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Chapter 229

A short while in the past.

After listening to Dran and Selina speak about their upcoming marriage, Seribea and Sigbert led their daughter away for some time alone. Dran went to the room prepared for him, while Seribea and her family moved to a hall in the private residence for the queen of Jarla. The family of three sat around a table and continued their conversation.

Both parents were delighted by the homecoming of their daughter after two years. Seeing Selina back in good health heartened Seribea and Sigbert, who welcomed her readily. Perhaps Seribea and Signet were viewing Selina with rose-colored glasses as parents, but Selina’s travels to the world beyond the village had made her robust while retaining her loveliness.

「Goodness gracious, you’ve come back with quite the handful of a guy, haven’t you?」

「Yikes, Mama, don’t pinch me like that. It’ll turn red!」

Seribea extended her arm across the round table and lightly pinched the cheek of her beloved daughter. Her tense demeanor from before had vanished entirely. Rather, this interaction between mother and daughter was affectionate.

Selina, however, was unaware that while Seribea was touching her cheek, Seribea was also subtly probing the gloss and texture of her daughter’s skin, the stiffness of the muscles beneath, and even her vitality levels.

Selina was unaware of her mother’s inward astonishment at her increased vitality, which had improved in quality and quantity ever since she left the village. There were no signs of resistance on Selina’s face as she sat there, letting Seribea pinch her cheek. Only Sigbert, Seribea’s partner of over twenty years, noticed the change in his wife’s feelings.

「Seribea, that’s enough for now. Selina, let’s trace back a little with our conversation. Do you plan on living in Bern village as you’ve done so far?」

「Yeah. Like you said, I’m going to stay by Dran’s side and live with everyone else in Bern village.」

「From our chat earlier, Dran seems to have achieved many feats of valor that can’t be publicized. Though, you were involved in them too, weren’t you? Seribea and I have been praying that you wouldn’t be embroiled in any danger, but it’s a shame that our prayers weren’t answered. That being said, if you continue living in Bern village, you’d be caught up in similar dangers again, won’t you? I’m more concerned about this than your marriage to Dran.」

Sigbert’s concern was understandable. Selina’s experience was unimaginable to any parent who had sent off their daughter to look for a partner. In the short span of two years, she had winded up in mortal combat with monsters that rarely even appeared. Moreover, their beloved child would be facing similar dangers in the future despite finally coming home.

On the other hand, Selina had grown accustomed to fighting against beings that transcended all common sense by being with Dran. She had long since lost an ordinary sense of danger. In fact, she knew that it was unlikely for her to lose her life in battle as long as Dran was with her. Nonetheless, explaining this situation to her parents was impossible, and she could only reply vaguely.

「Uh… I’ve been traveling here and there, getting caught up in many incidents by accident. Once I settle down in Bern village, I doubt I’ll be in that much danger.」

「What about the potential invasion from the dark wilderness?」

「Oh, that may be inevitable, but… then again, it’s the same even in Jarla village, isn’t it? Even if we abandon the village or surrender to the armies of the dark wilderness, the ravages of war can’t be avoided. This isn’t something I can resolve on my own. This threat from the dark wilderness won’t change whether I’m in Bern village or Jarla.」

「Ho ho, you’ve become eloquent after leaving home, and you seem to have a good grasp of the situation at hand too. We’re still unclear about the forces in the dark wilderness and lack information on them, so it’s hard to judge for now. Though, they’ll probably be problematic allies even if we decided to join forces with them. That being the case, it would be a great safety net for us to maintain friendly ties with Arkrest Kingdom through Bern. This isn’t just to benefit you. Anyway, as Dran’s secretary, you wouldn’t fight at the front lines in the event of an emergency, would you?」

「Hm… I wonder. Dran is the leader of the magic users, and I’ll probably have to go along with him. Besides, I fought alongside him and Bern’s villagers during the goblin attack last summer. It would be strange for me to sit out of battles from here on out. Though, if there really is going to be a war, Bern village won’t be the only one mobilized. Nobles in neighboring areas would also be summoned by the Governor-General of Galois. Even if I head to the front lines, I may not be at the vanguard fighting. That’s all I can say for now.」

「I see. Even though this is a problem beyond our control, the forces of the dark wilderness are truly starting a conflict at a terrible time. In that case, we’ll have to refrain from letting the village children roam for the time being. We’re also deeply grateful for having Bern’s delegation dispatched to us.」

Despite Bern’s remarkable development, the place had yet to free itself from its reputation as the frontier of Arkrest Kingdom and a potential battlefield. The knowledge that their beloved daughter was in such a place would unsettle any parent. Selina’s expression clouded over with worry as she watched Sigbert furrow his brows deeply.

「Papa, please don’t be so worried. Earlier, Dran already mentioned that the dragons of Mores mountains will be lending us their strength. Yggdrasil-san of Ente forest will also help us. If anything happens, Bern village would likely be safer than anywhere else in the world.」

「If everything from our earlier conversation is true, then there really is no point worrying. I know this, but as a parent, it’s hard for me to be completely at ease. Reason and emotion are two different things, aren’t they? What more, this matter concerns our own child.」

Sigbert folded his arms as a troubled expression appeared on his face. Unlike him, Seribea offered a gentle smile and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. Clearly, she had finally overcome the astonishment of her daughter’s sudden growth.

「Sigbert, I understand your concerns about the future of Selina and the village. I’ve probed Dran with many questions as well, but let’s not spoil this family gathering with such worries again. Besides, we can affirm whether our fears are unfounded once we visit Bern and see for ourselves.」

「…That’s true. I’m not saying that I have no doubts at all, but I believe that Dran is a good-hearted man. He doesn’t seem to have it in him for duplicity, and there were almost no falsehoods or deception in his words to us.」

「Though, I’d have no other objections to raise as a parent if only he chose Selina as his only one.」