Chapter 88: Nero

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Translator: Soafp

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After leaving the guild, I consult with El, Lewis, and Nero.

“Now that we’ve finished what we needed to do today, the real exploration begins. What do you guys think?”

I ask, putting my best smile on.

“If we’re going out anyway, why not explore places we don’t usually go or try things we don’t usually do?”

Lewis, you know what I’m talking about!

“That’s a good idea. How about trying some different food?”

Nero, you stay just the way you are. You’re our conscience.

“The Red District.”

El hit the nail on the head! El! No, El-sama! I’m following you!

Lewis and I exchange glances, our mouths watering at the thought.

“Let’s go…”

“Yeah, let’s go…”

El enters the conversation between Lewis and me.

“Do we have enough money?”

Ofu! Money talk already? This is serious business. El, you’re the best!

“Do you know the going rate?”

“I’ve heard of a gold coin.”

“Do you have one?”

I ask, looking at each of them.

Nero seems unsure, but the others each confirm by checking their wallets and then nodding slowly.

First, we head to the North District. We’ll grab a quick lunch on the way and discuss our plans.

“Do you know where the Red District is?”

Lewis asks, lowering his tone.

“I’ve never been to the North District… El, have you?”

“Nii-sama, it’s also my first time in the North District.”

All attention turned to Nero, who naturally has a house in the northern district. And with that, I need to make sure to talk to Nero about going to the red-light district.

Visiting the red-light district isn’t mandatory. If Nero doesn’t want to go, then we’ll part ways here.

“Nero, listen. We’re planning to go to the red-light district in the northern district.”

“The red-light district…”

“What will you do? Will you come with us or pass?”

“I’m interested, but… I don’t have any money. I’ll pass.”

“I see… It’s your choice after all.”

It seems Nero doesn’t have money to go. Despite having earned some from transporting the Wyvern last week, he claims to be broke. I take it as “he doesn’t have money to spend in the red-light district.”

Apart from that, I ask if he knows where the red-light district is.

“Nero won’t be going, but do you know where the red-light district is?”

“I know the location.”

“If you don’t mind, could you guide us there?”

“Sure.”

“That would be a big help.”

A smile spreads across our faces as he knows the location of the red-light district. After finishing our light lunch, we head toward the northern district. While it’s called a district, there’s no clear boundary between the commercial and aristocratic areas.

Around here is roughly considered the northern district.

“Are we entering the northern district around here?”

Lewis began speaking while observing the atmosphere around him.

Certainly, the atmosphere was a bit gloomy. It wasn’t exactly a slum, but overall, it was dimly lit and dirt was noticeable. Being on the north side of the capital likely contributed to the significant shadow cast over the area.

“Yeah, that’s right. From around here, it’s the northern district.”

“Ah, is it still a ways to the red-light district?”

“…The shops aren’t open yet. It’s still daytime, so they won’t open for a bit longer.”

“Ah, I see.”

Feeling somewhat let down, the three of us exchanged glances.

“Shall we kill some time somewhere?”

“Wanna come to my place?”

“Is it okay?”

“No problem.”

Lewis looks at me and El. He seems interested in visiting Nero’s home. I nod to indicate my willingness.

“If Nero is okay with it, we’d like to intrude.”

“Got it. Let’s go.”

Nero swiftly moves through the alleys of the North District. If we get separated, I’m confident we’ll get lost.

After what feels like about 30 minutes of walking, Nero points to a church.

“There it is.”

Despite our surprise, we follow Nero into the church.

Nero confidently heads towards the back door of the church… When he opens it, many children are playing inside.

“I’m back!”

Nero says, and the children flock around him.

“Nero, did you bring us any gifts?”

“What did you hunt today?”

“Are you hurt?”

“I didn’t hunt anything today. And I brought my friends. From right to left, this is Lewisbell, Aldo, and Elphus.”

The children seem puzzled by the sudden appearance of strangers, but we were feeling the same way.

“Hello. I’m Lewisbell.”

“I’m Aldo. Nice to meet you.”

“I’m Elphus. Nice to meet you too.”

For us, that was about all we could manage for now.

Once the children finished their introductions, the priest emerged from the back. He appears to be around 60 years old, with kindness shining in his eyes and a gentle aura surrounding him.

“Gramps, we’re back. I brought some friends today.”

“If Nero brought friends, would you like to talk here?”

The priest gestures towards the adjacent room and speaks.

“Yes…”

Still not fully understanding the situation, that was the best response I could muster.

We enter the neighboring room, where the priest, myself, El, and Lewis sit down on chairs. Meanwhile, Nero is still being held up by the children in the next room, acting as their babysitter.

“Are you Aldo-sama?”

My name is brought up out of the blue. First, I had to introduce myself.

“Yes, I’m Aldo von Blue Ring. I’ve been friends with Nero since our time at the academy.”

“I see. Thank you very much.”

After my introduction, El and Lewis also introduce themselves.

“I’m Lewisbell Sandra. Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too.”

“I’m Elphus von Blueling. Although I’m in the knight department, I’ve been getting along with everyone here.”

“Thank you for getting along with him and taking care of him.”

“I’m Trout, the priest of this church. I serve as a father figure to those kids as well, so please treat me kindly.”

“””Nice to meet you.”””

The initial introductions are over. I decide to ask something that’s been on my mind.

“So, when you mentioned being a father figure, does that mean this place is an orphanage?”

“How much did Nero tell you about it?”

“Sorry. Actually, I don’t know much… I was invited, and I ended up here at the church.”

“I see. That sounds like Nero. I’m truly sorry for any inconvenience. He didn’t mean any harm. He’s just a bit… naive, you could say, and not very attuned to social cues.”

“No worries. Nero’s like that, but he’s been a big help to us. Right?”

“Yeah, he can’t lie, and he’s trustworthy.”

“That’s true. I’ve come to appreciate Nero for who he is.”

As I lead the conversation, Lewis and El begin expressing their feelings about Nero.

“I see. Thank you all very much.”

The priest, who had been eagerly listening to our impressions, bowed his head.

“This child is from the beastkin tribe, so he hasn’t faced severe bullying, but he’s built up some walls.”

“I understand. I’m a demon myself, so I can relate. It’s like handling a sore spot, right?”

The priest glanced at Lewis, nodding slightly.

“Since joining the academy, Nero looks forward to each day. Seeing him like that is a first for me.”

As the priest spoke, Lewis seemed fidgety. What’s up with this guy? Even when guys show affection, it’s just creepy!

“The other day, they were taken to the Blue Ring territory, and both Nero and his mother were very happy.”

“Nero has a mother?”

“Yes, she lodges on the second floor of this church. She works in the red-light district at night.”

The mention of the red-light district made us three uneasy. Seeing our reaction, the priest smiled faintly and continued.

“This church and orphanage receive substantial donations from nobles and renowned adventurers.”

“Nobles and adventurers?”

“Yes, since they were once young and wild themselves, they understand the inconvenience of having a child unexpectedly…”

“I see…”

“So, I would like young people like yourselves to visit here at least once.”

He looked at us three while saying that. He totally knows everything we’re thinking, right?

“Could it be… there are donations from the Blue Ring too?”

The priest just smiled faintly, neither confirming nor denying… Grandpa!! Dad!!

“What about Count Sandra?”

Same reaction as mine… Are they all siblings?!

As we conversed with the priest, there was some commotion from inside.

Curious, the door opened, and a beautiful woman in her early thirties entered.

Her attire was revealing, making it hard to decide where to look. But inevitably, the eyes were drawn to her chest and legs.

“I heard Nero’s friends were here, so I came to see. Are you guys them?”

There was a stark contrast between her appearance and her speech.

“””Y-Yes…”””

“I’m Nero’s mother, Mimil. Thanks for always being there for Nero.”

Looking at her head, she had cat ears!! Cat ears!! This is it! This is what makes it an isekai!! Beautiful woman with cat ears! Hooray!

We three were frozen in shock.

“Well, it’s almost time for work. I’ll be going, but take your time.”

Amidst the storm-like developments, Nero’s mom left with a final…

“If you come to the shop, I’ll treat you. Take care of Nero for me too… ♡”

She winked, showing off her graceful bow with full-on seductiveness… and while doing that, she created a scene, emphasizing her chest and legs.

We three leaned forward a bit and probably won’t be able to get up from our chairs for a while…

The priest, with an old man’s nostalgic gaze, observed us.

Back to the main topic—-

“””Thank you for having us for so long.”””

Even after Nero’s mother left, the three of us stayed at the church for a while, playing with the children. It felt nostalgic to be playing with children at the Blue Ring church.

“Nero, see you tomorrow.”

“See ya, Nero.”

“Nero, thank you for today.”

“Yeah, see you tomorrow.”

Just before dusk, we left the church. The children there were said to be the offspring of pr*stitutes. Apparently, their mothers worked at night and slept during the day, so the priest took care of them at the church.

The children were taught reading, writing, and basic magic by the priest, and Nero showed talents beyond the ordinary in all of them.

However, the priest was not an educator by profession. To help Nero develop his talents, they raised funds not only from donations but also from the pr*stitutes.

I learned from the priest that Nero often had no money because he was slowly paying back the funds raised. Of course, the pr*stitutes didn’t want to accept it, but their lives were not easy either… Nero emphasized that the money he made was not obtained by explaining where it came from.

This world was kinder than I had thought… Nero’s nature was straightforward and slightly out of touch with the world… I felt that this church was exactly that.

As I looked up at the sky, it was beginning to turn slightly crimson. It was the best time to leave for home after finishing our work. However, can we leave with a good feeling after hearing that story…? Well, maybe we can feel good about it, but…

We looked at each other’s faces.

All three of us forced a wry smile.

“It can’t be helped. After hearing that story…”

“Yeah, if only we could make enough money to donate…”

“That’s right. We’re still too young to shoulder that burden…”

With a small sigh, the three of us bid farewell and went back to our respective homes.

When I returned to the mansion, Marl, who had just come out of the bath, was waiting for El. From Marl’s perspective, she probably thought she smelled good and looked beautiful after getting cleaned up, trying to sell herself to El.

El tries to distance himself desperately from Marle while slightly bending forward.

But from Marle’s perspective, she probably thinks he is avoiding her… taking one step closer to El than usual… I understand everything, so I send encouragement to El, feeling the cruelty of that one step… Cheers to El!!

Someday, I want to have a rematch of today! When that time comes, it will be El, Lewis, and of course, Nero together!!

I’m sure all three of us will nominate Nero’s mom…