Chapter 127: Careless
{TL: By Creed}
After parting ways with Fate, Lena walked down the main street of the town with a nonchalant expression...
After entering a few narrow alleys, she moved to the hideout.
Entering the house, she let out a sigh. "I'm tired... and it was close..."
"You seem unusually tired."
Riken was already in the hideout. He was leisurely drinking tea and relaxing.
"Did you make some kind of mistake?"
"No, it's fine. They asked me a lot of questions, but no one was suspicious of me. It's just... covering things up was tiring."
"Are you sure you didn't make any mistakes?"
"I'm... pretty sure I didn't?"
"So, you did..."
Riken let out a sigh of exasperation.
Lena was highly skilled, her combat abilities surpassing Riken's. However, when it came to espionage, her abilities were somewhat unreliable, often leading to mistakes like this.
"I-it's fine! I did have some contact with the knights, but they weren't suspicious of me."
"Is that really true?"
"Yes, really! Also, I made sure to dispose of the magic sword properly."
The magic sword that the man had wasn't broken for no reason. Lena, who was knowledgeable about magic swords, had activated the self-destruction code.
Even though Fate had seen that moment... he wouldn't have any idea what happened since he had no knowledge of magic swords.
"That's only natural. For now, we can't let the world know about the magic swords."
"Right? Magic swords are the counterparts to holy swords... If holy swords save the world, then magic swords destroy it. They're extremely dangerous."
"For us, there's no choice but to destroy this false world."
"That's true."
"And what about the holy sword?"
"Ah... that. It's no good. The mass-produced magic swords... and the wielders are just a bunch of nobodies. With that, there's no way to do anything about the holy sword."
"Hmm... If possible, I would have liked to have the holy sword in our possession, but if the Sword Saint has it, there's no helping it."
"She's strong enough to beat Fate, after all."
"So... can we proceed to the next stage of the plan?"
"Yes, it's fine. Next, we'll use that man."
"Understood. However... you seem rather pleased for someone who claims to have made a mistake."
"Do I? Maybe I am. Hehe."
Lena laughed innocently.
"I think... I might actually want Fate for myself."
――――――――――
Although the conclusion wasn't entirely satisfying...
Still, we managed to defeat the Jet Black Sword Demon that had been causing trouble in the town.
For those who were already harmed, all we can do is wish them peace... But at least there won't be any more victims. That should be considered a relief.
While cooperating with the Knights' investigation, I also explained the situation to the Adventurer's Guild staff who rushed over after learning about the incident, as well as the Guild Master. As a result, it was determined that I had completed the mission.
And then...
"So, as you can see, the Jet Black Sword Demon that was the talk of the town was defeated by Fate."
"Ugh..."
"The Jet Black Sword Demon was a formidable opponent who had taken the lives of many adventurers. Fate's victory over this demon proves his strength."
"Ugh..."
"And more importantly, Fate fought for the people of the town. His spirit and intentions deserve praise."
"Ugh..."
The setting was once again Sofia's family home.
After resolving the incident, I managed to arrange a meeting with Edward... When I went to speak with him, Sofia began proudly recounting the details of the incident.
"Even after all this, do you still refuse to acknowledge Fate?"
"Grrr..."
Unable to find a moment to counter, Edward groaned in frustration, glaring at me with a fierce look.
Um, well...
I'm... sorry?
"Sofia, let's stop talking about this."
"Huh? Why stop now? Thanks to this incident, Fate was able to achieve a decisive accomplishment, wasn't he? Then..."
"I'm grateful for all your efforts, Sofia, but... I really don't want to use this incident as a means to gain favor."
Though there were few, there had already been casualties. And if we were to use this incident to our advantage... I felt that would make me a terrible person.
When I expressed these feelings, Sofia's eyes widened, then she made a gentle expression that seemed to say "I guess there's no helping it." Beside her, Edward looked surprised.
"I want Edward to acknowledge me, but... I'd like to take a more straightforward approach. Like defeating a strong monster or conquering a difficult dungeon. While this incident could be considered an achievement... there were casualties, and I think it's inappropriate to take advantage of that."
"Yes... I'm sorry, Fate. I was wrong."
"No, it's okay. You were just thinking of me, Sofia, so I can't be mad at you."
"Right."
Sofia seemed happy and...
"...Hmm."
Edward furrowed his brow. Was he angry? Yet, he wasn't shouting like he usually did...
"...Boy."
"Y-yes?"
"The man you defeated had a grudge against me."
"Huh?"
"Is that true?"
Surprised by this unexpected revelation, Sofia and I widened our eyes in astonishment.
"Yes. He wasn't an adventurer at first, but someone involved in the city's administration. However, he was deceived by some scoundrels, lost his position, and became an adventurer... and held a grudge against me because of it."
"Isn't that just a misguided resentment...?"
"Indeed. But he couldn't help but hold a grudge. By directing his anger at someone, he must have been trying to maintain his sanity. And... whoever they were, they exploited that."
"......"
"If we had left him alone, he might have even harmed my wife or Sofia. For that, I thank you... Sofia."
After a moment of contemplation, Edward called out quietly.
"Sofia, is this boy truly the one you want?"
"Yes."
"Can't you consider any other man?"
"Of course not."
"......"
"I love Fate. I've loved him ever since I was a child. So much that I want to be with him forever... I love him more than anyone in the world."
Normally, Edward would explode in anger at this point, but...
"......"
He remained silent.
"Sofia."
"Yes."
"A week from now, I'll arrange a meeting with your betrothed."
"Father! Are you still going through with that..."
"A meeting. Even though it's only a tentative arrangement, we can't simply ignore it without meeting. So, go talk to him just once. After that... you may do as you please."
"Huh? Does that mean..."
"But let me be clear, I'm only cancelling the betrothal! That's all! It doesn't mean I approve of your relationship with this boy!"
Though he said such things...
At least, if not for this incident, Edward's attitude wouldn't have changed.
In other words, he had acknowledged me, at least a little. That made me happy, and I couldn't help but smile.
"Boy, what are you smiling about? I didn't say I acknowledged you!"
"Yes, thank you very much."
"Ugh, I didn't say I acknowledged you! Stop thanking me!"
"Thank you!"
"Ugh... this boy, really!"
From the back, I could hear Aisha and Licorice talking.
"Are Dad and Mom's Dad making up?"
"Maybe they're just one step away from it."
TL Note: One Step is all it takes.
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