CHAPTER 7 (PART 3):
I TRIED SUPPORTING MY FRIEND’S LOVE
“He…didn’t even talk to you?”
I went to see Cecilia to ask why she turned Raven down.
I thought she might be reluctant if I asked her flat out, so I beat around the bush a little, however…
“That’s right. Raven-san never came to see me. …Did something happen?”
What’s going on here?
I couldn’t figure it out by myself, so I let Cecilia in on the situation.
“…I see, could it be he confessed to someone who works here instead?”
If he confessed to one of the maids, we knew just who to ask.
“Let’s ask Sophia-san. She’s the head maid, she may just know something.”
“I’ll go with you.”
Perhaps because they were once comrades, she was now also worried about Raven.
As expected of the kind Cecilia-san.
We both head to the servant’s quarters to find Sophia-san.
“Indeed, Raven-sama was here just a short while ago.”
When we arrived at the servant’s quarters and asked Sophia-san, it was as Cecilia expected.
He had confessed to one of the employees.
Cecilia inquired with Sophia-san further.
“Then, did he need to speak with someone about something?”
“As I recall…he had something to discuss with one of the maids.”
As we thought, it was one of the maids.
Just what kind of girl did he confess to?
“Sophia-san, which girl did he ask for?”
As his friend, I wanted to ask the girl what she found wrong with Raven.
Cecilia was also worried, and we both fidgeted while we awaited Sophia-san’s answer.
“The new maid, Hapyneth.”
“…”
“…”
We both froze on the spot.
My first friend after reincarnating fell in love with one of my former demon underlings.
Cecilia froze without saying a word.
“…Right! Pardon me, Sophia-san, where would Hapyneth happen to be at the moment?”
I had about a million things to ask Hapyneth. Seeing how impatient I looked, Sophia-san recoiled but quickly composed herself.
“…Right now Hapyneth is scheduled to clean the mansion. The mansion is quite large, I do not know exactly where she will be.”
The Aquarain mansion was certainly large, but if I ran around the mansion for a few minutes I should find her.
“Thank you so much Sophia-san. I’ll leave Cecilia in your capable hands.”
Cecilia was still frozen stiff, so I left her in Sophia-san’s care and exited the servant’s quarters.
After that I ran around the mansion.
I got a few warnings from the other maids about running, but I just gave them a quick apology and continued on.
I ran about the residence three times and finally found Hapyneth.
She was wearing the maid uniform, and sweeping one of the guest rooms.
I had run by here before, but we must have just missed each other.
“…Been a while.”
She gave me a small nod, then went back to her cleaning.
“Wait just a minute.”
We hadn’t even talked about anything yet, so I grip her shoulder, restraining her.
I finally found her, I’m not letting her off with just a greeting.
“…What?”
“Don’t you ‘what’ me! I’m your former captain. Where’d this attitude come from?”
Aren’t you the one that desperately searched for me for a month and a half?
Of course, she had never shown me an ounce of respect, even back when we were in the Demon Lord’s castle together.
But that didn’t matter right now, I would hold back fro the moment, but we would certainly have a good long talk about that later.
“…Problem?”
“Yeah, that’s right. Just a little bit ago a good looking guy with a sword at his waist came to you. What did you say to him?”
“…Love confessed, ‘Impossible’ replied.”
She declared with her usual indifferent tone of voice.
Did she turn Raven down the same way?
If she did, that poor guy…
But if I remember right, Raven said she envied his voice at some point.
So that means they met somewhere before.
“You met that swordsman somewhere. Could you tell me when and where you met?”
Hapyneth looked shocked that I would ask such a thing.
But she quickly whirled around, turning her back to me.
“…Impossible.”
Refusing to answer, Hapyneth ran away, broom in hand.
I went to chase after her, but there was probably a reason she couldn’t say.
It wouldn’t solve anything if I caught her and forced her to tell me.
“…I’ll figure something out after I go back.”
I relay to Cecilia that I’m headed out, then go back to the guild.
“…and that’s what happened.”
It was already noon when I made it back to the guild, and the bar was crowded with adventurers getting food.
I make my way to my own personal private seat at Clayman’s desk, only to find an armored knight sitting there.
Looks like Duke and Clayman are having a pleasant heart-to-heart.
Seems like they’re having fun.
“Ooh~, looks like you have your own set of troubles. If it were me, I’d just f’ it all, too much of a hassle.”
“What’re you guys talking about?”
It made me curious, so I wedged myself in on the conversation.
Clayman and Duke finally took notice of me and gave me a quick greeting.
I couldn’t see Duke’s expression since he was wearing a helmet, but I got the feeling he was laughing.
“Just a fun story about you, Captain.”
Of course he would have omitted any demonizing details.
But that wasn’t the problem.
“Don’t just gossip about someone’s past like that!”
There are a mountain of memories I wish I could erase from my dark past.
I can’t help but be super worried, wondering which story Duke told him.
Right now, I want to interrogate him, then reprimand him, but this isn’t the time for that.
“Good thing I ran into you, Duke. There’s something I wanted to ask you, so come with me real quick.”
I take him out of the guild and explain the situation.
Duke has known Hapyneth for about as long as I have, give or take a little.
He was quite adept at charming allies.
“Yeah… First, we better get Cecilia-san to help by getting Hapyneth’s side of the story. If we don’t, Cecilia-san may not be able to help us even if she could.”
He’s probably right.
But I can’t just leave Raven in that state either.
“…Can’t be helped, I’ll have to go back to Cecilia’s place to explain. Let’s go, Duke.”
“Roger!”
With Duke in tow, I head back to the Aquarain mansion.
We tell Cecilia about Hapyneth’s past in her room.
“Well, here’s the thing. First, you know Harpy demons are regularly hunted by humans, right?”
Cecilia nodded in acknowledgment.
Harpies are attractive demons, and are often caught and made into slaves, and are endlessly hunted for their feathers.
By the way, I forgot to mention it before, but I didn’t sell off the feathers I plucked from Hapyneth; I still had them in my possession.
“Of course Hapyneth was no exception. She was being chased by hunters to a place I just happened to be patrolling. I saved her, and she became one of the Captain’s underlings.”
Cecilia had a complicated expression on her face.
She was a human just like those hunters.
It wasn’t a very pleasant story.
“At first she didn’t speak at all. Even now she’s still not very talkative.”
At first she could only communicate by nodding or shaking her head.
The trauma was considerable.
“That’s why I think even if a human said he loved her…she wouldn’t have any good feelings about it…”
It makes sense, I feel the same way having known her for so long.
But still, Hapyneth shouldn’t think so badly of Raven.
“Then, why did she say she was jealous of Raven-san’s voice?”
“Harpy’s are originally a race that like to sing, so it could be she was charmed by his voice, but…”
But we still don’t know how the two of them met.
Anything more than that, we could only guess at.
We were in a total deadlock.
“…As for how they met, it may be more prudent to ask Raven instead of Hapyneth.”
Hapyneth refused to answer earlier.
And she can be quite stubborn when she wants to.
Knowing her personality, Duke agrees.
Cecilia also nodded her approval at my idea.
“Then we’re done here for today. I’ll stop by Raven’s place on the way home.”
Deciding on the next course of action we adjourn our little impromptu meeting, and I head for the Knight’s Dormitory where Raven lives.
Arriving at the Knight’s Dormitory I wonder just how many people live here.
It could probably house a few hundred knights; it’s a gigantic dormitory. When I entered I saw a reception desk, and someone who looked like ae Dorm Manager there.
Upon seeing me, she asked what business I had here.
“Excuse me, I actually came here to meet with my knight friend who lives here…”
The Dorm Manager was a normal lady who looked good in glasses.
“Just to confirm, what is the name of the knight whom you are looking for? And if you could give me your name as well?”
I gave her my name, and then, when I mentioned Raven’s name, she pushed up her glasses and gave me a very doubtful look.
Well, Raven is famous after all, and he’s not really known to have many friends, so I understand her suspicion.
But even so, she still went to go confirm and left for the dorm interior. After a few minutes I could hear briskly walking footsteps as the Dorm Manager returned with a beautiful stride.
“I have confirmation. Please allow me to guide you to Raven-sama’s room.”
I follow after the Dorm Manager until we make it to Raven’s room.
The Dorm Manager left with a ‘please take your time’, and returned to the reception desk.
“Raven, I’m coming in.”
I knocked and opened the door.
His room was dark, dank, and dreary.
Raven was in the center of the room lying lifeless on his bed.
…He was severely depressed, that much was obvious.
It was his first love after all.
Raven finally noticed I was there and got up from the bed.
“…Youki? Sorry about before. And after you invited me out too.”
“No, it’s fine. …Actually I have something I want to ask you.”
He may not want to talk about it, but I wanted to support my friend in love.
I’ll use any means to elicit an answer out of him.
“I want you to tell me exactly how you met the girl you fell for.”
“…What would it change even if you knew?”
He murmured, coming off as though it was all too bothersome.
Shit, he’s turning into Clayman, I gotta do something!
“It’s too early to give up now! There might be something we can do if we work together. Please, just tell me.”
He finally gave in to my pestering.
Little by little Raven revealed the story.
Man, it wasn’t surprising at all…
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