Author: Suisei
Translator: Rinkage

Character page: Here

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Chapter 194 – I listened to the hero’s troubles

“Youki-kun, sorry to bother you, but I need some advice…”

“…Huh?” [Youki]

I thought someone had shown up, and sure enough, it was Yuuga, the very person who should’ve been basking in the peak of bliss right now.

I was in the middle of unpacking at my new place, so I couldn’t help feeling a bit irritated at the interruption. Why was he here? More importantly, how did he even know where I lived? As far as I remembered, the only person I’d informed about my new address was Cecilia. I had planned on telling others only after I’d fully settled in.

“How do you even know where I live?” [Youki]

“I went to the inn where you were staying, and they mentioned you’d moved after buying a house. They didn’t know where you’d gone, so I asked Cecilia. I figured you’d definitely have told her, right?” [Yuuga]

Ah, so he went directly to Cecilia. That tracked, considering she was the one who’d helped me move in the first place.

“Ah, I see… So, what’s the big ‘problem’ of yours? Shouldn’t you just be charging full steam ahead to your wedding by now? What could possibly be troubling you? Wait – don’t tell me – it’s about wedding favours. Are you here to ask me for advice on what to give as keepsakes?” [Youki]

“That’s not it! Mikana and I already discussed that, so I don’t need your input!” [Yuuga]

“Right, right. You’ve got Mikana to handle that kind of thing. So, it must be something only a guy can talk about, huh? Look, I’m not exactly an expert, but…” [Youki]

“That’s way off the mark! What kind of weird ideas are you coming up with?!” [Yuuga]

“What do you mean? You’re getting married, right? That means you’re about to become a proper husband and take on some serious responsibilities. I figured you were here to prepare yourself mentally for that or something along those lines.” [Youki]

I’m not married, so I don’t have any knowledge in that area.

“Youki-kun… you’re joking, right? Even I know about that kind of stuff.” [Yuuga]

“Well, yeah. I was just messing with you.” [Youki]

I’d intentionally made it sound cryptic to mess with him, but judging by how seriously he was taking it, this might actually be a heavier topic than I’d expected.

“I’m being serious here…” [Yuuga]

“Got it, got it. Your wedding’s coming up, right? Fine, I’ll hear you out… So, what’s going on?” [Youki]

“…Lately—” [Yuuga]

“Yeah?” [Youki]

“I’ve been having these scary dreams, and I can’t sleep.” [Yuuga]

I shut the door.

“H-Hey! You said you’d listen! At least hear me out until the end!” [Yuuga]

“What is that even supposed to be? You’re losing sleep over bad dreams? Go talk to your mum about it! Or better yet, your fiancée, Mikana.” [Youki]

Was he for real? Here I was, busy unpacking at my new place, and he shows up saying, ‘I can’t sleep because my dreams are scary?’ Get real.

I had way too much on my plate already – buying more furniture, letting Duke and the others know about my move, and rebuilding my savings after buying this house. I didn’t have the time or energy to entertain him. So, sorry, but I decided I wasn’t dealing with this nonsense.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t ready to give up so easily. Even with the door shut, he started talking about his dreams through it.

“…It’s that day. The dream took me back to the day it rained heavily. Mikana looked so sad as she stared at me before walking away. I tried to chase after her, but I couldn’t catch up. I reached out my hand, but I couldn’t reach her… I’ve been seeing that dream every night.” [Yuuga]

“…It’s just a dream, man. In reality, you’re about to get married. Don’t overthink it.” [Youki]

“Of course I’m worried! Isn’t it strange to have a dream like this every single night? It feels like I’m getting a premonition that Mikana is going far away from me. Maybe I’m overthinking it, and I know it’s a childish thing to be concerned about. But, still…” [Yuuga]

He seemed to be genuinely troubled. If this keeps up and sleep deprivation starts affecting his wedding, it’ll just cause more hassle.

I still had a lot of unpacking to do, but… I decided against my judgement and opened the door.

“So basically, you just want to sleep soundly without having those bad dreams, right? I’ll ask someone I know for help.” [Youki]

“R-Really?” [Yuuga]

“Yeah, I’m sure they can do something about it.” [Youki]

I couldn’t risk having him sulk forever – he was about to become a groom, after all.

I took Yuuga to a certain place.

♦♦♦

“…So, that’s the story. Gai, help him out, will you?” [Youki]

“…You barge in here out of nowhere, and then you ask me this? What nonsense, kiddo.”

The person I decided to consult was Gai. Why Gai, you ask? Well…

“Since you’ve spent most of your life sleeping, I figured you’d know a lot about getting a good night’s rest.” [Youki]

“Should I take that as an insult?” [Gai]

Judging by the annoyed look on his face, he wasn’t too pleased with my comment. To be fair, it wasn’t entirely meant as a jab… though maybe partially.

“No, no. I’m serious. Hear me out.” [Youki]

“…If you’re seriously saying that, then it is an insult!” [Gai]

“Don’t get mad. The guy who needs help is waiting outside. I’ll introduce you as an adventurer friend of mine who does hypnotherapy as a side gig. Just hit him with your ‘Nightmare Sleep’ magic or whatever, and let him have some decent dreams. Problem solved.” [Youki]

We could lay him on the bed and instruct him to close his eyes, relax, and let go of the tension. From there, it would be up to Gai to send him into the dream world with his magic. Since Gai could manipulate dreams to some extent, all we needed was to keep the bad ones away.

“I can’t promise it’ll go smoothly… but fine. I owe you one, kiddo, so I’ll handle it.” [Gai]

“Great. I’m counting on you.” [Youki]

After a brief discussion, I called Yuuga, who had been waiting outside, into the room.

“My name is Yuuga. Thanks for helping me today. Huh? Haven’t we met before?” [Yuuga]

Dressed in his fluffy outfit and menacing demon mask, Gai was definitely a memorable figure. Last time, I managed to smooth things over, but this time, I decided to roll with it and spin one of his tall tales for Yuuga.

“Yeah, I get it. Even a hero like you would be tempted to comment on his outfit. But there’s a deep story behind it.” [Youki]

I launched into the fabricated backstory I’d used before when registering Gai as an adventurer with the guild.

At first, Yuuga looked skeptical, but as the story unfolded, his expression softened. By the end, his eyes were misty with emotion, fully moved by the fictional hardship I’d concocted. When I finished, Yuuga reached out and gently patted Gai on the shoulder.

“You’ve been through so much… I’m sorry. I just assumed you were some suspicious guy based on your appearance. But this physique… it’s clear you’ve worked hard. I’m sorry for judging you.” [Yuuga]

“No, I haven’t been particularly concerned about that…” [Gai]

Gai gave me a pointed look, clearly unimpressed. Hey, it’s not like I expected Yuuga to get this invested in the story.

At this rate, if we kept chatting and sent him home afterward, maybe he’d stop having bad dreams altogether?

“Sorry, but I really want to sleep peacefully without those nightmares. I’m counting on you to help me out today.” [Yuuga]

He bowed politely as he made his request. At this point, it was clear. I had no choice but to leave this to Gai.

For now, I had Yuuga lie down on the bed and close his eyes. The next step was up to Gai.

“Alright, Gai. Use ‘Nightmare Sleep’. But don’t make it too perfect right away. Make it something like a dream that’s not a nightmare, but not overly fun either. Give him… an ordinary dream.” [Youki]

“Understood. But… you can use ‘Nightmare Sleep’ too, can’t you? Why am I the one doing this?” [Gai]

“Think about it. If someone familiar like me suddenly starts offering hypnotic therapy, it’d seem suspicious. Listen, Gai. If a regular guy does something weird, people would find it odd. But if someone who’s already suspicious-looking does something weird, it would barely raise an eyebrow. It’s all about perception.” [Youki]

“From my perspective, you’re dressed strangely enough that it wouldn’t make a difference… but fine.” [Gai]

Ignoring Gai’s muttering, I watched as Yuuga fell asleep under the effects of ‘Nightmare Sleep’. His expression was peaceful, free of any tension or distress. It looked like a success.

“Alright. It works.” [Youki]

“Indeed. Now… let’s make sure he can sleep comfortably moving forward. Things like an uncomfortable bed or noise could also cause restless sleep. It’s important to create a quiet, restful space.” [Gai]

“Got it. I’ll tell Yuuga all of that when he wakes up.” [Youki]

After discussing it with Gai, we decided on how to advise Yuuga when he woke up. But of course, solving it this easily wasn’t going to be the end of it.

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