MHGA Chapter 189: Elves and Elves—You Get It, Don't You, Himmel?
"Let go already—"
"No way! You're the strongest Hunter we've got right now! How could I not cling to a leg like this?!"
Voices of Kairo Retsu and Himmel echoed through the Gathering Hub.
Just then, Kazuma, done with his latest quest and planning to sneak in some slacking off, walked into the Hub—only to be greeted by the sight of Kairo clinging stubbornly to Himmel's leg.
"Hey! What the hell are you doing, you embarrassing Guildmaster?!" Kazuma yelled. "Hanging onto a new Hunter's leg like a kid?!"
"Can it!" Kairo barked back. "Haven't you realized yet?! This guy's the real deal! He's a returned-to-youth, Demon King–slaying, ultra-perfected hero!"
"He's got life experience and peak combat ability—strength, speed, perception, willpower—everything maxed out! A fully balanced six-stat hexagon hero! You don't get chances to cling to legs like that even once in a thousand years!" Kairo scolded him. "And don't forget—Hunters can send out SOS flares to call for help anytime!"
"!"
Kazuma's brain immediately kicked into overdrive.
The very next moment, the other leg of Himmel was also burdened—with another teary, sniffling young man.
"Heavenly Hero! Next time, you have to help me! My life's so miserable! Demon King generals keep ambushing me outta nowhere, and my party's completely useless, waaah…"
"Let me go already!!!"
After about ten minutes of struggling, the three finally untangled and sat down at a round table in the canteen.
"You just didn't seem to be all that familiar with everyone yet," Kairo said to Himmel. "And you are a pretty lively guy… see? Now you're fitting right into the Gathering vibe!"
"I am decades old, after all," Himmel sighed, speaking solemnly to Kairo and Kazuma. "Even though I look like my younger self again, I've already lived a full life."
"I'm not as lively as I used to be." Himmel sighed once more.
As the three of them chatted, suddenly—Laios came bursting into the canteen.
"Quick! I need a place to hide—!"
"Laios? What's going on?" Kairo blinked in confusion, but Laios dove under their table and curled up in a ball without answering.
"LAIOS!!!" A voice, both feminine and furious, rang from outside. "So this is the Gathering base you mentioned… You really ran off to loaf around!"
"Do you even realize you've gotten fatter again?! It's obvious you're sneaking food and slacking off!" Marcille stormed into the canteen, only to stop at the sight of the three seated at the table.
"Guildmaster," she gave Kairo a polite nod, then greeted Kazuma, before curiously eyeing Himmel.
"Let me introduce you," Kairo said cheerfully. "This is Himmel, a hero from another world. He's a new Hunter in the Gathering… Himmel, this is Marcille. She's Laios's companion—and also an elf."
"Hello," Marcille greeted Himmel politely. "Guildmaster, have you seen Laios?"
"Nope." Kairo lied without blinking. "He went that way, toward the storage rooms. There's a ton of monster materials in there…"
"Ugh! That's just like him!" Marcille sighed. "Even if being here doesn't interfere with his duties, he's forgotten everything he was supposed to do back home… How long has he even been hiding here?!"
Grumbling, she turned and headed for the warehouse, clearly intent on dragging Laios out.
Once she left, Laios finally exhaled and crawled out from under the table.
"Whew… Brought Marcille here by accident. That was close—I almost got dragged back to deal with royal work again." He slumped into a chair, face full of kingly exhaustion.
"Ki…ng?" Himmel glanced at him—but was clearly more fixated on something else. "Your companion… is also an elf?!"
"Yup! Not just that—Marcille is currently serving as Laios's court mage. She's been helping him with all sorts of work," Kairo explained. "She's really been looking out for him and the others."
"!" Himmel's eyes widened.
"Oh, right, you don't know about Laios's story yet," Kazuma added. "Our last mission took place in his world. Took a lot of effort to finish…"
"Yeah, Marcille made quite a mess too," Laios admitted with a nod. "To extend our lifespans, she became a Dungeon Lord and everything…"
The next moment—Himmel latched onto Laios's arm.
"I need to hear more about this," he said, all previous old-man composure gone. Eyes red, he stared at Laios with intense emotion.
Laios, oblivious to Himmel's expression, eagerly began sharing his story with Marcille.
"That's fake!" Himmel shouted, practically trembling. "That has to be fake!"
"It's true," Laios scratched his head. "Marcille went through so much… all for us, and for Falin too…"
"Ahem. Laios, maybe you should find somewhere else to hide again. I think Marcille's on her way back," Kairo nudged him.
"Got it!" Laios nodded. "Oh right—Himmel, you're welcome to visit me sometime!"
"I'll treat you to some monster cuisine! I've been studying it for ages!"
With that, Laios waved goodbye and disappeared down a corridor.
And now, Himmel looked… a little devastated.
Kairo understood. Nothing stings quite like comparisons.
About ten minutes later, multiple empty mugs sat in front of Himmel, who was now drinking and crying his eyes out, fully immersed in the Gathering's vibe.
"Even if I know Frieren's slow with this stuff… I still can't help but feel jealous!"
"So jealous!!"
"There, there… Relationships are just like that sometimes…"
What started as a casual leg-clinging quickly devolved into Kairo and Kazuma comforting a very drunk, very emotional Himmel at a bar-side pity party…
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