The Reincarnated Boy’s Growth Log ~The Harder I Work The Stronger I Can Become!?~ 251 (Patreon)

After Story. The Story Of A Certain Youngster Arc: The Home To Return To

"Ou, going off already today? How about a drink?"

"Sorry, Senpai¹. I will be going off early today"

I politely refuse the Senpai who invites me to go drinking. Today is the day I have waited for a long time, so I want to quickly go home. It's probably already ready after all.

"Got it. Be careful on your way home"

"Haha, excuse me"

I greet Senpai and leave the room. The maids bow at me when I go outside, so I bow as well. Although there are whispers from behind, I'm not particularly bothered since they're not bad rumours.

As I'm walking in the Royal Palace in that manner

"I found you! Roy-sama!"

a voice calls my name loudly. When I turned around, a woman accompanied by several followers and maids behind her was standing there.

Beautiful glistening golden hair that extends straightly all the way to her waist, and confident upturned eyes with stunning facial features. Breasts that almost catch up with Alexia-nee-......Princess Alicia. Hips that, in contrast to those huge breasts, are so slim it feels like they'll snap.

Her name is Miklua・Carmine. She's the eldest daughter of Marquis Carmine; her father, who was originally the Empire's noble, supported Princess Alexia since the time of the Domain, and he's working as the Marquis of this country, as the Foreign Minister for negotiating with other countries.

The Runwalker Kingdom is still an up-and-rising country. The nobles are mostly nobles who stayed behind when they were divided from the Regalia Empire taking on some kind of a post as it is. Her father is also one of them.

Her age is 2 years older than me, so I guess it's 16. This person's older brother is working in this Royal Palace as a bureaucrat. I've talked to him several times before as well.

I give my greetings to her. She's not someone a low-rank soldier like me can talk to though.

"What is the matter, Miklua-sama?"

"Geez, you are so distant. I have said to please call me Mia, have I not"

However, she says something like that to me. Ever since I saved her from a group of Orcs when I served as her bodyguard previously, it has felt like this.

"Still, since there are eyes around, I will be calling you Miklua-sama. So how can I help you?"

However, I say that to her. No matter how much she may say it's fine, this place is the Royal Palace. We don't know who's around watching.

"Geez, Roy-sama, how stiff you are. But that part of you is marvellous as well! The thing here is that I am holding an evening party after this. If Roy-sama doesn't mind, won't Roy-sama participate as well?"

Miklua-sama smiles sweetly at me. However, there's no way a commoner like me can participate. I'll end up getting hated by the sons of nobles. Besides, I have an important business today after all.

"Miklua-sama, I am happy about the invitation, but you should not invite a commoner like me. My apologies......"

I lower my head at Miklua-sama who invited me. I can hear Miklua-sama's lonely-sounding voice above my head.

"......it cannot be helped. I will be taking my leave for today. I will invite you again. Thank you for your time, Roy-sama"

Miklua-sama shows me an enchanting smile and leaves from that spot. It's true that she's a beautiful and kind individual, but......I guess I'll go. I leave the Royal Palace without realising the silhouettes that are glaring at me.

My destination is the accessory store. I've requested a certain item here previously. They were saying that it'll be ready today when I checked previously.

It's about a 15 minutes walk from the Royal Palace. I search for the store with my back facing the sunset. I, who found my destination, enter that store. Inside were customers here and there, but one of the shop attendants caught me and came over with a smile.

Before my eyes stood a muscular man that would make one go, 'he's so clearly out-of-place with the accessories'. His name is Palette-san. He's a veteran in this field who's also capable of processing gemstones and whatnot in this store. It seems he's a loving husband with a wife and two girls.

"You're here huh, Roy. The aforementioned item is ready"

"Really! May I see it?"

I suppress my excitement and ask Palette-san. Palette-san ended up returning to the back of the store for once. And when he came back, he came back holding a small box in his hand.

"Here, this is it"

I timidly opened the box I was handed by Palette-san, and inside was, the item exactly as I ordered it.

"Haha, thanks, Palette-san. It is better than I imagined!"

"Ain't that the case. I also think it's pretty well-made. So about the payment"

"Ah, yes, here it is"

I take out all the money I'd saved up beforehand. A couple of months of my salary is gone with this. However, I don't regret it at all.

"......ou, it's the exact change. Still, it sure is amazing you saved up this much. It's not easy to save up this amount of money, you know?"

"I also only finally did it after being frugal on top of frugal. Well, I am used to being frugal after all"

I talk to Palette-san despite smiling awkwardly. Compared to the time I'd spent in the church in the past, just being able to eat every day is decent after all.

A letter had recently arrived from the Sister's church in Arcadia as well about how their lives became a lot easier because of the money Priscilla-neechan, Mei and I have been sending over though. I sure would like to go and see them for the first time in a while.

"Well then, thanks, Palette-san!"

"Ou, I hope you succeed!"

I leave the shop while waving my hand at the support I was given at the back. Now then, I guess I'll go home.

The place I'm currently staying isn't the Royal Palace. I was asked by Priscilla-neechan as well whether or not I wanted to stay there, but because Mei says she wants to do a certain job, we've rented an empty house and are staying there.

The place is an empty house somewhere slightly away from the Royal Palace. Through Prin-......Alexia-nee and the others' arrangement, I managed to rent an empty house on the larger side cheaply.

When I enter the garden of that house

"Ah, it's Roy-niichan! Welkome bak〜!"

"Roy-cha-, welkome bak〜!"

children gather around me energetically. There are about 20 of them in total, the young ones are still 2/3 years old, and even the oldest one is a child who's younger than me.

"Everybody, it ain't welkome bak〜, it's welcome back, right? Good grief, I'm back, everybody"

I pat everybody's head. Everybody looks like they feel good, but it's becoming like a group jostle², so it's a bit hot. As I was keeping the children who adore me as such company

"Ah, welcome back, Roy"

Mei, who's dressed in an apron, came out of the house. Although she was a girl up until a few years ago, she has been turning into a woman recently, and she's roughly in the very middle of it now. I face such Mei

"I'm back, Mei"

and respond with a smile. This place is our current home. It's a house Mei recalled about Arcadia and started for children without parents, 「House Of Fluttering Wings」.

FOOTNOTE

¹: せんぱい(Senpai): In this context, it's a senior in the workplace.

²: おしくらまんじゅう(Oshikuramanjuu): A children game where multiple people gather back to back and push.