Chapter 21 — The Progidy's Stain

Iris watched the aftermath of the fight with a satisfied nod.​「See that?」​Lisa stared at the fallen knight and the little girl with the steak knife, awestruck.​「Wow. They shouldn't be taken lightly.」​「I know, right. ...Saalin and Lena go to them... Lena, you have a little blood on your dress.」​Lena’s serious demeanor instantly shattered, replaced by panic.​「No, no, no! This is bad! Papa will get angry at me! And it was my favorite dress too... Mama, will you help me?」​「...Giggles... Don't worry. I'll explain everything to him.」​「Thank you, Mama... ...Pouts... If I had Papa's skills, then I wouldn't have stained my dress like this!」​「Say, Lena, your main power is sensory magic, right?」​「Yes, Mama, as far as I know.」​【It's either she has a hidden power she doesn't know of, or something she learnt along the way. 'Cos even Jay said that technique is still in development... If she can pull it off without suffering the side effects, then she must be a prodigy.】​「Mama, are you OK?」​「Yes, I am. But Lisa, what brings you here?」​​「Well, I was wondering where Jay is.」​「Oh, Papa is back home.」​「So you are settling in a new place, then?」​「Yes, we are, Lady Lisa.」 Saalin answered politely.​「Well, that's kind of a bummer.」​「Why, though... Don't tell me you fell for him!」 Iris challenged, raising an eyebrow.​「...Blushes... That's not the case! I'll have you know, but I wanted to ask something about Saalin and Lena.」​「Oh. ...A little serious... What do you want to know?」​「Why does Lena call him 'Papa,' and why does Saalin call him 'Master Jay'? 'Cos from what I heard, those are rarely said by slaves of most adventurers and nobles.」​Iris burst out laughing.​「Oh, wait, that's it? ...Laughs...」​「Don't laugh, OK!」​「Sorry, I thought you'd ask something more serious than that! But for Saalin, if she can say 'Master,' then it doesn't matter if she uses his name since Jay allowed it, and Lena imprinted on Jay.」​「Hmm... So that's why he replies to her as 'Princess.'」 Lisa mused.​「Yah. At first he didn't like it, but when she burned herself trying to help in the kitchen, he was at her side faster than anyone could react... It was kinda funny to witness that worried expression on his face.」​「...Chuckles... I can see why. He's too serious most of the times, from what I heard... But to be honest, Lena is a little cute girl.」​「Yes, a cute kitty girl!」 Lena chirped, enjoying the attention.​「...Smiles at Lena... Yes, you are... So, can you tell me more about Jay?」​Saalin gave a concise description.​「Well, Master Jay is only arrogant to people he doesn't trust so they can leave me and Lena alone.」​「Yah, and... and Papa buys us clothes, food, and he buys me a lot of cake 'cos cake is my favorite!」​「Wow. That's not what I heard about him.」​「He has that effect on people.」 Saalin concluded.​Iris summarized their position with deep respect.​「Lisa, it's like this: Jay is a real kind person, but since we live in a world where your social status decides how much authority you hold, Jay decided he won't live by those rules. And the best way to do that is to achieve great things as an Adventurer.」​「That's admirable.」​「Yah, it is.」​Lisa stood up, her escort still tending to his wounded comrade.​「I'd love to stay and chat, but I have to go. But tell Jay my father wants to see him next week!」​「I will. ...Then Lisa left with her escort... That guy needs medical attention, but... she seems as a worthy rival.」