Welcome to the Impregnable Demon King Castle

136 –  Today’s the Day

I had a dream.

Pretty sure it was because of that conversation with Lem.

‘Cause I dreamt about that day I asked my father.

『I got a job that’s much more important than being a Hero.』

Just as Lem said, albeit worded in a cool way, the Unyielding Hero did not give up on being 1st rank, instead, he decided to not give up his family.

That is exactly why I hate myself.

If it weren’t for me, he would have been able to prove that he was the strongest Hero.

Wait a minute…

Speaking of which, I feel like I told my father the same thing at the time.

What did my father say in response…?

In the end, my dream ended there and I woke up.

「Wraith.」

I opened my eyes and what I saw was neither the ceiling, the wall nor the floor.

It was a face.

「What is it, Fran?」

「Morning.」

「…Morning.」

She has long, flowing sickly white hair, and red eyes with no emotion behind them. Her skin was so white and her eyes and nose so neat that it was easier to believe that she was a doll created by a top-notch technician using the best of his skills rather than a person.

This almost fairy-tale-like beauty is my childhood friend.

I straightened up my back, scratching my head while looking at Fran.

She’s in a full-body robe today as well.

「Y’know, it’s been buggin’ me for these past few days, why have you been coming to wake me up?」

In these past few days, Fran has been coming into my room to wake me up.

At least, that’s what she says, but it’s more like I wake up, and she’s just there in the room. So technically, she didn’t wake me up. But according to her, she came to wake me up. I don’t get her.

「Michel said to.」

「Her?」

The Wizard in Uncle Air’s party. The Crimson Wizard. She’s a strange one, but her power’s the real deal.

「She said『Getting awoken by their childhood friend is every young boy’s dream~』.」

She said that trying to imitate Michel’s voice, but there was no intonation, so her voice didn’t change at all.

「She said that?」

Fran nodded.

…What the heck do they talk about?

「So then, you’re trying to fulfill that dream?」

「If Wraith is happy, I am happy.」

It is difficult to see what Fran is thinking from her facial expression.

But we’ve been together since we were toddlers, so I’ve gotten pretty good at understanding her.

She isn’t the type to joke or tease.

「Well, thanks.」

「Did it cheer you up?」

「Seeing your face always cheers me up.」

「Oh.」

Ah, she averted her gaze. Seems like she’s feeling shy.

「I’ll go get something to eat and bring it back to the room.」

「Yeah.」

I wouldn’t have minded eating downstairs with the others, but there was a reason.

I went downstairs to the dining room and approached the kitchen counter.

「Oh my, Wraithy-boy. G’morning.」

The cafeteria lady noticed me and smiled. I smiled back.

「Morning.」

「Are you and little Fran going to be eating by yourselves again today?」

「Pretty much.」

「You two are such good friends.」

「Well, we’ve been together since we were little.」

「Aren’t you still little?」

「From here on, we’re gonna grow up.」

In this country, fifteen-year-olds are considered adults. From fifteen, you are expected to act like an adult and take responsibility.

After you find out what your Job is at ten-years-old, you spend several years training and studying for future careers.

If you wanna be an Adventurer, you go to the School. If you’re a Chef, you train at a restaurant that serves food.

Ten-years-old is young, but if you consider that they’ll be considered adults in five years’ time, it isn’t that young.

As expected, there are a lot of adults who treat me like a kid…no, like a novice.

Among them, this lady treated me like a child at first, but now she properly respects me as a person. It seems casual, and I love the sense of distance without overstepping.

「Well then, give me a moment.」

「Yeah.」

I sat down on an empty seat and waited, then someone came up to me and stopped.

「Wraith.」

It was a smart-looking man with hair the color of grass. A young boy, I guess. He’s about three years older than me.

What was his name again… I suck at remembering people’s names.

「Morning…Ewan.」

I managed to remember it. He’s the Gale Hero.

「…I’m the second-highest graduate of the School.」

「Huh? Ah, right. You sure are something…Mr. Ewan.」

I suck at this too. Forcing respect.

I learned my lesson with Mr. Scathach, but it’s not like I’m thinking of offending the allies I’m fighting with on purpose.

「…Forget it. Anyway, do you understand? Today is the real thing.」

「Yeah.」

「We don’t have much actual combat experience. So let’s focus and face the Clear without slowing down our seniors.」

He’s serious. I think it’s good. Some people will be able to show their abilities when tightly wound up like that.

But he has to understand that not all of us are like that.

「I guess so. I guess actual battle and training are different. Thanks, I’ll be careful.」

「…Somehow I feel like my words aren’t reaching you.」

「It’s not like that at all.」

「…Honestly, I don’t like you. Or I should say, I don’t understand you. You are acknowledged by one of the Four Great Spirits, yet you refuse its divine blessing.」

「I won’t slow you guys down.」

「Is there a difference between choosing not to use something that will raise your combat potential and being negligent?」

「It won’t raise my combat potential. This Spirit didn’t make a contract with me just so that it could help me out.」

When I asked if anyone would come as a bystander, it just hopped on.

But Ewan doesn’t seem to be convinced.

「Wraith, you…」

Just at the nick of time, a voice called out to let me know that my breakfast was ready.

「Well, see ya later.」

Ignoring Ewan’s cries behind me, I bring the food back upstairs.

「Sorry for the wait.」

I stand in front of the door, and it opens quietly. It was Fran. She was probably waiting in front of the door.

「Thank you for always doing this.」

「Sure thing.」

We put the tray on the small desk in our room and begin our breakfast.

There’s a reason that we eat meals like this.

Fran takes off her robe.

Her right arm is large and atrocious looking, as if the arm of a creature was sewn onto a little girl.

Only on the arm, in contrast to other parts of her body, the skin is dark red, countless bluish, purplish veins running across it, and it pulsates like it’s a different creature altogether.

She was born with it.

With this arm, it is also difficult for her to live a daily life. First of all, you have to eat meals with only one hand.

You’ll understand how difficult that is when you try it yourself. Eating bread is fine, but there are many times she’s had trouble eating without a hand to hold a bowl or something.

I’m sure there are other things that she doesn’t like about it that I don’t know about.

In fact, she doesn’t like to let people see her arm. The only exception is during combat.

Which is why I help her with her meals.

I sit next to her and bring salad or soup to her mouth.

「Wraith.」

「Hm?」

I’m used to it, but Fran still seems to feel sorry for all the trouble.

「…Nothing.」

「Is that so? Your welcome.」

「…Yeah.」

「I don’t do things that I don’t wanna do. You know that, right?」

After saying that, her anxious face, you could say it’s expressionless from the side, softens slightly.

「After we eat, we head to the Demon King Castle.」

「Yeah.」

「I’m counting on you.」

「Yeah.」