Nurturing the Hero to Avoid Death
chapter-8

Two days later, Alfred returns to school. Even the most severe injuries are completely healed.

He’s truly the future Hero. His frightening resilience is different from ordinary folks.

When Dil catches sight of him, he screams and runs off into the distance.

…Well, I think that’s better than the two of them quarreling.

That day was truly exhausting. In a lot of ways. However, now there’s someone who understands my situation and can help. Thanks to their backing, I feel like I’m gliding through the air, slowly rising into the sky. With this, my stress-induced chronic gastritis seems to have improved—

But it’s not completely gone yet.

Right now, it feels like there are knives stabbing into my stomach.

As I move to the intermediate magic technique classroom… No, it’s been happening since morning. Alfred’s eyes have been glued to my back all day. Moreover, he’s expressionless.

So scary! I can’t read his thoughts at all! But I’m too scared to ask so I can’t say anything!

Is this what they call “keeping someone in suspense?” and “On pins and needles?”

Anyway, because of all this stress, my stomach’s been killing me since morning.

I’m fed up. I want to go home already.

I sigh. The hallway leading to the building where the special class is held is empty. The three brats are taking the agriculture exam at the back of the school.

…So right now, it’s only me and Alfred here. He’s following right behind me.

So why, why is he following? Please move away from me! You’re too close! This strange distance is too unpleasant!

“…Hey,” says Alfred.

I manage to hold back from screaming. He finally said something. Because we’re heading to the same classroom, I can’t run away.

“W-what?”

Behind me, Alfred leaves some space between us and opens his mouth to say, “You… The day before yesterday…”

“Oh… I went straight home that day! Seriously! Didn’t even visit the library!” I answer without pause, not turning back in the slightest. These are the lines I have prepared.

That’s right. I’ll keep saying “I went straight home the day before yesterday.” Insist on it no matter what. Luckily, there’s no evidence of where I was. And everything was taken care of.

There’s no one to tell Alfred the truth. It’s the perfect crime. Well, I didn’t actually commit a crime.

Alfred’s silent.

I wonder if he believes what I say. Well, he has no choice but to believe it. There’s no proof I was with him!

With this, everything will go back to normal—

He suddenly grabs my right arm.

“Ahh!”

His grip stops me in my tracks, my arm pulled back behind me.

“W-what—”

He draws it close to his face and studies it, blue eyes unblinking. Tilts and rotates my arm. It seems like he’s searching for something.

“…Two days ago, well for a while now, I’ve been having a nightmare…” Alfred mutters, eyes lowered. “My memory of what happened the day before yesterday is still blurry. But… it was like I was dreaming the whole time… Or maybe I was awake… Which part was a dream and which was reality… I’m still not sure…”

“H-huh… Really?” I bring a hand to my chest, brushing it gently.

Alright. Good. After all, he appears not to remember much of what occured back then. Well, naturally he doesn’t! He was unconscious through all of it!

“But… There was a hand holding mine the whole time… A warm hand. ‘It’s okay,’ someone said to me… In the dream…”

I swallow my breath.

“The hand was small and the fingers were so, so thin. Kind of like yours.” He squeezes mine as though to confirm. As he does this, my heart thrashes against my chest.

This is bad. This guy’s memory is too good!

Somehow, I have to play off this dream punchline as a fact.

Up until now, I managed to follow the story of the “Starting Village arc.” If the story diverges from here on out, I’ll have no clue what to do in the remaining four years. And I won’t be able to predict what will happen. That’s why, I need to bring it back on track.

“T-that’s… Yeah, that’s it. You had a realistic dream that didn’t seem like a dream!”

“A realistic dream that doesn’t seem like a dream?”

“Exactly! Dreams that seem connected to reality. Don’t you get them often? You have those kinds of dreams when you’re tired, right? Me, I’ve had those kinds of dreams too. It’s like that. Well, whatever you see in your dreams have nothing to do with me!”

“Dream…”

That’s right. It’s a dream. It’s definitely a dream. So let go of my hand already. Why is he still checking my fingers one by one?

This bastard… Maybe he doesn’t believe me after all I’ve said… Still searching?

Try poking holes into my airtight alibi!

Phew… But too bad. I’ve predicted this as well. My alibi is perfect. It won’t be destroyed by someone like you.

“…I squeezed that hand so hard I thought I definitely crushed it.”

No really?!

Read this at perpetualdaydreams.com

After that, the fingers of my right hand were red and swollen, too painful to move! That atrocious pain may have cracked bone. What an absurd strength. It seriously hurt so much I was brought to tears! You should reflect on it! Well, since I treated it with a high-grade recovery potion, it healed without leaving a trace.

Was he perhaps worried that I was injured?

You don’t have to worry. My fingers are already healed.

“Poor guy,” I say. “That person was probably in terrible, terrible pain.”

Alfred’s eyebrow twitches.

I sigh. “Anyway, let go of me—”

“Ah.”

“Eh?”

W-what is it? He’s staring at the back of my wrist. He lifts my hand again, draws it closer to his face while staring.

“W-what?” What’s he looking at? I’m scared.

“There are scratches.”

“Eh?!”

He unbuttons the cuff of my shirt and rolls it up to my elbow, the cuff of my jacket caught in the motion as well.

Hey. What are you doing? You’re wrinkling them! These clothes are expensive!

Then Alfred nods once, showing that part of my arm to me proudly.

“Look.”

“What is it now… Oh.”

There really are scratches. Sure enough, there are two red lines resembling earthworms on my skin. I didn’t realize I had them. Now that I think of it, when that part of my arm came in contact with bath water two days ago, it seemed to sting a bit. Because the soap contained peppermint, perhaps it irritated the wounded area of skin.

But I wonder where it came from?

Maybe it was when he grasped my arm and refused to let go. It looks like there are some finger marks.

This is seriously bad. I have to pull myself out of this one.

“Eh, maybe I got it from rubbing against something without knowing, like a branch or whatever.”

“A branch…?”

“Yep! That’s exactly it! It’s probably from this tree in my garden!”

“Your garden.”

“That’s right. The garden at my residence is spacious. I jog there every morning. I probably scratched myself during that.”

Alfred has no way of knowing it’s a lie.

For this reason, he can’t use the red marks as evidence for his own claim.

Too bad! Though you did make me sweat a bit.

Alfred looks somewhat frustrated and dissatisfied.

I tilt my chin upward slightly, narrow my eyes, and flash a triumphant smile. Looks like I’m the winner.

“…This.” He points to the marks. “Are they no longer painful?”

“Completely painless. You can’t even call this a wound. It doesn’t require a recovery potion. A lick can probably heal it just fine.”

Whether or not he’s convinced, he gives me an indifferent response. Still not giving up at staring at my arm, Alfred takes hold of it again.

Then. He. Licks. The scratches.

I’m stunned. My brain shuts down; my body freezes. I can’t understand or predict his actions.

Flicking a sidelong glance at me, he gives the marks another lick. From near the elbow to the wrist. I feel something warm and wet trace the side of my arm hidden from view.

W-what the hell are you doing?!

Alfred raises his face, narrowing his blue eyes as he takes in the sight of me.

For some reason, a wicked smile slides its way across his lips. “You told me it would heal by licking, so I thought I’d help you out.”

This guy! He couldn’t bring down my alibi so this bastard is taking it out on me instead! Is he a child?! Oh right, he is. Damn it!

“A-a-are you a fool?! That was just an example!”

“Your face is bright red.”

“You’re n-noisy! L-let go of me!” I try my hardest to pull my hand away, but his grip is vice-like. He appears to be having fun, grinning at me.

Bastard! Am I being bullied? No, that’s supposed to be my role!

Disturbed, no, pissed off, I kick his shin with all my might. The contact gives off a loud noise.

“Ow…!”

Even if he’s the future Hero, the pain still makes him groan and stumble. Well, of course. That’s a weak point even for Benkei! Heroes are no exception.

His grip on my arm loosens. Wasting no time, I shake off his hand. “You r-reap what you sow, idiot! Stupid! Pervert! Fool! A walking ball of negative common sense! Sexual harasser! Go, go ahead and be late! Then eat a failing mark and take the supplementary lessons alone!” Letting loose a barrage of all the insults I can think of, I dash off like a rabbit, leaving Alfred to rub at his shin.

He’s such a fool. Although he’s the future Hero, he still sexually harassed me! You, if you’d done this to a girl, you’d definitely be sued! You’ll be marked and despised as a certified pervert. Yeah, you should just go ahead and be called that. Suddenly licking me—

Nonono. It’s useless. I’m so embarrassed. What kind of public display is that? Rejected.

Right. Now you see it, now you don’t. It’s deleted from my memory.

That’s the best course of action. Damn it, I was sexually harassed and I have to suck it up?

Ah, that guy is impossible. I can’t believe him. I should have hit him one more time, preferably on the head or in the stomach.

Someone needs to teach him some common sense.