Chapter 77

"Let's sit down first, shall we?"

"Yeah, sure, please do."

I received a rather odd look from Sarena, but I can't blame her. It's not every day you see a middle-aged man from the countryside suddenly taking a child with him.

However, we came here primarily to eat. The conversation is just a side note. So, I decided to sit down first.

"Hmm, where should I start..."

"I can tell there's a complicated situation here..."

After sitting down with Mui, my right hand naturally reached up to my chin.

Even if she doesn't know the details, Sarena seems to have picked up on the fact that there's some unavoidable reason behind this, which is quite helpful. It seems that even top-notch adventurers need to be sensitive to such nuances.

Still, we're going to be sharing a table for a while. It would be good to introduce ourselves.

"Well, let me introduce you. This is Mui."

"...Hello."

After my introduction, Mui only bowed her head slightly.

She doesn't seem very used to interacting with people properly. If she starts attending the academy, she'll have to deal with many such situations. It might be a good idea to teach her some basic manners now.

"...I'm Sarena Lisandra. I was once a student of yours."

On the other hand, Sarena seemed unsure of how to approach Mui. She decided to act as she usually does, but her voice was a bit more solemn than when she spoke to me.

"Right... To cut to the chase, I'm her guardian now, and we're living together."

"Whaaat!?"

"Whoa!?"

Sarena, who was drinking, spat out her drink at my explanation.

It's not that surprising, but fortunately, only a small amount was spilled, and it didn't hit me or Mui.

"Cough! I, I'm sorry..."

"No, no, I'm the one who should apologize for surprising you."

I apologized, but did I really say something that shocking? I don't think so.

"By the way, has Citrus been told about this?"

"Of course, I've already informed her."

Next, the name of the Reberio Knights' Commander came up.

She knows Mui and is aware of the circumstances, so I thought the conversation would go smoothly.

"Well, I don't think it's my place to comment... Hey, you."

"...What is it?"

Sarena's expression and tone became even more serious than before. If someone unfamiliar saw her, they might be intimidated, but she just spilled her drink a moment ago.

I know Sarena from when she was a child, so I find her sternness somewhat endearing.

"Don't cause any trouble for the teacher."

"I, I know that..."

"Haha, please go easy on her, Sarena."

The sharp words from her stern gaze were enough to make Mui shrink back.

Being scolded by an adult, especially a rather intimidating one, can be quite frightening for Mui. She's still young and needs to be treated with some leniency. I plan to give her the necessary guidance, but I want her to feel comfortable first.

"Let's eat, then. Excuse me, a platter of sausages, please."

"Sure thing!"

I called out to what seemed to be a server and placed our order.

Since we're at a charcuterie, the specialty is, of course, sausages. I've had sausages at a tavern near the inn I used to stay at, but I'm curious about the taste of a specialist shop. I'll savor it thoroughly.

"How have you been, Sarena?"

While waiting for the food, I felt a bit idle and asked Sarena about her recent activities.

"I've been keeping busy. Lately, I've been doing a lot of monster hunting around the capital. It's the season for it, I guess."

She took a bite of the sausage, sipped some water, and then spoke.

"That's good to hear. What do you mean by 'the season for it'?"

I was curious, so I asked.

The distribution and characteristics of monsters are both broad and complex. Various creatures form the wild ecosystem. In Bident Village, different wild animals appear depending on the season. I'm not very familiar with the situation around Baltrain, but I want to learn more about it eventually.

Not that I'm planning to go monster hunting, but as someone who lives by the sword, I can't help but be interested in such things.

"Didn't you know, teacher? The Sphendyard Bania delegation is coming soon."

"Hmm?"

I thought she was talking about monster behavior, but it seems she wasn't. Sarena looked surprised as she continued.

However, Sphendyard Bania. I don't know much about them, but recent events haven't left me with a good impression.

I understand that it was the Sphend Church Knights who caused the trouble, not the country of Sphendyard Bania, but...

"For the sake of friendship, there's an annual event like this. We adventurers are busy maintaining security."

"I see."

While biting into the sausage, Sarena added.

Even though the Adventurers' Guild is a neutral organization across countries, as long as they do business in a country, they can't avoid such obligations. They receive official requests from the government to maintain national security.

"In that case, the knights will also be involved, right?"

"Probably. How you'll be involved is up to Citrus."

Meeting with important people after coming from a small town is something I'd rather avoid. I just want to spend my days teaching swordsmanship leisurely.

However, with a grand title like a special instructor, I doubt I can avoid it. Ugh, I don't even have proper formal wear.

"Here's your platter of sausages."

As we chatted, the sausages we ordered arrived.

Hmm, this looks good. The platter is filled with various types of sausages, some grilled and some boiled. This is quite appetizing.

"Let's dig in. Mui, eat too."

"...O, okay."

While calling out to Mui, who still seemed a bit tense, I took a bite of a boiled sausage.

The soft meat cut easily, and the juice oozed out. This is great; meat should be like this.

Mui, though hesitantly, also picked up a sausage with her fork and started eating. Mm, I hope she enjoys it and grows well.

"By the way, Mui will be attending the Magic Academy."

"Really? A future mage, huh?"

At my words, Sarena's gaze on Mui changed. Specifically, it went from seeing her as a brat to a promising brat. Well, that's not much of a change. What's with Sarena's aggressive stare?

"The Magic Academy is a place where the elite compete. ...It's tough."

"Ugh... I, I know..."

"Come on, don't scare her too much."

The Magic Academy is indeed a gathering of elites, different from the Knights. In a world where talent decides everything, competition is inevitable.

But Sarena, isn't it a bit much to put unnecessary pressure on a young girl? Your intensity is a bit scary, sir.

"Since she'll be your direct student on paper, she needs to be prepared for this."

"What do you guys really think of me...?"

Both Sarena and Alyssia have unrealistically high expectations of me. What's with this "direct student" business?

"Well, I know you're strong..."

"An 'old man'...?"

"Ah!"

"Come on, come on, come on."

Mui's shoulders trembled at Sarena's sternness.

So, stop being so intense. It's just a nickname, after all.

I just want to have a pleasant meal with Mui and Sarena. Why did the atmosphere become so tense?

"Sarena, could you ease up a bit?"

"...Yes, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."

What did you not mean to? I'm confused.

The atmosphere is no longer pleasant for a meal, so I'm trying to steer it back on track.

Everyone wants to enjoy a meal together, not be criticized while eating. I hope Mui and Sarena feel the same.

"Don't worry too much, Mui."

"...Okay."

Mui responded while chewing on a sausage.

I hope she's enjoying the delicious food. I can't help but feel concerned.

"...I'm sorry, I was a bit too harsh. As an apology, let me pay for the meal."

"Hmm? No, no, that's not necessary."

I don't have such a meager income that I need a younger person to pay. Besides, it wouldn't look good in front of Mui.

"Is that so... I'm sorry. You are a great person, after all."

"...Yeah, I guess I understand that..."

"You're exaggerating. I'm just a regular guy."

Great. How big have I become in Sarena's mind? Mui, don't get carried away.

I don't mind being admired, but I'm still not used to this kind of treatment. I get it from Alyssia and Hembritz all the time, but it still makes me worry.

Well, at least it's important that Sarena and Mui don't continue to have a tense atmosphere.

Mui seems to have calmed down a bit, so let's enjoy the sausages.

I'm in the mood for crispy-on-the-outside, juicy-on-the-inside sausages.

This work, which is also being serialized in comic form on Nico Nico Manga, will have its second episode released the day after tomorrow on 10/19, and the third episode will be published in Dore Dore Young Champion next week on the 26th.

Please look forward to it.