Chapter 8: The Birth of Hero Kazuya
We stood in a place overlooking the guild hallâGuildmaster, Kazuya, and me.
Then, the Guildmaster addressed the floor of the guild, announcing the birth of a new hero: Hero Marsh from Cylindarl, born in the village of Torc.
That was Kazuyaâs title.
From now on, with Kazuyaâs exploits, Torc Village would be a source of pride, Cylindarlâs name would be honored, and this Adventurers' Guild would gain fame as the guild that produced him.
A cheer erupted from the adventurers. Even if you're not a hero, reaching B-rank status earns you recognition. But when that B-rank adventurer is also a hero, expectations overshadow envy.
And Kazuya was great with people. He kept a healthy distance with the other adventurers, never overstepping.
âEveryone! Thank you! As a hero, Iââ
Kazuya suddenly pulled me close.
It happened so fast I couldnât resist. Before I knew it, I was in his arms, my head against his chest.
âI will defeat the Demon Lordâwith my Miki!!â
âWhaâ!?â
Normally, Iâd fire back at something like my Miki, but saying anything here wouldâve felt wrong. It was a day of celebrationâIâd let it slide, just this once.
That said, I tried to wriggle free from his embrace, but Kazuya didnât budge.
He was solidâlike trying to move a boulder. My strength couldnât do a thing. His body was firm and broad, like it was made of stone.
Still, I wasnât about to just sit there quietly, so I lifted my head and shot him a sharp glare.
Kazuya just smiled back at me, with that usual warm, puppy-like grin of his.
Damn it, this guy... But there was nothing I could do, so I gave up and stayed still.
As I relaxed, I felt Kazuya relax too.
The rock-like mass of muscle that had felt so hard moments ago changed. It became something differentâmuscle, yes, but of another kind. Gentle, firm, warm. I was taken aback by the unfamiliar sensation.
It was comforting. Like I was wrapped in something solid yet soft. I felt safe.
I could feel Kazuyaâs heartbeatâit was fast, loud. He was nervous.
Feeling all that from within his chestâbeing called my Miki, being pulled into an embraceâI figured I could let it slide. Just this once.
But thenâ
âHey, hey! If you keep calling her my Miki, Claireâs gonna tear you a new one again!â
A voice rang out from the crowd, followed by a burst of laughter.
âŚCouldâve gone without that.
I was going to let it go, but now, staying in his arms any longer might make it seem like I was his.
Reluctantly, I pulled away from that strangely cozy place, gently pushing off with both hands. Kazuya let go without resisting.
âSee? Told ya! You got carried away!â
I heard someone shout.
Yeah, yeah, says the crowd that started it.
âClaire looks pissed!â
âOh boy, heâs gonna get it later!â
Huh?
That made me realizeâI apparently looked pretty sour.
I hadnât noticed it myself. And honestly, the reason for it probably wasnât KazuyaâŚ
âIâll make sure to give Kazuya an earful later! So Iâm counting on you guys to back me up!â
I figured that was the best way to handle it.
They didnât mean any harm. If anything, the problem was that I usually just put up with it.
âYou got it!â
âJust say the word if you need anything!â
âClaire! Go out with me instead!â
That last one I replied to with a dazzling smile.
The crowd erupted again. Not badâguess Iâve got some popularity of my own.
Beside me, Kazuya was fuming:
âLike hell Iâd let her go to you!â,
âI wasnât talking to you, idiot!â
After a while, the Guildmaster cleared his throat loudly.
âSo thatâs that. A hero has been born from this city. The guild and the town will fully support Hero Marsh. You all better step up tooâweâll make sure youâre properly rewarded!â
With that, the ceremony unveiling the new hero came to a roaring close.
That night, the town's grand dining hall hosted a huge feast.
Apparently, the lord of the town had given the guild a reward for producing a hero.
Still⌠is it really that big a deal just to have a hero born here?
Well, yeah. There are only a handful in the whole country. I guess that alone makes it a big deal. If he actually accomplishes something, the kingdom might reward him too. So thatâs just how it goes.
Even so⌠Kazuya, a hero, huh? He used to say in his past life that if he ever got isekaiâd, heâd just want to be an adventurer, live the slow life in a harem party or whatever.
But now heâs a hero, talking about being loyal only to me, tasked with something as heavy as defeating the Demon Lordâthe exact opposite of a slow life. Talk about a twist.
Itâs not like heâs got cheat powers from some manga or anime, either. Itâs gonna be rough.
I glanced over at Kazuyaâhe had just finished greeting the town lord, and was now making the rounds with the other VIPs.
All night long, Kazuya, the guest of honor, busily moved from table to table, greeting people, drinking with friends, drinking with officials, getting dragged into complaints from the women, shooing away guys trying to hit on me⌠he looked really swamped.
As for meâalcohol does nothing to me, so I was starting to get bored being sober in this crowd.
When I went to talk to Kazuya, he said there was going to be a second party and asked if I could head back first. I agreed, and when I said Iâd leave, he offered to walk me to the inn. I refused, saying the main star shouldnât disappear from his own celebration. Then I returned to the inn alone.
This would be our last night in that place.
Starting tomorrow, weâd be put up somewhere betterâbecause weâre the Heroâs party, of course.
Honestly, this place wasnât exactly high-class, and it would reflect better on the town if the Hero stayed somewhere more fitting. Later, tourists might come and ask, âSo this is where the Hero stayed?â Better to impress them with a good inn.
The very inn where Hero Marsh stayed during his early days!âthat kind of thing.
Now then, I had one thing on my mind.
Kazuya had been drinking for the first time in a while. No doubt heâd be completely hung over and useless in the morning.
Which meant Iâd definitely be up earlier than him.
And what that meant wasâI could finally sleep naked again.
I eagerly stripped down, pulled my favorite blanket from my magic pouch, and laid down.
Ahh⌠I hadnât felt this free in over six months. No clothes tightening around me, just the warmth and softness of the blanket against my bare skin. Pure bliss.
Sleeping naked really is the best! Back to basics, back to naked! Thatâs what Iâm talking about.
That night, I slept soundly and peacefullyâfor the first time in a very long while.
Morning. My eyes popped open.
I felt amazing. None of that usual sleepy haze I tend to sink intoâmy head was clear, sharp.
If waking up like this is the reward, I swore to myself Iâd sleep naked more often.
Then I felt itâa gaze.
âŚKazuya should still be asleep. He should be hungover. Thatâs what I thought.
Cautiously, I followed the sensation to its sourceâand there he was, Kazuya, standing tall like a statue, staring straight at my body.
As usual, Iâd kicked the blanket off in my sleep, and he had a full, unobstructed view of my completely naked self.
âMorning, Kazuya.â
ââŚâ
âHey, at least answer me.â
ââŚâ
âHey!â
I threw a pillow at him.
He didnât dodge. Didnât even flinch when it hit him. Just stood there, unmoving. And finally, he spoke.
ââŚBeautiful.â
âKazuya, seriously.â
âI mean it. Youâre seriously beautiful. Seeing you again like this after half a year, I realize it all over again. Iâve seen a fair number of women naked, but Iâve never seen a body this flawless. Human women canât compare. Miki, your naked body is worth more than any number of jewels! Just the curves alone! The sheer beauty of those linesâno, the way they combine, shift slightly when you moveâitâs mesmerizing! You can see both firmness and softness at once! And your skinâso white, radiant, smoothâit shines brighter than gemstones! And that rarityâan elf, with that style, that glowâno pile of jewels could ever surpass you! Itâs divine! âBeautifulâ doesnât even come close! If I had to compare you to somethingââ
Wow, heâs talking fast.
Even factoring in some bias from affection, itâs clear heâs showering me in some very intense praise.
And the whole time heâs going off, in this rapid-fire monologue, his eyes never once leave my body.
He was still going, but enough was enough.
I clapped my hands together loudly to snap him out of it.
âAlright, thatâs enough! Kazuya, good morning.â
Jolted back to himself, Kazuya finally looked sheepishâand greeted me.
âAh⌠Miki⌠Good morning.â
âEnjoy your first look at me naked in half a year?â
I asked that with a bit of a teasing tone.
âNo, seriously, it was amazing. I didnât get enough. I was completely enchanted. I could stare at you forever. And alsoââ
The monologue started up again.
Ah, crap. Bad move on my part.
I quickly cut him off.
âStop, stop! Sorry! I get it, okay? Youâve made your point.â
âHuh? Really? I could keep going forever about how amazing your body isâdonât you want to hear it?â
Oh come on, give me a break.
âNo, itâs fine. Message received. Loud and clear.â
âAlright then, got it. Iâll save the rest for later.â
Please donât. Iâm full.
âBy the way, how are you even functioning after all that drinking last night? I didnât think you could hold your liquor that well.â
He was supposed to be hungover. Even if he wasnât, we were up lateâno way he should be up this early.
âWell, to be honest, I was dying until a little while ago. My head was pounding. But then I saw you naked and it all vanished. Like magic. Maybe itâs some kind of healing spell?â
âNo, itâs not, you idiot! Iâm heading down. Wait for me downstairs.â
âGot it, Iâll go on ahead.â
So much for a peaceful wake-up...
Well, whatever. I still feel fantastic. Time to get dressed.
After that, Kazuya and I had breakfast and checked out of the inn.
Thank you for everything these past six months.
And with that, the two of us set off to our new lodging.
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