Chapter 2

Finally, it’s time for Airi’s prologue to begin.

If this were a game, I would have started teaching basic combat tips from today, but after living together for two months, I’ve already taught her enough. I couldn’t possibly teach her cooking in two months, right?

So, instead of taking Airi to the training ground now…

“Please execute a basic attack by swinging the controller.”

“Say the spell into the mic attached to your headset.”

If I said the same thing, I’d definitely be treated like a lunatic, and if I did that, Airi would surely think I’ve gone mad and immediately send a messenger bird to her father.

The protagonist of Part 1 definitely doesn’t reply, but he does read all the letters Airi sends. Meaning, if there’s even a hint of parental complaint, I’ll be saying goodbye to my head and torso in no time.

So, I taught Airi everything from swordsmanship to magic and even archery that was in Werner’s head. Though I only taught her the very basics.

Still, even a rotten orange has its uses, and being the child of a talent-filled parent, she learned quickly. But her impatient nature often led to her tripping and rolling around, which was a problem.

“Master, aren’t we training today?”

“I’ve already taught you most of the basics.”

“Wow! So we’re going out to play, right?”

“No, you need to experience real combat.”

I just moved the schedule up a bit compared to the actual playtime. It shouldn’t be a big problem, probably.

I opened the door to the adventurer’s guild. The unpleasant smell of sweat and cheap alcohol wafted out. It was a smell I always encountered when coming here.

“Handsome mage oppa, is the girl next to you your daughter?”

“Hey, I’m still in my 20s.”

“If you’re about to step into your thirties, you’re already thirty.”

“I should really quit this job properly.”

I exchanged some silly banter with the receptionist at the counter. Then, Airi, who was next to me, puffed up her cheeks and pulled my arm.

“Master! What are you doing right now!”

“Sorry… It’s been a while…”

Her impatient nature didn’t even allow time for people to joke around. This personality is definitely inherited from her father.

The protagonist of Part 1 was also impatient, but he didn’t puff up his cheeks like this.

As I looked through the request board, I saw the quests the protagonist had undertaken in Chapter 1.

[Please deal with the beasts that have come down to the farm.]

[We need help resolving the troublemakers at the bar.]

[Please find my lost wallet.]

All three requests were made by Airi after she broke Werner’s cherished plate and needed to buy a new one. These requests had been posted a few days before Airi took them. Still, there’s nothing better for improving skills, so I took the three request sheets to the counter.

“Oh my. What brings you to these tasks? Are you hurt somewhere?”

“Quiet. It’s not for me, but for the kid next to me.”

“Then we need to register the little lady first.”

Oops, I forgot that to undertake requests, one must first be certified by the adventurer’s guild. Living with a fool must have infected me. Tolerating her cheerful nature is one thing, but this is too much.

The clerk at the counter brought out a crystal orb and told Airi to place her hand on it. When Airi placed her delicate white hand on the crystal, her information floated above it.

[Airi Res]

Strength: C+

Magic: C

Agility: C

Compatible Attributes: 5

Intelligence: E

Rank: Unregistered

“Tch!”

Everything else was decent for a beginner, but her intelligence was laughable. An E means you might as well give up in that area.

“Don’t laugh!”

“Even a rock would get a D, but an E? Hehe…!”

The creators probably wanted to emphasize her airheadedness, but people just saw her as plain stupid. Though I kind of liked that about her.

“Then you try it, Master! You’re a villain who torments a girl like me, so your personality must be an F!”

“Idiot, personality isn’t even listed, and there’s no F. The E next to your intelligence is the lowest rank.”

When I placed my hand on the crystal, a brighter light appeared than when Airi did, and my information was displayed.

[Werner Altan]

Strength: A

Magic: SSS

Agility: A+

Compatible Attributes: ALL

Intelligence: SS

Rank: S

“See, this master is an insurmountable wall.”

“Yes, I understand that personality and skill are separate.”

“You may worship this master’s greatness.”

“Hmph! My dad is more amazing…”

I covered Airi’s mouth before she could blurt out something. She seemed to realize she almost made a mistake, so she removed my hand.

The reason Werner died was because Airi publicly revealed that she was the daughter of the protagonist of <Draghinty Fantasy 1>.

But it’s no exaggeration that he’s stronger than me now.

“Your dad would probably get SSS in all ranks if he measured here, right?”

“Hahaha, my dad wouldn’t be like that.”

It’s true, I’ve seen it enough to be sick of it. So, revealing that fact to the outside world is problematic. Whether I get killed by Airi’s father or Airi reveals who her real father is, I don’t want to die.

“Alright, Airi Res, your registration is complete, and all the requests you brought have been accepted. Good luck.”

“Wow, thank you!”

“And Werner, you must be working hard teaching your disciple.”

“Haha, are you worried about me? A confession would be awkward though.”

“Werner, go eat a dick.”

Irina Mildil, the receptionist at the adventurer’s guild in ‘Bekem,’ the city we currently live in, and also Werner’s friend. She was quite a beauty, so I remember her being very popular. Looking back at some memorable posts…

Title: Is Irina honestly prettier than Airi? Agree?

– You Kas pervert bastard

– You have no eyes…

– Yeah, next Airi fan

Title: Brought a Irina x Werner comic

– I prefer Airi x Jena

– You crazy bastard

– Big thumbs up

Title: Isn’t Irina honestly the true heroine to Werner?

– Seriously, 20-year hometown friends say it all

– Nowadays, childhood friends are fake

– That’s because you have no friends

There were a lot of pointless posts, but to summarize, Irina was incredibly popular for an early NPC, and there was a ton of fan art. Many people liked Irina more than Airi, who was often called a nuisance.

“By the way, what should we do first?”

“We should start with the closest and least time-consuming one.”

We decided to head to the bar where troublemakers were causing a ruckus. After walking for about an hour, we arrived at a slum with poor security.

The slum’s eyes turned towards us, probably drawn to Airi’s pretty face. Or maybe there were some who liked Werner’s handsome face mixed in.

“Don’t stray from me, Airi.”

Airi, disliking the sticky gazes directed at her, clung to my robe and followed me, like a child holding onto their father’s clothes. Thinking about the setting, Werner took care of 5-year-old Airi when he was 17, so he was practically a father figure.

“Suddenly, your father comes to mind.”

“Really, suddenly?”

“He suddenly appeared, said ‘Take care of this child,’ and left.”

“Is that so?”

That’s how I remember the setting. The protagonist of <Draghinty Fantasy 1> came to 17-year-old Werner and left him with a 5-year-old child, earning him endless criticism.

And Werner was mocked for this, called a joyless responsibility, making it a lose-lose situation for both.

Walking with this joyless responsibility, we soon arrived at the bar that had been reported. Even from outside, the noise of people shouting and fighting was loud. Quietly opening the door and entering, the place was a complete mess.

Half the tables were destroyed, and a chair was hanging from the ceiling, which could be considered part of the bar’s decor.

But the guys throwing punches and causing a ruckus, or the ones making lewd gestures with women, weren’t part of the decor. They were just thugs making people frown. The bar owner had had enough and posted the request, so no more needs to be said.

“You handle it, Airi. I’ll watch.”

After all, Airi took this request, so I left it to her. Though she only spouts nonsense at me, the timid Airi gathered her courage and approached the man causing trouble, speaking loudly.

Airi placed her hand on the man’s shoulder and said.

“Hey, could you please be a little quieter…”

“Oh… what’s this…? Are you the new waitress here to serve drinks? Come here, come here.”

The thug was drunk and not in his right mind. He grabbed Airi’s wrist and pulled her towards him.

“Master, this man won’t let me go!”

I had no choice but to walk over to them. The thug holding Airi looked me up and down.

“Judging by your appearance, you seem like a rich guy. I claimed this girl first, so if you don’t want to see her get hurt, back off.”

“Hey, do you like potatoes on a plate?”

“What the hell are you talking about!”

The thug let go of Airi’s arm and tried to swing his fist at me. Thanks to Werner’s natural reflexes, it looked almost like a joke in slow motion.

I easily dodged the punch and slammed his head into a metal plate full of side dishes.

“Since you weren’t eating the side dishes, I’ll feed them to you. Drinking on an empty stomach is bad for you.”

“You… bastard…”

“You know what? Spring potatoes are damn delicious!”

I grabbed his hair, lifted him, and slammed his head into the plate again. Repeating this, the metal plate was soon covered in red sauce.

Soon, the bar fell silent, and all eyes were on us. More filled with hostility than fear.

Some had already drawn their weapons, ready to kill us. It wasn’t particularly scary, but dealing with them one by one while keeping an eye on Airi was annoying.

Airi is skilled enough not to die, but if she gets hurt, I’m dead.

“Tree, grow.”

A simple spell caused tree roots to grow from the ground, binding the thugs who were eyeing us.

It’s a simple binding spell with no killing power, but it should be hard to break free.

“I hate repeating myself, so I’ll say this only once.”

“If you come for revenge, or cause trouble here again and I have to come back…”

“Next time we meet, I won’t be as gentle as I am now.”

Damn, Airi was supposed to do this, but I ended up doing it instead.

I need to teach her real combat, but this is problematic. Teaching her real combat without getting hurt is harder than fighting 100 dragons.

“Master! That was so cool just now. Teach me that tree root thing!”

“Fools can’t use that technique, give up.”

While someone is dying inside, seeing her excitedly pestering me is annoying.