The Devil Does Not Need to Be Defeated

"You're going to stay with me?"

Diere's words made Shien involuntarily pause for a moment.

"Diere?"

Even Lumia and Melika were surprised. They never imagined that Diere would say something like that.

"Are you certain?" Vivian withdrew her usual smile somewhat and looked at Diere as she spoke somewhat seriously, "For you, staying in the Capital is not necessarily a good thing, right?"

After all, there are still many nobles still hostile to Diere. The Arbin family that she detests is also here. Back then, she originally left the Capital for Lamdrion in order to escape them, but now she's suddenly stating that she's staying. It's thus no wonder that Vivian would need to so seriously reconfirm it.

Diere however continued to be utterly calm.

"After the incident in the Ataru Canyons, the aggressive nobles who would target me by any means were nearly all wiped out. What remains should be the relatively clearheaded portion. Even if they're hostile to me, they still won't take actual action lightly." Diere spoke very calmly, "Besides, the words you just said also applies to me. The Capital is after all a place known as the center of the world. There are many powerful people and opportunities here. If it's to quickly increase my strength, then it's not like I can't accept staying here."

So she says anyway. However, everyone have realized that the main reason why Diere wants to stay here is for Shien.

This made everyone look at Shien and Diere with some shock. They couldn't understand just when the two's relationship had gotten this good.

As for Shien, he was in a completely overjoyed state.

"If you're willing to stay, then I probably won't need to hesitate either."

So Shien said.

Truth be told, there are quite a few things in the Capital that draws Shien to stay.

Putting aside everything else, just that Magic Library is enough to make Shien not want to leave.

Although Shien had pretty much exhausted his willpower just fully learning the entirety of astro and enchant magic, this is only true for now. In the future, he might still end up having a use for it.

There's also the fact that Lucy is here. She's the only person that Shien knows who have any contact with the divine realm. Shien still wants to learn more of the divine realm through her in order to investigate some secrets that he wants to learn.

Thus, the currently Shien has a different attitude compared to before, and he no longer rejects the Capital so much.

Shien had forgotten, though, that he had once said a certain thing way back then.

"I'd rather jump down from here into the lake and drown than to stay here for the sake of that princess!"

Hn. Now he's eating those words.

Then, after Diere stated that she would be willing to stay, Melika actually also raised her hand.

"I-I want to stay as well!"

Melika seemed to have been stimulated by something and suddenly strongly stated such a thing.

"Melika?"

Lumia seemed to have been startled by that.

"You want to stay too?"

Vivian was also quite surprised.

Shien also shifted his gaze to Melika with a strange look in his eyes.

Faced with Shien's strange look, Melika only then realized that she might have gotten a bit overexcited, which made her face redden.

"I-I originally left the Elven Forest for the human countries the sake of training. If I can get stronger here, then of course I'd want to stay…"

Melika stammered out those words with a blush on her face.

They way she acted, however, made her words utterly unconvincing.

Shien even thought the following.

(Is that girl really planning on continuing down the path of giving herself away?)

In that moment, Shien had to admit that he was moved.

Perhaps it's because of the strange dream he had, but he was somewhat in a hurry to escape bachelorhood.

Plus, he's going to be a noble now. Although it's just viscount, being only a single rank higher than baron, it still lets him marry a wife and two concubines, right?

In that case then, it's only natural that he should have a beautiful girl or two stay for his sake with which he can gradually develop feelings with, right?

The ancestors have stated that passing down one's lineage is a man's most basic responsibility. In that case the, how can he throw away the ancestor's words?

One must be filial!

Shien's thoughts went on and on.

However, so, Shien also realized the problem here.

"If Diere and Melika are both staying here, then I personally would of course agree with two thumbs up." Shien said that as he looked at Vivian. After hesitating for a moment, he continued, "But, in that case, what do you and Lumia plan on doing?"

That's a problem there.

He can't just let Vivian's party disband here and let Vivian and Lumia go back to Lamdrion on their own, right?

That's no good at all!

"Don't worry." Vivian seemed to have realized what Shien was worried over and smiled, "I was originally someone from the Capital after all. Although I was sent to Lamdrion along with Leili to gain experience, in the end, experiences are just experiences. The two of us will be coming back sooner or later no matter what. Or at least Leili can't possibly stay in Lamdrion forever."

As the only daughter of the Latrard house, Leili has to come back sooner or later to inherit Megis' position, take over the family, and control the headquarters of the adventurers guild.

It's for that goal that Leili was sent to Lamdrion to be the guildmaster of the adventurers guild there after all. It was all to let her gain experiences and to train her in being a guildmaster.

Vivian wanted to follow Leili along in her training, which is why she also headed to Lamdrion.

Therefore…

"It's been three years, so the training should be about over. Recently, Leili has already been planning on returning to the Capital, so it's probable that she'll be handling her position and work over to a new guildmaster soon." Vivian chuckled, "In that case then, I might as well just return slightly before her and stay rather than going back. That's not a bad plan after all."

In other words, Vivian can stay as well.

The only one left then is…

"What do you plan on doing then? Lumia?"

Vivian turned to the final party member.

Everyone all looked at Lumia.

"I…"

Lumia didn't know what to do then. She entangled her hands together with an expression that looked like she was on the verge of tears.

It can't be helped.

"I-I have to go back…"

Lumia spoke up with a rather sad voice.

"My little sisters are all in Lamdrion. I can't just leave them there…"

In other words, Lumia will have to leave the party for the sake of her little sisters.

"But… But I don't want to leave everyone…!"

Lumia finally broke out in tears out of sadness.

Everyone's heart clenched at the sight.

"It's alright Lumia." Vivian placed a hand on Lumia's shoulder and comforted her, "We won't be separating."

"Yeah, Lumia." Melika also hugged Lumia and hurriedly spoke, "You can bring your sisters over, you know."

"B-bring my sisters over?" Lumia was stunned, seemingly having not thought of that.

At that moment, Vivian and Diere both spoke up.

"That is a good idea." Diere said, "Lumia, you have good potential. If you can stay in the Capital and train, then you'll definitely be able to go further in the future. If you stay in Lamdrion forever, then your progress will be limited."

"I think so too." Vivian nodded, "Besides, the Capital has schools specialized in teaching children magic or combat. There are a lot of retired knights and adventurers acting as teachers there, and there are even exceptional teachers who are retired royal knights. If your sisters can be taught and raised there, they'll be able to stand independent in the future. After all, it's not like you can protect them for their whole lives, right?"

"That…" Lumia was a bit tempted then.

Only, she's still hesitating.

"If I bring my sisters here, then where would they stay…"

Lumia found herself troubled by that issue.

After all, since they've decided to stay in the Capital permanently, it's not like they can keep freeloading in the Latrard home, right?

Thus, Shien finally had something to say now.

"No need to worry about a place to live!" Shien immediately spoke up, "I've got a house here!"

That self-satisfied statement made the girls all roll their eyes at him.

It's the truth though.

So long as the house that the Kingdom is giving Shien isn't too terrible, then given the living conditions in the noble district, it should be more than enough to hold Lumia's family.

Besides, both Diere and Melika are staying for his stake after all, so Shien obviously will want to have them stay in his home.

Vivian doesn't seem to have any objections either.

"When Shien is formally raised to nobility, his house will probably also need to hire a great deal of servants. He'll also need a steward to take care of things as well. Thus, it shouldn't be an issue for you guys to live there as well."

That was what Vivian had to say on the matter.

It's likely that after Shien's house is settled, his home will definitely not be a cold and empty one.

Especially given…

"Worry not everyone." Lasha quietly spoke up from the side, "Since I'm here, I will definitely make it the most comfortable environment to live in. This I can guarantee."

Before everyone even had the chance to respond to those words, the maids and servants around them were the first to react.

"Don't go! Onee-sama!"

"Don't leave us!"

"If Onee-sama is going to leave, then we'll also quit and follow along to help!"

"Wherever Onee-sama is, so will we too be!"

They all started clamoring like so.

"This…"

Shien and the others were dumbfounded.

It was the steward who turned panicked from where he is to the side.

"Don't be reckless everyone! Calm down! If you all leave, then this house won't have anyone to take care of it anymore! Lord Megis will cry you know! … Even though I want to go with as well…"

The steward's made everyone sweatdrop.

"… It looks like we're going to need to properly discuss this matter."

Vivian's quiet words made everyone nod with bitter smiles.

Lasha was still as calm as always though. While everyone else was getting excited, she instead moved to Shien's side.

"There's one matter that I had forgotten to report to you, Mister Shien." Lasha spoke suddenly, "Someone had come by to visit you earlier. When they saw that you weren't around, they left something here. They claimed it to be a gift for you, to be given to you after you've returned."

"A gift for me?" Shien paused for a moment before asking in confusion, "Who is it from?"

"It was a knight." Lasha spoke indifferently, "He claimed to be Limgir Stalim of the Royal Knights."

Shien raised an eyebrow slightly.

"That guy gave me a gift?" Shien spoke with a smirk, "What is it?"

"I'm uncertain." Lasha spoke plainly, "That item is packaged up. It was obviously packaged very carefully, and adding in the fact that the knight had repeatedly given directions that it was to be opened by you personally, as soon as possible, I feel like that person is quite suspicious."

"Is that so?" Shien nodded.

"In that case, just throw it away then."

"Yes."

Shien and Lasha's decisively attitude decided that item's fate.

Unfortunately for Bali and Limgir, neither knew of this.

By the time they find out, they would definitely end up crying.

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