"Uhh...? Where am I...?"

When I opened my eyes, I was in a room I didn't recognize.

I remembered defeating the Demon King somehow—after that, nothing.

Not some white room with just a computer, no, this was clearly a guest room in an inn.

Someone must have carried me here after I passed out.

"Suu... suu..."

"Hm...?"

I heard soft breathing. Turning my head, I saw platinum blonde hair in my line of sight.

Reifrea was asleep, her head resting on the bed, having tended to me while I was unconscious. That's right—this room was Reifrea's.

Her equipment was leaning against the wall.

"Reifrea. Reifrea."

When she was called to, she stirred slightly and then slowly opened her eyes.

"……n…?"

"Good morning. You'll catch a cold sleeping in a place like this."

"Ah, ah! Hikaru! Thank goodness!"

As Reflare sat up and embraced her, a sweet fragrance gently filled her nose.

Her platinum blonde hair brushed against her neck, tickling slightly.

Taken aback by the sudden situation, she gasped.

"Uuu… I'm so relieved. I was afraid you wouldn't wake up again."

"You're exaggerating. You just passed out for a bit."

"A bit? Hikaru, you were asleep for two whole days!"

"Two days…?"

She must have suffered more damage than expected. That was definitely too long to sleep.

In fact, it was almost like a coma…?

"Can you get up...?"

"Ah, yeah."

I've never slept for an entire two days in my whole life.

Even when I ran out of spirit energy deep in the forest before, I'd woken up after only a few minutes, though it was because monsters had attacked me.

It wasn't surprising if something was wrong with my body.

"Nothing feels abnormal...?"

I felt a bit dizzy when getting up from the bed, but otherwise, nothing hurt.

"Thank goodness... Hikaru, you really pushed yourself too hard... I was so worried about you...?"

"No, everyone was pushing it pretty hard back then. Looking back calmly, we probably should've just escaped without trying so hard."

Whether it was adrenaline from battle, or the sense of duty not to let the Demon King escape, the idea of running away had simply vanished from my mind.

Since the ratings race had already been abandoned, there probably wasn't any need to push ourselves so hard.

...Well, it's too late to worry about that now.

"Anyway, I'm glad we won. Refreia, you saved me. I was ready to die."

"I was prepared. I made sure I could go at any time. The spirits helped me, and I've regained a little of my spirit energy."

"Now that you've defeated the Demon King, passing the Holy Cathedral Knight exam is practically guaranteed."

"Ah..."

The moment I said that, Refreia let out a small sigh and her expression darkened.

She had finally succeeded in mastering Photon Ray—the very obstacle that had prevented her from becoming a Holy Cathedral Knight.

It meant she had now truly lost her reason to continue being an explorer in this town.

That means there's no longer any reason for us to stay together.

I've had every part of my life broadcasted, so I can't afford to be reckless.

Since Refia can become a Holy Knight too, she'll return to her hometown.

"Come to think of it, I remember having quite a few scrapes, but they're gone now."

I deliberately pulled at my clothes to change the subject.

Talking about Holy Knights inevitably leads to the topic of our separation.

Refia seemed clearly unwilling to touch on that subject right now.

"After that battle, the 'Crimson Vial' members arrived and healed us with spirit magic. Hikaru, you were really badly injured, weren't you?"

"I see. I didn't realize it much at the time... I should really thank them. It'd be nice to see them again someday."

"If that's the case... there's a party today, so I think we can meet there. As long as Hikaru's health permits, of course."

"A party?"

"It's a celebration hosted by the lord to honor those who defeated the Demon King. There will also be rewards distributed, so if you don't attend, you might miss out on your prize."

I see, apparently defeating the Demon King is quite an exceptional feat.

But a party, huh. I'd rather not draw attention, so I don't really want to go...

"I'm not really interested in going, but how big is the reward exactly?"

"Since Hikaru is expected to be the top hero in defeating the Demon King, you should receive a substantial reward."

"Money, huh. I doubt I'll get first place, but if I can get even a little, maybe I should go after all."

If I could get the Chaos Spirit Stone from the Demon King, I'd definitely go—but that's probably too much to hope for.

But if I have money, I can obtain other monsters' "Chaos Spirit Stones" or "Dark Spirit Stones."

Create Undead will become almost a lifeline for me, since I'll be venturing solo from now on. That means I should probably join a party.

Besides... money is never enough, after all.

◇◆◆◆◇

I've decided to join a party, but I don't really have any proper clothes.

However, since this is a party of explorers, apparently regular clothes are fine.

Refreia said she'd prepare properly, so while waiting, I went to a nearby clothing store and bought some secondhand shirts and pants.

The party venue is at the lord's manor. Even though casual clothes are acceptable, I still felt awkward showing up in dirty clothes.

Well, it was just a slightly better beige shirt and black-dyed pants compared to my usual clothes, but the other participants probably looked similar.

It's hard to imagine rough types like adventurers owning something fancy.

"…Still, I didn't expect it to change this much."

Waiting outside the inn for Refreia, I was amazed by the shift in the quality of spirit energy floating through the city.

Though the city still had abundant spirit energy due to the presence of the Great Spirit, the energy emanating from the dungeon had diminished so drastically it seemed to alter the color of the atmosphere.

From afar, the inn's window offered a view of the dungeon entrance, and the dungeon's crystal had turned nearly transparent. Likely due to the impact of defeating the Demon King.

I'd ask Refreia about the details later.

"Sorry I kept you waiting!"

A voice sounded, and when I turned around, there stood a goddess in pure white.

A pearl-white long dress.

Her platinum blonde hair, neatly combed and with delicate braids woven through, cascaded down.

Her lips were faintly painted red, and her face, slightly flushed, gazed at me.

"Rifreia...?"

"Eh? Eh? What's wrong? You look like you've been fooled by a spirit."

"……Ah, I mean, you were just so beautiful."

I spoke honestly.

She had always been stunningly beautiful, but Rifreia, adorned for the party, was flawless—worthy of any praise.

"……Hikaru, you look handsome too."

Embarrassed by my words, she hid her face behind her hair, murmuring softly.

From Refrea's perspective, my outfit is nothing more than a maid's costume. No, even that costume is somewhat questionable—so embarrassing I feel like I should hide.

"My clothes... aren't they weird? This..."

"They suit you perfectly. So you actually brought this dress?"

"This... is the official attire of a priestess at the Temple of Light. I brought it just in case, since it's suitable for parties too."

Come to think of it, when the Fire Great Spirit escaped the temple before, I remember seeing several priestesses or priests, all wearing dresses like this.

"T-Then, shall we go?"

"Ah, yes."

Refrea wraps her left arm around my right arm.

Apparently, the princess has ordered me to escort her.