Worthless Skill Escape (WN)

Enjoy~

TL: ALT

Chapter 61.5 – A Long Day for a Holy Knight in Love (Serika’s POV)

I was unusually enthusiastic that day.

It was probably the first time in my life that I was so enthusiastic.

There were many obstacles to overcome.

First, I had to recruit Yuto to join the Paladin Knights.

It is not absolutely necessary for him to join, but it would be easier to make arrangements later if he joined.

Of course, as a member of the guild, I can’t leave a newcomer like Yuto unattended.

Since it was a no-lose proposition for Yuto, I thought the recruitment process would go more smoothly.

But it seems that Yuto is reluctant.

He says that he is not comfortable with the idea of joining an organization that has ties to me, his childhood friend, but perhaps he is not comfortable with the idea of belonging to an organization at all.

He has no good memories of the company he worked for, and just a week ago, he witnessed the devastation of Rakan.

“After all, I will remain free for the time being…”

Yuto tried to end the conversation,

“Why not? Don’t you want to be in my guild?”

Oh, damn. I guess I came off a little rough.

I didn’t mean to be so restrictive.

“N-no, it’s not like that, but… I don’t want to be indebted to you all the time.”

“It’s okay because I said it’s okay.”

Hisui-chan interrupted me when I was about to get emotional.

“Master. Now, please convince him without any personal feelings, okay?”

“Ugh, I know, but…”

“Kurashiki-san, too. I’m sure you’ll be able to make a decision after you’ve heard a little more.”

Hisui-chan clears her throat with a small cough and begins to speak eloquently about the advantages of belonging to a guild.

Like an accused person being interrogated by a skilled prosecutor, Yuto is hunted down in a flash.

In the end,

“…T-thank you for all your efforts…”

Yuto nodded his head with a confused look on his face.

I felt a little sorry for him, but there was nothing wrong with what she said.

In fact, there is no harm in it for Yuto.

As the guild master, I’m the one who will make the necessary adjustments if the burden falls on Yuto.

Yuto said that people might think he got in because of his connections, but I don’t think anyone in Paladin Knights would think that.

Even if there is some friction, it is only a matter of me and Hisui-chan getting in.

Yuto may seem carefree, but he has serious roots and a strong sense of responsibility.

In the past, he has worked in a somewhat black work environment, but perhaps his personality makes it easy for him to be taken in by such workplaces.

I’ve heard that such places control their employees by instilling a sense of mission or, conversely, a sense of guilt.

Rakan will probably not be able to recover, but there are other guilds that are rumored to be black.

If Yuto gets caught in one of them, I’m not worried.

Maybe I’m a little overprotective of him, even though we’ve known each other since childhood.

“Then, Master. I wish you the best of luck.”

Hisui-chan left the room after she had finished her persuasion.

She patted me on the shoulder as she went.

I’ve done what I can; now you just do your best―that’s what I got from her.

Now, here’s the big part.

I’ve fought fire-breathing dragons before, but I’m much more nervous than I was then.

But I’ve decided to continue.

The more time passes, the closer Honoka-chan gets to Yuto.

Honoka-chan, who has elven blood, is a beautiful girl that even I, as a person of the same sex, am in awe of.

At best, she is single-minded; at worst, she has a strong sense of self-doubt, and right now, she can only see Yuto.

It’s Yuto-san, Yuto-san, Yuto-san.

A cute girl like that is coming on to him like crazy―no matter how reserved Yuto is, there’s no guarantee that he won’t push her away eventually.

Before I know it, he’s already filled the outer moat with himself by giving her a ring or something…

Honoka-chan said she wouldn’t get in my way, but I don’t know what will happen if she gets careless.

Yuto is serious, so I don’t think he’ll go along with what Haruka-san suggested, that I will be his regular wife… and Honoka-chan and Haruka-san will be his second and third wives.

But there is a possibility that he will choose one of the three of us, me, Honoka-chan, and Haruka-san, other than me, as a result of his decision to avoid a harem.

I don’t think there’s much chance that he’ll choose only Haruka-san, but the possibility that he’ll choose Honoka-chan can’t be ignored.

She is such a beautiful girl.

She is only 14 years old now, but on the other hand, she will be even more beautiful in a few years.

Considering what I’ll be like… then.

Besides, as an elf, Haruka-san will keep her youthfulness in the future, so I will be at a disadvantage as the months go by.

Well, I don’t think Yuto would choose a woman based on her age alone.

――If I stay in our current relationship any longer, I will lose Yuto.

This fear was holding me back.

I’m as shy about love as Yuto is, but I don’t have the luxury of saying that anymore.

With my experience as an S-ranked explorer, I have a nose for such tactics.

So, I decided to take the plunge and ask him out.

“Let’s go on a date.”

No room for misunderstandings.

I didn’t mince words and told him straight out.

Still, Yuto seemed incredulous, so it was good that I didn’t sugarcoat my words.

The date plan was made up by Hisui-chan after I consulted her about it.

Or rather, it was almost as if Hisui-chan made it up.

She seemed to have a lot of fun coming up with the plan.

“I really hate the idea of Serika-san going out with a man other than me… This heartbreaking sadness will be strange.”

And so on, making strange “jokes” and the like.

“A man other than me,” Hisui-chan is a girl, though…

It was really good that she made the first one a movie.

I was so nervous and stiff that I couldn’t speak properly.

When I sat next to him and watched the movie, I calmed down, and when we ate lunch, we were able to talk.

I was still a little nervous, though.

“Do you want to go shopping or to the aquarium?”

I really wanted to go shopping, but I thought it might be too boring for the guys, so I prepared another option.

This was also Hisui-chan’s idea.

Yuto was a little worried before he said,

“You said you wanted to help me with my clothes, right?”

And he chose shopping.

“I did, didn’t I? Fufu. You remembered.”

That made me happy.

Yuto once asked me where I bought clothes, and we talked about going shopping together next time.

We didn’t make any promises; it was just a spontaneous thing.

I didn’t blame him if he forgot, but I was glad he remembered.

Because Yuto and I have known each other for so long, we tend to talk more lightly about any subject.

We talk so casually that neither of us remembers what we talked about.

Why do we have to worry about such things when we are not even in a relationship like a mature couple?

Being childhood friends isn’t that great, either.

I got a little carried away when we went shopping and turned Yuto into a dress-up doll.

I thought men might not like that, but Yuto said it was refreshing.

He didn’t seem flattered, so I secretly patted my chest.

The sky was azure blue as we left the department store with the paper bag in our arms.

Why doesn’t he put the paper bag in his Item Box? But Yuto said, “Since Serika went to the trouble of buying it for me, I want to keep it.”

Yuto really makes me nervous today.

But the real excitement starts here.

“I made a reservation at a restaurant. Let’s go.”

The restaurant overlooks the main street with a great view.

I was going to sit by the window with Yuto, eating a delicious dinner and drinking a glass of wine.

It was like a dream.

I had been waiting for such a day for a long time.

Just recently, Yuto had become shut-in, and that made me couldn’t even talk to him.

I had followed the path of an explorer, believing that Yuto would recover.

Because I thought that Yuto would probably become an explorer.

After all, Yuto always liked games like that, and if he’s an explorer, it doesn’t matter what his background is.

I became an explorer because I wanted to be able to stand next to Yuto when the time came.

Yuto gave me a place to escape to when I was young, and now I want to give him a place to stay.

With that in mind, I started the guild.

However, the more time passed, the more worried I became.

I think Yuto will be okay.

But really?

Sometimes, when I was tired or had a bad day, I couldn’t suppress that fear.

It’s not a good thing to do, but sometimes I drink alcohol to take my mind off it.

I’m not a heavy drinker, so just a few drinks would make me sleepy.

They say it’s not good to rely on alcohol to sleep, but it’s easier than being in pain and not being able to sleep…

Maybe it was because I was drunk?

A strange thing happened to me on the way there.

When I took Yuto’s hand and squeezed it (for me, anyway), his hand suddenly disappeared, and he stood up when he was supposed to sit down.

I should have been confused, but at that moment, Yuto looked as if he had made up his mind.

…To tell you the truth, I was scared.

Even if I said that he had made up his mind, there was no guarantee that his decision would be what I wanted.

He would reject me and say that he would choose Honoka-chan – it’s not like there’s no chance of that happening.

Hisui-chan said, “It’s not likely,” but she may have just been encouraging her master, who easily becomes emotionally unstable when it comes to Yuto.

Honoka-chan is a surprisingly pretty girl.

Although it is not good for her to be 14 years old in the eyes of the public, it is obvious from her mother, Haruka-san, that she will become even more beautiful in the future.

Besides, if he takes Honoka-chan as his girlfriend, he will be accompanied by a beautiful elf girl who will stay young forever.

More importantly, why would such a fantastic being become a love interest?

…When I was in middle school, Yuto played those naughty games.

I don’t think he would want to do the same in real life.

Some men who are high-ranking explorers have several mistresses around them.

Haruka-san also said that she knows that polygamy is not allowed in this world, but that is only half true.

It is not impossible to have more than one lover in practice, even though it is not supposed to be allowed.

If Yuto wants it, will I accept it?

I put my hand on the wine to cover the fear that was rising in me.

“Hey, let’s be together, Yu-kun.”

I hope it sounds as easy as possible.

While I prayed for that, I said it out loud to keep my tongue from getting caught.

I wondered if I looked a bit like a grown woman.

“Y-you say that so easily, don’t you?”

“It’s very easy! I said it’s okay, so it’s okay. Stay by my side. Stay with me.”

Thanks to the wine, words I never thought would come out of my mouth.

I felt like my face was on fire.

But I meant it.

It wasn’t bad.

Even with the help of alcohol, I was able to say what I had wanted to say for a long time.

Yuto’s touch was not bad, either.

Oh, Yuto, you’re so cool.

You look like you’ve decided on something.

That something is definitely not bad for me.

Somehow, I was sure of that even before Yuto said a word.

I’m sorry, Honoka-chan. Yuto is the only one I can’t give up on.

“――Serika! I’m…!”

The passion in Yuto’s voice convinced me that I had won.

There was a time when I was sure I would win.

The next morning, I woke up in an unfamiliar bed and remembered what I had done at the last minute.

“W-whoaaa! I blew it! Even though the atmosphere was great!”

“Don’t say it yourself.”

Yuto smiled bitterly.

Yuto says he’ll make some coffee and leaves the bedroom.

I fell asleep without even changing my clothes.

She must have given me time to get ready.

I quickly fixed my hair in the bedroom mirror.

I put my crumpled clothes in the item box and put on my spare clothes.

This is where being the explorer comes in handy.

“Ugh… I blew it. I had a thousand chances…! I’m such an idiot!”

If I remember correctly, I obviously drank more than the right amount of wine.

I was too nervous to keep track of how much I drank.

After a long time for the coffee to brew, Yuto returned with a cup of coffee in each hand.

…Ah, I like it, this kind of thing.

The kind where you wake up in the morning, and your lover is there to bring you your morning coffee.

But Yuto is not my lover yet! If I had done it right yesterday, it could have happened…

While we were talking about the coffee, the phone on the bedside table started ringing.

“Oh, it’s Hisui-chan. I’ll answer it.”

I answered and then picked up the phone,

“Master. Sorry for bothering you this morning.”

Hisui-chan only calls me ‘Master’ when she’s on guild business.

There was a flood in an A-rank dungeon in Tokyo.

The reason there was no warning from the Voice of Heaven is because the dungeon is on the opposite side of Shinjuku, even though it is in Tokyo.

“Got it. I’ll be back as soon as possible. Oh, wait a minute.”

I told Yuto what Hisui-chan had told me.

“Should I go with you?”

“No, I think there is enough manpower. I’ll come back to lead and support.”

I refuse, but I am glad that Yuto said that.

We are in the same guild, so I guess this will be normal from now on.

I return to the phone with relaxed cheeks,

“By the way… Serika-san. How did it go yesterday? If you feel any physical discomfort, we’ll have another member standing by.”

Discomfort?

I thought for a moment and then blushed when I realized what Hisui-chan was hinting at.

“Huh? No, no, no! It’s nothing!”

“Nothing… happened? You’re with him now, aren’t you? Didn’t you spend the night at the hotel?”

“I-I’m telling you the truth! That’s right, I’m with Yuto, but… nothing, nothing happened!”

“Judging from the way things are going… it doesn’t seem like you’re hiding your embarrassment. Hah, a good adult man and woman spent the night together, and nothing happened… Who was the worse one, Kurashiki-san or Serika-san?”

And then Hisui-chan says something venomous.

It wasn’t bad! I just screwed up…

I swallowed without saying it.

“In that case, would you please pass the phone to Kurashiki-san? I need to tell him something.”

“Eh? Why…? You already know. Yuto, Hisui-chan wants to talk to you for a moment.”

I gave the phone to Yuto.

I can’t hear what Hisui-chan is saying, but she and Yuto are talking.

…I was worried that they might not be compatible, but….are they more in tune than I thought?

Oh man, I hate this.

I don’t know what to do if I’m even jealous of Hisui-chan.

After the phone call with Hisui-chan was over, I just showered and got ready, and without breakfast, I went back to the Association’s headquarters.

Yuto said he had breakfast at the hotel and then went to the dungeon.

I didn’t have time to talk to him… but he looked like he was escaping because of the embarrassment of the situation.

I-I’m not sure how I could have been so bold as to ask him out, have such a deep conversation with him, and then just listen to his answer, and then get drunk and fall asleep…!

I can’t talk to him with a nonchalant face the morning after such a disaster!

“Ugh… what face should I make next time we meet…?”

I muttered to myself as I walked at a brisk pace through Shinjuku in the morning when it was still too early to go to work.