Volume 3 Chapter 17 If it Wasn't a Misidentification, Then That Person...
"So, I totally forgot to properly introduce you. This is Ai, my daughter. Be nice to her, okay?"
The next day, I introduced Ai to the neighboring sisters, Lana, the dark elf, and Lena, the elf, after they finished their early morning fieldwork.
Lana, the older sister, was Ai's age, and I thought that having a friend might help heal some of the hurt in Ai's heart and allow her to feel like a child again, even just a little.
"Not like I needed you to introduce me or anything... Gah!?"
Whether it was her trying to hide her embarrassment or she was being serious, Ai mumbled under her breath.
Suddenly, a loud *thud!* echoed as a fist came crashing down onto her head with enough force to make a sound.
Just to clarify, it wasn't me──it was Lena's doing.
Talk about merciless.
"Hey there, Ai-Ai? Papa went out of his way to introduce you to a friend, you know? And what's with calling me 'you'? Mama won't let that slide!"
"Uh, um... Aah, aah, aah..."
Ai's eyes glistened with tears from the head pain and Lena's lecture.
Even though she was a tough Ninja who had endured harsh training, she couldn't seem to win against her mother's discipline.
"You need to properly discipline her too! You're a father after all!"
"Eh, uh, sorry."
Somehow, I ended up getting lectured too.
I wanted to retort that it was a bit much, but right now, Lena was unmistakably stronger than I was.
Not in terms of physical strength, but in the hierarchy of our home.
"This is Ai-Ai! I'm Lana! And this is my little sister Lena! Nice to meet you!"
"Nice to meet you...?"
With a friendly smile, Lana seemed so welcoming, while Lena, expressionless, struck a strange pose with her hands raised.
The little sister might be a bit of a mystery, but the elder sister was lively and had a knack for communication.
I was sure they would become good friends with Ai.
"Y-yeah, nice to meet you... So, that little one is...? If I'm not mistaken, she looks like a dragon..."
Ai pointed at the tiny fire dragon, Flamme, who had been magically shrunk and was now cradled in Lana's arms.
It seemed Flamme had made itself quite at home in their embrace.
"What? You don't know Flamme? Come on! You really need to return home every now and then, Flamme!"
'Yeah, but it's just such a hassle.'
Flamme just brushed off Lana's scolding with a casual attitude.
I had thought it wouldn't be back for a while, but it turned out this little fire dragon had been living next door.
With the Magic Stone of Cashunat in my possession, communication was possible, but I could imagine it must be quite inconvenient since we didn't share the same language.
"Flamme, be nice to Ai, okay? She's now part of our family due to some circumstances."
'I'll leave it to you.'
"...This dragon seems pretty haughty for being cradled by a girl...?"
Ai, looking puzzled, pointed at Flamme and turned her gaze up to me in question.
The truth is, Flamme had lived much longer than I had, so whether it was really superior or not was debatable; in any case, to Flamme, humans were probably just insignificant beings.
* * *
After that, I headed alone to Lord Reichner's mansion, where I informed Her Highness the Princess that I had welcomed Ai as my adopted daughter and lifted the magic constraint on her.
His Highness said, "If Mr. Ryuuji and Ms. Lene are fine with it, then that's good enough."
Well, Her Highness understands that even if Ai were to betray us, we'd never set foot in Goldmont again, which is why they let us off so easily.
After all, every ache in Goldmont's belly is already in Her Highness's grasp.
The report to Her Highness was over, and with our business done, we were about to head back when...
"...Huh?"
On the main street, heading in the opposite direction from my home, I thought I saw a familiar silhouette.
No, that was──there's no mistake.
Why──is she here?
"...It's 'Teacher'... right?"
Yes, that's 'Teacher'.
She has the same mossy green hair as Lene, and the characteristic long ears of an elf.
Most distinct of all, a long metal staff as tall as me.
There's only one elf who carries such an un-elf-like staff.
'Teacher' had taught us siblings how to survive for 3 years with a strict yet gentle hand, but 7 years ago, she set off on a journey somewhere. Is it some twist of fate that brought her to this land, or is it just a visit?
My feet moved on their own, chasing after 'Teacher' as I broke into a run.
* * *
"...Where did she go?"
I turned into an alleyway, which turned into a mountain path.
I saw her turn this way, but suddenly, her figure vanished.
"Could it be, did a Dark Mage cast some sort of illusion on me?"
For just a moment, I pondered that thought, but I couldn't believe the Dark Mage was aware of my relationship with 'Teacher.'
If that's the case, then it must truly be the real 'Teacher.'
So that means──
"At the end of this mountain path...? No, but... what could be out here?"
I'd come this way once before from another route, and if I remember correctly, there was a small peak ahead where I could overlook the town.
Not that there was anything particularly special about just being able to see the town.
It wasn't even a well-maintained mountain path, so it wouldn't qualify as a sightseeing spot.
Yet──there's this feeling that some presence awaits me just beyond here.
No, it's undeniable──there's definitely something.
With a firm conviction in my heart, I began my ascent up the mountain path.
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