“Zenos, you haven’t been doing anything lately, have you? Honestly, we don’t need you anymore.”
Zenos was called out by Aston, the leader, at the inn where they were staying, and was abruptly told this. The other members standing behind Aston also cast cold eyes at Zenos.
Zenos’s party was a rising adventurer group that had defeated several large magical beasts. Their rewards from the guild were increasing, and thanks to a noble who had heard of their name becoming their sponsor, they had abundant funds. In fact, Aston’s room was lined with luxurious furniture, and a red carpet with fine fur was laid out over the entire floor.
However, that wealth was not shared with Zenos.
That was because Zenos was the only one in the party from the slums.
The vast Hazes Kingdom, located in the central part of the continent, was divided into classes: royalty, nobles, citizens, and the poor were positioned at the bottom. Perhaps as a remnant of deep-rooted discrimination, only Zenos’s room was always simple, even within the same party.
Even so, Zenos had honed his skills for Aston, who had picked him up.
“I should be doing something, Aston. I believe I’m contributing to everyone, at least to some extent.”
“Hah, you don’t even have a healer’s license.”
Aston snorted.
In the Hazes Kingdom, only citizens could obtain job licenses as adventurers. The poor had no such right. Naturally, they couldn’t attend training institutions, so inevitably all of Zenos’s healing magic was self-taught.
“We’re so strong now that there’s no one who can hurt us, even without your makeshift healing magic.”
“That’s because I—”
That’s because I was immediately casting healing magic if a companion was about to be injured. And because I was using protective magic and ability enhancement magic, making them less prone to injury in the first place…
He explained this, but Aston only shrugged dramatically.
“Come on, don’t exaggerate. You wouldn’t know since you don’t have a license, but healing magic requires magic circles and incantations to activate. Unless you’re a saint, there’s no way you can activate it the moment someone gets injured. The reason we don’t get injured is because of Gail’s protective magic and because we’re strong. You’re not useful at all.”
Gail, the mage standing behind Aston, smiled triumphantly.
“…”
Zenos didn’t respond further.
Aston was Zenos’s benefactor.
He was here because Aston and the others, who happened to pass through the slums, had called out to him, saying, “We need a healer, so join our party.” Moreover, since he hadn’t received formal training as a healer, he might indeed be the one in the wrong.
Aston sighed theatrically.
“And, Zenos, you should get the hint already. We need to appeal to royalty and nobles from now on. If there’s a guy from the slums in the party, it’ll give the worst impression.”
“…But you still said I was your comrade.”
The party members burst into laughter.
Aston, holding his stomach, said:
“Idiot, you still hadn’t figured it out? We just wanted a free worker. Someone from the slums won’t complain no matter how little food they get or if they’re forced to sleep outside alone, and we wouldn’t feel bad about using them as a scapegoat in dangerous situations. Well, we became too strong for there to be any dangerous situations.”
“…”
Zenos thought he heard the sound of his memories crumbling like rubble.
As an orphan who had always lived on the streets in the slums, he was happy to be in a party. He was happy to have a place to belong.
That’s why, even when he was treated harshly, he gritted his teeth and worked hard to be useful to everyone.
But he had no place to belong from the start.
“…I understand. If that’s the case, I’ll leave the party.”
And so, Zenos was expelled from the party.
The members, who had only seen Zenos through the colored glasses of his slum origins, didn’t understand at all who was responsible for the party’s current status.
Later, they would come to deeply regret this choice.