(Continuation from the second half of the Prologue)
After reuniting with Regil and Laila, we arrived at the large mansion everyone was now using.
「Well… this is our place.」
Regil gave a slightly awkward smile as he spoke.
「We ended up with quite a large group, after all. Renting multiple small houses would have been more expensive, so borrowing one big mansion like this actually saves money.」
Laila explained calmly. I didn’t know the exact prices around here, but if someone as reliable as her said so, then it must be true.
「Anyway, come on in. The slaves have been waiting for you too.」
Right on cue, the front door swung open and the slaves stepped out to greet us. Every single one of them looked healthy and full of life, their complexions bright and clear.
「Perfect timing. Let’s go inside.」
We all passed through the gate together. The moment our eyes met, a slightly awkward silence settled over the group.
「Um… how have you all been?」
「Yes! Ever since you rescued us, Master, we’ve been training hard as adventurers under Regil-sama and Laila-sama!」
One of the male slaves answered with bright, energetic enthusiasm. Glancing at the others, I could see they all looked genuinely content, no trace of dissatisfaction on their faces.
「I’m glad to hear that. I was a little worried, honestly.」
「If you were worried, you should have come to check on them sooner…」
Amilia gave me a gentle but pointed nudge with her elbow. She was right, though…
「Ahaha, Saintess-sama doesn’t hold back, does she? Well, to be fair, we only managed to rent this mansion a few days ago.」
「Before that it was just back-and-forth between the dungeon and the guild every single day…」
「I see. So what ranks are you all at now?」
「Yes! I, Phil Ena Sidris, have reached mid-rank. Everyone else is preparing for the mid-rank exam right now!」
The same male slave answered proudly, beaming from ear to ear. Come to think of it, we hadn’t properly introduced ourselves yet. That could wait for later.
「Got it… Well, standing around out here isn’t great. Let’s head inside and talk more comfortably.」
「Understood! Alright everyone, back inside and finish preparing to welcome our guest!」
At Regil’s command, the slaves hurried back into the mansion. Once they were gone, I turned to face Laila.
「Um… I feel like I’m not fully grasping how impressive this is. Just how big a deal is it, exactly?」
Laila looked a little perplexed but began explaining anyway.
「Well… reaching mid-rank in roughly one month is completely unheard of. Even I took three months. And all of them come from rural villages or commoner backgrounds, this kind of progress is simply impossible. Frankly, it’s abnormal.」
「Really… Then maybe I should talk to each of them one-on-one later.」
「That would be a good idea. If anyone can figure out what’s going on, it’s you, Kaminagi-san.」
「Got it. Thanks. Also… Lopple-san wants to see the artisan guild. Could you show her around?」
Lopple, who had been spacing out nearby, suddenly jolted upright when her name was called, cheeks flushing as she waved her hands in a panic.
「Sure. She’s a beastkin, so she might get harassed otherwise… With my title, though, no one should cause any real trouble.」
「Then use this. It’ll let you know where I am if anything happens.」
I handed her the defensive magic tool Ulberick-san had given me yesterday.
「Oh my… something this expensive… Well, it is you, Kaminagi-san…」
「Hey, wait a second. Isn’t that view of me a little harsh?」
「It’s Yuuki, after all.」「It’s Yuuki-san, so…」「It’s Holy Knight-sama, so…」
As usual, my credibility, or lack thereof, remained firmly in question.
◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆
After entering the mansion, we spent some time drinking tea and enjoying light snacks together.
「Alright then. I’ll start the individual interviews now.」
「Yes!」
Once the conversation reached a natural pause, I decided to speak with each person one-on-one. There were probably things about their future plans or personal feelings they wouldn’t feel comfortable sharing in front of Regil and the others, so I kept it simple.
「So, Radi-kun… what do you want to do from here on out?」
「What do I want to do…?」
Oops. That question was way too vague. If Tomoe were here, she’d be rolling her eyes at me.
「I mean… about your life going forward. You can keep being an adventurer here if you like. Or go back home to your family. And if you want to do something completely different from adventuring, that’s fine too. I’m officially canceling your slave contract today, so you’re free to live however you want.」
Radi’s eyes went wide and round at my words.
「Um… honestly, I really like this life. Even if I went home, I wouldn’t inherit the farm anyway. And going back to the house that sold me, even if it wasn’t for a huge amount, feels awful. Also… actually…」
He hesitated, trailing off. What could be so hard to say?
「Is there something difficult to talk about?」
「…!」
Radi fidgeted for a long moment, clearly torn. Several minutes of heavy silence passed. Then, as if he’d finally made up his mind, he lifted his head, looked straight at me, and spoke in a tiny, barely audible whisper.
「Um… I’ve been thinking about marrying Laila-san… (mumble mumble)」
So quiet! His voice is way too quiet!! If it weren’t me, I would’ve missed the end completely!
「Uh… just to confirm. You and Laila are… in that kind of relationship?」
「That kind of relationship…?」
Come on, read the room! This guy is so dense!!
「I mean… you’ve spent the night together, right…?」
「Yes, many times already.」
「Many times?!」
「Eh? Is that strange?!」
W-well… no, not really? If they’re planning to get married, it’s normal here. Different world, different customs.
「It’s not strange, but… isn’t premarital stuff moving a little fast?」
At that, Radi’s face turned bright red.
「Premarital…?! Of course we’re not doing anything like that!!」
「Eh? But you said you spent the night together…」
「I meant camping out in the wild!!」
「Ohhh… that kind of ‘night together’. Sorry, my bad.」
After that, for some reason, I ended up listening to Radi’s excited love story ramble on and on.
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