An A-Ranked Adventurer's 'Slow-living'

“Hmmm… ……”

I lay Flora down on the bed.

As I sit down on a chair by the bed, Flora slowly wakes up.

It is a relief to see her jade-colored eyes appear. Zoak’s antidote and Krune’s detoxification magic seem to be working properly. Her complexion is as good as usual.

Flora’s eyes dart about and she slowly raises her upper body.

“Ah, Aldo-san…”

Flora’s mouth stops as she tries to call him “Mr. Aldo” as usual.

She must have remembered what Zoak had just told her.

“…………”

Flora slightly opened her mouth to continue to speak, but she immediately closed her mouth.

I couldn’t say anything due to the shock of not being called by my name as usual and the guilt of not telling Flora my real name.

After a while, Flora began to take big deep breaths.

She said, “…… I know you have a lot to ask me, but I want to ask you something first. Is that okay?”

“Yes, I’ll tell you exactly what you want to know.”

Just by seeing her smile, I felt relieved.

She asked, “Have you and Mr. Zoak settled the matter already?”

“Yes, it’s all over. There’s no one else involved except you, and no one else knows except Krune, who helped us.”

“I see. I’m glad to see that no one else was involved.”

The first thing she does is to be concerned about whether there are any other victims, which is typical of Flora.

Then, Flora looked at me.

“I’m glad to hear that …… Mr. Aldo is also safe.”

“I’m glad to hear you’re okay, too.”

I was about to tell her that I was fine because I had been healed by recovery magic, but Flora interrupted me and shouted loudly.

She even scratched my body as I sat by the bed to check my wounds.

“No, I’m fine! I’ve been healed by Krune’s healing magic!”

“I know that her magic is strong, but I’m still worried! Please show me your body!”

Well, I trust her thanks to the many times she has helped me, but I was skeptical when I first asked her to heal me.

Seeing Flora with a serious expression on her face as she undresses me and tries to check me, I decide to be quiet and let her undress me.

Partly because I’m happy now that Flora is worrying about me a little too much.

Flora took off my jacket and moved her eyes all around.

“Sid you find the wound?”

Flora takes off my jacket and moves her eyes all over.

“That’s a pretty serious injury, isn’t it! Are you sure you’re okay?”

I was thinking, “Flora, aren’t you watching me to make sure of that?”

My upper body was checked by her eyes and hands while I was thinking such things.

Then, after a while, I wondered why there was not even a scar on me.

“…… were you really hurt?’

“I was. That’s how good Krune was with her recovery magic.”

“I see. ……It’s really nothing.”

“Is that enough?” f𝑟e𝒆𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗oѵ𝐞𝗹.c૦𝑚

“Yes. Yes, that’s enough for now. You don’t seem to be hurt.”

Flora was touching my thighs and legs, but she calmed down when she realized that I was not injured in any way.

She said, “You should be more concerned about your own injuries than mine.”

“Oh, no! Don’t look at me!”

Flora, perhaps reminded by my words, held my left shoulder with her right hand and turned her back to me.

I was surprised at the sudden refusal, but I guessed Flora’s discomfort.

“Do you think maybe I still have a scar on my shoulder?”

Flora nodded with her back still turned to me.

“The wound on my shoulder has healed nicely with Krune’s recovery magic, so it’s not a problem.”

“Ho, are you sure?”

“I’ll turn my back and you can check.”

“ It’s as if he wasn’t hurt at all.”

I heard Flora’s voice, which reassured me deeply.

I’ve heard that a woman’s skin and hair are her life. I’ve heard that if you injure a woman, you have to take responsibility for her and marry her. I think that the skin of a woman is very important.

But I am ashamed of myself for having caused Flora’s skin to be injured.

“I’m sorry I got Flora involved in something that injured her, even though she’s healed.”

Flora was a little dismayed when I suddenly bowed my head and apologized.

Then, she was silent for a few seconds as if she was thinking about it.

The only sound in the bedroom is the sound of our breathing.

In my mind, I wonder if Flora will abuse me. The worst possible image of Flora cursing me and telling me she hates me and that she’s leaving me comes to mind.

The brief moments of silence are heavy and painful.

She asks , “…… please lift up your head.”

Flora says in a calm voice.

I slowly look up and there is Flora with a slightly sad expression on her face, and it hurts. The moment I saw that expression, I felt a sharp pain in my chest.

Still, I don’t look away and make proper eye contact with Flora.

“Is your real name Aldo Red?”

“Yes, Aldred, an A-rank adventurer. That was me before I came to this village.”

“As I recall, that person is the adventurer who slayed the dragon ……?”

The rumors about who the adventurer who slayed the dragon was, as you would expect, reached Nordende, even this far away.

“That’s me.”

“’Oh, I see. …… I thought Aldo was a great adventurer, but I didn’t think he was that good.”

I was surprised and saddened by the complex expression on Flora’s face when I told her that. Either way, she was being kept in the dark. Flora’s heart is probably filled with sadness.

“……Why didn’t you tell me about the past?”

I didn’t want Flora to worry unnecessarily, and I didn’t want her to get involved. No, I already got her involved. ……

No, I think it was because I didn’t want Flora to hate me. In my life as an adventurer, I have completed a variety of quests. I’ve killed demons, gathered food, and even killed bandits. Some of them are a bit gray. I have also killed people in wars, even though the country and the nobility were behind it. I was born an orphan.

”I was born an orphan, so I have not had an easy life. I was afraid that Flora would find that out. ……”

I said it. I said it. I even said the part that didn’t need to be said.

What a pathetic excuse. I wanted to punch myself in the face.

While I was tormented by self-loathing, Flora took a deep breath.

“I don’t hate you because of that!”

Flora’s unprecedented cry.

I looked up, stunned, at the sound of her voice, which was filled with such feelings.

Then, there was Flora, who was shedding tears as if she was sad.

Flora is shedding tears. Not tears of happiness, but tears of sadness. It was so painful to watch.

She said, “Am I not good enough to bear Mr. Aldo’s past? Am I not worthy to support Mr. Aldo?”

“No, no!　That’s not-“

“Well, then!　Then tell me more about Mr. Aldo! I want to know more about Mr. Aldo. I want to understand you and share my feelings with you. I want to be by your side. ……”

Flora interrupted my words and hugged me.

The first time I heard her say these words, I felt more emotion than ever before.

She affirmed even my pathetic parts and wrapped me up in her arms. I was so happy to hear that.

I thought, “Ah, this is what it feels like to share feelings with someone you really love.”

If this is what it was like, I should have confided in her earlier, just as Krune had told me.

The most important thing to remember is that you can’t just go to the store and buy a new one.

“……I’m sorry, Flora.”

I gently hug Flora in my chest.

“Gusu…… Aldo-san is an idiot. “

I’m really sorry. I’m sorry. I couldn’t have left him even if he hated me. ……

My life is now absolutely about living with Flora.

I’m not sure how I could ever let go of that when I have Flora in my life’s purpose. ……

I hold Flora in my arms tightly. Flora responded by tightening her arms around me.

We held each other like this for a while. Flora, who had calmed down, looked up in my arms.

She asked, “Can I ask you about your past, Mr. Aldo? I want to know everything about the person I love.”

“Yeah, me too. I want to hear what Flora thinks about me.”

There are still many things we don’t know about each other, but we can take our time and talk about it from now on.