The Matter of My Party Members Being Aware of My Desire to Be Banished - Chapter 12

Indeed, things are moving too fast.

Let’s take a moment to reflect.

Yes, it all started when the Guild Master called out to us…

…

…

…

“Shion, Marn, Honoka, Rokuto. I have something to tell you. Come with me to my room.”

The Guild Master stood in front of us and said this.

The four of us whose names were called exchanged glances… and gathered to discuss in silence.

“Eh, what’s going on? Did one of us do something to get scolded?”

“I don’t remember doing anything that would warrant a reprimand…”

“I don’t remember doing anything to deserve a scolding either. But recently I seem to have a fan club, and they protested something to the guild staff…”

“What were they protesting about? That’s definitely it! In comparison, I’m just carrying luggage, so there’s no way I could mess up.”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“What! Why are you all so quiet?”

Being a porter[1] doesn’t mean I’m in the “Uh, did I do something wrong?” position!

“Hey, guys… Just because I’m always scolding you doesn’t mean you have to be so cautious.”

The guild master seemed to have a rough idea of what we were talking about.

“So it’s not a scolding?”

“It’s not a lecture, but it is an important matter. I mean, I wouldn’t call you if it wasn’t important.”

That’s true.

“What is it? If you can give me an answer right now, we can finish this.”

With that, we went upstairs to the Guild Master’s room.

“I’ll come straight to the point.”

With a serious look on her face, the Guild Master said…

“I have news for you all – there is a proposal for you to become the Hero Party’s candidate.”

“Huh?”

“””We decline.”””

Except for me, who didn’t quite understand the term “Hero Party”, the three of them immediately refused with smiles on their faces.

Now, let’s finish the summary.

“Alright, it seems like we were able to find an answer quickly. Let’s go back.”

When Shion stood up, Marn and Honoka followed.

“Yes. I also want to eat the sandwiches Rokuto made for us as soon as possible~”

“Hey, hey, Rokuto! Are there any of those meat-filled sandwiches that I like?”

“The one Honoka likes is the one with layers of roast beef. Of course, I made some.”

“Yay!”

Honoka raised both hands in celebration.

“Rokuto-san, what kind of sandwich do you think I like?”

“Egg salad sandwich, right? But instead of mixing mayonnaise and eggs, you prefer a Japanese-style egg sandwich with a rolled omelette. I made some too.”

“Hehe, that’s right~”

Marn also smiled happily.

“Rokuto, what’s my favorite sandwich?”

“Shion likes simple ingredients like ham and cheese, but he prefers them in a hot sandwich. And his favorite drink is a hot café latte.”

“Heh, Rokuto really knows everyone’s preferences. I’m happy.”

Shion smiled refreshingly.

Well, since I cook for the party every day, I should remember everyone’s preferences…

“But this isn’t the time to talk about our favorite sandwiches!”

“It’s true that the one who talked the most was just Rokuto.”

“Rokuto-san is a good boy after all~”

“Remembering everyone’s preferences, as expected of Rokuto!”

“I know I was the one who talked the most, but more importantly, we just heard an outrageous term like ‘Hero’s Party’!”

In this world, there was indeed a Demon King who was plunging the world into chaos.

But it felt like someone else’s problem.

After all, I hadn’t been summoned by the kingdom as a hero by a class transfer, nor did I remember being asked by a Goddess to save the world from crisis.

“By encountering a unique event in the other world, your ability will awaken and manifest.”

That’s about the only important thing the Goddess told me!

But now that the topic of the Hero Party has come up, it might have something to do with something in the future…

“Hey, Shion. Let’s listen to the story properly. And let’s think about it properly.”

I ask Shion, the leader of our party.

“Hm? The Hero Party’s proposal for a candidate, right? I’ve listened carefully and thought about it, and I’ve come up with an answer.”

“I came up with an answer quickly~”

“I didn’t even have time to think about it.”

“No, I think you didn’t even think for a second and rejected it immediately!?”

And Marn’s “I didn’t have time to think” is just another way of saying that they reacted without thinking!

“I think we should think about it more carefully! Look!”

I looked at the Guild Master.

“…Haa.”

“The Guild Master is holding her head in both hands and heaving a heavy sigh!”

I’ve never seen a Guild Master like that before!

“I forgot you were like that. The type who can’t be told anything directly…”

“I think being quick to judge is a good thing, though.”

Shion remains unfazed.

Honoka and Marn nod in agreement behind him.

“For now, sit down.”

“Aw, but I want Rokuto’s sandwiches~”

“Sit down.”

“Once you’ve tasted this Japanese-style egg sandwich, you can’t go back~”

“Sit down.”

“The first time I tried the combination of a hot sandwich and a hot latte, it was shocking.”

“Just sit down. Honoka, Marn, Shion… Sit down, for God’s sake!”

The three of them had their hands on the doorknob and were seriously planning to leave.

But when the Guild Master looked like she was about to lose her temper… they reluctantly sat down.

“…Haa. Let’s start from the beginning.”

The Guild Master then explained the circumstances surrounding the Hero Party’s proposed candidate.

For several weeks now, people from the Adventurer’s Guild in the royal capital have been visiting for inspection.

The Hero Party, which everyone should be familiar with, is a party of adventurers who were formed to defeat the Demon King.

It seems that the Hero Party is often produced by the Adventurer’s Guild of the Royal Capital…

“Hero parties from the royal capital’s Adventurer’s Guild tend to be strangely proud and overly confident in their abilities…”

I’ve never been to the Royal Capital’s Adventurers’ Guild, but I can imagine it somehow.

Is this also due to the influence of fictional works from my previous life?

“Rokuto.”

“Ah, yes! What is it?”

“Auto Mille, who’s been bothering you lately, is actually one of the Hero Party candidates.”

What, Auto Mille, you were that strong!?

I thought you were just a mob character, a scapegoat to be used by the Adventurers’ Guild!

“But before reaching the Demon King’s castle, many of them disbanded their parties or failed in the dungeons designed to test their skills. Some idiots even expelled capable members from their party for some reason. As a result, their party fell apart in no time.”

I have a feeling that a banishment scenario is about to start in a place I don’t know…!

“Recently, it’s been difficult to find a candidate for the Hero Party. That’s why they decided to recruit candidates not only from the Adventurer’s Guild in the royal capital, but also from the surrounding areas.”

I see. That’s why people came to inspect the Adventurers’ Guild…

And that’s when they noticed our party.

The guild master sighed deeply and seemed to have said what she wanted to say.

Looking at my party members, the three of them remained seated.

It seems they’ve learned their lesson from earlier.

The Hero Party.

According to the Guild Master’s story, we were offered to be candidates…

“From now on, the journey will be even more challenging. With a porter like you, the party is in danger of being wiped out! You’re useless! We’re banishing you here!”

In my previous life, this was the most common pattern of banishment.

This is… the greatest opportunity for banishment has arrived!

Knock, knock.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door.

“Come in.”

“Excuse me, Guild Master.”

A receptionist from the Guild entered.

For a moment our eyes seemed to meet, but she turned to the Guild Master.

“A huge amount of luggage has arrived and it’s too much for us to handle…”

“I see. Then…”

“Then let me do it!”

Hearing the word “luggage”, I immediately raised my hand.

“Ha. All right, Rokuto, I’m counting on you.”

“Leave it to me!”

With that, I left the room.

It’s a good thing that a job as a porter came up just in time.

I’ve been wanting some time alone for a while now, haven’t I~?

◆◆

“…Well, now that Rokuto has conveniently left the room, let’s hear the reasons why you three refuse.”

The Guild Master leaned forward and stared at the three of them.

TL note:

[1] I’ll use ‘porter’ instead of ‘baggage carrier’ from now on. I’ll edit the previous chapters once I catch up with the raw.