Ch.161161. I’ll Try My Best to Accommodate You as Much as Possible.

“Is Rinadiel going with you too?”

“It’s not confirmed yet, but if we go, Rinadiel will come along.”

“Hmm, Rinadiel is still too young for monster hunting….”

“She may be young, but she’s a human with elven blood. Underestimate her and you’ll regret it.”

Rio smiled faintly at my boasting.

“Rinadiel’s skills are undoubtedly excellent. Her rate of improvement is also remarkable.”

“That’s why, now that she’s trained, she needs practical experience. She may still have much to learn, but I’ll worry less if she’s with you.”

Rio scratched his head.

“Haha, I’m not even married and I’m already playing the father role.”

“It feels awkward at first, but you get used to it.”

“…Pardon?”

“I’m practically a father to Lucien too, aren’t I?”

“Y-yes, that’s true. But, when should I finish preparations?”

“Serion Lycus said he needs time to think, so complete your preparations as quickly as possible.”

Rio nodded, then hesitated.

“Oh, right! When we were hunting monsters in the Forest of Death, I heard some commotion behind us. Did something happen?”

“Nothing much. Rebecca seemed a bit ill-mannered, so I gave her some education.”

“You didn’t… hit a woman, did you?”

“Oh? You know that what you just said is a very dangerous statement in a gender-equal society, right?”

“That’s not what I meant. It’s just that once you start something, young master, you tend to see it through… I was worried.”

Who is this guy worried about?

I nearly became a snowman in an instant from Rebecca’s magic.

I sighed briefly at Rio’s concern.

“They say raising children is pointless….”

“…Pardon?”

“Never mind. As I said before, if you travel with them, try to avoid friction with that damned Rebecca. She’s not a woman with normal thought processes.”

“Understood. How long will we be traveling with them?”

I smiled gently at Rio.

“Until I think you’ve truly become strong?”

“…So you haven’t set a specific timeframe.”

I rose from my chair.

Then I approached Rio and placed my hand firmly on his shoulder.

“What’s the problem? You’ll earn money hunting monsters, plus you’ll still receive your knight’s salary from House Alphonse.”

“Financially, it’s certainly beneficial… but I think training with you would help improve my skills more….”

“No, you lack practical experience. That’s the one thing I can’t teach you. This is an excellent opportunity to increase your practical experience!”

After hesitating briefly, Rio straightened his posture.

“I understand. Then how should I determine when I’ve become strong enough?”

“When you’re stronger than me?”

“…Are you telling me never to return?”

“That’s a joke. You’ll have to judge for yourself when you’ve become strong enough.”

I firmly believe that, like in the novel “The Youngest Son of a Brilliant Family,” if you spend time together, eventually there will come a time when you acknowledge each other as comrades.

That’s why I can say without hesitation that you should return.

“Understood. And did Luna agree to go?”

“Yes, it was quite difficult, but I finally got her consent.”

“I’ll persuade Rinadiel and bring her along myself.”

“Good, now it’s your responsibility to give Luna and Rinadiel practical experience.”

“I’ll do my best.”

“Well, if you and Luna happen to develop feelings for each other, even better. If things work out, don’t worry about a house or wedding expenses. I’ll cover everything.”

I shrugged my shoulders, and Rio sighed briefly, shaking his head.

“…As always, young master, you have a habit of making jokes sound serious.”

You mean this guy always tends to take my serious statements as jokes?

There was no romance between them in the original story, but who knows? Back then, Luna didn’t receive sword training directly from Rio.

Why else would I put those two together?

Teacher and student romance?

Too common a story?

The most predictable stories are often the most effective.

Of course, despite my efforts, whether it works out is up to them.

By the way.

Rio was indeed reliable.

I had to throw a tantrum like a romance novel protagonist to persuade Luna, but this guy followed my orders without complaint.

What a shame, what a waste.

If only he wasn’t the protagonist’s companion, he could have been part of my sweet life.

“Anyway, prepare well.”

“Yes, sir!”

Putting aside my regrets, Rio left the study.

My gaze naturally turned to the “Flame Sword” that Serion Lycus had entrusted to me.

*Shing!*

The brilliantly gleaming blade.

This is the “Flame Sword” that the protagonist will carry throughout his life in the original story.

To actually touch it myself…

I was truly the epitome of a “successful fan.”

*Knock knock!*

Just then came a knocking sound.

I hastily sheathed the sword and cleared my throat.

“Ahem! Come in!”

*Creeeeak!*

It was Federicks who entered the study.

As I tilted my head questioningly, he respectfully bowed and carefully spoke.

“Serion Lycus has arrived.”

*

“Have you made your decision?”

I was pretending not to know while asking Serion Lycus, but the answer was already determined.

He had entered the mansion with Rebecca.

Moreover.

Rebecca had become quite subdued after my scolding.

While I was still admiring this, Serion Lycus, seated on the reception room sofa, carefully placed his teacup on the table.

“I will join you. However, I have one condition.”

*Thump! Thump!*

My heart pounded again.

I could barely hear the word “condition” in my ears.

The corners of my mouth automatically turned upward with hope and joy that I could now truly send one of the crazy women to the protagonist.

“…You’ve made a wise decision. And from now on, don’t worry about travel expenses. We will cover them sufficiently.”

“That’s not necessary. We’ll earn income from hunting monsters anyway.”

“Use that money separately. The money I give you is solely for accommodation. They’re my children after all, and I want them to sleep and eat in the best places.”

Serion Lycus seemed startled for a moment, then soon displayed a faint smile.

“Indeed, Lord Selden Alphonse, you are a good person. That must be why Rio and Luna have such excellent character.”

“Haha! Your praise is excessive.”

“Not at all. I’ve learned much from meeting you, Lord Selden Alphonse.”

I raised my head while holding the teacup.

“…May I ask what you’ve learned?”

“Until now, I’ve been so focused on training to become stronger that I haven’t developed the ability to lead companions.”

In the original story, Serion Lycus was often pushed around by the crazy women.

It felt somewhat frustrating, you could say?

Even now, it’s evident.

Isn’t it essentially the same as having the sword given by his master taken away because of his companions?

If this were a novel’s storyline, it wouldn’t be strange to scream in frustration.

Yet readers didn’t complain because the protagonist, Serion Lycus, received explosive reactions for his “satisfying” stories where he overwhelmed monsters and enemies with his tremendous strength.

“It will improve with time. From what I hear, you haven’t been down from the mountain for long. Who in this world is good at everything from the start?”

“…Is that so? Were you also inexperienced like me at first, Lord Selden Alphonse?”

“Of course. I also had many trials and errors when I first led others. There was a knight named Jawill Wilson who was so disobedient… I lost hair despite my young age due to stress!”

I showed both palms as I joked, and Serion Lycus exclaimed in admiration.

“Ha! That’s impressive. Leading a knight order and mercenary group can’t be easy. I’m having headaches just because of Rebecca….”

“Don’t worry, Rio, Luna, and Rinadiel will follow your orders without question. I’ll especially make sure of it.”

“Haha, I’m not worried about Rio and Luna. And although I haven’t met her yet, as they say, if you know one, you know ten—I’m sure Rinadiel will be the same.”

Serion Lycus, who now has to take on not just Rebecca but also the enormous crazy woman Luna.

It’s pitiful, but he must endure it himself.

The path he must walk as the protagonist is long and arduous.

It was time to wrap up the conversation.

I handed the Flame Sword to Serion Lycus and spoke.

“Here is the Flame Sword.”

“Thank you for keeping it safe. And about my condition….”

Ah, right, there was a condition.

Given that I’m sending Luna with him, I could accommodate almost anything.

With a bright smile, I continued.

“Yes, please state your condition. I’ll try to meet it as much as possible.”

Serion Lycus paused for a moment, considering what condition to set.

Then, raising his head, he looked at me with desperate eyes.

“Please take care of Rebecca for a while!!”