Chapter 2: No longer a burden

“Huh?!”  

For some reason, after hearing Keti take the initiative to ask to leave the team, a look of panic unexpectedly appeared on Alice’s face.  

She froze for a moment, then, somewhat uneasy, spoke up and nervously asked Keti: “…Keti…are you…are you serious? You…haven’t forgotten that Promise from back then, right?”  

Keti let out a helpless sigh.

Promise, huh…  

That scene replayed in his mind—the time when Alice and he had just left the Magic Academy and set out on their adventure.

Back then, the Fan Club Leader of Alice at the school had grabbed the corner of her clothes in a panic and shouted at her: “If you ever become a burden to Miss Alice in the future, you’d better be sensible and withdraw from the team yourself! You’re just a drag because you’re her childhood friend!”  

And back then, Alice hadn’t said a word…  

Her self-abasing self could only nod silently.  

In Keti’s heart, he always treated this matter as a Promise—and hoped it would never need to be fulfilled.  

But, as expected, she still couldn’t do it…  

“Of course…I remember.”  

Keti nodded.

Unexpectedly, after hearing this, a glimmer flashed in Alice’s eyes.

Then, the corners of her mouth curled up in a barely noticeable smile, which she quickly suppressed before nodding again and pretending to be calm: “That’s good, that’s good.”  

At this point, Keti really couldn’t hold it in anymore.

After all these years as childhood friends, Alice, why do you seem so eager for me to leave?  

He must really be fed up with me by now, right?  

He turned his head and looked at the two girls standing beside Alice—his other two companions…  

However, the other two girls didn’t seem to have any intention of stopping Alice either.

The tall, purple-haired girl with jellyfish-like hair, dressed in a nun’s robe—

Layla—stood up at this moment, her expression showing a hint of apology as she spoke: “Sorry, Keti, but I also think Alice’s suggestion makes some sense. Keti, you gave us a lot of help when our team was first formed, but…your Magic Talent is only D-Rank, after all.”

“In the recent dungeon raids, it’s become obvious that you’re struggling. I think if you keep adventuring with us, you might face many dangers. For your own safety, maybe it’s better if…”  

On the other side, the green-haired elf Sylvia, who wore an eyepatch over her right eye and had been silent with a cold expression, suddenly opened her mouth as well.

Maintaining her usual curt manner, she simply said:  

“I…agree.”  

All their attitudes were clear now.

Although in Layla and Sylvia’s words, Keti seemed to hear a trace of concern, but…  

At this moment, Keti was clearer than ever in his heart—that was just a polite way of putting it…  

In the end, it was because he was just a worthless D-Rank Magic Talent, while both Layla and Alice were A-Rank Talent, and Sylvia was even S-Rank.  

Like a curse he was born with, his poor Magic Talent made it impossible for him to master high-level spells.

From childhood to now, he’d always been looked down on and bullied for this.

It was already hard enough to form a team with Alice and the others, and in the end, he was still disliked and kicked out because of this…  

But, even after working so hard, does that mean…he can never make up for the gap in talent?  

In that instant, the boy’s pride suffered a devastating blow.

With ragged breathing, he felt his legs start to go weak…  

Ah…

If it weren’t for wanting to maintain the last bit of his dignity as a man in front of them, he…probably would’ve burst into tears by now.  

But…things had come to this, and there was no way to turn back.  

At the very least, as he left the team he’d poured so much effort and devotion into, he wanted…to keep a little dignity for himself!  

Thinking so, after a while, Keti gritted his teeth, slowly raised his head, and then said to Alice:  

“I understand. I won’t stay in this team and drag everyone down anymore. You should find another excellent companion. But…I want to leave this team on my own! This is my last bit of pride, please understand…”  

Unexpectedly calm, even…his tone carried a hint of indifference.

If not for the faint tremor in his voice, it would make people think Keti had long wanted to leave and was just going with the flow now.  

Even Keti himself hadn’t expected to be so calm.

He thought, at the very end, he would be angry, feel wronged, and have a hysterical outburst.  

Thinking about it, maybe…he really was just tired.  

Looking back, when their adventuring party was first formed, the atmosphere was at its best.  

Later on, it felt like an inexplicable distance grew between everyone, as if each person was hiding some unspeakable secret, and the mood became more and more stifling.  

Thinking about it now, those unspoken words were probably all complaints about him.  

Now, they were all free…probably.

Keti gave a bitter smile and shook his head.

Voluntarily leaving or being kicked out—aside from the latter sounding worse, there wasn’t much difference.  

So, he didn’t care how the girls would react—whether they respected his decision or angrily insisted on expelling him.

The boy turned around and waved his hand.  

“I’m going to pack my things. Well…goodbye.”  

He turned away, not lingering to take one last look at the serious faces of his beautiful companions.

Now that this burden was leaving, they would probably soon be happy, smiling and joking around as usual.  

After all, the girls always got along so well.

He, on the other hand, always felt like an outsider.  

Maybe, there would be new, stronger companions joining their lively party, and amid laughter and joy, they’d achieve even greater things—and then…gradually forget he ever existed…  

That’s what Keti thought in his heart.

However, when he truly left and even began to walk farther and farther away…  

In the room, the three girls left behind didn’t look relieved at all.

Instead…the air was eerily silent.  

For a long, long time, the purple-haired nun Layla finally spoke in a slightly reproachful tone, shouting at Alice: “Hey, Alice, weren’t your words a bit too harsh at the start? Didn’t we agree it was just supposed to be an act?”  

The elf girl wearing the eyepatch also turned her head, her cold voice holding a hint of dissatisfaction as she echoed,

“Agreed.”