When I said, "You can be a hero," to a child with no talent, he really started to become a hero, so I acted like I knew what I was doing, like I was a wise master. - Chap 11.3: Adventurer Social Gathering

This is a story from fourteen years ago. The Cursed King Daidalos, who once threatened to engulf the world, declared war on us, the fairy folk, including me, Linlin.

He used magic to project his gigantic form from the sky, above the great tree, and made his declaration loudly.

“Greetings, inferior Elf species. My name is the Cursed King Daidalos. I am the new god.”

Suddenly appearing as a demon king, he made all the fairy folk tremble. He distorted his face vulgarly, looked down from above, and laughed. If you turn it around, it probably means he had that much confidence.

“I can wither the great tree with my breath alone. Can you escape from my cursed demon hand? No. Your country is heading towards ruin.”

“In an hour from now, my underlings, a horde of demons, will head your way. Be afraid. Hahaha!! It’s a war!! You have no chance of winning.”

With a sneer, the demon king disappeared. The reason he didn’t attack immediately was probably that he wanted to see the elves drowning in panic and fear. Just as he had planned, the elves were in great confusion.

“What are we going to do!”

“I’m scared, momma…”

“The royal family will do something, right!!”

Of course, I was scared too. He said he would wither the great tree, which was a mass of magic power and the source of nature in the country. If it was withered, the country would be over. Besides, the horde of demons would cause many deaths.

But, I had no choice but to fight. Because I, a member who had defeated the demon king, was the hope of the elves. Holding my staff at the front line, I prepared for the horde. Until the hour approached, I was dominated by fear.

“One hour from now, my underlings, a horde of demons, will head your way. Be afraid. Hahaha!! It’s a war!! You have no chance of winning.”

The words of the Cursed King resurface. I knew he was stronger than me from the evil aura I felt. The other party members weren’t there at the time, which probably made it even scarier.

“Dan… I want to see you.”

The war was imminent.

But an hour later… the war did not happen.

Apparently, Dan happened to be in the Elf country and seemed to have defeated him.

The Cursed King who declared war with a sneer was a one-punch man, according to Dan… Because he was so anticlimactic despite his grandeur, he is called the Face Art Demon King by some of the elves.

“Are… you crying?”

“I-I’m not crying… Besides, I could have beaten him by myself… But, thank you.”

“I see.”

After that, he received reward money from the Elf country, but he probably wasn’t that interested because he has all the money he could ever need. There was a time when there was talk of taking me as his wife as a reward… but that eventually got shelved.

I can’t help but regret that if I had confessed without being cheeky at that time. Why couldn’t I just say I liked him? I regret that. But if I start saying things like that, there’s no end to it.

There were plenty of chances to confess on the journey. I’m the one who blew them all away. Besides, the other members also liked Dan, and I didn’t want to cause a fuss over that. Maybe I should lower my expectations as Tanya says… I’m also a member of the royal family, and my other siblings are married. I know it’s not good for me in many ways if I keep this up.

But…

“Hey, it’s Lady Linlin.”

“Why is she here?”

“Someone go talk to her.”

“No way, man. She’s royalty and a legendary sage.”

It’s rude, but I don’t really like all that… Even though I’m being selfish, I don’t want to be seen as a royal or a sage, but as Linlin… But, I wonder if this is just me being selfish. Dan still ends up being my standard. 

I came here in the mood for a meal, but now even that mood is gone. I think it might be a nuisance to others if I stay here and cause a stir, so I decide to leave. As I get up from the chair, a man happens to catch my eye.

He’s a young man with spiky hair, the kind you might find anywhere. However, despite his ordinary appearance, he is unbalanced in his attitude, sitting alone and eating. Just as I was about to lose interest, I was slightly surprised by his choice of food.

The balance is incredible… That’s something Dan always used to say. That the nutritional balance of meals is extremely important. 

Not many people understand this, but Dan has his own path to strength, and I heard a bit about it. Nutritional balance, chicken breast is high in protein? And it seems to be abundant. The human body is mostly made up of water, and there are various other elements.

In particular, he seemed to place a lot of emphasis on protein? and always included it in his meals. There are other minor things, but I remember well that a balanced meal was important.

Dan was always careful about his meals, even when eating out. His lifestyle habits were quite special and clearly different from other adventurers. Normally, you eat what you like, satisfy your desires, and live to see another day.

But Dan always claimed he was looking further ahead. What was it? The power of delayed gratification? I don’t really understand, but he was always looking far into the future.

Is that why? I feel a strange sense of incongruity with him.

Everyone here is an adventurer. It’s rare to see someone choose their food in such a way. There are a few, but would they really come all this way to do that?

Moreover, his choice resembles that of Dan’s. And if you think about it, everyone is paying attention to me and making a fuss, but he’s the only one who continues to eat calmly, chewing well.

That unnecessary courage… It feels a bit like Dan… No, it can’t be.

…Maybe I should try talking to him? I want to make an excuse to my mother that I’m at least trying to get married.

“Excuse me, is it okay if I join you?”

“Oh, sure, go ahead… uh…”

The young man froze when he saw my face. But he immediately returned a pleasant smile.

“I’m bored. Can you keep me company for a bit?”

“If I’m okay for you.”

“Thanks. What’s your name? I’m Linlin Frontier.”

“I’m Ban.”

“Is that so, Ban? Why are you here?”

“Ah, my mom’s starting to tell me to get married…”

“Just like me…”

“Huh, you too, Lin?”

Did he just call me ‘Lin’? Normally, no one abbreviates my name like that, except for Dan and Sakura… And he doesn’t seem particularly nervous about talking to me…

Most people would be scared…

“Well, how old are you, Ban?”

“I’m 18.”

“I see…”

So, he’s younger… I thought he might be Dan for a moment, but that’s impossible. Dan is about 30, and he’s not nearly as friendly. But that’s what I loved about him.

“You’re young. It would be good for you to gain a variety of experiences.”

“Yes, thank you for your advice.”

“Ah, you’re very serious, aren’t you?”

Seeing him bow lightly, I got the impression that he’s a very earnest young man. The natural gratitude he expressed wasn’t obsequious like many others, which made me slightly happy.

“What’s your adventurer rank, Ban?”

“I’m just a beginner, rank F.”

“I see… There’s a test you have to pass to become an adventurer these days, isn’t there?”

“Yes, you’re well informed, Lin.”

“Well, I know that much. What’s your fighting style, Ban?”

“Um… swords and magic…”

“Oh, you can use magic?”

“A little bit.”

“Isn’t it quite amazing just to be able to use magic? People without talent can’t use it at all.”

“Thank you very much.”

“Ah, yeah, it feels kind of strange. Can you show me a little?”

“Eh? My magic?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Ah, I can use the first-tier spell Mini Fire.”

“Please.”

With that, Ban ignited a small flame in the palm of his hand. To be honest, I can use five spells from the twelfth-tier at the same time, so I wouldn’t normally be surprised by this level of magic. However, there was something peculiarly honed about the magic he used.

That’s why my mouth naturally opened.

“You’re pretty good.”

“Thank you very much.”

“Ah, yes.”

A strange feeling…

The conversation seemed to flow well. After some time passed and we finished eating, he stood up.

“Well then, I’ll be going now.”

“Are you leaving?”

“Yes, I’ve finished my meal.”

“Hehe, what’s that? Did you originally come here just to eat?”

“Ah, no. Well, something like that.”

“If you’re going, I’ll go too.”

“Is that so?”

I have no reason to stay here any longer. I’ve made enough effort to make an excuse for my mom about marriage activities. When we went outside, he bowed again and was about to leave.

“Hey.”

I don’t know why, but I found myself calling out to him.

“Will you come again?”

“Eh?”

“So, will you come to this mixer again?”

“Ah, probably. My mom is pretty insistent about getting married.”

“Hehe, I see. Then let’s meet again.”

“Yes. See you someday.”

With a bow, he left. He was a mysterious person. Even though it was our first conversation, I felt strangely attracted… No, no, I still have feelings for Dan…

Just for a moment, watching his back, my heart felt a little tight.

***

After Linlin returned from the mixer venue in the royal capital to her room in the Frontier castle, her younger sister and the third princess, Tanya, asked her for her impressions.

“Sis, how was it?”

“Hmm? What are you talking about?”

“The mixer, of course.”

“Ah, that. It was a good way to pass the time. I have to make excuses to mom, so I don’t mind going again.”

“Heh.”

(She seems surprisingly in a good mood. I thought she would return with a terrible scowl… Could it be that Dan really showed up?)

“Did Dan really show up?”

“No, he didn’t.”

“Oh, I see.”

(Could it be…she actually met her destiny?)

***

Whoa, that was close!!! Linlin started a conversation with me!? I thought I was busted!!!

Seriously, that scared me. I think I managed to interact normally, but I was really scared. However, it doesn’t seem like she recognized me, which is a relief. When I showed her my magic, she said it was impressive, but of course it would be. Linlin was the one who taught me magic.

However, she might be suspecting my true identity. At the end, she asked if we could meet again. Maybe she’s onto me being the Hero Dan and wants to verify that with another meeting. If I outright reject her, it would seem suspicious… Besides, I need to continue this marriage hunt.

I don’t think there’s any chance of her discovering my identity, but I need to be cautious about that. I wouldn’t want her to think I was just an average guy after I played the self-proclaimed hero in our party.

But it brings back memories. Linlin taught me a lot about magic. I may have been a burden at times… At that time, I seriously thought we could be together. But reminiscing won’t get me anywhere. However… Magic, huh… It might be about time to teach Will some magic as well. So far, we’ve been focusing on swordsmanship and basic physical training, but he’s becoming more solid.

With that decided, I’ll buy a magic textbook on my way home.