Reluctant Hero | Amaki Ren

Chapter 10 | A Reason To Fight

"You learn to care once you see another's pain."

"Sakura-sama?""

"What do you mean you're not participating?"

"Just what it means." Sakura closed her eyes. "I'm going to help you strategize, but it will all be on you. I'm not going to help in any way."

They didn't understand.

Everything was going so well now. They were beginning to open up to each other and know more about their leader. Now, she's saying that she won't help in fighting for their world?

It was absurd.

None of them expected this from her, not after what they just witnessed earlier. Sakura went out of her way to save the village from the epidemic they are facing. She was the one who ordered them to bring Nico and his mother to a clinic to make sure that they are safe and well. She was compassionate, in her own unique way.

She already voiced her thoughts a bunch of times, stating that she would rather watch than protect a kingdom that doesn't seem to want her protection. None of them really believed that, but her stating that she won't participate in the Wave now has proven that she was dead serious about it. She could care less about the royals and their orders. Because of the treatment that the King and Myne has shown her, the entire kingdom could possibly lose a great asset to winning the waves. No one can deny that Sakura's skill gives them an advantage. Her pointers and battle tactics make it possible for them to fight back with lessened casualties.

The fault is on the royals, they knew that.

But, they cannot just let Sakura go and do nothing as they struggle to protect their kingdom. As much as it crushes anyone's pride, they need her.

"S-Sakura-sama, is this because of Myne?" Freya asks carefully.

"She's a major factor of my decision, yes." Sakura sighed. "Anyway, I've already thought of a strategy for all four of you while I was walking back from the neighboring village. The success of this one is up to you."

***

Ren entered the local pub, finding Itsuki already sitting on a table. He goes to sit across his friend and ordered his lunch before discussing matters with him. Recently, someone stole a job offering from him and he was having suspicions. He was told that Itsuki had the same experience, only someone was impersonating him. It led to Ren thinking that someone could possibly be impersonating him as well.

While they were dining, they didn't notice Naofumi and his party going inside to eat lunch too. It just so happened that the party noticed them first.

"I overthrew a despot in the country to the north. But when I went to the Guild, they'd already paid the reward out to someone else." Itsuki began, cautiously looking around for any eavesdropper.

"Same here." Ren sighed. "Somebody stole a job request from me."

"Looks like someone's going around pretending to be us."

"Itsuki-sama," one of Itsuki's party members walked up to their table. "We've received a Guild request to overthrow a town lord to the north. What will we do?"

"From the Guild?" Itsuki asks, taking the piece of paper containing the job request that his subordinate was talking about.

"Yes. from looking into it, it seems that lord is heavily taxing citizens beyond the court's set limits, using the revenue to hire mercenaries, and suppressing dissent." 

"Is that so? Someone needs to be taught that with great power comes with great responsibility." Itsuki says with a seemingly smug smile.

Ren was feeling uneasy about this for some reason. It felt like he was missing something in the equation. He was pulled from his thoughts before he could delve deeper when they finally noticed Naofumi by the corner of the pub. His laugh revealed himself, and both Ren and Itsuki had a feeling that he was laughing at them.