房客(糙汉)何璐程曜坤

Most of the trio's travel went by without encountering any trouble on their way. No more bandits or people disguised as bandits appeared, and for quite a good distance there should be no monsters in the area either.

"Dad... If that isn't a problem, I would like to request going through the Efemare and Tencelion territories?"

Maybe because he was feeling uneasy about things working out too well, or because he was starting to feel complacent, Zoemi tugged on his father's shirt and asked.

"Tencelion territory isn't a problem at all – from our current location it would actually be more difficult to not ride through it, but... Efemare territory is a far..."

Mizoe tilted his head and looked up, thinking about the roads they would have to take and pondering out loud.

"Is it the young lady again? Did she ask you to check something or are those two territories the safest ones to go?"

The light-blue-haired man looked back down on his son and inquired with cautiousness.

All in all, he still didn't quite trust the girl from the Espine family.

"No this is something different. Back in the mansion, I overheard things that mother and grandfather were discussing when they thought I was asleep and I wanted to check them out since the opportunity arrived. Actually, I also want to visit the Hontreu territory but..."

"...it is on the opposite side of the kingdom."

Zoemi shook his head before explaining and breathing out in unease, having Mizoe finish the sentence for him.

"Exactly. I want to think that I still have a few years before I would have to interfere... nonetheless, it is a place where I definitely want to check out."

The black-haired boy added, biting his lips and hoping that he didn't make a mistake in his plans.

"I understand. Alright. Young lady Rokiana, since we have been traveling together up to this point, what is your take on the matter?"

Mizoe leaned to the side and threw a question to the wind.

The teenage blue-haired girl was hunched over her saddle while focusing deeply on the spell she was constructing.

Although things could work out completely differently than they did in the previous timeline and Rokiana could very well not end up as Zoemi's stepmother at all, the black-haired boy decided it was okay to give her some hints about improving her magic.

...that's why there was no answer to Mizoe's question...

"..."

Mizoe kept looking at the girl for a few more seconds before raising his hand and spreading his fingers apart.

After a few moments, specks of moisture swirled in his palm and became snow, forming a puffy snowball.

A snowball that the light-blue-haired mand ever s gently lobbed at the blue-haired girl's head.

*puff*

"HIYAAAAAH?!"

*haaaaa*

As the snowball wasn't very solid, it ended up bursting at the moment of impact – which in turn resulted in a mass of snow going under the hunched girl's collar and causing her to let out a high-pitched voice of surprise as whatever spell she was conjuring ended up dispersing with a soft sound.

"You...! You're awful! What do you want?!"

Realizing she wasn't in any danger and that the snow was simply a prank, Rokiana waved her hand to remove the melted snow from her clothes and scowled at the light-blue-haired man.

"Zoemi wants us to make a detour and go through the Efemare territory before crossing through the Tencelion territory while on the way back to yours. What is your take on that? Do you want to go with us or go the rest of the way alone?"

Mizoe smiled innocently and asked, not remorseful in the slightest.

"Hmph. Efemare and Tencelion families are in good relations with the Perserios family. If you ask me nicely, it will be possible to even stay at their main estates!"

Rokiana scoffed but then puffed out her chest and boasted.

She didn't really mean what she said wanting only to get back at Mizoe and see him become flustered – but instead...

"You would?! Law of Capricorn!"

The black-haired boy was the one with the strongest reaction – he gasped loudly and activated his star power before jumping from one horse onto another before Mizoe could stop him.

"Please~! Pretty please~! It would be simply perfect if you could do just that, there are some things that I have to make sure of! Please~!"

Zoemi showed no shame at all, not only did he invite himself in front of Rokiana, but he also snuggled up to her and looked up at her face with puppy-dog eyes while asking.

"I...! Uhh..."

"..."

The blue-haired girl was so taken aback that she actually looked at Mizoe for help, but the light-blue-haired man simply looked away as if it was none of his business.

"Please...?"

The black-haired boy went ahead and make use of his cuteness – he even added some tearful tones to his voice to make the older girl's heart waver.

"F-fine! I will see what I can do!"

Rokiana didn't last long against that form of attack and ended up tapping out and agreeing to the boy's request.

"Thank you! You are the best~!"

Zoemi's face lighted up with the most adorable smile a child his age could make...

​ ...before he jumped back on Mizoe's horse and hide his face from both his father and the blue-haired girl...

Because as he did that, his pure smile changed into a devilish smirk.

Things seemed to be going really well.

"Seems like there is no problem with indulging you a bit."

Mizoe nodded and patted Zoemi's head.

"Although, I would prefer if you told me what exactly it is that you want to do in those territories."

"...yeah, that's right...!"

He added, accidentally causing Rokiana to realize that something was quite suspicious.

And things were even more suspicious to her since unlike Mizoe she basically didn't know Zoemi and was convinced that he was Mizoe's actually blood-related child.

"There are people I would like to become friends with in both of those families. Namely Geroizen Tencelion and Roiso Baru Efemare."

Zoemi revealed not really feeling the need to keep it a secret.

"If I remember correctly, Georizen is the son of the youngest daughter of the Tencelion family. But that Roiso... I am pretty much certain I never heard of..."

"...I see..."

The blue-haired girl said after a brief moment of hesitation.

Her words ended up making Zoemi bit his lips in unease...