<<Previous Chapter | Let's Manage the Tower | Next Chapter>>
Translator: Kazumi
Editor: Silavin
Roman and the receptionist, after they were done talking to Tamara, left their seats and went to process the materials the group had brought back.
The only people left in Tamara’s room were Arisa and Riku.
“Is he allowed to stay?”
“Yes, that’s fine.”
Arisa gave a quick reply to Tamara, who tilted her head.
Even though Kouhi was protecting him in the dark, Riku was not allowed to leave Arisa’s side. Furthermore, there was hardly any information that Riku needed to be kept in the dark about. After all, the one who he would retell his experience to was naturally his parents.
Arisa believed that the higher-ups at Crown might be testing Tamara and Roman’s group, to see how they would react upon Riku’s presence.
To begin with, Gazeran only told Arisa that they did not need to hide anything from Riku. In fact, they were more worried about something happening to Riku if they took their eyes off him.
At the same time, Tamara did not know about such circumstances, but she had a hunch that she should also focus her attention on Riku.
She had already guessed that Riku was the child of an important person from Crown. After all, the adventurer group sent here had taken the trouble of letting a child, who seems to be nothing but a hindrance, to join them on their mission.
Crown would never go through such lengths for someone insignificant.
“So? What are you planning to do now?”
Arisa tilted her head in reaction to Tamara’s vague question.
“What do you mean?”
“Didn’t you come here to have a discussion about the training school, right?”
“Oh, that’s right.”
As of now, the only time Arisa had discussed the training school since they arrived in this country was on the first time she met Tamara. Since then, she had been focused on following Roman and the others’ around, and had not really made any other discussion about the school.
“Well, you may have known, my job is divided into two. One is related to the training school…”
Arisa paused there and looked at Riku.
“The other is, as you may have already guessed, to act as his bodyguard.”
“I see.”
She nodded as it was so obvious that Tamara had already noticed. However, Tamara was still taken aback by what Arisa said next.
“Also, just to be clear, the latter one is more important. Sorry about not talking about the school because of that reason, Tamara-sama.”
“…I see, so that’s why…”
“Indeed, that is.”
Tamara looked at Riku as Arisa firmly nodded.
Matters regarding Riku being the priority of her mission was vital as Arisa had pointed out.
At the same time, the discussion about the training school was not really an urgent matter. In the first place, they needed to wait for Roman and the others’ to show the results of the knowledge they had acquired in the training school. For that reason, they would have to put aside this matter until things started to develop some more.
From then on, they decided to put aside the matters regarding the training school as they await the result of the evaluation of this recent haul by Roman and the others. Tamara wanted to focus on matters regarding Riku and why he was with Roman’s party.
Tamara, who was unaware of the actual circumstances regarding Riku, did not take her eyes off him.
Riku was uncomfortable being under her gaze and shifted in his seat.
“Um, may I ask you something?”
Unable to bear the gaze any longer, Riku could not help but ask something.
It could be said that he was still lacking in tact in this matter.
“What?”
“I believe Arisa is waiting for the results of Roman-san and the others, but is there some other problem?”
In response to Riku’s question, Tamara folded her arms and pretended to think.
It could be said that it was a direct question that was childish, but it could also be said that children would not have asked a question like that in the first place.
She had to think for a moment about how to respond.
“There’s no other problem. But their actions have already shown a major difference between the two Contents. I was just wondering your thoughts on this?”
In response to Riku’s straightforward question, Tamara decided to give a straightforward answer and a question.
Still, the child in front of her was not a ‘normal’ child. Tamara was hit with another question she had not expected.
“Even if you knew my thoughts, what difference would it make to their activities?”
“…What?”
Tamara rolled her eyes at the question, but she still folded her arms and thought about it again. After a while, she started laughing.
Next to Riku, Arisa was looking at him with her eyes also rolling in the same manner.
“Kukukuku. No, nothing will change. I just wanted to know what Headquarters is thinking, if possible. Knowing won’t change anything.”
Tamara, who had never expected to receive such a pointed comment from a child, started giggling. It was as if she had received a counterattack from an unexpected direction, just when she was about to probe.
Even if Tamara did try to probe further, Arisa did not really have any particularly important information that she could get. If there was anything, it would be from Riku, who Tamara was currently talking to. However, Arisa had no intention of mentioning it here.
“All we can share with you is my experience as a teacher at the training school. I have no way of knowing what really is happening in Headquarters.”
“…I see. Then, from here on out, it will be my job, right?”
“No. Before that, don’t you think it would be better to talk about the training school?”
“Oh, right. Can I leave that to you?”
In the first place, Tamara asked about Headquarters because she wanted to know the details of what was being taught at the training school.
She needed to report this to the king after summarizing the details.
Even if this branch was a subordinate of Crown, if they wanted to create an educational institution, they would still need the country’s permission.
Or rather, she wanted to try and create one herself after learning about the thoughts of Headquarters on this matter, and for the country to not oppose it.
To make the necessary reports, Tamara needed to know more details.
Since the discussion about the training school was going to take a long time, it was decided that they would talk about it when Tamara had the time.
After this, Riku was going to return to Razequa Amamiya.
He was able to see the adventurers and their daily lives, so he had achieved his objective. As being here would only get in the way of Roman and Arisa’s activities, everyone had agreed to only do one more adventure before he returned.
Because of this, Arisa had also put off talking about the training school.
♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦
“Well, I thought meeting Arisa-dono was the biggest gain, but I wonder if I’ve gained more than that?” Tamara said to herself in the room where Arisa and Riku had just left.
In fact, when she first met Riku, she did not pay much attention to him. At most, she merely thought of him as a child who did not act like a child. However, that impression she had was blown away by what he said earlier.
His words and actions had completely dispelled the impression that he was merely the child of a high ranking person within Crown.
“I’m going to start digging for real… just who is he?”
Just as she was about to continue muttering, Tamara suddenly felt the Spirits rustling around. So, she stopped talking and turned her attention in that direction.
In a place where no one had been before, a beautiful woman with blonde hair and blue eyes appeared. Even Tamara, who was used to seeing Elves and beautiful people, was left speechless.
“I’ll warn you, curiosity might just be your downfall.”
Of course, the one who appeared was Kouhi, who had been hiding and acting as Riku’s bodyguard.
The being present at the scene was not her main body. It was just a clone. Even so, the power this clone wield was more than enough to harm Tamara.
On the contrary, since it was not her main body, various restraints have been removed.
Tamara, overwhelmed by this realization, gulped.
“…I think that your appearance has brought me even closer to the answer, though.”
Kouhi replied to Tamara’s words without changing her expression. “Even if you leave things as they are, you will eventually get your answer. Still, the fewer people know, the better.”
The more Tamara investigates Riku, the more people who knew about him would increase. In that case, it would be better if only Tamara knew.
“I recommend that you don’t investigate any further.” After leaving her message, Kouhi disappeared from Tamara’s sight.
She only did this to convey what she wanted to say.
As her presence completely disappeared and the remnants of her power remained, Tamara let out a deep sigh.
“I almost stepped on a Tiger’s tail.” As she muttered this, Tamara shook her head. She had decided to turn off her mind and not to think about Riku.
This was the wisdom Tamara, who had lived among Humans for far too long, had gained.
<<Previous Chapter | Let's Manage the Tower | Next Chapter>>
