Chapter 73

"Wait, wait. What do you mean?"

This is strange, right? Why would a story about me and Mui living together come up?

Is Mui's "nice to meet you" supposed to mean something like that? Besides, I don't think Mui is okay with it either. What happened to her usual assertiveness?

"Surely, we can't keep her here indefinitely, right?"

"Yeah, I understand that."

That's right, I don't have a problem with that in itself.

Lucy can't take care of Mui for the rest of her life, and it's only a temporary arrangement for her to be in her care.

I get that. But what comes next is unclear.

"Mui needs to become independent, but we can't just abandon her."

"Yeah, that's true."

"..."

If it were the usual Mui, she might say something like, "I can live on my own," but she didn't say anything here. Maybe because she hasn't lived without thievery, and she doesn't know what to do if that option is sealed off.

"That's why the arrow has been pointed at you."

"Why would it come to that...?"

This is strange, right? I'll say it as many times as I need to, but this is really beyond my comprehension.

"But Mui is okay with it."

"... Is Mui really okay with this?"

"... Well, it's not bad... but it's not good either..."

When I asked Mui again, she turned away without saying anything. Well, it's better than being outright rejected, but I wonder if I've done something to make her feel this way. I'm used to dealing with kids at the dojo, but handling a disciple is a bit different.

Maybe the events from yesterday are affecting her a bit. I did tell her that she could enjoy her current life more, but I didn't think it would lead to living with me. That's a bit too rushed, even for an uncle.

"... sigh ..."

Still, I have to take some responsibility for her, that's for sure.

There's also the matter of her sister. I can't replace her sister, but since I got involved, I feel an obligation as an adult to help her until she can stand on her own.

"Besides, there's a good reason why I chose you."

"Hmm. Can you tell me why?"

It's not that I'm doing this reluctantly, but as I think about Mui, it seems Lucy has a reason for choosing me.

Since I'm here, I might as well hear it. There's no harm in knowing.

"Mui has a talent for magic. Sending her to the Magic Academy is the best option, and I think you agree."

"Yeah, I do."

That makes sense.

In this country, the best place for someone with magical talent is undoubtedly the Magic Academy. Just being able to use magic changes your treatment.

And according to Lucy, they don't care about your background, so for Mui's situation, it's almost an ideal path.

"However, to enroll in the Magic Academy, you need the approval of a parent or guardian."

"... Really?"

I didn't know that. I'm really ignorant about magic, so I didn't even know such a rule existed.

But now I understand why the arrow was pointed at me.

Mui doesn't have parents. Well, they might still be alive, but if they weren't around when she was old enough to remember, the chances are slim.

And her only relative, her sister, is gone.

She is, for all intents and purposes, alone in the world. In such a situation, needing a parent or guardian to enroll in the Magic Academy is a bit tough.

So, naturally, someone needs to be appointed as her guardian.

"That's why I thought of Beryl as her guardian."

"I see..."

I understand the flow of the conversation. Whether I agree or not is another matter, but I get it.

Being a guardian means I'll be responsible for Mui's life until she graduates from the Magic Academy and stands on her own.

I don't think Mui is planning to restart her thieving ways. I can trust her on that.

"... I won't be a burden. Probably..."

"Yeah, I'm not worried about that."

Mui might have felt that our conversation was negative and said this apologetically.

The flow of the conversation was indeed rushed, but it's not that I don't trust Mui. I need to make that clear. Otherwise, it would be unfair to her.

"The academy has dormitories. You'll mostly stay there, so it shouldn't be a big problem."

"Is that really the issue...?"

I feel like the core of the problem is being sidestepped a bit.

If she stays in the dorm, the chances of me and Mui living under the same roof will decrease, which might reduce unnecessary concerns.

"By the way, couldn't Lucy be the guardian?"

"It would be inconvenient for me to do that. It would make things difficult for Mui if I were her guardian."

"Hmm..."

That's true. If a prominent figure like the head of the Magic Guild were to be Mui's guardian, it could lead to all sorts of rumors.

I almost forgot, but she is a person of high standing. I might be in a similar position, but the history, weight, and especially the fame and influence are different.

Considering the potential backlash on Mui, it's reasonable to avoid it if possible.

"Alyssia... wouldn't work either."

"That's right. Her age would be a problem."

I thought of the other knight commander who knows the situation, but immediately realized it wouldn't work.

She's still young, and it wouldn't be fair to burden her with such a responsibility. Besides, it's not something the commander of the Reberio Knights should handle.

"... I see..."

After thinking it through, it does seem that I'm the best, or rather, the only option left. My hand naturally reached for my head, and the sound of me scratching it echoed softly.

I did say I would take responsibility for Mui, within my limits. I meant it, and I want to help her.

"Well, what can I say. I'm just saying, it's just a matter of paperwork. I'm not asking you to act like a parent."

No, isn't that a bit inappropriate for you to say? As the head of the Magic Guild, the top figure in the Magic Academy, saying that seems a bit off.

"Ha... I understand."

I can't replace Mui's sister.

But I do have some experience teaching young children at the dojo. While I can't say a parent and a teacher are the same, I can't express my concerns in front of Mui.

"R-Really...?"

"Yeah, well... I'll be counting on you too."

Kids are really sneaky. When they make a face like that, anyone would want to grant their request.

Even though her sister is already dead, I can't say I don't feel guilty for killing her. I can't honestly say that to Mui, and from her perspective, I probably deserve to be blamed.

However, I couldn't bring myself to tell her everything. This is something I and Lucy will take to our graves, as we promised.

This might be what people call atonement. I don't really understand it.

But if taking care of her will help her grow and benefit her future, then I should accept this situation.

"Alright! Here are the documents for the academy, and I have a pen too."

"Prepared, huh..."

Upon hearing my response, Lucy quickly pulled out two documents from her pocket.

They're probably the application for the Magic Academy and the document proving I'll be Mui's guardian.

Fortunately or unfortunately, there's a chair and a table here, so the environment is set up for me to sign the documents.

"By the way, can Mui write?"

"... A little."

It's easy to predict that she hasn't had proper education. As expected, she's at the stage where she needs to learn to read and write.

"Well, we can practice reading and writing when you're at home."

"... Okay."

"Ha ha ha ha! Already like a family!"

Shut up. Should I punch you?

But since I'm getting a house, in the end, I might be the one in debt. It's getting confusing.

But, still.

I did drag her into my world and bring her here, so I have to take some responsibility for that.

And now is the time to do it.

It's nothing I can't handle. I'm used to dealing with kids at the dojo. I'll manage.

"Hmm... Mui... Mui... F...?"

"Yeah, that letter is—"

I sat down and watched Mui struggle with signing the document.

Speaking of which, I should probably write a letter to Bideen Village. A lot has happened since I came here, and I'm curious about how the dojo and Randrid are doing.

I thought about how to start the letter and came to a conclusion, which made me chuckle to myself.

---

To: Father

Before finding a wife, I found a house and a child.

This concludes Chapter 2.

The book version of Volume 2, released on September 7, includes additional original content after this, so please check it out if you're interested.

For future updates, I might need a bit of a break.

However, I plan to resume updates by October at the latest, so please be patient. Of course, there's a chance I'll update regularly.

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