CH 73

“Hey! Please stop the carriage!”

“What is it?”

When the carriage caught up with us and slowed down, an uncle on the driver’s seat approached Tigre-sensei. He waved for him to stop, and Tigre-sensei reluctantly stopped to listen to what he had to say.

“Who are you?”

“The headmaster of Oblivion Academy has a delivery for you. I just saw you leaving, so I rushed after you.”

“The headmaster? I’m supposed to have submitted my resignation, though.”

“What? You’re quitting the academy, teacher?”

I was surprised to hear Tigre-sensei say something important while tilting his head. He didn’t seem particularly bothered by the question.

“Well, I can’t bother the academy with this, after all. Besides, if Verna comes back, she can be your homeroom teacher.”

“I want Tigre-sensei to stay, too. ……”

He’s a rough but trustworthy adult. I think he is doing this because my classmates are grieving. But I think it’s the same thing when Tigre-sensei is gone. ……

I thought I should think about that after I’m done with Verna-sensei’s thing, and the uncle asked Tigre-sensei to check his luggage.

“…… This crate is my equipment …….”

“Wow, that’s so cool! So you used to be an adventurer?”

He looked a little sad and muttered as brother jumped excitedly nearby.

“Well, yeah. I had to leave it with the headmaster because I don’t have very good memories of it, but I guess it’s helpful now? Tell him I appreciate it.”

“What are these barrels and boxes?”

“Oh, you’re going to have an audience with the King, aren’t you? He said it would be rude not to bring him a souvenir or something.”

“…… You’re right. Thanks, headmaster.”

And so we brought in the crates and barrels. Tigre-sensei thanked him, and as the carriage began to drive again, Mother opened her mouth.

“He’s a good headmaster, isn’t he? I can’t believe he’s doing this much for a teacher who even submitted his resignation letter.”

“I can’t say much about Lars now that I’m causing him so much trouble.”

“I didn’t think you’d want to help Verna-sensei so badly that you’d resign ……”

“Oh, Lars, of course, it’s definitely–“

“Aah! Marianne-sama, please check the souvenirs!”

“Oh, yes. I also brought something, but I’m sure the headmaster will have something interesting in there ♪.”

My mother clapped her hands and put her hands on the wooden box. And inside there’s–

“Oh, look at the furnishings. This vase and the eagle ornament are first class, aren’t they?”

“He seems like an intelligent person, the headmaster.”

“He’s going to get mad at you for talking to him like that …… He’s scarier than me when he’s mad, okay?”

“I see.”

After hearing the headmaster’s unexpected side, I put away the furniture and start working on the other boxes. I have a barrel, and my brother has another box of equipment.

“As expected, it’s so cool …… I guess I should become an adventurer too.”

“You’re a quiet boy, but you’re still a boy. What about you, Lars?”

“Let’s see …… Huh? It’s moving.”

Rattling ……

The moment I was about to open the lid, the barrel suddenly started to move. And when it fell over…

◆ 　 ◇ 　 ◆

“Sacrifice …… So, you think I’m needed? To keep your sisters-in-law from being offered up.”

“That’s–“

As Frederick hurriedly got up from his chair, people came in through the door behind the throne. There were three of them, all women. The first to open her mouth was Grace, a woman with blonde curly hair who was there when Gurudo reported in.

“Father! How long are you planning to talk? …… Oh, how nostalgic …… It’s really Verna!?”

“…… It’s been a long time, Grace-sama.”

“It really has. I’m so glad you’re okay.”

How shameless, Berna thought, trying not to show it on her face. She’s the one who bullied her and her mother, Clary, with her mother beside her.

“Yes. It seems that Lucera-sama and Shiina-sama have not changed at all.”

“Fufu, you don’t have to be so humble, though. Your mother is dead, so you can think of me as your mother’s replacement now.”

“Thank you very much……”

As I was thinking about how she really felt, Shiina, the eldest daughter, came over to hug me.

“…… Thank God. When I heard that grandfather hated you as a child and wanted to marry you off to a distant lord, I thought about what I would do, but I’m glad you’re back safe and sound ……”

“Shiina-sama. Yes, thanks to the king, I have survived to this day.”

“You don’t have to treat me like a stranger ……”

A little shocked, Shiina is one of the people who used to play with Verna, using her [Throwing] skill to make her happy when she was crying. 

When I was feeling nostalgic, Frederick let out a sigh and started talking.

“…… This time, I didn’t bring you back here to be sacrificed. I’ve been looking for you for a long time and finally found you, but as you can see, I knew you would hold a grudge. We didn’t want you to get away, so we did it in secret …… I have one request to make of you ……”

“I knew it”, said Verna, looking at Frederick with narrowed eyes. She was about to say something, when Grace, the second daughter, put her hands on her hips and said.

“Your skill is [Magic Power Amplification], right? …… We’re planning on killing some dragons, and the more dragons we have, the better. So, I want you to go with the knights to defeat them. If you don’t, you and your sister will fall together, not to mention me. The dragon said he wanted us to give “all” the princesses of this country!”

“Oh, dear. My husband, the Knight Commander Glaive, will also be participating. There’s no way you can’t win. I’m sure that if Verna joins in, there’s no doubt about it. You’ve been practicing magic, right?”

“Yes. I understand the situation. I am deeply grateful to you for your concern for me, the daughter of a mistress. However, in order to participate, I would like to ask you for a favor.”

Frederick thought for a moment and then asked Berna.

“…… Let’s hear it.”

“Thank you very much. If you succeed in slaying the dragon, I want you to never look for me again.”

“……!?”

“Y, You …… even though ……”

“Verna-chan ……”

Frederick and his sisters were astonished, but Verna continued calmly.

“I was originally an outcast, and I already have a life. I have children waiting for me. So if you don’t destroy that life, I’ll be happy to help.”

“Children, you say …… You’re married!? Wait, who are you married to, before me?”

“What!? I-I’m a teacher at the academy, so those are my children. The other party is the ……”

Grace suddenly became impatient, and when she saw Verna blushing, she knew and told Shiina.

“It looks like she has a man in there.”

“Ufufu, she’s at her age. Grace-chan, you have to work hard too, don’t you? I wonder what happened to Ishwar country’s second son?”

“That’s the fault of that skinny guy! You need to be more like a knight in shining armor …… wait, mind your own business.”

When I was relieved to get off my topic, my mother-in-law, Lucera, who had been silent for a long time, smiled and opened her mouth.

“Fufu, if she says so, then so be it, my dear. If you can slay a dragon with it, then you’ve done well, haven’t you? We can’t have one more princess now, can we?”

“Mother, you can’t say it like that, can you?”

When Shiina says so, Lucera snorts and leaves the audience. In a hurry, Grace follows her, leaving Frederick and her Shiina behind, and Frederick sighs again then smiles at her.

“I’m sorry. After Gurudo reported that he had found you, Lucera suggested that you might be able to fight the dragon with your [Magic Power Amplification]. Well, Shiina and the others wanted to see you, too. I’m sorry for the suffocating journey, but I’ve left the room for you, so you can use it. The dragon will be no match for the knights if they all come together.”

“In the lore, it was said to be defeated by a holy knight, after all. Now, Verna-chan, go to your room.”

“…… I understand.”

The dragon is one of the most powerful monsters in the world. She and Shiina walked to the room, wondering if they could defeat it with just one more person. 

Is my mother-in-law the only one who is disturbed ……?

Thank you for reading!

[Afterword Theater]

“Ryuuze’s way of talking sounds like Grace.”

Well, if the mother’s like that ……