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Chapter 6
Section 3: Knights and a Priestess and?
“I’m Iris’s father, Flammel. For taking care of my daughter these past six months, truly, thank you.”
“And I’m her mother Poatika. I heard you girls even escorted her here all the way from Rifront. I don’t know how we’re going to be able to repay you…….”
“Oh no no no, don’t worry about that. We came here of our own accord.”
After a quick change of clothes, we took a quick rest before it was time for dinner. The table was lined with more dishes than there were people, so the Calvafon family living room now looked as if it were hosting a buffet party.
“No, but that’s why……”
“Nah, I mean it. We didn’t have any new jobs lined up, so we decided to take a look around the town where Iris grew up.”
“Iris kept telling us how nice a town it is after all. Plus Toslin and Rose had to get their armor fixed.”
“So since that’s the way things are, there’s no need to really thank us…….But if you’re going to insist, I’d certainly appreciate being introduced to a skilled blacksmith.”
Toslin gave her most polite smile. And then suddenly bowing down, she changed the subject by giving her self-introduction.
“It’s a little late, but my name is Tosrillon F. Iriburgh. As you can see I am an elf, yet I’m not that much older than Iris.”
“And I’m Carotayle. I’m half werewolf. And just like you figured out, the two of us are adventurers.”
“I met the two of them at the inn in Rifront. They’re both really strong and dependable. And this person is…….”
When I moved to introduce her, Rose-san put a hand to her chest and quietly bowed. Even though we’re the same gender, I was momentarily entranced by the way her light pink hair flows over her shoulders, so Saluena had to take over.
“This person is Rosalith Cuulbacall. She is a priestess of Illya, but because of her inexperience, she has taken a vow of chastity. So I appreciate your understanding in that she is unable to speak at the moment.”
“Ooh, you even had a priestess with you?”
“For even someone like you to be traveling with our Iris, I can’t thank you enough.”
Calvafons aren’t avid believers in the Goddess, but with a priestess standing right in front of them, my parents’ reaction wasn’t that much different from Relton’s mayor. A smile floated on both of their faces as they mumbled a small prayer to Rose-san, bowed their heads, and gave their thanks.
“Rose-san has helped me a lot. She’s also taught me plenty about the Goddess.”
I leave out the part about what we were doing during those times though. Aside from my adventures, if I told Mom and Dad about how I helped fight a golem and a dragon, they might just faint. No, would they even believe me? I fought a dragon, yet I somehow managed to survive and am now standing before them with all my limbs intact.
“And then I’m Saluena.”
“Ah!?”
I got wrapped up in my own thoughts and forgot about Saluena. Saluena was the one person I definitely had to introduce myself.
“Um, she is…….”
No, I still have time. I’ll introduce her myself before she says anything weird. Thinking like that, I quickly turned towards my parents and opened my mouth.
“I am a knight who has sworn her allegiance to Iris.”
Nevermind, it’s over. I knew something like this would happen, yet I still dropped my guard…….
“…….Hm?”
“…….to, Iris?”
After a moment of silence, both of my parents blinked at the same time. I’m probably making the exact same face Mom is making right now. However the meaning behind our two reactions is completely different.
“Eh, Onee-chan……..what is she saying?”
“Ah, um……..that, well~”
Honestly that is probably the number one thing I want to know too. I was given a grimoire I had no idea how to actually use and then suddenly summoned Hadion. But the how and why are two things I haven’t quite figured out yet. So since there is no way I can answer a question I don’t know the answer to, I end up blankly staring off into space.
“Saluena is a knight who wanders from place to place. Our destinations just happened to be the same, so while we are travelling together, it was her job to protect Iris…….”
“Y-Yeah yeah!! That’s right!!”
Thanks to the story Carol managed to cook up with her quick thinking, my parents were somehow convinced.
“A knight? Wow, this is Sarah’s¹ first time ever seeing a real life knight.”
“Toslin also left her house in order to train, but a knight is still a knight right? A traveling knight?”
“Well, I mean I suppose? I don’t really know all the rules.”
“So you know two knights and a priestess!? Onee-chan is amazing!!”
Both of my parents shrank back when they realized they were talking to knights and a priestess until now, but there was one person who had enough excitement for all of us. Speaking of which, she’s twelve, so she’s even younger than Carol? When I thought so, I was able to understand all the noise my little sister was making.
“Tut, Tut, Tut………. You don’t get it Sarah. Among all of us, isn’t the rarest person here this Carotayle-san? Not only am I a rare werewolf, but an even rarer half-werewolf!!”
Carol started acting cocky, but Sarah’s response was a little lackluster.
“Um, sorry. Even if you call yourself a werewolf, Sarah doesn’t understand what you mean.”
“Haa!? How can you not know what a werewolf is!?”
“If you’re a werewolf, can you transform into a wolf?”
“No, I can’t.”
Carol waved her hand and shook her head. And so Sarah’s interest decreased even further, and her attention focused entirely on the knights and priestess.
“What~? Well that’s not that amazing at all.”
“Grrrrrr…….hey Iris-san……..sister-san here is lacking a proper education…….”
“Don’t start a fight. A person wouldn’t normally know much about a minor race that’s almost gone extinct.”
“What’s that!?”
“Ahaha……..s-so since the introductions are over, how about we all dig in?”
“Yes, indeed. I had a feeling Iris would be back today, so I cooked up some food and then cooked up some more. So everyone, no need to hold back. Eat as much as you can.”
“Woohoo!! I’ve been smelling something good for a while now. If Iris’s mom made it, then it’s definitely delicious”
“Hey now, watch your manners. Put it on a plate first, then eat it.”
Carol’s fork sunk into the bite-sized slice of barbato meat pickled in homemade spices. It’s one of my favorites, and Mom almost always makes it whenever we’re celebrating something.
“Mmmmm, delicious!!”
It is, it really is.
“Ah, here’s some for Rose-san. Here, Saluena too.”
The sun had already started to set outside the window, but it was warm inside my home.
The sound of firewood crackling inside the fireplace overlapped with the noise of our lighthearted talk. A scene that continued on without incident even after the food had all disappeared.
1. Every once in a while Sarah refers to herself in the third person.