Chapter 330: Preparing for the Rehearsal
“Jean, can I stay over today?”
“Sure, but won’t Shiva get mad?”
I guess I’m just scared of getting scolded for drinking too much when I go home. But somehow, I feel like I’ll get scolded even more.
“No, the kids are staying over with Ash. Tina kicked me out, saying that since the dads always have their boys’ night, the girls should have their own!”
“…Should we shorten the game tournament a bit?”
I’ve been bringing sweets every time, but is that not enough? Is it not enough?
“No, that’s fine. They’re looking forward to the treats. It’s just that lately, Tina has started to dislike being cuddled…”
Dinoss slumped down, looking dejected.
“After all, you’ve started being called the King Wolf, and now this?”
Haulon seemed to lighten up a bit and laughed at Dinoss.
“Is it a rebellious phase?”
It feels a bit early for that, but the coming-of-age age is younger here. My ideal image of a close-knit family is crumbling.
“At one point, girls tend to dislike their fathers, and boys their mothers as a natural instinct to prevent bloodline marriage. But if they don’t realize it’s instinct, they might search for reasons to dislike you, digging up small past grievances. But they must be struggling with it too, and they do love their parents in a way. It’s just a flip side of love, and once they settle down, they’ll come back—so we should keep an eye on it and not let it get twisted…”
“You’re flustered too, Jean.”
As I rambled on, Retze said with a hint of exasperation.
“It might come someday, but for now, I think you should just increase the number of times you shave.”
The butler said with a smile.
Unshaven! Is the rough stubble the cause? How embarrassing to have rambled on about something so plausible!
In this world, a rebellious phase is a bit more common in wealthy families that keep their children close for a long time. Usually, kids become independent without even going through a rebellious phase.
After a while of relaxing in the afternoon, mainly helping Dinoss sober up, I drew a few magic circles and prepared to head into the Demon Forest. I planned to get some practical acting guidance.
“Can I poke the rabbit hole?”
“Do it later, do it later. I’ll join you.”
I was stopped when I asked in the meadow. But it seems Retze will join me later.
Avoiding the rabbit holes, we moved through the meadow. Karn, despite his large frame, moved as gracefully as a cat. However, with this many people walking, the Horned Rabbits wouldn’t show up… or maybe they would.
I swiftly dealt with one using the Ex-Staff. The speed of the rabbit charging and the speed of the Ex-Staff made it easy to take it down.
Since we had enough rabbit meat, I tossed it into the empty rabbit hole and collapsed it. If left unattended, Demon Beasts might gather and become a nuisance for passersby. It’s better to bury it or toss it deeper into the forest where fewer people go.
“What’s that staff? I sense a Spirit’s presence.”
Haulon seems to be the type who can sense things.
“There are issues here; it’s better to do this deep in the forest where screams can’t be heard.”
“Screams are a given, huh…”
The butler answered in my stead, and Haulon shifted his gaze sideways.
For now, we arrived at a place not suitable for hunting, where people rarely come.
“Why is it that ordinary things are normal? Aside from the fact that the weapon is a staff, the way we’re handling ourselves while walking towards our destination is quite polite, right?”
“I learned this from Retze.”
The habits of the person who taught you tend to show through.
“…Hey, what exactly were you teaching them?!”
Dinoss and the butler froze for a moment, still smiling, before I raised my voice.
“I taught Dinoss about taking care of vegetables and weaving baskets.”
“Baskets? The one that’s half-finished?! You could teach him something else!”
I was busy looking between them and Dinoss.
“It just ended up this way!”
“When we first met, your abilities were unclear…”
The two looked somewhat reluctant.
If I had revealed my abilities from the start, would I have learned more and changed things?
“Oh, let me introduce you. This staff is my partner.”
“Yo! I’m the Konkon Staff EX! Call me Ex-Staff!”
With a pop, the leaves at the tip of the staff opened, revealing the Ex-Staff.
“Wait, hold on. No way… no way!”
For some reason, Haulon started to back away cautiously.
“As for the abilities of the King’s Branch, it can attract Spirits and make me comfortable. It doesn’t have the ability to ward off Black Spirits, so it’s a handy companion for adventures.”
“We’re always together!”
The Ex-Staff grinned widely.
“You mean you were poking rabbits with the King’s Branch?!”
Haulon’s eyes widened in shock.
“Karn was also slicing down the rabbits that jumped out.”
What’s wrong with the Ex-Staff?
“The King was a sword, right? Both the Shadow Wolf and King Wolf were swords! …Wait, why is everyone looking away?”
“There are various reasons.”
The butler said solemnly.
“Seriously. It’s tough when everything comes at once…”
Dinoss shot a sympathetic glance at Haulon.
“Don’t even think about having the Ex-Staff wield a sword; that’s a conclusion for another day.”
Retze warned, but I’ve already concluded that the humanoid part of the Ex-Staff wouldn’t reach the target even if it held a sword, so there’s no need to worry.