Chapter 42: CH 42

Episode 42 – Another Farewell 

TL Note: This chapter was sponsored by Jessie. Thanks so much to all readers for your support, it has really been keeping me motivated to continue translating this work. (2/3) One more sponsored chapter coming with tomorrow’s release. This chapter is the final chapter of the first volume/arc titled “The Escape From the Bottom”. With the next chapter, the second volume “Outgrowing the Bottom” will begin. Thanks for reading!

Note from the Author: Ahmed’s POV.

Today was the day we were finally going to leave Grezesta. I hated mornings because I always felt tired and grumpy, but today was rare in that I had woken up on my own for once. I was already finished preparing for the trip, so there was nothing else to do, but… I felt anxiety and restlessness gripping my chest. This wasn’t the first time I was moving to a different city. When I was a child, my parents often brought me around from city to city, but, even when I was on my own making a living as an adventurer, I changed base cities several times. Well, out of all the cities, Grezesta was the city that I had stayed in the longest, but I didn’t think I would feel that regretful to leave this place until recently. Those guys in [Azurite]… Well, I got wrapped up in a bad dispute with Leila, and when that baldy Guild Chief expelled me from the Grezesta Adventurer’s Guild, I actually felt a little relieved at the time. Honestly, I already knew the reason I felt like this.

It was… Lewin.

Back when we completed the first quest commission with Lewin, I started becoming aware of the fact that I was slowly growing more and more unwilling to leave this city. That feeling became even stronger after I rescued him from Mount Cornello. I grew even more convinced in those three days we spent together afterwards, and I found myself always subconsciously trying to find an excuse to have him join our party. It really wasn’t like me to be thinking like this… even I knew that much. But I ended up liking Lewin to such a degree. Dion and Smash were probably thinking the same thing. I took a seat on the chair in the room, heaving a deep sigh, when I suddenly heard a voice from behind me.

“What’s with the sigh? Is there something troubling you?”

“Oi, Smash. You bastard, what the hell are you doing in my room? …I’m not going to punch you, so hurry up and get out. I’m not in the mood.” (Ahmed)

When I told Smash that, he made the most surprised face I had seen him make since I met him. It kind of had a mocking look to it, but I wasn’t going to get angry at him right now.

“What’s wrong with you? The normal Elisa would have sent a punch flying my way instantly.” (Smash)

“…I already told you, I’m not in the mood. Hurry up and get out of my room.” (Ahmed)

“By any chance, is it about Lewin?” (Smash)

Hearing his guess that was right on the money, I jumped a little.

“So that’s what it was, huh? Just as Dion said, you were worried about Lewin after all.” (Smash)

“–Ouch! Since when did you start caring about that?” (Smash)

“Shut up. Fine… it’s still early, but you’re being annoying, so let’s just get going.” (Ahmed)

“…If you end up regretting it, it’s not my problem.” (Smash)

“If you say one more thing, I’m going to punch you again.” (Ahmed)

And so, even though it was earlier than we planned, we started leaving the city. As expected, no one was around to see us off, but it was more comfortable this way.

“Oi!! Stop dilly dallying around, let’s hurry up and leave!” (Ahmed)

“Ahmed-san, we still haven’t finished with the procedures, so please wait just a while longer.” (Dion)

Dion was near the gate, slowly dealing with the procedures to leave the city. We weren’t going to be coming back here for a while, so how ‘bout they let me “deal” with the procedures?

As I was slowly losing my patience with the seemingly endless procedures, Dion suddenly called out.

“Oh! He came!” (Dion)

“Lewin-kun, thanks for coming to see us off.” (Dion)

“No no, I’ve been indebted to the [Azure Alliance] time and time again. Oh also… it’s not much, but I’ve brought a small gift for each of you.” (Lewin)

Behind me, I could hear the two of them happily receiving their presents from Lewin. I wanted my present too and wanted to talk to him one last time, but I couldn’t show him this pathetic face. Damn it! Pull it together, eyes!

Just then, I heard the sound of Lewin’s footsteps approaching me from behind. If I showed him this pitiful expression I had right now, my life would be over…

I started to panic, but–

“It’s alright, I’ll hold onto her present for her.” (Dion)

“Ah… t-thanks.” (Lewin)

Dion pulled through and managed to stop him just in the nick of time.

This was strange. Completely strange. I had never felt this way in my entire life. My father and mother died when I was young, but I wasn’t that sad at the time. None of the farewells and goodbyes in my life were either. I had never been moved to tears before in my life.

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Why did I like him so much? …No, I knew perfectly well why. Lewin was the first person to truly treat me like a real person. Other people were always treating me as some kind of monster or beast because of how I acted normally. But when I was with him, it was always fun, and I could be genuinely happy. Just looking at the time we spent together, it was truly short. And yet, in that brief period of time, I came to like Lewin so much, since he always treated me kindly like a real person. When I finally acknowledged this within myself, I couldn’t stop the hot tears from spilling over. When I thought of all of the bitter, cruel treatment I had endured up until now, it couldn’t even hold a candle to the precious but short-lived memories I shared with Lewin.

…One thing. If I could just say this one thing. ‘Will you join the [Azure Alliance]?’ It would be so much easier if I could just say these words to Lewin.

“…………Let’s go.” (Ahmed)

There was no point in dwelling on it any longer. Lewin had his own lifestyle to upkeep, and it wasn’t good for me to be too unreasonable and selfish. I couldn’t even wipe away my tears just in case he would see. I bit down on my lower lip hard, trying to stop the tears from dripping down my face. Peering wistfully through my watery field of vision, I took one step forward at a time. It was time to leave Grezesta. Just as I cemented my resolve to leave, I heard Lewin’s voice shouting in the distance.

“AHMED-SAN!!! Starting from the first request, thank you so much for everything you’ve done for me! I didn’t know how to do anything, but thanks to your kindness, I was able to have a brighter future in this world! Also… the only reason I’m currently able to stand here right now is because you rescued me from that disaster! Someday, I will definitely become stronger and come to return this f-favor to you, so… so when that time comes, please l-let me join the [Azure Alliance]!!!” (Lewin)

Hearing Lewin’s tearful, emotional outburst, I couldn’t hold it in anymore and started quietly sobbing. I was already biting down hard on my lower lip, but the tears were freely flowing down my face. I wanted to say something, just a single word, but… I had to be strong in front of Lewin.

Unable to utter a single word for fear of breaking down, I raised my hand and gave him a thumbs up. Someday… I believed from the bottom of my heart that Lewin would become strong and appear in front of me.

★　　　★　　　★

“Hehehe, I knew you would be crying. As I was saying earlier, you should have just kidnapped him!” (Smash)

“…Shut it… you were c-crying too…!” (Ahmed)

“It was the first time in my life that someone thanked me like that, so I was so overjoyed that I couldn’t hold it in.” (Smash)

“Then you’re no different from me!!” (Ahmed)

“But I’m not the one over here still bawling my eyes out.” (Smash)

“Still, no matter how many times I think about it, Lewin was really a good boy. One day, I’d really like to travel with him.” (Dion)

After we left Grezesta, Smash and I had a nice conversation about Lewin. He had been crying too, so even though he was poking fun at me, his gentle teasing helped cheer me up a bit.

“Dion, gimme the present that Lewin gave me!” (Ahmed)

“Oh yeah, why don’t we all take a moment to open our presents? Here’s yours, Ahmed-san.” (Dion)

I received a small, neatly packaged gift box from Dion.

“Well, I’ll go first then… Oh! It’s a pair of gloves. It has a really nice grip and is made of good quality materials. He must have bought it for me after seeing the raggedy gloves I always wear!” (Smash)

“I’ll go next. This is…! Deep Shark’s File!” (Dion)

What came out of Dion’s gift box was something that looked like a small piece of cloth. I didn’t know what it was exactly. He started muttering excitedly under his breath as his eyes reddened, so it was probably something really good. I had no idea what was so great about it though.

“When Dion gets like this, you know he’s like. Go on and open your present, Elisa.” (Smash)

“…My name… the next t-time you call me that, I’ll punch you.” I sniffled, wiping my tears as I gave Smash a warning. I started removing the pretty gift wrapping.

What emerged from the inside of the box was… an adorable hair clip made out of fluffy red cloth.

“A… hair clip? Somehow, it doesn’t really fit her image…” (Dion)

When Smash saw this, his mouth was hanging open in shock, but he couldn’t hide the joy in his eyes. The day before yesterday, this was a hair clip that I had my eyes on when we were at the fashion shop that Dion recommended. I passed it up because I thought it would never look good on me, but… Lewin must have seen it.

Not good! I can’t stop smiling!

“Hmmm…? Ahmed-san, what are you grinning so much for?” (Dion)

“Eh, for real. That creepy smile is making me nervous! Hurry, stop it!” (Smash)

“Who has a creepy smile, huuuh? Dion, Smash!!” (Ahmed)

“N-no! I didn’t say—Don’t come any closer!!” (Dion)

Fufu… that cheered me up a bit. Tying up my long hair with the hair clip, I went after the two of them, who had escaped off into the distance.

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