Chapter 9: CH 9

9 - The old man from the countryside comes home

Episode 9 An Old Man in the Countryside Returns Home

“Alright Master, see you later.”

“Yes. Thank you for today, Alexia.”

We were at a carriage stop in Baltrain, the capital.

I thanked the Knight Commander for accompanying me all day and got into the vehicle.

After stopping by the smithy recommended by Alexia, Selena wanted to take me to another smithy, one that had ties to the Adventurer’s Guild, but in the end, we didn’t have enough time.

Had I spent any longer going around the city, there would no longer be any carriages to take me home.

Although the area around the capital was relatively safe, it was still somewhat risky to drive around for hours on end through the dead of night. If anyone truly had to, they would move with an escort.

If you couldn’t afford that much, you open yourself to attacks by burglars, stray animals, or even worse, monsters. The night was a dangerous time to be out and about.

Alexia definitely could have gotten me a carriage later in the night using her authority, but I still had to hire protection.

I’m not going to be able to take advantage of that, and if I were to hire my own escort, I’d be out a lot of money, so I decided not to.

Selena was reluctant to part with me, but apparently the Adventurer’s Guild had called her, so she couldn’t accompany me all the way here. We parted right after we left the smithy.

“We’re also rather short handed at the guild… Alright then Master, I’ll leave you to your business. When you come back to the capital, please come and see me at the guild. I plan on sticking around for a while.”

“Oh, I see. Take care, Selena.”

I recalled our parting words.

The Adventurer’s Guild was a place I had no connection with.

In the first place, in the countryside area like Bidden Village, there were no such things as requests for adventurers, and my students and I could handle a few beasts and monsters.

And in case of emergencies, my old man was also there to help.

However, if Selena was around, it might be a good idea to pass by and say hello.

Besides, there might be more of my apprentices who had become adventurers or something similar, and it’d be nice to meet them. Yup, I’ll put that in my schedule on my next visit.

“Well then, please take care of me during the trip.”

“Of course. We’ve got a long way to go, so take it easy.”

Nobody would ride carriages headed for the countryside at this late an hour, so this carriage was almost an exclusive reservation.

It was rather boring now that I was alone, unlike when I had company on the way to the capital.

And as it wasn’t bright anymore, I couldn’t gaze at the passing scenery.

…I should sleep.

In times like these, it’s best to just let time pass me by.

As soon as I closed my eyes, the tiredness from the long day caught up to me, and my consciousness instantly melted away into a deep slumber.

“—ey, hey customer, we’re here. Last stop, Bidden Village.”

“…Ah, hmmm… oh, we’ve arrived?”

I sat up and shook the soreness out of my shoulders while still a little dazed.

As I awoke from the coachman’s call and looked outside, I noticed that the sun had already set. A considerable amount of time must have gone by.

Well, at least it was a nice nap. All is well that ends well.

“Ah, pardon me. Thank you for the ride.”

“Don’t worry about it. You must have been tired. Take care of yourself!”

As I stepped out of the carriage, I felt nostalgic, as if I had come home after a long trip, even though it had been less than a day.

Just going to the capital was a momentous occasion, but I also had the unexpected opportunity to reunite with not just Alexia, but Kuruni and Selena as well.

Ah, I’m sure they were happy to see me, and that they’re not just as mentally exhausted as I am from going to an unfamiliar place and seeing someone they hadn’t met in a while.

“Well then, hurry on home, it’s already pretty dark.”

The village of Bidden is in the countryside.

After sunset, there were very few houses whose lights were still on. The stores were nearly all closed, the only ones still open being lodging facilities.

However, I noticed a light spilling out from my parents’ house, the swordsmanship dojo, that was a short walk away.

“How unusual. Do we have visitors?”

Putting aside our home itself, it was even more unusual to see light coming from the dojo at this time of night. I don’t think it’s likely that my old man would still be swinging his sword this late.

Curious, I walked briskly up to the door.

“I’m home. Is anyone here?”

“Oh, you’re back at last!”

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“Master! It’s been a while!”

“Welcome home.”

This was my dojo now, so I didn’t need to be shy, I thought as I opened the door.

There was my old man, sitting cross-legged, and next to him sat a younger man, sitting politely with his back straight.

And next to the latter, a young-ish woman, holding an infant.

“…Landrid, it’s been a long time.”

“Yes! I see you’ve been well, Master!”

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I mentally set aside the unknown woman and spoke to the young man.

His answer was prompt and curt.

He catlike, clever facial traits, and short, trimmer blond hair.

Although he wasn’t particularly muscular, he was fit. A body appropriate to swing the blade. A true swordsman.

He was Landrid Pautraulok, a former student of this dojo.

From what I remember, he should be around thirty years old by now. He was a good-looking young man, and furthermore, his sword skills weren’t half bad.

He used to play the role of an senior in our dojo, given that most of the students were on the younger side.

He was one of the students to whom I gave a sword as a parting gift.

After training at our dojo for about six years, he must have gone to the capital city of Baltrain to become an adventurer. There was no reason for him to visit the village of Bidden.

“…And who is that next to you?”

“Oh, let me introduce you. This is my wife, Fannaly, and our son, Jain.”

“Hello, my name is Fannaly Pautraulok. Thank you for taking care of my husband.”

“Ah, you’re very polite. I’m Beryl.”

After Landrid’s introduction, Fannaly bowed her head.

Seriously Landrid? You’re married?

I’ve been an adult for a while, but it still gives me cognitive whiplash that students far younger than I am are now married and even have children…

“So, what brings you here today?”

I don’t think it’s likely he’s here to tell me about his marriage and kid.

If that was the case, he’d have done it as soon as he tied the know. That can’t be why he’s here…

“Now that Jain has been born, I’m thinking of retiring as an adventurer and settling down.”

“Hmmm… well, I wouldn’t be able to relate.”

Landrid was a Platinum-ranked adventurer.

Speaking of Platinum and adventurer ranks, when it comes to the hierarchy, they’re more than above average.

According to the general consensus, an adventurer is only truly fully fledged when they become Gold-ranked. To go any higher, you need both talent and luck. Of course, there was no way he’d have reached Platinum coasting on luck alone. His rank is proof that he put in more than his fair share of efforts.

It’s a shame, I thought to myself.

But then again, being an adventurer is a profession that is always fraught with danger.

Sure, it was his dream job, but it also had its risks.

He chose his family over his dream, I suppose.

“If you’ve made your decision, I won’t comment on it. Just make sure you don’t regret it.”

“Yes!”

After a brief glance in the direction of Miss Fannaly, he replied cheerfully.

Hmm, looks like he has no remorse about it. That’s good.

“So, what are your plans for the future?”

“Well, I’m thinking to moving here, to Bidden Village. I’ve only gotten as far as I did thanks to your help, and I came here today to greet you.”

“Huh, really…”

Sure, this place is kind of a backwater shithole, but it’s a nice, peaceful area to raise a family in. There’s enough work to go around, and we never worry about food.

“By the way Master, I’ve also been told by the Grandmaster that you’ve been appointed as an instructor to the Revellio Knights. Congratulations!”

“Ah, yes, thank you.”

I was taken by surprise and was a little at a loss for words. I still don’t truly feel like I’m an instructor…

By the way, this “Grandmaster” is my old man. He still gives takes over and teaches sometimes when I have more important business to attend to.

Since he’s handed over the sign to me, he hasn’t been so intrusive or anything like that, which has been a big help to me. He has a tendency to be too delicate with me, but he’s good at that.

“Beryl, just before you came back, I was talking to Landrid about something.”

“Yes? What about it?”

My old man, who had stayed silent this whole time, finally spoke.

He had a joyful look on his face. It made me feel as if he had come back to his youth.

However, when my father makes that face, it’s usually nothing important. I wonder what this is about…

“Beryl, I’ve decided to let Landrid take over this dojo.”

“…eh?”

Eh?

“Go and settle down in Baltrain and do your job.”

“What?”

Huh?

“Oh, and one last thing. Go find yourself a nice wife. Hurry and give me a grandchild.”

“Eh…huh?”

Ehhhhhh??!!!

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