Reincarnated Young Lady Aims to Be an Adventurer - Volume 9 Chapter 166

Translator: Jasper Kadowaki | Editor: NovelMultiverse

It was supposed to be a simple mission of harvesting plants in her childhood forest, but it ended up much harder than expected. Perhaps it was because Maru and Shu had taken what little magical energy I had. They came to be so hungry, though, and I couldn’t take any issue with satisfying them.

That said, it was too late to return to the barracks, now. I decided to return to the townhouse of the royal capital. 

When I graduated from the School of Knighthood, my father had vacated a room on the second floor for me (Cecil had cried, and managed to get a room next to mine). 

I had completely moved out the cute items I had collected during my school days, as well as some items that reminded me of Serafi and my upperclassmen. Still, the room was a place I could rely on for rest. 

I went around to the back of the building, and as I was tying up my horse in the barn, grateful that I could leave it there, as always, the back door opened, and light poured out of the building. 

“Who’s that?! …Alma?”

“Father!”

I said good night to my horse, patting it on its back, and then ran over to Father, and entered the building. 

“Alma… It’s dangerous for a grown woman to be out this late at night, walking around alone!” scolded Father, with a furrowed brow. 

“Father, you’ve surprised me too. I thought you’d be at the Prime Minister’s residence,” I said. 

I was completely under the impression that I was returning to an empty house. 

“…I need to get away from work, sometimes. You’re dressed like you’re back to visit Trundle. Why don’t you go take a shower, first of all? What in the world is an absolutely adorable girl like you doing out this late…”

Father continued to mutter to himself as he put away his sword for self-defense. He seemed to be in a bad mood, and I hurried off to get clean. I changed into my green Marcus pajamas, which had become my favorite ones ever since Serafi gave them to me, and lightly trotted into the dining room kitchen. 

Father was wearing his gray Marcus pajamas, which he had received from me on his birthday one year, and an apron. In his hand, he held a frying pan. He did not look like a man from a noble family, at all. Then again, we had turned our backs on all of that, long ago. 

As I sat down quietly before a table set with simple, plain wood utensils, Father slapped down a hot sandwich with round bread, bacon, and eggs. He served me a cup of milk, which gently glugged into the cup as he poured it.

“Eat! How dare His Highness tire you out so much… Alma, you still need to look after yourself, you know? You need to get proper rest on the weekends! What are you doing, working for the guild on top of your regular job?”

“Father, I have to hurry up and raise my rank so that I don’t get left behind by everyone else, and…”

A fragrant smell reached me mid-sentence, and my stomach rumbled. 

“Th-Thanks for the sandwich,” I said, and took a big bite. It was piping hot. 

“How is it?” asked Father. 

“It’s very… The mustard is strong… It’s delicious.”

“Take your time,” said Father, as he sat down in front of me. In his hand was a glass that I had made at some point. There was some kind of clear liquor in it, and the ice clinked as he drank from it. 

For some years now, Father had lived here as he concentrated on his research, and a housemaid did the chores. Perhaps he felt confined at the Prime Minister’s residence, where servants surrounded him. Maybe he was remembering the old McGregor residence… just as I was. I hadn’t seen Father in a while, and he had more gray hairs, and his face looked dull. 

As I watched his face, I munched on my sandwich. The only thing I had eaten all day was the fruit that Maru had given me. It was no wonder I was hungry. 

As a side note, I had brought back two more of that fruit to the guild and found out that it was a rare fruit called Orion’s Fruit. 

“Listen, do you remember that painting in the temple in which the goddess gives a weary and thirsty traveler a fruit to eat?” said the head of the Sieg Guild while petting Maru and Shu, who sat on his knees. “That would be this fruit. It’s only red when ripe, so it’s hard to notice, you see. And it’s only ripe for two days. It’s hard to get your hands on a ripe one. You could only expect to find one with spirits like Maru and Shu guiding your way. Take this home with you, Alma. Those two kids found them for you. They’re not a fruit to be handed out casually. Eat them before they start bruising, you hear?”

I took a fruit of the magic room. 

“Father, I’ve brought you a gift from the forest,” I said. 

Father adjusted his glasses and said, “…What could this be? I’ve never seen one, before.”

“According to the head of the Sieg Guild, it’s called Orion’s Fruit.”

“…You’re not saying this is the Traveler’s Fruit, are you?!”

I thought to myself, Wow! Father really does know about everything!

“I was told they start bruising as soon as you pick them, so please eat this one, right away,” I said. “Oh, and I’ve already had some, so don’t worry.”[Read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the “Novel Multiverse dot com” website @ novelmultiverse.com]

“My god…”

Father gazed at it from various angles, as any scientist would. He quietly lifted it above his head, and prayed, then began eating it. His eyes went wide. 

“What a vibrant, forceful flavor… It’s as if it’s seeping into my entire body… Ah. I can feel now that I have been wary, too, like the traveler at the temple. I had returned here, irritably, as if to run away from my problem, but… My adorable Alma happened to return at the same time, and I was even given a chance to eat the Traveler’s Fruit… Perhaps the goddess really is watching over me,” said Father, smiling his usual gentle smile. I thought that some color had returned to his face.

I let a laugh escape through my nose and said, “Are you saying that you actually feel better just by meeting someone like me?”

“What do you mean ‘someone like me’? Alma, you’re the apple of my eye, and my precious daughter, who I’m so proud of. Of course, I’m happy to see you.”

“Yes, but… I, alone, haven’t improved. Serafi and Sasara and Elise and Nick and Everest… even Cecil. All of them are doing brilliantly in their own fields, and showing progress, but…”

Father gently clasped my hand with both of his hands. 

“Alma, you… It’s possible that you get your humble nature from me. I’ve always had magnificent people all around me. The brilliant Lord Thomas, the beautiful and lively Lilufiona, and our leader, Lord Gilbert… They shined so brightly that I could barely keep my eyes open.”

Father narrowed his eyes in nostalgia. 

“Eventually, we were all split up due to our own motivations, and we were met with tragedy. I closed my eyes to that reality and isolated myself,” said Father, tilting his glass and downing a mouthful. The ice clanked loudly in the glass. 

“I was so timid, and everyone was so kind to me, as they showed me love and affection. They made sure they never argued in front of me. I wonder if I, so powerless compared to them, was the one who could have changed the situation and brought everyone back together. Perhaps I could have supported them. Even now, I’m tortured by the thought that I could have arranged a time and place for everyone to come together, peacefully.”

Father smiled grimly, seemingly restraining himself. He looked over at me and our eyes met. 

“…Right now, I’m just content that you’re with me, Alma. I work beside His Excellency in order to make sure that you can have a happy life. I look to the same future as His Excellency, after all. This is the path my life has led me to.”

“Father…”

“Alma – If you say that you want to live your life out and about, I will support you. If military life is bothering you, you can quit. I can pay for the education you received. But, you know, Alma, you’re still young. If you still want to be like Elza-sama one day, I think you should gain a little more work experience with the military, you know?”

He was right. I wanted to be a trustworthy member of the headquarters of a nation, like Elza-sama, one day. I had lost sight of that dream… I couldn’t help but to hang my head. 

“And you know,” said Father, “Holding your ground and keeping yourself in good health while others shine is very important, too. It may seem boring, but if nobody mans the lighthouse, those friends of yours who have taken their roles abroad can never truly spread their wings.”

Now that I thought about it, I realized that was the complete opposite of the previous prime minister in that he only made public appearances when it was absolutely necessary. The main stage was completely taken up by His Excellency. 

“Plant my feet firmly on the ground…” I said, “Hold down the fort, and make sure I’m always ready to help my loved ones?”

“That’s right. But, that’s no easy task. You’ll have to navigate through stormy weather, and sometimes, people will attack your loved ones’ positions while they’re absent. Sweet-talkers’ll tempt you, too. You need to always remain in control of your emotions, and make sure you’re always training to become better. You need perseverance, and you can’t be stupid. If you aren’t doing it out of love, you won’t last long.”

“You’re saying… that I have to be all of those things? That I can be all of those things?” I asked. 

“Of course, you can. You need to work hard, though… and have patience. His Excellency believes in you, too. That’s why he’s assigned you a position so close to him. It’s too bad that he doesn’t have many people around him that he can trust, but His Excellency won’t allow incompetent people around him, either.”

Father took his right hand and my hair behind my ear. Then, he clumsily but gently ruffled my hair. Since I was a little child, that always made me feel better. 

“You shouldn’t be conflicted about wanting to become like Elza-sama and protecting a home base. I’m sure that there are times you envy your friends who are making strides around this beautiful world, and your heart feels in disarray, but whenever you do feel that way… You and I, Alma – the boring father and daughter – can vent our anger on the great and powerful Cecil, can’t we?”

“…I’m pretty sure Cecil would actually like that,” I said. 

“Really? Well, anyway, think about what I’ve said. There’s no need to hurry. You still have plenty of time on your side, Alma. It’s good to work hard, but you need to rest, too. Not that I can say much about that,” said Father. 

“…Exactly,” I said. 

I was finally able to smile, a little. 

Seeing me smile, Father took his hand off my head, brought it to my cheek, and gave me a loving smile, back. 

My heart beat hard in my chest. He got me when I least expected it. 

I took my hand and rested it atop Father’s warm hand on my cheek. [Read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the “Novel Multiverse dot com” website @ novelmultiverse.com]