Rygar walked through the streets of Voltand alongside Lilia and Aisha. The woman held the little girl in her arms, keeping her protected, while the child observed everything around her with keen, curious eyes. Rygar, for his part, remained on alert—both for the dangers of the city and for the strange encounter that 'fate' had placed before him.
"So, you hired a B-rank adventurer to escort you to the Asura Kingdom?" Rygar broke the silence, keeping his gaze fixed ahead but attentive to Lilia's reactions.
The woman nodded, her expression grim. "Yes... It was the only viable option. The family I was with didn't send me away empty-handed, so I had enough money to pay for protection. But fate was cruel." She held Aisha a little closer, as if seeking comfort.
"He never intended to escort us. From the start, I noticed his eyes were always evaluating—not like a bodyguard."
Rygar said nothing, simply absorbing the information. He wasn't surprised. The world was full of people eager to take advantage of the weak. However, his main interest remained focused on Aisha. He analyzed her in every possible way.
Was Hitogami involved in this? Was this little girl just a very well-crafted trap? He was cautious, but no matter how much he investigated, no matter how closely he observed her behavioral patterns, everything pointed to her being just a child. An extraordinarily intelligent child, but still just a child.
Aisha, in Lilia's arms, looked at him with her big, bright green eyes. She didn't seem afraid, nor did she hesitate to stare at him. In fact, her expression was pure curiosity, as if she were trying to understand who this stranger was that had helped them.
"Why do you want to go to the Asura Kingdom?" Rygar asked directly, without preamble.
Lilia hesitated. For a moment, her gaze drifted to the side, as if pondering whether or not she should answer. But in the end, she took a deep breath and said, "We're from Fittoa. We were caught in the teleportation disaster..."
Rygar smiled inwardly. 'Just as I thought,' he mused. But his mind quickly shifted to another question. How was this little girl so smart? Intelligence of this level in such a young child was abnormal. A possibility arose.
'Is she a reincarnate?'
To test his theory, he looked directly at Aisha and, in a neutral tone, spoke in Japanese:
"Can you understand me?"
Aisha blinked a few times, tilting her head to the side with a confused look.
"Big brother?"
Rygar narrowed his eyes. 'Nothing? Then... what about English?'
"Can you understand me?" he asked, waiting for a reaction.
The response came unexpectedly. Aisha started laughing.
A pure, genuine laugh, with no traces of understanding—just delighting in the strange sound of the words. Rygar sighed. 'Yeah, she really is just a child... But a very talented child. What is Hitogami's goal in making me meet her?'
Lilia, who had been watching, frowned. "Sir Rygar, what languages were those? I don't recognize the grammar..."
He simply smiled. "It's nothing."
His eyes returned to Aisha, and then he asked, "How old is your daughter again?"
Lilia blinked, a bit surprised by the question. "Hm? She's two and a half. Why?"
Rygar didn't hesitate. "I want your daughter to be my disciple."
Lilia froze. Her eyes widened in shock, clearly unsure of how to react. Aisha, on the other hand, simply tilted her head in curiosity before asking:
"What's a disciple?"
Before Lilia could answer, Rygar raised his hand. "Don't answer me now."
Lilia held back her words, watching him cautiously.
Rygar continued, his voice calm but filled with conviction. "Think about it. Think about your daughter's talent. Think about what she could accomplish. And learn a little more about me before making any decisions."
He then smiled at Aisha, who remained curious but now also seemed pleased with the unexpected attention. The child played with Lilia's fingers while looking at Rygar with a sparkle of expectation in her eyes.
And so, they arrived at the Adventurers' Guild.
The streets in front of the Adventurers' Guild were bustling, but there was a noticeable clearing around a peculiar group. Sitting among the adventurers, a colossal wolf with gleaming dark fur drew gazes of both fascination and fear.
Skoll, the imposing beast, remained still, his presence alone enough to keep the more cautious at bay. Some admired his majestic stance, while others averted their eyes and hurried along.
Eris, her eyes gleaming with excitement, proudly displayed her adventurer's card to Geese, thrilled with her achievement. Ghislaine, standing nearby, observed the surroundings with her usual serious expression, while Eidar and Skoll simply maintained their positions.
It was at that moment that Rygar appeared, accompanied by Lilia and Aisha. The little girl, still in her mother's arms, curiously looked around. Upon seeing him approach, Eris eagerly moved to show her card but abruptly stopped when she noticed the two unfamiliar figures at his side.
Rygar stopped before the group and gave a nod. "Everyone, this is Lilia. She hired an adventurer to escort her to Asura, but he attacked them. She was also one of the teleportation victims."
Lilia remained silent, holding Aisha tighter against her chest. Rygar observed her for a moment before asking:
"Do you have a second name?"
There was a brief moment of hesitation before she murmured, "I am Lilia... Greyrat. And this is Aisha Greyrat."
Geese blinked, surprised. "Huh? Like Eris? Hey, are you guys related, Eris?"
The redhead furrowed her brow, clearly confused. "I don't know?"
Ghislaine narrowed her eyes and asked seriously, "Do you have any affiliation with the Boreas Greyrat house? Who is your husband?"
Lilia cast a discreet glance at Rygar, as if gauging his reaction, before answering, "It's Paul Greyrat. I'm just a concubine. His real wife is Zenith Greyrat."
Silence fell over the group for a few seconds as they processed the unexpected revelation. Even Rygar, who usually maintained his composure, furrowed his brow and thought, 'What a coincidence... but... is it really just a coincidence?'
Lilia noticed the strange change in Rygar's expression, but before she could ask anything, Eidar crossed his arms and commented:
"So, this little girl is Paul Greyrat's daughter?"
Lilia nodded, confirming. "That's right, do you know him?"
Ghislaine stepped forward and declared with her usual seriousness, "I am Ghislaine Dedoldia, bodyguard of Eris Boreas Greyrat and a former adventuring companion of Paul." She then pointed at Geese. "And that one too."
Geese laughed, crossing his arms. "Hahaha, we got lucky! I had no idea Paul had a second wife. Zenith must have been furious…"
Lilia blinked, clearly surprised. "You all know Paul…?"
Geese shook his head with a smile. "That girl there is Eris Boreas Greyrat. And the one who saved you is Rygar Adoldia, leader of the Iron Legion. The others here are members."
Lilia could barely process all the information. She felt a slight tremor in her hands and quickly set Aisha down before formally bowing to Eris.
"Young lady…"
Eris, however, did not return the gesture. Her face twisted into a grimace of displeasure.
Rygar intervened. "Eris isn't too fond of noble formalities. You don't need to do that. But… yeah, this really is a huge coincidence. We need to talk more."
Lilia took a deep breath and agreed, still a bit dazed. That was when Geese smirked mischievously and clapped his hands together.
"Hey! You said you hired an adventurer to escort you, right? Why not let Eris take on that mission? She just became a Rank B adventurer!"
Lilia visibly hesitated. The idea of entrusting her and her daughter's safety to an important noble didn't seem sensible. But before she could form a refusal, Eris turned excitedly, her eyes gleaming with enthusiasm.
"That's a great idea! Let's go!" Without waiting for a response, she grabbed Lilia's hand and started dragging her toward the Adventurers' Guild.
Lilia barely had time to react. "W-wait, Lady Eris!"
Rygar simply crossed his arms and watched the scene, a slight smile playing on his lips. Little Aisha, still standing beside him, also seemed amused by the redhead's energetic attitude.
"This is going to be interesting…" he murmured to himself before following the group into the Guild.
After Eris took on Lilia's escort mission—her first official mission as an adventurer—and Geese bought all the necessary supplies, the group left the city behind, much to the relief of the guards who had been watching them cautiously, especially due to Skoll's presence. The immense black wolf, sitting beside the adventurers, drew attention wherever he went.
Now, as the evening set in, they were gathered around a campfire outside the city, in an open plain, preparing for their meal. Geese cooked skillfully, mixing the ingredients he had bought, while Eris and Eidar trained in the distance, the sounds of clashing blades reaching their ears. Skoll ran across the plain, burning off energy, and Ghislaine, Rygar, Lilia, and Aisha sat close to the fire, listening to the woman's story.
Lilia had already recounted how she became Paul Greyrat's second wife, which Rygar found quite curious. To him, that man—Paul Greyrat—didn't seem particularly worthy of much respect. However, what truly surprised him was when she mentioned Zenith and Paul's first son.
'Able to cast Intermediate-tier magic at two years old…?' Rygar thought, frowning. 'And became a Water Saint at five…? Was this kid a descendant of Laplace or something? Even my master told me I was the youngest she had ever seen reach that rank, and I was seven.'
He began to question his own genius. He had always considered himself talented, but this was absurd. Furthermore, Lilia said that Rudeus Greyrat had trained a friend from her village to Advanced rank in all the magic he knew in just two years.
'What kind of village was that?' Rygar wondered, intrigued. 'Did it have some sort of divine blessing around it?'
As he reflected, Lilia continued her story, now recounting what had happened after the teleportation disaster.
"I was feeding Miss Norn and Aisha when that light struck us. It was an instant… and then, suddenly, we were in a plain much like this one. I walked for hours carrying them both until I found a city. I found work as a maid to ensure some stability since they were only a year old and needed constant care."
"Makes sense…" Geese commented, nodding. "There was no way you could have traveled long distances alone with two babies."
"Yes…" Lilia sighed. "After some time, I decided to go to Milishion for help. I knew Zenith was a noble of the Latreia House, and I figured that, at least for Norn's sake, her family wouldn't abandon us. Luckily for me, Claire Latreia recognized Norn's resemblance to Zenith. She asked a Milis priest to conduct some tests, and he confirmed that Norn was almost certainly her granddaughter."
"So everything worked out?" Geese asked, leaning forward.
"Not exactly…" Lilia looked away toward the fire. "When I explained my situation and said I was Paul's concubine, Claire threw us out. I begged, and in the end, she allowed me to stay as a servant. For months, we lived there while Claire made a point to humiliate me whenever possible."
A tense silence fell over the campfire. Even Geese, usually more playful, remained quiet.
"She didn't hide her hostility… she decided that Aisha should grow up as Norn's personal maid and prevented us from leaving the mansion or even attempting any outside contact. When I finally gathered the courage to say I wanted to return to Fittoa…"
Lilia hesitated, her voice slightly trembling.
"She expelled us," she continued, clenching her fists. "But she didn't allow me to take Norn with me."
The tension in the air grew even heavier. Rygar felt his eyebrows furrow involuntarily.
"I begged…" Lilia took a deep breath, trying to hold back the tears threatening to fall. "But Claire forbade me from entering the mansion again. She never let me see Norn again. She only gave me money and told me to travel back to Fittoa, saying that if I wanted to take Norn, I should bring Zenith with me."
She lowered her head, and Aisha, sensing her mother's distress, snuggled against her, curling up in her lap in a soft, silent manner.
"So… my plan was to return to Fittoa, despite the dangers involved. If nothing else worked, I thought about going to my father's dojo in Asura."
The group remained silent for a few moments, absorbing the information. Rygar looked at Lilia and then at Aisha, who now slept peacefully in her mother's lap. His mind began working through various possibilities.
The wind carried the aroma of the meal Geese was preparing over the fire. The crackling wood and bubbling stew created a cozy atmosphere, despite the cold intensifying as the night progressed.
Little Aisha slept curled up in her mother's lap, her peaceful expression contrasting with Lilia's conflicted emotions.
Rygar, sitting with his arms crossed, broke the silence:
"You haven't had any news from Paul and Zenith?"
Lilia sighed, her gaze lost in the flames.
"None… I tried sending letters, but I never received a response."
Geese scratched his head, letting out a sigh before speaking:
"Okay, okay. You're Paul's wife, and Aisha is his daughter. That means we're taking you with us, but…" He raised a finger. "I don't think we should go back to fetch Norn."
Lilia furrowed her brow, surprised by the statement.
"What? Why?"
Geese raised four fingers, ready to argue.
"First, from what you said, she's being well cared for there, protected as a little noble of the Latreia house, actually living much better than us."
Lilia pressed her lips together but didn't respond.
"Second, in a way, that Claire woman is right. She's her granddaughter... and what if Paul and Zenith aren't alive? Of course, she would want to take care of her granddaughter in their place."
Rygar nodded slightly. It was a harsh perspective, but it made sense.
"Third," Geese continued, raising another finger, "from what I heard, the Iron Legion already has many conflicts with Milis. If any of us go there and try to take her by force from such an important noble house like the Latreia, it might not end in just a simple conversation."
Once again, Rygar agreed—this wasn't a problem he wanted to deal with right now.
Geese raised the fourth finger.
"And fourth, we're already far from Milishion, almost reaching West Port. Going back now isn't convenient for us. I suggest you actually return later, with Paul or Zenith, to take Norn back."
Lilia remained silent. Her expression was tense, fists clenched over the blanket covering Aisha. It was evident that the idea of leaving Norn behind when she now had the chance to rescue her was painful, but Geese's words carried weight.
Rygar broke the silence:
"I agree with Geese. We'll help you now, but we won't go back." He looked directly at Lilia, his voice firm. "But when I return from this journey, if Norn is still there, I'll help you get her back."
Lilia lowered her head, holding little Aisha closer to her. Finally, she nodded slowly.
"Alright..."
Geese stretched his arms and smiled, breaking the heavy atmosphere.
"Then it's decided! Now..." He turned to the field and shouted, "Skoll! Eidar! Eris! The food is ready!"
The three came immediately. Eris was sweating, panting from training, while Skoll ran excitedly, his tail wagging. They sat around the campfire, ready for their meal, and the tension in the air gradually faded.
The night passed peacefully, and Rygar leaned back, watching the flames dance. There was still much to be done.
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