Volume 3 Chapter 28 Bond - Ice
When we talked about the details and the truth, the reactions of the women were all different.
"If Wade-kun decided that way, then it's not a problem..." said Ice, sounding worried.
"Huh, you're being that harsh...? Well, yeah. I guess if it ended peacefully, it's okay to be a little kinder," said Toxy, looking complex.
"Yesterday's enemy is today's friend, huh? The ragged mop became a comrade," said Sandra sarcastically, with a blank expression.
"Does that scary person live here? No way!" exclaimed Moruru, completely refusing.
Well, I guess you could say it was mostly negative. Although it's good to solve the funding issue and increase the manpower, it's complicated because of the other party.
So, on the night before Ridge and Windy's move tomorrow, I was sitting in the living room with Ice and Moruru.
"Mnyu..."
On Ice's lap, Moruru looked sleepy. Ice gently petted her affectionately.
"..."
Meanwhile, I was sitting there with my arms crossed, troubled. I couldn't quite make sense of the recent developments and was grumbling to myself.
"Are you worried...?"
Ice asked, and I responded with a groan, "Well, I have my concerns..."
"We've received a lot, and it sounds great and all, but... something just feels off..."
Emotionally, a lot of things were bothering me. As I was thinking about this, Ice spoke up.
"Well, you know? I come from a merchant family, so I understand the importance of connections and such. If you're interested, Wade-kun, I can explain it more deeply."
"...Please do."
"Alright, I understand...!"
With a smile, Ice began to explain.
"So, this time there are various conditions, like apologies and compensation. And the concept of connection is all mixed up with them, making things complicated."
"Connection, huh?"
"Yeah... If we break it down, you know? First, there's Wade-kun, who was given a silver stealth weapon adventurer's badge. That's like a symbol of getting close to someone, indicating that you belong to the city Lord."
I take the adventurer's badge, which is different from the other adventurer's badges.
"Having this means that you're on city Lord's side. And at the same time, if there are any troublesome procedures, you can use this adventurer's badge to make things easier, and it can also be useful for Wade-kun."
I guess Clay-kun wanted this the most, huh? Ice was saying something like that.
"Ah, I see. So, this is kind of like a special seal of authority. It has more uses than just warding off people with magic."
I was becoming increasingly pleased with how useful this seemed. But then Ice continued.
"But, on the other hand, even if you're not officially hired, people will recognize that you're associated with the city lord. So, you need to be careful about when you use it."
"...I see."
Apparently, it's a double-edged sword. At the very least, flashing an adventurer's badge from the city lord while trying to get a job with Nightfather would be tricky.
"Next, about the fee for your role as a tutor."
Ice continued.
"As Clay-kun said, it's politically complicated money. Even I haven't fully grasped all the nuances. Are you still okay with it?"
"Yeah, no problem. Go ahead and explain."
"Alright... So, let me break it down."
Ice cleared her throat before continuing.
"First of all, 8 big silver coins per month is clearly not just for tutoring, right?"
"Yeah, that's obvious."
A monthly fee equivalent to 2.4 million yen couldn't possibly be just for lessons.
"I heard it was compensation."
"Yes, but I think it's more than that. For the treatment and compensation of an injured person, this amount is quite excessive."
"Is that so?"
"I know this because merchants sometimes go to court. In cases of disputes, the losing party usually pays a one-time fee of around 8 big silver coins. It's unheard of to pay that amount monthly."
So, it still amounts to 8 big silver coins. It seems the amount must have been carefully put together by both the territory and Clay after understanding the market price.
So, when the city lord mentioned precedents, he was referring to legal precedents.
"Alright, is it correct that Clay is getting quite a lot?"
"Yeah... And, for a noble to hand over their family from their household, it's practically like a hostage situation. From my perspective, it might be more like complete surrender..."
"I see..."
I cross my arms and ponder. For now, it seems fine to consider the initial compensation as it is. The issue lies in the subsequent ongoing payments.
"Officially, it's the salary for the tutor role, but the salaries from the following month onwards might be more of an investment in Wade-kun, so to speak."
"An investment in me?"
I look puzzled, and Ice chuckles and delves deeper into the explanation.
"Wade-kun is, from our perspective, probably seen as quite strong, even by anyone else's standards. You're getting stronger. To help Wade-kun become even stronger. And for the stronger Wade-kun to become an ally of the city lord. That's the investment."
"...It feels like I'm being biased. A year ago, I was still somewhat smaller than Ice, a bit skinny."
"Looking at Wade-kun now, no one would believe that a year ago you were a skinny kid from the slums."
When Ice teasingly mentions it, painful memories from the past flash through my mind.
"...I don't really want to remember that."
"Oh, sorry, okay...?"
"No, it's fine. I brought it up... My old man, what's he up to? It wouldn't be surprising if he dropped dead somewhere."
My father, who was the embodiment of a toxic parent, didn't love me. However, just being a parent made him special to the child. If I could vividly remember my past parents, maybe things wouldn't have turned out this way.
I quickly changed the subject and urged, "Is there anything else?"
"Oh, um... Well, it also mentioned covering living expenses for Ridge-sama and such, totaling more than Moruru's upbringing costs, I think."
"I see. I'm starting to get the picture. When I think about that..."
I recalled what happened during the negotiation.
"...Was Clay demanding something like 'I'll save face for you, so hand over all the connections and compensation'?"
Ice shook her head, indicating that it was extremely greedy.
"Clay's negotiation was pretty good, I think... But, it seems like the city lord was planning to surrender from the start, so yeah. It felt a bit suspicious, but it ended up following the expected path, I guess..."
"I wasn't really expecting that much, hmm."
However, Clay had said this. "Being seen as someone who lacks ambition and can be easily manipulated." If things had escalated, it could have led to a war with Lord himself.
The flow of battling the city lord's hidden weapons could bring danger to the party.
I frowned.
"Thinking about it, nobles are scary. Does that mean they've been outmaneuvering with negotiation skills I can't match? Hmm..."
"Yeah, that's right... But, Wade-kun. Don't forget, okay...?"
Ice gazes directly at me.
"As an adventurers, no matter what happens, we're still free. If you're ready to make enemies of the city lord, you can always cast off these constraints."
"..."
Looking into Ice's sincere eyes, I feel that Ice truly cares about me.
"Yeah, that's right. I am free. I won't forget that."
"Mm-hmm..."
Yes, just saying that, Ice smiles brightly. Seeing that smile, my heart feels warm somehow.
"Hey, Ice."
In response to my call, Ice seems to sense something and nervously replies.
"W-what...? Wade-kun."
"It's about accepting Ridge, the city lord talked about a political marriage and said it's okay for me to get involved with Ridge, something like that."
"Mm..."
"Oh, sorry. I didn't start the conversation well. It's just that, that's completely unrelated to the main topic. In other words, I grew up in the slums, so I lack some common sense, especially when it comes to things like marriage, I don't really understand."
"Uh, yeah..."
"Marriage is considered normal for people our age, right? In this country, at around 15 years old, you're already considered an adult, can drink alcohol, and... even get married."
"Yeah, that's right."
Ice's grip on Moruru tightens.
"I'll say this upfront. I probably can't just watch Ice alone."
In response to my preamble, Ice shakes her head slightly.
"Don't worry about it... My father also has two wives, so..."
"Besides, we're both adventurers. While the income is good, it's still unstable. There might come a time when we can't fight anymore and cause each other pain, who knows."
"Don't worry...! I feel the same way too!"
"...Then, if you're okay with it."
I gaze into Ice's eyes.
"Will you marry me? ...I love you, Ice. When I saw you, battered and bruised, protecting Moruru, it hurt me more than anything. It was both painful and precious to me."
"...!"
Ice covers her mouth, tears welling up in her eyes.
After a brief pause, Ice begins to speak.
"When I was protecting Moruru, Windy-san called it a 'family game.'"
Imagine that. Windy is the type to talk during battles. They must have teased Ice who risked her life to protect Moruru.
"I was really upset about that... I'm not Moruru's real mother, and I'm not in a relationship with Wade-kun. But still, I was truly serious about being Moruru's mother!"
"...I see."
"So, you know?"
Ice shed a single tear and gave me a big smile.
"Respectfully, I accept...! Please make me your wife, Wade-kun."
"―――Ice"
I embraced Ice. Moruru, who was almost asleep, let out a muffled voice as she was sandwiched between me and Ice, saying "Hug..."
"Ah, hehe... And yes, I want to become Moruru's mother in every sense, too. ...But first, I want to be Wade-kun's wife."
"Yes, let's. Let's become a real family, not just playing pretend."
We embraced each other and exchanged a kiss without any specific direction. It was just a kiss on the lips, but it changed the atmosphere.
My whole body felt hot. My heart was pounding.
"I want Ice."
As I said those words, Ice's face quickly turned red.
"I, too. I want Wade-kun..."
I gently laid Moruru on the sofa and took Ice's hand. We moved to a secluded room with only unused beds and no one else nearby.
"...This is the last confirmation. Are you okay with this? No regrets, right?"
"I have no regrets. But I'm happy. Wade-kun, you care about me so much."
As I was about to open the door, Ice embraced me with great force. She wrapped her arms around my neck and we shared a strong, deep kiss. Her ample chest pressed firmly against me.
We then entered the room together and clicked the lock shut.
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