It takes three days for the Valkyries to reach Rinko's estate while Gran is feeling the Dimensional Flow as he is running full speed so he can catch up but he doesn't know where they are going. As the Valkyries disembark from the carriage, a tall and intimidating man stands infront of them and Rinko runs to hug this man.
"Rinko!! Good to see you doing well my darling? How have you been?" The man ask while the others just silently looking into it as they doesn't know what to do but to watch. "Hello Father! These are my friends. Gina." Rinko points at her leader as she waves with a smile on her face. "The pink one is Veronica." Rinko points at the young mage that touch her hair as she is asking her why she needs to point out the pink.
"The green haired one is Mayuri." Rinko points out and she nods. Rinko's Father bows as he also introduce himself.
"My name is Iguro. Please feel free to see my abode as like yours." The man of the mansion says as Gran is standing beside a wall stealthily as he doesn't want to be seen since he didn't know if Iguro have prejudices about male that are near his daughter.
"Does doting father might be the worse." Gran thinks to himself as he climbs in the second floor as he notice that this mansion is 5 floors high. "How is this guys filthy rich? I'm envious damn!" Gran continues to think while he is climbing. He manage to climb into an open window, but he encounters a problem, he doesn't know this particular window leads to.
Gran doesn't have time to hesitate and he climbs into that open window and he sees a large room with books at the right side corner and a squeaky polish desk and a table in front of it. There are two doors to the left and he sees several couches at every corner of this room. The Exorcist have a feeling what this place is, but when he tries to get out, he feels that the door isn't budging.
"The heck'a going on here?" Gran ask while he is trying to open the door. He goes back to the window, he notice how several servants of Rinko's Father gathers there. "I'm feeling that this is not going on my favor now..." The Exorcist thinks to himself as Iguro leads the ladies to the guest room while he ask Rinko to go to her room.
"Why Father? Is something there?" Rinko ask as Iguro winks on her. "I have a surprise for you upstairs. Please." Iguro answers as their maids lead the shield maiden back to her room. The others are looking around and being fascinating view of the whole mansion. "How large this place is? I hope we are okay to stay here." Mayuri remarks as Iguro laughs.
"This mansion is built by my blood, sweat and tear alongside Rinko's Mother as she's growing up. Her Sister is studying at the next kingdom and we like to learn more about cultures from other countries." Iguro answers as he leads the Valkyries at the guest room, a yellow hall with decorate of gold and lavish designs of flowers and fancy sofas and couches. The three doesn't know how to act for that moment, and the man of the house ask them to sit and to be feel at home.
"I appreciate you welcoming us." Gina thanks Iguro as she bows. The others follow suit and they are noticing something.
"Okay I am noticing this but where is that man right now? I don't buy that he is later than us since this is not so far than the last journey we took." Gina thinks as she, Veronica and Mayuri, sit down over one of the sofas as they are waiting for Rinko.
Rinko is currently being dressed up by the maids as she is choosing what color she wants to dress up with. She actually doesn't want to choose as she wants to protest this to her father. She quietly bolts out of her room as she tries to meet her father, who are going to enter his study room.
"Father! I want to discuss something. Can we talk this out?" The timid shield maiden of the Valkyries ask as she's trying to be defiant, but her father express through his face that he can't humor this any longer. "Fine, let's talk this one out later." Iguro answers as the maids are following Rinko as they want to finish dressing her up.
"Father..." - Rinko
Gran hears the doorknob turns as he place himself near the open window and gaze outside. Once Iguro enters he is lost in thought that he tends to the papers on his desk as he check a letter there. He continues looking for his documents for several minutes, until a shadow covering his desk makes him look through the source. As he turns his gaze into the Exorcist, he quickly grabs the sword underneath his desk.
"Guards!!!"
The man of the mansion shouts as several maids and butler enters the room and see the unknown individual standing near the window. Gran raise his hands but since this is an another world, they're not familiar with his gesture. "Oh come on! I am surrendering!" Gran screams out as he see that one of the maids brings out stilettos on each of her fingers. She throws it out and Gran dodges every single one of it.
A maid tries to tackle him but he manage to weave, the butler drawn its sword and tries to hack Gran to pieces, yet Gran dodge and he looks like dancing while doing this.
"Hello, let me introduce myself." Gran says as he ducks and steps back into the butler's strike. "My name is Gran..." The Exorcist then handspring out of the way and jumps out to the door as a couple of maids tried to attack him in one go. "I am a friend of your daughter Rinko." Then one of the maids try to sweep off his feet, which he counters by raising one of his legs and when it poses to hit the other, he raise the other like a high knee jog. "And I am here to help her..." The Exorcist then feels like a couple of blades are trying to stab him off.
"Make proper decisions about her future." Gran ends his sentence as he is almost hit by several daggers and the butler manage to pin him down, but Iguro is impressed about how he manage to dodge all of those attacks as he ask one thing. "Did you just let yourself be pinned down like that?" Iguro ask the belly laying Gran. "Well all I can say is that you have exceptional security sir." Gran answers while he is being press by the butler.
During this commotion Rinko and the Valkyries notice how every servants rush through a certain place. They also follows, and what they have catch is the Exorcist in a knee press by the butler.
"Uhm hey Mr. Iguro, this is one of our friend Gran. I apologize if he does anything inappropriate..." Gina defends her man while Iguro commands his servants to drag him up and tie him in a chair. Gran complains but he doesn't fight back, as the other Valkyries disappointingly see him mess things up.
"I do know why you people are all here, and I am not changing my mind. I do want to be a gracious host for you people, but please... Show some respect in my house." Iguro threatens his guest as they all perk up to agree except for Gran, who looks at this man and sees right through him. "Alright I humbly apologize from the intrusion earlier. Really I do, I'm sorry that I didn't use the front door." Gran says as Iguro looks at him sharply.
"You say you're name earlier is Gran right? What are you to my daughter?" Iguro asks as Gran remarks. "Oof, straight to the point huh."
"Well he is under our care actually. Under the Guild's Mentorship Program, Gran is under my control and I'm sorry for how he is behaving." Gina apologize as she bows to the front of the man of the mansion. Gran wants to appeal for his innocence on the matter but the Leader of the Valkyries poke his cheeks and Mayuri gives him an armbar to be quiet.
"We apologize deeply as well about this tactless man's actions." Veronica apologizes as well and during this, Rinko comes down to see what's going on, only to find her friends in trouble. "Father! They are my friends!" Rinko uncharacteristically state that her Father have no choice but to let the Exorcist loose. He stretch his hands and does some warm up.
"I apologize for that, I've seen that you're doting on your daughter and I thought you'll never permit any male near her. I do know how you feel given a have a little sister back home." Gran shares as the man of the mansion stands up. "Then you'll understand why I need to filter out the pests from the genuine friends right?" Iguro ask while the Exorcist nods with him.
"Yes I do, I don't want for her to be along with a man who will make her cry." The mood shifts as Gran approach Iguro while imagining their respective younger relatives like they begin to have some psychic connections about daughters and little sisters. "Yes yes! You don't want their cute faces be harm by those thugs who will go near them right?" Iguro supports what Gran is saying as he nods with him still.
The Valkyries and the servants witness this interaction and they can't believe how fast they go from enemies to friends. Their faces becomes indistinguishable while Gina is perplexed when she heard about Gran's younger sister. "Wait, he doesn't even mention that he have a little sister once!" Gina realizes as the two are now laughing while Iguro decides to have them go back to the guest room and ask the servants to treat them with utmost care and respect.
With the conflict about earlier out of the way, Gran is sitting next with Gina, leaning his head to her shoulder while they are facing Mayuri and Veronica eating some biscuits and drinking some sweet milk. Gran is being flirty and lover dovey with Gina while the latter is being shy as her comrades are seeing how she acts all feminine with him. "I do like if you can go touchy feely if you want to." Gran says as he is mooching Gina's cheeks that is bright red.
"Hey! You are clearly stepping over the line now! Leader doesn't like you doing it!" The green haired rogue lash out as she kick the Exorcist. Veronica doesn't want to join in as she doesn't have any lasting opinion about it, but she's curious why Gina is letting this man just play with her like that. "Leader, if you like you can ask the servants if they have any available rooms here." Veronica suggest that raises Mayuri's voice and make Gran smug face grin.
"No no, I do enjoy being here." Gina replies as she put Gran's head in her lap. Gran's expression looks like a melted chocolate right now, feeling the soft thighs and Gina's caressing his hair while Mayuri explodes in anger at the Exorcist as she wants him to get off her, but she doesn't want to physically hurt her leader. "That's it I'm out!" Mayuri shouts as she use her rogue technique to get out of there.
"Oops, looks like I push her buttons to far." Gran smugly remarks as Gina lightly hit his head. "Why are you so mean... Geez..." Gina retorts but she still continues to caress his hair. Veronica also wants to get out as she likes to explore more of this mansion. She notify Gina about it, and not long is that the two are left alone.
Gran stands up and looks around, there's no people everywhere. The Exorcist's heart beats so fast as he face the leader of the Valkyries. He doesn't hesitate as he goes to give her a long and passionate kiss, a kiss that brings warmth to their bodies. The sloppy kiss seals its magic as Gina is panting heavily as Gran's. Her suggestive look makes him lose any sense of control.
"Tell me if you'd like to go all the way?" Gran ask as he wants to tease her about it. She lays down defenseless as she answers with a resounding nod. "Then lets..."
But before they make it all the way they hear the door is opening. This make them move so fast that they're able to fix themselves as Rinko and the others enters the room again. "We're for you to evaluate if this cute dress suits her!" Veronica states as they catch the two in a sweaty state, which they collectively agrees to ignore.
"Y-yeah, it is very cute and very like you Rinko." Gina agrees as she feels something dripping in her thighs but she covers it up quickly. She's feeling too frustrated to talk as Gran is losing his mind as well. Gran tell them that he will step out for a bit as he is thinking too much sleazy things right now that he can't function clearly. Gina's the same and she also ask her comrades that she'll step out a bit.
"That's why I suggest for them to get a room." Veronica remarks as Mayuri is grinding her teeth and planning to break them up due to her jealousy, not for the Exorcist, but for her leader. "You'll not get away about this you sleazy punk!" Mayuri thinks aloud as Rinko just tries to laugh it off.
The lovers do manage to find themselves in a room as they both ask a maid for an available one. Right there and then when they are left alone, they can't stop themselves seeking the affection of one another.
The day moves forward for everybody else. The lovers fill that room with their loving voices as the day ends and the Valkyries doesn't need to see any evidence about the deed the two make. Gran first exits the room while Gina is still feeling some pain. Gran ask if she needs assistance about it, but she refuses. The Exorcist doesn't back down though as the others catch them in the hall.
"Ugh... I'd like to have a duel with you Gran!" Mayuri dares as she's seriously angry about Gran's relationship with Gina, which the leader of the Valkyries tells her to stand down, but Gran plans to take this seriously as he sees how she looks at him as he wants to clarify this with her. "Please, I want to know why you are so drawn to her... I want you all to know that I love Gina and none of you will change that, unless she change her mind." Gran answers as he stand between the one he loves.
He's in a hard position right now as he wants for Mayuri to understand something, that relationships and status changes. He wants to respect her strength, something Rinko is having a hard time to express against her Father, but in Gran's mind, he'll not let the love he has go, something normal in his world right now.
One of the servant overhears this and as the tension rises, she claps to draw their attention to her and ask them to go to the open courtyard as the skies accumulate dark clouds and it is about to rain. The Rogue and the Exorcist are standing in the rain while holding bamboo swords. "Okay I do not prefer using this but..." Gran says but its cut short as Mayuri doesn't wait for any signal to start the duel.
"Wait is there no condition whoever wins about this duel?" Gran ask while he is fending off Mayuri's strikes. The Rogue's hits are getting faster and faster that Gran have no choice but to take this seriously as he feels a marble fence blocking his retreat. "I don't care! I just want you to leave the Leader alone!" Mayuri says as she fiercely corners Gran and he slips out when she raise her bamboo sword and makes a vertical slash.
Gran's eyes widen as Mayuri's hit breaks the marble fence as he doesn't expect from her to feel this kind of anger about him and her leader. When she dashes off to continue her assault, Gran just throws his weapon out as he witness his lover crying. He activates his Flow to have Mayuri's bamboo sword be pushed out.
"Stop, I don't think I can continue this. You really hate me, I get it." Gran's voice hints that he is now serious. When Mayuri doesn't want to backdown, the Exorcist quickly grab her bamboo sword and destroy it with when he amplify the momentum when he pull her into rolling out. He then approach Gina and simply ask.
"I do love you Gina, but I want to know if you'll choose me or the Valkyries?"
That question makes her throat dry as this is the very question she doesn't want to think of since she both love him and the party. Gran sighs as he just decides the one thing that makes his heart ache.
"I'll take my distance from now on. After this I'll quit being an Adventurer and I'll distance for a while..." Gran says as Gina breaths and she stops her tears as she makes up her mind.
"Mayuri! I'm sorry if you feel that strong about me! But I want to make this clear! If you don't approve of my relationship with Gran! I'll quit being part of Valkyrie!"
This declaration makes Gina's determination known to everybody there. Iguro, Rinko, Veronica and the servants are eagerly waiting to what will happen next as Mayuri is now holding the ball on her court as she's still having a conflict within her mind if she'll let her go away because of her selfishness.
"Fine! Have it your way! I'm sorry!" Mayuri screams as Gina's face slightly smiles as she expect for her to accept their relationship, but Mayuri use her rogue skill to disappear. Gina looks everywhere as she is steps into the rain filled courtyard, and she see Mayuri standing at a pillar outside. "I'm sorry Leader, I don't want to see is anymore." The rogue says as she tearfully leaves.
"No!!!"
As Gina screams her heart out, trying to stop her closest companion to leave. Rinko and Veronica joins her in the rain as Gran can't afford to look at her as he feels that he's responsible for this. He quietly enters the guest room and he quietly sit right there, contemplating his whole life in that new world.
Gina looks defeated that she is being carried by the girls back into her room but she decides to go at the guest room instead.
"Please, leave me alone for a while. Thanks..." Gina ask of Veronica and Rinko as she enters the quiet room, where she finds a knee covered, corner sitting Gran there and she choose to sit and lean beside him. Gran looks at her and he holds her hand. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Gina..." Gran apologizes sincerely as Gina feels that sincerity in his hoarse voice.
Gina just quietly sit with him in the corner until they somehow calm down, which they hear that the rain pours heavily through the window pane.
As that rain pouring down, Mayuri is walking through the muddy road as she recalls how close her Leader to that man, which she grinds her teeth but she cannot deny that she's crying too. "You dummy! Dummy Leader!" She cries out through the rain as she moves on. "If it comes to this... I'll just go back..." Mayuri thinks as the black heavy rain pours upon her green hair.
Rinko and Veronica are huddling inside the former's room as they lock themselves there while the servants are knocking the door as they need to finalize fitting Rinko's dress, but the lady of the mansion doesn't feel it. "Beat it! Leave us alone for once!" Veronica shouts as her timid friend can't vocalize her own appeal.
"Rinko, please... I know you are against about this in the first place. Please learn to speak up." Veronica ask of Rinko as the shield maiden nods as she is lamenting her current weakness.
"The party is falling apart and we are stuck in this situation... Ugh... I need to fire myself out or I will lose any future I need to grasp!" Rinko thinks as she close her fist while Veronica smiles when she sees this as she understand that Rinko manage to make up her mind.
"Say, you told us earlier that you have an agreement with your Father about marriage, that you need to be a S rank adventurer before you turn 30 as you want to not be married off to some stranger. What makes you have that agreement with him?" Veronica ask as Rinko recounts as to why.
"It happens when my Father found this kid that he admire as he manage to impress Father about his swordsmanship, but this kid is a nasty and arrogant. I tell Father that I don't like him, and that's when I make the agreement with my Father out of a whim, to not just be participating in any agreement." Rinko recounts as Veronica listens intently and trying to formulate why she have such fierce voice before but now she's too quiet.
"Honestly I joined some devious folks when I started to become an adventurer. I just stay with this party for just a day as they throw me out to danger and they plan to left me for dead to steal my possessions." Rinko explain that it might be one of the reason why she is timid and chalk it up to trauma.
"Those nasty people... You say that Gina beat them up and make you join the Valkyries right?" Veronica ask as Rinko nods. "Well I'm the last member to join the party so I'm not asking too many stuff about your life before the party..." Veronica adds as Rinko continues recounting her days.
"Honestly Leader and Mayuri's guidance make me realize my potential as a defender. I owe them my career and my experience. I, too, owe you my life too Veronica." Rinko says as she smiles, making Veronica's heart flutter as she go ahead to embrace the cute shield maiden.
"You're very cute!!" Veronica scratches her face over the cute Rinko as the rain continues to pour. A carriage is currently traveling and it spot Mayuri walking still. The carriage stops a bit and the young man inside it open the door to speak with the lonely rogue.
"Are you okay? You're soaking wet, its not good if you catch a cold miss. Would you need a ride out of here?" The young man ask as Mayuri shakes her head and ignores his kindness. "Ah, I apologize for taking your time then. Have a great day!!" The young man waves as he command the coachman to continue the journey.
"Sir Kenji, is it normal for you to ask people like that?" One of the coachman ask while the jet black haired young man responds.
"Yeah, I want to be kind if I can, can I?"