An Adventurer Mom, Who Awakened [Housewife] Skill Through a Login Bonus, Is Making the Most of Her Adventurer Life With the Weekly Flyers She Gets! - Chapter 43

“Ah, Jessica-san, hello.”

The Gamma Team, now familiar with Jessica, greeted her.

“Hello. Thank you again for the other day. Um, sorry to interrupt your party, but I have some business with Ann-senpai, so I dropped by. Is that alright?”

When the restaurant took a party reservation, they would put up a sign to make it easy to identify the group: Reserved for ○○-sama.

Jessica, passing by on the street, happened to see the sign reading Welcome — Squirrel Room — Reserved for Gamma Team.

“You need something from me?”

“Yes, actually…”

Jessica walked up to Ann and whispered in her ear.

Kachua, sitting next to Ann, overheard a little. “It seems… Bel… has come to Loa.”

“Oh, is that so? Well, I suppose he would. There are regular inspections and such, aren’t there?”

“No, that’s not it. He’s been using equipment with recognition-inhibiting magic, so it wasn’t clear at first, but apparently he’s been living in a city hotel for nearly half a year now. As an adventurer.”

Ann, who hadn’t bothered to hide her lack of interest, suddenly looked sharply at Jessica upon hearing that.

“That’s odd.”

“Yes. It seems there was some sort of incident at the royal palace. A gag order has been placed, but apparently a very valuable treasure has gone missing.”

“Hmm…”

Ann thought for a moment. “Then why come to Loa of all places? Could that amazing treasure be here in the city?”

“I don’t know. I just thought I should let you know.”

“I see, thank you. Oh, would you like some pizza? It’s delicious.”

“Thank you, but I’m in the middle of work, so I’ll excuse myself.”

“Really?” Kachua asked Jessica.

“Yes, I’m supporting an A-rank team that’s searching for a different item.”

She looked a little weary.

Kachua had overheard once before that things weren’t going well, and judging from the fact that more than a month had passed, that『different item』they were searching for still hadn’t been found.

“That sounds rough” Kachua said sympathetically.

“Well then, I’ll be going now.”

With that, Jessica quickly made her way out of the room.

At that moment—

“Ann!”

With a loud voice, the door burst open with such force it seemed it might break.

Standing beyond the doorway was a huge, adventurer-like man wearing a flustered expression and letting out an “Ah…”

He had probably meant to open the door normally, but had unconsciously put too much strength into it.『My husband does that sometimes too』, Kachua thought.

Still, she had never seen this man before.

He stood over one meter ninety tall, clad in light armor designed purely for practicality. Even through the armor, it was clear his body was powerfully built with bulging muscles.

People dressed like this were often warriors but this man was a size larger in both height and breadth than most. A real gachimuchi-type guy.

[gachimuchi: someone who is very big, thickset, and heavily muscled — like a bodybuilder or heavyweight fighter.]

He looked to be in his mid-twenties.

The man happily called out to Ann, “Ann!”

Ann, however, wore a look of annoyance.

“What are you here for?” she asked him.

“To see you.”

Despite her curt tone, the man still looked happy. Though built like a brawny roughneck, he smiled warmly; if he had been a dog, his tail would surely be wagging furiously at her.

Ann shooed him away with a wave of her hand.

“Go home. You’re busy, aren’t you?”

The man’s expression fell, looking dejected.

“You’re angry, aren’t you, Ann… because I was so pathetic.” Ann let out a sigh.

Then she looked him straight in the eye and spoke in a voice quite different from before—serious.

“Go back. Back to your own world. This isn’t the time for you to be idling here. I’m no longer someone you need.”

Ann stated it so clearly that there was no room left for argument.

But the man shook his head firmly.

“In a world without you, I have no reason to live.”

“I… don’t really get it, but that sounds cool.”

“Yeah.”

The Gamma Team and Jessica, watching this sudden exchange unfold right before their eyes, could only stare in astonishment.

Kachua looked at the man and thought, Huh?

She had believed she didn’t know him, but in fact, she had seen him once before—at the adventurers’ guild kindergarten bazaar a few months ago, when he had asked her to embroider the phantom beast『Roa-chan』 for him.

And then, in the next instant, the onlookers all caught their breath.

“I don’t know if this will make up for it, but… please, accept it.”

From the bag he carried on his back, the man pulled out something that looked like a brown ceramic bowl.

“Ah…! That’s…!” Jessica exclaimed.

The man dropped to one knee and, holding the bowl reverently, looked up at Ann.

“It’s the Acorn Chalice. I got it for you, Ann.”