Ch.102102. It’s Been a While, So Let’s Just Do the First Verse.

“Go eat!”

“I’m full, I don’t want to!!”

It was an extremely awkward situation.

Serion Lykus had apparently finished his meat and was getting up from the table.

I stared blankly as he left the Flower Flame Pavilion with a dejected expression, then slumped down in my chair.

“….This is driving me crazy.”

“Going crazy? Why?”

The hourglass flickered before my eyes, but I clenched my molars tightly.

Why should I use that?

Use a skill I need to survive for someone else?

Because it would ruin the original world setting?

I don’t want to.

Yes, I’m a selfish bastard.

I didn’t want to waste my precious skill when I had no idea what might happen in the future.

But still.

Recklessly stopping the protagonist as he tries to leave the Flower Flame Pavilion would cause problems.

Surely, we would naturally meet again in Lake Territory.

What if I forcibly arrange a meeting with Linadiel here and destroy his impression of me?

Then my hopeful plan to hand over Rio and Luna would evaporate.

I stared vacantly at Linadiel and couldn’t help but sigh.

“Haaa….”

If I leave her like this, Linadiel will almost certainly die.

Being such an innocent child, she’ll go around announcing that her mother was an elf.

Sigh….

In the end, is this because of the assassins?

I don’t know whether it was the first or second one’s doing, but if I find out, I don’t think I’ll let them die easily.

After sighing repeatedly, I finally spoke.

“I’ll call you Lina for short.”

“Okay, me too.”

“Lina, do you have a place to stay?”

“….No.”

“Then would you like to come with me?”

“Umm….umm, my mom told me not to follow strangers.”

Right, back then, Serion Lykus, feeling sorry for Linadiel, had also offered to accompany her.

Well, not just that—he also knew she was half-elf and thought her unique qualities made her worth developing as a companion.

And Linadiel, of course, had the same reaction as now.

‘What did Serion say to persuade her back then….’

Snapping my thumb and middle finger with a ‘click,’ I continued speaking.

“If you come with me, you can eat meat every day.”

“M-meat!?”

“Yes, delicious meat.”

Lina’s eyes sparkled as if the word ‘meat’ had cast a spell on her.

“I’ll go with you.”

Haaa….

I have no choice but to take her along for now, but what am I supposed to do with her?

Taking her to Lake Territory would be problematic with that crazy jealous woman there.

But.

Is this really a coincidence?

I can understand Rio and Luna since they were originally in Lake Territory, but now I’m connected to the Seri Familia and even the imperial family, and now Linadiel too….

It’s getting hard to tell who the real protagonist of this world is.

Of course, Serion Lykus would contribute to world peace by hunting monsters even without other companions, but wouldn’t he need reliable support?

What if the protagonist were to die?

Additional catastrophic events would occur years later—it’s horrifying just to imagine.

‘I guess the right thing is to keep her with me for now and hand her over along with Rio and Luna.’

Just then, I spot Rio and Lightner in the distance.

They approach, waving cheerfully at me, but then hesitate when they notice there’s a woman with me.

I let out a short sigh as I stand up.

*

“….Who is this?”

“A vagrant.”

“….Pardon?”

Back in the carriage heading to House Alphonse.

Rio asked the question, but Lightner beside him seemed even more curious.

With my arms crossed heavily, I continued.

“A beggar.”

“….You’re telling me not to ask further, right?”

“Yes, you understand well.”

“I understand.”

“By the way, when we arrive at Lake Territory, find a house right away.”

“A house, sir?”

“Yeah, it would be difficult to bring her into the mansion.”

Rio glances at Lina sleeping soundly in the carriage, then tilts his head with an expression of unbearable curiosity.

“Did you know her from before?”

“Didn’t I tell you not to ask?”

When I narrowed my brows, Rio bowed his head deeply.

“I apologize.”

“Anyway, find a house and also a nanny to live with her.”

“A nanny?”

“Yes, she may look grown, but she still doesn’t understand the ways of the world.”

“….I understand for now.”

“Also, since I can’t take her to the family house, you stay outside and play with her.”

When Rio urgently opened his mouth to speak, I whispered, “Just do as I say,” and he bowed his head again.

“Understood. I’ll wait with her.”

“Don’t take your eyes off her for even a moment, you never know where she might run off to.”

“Yes, since I seem to have lost your trust, I’ll prove myself properly this time.”

“That’s the spirit.”

Still with my arms crossed, I turned my gaze to Lightner.

“Lightner.”

“Yes, sir.”

“I’d prefer if you didn’t mention that the guard knights betrayed us to House Alphonse.”

“Yes, I under—what?! What do you mean by that?!”

“Just tell them that assassins attacked and were all defeated.”

“But why….”

“When we get to the family house, we’ll need to keep quiet to identify the mastermind.”

Lightner fidgeted anxiously before finally nodding in resignation.

“….I understand, sir. You must have your reasons.”

“I’m just asking you to keep quiet for now. I plan to inform father when the time comes.”

“Yes, I’ll be discreet. Oh, and….”

“And?”

“You haven’t given me your feedback yet.”

“About what?”

When I jutted out my chin questioningly, Lightner continued with a reddened face.

“The request I mentioned in the carriage. About how much my skills have improved….”

“Ah….you’ve been swinging your sword too much, so your upper body is overly developed. You should work on your lower body exercises, your balance is off.”

“Is that so…?”

“Still, you’ve improved a lot in a year. I think you’d rank above average in the family now.”

“R-really?!”

Lightner’s disappointed face gradually regained its vitality.

This wasn’t empty flattery.

I don’t know what he realized through our duel, but he had clearly put in tremendous effort afterward and made rapid progress.

“Yes, but while the others were all recruited, did anyone approach you?”

“Truly, no one did.”

Perhaps they didn’t bother recruiting Lightner because he was the lowest-ranked knight when he dueled with me?

There must have been some issue.

“Anyway, good job with your training.”

“Th-thank you!”

Pleased with his dedication to training, I gave Lightner a warm smile.

Next to him, Rio scratched his cheek with his finger.

“Young master, how do you think I’m doing?”

Indeed, befitting a protagonist’s companion, Rio was impressively strong.

If I hadn’t gained my abilities, his skill level would have been far beyond my reach.

Yet, there was still something lacking.

“Rio, when hunting monsters, you show hesitation that isn’t visible otherwise. I understand, of course. Taking a life isn’t something one can get used to.”

“As expected, your eyes caught that.”

“But your opponents were assassins. Remember that even a slight hesitation could cost not only your life but your comrades’ lives as well.”

“….I’ll keep that in mind.”

Come to think of it.

Am I cold-blooded?

Even Rio, who has wielded a sword since childhood, hesitates to kill….

Is it just my desire to survive?

When we were almost at the family house, I let Rio and Lina off.

Lina threw herself on the ground and wailed like a child begging her mother for a toy, insisting on staying with me, but with one mention of “Go eat some meat,” she followed behind Rio as if nothing had happened.

Finally arriving at the Alphonse family mansion.

As I stepped out of the carriage, Miria Alphonse’s voluptuous chest pressed against my nose, just as I had expected.

“Why are you so late!!!”

“P-please let go and let’s talk. There are many eyes watching.”

“Do you know how long I’ve been waiting!? Why are you so late?!”

I would have to tell her about the assassins eventually, but first I should inform Baron Byron.

If I explained everything to Miria now, she would surely go berserk.

After finally detaching the chest from my nose, I took a short deep breath.

“We stopped by Silverwood Territory for a meal, which delayed us slightly.”

“Is food more important? Or am I more important?”

“You are, of course, sister.”

“Do you want to eat food? Or would you rather eat m—”

“Let’s stick to verse one since we haven’t seen each other in a while.”

“Hmph….you’re so mean, now you even cut off my jokes.”

Come to think of it.

When we met in Lake Territory, Miria Alphonse either came alone or with her father, so I never saw the knights who attended her.

Looking at them now, their combat ability isn’t bad, but their eyes all show dissatisfaction with me.

Well, I suppose they wouldn’t be pleased that their lord is involved with a good-for-nothing like me.

Miria Alphonse sniffled, then noticed my gaze and turned her head sharply.

The knights flinched and quickly changed their displeased expressions to bright ones.

Thinking about how much they must have suffered under her, just like me, I felt a strange sense of pity.

“Shall we go in now?”

“Huh? There’s an even bigger hurdle left.”

“Haha! Your jokes have improved? There couldn’t possibly be a bigger hurdle than you, sister.”

Just then, a gentle voice came from behind.

“Seeeelden!!”

What’s this?

Miria Alphonse is clearly in front of me….

Is there another person in the mansion who can make such a soft yet somehow creepy voice?

I blinked and slowly turned my head.

And there…

“Sooooon!!”