In the Adventurer Guild, I sat at the front desk and watched Barn and the other adventurer teams bragging.
Because I had rejected their invitations to drink so many times before, I was almost forced to come here this time.
Of course, I didn't drink, I just ordered drinks with almost no alcohol content such as fruit wine.
"It's so stupid to use your life as a bet, and all you get after winning the bet is a few drinking parties and sleeping with women."
The one who spoke next to me was the scout and archer in the adventurer team Barn. His name was Lodis.
With her long blond hair and pretty face, she is a unique figure among adventurers and seems to have quite a few suitors.
However, she is not a flower. If I must say it, she is a rose with thorns.
"What? Aren't you going to drink with them?"
I said it carelessly
"Rudeus, it is indeed your first time to attend our cocktail party. Every time I drink fruit wine alone at the front desk."
"This is indeed my first time attending"
Lodis drank all the wine in the cup and waved to the front desk to serve her some spirits.
"Want some?"
"It's dangerous to be drunk too much."
"Not at all? This is my first time inviting a man to drink."
Helpless, I smiled and took the cup.
"What you said is really misleading."
"Maybe you didn't misunderstand?"
Lodis supported his chin with one hand and took a sip of the wine in the glass.
She is indeed a beauty... especially the way she looks now...
But that's all my emotion
After taking a sip of the strong liquor in the glass, Lodis spoke.
"They are going to a brothel, won't you go?"
"I have a sister waiting for me at home, and I have a fiancée."
"Oh? They all have wives. If not, they still go to brothels. You and your fiancée are Millis Church disciples?"
"No, I just simply don't want to go."
After drinking half of the strong liquor in the glass, I quietly applied detoxification magic to myself
After all, you won't survive an accident while drunk.
"Yeah~ He's a good man~ Have you considered having an in-depth communication with me?"
"Oh? Do you like me?"
Lodis was stunned and nodded.
At the same time, he also put his hand on my shoulder.
"I like it, why don't I like it?"
"How should I put it? We know very little about each other. We only did a few commissions together and you fell in love with me?"
"Is there any problem with liking a strong person of the opposite sex? Besides, you are also very handsome, you are still young, and you also showed your knowledge and personality that I like when doing the commission."
"A little... a little superficial"
"I am such a superficial woman~ So what do you say? Do you want to try dating me?"
"I think I've said it before, I have a fiancée"
"So what, you are not a Misri believer, I can be your concubine~"
It is true that she is a very good woman
In the team, he will do his best at his job. After work, he will just drink fruit wine without any scandals.
Beautiful, confident and generous
But why? Why don't I have feelings for her?
Shaking my head, I stood up from my seat
"No, although you are a very attractive woman, I am leaving here soon."
"Huh? Where to go?"
"Hmm... maybe I'll go to school at Ranoa University of Magic, or maybe I'll go teach."
"You? go to school?"
"Is it weird?"
"Is there anything else you need to learn?"
"Maybe it's the teacher?"
"If it's a teacher... that's true."
As if not noticing my rejection, we looked at each other and smiled.
"Okay, I'm going back"
"Shall I see you off?"
She also stood up
"Isn't it normal the other way around? What's the point of a woman sending a man back?"
"Rudeus, I always thought you were not a pedantic man"
"As you wish"
Everyone in the guild watched Lodis follow me and left the guild, and they all whistled and didn't know what they were celebrating.
And we were silent all the way until we arrived at the door of my house
"Is this your home?"
"Hmm"
"A mansion... No wonder you only need 30% of the salary. Are you not short of money at all?"
"This luxury house was obtained by paying 30% of the remuneration again and again."
"Really?"
"Really"
After being silent for a while, she suddenly spoke loudly
"I want to be your wife more and more, even just a concubine~"
"You are really superficial"
"Strong, rich, handsome and young, you meet the requirements of most women in the world for choosing a mate."
"Maybe"
"So, are you really going to reject me?"
"Well, you are a very charming woman, but I don't have feelings for you that can be called [love]"
Lodis looked at me directly and suddenly kissed me
Because I reacted, she just kissed me on the cheek
"I like you more and more, and I feel like you and I will get along very well."
"We might be able to chat, but I have already rejected you."
"Don't worry~ I'm not the kind of woman who will stalk you. I just wanted to kiss the person I liked for the first time. It's over now."
"What a pity. I hope you can find your next love soon."
Lodis turned around and waved his hand
"I will find it soon. I will show it off in front of you and laugh at you for rejecting a good woman."
"Well, if that day comes, I will congratulate you."
After saying goodbye, I turned around and walked into the house
As soon as I got home, I felt a different atmosphere than usual
The maids greeted me as usual, but Aisha did not come out to greet me immediately.
"Where is Aisha?"
I asked the maid
"Miss Aisha is entertaining guests. According to Miss Aisha, they are family members."
"Like this"
Lilia and Norn are here...
I walked towards the hall
Gradually, I heard the sound of conversation
Aisha and Lilia were bickering, and Norn didn't know who he was asking questions to.
I walked into the living room and these sounds disappeared
Lilia, Norn, and a hooded woman
They were sitting on the sofa and just looking at me
What should I say now...
After a short silence, the first person to speak was Lilia
"Master Rudeus... you have grown up"
"Lilia Mom, I should have told you to just call me Rudeus"
"Also..."
Lilia didn't say anything more, he just stood up and walked towards me
After getting close to a certain distance, he embraced me in his arms
It's a bit like when I was a child. I vaguely remember that when I first came to this world, I always asked Lilia to read to make me literate.
I often fall asleep directly in her arms...
"Thank you for your hard work, Rudeus"
"You are the ones. You must be very tired from the long journey."
"No... well, maybe a little bit"
Lilia didn't try to be brave and smiled at me
"Brother~ you smell of alcohol"
Aisha complained inappropriately
I smiled awkwardly and said to Lilia
"Take Aisha and take a rest. You should have a lot to talk about."
"Well, you should go to bed early. Also, this is what Paul asked me to bring you."
Lilia took out a wooden box
I took it and opened it directly. Inside was jewelry and a letter of recommendation from Roxy.
After Lilia and Aisha returned to the room, I looked at Norn who had been a little embarrassed.
There was a hooded woman standing next to her. Although she didn't know her, since Norn and Lilia didn't say anything, she should be the benefactor who escorted them here.
So, I lowered my head
"Thank you for escorting my mother and my sister here. If you want any reward, just ask for it. As long as I can do it, I will agree."
After I said this, Norn seemed to be even more uneasy
She looked at me and then at the hooded woman
What? Did I say something wrong? I thought I was very sincere in what I said...
And the woman wearing the hood remained motionless, not knowing what she was thinking.
After a period of silence, Norn spoke to the person in a low voice
"Take off... take off the hood... Brother will not forget..."
Forgot?
Speaking of which, Paul said in the letter that the escort was my friend and trustworthy.
From what Paul knows about me, he should think that my only friends are...
"Is it...Sylphie?"
When I asked this question, she seemed to be completely relaxed.
He raised his hand and took off his hood
The same emerald green hair as before, no, longer than before
That face is also different from the simple cuteness before. Now she has a feeling called "beauty"
This familiar but a little strange look is really nostalgic...
"Brother, it's rude to stare at Sister Sylphie for too long."
"Oh... um... sorry"
Norn can speak now and doesn't stutter anymore. I thought she was nervous about meeting me again, but it turned out to be because she was afraid that I wouldn't recognize Sylphie...
"No... it's okay..."
Sylphie... I seem to be less confident than before.
Where does this lack of confidence come from?
I looked at her hood and the robe that almost covered her whole body
Is it because of the hair?
After being transferred, has Sylphie been discriminated against because of her hair?
In the village, the existence of Paul does not seem to be that serious. In fact, outside, there seems to be more discrimination against green-haired people. This is a fact I only learned about when traveling.
I took a deep breath and smiled.
"Sylphie, your hair is still as beautiful as before"
Out of pity, but also my true thoughts
Sylphie raised her head. Her eyes were full of tears, as if they were about to overflow in the next moment.
"Sylphie... how..."
Before I finished speaking, Sylphie hugged me directly
"I... I'm so scared... I'm afraid Rudeus that you will forget me... I'm afraid that when you grow up, you will hate green hair... I'm afraid that I will disgust you now... I'm so scared of everything..."
Sylphie was crying in my arms, and I raised my hand and patted her back gently.
"How could it be..."
After crying like this for a long time, Sylphie suddenly broke away from my arms as if he realized something.
She blushed and lowered her head
"Sorry..."
"There's nothing to be sorry for. You are my benefactor now. Go and have a good rest. It's been a long journey."
"Well... that, that..."
"The room is the first one on the left on the second floor, have a good rest"
"I... can I just rest on the sofa...?"
"Of course you can, but it won't be that comfortable?"
Sylphie sat on the sofa and patted the empty seat next to her
"Rudeus, can you sit here...?"
I looked around and saw that Norn had left at some point.
"Hmm"
After I sat down, Sylphie leaned on my shoulder
She smells so good. Did she just take a shower?
Her ears are so cute...
Just when I was having some wild thoughts, the soft voice of Sylphie came into my ears
"Rudeus, I worked very hard..."
"Well, thank you for your hard work."
"Really... worked very hard..."
I didn't say anything else to respond to Sylphie, because I absolutely couldn't understand what Sylphie said about "hard work"
Where was she transferred? What did she go through? How did she meet with Paul? And all the emotions she felt after knowing that all her family members were dead are beyond my comprehension.
I can't say [I can understand] such nonsense, and I don't know what to do to comfort her
If lending her your shoulder can make her feel better, then that's the best...
After an unknown amount of time passed, Sylphie fell asleep
Just fell asleep on my shoulder
Her sleeping face is very cute, and you can't tell she is an experienced magician at all.
After carrying her back to the room prepared for her, I also returned to my own room
Lying on the bed and sighing deeply
"Thank you for your hard work..."