Steel, Guns, and the Industrial Party in Another World

Chapter 169: Companions of the Past

TL: Etude

The mother and daughter continued their conversation for a while.

Finally, Ladi asked, “Are you ready for what I mentioned in the letter, Mom?”

What she referred to in the letter was about moving with Cierra to the Northwest Bay for a new life.

“Sigh, I’m ready, but the thought of leaving a place where I’ve lived for so many years makes me very reluctant. Back in the day, your father and I…”

Seeing the sorrow on her mother’s face made Ladi feel a pang of sadness.

“I’m sorry, it’s all my fault…”

Her mother immediately interrupted her, embracing her daughter tightly, “What nonsense are you talking about, it’s all that damned church’s fault.”

Despite her reluctance, she chose to stay by her daughter’s side, especially during this special period.

“I noticed a new waitress in the shop, she…”

“That girl’s name is Lisa, a poor orphan. I’ve talked with her, and she’s willing to move with us to Northwest Bay.”

“That’s great, you can open a ‘Flying Dragon Pavilion’ there. I’m sure your cooking skills will be very popular.”

Only then did Cierra smile a little.

“Do you think it’s safe there? I mean, considering your other identity.”josei

Ladi hesitated a bit before saying, “Don’t be mad at me for this. Count Grayman already knows… knows that I am a mage.”

“What?”

Shock filled her mother’s face.

“You foolish child, how could you be so careless? What if he sells you out to the church?”

Ladi quickly explained, “It was an emergency, and I had to use magic. Don’t worry, the count is not that kind of person. He has no prejudice against magic or mages, and he has some influence over the church personnel in his territory.”

She thought of Father Morrison, whom Paul had sent to the monastery as a deputy abbot, wondering how he was doing.

After hearing about her daughter’s identity exposure and Count Grayman’s attitude towards her, Cierra said with a serious expression:

“Let’s hope he really doesn’t have any ill intentions, but after all, you can’t see a person’s heart. Be careful.”

The mother and daughter continued to talk for about half an hour when Ladi suddenly asked:

“Mom, do you have any news about Meru and the others?”

“Your companions from the adventure team? They have often visited me while you were away. They were here for a meal a few days ago. I’m not sure if they’re out on a mission now.”

“I need to inquire at the Adventurer’s Guild.”

“Don’t rush, Ladi…”

Her mother looked at her daughter with a heart full of compassion, gently stroking her face.

“You look like you haven’t rested in a long time. You should sleep first.”

Being back in the familiar comfort of home, the female counselor relaxed and, at her mother’s suggestion, felt suddenly sleepy.

“Alright, I do feel like sleeping for a while. Ah… I need to take a bath first.”

Due to the scarcity of fresh water on the ship, she hadn’t bathed for several days. Even when she had the chance to bathe, she would first clean her body with seawater and then rinse off the seawater with a small amount of fresh water.

She felt a bit embarrassed thinking about her mother seeing her unbathed for days.

Now, she was eager to soak herself in a hot water tub, indulging in a bit of luxury.

“Ha ha!”

Cierra teased her daughter a few times.

“Just sit here and rest, I’ll go and prepare hot water for my dear daughter right now.”

…

After enjoying a comfortable hot bath, Ladi slept until 2 pm. Upon waking, she found her mother and the waitress named Lisa waiting for her to have lunch together, having not eaten yet.

“Really, you could have eaten first.”

Though she chided them verbally, her heart was filled with warmth.

The table was laden with her favorite dishes, all freshly prepared by her mother, Cierra.

After enjoying a meal filled with familial warmth, the female counselor bid farewell to her mother and headed towards the city’s Adventurers’ Guild.

Standing at the entrance of the guild, the familiar doorway stirred a sense of nostalgia in her. Messiah Adventurers’ Guild – just a few months ago, she was an adventurer under this guild, and now she was a counselor to a lord thousands of miles away.

“I guess I’m now what some of my peers used to call a ‘noble’s lackey’, huh?”

She mused sarcastically to herself before pushing open the guild’s doors.

“Eh! Isn’t that Miss Ladi?”

“Hey? It really is Ladi from the Lichman team!”

Ladi, dressed in her usual attire, was quickly recognized by the adventurers in the hall.

“I heard she’s not an adventurer anymore, working up north in Ordo with a new job.”

“Is that so? Miss Ladi was a gem of our guild, such a shame.”

“Oh man, thinking about how Ordo got the better of us makes me feel uneasy.”

“Shut it, she’s back, isn’t she?”

Most people whispered among themselves. Due to Ladi’s previously aloof nature and her reluctance to initiate conversations with anyone outside the Lichman Adventure Team, she appeared ‘cold’ to outsiders, so there wasn’t a crowd coming up to greet her.

However, some people who had previous collaborations with the Lichman team came up to greet her one after another.

Ladi responded to each of them in kind.

“Ah! Miss Ladi, it’s been so long!”

The receptionist clasped her hands in front of her chest, excitedly looking at Ladi.

“It really has been a while since I last came here.”

Ladi exchanged pleasantries with the receptionist and inquired, “Are Meru and the others here?”

“The Lichman team is out on a mission! But they should be back today…”

“Ah—”

Just then, a surprised shout came from the doorway!

A surge of excitement filled the female counselor’s heart; she recognized that voice all too well.

“Ladi!”

“Meru!”

The two girls embraced each other tightly.

Along with Meru, other members of the team, including Dean, came forward to greet Ladi.

They found a quiet spot and happily chatted.

“When did you get back?”

“Just this morning, I went home first.”

Meru looked somewhat reluctant.

“You came back to take Aunt Cierra with you, right?”

Ladi nodded and whispered, “Yes, I really can’t rest easy with mom living here alone.”

“Better to leave, and sooner the better. You have no idea, the church recently…”

Dean immediately tugged at the team leader’s sleeve and gestured for her to be quiet.

A shadow fell over everyone’s mood.

Seeing the atmosphere turn somber, another team member, Kade, said with a smile, “This is a rare reunion. Let’s not all look like bitter gourds. How about we find a place to eat and celebrate properly?”

The mention of food revived the mood.

“Do we even need to look for a place? Isn’t Flying Dragon Pavilion perfect?”

“Yeah, yeah, I must savor Aunt Cierra’s cooking before she moves.”

“Haha, you’re all welcome!”

The female counselor decided to cherish this brief reunion.

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