Secret from Dad (2)
These were obviously the guys from before.
why did you come back
Should I have run away as Mr. Martin said?
Rize heard those questions, but quickly erased them. It was a quick admission that the first operation had already failed.
“When I asked what kind of kids they were, I never thought they were kids like this.”
At the words of the man who seemed to be the leader, Martin swallowed and unknowingly grabbed the necklace.
Should I use magic?
It’s my first time with people, but… … Maybe it was a good opportunity.
“… … !”
However, as if he had read those thoughts, Rise’s hand blocked Martin.
Martin wondered if he had any thoughts, but he prepared magic with the remaining mana in preparation for an unexpected situation.
“Why are you doing this?”
Rize asked in a dignified voice.
The man who saw the action of protecting Tenaka then opened his mouth with a snort.
“It is because of the money. He said he would give you a lot of money if you took it.”
“Selling people for money?”
“hahahaha, man? little boy, take a look That’s a prisoner. Because they are not imperial citizens like us.”
At those words, Rize turned her gaze to Tenaka again.
He was obviously the same age as himself, but he was definitely a little different in appearance from the people he had seen before.
Jet-black hair, tanned skin that looks like it has been tanned for a long time, an appearance with thicker lines than others, an unusual outfit that seems to have been processed as it is from fur, to strange tattoos all over the body.
“Would you like to know? The great forest to the east, a place called the Endless Forest. The tribe that lives in it is the Gadunein. They are non-Imperial, that is to say… … .”
The man smiled and pointed alternately at himself and Tenaka.
“It means that you cannot be treated as a human being within the Empire. Ah, it must have been a difficult story for a child.”
Martin, who knew that fact as knowledge, hardened his face. No matter how much I knew, there was no way that the scene of kidnapping people felt normal.
But the situation wasn’t good enough to refute… … .
“I am a person.”
“ok?”
“He’s a human too.”
At Rize’s bold words, the men made absurd expressions.
Then, after looking at each other’s faces, both of you started to burst into laughter.
“Puhahahaha, what, what?”
“It’s really cute, I’m dying, keukeukkeuk.”
“hahahaha, kid. Ha, how can you really make people laugh this much?”
Although Martin was furious at the actions he made fun of, Lize’s expression did not change at all.
The leader man who saw this stopped laughing and opened his mouth again while stroking his chin.
“Sorry, but it’s not you, kid, who decides if you’re human or not. It is this empire, and the high-ranking ones. They are not people… … If it’s a product, that’s how it works.”
He erased the smile from his face and immediately took a step toward Rize.
“The high-ranking person is waiting, so let’s end the small talk. It looks like he has some talent, but that doesn’t mean he thinks he can beat adults, right? If that was the case, I wouldn’t have resorted to such a silly trick.”
Did I think it was too easy?
Martin recalled Rise’s plan, which he agreed to, judging that there would be no great danger.
A magical combination of fire and water made the alley darker by spreading fog, and created numerous footstep sounds by making pebbles hit the floor one after another, and even created the appearance of people moving by shaking shadows.
It was even predicted that she would abandon Tenaka and run away, so I thought Rize was amazing, but… … It must have been read by them.
“Sorry, but people aren’t very kind to Gadouine. I mean, if you see me like that, I’ll leave you alone. We just need to step away for a while and observe the situation. Judging by the outfit, it looks like a son from a well-to-do family… … Even if you don’t know the world, you don’t know too much.”
One more step.
Martin was about to do something, but at that moment he heard footsteps behind him and turned his head away.
There were two men standing there, and only then did I belatedly realize that there were four men in front of me.
Did Rize stop herself because she knew this?
“Don’t come!”
Rize raised her voice and created sparks on her hand.
The men couldn’t hide their bewildered expressions, as if they hadn’t even thought that such a child would use magic.
“Ha, what a great family. Calm down. No matter how much we do these things and earn a living, we keep the line. You guys don’t touch me because I know very well what will happen if I get greedy for no reason.”
The leader man shook his head lightly and said that, then extended his finger and pointed at Tenaka.
“Then leave it behind. Should children listen to adults? It’s a bit early, but I think it’s a good experience. Please take this opportunity to know that the world is full of problems that you cannot solve.”
“I told you not to come!”
The moment she took another step, Rize’s hand swung.
The men flinched for a moment, but as soon as the sparks flew into the air, they burst into laughter again.
He acted boldly as if nothing had happened, but after all, he was just a child.
At the gesture of the leader man, each of the men bared their teeth and narrowed the encirclement, and no one was wary.
so that… … .
Wow!
No one noticed the existence of the person approaching from above.
“What, what?!”
“Dirk! page! sh*t!”
“person… … what is it?”
The one who overpowered the two people behind the children at once rose slowly and opened his mouth without taking his eyes off the remaining men.
“Lady Rize.”
At Irina’s call, Rize flinched and bit her lip.
“Be firmly prepared. I’ll scold you after I finish cleaning up.”
Irina who said that in a solemn tone shot out like the wind.
* * *
After things have been sorted out.
No matter how much it was, I couldn’t stay in the alley, so Irina brought the children to the inn.
Then, when his eyes were gone, he put Rize in front of him and opened his mouth as if he couldn’t delay any longer.
“Miss Rize, what did you say before I left?”
“I’ll be away for a while, so be quiet… … .”
“Fortunately, you didn’t hear it through one ear and let it out through the other. I’m sorry that you didn’t take my words seriously at all after I said that.”
“sorry… … .”
Irina didn’t even blink an eye at Rize’s sincere apology.
“is it so. That part is also my responsibility for being away. Anyway, I should have left her somewhere. What I really have to scold for is after that.”
After saying that as if to help herself, Irina took a deep breath and then lowered her body to meet Rize’s eye level.
“Why did you go into such a dangerous thing? Why did you do something reckless and make it more dangerous?”
“That kid… … I wanted to save you. Bad people tried to catch me… … .”
“It still won’t work!”
Rize trembled at Irina’s resolute and sharp cry.
“What if they were indecisive? What if they tried to kidnap the lady too? If I had even a small wound on the lady’s body, I wouldn’t have been able to lift my head up to Irvin. Anything more than that is horrifying.”
Rize was also aware that this incident was dangerous. So when things went wrong, he sent a signal to Irina to call for help.
However, Irina’s words shimmered on Irvin’s face, and the corners of his eyes became moist without even realizing it.
“Hey, wait a minute. It’s my fault for not stopping Rize. Even though I was a teacher, and I was asked to do so, it ended up like this. So please don’t be too hard on me.”
Martin, who was worse off, defended Rize, but Irina calmly turned her head and refuted calmly.
“Thank you for your words, but this is our ‘family’ business. And you can’t hold the teacher accountable. It was my fault for not taking into account that the teacher was also a child.”
“… … .”
As if she would not mix her words any more, Irina spoke only the necessary words and then looked at Rize again.
“The lady is definitely great. He has already shown many talents and has been recognized by many people. But even so… … I am not yet an adult.”
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Irina quietly reached out and wrapped her hand in Rize’s, and a faint smile appeared on her face.
“So you can rely on adults as much as you like. If you had called me earlier, it would have ended without any risk. Even if the worst thing you think had happened, I would have solved it somehow.”
Rize nodded.
I was certain of how great Irina was because I had seen it from the side.
At that, Irina smiled a little thicker and continued talking.
“I will do anything you want, my lady. That’s why I’m by her side. So, miss… … Please rely on me, Irvin-sama a little more.”
“… … huh. sorry… … . I’m really sorry… … .”
“Come this way.”
Irina took Rize, who had started to sob, in her arms and gently rubbed her back.
“Even if the method was wrong, what the lady was trying to do was the right thing. Please don’t change your mind like that in the future, and don’t bend what you think is right. I will always support it.”
After calming Rize for a while, Irina stood up again and spoke to Martin, who was lowering her head as if she had no face.
“Sir, I hope you will remember the things I said as an adult today.”
“… … I won’t do that again.”
Irina nodded her head once, as if she was satisfied with the answer, and then returned to her room and barely looked at the only person left out.
“Then we’ll have to talk to you over there.”
Tenaka sat still in the corner, wrapped in a robe that covered her entire body. He didn’t say anything from the alleyway, so I wondered if he had any intention of talking.
Irina, who slowly approached Tenaka, stood as if protecting Rize and Martin and opened her mouth.
“Is it locked up? Can you speak our language?”
“… … A little bit, I know.”
Irina nodded at the slurred tone and asked the next question in a slightly slow tone.
“Now what?”
“Home, go.”
“Do you need help?”
“Help, no.”
In response to the resolute refusal, Irina shook her head as if she knew that, then pointed to the door with her chin and calmly issued a congratulatory order.
“Then go as soon as you feel better. And never get caught again.”
That was it.
Tenaka didn’t seem to want any more, but when she met Rize’s worried gaze at her, she hurriedly got up and stumbled.
The sudden action made Irina more alert, but Tenaka only looked at Rize.
“Me, Tenaka.”
“huh? Oh, what’s your name?”
Rize, who was tilting her head, quickly realized the meaning and asked again, and Tenaka nodded, and Rize introduced herself with a smile.
“I am Rize.”
“Lize, Lize, Lize… … .”
After repeating Rize’s name several times, Tenaka soon opened her mouth again with a stern face.
“Rize, I, Eun, Ah, Eun, uh… … ! 「Rize is the benefactor who saved me. I will definitely repay the favor someday.”
“Yes?”
Tenaka tried to say something, but eventually couldn’t stand the frustration and poured out words in their own language.
Of course, no one understood, but Tenaka didn’t care and just kept talking.
“A blue wolf warrior never forgets his benefactor. Descendant of a great warrior and daughter of the first fang, Tenaka will swear to help Rize even when she becomes a soul.” Thank you for your help.”
Rize, who barely understood the last words she said while lowering her head, tilted her head, and Irina, who understood roughly what it meant, added an explanation.
“Perhaps it means to repay the favor. It is said that Gadunein always remembers favors and enemies. but… … .”
Irina swallowed what she was about to say.
It was because the only word he knew from Tenaka’s words, ‘the warrior of the blue wolf’, was on his mind.
There was no way a child who looked like Rize’s age could be like that, so I thought it would be that child.
At that moment, Rize stepped forward, but Tenaka showed no hostility at all, so Irina stopped moving her hand. Of course, I still didn’t let my guard down.
Rize gave a bright voice to Tenaka with a smile on her face.
“Tenaka, please come over to my house next time!”
I didn’t know what he was talking about, but Tenaka nodded, and Rize gave a bashful smile as if she was happy.
Seeing that, Irina stepped forward again and held out a small pouch to Tenaka.
“It is money. I cannot waste the life you saved, so use it for travel expenses.”
“Wow, thanks, sister!”
For some reason, Rize thanked her, but Tenaka also seemed to be pondering for a moment, then lightly bowed her head after accepting the pouch. The words were not fully conveyed, but the reaction seemed to grasp what was being said.
Irina, who ignored the greeting, turned around and spoke the most important words with Rize and Martin standing side by side in front of her.
“Today’s matter must be kept secret from Irvin.”
Whatever the process, Rize came back unscathed.
However, it was clear that if the father of the extreme daughter, who did not know the extent, found out about this, he would literally turn Rogarden upside down.
If that happened, Rize’s existence would become known faster than expected, so he had to stop it.
Rize nodded slowly with a hard face, as if she knew that feeling.
“Yeah, it’s a secret from Dad.”