The Boy Who Died Protecting the Party Is Resurrected 10 Years Later and Is Doted On – The Companion He Thought Was a Boy Had Become an Overprotective Big Sister - Episode 9: The Encounter with the Boy (From Beruda’s Perspective)

Episode 9: The Encounter with the Boy (From Beruda’s Perspective)

Late at night, Beruda was tormented by a nightmare and woke up.

“…A dream, huh.”

She got up from bed, wiped the sweat off her body, and took a deep breath.

Since that day, she had lost count of how many dreams she’d had about abandoning Phil.

“Phil… came back…”

Muttering as if convincing herself, she staggered out of the room.

She went down to the first floor of the party house and took several bottles of alcohol from the refrigerator—a device developed by Menou to cool and preserve food and drinks.

“Just for today… drinking should be fine, right?”

Normally, for a certain reason, she was banned from drinking by the party members. But today was a special day since Phil had returned. So she felt it was okay.

Then Beruda stepped onto the covered terrace on the second floor, sat on a chair, and felt the night breeze.

“…It’s cold.”

Then she began drinking the liquor in the bottle heartily.

“Nn… puhah…”

Feeling her body gradually heating up, she gazed absentmindedly at the city lights of the bustling labyrinth city at night.

＊

The first time she met Phil was on the main street of this city.

Beruda had been abandoned by her parents at age five and had lived all alone. She was surviving through stealing.

Getting caught and beaten until she couldn’t stand anymore was a daily occurrence. And she had almost been caught by guards more times than she could count. But she had always managed to get away somehow.

And on that day, she happened to target a rich-looking brat she passed by. A big reason was that he looked weak.

“U-uhm, the Adventurers’ Guild is…”

“………………”

The theft succeeded too easily and left her feeling let down. But she checked the contents of the bag she stole and was disappointed.

“…What the hell, he’s barely carrying anything.”

She couldn’t remember why she decided to return it afterward.

Maybe she had felt a slight sense of similarity to the boy. Since he seemed her age and had come to this city with almost no money.

…Or maybe she just simply wanted a friend.

“What a dumbass… How the hell did you survive until now…?”

Beruda turned back through the crowd and approached the boy walking carelessly. She tapped him on the shoulder.

“Hey.”

“…Yes?”

“This is yours, right?”

“………Ah!”

“There are a lot of pickpockets around here, so be careful.”

When she handed over the pouch with gold coins, the boy finally noticed.

“You’re right! Thank you! But where did you—”

“I stole it.”

Somehow curious about his reaction, she told the truth. And he clearly started to panic.

“G-give it back…!”

“Okay, okay. Here.”

The boy snatched the bag and held it tightly to his chest.

“Thief…!”

“I said I’m sorry. You didn’t have much money anyway. So I won’t steal from you again.”

“That’s not the point!”

The boy grabbed Beruda’s arm with an angry face and started pulling her.

“Hey, let go. Don’t tell me you’re gonna turn me over to the guards?”

She reached for the knife hidden in her coat and glared at him threateningly. But it didn’t have much effect.

“I’d love to, but… you gave it back normally. And there’s no evidence, so it’s pointless!”

“…That’s true.”

“So you’re going to become an adventurer with me!”

“Hah?”

“There aren’t any parties that’ll take on a newbie like me. So I was looking for someone who seemed just right!”

She didn’t understand what he meant.

“D-don’t just decide that on your own!”

“Look, exploring the labyrinth earns more money than stealing now! I have to become great and make a lot of money. So, you help me too!”

“Y-you’ve gotta be kidding me!”

She thought he was totally crazy.

“My name is Phil Marlis! What’s yours?”

“L-like I’d tell you.”

“Then just tell me when we register. – Can you write?”

“Barely…! I mean, I haven’t said I’d become an adventurer yet!”

Even though she said that, she did have some admiration for being an adventurer.

…She just thought it was irrelevant to her because she had no one to ask how to become one.

“Nice to meet you, thief!”

“My name’s Beruda!”

—And that’s how Beruda began walking the path of an adventurer.

＊

She understands now.

Phil forcefully dragged her out of that rotten, thieving life. He was her savior for life.

She had always been alone. So diving into the labyrinth with Phil was fun. She even met a nice companion named Raika.

“I wanna go back… to those days…”

After downing the second bottle of liquor, Beruda was now red-faced. She muttered while spacing out.

Until now, her whole life had been about finding a way to bring Phil back to life. And she had no room to think about anything else… but that’s not the case anymore.

Phil came back. Just like the old days.

That brought back all kinds of happy memories… and she wanted to be an adventurer with Phil again.

She wanted to stand next to Phil… and have adventures like before.

—But Phil was now too far from her for that wish to come true.

Their ages, heights, body sizes, even the gender she had once faked. Everything seemed the same on the outside back then. But now, nothing matched.

…If she was going to feel like this, maybe it would be easier if she just left this place alone.

“What should I… do? …Like before… please pull me along and show me the way… Phil…”

Just as she muttered that in a drunken daze—

“Beruda…!”

She turned around at the sound of that voice from behind. And Phil was standing at the terrace entrance with a surprised expression.

“Ah… Phil… Did I wake you?”

Beruda tried her best to act composed and behave like a mature older sister to Phil.

“No, it’s not that. – I just… couldn’t sleep.”

Phil blushed and looked embarrassed. Seems Menou had really done whatever she wanted with him.

“She… really loves you. Just… let her do as she pleases for a while.”

Before she realized it, she had drunk quite a lot. Her vision was blurry; she couldn’t see Phil’s face well.

“Hey, Beruda. There’s something I want to say… is that okay…?”

Phil seemed to want to talk about something and was relying on her.

She had to get herself together.

“—Of course. If you’re having trouble… don’t hesitate… say anything.”

Then Phil took a deep breath and shouted:

“Why are you naked?! At least put on some clothes!”

“Eh…?”

Looking around, her underwear was scattered all over.

“—Ah.”

Apparently, she had unconsciously taken off her underwear because she felt hot.

She usually slept without clothes to begin with.

“When I get drunk… I tend to strip all the way. …Menou often yells at me…”

“I didn’t need to know that!”

Seeing Phil angry like that, he looked a little like Menou. They really were siblings.

“I’ll behave… Come here.”

“Eh…?”

“I want… to be with you…”

Beruda felt like nothing mattered anymore.