"You know… in all the turmoil and struggle we found ourselves in, I'm grateful to at least have you guys as partners." He didn't say "friends," he said "partners." "Especially you."
"U-Uh… We are, too. …More importantly, here." The babe presented me forward, still gripping my shoulders.
"Yes. Speaking of gratitude, where are my manners? I shouldn't forget to thank the little man here, should I?"
"Right, so you recognize him, too. I've actually just met him again by chance… Oh, but gee, let's not mention how we met! Right, my boy?" I politely laughed, and the charming babe shook me by my shoulders, playfully being "angry."
"Oh, haha? Was it bad?" She said she wouldn't mention it, but in the end, she did, and in the end, even that leader person had to whack a little chop on my head for causing trouble. For a minute, the pair of them chatted idly about me, then the leader knelt down to my height, and decided to thank me properly.
"Really, thank you, little man." With both his hands, he seized mine. I still had that "Warlord Orc Head" quest item, by the way, so the leader only took my remaining hand, shaking it firmly. It was the first time someone shook my hand—I wanted him to stop, I felt it was annoying. I didn't let my annoyance show through, and nodded at the leader, acknowledging his thanks.
After I asked him about how precisely I did help them, he explained to me, with his heavy emotions surfacing again, that without my help, his precious friend wouldn't probably be alive, as we spoke. That was funny: I never intended to save anyone's life, and if I had known my action would save a person's life, I probably wouldn't have acted it. Naturally, I didn't voice my opinion; I knew the people didn't like a monster's opinion.
"The guy who yelled at you earlier, he's just a little rude sometimes, so please, forgive him," the leader apologized. "Had he recognized you, he would probably be the one thanking you the most, right now."
That was funny again. I was the one to bump into him, so he was right to be pissed at the annoying brat who had just hit him square in the stomach with so much might. Still, as it would have been a huge pain to voice my opinion, I nodded my forgiveness to the leader.
To the charming babe, the quirky boy was surprisingly lenient, so she shook me like an excited little girl would her plush toy, and cried "Atta-boy!"
"Hehe. Yeah, thanks again, little man." Now, it wasn't the babe's soft hands resting on my shoulders, but his. Ew. The leader insisted. I really saved their asses, back there. It was very brave of me to rush and take out the huge orc after the enemy was about to bring their precious friend down with a single blow.
The quirky human boy was super agile. "You seemed so concentrated on your own little crusade, at the time, I doubt you even had time to notice us. Got me impressed. Super impressed. You'll grow strong, I'm sure." The leader must have meant "even stronger," but okay. "In the end, we could only collect that one head you left us plus another one. …Oh, you're grimacing… because of my hands…? Sorry. …Oh! I know how I can repay him!"
"Oh? So you'll be repaid, 'little man'..?"
But for now, the hidden monster, I, had a warlord orc head to dispose of.
The leader stood up and said he would excuse himself, thanking me again. My adventurer lady said she would be off, too, now. As she was worried, I thanked the babe for all her help, and set off to the Guild Bureau at once, showing her I knew the way perfectly well.
With a smile, we parted. Minutes from now, I'd be inside the Guild Bureau, more precisely at the trading ground, and my cover would vanish—people would recognize me as the monster, then I'd be attacked by the military and—
Ha ha ha.
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