Four years have passed since the girls left for King's Landing.
　They were sweet as pearls when they met...but now they are 18 years old. The girls are now 18. The earliest ones might even consider marriage.
　I'd turned thirty-five too. A respectable middle-aged man.
　And I said...

What are you talking about. You're still young. Last time we took down a pack of wolves that came into the village.

　The tavern master blows his cigar and says, "You look like a twenty-something.

"And you look like a twenty-something.
'Well, I've been training as a bouncer for a long time. -- though if I fight Elsa now, I'm afraid I'll lose.
'I heard that Elsa became an S-ranked adventurer.
"Yes. Yes. I hear he won the victory at the Sword God Festival held in King's Landing. Because of his skill, he is now the princess's bodyguard and leader of the knights.
It's a big promotion. Knight Commander and princess's bodyguard. ...... and that little girl trailing behind you, huh?

　The master looked far away, nostalgic. The smoke from his cigar smoldered. I wonder if he sees in them the Elsa he knew as a child.
　After she left for King's Landing, Elsa followed the path of the adventurer.
　She steadily completed her missions and advanced through the ranks of adventurers, finally becoming an S-ranked adventurer.
　According to him, it was the fastest S-rank in the history of the royal city.

　After becoming an S-ranked adventurer, Elsa sent me a letter with these words of joy.

"Before I came to King's Landing, I was so anxious. Was I really fit to be an adventurer if my father couldn't strike a blow at me? But my fears were unfounded. In all my years in King's Landing I have never met anyone more skilled than your father. I've learned that the people closest to me are the strongest.

　Although retired, I was still a former A-ranked adventurer.
　I was known as the first of the next S-ranked adventurers.
　Elsa was trained by me.
　I'm sure she's a good swordsman.

Hey, isn't Anna working hard to join the Adventurer's Guild?
Yes. I got a letter saying I've been promoted to guild master. Apparently, he's the youngest person in the Adventurers' Guild.
It's no wonder he's such a good kid. He's the best we've ever seen. He'd make a great guildmaster.

　The master of the tavern has given her a thriving business, and he is very impressed with Anna's talents.
　After arriving in King's Landing, Anna joined the Adventurers' Guild as an employee.
　It was a tough exam with a high multiplier ratio, but she passed it with ease thanks to her quick wits. It is said that he showed his eloquence at the interview and was given a job offer on the spot.
　After becoming a guild staff member, she worked as a receptionist, but her natural talents made her rise to prominence in the blink of an eye.
　She finally rose to the rank of guild master. Becoming a guild master at the age of eighteen is apparently the most unusual thing to do.

We don't need to hear anything about what Meryl's been up to at ....... She's back in the village every week or two.
Ha ha ......

　I chuckled.
　Meryl was back in the village again yesterday. He came to see me.

I'll die of loneliness if I don't see my dad for a month," she said.
　Meryl got into the magic school in King's Landing. He's always at the top of the class.
　From what Anna tells me, he's been skipping classes as much as ever. But she's developing a new kind of magic.
　They're working on a simpler and more powerful magic syntax, developing magic drugs and mages to make magic accessible to the general public. The history of magic is so active that it can be divided into pre-Merrill and post-Merrill.
　People say she's been praised by those around her with the title of wise woman.
　The girls are all working hard on their own paths.

Hey. Hey, Kaiser. A peddler got a letter for you girls. --Here. Read and write to him.

　The master presented me with a letter he'd received from a vendor who'd come into his shop. There were letters there for all three of his daughters.
　I took the letter and opened it and began to read it.
　Each letter was an update on what was happening and that they wanted to live with me in King's Landing again, as if we had made a pact.

"I know you keep sending me love notes.

　The master said he was going to look at the letter in my hand.

'That's good. "That's good," he said. You should be in King's Landing soon.
What?
The girls' lives are starting to settle in and they're starting to enjoy themselves. Your daughters will be happy to see you in King's Landing.


But the village thing is ......
What. Don't worry. You've trained the boys so they're strong enough to take care of the guards and Hatake has a lightning-witch fence to keep them safe. You'll take care of the house too. I'll take care of it for you while you live here in King's Landing. You'll come back when you're ready.
............
"I know you wanted to go to King's Landing. I know you wanted to go to King's Landing. But you were too busy with the village to act. ...... You're a godd*mn righteous prick. You can live your life the way you want to.

　The master chuckled.

"And my lovely daughters are so eager to join me. As a father, don't you think you owe it to them?
Master ......

　I stared at the letter for a moment, then gave a small nod.

　-- Okay. I'll do it.

Okay. I think I'm going to go to King's Landing again.