Chapter 153 Sophia'S True Identity And The Invitation To The Settlement On The Outskirts Of The Capital.Bak
The next morning, Sara sent a messenger to Cindy right after waking up, expressing her intention to visit the settlement of women on the outskirts of the capital in the afternoon. The settlement, located on the outskirts of the capital, would take less than an hour to reach by horse.
After finishing breakfast and getting ready, Sara received a response from Cindy. It seemed there was no problem. Sara informed Rebecca of the plan and, using storage magic, packed Sophia's dress and the knight uniform received from Baron Walt, then headed to Jeffrey's mansion.
After finishing the scheduled physical training, they moved to the reception room and held a meeting to discuss the future. Thomas and Jeffrey were present, of course, as well as Scott and Blaze, who were directly involved.
"It's a shame to take a break from the fun for a while, but with the Hunting Tournament approaching and considering the merchant guild's procedures and the education facility, we're running out of time."
Thomas responded to Sara's statement.
"Reducing class time is unavoidable. I think I can help with the merchant guild's tasks and the education facility's arrangements. Moreover, as part of social studies, having Scott and Blaze participate would make it more interesting."
"Social studies?"
"Yes. These 2 will become commoners in the future. Although we don't know which path they'll choose, I believe it's crucial for them to learn about the society surrounding them. They can't learn that in the Academy."
Triggered by Thomas's statement, Jeffrey turned to his sons with a stern expression.
"That's right. Just because you're my son doesn't mean you have to forcefully choose the path of a knight. You should find what you truly want to do."
""Yes, Father.""
"I'm sorry, but Sara, I'd like to take these kids with you as well."
As Sara saw Blaze and Scott calling Jeffrey "Father," she felt a sense of relief, but at the same time, she realized that the time to reveal Sophia's true identity to Blaze was approaching. If she were to accompany them on their social studies trip, it would be difficult to keep it a secret from Scott and Thomas as well.
'Noir is already involved, so it's only a matter of time before it's exposed anyway.'
"I agree with them going on the social studies trip, Mother."
"If Ms. Sara is okay with it, then I have no objections..."
"You know as well, Mother, that there's no way to keep it hidden any longer."
Sara's words made Jeffrey's face pale. He realized that what he had asked for his sons would ultimately lead to exposing Sara's secret.
"Sara, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to force you."
"It's fine. It's only a matter of time anyway. Sir Jeffrey, may I ask you to leave the room for a moment?"
"Now? Understood."
Scott and Blaze were confused by the awkward conversation that had been going on since earlier. The brothers looked at each other and tilted their heads.
"I'm sorry. Scott and Blaze don't understand what's going on, and it looks like we'll be getting Mr. Thomas involved again soon."
"It's okay. I've already pledged my loyalty to Ms. Sara."
Sara stood up from the sofa and moved behind the screen in the corner of the room. She called out to Mike and transformed into Sophia, using magic to put on her knight uniform.
After finishing her transformation and changing clothes, Sara quietly called out to Jeffrey. Since she didn't have the courage to face Blaze alone, she asked for his escort. Holding Jeffrey's hand, she peeked out from behind the screen, and saw the 3 people who didn't know the truth frozen in shock.
"Uh... is that Sara?"
Scott asked timidly, but Blaze immediately countered.
"No way. She's Ms. Sophia."
Sara smiled ambiguously and addressed the two.
"Both are correct. I'm Sara, and when I'm in this form, I go by Sophia. Sorry for keeping it a secret, Blaze."
"Wait a minute. So Ms. Sophia is Sara? And the one who helped me that time was also Sara?"
"That's right."
While worrying about Blaze, who couldn't hide his shock, Scott and Thomas also asked Sara questions.
"Is it true that you're not really 8 years old?"
"I'm definitely 8 years old. I'm just using Mike's ability to change my physical age."
"So, this form is what Ms. Sara would look like if she grew up, right?"
"That's correct. It's a 10-year growth spurt, Mister Thomas."
Thomas took a deep breath before speaking.
"8-year-old Ms. Sara is cute, but Ms. Sara now is truly beautiful."
"Thank you. Then, Blaze, I'm sorry for deceiving you like that. Can you forgive me?"
"I'm not mad about the secret. Besides, being with Sara means being with Ms. Sophia, right? That's all I care about! It's awesome!"
Blaze turned a refreshing smile towards Sara. Scott and Thomas, who saw this, simultaneously realized something. This boy was their greatest rival.
After finishing a simple lunch, Sophia-disguised Sara and Rebecca headed towards a women's settlement on the outskirts of the capital. Although the guys wanted to follow them, they judged it wasn't a good idea to suddenly bring unknown men to a women-centered settlement. They decided to observe the situation today and consider bringing them along next time.
Sara and Rebecca decided to ride horses, and Sara adjusted the saddle and stirrups of Durandal, her horseback riding companion.
'You've grown up suddenly, huh?'
"Thanks for noticing me too."
'It's obvious from the smell.'
"I may look like a kid or an adult sometimes, but it's a big help if you don't mind it."
'Got it, I won't!'
The two rode their horses towards the women's settlement.
* * *
The house was located in a small plaza deep within the settlement.
"This is the one Ms. Cindy wrote about, Miss Cordelia's residence."
Sara stood in front of the door and lightly knocked. A man's face appeared from inside. Upon closer inspection, it was Fran. Since Sara couldn't talk to him in her Sophia disguise, she exchanged glances with Rebecca and decided to ask her a question.
"Isn't that Mr. Fran?!"
"Lady Orson?! What are you doing in a place like this?"
"I came to meet Miss Cordelia, but what about Mr. Fran?"
"Ah, I see. So the guest was Lady Orson. Miss Cordelia is an old friend from my mother's childhood. I heard that a guest was coming, so I came to join in."
"Ah, are you suspecting something?"
"Of course not, I wouldn't dare suspect Lady Orson. However, since women are at the center of this settlement, we're naturally cautious when we have a new guest. As a precaution, Ms. Cordelia is staying at a separate residence, but I'll go call her right away."
"I see. So you'll confirm Mr. Fran's identity before calling Ms. Cordelia, right? That's certainly a prudent thing to do."
Rebecca nodded in agreement with Fran's statement.
"But what brings you here at this hour, Mr. Fran? Are you taking a break from work?"
"No, I have a workshop nearby where I work on weapons."
"Come to think of it, this area is known for gathering various craftsmen, isn't it?"
"But I'm planning to quit my current workshop soon."
"What's the reason?"
"It's because I want to build a distillation furnace. I've made arrangements to borrow my father's family workshop. Interestingly, my great-grandfather built a distillation furnace at the Maiden's Tower in that workshop."
Sara couldn't hold back and called out to Fran in Sophia's appearance.
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Fran. I'm Sophia."
"Ah, nice to meet you too... um, you resemble Miss Sara quite a bit, but are you related by blood?"
"Please don't ask that."
"Understood."
"By the way, Mr. Fran, you're working at a weapon workshop, but you're quitting to build a distillation furnace?"
"Yes. I do want to make weapons, but it seems I don't have the talent for it."
"You're working at a workshop that makes weapons under a master craftsman, and yet you think that?"
"Yes, is it because you've seen the true talent up close?"
Fran forced a smile and continued talking.
"My sister disciple is the daughter of my mentor. Her sword-making skills are truly amazing. I realized right away that I couldn't keep up with her, even with my ordinary skills. If my mentor were still alive, she might have made a name for herself as a legendary weapon maker."
"But didn't your mentor pass away?"
"Yes. After my mentor's death, no one wanted to give her work, since she lost her father's backing. So, I took on the maintenance and small-scale production tasks in my mentor's place, and told her, 'I'm not really into making weapons.' I left the actual work to Teresa, my sister disciple."
"But why are you working in a different workshop now?"
"She didn't like it. She wanted to do her own work under her own name."
"Is that a craftsman's pride?"
"Probably for my sake. Because I said I didn't like making weapons, she started telling me, 'Fran, you should do the work you like.' And she started helping out with farm work and stuff. So, I reluctantly left my mentor's workshop and started working here."
'Oh my, Mr. Fran had such circumstances...'
"Maybe Mr. Fran has feelings for your sister disciple?"
Fran's face turned slightly red as he nodded.
"I was planning to propose to her once I saved up enough money by working here. But thanks to getting the job to build a distillation furnace, I'll be able to save up quickly."
"So, if you get married, will you stop making distillation furnaces?"
"It's a strange story, but I got hooked on maintaining the distillation furnace. I finally understood why my great-grandfather was so passionate about it. Now, I'd rather make a distillation furnace than a weapon!"
"Well, that's good. All that's left is the proposal."
"I think it'll take a few months, since I need to deliver the goods and get paid."
Sara smiled brightly.
"Then I'll pay in advance. I'm covering Sara's expenses, after all."
"No need to worry. Right now, Teresa is busy searching for ore to make Miss Sara's weapon, so it'll take some time. That's just fine."
"Hehe. Sara is a lucky person."
"She's like a goddess to us. We're the ones who are lucky to have her."
Suddenly, Sara felt like asking Fran.
"Mr. Fran, do you think Ms. Teresa will still be a blacksmith even after getting married?"
"Of course. I wouldn't dream of wasting her talent. After we get married, I'll ask the women in our village to help with household chores. I'm looking for someone who's willing to live with us."
"That's amazing!"
'It's uncertain whether Ms. Teresa will accept Mr. Fran's proposal, but one thing's for sure--she's an incredible catch!'
Sara felt like she had made a great start in this village.
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