「By the way Claude, where do you live?」
Time: Evening.
We returned to Nanami town, we were in a vacant lot, inside of a general shop and whilst drinking the fruit juice we bought we were having a little chat.
「For now I am staying at the hotel they use to accommodate adventurers. I've found Milly-san who is worthy of being my lord, however for the time being I decided to stay here at this inn, at least until I can find another place for rent」
Claude has been out of her house for several months now, and it seems that she travelled alone all this time.
She hunted alone, and sold the items she found by herself, furthermore she told me that she used to sleep outside, if she couldn't obtain enough money for lodging.
This was not an unusual set of circumstances for most adventurers. However when Milly heard of Claude's situation, she was awfully surprised.
「That's right Claude. If you'd like, why don't you come stay over at my place? 」
「Eh?...But isn't that a little...」
「Wait! That isn't good! 」
Milly's house has the Scout Scope scroll lying around.
Moreover, if they started to live together, wouldn't various things become troublesome down the track?
It will be too late if something were to happen to Milly.
「Staying at a hotel will provide Claude much more freedom, wouldn't this be better for her? If you must insist then by all means, I have a room vacant at my place, I will lend you that room」
「Th, that is not allowed!」
Milly was desperately denying my proposition.
「Umm I think it will be fine for me to stay at the inn...I am very grateful for Milly's kind intentions」
「Milly, even Claude will feel bad if she has to keep staying at someone else's place right?」
「Well….I understand」
Milly seems to be persuaded.
Claude also seems relieved somehow.
In the end, Claude decided that she would be staying in the inn for a little while longer, whilst we will be helping her find a new place to rent.
「Ohh, well well, if it isn't Claude?!」
Center of Town (Downtown): A man pulls up in a horse, he seems to be dressed in expensive armor and a sword with an expensive looking sheath, and he seems well off.
He has short fair hair which is tied up in the back, he traces his goatee beard with his fingers.
「Elder Brother Kane! What are you doing here? 」
Claude runs towards the person named Kane.
Are they brother and sister?
They don't look the similar at all.
「Why have you come here?」
「I came around here during my expedition. I didn't think that I would be able to meet Claude…..Hmm? Are they your friends? 」
When he noticed that we were with Claude, he gave us a sharp glance.
It seems like he was trying to ascertain who we were.
It kind of annoyed me so I gave a stare right back at him.
I invoked Scout Scope unto Kane.
Kane Leonhardt
Level 45
Magic Value 39
His Magic Value is 39?
If it's this low, he might as well make it 0.
Well, I will recognize the fact that his level is high.
He also had the same skill sets as Claude.
As expected, he had Screen Point as well.
I fear that it's likely that this Inherent Skill is passed down through the Leonhardt Family.
Shit this makes me worried.
「Won't you introduce them to me?」
「Ah, I'm sorry. That is Zeph-kun and that's Milly. I, have been allowed to join their guild」
「I am Milly Reyad and my guild is called the "Blue Sky Hunters"」
「Well well, how very polite of you young lady. My name is Kane Leonhardt. Thanks for taking care of my younger sister」
Milly shows her best behavior and Kane also reciprocates with etiquette.
「You…..You guys are Magicians right? And it would seem that you guys are quite strong at that. Claude you've found a good guild haven't you? 」
「.....Yes」
So he noticed that we were Magicians?
It seems that he wasn't just a dimwit.
Claude look a little depressed somehow.
Was she bad at dealing with her elder brother?
「In any case I need to return to my hotel, you guys should also return early. It's already quite late」
After saying that Kane headed off, he was going towards one of those high-class hotels which existed in the town of Nanami.
Seeing this, Milly had a sudden thought as she cut into the conversation.
「That's right Claude, wouldn't it be fine if you just stay in the same hotel as your elder brother?!」
Milly talked to the two of them as if she thought of a "nice idea".
「It is a shame but that cannot be done」
Kane rejected her proposal with a strong tone.
「The Leonhardt family is a family of Knight's that have a high amount of prestige. Even though she is my younger sister...I can't stay in the same hotel as an "adventurer". Isn't that right, Claude? 」
「Yes....」
I have heard from an adventurer in the past who was once a Knight, that there was a very rigid ranking system and order of hierarchy amongst the Knights.
Not only was Claude the youngest child, but she was not even allowed to sit around the same table as her family, She said that she would be driven out of the house once she turned 16 years of age.
Claude was now around 15 years of age? Moreover it would seem that she was already travelling by herself for many years now.
Claude did say that the Leonhardt family was experiencing financial difficulties, rather than losing their prestige as a Knight, their main problem seems to be the severe lack of funds.
However, Kane still wants to stay in such a high class hotel?
What a total show off.
「If he doesn't have much money, why is he displaying such a pretentious facade」
Kane and Claude's movements both stopped, and they faced towards me.
Ah, my mouth moved without permission....
After a while of silence, Kane glares at Claude and grabs her collar.
「Kahaa....!?」
A painful breath is released, Claude clenches her teeth.
Kane's eyes are filled with anger, it was vigorous enough to be categorized as killing intent.
「Claude...…How could you talk to others about our house situation...…?!」
「...…tsu! I'm so sorry elder brother Kane...」
「Silence! You traitor! 」
Kane made a fist and swung it towards her.
The fist he threw, was aimed right towards her face with enough force to break her teeth, and fling her body towards the ground.
——Although, the person to receive that punch was actually me.
「tsu…..Tee」
The inside of my mouth is cut, and the taste of iron fills my mouth.
I feel my back teeth get cracked as well.
What a crazy amount of power.
No matter the case, isn't she his younger sister?
「Zeph!」
「Zeph-kun!?」
The two girls raised anxious voices and Kane was looking towards us with a scowl on his face.
A little while ago when Kane tried to hit Claude, I teleported in between the two of them.
After all, the person to make Kane so angry was me.
「I'm sorry Mr Kane. I wasn't intentionally trying to spread rumours, nor was it to make fun of your family. As long as you do not try to cause us anymore trouble…」
Bystanders were starting to gather around us.
The knight who wielded his fist against a small child.
It was not possible to not attract public attention.
「...Tsk」
He click's his tongue and disappears into the hotel.
The surrounding people seem to be interested in what was going on.
Good grief! Although it was useful, it's becoming a bother if they keep staring at us like this.
「Umm…Thank you very much, Zeph-kun」
「Don't worry about it, It was my fault. Moreover, at that time during our duel, I ran into my own conclusions about you and caused you a lot of trouble」
「I've already forgotten about that, so don't worry about it anymore」
"Ahaha" Claude laughs.
「Seriously, you are always so reckless....」
Milly used healing on me.
Well this kind of thing wasn't that big a deal though.
I became silent and remained still as she continued her healing.
「I'm sorry, back in the day, my elder brother was a really gentle person...….However I don't know when he started to become like that. As expected being in poverty can cause such a thing」
Claude makes out a lonely laughter.
「If somehow I can raise my fame as an adventurer, do you think I can change things back to the way they were…..?」
Money….
Perhaps she stole Milly's Scout Scope for the sake of obtaining money, I suppose this cannot be ruled out either.
Therefore all I need to do is help Claude with her money problems, and make her able to earn a steady income.
「Claude, the fastest way to obtain money is to strengthen yourself. By becoming strong, and being able to hunt boss monsters, only then will you be able to obtain as much money as you want」
「Being able to hunt bosses, such a thing seems impossible?.....Even with a force as large as my elder brothers, he said that hunting with stability is very difficult. Especially for someone like me, it's too much...」
「Fufu〜n♪ But we have already defeated a boss, you know 〜」
Milly faced towards me and gave a satisfied smile.
She was blatantly trying to boast about it.
「Is that true!? Milly-san, how on earth did you manage such a feat!?」
「That is〜.....」
Claude draws closer to Milly and has an expression of disbelief on her face, Milly boasted proudly about how she was able to hunt the Boss monster.
If I am not mistaken, boss hunting was not made into a thing yet in this day and age.
At that time, because I was also just starting out as an adventurer, the moment I saw a boss monster my immediate reaction was to run away.
That's because when I went to register as an adventurer, the dangers of encountering a boss monster was warned to everyone so much that my ears could swell like an octopus just hearing about it.
Even in the street stalls around town, there wasn't really that many rare drops from boss monsters.
Furthermore there wasn't any organized parties who were trying to hunt for the King of Death.....
Perhaps, hunting bosses at this point in time will be able to garner us huge amounts of profit?