I’m Not the Final Boss’ Lover

Breaking the ice was hard, but going with the flow was easy. The mouths of the others began firing off like chain reactions.

“A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Vice-captain. I am the captain of the Brew Corps.”

“I am Earl Roman! Please remember my name.”

The voices bombarding my ears knocked the sense right out of me. The kids appeared to be having trouble with stopping these people from coming closer. I had to deal with this mob somehow since things had come to this, so I decided to socialize for today. Since not even I held every information there was available, it was necessary to exchange intelligence with other expedition corps. Mayer would undoubtedly dismiss any findings from people like them as worthless, though.

If anything, it was a relief that Fabian wouldn’t be able to pass through this crowd. Again, Mayer would have begged to differ in outrage, but the important thing was that he wasn’t here right now. Putting on a smile, I began with a perfunctory greeting. “Nice to meet you. I’m Jun Karentia, the vice-captain of the Dark Knights.”

I wasn’t saying hello to anyone in particular, but everyone overreacted as if they were chosen from out of the rest. It was so intense that I was dazed into momentary speechlessness. In truth, I had never received such a hot reception as of late. Not in the first playthrough, of course, and even in the present. To be honest, what with those scandalous rumors about me and the fact that I was a support mage, I didn’t expect to be treated like a proper member of an expedition corps… even if I was the vice-captain of the Dark Knights. Maybe they thought I was favored by Mayer since the people treated me with more respect than I had expected.

“Thinking of which, I have heard that you developed your team members to the point of reaching the ‘wall’ in mere six months. I can only express admiration at your ability.”

Where in tarnation had they heard this from? I cast a bewildered look at the kids and saw they were all red in the ears from being talked about. I supposed they must have let their tongues slip during their free time. The young Sevi elatedly added oil to fire by adding, “That’s right. And I was even able to awaken as a mage thanks to the vice-captain.”

“Oh, is that true?! How marvelous!”

I didn’t think these people really believed in what Sevi said. They were most likely just humoring the boy, warming up the atmosphere so they could bring out the topic they wanted.

“A mage… Are you possibly a wind mage?! Great Scott!”

“To think you have become a mage of such prowess already at a young age… You have a very promising future ahead of you indeed. A future of becoming a hero that will aid Grand Duke Knox in defeating the demon lord.”

“No, well, I’m not that great…” Lacking any immunity to such flattery, Sevi turned red like a tomato.

These perceptive socialites had also noticed that the kids of my unit had tailored their clothes to match my hair. “They seem to have matched their dresses with their vice-captain. What loyalty! To think of highlighting their superior in their debutante!”

“I’m sure they did so because she is worthy of such respect.”

Everyone was busy giving sweet flattery as if they had tongues of sugar. It wasn’t comfortable being neglected, but this was discomfiting in its own way too. I thought I knew how easily attitudes could change in fashionable society, but the change of stance was far more radical than I had imagined. After the rain of flattery had passed, people began to pry into my personal details. Pointless things, like my age, preferred alcohol, and so on. I doubted their true intent in being so roundabout was to really gain my friendship.