CH 69

Before returning home, I decided to stop by the innkeeper father to ask him to take care of the children. When I entered the inn, I found the old man looking bored at the counter, as he always does.

“Yo”

“Hmm? Gray-san right? What’s the matter? You’ve got a very beautiful woman with you.”

“Nice to meet you… I guess. I’m Emilia. I’m an adventurer like Gray.”

Emilia is acting separately from the other members of “War Maiden” because they are already working on a request from Firo & Co., and there is no need to return to the party house.

“Oh… you.”

The innkeeper father looks a little surprised to hear Emilia introduce herself.

I wondered if he knew about her, but “The War Maiden” is well-known in this town, so I guess it’s not so strange.

“I’m sorry to barge in on you like this. I came here today to ask you for a little favor.”

“Oh?…… haha, to be the middleman for the wedding, right? Leave it to me!”

……What is this guy talking about?

“Huh?! Marriage?!”

Emilia, who until just a moment ago had a sharp expression, was violently shaken by the innkeeper’s father’s remarks.

“No. I need you to take care of the kids for a little while.”

“Children? What do you mean?”

The innkeeper father becomes serious when he hears my words. Next to me, Emilia is still upset and acting suspicious.…bring back your mind.

“…… No, wait, we’ll talk more about it in the back.”

After saying that, the father of the inn called his daughter, Rina, and after leaving her in charge of the inn, he guided me and Emilia to the back room.

I was in a position to ask for his help, and he appears to be a trustworthy and credible man. So I decided to tell him all about this request.

However, from the middle of the conversation, the old man’s expression gradually became stern.

When I finished talking, the old man, who had remained silent with his arms folded and his brow furrowed, opened his mouth.

“I see. So you want me to take care of the kids while you go out to solve the case.”

“Oh”

The innkeeper’s father puts on a serious face that he doesn’t usually show. Does he have something in mind about this case?

“…I understand. But on one condition.”

A condition rather than a reward?

“Oh”

“When you have resolved this request, you will tell me what happened.…Also, don’t let Rina hear about this. Never.”

……. I knew you were onto something.

I looked at Emilia, who was standing next to me, and our eyes met. Emilia nodded her head.

“I understand. I promise.”

Hearing my reply, the innkeeper said,

“Well, leave the children to us. You guys come back safely for now.”

After saying that, he left the room.

“…Let’s go”

“Oh”

As Emilia and I were about to leave the room, the innkeeper father’s loud voice echoed from outside.

“You still have something to do? Ah, you’re going to do something erotic, i’ll let you borrow the room…”

Emilia blushes and freezes at those words.

As I hurried out of the room to silence him before he could finish what he was saying, the ringing bell that Rina had thrown was smashed into the old man’s face with a good clang.

I’m surprised at how little you’ve learned.

“Good grief……”

“Hey, he was quite an interesting person.”

As I was walking with a sigh, Emilia, who was walking next to me, said so with a troubled smile on her face.

That’s an overly oblique expression.

After walking for a while, my beloved home came into view.

There are many things about this case that bothers me.

Missing children.

A nomination request to “War Maiden” at this time.

Firo family.

Especially that attitude of the innkeeper father.

“Gray. Do you think this case is just a kidnapping for money or something?”

“I can’t say for sure yet…but it sure smells a little fishy.”

“Yeah. Let’s find the culprit and make him tell us everything he knows.”

ah…….

“Right.”

“Don’t make the mistake of wiping them out.”

“……yes”

Maybe that’s the biggest challenge of all. With that in mind, I opened the door to the house.