Volume 6 Chapter 1 Return
As the sun was about to set, Al was in the reception room of the Levy merchant guild in the border city of Lester with Patricia and Joanna.
They reached the border city of Lester on the evening after leaving Clarence village, just as they planned. On their way to their usual inn, the Red-Faced Sheep, they stopped at the government office. They asked Kane to send a message to Naresh. They found out Naresh had only arrived in Lester a few days ago, and it would take some time to contact him. However, within an hour, a messenger came with a request for them to arrive quickly and quietly.
Following the instructions, while Al was waiting with Patricia and Joanna, Naresh entered with Kane, who was the contact person, along with 2 maids. The woman looked to be in her thirties and resembled Naresh closely.
"Ah, you must be Lady Patricia. I recognized you right away. You look just like Big Sister Serena..."
The woman said this as she approached Patricia upon seeing her face.
"I'm Tara. I'm your mother's sister. It must have been really tough for you. You can relax now."
"Aunt Tara..."
She is probably Tara, Patricia's mother's sister, the first wife of Viscount Lester, and Naresh's mother. Patricia stared at Aunt Tara's face and started to cry. Tara hugged the delicate Patricia tightly, stroked her head, comforted her by saying it must have been hard, and they both celebrated their reunion.
Next to them, Al also shook hands with Naresh, happy to see him again after a long time. They didn't have much contact during their school days, but seeing Naresh made Al nostalgic about their student life in the capital. It seemed Naresh felt the same way.
"Al, I want to thank you again. I'm really grateful you brought Lady Patricia here safely. You might have been confused by the message to come secretly, but there were reasons for that. I wonder if she has told you about what happened in the Tempest Kingdom."
At Naresh's question, Al nodded honestly. There was no way he could have brought her here without knowing her background. It was too late to hide what he knew.
"I got the message and spoke with my father. He had already discussed Lady Patricia with His Excellency Margrave. We decided not to announce her safety yet to avoid angering the Tempest Kingdom. But you can be assured, I care for her a lot; she is an important cousin to me. Keeping her secret does not mean I will neglect her care."
Al nodded lightly.
"It was the same with Ruella, and even before that, I couldn't even say thank you properly. I've been getting help from you all the time. I was lucky to learn in the same class as you in middle school. By the way, did you receive that from Kane?"
That "that" was probably the 'Physical Boost' spellbook. Al had, of course, received it and happily thanked him, saying it was very useful.
"A knight who can use the 'Physical Boost' spell is a star. I wanted to be one too, but I guess I just didn't have the talent."
Al spoke to Naresh with a hint of regret, encouraging him to focus on being a leader instead of fighting. Kane agreed with Al. They talked for a bit longer, but when Al saw that Patricia looked calmer, he felt it was time to leave. The sun was setting, and Lady Tara, the Viscount's first wife, likely needed to head back to the mansion as well.
"Well then, Sir Naresh, we still have a lot to talk about, but I'll be heading home. Mrs. Tara, it was an honor to meet you. Lady Patricia, Lady Joanna, I'm glad you could see your aunt safely. Please take care of yourselves."
When Al said this, Patricia looked surprised. Although Malachi had asked him to look after her, Al thought it depended on the situation. However, it seemed she felt differently. Perhaps it was because he had called her with a title.
"Is it possible that we won't be able to meet again?"
She looked anxious, with tears welling up in her eyes. Seeing this, Mrs. Tara and Naresh exchanged glances.
"Don't worry, I live in this city, so if you need to, we can meet right away. Just talk to Mrs. Tara or Sir Naresh."
"Right away... that's good. How about tomorrow?"
Al had trouble picking the right words in a way that felt natural. It was difficult to answer Patricia's question because she was a princess from a royal family in a nearby country. Seeing her often wouldn�t be easy. Al also wanted to focus on learning the 'Fly' spell quickly.
"Lady Patricia, he has his own circumstances too. Let's have Levy arrange it again. Please wait until then."
"That sounds good, Mother. While I'm back in this territory, I'll ask Mr. Levy to help with my guard duties. That way, we might see each other sometimes."
Mrs. Tara and Naresh tried to comfort her, but Patricia still looked worried.
"Sir Naresh, thank you. First, Ilet's talk to Guildmaster Levy as Mrs. Tara suggested. Lady Patricia, please wait a little longer."
As Al said this with a smile, she wiped her tears and showed a serious expression.
"If Sir Al says so... Meeting Sir Al was a blessing from Tempest. Thank you, Aunt Tara."
Al's words seem to be understood. She is probably just anxious about things she doesn't know, but he's sure Mrs. Tara and Naresh will talk to her and help her calm down.
"It's already late today. I think I'll talk to Guildmaster Levy early tomorrow and have him go see Al. I also need to prepare a thank-you gift for this situation. Kane, can you make sure we can contact Al?"
At Naresh's words, Kane glanced at Al. He probably wanted to check if she was okay. Al nodded, indicating that there was no problem.
"Well then, I'll take my leave again."
Al politely bowed and left the room.
* * *
"Al, thanks a lot. This is a thank-you gift; Cody said it really helped."
When they returned to the (Red-Faced Sheep) inn, Orson, who had gone to deliver Alunite, was already back. Unusually, the innkeeper, Russ, was out of the kitchen, and the two of them were enjoying drinks in the dining hall on the first floor. The table was piled high with meat dishes, so it seemed like a small celebration for their safe return.
"Really, I'm so glad. I was worried when I saw Orson unable to get up."
Al said this as he eagerly sat down at the table. The inn was quite full of customers. Russ's son, Tally, was working hard in the kitchen, while Russ's wife, Louren, was busy moving around with their daughter, Iris, serving drinks and food and taking orders.
In the leather pouch Al received from Orson, there were 5 gold coins. Al was surprised by the amount and hurriedly tried to return it.
"Here, take this. I added a little of my feelings to the reward I got from Cody. And just to be clear, even if there's a chance to get something from that girl, I don't want it. Honestly, I didn't do anything."
It seemed that Orson's feelings hadn't changed after several exchanges. Al said thank you and tucked it away in a hidden pocket inside his clothes.
"Still, the store is bright today. Did you change the oil in the lamps or something? There are way more customers, too."
Orson looked around with a cup in one hand.
"Actually, Mr. Al used the 'Light' spell. It doesn't smell as the oil, and the customers are really happy about it. I switched back to the lamps a few days ago, but it's been super busy."
"Since the moon is thin tonight, if it's dark, the brightness stands out even more. I see."
"Mr. Al, I was talking with Tally, and we think that if the store is bright like this, more customers will come, and the store will make money. We should show some gratitude."
Hearing this, Al tilted his head a bit. He didn't mind using the 'Light' spell, but if it was a long-term request like this, he might have to go out for a while. He didn't want to be relied on too much. Seeing this, Russ shook his head.
"It's not that big of a deal. It's a small dining hall, so just think of it casually. For now, let's say that on days like this when it's bright, Mr. Al's lodging and meals are free. We're making enough profit to cover that."
With that in mind, Al nodded.
"Thank you. Orson is back safe, so today is a good day. You both, please, make sure to use this (Red-Faced Sheep) inn for a long time. Louren, let's toast. Bring out the good wine."
Russ said this happily, in a loud voice.
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