Paul’s expression wasn’t great after reading the letter.
Then he turned his gaze toward me.
I knew this matter must be related to me.
“So, Luna, do you want to go play at a noble’s house?”
Huh?
Why would Paul ask me such a question?
Could it be that Paul is going to send me away just like he did with Rudy?
Rudy is tutoring a young lady, so am I going to tutor a young master?
Thinking about those noble young masters using their status to get handsy with me makes me feel disgusted.
Maybe on the first day I go, I’ll accidentally kill the other party, then become a fugitive, hunted everywhere, living a life of displacement from then on.
“I don’t want to.
I’m very happy at home.
I want to watch Norn and Aisha grow up, and I’d rather live with Mommy, Daddy, and Lilia.
I don’t want to go to a noble’s house.”
Seeing me say this, Paul seemed to breathe a sigh of relief instead, and then he started laughing happily.
“In that case, we won’t go.
In a bit, I’ll teach you the secret techniques of the Water God Style.
That took me a long time to learn back then…”
I thought it would be another ordinary day, but then the next morning…
“Ghislaine, why are you here again?”
Early in the morning, a luxurious carriage stopped in front of our house.
The person who stepped out of the carriage was that Beast Race warrior woman named Ghislaine.
Why is this sense of déjà vu so strong?
Has the boomerang finally hit me on the head?
With a’shing,’ I quickly flipped over to pick up my wooden sword, put some distance between myself and Paul, took a Water God Style stance, and pulled out my wand with my left hand.
“Daddy, I don’t want to go.”
This is to have me go to where Rudy works to teach their young master or something, right?
But looking at Paul’s expression, it didn’t seem like that.
He also had a look of bewilderment, not knowing what was happening.
Only Ghislaine wagged her tail pleasantly.
“Paul, I didn’t expect that even your daughter doesn’t trust you now.”
“That’s not it!
Luna, listen to Daddy, I won’t treat you like I did Rudy.”
As Paul spoke, he spread his hands to show he had no weapon.
Then he turned his head and barked at Ghislaine: “What exactly is going on?!”
Ghislaine didn’t get angry at Paul’s poor attitude; instead, she responded with a straight face: “Did Philip not tell you in the letter?”
“He did, but didn’t I already refuse?”
“I don’t know.
Lord Sauros sent me today to pick her up.”
Who is Sauros?
Sounds like some kind of big shot.
Why pick me up?
Could that person be a lolicon?
“But Luna doesn’t want to go, so please tell Lord Sauros’sorry’ for me this time.”
Ghislaine remained unmoved.
Her single eye looked at Paul, then at me, as if she were thinking about what to do.
“Lord Sauros said that House Boreas always repays its debts.
Besides, Miss Eris also really wants her to go over.”
Oh, so after all that, it’s just to have me be a playmate for the noble young lady.
But even so, I don’t want to go.
That young lady named Eris has such a short fuse; we might end up fighting.
It wouldn’t be good if I accidentally injured her while fighting back.
Paul might even lose his job because of it.
“Um, thank you Ghislaine, but you see, there are still many things at home that need my attention.
I have two younger sisters to look after, so please say thank you to Miss Eris for me.
I won’t be going.”
However, my polite refusal still didn’t make Ghislaine give up.
She still stood there unmoved, her eye darting around as if she were thinking of some countermeasure.
This beast-race warrior woman seems very bad with words.
“What’s wrong, Ghislaine?” At this moment, Zenith and Lilia also came out of the house, finding the scene of our confrontation quite strange.
Seeing Zenith, I quickly pretended to be an ordinary child, dropped the wooden sword, and hid behind Zenith.
“Actually, it’s like this, Philip…”
Paul quite helplessly explained to Zenith what had just happened.
Zenith nodded as she listened, then looked at the motionless Ghislaine, then at me, and finally laughed.
“Dear, I think you’re overthinking it.
Luna isn’t the kind of girl who would go to a noble’s mansion once and start clamoring to be a noble lady.”
“But I’m afraid she…”
“There’s nothing to be afraid of.
Since that child Eris likes her, let Luna go play for a few days.
Didn’t Philip also only say to let Luna stay for a few days?
It’s also a good chance to keep Rudy company, isn’t it?”
“Well, alright then…”
So it was only to have me stay for a few days to repay the kindness of saving the young lady last time.
That’s acceptable.
And from what Paul meant, he was afraid I’d be corrupted by the luxury of noble life.
I’m not that kind of kid; how could that possibly happen?
Besides, Zenith also wanted me to check on Rudeus’s situation.
After all, Rudy is her son too, and she was a bit worried about how he was doing over there.
“That’s the gist of it, Luna.
It’s only for a few days.
If you still don’t want to go, then forget it.”
I didn’t answer Paul; instead, I looked straight at Ghislaine.
“Ghislaine, if that Young Lady Eris hits me, can I hit back?”
“You can.”
“Then let’s go.”
As long as I wasn’t going to be that violent young lady’s playmate for a long time, I could accept staying there for a few days—I’d treat it like a vacation.
Besides, Roa isn’t far from here; it’s only a six or seven-hour carriage ride.
I can come home whenever I want.
“Then Father, Mother, I’ll go check on how Rudy’s life is going on your behalf.
I’ll be back in a few days, so there’s no need to worry about me.”
“Mhm, Luna, go ahead with peace of mind.
Lilia and I will be here at home.”
Zenith kissed me on the forehead, seemingly a blessing for a child going on a long journey, but what I wanted to say was that the place I was going wasn’t far at all.
“Please be at ease, Miss Luna.
I will handle the work at home myself.”
Although Lilia couldn’t kiss my forehead like Zenith, she still cast a warm gaze my way.
“Ahem, Luna, don’t let the life over there corrupt you.
Nobles are a very filthy species.
Don’t start wanting to be their child just because the food is delicious or the clothes are pretty.
Also…”
Smack!
Zenith hit the rambling Paul on the back of his head.
“Luna isn’t that kind of child!”
Without realizing it, Zenith felt that I had grown up; she had changed her way of addressing me from the childhood ‘Luna-chan’ to just ‘Luna.’
“Ghislaine, I’ll leave Luna in your care.
Be sure to bring her back in a few days.”
“Understood.”
???
And so, I boarded the carriage to Roa with Ghislaine.
This carriage of a great noble family was extremely luxurious, no less than a limousine from my previous life.
It had a built-in wine cabinet and leather seats with plenty of velvet padding for cushioning.
However, it was still very bumpy.
There was no helping it; first, the road conditions were poor, and second, this carriage lacked rubber tires and suspension.
That Beast Race ‘big sister’ leaned back against the seat with her arms spread wide in a very bold posture.
“Um, Ghislaine, when did you meet my parents?”
“I haven’t known Zenith for long, but I’ve known Paul for many years.”
“Then do you know if my father has any enemies who use a Rapier?”
Paul and Zenith never told me about the Rapier, so I figured I’d ask Ghislaine, who was with them during that time.
“An enemy using a Rapier?
Not that I recall, but someone among our adventuring companions used one.
Why do you ask?”
“Because Father won’t let me use a Rapier.”
Ghislaine tilted her head and thought for a while before finally murmuring.
“It might be because of the unpleasantness that occurred when the party disbanded.”
“What kind of unpleasantness?”
Ghislaine told me the story of that unknown time exactly as it was.
Because Paul had to take responsibility for Zenith’s pregnancy, the S-rank adventurer party—Black Wolf’s Fang—was disbanded.
Several people in the party strongly opposed it, including a Long-Ear Race swordsman named Elinalise.
However, Paul said a lot of trash talk to his former companions, saying that in his eyes, companions were just appendages, mere tools to help him clear dungeons, and they held no weight in his heart—words that were nothing short of betrayal.
Ultimately, the party broke up on bad terms, but Ghislaine wasn’t really affected.
She probably just thought Paul had spoken out of turn for a moment.
But others didn’t think that way.
Some might never forgive Paul in their lifetime, and Elinalise was one of them.
Paul’s reluctance to let me use a Rapier was likely because he didn’t want to be reminded of her—and remembering her would mean remembering the mistakes he made and the cruel things he said back then.
???
The carriage traveled slowly through the scenic countryside.
I fell asleep without realizing it, and when I opened my eyes again, a majestic city appeared before me.
The final bastion of the human side during the Human-Demon War and the Laplace War: the Fortress City, Roa.
Two banners woven with a bright red Griffon pattern hung from the thick, towering city walls, likely the crest of the local lord.
I estimated the walls to be at least twenty-five meters high, composed of greyish stones—heavy, solid, and seemingly indestructible.
I couldn’t imagine any way to destroy this magnificent fortress.
Several fully armored guards—knights, I assume—stood by the tall, heavy city gates.
They held halberds and maintained a neat military appearance with high morale.
It was clear the local lord managed his troops well.
Following the flow of traffic, we slowly entered the city.
I found the interior even more prosperous, with pedestrians coming and going and frequent commercial activity.
Although there were various sounds of arguments, no violent crimes or thefts were occurring, indicating that the public security here was also quite good.
I could occasionally see people dressed as Adventurers with weapons on their backs.
A large city like this must have an Adventurers Guild to post various tasks and accept commissions.
However, according to Paul, there are few large monsters within the Asura Kingdom, and no complex dungeons.
If I want to be an adventurer in the future, this place could serve as a’starter village.’
I hope you’re enjoying the fanfiction so far!