Chapter 35: Old Man Meets the Girl

I was stunned by Fel’s transformation, and by the content of her words.

“A… a daughter…? You’re saying Shuzo-san… has a daughter…? Since when…? With a woman other than myself…? You mean… you have a wife…? Just… who… no… when did this… could it be… those detestable vixens… the Moon Maidens…”

Emma-san must have been quite shocked.

The expression vanished from her face. Her beautiful eyes were wide as she muttered something under her breath.

Well… I guess anyone would be surprised if a guy like me—an F-rank adventurer—had a daughter…

At a glance, Emma-san appeared calm, but the hand holding the hem of her dress was trembling.

Even someone as dense as me could tell that a storm of intense emotions was swirling within her.

…Maybe she’s hesitant to announce my firing in front of my daughter.

Emma-san is a kind person, after all.

No, wait… If that’s the case, isn’t this actually working in my favor?

If Emma-san keeps misunderstanding that Fel is my daughter, my firing might be postponed.

…No… that would be a truly despicable thing to do.

Harboring such a cowardly, calculating thought, I followed Emma-san’s lead and stepped into the lavish mansion.

The exterior alone had been overwhelming, but the inside surpassed all imagination.

The polished marble floor reflected my filthy form, and a brilliant chandelier hung from a ceiling so high I had to crane my neck to see it.

The walls were adorned with paintings the likes of which I’d never seen, and every single piece of furniture looked like a luxury item I could never afford even if I scraped together my entire life’s earnings.

What is this place…? It’s hard to believe this is the home of a Guild Master in a remote town.

It looks like the palace of a king or a high noble… No, I guess Emma-san really is from that kind of background…

As I gawked and looked around like a country bumpkin, a woman was waiting for us in the center of the entrance hall.

She, too, was clad in a gorgeous dress, as if she were about to attend an evening ball.

She looked younger than Emma-san, but her beauty was in no way inferior.

Her long hair was elegantly tied up, and the white skin peeking out from her dress was as smooth as porcelain.

The way she gave even a lowly person like me a deep, graceful bow spoke to her good upbringing.

“Mikami-san! I’ve been waiting for you!”

The woman smiled at me, her voice bright, yet somehow more composed than usual.

Her voice and smile finally helped me remember who this beautiful woman standing before me was.

“…M-Mira-san?”

Yes, it was Mira-san, Emma-san’s daughter, who always greeted me so energetically at the guild reception desk.

But right now, she looked like a completely different person from the Mira-san I knew.

Her usual cheerful innocence was gone, and her splendid dress and careful makeup had transformed her into a breathtakingly beautiful adult woman.

I couldn’t help but be taken aback by her transformation, and… I was captivated before I even realized it.

Mira-san… I never knew she could be this beautiful all dressed up…

I mean, I always thought she was cute, but the Mira-san before me now has the beauty of a grown woman…

Wait… what am I thinking? About a girl I’ve known since she was a kid…

Realizing how pathetic my thoughts were, I couldn’t help but feel miserable.

But even so, I couldn’t tear my eyes away from her radiant beauty.

Whether she knew of my inner turmoil or not, Mira-san glanced at my ragged clothes and giggled mischievously.

“Hee hee… that outfit is very you, Mikami-san. You’re always so true to yourself…”

Her smile had all of her usual friendliness.

There wasn’t a hint of sarcasm or contempt—in fact, it seemed quite warm—and I relaxed just a little.

I had braced myself to be lectured about my attire, but it seemed my fears were unfounded.

“Oh…?”

And with that, the tone of Mira-san’s voice dropped noticeably.

Her large eyes narrowed as she observed Fel suspiciously.

“And who might… that lovely young lady be?”

As I hesitated, wondering how to answer, Emma-san, who was standing beside me, spoke in a cold, unreadable voice.

“She is apparently Shuzo-san’s… ‘Young Miss.'”

The moment those words were uttered, the entire atmosphere around Mira-san changed dramatically.

Her friendly smile from moments before vanished completely, her beautiful face becoming as expressionless as a Noh mask.

But deep within her large eyes, a dark, cold light began to dwell.

It was an eerie change, as if something she had locked away in the depths of her heart was quietly, but surely, crawling its way to the surface.