Chapter 251: Mediator Oshiras Listens to Arcus's Story

Mediator Oshiras Listens to Arcus’s Story

* * *

Ding, ding-ding.

Upon hearing Emi’s demand for “seconds”, Lairine took out a small bell from her pocket and rang it.

“Yes! Coming right up!”

Suddenly, the door to the conference room was forcefully pushed open, and the owner of “Mekena Number One Eatery”, a famous restaurant known for Serelirin’s specialty Mekena Sandwiches, rushed in carrying a pile of Mekena Sandwiches!

“Sorry to keep you waiting! Here are 50 more servings of the special wing meat Mekena Sandwiches!”

Thump!

Freshly made Mekena Sandwiches, steaming hot, were once again piled high on the large plate in front of Emi!

“Thanks a lot! Please send the invoice to the Adventurer’s Guild branch office in Serelirin, addressed to Lairine Rune personally!”

“Ah, sorry! I forgot to ask earlier, but what should I write for the purpose of payment…”

“Just put ‘meal expenses’, please.”

While listening to this conversation, Emi began munching on the Mekena Sandwiches again.

Mediator Oshiras blankly stared at this scene.

I mean, to begin with, this room is actually a no-food zone, and what’s with this system of ringing a bell and immediately having piping hot Mekena Sandwiches delivered… when was this set up?

“Hey, Mediator-san, what are you spacing out for? Hurry up and move the conversation forward.”

Arcus knocked on the table, clattering his armor while exhaling smoke.

Aren’t you bothered by this at all?

“Ah, yes, I apologize…”

For now, having come back to his senses, Oshiras decided to ignore the incomprehensible scene unfolding on his left side and returned to the topic at hand while clearing his throat.

* * *

Well, to cut to the conclusion, the Parirot couple’s request to leave midway was not granted.

In terms of the Rayvlake Kingdom’s laws, the couple does not have parental rights.

However, according to the Naganahate Kingdom’s laws, the couple cannot ignore Emi as if they are unrelated to her.

Their estranged biological child is alive, and moreover, she is not settled down and living without being raised by anyone.

Once this fact is known, no matter how much the couple dislikes it, they have a legal and moral responsibility to ensure the child’s livelihood.

In this case, since two people have already volunteered to be the girl’s guardians, the couple won’t actually have to take care of her.

Still, they must witness the discussion about what kind of future this girl will lead from now on.

And at the end, they will have to sign the consent form again.

That is the role the Parirot couple must fulfill in this case.

They cannot escape from that role, and they should not try to escape.

Mediator Oshiras calmly conveyed this to the couple with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Parirot did not particularly argue against it.

He simply said, “I understand,” and fell silent.

Rana kept her head down the whole time.

Arcus stared at her with a cold gaze.

“Well then, finally, I would like to move on to the main topic at hand.”

After finishing his explanation to the Parirot couple, Oshiras made that declaration while rubbing his stomach.

Yes… we’re finally getting to it.

Terrifyingly enough, the discussion on the main issue is finally about to begin.

“In other words, what we will be discussing from now on is… which of you, Arcus-san or Lairine-san, should become the guardian.”

Oshiras narrowed down the focus of the discussion and summarized it concisely.

Clatter.

Raising his hand in response, Arcus spoke while clattering his armor.

“Sorry, Commander, but I have no intention of yielding on this matter.”

While saying that, he glared at Lairine defiantly.

“Oh, really?”

Lairine tilted her head slightly with a smile.

Click.

If it wasn’t Oshiras’s imagination, the sound of something creaking echoed in the room.

“As I said earlier, I am Emi-chan’s blood relative. And for me, that’s… just one thing.”

With his eyes closed, Arcus spoke slowly.

“By a strange… truly strange twist of fate… I found out about it…”

The fist he placed on the table was clenched tightly.

“I, who thought I was all alone in this world, had a family… I was really happy… and I was really sorry…”

And that fist was trembling slightly.

The armor hitting the table made a small, intermittent clattering sound.

“That’s why I’ve been using all the power I have to search for Emi-chan.”

At this point, Arcus slowly opened his eyes again.

Reflected in those eyes was the figure of his niece, who continued to eat Mekena Sandwiches with gusto.

“I want to give this child a proper life in place of that idiot who died leaving behind his daughter… I truly thought that…”

While gazing at her with affection, Arcus said that quietly.

His expression was different from the carefree impression he gave earlier, and it could certainly be recognized as the face of a man who genuinely loves his family.

“And you know what! I’ve actually taken care of a child around Emi-chan’s age for a while before! I have a bit of childcare experience!”

Then, suddenly changing the topic, Arcus spoke brightly with a laugh.

It was a well-known story.

Even Oshiras knew about it.

This man, the top-class adventurer Arcus, was actually the mentor of the current generation’s Hero.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

He saved the young Hero and raised him for a short period, but he did raise him.

The man who raised the Hero entrusted with a divine mission by the gods.

That fact gives great credibility to his ability as a caregiver in this world.

“Due to the nature of my work, I don’t have a fixed address, but if that’s necessary, I’ll settle down! If she wants to attend school, whether it’s Kiralimake or Somatoko, I’ll let her attend any school she likes! What do you say Emi-chan!? Won’t you come live with your uncle!?”

While staring at Emi, who continued to eat Mekena Sandwiches with a blank expression, Arcus grinned.

And then.

Pfffft.

Yes, he let out a loud fart.

“G-Guhaha! I’m not holding it in well, in many ways!”

Shaking his body while laughing loudly, Arcus blushed slightly.

* * *

Well, this Arcus is a difficult man to judge, Oshiras thought.

His behavior is crude, and he is exactly the kind of man Oshiras thinks of as a typical adventurer.

However, he doesn’t seem to be a bad person at heart.

He is caring and has a sense of responsibility.

He also has a high social standing as a top-class adventurer and has economic power.

…It’s true that he lacks delicacy and leaves some concerns when viewed as a young girl’s caregiver.

But.

But, however.

Still, compared to the other incomprehensible woman, he is a far more sensible man.

“Ufufu… fufufu, fufufufu!”

Well, as for that incomprehensible woman, when Oshiras glanced at her, she was laughing while shaking her shoulders.

“Fufufu, kuku, kuhaha, ahahahahahaha!”

Her laughter gradually grew louder.

Laughter echoing in the room that had fallen dead silent after Arcus’s monologue ended.

Everyone sensed the strange atmosphere, and not only Oshiras but even Arcus couldn’t utter a word, overwhelmed by the atmosphere.

For a while, Lairine laughed like that.

Laughing, laughing, laughing…

Laughing.

And then, suddenly, she stopped abruptly and erased all expression from her face.

And she spat out.

“…How ridiculous!”