The Runaway Daughter
Seven years later.
A riot broke out. After I suppressed it, I handed the Worst executives over to the proper authorities, met Arad, and learned that the very men I had delivered were dead. Far too much had happened to have unfolded in only two days. Yet once it was all over, we returned to our ordinary lives.
Because everything had been resolved faster than expected, I canceled my plan to linger in the kingdom for a few more days and set off on the road home to the cottage. The one who came out to see us off was Zenle, who was now truly bidding us farewell.
“Then I wish you a safe journey home. Master, Lady Luina, and Miss Elia. I will inform you the moment we have any findings from the investigation into this incident.”
“Yeah. You take care of yourself too. Drop by whenever you feel like playing with our daughter.”
“Tha…… Ahaha, yes. I’ll come visit from time to time.”
Zenle had been about to make a disgusted face at my words, but one glance at Elia beside me changed it into a smile. The funny sight made me burst out laughing too. With no need for any longer goodbyes, I took Elia’s and Luina’s hands and stepped into the teleport gate.
“We’re off, then.”
“Have a safe trip!”
It wasn’t an eternal parting, so what was the point of dragging out the farewell? In two years, once the mansion on the land I had purchased in the kingdom was finished, we would practically see each other every day anyway.
Of course, even though she knew that, young Elia still seemed reluctant to part with her beloved Zenle. But if we visited the kingdom now and then so she could see his face, it would be fine. With that in mind, I scooped the stubbornly resisting Elia into my arms and surrendered myself to the mana of the teleport gate that swallowed us whole.
Crackle───
When I opened my eyes, the familiar scenery of Hagen Village spread out before me.
And from the day all those events had finally concluded, time flew by in a blur.
Seven years passed.
The things that happened during that time could hardly be called varied. After all, Worst had not made a single proper move in all those years. Summarizing the past seven years, therefore, did not take long.
For the first two, we waited for the mansion to be completed while I continued teaching Elia swordsmanship. After it was finished, our family moved into the kingdom and settled in at a leisurely pace. Even after the move, I kept instructing Elia in the blade, and in my free time I continued working as a mercenary.
There had been a rather troublesome fuss from Martin during the registration process, but it wasn’t particularly important, so I’ll gloss over it.
Thus the past seven years had gone by—filled with Elia’s sword training, mercenary work, and my still-fresh, sweet married life with Luina. There had been no major incidents. If anything, the days had been so peaceful they were almost too peaceful, each one a quiet happiness.
But perhaps that peace had only been the calm before this year’s storm.
Entering the eighth year, I faced the greatest crisis of my entire life.
Thud───!!
The instant I opened the door, a scabbard came flying straight at me. I could have dodged it easily, but I knew dodging would only make things worse, so I let it smack into me, caught it as it fell, and offered an awkward smile.
The one who had thrown it was none other than my daughter Elia, who had turned fifteen this year.
“Ugh, get out!”
Elia, who had been practicing her sword forms with a strangely intense atmosphere, hurled the scabbard at me and shouted. I had clearly knocked first, yet she must have been so focused that she hadn’t heard.
At the whole scene, Luina—who had been standing behind me—exploded.
“Elia! What kind of language is that to use with your father?! Apologize this instant!”
“I told you not to barge in when I’m in my room! I’m creating a real-combat sword form right now!”
“This girl really……!”
“Whoa, hold on! Luina, Luina!”
I barely managed to stop Luina as she rolled up her sleeves, unable to tolerate Elia’s rude tone any longer. I had seen what would happen if I let her go—last time she had beaten Elia like a stubborn mutt for several hours straight. It might produce immediate results, but I had already confirmed it wouldn’t actually fix anything. So I wrapped my arms around Luina and retreated from the room.
“Th-that’s right, sweetheart. Still, make sure you eat your meals, okay? Health comes first, after all.”
“I’ll take care of it myself!”
The moment we stepped away, Elia slammed her door shut.
Bang───!!!
The door closed so violently that bits of wood splintered and fell. A vein bulged on Luina’s forehead as she lay in my arms, but I pressed gently on her head to calm her.
“I-It was the wind that slammed it shut!”
Perhaps sensing Luina’s murderous aura even from inside the room, Elia shouted the excuse a beat too late. Leaving her behind, I carried Luina toward the living room.
This was the greatest crisis I had ever faced in my life.
Seven years had passed. Elia was now fifteen.
Our daughter had entered puberty.
After spending a little while calming Luina, we came down to the living room. Once there she finally seemed to settle. She lay with her head on my lap, gazing up at me.
“How long are you planning to leave Elia like this? Her manners get worse every single day…… I know she’s a daughter so precious I wouldn’t mind putting her in my eye without it hurting, but shouldn’t we discipline her properly when discipline is needed?”
“I’ve told you several times already—she’s just going through puberty. Every child experiences it at that age. Let’s endure it patiently for now and only give her a firm warning when she truly crosses the line.”
Elves had no such thing as puberty. Or rather, while the phenomenon existed, the eternal perspective of their long-lived race made its intensity completely different from that of humans. Human puberty arrived short and fierce; elven puberty arrived long and mild. Because this was Luina’s first time witnessing a human’s, she insisted we had to correct Elia strictly. As someone who had lived through it himself, I could only disagree.
Puberty was simply a phase every human experienced once. It was something parents guided and time eventually healed. There was no choice but to stop Luina from trying to solve it with the overwhelming medieval method of “education by force.”
“But if we leave her be, I’m worried a real problem will arise……”
“All perfectly ordinary children go through this. There’s no need to worry too much. She’ll probably improve on her own in a year or two.”
Puberty really was a problem that mostly resolved itself with time. The only important part was gently correcting any strange detours along the way. Therefore, what Luina and I needed to do right now was simply watch over Elia while keeping a little distance.
Luina puffed her cheeks, clearly unhappy with my policy, but when I gave one a light pinch the air inside escaped with a soft poof.
“Anyway, even if Elia acts however she pleases, don’t take it too much to heart. And please refrain from violence as much as possible.”
“If that’s what you want, Kael……”
She still looked dissatisfied, but she nodded with an expression that said she understood at least a little. Thinking of Elia, whose mood I had soured today, I pondered for a moment before asking,
“By the way, shall we make lemon tarts for today’s snack? You like them too, don’t you, Luina?”
“That sounds perfect. Elia will probably like them as well.”
At my suggestion Luina’s face brightened into a wide smile. I stood up with her, reaching for her hand.
“Then let’s head to the market right away. It should be at its liveliest right about now.”
“Yes! Let’s go quickly, Kael!”
The promise of lemon tarts must have completely erased her earlier displeasure. Luina took my hand, already humming a little tune. Together we left the house.
Clank───
Without any idea what would happen in that brief absence.
While Kael and Luina were away at the market, Sera—one of the maids tending to the housework—knocked carefully on Elia’s door.
Knock, knock───
“Miss, may I come in?”
She asked the question politely after knocking, but there was no answer from inside. Still, Elia had not shown her face outside the room at all today except for the moment Kael had opened the door, so she was definitely inside. Sera knocked once more.
Knock knock knock───
“I’ve come to clean the room. May I enter, Miss?”
On any normal day, Elia would have made some sound by now, come to the door, or at least called out that cleaning wasn’t needed today. Yet even after the second set of knocks, there was still no sign of life from within the room.
“……Miss?”
Sensing that something was wrong, Sera pressed her ear cautiously to the door and listened. Nothing. The room was far too quiet. Normally there would have been strange incantations, energetic shouts, or at the very least the sound of a sword cutting through the air. Today there was only silence.
A single terrifying thought flashed through Sera’s mind, making her heart lurch.
Thump thump thump───
“Miss?! I’m coming in! I’m really opening the door now!”
Elia had never suffered from any chronic illness. There was only one possibility that could explain this silence. When no answer came yet again, Sera finally threw the door open.
Whiiiish───
The room looked exactly as messy as always. But Elia was nowhere to be seen. The only things that greeted Sera were the wide-open window and a single sheet of paper resting on the desk.
The moment she read what was written on it, Sera felt her racing heart plummet.
I will run away.
— Elia
A fifteen-year-old girl in the midst of puberty. Elia had run away.