After leaving the village for the first time, I stood up from Mom's lap and jumped to look from the carriage's window to look at the view of which still is the same as looking from the village wheat fields as far as the eye can see.
And after finding no reason for what I did I sat on Mom's lap again while receiving my scolding and the men were laughing at me for how eager I'm to search for things other than the village.
After some time where they were moving on relaxing speed with the horses, I slept on resting my head on Mom's lap.
.
"(After three hours.)"
.
They woke me up because we were taking our first rest. And after taking 5 minutes to wake up fully I joined them on the logs they were resting on using it like a mini camp.
Where Mom showed off her cooking skills by sharing some of the snacks she prepared beforehand, and all the men complemented it and complemented Dad's eye for women, which got Dad a slap because Mom misunderstood the complement and understood it the wrong way.
After laughing while explaining the situation Mom healed Dad's cheek, but she decided to leave the red mark saying it will be mana waste to heal it all the way.
After some begging from Dad, she sighed and healed his face all the way.
Do I need to say that all of us were laughing and teasing Dad about this? For me it was once a millennia chance to tease the one who lives his life to tease me.
After some fun and playing around where I decided to end it with some patting to Caravaggio, and I feed him one of the carrots we packed while keeping it in my hand.
"Since when you two are friends like that?" Said Dad who is more surprised by Caravaggio after eating the carrot was playing with my hair.
"Since me and him used to share the same food." I answered nonchalantly about the fact me and Carravaggio improving friendship.
"Sharing the same food.. Do you remembert that? Wait him?! Rudi, do you know that Caravaggio is a girl? And if so why did you cry last time I tried to make you ride her?" Dad was confused by how I remembered my infancy before he dropped a bom... wait a second! Is Caravaggio a girl?
And to make sure I looked between it's legs and to my surprise no swords deployed.
And before I can have another look I was pushed by Caravaggio's head and I fell on my butt.
(Okay let's calm down it isn't like I never antc— who am I deceiving? I never imagined hi.. her to be a girl, if anything I'm glad she isn't a human and I made this mistake with her).
Of course Dad used this chance to call everyone and tease me about it, which caused everyone to have a confused look on how did I miss something too obvious.
"Hey Dad! Can you please tell me, why does you treat your horse as a male if she is a female?" I asked confused by how Dad hugs the horse and even sometimes serves him some of his drink, wait is he and Caravaggio... (No way, like I will make this assumptions again, like what I did with Mr Laws when I thought they are more than friends, though up until now I hadn't find a proof denying or proving it).
"What do you mean by that?" Dad asked confused.
"I mean you share the drink hug him, I mean her and you treating her more precious than me. I though because you said he, I mean she you lived long friend. You literally treat her more better than me." I was explaining confused by how Caravaggio is a girl, while I was squeaking and pointing things out.
"Oh about that, it just that... well no better way to say it Rudi, I love to tease you because you are my son, and I just take care of my long life friend, Caravaggio." Dad was scratching the back of his head before he opened his eyes wide and answered my question while at last part he was patting Caravaggio head.
"You took your time to search for the answer, didn't you?" I looked at him with deadpan eyes while asking the question.
"It is the truth." He said confidentially
"The two of had your fun, now lets go." Mom said in her firm tone.
""Yes madame."" We both answered in the same second. That made the two other men continued to laugh even more harder.
.
"(After 2 hours.)"
The trip continues where the men laughed and sometimes they tell me where are we, the nearest village, places with a nice view, how far we are from our destination and home.
All of that I was resting at Mom's lap my cheeks puffs whenever Dad looks, also Mom were patting my head, ruffling my hair and talking with me about nothing, just small talks, when suddenly she stopped all and looked at my face.
"You really didn't know that Caravaggio is a girl, Rudi?" Mom asked with a calm tone while I was sitting on her lap.
"No, why would I look at this place, in the first place? And you two, please don't look at me like that, with those two as my parents, this is our Tuesday." I squeaked answering Mom's question, before looking at the hunter and the Reeve who were more surprised by the fact I know the difference between boys and girls.
Everything was fine, until I realized for the second time I used earthly word, completely forgetting that this world doesn't have meaning for those words. (I held back hardly to avoid face-palming).
"Tuesday?!" All the four adults repeated the word confused.
After ten minutes spent uselessly to explain the word to everyone and finally I remembered the word 'common occurrence' and said its the same. (Thankfully the situation is solved peacefully).
"Now Rudi, what did you mean by saying 'with those two as my parents, this is our Tuesday. Or common occurrence like you explained.'" Mom asked with a fake smile, firm face and a look that promised pain.
When they realised the situation the elf-hunter picked the pace and the Reeve slowed down giving Mom the perfect opportunity to punish me.
Skipping this part, let's just say: I will not be able to sit down for sometime.
.
"(After another two hours.)"
Well we talked about a lot of things Mom used the fact I'm punished she talked about how Millis believer should be well mannered, respectable person, etc.
Where she refused firmly to use healing magic at my lower back. (I know it isn't my back what hurts me, but my dignity is long gone since my reincarnation, at least let me keep some of it). And Dad being himself tried to use this chance to laugh at me and tease me.
What happened though is he got a nice pinch, that made him whimper in pain as he withered, and I think this should make him rethink when and when not tease me.
Also because Dad was in no form to ride or drive after his arm was bleeding from the pinch Mom gave him, and Mom didn't want to heal both of us. She reluctantly healed us after whole hour of both us of begging for it.
Mr Smith not wanting us to be late, he took the initiative by connecting his horse to the carriage with Caravaggio and he took the driver role, and made Dad look at the carriage from the back and this way he will be the rear guard.
When Mom realised how serious is the situation she decided to heal us but she promised both of us pain when we reaches home.
The comedy show continues when Mr Smith offered his concludes to us and Mom gave him a firm look that made him apologise to her.
And now when we passed through the last village before Roa, I couldn't hold it anymore and needed to go to the bathroom. (Being civilized man I'm I couldn't do it in the forest, well I did do it more than once in forests and jungles in my past life, but those were emergencies and now I don't know why even though I just felt 12 minutes ago I couldn't hold it anymore).
After asking to go to bathroom and Dad came with me to stand guard, where it all ended in silence and returned with me having a relived face with slightly pink cheeks because of embarrassment.
And the trip continues. Where I can see the city walls from the horizon.
"(After 20 minutes)".
When we were about half an hour away of the cit— fortress gate (it's called the Citadel City of Roa, but that thing is a literal fortress with 8 meters long of pure stone walls, that explains why it was the only city Laplace couldn't occupy).
All I could look at it with awe when Mom suddenly sat next to Dad before calling him with low yet well heard voice.
"Dear! Can you focus with me for a moment?" Mom ordered Dad with a authoritative tone after calling him.
"Aye Aye captain... madame!" Dad replied with his goofy tone but when his eyes meet her, he immediately fixed his siting posture and gave her a nod.
"First thing, you know well we all are here for three reasons, so please don't act on your own. And increase the trouble for us" Mom said with her calm nature but every word made a heavy weight to the atmosphere.
When Mr Smith heard Mom talking to Dad and it seems he knows the subject he slowed down to make her finish talking before reaching our destination.
(As for why I don't anything about what's happening, the answer is since my bandits hunting they are taking extra safety measures to avoid my involvement on any dangerous matter, and it doubled after my recent incident at the clinic. Well after the clinic it's more of they are telling me how precious is life and I shouldn't take lives this easily and how I too could die with a wrong move like how on that day Mom healed me from a death door, etc. But my winning answer was always."Should I have waited until all the village suffered the same as Mr Ferland?").
"I know, I know dear! Don't worry, I will keep things only at those three points." Dad said with strange attitude he never used before in talking, but somehow it made me more suspicious.
"Don't copy Geese and think I wouldn't realise. Do you really get it?" Mom said with a firm attitude while what seem she was holding Dad's hand but I know it to well she was breaking his bones.
"Ow ow, okay I will stop joking please stop." After Dad's pleaded she released his hands.
"Okay I promise you Zenith, I will try my best to keep conversation around those three points." Dad said after Mom released his hands and he was shaking his hand on the air from pain.
"May I ask why am I here? And what are the three thing we are here for?" I asked making them both looking at me while pursuing their lips before Dad looked at Mom and with silent nod he decided to tell me everything.
Apparently and as I anticipated the monsters hunt failed back then but for a different reason, they got ambushed by what was a full army of monsters moving through forest they were supposed to start by Greensted village before moving towards Buena then Milltibos thankfully they stopped them before destroying any of the villages but it wasn't an easy win with sacrifices and blood one of the knights fell, Howard BlackSnake. That's the official version of what happened.
What really happened is they really got ambushed by army of monsters but what happened is they got separated so everyone powers appeared and the other knight was a weakling depending on his family name to get the position, to use the village like a lord instead of a knight the opposite of what he is supposed to, and Lord Phillip even said if it wasn't for his fear for the consequences, he is sure that the knight would have started a coup to be drunk in power even more.
Lord Phillip said that he more than once didn't send the whole tax, reported to many deaths from his village, many complainants coming from the villagers and of course the infamous Reeves castration incident.
The brief summary, he is a bastard person with a trashy personality that better of be dead, but still he has a noble blood which gave Lord Phillip a slight headache because of his family protection.
(Well the truth it's more than a slight headache, and the blame may fall in me, do I have to explain why?)
Okay what happened is the only casualty in the whole successful at the same time failed hunt is that knight. Suspicious, not enough, let's increase the suspense Buena village got attacked by the strongest known bandits group known for their assassinations inside the shadows where the knight and strongest men were missing from the village and the bandits group got anihlated. (That's where I'm the blame, if the village somehow delayed the bandits and Dad finished the job, then it was going to be common case but that never happened).
Is that enough suspicion no let's increase it even more, there was strict orders from all of the following Lords Phillip, Sarous, his colleagues, the Buena village knight. For the knight to stay home and not to participate in the hunt. (I already know this part from reading Dad's letters to Lord Phillip and doing the same to Lord Phillip's letters).
You know what's missing, the cherry and the sauce above the cake. Let's add them too.
His mortal wound that got him killed is a bite wound that can be healed with intermediate level healing. And funny enough there was an intermediate level healer in the group then why he died?
The answer that they got which was the truth too, the healer and many of the men including the Buena village knight got surrounded by monsters and they couldn't help him and the healer had to focus on healing who is near better than looking for someone dying out of sight. (Mom isn't really the blame in this she really was surrounded and if Dad wasn't the superhuman he is, both of them could've died that day).
Okay then what about the extra sauce you know I had sweet tooth, when they asked for the body for proper burial they got his ashes instead of the body.
Well it's the known future for adventurers or anyone died in a forest, labyrinth, desert or ruins. The mana in this world can revive the dead in a zombie form and if he has hatred in his heart even worse he can be revived as a wraith which is one of the hardest undead to kill.
When I asked Mom about how to fight it, she answered after a few seconds of hesitation that first you have to kill it's summons then, with fire magic attack it over and over again until it dies. That's the common case.
But if you know Divine magic then attack it with it and you will kill it immediately. And when I asked her, if she knows it she said yes, but only one spell on the beginner level. (That's new spell but I can't ask Mom to teach it to me since to them I only know swordsmanship).
I decided to end this part by a praise to Mom.
"Mommy's cool!" When I praised her she had stayed silent for a moment without any movement, and when she was about to jump in celebration, she remembered we are inside a carriage so she had to contain herself, which she done hardly, but her smug reached from ear to ear.
"You know Rudi, when fighting this undead monsters like skeletons, wraiths you will need a strong swordsman to crush the bones, to help the mage or the cleric to finish the job." Dad tried his best to showcase that he is needed in such a fights by displaying his powers in the situation.
"Don't tell me you are jealous and want to be praised too?" Mom teased/asked Dad with a smirk in her face.
"Ughh, children when both will grow up." I groaned before muttering this words. (Crap I'm dead, if Mom heard this).
"Rudi, what did you just say?" Mom asked with fake smile and enough blood lust to the point Caravaggio tried to escape the carriage.
(I think, I should recite my beliefs in case of not receiving a third chance).
"I said he is a child for not growing up and being jealous like that." I said meekly while pointing at Dad all of that I was praying silently inside she would calm down and ignore what she heard and don't punish me.
As for the conclusion I got punished but on low level, apparently Mom only heard the groan and wanted to know what I meant by doing it.
And the low punishment because I said the truth even when knowing the consequences for it, as for the punishment Mom got a nice hold of my finger that was pointed at Dad and slightly tightened her grip.
Which caused me to whimper a little before calming down.
And with that they continued the two points of the problems we have. Apparently they want to make a parade and a ball for the hero who vanquished the bandits after all they killed to many nobles and everyone want to celebrate their death.
(Do I have to say what's the problem?)
If told the truth and I gone for both as the hero, then the whole truth about me as a Miko is a known fact not to mention the commoners won't believe that a toddler who barely become a child anihlated them.
And as for nobles this is once a lifetime chance to get a merciless killer Miko. (Then of course this choice is out of choices).
The second option is Dad goes instead of me.
Which also will generate second worst case scenario for us. Dad is a known bastard between the nobles where half of noble women enjoyed his touch. (Dad was bragging about this completely forgetting Mom is behind him, let's just say he lost consciousness for three minutes after Mom gave him a nice punch before healing him when he lost consciousness to make him continue).
"Well he doesn't look he in any form to continue so I will." Mom said before continuing.
Dad is a known figure in nobility with two aliases too. 'The failed heir or the running Notos.' And as I know from before Philemon want his head with any price.
And if Dad goes to those we all will got exposed. Dad having a family, me being a Miko and let's not talk about what they will send after us maybe this time I will have to fight the 'Tri-Daggers' after all they are mercenary assassins. Unlike their dead colleagues bandits assassins.
(Dad said we are going to Roa, in hope Lord Phillip will solve it somehow saying "Phillip is always has the brain for this I'm sure he will solve this somehow.")
My answer to him "so your whole life you are the brawns and need the brains of someone else to solve your problems."
Do I need to say all the carriage was laughing even Mom who tried to scold me but couldn't stop laughing.
As for third problem, well it's not a problem it's the fact that I want to buy Sam's freedom, and Dad wanted me and her to be there to celebrate the occasion, and when Lilia reminded him that she is still too young to leave the house, he didn't know how to tell me that if I want I could stay home.
(I'm doing my best not to smash his face right at the moment, yes I'm happy for both the fact he was thinking about Sam and he took me with him to visit Roa, but he took me where he will probably get scolded for both Buena and that knight's village, not mentioning we left Sam with Lilia alone, increasing the burden on Lilia because unlike me, Sam is a normal baby who has needs to be fulfilled and she can't tolerate or try to help herself).
"As much I would like to let you continue the family talking, Sir Paul, your presence is needed." Mr Smith cut down the conversation where Dad was still explaining how nice it's to visit the city and how big it is compared to the village and I can enjoy it more than staying home.
"Identity yourselves, and the reason for the visit." Said the city's gate's guard, while taking a defensive posture.
That when Dad sighed before getting out of carriage from the front side to explain the reason for the visit.
"Paul Greyrat, and we are here because we have appointment with the mayor." Dad said as he got out of carriage to be in front of the soldier.
"A Greyrat! Sir!" The soldiers said before taking a kneel and Dad sighed at the view.
"Now, we will be on our way to the Manor." Dad said as he sat next to Mr Smith and we entered the city.