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479: The Knight's Daughter, and the Thief Hunt

 

Two weeks have passed since Kuhn came.

 

During this time, there hasn't been any new information or signs of new children appearing, and time has simply passed by.

 

Ende, Elze, Yae, and Hilda have been diligently working as adventurers, focusing on raising their ranks.

 

As a result, Elze, Yae, and Hilda have all successfully reached Silver rank, and Ende has finally reached Gold rank. He is the third Gold rank adventurer.

 

Currently, there are only three Gold rank adventurers in the world: King Gallen of Lestia, Ende, and me. Well, there might be three more added soon.

 

Since Ende became a Gold rank, he has received offers from various places.

 

Some countries have even offered to welcome him as a Knight Commander, but he turned them all down because Alice said, "I'm not leaving this country for a while. If you're going, you can go by yourself, father." It seems he's becoming quite the doting parent.

 

As for Alice, she occasionally comes to the castle to train with Elze, but most of the time, she's stuck to Mel and the others. When she walks around with Mel, Nei, and Lise, they look more like four sisters than a parent and children.

 

My Kuhn also looks like a sister to Rin when they stand together. It might be natural, considering they crossed time.

 

Well, aside from that...

 

"So, what exactly have you three been building?"

 

I called out to the three who kept enchanting mysterious parts with magic, assembling and disassembling them repeatedly.

 

They were Doctor Babylon, Engineer Elka, and my daughter Kuhn.

 

They had been holed up in Babylon, continuing their development and research. Honestly, I felt uneasy if I didn't ask what they were making.

 

"Well, you know, a magical train was built in Felzen, right? We're thinking of turning it into a Golem."

 

"A train into a Golem?"

 

"Yes, usually it pulls passenger cars as a locomotive, but in emergencies, it transforms into a giant Golem..."

 

"Wait, wait, hold on."

 

Turning a locomotive into a Golem is fine. It would eliminate the need for a driver, and if the magic it used could be supplied by the Golem's G-Cube instead of magic batteries, it could significantly reduce costs. Although it would be bad for our country's business of selling magic batteries.

 

That's fine, but is it necessary for it to transform into a giant Golem?

 

As I was pondering, Engineer Elka explained.

 

"It would be convenient when a passenger car derails or when connecting a different passenger car. It would also serve as a countermeasure against thieves trying to attack the train."

 

"Hmm..."

 

"Moreover, according to what Kuhn heard, in the future, giant beasts appear quite frequently. It's probably due to the world fusion, but we need to take measures from now."

 

Do they appear that often? I had predicted that the fusion of the two worlds would increase the number of magic element accumulations, causing the beasts living there to mutate.

 

"According to father's... ah, excuse me, the future father's story, they are not as big or strong compared to the giant beasts that appeared in the past. Some can even be defeated by a few Red rank adventurers. Although, occasionally, a strong individual appears."

 

Hmm. Is it the difference between the magic element accumulations created by the world fusion and the ones that existed before... like the difference between farm-raised and wild? In that case, it might be reasonable for the Golem train to transform and repel the giant beasts...

 

"In the future, this Golem train will already running normally, you know? I never thought I would be involved in its development."

 

Ah, so that's how it is... a predetermined future. They aren't planning on making a train with a human face, are they...?

 

According to my mother, I cried my eyes out as a child because I was scared of that. Please don't add any more unnecessary gimmicks...

 

As I abandoned my thoughts, I heard a ringtone. It wasn't mine. It was Kuhn's.

 

Kuhn took out her smartphone from her pocket and answered the call... the case was quite decorated...

 

Or rather, could it be...

 

"Yes, hello. ... Where are you now? ... I see... I understand. Please, do not move from there. I'll send the location via email. Yes. Please do not move."

 

Kuhn hung up the call. She sighed and frowned...

 

"Was that..."

 

"The third one has arrived. It's Frey-oneesama."

 

"What?!"

 

Frey. Freygaard. She is Hilda and my daughter, our second daughter, and Kuhn's sister. She is the third child after Yakumo and Kuhn, but the older ones are coming in a row. I wonder if there is a reason for this.

 

"It seems that Frey-oneesama appeared in the demon country Helgaia."

 

"In Helgaia?"

 

The demon country is a nation of demons and demi-humans located on the Western continent. After the world fusion, it exists next to the Igrette Kingdom with a mirrored geography.

 

The 'Demon King' who rules over Helgaia is a Vampire Lord, and I met him when pirates kidnapped his queen, Claudia-san.

 

Since then, Helgaia started diplomatic relations with the neighboring Igrette Kingdom, and I heard they have even started trade by ship. Frey appeared in such Helgaia.

 

Kuhn's smartphone chimed with a new email notification. Kuhn quickly forwarded the email to my smartphone.

 

The email contained only a map with no text. This is... some forest? There's one large building and several smaller ones...

 

"It's the hideout of a band of thieves. She said she was heading to exterminate them, so I told her to wait."

 

"What!?"

 

Thieves!? What is she doing!?

 

"How should I put it, Frey-oneesama is very chivalrous and cannot overlook evil like this."

 

"What she says is admirable, but is she planning to do it alone!?"

 

If this building is their hideout, there must be more than ten or twenty people. There might be close to a hundred. It's practically a small army. Even if she's strong, a ten-year-old girl alone...

 

"Anyway, call Hilda..."

 

"You'd better hurry. If the thieves haven't attacked yet, Frey-oneesama won't stand idly by."

 

"Why is she so combative!?"

 

"Combative... isn't quite the right word."

 

Kuhn tilted her head with a troubled expression.

 

When I contacted Hilda, she was at the training ground, so I teleported there with Kuhn while still on the call. Hilda, looking surprised, appeared before us.

 

"Kyah! Wh-what's going on!? Kuhn is here too..."

 

"We'll explain later, Hilda! We're going to pick up Frey, so come with us!"

 

"Huh? Frey... My daughter!?"

 

Grabbing the surprised Hilda's hand, I initiated the teleportation to Helgaia. Since we had been there before to defeat the Tentacler at the request of the Demon King and it was relatively close, teleporting there was not a problem.

 

"Da-Danna-Sama!? Where are you taking Hilda-dono!?"

 

"Sorry, Yae! I'll explain later!"

 

As the scenery faded, Yae, who was also at the training ground, was flustered, but we had already arrived in the forest of Helgaia.

 

"My daughter is... here?"

 

"Darn, the location is a bit off. This way, I think?"

 

In the distance, I can see what looks like some sort of building. Is that… a small fort? I've heard there were civil wars in Helgaia before the Demon King began his rule… Could this be an abandoned fortress?

 

“Let’s hurry. If we don’t, Frey might start fighting with the bandits…”

 

“B-bandits!? Touya-sama!? What do you mean!?”

 

A startled Hilda, hearing this for the first time, widened her eyes and came at me. Whoa, calm down. First, let go of my collar. You're holding on too tightly, it's really uncomfortable...

 

Freed from the grip causing me shortness of breath, I let Kuhn explain the situation to Hilda.

 

“She plans to take on a bandit group all by herself!? What is she thinking!?”

 

“Well, I can’t answer that...”

 

Chasing after the angry but fast-moving Hilda, I ran through the forest. Even though it's just past noon, the dense forest makes it quite dark. The thick foliage blocks out most of the sunlight.

 

“The location in the photo should be around here...”

 

I looked around, but there was no sign of anyone. I can’t exactly shout loudly in the middle of bandit territory...

 

“Shh... Father, Mother Hilda, please be quiet.”

 

At Kuhn’s voice, we immediately stopped and listened carefully. Huh, is there something?

 

“Mmm-mmm...”

 

… I heard something. What was that?

 

“This way.”

 

Kuhn proceeded through the underbrush, leading us to a slightly open area where a small girl was sitting at the base of a tree.

 

No, she wasn’t sitting. …She was sleeping?

 

The small girl, resting against the tree and lightly snoring, had shoulder-length, wavy blonde hair and was wearing light armor that allowed for ease of movement. This must be Frey.

 

Her armor slightly resembled Hilda's, but the gauntlets on her arms and the greaves on her legs seemed disproportionately bulky. She wasn’t carrying any weapons. Maybe she’s a martial artist?

 

“Oneesama. Frey-oneesama. Please wake up.”

 

“Mmm...? Kuhn-chan, you came quickly... You could’ve come later... I can’t sleep at all...”

 

Gently shaken by Kuhn, Frey opened her eyes. Her eyes, a clear blue like her mother's, were slowly revealed.

 

She didn’t seem particularly remarkable while sleeping, but now that her eyes were open, it was clear. This girl was definitely my and Hilda’s child. She bore a strong resemblance to the young knight standing beside me.

 

“…? Father!? Mother is here too! Wow! You do look a bit younger! This feels so weird!”

 

Wide-eyed, Frey jumped up and ran towards us, then dove straight at us. Whoa…!

 

Despite her considerable momentum, we caught our daughter head-on. Ow, ow, ow! Her armor hurts!

 

“Uh, Frey… Freygard, is it?”

 

“Yeah. It’s Frey, mother. Didn’t you recognize me?”

 

“I’m sorry, this is our first meeting…”

 

“Oh, right. That’s true.”

 

Frey stepped back quickly and grinned.

 

“Did father recognize me?”

 

“Well, you know. But I thought you looked a lot like Hilda.”

 

“Really? That makes me happy.”

 

Her personality seemed quite different though.

 

Hilda gave off a more serious vibe, while Frey seemed more laid-back and easygoing. She was cute but had a more relaxed demeanor.

 

She looked even younger than Kuhn. Or maybe Kuhn just seemed too mature.

 

“More importantly, Frey-oneesama, why did you decide to confront the bandit group?”

 

“Yes! It’s dangerous!”

 

Kuhn and Hilda pressed Frey with the question we all had.

 

“Well, you see, I found myself near a small village south of here. That village gets raided by bandits every month who steal their food. Isn’t that awful? So, I decided to take them down.”

 

“But, just because of that, you didn’t have to do it alone…!”

 

“A knight should be a shield and a sword for the weak, isn’t that what mother always says?”

 

“Ugh…! That does sound like something I’d say…”

 

Why? Frey tilted her head as Hilda flinched.

 

“But, you’re still a child…”

 

“Some villagers have already been killed by the bandits. If we don’t act quickly, there will be more victims. We must act when needed. It doesn’t matter if you're an adult or a child. If you have the power, you should use it.”

 

I was… quite taken aback. Despite her laid-back nature, her thinking was solid. She wasn’t just acting impulsively but had thought it through.

 

Her strong will clearly marked her as Hilda’s daughter.

 

Finally, Hilda sighed in resignation.

 

“…Fine. I understand what you’re saying. We can’t just ignore the bandit group. We’ll help, so let’s quickly deal with them and return to Brunhild.”

 

“Really!? Yay!”

 

Frey raised her hands in joy. She seemed quite carefree. …It was comforting, in a way.

 

“Well, that aside…”

 

“By the way, Frey, you don’t have any weapons. Are you a martial artist?”

 

“Huh? No, not really. For weapons, look, [Storage].”

 

As Frey murmured that, a magic circle appeared in the air, and from it dropped a gigantic great sword that seemed to be at least a meter and a half long.

 

With a thud, the great sword pierced the ground. Except for the handle, the entire blade was made of crystalline material, a sword of pure crystal.

 

“Frey can use [Storage]...”

 

“Here we go.”

 

Frey effortlessly lifted the massive great sword, which was taller than she was. Whoa!? What incredible strength...! Oh, maybe it’s enchanted with a weight-reducing spell like [Gravity]?

 

“Is that your weapon?”

 

“Frey-oneesama has various weapons in her [Storage]. She switches them depending on the situation, which is a bit unusual for a knight.”

 

“Eh? It’s not that strange. Mother always said that chivalry is about conviction, not the method of fighting, right?”

 

“I don’t remember saying that, but it sounds like something I’d say…”

 

Hilda looked up at the sky with a complex expression. So, Frey wasn’t specialized in swords like Hilda, but rather an all-around versatile fighter?

 

Since her sword skills were likely taught by Hilda, Yae, or Morihachi-neesan, there’s probably nothing to worry about. And for axes or bows, she could learn from Karin-neesan.

 

“By the way, most of my weapons were made by father. I have about a hundred in total. They have enchantments like [Paralyze] and [Modeling], so I can switch to stun mode or blunt the blade.”

 

“Good grief! You’re spoiling your daughter too much!”

 

Should I be angry or just stunned? You’re giving her weapons like they’re toys? This is too much!

 

“I see, similar to my sword. With those weapons, you can adjust the lethality as needed. Even against bandits, you can avoid unnecessary killing.”

 

“Yeah. I’ll capture them properly and make them atone for their crimes. I won’t forgive evildoers. Though they might have to brace for a broken bone or two.”

 

“I agree with that.”

 

What’s this? My wife and daughter are having a rather grim conversation. Couldn’t we have a more peaceful and cheerful chat?

 

With a strained smile, I watched Kuhn approach and speak to me quietly.

 

“Don’t worry. This is Frey-oneesama’s normal behavior. …By the way, she’s the scariest when angry among us siblings, so be careful.”

 

…Really? It’s hard to imagine from her laid-back demeanor, but they say the quiet ones are the scariest when angry. …Although, I don’t think she’s the quiet type.

 

“Father, do you know how many bandits there are?”

 

“Huh? Uh, hold on a second… What? I can’t search… Is there an interference barrier?”

 

I thought there wouldn’t be many magic barriers in Helgaia, being a former shadow world.

 

But since Helgaia is a country of demons, it’s not surprising there are many who can use magic. It’s possible a magician cast an interference barrier on this fortress in the past. That might be why the bandits chose this place as their hideout.

 

I’d estimate there are around a hundred bandits, but demons generally have superior physical abilities and can be quite tough. They might also have golems, so the actual number could be substantial.

 

“Kuhn, can you fight?”

 

“Like mother, I can use all magic except for dark magic, but when fighting, I mainly use this.”

 

Kuhn waved her [Storage Card], and two peculiar guns appeared. Those are… magic guns, Spellcasters?

 

“And then there’s this one.”

 

From her [Storage Card], she also summoned Mecha-Paula, Parla, which stood up with a mechanical clank.

 

“Can this thing fight?”

 

“It’s not as powerful as ‘Crown,’ but it can hold its own. It doesn’t have Golem Skills, so it only relies on its built-in equipment.”

 

As Kuhn explained, Parla extended short claws from its hands. Sparks crackled with a buzz. Those are stun claws with electric shocks.

 

Well, this should be fine.

 

“Hehe. This is kind of fun. It feels like a family picnic.”

 

“Yes. It’s a bit inappropriate, but it’s kind of fun.”

 

“Well… It’s a bit different from a picnic…”

 

Looking up at the fortress, the mother and daughter stood side by side, smiling. Why do they look so cheerful?

 

“Let’s go. Time to deal with the bandits.”

 

My first joint effort with my newly met daughter is a bandit extermination… Sighing softly at Frey’s words, I resigned myself to the task.