After being banished by the hero, I decided to join another party – the revival of the legendary hero's team! However, the seductive heroine in her thirties clad in a bikini armor has a mysterious reason why she can't fight! - Episode 12

It had been some time since we expelled Fudra from the party.

I found myself at the adventurer’s guild, searching for someone to fill the gap he had left.

In terms of combat power, we were more than sufficient. Between myself, the Sword Saint Elza, the Saintess Cecilia, and the Sage Isabelle, we had everything we needed to face any challenge. What we lacked was someone to handle the menial tasks.

Fudra may not have been as strong as the rest of us, but that was due to his job class—a limitation he couldn’t control. While he couldn’t keep up in battle, he was exceptional when it came to chores.

We didn’t expel him because we needed a better combatant. The real reason was more personal: he was an old friend and a man.

Having Fudra around made it awkward for all of us to be affectionate with one another.

As a member of the Hero’s Party, I understood that, politically, I’d likely have to marry only one person. While polygamy among nobles wasn’t unheard of, the reality was that only one of the three women in my party would become my partner.

The thought that Fudra might end up marrying one of the others made things even more uncomfortable.

Whenever we tried to relax or express affection, his presence was a constant reminder, creating a stifling atmosphere.

For me, having Fudra overhear or accidentally witness intimate moments was embarrassing. For the others, it was mortifying.

In short, his presence was disrupting the harmony of our party.

No woman wants her childhood friend and potential suitor to overhear her in moments of vulnerability. That kind of situation creates unnecessary tension.

From a purely functional perspective, we needed Fudra only for his organizational skills, not for combat. Those tasks—cooking, setting up camp, handling paperwork—could be done by someone else.

I didn’t tell the others, but my plan was simple: recruit a female adventurer skilled in household tasks to join the party. She’d handle the chores, and we’d all benefit.

If she wasn’t one of the Three Holy Classes, I could negotiate for her to take a contraceptive brand. This arrangement would finally allow me to… graduate from being a virgin.

At the Adventurer’s Guild

“What? A replacement for Fudra? I’m sorry, that’s impossible!”

The receptionist’s shocked refusal caught me off guard.

“What do you mean, impossible? I don’t need someone as skilled as him—just someone to handle the menial tasks!”

Surely, finding someone to cook, clean, and organize wasn’t that difficult.

“For a temporary arrangement, perhaps, but it will be extremely costly.”

“How costly are we talking?”

“As a rough estimate, you’d be looking at around 30 gold coins per month (roughly 3 million yen). Even then, there’s no guarantee anyone would take the offer.”

“Why would it cost so much?”

**”Let me explain. Traveling with a Hero’s Party is incredibly demanding. Even if they’re only handling chores, the recruit must be able to defend themselves in dangerous situations.

“This means you’d need at least a C-rank adventurer, though realistically, someone at B-rank would be better. A B-rank adventurer can easily earn 40 gold coins a month from regular missions. Offering a stable contract like this might lower the cost slightly, which is how I arrived at 30 gold coins as a minimum.”**

“That’s… expensive.”

“Yes. And if you insist on hiring a woman, the pool of candidates shrinks even further.”

“Why would hiring a woman make it harder?”

The receptionist hesitated, her expression becoming a bit awkward.

“Well, sir… many female adventurers might feel uncomfortable joining a Hero’s Party, especially with its reputation. Being the only woman in a party of men—or one of few—could make them feel vulnerable.”

The explanation made sense, but it didn’t make me feel any better.

Replacing Fudra was proving to be far more complicated than I had anticipated.

“Excuse me, Dolman-sama, but your party is widely recognized as a harem party. Most female adventurers would likely view joining your group as becoming a ‘harem member.’ Even if you explicitly state otherwise in writing and manage to convince them, committing years of their lives to your party might jeopardize their prospects for marriage or romantic relationships. That’s a significant deterrent for many.”

The receptionist’s words struck like a dagger.

“Then what are we supposed to do?”

“My recommendation is this: every time you arrive at a town or village, visit the adventurer’s guild. There, you can hire temporary replacements to handle specific tasks. As for meals, rely on dining out whenever you’re in towns or villages. This strategy should work reasonably well in populated areas. However, the real challenge will be during long-distance travel and extended hunts.”

“…”

“Also,” the receptionist added, “even with temporary hires, make sure to prepare at least drafts of reports and documentation yourselves. You’ll need to maintain detailed notes consistently. Outsourced helpers won’t understand your party’s goals or methods as deeply as you do. Those responsibilities fall squarely on you.”

“Understood…”

Even from this brief conversation, it was clear how much effort would be required.

I had come here alone, hoping to recruit a woman who fit my “preferences.” But now, it felt like the situation was spiraling out of control.

“Let me ask you something—was Fudra really that talented?”

**”Exceptionally so! He might not be S-rank like you and your companions, but as an A-rank adventurer, he was highly capable. What set him apart was his unmatched skill in managing chores, documentation, and household tasks.

“In fact, we received numerous offers for him from other parties. For example, the all-female ‘Amazoness’ party offered to include ‘nightly services’ as part of their proposal to recruit him. High-ranking individuals like Crusaders and Archpriests also expressed strong interest in forming a party with him. He was, and still is, in incredibly high demand.”**

“Wait… you said ‘was’?”

“Yes, Fudra-sama has already joined another party. He partnered with A-rank adventurer Aisha-sama, and together they formed a new group called ‘Aydra.’ They haven’t reported any major accomplishments yet, but they seem to be doing quite well together.”

“He’s already with someone else…?”

The news hit harder than I expected. So Fudra really moved on. And by the sound of it, his new partner, Aisha, was a woman.

I had told him, ‘Why not go back to your village and become a countryside adventurer? Or join some weaker party?’

I never expected him to actually move on, let alone pair up with someone so capable.

“Yes, Dolman-sama. For privacy reasons, I can’t disclose much more. But from what I hear, they’re working quite well together.”

“…I see. I’ll come back later.”

As I left the guild, I couldn’t shake the heaviness in my chest.

We had expelled Fudra because we wanted to enjoy ourselves without feeling watched or judged.

But now, it seemed like he’d found exactly what we were looking for—companionship and success.

If I were in his position… would I ever come back?

Absolutely not.