Third person POV
Later on, Leon and Sierra asked Russell to show them his new home in the Outer District. "Sure, why not," Russell happily replied. "I am going home now so sure." And so, Russell led Leon and Sierra to his estate home in the Outer District.
There the two adventurers were shocked to see his home being an estate than a simple house with a small yard.
"What?"
"That one is the royal Passato family's hunting lodge!"
"Yes, is it originally a hunting lodge?" Russell looked at them.
"Yes, they used it when they hunt in this area, which it was used to be a forest," Sierra responded back while looking at him.
"Ah, I see."
The three of them went to the front gate, and Russell opened the gate for them. "Come in," he said to them. Leon and Sierra did so, and Russell went in and shut the gate. Inside the estate, the three of them went towards the main house, where Russell's party and group are relaxing and resting after playing for a few hours. Then, Russell opened the door. "I'm home…"
His party and group then noticed him coming home from his shopping time at the Inner District of Fort Right.
"Welcome back home."
"How's the shopping?"
"It's fine," Russell responded back while taking off his shoes. "By the way, I brought some friends from our adventurers' guild. Say hi to them."
His party and group then noticed Leon and Sierra.
"Oh, you guys?" Azalea replied back.
"It's two of the passengers Russell-kun had picked up!" Rai added.
"Yes, it's us, guys," Leon replied back with a little bit of embarrassment. "My name is Leon Kayne. This is my good elf friend, Sierra Taren."
"Nice to meet you all," Sierra politely replied back while putting her magical staff against the couch.
She was a B-ranked earth mage.
"Nice to meet you, Leon-kun, Sierra-chan," Russell responded back while putting his purchases on the coffee table. "My name is Russell May. I am a bus driver, free adventurer, and leader of my own party."
His party and group then said their introductions of themselves.
After that, Kelly, Rai, and Ria served some hot tea made from boiled lemon leaves to Leon and Sierra. Leon and Sierra accepted it, alongside some cookies served by Nathan. And then, Russell sat down and said to them, "Nice, isn't it?"
"Yes, it was," Sierra replied back positively at him.
"Thank you for your hospitality, Russell-san," Leon gratefully added. "Your home here is nice."
"Yes, you're welcome to my home," Russell responded back while taking off his bus driver's cap. "Anyway, I got this estate as a reward for my heroic deeds around this country."
"Is that so?" Leon replied back. "did they give this away to you for free?"
Russell then nodded to say yes.
"The royal Passato family used this rarely so it was good of them giving this estate to Russell-kun," Azalea replied on Russell's behalf.
Leon and Sierra got that, and Sierra asked Russell, "Also, do you know why me and Leon chose to transfer here in Fort Right?"
"Why?" Russell and Nathan asked at the same time.
"It's because of Elai-san," Leon answered back while feeling so haunted by Elai.
"Wha…? That hero?!" Kelly replied back.
Leon then nodded.
"My friend here got betrayed by her and her party over a year ago," Sierra replied on Leon's behalf. "She and her party left him in a ditch to die, but I was lucky to save him and became his friend later on."
Russell and his group couldn't believe about Elai's history of betraying her own party members.
"And we couldn't go against her because her father is a duke," Sierra continued on, "so we could be arrested, and she will use her father's power against us."
"That's why we chose to transfer here in Fort Right," Leon added. "Also, me and Sierra are now a party of our own. It's called the Kayne party."
"That's stupid!" Russell strongly responded back. "She can't do that!"
"Isn't that abusive use of power?" Azalea asked.
"Yes," Sierra replied back.
"Well, I don't really care about power in the social hierarchy terms," Russell responded seriously. "I just wanted to do the right thing. In fact, I also don't like her for looking down at me and my bus, and for betraying my party member and friend Adrian."
Leon and Sierra were shocked to hear that Elai did the same thing again.
"What?"
"She did it again?!"
"Yes, Adrian is also an adopted prince to the royal, ruling family here, too," Kelly responded.
"Now Elai-san is dead…" Leon replied back while being dumbfounded at Elai's stupidity.
But Russell told him and Sierra about the current situation of the Elai party in detail.
Leon and Sierra are surprised. "You did report them to the guild?"
"Yes, without hesitation or doubt," Russell answered back while being a bit proud of his actions against that party.
"How about their parents?" Sierra asked, concerned about the possibility of Russell being accused of defamation. "Did they believe what you had said about their deeds?"
"Yes, they're on my side," Russell happily responded back.
Sierra and Leon were amazed and dumbfounded at Russell's bravery.
Russell and his party also gained some points for their sympathy for Leon and Sierra.
At the same time, at the royal palace in Rossley, George and Nicholas had launched an investigation into the Elai party's misdeeds, wanting to know their secret, dark deeds.