The Rebirth Of The Hero’S Party’S Archmage [EN]: Chapter 52

Chapter 52

Swoosh───

I opened my eyes to the gentle breeze that warmly swept across the field.

The creaking of the carriage wheels rocked me pleasantly. It was a scene I had seen somewhere before…….

As the wind pleasantly dried the cold sweat that had soaked my body, I sat up and saw the world bathed in twilight.

“Ah, you’re awake!”

A cheerful voice came from the driver’s seat. It was Sammy, holding the reins and leading the two packhorses.

“Where is this……?”

“It’s the road to [the city they are heading to]. We should arrive tonight.”

This time, the voice came from beside me, accompanied by the heavy clanging of black iron.

“I know stability is the top priority, but Rem said his vacation is almost over.”

“Yeah! Apparently, grade management there is super strict. That’s why I told him to come with us.”

Rem, stability, vacation…….

Amidst the string of words, a headache suddenly struck me like a hammer blow. The memories I had forgotten in my sleep resurfaced.

“Was all that real……?”

If those memories were all true, then the fact that I was alive and breathing was a miracle.

Haah…….

I let out a long sigh and slumped weakly onto the luggage, as Rem chattered on.

“But you have a surprisingly wide network of connections, you know?”

“Huh?”

“Because of that forbidden book you brought, we almost ran into big trouble leaving the city, but the Special Task Force just let us through.”

The Special Task Force…… Doran Slade, perhaps?

“The squinty-eyed guy with the creepy smile?”

“Yeah, exactly that! He said, ‘This is a token of affection from Rein Weizak’s future superior,’ and told me to send you his regards.”

“Tell him I don’t want it.”

He was a guy who seemed to pop up everywhere whenever he felt like it. Thanks to him, I was able to get the book at [the place where he got the book], though…….

“Still, we did receive a favor. I should greet him later.”

A favor…… If that’s the case, then there were others who deserved to be greeted first.

These idiots not only followed me here out of concern but also helped me, even turning black mages into enemies.

Sammy might be pretending to be fine, but I could see the cold sweat running down his face. And after atoning for the dark poison, that Friede was groaning in pain…….

“……In the first place, if it weren’t for you guys, I wouldn’t have even been stopped at that guy’s checkpoint.”

So, I muttered under my breath, complaining and whining as I subtly turned my head away.

Like Rista did, would the day ever come when I could honestly express my gratitude? Would the day ever come when I could laugh and cry honestly?

Perhaps my unspoken sincerity reached them, as Bart and Sammy smiled gently.

“What did you say?!”

But Rem jumped into the luggage compartment and theatrically put his hand to his ear.

“I didn’t hear you. Can you say it again?”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“What?! ‘If it weren’t for you guys, I wouldn’t have even been stopped at that guy’s checkpoint,’ you said?!”

“I said I didn’t say anything!”

“Wow! Bart! Sammy! Rein said he has more to say after saying that he wouldn’t have been stopped at that guy’s checkpoint without you guys!”

“Ah, stop it!”

“Ah, hzz mlrgg~!”

Rein reached out to grab Rem, but there was no way a mere mage could catch up to the agility of a top-notch archer.

As Rem dodged Rein’s grasp, mimicking Rein’s voice, Sammy burst into laughter.

Bart told him to stop teasing, but there was a hint of laughter in his voice as well.

‘Well, it should be fine.’

Sammy thought, glancing at Rein, who was playfully wrestling with Rem.

‘If he’s this energetic, then nothing strange will happen just because he’s reading a forbidden book…….’

* * *

Late on Friday night, we were able to safely arrive at the West Gate of [the city they are heading to].

It was a close call.

The gatekeeper was just about to close the gate, so if we had been just a little later, we would have had to spend the night outside.

“Isn’t it too late for the dorms? Aren’t they already closed?”

Rem yawned lazily as we passed through the streets, now deep into the night. He had been responsible for perimeter security throughout the journey. Rein shook his head.

“They said the dorms are open until midnight during the holidays.”

“Really?”

Then Rem scratched his head, looking slightly disappointed, and glanced at Bart. I wondered why he was acting like that.

“Seriously~ What was with all that hard labor at [the place they worked hard]? We didn’t even get to show off our skills. It’s not cost-effective.”

News of [the place they worked hard] had already spread throughout the southern region, and the people of [the city they are heading to] were whispering about the massacre there.

That’s what Rem was grumbling about after hearing the story.

“If you want to get caught by the Inquisitors and keep testifying, or become a target for black mages, then go ahead and confess that Rem took them all down.”

“Shut up, you idiot. Who doesn’t know that? I’m just a little disappointed, that’s all.”

As we exchanged such trivial words, we eventually arrived at the front gate of the dorms.

By then, I had recovered a lot and was able to walk on my own. The pain and fatigue remained, so I probably wouldn’t be able to do any strenuous exercise for a few weeks, though…….

As I jumped off the luggage cart and stretched lightly, Bart opened his mouth heavily.

“Then, I guess we’ll have to part ways now.”

“Yeah, well. Is it really necessary to make such a big deal out of it?”

“Rein, we actually followed you to say goodbye. If nothing had happened at [the place they worked hard], that’s what we would have done.”

What goodbye.

I chuckled and shook my head.

“I told you, thank you is enough.”

But the atmosphere among the three was somehow strange. I felt an unknown anxiety, as if my heart was shrinking.

“It’s not that. We won’t be seeing you for a while.”

“Won’t be seeing me for a while?”

“We received a summons.”

I gasped in surprise. There was only one reason adventurers would say they received a summons.

The Trident Point [a dangerous and rewarding area for high-ranking adventurers].

A cape shaped like a trident in the northwestern part of the continent, in the North Sea, a sacred place of adventure where only true experts could operate.

Bordering the land of madness, Harbardonia, it was densely packed with ancient abyssal temples and labyrinths, and more than 60% of the area was still unexplored.

The adventurers who operated there received several times the contribution and rewards, but it was also several times more dangerous, so only those with at least a Silver rank were allowed to operate there.

“The Mobidic Adventuring Party nominated us. They’re ranked 3rd among all the adventure parties. It seems like it will be a great stepping stone for Rem and me to grow.”

Rein didn’t answer.

It was something to celebrate. Something to be happy about together. But for some reason, it felt like my throat was blocked with lead.

It was a strange feeling. Did I like these guys that much? I did feel a little fond of them, but was it to this extent?

“Sammy isn’t Silver rank, though.”

“Of course. It’s too dangerous, so I’m planning to return to the church as well. I’m going to start preparing for the priesthood exam in earnest now.”

Sammy smiled gently.

Rem, who was watching Rein’s expression, teased him.

“Why, are you scared because your cool older brothers and sister are leaving? Do you want us to stay by your side forever?”

“……Tch, don’t be ridiculous.”

Rein turned his gaze slightly away and muttered with a sulky face.

I almost told them not to go. I wanted to tell them to stay with me. But Bart said that the Trident Point was something he was looking forward to as a stepping stone for growth.

Wouldn’t it be too selfish to hold back a friend who wanted to go to such a place? That’s what I thought.

“I thought we could just say a quick goodbye and leave.”

Then Bart suddenly knelt down on one knee to meet my gaze. Then, he unexpectedly reached out and placed his hand on Rein’s head, stroking it gently.

The touch was rough due to the nature of a warrior, but I could feel the affection contained within it.

Suddenly, old memories came to mind. The feelings I had felt from Kies and Rista, who would often stroke Rin’s head, resurfaced.

“I’m worried about you because of this incident, so I can’t bring myself to leave.”

My eyes shook violently for a moment. Was it the reverberation of the shock that came from a painful realization?

Ah, I see, I really do like these quirky trio…….

I’m only being honest with my feelings now that it’s time to say goodbye. I’m repeating the mistakes I made in my past life.

– Rin.

If Rista were here right now, and I told her that I was leaving for my training, what would she have done?

“Don’t worry and go.”

“Hmm?”

“It’s funny, really. I’m several times stronger than you guys. You know that better than anyone, so what’s with all the worrying?”

She would have said it more gently and warmly, but she would have definitely said it like that. So that the departing footsteps would be lighter, so that the worries would be lessened, even just a little.

Rem, who seemed uncomfortable with the atmosphere of farewell, finally smirked arrogantly and crossed his arms.

“When we meet again, be prepared to greet me properly. The great archer Rem might be a master archer by then.”

“No, that’s impossible.”

Rem reacted sensitively to the playful remark.

“Hey! Why are you deciding that?! Are you the next emperor? Are you choosing the Four Great Martial Arts Stars of the Yellow River [a reference to a wuxia story]?”

Sammy laughed heartily, Bart smiled slightly, and Rein chuckled. Rem also smiled sadly, perhaps because it was a joke, and reached out his hand.

“Then, take care, you rascal Rein.”

As I grasped his hand, I already felt lonely. But I didn’t show it. Because that’s what Rista would have done.

“Sammy, lose some weight.”

“Haha, thank you for your concern, brother. You better not fail to recognize me next time because I’m too skinny? Oh, right.”

Sammy smiled cheerfully, approached me, and placed a heavy object in Rein’s hand.

It was a forbidden book, a book about Toureina.

Bart and Rem didn’t ask Rein about the forbidden book. They believed that Rein would explain it on his own if he felt like it.

‘In order to gain someone’s trust, you have to trust them first, right?’

Sammy followed that judgment as well. The two of them were rarely wrong.

The two of them didn’t ask Rein about the book, nor did they ask about Rein’s identity, just like they had done with Sammy in the past.

Bart, who was looking down at Rein with a gaze filled with countless emotions as he examined the book, finally stood up.

“Then Rein, this is goodbye for a while.”

With Bart’s words, the quirky trio turned around. Their footsteps, which had been heading into the darkness, suddenly stopped. It was because Rein had shouted.

“Can we…… Can we see each other again?”

The quirky trio seemed to exchange glances in confusion, as if the shout was quite unexpected.

They were actually smiling contentedly, but Rein couldn’t see it because they were too far away…….

Finally, Rem made a megaphone with his hand and answered as the representative of the quirky trio.

“Why are you asking something so obvious? We’re friends, aren’t we?”

Feeling a warmth stirring deep within his heart, Rein waved his hand vigorously. The quirky trio also waved back and started walking again.

Little by little.

And step by step.

The boy grows along with the world.

Socrafres.

– You can inherit the progress of ‘Unique Magic’ research from the surrounding environment.

– Progress: 44.8%