That day, I spent the entire day talking with
It wasn't anything particularly profound.
Just idle chatter, really.
First, we talked about what had happened in
During the years since I'd gone to the fortress city of Roaa, Paul had been living surrounded by his two wives—but it apparently hadn't exactly been a life of debauchery.
There had been numerous discussions between
However, if Zenith became pregnant with a third child and Paul truly couldn't hold back, he was to ask for permission first.
That was apparently how things had settled.
Zenith had her own internal struggles over it, but for Paul it was a rather convenient arrangement.
Must be nice.
"So, is a third sister on the way?"
"No, that's been proving rather... difficult. It only took one try with you, though."
"Imagine that—Father manages to sire such an exceptional son on the first shot. You really hit the jackpot."
"Yeah, yeah, keep talking."
This wasn't a conversation between an eleven-year-old son and his father.
I thought this, but at the same time, it felt good.
Neither of us brought up the fate of Zenith and Lillia.
We deliberately avoided it.
We both understood.
Bringing up that topic would never lead to anything pleasant—it would only leave us with a hollow, helpless feeling.
"Was
"Yeah, that kid is something else.
I could really see the talent you picked up as her teacher."
Apparently, Sylphie had been doing just fine.
Mornings were spent on running drills and mana training.
Afternoons were spent learning Healing Magic from Zenith.
After
"I guess you'd call her 'earnest.' She kept coming over and doing something in your room."
"...Sylphie wasn't, uh, finding things in there, was she?"
"What? Was there something hidden that you'd be embarrassed to be caught with?"
"No, of course not. There's no way anything like that exists."
Good grief.
"Well, anyway, it's all gone now."
According to Paul, the objects that had appeared in the Fittoa Region had mostly vanished.
Everything from small things like quill pens and inkwells to structures like houses and bridges had disappeared without a trace.
The only exceptions were items people had been wearing on their bodies at the time—those had teleported along with their owners.
"I see."
That was unfortunate.
I couldn't quite remember what was unfortunate, exactly, but there was an inexpressible sense of melancholy in my heart.
"So what about you? What have you been up to?"
"You mean in Roaa?"
At his question, I answered as well.
I told him about how
About how I'd been kidnapped by human traffickers by chance, and somehow managed to escape.
How that incident had become an opportunity to start getting along with Eris a little.
But how she still refused to listen in lessons.
How I'd gone crying to Gilleen.
And how, thanks to her, Eris had finally started paying attention in class.
How we'd gradually gotten closer from there.
How we'd learned to dance together.
And finally, about my tenth birthday.
"Your birthday, huh... I'm sorry about that."
"What about it?"
"I couldn't even show my face."
For citizens of the
I still didn't know exactly why it was so important, but it was clearly considered auspicious.
They celebrated it lavishly and gave presents.
"That's fine. Eris's family celebrated it properly for me."
"Oh? What did they get you?"
"An expensive staff. Called something a bit embarrassing, like..."
I paused. "'The Arrogant Water Dragon King.'"
"Really? That's pretty cool."
Cool?
What was he talking about? It sounded like the kind of name that would make your spine itch.
But maybe in this world, the more impressive an item's performance, the more grandiose its name.
"Also, Alphons told me,
"Something great?"
Hmm, what was he referring to?
Wisdom, courage, and infinite power?
I still felt like I was lacking in all three.
"Come on, the daughter from Philip's place. I just saw her for the first time today—what a brave and lovely girl. She was desperately trying to protect you..."
...So I'd "received" her.
When put that way, it felt a bit different.
Well, Philip had certainly given his approval with a "Very well," but it hadn't quite reached the point of "I humbly accept."
She was someone precious to me.
Yesterday's events played a role too.
Being gently embraced by someone while I was at my lowest, having my head stroked until I fell asleep—that was a first for me.
I would never betray Eris.
There was our promise about when we turned fifteen, but even then, as long as she didn't want it, I could exercise restraint.
That said, I was somewhat prone to losing control when it came to sexual desire.
Four years from now, I'd probably have even stronger urges than now—and I wasn't sure if I'd be able to endure.
At the very least, I was resolved to try.
"I consider Eris to be someone precious to me. But the way you phrased it—like she's some kind of object I 'received'—I can't say I'm fond of that."
"Well, you'd be a live-in son-in-law, so it's more like being 'received' than 'receiving,' isn't it?"
"Huh?"
A strange noise escaped me.
Son-in-law?
"You're planning to become a noble with Philip backing you, right?"
"What do you mean? When did we ever discuss that?"
"What do you mean, 'when'? It's been about a year since the teleportation. You and Eris have gotten close, and it seems your own feelings have solidified, so I got a letter saying he'd like to take you in as a son-in-law. I think Asura nobles are worthless scum, but I told him it was your call to make..."
I see.
So Philip had already finished laying the groundwork with Paul when I was just ten years old.
Even if I'd refused back then, he would surely have spent the next few years trying to bring Eris and me together through every means available.
So much for that "drinking party conversation."
This also explained why Paul had been so suspicious of my relationship with Eris.
Two people who'd made a promise to marry each other, both wracked with anxiety.
If they were in love with each other, it would hardly be surprising if people assumed they'd been fooling around during their travels.
"Looks like we've been played by Philip."
"It certainly seems that way."
The two of us sighed in unison.
Right now, the same man's face was probably floating in both Paul's and my mind.
Philip. A high-ranking noble of the Asura Kingdom.
A man with the strength to navigate the murky waters of high society.
"So, things are going reasonably well with the young lady, but what about Sylphie... ah, never mind. Forget I said anything."
Paul immediately backpedaled, waving his words away as if he'd misspoken.
Sylphie still hadn't been found.
At least, not within Paul's knowledge.
He'd told me to forget it, but I couldn't help thinking about it.
I liked Sylphie.
But the feelings I had for her were different from what I felt toward Eris.
Sylphie was more like a younger sister or a daughter, in a sense.
She'd been bullied, she was pitiful, and I felt I needed to raise and protect her.
We'd separated before those feelings had grown into anything more.
Eris was somewhat similar, but she'd also helped me in many ways.
If I had to choose which way my feelings tilted, it would be toward Eris.
That wasn't to say I was making some comprehensive comparison of the two.
It was a matter of time.
Being together for a long time really did matter.
Childhood friends came up in all sorts of stories, but simply having spent a long time together was that powerful.
I'd spent nearly twice as much time with Eris as with Sylphie.
And it had been more intense, too.
That said.
Not worrying about Sylphie, who was still missing, was a separate matter entirely.
"I hope Sylphie is alive..."
"She may not be on your level, but she was a fighter too.
I mean, she could use Healing Magic without incantation.
She can survive anywhere.
Healers are pretty rare outside the Millis Continent."
"I see..."
...Wait.
Had I just heard something I shouldn't have let slip?
"Hold on. Sylphie can cast Healing Magic without incantation?"
"Hmm? Yeah, Zenith was surprised too.
But you can do that too, can't you?"
"No, I can't use Healing Magic at all."
I couldn't cast Healing Magic without incantation.
I didn't understand the underlying principles.
The mechanism by which magic healed wounds remained incomprehensible to me, no matter how many times I used it.
"Really?"
"Yes. I can use it if I incant, but..."
"Well, I'm not exactly an expert on magic myself, but...
They say magic has affinities. Maybe Sylphie just had a talent for that type?"
Perhaps Sylphie, who I hadn't seen in so long, had become far more powerful than me.
I was a little scared to see her again.
What if she said something like, "Rudeus, you haven't grown at all"...
While we talked like this, the rift that had existed between Paul and me completely disappeared.
--- In the evening, Paul's ride arrived.
It was the former bikini armor lady and the healer lady.
Today, the bikini lady was not in a bikini.
She was dressed like an ordinary town girl—plain and simple.
What had yesterday been all about?
Well, maybe she'd been trying to tone it down since it had been one of the causes of our fight.
"Father."
"What is it?"
"Of course I trust you, Father, but given yesterday's incident, I'd like to confirm just for the record. You haven't been unfaithful, have you?"
"I haven't."
Good.
Then I was relieved.
My argument with Paul yesterday had been a clash of suspicions against suspicions.
There was no basis in fact—it had simply ended with each of us pointing out the other's bad habits with women.
Oh wait, I'd been trying to forget about that. My mistake.
Anyway, Paul didn't seem to have the time or inclination to bother with other women.
He wouldn't be the one to pull the trigger on destroying his family.
I would follow his example and rein in my own lecherous tendencies from now on.
At the end, Paul asked one final question, as if testing my resolve.
"Rudeus, you're going to escort Eris to the Fittoa Region, right?"
"Yes."
I nodded firmly at his words, then asked back.
"Or would it be better if I also joined the search party?"
"No, that won't be necessary. Either way, we need to deliver Boreas's relatives safely to the Asura Kingdom."
"...That sounds like an important mission. Are you sure you can entrust it to me?"
"I can't think of anyone more suited. You've built up trust with them too."
I was apparently quite trusted.
Come to think of it, wasn't Paul overestimating me?
Well, no matter what evaluation others placed on me, I wanted to live up to their expectations.
"Of course, you could always just have a few members of the party act as escorts while you stay behind in Millishion."
Paul grinned and said something enticing.
From a purely practical standpoint, that wasn't a bad option.
Of course, I meant staying in Millishion while separating from Eris to search on my own.
Going back to the Demon Continent to search was also a viable approach.
But that was only from a purely practical standpoint.
I couldn't abandon Eris and prioritize myself.
I had to protect her.
Besides, I didn't have fond memories of leaving things half-finished to pursue something else.
In my previous life, I'd ended everything half-baked.
Both things would end up incomplete.
In this case, Eris wouldn't reach the Fittoa Region, and I would return from the Demon Continent having accomplished nothing.
So I would do one thing at a time.
There was also
That stubborn man wouldn't get along with the search party members, and if I suggested leaving midway, he'd probably be furious, calling it unbecoming of a warrior.
"No, I think it would be better if I went."
"Well, there's no one in our party stronger than you, and you probably wouldn't feel comfortable letting someone else handle it."
Even as he said this, Paul wore a complicated expression.
Perhaps he was still bothered by losing our argument.
He'd been drinking, so he probably didn't remember it clearly, but trying to comfort him here would only make things awkward.
Best to leave it alone.
"How long until we depart Millishion?"
"Let's see... I'd like to save up some travel funds, so about a month?"
"I'll cover the travel expenses."
Paul turned to the two women.
The healer lady in her robe—a quiet, calm-looking girl with freckles.
"You've got it, right?"
"Yes. Lord Alphons left funds with us for use in case any of the Boreas family members are found."
Apparently, Alphons had provided Paul with enough money to ensure comfortable travel for whoever might be discovered on Millis.
"So there you go."
"Good thing that money didn't vanish into alcohol."
"The funds are managed by Shera."
My father said this with a hint of pride in his voice.
How embarrassing.
"So how much are we talking?"
"That would be equivalent to twenty king's gold coins."
When I asked Shera, she answered without hesitation.
King's gold coins were the highest-denomination currency on Millis.
If I converted them at a rate of one stone coin to one yen, each was worth fifty thousand.
Twenty of them.
Which meant— "A million yen!"
"...What kind of reaction is that?"
Paul looked exasperated.
I was dizzy with the thought of money.
For the past year and a half, I'd been obsessing over finances like a miser.
And now, suddenly, a million yen.
"With that kind of money... we could live comfortably without working for the rest of our lives!"
"Well, you could probably build a house in the south, but you can't live your whole life without working on that."
But come on—a million yen. A million!
That was a thousand green iron coins!
Even a Supard Race member could buy passage on a ship!
But even as I celebrated, I remembered another problem.
"Ah, there's one more issue."
"Another one?"
"Yes. In Wendport, the Supard Race was charged an enormous fee to cross the sea. I don't know how much it would cost in Westport, but it'll probably be just as steep. I'm not sure if twenty king's gold coins will be enough..."
"That matter..."
Paul crossed his arms.
Don't tell me he was going to suggest leaving Ruijerd behind.
"Shera. How much does it cost for the Supard Race to cross the sea?"
Paul asked abruptly.
Shera nodded and replied.
"One hundred king's gold coins."
Did she have everything memorized?
She'd done the same earlier—she seemed quite capable.
She really did have the air of a secretary.
"...!"
When our eyes met, she let out a small cry and bowed her head.
The former bikini lady casually shifted position, blocking my line of sight.
That stung a little.
"I'm sorry, she's a bit sensitive to being stared at. Please try not to look at her too much."
"Uh-huh..."
The former bikini lady told me this, and I gave a noncommittal reply.
My relationship with Paul was back to normal, but I was apparently still disliked by the other party members.
Oh well.
But still—a hundred king's gold coins.
That was roughly five million yen.
Not exactly an easy amount to save up.
I sighed.
"Why does the Supard Race have to pay so much?"
"Because when that law was enacted, the persecution of the Supard Race was at its most brutal."
Shera answered matter-of-factly from behind the former bikini lady.
Even something the customs officer in Wendport hadn't known about—she spouted it off without hesitation.
Small chest, big brain.
"Also, the noble in charge of the customs there is famously anti-Demon Race.
Even with money, they might find some pretext to deny passage."
"I see... Would your mother's family influence be of any use?"
"I'm sorry, but this incident has stretched that family to its limits.
We can't impose any further burden on them."
So we were back to smuggling again.
I had bad memories of smuggling.
I'd rather avoid relying on that if possible.
Besides, it was all on the same continent.
Given the connections between smuggling organizations, there was a chance we'd ended up on some blacklist.
The Supard Race and crossing fees—the more I thought about it, the more my head hurt.
"Understood. I'll come up with my own plan for the crossing fees."
"Sorry about that."
When I said this, Paul gave a sly grin.
Then he turned to the two women behind him with a smug look.
"Well? What do you think of my son?
Pretty dependable, huh?"
"Uh-huh..."
"Well..."
The two women exchanged wry glances.
"Father. Please stop asking ladies about their impressions of your son. It's vulgar.
It reflects poorly on the dignity of the
"Your comment just now was far more vulgar."
We laughed together at that.
The two women looked thoroughly exasperated, but I paid them no mind.
"Well then, Rudeus, I'll be heading out soon."
"Right."
Paul stood up and cracked his neck with a series of pops.
We'd apparently been talking for quite a while.
Glancing at the counter, I could see the master's wry smile.
We'd been camped out there since lunch, after all.
I should probably leave a generous tip.
"Let me know when your travel plans are set. We should grab a meal together with
"Sure, sounds good."
With that, I watched Paul leave.
I watched his back as he walked out of the tavern with the two women in tow.
Looking at him like that, he really was the quintessential deadbeat, womanizing father...
That's what I thought as he disappeared.
--- Some time after Paul left, Eris and Ruijerd returned.
Eris had a large bruise around her eye, and Ruijerd wore a troubled expression.
"What happened to you two?"
"Nothing. So, what's the deal with that man?"
Eris crossed her arms and snorted, making it abundantly clear she was still in a foul mood.
"We've made up."
At that, the corners of Eris's eyes shot upward.
"What do you mean, 'made up'?!"
She slammed her fist down on the table with a bang.
The table shattered with a deafening crack.
Well, she was certainly powerful...
"I see. So you've reconciled."
Ruijerd, for his part, looked pleased.
"Rudeus!"
Eris grabbed both my shoulders.
She squeezed them with a terrifying force.
"Why?!"
"Why what? What are you asking?"
A little bewildered, I asked anyway.
"Yesterday, you were so upset!"
"Yes, and yesterday you helped me.
Because Eris held me in her arms, I was able to calm down considerably."
It was thanks to Eris that I'd been able to face Paul today.
Without that embrace, I might have locked myself in my room at the inn for days.
"That's not the point!
That man didn't even come to Rudeus's tenth birthday!
And then you went through such a terrible journey on the Demon Continent!
In the Great Forest, you were thrown in prison!
And then, after everything, you finally, finally meet him—and he acts like that!
He said things that pushed you away!
He said things that cut you off!
How can you possibly forgive him?!"
Eris unleashed it all in a single breath.
I understood her point of view.
She was right.
When she put it that way, Paul really was the worst.
If someone had told me he hated me, I would have believed it.
If I'd been a normal child, I would never forgive Paul.
But Paul making mistakes with me was... inevitable.
I had memories from my previous life and had played my part well.
Asking a father to deal normally with such a warped son was simply unreasonable.
Paul couldn't quite gauge the distance between us.
He was uncertain about how to handle me.
And—though it was somewhat awkward to say it myself—he didn't fully understand what being a good father meant.
I didn't think that made him a bad person.
In my role as a son, I would watch over him from above, with a paternal eye.
Paul could make all the mistakes he wanted with me.
My heart wouldn't break again.
That said, we'd be parting ways soon.
"Eris."
"What?"
I hesitated over what to say.
Eris was angry on my behalf.
But for me, the matter was already resolved.
"Father is only human. He makes mistakes."
I said this, then cast Healing on the bruise around Eris's eye.
Eris accepted the treatment quietly, but from her expression, it was clear she was far from satisfied.
When the healing was done, she marched back to her room at the inn with a sullen look on her face.
Watching her go, I turned to Ruijerd.
"So, Ruijerd."
"What?"
"Where did that bruise come from?"
Eris's eye bruise.
She definitely hadn't had that yesterday.
"She was hard to stop."
He said it with a straight face.
Usually, this man would erupt in fury at the sight of a child being hit—so this was a rather significant change of heart.
Eris had apparently gone berserk because she couldn't forgive Paul, and Ruijerd had tried to stop her.
Eris and Ruijerd had a master-student relationship, and sparring between them that resulted in injuries wasn't exactly unprecedented.
But wait—look at Ruijerd's face.
He wasn't as calm as he pretended.
For a man not known for his expressiveness, he looked distinctly bitter right now.
Unhappy about it.
Can't be helped, I suppose.
What had happened? What kind of conversation had they had?
How had it ended up like this?
I had no idea.
But there was one thing I could say for certain.
The reason Ruijerd and Eris had fought was because of me.
I had reconciled with Paul.
So the only thing I could offer was gratitude.
"Thank you. Because of you, I was able to make up with my father."
"No thanks needed."
But had Eris really required Ruijerd to hit her to stop her?
She was getting stronger without me even noticing.
--- A while later, we held a strategy meeting.
"All right, let's hold the second strategy meeting here in Millishion."
The venue was the tavern.
Come to think of it, I hadn't taken a single step outside this tavern all day.
This place had a nice atmosphere, and it wasn't too crowded.
"We just did this the day before yesterday."
Eris was no longer angry.
I'd expected her to sulk in her room, but she'd come back after about ten minutes.
Her ability to switch moods was something I wished I could emulate.
"The situation has changed.
Specifically, we no longer need to earn money.
So I'd like to leave Millishion soon."
The twenty king's gold coins meant we no longer needed to scrounge for funds.
As for information gathering, I'd already heard everything Paul had to offer. That was sufficient for now.
The matter of the Supard Race's reputation would be put on hold for now.
Which meant there was less and less to do in this town.
I summarized all of this for the others.
I'd hesitated over whether to tell Eris about the current state of the Fittoa Region.
But I decided to tell her anyway.
Rather than going there in person and being crushed by despair, it was better to steel herself now.
"Eris, it seems our hometown no longer exists."
"I see."
"Philip and Sauros still haven't been found, apparently."
"That can't be helped."
"As for Gilleen's whereabouts, no one knows. Perhaps..."
"Listen, Rudeus."
Eris crossed her arms and looked up at me.
"I had already prepared myself for that much."
There was no uncertainty in Eris's eyes.
They were the same eyes as always—strong, imperious, absolutely unwavering in their certainty about her own future.
It wasn't that she'd forgotten; she'd been prepared.
That's what she was telling me.
"Gilleen is probably alive somewhere, but it wouldn't be surprising if Father or Grandfather are dead."
She said it with a single snort.
In other words, having suffered through her own ordeal on the Demon Continent, she'd already anticipated that others might not have survived.
Was that it?
Or was she just putting on a brave front?
With Eris, it was hard to tell the difference between when she was putting on an act and when she genuinely felt that way.
"I know you've been hiding things from me, you know."
I didn't know what she was referring to, but she didn't seem like she was forcing a brave face.
Eris had her own way of processing things.
Which meant that I was the only one who'd completely forgotten about the Fittoa Region.
Kind of embarrassing.
"I see. Understood."
Eris was impressive after all.
I decided to think of it that way and continued.
"For now, I'd like to leave this town in about a week..."
"Is that all right?"
Ruijerd asked this.
"What do you mean?"
"If we set off, you may never see your father again."
"That's another ominous thing to say..."
Coming from Ruijerd, such words carried real weight.
But we weren't in the middle of a war.
Rather— "There are family members I may never find again if I don't go looking for them now, so I'd like to prioritize that."
"I see. Fair enough."
Once Ruijerd was satisfied, I moved on to the main topic.
"For the rest of our journey, we'll focus primarily on information gathering."
We'd stay in each town for about a week.
But instead of earning money, we'd spend that time gathering intelligence.
What we'd be looking for, primarily, was people who had been teleported.
The route from Millis to Asura.
It was the most heavily trafficked path in this world, the one along which the most merchants traveled—the Silk Road of this world.
Naturally, the search parties would have scoured it thoroughly.
But perhaps we could find something that they'd missed.
The restoration of the Supard Race's reputation could also be pursued through this work.
Though, admittedly, the name "Dead End" wasn't very well known in Millis or the Central Continent.
We'd need to figure out how to build our reputation, too.
"The main problem is the crossing fee."
That was the biggest obstacle.
In this world, crossing the sea apparently carried a particular significance.
You could fudge your way into other countries by land with relative ease, but the sea was a different matter.
Especially for the Supard Race.
"On that note, Rudeus—look at this."
Ruijerd produced a piece of paper.
It was the same envelope he'd tried to show me yesterday before changing his mind.
I took it.
On the front, in rough handwriting, were the words "To Duke Baxir."
The back was sealed with red wax.
The impression was likely a family crest.
It looked extremely plain and unadorned.
"What is this?"
"I had an acquaintance write it for me yesterday."
An acquaintance.
Come to think of it, Ruijerd had mentioned meeting up with someone he knew.
"An acquaintance? What kind of person?"
"A man named Gash Brash."
"What does he do?"
"No idea. He put on airs, though."
Apparently, Ruijerd had met Gash forty years ago.
It had been on the Demon Continent.
Ruijerd had saved a group that had been attacked by monsters and was on the verge of annihilation, and Gash had been among them.
At the time, Gash had still been a child, and he'd looked at Ruijerd with a mixture of terror and hostility.
But by the time they parted ways, he'd apparently become quite friendly.
When Ruijerd had delivered him to the town, Gash had told him to come visit if he ever made it to Millishion.
Ruijerd had forgotten about it, with no opportunity to follow up, but while circling the outer perimeter near the entrance to the Adventurer District, the man's face had suddenly popped into his memory.
So he'd decided to look him up, though he was a bit worried the other party might have forgotten as well.
When Ruijerd arrived, Gash remembered him perfectly well and gave him a grand reception.
They'd initially planned on a brief greeting, but hit it off.
When Ruijerd described the journey so far, Gash had written him a letter of introduction, saying to show it when crossing through Westport.
Ruijerd had hit it off with this guy.
Was he the type like Gustav from the Beast Race, perhaps?
The fact that he'd written the letter on the spot suggested he held a pretty high position...
Hmm, I wanted to peek at the contents, but didn't you invalidate a sealed letter if you broke the seal?
"This Gash—would he be a noble?"
"He had quite a few attendants."
Attendants.
Very Ruijerd-like phrasing.
Servants, most likely.
"Quite a few" was rather vague.
That said, he was Ruijerd's acquaintance.
He could even be one of those Demon Race candidates who aspired to be benevolent kings.
"You went to his house?"
"Yeah."
"Was it big?"
"It was big."
"How big?"
"Not as big as Kishiris Castle."
Kishiris Castle.
If it was smaller than that, it probably wasn't the White Palace in the center of the lake.
So he wasn't royalty, apparently.
But it was still a building of considerable size if that was the comparison point.
Hmm.
Ruijerd's acquaintance.
I didn't think he was a bad person, but...
According to Paul, the noble in charge of customs was famously anti-Demon Race.
If this Gash turned out to be someone of only moderate standing, presenting the letter might cause problems.
Should I look into what kind of person Gash was?
No—remembering the happy expression on Ruijerd's face when he'd produced the letter, I didn't want to cast doubt on it and reopen the whole trust issue.
Fine.
In any case, I couldn't think of another way.
I would trust Ruijerd's judgment on this.
And I'd quietly ask Paul about the name Gash later.
"Understood. Let's put our faith in this letter then."
At my words, Ruijerd nodded.
We'd depart in one week.
Until then, I'd take care of everything that needed doing here.
"I'd be fine leaving tomorrow, you know!"
Eris said this, and I gave a wry smile as the strategy meeting came to an end.