Chapter 358 So You Came To Check Things Out
"Hey, Sara──, Scott──."
Scott quickly stepped in to calm down an upset Sara. Just then, Robert and Rebecca arrived to see the sparring match between Sara and Scott. It looked like Scott wasn't the only one visiting Marg and the others at Maiden's Tower. When Sara waved to Robert, he signaled for them to go to the tower first. Sara and Scott nodded and began to put away their weapons.
The snow that had been falling earlier had stopped, and the bright sunlight was sparkling off the snow, making everything shine brightly.
"It's a bit too bright, isn't it?"
"Be careful; it can hurt your eyes."
Scott squinted his eyes just like Sara.
'In this world, there are glasses, but no sunglasses. No goggles either.'
When they entered Maiden's Tower, the difference in brightness made the inside feel extremely dark. Everything looked greenish.
"It was bright outside, so it's hard to see in here."
"You'll get used to it quickly."
"Maybe I should develop glasses to protect our eyes. Oh, with all that sunlight reflecting, I should also ask Amelia for sunscreen."
"Sara always connects things to business right away."
"Of course! Providing what people need, when they need it, where they need it, at a fair price is the basics of business."
"By that logic, won't luxury items stop selling?"
"Needing something doesn't just mean basic necessities. Sure, you might not struggle without pretty dresses or jewels, but for noblewomen, those are essential."
"Such a waste of culture, huh?"
"That's a difference in values. You can live without drinking alcohol, but if it completely disappeared, the knights would probably get really angry, right?"
"Ahahaha. That's true."
"Luxury items exist to enrich our hearts and lives. Sometimes they help smooth out relationships, and other times they are tools to show our status or power. There are many uses for them."
"Hmm, I see."
"All of that is called 'demand.' It means there are people who want 'things' or 'services.'"
"Oh, I learned that in Mister Thomas's class. Providing things or services that are in demand is called 'supply,' right? He said the balance between demand and supply is important."
As Sara talked with Scott and went upstairs, Robert and Rebecca were warming themselves while drinking hot tea.
"Good day, Father, Mother."
"Sara looks lively today too."
"By the way, Sara and Scott are having quite a serious conversation."
"Did you hear us? I apologize for speaking so loudly."
Scott elegantly bowed his head toward Rebecca.
"It's fine. This is a place of learning after all. But thinking about the academy entrance exams, I hope Mister Thomas and Blaze recover quickly."
"Thank you. Mister Thomas says that both Blaze and I should easily pass the academy exams. We did pretty well on the mock tests using past questions."
"Scott, you're going to the knight course like Jeff, right? But I heard there are practical skills involved. Are you okay with that?"
"Five years ago, I could have handled the practical skills needed for entering the academy. Blaze, who is applying to the magic department, seems fine too. After all, he's been able to handle Miss Rebecca and Sara's training."
"Hehe. So, Scott, your brain wasn't keeping up with your body, huh?"
When Sara teased him, Scott's face turned red quickly.
"I'm telling you, my brain is fine now!"
"Sorry, sorry, just joking."
"But it's such a waste. If Sara were a boy, Sara would definitely have been the top student at the academy."
"That would be true for any department except the arts. Or maybe Sara would have been recognized as a vanguard artist?"
"Revi, I don't want to see my daughter being put on trial for heresy."
"Pfft!"
Scott burst out laughing at Rebecca and Robert's exchange.
"That's terrible! I mean, Avalon guarantees freedom of religion, right?"
"Well, there is a state religion, and worship of evil gods is forbidden."
'So, even though Marcato is the Creator God, you can't worship him? I guess past victims must have gotten mad at Marcato and called him an evil god.'
"It's awful to be treated as a heretic just for drawing."
"Well, being able to express 'chaos' like that with just a drawing is a talent, Sara."
"Sir Robert, actually, Sara is quite good at clay modeling too. She made an impressive statue of an evil god. Miss Cordelia looked really uncomfortable. She's someone who can laugh off even Adam's lewd doodles, but she couldn't hide her shock at Sara's talent."
"Scott, you too!? Everyone is being so mean!"
But Sara's sulking expression was just too cute, so Scott grinned and lifted her up, patting her head.
"I'm sorry. That's about the only weakness you have, so I can't help but tease you."
"Stop lifting me up, even you, Scott."
"I'm getting taller too, so this is easy for me. Blaze won't be able to do this for a while, right?"
"If you're going to carry me like that, then I'll call you 'big brother'!"
"Shouldn't it be 'master' instead?"
"Then it should be a princess carry, right?"
"That's easy for me."
Scott adjusted his hold on Sara without any trouble.
"...Thanks to our size difference, I feel like a baby now. It would make more sense to call you 'father'."
"Sara! I'm your father!"
Robert made a confusing comment, but Sara ignored him.
"Hey Scott, since Blaze has Noir, growing up won't be hard."
"That's unfair. He'll be taller than my father."
"He was surprisingly handsome, wasn't he?"
"Didn't you like guys who look like my father?"
"I don't judge guys just by their looks. But Scott, you really are starting to look like Sir Jeffrey."
"Right?"
Scott smirked.
"Oh, I found a little beard on your chin! It still looks like baby hair though."
"It hurts if you pull it. It just started growing a bit recently."
"I see, you're becoming an adult, huh?"
"Being with Sara makes me realize that what's inside is more important than looks. I really need to grow up more."
Scott looked troubled, but it seemed he had no intention of putting Sara down.
"By the way, Scott, how tall are you now? Have you grown again?"
"When I measured last time, I was just over 170 centimeters (≈ 5 ft 7 in), so I might have grown a bit more. My joints hurt because I'm growing so fast. My father said he felt the same way when he was my age. Sara, you should grow up quickly too."
"I'm the same as Blaze. You know it's easy to just get bigger, right?"
"Then, today, be 13-year-old Sara. Let's go to the snow festival in the capital together. There's a night market tonight."
"Sounds fun!"
Suddenly, Robert stood up and shouted loudly.
"Of course not! A date with a guy at night is a no-go!"
"Father, you're so loud. I'm really looking forward to it. It might be my first date in this life!"
"Yay! I'm your first date!"
"Don't say it like that; it sounds wrong."
"That's right, Scott. You might start a bad rumor about Sara. Plus, she's not even allowed to go out."
"Come on, let her go to the night market at least."
"Going out at night with a guy is dangerous!"
Everyone except Robert tilted their heads.
"Sir Robert, are you saying it's dangerous for Sara? Or for whoever might accidentally bother her?"
"Um... probably the second one?"
"Right? I know I can't beat Sara with a sword or magic, so it's fine. I'll handle any reckless challengers to protect her."
"Wait a minute. Are you saying you will protect me from bad guys, Scott?"
"Because I can't let the capital turn into a sea of fire, right?"
"That won't happen!"
"And saying something like 'just cut off their arms and legs and then heal them' is not okay, right?"
"Ugh."
"Of course, there won't be any blood dripping from your face or your hair getting shaved off, right?"
"Ugh..."
"Right? I have to protect you after all."
Sara felt a bit uneasy, but since she couldn't deny it, she knew she had lost.
"Hey, I know it's weird for me to say this, but are you okay with that, Scott?"
"A knight who can't accurately judge their opponent's strength is the first to die. I have to accept that I'm weaker than you, Sara. Of course, I don't plan to stay like this forever either."
"Rob, just so you know, when Sara becomes Sophia, she's stronger than His Excellency Marquis Grandchester."
"Really, Revi?"
"Yeah, apparently she even wins against Jeff sometimes."
"So, I can't compete at all?"
"Rob can't even beat me, so it's impossible for you to beat Sara. I think Sara could handle your father without magic or weapons, no problem."
"My dignity as a father... I mean, what do you mean by 'belly chubby'?"
"You have no dignity to begin with. The day after Sara arrived in Grandchester, you were already crying about work. Seriously, you should exercise a bit."
"Ugh..."
Seeing Robert slump his shoulders and look down after Rebecca's sharp comment, Sara felt a little sorry for him. But it's true that he should exercise, so she decided to be tough on him.
"Anyway, father, I'm going to the night market with Scott tonight."
"Okay, but no engagement, alright?"
"I won't get engaged just from a date."
"That's obvious, Sara. If you had to get engaged just from a date, Rob would be the lord of a huge harem by now!"
Rebecca's words contained a bit of... no, a lot of irritation. In fact, Robert looked embarrassed and shrugged his shoulders. Even though it was Robert's own fault, Sara couldn't just watch her father get scolded over and over, so she decided to change the subject to help him out.
"Well then, to enjoy the night market without worries, let's talk about work from here on. Regarding Marg and Millie, since they are guests we are protecting at Maiden's Tower, I, as their guardian, must be present. Unauthorized meetings are absolutely not allowed."
"Understood. Scott, is that okay with you?"
"Of course, Sir Robert."
Robert immediately reacted to the change of topic.
"Just to confirm, father, if it turns out they are the daughters of Viscount Radford, how will the Grandchester family handle it?"
"We will protect them and assign them a governess. They can decide whether to live in the capital or in the Grandchester territory. If Marg wants to continue attending Miss Cordelia's classes, she should settle somewhere in Grandchester Castle. After they become adults, if one of them gets married, they will likely pass on the title of Viscount Radford to their husband. Alternatively, it could go to a son they might have, but that's a long way off."
"If that's the case, I think it would be better to put it in writing to reassure them. They've been tossed around by selfish adults until now, so they need a solid guarantee."
"That's true. Got it, Sara. I'll report to Father, then call a notary to create an official document."
"Anyway, we'll check on them first."
"Yeah."
Sara told the golem nearby to visit them, and then she informed Thomashiina, who was working beside the two, to help them get ready. She had picked out a few dresses from the samples delivered from the women's village that would look good on them. There was one for Marg in Chloe's size, and one for Millie that was slightly adjusted from Charlotte's size.
They had prepared many samples to display at the Sophia Merchant Guild's store soon, so it seemed the golems had been busy getting everything ready last night. Recently, the golems had learned sewing from the maids, so they could easily handle clothing adjustments. They were also good at embroidery. However, seeing the golems gather at night, quietly stitching away, was quite surreal.
That said, the two of them were still running a slight fever, and it must have been tough for them to even get out of bed. Sara wondered what kind of preparations they were making, thinking Thomashiina should be able to judge that.
"They're still not feeling well, so there's no need to force them to change..."
"Actually, they sweated a lot, so they took a bath. Lady Millie has already gone back to bed, but Lady Marg is still changing."
"I see. Then should I go ahead and dry their hair?"
"No, Lady Marg's hair is short, and Lady Millie doesn't have that much hair yet."
"Oh, right."
For their safety, thinking about how the girls had to cut their hair made Sara's heart ache a little. Marg's hair was shorter than Adam's.
"Before I guide them, can I meet Marg first?"
"Lady Marg said it's fine. Please, go ahead."
Sara turned to the 3 people behind her.
"I'll go ahead and explain things to Marg so she won't be surprised. I'll contact you through the golem, so please wait here."
"Understand."
And with that, Sara headed to meet Marg and Millie for the second time that day.
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