Before returning home, I decided to stop by the innkeeper father to ask him to take care of the children. When I entered the inn, I found the old man looking bored at the counter, as he always does.
âYoâ
âHmm? Gray-san right? Whatâs the matter? Youâve got a very beautiful woman with you.â
âNice to meet you⊠I guess. Iâm Emilia. Iâm an adventurer like Gray.â
Emilia is acting separately from the other members of âWar Maidenâ because they are already working on a request from Firo & Co., and there is no need to return to the party house.
âOh⊠you.â
The innkeeper father looks a little surprised to hear Emilia introduce herself.
I wondered if he knew about her, but âThe War Maidenâ is well-known in this town, so I guess itâs not so strange.
âIâm sorry to barge in on you like this. I came here today to ask you for a little favor.â
âOh?âŠâŠ haha, to be the middleman for the wedding, right? Leave it to me!â
âŠâŠWhat is this guy talking about?
âHuh?! Marriage?!â
Emilia, who until just a moment ago had a sharp expression, was violently shaken by the innkeeperâs fatherâs remarks.
âNo. I need you to take care of the kids for a little while.â
âChildren? What do you mean?â
The innkeeper father becomes serious when he hears my words. Next to me, Emilia is still upset and acting suspicious.âŠbring back your mind.
ââŠâŠ No, wait, weâll talk more about it in the back.â
After saying that, the father of the inn called his daughter, Rina, and after leaving her in charge of the inn, he guided me and Emilia to the back room.
I was in a position to ask for his help, and he appears to be a trustworthy and credible man. So I decided to tell him all about this request.
However, from the middle of the conversation, the old manâs expression gradually became stern.
When I finished talking, the old man, who had remained silent with his arms folded and his brow furrowed, opened his mouth.
âI see. So you want me to take care of the kids while you go out to solve the case.â
âOhâ
The innkeeperâs father puts on a serious face that he doesnât usually show. Does he have something in mind about this case?
ââŠI understand. But on one condition.â
A condition rather than a reward?
âOhâ
âWhen you have resolved this request, you will tell me what happened.âŠAlso, donât let Rina hear about this. Never.â
âŠâŠ. I knew you were onto something.
I looked at Emilia, who was standing next to me, and our eyes met. Emilia nodded her head.
âI understand. I promise.â
Hearing my reply, the innkeeper said,
âWell, leave the children to us. You guys come back safely for now.â
After saying that, he left the room.
ââŠLetâs goâ
âOhâ
As Emilia and I were about to leave the room, the innkeeper fatherâs loud voice echoed from outside.
âYou still have something to do? Ah, youâre going to do something erotic, iâll let you borrow the roomâŠâ
Emilia blushes and freezes at those words.
As I hurried out of the room to silence him before he could finish what he was saying, the ringing bell that Rina had thrown was smashed into the old manâs face with a good clang.
Iâm surprised at how little youâve learned.
âGood griefâŠâŠâ
âHey, he was quite an interesting person.â
As I was walking with a sigh, Emilia, who was walking next to me, said so with a troubled smile on her face.
Thatâs an overly oblique expression.
After walking for a while, my beloved home came into view.
There are many things about this case that bothers me.
Missing children.
A nomination request to âWar Maidenâ at this time.
Firo family.
Especially that attitude of the innkeeper father.
âGray. Do you think this case is just a kidnapping for money or something?â
âI canât say for sure yetâŠbut it sure smells a little fishy.â
âYeah. Letâs find the culprit and make him tell us everything he knows.â
ahâŠâŠ.
âRight.â
âDonât make the mistake of wiping them out.â
ââŠâŠyesâ
Maybe thatâs the biggest challenge of all. With that in mind, I opened the door to the house.