There Was a Cute Girl in the Hero's Party, So I Tried Confessing to Her (勇者パーティーにかわいい子がいたので、告白してみた。)

Thanks for bringing me that message from Cecilia even on your day off, Teal.

Oh, don't worry about me.

I wanted to visit the guardian deity, and it was on my way.

I... see.

Anyway, I'm gonna go. Get some rest.

Take care out there.

Teal was acting awfully docile.

Oh, my guardian deity!

I stayed respectful of the time and place

and controlled myself, just like you said!

Don't get all excited! You'll collapse again!

Look! I have some of the magicite you love so much!

You found such fine ore for me?

I'll work my very hardest,

so please eat all you like! Don't hold back!

I'd like you to think carefully about what you just said.

So Gar's basically just a gigolo at this point, huh?

You mustn't laugh.

But it's clear how much Teal genuinely loves Gar, isn't it?

Yoki?

Oh... This tea's really good.

Maybe all my practice is starting to pay off.

Today was fun, as always...

but do I really want things to stay this way?

And...

why did you call me over for this?

There's no one else I can turn to for love advice!

Please!

Well, Captain... you have no friends, after all.

Rude! I have friends!

And? What did you do this time?

I told you, I just want some love advice!

Look, you know how I can use Vanish Wave to turn invisible, right?

So after saying goodbye to Cecilia,

I was wondering what she might be doing, so...

Not good enough!

I'm not done yet!

I had no idea Cecilia was putting in that much effort.

And that made me worry that maybe

I really don't know the girl I love that well at all.

That's incredibly creepy.

Huh?

Can I arrest you for unlawful entry and stalking?

I just came here for some love advice!

I swear...

Well, I don't think things are going too badly.

But for all your hollering that you love Cecilia so much,

you're not aggressive enough!

From my perspective, you're a coward!

Wha?!

Do you just want to be her teatime companion forever?

W-Well...

You can't make any progress if you barely know anything about her.

That's true...

Thanks, Duke.

Just one thing:

don't be a stalker.

Right.

A stalker?

So... are you actually a criminal, not an ordinary civilian?

Er, no, it's not like that...

You showed up at just the right time.

I'm leaving the rest to someone who knows Cecilia well.

Huh?!

S-So...

Please tell me everything you know about Cecilia.

Gross. Zero points.

DUKE ASKED ME TO COME.

Also, would you just use your voice?

You were talking last time.

NO. THAT WAS A SPECIAL EXCEPTION.

"No. That was a special exception."

Jeez, I'm sorry, okay?!

Okay, I guess I can't make you talk if you don't want to.

Anyway, you want to know about Cecilia?

I do owe you for the advice you gave me before,

so I'll tell you.

Please do!

Okay, let's see...

I don't think the hero's party would exist without Cecilia.

Did you guys get hurt that often?

That's not what I mean. But first...

there's the problem of all the women who flock to Yuga.

Hi!

CHILL OUT.

The swordsman's written notes didn't stop them,

Cut it out already!

and when I stepped in, things just got more heated.

Move it!

Out of our way!

Everyone, please calm down.

But Cecilia always calmed the storm for us.

"She did almost all of the background work."

Uh, you should all be sharing that.

W-We do things when we can!

WE DIVIDED UP THE TASKS WE COULD DIVIDE UP. I WAS THE COOK.

"We divided up the tasks we could divide up.

I was the cook." Really?

Well, you know I can't cook!

And what about Yuga?

He can, but whenever he goes out to gather ingredients,

he always finds trouble to get into.

Cecilia and I were in charge of gathering intel.

Since our swordsman's so useless, y'know.

Cecilia managed our money, too.

So Yuga contributed nothing at all?!

Maybe not, but the incidents he caused

always ended up helping someone somehow.

I'm glad Yuga was our hero.

His kindness is the real deal.

I see. I feel like I understand Yuga a little better now.

But that's not what I want! I was asking about Cecilia!

Was there anything else?

Oh, right. She had that nickname.

What nickname?

You don't know? Oh, it was brilliant!

Cecilia was...

You seem to be having a fun conversation.

Cecilia?!

What are you doing here?

I was looking for you, Mikana. I wanted to talk to you.

We were just... talking about old memories...

I want to talk about old memories with you, too.

At length, I assure you.

Yoki, Raven,

we'll be taking our leave for today.

What?!

Why only me?!

Yoki, I'm sorry, but it's not my place to tell you Cecilia's nickname.

I-It's okay.

Mikana's noble sacrifice taught me one of Cecilia's landmines.

Yoki, do you still have some time?

This is the orphanage where Cecilia does a lot of volunteer work.

Huh...

Oh! It's the Cold-blooded Swordsman!

Cold-blooded Swordsman!

Cold-blooded Swordsman?

THAT'S MY NICKNAME.

Ah.

Cold-blooded Swordsman!

He has no blood or tears!

You guys don't even know what that expression means.

Hey, where's the Holy Mother?

Holy Mother?

Isn't the Holy Mother coming today?

I wanna eat the Holy Mother's desserts!

Thank you, Cold-blooded Swordsman!

Since I don't speak when I fight,

people seem to see me as a cold-blooded man who sheds no blood or tears.

So that's why you're the Cold-blooded Swordsman.

Yuga's nickname is "the Wandering Hero."

Mikana's is "the Guardian," or "the Eternal Friend."

I'm kinda curious where those came from...

But Cecilia...

Why doesn't she like being called the Holy Mother?

It's not my place to tell you.

But you can just learn more about it from now on.

I'm sure you'll have opportunities.

I guess so.

But if you don't know what to do once you find out...

Never mind. Anyway, what are you going to do now?

Yeah, that's the question, huh?

It'd be best if I could get to know Cecilia better and get closer to her...

Why don't you take on a quest with her?

I mean... thanks to you, I...

That's it!

When the heroine is in a tight spot, the protagonist gallantly saves her!

And from there, love is inevitably born!

"Operation I'm a Protagonist, Too" begins now!

I managed to get Cecilia to agree.

Today's the day I show her what I can do!

And then...

Good morning.

Why are you here?

The swordsman asked me to accompany you.

Something else came up, apparently.

Raven!

So what are we doing?

You want to show Cecilia what you can do, right?

I do have a plan.

Let's hear it. I'll score it for you.

Score it?

The quest is to get rid of some undead that have made their den in a mansion.

That'll be a great chance for Cecilia to shine.