I am Soladio. The Hero appointed by the Kingdom. I travel the lands on a mission to defeat the Demon King. I am not a man of many words, but I say what is necessary. Protecting my comrades and fulfilling the mission. That is what I must do.

One meets many people on a journey. Among them, there is one who interacts with me from a slightly strange distance.

...At first, I thought it was my imagination. But after feeling the same presence time and again, I knew it wasn't a mistake.

There is no danger. In fact, there are moments where I am helped. So I do not try to force an interaction.

However, strangely, they enter my field of vision. Even when I'm not conscious of it, I realize they are there.

...When they aren't, I feel a slight sense of wrongness.

It does not hinder the mission. There is no problem. Yet, there are times when things I shouldn't need to care about won't leave my head.

I will fulfill my duty as a Hero. That much will not change.

But—

...You, make sure you stay right there.

I'm Valc. Well, I'd like to say I'm just your average adventurer... but I'm pretty capable. I handle most requests alone, and my only merit is not dying.

I'm not one for fine details. If something looks interesting, I'll poke my nose in; if it's boring, I'm gone. My relationships are the same. Light, fun, no strings attached.

...Or so it was supposed to be.

One day, I found someone strangely intriguing. They don't flinch when I close the distance, and they don't run. Yet, they're always looking at another man. And they think they're hiding in plain sight.

At first, it was just a way to kill time. Observe, tease, and end it when I got bored. —That's what I thought, but before I knew it, my own eyes were following them.

Strange, isn't it? Normally, I would've cut off such a troublesome relationship long ago.

But you're different.

Just when I think you've left, you're somewhere else again. You act like it's none of your business, yet you're properly involved.

...That's the most troublesome kind of person.

Well, fine. I don't intend to hold you back by force. If you want to run, run.

Only—

By the time you notice, the one standing next to you will probably be me.

I'm Lute. I handle the magic for the Hero's party. Well, as you can see, I'm not the type to fight on the front lines. I'm better at using my head. I don't like useless combat; I think finishing things efficiently is best.

I'm fairly good at situational awareness and danger detection. So I know most things before they happen. ...Usually.

For example, let's see. Like feeling the exact same presence repeatedly during the journey.

I noticed from the start. You think you're hiding, but it's pretty obvious. ...No, I won't tell them, though. It's more interesting this way.

There's no harm, and in fact, there are moments where we're helped. So there's no reason to stop it.

Besides—that way of keeping distance isn't normal, is it? You don't get close, yet you don't leave. You look satisfied just watching, but you're properly involved.

...It keeps things from being boring.

The Hero? He's noticed. He noticed and says nothing. That kind of thing becomes the most troublesome when left alone.

Well, I don't know which way it'll swing yet.

As for me—

I think it's not bad to just watch like this for a while.

I am Sera. I handle healing and support for the Hero's party. Fighting is important, but protecting and supporting someone seems to suit me better.

I'm a little good at watching people. Expressions, gestures, the tone of a voice... those little changes are surprisingly hard to hide.

Is that why? I noticed a slightly mysterious presence during our journey fairly early on.

I was surprised at first, but I didn't think it was scary. In fact... I felt like I was being helped more often than not.

Even if I can't see the person clearly, I can tell someone is gently supporting us.

That person must be quite clumsy. They want to get close but don't, yet they won't leave either.

...I feel like we're a little alike.

The Hero doesn't show much on the surface either. But lately, I feel like his gaze has changed just a tiny bit.

There are things that get across even without words, right?

So, I intend to watch over them without saying much.

I'm sure things will move in a good direction that way.

I'm Gald. My job is to fight at the front. I don't understand difficult things well, but if there's an enemy, I cut 'em, and if there's a comrade, I protect 'em. That usually works out, right?

I'm bad at thinking about details, but I can tell if something's dangerous. So I was a bit wary at first. It felt like there were more presences than usual during the trip.

But well... I figured it out pretty quick. That's not an enemy.

Actually, it's the opposite. Before I knew it, I'd been helped a few times. Traps were gone, preparations were made—I don't know how, but things just got better at the perfect timing.

So, I was sure. "Yeah, this is definitely that person."

Then it's simple. I told 'em many times that if they're that strong, they should just join us... but I get turned down every time.

Why?! What a waste!

...Well, I don't plan on forcing 'em, though. They've got their own way of doing things.

When I rely on 'em in a pinch, they respond properly. If that's the case, they're basically a comrade already.

The Hero? He's been like that forever. He's strong and does everything silently.

...But lately, I feel like he's acting a bit different.

Oh well. No matter what happens, I'll just protect everything in front of me.

Because that's my way.

I am Milena. I work as a receptionist at the Adventurer's Guild. My job is to manage requests, handle rewards, and keep track of the movements of all the adventurers.

Being here, I see all sorts of people. Who takes what request, where they go, and what results they bring back. ...Naturally, the flow becomes visible.

Lately, there has been a rather interesting movement.

An adventurer who often acts alone, and an invisible companion. And at the end of that line is the Kingdom's Hero.

Lines that normally wouldn't cross are connected somewhere. ...It's quite a rare composition.

Of course, I won't pry. The Guild is strictly neutral, after all.

However, I am observing. As part of my job.

If there is necessary information, I provide it, and I prepare requests. I won't step in further than that.

But—

I am a little curious about where it's all headed.

Will it be an ending that goes down in the records, or...?

Either way, I shall see it through to the end.