—-- Leon Greyrat —--

‘Hey, *****... would you… like to go to a movie with me?’

Huh?

Who… what was that voice? Where am I? It’s dark… I can’t see anything, not even my hands right in front of me.

No… I couldn’t feel my hands either. To be exact, I couldn’t feel anything.

Sure! W-Which one?

What… was that… my voice? 

But… it didn’t feel the same. It didn’t sound the same, either.

‘I was thinking… maybe this one?’

That weird voice again… it was a girl’s.

What was happening?

Actually, no. This didn’t matter.

That man, Ruijerd… we fought, and I lost.

But his words at the end… they almost seemed… kind. As if he wasn’t going to finish me off.

Was he truly going to protect Eris, Aisha, and Norn, just like he said?

But I couldn’t be too sure…

Anyway, if I wasn’t dead, I was definitely asleep. Most likely due to running out of mana.

But I couldn’t just stay here.

I needed to get up and see what was happening.

I needed to wake up!

“Hah!”

Shooting up, I feel my heartbeat pounding against my chest as I look around me, my shaky breath slowly returning to a normal pace.

I was… inside the hut. And from the small bit of light coming from the entryway, it was morning.

But… how did I end up here? Didn’t I pass out pretty far away from the shelter?

“You’re up.”

Hearing a rough yet quiet voice, I turn to my side, only to see the same man who put me in this state, Ruijerd, sitting opposite me against the wall.

…What was he doing here?

Wait. If he got through the barrier, then…

Frantically looking to my side, I’m immensely relieved to see Aisha and Norn both snuggling against my leg to my right, with Eris sprawled out to my left, her hair undone and her midriff showing.

Haa… I’d have to do up her hair again later.

“...Yes. How did you break through the barrier?” I ask.

“Hm? Barrier?” he asks before his eyes light up with realization. “Ah, so that’s what that feeling was… no, I did not break through the barrier.”

…Okay, so he didn’t break through it. And paired with the fact my sisters, Eris, and myself were safe, this guy was… not an enemy.

Although he still had that harsh look, and I still felt a little scared around him, he was friendly… I think.

“I see… why… why did you watch over us?” I ask.

He tilts his head, “Didn’t I say I would? Besides, a Superd warrior never abandons children.”

…Right.

“I see… so you’re not evil… then… why did you fight me?” I ask.

He raises his eyebrows once more in confusion, “Was raising your sword not a request for a duel?”

…Huh?

“Um, no… rather, it was a sign of caution and warning…” I answer slowly.

“...Oh,” he hangs his head. “I see.”

…What the hell was with this guy?

This was the terrifying race of Superd?

While he was definitely strong, in terms of personality, he just seemed… socially awkward.

“...Anyway, thank you for looking after them. I.. really needed the sleep,” I say, slightly bowing my head.

Yes. Only now could I notice what a horrible state I had been in.

Everything felt so clear now, and my body was brimming with energy. Casting a small Waterball above my palm, I marvel at the ease and smoothness of it as I wash my face, rubbing off the dirt, and a little bit of blood, from last night's ‘duel’.

“...How interesting. Is casting magic without an incantation normal for humans now?” Ruijerd asks.

I shake my head, “No. As far as I know, only me and three others can do it. I’m a bit of a rarity.”

He nods, “Hmm… I see. How interesting.”

Feeling a bit awkward at the silence, I cast my gaze around the hut, and to my surprise, I saw a small firepit near the entrance. One that was filled with ash and burned wood.

Well… that explains why I didn’t feel cold in the night.

“I’m surprised you’ve survived without firewood to heat yourselves and your food. Human children are said to be quite delicate,” Ruijerd says.

“Yeah… I usually stayed up casting a flame spell or heated up rocks for that,” I say. “Speaking of… where did you find the wood?”

“While no trees are found here in the mountains, there are various species of Treants,” he answers. “But to stay up all night casting magic… you are definitely a rarity.”

“Ah… Hahaha… yeah.”

Treants, huh?

To think there was such a thing…

I had been avoiding monsters whenever I could for… obvious reasons, but to think that was how I could get firewood…

The Demon Continent was quite a scary place, huh? Relying on monsters for all aspects of survival and all.

“Anyway… I should thank you for looking after them,” I say, breaking the silence. “My name is Leon Greyrat, a Sword and Water Saint, and student of the Sword King Ghislaine.”

“...And I am Ruijerd Superdia.”

Yes. I already knew that.

“But… are you not scared of me? I am a Superd, you know,” he says.

“I was scared at first, but, well… it’s kind of calmed down now,” I shrug. “But… you’re much different than what the stories say, Ruijerd.”

Even though I thought that the legends of the Superd race were greatly exaggerated, I still expected them to be violent people. But contrary to that, Ruijerd seemed extremely gentle, aside from that ‘duel’ mishap.

However, as my aching side told me quite clearly, I knew that he could be violent if he wanted.

I guess you can’t blindly trust stories, huh?

His grip on his spear tightens. “...The Superd are a proud race of warriors. We are not a horde of monstrous beasts. We were tricked by that damned Laplace!”

Hm?

“But… from the stories I heard of, the Superd fought on Laplace’s side in the war… did something happen?” I ask.

“We were betrayed!” he shouts, his face the incarnation of violent anger.

Ah… the fear was back.

But at least I didn’t tremble this time.

“That despicable man gave us the cursed spears, and then…” his face then turns sad as he looks down at his hand. “We lost everything. Our home… our people… and our honour. I will never forgive him.”

…I guess there was quite a story there.

But that wasn’t important right now.

“I see… Umm, do you happen to know where we are, Ruijerd?” I ask.

“The edge of the Biegoya Region, in the northeast of the Demon Continent,” he answers.

Well, shit.

That was the worst luck imaginable.

We were… a long way from home.

Years, even.

“Where do you and your group happen to hail from, boy,” Ruijerd then asks.

“The Asura Kingdom. Ironically, the northeast region of it,” I say with a frown.

Running my fingers through Aisha’s maroon hair, I think about the current situation.

I’d have to cross the entire Demon Continent to get back home, all while keeping these three safe and happy.

If it was six months or so, I would be fine with difficult conditions, as we would quickly be able to get back to a relatively normal, but to travel for so long…

Right now was Aisha and Norn’s precious childhood. I couldn’t let them have a miserable time in such an important period in their lives.

They needed to be happy.

“Asura? That’s… quite a faraway land,” Ruijerd says.

Yeah. No kidding.

“But I am curious… Just how did you end up here in the first place?” he asks.

…How did we indeed.

“...There was a great light, and as soon as it reached us, we were teleported here. I don’t know why… or how… but I know that Perugius was concerned as Arumanfi the Radiant appeared,” I explain.

“Teleportation? If such forbidden magic was used, and on such a scale, it’s no wonder Perugius got involved,” Ruijerd says to himself. “And these three… are they your sisters?”

“These two are,” I say, rubbing Aisha and Norn’s heads. “But this one, Eris, is just… a friend.”

Why was that so difficult to say?

I suppose after spending so much time together, and relying on her for the past week, it was hard to just call her a ‘friend’.

“...I see. You are a good brother, Leon Greyrat. You have my respect,” Ruijerd says with a smile. 

“Thanks…” I say.

Now that I could see the man clearly, I noticed a few things about him aside from his spear, hair, and red gem that popped out at first glance.

He was muscled. Which made complete sense considering the speed and strength he showed earlier.

He also had porcelain white skin, completely devoid of blemishes aside from the long scar running across his face, and wore a set of tribal garb that left much to be desired in terms of protection.

Just as I’m about to strike up a conversation with him again, I feel movement from my left.

“Nghh~ Hm~? Leon?” Eris blinks open her eyes before turning to the sunlit entrance. “It’s morning? We were supposed to split guard duty!”

Oh. She was angry now.

A complete reversal from the gentle sleeping expression she was wearing a moment before.

“Don’t worry, I got some rest,” I say with a smile. “We had some… unexpected aid, you could say.”

Finally noticing the foreign presence, Eris then turns to look at Ruijerd, and upon seeing him…

“Aaaah!!!”

She screamed.

“N-Nooo!” she tried to scamper away, but quickly found herself cornered by the wall.

…What?

I knew that Hilda had told Eris about the Superd, but I didn’t think she would be this terrified of him.

It was… unnatural. Especially for such a prideful and fearless girl like her.

Come to think of it, the fear I felt was also unnatural. 

I wasn’t scared of him being a Superd, nor was I scared of his strength. At least, not to the point where I would tremble.

There was something more going on here… something… weird.

Wait. He said ‘cursed spears’ or something, right?

Maybe… no, I couldn’t be sure of that.

“Eri, it’s okay,” I say, holding her shoulders and blocking her view of Ruijerd. “We’re safe. He’s not going to hurt you.”

Instead of acknowledging me, she simply wrapped her arms around me and dug her face into my chest, sobbing incoherently as I held her trembling body close.

…Yeah. Not natural at all.

“Hm?” “Huam~!”

Due to Eris’ screaming, as well as the two losing their pillow in my leg, Aisha and Norn wake up.

Rubbing their eyes, they take a quick glance around the hut before their gazes simultaneously fall on Ruijerd. And then…

“Waaah!” “Noooo!”

They both begin screaming as well.

Scampering to my side, they both buried their face in my torso along with Eris as they wailed and panted to the point I was worried they would pass out.

“...That is the normal reaction,” Ruijerd says with a sad smile. “I’ll leave you four alone. I can guard just fine from afar.”

“No,” I stop him, shaking my head. “Stay here, but just… give us a minute. I’m thinking.”

If Eris and I’s reactions were odd, then Norn and Aisha’s were downright wrong.

After all… while Eris and I had heard stories of the Superd, my sweet sisters didn’t know a single thing about those stories. They were completely ignorant of the word ‘Superd’ and what it meant.

Well, maybe Aisha did, as she loved learning new things, but I knew Norn didn’t.

And yet… they were still terrified.

This wasn’t something born from a stereotype or some bedtime story. No, this was something deeper. Something stranger. Something… magical.

Well… such thoughts could be put aside for later. Right now, I just needed to comfort these hysterical girls.

“Eri,” I whisper into her ear. “There’s nothing to be afraid of. That goes for you too, Aisha. Norn.”

“Of course, there’s something to be afraid of, stupid!” Eris shouts, looking up and pounding her fist against my chest. “That’s a Superd! T-They… eat children!”

Welp. If Aisha and Norn weren’t scared before, they definitely were now. That fact was confirmed as they wailed even louder into my chest.

“I don’t think that’s true, girls,” I say gently before looking over to Ruijerd. “Is it?”

I really hope not.

To my relief, he shakes his head, “We do not eat children, no.”

But he speaks the Human tongue too, huh? That’s good to know.

“Hear that, Eri? He’s just a regular guy,” I say.

“B-But he’s a demon!” she shouts.

“And?” I say. “So is Sylphy. At least in part. Do you think she eats people too?”

“W-Well! No! Argh! Stop doing that!” she shouts, looking up at me with a glare.

There we go. That’s a little better.

And her shout seemed to stop Norn and Aisha’s crying too.

“But they are said to be pretty scary…” Ruijerd frowns at my words. “Don’t you think Ghislaine would be proud if you said you talked normally to such a terrifying being?”

That seems to set a fire of competitiveness in her eyes, as she slowly gets to her feet.

Her legs were still trembling though.

“I’m E-Eris B-Boreas Greyrat! P-Pleasure to meet your acquaintance!” 

She even added a bow at the end. I’m impressed.

“Eh-Eris Boboreas Greyrat… humans have grown to have quite odd naming conventions, I see,” Ruijerd says.

“What!? No!” she shouts. “I just stuttered a little, is all! It’s Eris! Eris Boreas Greyrat!”

Wow. To think she would flip a switch so easily from trembling like a fawn to talking down to him.

Just what you would expect from a girl who shouted at the Water God.

“...I see. My apologies. I am Ruijerd Superdia,” he returns her greeting.

A flash of relief crosses Eris’ face as Ruijerd responds calmly.

“See? Not so bad, right?” I smirk. “Now how about you two? Want to say hello? It’s good to be polite, you know?”

Aisha slowly looks toward the man, and as she sees his face, she flinches before looking up at me.

“Go on,” I say. “I’m right here to protect you.”

That seems to steel her resolve as she gives me a nod before looking over at Ruijerd.

“M-My name is Aisha… Aisha Greyrat Sniff!”

Ruijerd smiles, “It’s nice to meet you, Aisha.”

I nudge Norn with my elbow, gripping my shirt with one hand, and holding her stuffed bunny to her face with the other, she hesitantly replies. “Norn…”

Short and sweet. But it got the point across all the same.

Ruijerd’s smile widens, “Nice to meet you too.”

With everyone having exchanged their greetings, Eris crosses her arms in her usual pose with a huff, “Honestly! Mother is such a silly liar! Hmph!”

Right. I guess she would have something to complain to Hilda about once we got back home.

If she was even still alive, that is.

“Well… if we want to reach there by sundown, we should get going now,” Ruijerd says, standing up.

“Umm… what exactly do you mean?” I ask.

“Hm?” he looks down at me curiously. “I will escort you back home, of course.”

…

Yeah. This guy was definitely weird.

“Back home? Like, back to Asura?” I ask.

“Of course. And a Superd warrior never goes back on his word,” he nods seriously.

“...Are you sure? I wouldn’t want to impede on you. If you could just lead us to a city, then-”

“No,” he shakes his head. “While you are a warrior yourself, and a strong one at that, it is impossible to maneuver such a vast distance while being the sole protector and provider, as I’m sure you already know.”

Shit… he was right.

“But… that’s, like, across the entire known world, you know?” I say.

“Don’t worry about such things. I have no other things holding me here. And besides… I could never abandon such young children,” he says, smiling down at Aisha and Norn. “It would blemish the reputation of the Superd.”

…I think that ship has sailed, Ruijerd.

Hmm… he wasn’t wrong, though. I needed his help.

I could speak the language, but I didn’t know any regional dialects or customs of the land.

I had fighting strength, but not enough to win against an opponent like Ruijerd, as rare as he may be. So an extra sword, or in this case, an extra spear, would always be welcome.

I needed to face it.

I needed his help.

But… such a one-sided transaction didn’t exactly sit right with me.

“You… you sound as if you want to repair the reputation of your race,” I say.

“Yes,” he nods. “That is my main goal. One I have been attempting for the past hundreds of years… to no success.”

Dammit. Now I made him sad.

“Well…” I say. “While making sure these three get safely back home will be my priority, I will try to help clear your race’s name during the journey.”

He looks at me doubtfully, “Do you think you can do much?”

“Maybe, maybe not. It’s quite difficult to get rid of such deep-rooted prejudice, but… as you can see with Eris and my sisters, it isn’t necessarily set in stone,” I say.

His eyes widen a little in realization as Aisha and Norn look up at him.

“It will take a lot of time, and a lot of hard work,” I add. “But… I think that such a thing should be natural to you, no?”

Considering he had fought in the Laplace war and still looked to be middle-aged, I had a feeling he could grow very old. So, if he set his mind to it, it wasn’t impossible to do.

“...Thank you, Leon,” he says with a smile.

“No problem,” I smile back. “Anyway, you said we should get going, right? We only need to grab the fur mat, so lead the way.”

Finally, with this strong, albeit socially awkward, addition to our group, I was feeling confident.

More confident than I had been for a while.

—-- Leon Greyrat —--

We had been walking for more than a few hours, and other than stopping for lunch, we were making constant progress toward… wherever Ruijerd was taking us.

Every so often, Ruijerd would suddenly stop before shooting forward, and after asking, he apparently was dealing with any monsters that were ahead of us.

As for how he knew of said monsters?

Well, the red jewel on his head wasn’t just for show. Apparently, it gave him the ability to sense things from great distances with ease. 

I remember Roxy talking about that once or twice when she went over different races’ unique traits and magics.

Quite useful, that jewel was.

I could probably have the same level of detection if I meditated and focused on my surroundings, but for combat and travelling, it kind of lost its purpose.

But it was kind of nice, to be able to leave the fighting up to the guy. Just as I had experienced last night, he was strong.

Probably as strong as Arumanfi, if I had to guess. If not a bit stronger.

That’s a 500-year-old general of the Laplace war for you.

“So… you said your name was Eris Boreas Greyrat, right?” Ruijerd says.

“Yep!” Eris answers, swinging her sword around. “But only Grandpa, Ghislaine, and Leon are allowed to call me Eri.”

“I see,” Ruijerd nods. “But… Leon said you two are not siblings.”

“Hm? No, we aren’t,” Eris answers.

“But you share the same family name…” 

Ruijerd seems confused.

Eris scowls, “That doesn’t mean we’re siblings, though!”

“...Okay.”

Yep. Ruijerd was definitely confused.

“We’re related, but very distantly,” I add. “Kind of like how demon tribes and races take that as their last name, like you and ‘Superdia’.”

“Oh… I understand,” Ruijerd nods.

I decided not to mention how even if Eris was related to Paul, it still wouldn’t be the case for me as I was adopted.

No need to make things needlessly complicated.

“Anyway, where are we headed, Ruijerd?” I ask. 

“The village where I am staying. I provided protection and hunted some monsters in exchange for living there, so it would only be right to tell them I am leaving,” he answers.

“You said it would take a day to get there, right?” I ask.

“Mhmm,” he nods. “But that was without thinking you would carry your sisters. We should be there soon, actually…”

He then raises his head, pointing his spear forward into the distance.

Hm?

Sharpening my senses, I look toward a set of large rocky hills as the image slowly becomes clearer.

It was a village.

With fairly large houses all made of what looked to be the shells of giant turtles.

Come to think of it, I remember seeing a few monsters like that.

Not that I fought them, of course.

“Would you look at that?” I readjust Norn and Aisha. “Hopefully they have some spices to trade, huh? Maybe then my stew won’t taste so bad.”

Norn shakes her head, “I-It wasn’t that bad, Brother.”

I can’t help but smile at her cuteness, “You don’t have to lie, Norn. I know it kind of sucked.”

“Hm? I didn’t mind it though,” Eris mumbles from the side.

I shake my head, “Thanks, but I think that was just you.”

Yeah, I never wanted to have that meat stew ever again. At least, not with the measly spices we had on hand.

Never had I wanted a loaf of bread more in my life.

As we got closer, I noticed that this village not only had houses but also small fields that seemed to be growing an array of plants and herbs.

Yippie.

Approaching the gate, we were quickly stopped by a young boy with light blue hair.

Weird… he almost reminded me of Roxy.

Maybe he was her brother?

Hah. As if.

Anyway, while he might look like a young boy, knowing the variety of the Demon race, he was probably a fully grown man.

“Who are these people, Ruijerd?” the guy asks.

“They’re lost children,” Ruijerd responds.

“‘Lost children’?” the blue-haired guy shakes his head. “I can’t let such suspicious people into the village.”

“Suspicious? They’re children. Explain yourself,” Ruijerd says sternly, causing Norn and Aisha to tighten their grip on my shirt.

Well… if he wanted to improve the reputation of his race, he would have to work on his tone. Especially around the children he was so obviously endeared to.

“W-What do you mean, ‘explain myself’? Just look at them!” the man says, pointing at us.

“They were teleported here from the Kingdom of Asura. What’s the matter with you? They’re just children, and the day is turning to night,” Ruijerd scowls.

Umm… to be fair, these ‘children’ you are talking about include a dual Sword and Water Saint, as well as an Advanced-rank Sword God practitioner in Eris.

Not exactly a completely defenceless bunch.

“Ruijerd,” I say, nudging his arm. “Weren’t you just going to tell them you’re leaving? We can handle another night of camping.”

He narrows his eyes, “...I was hoping to spend the night here.”

“Then just ask him to call an elder or something,” I say.

“You have a point,” Ruijerd nods. “Rowin, can you call for the elder?”

“I was just thinking about doing that,” Rowin says before closing his eyes.

Hm?

“Uh, Ruijerd?” I ask.

“The Migurd can converse with others of their race, even at a distance,” Ruijerd quickly answers.

The Migurd?

Wait… didn’t that mean-

“The elder’s on his way,” Rowin says, opening his eyes.

Hmm… I guess it would be better to ask the elder about that anyway.

Whether this was Roxy’s village, that is.

“Leon?” Eris says, poking my shoulder. “What’s happening?”

Right. She didn’t know the Demon God tongue.

And in fact, neither did Aisha or Norn.

“Nothing much. We’re just waiting for someone in charge to let us in,” I answer.

“Hm?” she frowns. “But he didn’t do anything.”

“They can communicate telepathically,” I say.

“‘Telepathically’? What’s that mean?” she asks.

“Just… never mind.”

That would take way too long to explain.

“Brother?” Norn asks, pulling my scarf. “All okay?”

“We’ll be fine. We just have to…” I then spot a bald man slowly making his way toward me, with two girls at his side. “Well, never mind then. Everything should be done soon.”

The bald man, who still, despite being the assumed ‘elder’, looked like a boy, then began talking with Rowin.

“These are the children in question then?”

“Yes,” Rowin nods. “They’re very strange. One of them can even speak our language.”

“Hmm… but anyone could learn the language with enough study, no?” the elder says.

“Why would a human child study our language, though?” Rowin asks.

Well, to get closer to my crush, Roxy, of course. But it would also prove to be useful now that we were here.

“Let’s not be too hasty now. I’ll speak with them,” the elder says before walking toward us.

Hmm… should I bow to him?

The Demon Continent wasn’t known for its formalities, and I didn’t really like doing etiquette unless it was needed. But then again, he was the village elder of the place we wanted to spend the night…

Let’s go for a small bow.

Placing Norn and Aisha on the ground, I place my hand on my chest before slightly bending my leg, “Nice to meet you. I am Leon Greyrat.”

I decided to leave out the Sword and Water Saint part, as I didn’t want to make them afraid of us.

Though… maybe that fear would help make things go smoother?

“And I am Rokkus, the elder of this village,” he smiles. “I never imagined human children to be so polite.”

“Ah, well… we’re not exactly normal, you see,” I say before changing to the Human tongue. “Eris? Want to introduce yourself?”

“Huh?” she says, “But I don’t know the language!”

“Just… you don’t need to bow or anything, just introduce yourself,” I say.

“W-Well… if you say so.”

Eris then crosses her arms before eventually moving them to rest on her hips.

“My name is Eris Boreas Greyrat!”

How eloquent.

The elder’s face breaks into a smile, “I’m guessing the little lady here introduced herself?”

“Yep,” I nod before placing my hand on the last two’s heads, “And these two are Aisha and Norn Greyrat, my sisters.”

The village elder offers the two a warm smile before looking over to Eris, “And my name is Rokkus, the elder of this village.”

Eris turns to me with a confused expression.

“He introduced himself. He’s Rokkus, the elder of the village,” I explain.

“I-I see!” she says, relieved.

Now… I would just have to ask him to let us into the village.

Even if it wasn’t that important, I would be lying if I said I missed a warm place to sleep without the need for a night watch.

Wait! The pendant!

Roxy did say that it may help in a situation like this, and considering these were the same race as her… well, it was worth a shot.

“Rokkus, sir. Would we be able to spend the night in your village? I also have this,” I then pull out the pendant from my shirt. “My teacher said to show it in a situation like this. Though I never expected to be in one like now.”

Rokkus’ eyes widen before narrowing to study the pendant.

“And just who is this master of yours?” he asks.

“...That’d be Roxy Migurdia,” I say.

As soon as the words leave my mouth, Rowin then rushes over to grab me by the shoulder, “D-Did you just say Roxy right now!?”

What?

Oh. Don’t tell me… was this actually her village?

His tone didn’t seem angry or anything, so I don’t think Roxy was a runaway delinquent. Maybe she was missed over here?

Roxy did say she never went back home after leaving quite some time ago.

“Yes,” I nod. “Do you happen to know her?”

“Where is she? W-Where is Roxy!?” Rowin shouts.

…That wasn’t an answer to my question.

Slowly prying off his hands from my shoulders, I answer him, “Shirone Kingdom in the Central Continent. At least she was there the last time I checked.”

He releases a deep sigh, “So she’s alright… good. My daughter’s alright.”

…Huh?

“Daughter?” I say cautiously.

“Hm? Y-Yeah, it’s been twenty years since she left home… I-Is she doing alright?” he says anxiously.

…Okay, so he was Roxy’s dad. And thus, my future father-in-law. 

At least, hopefully.

It wasn’t too surprising, to have someone who looked so young be her father, as Roxy had told me that the Migurd race lived for many years and kept their teenage appearance throughout it.

But twenty years, huh? That would mean she was in her thirties when we met, right?

Roxy was always quite evasive whenever the topic of her age came up, and I guess I somewhat knew the answer as to why now.

But that just made her cuter.

Besides, it was good to know I held the taste of a refined woman.

“She’s doing very well. She’s a King rank water mage the last time we exchanged letters,” I say.

“R-Really! That’s… good. Really good,” Rowin said, his eyes a little teary.

He then turned to me with a questioning glance, “...You said you exchanged letters, right? Is that normal for a teacher and student to do?”

“Hm? No, not really, but you see…” I scratch my cheek in embarrassment. “I kind of… like her, I guess?”

His eyes narrow, “What do you mean?”

“Well… you know…”

How embarrassing~! And this was her dad too!

But… this was a good way to introduce myself, right? First impressions are important, after all.

So, bringing my fist to my chest, my eyes meet his as I firmly declare, “I want to marry her!”

The surroundings immediately turn quiet, only to be broken a moment later by the sound of Eris’ fist hitting my side.

“Hmph! Dummy!” she huffs.

…Why did I get hit?

Rowin’s face turns slack, “...No.”

Haa… I guess I don’t have the instant parental approval that I have with Eris. I suppose this is another reason to make use of our night here.

“Anyway, is it alright if we come inside for the night?” I ask Rokkus.

“Of course,” he nods. “How could we reject you after bringing us such good news? Besides, I don’t think Ruijerd here would be very impressed with us if we refused you.”

And so, that was how we gained the hospitality of a Migurd village for the night.

And Roxy’s old home at that.