Author: Suisei
Translator: Rinkage
Character page: Here
To all the mums: Wishing you a day filled with love, joy, and the relaxation you truly deserve.
-Rinkage
Chapter 203 – I tried advising the guardian deity
This happened the day after Cecilia’s intense and rigorous dance lesson. Even though I trained regularly, my body still hadn’t fully recovered from the unfamiliar movements. So, despite my new home not being perfectly organised, I was lying down, completely exhausted.
“Ahh, this is never gonna end. I still need to buy a few small things, but going outside feels like such a hassle. How did I even end up in this situation?” [Youki]
Moving in was one thing, but actually getting everything in order was another. And for some reason, it was always at times like these that people decided to drop by. I had this strange feeling… someone was going to visit me again today.
“No, no, no… I’m not that important. Yuuga and Happiness had their own reasons. That was different.” [Youki]
Just as I said that, a knock came at the door.
No way… Actually, I think I know how this goes.
“Sorry, not interested in door-to-door sales.” [Youki]
“It’s me, kiddo!”
Knew it. Another acquaintance.
Even though I usually visited Gai just to mess with him, I did owe him for the other day. Judging by his tone, it sounded urgent, so I forced myself up and opened the door.
“What’s up?” [Youki]
“Something terrible has happened. Tiel… she-“ [Gai]
“Tiel-chan? What happened to her?” [Youki]
“Tiel… says she wants to become an adventurer.” [Gai]
I was stunned by Gai’s words.
An adventurer? Tiel-chan, who’s physically weak and probably never even held a weapon before? No way… That’s impossible.
“There’s no way she can do it. It’s unrealistic. She’s underestimating what it means to be an adventurer. You need to explain that properly to her. Gai, make sure you put an end to this before it gets her killed. Alright, later.” [Youki]
“Hey, wait! Don’t just send me away! I came to you because I realized I couldn’t handle this on my own.” [Gai]
As I tried to close the door, he stuck his foot in the gap – like some pushy salesperson.
I figured it wouldn’t take much to convince Tiel-chan otherwise, but… then again, given her personality, this was to be expected. Her determination was on another level. She would do anything for Gai’s sake. A little pushback wouldn’t stop her.
“…Alright. Tell me everything.” [Youki]
I let go of the door and stepped aside, allowing Gai to enter. He plopped down onto the sofa, the one I’d picked specifically for comfort, while I listened to what he had to say.
Apparently, while I thought things had been quiet lately, she had actually been preparing in secret, making sure Gai wouldn’t find out. She had asked Sheik for help training her body within her limits and had even started studying magic.
“Hold on. Training and studying magic aren’t things you just pick up overnight. She’s spent most of her life bedridden. She shouldn’t have the stamina or foundation for magic.” [Youki]
“You think so too, don’t you? But… there are people in the mansion who’ve been helping her. And every single one of them is one of your acquaintances.” [Gai]
“Wait… don’t tell me-“ [Youki]
So Sheik and Happiness had been training her… If those two were backing her up, then depending on Tiel-chan’s effort…
“She’s also been training with her fellow maids, an apprentice gardener, and the head maid… if I remember correctly. It seems they’ve been making sure it doesn’t interfere with her work or strain her body too much.” [Gai]
“Even Sophia-san’s involved?!” [Youki]
Is Tiel-chan okay? Sophia-san is ridiculously strong in every way, so her training must be brutal, right?
“But still… it’s gotta be tough, right?” [Youki]
“Of course it is! There’s no way I’ll let Tiel become a reckless adventurer. But you know as well as I do that anyone can register as an adventurer.” [Gai]
“Yeah… and if they die, it’s on them.” [Youki]
“I can’t take her on a request. There’s no telling what kind of dangers we’d run into. Depending on the job, we might have to camp out in the wild. There’ll be times when we won’t have enough to eat. And unexpected trouble can put our lives at risk-“ [Gai]
“Aren’t you being too overprotective!?” [Youki]
“Shut up! I don’t care if I am. If you also think this is impossible, then help me convince her. I can’t do this alone.” [Gai]
I already knew what Tiel-chan was thinking without even asking. But this was impossible. No one was more determined than her when it came to Gai, but sheer willpower wouldn’t be enough to survive as an adventurer.
“Let’s go! There’s no way I’m letting Tiel-chan march to her death.” [Youki]
“You have my gratitude, kiddo. Hurry! We might already be too late!” [Gai]
I rushed out of the house with Gai, running as fast as I could while keeping just behind him, letting his urgency push me forward.
Although Gai’s desperation surprised me, I had never seen him this frantic before. No… actually, I had… more than once. But saying we were already too late felt like an overreaction, didn’t it? The guild wouldn’t just let her register that easily. The staff might have delayed her application, maybe even insisted on her guardian’s presence or something along those lines.
“What? She already left?!” [Gai]
“Yes, Tiel took a day off today.”
That was what Sophia-san told us when we asked. Tiel-chan had already gone out. It wasn’t surprising since she had the day off, but Gai reacted like it was the end of the world.
“Ugh… but I put her to sleep before heading to your place…” [Gai]
“What the hell did you do!?” [Youki]
So, he resorted to force, huh? He must’ve used Nightmare Sleep on her. Damn, I knew he was desperate, but this really proves it.
“…If you’ve done anything improper to one of the maids, even if you’re an acquaintance of Youki-sama, I can’t let that slide.” [Sophia]
“Wait, no, no, you’ve got it all wrong! He’s actually a close friend of Tiel-chan’s. She’s super attached to him, and whenever he soothes her, she falls asleep right away.” [Youki]
“…But this is the first time he’s ever visited the mansion.” [Sophia]
“…”
Cold sweat ran down my back as I desperately tried to explain myself… only for it to backfire completely.
Crap. What now? At this rate, Gai’s going to look like some scumbag who broke into the mansion and knocked Tiel-chan unconscious. I need a way out of this…
Just as I was racking my brain, luck was on my side. Two people showed up at the perfect time: Happiness and Sheik.
“Hey! Happiness! Sheik!” [Youki]
I called out to them, sending a look that practically screamed, Please go along with my story!
We’d known each other long enough to communicate with just a glance. If we could get our stories straight, we might be able to turn this whole situation around.
“This big guy came by earlier, right? He ran into Tiel-chan just as she was heading out. They started chatting, and then she dozed off. You two happened to be passing by and helped carry her back to the mansion. That’s what happened, right?” [Youki]
I put extra emphasis on the last part, making it clear that I needed their agreement.
Happiness narrowed her eyes at me, studying my expression. Then she let out a snort – her way of saying, Got it. That little smirk on her face annoyed me, but as long as she played along, I’d let it slide.
The real problem, however… was Sheik.
“Wow, you’re huge! Are you Captain’s friend?” [Sheik]
…And just like that, my cover-up story was blown. Based on Sheik’s reaction, it was obvious this was their first meeting. Cold sweat trickled down my spine as Sophia-san’s eyes grew even more suspicious, practically screaming intruder.
Damn it, this just got way harder to fix!
“…Sheik.” [Happiness]
“What is it, Happiness-ane~?” [Sheik]
“…whisper, whisper.” [Happiness]
Was that a signal?
As soon as Happiness whispered to him, Sheik started listening intently. At this point, I had no choice but to trust Happiness.
“…Ahhh, that’s right! He’s Tiel-chan’s acquaintance!” [Sheik]
“…His outfit.” [Sophia]
“Y-Yeah, that’s it. He’s wearing a different set of clothes earlier, so Sheik must’ve gotten mixed up. Seriously, Sheik, you’ve gotta pay more attention to people’s faces. It’s rude to forget, you know?” [Youki]
“…But this individual is wearing a mask.” [Sophia]
“Oh, uh… well, it’s complicated. He has reasons for dressing like this…” [Youki]
If I just throw in that backstory for Gai, we should be in the clear.
Or so I thought.
“Come to think of it, Captain, didn’t you once say he was Tiel-chan’s ‘kept man’? What does that mean~?” [Sheik]
Crack.
At that moment, I could practically hear the atmosphere freezing over.
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