#015. The Nanny is Too Kind (1)

#015. The Nanny is Too Kind (1)

My coercion, though not quite, left the adventurers with the realization that they were marked not only by the Hero’s party’s second-stringers, but by incredibly dangerous villains.

“If we blab about it, our heads will be flying, right?”

“They even do human experiments, you said.”

“Come to think of it, there was a beastman there too. Was that a byproduct of human experimentation as well?”

“He was strong…”

“Strong enough to survive against that Theresa. He wasn’t a pushover.”

If it were a region with a high regard for heroes, they would have been more surprised that Mother showed combat strength equal to the Hero party’s second team.

However, the adventurers of Sodom village had survived thanks to Mother in the Piggy Bank request and had the polar opposite impression.

They were instead surprised that the Hero’s party’s second team was able to withstand Mother’s attack.

“Since we’re already marked, we might as well grit our teeth and stick close to Theresa.”

“Anyone who messes with Theresa’s party is our enemy!”

Until yesterday, the adventurers, except for Mother, were on one side, but now they were divided in half.

Those who were already intertwined, having lost their chance to escape, sided with Mother, while the rest were against her, creating a confrontation.

But there’s a more pressing problem than that conflict.

“Ian.”

“…Yes.”

I recognized Father.

That was clearly suspicious.

I certainly wouldn’t be able to avoid questioning.

I steeled myself.

I met that man when Mother was home.

I learned writing and magic from him too.

I should take this opportunity to pass all the annoying excuses onto him.

Mother’s expression would probably twist with both understanding—*I knew it*—and anger—*That b*stard!*

But after a long silence, Mother asked an unexpected question.

“Jajangmyeon or Jjampong?”

“Jajangmyeon.”

“Is that so. Jajangmyeon for lunch today, then.”

Not a single truly important question was asked.

As if nothing had happened at all.

What must she be feeling?

The woman walking ahead of me, her back turned to me.

What expression is she wearing?

While thinking of me.

Her silhouette reminded me so much of a taciturn father that I felt an endless wave of guilt.

“Mom, aren’t you going to ask anything?”

“I trust you.”

It wasn’t a light relationship.

But whether I had truly treated her sincerely was something I couldn’t know.

The one sentence that came back to me struck a deep chord.

“I am a mother who cherishes her children above all else. So… you are a child who cherishes his family above all else. That’s what I believe.”

The ceaseless brainwashing, repeated to break down, manipulate, and morally corrupt my mother.

Even now, I don’t know.

Whether my brainwashing worked.

Or if it didn’t.

Why Mom continues to protect us.

When that feeling might change.

Despite all my anxieties, Mom hasn’t run away from her role as a mother who protects her family.

Therefore, the role I must play is also simple.

To become a son that Teresa can be proud of.

I quickened my pace, catching up to Mom, who was slowing down for my sake.

And then, I grasped her large hand with my fingers.

Just like I did with the neighborhood woman the day she died in the alley.

The starlight, so obvious that I’d forgotten it, was reflected in Mom’s eyes, which widened in surprise as she looked down at me.

Her starlight, the hope of her life, her driving force – that was us.

The hope that I had created.

* * *

Teresa postponed her other requests and waited in the village for a day.

Her waiting wasn’t in vain.

There was no way that disgusting man would remain silent.

That presumption proved correct.

“There is an order from the Upper Adventurer’s Guild in the capital. Adventurers suspected of child abuse are obligated to perform a special mission: dungeon exploration. Failure to comply will result in the forced revocation of your adventurer status.”

“Dungeon exploration?”

“Unlike the open-field requests we’ve had so far, dungeons are a wizard’s trap, filled with environments, traps, and monsters that are truly intent on killing intruders. It won’t be easy.”

The guild master felt immensely sorry for Teresa.

He had contacted the capital’s hero party to support Teresa, whose position had become precarious due to the piggy bank request incident, but the people who had been the problem in the first place had been drawn into Teresa’s party through sheer skill.

It seemed, in vain, that Teresa alone would suffer due to the person she had inadvertently brought into this mess.

“The children?”

“If they aren’t adventurers, they’ll have to stay behind. Civilians can’t just waltz into a dungeon, you know. You’ll need to find companions, too. A Rank 3 party won’t cut it. Minimum Rank 4. The recommended difficulty level calls for a Rank 5 party. And remember, a Rank 4 party is restricted to three members, Rank 5 to four.”

“…I suppose there’s no choice.”

She had to admit it.

Teresa couldn’t avoid this, no matter how much she wished she could.

“Don’t you worry. I have adventurer sheets prepared just for party matching, all top-notch prospects. Strong battle mage. Excellent combat priest. A tough shield warrior. A clever treasure hunter. If you wanted to build an adventurer dream team, these are all contenders.”

“The party limit is four. The dungeon’s magical energy puts constraints on groups larger than that.”

“And Gogo?”

“Wasn’t he just a man you hired as a babysitter? Leave the children with him and head to the dungeon.”

“The deadline?”

“Two months remaining.”

Teresa nodded.

Then, she pushed the sheets the guild master offered right back into his chest.

The guild master’s eyes widened.

“I don’t need anyone.”

“Are you serious?! These individuals would normally be out of reach for someone of your rank. Some even intentionally used loopholes to temporarily downgrade from Rank 5! “

“That’s precisely why I can’t trust them. Do you truly believe your information network is superior to that man in the capital?”

“Well, that…”

“I’ll decide how you collect your debt.”

Watching her walk away without a moment’s hesitation, the guild master gave a hollow laugh.

“She won’t trust anyone who hasn’t been personally vetted, eh? Well, if you’re on bad terms with the mage from the Hero Party, I suppose that’s to be expected…”

But how impressive of a party could Teresa really gather, even if she tried her best?

Once the Hero Party’s influence spread, even if there were adventurers initially sympathetic to her cause, the rest would become enemies, and even her existing supporters would gradually desert her.

Her isolation was an inescapable fate.

“Guild Master! Report, I have a report!”

“Aren’t you Teresa’s dedicated receptionist? Did she cause some kind of trouble?”

“Teresa has recruited a companion.”

“Oh? That was quick. Someone she had her eye on, perhaps. Alright, pass over his information sheet. Let’s see what kind of adventurer he is.”

“H-Here you go!”

Taking the sheet, he couldn’t hide his bewilderment.

A Centaur Archer.

A beastman born from the union of human and horse.

With both mobility and close-quarters combat capabilities, they were formidable fighters who excelled at any distance.

A race also similar to Teresa in temperament.

The cumbersome party members were merely men to fill out a harem, while she was a one-woman army, a combat specialist who practically resolved requests solo.

“So, you’ve pinpointed the weakness well. Even if Theresa is a strong swordswoman, she has her limits with ranged attacks. Is the position an archer?”

“W-Well, that’s…”

“Why are you hesitating? A front-line fighter wouldn’t be bad either. The centaur race is inherently strong. A shield-bearer? Or a cavalry charger?”

“A nanny…”

“What?”

“A nanny to look after Anna, she says.”

Following a governess, now a nanny.

The meaning of the position was clear.

Teammates, be gone.

I don’t need any of you.

It was a declaration that she’d fulfill only the bare minimum entry requirements and clear the dungeon alone.

The guildmaster gripped the back of his neck, squeezing his eyes shut.

“I was trying to groom her as a rising star, a counterforce to the vice-guildmaster’s faction, but she’s practically begging for death. What in the world am I supposed to do with this wild, uncontrollable mare!”

* * *

Theresa’s criteria for recruiting party members were exceedingly simple.

‘There’s no one you can trust anyway. In that case, I might as well get someone the kids will like.’

And so, Theresa instructed Gogo.

“Go ask the kids what gifts they want.”

“Couldn’t you just ask them yourself?”

“I’m not close with them.”

Gogo approached with an awkward expression and asked, “Hey, you kids, is there anything you want?”

“Shoes to put on Anna!”

“Milk!”

Anna cupped her hands dramatically over her chest.

“Anna will become a great adult too. Then I can do this and this, like Mom!”

Gogo relayed what he heard, verbatim.

“They want shoes and milk. Shoes for Anna to wear, and milk that Anna wants to drink.”

“I see. It makes narrowing down the candidates easier.”

“Huh?”

Theresa flipped through the adventurer sheets, eventually settling on two people.

One was a fleet-footed, ample-bosomed female rogue.

The other was a bit more unique.

A race that was quick, and useful like a shoe for carrying Anna.

The result was the female centaur archer before her, who was unabashedly displaying her displeasure while brandishing a longbow.

“Don’t be ridiculous, human! Just because I’m a beast-kin doesn’t mean you can walk all over me. I didn’t brave the monster-infested lands to reach Grade 4 adventurer status just to become a babysitter!”

The buxom centaur archer slammed an arrow into the floor and raised her massive longbow.

“Retreat 50 paces. If my arrow fells you before your sword can reach me, don’t even dream of playing nanny. You’ll also pay all the penalties for disbanding my current party.”

“And if my sword reaches you first?”

“Though there’s hardly a chance of it, I’d gladly become your nanny then. And I’d even nurse your second child for good measure.”

“If the wet nurse becomes compliant, Anna will surely be pleased.”

The Judge, Grogoh, tossed a small stone into the sky.

Thud.

Barely had the stone touched the ground than an arrow zipped past the spot where Theresa stood.

Tada-dat.

The Swordsman’s rush skill, ＜Dash＞.

Theresa’s run surged forward with immense speed, and anxiety flickered across the Centaur’s face.

The speed at which she snatched the arrow from the ground and nocked it to her bow increased momentarily.

35 paces.

An arrow grazed her forearm.

20 paces.

An arrow grazed her thigh.

10 paces.

Just as an arrow was about to target her chest, Theresa’s form blurred.

-You are a mother who cherishes children more than anyone else.

With those words, now a mantra echoing within her, Theresa accelerated further.

＜Double Dash＞.

Approaching with a speed that rendered aiming the bow impossible, Theresa held her sword to the giant-breasted Centaur archer’s chin.

“…I’ve lost.”

Anna’s personal wet nurse, and the second party member to follow in Grogoh’s wake, was decided.