The next morning.
I took my wives and headed to the Holy Knight Order’s encampment with Aurora.
As we walked through the town, Aurora, who had been listening to my story, exclaimed in surprise.
“Eh…!? You haven’t reported the completion of your mission yet, Uncle!?”
I answered her question with a grin.
“Yeah. I didn’t want to report to Marco and then immediately be told about the next mission.”
“B-but… shouldn’t you still properly follow the communication procedures (Hou-Ren-Sou)…?”
“If the person you’re reporting to is a decent superior who cares about their subordinates, then yes. But if they’re someone who overworks their subordinates until they break, you’ll break too if you’re too earnest.”
“B-but, Uncle…! Just because the other person is bad doesn’t mean you don’t have to do your part!”
Aurora said that, looking at me with her innocent and pure Eyes.
This girl, even while calling me a bad kid, is ultimately a straight shooter.
I patted Aurora’s head reassuringly.
Seeing Aurora accept it with a “Fnyu,” she seemed to enjoy it, and I smiled.
“That’s right. But Aurora, that’s precisely why I was relieved yesterday when I realized you could be a little bit of a ‘bad kid.'”
“……?”
The Girl Holy Knight tilted her head.
I spoke to Aurora, as if admonishing a child.
“What Aurora is saying is the ‘model answer of a good kid,’ right? On the other hand, what I’m saying is the ‘survival strategy of a bad old man.’ I want Aurora to become more of a ‘bad kid.’ I’m worried that Aurora is too good, and might break.”
“Worried because I’m too much of a good kid…?”
“Yeah. I want Aurora to be more of a bad kid—like yesterday.”
As I said that with a smirk, Aurora’s Eyes widened, and her face instantly turned bright red.
Then, averting her gaze shyly, she spoke.
“…I… I don’t quite understand yet, but… I’ll think about it…”
“Yeah. I’d be happy if you did.”
I ruffled Aurora’s head again.
The Girl Holy Knight seemed somewhat pleased.
Then my wives chimed in.
“That’s right, Douglas is right. Aurora, you should be a bit more of a bad kid too~”
“But Elen, I think you should exercise a little restraint, nya.”
“That’s right. As Douglas’s consort, you should be more modest.”
“Um, Seraphina’s behavior… can that be called modest…? It seemed quite bold…”
Three women, no, four women together are a lively bunch.
Watching the girls with amusement, I leisurely walked down the cobblestone street.
***
Upon arriving at the Holy Knight encampment, we entered the Branch Chief’s office.
Marco, a short, stout, middle-aged Holy Knight with a receding hairline, eyed us suspiciously as we entered.
“Adventurers and Aurora, all showing up together in the morning…? There shouldn’t be an early morning arrival on the shared carriage from the neighboring city.”
Hearing his words, Aurora trembled slightly.
Marco is unreasonably sharp about trivial matters.
He probably thinks everyone else is an enemy and is used to being suspicious.
I patted Aurora’s shoulder as she stood beside me, then replied to Marco.
“I completed the mission properly. No complaints, right?”
I took out a letter from my pocket and handed it to Marco.
It was a document written by the Branch Chief of the neighboring city’s barracks, certifying that I had completed the mission in Aurora’s place.
Marco snatched it, opened it, and examined the contents.
“…Hmph, it seems you did complete the mission. Very well, I acknowledge it.”
“Hold on, not only are you not offering a reward, but you’re not even offering thanks?”
“You offered to do it yourself. I have no reason to thank you. The matter of compensation is currently under consideration.”
“Oh, is that so? Understood.”
Well, Marco is right about this.
At this rate, I shouldn’t expect any reward.
Thinking that, I tried to smooth things over.
However, Marco’s next words took me completely by surprise.
“Now that Aurora’s stamina has recovered, you all have your next mission. Aurora and the Adventurers will each be assigned separate duties.”
Marco said that as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and I was stunned.
I couldn’t help but blurt out a genuine retort.
“Hey, what are you talking about?”
“I just told you, it’s about the next mission. As I said, our Holy Knight Order is currently experiencing a chronic shortage of defensive strength. For the sake of the people’s lives, and for Aurora’s rest, you will naturally be expected to work, won’t you?”
Marco said that without a hint of remorse.
I couldn’t help but be exasperated.
“…What if I refuse?”
“Haha, what are you saying? Aurora spoke highly of you, calling you a ‘person of integrity’! Surely a person of integrity recognized by a Holy Knight wouldn’t refuse to help others? You understand that lives are at stake, correct? …Or are Adventurers, interested only in money and women, incapable of purely helping others?”
Marco said that, smirking.
It was astonishing that Marco, a Holy Knight receiving a salary, was trying to force Adventurers, who needed to earn a living wage, to work for free, and then calling them greedy if they refused.
I see, this is quite the scoundrel.
It’s no wonder Aurora finds it too much to handle.
Aurora and my wives were about to lash out at Marco, angered by his unreasonable demands, but I stopped them with a hand gesture.
Then I asked Marco.
“Just to confirm, what about the reward?”
“Hmph, I told you it’s under consideration. Listen carefully to what I’m saying.”
“Okay, got it.”
I let out a big sigh.
Marco grinned.
I replied to Marco.
“I refuse that mission.”
“……What?”
Marco’s smirking face froze for a moment.
On the other hand, it was me who smiled.
“I don’t know what kind of mission it is, but I said I refuse. —Well, anyway, I’m not a Holy Knight of this country, so the very term ‘mission’ is strange.”
“Wh-what are you saying, you! Lives are at stake! It seems you have the power to defeat three Trolls alone! That power must be used for the powerless, and you have a duty to do so! Isn’t that right!?”
Marco slammed his desk repeatedly.
He used the same tactic when intimidating Aurora.
But that had no effect on me.
I flicked out some earwax I’d just picked, and replied to Marco.
“Duty and responsibility, those are things you should hold in your own heart, aren’t they? They’re not meant to be forced upon others and used as convenient pawns, are they?”
“Guh…! B-but, then you don’t care if people die!”
“I didn’t say that. I might act on my own and save lives if possible. But whether I do so or not is my decision. It’s not your decision, Marco.”
“Gugugu…!”
Marco pounded his desk in frustration.
Maybe it was just a habit, rather than a tactic of intimidation.
—Well, this much should be enough for now.
After getting that “preface” out of the way, I asked Marco again.
“Now then—after we’ve understood each other’s positions, shall we get to the main topic?”
“Huh…?”
“The content of the ‘mission’ you were trying to assign us. If I feel like it, I might just do it, you know?”
I said that, and gave Marco a smirk.
