Ch.111Special Side Story – To Another Continent (4)

The girl only managed to compose herself after some time had passed.

Once her calmed demeanor showed on her face, Irefi asked her:

“What is your name, young lady?”

“Ah, um, I’m… Rishe.”

“A pseudonym, I see. Or perhaps a nickname that shortens your actual name.”

“Well, I, that’s…”

“A wise precaution.”

“Pardon?”

The girl who identified herself as Rishe let out a sharp sound at this unexpected assessment.

Irefi spoke casually, as if there was nothing strange about it.

“Though I may be your benefactor, carelessly revealing your identity could invite different kinds of threats. The more noble your status, the more this holds true.”

“Y-yes…”

Rishe responded with a dazed expression to Irefi’s advice. She was probably struck by the gap between the Irefi who had been scolding her earlier and the Irefi who was now praising her caution.

I decided to lighten the mood by throwing out a playful joke.

“This is a problem. Someone might think I’m hiding something when they hear my name. All thanks to someone who carelessly gave me a malicious name.”

“Ahem, Nepy!”

“I mean, if you were going to name me, something like Nepitarius General Chungmugong the Third would have been so much better.”

“That’s not better at all…?”

Irefi offered a prim and timid rebuttal.

In any case, she was in a position where it was difficult to be righteous.

After all, when she gave me the name ‘Nepy,’ she clearly despised me.

While Netionpis’s infamy was reason enough, in light of the truth revealed now, it was merely persecution of an innocent person.

I understand this, so I don’t particularly feel resentful. I just consider it a useful memory for teasing Irefi occasionally.

“To think you’d suggest such a name as an alternative… just how much do you dislike your current one?”

“No one’s stupid enough to actually want that. Honestly, I’m fine with my name now.”

“Nepy?”

“It feels like we’re a pair somehow. Nepy and Elfi. Doesn’t it have a nice ring to it?”

The naming sense suddenly reminded me of something like “Pat T” and “Mat T,” which made it a bit funny.

Since suddenly taking it back would also be amusing, I decided to pretend I didn’t notice.

Irefi blushed slightly and averted her eyes. She lowered her voice quietly.

“…You really say whatever you want in front of the child.”

Suddenly, Irefi was reacting like a wife who had heard an obscene joke from her husband in front of their daughter.

Meanwhile, Rishe, who was cast in the daughter role, stared at her with increasingly unfocused eyes.

Her expression reminded me of a certain pink rabbit detective I’d seen in my previous life.

“Ahem!”

Realizing the situation, Irefi cleared her throat and changed the subject.

“For now, I’ll call you Rishe temporarily. Where did you come from to get here, Rishe?”

“I came from the archipelago.”

Irefi showed considerable surprise at her answer.

“The archipelago is quite far from here. As I understand it, the archipelago of this empire is located in its central region… while the nearest port city to us is at the southern edge. How on earth did you end up here?”

“Um… do I have to tell you?”

“If it’s some frivolous reason like running away from home, be prepared to hear nagging the entire way.”

“…”

I became strangely anxious at the girl’s silence.

The desperate way she avoided Irefi’s eyes while sweating profusely was truly pitiful.

Irefi sent a silent signal that she understood perfectly well.

“Uh… uh…”

Rishe’s gaze turned toward me, pleading.

Save me, please. I’ll reward you handsomely, her eyes seemed to say.

I simply gave her a gentle smile.

Rishe’s face brightened as she took my silent smile as acceptance, but her joy didn’t last even a moment.

Because she realized that my smile contained bitter emotions.

‘I’m sorry… blame my lack of power.’

The ordeal of countless admonishments being fired from Irefi’s beautiful lips was an inevitable future we had to face.

Certainly, in terms of nagging, Irefi was the world’s strongest.

That’s the quality of an excellent mother. I decided to maintain a positive attitude with that thought.

◇

We continued walking along the forest path.

While I and Irefi, with our nearly infinite stamina, walked normally, Rishe, who was closer to an ordinary person, sat restlessly on horseback.

Given Rishe’s high status, this wasn’t an unusual sight. However, Irefi’s machine gun-like nagging seemed to have approached the level of trauma for her.

Despite her considerable inherent status, it must have been unbearably difficult to endure, making her constantly watch for Irefi’s reactions.

“Um, may I get down for a while? My bottom hurts…”

“You don’t need permission for that.”

“Ah-ha. Y-yes…”

We were positioned with Rishe in the middle, guarding her on both sides.

To put it simply, a formation with Nepy on the left and Elfi on the right.

She tried to dismount from the horse as naturally as possible on the left side.

While she had to choose either left or right to get down… somehow her intentions seemed completely transparent.

Now walking at a close distance, Rishe and I naturally made eye contact.

I let out an awkward laugh, which seemed to ease her wariness a bit.

“Excuse me…”

“Hmm?”

Rishe timidly spoke to me. Just that simple action gave me a strange feeling.

‘Even Miren has grown up so much… this child is still quite young.’

Though I had no children of my own, I felt she was like a daughter, which made me feel wistful.

If we had been a normal couple, we might have had a daughter her age by now.

Perhaps Irefi’s lengthy nagging came from similar feelings.

But it was impolite to harbor such fantasies about someone else’s daughter.

I ignored the tingling in my chest and listened attentively to her.

“What is it?”

“I was wondering something.”

“You can ask me anything.”

“Well… then…”

Rishe trailed off. Judging by her restlessly shifting eyes, it was obvious who she wanted to ask about.

Sure enough, she whispered her question.

“Is she always this scary?”

“In what way?”

“Just… scary enough that you can’t even show the slightest defiance… extremely so.”

“Pfft, haha.”

Of course she is. Anyone who knows Irefi’s true nature would have no choice but to shake their head.

Irefi, who could create swords harder than metal with the energy of life, and generate barriers powerful enough to contain Netionpis’s malice.

If she wanted to, she could even split space to cause temporary Chainlich phenomena.

Plus, she could give PTSD in the bedroom that would drive any man crazy… no, that’s not right. It’s my weak mental fortitude that’s the problem. Anyway, that’s correct.

“W-why are you laughing…!”

“Just thinking your intuition is pretty good.”

“Are you afraid of her too?”

“Of course. Irefi is the greatest of all time, the strongest in the world.”

“Oh, come on…”

From Rishe’s perspective, my expression must have seemed quite exaggerated. I didn’t elaborate further. It was a reasonable reaction for someone who hadn’t experienced it firsthand.

However, I did need to add something else.

“By the way, I’d like you to change that ‘benefactor’ title. It’s uncomfortable to hear.”

“Did it bother you? Then what would you prefer me to call you?”

“Just ‘mister’ is fine.”

“You don’t look that old though…”

“Ahaha.”

Netionpis’s body constantly maintains the prime of the old man’s era.

That is, when he was still in his early twenties—a body living through the era of war.

In other words, Rishe’s observation was too literal.

But I couldn’t laugh with complete sincerity.

No matter how youthful one might appear, Irefi clearly had the appearance of someone older at this point.

Meanwhile, Netionpis’s body was still ticking along with a broken clock hand.

The time between me and Irefi was already diverging sharply.

Perhaps that’s why I wanted a title somewhat fitting for my age.

“All married men are ‘mister,’ what’s the big deal.”

“Marriage? Could it be…”

Rishe’s gaze subtly shifted beyond the horse.

I grinned and nodded, which prompted an unusual reaction from Rishe.

“That’s amazing… in, well, many ways.”

“I strongly agree.”

When I readily admitted it, we both giggled together.

I know it’s wrong to gossip about one’s wife. Still, honest emotions prevailed in front of this child. This isn’t right… I really seemed to be overlapping Rishe with the child I never had.

“But is that okay?”

“What do you mean?”

“If I call you ‘mister’… I should call her ‘ma’am’ too.”

“T-that would be unacceptable.”

I don’t mind for myself, but Irefi is not a woman who should be called “ma’am.”

Others might think it natural, but I cannot allow it.

Irefi is eternally just Irefi. That’s how I want to see her.

“Let’s just add ‘Mr.’ and ‘Ms.’ instead. Mr. Nepy, Ms. Irefi. Like that.”

“Ah, I understand. Mr. Nepy.”

Fortunately, I prevented the unfortunate situation of Rishe calling Irefi “ma’am.”

If Irefi had been called “ma’am,” she would have been considerably shocked too.

Imagining her various reactions made me want to see them a little.

“By the way, neither of you seems to be of low status. Is that right?”

“That’s correct, if you put it that way.”

Irefi is no longer a Marquess, having passed her position to Miren. And while I outwardly hold the title of Marquess, it’s merely an honorary title without substance.

Because I can have private audiences with the Emperor, many people consider me a behind-the-scenes power broker, but that’s a ridiculous perspective.

Given the nature of my possessed body, we simply have a connection. I’ve never once involved myself in politics.

“Hmm, then you must be from a foreign country?”

“How did you know?”

“I have my ways.”

“Was my foreign language a bit awkward?”

The foreign language I speak follows the experiences learned in Netionpis’s past life.

After so many years, the accent or meaning of words might have changed.

The girl lightly denied my guess.

“Not at all. You sound almost like a native.”

“That’s strange. How did you immediately know I was a foreigner?”

“Hehe, it’s a secret.”

“If you don’t tell me, I’ll send you over there.”

I gestured toward Irefi with my chin, pressuring her.

It was just a light joke, but Rishe’s facial muscles contorted in an amusing way.

“W-what…?”

“Ummmm…”

Looking at Rishe’s expression, my chest hurt as if sea urchins were rolling across the surface of my conscience. I just realized that pangs of conscience actually exist.

It was my fault for not distinguishing what should and shouldn’t be said in front of a child.

“…I was joking.”

“Ah, um, y-yes…”

The consequence of my mistake was the awkward air that lingered.

Just as the thread of conversation was about to break, Irefi’s voice came from beyond the horse.

“You two seem to be getting along very well.”

“Did you hear what we said?”

“No? But I think Nepy is gossiping about me. Quite a lot, in fact.”

“Arrrgggh, it’s a misunderstanding! Irefi!!!”

Whinnny-!

The horse with the reins pulled tight seemed to protest at my scream.

I wondered if it was just my imagination that it seemed to glare at me.

I desperately started babbling to change the subject.

“Ah, right! Rishe must be a native of this country?”

“Y-yes?! O-of course!”

“So Nepy has the judgment to ask a noble of this country if they’re a native. I didn’t realize that.”

The way Irefi lowered her voice coldly was terrifying.

It was the kind of voice that made me think I might be at the bottom of the sea tomorrow morning.

In situations like this, it’s best to act confidently…!

“People! Huh? Can, huh? Make mistakes sometimes! Right, Rishe?”

“Why are you confidently passing it to me?! I d-don’t know! Nothing!”

“Haah…”

Irefi covered my indecency with a sigh. This was Irefi’s unique signal that she would let it slide just this once. Only then did I calm my racing heart and find stability.

“Idle chatter is fine, but you haven’t completely forgotten the purpose of our journey, have you?”

“That goes without saying. I was just about to ask.”

“N-nagging…”

Rishe had now reached the stage where she was preemptively frightened by the keyword “nagging.”

Being chased by armed groups at a young age seemed less traumatic than Irefi’s scolding.

From a third-person perspective, it might seem like an extreme overreaction.

…But that would be the overreaction of someone who hasn’t experienced it firsthand.

“Ahem! Rishe. There’s something I want to ask you.”

“Yes, what is it?”

“Have you seen a dragon recently, by any chance?”