“Eh?” 

Furiae-san was making a face as if she had just met a ghost in broad daylight.

It has been 1,000 years. 

Despite that, she still looks beautiful in my eyes. But right now she is opening her mouth wide and making a dumbfounded expression.

“Heya there, it has been a while.” (Makoto)

I raised a hand and greeted Furiae-san, and she went ‘hah!’.

And then, her eyes swam for a moment there.

…Suuh.

And her face changed to an expressionless one.

“Princess?” (Makoto)

“…Who are you speaking to?” (Furiae)

Furiae-san turned her face away and said this coldly.

Eh?

It is different from what I thought.

(Oh my oh my, the now Queen of Laphroaig has become cold to Makoto~.) (Noah)

I heard the teasing voice of Noah-sama.

Does this attitude mean that?

(Right now Furiae-chan is the ruler of a country, you know? Her standing is way too different to a commoner like you, Makoto.) (Noah)

(I see…is that how it works?) (Makoto)

She is a past travelling companion of mine, but she is now a queen.

Compared to that, I am a former Hero commoner. 

There’s a big gap between us. 

It probably can’t be helped.

“I am glad to see you are doing well. See ya.” (Makoto)

I managed to fulfill my objective of reuniting with Furiae-san and greeting her. 

I did feel a slight hint of sadness, but I thought that I shouldn’t be staying any longer. 

I turned around and decided to leave.

Because I jumped here with Teleport, I don’t know my current location, but I should head to the inn for now.

Just when I was thinking that…

“Ah…that’s not it, wait…” (Furiae)

I heard a voice from behind.

When I turned around, my eyes made contact with Furiae-san who was stretching her hand over here. 

I think she told me to wait, so I stopped my feet.

“…”

“…”

We look at each other just like that for a while.

I waited for her next words, but they weren’t coming.

A silent time continued.

“W-What are you staring at me so much for! So lecherous!” (Furiae)

Furiae-san covers her body with both hands as if hiding it. 

…What’s with this woman?

Just when I was troubled with how to respond to all this, a shadow suddenly covered me.

Just before I could tell what it was…

“Waah! Move out of the way, Makoto!” 

“Ah, Fu-chan!” 

I heard a loud voice from above.

“Gue.” (Makoto)

I let out that voice as I ended up being crushed below them.

“…Oi, Lucy.” (Makoto)

“S-Sorry, Makoto!” (Lucy)

I spit out the sand that went into my mouth as I looked at Lucy reproachfully. 

Looks like they came here with Teleport. 

Right on top of me. 

“Furiae-sama! Are you okay?!” 

“You bastards! Where did you come from?!” 

“Miscreants! Capture them!” 

It must be because we were shouting. 

A whole lot of knights came in in droves. 

When I look closely, there’s also the close aide of Furiae-san, Havel, who we met the other day. 

Wasn’t he supposed to not be here? 

“What are you doing?! Knock down those ruffians!” 

“Yes! Leave it to—wait, isn’t that…” 

“The two of the Crimson Fangs?” 

“…Capure…Lucy-sama and Aya-sama…? Us?” 

“We can’t.” 

“We are the ones who will get knocked down.” 

Looks like the bodyguards of Furiae-san were indecisive after seeing that the other party is Lucy and Sa-san. 

As expected of famous people.

“Takatsuki Makoto! To think you would sneak past the eyes of the bodyguards and approach Furiae-sama. Normally, this would merit severe punishment, but I will let this one go for this time only! Leave at once!” (Havel)

The close aide Havel said this threateningly. 

Telling me to leave at once. 

(…I approached the Queen of the Moon Country without permission, so is it okay to just drive me off?) (Makoto)

It felt slightly off, but it would be troubling if we were to take our sweet time here and then they just go ‘changed my mind, off with your heads!’.

‘Excuse the intrusion. I will leave at once’, is what I was about to say, but there were people who wanted to put some words in.

There’s no need to confirm. It was Lucy and Sa-san.

“Hey, Furi! Makoto came to meet you, you know?!” (Lucy)

“That’s right. You wanted to meet him that much!” (Aya)

“…”

Furiae-san was silent at the words of the two. 

“Wait! Furiae-sama is currently tired and…” (Havel)

“Shut up, Havel! Want to eat a Fireball?!” (Lucy)

“I am going to punch your face in, Havel-kun.” (Aya)

“…..Right.” (Havel)

Havel-kun went in to stop this, but Lucy’s threatening attitude and Sa-san pressure made him withdraw in low spirits. 

Is he really a leader of the Moon Country? 

“Furi! Why aren’t you saying anything?!” (Lucy)

“What’s happened to you, Fu-chan?!” (Aya)

Even with that, Furiae-san was silent. 

“We are causing way too much trouble here already. Let’s leave.” (Makoto)

I decided to pull away these two who were complaining. 

Seeing this, Havel made a relieved expression.

“There’s a mountain of things we have to do with the next 3rd Nothern Expedition. We have no time to spare for a retired Hero! Just return to Rozes and relax in a hot spring or something, Former Hero!” (Havel)

Despite the negative tone, he directed kind words at me. 

Also, there was one detail that bothered me in what he said.

3rd Northern Expedition, huh…

I should ask the details from Princess Sofia or Sakurai-kun.

“Hmph! Makoto will soon be back to being a Country Designated Hero!” (Lucy)

“That’s right. When that happens, he will be a related party in the Northern Expedition since he will be a Hero of the Water Country!” (Aya)

The one who reacted to the words of Lucy and Sa-san was Furiae-san who has been silent all this time. 

“What did you say?!” (Furiae)

Her inexpressive face changed to shock as she turned here.

Our eyes met. 

“Princess?” (Makoto)

“T-That’s not it!” (Furiae)

She went ‘hah!’ again and turns her face away. 

She is mumbling something really low. 

Havel directs his eyes at me.

“…Takatsuki Makoto…you are going to go back to being a Country Designated Hero?” (Havel)

That threatening attitude of before suddenly simmered down as he asked this.

I have no obligation to answer.

I was wondering what I should do about this and…

“That’s right! Princess Sofia is already doing the procedures!” (Lucy)

“Takatsuki-kun has all the intentions of fighting the Great Demon Lord after all~.” (Aya)

Lucy and Sa-san seem to be answering for me, so I decided to just leave it to them. 

Havel didn’t react much to that response.

But Furiae-san who was looking back was trembling. 

“So it seems, Furiae-sama.” (Havel)

“…”

Havel speaks to Furiae-san.

Furiae-san’s voice was so low I couldn’t hear it.

“Takatsuki Makoto, you have defeated a Demon Lord in Spring Log, aided the Light Hero in the defeat of the Beast King Zagan, and even fulfilled the oracle of the Sun Goddess Althena. You are already a legend of Rozes who has achieved plenty enough. There’s no need to fight anymore. Why are you seeking to battle even more?” (Havel)

That was one long talk he gave there.

“Even if you ask me why…” (Makoto)

‘Because there’s a Demon Lord’, I decided not to make that stupid and baffling statement. 

“If there’s a Demon Lord, Takatsuki-kun will go!” (Aya)

Stop it, Sa-san.

They will think I am an idiot.

Even Lucy was making slightly taken aback eyes there. 

“So it seems, Furiae-sama.” (Havel)

“……are……idiot!” (Furiae)

Havel’s tone was indifferent, and Furiae-san’s shoulders were shaking. 

Or more like, Havel is doing a messaging game here at each instance. It must be rough. 

“How about speaking for yourself already?” (Havel)

Havel says what I was thinking.

At that time, Furiae-san turned sharply this way. 

Her long hair made a big arc. 

“Takatsuki Makoto!” (Furiae)

She pointed straight at me.

“Y-Yes?” (Makoto)

She glared straight at me, and I ended up straightening my back at this. 

“I won’t allow you to be reinstated as a Hero! I will get in the way of you being reinstated as a Hero, on my name as the Queen of Laphroaig!” (Furiae)

“Hah?” (Makoto)

I don’t get it.

“Furiae-sama, it is outside your authority to get involved in the personal affairs of another country.” (Havel)

“Shut up! We are going back, Havel!” (Furiae)

Saying this, Furiae-san ran off.

What was that just now…?

Lucy, Sa-san, and I looked at each other in confusion.

“Sorry, Takatsuki Makoto-dono. My deepest apologies Lucy-sama, Aya-sama.” (Havel)

Havel spoke to us with proper manners making me question just what was that arrogant attitude the other day. 

He then followed Furiae-san.

◇◇

We returned to the inn while still confused.

We returned with Lucy’s Teleport.

When our party was going to talk about the mysterious attitude of Furiae-san just now…

“An emergency request from the Adventurer Guild to the two of the Crimson Fangs!!” 

A bright red bird suddenly flew in from the window. 

It seems to be a bird made with magic and is speaking fluently. 

There was a small paper tied up on its leg. 

Sa-san untied it as if used to this, and read it. 

“Again? Pass.” (Lucy)

“You can’t, Lu-chan. Apparently a group of wyverns is attacking a village in the Water Country.” (Aya)

“Argh, geez! Isn’t that something we have to go to?! Aya, we are finishing this before dinner!” (Lucy)

“Okay, Lu-chan! Takatsuki-kun, wait for us for a bit, okay?” (Aya)

Saying this, the two hurriedly leave with Teleport.

(I wanted them to bring me there too…) (Makoto)

I asked them, and it seems like Lucy still isn’t used to teleporting 3 people. 

Because of that, I ended up getting Teleported close to Furiae-san just like now. 

Since this time around, they are going to be saving people, being late isn’t allowed.

And so, I am staying back.

I am left in the room alone.

Shall I go meet Momo?

But the residence of Momo is inside the grounds of the Highland Castle.

I can’t get inside the Highland Castle by myself.

I am not a Hero anymore after all.

…*Knock knock*

Someone is knocking on the door.

“Come in.” (Makoto)

When I answered this…

“Oh my, are you alone?” 

Princess Sofia entered the room as if finding it strange. 

“Are you done with your work for today?” (Makoto)

“No, I still have work left to do, but I came here because I wanted to see you.” (Sofia)

“…How about resting?” (Makoto)

This princess is working too much.

“It is okay. There’s someone that has an even more difficult time than me after all… And so, the audience with Noel-sama has been decided. It seems like she will be making time tomorrow.” (Sofia)

“That’s sudden.” (Makoto)

I thought it would take several days.

“It seems Noel-sama wants to thank you quickly. The Sun Goddess-sama was the one who gave you the unreasonable request of going 1,000 years to the past, so she must be feeling indebted. She forced in the time.” (Sofia)

“I managed to safely come back, so it is fine though.” (Makoto)

When I said this, Princess Sofia giggled.

“I knew you would say that. But it seems like Noel-sama wouldn’t be satisfied with this.” (Sofia)

“Is that so.” (Makoto)

What a straightlaced girl.

As expected of Anna-san’s descendant. 

After that, we exchanged information. 

The 3rd Northern Expedition will apparently happen soon.

But there’s disputes about who will be the one holding the main leadership.

The Sun Country and the Moon Country don’t get along.

Considering the oppression of Highland towards devilkin, this is natural though.

Thanks to this, the expedition is not settling at all. 

“It is said that the country that defeats the Great Demon Lord will become the next supreme ruler of the continent. If it were only that, that would be fine, but there’s even rumors about a war occurring for the hegemony of the West Continent… There’s no way Noel-sama and Furiae would begin a war…” (Sofia)

Princess Sofia muttered sadly. 

There’s even rumors like that, huh.

Sounds like a whole lot of pain. 

I told her about my meeting with Furiae-san.

When I told her about how we moved with Lucy’s teleport, she obviously was baffled by it. 

By the way, Furiae-san apparently can’t raise her head to Princess Sofia. 

The Water Country was the one that assisted the Moon Country to stand up after all.

It seems like Princess Sofia can’t think of a reason why Furiae-san is cold to me, and tilted her head.

◇◇

“Well then, see you again tomorrow.” (Sofia)

After talking for a while, Princess Sofia exited the room. 

What a busy person.

I am back to being alone. 

I space out watching the ceiling, and what bothered me was that attitude of Furiae-san. 

Looks like she doesn’t want me to go back to being a Hero.

“What is she thinking…Princess?” (Makoto)

I muttered this in this empty room, and rolled around on the bed. 

This was just me talking to myself, and I wasn’t expecting an answer. 

That’s why that question should have disappeared into the air…

“I will answer, My Master.” 

A clear and low voice responded to me.

“?!” 

I spring out from my bed and hurriedly look around warily. 

But there’s nothing around.

“Who is it…?” (Makoto)

I take a stance with my dagger and ask shortly. 

“Why are you so nervous, *My Master*.” <TLN: Aruji-sama.> 

“…Huh?” (Makoto)

When I listened properly, that voice was coming from my feet. 

There were two small eyes shining…in my shadow.

And then, a black living being squirmed out from inside the shadow.

It was a familiar black cat.

“You are…Tsui?” (Makoto)

The demonic cat that became my familiar in the Water City of Makkaren.

But it is the black cat that was more attached to Furiae-san than me. 

“Correct. To think you would forget about me… How sad.” (Tsui)

“…”

It sighed heavily and grooms itself. 

I couldn’t say anything.

“What’s the matter, My Master? By the way, I am hungry. I demand fish.” (Tsui)

“Why are you talking normally?!!” (Makoto)

I couldn’t hold it in and ended up retorting. 

Looks like the one who changed the most after coming to the present was the black cat. 

———

■Comment Response: 

>Wasn’t it supposed to be the cliche that the teleport misses and he would end up being teleported to Furiae-san naked in the middle of bathing?! 

→Author: “That didn’t come to mind!” 

(If the light novel reaches this point, I might take that idea as reference.) 

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