Chapter 55-Meeting Her Parents
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Currently, our group of four stood waiting in a short line to enter the city of Tyros. 

Despite being a major trade city, the traffic outside of the gates of Tyros was not particularly crowded. Still, it is currently winter and Tyros is more of a port city so those factors might be taking effect. 

Similar to the city of Damask, the guards patrolling the walls were mostly city militia with some regular troops dispersed amongst them. I could roughly estimate that Tyros has a larger militia than Damask, though Damask has a larger detachment from the army. 

As we were ready to cross into the confines of the city, a militia officer began to vigorously wave at Minerva. 

“Minerva, is that you?” the woman almost shouted as she ran towards my friend. 

Based on her appearance, this captain looked to be Minerva’s friend, or possibly even her sister. Both of them being southern elves with red eyes, though the newcomer has black hair and is a fair bit shorter. 

“Long time no see, Marcina,” Minerva said while pulling the other elf into a hug. “How have you been doing recently?”

“I’ve been well for the most part,” Marcina said while patting Minerva’s back. “Well I’m still a Tessarius, so there’s no change in my occupation. But more importantly, what’s your relationship with this fine gentleman over here?”

Having been busy observing the cityscape rather than the conversation between the two, I was mildly startled by the sudden mention of my presence. More surprisingly, Sekh didn’t bother to say anything and just observed the situation with a mischievous look. 

“Oh, he’s my friend,” Minerva replied, fortunately managing to keep her cool. 

“Just a friend?” Marcina began to tease before suddenly getting tapped on the shoulder by someone who looked to be her superior. 

“Marcina, we still have work,” the man said firmly. “I know that Minerva has just come back, but you have to wait until our shift ends.”

Much to her displeasure, Marcina was pretty much dragged away by her superior before she could continue with her gossiping. I, on the other hand, considered it to be a far more fortunate turn of events. 

Not only had the man saved me from a possibly embarrassing situation, but he had bought me time to think about something I failed to consider: whether I should use my real name or not? 

Ever since I confessed to Minerva and Zeph, I’ve been curious, and frankly quite hopeful, about how other people would react. I had even considered telling Doux Isaac and possibly Justin and Irene, though I continued to delay out of caution. But now that I was in Tyros, a place I was unlikely to visit much, I realized that I could test the waters far more safely. 

As for the situation between Minerva and I, I was holding off on it temporarily, at least until her exams were finished. My reasoning was quite simple in that regard; if I confront her early then I might distract her from the more important task. So I thought it would be better to not disrupt her for now. And if she makes a move before then, I’ll just improvise and make the best of the situation. 

“Guess we’ll go straight to my family then,” Minerva said while beckoning for us to follow her deeper into the city. 

For a while, the four of us continued to trek towards the Tyros’ interior. Among the many settlements that I’ve visited, I would consider Tyros to be among the most beautiful. The squarish buildings were painted vibrant colors, some even possessing wide rooftops. Linking together these buildings were roads constructed of crisp cut cobbled stone. The various markets were not lacking either, and a plethora of goods populated the stalls throughout the city. Additionally, there were numerous baths throughout the city and the citizens were fairly well dressed and groomed for the most part. 

Minerva’s house was located in the inner district of the city near the small castle. As for how I figured out it was her house, the servant outside immediately recognized Minerva and began to call her ‘my lady’ in addition to offering to take her to her parents. In regards to the house, it was a three story building constructed of bricks painted a beautiful turquoise. Fortunately, the house came with a stable for us to leave our horses, which were taken care of by the stablehands. 

Walking inside the house I was greeted by the site of a luxuriously decorated living space. Ebony wood interiors complemented by paintings, chandeliers, and plush sofas. Such a living place made my own family’s hall look like a barbarian mud hut in comparison, not that it was much better than a mud hut in all honesty. 

“Wow,” Sekh murmured in awe as her eyes glowed in admiration. 

Zeph looked far less captivated, though she looked impressed nonetheless. 

Almost as if meant to pull us from our wealth induced stupor, a firm male voice suddenly rang out from the stairwell. 

“It’s so good to see you again, daughter.”

“Dad!” Minerva cried before running over to hug the middle aged elf. 

Standing at the base of the stairs were two individuals who looked very much like Minerva. Both were southern elves with red eyes, though her father had dark black hair instead of the Minerva and her mother’s silver hair. 

After hugging both of her parents, Minerva swiftly spun around and faced us.

“Mother, father, I’d like to introduce you to my companions. The leopard folk there is Sekh, the white haired girl is Zeph, and the marcher there is-”

“Azel,” I said warmly, cutting off Minerva’s sentence.

Hearing me declare my name, all three of my companions turned to me with confused looks. It was certainly a gamble on my part, though not without reason. 

First of all, nobles tend to be more informed than commoners so Minerva’s parents are less likely to have their opinions distorted by overblown rumors. 

And more importantly, if I were to pursue relations with Minerva, it would be better to be honest from the beginning to avoid a larger backlash later. If I lied now and confessed later, I would probably be scrutinized for deception and any good deeds would be put under a questioning light. 

“Azel…,” Minerva’s mother said while closely examining me. “As in the hero of the spear?”

“Yes,” I said with an amiable smile, interested to see what her response would be. 

“I never thought my daughter would become friends with someone like you,” the older version of Minerva said with a polite smile, clearly hiding her true feelings. “How did you become acquainted with my daughter anyways?”

“Mother, you don’t have to worry,” Minerva said fervently. “Azel isn’t anything like the rumors.”

“I appreciate it, Minerva,” I said while maintaining my air of friendliness. “But I think it’s best that your family develop their own independent opinion of me. Oh, now that I think about it, can you introduce your parents to me?”

That part about an independent opinion was a sham. No matter what, Minerva’s opinion of me will warp her parents’ as well, though I don’t know if it will be for better or worse. However, I just wanted to communicate that I had no intentions of hiding behind their daughter. 

Despite the tense atmosphere, Minerva gracefully gestured towards her parents in an effort to introduce them.

“On the right there is my father, Quintius Considia. And on the left is my mother, Cornelia Considia.”

“It’s an honor to meet you,” I said to Minerva’s parents with a light bow. “If you’re curious about how Minerva and I met, the short story is that she hired me as a mercenary to work at the Labor Bureau.”

“Interesting,” Cornelia remarked with an air of composure. “You must be the young man that Minerva spoke of so highly in her letters then. If that is the case, then I don’t think I have much reason to worry about you.”

Seems like she completely ignored my suggestion of an independent opinion, but I won’t complain about something that benefits me. 

“Will you be staying here with Minerva while she takes her examination?” Quintus asked while gesturing for the servants to come over. 

“If it doesn’t create too much of a nuisance for you,” I replied. 

“That settles it,” Quintus declared as he motioned for his servants to guide us towards the second floor. 

As we were tailing two of the maids, I noticed that there was a certain weariness in the atmosphere. And upon closer inspection, I realized that all of the servants were scared of me to some extent. But I got the approval of Minerva’s parents, so something like this is inconsequential in comparison. 

“Are you alright?” Sekh asked me while gently pulling on my sleeve, most likely having noticed the situation. 

Pulling her into my embrace, I began to gently nuzzle against the leopard girl.

“I’m doing great honestly. Now let’s make sure to be good guests while we stay here.”

“Hehe,” Sekh giggled lightly while rubbing her head against my torso. 

Instead of the usual rude ‘ahem,’ Zeph intruded far more politely this time. 

“Excuse me, but I think we should decide how to divide the guest rooms. I assume you two are going to have a room together while I get my own, is that right?”

“That was always the plan,” I replied to Zeph with a thoughtful look. “Though I think there’s the chance that Sekh might bounce between rooms when she feels like it.”

“You should be careful if she leaves you for me,” Zeph said with a teasing smirk. 

“Aren’t you the person who said that any physical contact while on a bed is a form of perversion?” I argued. 

“That’s not true,” Zeph lied. “I’m a perfectly normal person.”

“That’s not something a normal person would say,” I said with a sly grin. 

“C’mon, play nice you two,” Sekh chimed in while pulling both of us into a hug. 

Out of the corner of my eye, I observed looks of abject disbelief coming from the servants. But that only works out better for me. Pretty much anything is preferable to the rumors about me. And I don’t think I can create an ever worse perception. 

Soon after, the servants presented us with our rooms. Similar to the rest of the house, the rooms were constructed from ebony wood and turquoise bricks. the room was richly furnished with a wool carpet, silver candlesticks, and a small work table. More importantly, the bed was both big and comfortable. 

Zeph disappeared off into her own room, which was the same as ours when I checked. And after some more checking, I realized that there were another two rooms completely identical to our own. 

With the help of the servants, Sekh and I quickly hauled our belongings into the room and settled down. Since we had some extra time, Sekh and I decided to take a short break in our room before heading back downstairs. 

“It’s a nice room, right?” I asked Sekh while patting the cat girl’s head. 

“Is that even a question?” Sekh retorted while prodding my cheek. “It’s probably the nicest room I’ve ever been in.”

Right, sometimes I forget that Sekh is a commoner unlike the rest of us. She pretty much never brings it up but she’s frequently fascinated by things that the rest of us would find ordinary. Personally I find it rather cute and it only makes me want to spoil Sekh more. 

“Sekh, let's go have fun in Tyros while we’re here,” I told her while smiling brightly. 

Sekh tilted her head and gave me a curious look.

“That sounds great, but why the sudden shift?”

“I just want to enjoy some time with my girlfriend,” I replied while rubbing her tail. 

“Reasonable,” Sekh chuckled. 

After rubbing Sekh’s head once again, I pulled myself up from the bed and descended down the stairs to rejoin Minerva’s family. When I arrived downstairs, I was immediately greeted by Quintus. 

“Are the rooms to your liking?” he asked me. 

“They’re excellent,” I replied with an easy grin. 

“Great to hear,” he said while beckoning for me to follow him. 

After a brief walk, the two of us arrived at the house’s backyard. Although much of it was filled with idyllic gardens, there was a section dedicated for martial arts practice. There, Quintus took two wooden sparring swords and tossed one to me while whirling his own sword about in his hand.

“Can you humor me with a spar?” he requested.

“Sure,” I said casually. “May I ask the reason?”

Quietus paused for a bit before returning a sly smile. “Well my daughter speaks highly of your skill at arms, so I want to be able to see for myself.”

“That’s unfortunate,” I replied while shrugging. “Of all the weapons I’ve trained with, the sword is one of my less proficient ones.”

“I assume the spear is your specialty?” he asked.

Taking a stance with my sword, I gestured for him to come at me.

“What gave it away?” I asked in a deadpan tone. 

“A poor question on my part,” Quintus laughed while thrusting at my chest.

For a short while, the two of us exchanged blows, though they were only probing attacks meant to discern each other’s skill. And unfortunately for me, Quintus is also among the number of people better with a sword than I. But his superior skill was nowhere near enough to make up for the difference in physical ability and battlefield experience.

“So what’s your relationship with my daughter?” he asked out of the blue, all the while aiming a swing at me.

“I’m her friend,” I answered flatly as I deflected the blow and pressed him back.

“I hope she doesn’t hear that,” Quintus remarked while trying to hold off my assault. “You know she’s interested in you right?”

“I know,” I told him nonchalantly. “But you do realize that the leopard girl is my lover?”

“I know,” Quintus said mockingly. “But there’s nothing stopping you from taking both of them.”

“Why are you more on board with it than me?” I asked in fake outrage.

Unable to maintain the conversation and fight, Quintus signaled his surrender before unceremoniously continuing our talk.

“You might not know, but finding a suitable husband for that girl is impossible. Actually finding a husband for her is already impossible, let alone the person being suitable.”

“I can see why,” I commented snidely. 

“So you see the problem right?” he asked in exasperation. “And there’s absolutely no way we can even force anything on her, she’ll just scare away any suitor that isn’t a colossal brute.”

“Well I was planning to talk to her about this,” I informed him. “But I want to wait until her exam is over so she can focus on what’s important. I hope you’ll cooperate with me in that regard.”

Somewhat awestruck, Quintus stood still for a bit before regaining his composure. 

“That’s quite thoughtful of you. I can definitely see why my daughter is attracted to you.”

"I thought my dashing good looks were enough proof as it is," I replied jokingly. 

Quintus chuckled a bit before he went to the weapons rack and deposited his practice sword. 

“So how do you feel about her?”

“A lot of things,” I said with a grin. “She’s attractive, kind, and absurdly reliable. Plus she makes my heart thump a bit harder every time she smiles.”

“Make sure to tell her that later,” Quintus snorted. “She’s gonna love it.”

“I didn’t expect to gain parental approval so fast,” I jested.

Putting his hand on my shoulder, Quintus looked me in the eye with a suddenly serious demeanor. 

“I was and still am a bit wary of you. But after hearing what my daughter said about you, I really want to give you a chance. You seem like a good man and I hope that it’s true.”

“I hope so too,” my mind reverberated with slight melancholy, while I just silently smiled at Quintus.

A few hours after my spar, I was called downstairs along with Sekh and Zeph for dinner.

Sitting at the dinner table were Quintus, Cornelia, and Minerva. And although her parents were maintaining mostly innocent looks, Minerva was casting wary glances at the two of them.

Putting the potential danger aside, the table was filled with all sorts of delicious goods. Fish grilled with herbs, vegetables roasted with wine, and spiced rice were among the plethora of available dishes.

“Are you enjoying yourselves?” Cornelia asked our group after we had been eating for a little while.

“Very much so,” I answered amiably.

“We can’t thank you enough,” Sekh added with a wonderfully cute smile.

“We hope to be able to return the favor when the time comes,” Zeph said knowing full well that ‘we’ meant me.

“I’m very glad then,” Cornelia remarked. “Though it’s a shame that our other children aren’t here right now, they’ll be coming within a few days.”

Although Minerva had mentioned her siblings before, it was only through a few passing remarks. And if I remember correctly, she had an older sister and two younger brothers.

“Well our eldest, Cadmus, will arrive last,” Cornelia continued. “But Felix and Julia will be here by tomorrow.”

I guess I was somewhat close then. Although Minerva does have three siblings, I was just wrong about the order. 

Once we finished dinner, we continued to make small talk while the servants took care of cleaning. A few hours later, we departed the bottom floor to get ready for bed.

But before going to sleep, I decided to visit Minerva for a little bit. And unfortunately for me, she was already in her own room by the time I got to her.

Not wanting to create any incident, I knocked on her door before standing aside to wait for a response.

Minerva's voice rang out from behind the door.

“Who is it?”

“It’s me,” I replied. “Do you have time to talk for a bit?”

“Sure,” she answered before opening the door and walking out into the hallway. “What’s the matter?”

“I just wanted to let you know that I’m available if you need any help with the exams,” I told her. “I know that I can't really help you when it comes to knowledge, but I can help with the martial arts and equestrian parts of the exam.”

Minerva blushed lightly for a bit before breaking out of her stupor. 

“I'll hold you to that then.”

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