Helen and Mirian were there, with depressed expressions, as they continued drinking, muttering and shouting his name. The tavern patrons' discomfort was entirely directed at them.
However, no one dared say a word. After all, the aura they emitted was intimidating; their S-rank power made its presence known. Seeing the heroines, Ryan could not help but smile.
'Well, they really are here after all.'
He walked over to their table, and Karol followed him in her current state: completely out of mana.
"Hey, Ryan, that's your party, right? I think they're pretty drunk."
"Ryan?" Helen muttered upon hearing the name.
When she looked up, she saw him. She dropped the bottle to the floor.
And dashed straight toward Ryan.
"Ryan!"
She leaped onto him and wrapped him in a tight hug.
"Why? Where were you? Damn it, I feel so dizzy..."
Mirian stood up as well and hugged Ryan.
Both girls were incredibly lightheaded and could barely keep themselves on their feet.
"Calm down, calm down. We'll talk later, but you're bothering the other patrons; let's head up to the room," Ryan commented as he held them up to keep them from falling to the floor.
Mirian gripped Ryan's arm tightly, but fell back into a seated position, unable to stay standing.
"I... I feel sick..." the archer said with difficulty.
Karol stepped forward and helped her up.
"Come on, I'll help you."
Ryan looked at her and replied with a faint smile:
"Thanks. I'll carry Helen."
Then they headed up the stairs. Ryan carried Helen on his back.
"You smell like a demon," Helen muttered.
"And you..." He cut himself off. 'Better not say anything,' he thought.
On the other side, Karol helped Mirian walk.
Mirian was in just as bad shape as Helen. When they reached the room, Ryan laid Helen on the bed, and Mirian made her way onto the very same mattress.
"Is it really you, Ryan?" Helen asked, her voice extremely weak. Her eyes were barely open, surely an effect of the liquor and exhaustion.
Furthermore, the dark circles under both of their eyes made it obvious they had not slept in days.
"What on earth have you two been doing all this time? Why did you drink so much? Clearly, you can't even handle alcohol," Ryan scolded her.
Helen yanked Ryan by the hand, and he collapsed onto the bed right between the two of them.
"Shut up, you abandoned us..."
Mirian snuggled up against Ryan on one side, and Helen on the other. Both heroines began caressing his face.
"No, I didn't abandon you, I just ran into some trouble..."
Ryan paused.
"And I came back as fast as I could; I'm sorry for making you worry."
"I don't want excuses!" Helen grabbed Ryan's face, turned it toward her, and kissed him.
Ryan's eyes widened in surprise, but he kissed her back.
'I don't like taking advantage of a drunk girl, but if I stop her now, I don't know how she'll react,' he thought, deepening the kiss.
"That's not fair, Helen... I missed Ryan a lot too," the gorgeous archer said, pressing close to him.
Mirian took his face and pulled it toward hers, parting Ryan from Helen's lips. Then she kissed him as well.
"How lewd! Do you seriously do that sort of thing among yourselves?!" Karol interjected from beside the bed.
"Of course not! Can't you see they're drunk?!" Ryan snapped back.
"Yeah, whatever you say! I'm leaving!" Karol slammed the door shut and walked out of the room.
"Ryan... Come here, I won't let you leave again," Helen stated, refusing to let go of him.
Mirian and Helen pinned Ryan against the bed, holding him in a tight embrace. They kissed his neck, his cheeks, and his lips repeatedly.
'This wasn't quite the welcome I expected...'
After a moment, however, the caresses and kisses ceased; their breathing grew deep and steady.
"Well, they fell fast asleep."
Ryan slipped out of bed and watched them for a moment.
'They look completely exhausted. What on earth did they do all these days? Were they really looking for me? What a pair of idiots.'
Despite his internal complaints, a distinct smile formed on his face. Knowing there were people who cared so deeply about him was something that brought very pleasant emotions to his chest.
Ryan went to sleep as well. Helen and Mirian slept together in the same bed.
Embracing each other tightly, likely imagining they were holding Ryan. He left them like that; he didn't want to wake them up by moving them to different beds.
◇◇◇
At dawn, Ryan left the room after taking a shower and changing clothes.
Helen and Mirian were still sound asleep. He took the opportunity to head down to the tavern for breakfast.
"Your name is Ryan, correct?"
Ryan turned his gaze toward the person speaking to him.
"Oh, you're the guard from yesterday. How is the little boy?"
"I apologize for bothering you so early. But regarding the young boy you left with us yesterday, we already know where he comes from," the guard replied; beside him stood a uniformed woman as well.
"I see, but is he with his family now or in the infirmary? I'll go check on him myself, if that's alright," Ryan said in a somewhat serious tone.
"Yes, as a matter of fact. You see, the young master is the heir to a viscount from the neighboring nation, Varvylon."
"The nation of Varvylon?"
"Yes. And currently, the young master is under the care of Baron Thomas. It was Lord Thomas who requested we bring you before him. He wishes to thank you for bringing the boy back safely."
'A baron? More nobles to deal with? What a hassle. But I suppose I'll have to make sure he isn't a holy knight.'
"And will this Thomas person let me see the boy if I go?"
"Of course, that is why he invited you to his mansion. You will be able to speak much more comfortably there."
"Well, I'll have to see for myself that that's true," Ryan muttered.
"Ryan!" Helen's shout rang out as she dashed up from behind him, grabbed his arm, and embraced him.
Almost instantly, Mirian did the same.
"Ryan, you really came back! Last night I had the strangest dream about you," Helen said, hugging him tightly.
"Hm, now that you mention it, I had a pretty strange dream too," Mirian added.
'Except that wasn't a dream!' he thought with a sigh.
"I won't forgive you for being gone for so many days. Where were you? I was on the verge of heading into the demonic continent to find you!"
"Helen wanted to go all the way there, but I convinced her there was no way you could possibly be in a place like that."
'Except that was the exact place I was in!'
"Then Mirian suggested you probably ran off with some shameless girl..."
Ryan frowned at Helen's remark.
'What kind of opinion do these two have of me?'
"Don't lie! You were the one who said that!" Mirian defended herself.
"Huh? What are you talking about! Of course not! It was you!" Helen shot back.
"That's enough," Ryan ordered.
Cough, cough.
The guard cleared his throat, interrupting them.
"Huh? And who the hell are you! Can't you see we're talking here?!"
The guard frowned. Just as he was about to reply, his partner stepped forward.
"Our apologies, we did not mean to disturb the heroes who saved the viscount's heir, but the baron, who is a close friend of the viscount, wishes to thank you on his behalf. That is why we are here, to escort you before him."
"Ah, so that's what happened. I thought you just wanted to nag us about the destruction of the—"
Shh!
Helen's words were cut short as Mirian stomped hard on her foot.
Then she whispered in her ear:
"Shut up, will you?"
'What the hell did these two do now?'
The guards looked at them suspiciously, but they were there with a formal request; at the very least, it seemed they didn't want to get involved in anything else.
Upon stepping outside, a carriage was waiting for them.
"Hey! What took you so long!" Karol yelled from the carriage window.
"Huh? What are you doing here?"