Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16817330657219422179/episodes/16817330657492301526
–The four of us have always been together since we were children.
We grew up in one of the many small villages in the country. It was a peaceful and boring village where all the villagers earned their living by farming and hunting.
Living in such a place, the four of us, being children of the same generation, naturally began to spend time together. Since the place was full of nature, we all had adventures in the mountains and rivers, not to mention in the village.
And there was something else we liked to do. My father, who used to be an adventurer, used to tell us stories about his adventures.
We would often beg father to tell us stories of his adventures, and our eyes would light up when he told us about his adventures.
Perhaps because of his influence, Anri, who had shown glimpses of his talent from an early age, began to suggest that we become adventurers ourselves.
Even as a small child, Anri was the most powerful in the village. No one, including adults, could match him in a simple contest of strength, and I think that is why she was avoided by everyone around her. Her parents did not think well of her, and she was especially fond of me and my father, who treated her without prejudice.
Ur and Rietta were also children from somewhat unusual backgrounds, and since I was a child whose parents were former adventurers, it naturally became natural for the four of us, including myself, to be together.
We spent many happy days together, and came to know each other better than our parents.
—Anri is a mysterious girl who is somewhat elusive at first glance, including her extraordinary abilities. But in reality, she is a fiery, often emotional person, and despite her appearance, she has a rough side.
Ur is a quiet girl who grows up fast, which is a characteristic of the beast race, and her attitude and appearance are mature and quiet for her age. She may appear cool and unapproachable, but if you talk to her, she is a nice, honest girl.
And Rietta is as energetic and full of energy as her behavior, and in contrast to Ur, she is noticeably younger. However, her high-spiritedness and friendly personality have saved my life many times when I was feeling down.
They are irreplaceable friends who have known each other well since we were small children. Once I tried to step aside due to my own lack of strength, and after accidentally falling down a cliff, I was prepared to never see them again.
My eyes were glued to the members of the “Sword of Wheat” as they came toward me. They weaved their way between the adventurers, sometimes violently, and jumped on me with the same momentum.
“Tale!”
“Tale!”
“Tale-kun!”
Anri muttered as if she was biting her teeth. Ur shouts loudly, which is quite unusual, and Rietta shows her emotions most intensely.
While Anri stands by my side smiling and looking at me, Ur and Rietta hug me tightly. Unexpectedly, I put my arms around them and hugged them back tightly, just as I had done when I was a child.
Uru muttered in my chest.
“When I saw Tale fall, I thought it was over. I went looking for him, but all I found was a piece of clothing. ………… But three months have passed since then, and he came back safe and sound.”
“I thought it was over too. The reason I didn’t come back sooner is because I had to defeat a strong demon to get out of the valley. I was training there.”
“Tale, Baka. I’m glad you’re back, …… though.”
Ur voice is moist. She presses her face into my chest and won’t let go. It may be the first time I’ve ever seen Ur, who is always cool and unfazed by anything, so emotional. It hurt my heart to know that I had caused so much worry, but I was also unapologetically happy that people thought of me this much.
And more extreme than Ur is Rietta. She held me down with great force the whole time I was talking to Ur, and she kept sticking her face into my stomach, sniffling and sniffling.
“Tale-kun Tale-kun Tale-kun Tale-kun ……!”
“…Rietta is still a spoiled child. …I’m sorry for making you worry.”
“I didn’t know what to do when Tale kun was gone,……! He was kind and was always watching us from behind…but at that time, we weren’t looking at Tale-kun! I’m sorry Tale-kun, I’m sorry…!”
My heart aches for Rietta as she cries and apologizes.
She blames herself, even though it was my own fault and Rietta and the others were not responsible. I wondered if she had been mulling it over like this ever since I left.
I involuntarily grabbed Rietta’s shoulder and stopped her from continuing with her apology.
“That was just my carelessness. Everyone is not responsible for what happened. Rietta and the others don’t need to worry about it.”
“B-But ………………, I understand ……. I’m glad Tale kun came back to us,…… and that’s all I can think about right now,……………. I’m glad.”
After saying those kind words, Rietta hugged me even tighter. From the trembling and warmth of her body, I could tell that she was deeply relieved that I was safe.
…Anyway, I can’t believe Rietta was so worried about that time. They probably had no idea that I was faking an accident. Once they calmed down a bit, I’ll have to go somewhere and apologize properly.
I patted Rietta’s clinging head and soothed her, then turned my attention to Anri
Anri was the only one who didn’t jump on me, but she was certainly happy to see me back, standing by and smiling good-humoredly. Although I could sense a slight difference in temperature between her and the other two, everyone has their own way of being happy to see each other again.
I bow to Anri, the leader of the “Sword of Wheat” party.
“I apologize for being gone for so long. But I’m finally back. …… and I’m a lot stronger than I was before. I can be of use to everyone from now on.”
“Yeah. I’ve been waiting for you for a long time, Tale. –Welcome home.”
“—….I’m back Anri.”
Anri welcomed me warmly
I could strongly feel that I had finally made it back to my friends. After three months of survival alone, I finally relax and feel the warmth of Anri’s eyes and arms on me.
Thus we came together again as “Sword of Wheat,” and everything fell into place.
…………But why? At first glance, there seems to be nothing strange about this series of exchanges, but for some reason, I can’t shake the feeling of discomfort. Is it that Anri’s leader-like demeanor doesn’t seem to fit, or is it that the atmosphere is somehow…
“Um, …… is it time for me to go?”
Suddenly, a voice calls out to me. The two girls clung to me and when I turned to look, I saw the guild official who had just been there with the guardian.
The staff looked somewhat uncomfortable, but faithful to his duties, he told me.
“….You are Tail-san the one who subjugated a high-ranking dragon right? …Can I ask you more details? ”
The employee said so and slowly turned his gaze towards my feet. When I followed it and lowered my gaze, I saw the earth dragon material that I dropped while hugging.
I looked again at the staff member and nodded clearly, although we both felt somewhat uncomfortable.
After returning to town after defeating the earth dragon, I met up with my friends again as soon as I returned, and we talked in detail about the circumstances leading up to this point.
The fatigue that remained in my body was so great that I was almost embarrassed by the detailed exchange of information, which was like an interrogation.
–But still. The fact that I met Anri, Ur, and Rietta alive again soothed my heart more than anything else, and I managed to get through this tedious cleanup.
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