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“Grandma… would you like to visit her?”
“…….”
Speranza hesitated for a moment, her lips tightly pressed together.
I patiently allowed Speranza ample time to ponder the question.
Speranza appeared deep in thought.
Her small fox ears flicked, and her tail swayed left and right, pointing downwards.
My eyes were fixed on Speranza’s face.
Typically, I could decipher Speranza’s expressions with ease, but this time, I was unable to discern what this young fox girl was considering.
What could be on Speranza’s mind?
Is she eager to see her grandmother? Or does she prefer not to? Or could she be harboring resentment towards her grandmother for not seeking her out until now?
I could not be certain of any of these possibilities.
However, one thing was clear; Speranza was extremely bewildered at this moment.
I encircled my arms around Speranza and embraced her tightly.
“It’s alright, Sweetheart. Nothing will change. And whatever decision you make, I assure you I’ll remain by your side. I’ll be there as your father.”
“Mm….”
Her petite frame, trembling within my hold, gradually settled down. I continued to hold Speranza in silence for an extended period, offering her space.
After some time had passed, her fox ears perked up first, and Speranza, who had buried her face in my embrace, raised her head. A gleam shone in her round eyes.
“I… would like to see Grandma.”
“Very well. Let’s go together.”
The challenging task of posing the question to Speranza was complete.
All that remained was to prepare for a secure journey to Erul Village.
Erul Village Trip Plan
Andras had already set up most of the plan. We divided the farm members involved in the plan into three main groups.
The first group included me and the others who would go to Erul Village with Speranza.
The second group would lead the captured Red Erul Tribe villagers and try to negotiate.
The last group would stay back and take care of the farm for the rest of us.
The ones staying at the farm were Lilia and two Angels.
Lilia complained that she could help and wanted to come with us, but her older brother Andras firmly said no. I also reassured her that we needed someone to look after the farm.
I apologized to Ashmir and Urki, who was left with all the work.
“I’m really sorry. It happened again.”
“It seems like when we first came here, you said our help wouldn’t be needed much. But you sure make good use of us.”
“Hahaha…….”
At Ashmir’s pointed comment, I awkwardly laughed and scratched the back of my head.
It was true that we had received a lot of help from the two of them since they joined the farm.
Ashmir gave me a small smile.
“It’s a joke. We initially came here to help you, so don’t worry too much about giving us work.”
Ashmir making a joke…
I thought she had changed a lot since coming here. Urki, who was next to her, clenched his fists tightly, showing his enthusiasm.
“Don’t worry about the farm work, Senior Sihyeon.”
“Thank you. Just hearing that makes me feel reassured. Ashmir, thank you as well. I promise to repay you later, including the previous debt.”
“That’s welcome news. We’ll have something to ask for your help soon.”
Ashmir and Urki told us to leave the farm work to them and cheered us on for the important task ahead.
I briefly wondered about the ‘help’ Ashmir casually mentioned, but I didn’t dwell on it, thinking it was not a big deal.
The second group for prisoner negotiations was made up of Ryan, Andras, and Alfred.
Ryan had already moved near the Erul Village territory to prepare for negotiations, and the other two would join later, leading the prisoners.
The reason they joined the prisoner negotiation was simple. The three of them were from well-known families in the demon world, so they thought they could use their reputation for advantageous negotiations.
Their influence was also undeniable when it came to easily requesting help from the nobles who ruled the area.
Now, for the group heading to the Erul Village.
Naturally, Speranza and I were included, along with Anis and Daur, who would guide us to the village.
One thing that was a little different from our expectations:
Namira, who came with Anis and Daur, decided to stay at the lord’s mansion.
She asked to stay here while the plan was being prepared, wanting to continue watching Speranza’s growth.
“I received a lot of help from the young lady’s parents. I want to stay close to her, even if it means doing chores, to repay them. Please let me stay here.”
Namira asked with teary eyes, and Anis and Daur, who seemed to have already known her decision, both respected her choice.
We needed more people to work at the lord’s mansion anyway, and since I knew she was sincere about Speranza, I agreed to her request.
Back to the plan discussion:
With Namira out, the remaining two would guide us to Erul Village.
That’s it, right?
Not exactly…
Considering the chaotic situation in Erul Village, some seriously tough people joined as well.
“Sihyeon, don’t worry. I’ll protect you and Speranza.”
“Thanks, Lia. But…?”
“Yeah?”
“Are those people really okay?”
I glanced nervously at the two people getting ready to leave.
“Hehehe~! Heung!”
Terzan hummed while checking her weapons. In front of her, a bunch of scary weapons were laid out.
Despite going to a potentially dangerous place, she didn’t seem tense at all. She looked as excited as a kid before a picnic.
“Sihyeon, Sihyeon!”
“Yes?”
“Every time I catch one in Erul Village, you’ll add to my house payment, right?”
“Terzan… we’re not going there to fight…”
“Then, I’ll quietly assassinate instead…….”
“If Speranza can safely meet her grandma, I’ll let you live at the mansion for the rest of your life without any extra payment. Please hold back on any aggressive actions.”
Hearing she could live in the mansion forever, Terzan looked satisfied, but also stroked her weapons one by one, sadly saying, “It would’ve been a great chance to show off after so long…”
I silently hoped those weapons would never need to be used.
Terzan was scary enough, but compared to the person next to her, she seemed pretty cute.
“Tsk…?”
Someone frowned as if they were annoyed with everything.
If you could see people’s emotions, it seemed like “irritation” would be swirling around that person.
“Um… Boss?”
“WHAT!?”
“If you’re gonna be so annoyed, why not just stay on the farm?”
“Quiet!”
I backed away from Kaneff, startled.
No one planned to involve Kaneff in the plan, but he volunteered to take Speranza to Erul Village himself.
Not just me, but the whole farm family was surprised by his offer.
It was his daily routine to say that chilling on the farm was his role… Yet, he volunteered for this somewhat tricky task without being asked.
It was a more surprising change than Ashmir’s earlier joke.
Nevertheless, his laid-back nature remained unchanged, causing him to express his irritation as he prepared to depart.
“Ugh. Because of those two…”
“Ahem!”
Anis and Daur desperately evaded Kaneff’s intense gaze whenever it was directed at them. They hid their tails behind themselves and quietly retreated to stand beside me.
The reason Kaneff, who typically avoided troublesome tasks, volunteered for this might be due to Speranza.
Although he pretended otherwise, it was a widely acknowledged secret that Kaneff was quite fond of Speranza.
It seemed he was deeply concerned about Speranza meeting her grandmother and sending her to a dangerous place.
I appreciated his concern for Speranza, and having him on our side would undoubtedly make him one of the most reliable beings in the world. Despite his irritated demeanor, I felt more grateful than annoyed.
However, there was one worry.
Kaneff and Terzan, are both nearly uncontrollable. The primary fear was what sort of aftermath would arise when these two were together.
At that moment, when the atmosphere was tense due to Kaneff’s poor mood, Speranza peeked through the open door.
“Papa!”
Speranza spotted me and ran over. She had a cute character backpack on her back.
“Did Speranza finish getting ready too?”
“Yep. Aunt Namira helped me.”
Speranza, with a radiant smile, opened her bag to show me. Inside were clothes to change into, and a variety of snacks and treats.
“Why did you put so many snacks in?”
“I’m going to share them with everyone.”
Lia, who had been standing next to us, playfully asked.
“Speranza, will you share snacks with me too?”
“Yep! I’ll share with you too, sister Lia.”
“Thank you, Speranza.”
To Speranza, the journey to the Erul tribe’s village appeared to be nothing but an enjoyable adventure. Since I kept the serious matters happening there a secret, it was perhaps a natural response.
Speranza, who had been looking around, spotted Kaneff and ran towards him. As soon as Speranza approached, the irritation on Kaneff’s face vanished instantly.
“Boss uncle! Are you coming with us too?”
Speranza looked up with eyes full of anticipation. Kaneff hesitated for a moment, then responded with a considerably softer expression.
“I’ll be coming with you this time.”
“Yay!”
“Do you like that I’m coming with you?”
“Un! Boss uncle doesn’t go outside much, so it’s hard to hang out together. I’m happy we can go together. I’ll share my snacks with Boss Uncle too.”
Speranza proudly displayed her bag full of snacks. Seeing this, a faint smile formed on Kaneff’s lips.
He then bent down and gently stroked Speranza’s head.
“Thank you.”
“Hehe.”
Observing Kaneff and Speranza together, I couldn’t help but smile warmly.