Chapter 62: The Farewell and the Wizard

It has been one full day since the chaos ended.

Igni: “Edward…….” Edward: “What is it?” Igni: “You’re…...incredibly orderly, huh…..”

Igni and his Party’s Quest are officially done.

All that’s left now is to return to the Rolmod Wizard Academy…..and on the day of their departure, Edward meticulously made the bed, folded the all blanket and sheets neatly, and also cleaned the room thoroughly to the point where the Inn’s room was sparkling bright.

Edward: “You think so? This is normal for me.”

Igni: “Oh, yeah…?”

Following his example, Igni begins to fold his sheets too.

Edward: “Was it……..really okay? To let those mercenaries off like that?”

Igni: “Yeah. Unlike Adventurers and Wizards, they're pretty easy going and rarely hold grudges.”

Edward: “What was the saying? Like ‘Yesterday’s enemy is today’s friend’......? I don’t understand mercenaries.”

With that Edward crosses his arms as he grunts at the thought.

Igni: “From their perspective, wouldn’t we be hard to understand since we’re not motivated by money like them?”

Edward: “A difference in values, huh…...Igni, is your motivation to get stronger?”

Igni: “Yeah, that’s about right.”

Igni’s smile extends from cheek to cheek.

Without Alicia here, nobody was there to comment otherwise.

And at that moment, the noon bell sounded.

Igni: “Oh……...I need to go out for a bit.”

Edward: “You're meeting with the [Saint]?”

Igni: “Yeah, I’m not going to see her for a while, so I need to say my goodbyes.”

And Igni was about to leave the room, Edward called out to him.

Edward: “.........are you……...really going to retrieve the [Demon Lord]’s dead body?”

Igni: “Yeah, that’s the plan.”

Edward: “IーI’ll help too!”

Igni: “Haha. Thanks, Edward.”

Edward’s knees were shaking and bumping together.

And giving his thanks and appreciation, Igni left the Inn.

And he starts heading to the outer parts of the city walls towards the South Gate.

Both Floria and Rose were already there and waiting for Igni’s arrival.

Rose: “Igni! Igni!” Igni: “You….look like you’re doing well.”

Even though she went through all that yesterday, Rose runs up to Igni with a big smile and jumps into his arms.

Rose: “So, when will we be able to see each other again?!”

Igni: “A year…..no, maybe in half a year?”

Igni brought up the school’s schedule inside his head to confirm before he answered.

Rose: “.....you’re…..really going to the [Demon King’s Realm]?”

Igni: “Yeah, you know that I got a lot stronger than before, right?” Rose: “But……….”

Rose’s face darkens with concern as she looks downwards.

She understands what the [Demon King’s Realm] like and its dangers.

Igni: “Rose, it’s okay. <I AM STRONG>.”

Igni just leaves it with that fact alone.

He does not place any sliver of lies or exaggeration into that statement.

Igni: “So please don’t worry so much.”

Rose: “.........okay, I understand. Hey, Igni. The next time we meet, do you think my job will get easier?”

Igni: “Most definitely.”

Igni embraces Rose tightly to him.

Rose is currently en route to the farthest southern regions of the Kingdom to cleanse the [Demon King’s Realm] expansion in that area.

No matter how strong Igni’s resolution is, even if it was with the agreement of [Extreme]s….

Until he brings back the body of the dead [Demon King], the [Saints Agreement] will bound Rose to her duties.

Rose: “Hey………...Igni……….I have a favor to ask.”

Igni: “Favor?”

Blushing, Rose looks up into his face.

Rose: “Will you…..kiss me?”

Igni: “..........!”

Igni swallows hard at the sudden request.

Igni: (KーKーKiss………?!)

Although Igni’s brain was immediately filled with that thought only, as if a second personality took over, he became suddenly calm.

Igni: (.......no, I’m going to play this out as smoothly as possibly…….!)

Igni is quick to switch gears after working so hard to be Popular for 2 years.

Floria: “[Scattered Showers] {Water Curtain}”

Floria was kind enough to surround them with a barrier that would bend the light and hide Igni and Rose from plain sight.

Now, the people around them won’t be able to see.

Rose: “.......please?”

Igni: “Rose, close your eyes.”

And with Igni’s words, Rose closes her eyes and…

Igni puckered his lips and……….there was a light sensation of their lips touching briefly.

Rose: “Wow～....♡”

Rose’s face turned a darker shade of red as she blushed harder and fell silent.

Rose: “Igni, I love you.”

Igni: “Thanks.”

Igni smiles back at Rose.

But with her face still reddened, Rose continued.

Rose: “Hey, Igni! How many….children do you want……..?”

Igni: “................HUH?!?!”

Igni tilts his head at the question.

Rose: “Because…...you know…….we kissed…...I might conceive a child!”

Igni: “.....................wait, what?”

Igni: (Rose, what are you saying……….????)

Rose: “And….I do want to have kids with you, Igni.”

Igni: “.......thーthanks………..?”

Igni: (Wait, something isn’t right with this conversation....)

Rose: “That’s why….it took a lot of courage….but I asked you to kiss me.”

Igni: “IーI see…..”

Igni didn’t know what else to say and smiled back at Rose.

Igni: (That’s right.)

Igni: (Rose has been trained the last 3 years as a [Saint] and maybe her knowledge about….human reproduction is bare minimum…)

The more he thought about it, the more it made sense to Igni, but it hadn’t occurred to him until now.

Rose: “I guess the next time we meet, you’ll be a father.”

Igni: “...............................”

Igni is struggling to find words.....ANY words at all to reply back to Rose, but at that point, Floria lowered the water barrier surrounding them.

Floria: “Lady Rose, it’s time.”

Rose: “It’s already time to go, huh……..”

Roses’ face darkens.

Igni: “It’s okay, Rose. We’ll see each other again soon enough.”

Rose: “Yes, that’s true. I’ll be waiting for you!”

And with that, Rose enters the horse carriage.

And following Rose, Floria tries to enter the carriage when Igni stops her for a moment.

Igni: “Hey……..as far as….you know, education about human reproduction…..is Rose being taught those things?” Floria: “.......yes, we are teaching her the general knowledge.”

Igni: “So when you say general knowledge, you mean like……..?”

Floria: “............”

Floria fell silent.

Igni: (Oh, c’mon, Miss Floria…….!)

Igni: “Um, so, Rose was saying something like kissing causes women to have children…..”

Floria: “.......and? Is that incorrect??”

Igni: “...................”

This time Igni was at a loss for words.

Igni: “Oh～ no. It’s nothing. <That’s…..correct…….>”

And with that, Igni abandoned all hope.

Igni: (WHAT ARE THEY TEACHING IN THE HOLY NATION………?!?!)

As soon as he said that, a certain memory flickered to life from his past.

<<<<>>>>

[Oye, Igni. You have become plenty strong.]

[You think so? I can’t tell on my own, but it’s because you were a good teacher, Grandpa.]

[Hm? Well, I guess that’s true.]

[Is there a trick to it?]

[You mean, to teach?]

[Yeah]

[Experience……..just getting used to it with lots of experience, I would say]

[Experience?]

But as Igni was thinking how useless that advice was, Lucas continued.

[Igni, if you do become Popular, there will be moments you will encounter.”

[Moments?]

[Yes, you will encounter moments with……...women who know nothing!]

[..........thーthat know……..nothing……..?]

[YES! IGNORANT! IGNORANT BEYOND BELIEF! A MOMENT WITH A IGNORAMUS!]

[Ignor-what?!]

[Don’t make me say it twice!]

[I’m not going to let you slap me for something stupid like that!]

Igni steps back avoiding the blow.

[Regardless! There will be a time when you have to teach them from the ground up!]

[IーI see…...but isn’t that too much trouble??]

<SLAP!!!!>

[UGH! I HAD MY GUARD DOWN……!]

[YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND! YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND AT ALL, IGNI!!!!]

[Wait, yes I do. Teaching them starting from absolutely nothing is a waste of time….it’s not like <Magic>.....]

<SLAP!!>

[OOOOOWWWW!!!]

Igni received a critical hit with the last slap, and he went down to the ground holding his cheek.

[YOU STILL DON’T GET IT?! YOU CAN’T IMAGINE AN INNOCENT WOMAN WHO IS ABIDING BY EVERYTHING WORD YOU SPEAK……..!]

[A…..AN INNOCENT………!]

[EXACTLY! EVERYTHING IS THE FIRST TIME! YOU SLOWLY BUILD UP AN EXPERIENCE TOGETHER AS YOU KNOWLEDGE BECOMES O・N・E!!!! A MASTERPIECE YOU BUILD TOGETHER……!! DO YOU STILL NOT SEE, IGNI?!?!]

[...............?!?!]

Igni’s imagination was struck with lightning as thoughts and images raced through his mind.

[THーTHAT’S……...INCREDIBLE!!]

[............hmph. As long as you understand.]

<<<<>>>>

Igni: (……...sーso this is it……!)

Igni: (This is what Grandpa meant…..this is what he was referring to……..!!)

As he remembered the past, Igni said his farewell to Rose and her group.

Igni: (NーNo…...it’s too soon.)

Igni: (It’s too soon for me to be teaching anyone………..IT’S JUST TOO SOON………!)

Igni: “See you later, Rose.”

Rose: “Yes! See you later, Igni!!”

Igni: (That’s why……..)

Igni: (That’s why I’ll…….I’ll become even more cool in your eyes the next time I see you!)

Igni makes a solemn oath in his heart.