Volume 6 - CH 5

After leaving the city hall, the four of us were walking the streets.

It was nearing dusk, but many stores were open and the streets were crowded with people.

Perhaps it was the nature of the residents, but the language was rougher than in Rodnea, the Imperial City, or Lamprog Territory.

“Haa~, but I’m glad it turned out so well! That adventurer seemed like a nice person too.”

Ifa says while walking.

“I know a lot about dungeons. I know a lot about the guild, my mom is the head of the branch!　I don’t need that man to tell me anything, not a damn thing!”

“But I’m nervous about having Amiyu teach me.”

“What?”

Amiyu and Mabel were arguing with each other.

Three days later, we were to be guided to one of the dungeons and a guild by an adventurer named Lloyd.

Not a bad turn of events. We were grateful to have an adventurer in town to ask questions of, as we still had no idea where we were going.

There was no sign of betrayal, at least not yet.

It was our suggestion that we ask them to show us around in three days.

I want to get used to the city and buy all the necessary things. Fortunately, I have enough money on hand.

I also had one more thing I wanted to finish …….

“Ifa, Mabel.”

I stopped and called out to them as they walked ahead of me.

They and Amiyu, who was walking alongside them, looked back at me curiously.

I told them.

“You guys go back to Rodnea.”

“eh……”

“…Why, Seika?”

I tell Ifa, who is puzzled, and Mabel, who gives me a glare, what I have been thinking all along.

“You two don’t need to be here.”

You only have to look at the city to see that.

It is not a safe place. The only people living here are adventurers who live for the day. It was a town where those who couldn’t stay anywhere else drifted to their deaths.

It was the last place for those who had nowhere else to go.

There is no future for young people here.

“Go back to the academy. You will have a much better life there. Fiona and the headmaster will make things easier for you. You don’t have to deal with me and Amiyu’s situation……. ”

“I hate it.”

Mabel was the one who said it once and for all.

“Seika. You forgot your promise.”

“promise……?”

“Promise that you will protect me from the assassins of the firm.”

“That’s… but are you really worried about that…”

“I haven’t forgotten. That’s why I’m by your side. Take responsibility for saving my life.”

“Mabel…”

“in addition”

Mabel says, adding.

“I haven’t repaid you yet.”

After a moment of silence, I let out a small breath.

“I get it. …….But, Ifa, just go home. You have good grades, you can be anything you want once you graduate from the academy. In the fall, I’ll become your guardian and give you free status. So …… don’t waste your life forcing yourself on us.”

“Hey, Seika-kun, do you remember?”

Ifa, who had been listening quietly, suddenly said with a small smile.

“ I went to the academy, it was about a year ago, I think. It was the day I found an injured carbuncle in the garden of the mansion and Seika gave me the ghost of the flame. At that time, Seika asked me if I wanted to get out of there, and I told you…… that I did. I said, I want to leave. I want to go to various places and see various things.”

“…… yeah, I remember.”

How could I forget?

For me, who has lived a long time, it happened only recently.

It was because of that answer that I decided to take her out. Of course I wanted to have a companion, but I also thought that she would be able to achieve something, just like my former disciples.

Ifa said.

“I left the Master’s estate and found out. I was blessed. It was not too hard to work, I had plenty to eat, and my room was warm. But …… even if I had known that, I probably would have said the same thing to Seika at that time.”

“……”

“I wanted to choose my own place to live, even though it would be much harder than living in a mansion. I always wanted to be free. I like this town. It’s a little scary, but everyone seems to be free. So, Seika, …… I want to be an adventurer, too.”

“’…… They’re definitely not as good as you think they are. They actually have very little freedom. They’re forced to live in a world of violence everyday because they have no other choice. You would be more truly free if you stayed at the academy.”

“No, it’s not like that.”

Ifa shakes her head.

“Well, I don’t think Seika-kun knew about it, but… my father, mother, and your father used to be adventurers. The three of them formed a party.”

“Heh, what’s that!?”

Unexpectedly surprised.

It was completely new to me.

“Ho, are you sure?”

“I heard it from my mother a long time ago. Your father was the vanguard and swordsman, and my parents were the rear guard.”

“Blaise,…… no, father was a sorcerer, of course. What was your mother’s profession ……?”

“An archer.”

“you’re kidding……”

I couldn’t picture her at all.

I knew Ifa’s mother before she died of illness, but she was a beautiful, calm person and didn’t look very much like an archer

Edith, well, I can just barely understand, but I can’t imagine …… Blaise doing such a barbaric thing at all now, either.

“It seems like it was only for a really short time. Blaise ran away from the mansion, father ran away from the slave owner, mother ran away from the kidnappers…the three of them met, and finally they all came to master’s mansion. It was only a short time, but… My mother seemed to be having a lot of fun when she was talking to me. You know, Seika-kun. That day, when I said I wanted to know the wide world… I wanted to go on an adventure. It meant something.”

“Ifa……”

“And, Seika, I’m sure you’ve forgotten.”

Ifa smiles wryly.

“I’m your servant, Seika!　I’ll stay with you. That’s my job.”

As I stood there speechless,…… finally, Amiyu opened her mouth.

“Seika. It may not be right for me to say this, but …… the truth is, even Seika can go back to the academy.”

“What are you …… saying, there’s no way i can do that.”

“You can do it. Fiona is hiding you. Only I, the hero, is being pursued. Isn’t that right? 　You can go back to being a student at the school and live a normal life. But you. That’s why… no matter how much I tell you to go home, you’re going to stay here.”

“It’s …… obvious. I’ll take care of myself.”

“Then let’s all do our best.”

Amiyu says, as if to admonish.

“It’s not fair that you’re the only one who has to take care of me. Besides, it would be more reassuring to have the two of them with me.”

“’That’s right, Seika-kun. Let’s all do our best, shall we?”

“Seika.”

The three of them looked at me, and I closed my …… eyes, then exhaled a small breath and answered.

“……all right”

As expected, I can’t stop them when they say so.

For the time being, I can’t stick a nail in the girls who are just happy.

“But take it easy.”

“We all know that!”

Amiyu patted me on the shoulder area.

To be honest, I was worried, but after seeing her carefree smile, which I hadn’t seen in …… a long time, I thought, for the time being, this will do.