Chapter 16

〈 Chapter 16 〉 Meanwhile, at this moment, the Hero Party is (1)

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They say if you want to know someone better, you should sit around the same table first.

When it comes to the essentials of life, food culture is like the foundation, roots, and core of human society.

Observing what someone eats, how they eat, and what conversations they have while eating can reveal the trajectory of their life.

Just like no one can confidently claim that a perfectly charming person wouldn’t suddenly turn into a psycho who stir-fries sweet and sour pork with mint chocolate sauce at the dinner table.

Even if they hide their true nature behind a thick mask, there’s no superhuman that can completely conceal their true self when faced with the primal instinct of hunger.

This applies equally to those beings whom the masses revere and sanctify as “heroes.”

“I warned you countless times that if you read at the dinner table again, I would shoot an arrow into your forehead! Dawna!”

“I can’t believe it… To complain about such an efficient method of taking in calories while broadening my horizons… Are all elves as obsessed with trivial principles as you, Apis?”

“………”

With an unbalanced outfit of a bow and apron and shoving her feet roughly onto the table, the loud and rowdy elf woman is Apis.

She’s the one who cluttered the table with numerous books that couldn’t even be unified in language, and the black-haired woman with a frail appearance that looks like she would fall over at the slightest breeze is Dawna.

Ignoring the commotion around them, sitting with folded arms and dozing off is the serious man named Bigtim.

To those who don’t know their names and identities, they might think the children of the Dasol family are just making a fuss over nothing, trivializing the situation.

However, if they knew that each of them possessed enough power to bring down a small country overnight, they would likely distance themselves from this deadly spectacle, much like innocent civilians caught in a dragon’s power struggle, letting their survival instincts take over.

Archery Mastery. Apis.

Mage Power. Dawna.

Iron Wall. Bigtim.

Hero Party.

All of them are beings of the caliber and strength befitting their great renown, the sharpest and deadliest blades humanity can wield against the Demon King—a fact so well established it has become a truth that even naïve children sing about in the system.

“You must be itching to see the bottom of my patience again, huh? Well, if you’re that curious, I’ll graciously show you!”

“What kind of nonsense is that? There’s no need to experiment with something so obvious. Your patience has already been proven to be less than that of a ground-crawling ant last evening.”

“………”

It truly was a situation on the brink of exploding.

Apis’s arrow was already pulled back so tightly it could be released at any moment, and the flow of magic around Dawna was quickly transforming into sharp ice and violent flames, as if to counter the threat posed by Apis.

The only one who could possibly mediate the imminent clash that would surely turn this place into a lifeless wasteland was Bigtim, the party’s vanguard, but given that he’s usually slumbering except when faced with an enemy, he wouldn’t wake up for such trivial squabbles among comrades.

It didn’t take long for the situation to escalate beyond anyone’s control.

“Ha! Want to give it a go?”

“If words fail, then you crush them with force… It doesn’t suit me at all, but sometimes acting just like you may offer some new perspectives…”

Just as the two heroes were about to clash over something unbelievable stemming from their mundane bickering.

Ah, why are you guys fighting again?

The eyes of both people suddenly turned towards the empty chair, as they felt a voice—not heard, nor present—at this moment.

Mediation was always the duty of ‘that’ person.

The collision of the two, which had never reached the level of threatening party cohesion until now, was only possible thanks to that ‘lubricant,’ a fact even the parties involved were subconsciously realizing.

“Ha… Let’s stop. I won’t stand frying and sautéing with you while eating…”

“Agreed…”

As the two withdrew their tensions, the chilling atmosphere began to calm down.

Half a year had passed.

It had been half a year since he disappeared, leaving behind only a letter, but the rift between the two had only deepened. Signs of reconciliation were nowhere to be seen.

With a sigh expressing her exasperation, Apis abruptly stood up.

“Where are you going?”

“To feed the Hero… Seeing he hasn’t come down for meal time makes it look like he plans to skip another one. You know, the other day he smashed his own statue while saving those nameless human brats… No matter the circumstances, breaking a gift made by a fan isn’t very hero-like, is it? He’s currently writing an apology letter to the sculptor…”

“Right… Quite a rational judgment for you…”

“Ha! How touching, truly.”

“……… Hey, Apis…”

“Ah, what now!”

“Oh, nothing… You can go along…”

“Tch.”

As Apis trudged upstairs with a meal on her plate, Dawna, who hadn’t turned the page of her book for a while, softly murmured words unheard by anyone.

“Please come back soon… my dear… Is this not enough yet… I now realize… I know well… That without you, I can’t even utter a simple ‘thank you’ for providing my meals… If you’re watching… If you’re seeing this foolish me, please hurry over and give me a good scolding…”

The unfulfilled echo of her voice could not reach anywhere, blocked by the pages of the open book.

◈◈◈

With her forehead pressed against the closed door, Apis took a deep breath.

Ever since that day when he vanished without a trace, meeting the Hero had become like walking into a monster lair without a bow or arrows—a constant source of tension.

“Hero…”

Apis recalled the past.

Her gaze had always been unwavering.

Even after the man disappeared, the Hero sliced through the monster hordes with a bright smile, never resting even for a day.

Fighting tirelessly for days on end, his brilliant golden hair stained with blood, he kept slashing at the monsters before him.

Despite the attempts of others, including herself, to stop him, seeing him take down hundreds of monsters by himself felt akin to witnessing the reincarnation of a hero from human fairy tales.

Was it a sense of duty? Was it pride?

Perhaps it was to ease the burden of his comrades, who were anxious due to his unexpected absence.

Yet strangely, none of those seemed to feel like a truly valid answer.

The actual reason mattered little.

The fact that the Hero fought valiantly against numerous monsters, risking his body, was enough to earn respect from this system, from human society, and indeed, from all living beings in the world.

But.

“That’s not like you, Hero…”

Though there might have been small frictions in daily life, on the battlefield, at least, the Hero appeared unchanged.

His swordsmanship was impeccable, and his movements were clean and efficient. The coordination with his comrades was flawless.

Yet, as someone who had always been by his side, she couldn’t help but feel an unpleasant sense of disharmony.

It was hard to express in words. It was clear that something was off.

It felt as if someone resembling her was forcibly trying to play the part of the Hero.

Like a candle about to go out, or gunpowder with a spark lit.

She felt as if she were watching something incredibly fragile struggling to maintain a precarious balance, as if it could collapse at the slightest disturbance.

And the cause of all this was too clear.

Apis’s pent-up emotions gradually took the form of resentment towards someone, slipping through her lips.

“Hey… what the hell are you doing? Idiot… Come back soon…”

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