Ch.162162. Trying to avoid the garbage truck, only to be hit and killed by a septic truck.

“····What!?”

“I’d like you to take care of Rebecca.”

“Me?”

“I believe Selden Alphonse can turn Rebecca into a mature person.”

A thought crossed my mind.

Avoiding the garbage truck only to get hit by the sewage truck.

No, I was about to get hit.

I’m finally getting rid of Luna, and now another crazy woman is coming to me?

The thought alone was horrifying.

I was extremely flustered, but I gritted my molars and maintained my expression.

“Actually, I’m quite lacking myself. I think Rebecca would be better off accompanying Serion Lykus.”

“No. I’ve had many conversations with Rebecca over the past few days. She’s also trying to fix her hot-tempered nature.”

“Even if she doesn’t stay here, I’m sure if she keeps trying hard, Rebecca will definitely be able to fix her impulsive temperament. I guarantee it.”

“The discussion with Rebecca is already settled….”

The moment I slightly turned my head to look at Rebecca, chills ran down my spine.

Wasn’t this crazy woman curling up the corners of her mouth toward me?

Swallowing hard, I hastily grabbed Serion Lykus’s hand.

“I, I cannot be with someone who recklessly casts magic at me.”

“You can throw Rebecca in prison or do whatever you want. It’s Selden Alphonse’s choice.”

“….Pardon?”

“I will accompany Rio, Luna, and Rinadiel as planned. However, I don’t think Rebecca can come along as she is now.”

“Why!? After taking that magic hit, it seems you’re quite skilled! She’s exactly the talent Serion Lykus needs!!”

“Haven’t you experienced it yourself? With Rebecca’s current personality, she’ll cause trouble again someday.”

His face was incredibly resolute.

How did it come to this?

An unbelievable situation.

I barely managed to hold onto my sanity as it threatened to unravel.

“….Please reconsider. Rio and Luna are knights, and Rinadiel’s main weapon is a bow. You must take Rebecca, who can use both magic and healing.”

“As I mentioned earlier, Rebecca says she’ll stay even if she’s imprisoned. Seeing such determination, I had no choice but to allow it as her comrade.”

“No, why on earth….”

“She says she wants to stay here, accept punishment, and change her personality.”

Rebecca was still smiling.

I didn’t know what she was plotting, but I had to desperately prevent her from staying here.

“Serion Lykus has already forgiven her at my request. And Rebecca has nothing appropriate to do here.”

“….How about putting her in the mercenary group for a while? Rebecca could certainly make up for the loss of strength due to Rio and Luna’s departure.”

This bastard….

Is he trying to pass Rebecca to me just as I’m trying to get rid of Luna?

No, in the original work, the protagonist was someone who never abandoned his companions carelessly.

He even used an overpowered skill like “Hourglass” solely for the sake of his comrades.

“….Then how long do you intend to keep Rebecca here?”

“She says she’ll stay until she’s satisfied.”

“And when she’s satisfied, you’ll send her to Serion Lykus, right?”

“Of course. I very much need Rebecca as a comrade.”

Even if I continued to refuse, I couldn’t stop the stubbornness of Serion Lykus and Rebecca.

Rather, I thought it was more important to send Luna away first.

“Fine. But you must understand that I can’t pay much attention to Rebecca.”

“That’s the fate Rebecca chose by deciding to stay here.”

“Understood. When do you depart?”

Serion Lykus gently smiled, seemingly relieved that I had accepted Rebecca.

“Now that we’ve agreed to travel together, why delay? I plan to leave tomorrow.”

“Then I’ll tell Rio, Luna, and Rinadiel to prepare.”

“Yes, I’ll come to the mansion again tomorrow morning. And finally, please take good care of Rebecca.”

Serion Lykus slung the Flame Sword on his back and left the reception room.

Leaning back on the sofa, I beckoned to Rebecca with my finger.

“Sit.”

Rebecca sat down on the opposite sofa without protest and spoke.

“As expected, you change completely once Serion Lykus is gone?”

“Hah…. I don’t need to be nice to someone who cast magic at me.”

“You didn’t get hit on purpose, did you?”

“Why do you keep suspecting that?”

“Because I didn’t aim my magic at Selden Alphonse.”

I felt strange during our conversation.

In the original work, Rebecca wasn’t this polite.

At most, she only slightly tempered her personality around Serion Lykus, who was exceptionally strong.

But why is she speaking so formally to me and not acting rudely?

Because I’m a noble?

That’s nonsense.

Rebecca especially harbors resentment toward nobles.

After all, she lost her parents to nobles when she was young.

Then does she like me?

It was easy to make that mistake since most of the crazy women in the original work liked me.

However, there hadn’t been any special connection with Rebecca to make such a conclusion….

I crossed my arms heavily and continued.

“You must be mistaken. Why would I deliberately take a magic hit? That’s crazy.”

“Well, we’ll find out soon enough.”

“Find out what?”

“Whether Selden Alphonse deliberately took the hit or not.”

“And how do you plan to confirm that?”

Rebecca then gave a faint smile.

“I think Selden Alphonse has enough skill to block magic.”

“I can block it?”

“….What?”

“I have the skill to block magic.”

“Then why did you get hit?”

I shrugged my shoulders at Rebecca.

“Obviously, I didn’t expect you to cast magic at me, a noble? Let’s call it the price of letting my guard down.”

“….Is that so?”

“What, you wanted to stay in Lake Territory just to find that out?”

“That’s part of it.”

“Now that your question is answered, how about leaving with Serion Lykus?”

Rebecca hesitated before adjusting her posture more demurely.

“I don’t want to.”

“Why not? I gave you a sincere answer that I have enough skill to block magic.”

“For some reason, it seems Selden Alphonse really dislikes me staying in Lake Territory.”

“….That’s your reason for staying?”

“For now, yes.”

Fix her personality in Lake Territory?

Bull….

How do I get rid of this huge lump?

‘Sigh….’

At least it’s not the worst-case scenario.

Luna will be leaving tomorrow.

That alone gives me some peace of mind.

If Rebecca is just a lump, Luna was more like a tumor.

“What do you want?”

“Nothing. I just want to stay here, that’s all.”

It seems Rebecca has developed both curiosity and suspicion about me.

She couldn’t just ignore the fact that I could block her magic but took the hit instead.

Plus, she probably judged that there was some scheme behind my sending Rio, Luna, and Rinadiel with Serion Lykus.

In the original work, Rebecca was also very suspicious.

Especially, as I mentioned earlier, when it came to “nobles.”

“Padericks!!”

When I raised my voice, Padericks entered the reception room.

I immediately spoke.

“Call Riden Solice.”

“Understood.”

A moment later, Riden entered the reception room, not knowing what was happening.

“You called for me?”

Riden was also Serion Lykus’s informant and comrade.

The reason he wasn’t sent along was simple.

Sending too many people at once would burden Serion Lykus.

But.

This was actually a good opportunity.

A chance for Rebecca and Riden to become friends.

If they work together in the mercenary group, they could naturally join as comrades later.

I pointed my finger at Rebecca.

“From now on, she’ll be joining the mercenary group too.”

“….Her?”

“Yes, she can use attack magic and healing magic as well.”

“Oh, is that so?”

“But, having grown up in the countryside, her personality is a bit peculiar.”

Riden glanced at Rebecca briefly before turning his gaze back to me.

“What do you mean by peculiar?”

“You’ll find out when you experience it yourself. And tell the mercenaries to get along with her as much as possible.”

“Understood.”

“Take her now and introduce her to the mercenary members.”

Rebecca followed Riden out of the reception room.

I curled up the corners of my mouth with a satisfied expression.

Heh!

Let Riden handle the troublesome part.

And if the two become friends, that would be perfect.

Rising lightly from the sofa, I raised my voice.

“Now, shall we prepare to bid farewell to our lovely Luna?”