Novel Full Chapter 503:
Chapter 503:
At the Risner Estate
"Welcome. Oh, should I say 'Welcome back’ instead?"
"”Welcome back!"”
After entering the city of Bailey, we headed straight to the Risner estate.
Since Patrick-san was with us, we didn't need to announce our visit or go through identification checks. We were let in without question, where Cedric-san, Theodore-kun, and Latis-kun greeted us.
"”We're back~”"
"Hello. Theodore-kun and Latis-kun, you've both grown so much~"
It hadn't been that long since I'd last seen them, but they had shed much of their childishness.
"Allen and Elena have grown as well."
"Allen has grown?""Elena too?"
"Yes, you both have."
I knew the kids were growing, but since I lived with them every day, it was hard to notice just how much.
"Speaking of which, when we first met, your height was about here, right?"
"”And now... here!"”
The children, who had once been shorter than my waist, were now taller than that.
I could still lift both of them at the same time, but it was getting harder. Soon, it would become impossible.
Well, they’d probably stop asking to be carried at some point… that’s a little sad, though.
"Oh? Now that I think about it, I heard there was one more guest. What happened to them?"
That must be referring to Kaiser.
"He had something to do and moved on ahead."
"He left right after getting off the ship? He could've stayed for at least one night... Did we make him feel unwelcome?"
"Oh, not at all. He was eager to get going, so don’t worry about it."
Really, there was no need to worry. Kaiser was probably swimming around happily right now.
"Uncle Patrick, welcome home. And it’s been a while."
"Theodore, Latis, it has been a while."
"Uncle, why were you with Takumi-san?"
"Did you go to the dungeon together?"
Theodore-kun and Latis-kun didn't seem to know why Patrick-san was with us, and their curiosity led them to fire off one question after another.
"There's no way I could enter the dungeon with them."
"Ehh, you didn’t go?"
"Why not?"
"I don't have the combat skills to keep up with Takumi-san."
"”Ehh~””
"… You don’t have to sound so disappointed."
Since they loved adventure stories, they had probably been hoping to hear one from Patrick-san.
Or maybe they wanted to go on adventures themselves, so they were interested in stories from their own relatives.
"Haha, Theodore, Latis, asking Patrick about battles is pointless. He’s hopeless in that area."
"... Aniue, you and I have similar athletic abilities, don’t we?"
"Oh my, I’d say I’m at least better than you, Patrick."
"No, there’s not much difference."
… It seemed that the older Risner brothers weren’t particularly athletic.
"Theodore, Latis, in our family, Isaac is the odd one out."
"That’s right."
The Risners were a family of civil officials, so Isaac-san becoming a knight was unusual.
Which meant… Theodore-kun and Latis-kun might not be great at physical activities either.
"… Latis and I kind of suspected it."
"......"
Theodore-kun and Latis-kun averted their gazes from their father and uncle.
They seemed to have already realized their own lack of athletic ability.
Well, noble children typically learned swordsmanship and martial arts from a young age…
Maybe it was because they couldn’t do those things that they admired adventure stories so much.
"”Are you bad at exercise?”"
A moment of silence fell upon the room. Then, Allen and Elena ruthlessly stated the truth, making the atmosphere even more awkward.
"… Well then, everyone must be tired. There’s a lot I’d like to ask, but first, let me show you to your rooms."
"… Thank you. Please do."
Thanks to Cedric-san’s quick thinking, we escaped the heavy atmosphere and were led to our guest rooms.
"… Allen, Elena, even if something is true, there are things you should and shouldn’t say. Please think before you speak."
“"… Sorry."”
Once inside our assigned room, I made sure to correct the children.
They must have noticed the awkward mood earlier, as they hung their heads in remorse.
"Does Theodore-kun hate us now?"
"Does Latis-kun?"
"… Ah, no. I think you’ll be fine."
I was about to suggest that they apologize, but apologizing would mean bringing up the topic again.
What would be the right thing to do in this situation?
"……"
As I was pondering that, there was a knock on the door.
"Yes, come in."
"Excuse us."
"Theodore-kun! Latis-kun!"
"Theodore-kun, I’m sorry!"
"Latis-kun, I’m sorry!"
Realizing it was Theodore-kun and Latis-kun, the children immediately ran up and apologized.
"It’s okay."
"It’s true that we’re not good at physical activities."
"But Allen and Elena, you were worried about us, weren’t you?"
"Coming here was the right choice, wasn’t it, Aniue?"
Theodore-kun and Latis-kun had noticed that Allen and Elena were acting strange and had come to check on them.
"My dream is to become a lord like Father. Even if I can’t fight, I’ll have people to protect me!"
"I want to become a civil official who can support my brother!"
"”So, it’s not a problem."”
They had already set their sights on the future and were working towards their goals.
"Theodore-kun and Latis-kun, you’re both kind and admirable. I’m sure you’ll become a great lord and civil official."
"”Thank you very much!””
"That said, we’re really not bothered by it. So, when you have time, please tell us about your adventures!"
"Even if we’re not good at physical activities, we love hearing stories!"
"Of course. Hmm, how about after dinner tonight?"
"”Yay~ Please do!"”
Theodore-kun and Latis-kun were such good kids that at that moment, I felt like I would grant any request they had.