Chapter 123 - Chapter 122: As Expected, They're Overprotective
The day after Mika and the others arrived in Yaunasun.
Mika appeared at the guard's station and explained the circumstances of how he captured Zureept and his gang.
Last night, he stayed at the designated inn, and two soldiers, whether for security or surveillance, were stuck to the front of his room.
Since there was no need to escape, Mika decided to just rest there.
First thing in the morning, he stopped by the Bounty Hunter Guild and informed them that he had captured Zureept.
He also told them that since he had already handed him over to the guards, "Please handle the subsequent procedures with them."
And so, the interrogation began.
The interrogation itself proceeded smoothly.
Two people were in charge of it.
The Captain and the official he had met last night.
It seemed they had already heard a bit from the rescued women last night, so it was confirmed without a doubt that Mika had saved them.
Also, it seemed they were unaware of Mika's involvement in the Cleiria kidnapping incident.
In his previous world, it would be cross-referenced with past data, making it difficult to hide, but in this world, it seems to be ignored if no one notices.
Long live analog.
However, the issue that arose was how he had defeated the vicious Zureept.
That was the only point.
"I know this is rude to say, but I can't imagine you could have defeated Zureept. ...There are many testimonies, so I suppose there is no mistake. But how did you do it?"
"Even if you ask me how, they came at me, so I just punched them down. That's all."
Mika didn't want to mention the Stone Bullet spell, so he decided to say that punching them created holes in their chests.
After all, there was no evidence.
Even if there were some discrepancies with witness testimonies, he would push through until the end.
It's always what he does!
"Zureept's gang was defeated even when ten or more Bounty Hunters challenged them, and they were all wiped out at that time too. How did you manage to defeat Zureept, who uses Physical Enhancement?"
"I can use Physical Enhancement too, you know. Besides, I usually deal with magic beasts? If we meet, wiping them all out is no different for either side."
Magic beasts attack humans to prey on them, so they often get so obsessed with eating that they let other people go.
When Mika said he could use Physical Enhancement, the two of them widened their eyes.
Mika took off his gauntlet and showed them the bracelet, proof that he was a student.
"I have been attending for two years in Sarbengeal and one year in the Royal Capital. My time as an adventurer will soon be three years. Perhaps Zureept thought I was a child and let his guard down. ...But I won't be beaten by someone like that."
Mika spoke as if it were nothing, and the two of them looked dumbfounded.
Mika had also fought and defeated the Agu Bear head-on.
Compared to the pressure of magic beasts that truly intended to eat him alive, their eyes shining brightly, Zureept, no matter how fierce he was, only elicited the feeling of "annoying."
Mika also realized that he was finally stepping one foot into the realm of the non-human.
Sometimes, when facing ferocious magic beasts, the situation becomes severe, and he thinks, "I still have a long way to go," but normally, people are killed without being able to resist at all.
The same goes for the guards protecting Yaunasun.
Adventurers who have crossed a certain line are simply no match for guards.
But even so, Mika can seek strength with peace of mind.
Because Yaroibarov is there.
Mika has never seen Yaroibarov actually fighting.
But from the atmosphere Yaroibarov exudes, it is palpable that he is far stronger than Mika.
And yet, he never puts on airs or shows off.
He just lives and breathes like a normal person.
How amazing this is, he feels deeply.
Mika smiled brightly.
"I have to return to the Royal Capital before the end of this month, so please finish the interrogation quickly. After all, I have to go back home first."
When Mika said that, the Captain and the official looked startled.
Including today, there are thirteen days left in this month.
If they take a shared carriage, it takes ten days to get from Yaunasun to the Royal Capital.
If they have to return to the house in the Limpēre domain first, it will take at least two days for the round trip.
In other words, if they cannot catch the carriage to Kotontesse tomorrow morning, they cannot return to the Royal Capital this month. ...Normally.
"Well, if you write a note explaining the reason for being late to the academy, it's fine if you are a little late."
Mika conveyed this cheerfully, and the official's face turned pale.
During the Cleiria kidnapping incident, there was a week of house arrest, but that was a local magic academy.
Moreover, it was a matter known to Marquis Leventein, the operator of that academy.
So, even if returning to the academy was a bit late, he could manage without worrying too much.
But the academy he attends now is in the Royal Capital.
The operator is the nation itself.
No matter how vicious he was, if he hindered the training of mages just because he defeated one or two villains, what kind of reprimand would he receive?
In the official's mind, he must be desperately thinking about the best course of action he can take right now.
If Mika had committed a crime, there would be a reason for arrest and detention.
But even though he took lives, if he detained him for so long that he was late returning to the academy after eliminating villains, he would have to come up with a considerable excuse.
In that case, wouldn't it be better to just process it quickly?
He must be calculating that.
"Hmph, hmmmmmm..."
Mika stretched widely in front of the guard's station.
It was just past noon now.
Thanks to the official who thoughtfully finished the interrogation quickly, he became free in no time.
After having lunch, Mika stopped by the Bounty Hunter Guild again to check on the bounty.
Since he had mentioned it in the morning, the procedures were almost complete.
And the bounty for Zureept and his subordinates combined exceeded ten million Rats.
Since they had committed crimes in the Trade Union for over ten years, the bounties were actually quite high in the Trade Union rather than in Yaunasun.
"...If you wipe out a whole gang, the amount becomes quite high."
He never thought it would be such a huge amount.
If ten Bounty Hunters captured the gang together, it would be one million Rats per person. One gold coin.
Since he was taking it all for himself, of course, the amount would be high.
"I thought I'd earn a little during my vacation, but I ended up with an unexpected fortune."
Mika stopped by the bank and decided to organize his funds.
Cash to keep in the Magic Bag.
Money to give to Amalia.
Since there was a temporary income, he would also donate to Radi.
"...Should I also give Loretta her allowance?"
But... he felt a bit uneasy.
He had become very anxious about Amalia's management abilities.
After all, she hadn't even grasped the remaining debt.
Just from that one fact, he felt anxious about entrusting her with a large sum of money.
"Maybe I'll just show her that the allowance is already there. She can send me a letter if she needs it."
She doesn't seem to have any intention of getting married, but showing her that the cash is already prepared might be effective.
To make sure she doesn't hesitate to ask for help if something happens, he would show her a little cash.
While thinking about various things like that, Mika put the cash into the bag and left Yaunasun.
Mika decided not to meet the rescued women.
It seemed the women would not return to their homes but would all stay at the church in Yaunasun.
Strictly speaking, they would enter some convent run by the church.
The women said that when they were kidnapped, their families were killed, and they had no home to return to.
They had other relatives, but they disliked being treated like a sore spot, so they decided to live in the convent praying to the gods.
He was told by the official that the black-haired women were very grateful to Mika.
Mika decided to just have them convey, "Take care."
At first, he wanted to say, "Do your best."
But he hesitated.
The women had already done their best enough.
What more could he ask them to do their best for?
If the women ever became unable to live, Mika's "Do your best" might become a burden.
Such a thought floated in his head, and he couldn't bring himself to say "Do your best" with such a light heart.
So, he just had them convey, "Take care."
Mika returned to Rish Village before evening even arrived.
It was the time when Amalia and the others would be at work.
When Mika arrived in front of the house, he let out a sigh of relief and opened the door, relaxing his shoulders.
"I'm home."
"Mika!"
"Guh!?"
For some reason, he was squished by Amalia and Loretta, who were at home.
Mika somehow escaped the hug hell and caught his breath.
He thought he was going to suffocate.
"W-why are you both here!?"
"Why? It's obvious we were worried about you!"
"What about work!?"
"We don't have time for work, you idiot! Waaah!"
Who's the idiot? Who is?
He had told them in advance that there might be times he couldn't return, but it was completely meaningless.
Skipping work over something like this...
How should he deal with these two's over-worrying nature?
For Mika, this was a far more difficult problem than defeating villains or magic beasts.
As expected, they are too overprotective, both of them.
Waiting for the two to calm down, he sat at the table.
This was a good opportunity.
He would talk a bit about the future.
"I've prepared the allowance for Big Sister. Just tell me whenever you want to get married."
"I'm not going to get married like that---."
Mika placed two gold coins on the table, one by one, clink, clink...
Loretta, who was about to say something, opened her mouth wide in surprise, and ignoring the two who were frozen in shock, he placed another gold coin.
Then he placed a bag containing about ten coins on the table as well.
"There is savings like this, so if anything happens, don't hesitate to ask me for help."
He silently watched the two staring at the gold coins as if in a daze.
(...Ah. Maybe this is the first time they've ever seen a gold coin.)
Even when Mika's pool amount exceeded one million Rats, he had only seen the actual coins relatively recently.
After getting the Magic Bag and starting to hold cash, he had put just one coin in for the first time.
Until then, he hadn't felt like holding cash, which was troublesome to manage.
In the end, he deposited that one coin back into the bank later.
After all, you rarely use gold coins with cash.
"...What's wrong, Mika. Such a large sum of money..."
After waiting for a while, it seemed Amalia's consciousness had returned from somewhere.
"Of course, I earned it."
"E-earned...?"
Normally, no one could even imagine how such a large sum of money was earned.
Especially for Amalia, who has never left Rish Village.
"I don't usually take on such big jobs, but this time I happened to get a good job."
He didn't tell them the specific amount, but earning ten million Rats in one or two days is not something that happens often.
Moreover, since it was for the sake of the world and people, there was no need to say anything.
Mika put away the display coins and then placed a bag containing one hundred silver coins on the table with a thud.
"One hundred silver coins is one million Rats. Please use it to supplement your living expenses."
"Supplement...?"
It seemed Loretta had also returned to reality.
Both of them looked as if their blood had drained from their faces, but were they okay?
"Mika, I can't accept this. It's already a relief that you paid off our debts, but to add this..."
Amalia said in a slightly trembling voice.
Loretta nodded vigorously as well.
"I want you to keep it in case something happens."
"I appreciate the sentiment, but such a large sum of money... Mother, I'm too scared to keep it."
Well, that is certainly true.
Managing cash is really difficult.
Especially in this house, they rarely lock the front door.
This is a feeling unique to the countryside.
(Hmm, I want them to keep it for emergencies.)
In that case, the next best option.
"Both of you, come to the Royal Capital?"
"Huh?"
The two of them looked blankly surprised.
Well, it was too sudden for them to understand.
"Rish Village might be a nice place, but it's too far away to lend a hand quickly if something happens. If you both move to the Royal Capital, I can feel at ease."
Mika said it lightly, but it would be a big decision for the two of them.
But Amalia immediately shook her head.
"Mika, I appreciate the sentiment, but places like the Royal Capital are scary for Mother. I think living quietly here suits me."
Amalia had a gentle face, but strong will could be seen in her eyes.
(Well, that's natural.)
Amalia's happiness must lie here.
Mika was supposed to be part of that, but he had jumped out.
Still, the quiet life of Rish Village was Amalia's wish.
"What about you, Big Sister?"
"I, um..."
She looked down with a troubled expression, but soon lifted her face.
"I also like this village."
"I see."
Mika accepted it readily.
He had expected this to happen.
"Understood. But if you have any trouble, let me know immediately."
When Mika smiled, the two of them also looked relieved.
"As for city thugs, I'll crush their entire organization for you."
When Mika grinned like that, the two of them twisted their faces.
"Hey, Mika! What are you saying!"
"Mika, don't do anything too dangerous, Mother is worried..."
"Ahahaha, just kidding, just kidding."
Let's leave it at that.
With this, maybe they will consult him without hesitation if something happens.
At least, he thinks they will be less likely to hide things from him, as they did before, out of not wanting to worry him.
Well, just in case, he would ask Radi, Ninetiana, Horatio, and others to keep a close eye on them.
To Amalia and Loretta, Mika was still a child.
But he was no longer just someone to be protected.
It might be difficult for the two of them to accept that, though.
After that, Mika spent about a week relaxing in Rish Village.
As a punishment for staying out overnight and causing worry, the two of them forbade him from going to earn money.
Mika also had a somewhat ambiguous expression about this, but reluctantly agreed.
In reality, he had told the officials in Yaunasun that he had to return to the Royal Capital, so he couldn't just wander around Yaunasun forever.
Only Mika could reach the Royal Capital in one day.
With only one week left in this month, if he was found still wandering around Yaunasun, it would turn into a "What are you doing, you!" situation.
So, he spent his time relaxing by visiting the church and playing at Ninetiana's house.
At the church, he donated an additional gold coin.
Radi was speechless, but fortunately, there was no lecture this time.
Mika also told Ninetiana that he had defeated two Agu Bears.
He said, "If there are any signs of danger in the village, please contact me."
Since Rish Village and the Royal Capital are too far apart, letters won't arrive quickly, but he told her, "Once it arrives, I will fly over immediately."
When he said he had faced two Agu Bears at the same time, she was beyond surprise; she was stunned.
When he further explained that he defeated them without a scratch, she could only let out a sigh.
"...Mika-kun, you're becoming like Tako-chan."
"No way, don't put me in the same category as that monster."
"You're already pretty much the same thing."
Ninetiana shrugged, resting her cheek on her hand.
It seemed that the current Mika was stronger than Diego at his peak.
Of course, so was Ninetiana.
"I use Physical Enhancement, you know. If I didn't enhance myself, even the Agu Bear... well, I could probably defeat it."
Ninetiana's jaw dropped.
Without Physical Enhancement, close-range combat is certainly difficult, but Mika's original fighting style is mid-to-long range.
He could probably defeat them easily with a few Explosive Flame spells even if he flew down and shot them.
He also wanted to try how effective the rotated Stone Bullet spell was.
If he could land a headshot this time, maybe he could take them down in one shot?
"See, you're the same as Tako-chan."
"That's not right. I'm not that kind of monster."
Such a futile argument continued for a while.
Ninetiana picked up Dur, who had hugged her leg.
"By the way, Yaroibarov-san. He is in the Royal Capital now. He is finally opening an inn."
"Oh, is that so? He has finally expanded to the Royal Capital. I wonder if I should go visit."
"Just visit...?"
It takes more than ten days one way, you know?
"What about Dur?"
"Well, maybe it's time to take him along? What do you think?"
"I think you should wait..."
Mika found it difficult even to get to Sarbengeal.
Putting such a hardship on a three or four-year-old child is a bit...
Moreover, it would be nearly four times the period of Mika's time.
"Then let's wait until he grows up a bit more."
"...That's right."
By then, you better be a strong kid.
Mika couldn't help but hope that Dur, playing innocently on Ninetiana's lap, would grow up to be a strong child.