The Traveling Hero Won’t Let the Innkeeper’s Son Escape

That night, refraining from a long ride tomorrow, Ruth went to bed early. Tomorrow, I'm busy because I have to stand in the kitchen in the morning in response to Alec's request to really make me lunch.

But sometimes it's an orphan, and Alec is in a situation I can't usually tell you about. Rather, I think it responds well to over-reliant requests for adult children. I can't very well imitate Ruth, who has parents and a house. When I think about it, Ruth always wants to hear as much as I can about myself. I don't hate being relied upon by Alec.

But before Ruth could close her eyes, there was some noise outside.

(What...?

When Ruth snuck open the window and looked outside, he could see the villagers with bonfires roaring in the dark square. It's like we're looking for someone.

(If the demon came out, it would have been more noisy, and something happened?

It's a village in the mountains, so the appearance of demons is a possibility. But then it gets more fussy, and Ruth is immediately woken up by his fathers to rally. So I knew that the unusual conditions outside were not such that the safety of the village was threatened.

The people you see outside, if you look closely, don't seem to be the only villagers. When I look at your face, I feel like the men who came to the inn in the evening to book accommodation.

As Ruth looked out the window thinking about it, his face suddenly appeared in front of him.

"Ugh... what, Alec?

It was Alec who suddenly appeared out the window. Even though Alec was at this hour, he was securely wrapped in clothes and geared up to go hunting right now.

"…… bad, Ruth. Can you let me in?

Instead of the usual leisurely attitude, Alec, who looks like he's in a mood somewhere, looks up to Ruth as if he's asking for help. Ruth became anxious when he seemed to have a dark shadow in his eyes.

".................. oh fine. Come on, come here."

From the atmosphere of the square and the strange Alec somewhere, Ruth doesn't hesitate to invite him inside when he realizes something's happened. I couldn't have left Alec alone like this.

When he confirms that Alec, who went inside through the window, has sat down on the bed, he gently closes the window and hangs the curtain. When the lamp was placed away from the window and on the side of the bed, it locked the door and then stopped by Alec's side, who sat in a vague manner.

"What's wrong, Alec? Is something wrong?

"... Ruth... me..."

Alec looks like a child who's lost.

Doesn't work for the most part and looks unusual for one calm Alec to say the least. Besides, I say something, and I hesitate to shut my mouth. Ruth gets more and more anxious about that.

"Maybe they did something to you? Like the one who found out about your powers forced you to do something nasty?

"……… I……………."

"Alec, talk to me. I may not count on you, but if you're in trouble, I can help you."

"... eh"

That said, Alec's face, which was anxiously shaken, was distorted. When I'm still upset by my crying face, I get grabbed by Gasilli and his arm.

"Ruth... me, me... I don't want to be a brave man...!

That said, Alec buried his face in Ruth's shoulder. Keep your arms around your back and embrace Ruth.

"I should have hunted in this village, taken the nuts, and laughed with you. Yet he told me to be a brave man and embark on a journey of salvation... to get out of the village and go to the king capital...! I don't like that. I don't want to leave the village. I want to be with you."

With a damp voice, Alec hugs her back so hard that she shrugs her head to make sure Ruth is present. The slightly stiff golden hair touched my cheeks and I felt it tickle.

Alec's behavior may be quite unusual for same-sex childhood tampering. But Ruth wasn't the other way around.

(eh... yusha... could it be 'brave man'!?

What comes to mind when Ruth hears' The Brave 'is the protagonist of a game he saw in his previous life. Take a journey to defeat the roots of demon kings and evil and fight death with your people. He is a hero who is sometimes threatened with his life but ultimately makes the world peaceful.

This world is capable of using swords and magic and is indeed much more fantastic than Ruth's previous world. But I didn't think it was real. But given Alec and the noise outside, I don't think he's lying or making a fuss. There must really be a 'brave man' in this world because there are so many people coming from the Wang capital.

(Alec, the brave man?... but that's not true... Ah, but...)

I didn't think there was such a thing as childhood training living in the same village - but I immediately changed my mind that there was no such thing.

Alec blossomed his abilities from an early age, and now he had the power to use his sword's skill and technique until he was horrible. I know it's so natural talent that I think that's cheat ability, because Ruth has a previous life. So even if they say it's the qualities of a brave man, it's something to snort at.

"... but why did we talk about that? I've never spoken of a brave man..."

"I don't know. But the priest didn't tell me that I was a brave man in the past. I saved the world hundreds of years ago... They've been having problems all over the world lately, and they said it might be time for the angelic to show up."

"You were listening to me."

Ruth is mostly with me when I talk to the priest, so I'm sure he only told that story when Alec was around. When that happens, I feel that the priest's actions are intentional. Could it be that Alec had long seen that he had the qualities of a brave man?

"So all of a sudden this evening they came to the village chief's place saying they had been dispatched by Wang Du... so I was called and when they touched the crystal they had, they suddenly smashed it. Then they say I'm a brave man..."

That seems to have happened after Marianne called me in the evening.

A conversation was then proceeded between the village chief and the men on his own, and it seems that Alec will also be leaving the village early tomorrow morning towards the Wang capital. At that time, the people around him told me not to make any public statements about this, and it seemed that Alec, who had rebelled against it, had been imprisoned until earlier.

I guess the noise out there is because the village chief and those close to him who noticed Alec who got out, and the people of the Wang capital, were looking for him.

"Those guys, you're taking it too personally. It's like ignoring my intentions. Because you're a brave man, it's natural to embark on a journey of world peace, because it's natural to save people... What are you talking about? There's something I want to do, too, brave man. It's enough for me to live as Alec."

"... right..."

When Ruth told him to be in tune, Alec held on to him more and more. The sudden emotional build-up seems to have stopped, but the rough breathing still hasn't healed. When he stroked Alec's back to calm him down, he became weaker and weaker. But I still don't think I want to let Ruth go. Ruth thought about the earlier story, laughing bitterly at Alec as if she were a child.

(You do talk about brave men, and for Alec, it's water in your sleeping ears. All of a sudden you've risked your life to save the world. I know what it's like to say 'Know it'...... but......)

But Ruth also knew that he had played the game in his previous life, that being a brave man was very important to the world. A sword that only the brave can have, a door that only the brave can open, a race that only the brave can accept - those things were a classic in the game.

Of course, this world is not a game, so there will be a difference with what Ruth knows. But I felt that Alec was special. Ruth doesn't know what's going on in the world right now because he's a little far from the Wang capital, and information about other countries and villages rarely comes in. But I guess that's why Alec came to pick up Alec in a village on the border in this mountainous area, and that's why Alec needs a brave man, as the priest told him.

(But... but I can't tell you to save the world with my life...)

Ruth is the son of an innkeeper in a small village. Alec, who was told he was a brave man, would never understand how he felt or how much he weighed. I don't know what Ruth said. That can only be someone else's word who knows nothing. That's why I didn't know what to say to Alec either. I didn't think I should say my cheap opinion or anything.

"I see your situation… So what does Alec want?

When Ruth said so, Alec, who was buried in his shoulder, finally woke up. The face was not usually tough or anything, but was perplexed. Because the force of his arm was not very loose, his face was close enough for his nose to reach him, but Ruth did not stray from his face. Not if it is illuminated now.

"I am……."

"You said you didn't want to be a brave man. You want to run?

……

"If Alec runs away and says he wants to live in peace, I'll do everything I can to help. I will never betray you."

"Ruth......"

"But Alec. I just want you to know that."

"What?

"I'm sure there is no one in this world but Alec who is said to be a brave man. I think Alec is the only one who has that power. I want you to know that."

Ruth can't stop Alec from escaping. Because the son of an innkeeper cannot be a brave man instead.

But that's all I know. That's all they say about brave men. And I was born with all sorts of powers that way to carry that weight. Don't prepare yourself. You may think, but it is thanks to that power that Alec has now. Without that power, I'm sure Alec's fate would have been completely different.

That's why I wanted you to be well aware that you chose the option of running away even though you had the provided power. And above all, I didn't want Alec to regret it later knowing that the world had undergone a change with no brave men.

"... I know. I don't think there's such a lot of brave people. But... I can't believe I'm a brave man... do you work for me?

Alec said so and lowered his gaze to a lack of confidence. It's a level of agitation I can't imagine from Alec, who's always grand.

But even Alec was a regular village youth until yesterday. I'm going to stay married, work, raise my kids and die. I think he believed that there would be days without such other love. That's suddenly the brave one. There is no easy way to accept it. If that's the case, it's natural for this reaction to happen. Alec is not a character in the game.

"Alec, you shouldn't have to carry it all on your own because you're a brave man. All you have to do is make a buddy and work it out with them. And."

"…… So, where are you going?

"Alec has me, too. My son can't help the brave, but I'll do whatever I can for Alec. You can come back whenever you're tired, and I'll ask you as much as you want to cry. Besides, if you're staying at the inn, I'll give you a free discount for brave men."

Ruth grinned to reassure Alec. I felt like I was saying something a little stinky, but it was only at a time like this that I couldn't tell him without telling him that it was 31 plus 19 years - combined with 50 years of life experience that I somehow knew.

"... Ruth... eh"

Alec's face turned bright red and trembled as she was impressed. And when I could see something stuck in my throat, I took my hand off Ruth's back and with my right hand I suppressed my heart and lay down on my face.

"Oh, hey Alec. Are you okay?"

"It's... it's okay... it's just a little painful..."

I try to rub Alec's back, which doesn't seem to be all right at all, but the hand of those who haven't held his chest faster than that grabbed Ruth's hand. I thought you wanted me to stay calm, and when I held him with both hands so as to encourage that hand, he would squeeze back. Apparently, this is fine.