chapter 26

he night pa.s.ses and the morning dawns.

「Thanks for taking care of me」

「What are you saying, don’t worry about it. I also feel like I have a small little bro, so it’s been really fun」

She’s treating me like a younger brother?

I suppose it makes sense.

I’m sure that when she meets up with Milly she will definitely be happy to have a “younger sister” right?

I invited Lydia to the guild without Milly’s permission and it is possible that she will get angry with me.

I have a feeling that Milly will tell me that I shouldn’t increase the guild members.

…….However, I know that deep inside Milly wants more valued guild members, so maybe there is a chance that she will be really happy?

Well I will talk to her later.

If she says no, than I suppose it can’t be helped.

I left Lydia’s home and went out of town.

Oh yeah, didn’t mother tell me that yesterday, Milly came by the house several times?

Before I go back home I should give her a visit.

When I arrive at Nanami town, I used a guild message to call Milly.

「Milly, are you there? Its me」

「Zeph!? Geez, where have you been! You’ve made me look everywhere」

「My bad, I was at Beruta Town. However I have accomplished my objectives. Also there is a thing I need to tell you」

「Is that so? I also have something to talk to you about. Can you come to my house immediately? 」

I wonder if she found some nice loot or something?

She seemed to be in high spirits.

I used teleport until I reached Milly’s house.

When I arrived at her house, she was already standing in her front entrance.

Even though it would have been fine for her to wait inside.

The moment she saw me, she ran up to me.

As usual she’s like a puppy.

I will keep silent about the fact that her shaking twin tail looks really similar to a dog’s tail…

「Zeph!」

「You seem well, Milly」

She showed me an energetic smile.

「You seem really glad somehow, did you manage to find a good hunting ground or something?」

「I guess you could say that. I found a lakeside in the north where a water spirit lives in, and I also found the den of a Kobold in the southern forest」

「The lakeside sh.o.r.e in the north and the Kobold’s forest……..They both seem like pretty good hunting grounds, but a water spirit is a really bad match for magicians, because it can use long range attacks. Kobolds always travel in packs and getting surrounded is also another weakness for us magicians」

When I pointed out some of the flaws, Milly had a face full of confidence, she wagged her fore finger as she let out a couple of (tsk tsk).

A…..annoying……

「You should listen to someone’s full conversation before interrupting you know? I found those places as hunting ground, however there is something extremely good that I managed to find!」

「What is it?」

Milly was trying to gauge my appearance whilst having a big grin across her face. “Take a guess”, this was the kind of face she had.

She’s really acting all high and mighty…

I can roughly understand.

After all I am thinking the same thing.

「……Could it be that you’ve found a companion that you want to put in the guild, or something like that? 」

「Eh? How did you know? 」

「Although it’s a coincidence I also managed to find someone that I am scouting. I just thought that maybe Milly was the same」

Milly’s face was becoming more sullen as I continued to talk.

「For me the person I found is a merchant in Beruta town. Right now, I have consigned items to sell at their shop. I will go around next week to see how it goes」

「……..Is it a girl? 」

「How.. Did you know? 」

「………………….I will decide after I meet her」

「From the start that’s what I planned on doing. Please be relieved」

Milly’s face turned sour in an instant.

When I was holding hands with Clare Sensei, she also showed this kind of pouting face… (TL: Sensei =teacher)

I really think that we need to expand the guild a little more.

At this rate, it will never become the strongest guild.

「So how about Milly? Who did you manage to find? 」

「Ah– yeah, they are inside my house right now」

She answered me snappishly.

Her bad mood doesn’t seem to be recovering.

It couldn’t be helped so I patted Milly’s head.

「Wai…..What are you doing! Zeph」

「Were you planning on introducing me to our new companion with such a sullen face? Well I suppose I don’t mind it either way. It doesn’t seem like the other party is that interested anyways」

「…………」

Milly blushes in shame whilst looking downwards, for a little while we remained in the position where I was giving her a gentle rub on her head.

「Y…Alright, okay that’s enough! Let’s go! 」

A little while after she brushed off my hand, and walks towards the house in a quick pace.

I followed behind her and entered the room.

Milly’s room which was cleaned up previously, was already splendidly cluttered with things.

However it seems that there is still enough place for my foot, I proceed carefully so as to make sure that I don’t step on any waste/rubbish.

Then, I saw a young boy sitting on the floor, with a very polite posture.

He was wrapped in a light weight silver armor, placed on his sides is a sword and shield for each hand. His brilliant blonde hair shines when compared to the flat colors of the room.

The age doesn’t seem too different from mine, perhaps a little older?

Looks like he noticed us? He stands up with a jolt as his beautiful fair hair shakes.

「Milly-san, welcome home!」

It was a loud, energetic voice.

The glance he lets out is truly dazzling/radiant.

He wanted to greet me by shaking my hands so of course I reciprocated.

「It’s nice to meet you, My name is Claude」

It’s a face and name I seem to have seen/heard from somewhere…

I can’t really put my head around it, but I suppose if I thought about it, I have lived two separate lives.

After all, I had a mult.i.tude of acquaintances in my previous life.

In my previous life I joined various guilds, so he could have been one of the acquaintances I had met before.

Without worrying too much about it, I also greeted him.

「My name is Zeph, I am a magician. I know this is sudden to ask but, may I inquire the reason as to you would be willing to join a guild as shabby as ours? There should be plenty of other great guilds around this area if I am not mistaken? 」

「Hey! It’s not shabby! 」

I ignored Milly’s protests and continued on.

「From the looks of it, you seem to be a novice, however for a beginner, it may be better to join a guild with more people in it, wouldn’t you say?」

「I am the youngest child born of a knight’s lineage. However, in the last few years, my family has acc.u.mulated money troubles and it has become really hard for my family to support me, thus there was no other choice but to become an adventurer. Nevertheless, I am still a Knight by blood, I don’t do this just because I need to make a living out of being an adventurer, my other objective is that I am looking for a master/lord to whom I can serve as a knight 」

What an indescribably hard life he must of lived…

In order to maintain that knight equipment of his, it would also cost a lot of money.

In order to be able to stand in the front lines as a knight, it would take a lot of money to purchase physical strength recovery medicine.

When a knight has plenty of money, that’s when they will shine with brilliance.

Therefore, in a knight’s case, their equipment is sort of like a testimony to how accomplished they are.

Claude is the youngest child, rather than being given equipment, it seems more likely that he was driven out of the house.

But, it looks like he did not hold any grudges for being kicked out of his house.

「Right now I am still inexperienced, when I was surrounded by Kobolds and had fallen into a huge dilemma, Milly-san appeared and was kind enough to save me. The appearance of Milly-san who swept in and casted her terrifying magic eliminating all the demons, was like a war angel…….When I came to I decided to become Milly-sans apprentice! 」

Oh, Oh.

Did he really just say “war angel”?…….he seems to be a young boy that likes to fantasize a little.

Well, I suppose an adventurer who is just starting out would be like this.

「I recognize that Milly-san is a suitable master to dedicate my sword to and whilst I may become a bother and intrude upon you, please allow me to apologize in advance…….!」

Well I suppose, if Claude joins us Milly will stop being so clingy towards me, right?

He doesn’t seem to be a bad fellow either, I think it is fine to let him join.

「Zeph-kun, Let us work hard together as Milly-sans disciple/apprentice!!」

—Stiffen up/petrified.

When I looked at Milly’s face, she immediately turned away.

When Claude looked at me with such a pure smile, I could do nothing but let out a bitter smile in return.

What? Was he referring to me when he called me an apprentice of Milly?

(What is this about?? Milly?)

(Welll〜 I kind of blurted it out on accident…..)

(You inadvertently boasted about yourself and made stuff up? this kind of thing?)

(Well….I’m sorry)

Tehehehe, Milly laughed in a slovenly/sloppy way.

You really don’t look like you are sorry, Milly.

「I’m sorry, Claude. It was a lie when I said he was my apprentice. He is actually my sub-leader」

「Oh I see, is that how it is?」

Well at least it was accepted pretty fast, that’s good.

「So, Zeph. What do you think? Reckon he can join us? 」

「Well I think it should be fine? He looks really hardworking, and he doesn’t seem like the kind of person who would do anything strange」

「Is that true? Awesome〜! 」

Raising both his arms, Claude was delighted.

Milly claps her hands.

This kind of scene, is actually pretty nice.

「Oh yeah! Let’s do a welcoming party for Claude! Is there anything that Claude wants to do? 」

「Hmm, let me think……」

Clause thinks for a little while, then as if he thought of something his expression changed.

「How about this! I want to have a friendly match with Zeph-kun! Being able to support Milly at such a young age and become the sub-leader, I am really curious about your abilities! 」

Am I really that young compared to them? I thought the three of us were around the same age, no?

「I don’t really mind it but, Claude you mentioned that you wanted to have a match, what is it that you propose?」

「That is of course I want to have a combat match. Arm’s/weapons are taken, and both of us should have a decisive battle to determine the winner」

「Ehhh!? Isn’t that really dangerous?!」

Well if I use Safe Protection, there is probably nothing to worry about……

He probably doesn’t like the fact that a small runt like me is in a higher position than him.

If I win this he should acknowledge that I am number 2.

Isn’t he quite the energetic youth?

I don’t particularly dislike this kind of person.

「Interesting. Shall we make it so that the defeated person will owe one thing to the winner? 」

「Thank you very much. I look forward to having a fair match with you….! 」