Chapter 22 : After the Duel

"I don't want to move a muscle," I said while lying flat on the ground.

"Me either," said the voice from beside me.

"I didn't know that you can get tired," I glanced at the boy.

"Hey! Even if I was trained by my grandfather, I am still a normal human! Of course, I can get tired," the dude replied with a tired sound.

"Screw the party, I am sleeping right now," I said as I tried to close my eyes.

"Hey! Don't sleep here! We are the guests at this party!" he quickly tried to wake me up but… My eyes are getting heavier.

"Take it easy, dude. I get it! You had a really bad day. (No I didn't) You are stressed out because you lost. (It was a draw!) Not the point. But really? People are watching us weirdly right now. Whose fault is that? (It's yours!) That's right! No one's," I did what Kirito did in the abridged series. Giving zero shit to the other people.

"I can understand why Ulah can't stand you," the dark-haired dude just sighed and lay down again.

"Trust me. I can't stand her too," I replied back.

"YOU~" I heard something.

"See? Even now I am hearing her unbearable voice," I told the boy… wait, why did his eyes go wide?

"How dare you sleep on the ground while looking like a peasant!" I heard the voice of that insufferable brat and I didn't have time to reply as I felt something sharp on my stomach and all the air in my lungs was forced out from there.

"OOF!"

Godammit, it hurts! I look at the position the princess is in. Her elbow is right on top of my stomach. That fucking brat did an elbow drop on me!

"You shouldn't do something like that to him, Ulah," Bright tried to diffuse the situation.

"And you shouldn't be lying here either, Bright. You will catch his dumbness on you," the brat said to her fiance.

"Now, now, don't cause a scene here, Ulah. We need to heal them now," I heard a soothing voice coming from behind the brat. I don't know who that is but her voice is something.

The owner of the voice walks toward us and only after arriving near us did I finally see her. She is wearing the clothes of the place I don't want to interact with… at all.

She is wearing the clothes belonging to the church. So, she is basically a cross in my eyes. No matter how much of a soothing voice they have, I give zero shit as long as they belong to the church.

"Oh, you are already here, Beatrix," I heard the princess saying her name. Beatrix? Like that loli from Re: Zero? Well, they are different in many ways. Yeah… in many ways.

"It is my job as a saint to help everyone after all," the newly arrived Beatrix smiles.

Oh, a saint, eh? This is my first time hearing that a saint of this generation was already chosen. I guess the church kept her as a secret from the public.

"Are you sure I should be hearing that?" I asked.

"Eh he he… Oops? Can you please keep it a secret?" she asked.

"I mean, I won't get anything even if I tell others. So, sure," I replied. Godammit, I am tired. I Want to sleep.

"Hey, Urien! Don't go to sleep yet! Beatrix here can heal your fatigue as well," Bright nudge me from the side.

"She can? Wait… are you sure you should be using that skill in public?" I asked the girl in question. And that poor bratty princess being forgotten at the side.

"I can! This is just the high-rank healing spell after all. Spells used by the saints are different," she explained.

"I see. And stop sulking you brat! I haven't forgotten about you," I glared at the brat.

"Urien, this is Beatrix Linah. And Beatrix, this is Urien Gregorios," the cheeky bastard introduced me to the saint.

"Although I want to greet you, as you can see, I am too tired to do so," I said.

"Don't worry. Do I have permission to heal you?" she asked. She sounded like Panacea from Worm but it can't be, right?

"Sure, go ahead," I nodded tiredly.

"Restore!" Wait… did she shorten the chant? We can do that? Wait… Cecilia did tell me that she will teach me when we get to an advanced level.

The light shone from her hand and a little while later, my fatigue was gone and so did the injuries on my body. The same thing happened to Bright. So, she healed both of us at the same time. This saint… her healing ability is not to be scoffed at.

"Thank you," I thanked her and looked at the outfit I was wearing. It is completely ruined now. With that said, I put an extra pair of clothes in my <Inventory> so I don't have to worry about the clean clothes.

I turned toward Bright, "Do you know a place where I can take a shower?"

"Oh, you can go toward …," he directed me toward the bathroom near the arena. "See you later in the ballroom!" he shouted at me from behind. I just waved my hand back.

[Host, you can now go to Honkai Impact 3rd world any time you want]

The System rang unannounced.

{Meh, I will stick to my plan. But it has not been a year since I last went on a <Multiverse Travel>. Why is it available now?}

[Because this time is unique, Host]

{Anyway, I won't go there until my birthday party is finished}

And just like that, I walked toward the bathroom to take a shower.

3rd POV

Inside the ballroom, Yubel is mulling over the fact that Urien can fight the future to a draw. "I never thought that Urien would be that strong! Moreover, he can use a katana! As expected of a protagonist. And I can't believe I saw three members of Lucius! Today is a great day indeed!" she chuckled.

Lucius, a party led by the hero Bright Covan throughout the entire game of all parts. The party contains seven members. The hero Bright Covan, the saint Beatrix Linah, the magic swordsman Urien, the wall of steel Nerezza, the smiling witch Yumil, the Elementalist Cara, and the sniper Bevan. This group of 3 men, and 4 women is the center of all the crazy things happening in the world.

"I know about 4 members' locations. I need to find the location of Nerezza, Cara, and Bevan," she thought while adding, "Locations of Nerezza and Bevan are unknown and Cara is in Elven country." Poor Yubel didn't know that Nerezza changed her job from maid to the knight in the Gregorios' territory and Bevan was killed by Tsukasa because someone from outside of the world reincarnated as him.

"Yo! Yubel," she was brought out of her musing as she heard the sound of her male best friend.

"Oh… hey, Urien! Have you finished taking your bath?" she asked.

"Yup! Luna, if you please?" Her friend requested and the maid appeared near him and handed him a cup of warm tea.

"Hah… that hit the spot," he sighed and plopped down on the chair.

"You did well out there," she smiled and congratulated him. Even after she started approaching him because of her survival, he had become her best friend after spending time with him for a year. She felt bad about using him like that and is ashamed of herself.

"One day… one day I will say sorry to him," she decided to apologize to Urien.

"Hey, Urien!" Both of them heard the future hero calling them and turned around to see that Bright was walking toward them together with Ulah and Beatrix.

"Hey, Bright, Beatrix, and bratty princess," Urien nodded.

"Hey!" the princess started growling and started their usual bickering.

"Thank you for inviting us to this party, Lady Zestina. If not for you, I won't meet Urien and I won't be able to fight someone as interesting as him," the hero thanked Yubel.

"It was nothing," Yubel just shook her head.

"Now that you talk about the party, I have my birthday party next month. Do you guys want to come over?" Urien stopped his bickering with the princess and invited the four.

"I have something to do with my grandfather next month. I am sorry, Urien," the hero apologized.

"You know the relation between the church and your territory, Lord Gregorios. Ever since you made a place for the people to heal without using any magic, the church had been eyeing on you," Beatrix warned the lord of Gregorios.

"I won't be apologizing," Urien stated. For him, it was a place for Nightingale to work as she was content with her test subjects. And he doesn't like the fact that the church is trying to interfere with the way he is ruling.

"No, you shouldn't. The church is not just trying to heal the people as per the goddess but they are now trying to sink their claws into the politics as well. What you did back there was a great idea," the saint approved of him.

"Is that so? It is fine then," Urien nodded.

"If possible, can I meet that pink-haired healer of yours?" she hopefully asked.

"You mean Nightingale? I will take her out from the territory when she has a free schedule," Urien accepted.

"Pink hair? Nightingale? Someone who doesn't use magic to heal? Don't tell me it is her?" Yubel is shocked. Aside from being shocked, she is in pity of her dear friend. If that person is the one who she thinks she is, her friend will get a headache sooner or later.

"Good luck," she pats both of her friend's shoulders.

"O-okay… Yubel is coming without a doubt so, you are the only one left, brat," the boy glared at the princess.

"I have something to do, so I can't come," she replied coolly.

"But Ulah, you have your schedule free for the whole month," Bright interjects from the side.

"Seriously… I will come, okay?" she finally gave in to the stares she was getting.

The group of five was talking when the music started playing.

Yubel looks around. This will be the first time she will be dancing in the public. And the first dance is important for a lady. She wanted to ask Urien if he wanted to dance with her but she decided against it. It would be awkward if she asked him first so, no.

Many offered to dance with her but she declined them all. She knew they were just trying to look good by dancing with her, the daughter of a duke.

"Yo! Yubel, still searching for a partner, I see. Would you like to dance with me?" he asked nonchalantly

She answered with a yes.

"Wait… seriously? Then let me ask you formally," he prepared himself.

"May I have this dance, milady?" He bowed a little and offered her a hand with a grin on his face.

She could do nothing but smile at the sight, "I would love to," and take the hand that was offered to her.