NOVEL NEXT Chapter 104.1
That Guy? He’s Usually Just A Fool
“Umm… Archette-san, why are you groaning like that?”
Yuuri tapped the shoulder of the petite halfling woman, Archette, with a light poke and posed the question. At this, Archette, who had been cradling her head in her hands, let out a long sigh before slowly raising her face. Her youthful features, a trait of her race even in adulthood, were marked with an utterly exhausted expression. Seeing this, Yuuri blinked repeatedly in surprise. …Today, Archette looked more drained than usual.
“…It’s nothing.”
“For now, how about some iced tea?”
“…Straight black tea.”
“Got it.”
Yuuri gestured toward a row of pitchers filled with chilled drinks on the table, silently asking which one. With a sigh, Archette made her request. Yuuri, beaming, poured the tea into a glass. Around them, Kurresh and Lelei poured their preferred beverages into their glasses: chilled herb water for Kurresh, cold roasted tea for Lelei, and chilled green tea for Yuuri. …The untouched juices were likely destined for the trainees later.
“So, what’s the issue?”
Yuuri asked, and Archette, predictably, sighed again. It seemed sighing had become part of her breathing. Whatever was bothering her, it was clearly pushing her to her limits, though no one knew exactly what.
“Well, something troublesome happened.”
“Troublesome?”
“Hey now, Archette-san, no bringing drama here!”
“I’m not bringing anything. It’s not that kind of problem.”
“Oh, is that so? That’s fine, then.”
Lelei, clearly averse to hassle, made her stance known, prompting Archette to wave her hand dismissively. Satisfied with the response, Lelei gulped down her cold roasted tea. Chilled drinks hit the spot on a hot day.
Archette and Barloy, both graduates of the Scarlet Lynx guild, had stopped by the hideout again. While most graduates didn’t casually return, the wolf beastman Barloy, hooked on Yuuri’s cooking, had made it a tradition to visit with food supplies as gifts. Though the rest of their party stayed at an inn, these two had become regular overnight guests at the hideout. It was, as Yuuri described, a “musclehead’s paradise”.
Today, Barloy brought a bounty of monster meat. Everyone looked forward to dinner. Watching the grinning wolf beastman, they couldn’t help but think, “Wow, he really never changes.” This sentiment was unanimous among everyone present. Barloy was currently training the apprentices in hand-to-hand combat in the yard. Of course, Aroru was nearby to ensure no one got accidentally sent flying.
“So, what’s this troublesome thing?”
“…It’s Barloy.”
“”Ahh, of course, it’s Barloy.””
When Archette muttered this, the three of them responded in perfect unison without any prior coordination. It wasn’t their fault; if Archette had a problem, it almost always involved Barloy. The dynamic between the headstrong wolf and his halfling handler had cemented itself in their minds. The image of Archette chasing after Barloy, swinging her favorite hammer, was unforgettable.
Ignoring their synchronized murmurs, Archette continued, ready to share her troubling predicament.
“Barloy… got himself a secret admirer.”
The room fell silent. Archette’s serious expression made it clear she wasn’t joking. Understanding this, the three swallowed nervously. Yuuri and Lelei’s faces stiffened in disbelief, while Kurresh appeared deep in thought.
“Archette-san, is that a joke?”
“I’m completely serious, Lelei.”
“But, it’s Barloy we’re talking about!?”
“Yuuri, I get it, but it’s the truth.”
“”What do you mean, ‘secret admirer’?!””
Yuuri and Lelei couldn’t hold back their shock, yelling in unison. Seeing their reaction, Archette’s eyes grew distant. She didn’t want to believe it either, but reality had other plans. Barloy and romance seemed worlds apart, yet here they were, colliding in the most inconvenient way.
Breaking the tense atmosphere, Kurresh spoke up. As a thief who occasionally served as a scout, he excelled at gathering and analyzing information—a sharp contrast to the somewhat impulsive Lelei.
“Was this during a fight?”
“Correct.”
“Did he save someone from a monster attack?”
“Kurresh, how did you know?”
“Well, Barloy doesn’t look bad, and he’s ridiculously cool during battle. Just during battle, though.”
“…Don’t rub it in.”
Archette groaned, pressing her fingers to her temple. Kurresh wasn’t wrong. Despite his quirks, Barloy was reliable in combat. A large wolf beastman with agile movements, he was a force to be reckoned with. Both Kurresh and Lelei, having fought alongside him, knew this well. Yet his usual antics made it easy to forget.
“Wait, Barloy? Cool?”
“”…Yuuri.””
Yuuri’s innocent question, asked with wide, unknowing eyes, left the trio momentarily speechless. After all, Yuuri’s impression of Barloy was a cheerful, goofy guy who loved food and often got whacked by Archette for saying something dumb. To Yuuri, Barloy was fun and approachable, with fluffy ears and a tail that seemed pleasant to touch. Cool? Not in the slightest.
“So, how did he end up with a secret admirer?”
“Well, on our way back from a mission, we helped a merchant’s caravan under attack by monsters.”
“I see.”
“There was a young woman in the group. When Barloy swooped in and took out the monsters in an instant, her eyes… well, they turned into hearts.”
“”…Ahhh.””