Nurturing the Hero to Avoid Death

I end up staring at the crumpled cloth on the table. Feeling bothered by its disorderly state, I pick it up. Neatly fold it.

Then my gaze falls upon a table, the one the owner’s wife told me to sit in wait. The ketchup smears on its surface catch my attention.

I’m jittery, bored, and troubled by the mess. For these reasons, I decide to wipe them off.

Besides, the ketchup would leave a stain if not removed immediately.

By the legs of the table is a wooden bucket filled with clean water. I soak the cloth in the bucket. Rinse it off. Afterward, I fold my sleeves, wiping the table until it’s free of ketchup.

The adjacent table also catches my eye with its filth, so I do the same thing to it.

This is nice. If I focus my attention on cleaning, I can keep my mind clear of unwanted thoughts. The tables end up clean in the process too, killing two birds with one stone.

As I’m about to move on to the next table─

“What are you doing?”

“Huh?” I literally jump in surprise.

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I was so concentrated on wiping the table that I didn’t notice Alfred arrive.

Sure enough, he’s right there when I turn around, his face the picture of shock.

“What are you doing?” he asks.

“H-huh? Can’t you just tell by looking?! I got bored of waiting, so I started wiping the tables. Is there something wrong with that? And h-how about you? Why are you wearing that?”

Unlike usual, Alfred has on a black suit, paired with a white dress shirt underneath.

He looks so unfamiliar that I couldn’t recognize him for a moment.

“Ah, this? That hotel drives away people wearing casual clothes, so I borrowed this suit from an acquaintance from another part-time job. Had to wake him up and everything.”

“I-I see…”

Seeing him in a suit instead of his usual casual T-shirt and ripped jeans, I can’t help but form a strange thought: he truly is the protagonist. The future hero.

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He looks very dignified like this. Just like a noble’s son.

If a girl were to see him at his current appearance, she would definitely squeal in excitement.

Hey! Even I can wear a suit, okay?!

But for some reason, the formal clothes prepared for me always consist of a frilly dress shirt and a bowtie, along with a brightly colored suit. Why is that?

In the past, my perverted brother told me he found something that suited me. Turned out, he sent me an embroidered suit littered with lace, and a complete set of bejeweled accessories. Stop playing with me.

In the blink of an eye, I stuffed everything back in the box as neat as I could, returning it on the very same day.

Even I want to wear a cool black suit sometimes.

Let’s badger Lowendal for that later.

Alfred places a pair of leather shoes, a navy blue muffler, and a beige coat on the table.

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They’re mine.

“Will you be alright with only these things?”

“Yeah. These were all I brought to the hotel.”

“I see.”

He really went to get my luggage early in the morning, huh?

Also, weren’t these things left inside the hotel room?

“Uhm, Alfred? Thank you for this, but how did you─”

Alfred flashes me a wry smile, as if understanding what I want to say.

“You don’t have to look so worried. I didn’t do anything. I just picked up your belongings.”

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“I see…”

A wave of relief crashes into me.

Seems like he really kept the promise he made yesterday.

“Well, to tell you the truth, I actually do want to kill that bastard. No, I just want to beat him until he’s half dead.”

And I nearly choke on my saliva. “Are you stupid!? What are you thinking, you idiot!! I-if you really do such a thing, then…”

If he does something like that…

I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself. For making him do things that aren’t required of him. For allowing him to start a fight, and take on grudges that he shouldn’t have to bear.

Alfred looks at me and heaves a sigh as if amazed.

“Calm down. I didn’t do anything. I kept my promise. Even though I really wanted to beat him until he could only crawl, once I woke up, I remembered you had finally calmed down last night. If I really beat him up, you’d definitely get angry and cry again. So I controlled myself.”

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“I wouldn’t cry!! But I definitely would get angry!”

Though if I were to be honest, he did well in controlling himself.

No matter what the opponent has done before, it won’t do to impulsively attack them. He’ll be harmed in the process as well.

I can’t believe Alfred thinks I’d cry, though. I’m not that weak. It’s not even something worth crying over.

“Is that so?” asked Alfred.

“Y-yeah!”

“Hmm…” He shoots a suspicion-filled gaze at me. I simply avert my eyes.

“What happened next?” I ask, hoping to change the topi—I mean, to know the rest of the story.

“After that? I stopped by an acquaintance’s workplace. The one who lent me this suit. He works at a pretty nice hotel.”

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“What?”

“There wasn’t enough time for the knights to return to the capital yesterday, even if they had ridden on horses for the entire journey. And I heard from our teachers that they were staying overnight in town, before returning to the capital later today. So I figured they must have been at some hotels around here.”

“Ok…”

“I tried asking my acquaintance about where these knights might be. He’s very chatty. I figured he would know about it. And if he did, that he’d also be willing to share that information with me.”

“Hm…”

“He said that there were two captains from the royal capital staying in that hotel. So I approached the front desk and asked for their room number.”

“Then?” Dread pooled in the pit of my stomach. It can’t be what I’m thinking, right?

“I knocked on their doors, but neither of them came out. So I continued knocking until they opened the doors. Then they asked me whether I was prepared to get a beating. And I said yeah─”

“What?! W-what were you thinking?!”

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He banged on their doors until they woke up? Have I heard that right? Then he got a severe scolding?

I’m just baffled. What the heck was he doing so early in the morning…?

I suddenly feel the urge to apologize for the ruckus caused by this brat. To cradle my head in my hands.

“By captains, do you mean…”

“Yeah, it’s the bald and muscular guy and the dark-skinned guy who looks like a bear. Did you see them sitting on those tent-covered special seats during the match? They’re staying in that hotel.”

“Oh.” So it’s those macho guys. The ones that seemed the strongest and most yakuza-like among the captains—I mean, so it’s that mighty-looking captain duo?

Anyone would be intimidated by the both of them. If I were to encounter them on the battlefield, I’d immediately run away. Their faces aren’t the only sca—mighty thing about them either. Even their bodies look intimidating.

And this brat is daring enough to bang on their doors that early in the morning.

I wouldn’t have the courage to do that. Too scary.

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“When I explained your situation, they were both furious. They said that those trash have disgraced the knights’ name, and were embarrassed on their behalf. Then they followed me even without me asking them.”

“I see… It’s all good, then—wait. What the heck did you tell them?!”

“What do you mean? Of course I told them the truth. Serpentine brought a student to a hotel and forced himself on him after using a potent aphrodisiac. The student managed to run away, but left all of his belongings at that hotel, so I was planning on kil—on taking back the stuff after talking to them. Then—”

“What are you yapping as you please, oi!!!”

(⌐■-■) Thank you for MCJohnston-san, Lalorena-san, Anon-san (2x), and Rebecca-san for the ko-fi!

After a lot of consideration, I’m opening a patreon at 1 Nov for NHAD and Easy Task! ( ╹▽╹ )

Also, here is a NHAD fanart from Con, my editor for Easy Task! She is a God-

So cute!!!!! ( ≧Д≦) Huweeeeee!!!