The Strongest Adventurers’ Mental Caretaker ~ Somehow I Ended Up Involved with Every Beautiful Girl in the Hero’s Party ~ If You Have Time to Fight Over Me, Please Go Save the World - 7

Chapter 7: The Beginning of the Journey

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The sound of wheels bouncing over the cobblestones echoed through the air. The highest-grade carriage had departed from the royal capital, speeding along the highway toward a dungeon located near the border. The leather seats, covered in silk covers, were exceptionally soft and provided the ultimate riding comfort. However, my own level of comfort was the absolute worst it could possibly be.

“…Hey. Aren’t you two a little close?”

Cold sweat trickling down my face, I darted my eyes to the left and right.

“Oh? Snuggling up to the person you love is a natural right, isn’t it?”

“It is an escort duty. It would be troublesome if something were to happen to you. …I am merely fulfilling my duty as a knight.”

The hero Freya clung to my right arm, and the knight Aeris clung to my left arm, both with a tremendous amount of strength. The voluptuous chests of the two women were pressed against my upper arms as if competing with each other. Through their lightweight traveling clothes, that elasticity transmitted directly to me, and their sweet scent dominated my brain.

However, I myself was feeling an immense weight, both physically and mentally. And sitting directly across from me in the front seat was the mage Luminara, staring intently at me with an expressionless face. Naturally, beneath the table, her leg was secretly intertwined with mine.

A few days had passed since the audience at the royal castle. I had been officially added as a member of the S-rank party “Valkyrie,” and we were out on our first expedition. But looking at the state of things now, this was how it turned out. With them touching my body every single chance they got, all I could do to soothe them was by saying things like, “It will be bad if people outside see us.”

“…Phew. Let us have a slightly more serious conversation.”

In order to dispel this sugary air so uncharacteristic of the nation’s heroes, I deliberately put on a serious expression.

“It is about the place we are heading to and our objective. …My life is on the line as well. Let me confirm the situation once again.”

When I showed my work-mode face, the three of them appropriately corrected their posture. Freya spoke while keeping her hold on my arm.

“…Right. We have not told you yet, have we, Cain? About the situation on this continent.”

Her eyes regained their sharpness as a hero.

“Currently, the continent is divided and ruled by seven major powers. Our Arclight Kingdom is one of them. …On the surface, we have signed peace treaties, but behind the scenes, a fierce struggle for supremacy continues.”

“A struggle for supremacy, huh.”

“Yes. And the key to that is the ancient weapons known as ‘Artifacts’ that sleep within the dungeons.”

Freya caressed the slender black sword girt at her waist. It was her beloved sword and a treasured heirloom passed down through the Arclight royal family, “Kagerou.”

“Legend says that the one who gains possession of all the Artifacts will rule the continent. That is why every nation is frantically searching for undiscovered Artifacts. …Our hero party was formed under the guise of monster subjugation, but its true essence is to win this competition.”

“I see.”

It was said that if Freya brandished her “Kagerou,” a jet-black wolf would materialize from the shadows to devour the enemy completely. The black shield held by Aeris, “Onigumo,” was an absolute defense armament that forcibly paralyzed anyone who touched it. And the “Yatagarasu” commanded by Luminara was a mobile artillery unit that could multiply infinitely and unleash all attributes of magic.

Only those unique individuals who possessed the talent to handle these non-standard weapons were selected for the hero party. In other words, they were the walking strategic weapons of this country.

“So, our destination this time is…”

“A medium-scale dungeon called the Labyrinth of the Two-Headed Dragon, which appeared in a canyon near the border.”

The one who answered was Aeris. She unfolded a map and pointed at a red mark.

“Due to reconnaissance by the Royal Intelligence Department, a powerful Artifact reaction has been confirmed in the deepest depths. …However, the problem is its location. It is in the buffer zone with our neighbor, the Impadar Empire.”

“…Meaning, it is first come, first served.”

“Exactly. …There is information that the Empire’s reconnaissance units are already on the move as well… The other side is bound to deploy their elite forces, too…”

Luminara added in a low murmur. A race against time. Furthermore, the enemy was not limited to the monsters of the dungeon. There was a possibility of running right into the elite troops of another nation. It was a dangerous mission that, if handled incorrectly, could easily escalate into a conflict between nations.

(Good grief. This is not a scale a supply shopkeeper should be dragged into.)

As I made a grim face, Freya, who had sensed something, peered into my face and tightly squeezed my hand.

“It is fine, Cain. You do not have to fight.”

A light of trust that could almost be described as fanatical dwelt within her eyes.

“Whether the enemy is a monster or an imperial soldier, I will cut them all down. Aeris will defend, and Luminara will burn them to ashes. …You just need to stay behind us.”

“I entrust my back to you. …I feel that just by having you there, I can become invincible.”

“…My magic energy is also… infinite… as long as you are here…”

An overwhelmingly heavy amount of trust directed at me from three directions. Behind the words of protection, there was also the flip side of an intense possessiveness that demanded I never leave their side for even a single second.

Resolving myself, I smiled back at them. If I were to show fear here, I would never be able to serve as the mental caretaker for these three wild beasts.

“Yeah, I am counting on you. Fighting is not my proper duty, after all. …In exchange, look forward to what comes after the battle.”

When I whispered that, the cheeks of all three flushed cinnabar simultaneously, and it felt as though the temperature inside the carriage had risen.

“…! L-Leave it to us!”

“U-Uh-huh! I shall show you a performance that exceeds your expectations!”

“…Nn. …I will do my best…”

The degree of closeness increased once again. They were quite literally squeezing my body with their own. It was the beginning of a journey where the air inside this carriage made me feel in far greater danger of losing my life than any dungeon monster or foreign soldier.

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