Chapter 121: An Unexpected Guest and a Promise

I had heard from Yuri that Craig would be visiting during the festival, but I didn’t expect to run into him like this.

Even Yuri seemed surprised, her eyes wide.

“Father!”

Realizing she wasn’t mistaken, Yuri rushed into her father’s arms.

Craig, also happy to see his daughter after a long time, smiled kindly and patted her back in response to her affection.

It was a side of Craig that hadn’t been seen before the rift between them had started to mend, his emotional expressions certainly more varied than in the past.

“But weren’t you supposed to come tomorrow?”

We ended up sitting together, and Yuri, sitting next to me, asked Craig, who was sitting across from us.

“Hmm, hmm…. It just turned out that way.”

“Where are your attendants? And where’s Rufin?”

“Hehe…. Isn’t the important thing that we’re having a father-daughter reunion after a long time?”

Craig was somehow deflecting the question.

Yuri tilted her head, her eyes meeting Craig’s.

Her determination to hear the answer directly from Craig was palpable.

“…My retainers are handling my duties back in the territory in my stead.”

In other words, he came alone. There was no reason for Craig to have business at the Heavenly Casting Festival; he must have dropped everything to come and see Yuri.

“More importantly, it seems like you two have been doing well. Especially Elysia. Your aura feels much better than before. Even though you’re young, your growth is unbelievable. And Yuri….”

Craig, perhaps embarrassed himself, changed the subject.

But even though he started by trying to avoid embarrassment, his eyes were sharp as he examined me and Yuri.

Craig, who had praised me so much, looked at Yuri, tilted his head in a way that didn’t suit his stern expression, and hesitated to speak.

The way he tilted his head was similar to Yuri, yet it felt completely different.

“Hmm…. I’m not sure. Clearly, your aura and movements are the same as always. It’s not that your energy itself has become stronger, but rather that its quantity has increased….”

Rinne and the ghost friends must have been hiding very well, even evading the gaze of Craig, the Sword Master.

“Um…. There’s something I wanted to tell you about that.”

“Hmm?”

Yuri glanced around to make sure no one was watching, then summoned Rinne, who she was contracted with, and the ghost trio.

• –Ah, hello….

“Hmm…!”

Rinne and the ghost trio appeared next to and behind Yuri with a swoosh.

Craig frowned slightly at the sudden appearance of the ghosts and looked them over.

“…I think an explanation is in order.”

At Yuri’s gesture, Yuri sent the ghost trio back into stealth mode, leaving only Rinne, and slowly explained to Craig what had happened to her.

Going to the old school building, meeting Rinne and the ghost friends there, giving Rinne a name and making contracts with the other ghosts….

Of course, the contract itself was up to Yuri, so there was no reason to get Craig’s permission.

However, Yuri not only gave Rinne a name but also gave her the family name ‘Atilea.’

The head of the Atilea family wasn’t Yuri but her father, Craig.

Yuri’s actions were clearly an overreach of authority, infringing on the rights of the head of the family.

“Heh…. Hehehe…. This is such an unexpected situation that I’m taken aback.”

As Yuri finished her explanation, Craig couldn’t hide his bewildered expression and let out a hollow laugh.

Leaving the nervous Yuri behind, Craig flagged down a passing waiter.

“Excuse me, could you set up the most expensive menu for three…. no, four people? And a bottle of the most expensive wine, please.”

It was a typical nouveau riche order, but thanks to the Sword Master’s dignity, it didn’t feel that way at all.

As the waiter who took the order disappeared, Craig leaned back in his chair and sat comfortably.

“So, Rinne, was it?”

• –Ye, yes!

Whether it was because Craig was Yuri’s father or because she was nervous about the sharpness emanating from the Sword Master, her answer was full of tension.

“Hmm…. If you’ve been in the old school building since it was built, you’re practically older than me…. But since you haven’t had a sense of self for very long, can I speak informally?”

Why was he asking for permission when he was already speaking informally?

• –O, of course!

“Thank you. Even though it happens often, it’s quite uncomfortable for me to use honorifics with a girl who’s about the same age as my daughter.”

“I’ll bring out the wine you ordered first. It’s our store’s most expensive wine, Blue Rain 21 years old.”

Craig received the wine bottle and glasses from the waiter who appeared just in time and filled the glasses to the brim.

“This is the first time I’ve said this, but…. After my wife passed away, raising Yuri wasn’t easy. My son is a self-sufficient guy, so he’s fine, but I did a lot wrong to Yuri.”

“Father….”

Although the relationship between father and daughter had improved rapidly recently, Yuri looked a little flustered, as if they had never had such a serious conversation before.

“But Yuri has a good eye for people, and thanks to the friend she brought, we were able to have a reconciliation of sorts.”

This was probably about me.

“And now, that daughter has brought her Rinne, calling her her friend, her family. That child, who only knew how to be stubborn and didn’t know how to assert herself at all.”

Craig brought the full glass to his lips and slowly tilted it.

Craig, who had been silent, perhaps savoring the aroma and taste of the wine, looked at Rinne again and opened his mouth.

“I don’t know much about Rinne yet, but I could feel Rinne’s character and disposition more clearly, perhaps because she’s an incorporeal spirit. Ah! I apologize for reading your energy without permission. It seems to have become a habit now.”

• –No! Not at all!

“Anyway, Rinne has a very pure energy. That means Rinne is also sincere with our Yuri, with each other. Indeed, my daughter has a very good eye for people.”

I wished he would either tell the story or brag about his daughter, but I wasn’t brave enough to argue with the Sword Master.

Craig tilted the glass he had been slowly sipping from and poured it all into his mouth at once.

“Although I’m clumsy at expressing my feelings, I look forward to working with you in the future, Rinne. No, Rinne Atilea, my daughter.”

“I’m sorry to take up your time, but if you don’t mind, could we have a sparring match? I’m curious about Elysia’s sword now that she’s become a Hero.”

After spending a lot of time talking about Rinne and having a meal, Craig, who had come out of the store, spoke to us, or rather, to me.

“I’d be happy to. Yuri, is that okay with you?”

A sparring match with Craig, the Sword Master, was something I would welcome.

Of course, Celian was also a Sword Master, but sparring with Craig, who wielded a completely different sword, would definitely be helpful to me.

“…But today’s the only day you two have together. I came out early because I wanted you two to spend more time together….”

However, with Yuri saying that she wanted to be with me, it was difficult to insist on my own way.

“Well, the sparring match will take time, and it’ll take a while to shower and change clothes after sweating. Then we’ll have the sparring match next time….”

“N, no! When else would I get to see Father and El sparring together! I’m fine, so go ahead and do it!”

I was a little taken aback by Yuri’s sudden change of heart, but thanks to Yuri’s consideration for me, I was able to successfully complete the sparring match with Craig.

“Then wait here for a moment. I’ll wash up and come out soon.”

Back in the dormitory room.

Celian and Anne had already left for their own business, so no one was in the room.

I needed to hurry if I wanted to tour the festival with Yuri and go to support Anne’s match in the afternoon, so I grabbed a change of clothes and headed straight for the bathroom.

Click.

After locking the door as usual, I took off my clothes one by one and put them in the laundry basket.

As I poured cold water over myself, I recalled the sparring match with Craig that had taken place earlier.

I had crossed swords with Craig a few times during the summer vacation, but what I felt during the sparring match was very different from then.

As my skills had improved as I became a Hero and sparred with Celian, my eye for seeing the opponent’s sword must have changed.

As I cooled down my body, which was still hot from the aftereffects of the sparring match, I was reviewing the contents of the sparring match.

Knock knock

“El? I’m coming in too.”

Along with a sudden knock came Yuri’s voice.

I had to stop Yuri right away, but Yuri’s voice turning the doorknob was heard while I was flustered for a moment by an unexpected situation.

Phew, I’m glad I locked the door….

Click, creak.

The doorknob turned, and Yuri came in.

Y, you stupid son of a b*tch! You can forget anything else, but you forget to lock the door!