I took out a small bag full of large gold coins from my pocket and put it on the table.
Then I said to my parents in front of me.

'This is the money I've earned for myself since I started as an adventurer. It's worth seven hundred gold pieces. I'm very grateful to you for sending me to the Academy of Magic, for providing for me even after I passed the age of fifteen, and most of all, for bringing me up to this point. Thank you very much.

I said and bowed to the two of them.


When I first left home and started being an adventurer, I had no intention of handing over this money with such words of gratitude.

I didn't want to be indebted to him, so my thought at the time was to repay the debt with the intention of giving him a three and a half star rating.

I didn't like my father, and I didn't like James.
And James didn't like the way I was either.

I can't really remember now what caused James and I to fall out.

The main reason may have been that I had announced that I would become an adventurer after graduating from the Academy of Magic, and James had rejected all of my ideas, but I don't think that was the only reason.

But I don't think that's the only reason. I think it's better to think of it as a more fundamental clash between our opinions and ideas.

James emphasizes the importance of people's abilities and their contributions to society.

His theory is that a person with talent must use that talent for the good of the world.
Therefore, laziness that does not cultivate and develop one's talents is bad for him.

On the other hand, my desire to be an adventurer was just my own selfishness.
I'm a prodigal, a hedonist, and I put myself before the world.

That's why James and I had a definite disagreement and incompatibility.
That's why we broke up.

But...

"But I can understand your father's point of view."

That's what Cyril said to me when we were fighting against the Orcs in a joint front with the Elves.

In the forest where the morning sun was shining through the trees, she told me that she sympathized with James' way of thinking.

The value of a person is not only determined by their abilities, but also by the fact that they are there, and that they are invaluable.

I'm sorry, but what you're saying sounds like empty nonsense to me.

"...... makes me wonder if there's any justice in affirming incompetence."

I had to think about it a bit, hearing it from Cyril, who was psychologically close to me.

Is a person worthy of existence just by being there?
Or are prodigals and incompetents who are useless to society to be despised and denied?

I don't think I'm wrong in taking the former position even now.

But I do think the latter view has a point, and more importantly, I think it's true.

That is to say, is the difference of opinion so fatal that the parent and child must separate and isolate themselves?

In the first place, it is impossible for all people in the world to have the same color of thinking.

If the values and justice of all people in the world were to be colored by one color, it would be a very horrible thing.

A world of unified values, where there are no different values and no different justice...
That is not a society in which people can live.

When I think about it, I have a thought.

Do James and I really have to share the same views to be a father and son?
Is it not possible for us to somehow come to terms with each other's different principles?

Of course, it is possible to have difficulty accepting people with different ideas to some extent.

For example, I'm still not sure if I made the right decision, but it seems impossible to coexist peacefully with someone like Alice the necromancer, who is willing to take the lives of innocent villagers to achieve her goals and advance her magic.

Or Glenn, who I met when I was killing rock worms.
If you ask me to establish friendly relations with such people as neighbors, I can only say that I am not willing to do so.
Somehow I was able to tolerate his existence because we met under the skies of travel and parted soon after.

But is the difference between me and James so fatal?

It is not that either of our opinions is insane.
It's a difference of opinion within the realm of common sense.
That's the extent of the difference.

Of course, I don't blame James for his decision to leave.

But I no longer have the will to give him a three-and-a-half point blank stare.

Today, when I talked to my parents, I felt their love for me again.

Felicia's, of course.
I could feel James' clumsy love for me now, too.

I'm their child.
They've raised me since I was a child.

They never abandoned me.
They never abused me.
They fed me well in a warm home.
Sometimes they were strict and sometimes they were kind.

That childhood made me what I am today.
In my own way, I have worked hard to become an adventurer, but the prerequisite for that was the love and free service of my parents.

I took for granted the love of a 'normal life'.

Incidentally, the reason why I began to think like this is because I began to think seriously about my relationship with my 'girls' and imagined 'the future'. ...... Well, that's beside the point.

In any case, I can be proud of being the child of the two people in front of me right now...

So this money of seven hundred gold coins is not a sign of separation, but a symbol of gratitude and thanks.
No matter what they want, that's what I think now.

Perhaps the time I spent thinking like this was very short.

There was a moment of silence after I said my piece.
The next person to open her mouth was Felicia.

'...... you. I'm not going to tell you. You tell me.

It was a slightly dismissive tone, directed at James.

James, on the other hand, chuckled.

'I know. William, before you take this, there's one more thing I want to tell you.'

'...... One more thing?'

'Yeah. It's up to you whether you accept it or not.'

'You don't have to say that,' said Felicia next to James, her mouth agape like a child.

I waited for him to say something else, while holding a little bit of expectation in my heart.
Then James said.

'William, I said I'd disown you, but I want to take that back, too. I'm sorry.

James bows his head again, for the second time today.

I couldn't immediately think of anything to say in return.

James continued.

'Felicia's told me a lot since you left. He's not your puppet, and whether you agree with him or not, he's an adult, so why don't you respect his autonomy, and how long are you going to keep him tied down?
...... To be honest, I still couldn't digest it, but after listening to your speech at the ceremony today, I'm glad. I'm finally able to say these words. Now I'm amazed at my own stupidity.

James looked away from me, looking uncomfortable as he said this.

...... Oh my god.
I'm sure you'll agree.

It really is a lot like me.
I'm not sure if I look like him.

But that's just me talking. If you can't forgive me, that's fine. I just thought I'd let you know that's what my intentions are right now.



James had just said that...

Felicia finally stood up.
She slammed her chair down, as if she couldn't take it anymore.

'Ahhhh, no! I don't need you to say anything else! William!

Felicia is glaring at me with fixed eyes.

'Oh, no.'

'I'm revoking your dismissal. Do you understand?

'Oh, yes.

'You, put your hands on me.

Oh, yeah.

'And William.

'Oh, yeah.'

'Yes, shake hands! Make up!

Let's shake hands, James and I.
Felicia declared.



...... Really, Felicia (this person) is no match for me.
Mother is strong.



After that, I had a few words with my parents and left my parents' house.

The gold coin I tried to give to my parents was refused.
You don't need to give it back because we gave it to you and you are not in need of it.
Rather, he told me that I should keep the money because I would need it in the future.

When I left my parents' house, I turned around and looked at the mansion again.

...... I wonder if I will ever be able to have this kind of worthiness.
I thought about that.

Then I walked through the night and returned to the inn where Satsuki, Mee and Cyril were waiting.

Now, I felt that my priorities were changing a little.