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In that time, I had grown quite close to the heir, Kaen.

There were always four of us at meals, including Rigon and Esca. I also purposely kept running into the heir and socializing with her as much as possible, so it was only a matter of time before we got to know each other.

Even Esca, who had been a little uncomfortable with Rigon at first, seemed to get over her prejudices as she got to know him.

“…”

When I woke up from sleep, I instinctively checked for the presence of Kaen in the room next building.

I could hear only the even breathing of the two as they were still asleep.

After checking the time, I got out of bed and prepared to wash up.

At Elphon, there was a six-day cycle, with five days of classes and one day off. And today happened to be the day off.

So there was no need to be so diligent in the early morning hours, but that didn’t apply to me.

I always went to bed later than Kaen and woke up earlier, so I could be mindful of her routines.

I didn’t expect anything dangerous to happen inside the academy, but that didn’t mean I should let my guard down.

As if on cue, Rigon woke up and stretched.

“…Ran, we don’t have class today. Do you have plans?”

“Well…”

Of course, it depended on what Kaen was going to do.

And I already knew what she was going to do today.

I’d listened to everything she’d said to Esca last night.

She said she would go out of the academy today.

On days with no classes, students were free to do whatever they wanted. They could play or engage in self-study.

And going outside the academy was also allowed.

Kaen was probably going to go out and explore the city with Esca today.

For me, it wasn’t a bad thing. In fact, I had a little bit of anticipation.

My ultimate goal was to ensure that Kaen fulfilled the conditions for obtaining the Holy Sword, and going outside meant that anything could happen.

When it was time to eat breakfast, Rigon and I left the dormitory.

We met Kaen and Esca at the cafeteria and had breakfast together.

“So, Esca and I were planning to practice magic at the training grounds and then go outside. How about you guys?”

Kaen said with excitement, her mouth full of food.

Before I could answer, Rigon responded first.

“I wanted to go out at least once too. I haven’t properly explored the city since I came straight to the academy.”

“Really? That works out. Let’s enjoy sightseeing together today.”

“We were given permission to go out from 10 a.m. You’re going as well, right, Ran?”

“Of course.”

I nodded.

***

After eating, we trained together in the training grounds as planned.

Rigon trained in swordsmanship, while the three of us, including me, practiced magic.

I watched Esca, completely focused on unfolding her magic, sweat dripping down her face.

“So, it’s like merging the formulas in your mind with mana? Ah, it’s hard to explain in words.”

Kaen stood next to her, making an effort to explain her own technique.

Of course, since the formula was a highly personal area, it didn’t seem to be much help to Esca.

From what I could see, Esca had even less talent for magic than me.

She could barely unleash magic, just enough to pass as a mage.

The reason Kaen wanted to train with Esca today was probably because of our last combat lesson. More to help Esca than to improve herself.

But even if Professor Rokel’s words were a bit harsh, he didn’t seem to be wrong.

“Ugh…”

Esca, who had quickly exhausted all of her mana, collapsed to the ground.

She spoke with an embarrassed smile.

“It’s still difficult. I guess I don’t have much talent for magic.”

“Oh, come on. It’s not like that. If you practice more, you’ll definitely get better.”

Meanwhile, Rigon, who had been swinging his sword alone on one side, approached us.

“Shall we rest for a while and then head out?”

“Let’s do that.”

Rigon glanced at Kaen and suddenly asked.

“By the way, Kaen, have you learned martial arts as well as magic like Ran?”

“Oh, yeah. How did you know?”

“Well, it shows from your body. Your hands are calloused.”

As I listened to the conversation, I suddenly wondered who would win in a sword duel between the two of them.

Although Rigon had a slightly higher level, the difference in levels in the 30s wasn’t significant enough to determine the outcome of a fight.

Of course, I couldn’t suddenly ask them to fight, so my curiosity ended there.

The permitted hours for going out on day-offs were from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

We filled out a sign-in sheet. We were warned to come back and check in with our supervisor on time or face demerits, and then we headed out of the academy.

Not only us, but there were many students who went out since morning, so the streets were quite lively. It was a precious outing time of only eight hours once a week.

“Do you have any place in mind to go?”

“No. Just strolling around and sightseeing, that’s all.”

Raphid City was a big city, and there’s quite a bit to see just by walking down the main street.

We watched a play in the square and wandered into the marketplace.

Looking at the food displayed at the street stalls, Kaen’s eyes sparkled.

“That looks really delicious. Do you know what that is, Esca?”

“Well, it seems to be a food where potatoes are thinly sliced and deep-fried…?”

Kaen and Esca bought something similar to potato fries, while Rigon got some skewers with heavily seasoned chicken from somewhere.

I bought a jar full of caramels and other goodies to share with the kids.

We walked through the lively streets, buying and sharing snacks.

“…?”

It was then, in the distance, that a somewhat familiar face caught my eye.

A middle-aged man standing in front of a fruit stall, looking at the fruits.

For a moment, I thought I must have been mistaken, but I wasn’t.

…What’s that?

Why was he here?”

Why was that person here and why didn’t the hero warned me about this?

The distance grew closer, and Kaen, who had also spotted the man, showed a rare look of bewilderment.

“Huh?”

“What’s wrong?”

“Well… Huh? Wait a moment.”

The man also turned his head towards our direction.

He saw Kaen and greeted her with a friendly wave.

“My daughter!”

Kaen appeared to be momentarily speechless, standing still as if at a loss for words. Then, briskly approaching him, she examined his face from various angles.

“…Are you Father?”

“Well, I am your father, but how could you not recognize my face when it hadn’t been a long time since we parted?”

“No, what’s going on? Why is Father here?”

Listening to the conversation between the two, Rigon and Esca’s eyes widened in surprise.

The man, Ben, asked casually.

“Anyway, have you been well during this time?”

“Why is Father here?”

“Well, what can I say? I came down from the mountains. I decided to settle down in this city.”

“But you never said anything to me!”

“Do I have to tell you everything?”

Kaen sighed several times in disbelief, then murmured.

“No, if that’s the case, why didn’t you come down with me…”

I also wondered what the situation was right now.

I hadn’t heard from the hero about Kaen’s father coming down to the city like this.

The way he was talking, did he just come down from the mountain by himself without telling them?

After quickly scanning me, Rigon, and Esca, he spoke.

“I see you’ve already made a lot of friends. Nice to meet you all. I’m Ben, Kaen’s father.”

When Ben greeted them, Esca responded first in a flustered manner.

“Ah, I’m Esca. I’m a friend who shares the same dormitory room with Kaen.”

“I’m Rigon. I’m also a close friend.”

“I’m Ran.”

Kaen scratched her head and turned to Ben in a puzzled tone.

“Why are you using honorifics?” (T/N: Ben is using formal speech.)

“You’re in the Academy, your classmates must be all nobles, I should be polite.”

“Well, there’s only one noble here, and it’s Esca. Besides, I speak casually too, so it’s strange when Father speak formally.”

“That’s correct. Please feel free to speak comfortably.”

Ben looked around at us once again and chuckled.

“Shall we do that then? Understood.”

I felt that his demeanor was quite different from the last time I saw him.

When I saw him in the mountains, he seemed more rough and unrefined.

“Where is Father staying?”

“It’s not far from here. Are you coming?”

“Yes. Is it alright if we go?”

In response to Kaen’s question, everyone nodded.

I never thought this would happen, but here we are, suddenly having a housewarming party.

***

Ben’s house was a small mansion located on the outskirts of the city.

It wasn’t particularly large, but it was a spacious house, more than enough for one person to live in.

“Where did you get the money, Father? Don’t you need a lot of money to buy a house like this?”

“I have fortunes you don’t know about. I brought back some beast and monster skins and sold them.”

The interior was sparse, with only a table and chairs as furniture in the expansive space.

We sat around the table and were served tea.

The awkward atmosphere dissipated quickly, and we soon engaged in lively conversation, mostly revolving around Kaen.

“So, when we lived in the mountains, this guy was…”

All Rigon and Esca knew about Kaen was that she had lived deep in the mountains since she was a child, and that she had been recommended for admission by an Elphon official with whom she had a casual connection.

Ben described what Kaen was like when she lived in the mountains, and both of them found it interesting.

“Wow, is that true? Kaen?”

“Aissh– stop talking about useless things, Father.”

Kaen tried to cover Ben’s mouth, showing a rare sign of embarrassment about her embarrassing past.

It was truly a heartwarming sight between a father and a daughter. It would make anyone who saw it feel good.

“…”

I stared at the two of them for a moment, feeling a strange sensation in my stomach.

What’s this? Was it just my mood?

Since it was a very brief moment, I felt curious but didn’t dwell on it too deeply.

Time had passed quickly, and it was already well into the afternoon. We decided to tidy up and leave.

As Ben came out to see us off in the yard, Kaen suddenly asked him.

“So, are you really going to keep living here from now on?”

“Yeah. I didn’t plan on staying in the mountains for the rest of my life either.”

Despite his nonchalant tone, Kaen seemed secretly pleased.

Perhaps she had been concerned about leaving him alone when she left the mountains.

“Well, then I guess I’ll just have to come over and eat with you whenever I go out.”

“Can you go out without any restrictions?”

“No, only once a week.”

“That’s good. If you come too often, it’ll tire me out too. Come at a reasonable frequency.”

Kaen made a snorting noise and waved her hand.

“I’m leaving.”

“Go. Go.”

I started to walk after the three of them, but a low voice called after me.

“Take good care of her.”

I turned my head and looked at Ben. He was staring at me intently.

Suddenly, a faint smile formed on his lips.

“She might still be lacking in certain areas, but she’s pure and upright.”

I nodded my head.

“Yes, of course.”

As we walked back towards the academy, the three people chatted.

“Your father is such an interesting person. I envy you.”

“What’s there to envy? Anyway, even though he’s my father, I can’t understand what he’s thinking sometimes.”

When the distance grew, I turned my head again.

I couldn’t see him in the yard, as if he had entered the house.

“Why?”

Kaen asked me with a puzzled expression.

I shook my head.

“…It’s nothing.”