Chapter 8: Lord and Lady Klaufeldt

In Klauffendam, most houses are carved into rock mountains, but the Lord’s mansion is a regular building. According to Rudolf, it all began with a small shack for research purposes, originally built on a part of the upper-tier rock wall that had a significant cave-in. Over time, they gradually expanded the area by carving into the rock. Additionally, they have buildings such as warehouses and the knights’ quarters, also carved into the mountainside.

“I’d like to offer you some rest, but would it be acceptable for you to come with me to meet my father, who is the Lord?”

“Yes, of course, that’s perfectly fine. Thank you. By the way, is this attire suitable??” 

Today, on the final day of the journey, he had been asked to wear his Earth’s clothing—a hoodie and jeans. But weren’t these clothes rather inappropriate to meet the Lord?

“Yes, both the top and bottom are clothing that I’ve never seen in Ethersia. As a wanderer, there’s nothing more fitting for your introduction.” 

She replied with a smile, and that endorsement left him with no option but to accept it.

Following Annamarie as his guide, they entered the mansion’s entrance, which opened into a large hall. There, what appeared to be the mansion’s staff were lined up, and Isamu felt awkwardly out of place. The servants called out to him.

“Welcome, Isamu-sama. Welcome back, young lady,” 

Which made Isamu’s face twitch. He managed to respond with a slightly strained smile. As a guest and a semi-noble, he had been instructed by Rudolf to offer a polite smile to the servants, so he had been forewarned. If not for that, he would have been flustered, bowing and saying, “Thank you, thank you” with great haste.

Using the staircase that extended from the hall, they climbed up to the third floor and headed for the room with the large door at the very back. Two knights were standing at the entrance, providing security. Once Annamarie confirmed her presence, one of the knights knocked on the door.

“Selfers-sama, Annamarie-sama has returned.”

After a moment, a voice came from inside.

“Very well, let them in.”

“Ha!.”

After a brief exchange, the door was opened. The immediate area upon entry served as a living room, and all except Annamarie were left waiting there. Annamarie knocked on the door at the back. 

“Father, Annamarie has returned.”

“Ah, welcome. Come in.”

The voice this time was gentle and friendly. 

“Excuse me,” she said before entering the bedroom. About fifteen minutes passed, then there was a small, metallic sound, and Annamarie emerged from the room.

“My apologies for the wait. Isamu-sama, please come in.”

“Yes, thank you. Excuse me.”

Inside the room at the back, there was a large bed in the center of the room. A middle-aged man with bright chestnut hair sat up on the bed. A woman with the same turquoise hair as Annamarie was sitting in a chair by the bed. When Isamu entered, the man on the bed spoke up.

“You must be Isamu-dono, the one they call the Wanderer. Sorry you’re dressed that way. You needn’t be so formal with us. I am Selfers Klaufeldt, Lord of this domain. I hold the title of Viscount bestowed by the King. The woman next to me is my wife, Nicolette. Welcome to Klaufendamm”

“Nice to meet you, Isamu-san. I’m Nicolette Klaufeldt, Annamarie’s mother.”

Following the Lord and his wife, Isamu returned their polite greetings. 

“Thank you for the gracious welcome. I am Isamu Matsumoto, the Wanderer. I want to thank you sincerely for accepting me.”

The Lord and Lady’s polite greetings eased Isamu’s tension, which had been running high. 

“Hahaha. I heard from Ann that you were a humble one, and indeed, that’s true.”

“Is that so?” 

“Yes. From ancient times, this country has been supported by the Wanderers, you could say. It’s a great honor to be able to welcome one during my generation. Since it’s done in turns, it’s purely a matter of luck if I can welcome a wanderer during my term.”

As he watched the Lord speak with a smile, Isamu’s nervousness began to ease. 

“Moreover, you’ve already saved my daughter and the knights on the way, haven’t you? Just that alone makes you more than welcome, regardless of whether you’re a wanderer.”

The Lady of the house, sitting next to the Lord, also welcomed him with a smile. 

“No, I haven’t done anything grand, really. Besides, it was Orihime who directly saved everyone.” 

I did warn them about the incoming magic attacks, but Orihime was the one who stopped them. To be honest, I don’t feel like I’ve done anything significant.

“Well, Orihime-dono is like a familiar to you, right? So, in that sense, it’s your achievement,” 

“Yes. Besides, didn’t she fight for you even though you didn’t give her any orders? Usually, you have to give orders to your familiar. She must really like you since she did it voluntarily,” 

The Lady chimed in, smiling. 

“Uh, I-I see…”

Even though they told him this, Isamu was still having a hard time accepting it. 

“Hey, by the way, where’s Orihime-chan? Annamarie talks about Orihime-chan so much, calling her cute and all. It feels like she talks about her more than anything else,” 

The Lady said. 

“Hey Mom!!!”

Annemarie’s face turns red after hearing her mother’s bombshell.

“Um, well, if it’s okay with you, I can call her… I hear that you are not feeling well, but is it okay?”

“It’s okay. He just hurt his back from being too excited.”

“Hey, Nicolette! What are you saying in front of the guest…?” 

Annamarie blushing furiously at her mother’s second bombshell comment. She looked like her mother on the outside and her father on the inside.

And Isamu was convinced that the pinnacle of this family was probably Nicolette.

“Well then, if you’ll excuse me…”

With that, Isamu opened the bedroom door, and Orihime was already sitting there, looking adorable.

“…You heard that, didn’t you? Come here.”

“Nyaa.”

With a little meow, Orihime jumped onto Isamu’s arm, nestling in.

“This is Orihime, my cherished family.”

“Nyaa.”

As Isamu introduced her, Orihime narrowed her eyes contentedly and rubbed her cheek against his.

“Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!! How adorable is that!?”

Seeing this, Nicolette’s eyes turned into hearts, almost literally love-struck.

“Hey, Isamu-san, I want to hold Orihime-chan too. Would that be okay?”

“W-Whoa, Mother, that’s not fair!”

Nicolette’s straightforward request prompted equally straightforward jealousy.

“Uh, well, is it okay, Orihime?”

Faced with the enthusiasm of the two women, Isamu answered with a wry smile.

Orihime let out a short “Nya,” as if to say “I don’t mind,” and then hopped down from Isamu’s arm and walked over to Nicolette.

“Well! How clever she is! She understands your words, doesn’t she?”

Seeing this, Nicolette was beside herself with excitement. She immediately scooped up Orihime.

“Mother! It’s best to gently stroke the back of her neck or throat!”

Annamarie also joined in right away, and the bedroom became even more bustling.

“Now, now, both of you. What are you doing in front of the guest…? I’m sorry, Isamu-dono.”

After giving a deliberate throat-clearing cough, Selfers chastised the women, who had suddenly become embarrassed.

“I’m sorry, Isamu-san. We got carried away…”

“I-I apologize, Isamu-sama!”

“Hahaha, it’s not a problem at all. Thank you for being so kind to her.”

“Really… Isamu-dono, is it alright if they borrow Orihime-dono for a while? The two of you, please go play in a different room for a while. If you stay here, I won’t be able to concentrate on our conversation…”

With a somewhat resigned expression, Selfers announced this.

“Understood. I’m sorry, Isamu-san, but I’ll take Orihime-chan with me for a bit.”

Despite looking a bit embarrassed, the women took Orihime and quickly withdrew to the adjacent room. Once they were gone, Selfers turned his attention back to Isamu.

“Phew, now we can finally talk in peace. Once again, welcome, Isamu-dono. I can imagine how challenging it must be to suddenly arrive in an unfamiliar world and city. Could you please tell me your hopes and desires? What would you like to do?”

With a gentle smile, Selfers asked Isamu about how he envisioned his future based on his previous conversations with Annamarie and the others. Isamu shared his desire to learn magic, investigate magic tools that might make use of his skills from Earth, start by learning how to wield a sword, and have Orihime abilities appraised. He wanted to begin with those goals and eventually find a way to contribute in some way.

While Isamu spoke, Selfers closed his eyes and listened attentively. Once Isamu had finished speaking, Selfers spoke slowly.

“Thank you. I appreciate the thought you’ve given to us, even though we have no prior connection. It’s a relief that you’ve come to our domain, Isamu-dono. This might be a bit impolite to say, but I also feel grateful to Marquis Felkar for yielding you to us. Regarding the wanderers, I leave everything to Annamarie, but I trust your perspective, Isamu-dono. Please do what you love, and it will certainly benefit our domain. If you ever encounter any troubles, please don’t hesitate to tell us. We promise to help to the best of our ability. From tomorrow, no, from today, please take care of our domain and Annamarie.”

Selfers concluded with a slow nod, and his smile mirrored the one he had received from Annamarie on the first night.

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