Chapter 271: (Arc 14 Epilogue 2) Two Old Men Drinking

* * *

There are three epilogues for Arc 14.

For a moment, let's go back in time to the day after Emi fought Arcus and Lairine at the quarry near Serelirin.

"Ugh, gahh...?"

The unkempt man... the top-class adventurer "Golden" Arcus, blinked his eyes open on a bed lined up in a room with a medicinal smell.

Moving his neck, he looked around restlessly.

Clean beds lined up neatly except for the one he was using.

Several men with bandages were lying on them.

White walls, white curtains, a clean room.

In other words, this is... some kind of magic treatment hospital.

"Mmm, mmm... mm!? Ow ow ow ow ow!?"

Arcus tried to sit up to get more detailed information, but he had to interrupt that action due to the sudden pain that shot through his whole body.

His bones!

With this feeling, most of the bones in his body are probably broken!

His right arm can be moved with difficulty, but his chest area hurts tremendously.

He can't move his left arm or right leg properly either.

If he rolls over and shifts the blanket that was draped over him, each of them is wrapped tightly with bandages.

It's a serious injury.

The last time he suffered an injury like this was when he drove away a large flock of green dragons... no, it was when he defeated the Destroyer Topopolock.

"Hmm, it seems you have woken up?"

Hearing that voice and sending his gaze in that direction, there was a middle-aged man in a white coat with a medical chart tucked under his arm.

With an assistant-like woman beside him, the man slowly approached Arcus.

"I am the healing arts master, Doctor Eascolo. I am the director of this Serelirin Magic Treatment Hospital and a man who was once called the 'Medical Saint of Yoshanka'! Hehe, how are you feeling, 'Golden' Arcus-dono?"

"How am I feeling... not good. My whole body hurts..."

"That can't be helped. You have fractures all over! Since we didn't get your consent, we have provided medical first aid, but magical treatment has not been done yet. Please forgive me... you."

"Yes, Sensei!"

Eascolo had his assistant bring a round chair, sat next to Arcus, and began his examination while flipping through the medical chart.

Arcus also asked Eascolo about things he was curious about.

As a result, he learned a few things and didn't learn a few things.

First of all, it seems that the one who arranged for his unconscious self to be transported to this treatment hospital was that mediator named Oshiras.

And as for where Emi and Lairine are... Eascolo doesn't know.

"...Hmm, no headache, no confusion in memory. According to what I heard, you were found embedded in the rock face of the cliff in your entire body, right? To receive damage to the extent of being embedded in rock and only suffer fractures. As expected of a top-class adventurer, you're amazing, aren't you?"

"Yes, Sensei!"

"...But, hey..."

Eascolo praised Arcus's toughness, but hearing that, Arcus furrowed his brow.

Because in the end, he lost.

Rejected by the only blood relative he wanted to protect, and beaten to a pulp by that still young girl, it's no wonder he unintentionally let out a sigh.

Feeling pathetic and frustrated.

He was also worried and anxious about what happened to Emi afterward.

"I want to smoke..."

"That's out of the question, of course. The treatment hospital is non-smoking, you."

Eascolo lightly poked Arcus's forehead with the corner of the medical chart.

Arcus fell into despair.

* * *

"How are you feeling?"

It was a few hours later when Mediator Oshiras entered the hospital room where Arcus was lying, carrying a bag while his pale yellow official uniform fluttered.

"I want to smoke..."

"Haha, I'm glad to see you're doing well."

Oshiras laughed, ignoring Arcus's cry of the soul, and sat down on a chair next to the bed.

"Ahh... I heard you arranged for my hospitalization. Thank you, you saved me."

"...No, no."

Oshiras humbly declined with a smile, but for some reason, his face was pale.

Although that behavior concerned him, Arcus had something else he wanted to ask.

"Hey, Mediator-san... what happened to Emi-chan...?"

"She has been taken in by Lairine-san. She should be at her home now."

"Yeah, well... I see..."

There's no way that Supreme Commander would lose a fight to anyone.

At that time, he was so angry that he didn't notice, but... the moment he got Lairine to agree to "become the guardian if you win," the flow of Lairine becoming Emi's mother was already set in stone.

What Arcus should have done was not to fight Emi, but to continue talking with her.

"You may have your own thoughts, but a promise is a promise. You have no intention of going back on it, right?"

"...Of course not. That goes against my pride. And even if I go back on it, I'm no match for that old hag anyway..."

Arcus scratched his cheek with his right hand, looking troubled.

Seeing him like that, Oshiras showed a slightly relieved expression and took out a few sheets of paper from his bag.

"...What's this?"

"This summarizes the mediation details... and such from this time. There are four identical copies, so if you don't mind... please read them carefully and sign."

"Ah, I got it, I got it."

Without properly checking the contents, Arcus pulled out a pen from Oshiras's breast pocket and tried to sign.

"Ah! Wait, wait! I told you to read it carefully!"

Oshiras hurriedly stopped him.

"What is it? You wrote this seriously, right? Then it should be fine, right?"

"Yes! That's right. That's right, there was no other way... but I have to apologize, so to speak... I had no choice but to put yesterday's date on it, and also about the treatment costs..."

"Huh?"

Oshiras shrank, shrugging his shoulders.

Finally taking a proper look at the document after being told that much, the latter half stated that the town of Serelirin would not provide any compensation for the injuries and such resulting from this battle, and that the treatment costs would be at his own expense.

"Ah, I see."

In other words, this official feels guilty about making him bear the treatment costs after the fact.

It's probably not a very good practice administratively in Naganahate.

"Don't worry about it! It was me and the old hag who flew out without waiting for the documents, and the treatment costs are just a small amount! I am 'Golden' Arcus! I'm rich!"

Arcus laughed off Oshiras, who was like that, with a hearty laugh.

Oshiras was repeatedly bowing and apologizing profusely.

* * *

(...Now, what should I do...)

One week later.

Arcus was at a loss, stroking his unkempt beard.

Doctor Eascolo's skills were reliable.

According to what he heard, he had previously opened a treatment hospital in some rural town called Yoshanka and moved to Serelirin because the town had declined, but... in the first place, he had such advanced techniques that one would wonder why he was working in such a rural town.

Furthermore, Arcus spared no expense on high-grade magic medicines for his treatment, and since Arcus himself originally had high healing power, his injuries had completely healed at an astonishing speed.

However, naturally, what can be healed by treatment is only his physical body.

"............"

Right now, Arcus is standing in the storage room of the treatment hospital.

His precious armor stored there... is completely broken.

"What should I do... this is bad, isn't it..."

In the storage room where no one else was present, Arcus scratched his head and unintentionally let out a weak voice.

Arcus's magic armor "Shining" is his trademark.

It's also the origin of his nickname "Golden."

It was thanks to this armor that he was able to display superhuman combat abilities.

And now, it's broken.

Fighting as he has up until now, drawing the attention and attacks of monsters onto himself while rampaging on the front lines... such battles no longer seem possible.

"As long as this one is alive, well, there's not much problem with my attack power, but..."

Saying that, Arcus grabbed the golden sword placed next to the broken armor and held it up to the magic lamp.

This sword is the magic sword "Flash."

Like "Shining," it's a "relic" from a dungeon, and its ability is to blind enemies with its light, which is plain, but its sharpness is abnormally keen.

For the highly skilled Arcus, that sharpness is what's important.

"But, hey..."

However, "Shining" has been lost.

Without the defensive power and [Body Strengthening] support ability of that magic armor, and also due to his age, it will be difficult for Arcus to continue being a top-class adventurer in the future.

"............"

Once again, he stared intently at the tattered "Shining."

What wells up in his chest is astonishment, admiration, and awe towards Emi for destroying a "god-made relic" at such a young age.

And for himself, who is at a loss just because his armor was broken, there is bewilderment, self-mockery, and disappointment.

He was truly, as Emi said, an "adventurer reliant on armor."

He was aware of it.

That's why he never took off that armor.

Because he always wanted to be strong.

Now that he thinks about it, this broken armor may have been a symbol of his vanity to hide his miserable self.

"...For now."

There's no point in standing here.

Arcus slapped his own cheek, then hung "Flash" at his waist, wrapped "Shining" in a furoshiki-like cloth made from the flying membrane of a brown dragon, carried it on his back, and left the storage room.

"For now... I need a drink...!!"

It has been one week since he was admitted to this magic treatment hospital.

In other words, it also means that it has finally been one week since Arcus was put in a state of abstinence from alcohol and smoking.

...He had already reached his limit.

Arcus unnecessarily demonstrated his top-class adventurer's physical abilities and started running like the wind to the reception to complete the discharge procedures... and was found by Eascolo and got scolded severely.

In a place like this, you shouldn't run.

It's dangerous.

Everyone, be careful, okay?

* * *

"Gaaah! Aaaah...! D-Damn it..."

So, at the tavern.

After being discharged from the magic treatment hospital, Arcus left all his luggage at the inn and immediately dashed into a nearby tavern.

In the middle of the day.

And he secured a spot at the counter and is drinking to his heart's content!

He's even smoking like crazy!

He's smoking, he's smoking like crazy!

What he's drinking is Sakate liquor.

The beautiful golden color, the "Adventurer's Liquor."

It's Arcus's favorite.

Anyway, he kept rambling on and on, and before he knew it, it was 9 o'clock at night.

But he's still going to drink!

This is where the real fun begins!

Because even if he drinks his favorite liquor, he doesn't feel happy at all.

He wants to drink and drink and feel happy.

But no matter how much he drinks, Emi's face and the golden armor keep flashing in his mind, and he can't feel happy.

This is a grave situation.

However, Arcus, who was in a state that could be described as completely drunk, which was rare for him, could not find any breakthrough to improve this situation.

Therefore, he just kept drinking out of inertia.

"Aaaaah! Damn it, damn it, damn iiiiiit!!"

Well then, the man who was drinking next to Arcus suddenly started getting angry while slamming the counter with a thud!

This man seems to be weak to alcohol.

He only sat down next to Arcus a little while ago, but after drinking just two or three glasses, he's in this state.

At first, he was drinking quietly, but now his face is bright red, he's shouting loudly, and his eyes are unfocused.

"Why, why, why is it always meeee!!"

"Hey, Oshi-san... you're more agitated than usual today. It's a bother, so please be quiet."

This man, called Oshi-san, seemed to be a regular at this tavern, and the lady owner of the shop, with an exasperated face, casually warned him.

Arcus somehow stared intently at the man's face.

...He felt like he had seen him somewhere before.

But the inside of the tavern was dimly lit, and Arcus, who was completely drunk, couldn't quite figure out who he was.

"Aaah? Hey, what are you looking at?"

Well, Oshi-san noticed the unkempt man next to him who was staring at him intently, and in order to send him the strongest intimidation, he glared at him with a furrowed brow.

Oshi-san also thought, "Huh, I feel like I've seen him somewhere before..." but he was also drunk, so he didn't know who that guy was.

It can't be helped, right?

"Me? I'm a wandering drinker! The name's 'Al-san'!!"

In response to Oshi-san's glare, Arcus introduced himself like that.

By the way, this wasn't to match Oshi-san's name; Arcus always goes by "Al-san" at taverns.

It's because he wants to discard the title of top-class adventurer and drink as just "Al-san."

"What do you mean, 'Al-san'! Is it 'Al-san' from 'Alcohol'? And you stink of cigarettes! Idiot, idiot!!"

Hearing Al-san's introduction, Oshi-san spewed childish insults.

This guy is pretty drunk.

It's bad.

"What did you say! What's wrong with cigarettes! Cigarettes are good, aren't they!?"

"I hate cigarettes! But what I hate even more are smokers who don't follow the rules! The other day too... even though it was non-smoking indoors... that idiot was smoking like crazy..."

"What did you say! There's an idiot like that! That's not good!"

Al-san, perhaps due to his drunkenness, completely forgot about his own actions and was indignant at that idiot.

Because such rule-breaking smokers make it difficult for good smokers to feel at ease!

But that idiot is probably you.

"D-Do you understand, Al-san...? I, I'm... a cowardly man... I can't even complain about cigarettes without the help of alcohol, that's how... pathetic I am..."

"It's not pathetic! You're doing your best! You're doing your best, aren't you!? You're enduring it, right!? A man who endures, a man who can endure! How can that be pathetic!?"

"U-Uwaaaaaah! A-Al-saaan!!"

Al-san approached Oshi-san and patted his shoulders vigorously!

Oshi-san, moved by the momentum of the alcohol, started crying manly tears!

Afterwards, the two of them, who somehow felt they had become friends, drank and shared their life stories.

Apparently, Oshi-san was recently assigned an extremely troublesome job and had just finished dealing with it.

"And yet... and yet! Just when I thought I had finally finished the job, my boss scolded me endlessly! 'Did you condone acts of violence' and 'Post-approval is not good' and such! Then! From the beginning! You should have done it yourself! What did you guys do! You ran away and pushed everything onto me! And yet, not a single word of appreciation, but reprimands instead! What the hell is that!? Don't screw with me, don't screw with meeee!!"

It seems that Oshi-san's boss was a crappy boss.

To vent his frustration, Oshi-san had come to drink.

Al-san gently stroked Oshi-san's back.

"Oshi-san... you're amazing! You held back what you wanted to say! You did your best! You're amazing!"

"That's not... that's not true... I'm... a pathetic man... a wimpy man... Al-san, you're different from me..."

Oshi-san said enviously, looking at Al-san's well-built physique, which was clearly visible even in the dimly lit room.

"Ha... no, I'm the pathetic one..."

However, receiving that admiring gaze, Al-san laughed self-deprecatingly and gulped down his drink.

"I wanted to protect her... but those feelings just went around in circles... without considering her feelings... as a result, I was rejected and badly injured! Pathetic! I'm truly pathetic!!"

Bam!

Saying that, Al-san slammed his glass on the table with force, and large tears spilled from his eyes...!

"Al-san...!"

Oshi-san gasped at the sight.

The large tears shed by a man with such a large back...

A drunk man couldn't help but be moved.

Triggered by that, tears began to overflow from Oshi-san's eyes too!

There's no logic, it's the atmosphere, because they're drunk!

"Al-san! Don't say things like 'pathetic'! You're surely a strong man. I can tell!"

"No, I'm weak... weaker than my niece..."

"Then... you just need to become stronger!!"

Bam!

Slamming the counter hard with his fist, Oshi-san shouted that!

Al-san unintentionally widened his eyes and gasped at that force!

"I can tell! You're a man who can fight. A man who can become stronger! Niece... niece? Weaker than your niece...? I don't really understand, but then, you just need to become stronger! You can do it!!"

Oshi-san declared powerfully!

Of course, there was no basis for it!

It was all due to the momentum of the alcohol!

"Become... stronger..."

Al-san muttered in a daze.

"What, you can't do it? Was I mistaken about you? Huh?"

Seeing Al-san like that, Oshi-san laughed provocatively.

Of course, there's no way he was mistaken!

Because in Al-san's eyes...

The fighting spirit was already burning!

"Gu... guhaha, guhahahaha!! 'Become stronger'? That's right... that's right! It's a phrase I had forgotten for a while... I arbitrarily decided my own limits! Guhahahaha!!"

Al-san laughed loudly and declared!

"I've decided, Oshi-san! From now on, I... will challenge the 'Loimekaide Dungeon'!!"

At that declaration, Oshi-san widened his eyes in surprise.

"The Loimekaide Dungeon!? Isn't that one of the world's largest dungeons on the Fantasy Continent!?"

"That's right! There, I will! Obtain a new relic! A treasure on the level of a god-made relic! By equipping that... I will gain strength beyond what I had before!!"

"Wait, Al-san. But isn't it dangerous? I know I said it myself, but why do you want to become stronger so much that you're willing to take such a risk?"

Hearing Al-san's statement, which could be considered reckless, Oshi-san, who had sobered up a little, asked that to calm Al-san down.

However, upon hearing those words, Al-san did indeed become a little calmer, but the flames in his eyes never disappeared.

Stroking his unkempt beard on his chin, Al-san thought for a bit and said,

From his spinning mind, he somehow managed to pick out the words that could accurately express his true feelings.

"Now that it's come to this, I can no longer take care of that child... nor atone for my brother's sins."

Here, he takes a deep breath.

And exhaling his alcohol-smelling breath,

Al-san grinned.

"Even so, I want to show that child someday... the reliable back of an uncle!"

Seeing that smile, Oshi-san also unintentionally gave a wry smile.

"...Pride, huh."

"Guhaha! That's right! It's pride! I... haven't changed at all! But that's fine! I've decided that now!"

"I see."

After muttering softly in response to Al-san's hearty laughter, Oshi-san raised his glass.

"Good luck, strong man!"

Al-san also raised his glass to Oshi-san.

"You too, strong man!"

"Cheers!!"

By the way, after this, both of them threw up quite a bit.