After we left the workshop, we set out for the town where our destination was.
The carriage with the Bardia family crest on it and the way we were dressed made us very conspicuous, so once we moved to the villa, we changed our appearance and the carriage to something a little more modest.
Then we move again and finally arrive in front of our destination house.
'Okay, here we are.'
The building in front of us is one of the more magnificent houses in the town.
I walk up to the door and knock, then say my name: 'This is Rid'.
Soon after, I hear a reply from inside the house, then the door is opened and a familiar figure peeks out.
'Welcome. 'Welcome, Master Rid".
'Hello, Cross. Sorry for interrupting you today."
Yes, this is the house of Cross, deputy commander of the Knights of Bardia.
In fact, the story that Cross's wife is due to give birth soon has been well-known for some time, including within the Knights.
And when the child is born safe and sound, I had heard a lot of love from Cross during training.
Both mother and child had an easy birth, the birth of a new life is indeed a very happy thing, but it was hard for me to hear Cross tell me about it every time I trained.
Incidentally, the same seemed to be true for the children of the beastmen tribe, and on several occasions I saw them listening to Cross' boastful stories in stunned silence.
When I told this to my mother as a funny story, Mel, who was present, had a twinkle in her eye.
'Niisama, I want to se baby too!'
Both Mother and I tried to stop Mel, but she wouldn't listen to us.
Later, before training, I had no choice but to talk to Cross about it, but instead of refusing, he was rather overjoyed.
'Master Rid and Meldy are going to come to ...... see our child? Please come and see him. No, rather we will go to Master Rid's house."
'No, no, no,...... the child has just been born, right? Aside from the fact that the woman's body is not as strong as the man's, the woman's body is also not as strong as the man's.
I replied with more joy than I had expected, and involuntarily backed away.
Then, Cross looked doubtful.
So, is that so? I'm grateful for that, but ....... But why does Master Rid know about the postnatal period?"
'Eh⁉ Well, that's ...... well, it was written in a book in the study. Haha ......."
With the unexpected question, I unintentionally misled him with a wry smile.
He nodded and smiled at my answer
'I see. I am in awe. Well then, I'll take you at your word and entertain you as best I can in my home.'
'No, don't worry about that either. It will be hard on your wife.'
Thus it was that Mel and I were to visit Cross's house.
As I was thinking back to what had happened, Cross gave me a dubious look.
'Master Rid, is something wrong?
'Oh, sorry. I've been thinking a bit. Then, I'll leave you alone.
We bade Cross goodbye and went up to his house.
The house of Cross is a two-storey house, and I think it is one of the most luxurious in town.
It is also interesting because it looks very different from our mansion.
When we go up to the house, Mel politely greets Cross.
'My name is Meldy Bardia. Thank you for agreeing to my unreasonable request today."
'Thank you for your courtesy, Meldy-sama. I am a member of the Bardia Order, so there is no need for you to be so formal. Besides, it is a great honour to have you come to see my son."
...... 'The height of nobility', ehehehe."
Mel smiles, tickled by Cross's words.
Indeed, I didn't think too much of it, but it would be quite unusual for the children of a lord to come to see a child born of their own accord.
I had naturally reported this matter to my father.
At that time, he said, "I can't give permission to everyone, but ...... well, if it's Cross's child, it's fine", and he gave his permission.
In other words, I think the reason we were able to visit in this way was partly due to the trust that Cross himself had placed in us through his contribution to the Knights of Bardia up until now.
At that point, Cross looks around at us and smiles.
'Now, I will show you to the room where my wife and son are."
'Yes. Sorry to bother you.'
Cross then stops in front of one of the rooms upstairs and knocks.
'Tink, come in.
'Yes, come in.'
As soon as he hears the woman's reply, Cross opens the door to his room and enters.
We followed him into the room.
At that moment, the woman who was lying on the bed tried to get up, so I stepped forward and hurriedly stopped her.
'Oh no, please don't get up, just lie down in bed ‼.
'No, I cannot be that rude to Master Rainer and Lady Meldy...... !.'
I feel something like a very strong will in the eyes of Cross's wife.
It also felt similar to Diana and Asuna.
It would be useless to say anything to this kind of person.
Then, let's change the way we say it.
I think for a moment and then quickly spin the words.
"Well ...... then, I'll take it as 'disrespectful if you don't rest on the bed just in this situation. So please don't strain yourself."
?That's ......."
She took one look at my face with a dubious expression, bowed on the spot as if she had given up, and muttered
"I've got it. Thank you for your consideration."
'No, no, I'm sorry for the sudden intrusion."
After smiling at my answer, she straightened up on the bed.
'Once again, I am Tink, Cross's wife. I'm sorry to greet you like this, even though you've come all this way."
Tink, Cross's wife, introduced herself with dignity, maintaining her polite manners even on the bed.
Tink has long brown hair with a strong frizz.
Her eyes are blue and a little sharp and big.
She seems like a reliable older sister.
I reply to her words with a smile.
'Not at all. Once again, I am Rid Bardia."
Just as I finish exchanging words with Tink, Mel comes up next to me and turns to look at her.
'I am Meldie Bardia. Nice to meet you, thank you."
Tink looked very happy to see me and Mel greet each other.
But then, with something of a huff, she looks back behind the bed.
Then, 'Tis, you too must come forward and greet the two of you.'
'Ha, yes.'
A young girl about Mel's age came out of the place where Tink had called out to her, fearfully.
The girl has the same blue eyes as Tink, and her strong, curly hair is pulled back in a small ponytail.
The girl straightened her posture as she came out in front of us.
'Well, my name is Tis, daughter of my mum and dad, and I'm six years old. Nice to meet you."
When Tis finishes her greeting, she bows her head in place.
I smiled as soon as she looked up.
'You must be Tis. I've heard a lot about you from Cross. I'm Rid Bardia. Nice to meet you too."
'Yes,...... yes⁉ Dad, you're talking about me to Master Rid, too.'
Tis, perhaps not expecting my answer, rolls her eyes and looks angrily at Cross.
Cross gave a big smile in response to the question and answered as if it were a matter of course.
'Of course not. The charm and cuteness of Tis is already roaring in the Bardia family as well as in the Knights. 'Hey, Master Rid.
'Ah ......, that may be so. Tis, my father and mother have heard about you.'
'Yeah, eh⁉'.
Tis did not seem to think that not only me but the entire Bardia family knew about him, and he has a look of astonishment on his face.
Well, if Cross, the deputy commander of the Bardia Knights, boasts so much about his daughter here and there, in a sense there must be no one in the mansion who does not know about Tis.
Eventually, Tisu muttered, "Ugh ...... daddy's fool ......" and sagged down.
Mel immediately rushed over to her and took her hand, smiling happily.
I've always heard stories about you from my nii-sama,Ive been looking forward to meeting you.
'Oh, wow, I'm so ...... honoured to hear you say that to me.'
Tis looked a little depressed, but thanks to Mel, she soon regained her smile and now she is showing signs of embarrassment.
Watching the exchange between the two, Tink smiled and muttered.
'Huh, you really have become a fine man, Master Rid. As someone who saw you when you were little, I'm really happy for you.'
'Huh? Tink knows me when I was a little boy?"
I asked back.
I often hear Cross bragging about his family, but come to think of it, I had never heard the story of how he and his wife first met or how they got married.
She nodded at my question and continued talking.
'Yes. I was a member of the Order until I married Cross and gave birth to Tis. As I recall, I left the Order around the time before I found out that Nanalee-sama was pregnant with her second child, Meldy-sama. So I've seen the little Rid-sama a few times.
"Oh, is that so? I didn't know that. I'm sorry, I don't remember. ......"
'No, no, of course you don't remember, you were even younger than you are now.
When I was talking to Tink, Mel and Tis, who seemed to have become friends before I knew it, came up next to me, and Mel grabbed my hand.
"Hey, hey, Nii-sama. Let's have a quick look at the baby."
Mel and Tis came up next to me and Mel took my hand. May I have a look then?
Yes, please. Cross, show the two of you 'Claude'.
She nodded at our words and turned her gaze to Cross.
'Okay. Master Rid, lady Meldy, this way.'
'Yeah, thanks.'
Cross led me and Mel to the back of the cot where Tink was sleeping.
The baby was sleeping in a crib.
There was a crib there, and a small baby was sleeping peacefully.
Mel's eyes light up at the cuteness of the baby.
, "Wow, he's so cute. Hey, hey, is it okay if I touch him just a little?"
Yes, But he is sleeping, so please touch him gently.
Nodding at Cross's answer, Mel gently pokes the baby's palm.
The baby then reflexively grabbed Mel's poking finger.
Mel melts into a "cute ministry".
Tis muttered to Mel, "Huh, her cheeks are fluffy too", and they both enjoyed the baby.
I was also admiring the cuteness of the baby, but I suddenly wondered about the name of this child that Tink had just muttered.
'Cross, this child's name is 'Claude', right?
I asked him if he understood my intention, and he replied shyly to Cross.
'Haha, that's right. I took one letter from 'Rid'-sama's name, although it was presumptuous of me. Even if only a little, I hope he will be blessed with a talent like Rid-sama's. ......"
''Oh, I see. I'm happy to hear you say that, but I'm a little embarrassed."
I didn't expect him to use a letter from my name at all.
It was unexpected and I scratched my cheeks in embarrassment.
◇ ◇
Later, while enjoying baby Claude, Tink told me stories about her time working at the mansion.
Surprisingly, it was Tink who taught Diana the dark arts and fighting techniques.
'Hmm, back then Diana had a tremendous 'thirst for strength'. So, I trained her severely, telling her what I could teach her as much as possible. Hey, Diana."
'Yes, I did. It was very tough, but now it's probably a good memory."
Diana replies to Tink's words with a distant look in her eyes.
How tough was the training?
She also told me stories about the time when Mother was in good health.
'Lady Nanalee was very mischievous, you know. One day, Master Rainer asked Garn, the butler, for a cup of tea. andd Lady Nanalee said: 'I'll have a cup of tea for you. Reiner, would you like some lemon tea?' And Master Reiner nodded his head."
'Well ......, but what part of that was a prank?'
When I asked, Tink smiled as she recalled that moment.
'Actually, you know. As soon as Rainer sipped the 'lemon tea' that Nanalee-sama brought afterwards, he instantly coughed. Then, when he wrinkled his brow and made an indescribable face, Nanalee smiled at him and told him:
'Well, that's ...... by the way, what did Mother say?'
I asked Tink, who was smiling, although I could see some sort of fallout.
'Hmmm, 'What's the matter? 'Well, according to what I know she , made lemon tea with plenty of lemon,. I still remember the look on Master Rainer's face at that moment.'
'Haha...... mother is doing some pretty amazing things.'
I couldn't help but laugh.
Lemon tea, so you would never ...... think of serving a tea with a lot of lemon in it.
I think my mother must have been a real prankster to pull that off.
At that moment, Tis and Mel came close to me, and Mel muttered to me.
Mel murmured softly: "Hey, hey, Nii-sama. Tis wants to ask you a favour. Can you listen to her?
'Yes, that's good. Tis, what do you want me to do?
Tis looked down with a slightly nervous expression on her face, but when she looked up, she looked determined and mumbled something.
'Oh, I heard that ...... Rid-sama is training children of a similar age to me. So, that ...... I want to join the Order of Bardia in the future. So, I know it's impolite, but could you train me in martial arts and magic too......⁉"
"'He......?"
I was taken aback by Tis's unexpected words.
And it goes without saying that Cross, who understood the meaning of those words quicker than I did, let out a cry of grief.
After we left the workshop, we set out for the town where our destination was.
The carriage with the Bardia family crest on it and the way we were dressed made us very conspicuous, so once we moved to the villa, we changed our appearance and the carriage to something a little more modest.
Then we move again and finally arrive in front of our destination house.
'Okay, here we are.'
The building in front of us is one of the more magnificent houses in the town.
I walk up to the door and knock, then say my name: 'This is Rid'.
Soon after, I hear a reply from inside the house, then the door is opened and a familiar figure peeks out.
'Welcome. 'Welcome, Master Rid".
'Hello, Cross. Sorry for interrupting you today."
Yes, this is the house of Cross, deputy commander of the Knights of Bardia.
In fact, the story that Cross's wife is due to give birth soon has been well-known for some time, including within the Knights.
And when the child is born safe and sound, I had heard a lot of love from Cross during training.
Both mother and child had an easy birth, the birth of a new life is indeed a very happy thing, but it was hard for me to hear Cross tell me about it every time I trained.
Incidentally, the same seemed to be true for the children of the beastmen tribe, and on several occasions I saw them listening to Cross' boastful stories in stunned silence.
When I told this to my mother as a funny story, Mel, who was present, had a twinkle in her eye.
'Niisama, I want to se baby too!'
Both Mother and I tried to stop Mel, but she wouldn't listen to us.
Later, before training, I had no choice but to talk to Cross about it, but instead of refusing, he was rather overjoyed.
'Master Rid and Meldy are going to come to ...... see our child? Please come and see him. No, rather we will go to Master Rid's house."
'No, no, no,...... the child has just been born, right? Aside from the fact that the woman's body is not as strong as the man's, the woman's body is also not as strong as the man's.
I replied with more joy than I had expected, and involuntarily backed away.
Then, Cross looked doubtful.
So, is that so? I'm grateful for that, but ....... But why does Master Rid know about the postnatal period?"
'Eh⁉ Well, that's ...... well, it was written in a book in the study. Haha ......."
With the unexpected question, I unintentionally misled him with a wry smile.
He nodded and smiled at my answer
'I see. I am in awe. Well then, I'll take you at your word and entertain you as best I can in my home.'
'No, don't worry about that either. It will be hard on your wife.'
Thus it was that Mel and I were to visit Cross's house.
As I was thinking back to what had happened, Cross gave me a dubious look.
'Master Rid, is something wrong?
'Oh, sorry. I've been thinking a bit. Then, I'll leave you alone.
We bade Cross goodbye and went up to his house.
The house of Cross is a two-storey house, and I think it is one of the most luxurious in town.
It is also interesting because it looks very different from our mansion.
When we go up to the house, Mel politely greets Cross.
'My name is Meldy Bardia. Thank you for agreeing to my unreasonable request today."
'Thank you for your courtesy, Meldy-sama. I am a member of the Bardia Order, so there is no need for you to be so formal. Besides, it is a great honour to have you come to see my son."
...... 'The height of nobility', ehehehe."
Mel smiles, tickled by Cross's words.
Indeed, I didn't think too much of it, but it would be quite unusual for the children of a lord to come to see a child born of their own accord.
I had naturally reported this matter to my father.
At that time, he said, "I can't give permission to everyone, but ...... well, if it's Cross's child, it's fine", and he gave his permission.
In other words, I think the reason we were able to visit in this way was partly due to the trust that Cross himself had placed in us through his contribution to the Knights of Bardia up until now.
At that point, Cross looks around at us and smiles.
'Now, I will show you to the room where my wife and son are."
'Yes. Sorry to bother you.'
Cross then stops in front of one of the rooms upstairs and knocks.
'Tink, come in.
'Yes, come in.'
As soon as he hears the woman's reply, Cross opens the door to his room and enters.
We followed him into the room.
At that moment, the woman who was lying on the bed tried to get up, so I stepped forward and hurriedly stopped her.
'Oh no, please don't get up, just lie down in bed ‼.
'No, I cannot be that rude to Master Rainer and Lady Meldy...... !.'
I feel something like a very strong will in the eyes of Cross's wife.
It also felt similar to Diana and Asuna.
It would be useless to say anything to this kind of person.
Then, let's change the way we say it.
I think for a moment and then quickly spin the words.
"Well ...... then, I'll take it as 'disrespectful if you don't rest on the bed just in this situation. So please don't strain yourself."
?That's ......."
She took one look at my face with a dubious expression, bowed on the spot as if she had given up, and muttered
"I've got it. Thank you for your consideration."
'No, no, I'm sorry for the sudden intrusion."
After smiling at my answer, she straightened up on the bed.
'Once again, I am Tink, Cross's wife. I'm sorry to greet you like this, even though you've come all this way."
Tink, Cross's wife, introduced herself with dignity, maintaining her polite manners even on the bed.
Tink has long brown hair with a strong frizz.
Her eyes are blue and a little sharp and big.
She seems like a reliable older sister.
I reply to her words with a smile.
'Not at all. Once again, I am Rid Bardia."
Just as I finish exchanging words with Tink, Mel comes up next to me and turns to look at her.
'I am Meldie Bardia. Nice to meet you, thank you."
Tink looked very happy to see me and Mel greet each other.
But then, with something of a huff, she looks back behind the bed.
Then, 'Tis, you too must come forward and greet the two of you.'
'Ha, yes.'
A young girl about Mel's age came out of the place where Tink had called out to her, fearfully.
The girl has the same blue eyes as Tink, and her strong, curly hair is pulled back in a small ponytail.
The girl straightened her posture as she came out in front of us.
'Well, my name is Tis, daughter of my mum and dad, and I'm six years old. Nice to meet you."
When Tis finishes her greeting, she bows her head in place.
I smiled as soon as she looked up.
'You must be Tis. I've heard a lot about you from Cross. I'm Rid Bardia. Nice to meet you too."
'Yes,...... yes⁉ Dad, you're talking about me to Master Rid, too.'
Tis, perhaps not expecting my answer, rolls her eyes and looks angrily at Cross.
Cross gave a big smile in response to the question and answered as if it were a matter of course.
'Of course not. The charm and cuteness of Tis is already roaring in the Bardia family as well as in the Knights. 'Hey, Master Rid.
'Ah ......, that may be so. Tis, my father and mother have heard about you.'
'Yeah, eh⁉'.
Tis did not seem to think that not only me but the entire Bardia family knew about him, and he has a look of astonishment on his face.
Well, if Cross, the deputy commander of the Bardia Knights, boasts so much about his daughter here and there, in a sense there must be no one in the mansion who does not know about Tis.
Eventually, Tisu muttered, "Ugh ...... daddy's fool ......" and sagged down.
Mel immediately rushed over to her and took her hand, smiling happily.
I've always heard stories about you from my nii-sama,Ive been looking forward to meeting you.
'Oh, wow, I'm so ...... honoured to hear you say that to me.'
Tis looked a little depressed, but thanks to Mel, she soon regained her smile and now she is showing signs of embarrassment.
Watching the exchange between the two, Tink smiled and muttered.
'Huh, you really have become a fine man, Master Rid. As someone who saw you when you were little, I'm really happy for you.'
'Huh? Tink knows me when I was a little boy?"
I asked back.
I often hear Cross bragging about his family, but come to think of it, I had never heard the story of how he and his wife first met or how they got married.
She nodded at my question and continued talking.
'Yes. I was a member of the Order until I married Cross and gave birth to Tis. As I recall, I left the Order around the time before I found out that Nanalee-sama was pregnant with her second child, Meldy-sama. So I've seen the little Rid-sama a few times.
"Oh, is that so? I didn't know that. I'm sorry, I don't remember. ......"
'No, no, of course you don't remember, you were even younger than you are now.
When I was talking to Tink, Mel and Tis, who seemed to have become friends before I knew it, came up next to me, and Mel grabbed my hand.
"Hey, hey, Nii-sama. Let's have a quick look at the baby."
Mel and Tis came up next to me and Mel took my hand. May I have a look then?
Yes, please. Cross, show the two of you 'Claude'.
She nodded at our words and turned her gaze to Cross.
'Okay. Master Rid, lady Meldy, this way.'
'Yeah, thanks.'
Cross led me and Mel to the back of the cot where Tink was sleeping.
The baby was sleeping in a crib.
There was a crib there, and a small baby was sleeping peacefully.
Mel's eyes light up at the cuteness of the baby.
, "Wow, he's so cute. Hey, hey, is it okay if I touch him just a little?"
Yes, But he is sleeping, so please touch him gently.
Nodding at Cross's answer, Mel gently pokes the baby's palm.
The baby then reflexively grabbed Mel's poking finger.
Mel melts into a "cute ministry".
Tis muttered to Mel, "Huh, her cheeks are fluffy too", and they both enjoyed the baby.
I was also admiring the cuteness of the baby, but I suddenly wondered about the name of this child that Tink had just muttered.
'Cross, this child's name is 'Claude', right?
I asked him if he understood my intention, and he replied shyly to Cross.
'Haha, that's right. I took one letter from 'Rid'-sama's name, although it was presumptuous of me. Even if only a little, I hope he will be blessed with a talent like Rid-sama's. ......"
''Oh, I see. I'm happy to hear you say that, but I'm a little embarrassed."
I didn't expect him to use a letter from my name at all.
It was unexpected and I scratched my cheeks in embarrassment.
◇ ◇
Later, while enjoying baby Claude, Tink told me stories about her time working at the mansion.
Surprisingly, it was Tink who taught Diana the dark arts and fighting techniques.
'Hmm, back then Diana had a tremendous 'thirst for strength'. So, I trained her severely, telling her what I could teach her as much as possible. Hey, Diana."
'Yes, I did. It was very tough, but now it's probably a good memory."
Diana replies to Tink's words with a distant look in her eyes.
How tough was the training?
She also told me stories about the time when Mother was in good health.
'Lady Nanalee was very mischievous, you know. One day, Master Rainer asked Garn, the butler, for a cup of tea. andd Lady Nanalee said: 'I'll have a cup of tea for you. Reiner, would you like some lemon tea?' And Master Reiner nodded his head."
'Well ......, but what part of that was a prank?'
When I asked, Tink smiled as she recalled that moment.
'Actually, you know. As soon as Rainer sipped the 'lemon tea' that Nanalee-sama brought afterwards, he instantly coughed. Then, when he wrinkled his brow and made an indescribable face, Nanalee smiled at him and told him:
'Well, that's ...... by the way, what did Mother say?'
I asked Tink, who was smiling, although I could see some sort of fallout.
'Hmmm, 'What's the matter? 'Well, according to what I know she , made lemon tea with plenty of lemon,. I still remember the look on Master Rainer's face at that moment.'
'Haha...... mother is doing some pretty amazing things.'
I couldn't help but laugh.
Lemon tea, so you would never ...... think of serving a tea with a lot of lemon in it.
I think my mother must have been a real prankster to pull that off.
At that moment, Tis and Mel came close to me, and Mel muttered to me.
Mel murmured softly: "Hey, hey, Nii-sama. Tis wants to ask you a favour. Can you listen to her?
'Yes, that's good. Tis, what do you want me to do?
Tis looked down with a slightly nervous expression on her face, but when she looked up, she looked determined and mumbled something.
'Oh, I heard that ...... Rid-sama is training children of a similar age to me. So, that ...... I want to join the Order of Bardia in the future. So, I know it's impolite, but could you train me in martial arts and magic too......⁉"
"'He......?"
I was taken aback by Tis's unexpected words.
And it goes without saying that Cross, who understood the meaning of those words quicker than I did, let out a cry of grief.
