed first time together.

Millia’s behavior had gotten strange afterward, and she casually brought it up in conversation.

Back then, Millia and the rest of us were young ace adventurers in the royal capital—rivals, but also friends.

We even teamed up in temporary parties a few times.

I remember feeling a bit conflicted about Abel, but otherwise, we all got along well enough.

Which is why… I can’t stop wondering about the way she’s changed.

The Millia I knew was a little haughty, sure, but deep down, she was a good person.

She had a curious nature and was a perfect fit for the life of an adventurer.

…Although, she did have the annoying habit of bragging about her boyfriend, fully knowing how we felt about Abel!

But even then, her love for him seemed genuine—enough that we couldn’t help but feel envious.

“Big sis, you know guys are sensitive about stuff like that, right? Especially when it comes to those kinds of failures. Besides, you’ve never even been with anyone yourself, have you?”

“Ugh… well, the only guy I’ve ever liked is Abel! How was I supposed to know how to approach him?!”

While I was reminiscing about Millia, Maria had taken over scolding Frey.

Puffed up like a sulking child, Frey hugged her knees and pouted at Maria’s words.

“Seriously, big sis, you’re way too aggressive for someone who’s still a virgin. No wonder Abel gets so wary of you.”

“Like you’re one to talk! You went behind everyone’s back. When you came back the other day all flustered, you definitely did something with Abel, didn’t you?”

“—Wha!? W-W-Why do you know that!?!?”

Now it was Maria’s turn to turn bright red, hugging herself defensively.

Maria… what about the pact? What did you do?

I didn’t know about this…

And now I couldn’t help but wonder.

But there were more pressing matters.

“Anyway, I’ll get the details from both of you later. Frey, why’d you bring up the soul-bonding thing? We agreed we wouldn’t touch that topic, remember?”

We’d decided to be careful and investigate slowly since, while it was possible to break the bond, it wasn’t guaranteed.

“Ah, well… that’s…”

“Y-Yeah… about that…”

For some reason, Frey and even Maria were looking awkward, but I pressed on.

“Abel hasn’t been himself since then. He barely eats, shuts himself in his room all day… he’s clearly overthinking everything.”

“Yeah… I admit it, that was careless of me. I’m sorry.”

Frey, who was unusually shrugging, seemed genuinely remorseful.

Her rare moment of reflection made me start worrying even more.

“…Now I’m getting concerned. I’ll go check on him.”

“In that outfit?”

Ugh… Maria had a point.

My tank top exposed my stomach, and my shoulders and chest were completely visible. It was a bit too… revealing.