Chapter 72

Leaving Lucy's house, I looked up at the sky.

The weather is nice today. A walk under the clear blue sky is a good way to change my mood.

"The weather is nice today, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is. If this weather continues, it'll be much easier to get around. Ah..."

Lucy responded to my casual remark.

Indeed, sunny days are more comfortable than rainy or snowy ones. It seemed Lucy felt the same way, as she stretched and yawned while walking.

"So, where is your house?"

"It won't take long from here."

If Lucy's current house isn't far, her previous one is probably in the central district. If that's the case, it must be a pretty good property. The land prices in the central district of the capital, Bartrean, are quite high.

It would be convenient if it were close to the guild or the knight's hall.

"Hey, about yesterday's incident..."

"Hmm? Is there something else?"

While walking leisurely, I brought up a topic.

It was a bit of a dark subject to bring up during a pleasant walk.

"Among the corpses, there was someone who looked like Mui's sister. ...I'm not sure, though."

"...I see."

It might just be a coincidence. There are probably at least three people in the world who look similar.

However, there aren't many people with that particular hair color, as far as I know. It wasn't unreasonable to make the connection.

"It's probably better not to tell Mui. There's no point in telling her."

"Oh, you think so too?"

Like Alisia, Lucy also thought it was better not to tell Mui. My instincts seemed to be right.

It's not something you should tell a young child, no matter how it turns out.

"Still, try to comfort her. She must be feeling lonely."

"...? Yeah, I will."

Indeed, I didn't plan to leave her alone, but wouldn't it be better for Lucy, who lives with her, to do the comforting? Our daily interactions with Mui aren't that frequent anymore.

"By the way, I'm thinking of enrolling Mui in the Mage Academy. It would be a waste to let her magical talent go to waste."

"Right, I agree with you."

Lucy seems to be thinking about her future as well.

Rather than letting her spend her days aimlessly, it's better to give her a goal or purpose, or something to distract her.

Regardless of whether she joins the Mage Corps in the future, it's not a bad idea to have her hone her skills at the Mage Academy. If she continues to sulk, even solvable problems might remain unsolved.

"Here we are."

"Wow... It's not bad."

We arrived at a slightly quieter area, a bit off the center of the central district.

There were fewer people around. Probably, there were several residences here, and everyone was out working.

If I had to estimate, it was about halfway between the knight's hall and Lucy's house, slightly closer to Lucy's.

It wasn't too far or too close to the hall. Yes, it's a walkable distance, and the location isn't bad.

"It's not very big, but it should be fine, right?"

"I think it's enough."

In front of us stood a small, one-story house, which was a bit modest compared to other buildings in the central district.

Even though it was small, it was more than enough for me to live in. I didn't bring much from my old home in Bident Village, just a sword, some money, and a change of clothes.

"Well, then. Is anyone home?"

"Huh?"

Lucy knocked on the door of the one-story house.

Wait. Is someone here? You said no one was living here. My brain froze for a moment at her sudden action.

"Who is it... Oh, it's you, Lucy."

"...Mui?"

The person who came out was a girl with dull blue hair and slightly slanted eyes. It was Mui Freya.

She wasn't wearing rags like when we first met, but rather a simple, clean outfit. Her hair and skin looked a bit better. It seemed she was living a proper life since staying with Lucy.

I thought she wasn't at Lucy's house, but she was here.

"...Hey, Beryl... You're here too... I see..."

"It's fine, don't worry. Just act normally."

Her speech and mannerisms were quite different. She seemed a bit uncomfortable, glancing around while using unfamiliar polite language.

Well, this is kind of cute. I'm looking at her like an uncle would look at a child.

"Hehehe. Haruwi is strict about manners."

"I see."

Indeed, Haruwi is impeccable as a servant. She's the opposite of Lucy's free-spiritedness, a very reliable person.

That's why she couldn't ignore Mui's rude behavior, even if she was a guest. I can imagine Mui looking dejected after being scolded by Haruwi.

"So, what were you doing here, Mui?"

"Ah... Cleaning and cooking, and other things?"

Hmm, receiving a house that a girl around Mui's age cleaned gives me a strong sense of guilt. I shouldn't think too deeply about this. Let's not think about it.

I think Lucy is preparing Mui for living on her own, rather than extending her protection indefinitely.

I believe this is better for her. There's a difference between watching over someone and being overprotective.

"Let's take a look inside, shall we?"

"Sure."

If I'm going to live here, I should check the interior. Let's take a look inside since we're here.

"The details are still a bit messy, but the cleaning is mostly done."

"Good job, Mui. You did well."

"...Hmph."

I tried to praise her sincerely, but the response was a bit lukewarm. However, compared to when we first met, she seemed much more approachable.

Living a peaceful life does soften one's personality. Mui is still young, so the changes are significant.

"Beryl, what do you think?"

"Yeah, it's not bad. It's a good house."

"Hehe, that's the best news."

We walked around the house for a while. Despite its slight age, it was well-built and comfortable to live in. Mui's recent cleaning made it feel natural.

The furniture seemed to be complete, so we could move in right away.

If I move here, I'll remember the inn where I stayed for a long time and the nearby tavern.

Well, I can always visit the tavern. Plus, exploring new dining options isn't bad either.

"It's settled, then. I'm not asking for money. It's also an apology for the initial misunderstanding."

"Oh, right, that happened."

I remember our first meeting started with a fight. What a hassle.

However, if the reward for following her whims is a house in a good location, it might be a fair deal.

"...Well, thank you."

"Huh? For what?"

While I was lost in thought about this being my new home, Mui gave me a mysterious greeting.

Thank you for what?

"For what? You're going to live with Mui. Didn't I tell you?"

"Huh?"

Huh?

I didn't hear anything about that.

The next update will conclude Chapter 2.

The second volume of the book, which will be released on September 7th, includes an early conclusion and over 10,000 new words.

If you're interested, please be sure to get a copy!