I Don’t Want to Be a Heroic Spirit

"Hmm! Yunyun, I must apologize to you."

Nero's sudden declaration caught Yunyun off guard.

"I didn't realize that my beautiful singing would lull you into such blissful sleep that you'd miss today's adventure. You must have been really looking forward to it, right?"

"H-Huh? N-no, not really. I mean… I was really looking forward to it… no, wait, actually… the truth is…"

Yunyun stammered, flustered by Nero's unexpected apology.

Though missing the day's adventure left her a little regretful, the prospect of sharing a meal with everyone made up for it.

While Nero headed to the counter to submit their quest, the others stayed behind to order food.

"Hm? No quests for White Wolves?"

"That's correct. White Wolves are monsters that live deep in the forest and rarely venture near towns this season, so there are no active quests to hunt them," the receptionist explained.

Though Nero and Alice had defeated several White Wolves that day, they couldn't claim a quest reward. Fortunately, they could still sell the White Wolf carcasses for some money.

"Still, it's unusual for a whole pack to appear. They're supposed to remain deep in the forest at this time of year."

The receptionist gently touched her cheek, looking troubled. "I expect White Wolf extermination quests will appear on the board in the coming days. When they do, Nero and Iris, I hope you'll lend us your strength. We'll have the quest rewards ready for you."

"Hmm! You can rely on me," Nero said confidently before returning to the group, only to hear Megumin and Yunyun arguing.

"This one, this one, this one… and this one!"

"Stop it, Megumin! Why are you ordering so much food?!"

"Silence, Yunyun! Interrupting my meal is unforgivable, even for you! Do you know how I've survived these past few days after losing all my money? Now that someone's finally treating me, how could I not order extra?!"

"Extra?! More like you've ordered an entire banquet! There's no way we can finish all this!"

"Don't underestimate someone who hasn't eaten for three days!"

It seemed Megumin had unleashed her gluttonous side, liberated by Nero's offer to pay for the meal.

While Yunyun and Megumin wrestled over the menu, Alice suddenly spoke up.

"It's fine, Miss Yunyun. Nero and I defeated a lot of strong monsters today and earned plenty of Eris. You don't have to worry about us."

With a kind smile, Alice continued, "Besides, a friend's friend is also a friend. Since Miss Megumin is your friend, that makes her our friend too. Treating friends to a meal is perfectly normal, right? In fact, I've always wanted to treat my friends to a meal but never had the chance before…"

Yunyun froze mid-struggle, releasing the menu. Megumin, caught off guard, tumbled backward. Yunyun's eyes gleamed with excitement as she processed Alice's words.

"F-Friends! Iris just said… I'm her friend!"

Barely able to contain her joy, Yunyun nodded fervently. "Y-Yes! We're friends now! Me, Iris, and Nero… and even Megumin!"

"I'm not Yunyun's friend. Nor do I want to be friends with her," Megumin said flatly.

"Why not?!"

Alice watched their banter with a hint of envy, her gaze lingering on their lively exchange. Nero soon rejoined them.

"Have you all finished ordering?"

"Yes! Everything's set. Do you want to take a look, Nero?"

"Of course. Hmm! Are there any mushrooms on the menu?"

The dishes arrived one after another, a balanced feast of meat, vegetables, and soups.

Megumin declared her intent to eat with the fervor of someone who wouldn't see another meal for days.

Alice picked up a piece of cabbage with her chopsticks. "Today's cabbage is really fresh!"

In this world, freshness wasn't judged by sight or taste, but by the cabbage's resistance when being eaten.

Following Alice's lead, Nero grabbed a piece of cabbage, which wiggled and writhed as if rejecting its fate. It was, admittedly, unsettling.

"Miss Yunyun, this is delicious! You should try some," Alice encouraged.

Yunyun felt a pang of emotion.

Sitting down to a lively meal with friends… it was something she'd dreamed of countless times. Yet every time, she'd awaken to the cold reality that it was only a dream.

Oh, goddess… thank you for this blessing.

Wiping the corner of her slightly damp eyes, Yunyun nodded firmly. "Okay!"

She reached for the cabbage, but her chopsticks came up empty. The entire plate of cabbage seemed to scuttle away like it had seen a ghost.

Yunyun's smile froze in place.

She tried again, only for the cabbage to evade her grasp. On her third attempt, she managed to pick up a leaf, but it let out a strange squeak before snapping itself in half and falling back onto the plate.

"Ugh…"

Yunyun let out a small, defeated whimper.

"Here, Miss Yunyun. Let me get you one," Alice said kindly, placing a cabbage leaf into Yunyun's bowl.

Deeply moved by the gesture, Yunyun sniffled. "Thank you, Iris…"

Not only was she sharing a meal with friends, but one of them had even served her food. Yunyun felt as if she might die from happiness.

But as she reached for the leaf in her bowl, it suddenly clung to the edge, flipped itself out, and bolted across the table—only to dive into Megumin's bowl.

The leaf seemed resolute, as though it had made its final decision.

Startled, Megumin instinctively ate it without a second thought. Meanwhile, Yunyun sat frozen, her chopsticks hovering midair.

"Megumin! That was my cabbage! Iris gave it to me!"

"Do you have proof it was yours? All I saw was it jumping into my bowl, so it's mine now. Just like if someone drops their coin pouch and I pick it up, then it's mine!"

"That's awful!"

"Hey! What are you doing?! Stop grabbing me! My mana hasn't fully recovered yet… and stop squishing me with your water-balloon chest! I swear I'll pinch you if you don't stop!"

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"..."

- Gardevoir

(End of Chapter—Support the translator at [patreon.com/WiseTL]!)