I get up to catch him.
Squeak.
Another open door.
This time it was Ryan's room.
Thud-!
“Ugh!”
I was so flustered that I immediately took off the restraints, and Merchen fell down.
Ryan looked at the Merchen lying in front of him with a bewildered expression.
And... me standing behind him too.
“Dad, you didn’t sleep?”
“...”
Ryan was speechless.
His eyes were wide open, as if he hadn't woken up from a deep sleep.
Meanwhile, Merchen woke up in a panic and tried to run away,
“Hey, put this down.”
Ryan immediately grabbed the back of the neck.
“Where are you going?”
“...”
“Are you running away?”
“Run away! I, I...”
Merchen looked back at me. Then he bit his lips tightly and spoke quietly.
“...I have to go home. Home.”
“Oh, I thought you were a beggar. Did you have a house?”
“Wouldn’t there be? And I’m not a beggar!”
“Shh. Everyone is asleep, so speak quietly.”
Ryan let go of Merchen.
“If you have a house, you should definitely go there.”
“...? Yes, thank you.”
When Ryan let go, Merchen, who had been flustered, turned around.
“Dad! Wait a minute...”
But before I could say anything, Ryan's hand grabbed the back of his neck again.
“Why are you doing this again!”
“But pay the money and go.”
"What?"
"What did you eat today at the restaurant on the first floor of this inn. Lunch and dinner combined totaled a whopping 15 gold pieces. Today, I first realized that a person, let alone a beast, could eat that much."
“...”
“And the daily fee for this inn room I gave you is 5 gold. So, you owe me a total of 20 gold.”
Merchen's eyes wavered. Ryan continued.
“I fed you and gave you a place to sleep, and you can’t even repay me. You’re trying to sneak out at this hour of the morning after taking all that money? Is that what your parents taught you?”
"Wh, what! No! My parents are wiser than anyone else, and they taught me the right things!"
"If you were raised well, you'd understand. How were you taught to act toward someone who helped you?"
“...”
“At least your parents didn’t teach you to run away at night?”
“Then, what...”
Surprisingly, Ryan's words worked.
Merchen slumped his shoulders and muttered.
“What do you want me to do.. I want to pay you back, but I don’t have anything right now...”
“Then you have to pay me with your body.”
"What?"
"Go home. Pay off the 20 gold you owe on your way home. Exactly 20 gold worth of physical labor. I won't ask you to do anything weird, so don't worry."
Merchen gaped blankly.
He looked at Ryan, who had an expression that said, "Just pay the money and go," without any particular intention, and seemed to think for a moment.
“...Yes. Got it.”
He nodded.
Then Ryan turned his index finger back and pointed to Merchen's room.
“Then go back to your room.”
“...”
Merchen really did as he said.
Hesitantly.
He walked slowly, glanced at me, opened the door, and went in.
'Ha...'
I exhaled in relief.
And then, I got nervous again.
'Now...'
Ryan and I are facing each other alone.
'Now I really want to know why this is happening.'
He has been silently observing my series of suspicious actions, and he is acting on what I want without me having to say anything.
He helps me exactly as I want and doesn't ask any questions.
What is the reason?
“Dad, why are you holding on to someone who wants to go home?”
I asked like that.
If I say I caught him because it seemed like Merchen was trying to run away, he will ask me why I thought that...
“He ate. Now that he's eaten, he has to work.”
"What?"
"Daughter, there's no such thing as a free lunch. I'm not the kind of person who would give 20 gold pieces to a poor beggar."
He chuckled and then plopped down in the hallway in front of Merchen's room. He then gestured towards my room.
“I have to keep an eye on this beggar so he doesn’t run away again, so you go inside and sleep.”
“...”
I stared at Ryan in disbelief. He urged me on.
"Hurry."
You have no intention of telling me.
How much do you doubt me?
“...Yes. Good night, Dad.”
“Yes.”
I left him behind, who seemed to be staying up all night for me, and went into my room.
The next day.
Merchen next to me didn't even touch the food that was spread all over the table.
“Aren’t you eating?”
Ryan asked.
“I don’t want to add more debt.”
Merchen replied curtly.
“Eat. From today on, I won’t charge you for feeding and lodging.”
“...Really?”
“Have I been living a life of deception?”
Merchen, who had been watching, began to eat the soup carefully.
“How naive.”
Ryan chuckled.
“What, what...!”
“Just kidding, just kidding. Eat it because you won’t owe me any money.”
Merchen coughed and resumed eating. Watching him, Revan sighed.
“After we eat, let’s go out and buy some clothes. My brother’s clothes are too big for him.”
Fortunately, Merchen, who had been wearing a giant hat, had changed into Revan's clothes... but they were a bit small.
"No. That's enough. Of course, I'm not in a position to go out in such shabby attire, and the clothes of commoners are small and shabby..."
“No need.”
Merchen shook his head, saying that it was really enough, as if he didn't want to get into any more debt.
“But what can I do to pay back the money?”
"I'll tell you that slowly after you eat. Daughter, you come out for a moment."
Ryan told me.
I nodded and followed Ryan out, holding the map I had brought down from the room.
He said as soon as he came out.
“The demon... I have to catch him, right?”
Yeah, right. It seemed like they were going to 'ask me for permission' to go to their next destination.
I shook my head.
"I'm sorry, Dad. I thought there would be a monster in Guintz, but it seems there isn't one now that I've actually come here."
"Yes?"
"Yeah. Let's stop wasting time and get out of here. Even if there's no bounty, we'll be rich if we sell the magic stone."
"That's true. Then, after selling the magic stone, should we go back to Belzer right away?"
"No."
I unfolded the map.
And I pointed to a territory located about two days' carriage ride southwest of Belzer.
Romaier.
“Let’s go here.”
“...Why here?”
“Romaier is where my father’s fourth-oldest brother is the lord.”
“I know that too.”
“Don’t you want to see hia face?”
"Not at all?"
I chuckled at Ryan's disgusted expression.
“But I miss him.”
“Have you never seen him?”
“No.”
After the regression, there is no...
“I only heard rumors that he was very handsome. Like an angel. He was said to be very kind.”
“Yeah, no. He just looks like that. He’s not an angel.”
"Still, I want to see him. I'm not saying we should go and see each other, or even say hello. I'll just watch from afar. I'll just see what he looks like."
That would be a very unreasonable request.
You probably won't understand.
But as I expected, Ryan nods.
“Yeah. If you want to see him that much, you should go see him.”
Also.
“Thank you, Dad.”
Ryan chuckled.
I laughed along too.
I decided yesterday how to treat Ryan.
He seems to believe and follow whatever I say, so there's no need to bother making excuses.
‘I don’t know since when I started being followed by Ryan...’
To be honest, I was suspicious of the fact that he had the brains to run away from home at the age of 12, and I myself didn't act very well in front of Ryan.
'I must have gotten caught somewhere I made a mistake.'
At first, I didn't really have any intention of hiding it, so much so that I even thought about being honest.
But if I say it first, I'll have to confess, 'I made all the revenge you worked so hard to achieve seem like it never happened.'
If Ryan didn't ask first, I decided to keep my mouth shut and just go shamelessly.
"Dad, please understand this: I'm on your side, and I won't betray you, even if it means dying."
“...”
Ryan stared at me for a moment, then nodded with a chuckle.
“I know. I believe you.”
"No matter what I do, I'll only do what's good for you, Dad. You brought me home when I left home, protected me, and raised me, so I'll definitely repay my debt."
“What debt? We’re family.”
Ryan smiled and put his arm around my shoulder.
“Thank you, Dad.”
“Yeah, me too.”
I feel at ease.
Ah... So, what is the new route I decided on after thinking about it yesterday?
'Assume and act as if Ryan is assuming I'm a regressor!'
That's it.
Squeak.
Another open door.
This time it was Ryan's room.
Thud-!
“Ugh!”
I was so flustered that I immediately took off the restraints, and Merchen fell down.
Ryan looked at the Merchen lying in front of him with a bewildered expression.
And... me standing behind him too.
“Dad, you didn’t sleep?”
“...”
Ryan was speechless.
His eyes were wide open, as if he hadn't woken up from a deep sleep.
Meanwhile, Merchen woke up in a panic and tried to run away,
“Hey, put this down.”
Ryan immediately grabbed the back of the neck.
“Where are you going?”
“...”
“Are you running away?”
“Run away! I, I...”
Merchen looked back at me. Then he bit his lips tightly and spoke quietly.
“...I have to go home. Home.”
“Oh, I thought you were a beggar. Did you have a house?”
“Wouldn’t there be? And I’m not a beggar!”
“Shh. Everyone is asleep, so speak quietly.”
Ryan let go of Merchen.
“If you have a house, you should definitely go there.”
“...? Yes, thank you.”
When Ryan let go, Merchen, who had been flustered, turned around.
“Dad! Wait a minute...”
But before I could say anything, Ryan's hand grabbed the back of his neck again.
“Why are you doing this again!”
“But pay the money and go.”
"What?"
"What did you eat today at the restaurant on the first floor of this inn. Lunch and dinner combined totaled a whopping 15 gold pieces. Today, I first realized that a person, let alone a beast, could eat that much."
“...”
“And the daily fee for this inn room I gave you is 5 gold. So, you owe me a total of 20 gold.”
Merchen's eyes wavered. Ryan continued.
“I fed you and gave you a place to sleep, and you can’t even repay me. You’re trying to sneak out at this hour of the morning after taking all that money? Is that what your parents taught you?”
"Wh, what! No! My parents are wiser than anyone else, and they taught me the right things!"
"If you were raised well, you'd understand. How were you taught to act toward someone who helped you?"
“...”
“At least your parents didn’t teach you to run away at night?”
“Then, what...”
Surprisingly, Ryan's words worked.
Merchen slumped his shoulders and muttered.
“What do you want me to do.. I want to pay you back, but I don’t have anything right now...”
“Then you have to pay me with your body.”
"What?"
"Go home. Pay off the 20 gold you owe on your way home. Exactly 20 gold worth of physical labor. I won't ask you to do anything weird, so don't worry."
Merchen gaped blankly.
He looked at Ryan, who had an expression that said, "Just pay the money and go," without any particular intention, and seemed to think for a moment.
“...Yes. Got it.”
He nodded.
Then Ryan turned his index finger back and pointed to Merchen's room.
“Then go back to your room.”
“...”
Merchen really did as he said.
Hesitantly.
He walked slowly, glanced at me, opened the door, and went in.
'Ha...'
I exhaled in relief.
And then, I got nervous again.
'Now...'
Ryan and I are facing each other alone.
'Now I really want to know why this is happening.'
He has been silently observing my series of suspicious actions, and he is acting on what I want without me having to say anything.
He helps me exactly as I want and doesn't ask any questions.
What is the reason?
“Dad, why are you holding on to someone who wants to go home?”
I asked like that.
If I say I caught him because it seemed like Merchen was trying to run away, he will ask me why I thought that...
“He ate. Now that he's eaten, he has to work.”
"What?"
"Daughter, there's no such thing as a free lunch. I'm not the kind of person who would give 20 gold pieces to a poor beggar."
He chuckled and then plopped down in the hallway in front of Merchen's room. He then gestured towards my room.
“I have to keep an eye on this beggar so he doesn’t run away again, so you go inside and sleep.”
“...”
I stared at Ryan in disbelief. He urged me on.
"Hurry."
You have no intention of telling me.
How much do you doubt me?
“...Yes. Good night, Dad.”
“Yes.”
I left him behind, who seemed to be staying up all night for me, and went into my room.
***
The next day.
Merchen next to me didn't even touch the food that was spread all over the table.
“Aren’t you eating?”
Ryan asked.
“I don’t want to add more debt.”
Merchen replied curtly.
“Eat. From today on, I won’t charge you for feeding and lodging.”
“...Really?”
“Have I been living a life of deception?”
Merchen, who had been watching, began to eat the soup carefully.
“How naive.”
Ryan chuckled.
“What, what...!”
“Just kidding, just kidding. Eat it because you won’t owe me any money.”
Merchen coughed and resumed eating. Watching him, Revan sighed.
“After we eat, let’s go out and buy some clothes. My brother’s clothes are too big for him.”
Fortunately, Merchen, who had been wearing a giant hat, had changed into Revan's clothes... but they were a bit small.
"No. That's enough. Of course, I'm not in a position to go out in such shabby attire, and the clothes of commoners are small and shabby..."
“No need.”
Merchen shook his head, saying that it was really enough, as if he didn't want to get into any more debt.
“But what can I do to pay back the money?”
"I'll tell you that slowly after you eat. Daughter, you come out for a moment."
Ryan told me.
I nodded and followed Ryan out, holding the map I had brought down from the room.
He said as soon as he came out.
“The demon... I have to catch him, right?”
Yeah, right. It seemed like they were going to 'ask me for permission' to go to their next destination.
I shook my head.
"I'm sorry, Dad. I thought there would be a monster in Guintz, but it seems there isn't one now that I've actually come here."
"Yes?"
"Yeah. Let's stop wasting time and get out of here. Even if there's no bounty, we'll be rich if we sell the magic stone."
"That's true. Then, after selling the magic stone, should we go back to Belzer right away?"
"No."
I unfolded the map.
And I pointed to a territory located about two days' carriage ride southwest of Belzer.
Romaier.
“Let’s go here.”
“...Why here?”
“Romaier is where my father’s fourth-oldest brother is the lord.”
“I know that too.”
“Don’t you want to see hia face?”
"Not at all?"
I chuckled at Ryan's disgusted expression.
“But I miss him.”
“Have you never seen him?”
“No.”
After the regression, there is no...
“I only heard rumors that he was very handsome. Like an angel. He was said to be very kind.”
“Yeah, no. He just looks like that. He’s not an angel.”
"Still, I want to see him. I'm not saying we should go and see each other, or even say hello. I'll just watch from afar. I'll just see what he looks like."
That would be a very unreasonable request.
You probably won't understand.
But as I expected, Ryan nods.
“Yeah. If you want to see him that much, you should go see him.”
Also.
“Thank you, Dad.”
Ryan chuckled.
I laughed along too.
I decided yesterday how to treat Ryan.
He seems to believe and follow whatever I say, so there's no need to bother making excuses.
‘I don’t know since when I started being followed by Ryan...’
To be honest, I was suspicious of the fact that he had the brains to run away from home at the age of 12, and I myself didn't act very well in front of Ryan.
'I must have gotten caught somewhere I made a mistake.'
At first, I didn't really have any intention of hiding it, so much so that I even thought about being honest.
But if I say it first, I'll have to confess, 'I made all the revenge you worked so hard to achieve seem like it never happened.'
If Ryan didn't ask first, I decided to keep my mouth shut and just go shamelessly.
"Dad, please understand this: I'm on your side, and I won't betray you, even if it means dying."
“...”
Ryan stared at me for a moment, then nodded with a chuckle.
“I know. I believe you.”
"No matter what I do, I'll only do what's good for you, Dad. You brought me home when I left home, protected me, and raised me, so I'll definitely repay my debt."
“What debt? We’re family.”
Ryan smiled and put his arm around my shoulder.
“Thank you, Dad.”
“Yeah, me too.”
I feel at ease.
Ah... So, what is the new route I decided on after thinking about it yesterday?
'Assume and act as if Ryan is assuming I'm a regressor!'
That's it.
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