Why would that guy worry about me?

Why would that guy worry about me? Since I'm a bad old man?"

"That's right. It's because you're a bad old man."

"Cheh... I see. That's right, I'm a weak man who runs away into alcohol over something worthless, I'm sure in the eyes of a genius-sama I would be quite pitiful."

"Even if he wasn't a genius, the current you really looks pathetic, Paul."


Gisu let out a sigh.


"I'm going to say it because you can't see your own face, but right now your face is pretty terrible, you know?"

"A face enough to make my son pity me?"

"Yeah. If it's the current you, it's plenty enough to get in a fight and separate over."


It's so pathetic that you really wouldn't be able to say anything to it, is what Gisu added on.

I touched my own face.

I heard the sound of my beard from not shaving in any number of days crunching.


"Hey Paul, I'll say it once more."


Gisu said it while pushing his final thought.


"You're pushing too many expectations on your son."


I wonder what is wrong with holding your hopes too high.

Rudi has done everything well since the time he was born.

Enough to tear away at my face as a father.

I was never needed by Rudi.


"Hey, Paul you know. Why weren't you just honestly happy over meeting again? Isn't it fine. No matter what kind of journey Rudeus had. Even if it was a carefree and thoughtless journey. Even if it was a journey filled with playing around with women. Since you guys met again energetically. For starters you should be delighted over that fact."

"..."


That's right.

Even I was glad at first.


"Or else, were you afraid of meeting your son who had lost some part of his body? The chance of reuniting with a corpse was pretty high you know? No, on the Magic Continent there wouldn't even have been a corpse remaining."


Rudi, dead?

After seeing that energetic Rudi, it's a talk that has no sense of reality.

However, just a few days prior.

Wasn't I lost in melancholy over that image?


"Ahh-ah, how pitiable. After an amazingly difficult journey. Even though he finally managed to reunite with his father. That father had become an alcoholic piece of trash. If it were me, I would cut off ties with him right there."


Cheh... he's really saying whatever he wants while putting on a play.


"I get it Gisu. What you say is certainly correct. However, there is one thing I don't understand."

"What is it?"

"Why did Rudi not know any of the information about Buina village? There should have definitely been messages left at Saint Port."


Gisu made a bitter face while saying [That would be...]

This is the face he makes when he's trying to hide something.


"I'm sure that means he missed it unluckily."

"Gisu, where did you run into Rudi? Didn't you find him in Saint Port?"


I don't know where Gisu has been this past year.

However, Rudeus came from the north.

If we're speaking about large towns in the north where Gisu would be active, it would be Saint Port.

In Saint Port there's definitely a message left behind.

Besides, there should be group members staying in that place as well.

During the time when anyone crosses over from Magic Continent, in order to get information from that person.

If it's an adventurer, then there shouldn't be any reason for them to not visit the Adventurer's Guild.


"The place I met with Rudeus was in a Dorudia race village. I was surprised, after all, he was being held under suspicions of attacking the Holy Beast and thrown into a prison naked."

"Naked in a prison by the beast race... Seriously?"


I've heard about it from Ghyslaine.

In regards to the Dedorudia race being stripped naked, thrown into a cage, put into chains, and having cold water thrown at them are considered the greatest of humiliations.

It's something they would almost never to do outsiders, if they do it then they would make sure it's remembered until you die.

As a joke I once threw some water at Ghyslaine, she seriously glared at me.


"I see, and then what happened?"

"What's this, you didn't hear from Rudeus?"

"I only heard that he traveled from the Magic Continent."


That's right, why didn't he see the message left in Saint Port.

The most important part was missing.

Why?

Ah, I wasn't listening.

Damn it.

Why am I always like this, with a quick temper.

Calm down.

Rudi is superior.