Chapter 9: Adoring Small Animals and Adoring Little Girls Feels the Same

"Huh? Going out with Lev-san?"

The day after I spent a rare night alone with my sister, I ended up being asked by Karl to go shopping.

"From now on, we’ll focus on merchant escort requests—meaning we’ll be traveling more often."

"Which means we’ll have to prepare. Before taking on jobs, I’d like you to stock up on preserved food and supplies."

"Hmm, understood."

The reason for this was information from Ilia, which made travel preparations necessary.

Adventurers basically live self-sufficiently. You can’t expect clients to guarantee your meals.

“...That’s fine and all. But… her?”

"Yeah. Lev, it’s about time you warmed up to Irine. I know you’re shy, but if you keep pushing away even good people like her, you’ll never get better."

"...As long as I have Karl, that’s enough."

"Don’t be selfish. I want you to grow up properly, Lev."

Hearing Karl’s words, Lev puffed out her cheeks and glared at me.

Man, this guy’s got full-on ‘dad mode’ going on.

You won’t grow if you’re picky and selfish. He’s telling her to fix that.

"That’s true. I’ve also been wanting to get along with Lev-san for a while now."

"...If Karl says so."

And so, my "date" with Lev was settled. I hoped this would be a chance for us to at least hold a normal conversation, even if we didn’t become close.

Honestly, I also wanted to ask why she hated me so much. Alright, time to do my best.

"We’ll be back by noon."

"Yeah, good luck. We’ll look for some decent requests in the meantime."

Leaving my sister, who was still fast asleep in bed, I headed out to the commercial district with Lev.

---

"...My father told me. ‘Never trust nobles.’"

"Oh my."

When I asked Lev why she disliked me, it seemed her late parents had taught her that nobles were "no good."

According to her, they saw commoners as nothing more than objects, believed they deserved privilege, and thought exploitation was only natural.

Well, a lot of nobles are like that, so I can’t entirely deny it.

"...Irine, you’re acting out of calculation too. Right?"

"No, I wouldn’t say calculation—"

"...Are you really only acting to defeat the Demon King? Can you honestly say you’re not hiding any personal desires?"

"What do you mean?"

"I’m asking if you followed Karl purely for that—without any selfish motives, like wanting to be a hero or restoring your family’s honor."

...

I don’t want to be a hero, but I do care about honor a little.

Well, if you put it that way, I have been acting with some calculation, huh? One of the reasons I followed Karl was a childish longing for a shounen-manga-like adventure.

"If that’s what you mean, then yes, there is calculation. After all, honor is something nobles simply can’t ignore."

"See, I knew it—"

"But I swear upon that very honor—I truly intend to help Karl defeat the Demon King."

Still, I wouldn’t say that’s a bad thing. Plenty of people would throw away their lives for honor.

"The pride of those born as nobles—noblesse oblige. That is my creed and motto."

"...What’s that?"

"Nobles are privileged, so in times of crisis, they must stand at the forefront before any commoner. Otherwise, they disgrace their name."

"..."

"So if you call it calculation for honor, I won’t deny it. After all, I followed Karl to ensure my pride as a noble remains untarnished."

Honestly, this is also my family’s teaching. "Live with pride, for you were born a noble."

Never cower and abandon commoners. That’s the pride of the Vermund family—or so Father drilled into me.

That’s probably why he couldn’t stop me from leaving.

"...Fine. I get it."

"There are all kinds of nobles. You just haven’t met the wonderful ones yet, okay? Try not to be so prejudiced."

"...Hmph."

That said, to lowly professions like adventurers, nobles must seem annoying and hateful. Acting all high-and-mighty while exploiting them.

I should be careful not to act too arrogant myself.

---

"KYOHOHOHOHO—!!"

"Wha—what the hell is this guy!?"

While chatting with Lev, a creepy noble with a Kaiser mustache and silk hat suddenly appeared!!

"KEEEEEEY!! Found you, you rotten commoner trashhhh!!"

"...Ugh."

Hey, dumbass. Why the hell are you showing up?

I was in the middle of carefully convincing Lev that "There are good nobles too," and here you are—the poster child for corrupt aristocracy.

"I am seething with rage, HOOHOHOHO!! Look at my hands!! See how they tremble—"

"...Ahem. Is something the matter? Have we done something to offend you, Lord Somi?"

"Silence!! How dare a bottom-tier noble like you address me so casually!!"

...Tch.

Did you just call the Weltmund family "bottom-tier nobles"?

Oh? You wanna fight? I’ll take you on. I’m a noble who’ll stake my life on honor.

"..."

"You there, brat!! Aren’t you the cowardly daughter of those adventurers who failed my request and ran away!?"

"...Shut up."

This trash noble, Somi, ignored me completely and started threatening Lev—our tiny, animal-like companion.

Hold up. What the hell are you doing, picking on a kid? She’s clearly terrified.

...Can I just kill this guy now?

I instinctively shielded Lev behind me and spoke calmly to the frothing, screaming Somi.

"Has my companion done something to offend you? She’s shy, so if you could refrain from suddenly—"

"You stay out of this!! This brat owes me big time!!"

"Big time?"

"I paid top coin to hire her parents as elite adventurer escorts, only for my entire shipment of gold to get stolen by bandits!!"

...Hm. So that’s it.

"I heard those adventurers all died like dogs... but if you’re alive, that means your parents are too, right!? Where are they!? Lead me to them!!"

"...They’re dead. I’m the only one left."

"LIIIIIIES!! Cut the pathetic act and spit out the truth!! Do you have any idea how much I lost!? Compensation—I demand compensation, compensation, COMPENSATIOOOON!!"

So this is the bastard noble who hired Lev’s parents for their last job. No wonder she’s prejudiced against nobles if she had to deal with this.

This guy’s dangerously stupid.

"Surround them!! Don’t let this trash escape!! HYOHOHOHO!!"

While I was busy mentally cursing him, Somi’s lackeys had already encircled us.

Hmm. There’s a lot of them—dozens, at least.

Can I wipe them all out while protecting Lev? I’ve been training, but my real combat experience is limited.

Honestly, I’m not sure I can win. A few thugs? Easy. But this many? Tricky.

"Lord Somi. She isn’t lying—I swear this on the honor of House Weltmund."

"Pah! What guarantee is some penniless minor noble’s word!?"

"...If you continue insulting my family, I will take action."

"Action!? You’re in no position to threaten me, Lady Weltmund! Perfect timing—I’ll sell you off to cover my losses! Noble girls fetch a pretty price on the slave market!!"

Oh? Did you just explicitly declare you’d sell me—the elegant, cool, and beautiful Irine von Weltmund—into slavery?

Well then, I’ll pummel you senseless without remorse!!

"...Lev. How well can you fight? If you can escape, go get Karl."

"...Too many. If I have to protect Irine, we’ll lose."

"Don’t worry about me. Could you fight if it were just you?"

"...Maybe escape, but..."

Oh? So Lev can escape alone? Then if she gets away—

"My, my. Still screeching like a gutter rat, I see, von Somi."

Just as I cracked my knuckles, deciding which thug to flatten first, a familiar woman strolled into view.

Dull chestnut hair. A haughty tone. The bar master’s so-called "ordinary noble girl born into a gang family."

In other words—Sakura von Tendo herself.

"Tendo... What do you want?"

"I simply couldn’t ignore such rudeness toward a guest of mine."

"This is between me and those adventurers! You’ve no right to interfere!!"

"I do. So long as she stays at my inn, she’s under my protection."

"..."

Behind Sakura, a small army of rough-looking men stood at the ready.

Whoa, whoa—are we about to have an all-out brawl here? I appreciate the backup, but... the collateral damage would be insane.

"As head of House Tendo, I never abandon my guests. If you persist, my family will respond with full force."

"That adventurer had a contract with me first! Where she stays changes nothing!!"

"I see no justice in a grown man bullying a child. She’s a legal guest at my establishment—that’s all the reason I need."

The Kaiser-mustached noble’s face turned red as he glared. Sakura, meanwhile, fanned herself calmly.

The air between them crackled with tension.

"...You’ve ruined my mood. Watch your back on the streets, commoner."

"You first. Touch my guests again, and this won’t end peacefully."

With sparks flying between the two nobles, Somi’s faction finally slunk away, grumbling.

Huh. Guess we’re safe. For now.

"You’re unharmed, I trust, Irine von Weltmund?"

"My thanks for your assistance, Sakura von Tendo."

"Count yourself lucky you chose my inn. Had you stayed elsewhere, I’d have left you to your fate."

"...How fortunate. I’ll be sure to frequent your establishments from now on."

So she helped because I’m a paying guest. House Tendo’s service is flawless.

"...That was close."

"Not really. Somi had to back down the moment I stepped in."

"Oh?"

"This city’s caught in a three-way power struggle. If Somi and I crippled each other, House Poonco would swoop in. He’s

not stupid enough to let that happen."

...Makes sense. Neither side can afford to weaken themselves for a third party’s gain.

"Our strength lies in alliances forged through our inn’s guests. So long as you’re under my roof, you’re untouchable."

"Huh."

"Somi knows crossing me means real consequences. Retreat was his only option."

House Tendo’s like a rabid dog—biting freely because the other two factions can’t afford to fight back.

Is Sakura... more warlike than I thought?

"Now, do behave. I’d hate to have to rescue you again."

"Thank you, Lady Tendo."

Still, I owe her. Better think of a proper way to repay this.

"...See? There are good nobles."

"...She was super arrogant last time. Still don’t like her."

"But she did help us just now."

"Grrmph."

Lev didn’t seem entirely convinced.

---

"Is this acceptable?"

"...It's enough."

After escaping from that idiotic noble, we went ahead and purchased our supplies as planned.

Lev had been taught the basics of travel preparation by her incredibly skilled adventurer parents. She showed me things I didn’t know—how to preserve smoked meat, how to maintain weapons, and so on.

Nobles are spoiled creatures. If ordered to prepare for a journey, their attendants would handle everything. Doing it all yourself like this is an incredibly tedious task.

Commoners really are amazing. Far greater than nobles could ever be.

"...Irine. Why were you able to abandon your status so easily?"

"Lev, what’s brought this on so suddenly?"

"...You didn’t have to follow Karl. With your position, you could’ve lived peacefully for the rest of your life. Why go through all this hardship—why join such a dangerous journey where death is a real possibility?"

Her face was utterly bewildered.

The small, animal-like girl, Lev, peered into my eyes, her expression filled with genuine confusion as she asked.

"Didn’t I tell you on the way here? I have my pride as a noble—"

"Lies. ...That alone isn’t enough to throw away happiness. The status of a noble—I’ve always envied people like you."

Lev said this without a hint of sarcasm. She had always been unbearably envious of nobles.

And honestly, that’s a perfectly reasonable feeling.

"You never had to worry about food. You held lavish parties regularly, enjoying music, paintings, and sculptures."

"Yes, I did partake in such things."

"Once, I told my dad I wanted to live extravagantly like that, just once. And he said, 'Then let’s save up a lot of money and someday live like nobles.'"

Her eyes glistened faintly with nostalgia as she continued.

"My dad was incredible. As an adventurer, there wasn’t a soul who didn’t know his name. Even someone like him couldn’t afford to live as luxuriously as a noble."

"...Indeed. Being an adventurer doesn’t promise much income."

"...But Irine, you enjoyed all that luxury without any effort, didn’t you? That’s unfair."

Ah. So that was the root of Lev’s resentment toward me.

Jealousy—toward the noble status that allowed me to effortlessly enjoy luxuries even her proud parents could never attain. Of course she wouldn’t feel friendly toward me.

"That’s why I want to know. How could you throw that away so easily? Did you not understand the value of being a noble?"

Lev likely couldn’t comprehend my actions.

To her, who dreamed of the noble life and believed it to be a carefree, happy existence, my decision to abandon my status and side with Karl must have seemed suspicious.

...Maybe she even suspected I had some ulterior motive.

"Very well. Then I shall speak frankly."

"...Okay."

Truthfully, being a noble comes with its own struggles. The social parties Lev dreamed of? Nothing but a nuisance.

A constant game of reading intentions, vying for power, and carefully measuring every word. Nobles have their own hardships.

But telling Lev that would only sound like whining.

Just like how someone who’s eaten lavish meals complaining, "Even those had their bad parts," would only irritate those who’ve never tasted them.

"Would you look at this for me?"

In that case, I’d give her the clearest possible reason.

I pulled out one of the iron skewers we had just bought for cooking.

"A skewer...?"

"Yes."

And then—without hesitation—

I slowly aimed the skewer at my own palm and thrust it down.

"——!! Wh-what are you doing?!"

"Nice catch, Lev."

But just before the skewer could pierce my hand—Lev’s eyes widened, and she desperately grabbed my arm to stop it.

The tip of the skewer froze just above my gauntlet. Phew. Close call.

"Do you understand now?"

"...No, what? Why would you suddenly do something so dangerous?!"

"Lev. What went through your mind when you stopped my arm just now?"

Whew. That was scary.

Thankfully, Lev didn’t abandon me—she stopped me in time. Well, I was planning to stop at the last moment anyway.

"I can tell when people are lying. When Karl came to my home, he didn’t speak a single falsehood."

"...What are you trying to say?"

"That the demons are coming—it's dangerous, isn't it? If we do nothing, people will get hurt. Once I realized that, I couldn't just sit still in my mansion anymore."

That's right. Sure, I spouted some nonsense about noble pride and whatnot, but the real reason I followed Karl was this simple.

If my power can save even one person, then I have no reason not to fight!

"If reaching out my hand might spare someone from suffering, then isn't it only natural to do so, Lev?"

"...Is that your answer, Irine?"

"Yes. Well, there are other reasons too—like my childish fascination with adventure—but this is the main one."

Even my half-baked high-tier magic is among the most destructive firepower a human can wield. There will come a time when my overwhelming force is needed.

Plus, I can use body reinforcement too.

So I can stand on the frontlines if needed, and if I get injured, I can fall back and unleash spell after spell. My presence in this party should be valuable.

If fighting means lives might be saved, then why hesitate?

"...The unease I felt around you... it's finally gone."

"Oh? Did I give you some strange impression before?"

"Until now, I thought you were just an eccentric noble. But today... I think I understand a little."

Perhaps satisfied with my answer, Lev finally—for the first time—gave me a genuine smile.

It was the kind of bright, blooming smile Karl had always gushed about, the kind that made it clear why he kept saying "Her smile is adorable!"

"Irine... you're an idiot noble..."

"W-who are you calling an idiot?!"

"Yeah, but a good kind of idiot. ...Yeah."

...Though her smile came paired with an insult. Rude.

"...Even among nobles, you're one of the biggest idiots. That's why... I'll trust you."

"Excuse me. I may not look it, but I've studied a wide range of disciplines. I am the daughter of a distinguished house, you know. I am not an idiot."

(Though most of that knowledge was crammed overnight and long forgotten.)

"My dad used to say... people who act on impulse without thinking deeply are idiots..."

"Urk..."

"But... those are the people you can trust. So... I trust you, Irine..."

With that, Lev—like a squirrel finally lowering its guard—nuzzled her cheek against me.

...Ohhh, she's adorable.

"I have mixed feelings about this, but... if it means you trust me, then fine."

"...Mm. From now on... take care of me."

The little creature who had been so wary of me finally warmed up. It was a strangely fulfilling feeling.

At last, I'd been fully accepted as a true member of the party by everyone.

"...♪"

Feeling the warmth of Lev leaning against me, I chatted with her as we made our way back.

I won't betray her trust. To keep that promise, I'll keep pushing forward. Starting with today's training.

---

Meanwhile, at that very moment...

"Mmm... For some reason, I feel like something dangerous is happening..."

"What's wrong, Lady Ilia?"

Ilia, who had been kept awake by her sister and was still half-asleep, lethargically nibbled on the bread the maid had prepared.

"It's like... my position as 'little sister' is being threatened... Weird. I'm supposed to be the only one who gets to be Sister's little sister."

"That's true. Lady Irine only has you as her sister, Lady Ilia."

"Yeah... Oh, this bread is good."

(Incidentally, this day would mark the beginning of Irene and Lev's sister-like bond—but that's a story for another time.)