"Alf-san, thank you so much for listening to me... and I'm really sorry for the trouble I caused."
Shannon bowed her head in apology at the door.
Despite everything that had happened, she seemed oddly calm about it.
It looked like she had feelings for me, but being so airheaded, she probably hadn't realized it herself yet-or maybe she just hadn't sorted out her own emotions.
As for me, the lingering tension still had my heart racing. Even now, I was incredibly nervous just thinking about it...
There's no way I could do anything inappropriate with a girl like her -not that I would ever try, anyway.
"Shannon, you really don't need to apologize. I'm happy you came to me for advice. If anything else is on your mind, don't hesitate to ask."
"Alright then, see you later."
"Yeah, see you tomorrow."
I watched her walk away, her back growing smaller in the distance.
To be honest, I wanted her to stay by my side. Part of me even wished we could become a couple already.
But soon, the dreaded "banishment event" would take place. I had to hold back until I broke all the flags that would lead to that tragic ending.
I had no choice but to endure.
Yet, at that moment, I hadn't realized... someone was secretly watching everything unfold from the shadows of the hallway.
Shannon... with Alfred-san!? No, this can't be true! I refuse to believe it!! Uwaaaaaaaahh!!!)
It was none other than Rogue, the protagonist.
Instead of breaking any flags, I had unknowingly raised another one.
It seemed I had underestimated the convenience of this world's god-the author, Tanaka Daichi and his sloppy plot twists.
A few more months passed.
Nothing major had happened out in the open, but I began to feel a strange sense of discomfort as the behavior of the other members seemed to get weirder by the day.
Especially Rogue.
He used to be all buddy-buddy with me, but lately, he's been keeping his distance.
In fact, after Shannon came to me for advice, I had called Rogue out for using his unique skill, Grant, without permission.
"I'm really sorry, Alfred-san. I won't apply any more buffs without asking in the future. And I'll take full responsibility for keeping my pet, Slimey. Please forgive me."
"Huh? Oh... well, okay then."
I was caught off guard by how quickly Rogue apologized.
As for his pet Slimey, I figured it was harmless enough and let it slide.
But more recently, people had been saying that Rogue had gotten unusually close with some of the second-string members.
Apparently, he'd been having a lot of deep conversations with Daniel, the sorcerer with the weird bird-like hairdo. Not to mention, Forgas, the barbarian warrior, and Larisa, the female thief, had joined the mix too.
Larisa, according to the original story, was supposed to become one of Alfred's casual lovers around this time, but there hadn't been any signs of that happening.
In fact, she had been acting distant lately, despite all the flirting she used to do.
Well, not that I really cared she was a bit of a tramp, anyway.
The only one who hadn't changed was Kanade, the fencer.
Even now, we sparred together to hone our swordsmanship, and in Rogue's absence, she had been helping me with the charity work I'd started.
She was talented enough that I thought she might even make it into the upper ranks if she gained a bit more experience.
"Alf-leader, I'm truly glad to have joined the Holy Sword of Heroes."
"Really? Hearing you say that gives me a lot of confidence, Kanade."
"Yes, I greatly respect you as a leader, and I'm deeply moved by your dedication to charity work. I grew up in poverty in my homeland, so it truly touches my heart. Please continue to lead us with your noble spirit."
She was my favorite for a reason-such a good kid.
Though recently I'd been getting along well with Shannon too, I couldn't help but feel a bit tempted.
Maybe that's just the plight of a virgin.
Things were going smoothly, and then... the day of the banishment event finally arrived.
The day started normally enough, with me returning from the adventurer's guild. But then, Larisa suddenly called me over and led me to a certain room.
It was a place where only the leader and the upper-ranking members were allowed to enter.
For some reason, Rogue was seated at the table in the center, while Daniel and Forgas stood on either side of him. They were all grinning at me in a way that sent a chill down my spine.
"What is the meaning of this? Where are the other higher-ups?"
"Shannon and the others have been...'redirected' for a little while by my subordinates. But don't worry; I'll explain everything to them later. For now, let's talk about you, Alfred-san."
Rogue placed a stack of papers on the table and slid them towards me.
Wait a second-did he just say his subordinates? This guy was a loner until just recently...
I looked down at the papers. They contained the names of all the members, along with their signatures in blood.
"...What is this?"
"It's a petition. Normally, the leader and the upper ranks can make decisions for the group. But when it involves the top of the organization, we need to get the approval of the entire group. I've excluded the higher-ups and Kanade from this process."
Daniel explained with a smirk.
Sure enough, the names and blood stamps of Kanade and the higher-ups were missing. There were 24 other signatures.
"In short, Alfred-san... this is a petition for your banishment!"
Rogue declared bluntly.
"Banish me? What the hell? What have I even done?"
"You... didn't do anything. Or rather, you didn't let me! You forbade me from using my Grant ability to buff everyone!"
"That's because you were doing it without their consent! I even said I didn't mind if you had their approval, and I offered to explain it to everyone! But you were the one who yelled, 'Don't tell them!' So, I respected your wishes and left it alone-am I wrong?"
"Ugh... That's..."
Rogue was at a loss for words.
There. Checkmate. A mere protagonist in this sloppy world couldn't hope to outwit me, someone who had been laying the groundwork for a year.
I could even expose the fact that you've been secretly keeping Slimey, your little skill junkie pet, if I wanted to.
"But as the leader, shouldn't you have explained Rogue's Grant ability to everyone?" Daniel interjected, still smirking.
Since when did he start addressing Rogue with such respect?
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I mean, for the betterment of the Holy Sword of Heroes, you should have told everyone. Sure, Rogue might have rejected it because of his own... preferences. But you, as the leader, should've either persuaded him or used your authority to make him comply. For the sake of the group."
"I had my reasons. Rogue's Grant is indeed a powerful skill that enhances abilities and even evolves unique skills permanently. But if he deactivates the skill, or worse, dies, everyone who benefited from the buffs loses all those enhancements. It would weaken us significantly. That's why I ordered him to hold off."
"But wouldn't it have been better if we all protected Rogue, body and soul?" Larisa chimed in with a sultry voice, wrapping her arms around Rogue's shoulders.
Ah, I see. So, this bitch had switched sides, had she?
Not that I cared.