Chapter 201
Five people, and (3)
Could it be because the monsters returned? A completely different sight of Romella Village lay before them…. Nara laughed a little and mumbled,
"If only I could change like this…………"
Priesia who was standing beside Nara opened her mouth to recall those days when the village was a mess because of the large movement from the monsters.
"At that time, we didn’t have a mage like Miss Nainiae to either stop or protect us from the monsters, and there was no better way to repair the good side of the village."
Priesia was reminded of the situation where she couldn’t work with knives and colours just laughed at this scenario like Nara.
"You cannot fix buildings with new powers."
After listening to the excuses that didn’t seem like excuses, Riley looked at the side and started to walk once again towards the village of Romella.
"Huh? Guests?"
"Familiar faces?"
"That….. isn’t that Captain Nara?"
"You’re right! That’s Captain Nara!"
The residents who were in the midst of construction at the entrance of the village looked at Riley and his party who were slowly walking towards them and their eyes went wide.
"Who are the people that are walking along with Nara?"
"Seems like I saw them somewhere?"
"Okay! That bachelor! The one who found Miss Inaril!"
"Oh? Ahah! I remember! I get it!"
The village people wanted to know what this group was up to as it wasn’t just Nara and Riley, there were Nainiae and Sera, and Priesia who they saw once.
"Why in the world are those smooth looking friends coming to this side of the village?"
"I can see Captain Nara…. Did you find Miss Inaril? They fought together. It’s been a long time since last I saw their faces."
"Hey, it has been a while since we were mixed up with the big disaster…. It has been a while since Captain Nara has come to the village."
"Looking at them now, I don’t see Miss Rorona, do you?"
"Uhm? Is that so?"
Slowly, the voices of the Romella villagers reached Nara who was just behind Riley as they entered the village. At this sight, Nara’s stiff face turned red.
"You’re a celebrity?"
"Uh huh… this is such an embarra.s.sment for me."
Nara avoided making eye contact with Riley as his face was turning red with embarra.s.sment. This caused a slight laugh from Sera and Nainiae.
"Like Mr. Ian."
"Just like that."
"What?"
At the sound of the two maids who were saying something about being identical to someone, Nara looked for the source of it.
"If Mr. Ian also recognizes who it was, even he might shrug his shoulders out of embarra.s.sment."
"See? Captain Nara’s shoulders are also like………"
Sera was smiling and covering her mouth with her left hand and stealthily held the shoulders of Nara. Nara was a little sick of the village people who were tapping his shoulders as a sign of strength.
"Well, Surprise!"
When you admire someone, you become similar to them. Imagining Nara puffed up after hearing that he was similar to Ian, Riley wanted his butler to come back since they hadn’t met for a long time.
"Is Ian still staying with Inaril? The location of the house…….. is it still the same?"
Because of the monster invasion, the layout of Romella Village was completely different now. It was a question to confirm if Inaril’s home was still in the same place as before.
"Yes, Miss Inaril’s home is still the same as before."
Inaril’s house was located relatively in the middle of the village so it was impossible for the monsters to enter that area. Nara described it by pointing to a house that was far away.
"The one over there."
Looking at the place where Nara pointed, Sera eyes opened wide and her lips were shaking after she found the place.
"That, that…….."
Riley and Nainiae turned their gaze to the place that she was pointing to with a bewildered voice and shrugged their shoulders.
"Hahaha, it has been a while."
"It was quite cold in the winter."
"Does it feel like spring?"
"….. yes."
Over there was Ian and Inaril.
"Young Master…….."
"What………"
"That is Mr. Ian, right?"
It was different compared to the Village of Romella where conservativeness was at its peak. And there was Ian with a boy-like appearance.
* * *
"Even being embarra.s.sed……….. I showed you."
"Why? Were there no rats?"
The maids were discreetly enjoying themselves Ian started to slightly tilt his head to find a rat hole and Inaril smiled slightly and tapped his shoulders if he saw anything.
"No, I’m too old…….. enough of this."
This was a new thing about Sera who was preparing tea. While she seemed to be having fun and was excited, Ian put his head down with shrunken shoulders.
"By the way, I can’t see Iril and Young Master Riley? Weren’t you with them?"
Nara wanted to divert the situation away from Ian who was a little embarra.s.sed, so he asked them about the other two people who were in the house.
"Ah, those two are training."
"Training?"
"Yeah…. Last time, Mr. Riley and I have seen something and noticed that…… after the monsters invasion those two are training to improve their skills."
Inaril explained that for a long time the two people used to come back home for lunch time and discuss stuff, but lately they have only been eating two meals a day and are practising all day long.
"By the way, why are you all here?"
Without answering the question, Inaril asked them for the reason of their visit. All the companions except for Riley turned towards him, awaiting his answer.
"This isn’t about something else. We just came to look for Ian."
Upon hearing Riley’s answer that they were just here to see Ian, all the other companions faces lightened up a little.
The sixth member is surely…
… Mr. Ian.
Hearing that they were here to see him, Ian’s shuddered his shoulders and looked at Riley.
"Ah, yes."
He was here for vacation and relaxation……….. he came to Romella Village to spend some time with Inaril, but Ian was the butler of Iph.e.l.letha House.
"Do I need to return to……….the mansion?"
In response to Ian, who guessed that he was needed back at the mansion, Riley shook his head at the sight of his face and opened his mouth.
"It’s not like I made a………. disgusting look."
"………"
Ian who was nervous hid his relief at Riley’s answer and waited for him to continue.
"This is going to be a long story."
Riley smiled after seeing that Ian understood that this is important. He continued,
"Let’s talk when the kid comes back. I don’t want to repeat this…"
The kid referred to Iril. Riley wanted Iril to come back for him to talk to everyone. Meanwhile, the tea party in the kitchen started with Sera and Nainiae having the expression ‘This is it….’ on their faces.
By any chance?
Is it not Mr. Ian?
Ian looked at them strangely as he didn’t know why those two maids were looking each other and heard footsteps approaching from the outside. Finished with practising, Iril came inside.
"Uah! The winter is definitely nice! As soon as spring comes, it’s become warmer……um? What do you say, Sir?"
It wasn’t that cold outside but the narrow house felt cold for Iril, who found Riley sitting at the table with raised eyebrows.
"You, You are?"
* * *
"…….It is like that, I need your hands to go there."
The story about his past life was not brought up at all. Riley mentioned the ‘World Below’ that Ian spoke about and looked at Ian and Iril from his chair.
"What do you think?"
Ian, who knew the story, had a serious face and was worrying about the answer, while Iril became nervous since she didn’t understand the story.
"I………"
"I will go."
Though Ian hesitated, Iril made answered decisively.
"Iril……."
"Miss? Are you alright? Do you understand what kind of place we will be going to??"
Nara raised his eyebrows and looked at Iril who was leaning against the wall and asked her the question.
"Yeah I understand. What do you mean Captain Nara?Why can you go but I can’t?Just between us, I have a total of 10 matches with 6 wins and 4 losses! Captain, there is a meaning attached!"
On the forehead of Nara who was laughing tendon sprang up.
"Correction: you have 5 wins and 5 losses."
"Ho? If you were an a.s.sociate would you admit that you were winning?"
"One cannot win in a dirty game?"
"Dirty, Who was dirty?!"
Iril growled at Nara with sparks from her eyes while Riley was sitting right across from them! She shook her head and began to explain the reason why she wanted to go.
"No matter what you say, I’m going. There is no way I’m not going when Captain Nara is going. Um. That’s it."
In front of the fireplace, Inaril was seated in a rocking chair and was very nervous.
"It might be a great opportunity for you to improve your skill if you go…… It’s a different world out there, not like what you see here in Romella Village. It will be a good chance for you to gain experience."
Iril clenched her fist with a determined look in her eyes that said that she wanted to see this through. Riley understood it and nodded his head. Then he looked at the person who was seated beside the girl, Ian.
"What about you Ian?"
At Riley’s question, Ian looked at Inaril who was seated in front of the fireplace with his mouth open.
"……………"
"If it is hard, you don’t have to decide."
To announce his decision, Ian stood up from his chair and pushed it back before sharing what he thought.
"Can you give me some time to think this over? 10 minutes. No, 5 minutes is all you need to give and I’ll decide."
Seeing the old man with a serious face, Riley had an expression that said he had no choice so he nodded his head.
"Fine."
Ian who stood up from his chair once looked at Inaril who smiled softly at him and he went out…….. the remaining companions in the room breathed out as a sigh of relief.
"Young Master, didn’t you say……. six members?"
At Nainiae’s question, Riley shrugged his shoulders looked back at her and answered.
"It was that, but I changed my mind."
Riley said that he had changed his mind in the mid-way but it was originally ‘seven members’ that were on his mind.
Ian and Iril.
While Inaril was concerned about the what the two going to learn and the intense training, Riley decided to take both of them without any hesitation.
"If Ian says that he doesn’t want to come, it’s fine as I originally planned to leave with six members."
If Abyss had as much power he thought, he would not have any problems even he took more than six members.
Though the idea of paying back Abyss with the same ‘six’ might possibly not work out.
Even if the idea won’t work out, since the original purpose would stay the same, Riley was thinking about the benefits that he would have if he could take all of them, including ‘Ian and Iril’ with him.
I will do it if you bring me the feeling of a pair.
As Riley looked concerned with something else while sipping from his tea cup, the other companions who saw this started to talk.
"I’m caught up with the idea of ‘six’ people. I forgot that the Young Master was greedy."
"Well, that’s our Young Master."
"If Mr. Ian is ready to go with us………. Then it will be seven people, right? It is going to be quite a lot of work."
"Will Mr. Ian accompany us?"
"Not sure, I somehow……."
"I’m not the one to hesitate regarding things like this."
"Miss Inaril will be worried."
It wasn’t long after they started talking that Ian, who went out, came in with a stiff face.
"Have you decided?"
Riley put down the teacup and asked Ian who came in. Ian nodded his head.
"Yes."
"………"
Everyone was waiting for the reply from that person.
"………. I will go."
Ian answered after a long silence.
"I have to see the end."
Not six people but it was seven people…… after the answer from Ian, Riley decided that it was going to be seven people.