Chapter 88: 88 – Decoy Protagonist, Supporting Protagonist

Paul stifled a yawn and looked around the fancy wooden carriage. Ghyslaine on his left. Lilia on his right. And then across from him, Philip and his wife, Hilda.

It had been a couple days on the road now. After meeting at Roa, they immediately set off in a luxury carriage with silk cushions, a giant window at the back to look at the scenery, and a fast horse.

As to the driver of that carriage...

"You guys still not talking to each other?" Gisu glanced back from the front of the carriage and said, "Silence might be golden, but gold draws danger, you know? Am I going to have to keep track of another jinx?"

Paul snorted and said, "You're the jinx here, Gisu." Paul furrowed his brow and said, "Why were you still around anyway?"

Philip spoke up and said, "I called for him."

Paul blinked. "You?"

Philip smiled. "In a situation like this, an S-Ranked adventurer skilled at scouting and avoiding danger is invaluable, is it not?"

Hilda rolled her eyes and said, "And I told you that you're worrying too much."

Philip looked at her and said, "Since you insist on coming along, I have to be certain. When we arrive, Father will likely run wild..." He shifted his gaze to Lilia and said, "And my dear cousin will be occupied protecting someone else."

Lilia smiled. "Do not worry, Philip. I am no dainty noblewoman."

Paul rubbed his face and muttered, "That's for sure."

Lilia might not be as good as fighting with a sword, but she definitely knew how to take advantage of openings and throw cheap shots.

Maybe that was why she sucked at using Sword God and Water God style. If she had been training in the North God style from the start, she would probably be pretty scary...

"Paul." Lilia looked at Paul and said, "Are you thinking of something rude again?"

Paul laughed and nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "N-No, Lily. I'm just worried... about Rudy."

Philip looked amused, realizing Paul's intentions to change the subject.

Lilia looked like she realized it as well, but she sighed and let it drop. Instead, she nodded, fiddling with her bracelet. "I'm concerned as well. We need to return safely without issue."

Paul nodded.

This was their only chance. Paul wasn't sure, but his gut told him that. If he wanted to make sure that his son didn't turn into someone like a Demon Lord who valued only the people around him and threw away everyone else, Paul needed to show that Rudy had the luxury to relax.

His son was too logical... No. He had become too logical recently.

Paul wasn't sure what had changed... Well, it was probably his fault considering that it happened after that incident, but the end result was that Rudy was weighing everything on a scale against his friends and family. And that scale would never budge.

Rudy was already starting to close his eyes to the outside world. And because he managed to fend off Orsted, Rudy believed that he was the most qualified person to make decisions. That it was his responsibility alone to take care of the family.

But he was still just a kid. Barely eight years old.

Paul might have been a bad father... and he still wasn't sure what a 'good' father looked like. But he knew that he had to step in for at least this.

Rudy shouldn't have to be the one to deal with everything. He might be a genius, but even a genius could be overworked and fall apart.

...In hindsight, maybe Paul shouldn't have made that lecture about great power having great responsibility then? Rudy was already worrying about a lot of things so that might not have been the smartest thing to do.

...Yeah. Paul should definitely just stick to showing instead of talking. Well, at least in trying to convince?

But then if he just went and did things without thinking...

A smack on his right arm.

Paul blinked and looked to see Lilia staring at him with a blank expression.

"What?"

Lilia sighed and said, "I know the saying is like father like son, but you two seem to be picking up each other's traits more frequently these days."

Ghyslaine chuckled. Shifting the sword sheathed at her waist, she smirked and said, "Right? To think the day would come when Paul would shut up and use his brain... Is the world coming to an end?"

Gisu's voice called out from the front. "Hey! Don't jinx it, Ghyslaine!"

Ghyslaine's chuckle turned into a full laugh. "Fine. But it seems that everyone is a bit different these days." She looked at the front of the carriage and said, "You would never have risked your neck on something like this before, Gisu."

Gisu laughed back and said, "Well. I always wanted to try playing the hero. Never got the chance with Paul hogging the spotlight."

Paul straightened and said, "That's because you were always running away from it, Gisu. Didn't you say that taking the initiative for yourself was a jinx?"

"Now that you mention it..." Gisu made a show of hesitating, as if he would run off. But then he laughed and said, "I'm just kidding. And I didn't take the initiative for this trip, so it's fine. It's more of a jinx to turn down a favor from a benefactor anyway."

Paul blinked. "Benefactor?"

"Of course!" Gisu glanced back at Philip and said, "After all, I can't turn down the request from the guy who got my pal a job after retiring from adventuring, could I?"

Philip smiled and said, "Yes. Paul *was* fairly desperate back then." He laughed and said, "I definitely did not expect my cousin to show up at my doorsteps and beg for a handout." His smile faded and then he gave Gisu a serious look. "But thank you for your aid in this matter, Mister Nukadia."

Gisu shrugged. "It's fine. I've got a lot riding on this too. After all, if it turns out that the Notos are really helping the Prime Minister of Asura to kidnap noblewomen and we stop them, the name 'Gisu Nukadia' will suddenly get a lot more value, you know?"

Paul rolled his eyes. "Still thinking about money, huh?"

"Hey." Gisu looked at Paul and said, "Unlike a certain someone, I'm a poor bachelor. Money's the only thing I've got."

Ghyslaine watched the interaction between Paul and Gisu with a faint smile. But then she turned serious and looked at Philip. "Lord Philip. Are you certain that it is fine to bring Lady Hilda. I know that we've gone over it, but-"

Hilda spoke up and said, "Do you think I am a dainty noblewoman, Ghyslaine?"

"Considering you are Eris's mother, I doubt it." Ghyslaine shook her head and then frowned. "But among all of us, you are the only one who does not know how to defend herself."

"Hmph." Hilda tossed her hair and said, "...Be that as it may, my dear husband will keep me safe. Won't you?" She looked at Philip and smiled.

Philip looked tense. "...I will. But please do not start arguments with the other noblewomen at the festival."

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"Of course I won't. What do you take me for, some warmongering harpy?" Hilda poked Philip's head.

Philip sighed.

Paul looked between the two and said, "Seems like you patched things up pretty well, eh, Philip?"

Hilda's gaze turned sharp and she glared at Paul. Pointing at his face, she said, "You shut up. Husband is only doing this because it helps you. Be grateful."

Lilia's gaze turned sharp and she glared at Hilda. "I would watch your tongue. The only reason that this mission has a sliver of success is because of Paul."

Hilda glanced at Lilia and then scoffed. "I've been polite until now, but is a mistress like yourself even in a position to talk back to me? Were you not a mere milk maid until Paul took pity on you?"

Paul's eyes widened and he quickly grabbed Lilia's left hand. "Lily, dear. Please don't get upset at her."

Lilia looked at Paul and smiled. She placed her other hand over Paul's and said, "Do not worry. It would be terrible to set a poor role model for our children to follow. And besides, Eris is a good girl. I would never harm her mother and make her sad. No matter how much that mother deserves it."

"You-!"

Before Hilda could get any more riled up, the horse brayed and Gisu called out.

"Whoa there! Calm down!"

The carriage came to a stop.

Paul frowned and stood up, resting his hand on his sword.

Ghyslaine stood up as well and flipped up her eye patch, staring out from the carriage.

A tense silence, broken only by the horse braying. But when it calmed down, Gisu's voice echoed. "You're pretty brave to be standing there in the middle of the road, friend. Especially considering that you're stopping a carriage of the Boreas family."

Paul glanced at Ghyslaine.

She nodded and quietly opened the back window, slipping out.

At the same time, Paul peered out the front. Plastering a smile on his face, he said, "What is it, Gisu?" He laughed and said, "A highwayman causing you trouble?"

Gisu let out a strained smile. "I think this friend is more than a highwayman, Paul."

Paul looked towards the person that stopped them. And then he froze.

"Excellent. I stopped the right carriage. It would have been a pain to deal with Sauros."

A vaguely familiar voice, along with a vaguely familiar face.

It was a man with silver hair and a long white coat. His golden eyes flickered with a mysterious green hue... Or was it green eyes flickering with gold?

Either way, he stood there in front of the carriage, hiding his hands beneath that white coat.

Paul had only seen the guy once, but considering what happened afterwards, he definitely wouldn't forget the guy's face. "You're-"

"Pierre?" Philip's voice echoed from the carriage and he peered out. Looking at the man standing there, Philip frowned and said, "I thought you said you weren't coming along?"

"Change of plans." The man, 'Pierre' stared at Gisu for a while and then shook his head. Looking back at Philip, he said, "I heard you were bringing your wife along and were short on people, so I figured that I would help out."

Philip frowned. "...Sorry to disappoint, but the carriage is full. As much as I would appreciate your assistance-"

"Don't worry about me. I just wanted to make sure I caught you before..." Pierre's gaze shifted towards the carriage, focusing on Paul and Lilia before he shook his head. "Anyway, you guys keep going. I'll follow behind you."

"...If that is what you wish, I will not stop you." Philip looked at Gisu and said, "Please continue, Mister Nukadia."

Gisu glanced back at Pierre, giving him a thoughtful look.

Pierre stared back with a genial smile and waved his hand. "Go on. There's no need to concern yourself with me."

After a tense silence and everyone getting back in their places, the journey continued.

And as it did, the people in the carriage glanced back out the window to see Pierre casually jogging behind the carriage. But even as the horse went up to speed, the distance between Pierre and the wagon didn't change, the man easily keeping pace.

Paul glanced at Philip and said, "You know the guy?"

Philip stared at Pierre, frowning. "...In part. And if he is here after all he said before... It seems this trip may be more trouble than it is worth."

Paul frowned and glanced at Lilia.

Lilia frowned as well and held Paul's hand.

Well. Paul didn't know exactly what was going on. But he knew one thing.

They would get over this and get back home, no matter what Being W or whatever threw at them.

Didn't Rudy say it one time? That Paul was like a dumb protagonist from a story book?

Well, Paul didn't know if that was true. But if Rudy thought Paul was the protagonist right now, then Paul needed to make sure to pull his weight. Pull his weight, protect Lily, and return home safe and sound to his happy kids. So that they would know that things would be fine. So that they could grow up safe and happy without worrying about always looking over their shoulders.

So to make that happen...

Paul closed his eyes to think.

-LIV-

I opened my eyes.

It was my room in the new house. After putting me to sleep, it seemed like Miss Rostelina left me alone.

I sat up and slowly looked around, mulling over everything that I had just learned. And as I did, I sighed. "Why'd you have to go and make things so complicated?"

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