A Gentle Noble's Vacation Recommendation

It was a morning like any other.

Rizel and the others, all three together, visited the guild and stood before the quest board.

After scanning through the list as usual, Rizel turned back to Jill.

"Jill, did any of the quests catch your eye?"

"Do as you like."

The usual question received the usual reply.

But this time, Rizel's movement, which normally would start choosing with a "Is that so? Which one should I pick?", came to a halt.

Receiving Jill’s bewildered gaze and Eleven's puzzled stare, Rizel looked up at Jill with a steady gaze. She lowered her head slightly and looked at Jill reproachfully.

"Jill, you always say that."

"Huh?"

"Eh, wait... Leader?"

Eleven, caught off guard by this sudden quiet quarrel, momentarily lost his usual composure and glanced nervously at Rizel.

Running a finger apologetically through the hair that slipped from Eleven’s shoulder, Rizel did not avert her gaze from Jill. Smiling faintly at Jill’s furrowed brows questioning her intentions.

That gentle smile, however, somehow seemed a little lonely.

"Hey."

"I’m done with you, Jill."

Rizel abruptly turned her face away, grabbed Eleven’s wrist, and headed towards the guild’s door.

Though confused inside, Eleven hid it well and followed Rizel as she pulled him along, wondering what was going on.

"I'm running away from home with these kids. Let’s go, Stud-kun."

"Yes."

Suddenly called, Stud stood up from the reception desk.

Expressionless as always, he briskly walked toward Rizel upon being called.

Standing beside Rizel, Stud removed Rizel’s hand from Eleven’s wrist by attacking it. Eleven reacted with a kick, but Stud neutralized it with his own kick.

Unaware of the battle happening near his feet out of sight, Rizel glanced at Jill once and then exited the guild.

Left alone, Jill frowned and sighed.

Looking toward the guild reception, thinking Stud must know something since he accompanied them, Jill saw a guild staff member with a deeply twisted face turning awkwardly toward him.

Their gazes met, and the staff let out a small scream before nervously explaining the situation.

"No, um, Miss Rizel was supposed to go today with Stud as her escort on a guild staff inspection mission that was planned three days ago..."

"So she was already thinking of doing something this foolish three days ago?"

"Well, she’s kind of playful... haha, haha..."

It was clear that Rizel wasn’t serious about it.

Whatever the intention was, since they were acting separately, it didn’t seem like a particularly dangerous quest.

An inspection usually meant going to some village to do something and then returning. They should be back in a few days.

Jill hoped they wouldn’t get involved in anything strange, and since Eleven and Stud were with her, they would have refused if it looked dangerous. If there was no problem, that was fine. With a slightly rougher expression than usual, Jill left the guild.

The surrounding people, frozen by the completely unforeseen turn of events, oddly sighed in relief and resumed their activities.

Normally, no one would care if other parties had a falling out, but when it was Rizel’s party, why was it so terrifying? Not out of curiosity, but simply fear without understanding why.

"It used to be normal until recently, but Jill without Rizel’s reins? That’s seriously scary."

A guild staff member muttered quietly, and everyone silently agreed.

"I was really freaking out!"

"I actually planned it as a prank on Jill, but he didn’t react at all, so I’m a bit disappointed."

Inside the carriage, Eleven pouted loudly, complaining with full sulk.

Stud watched him with a blank expression and a thoroughly annoyed look, then glanced at Rizel sitting beside him.

"I wasn’t told either, so I was surprised."

"Sorry. Since it’s like this, I thought it would be more fun to do it without anyone knowing."

Stud accepted the gentle head pat with satisfaction along with the apology.

Eleven sneered and mocked with a grin.

"You don’t sound like an Ice Human who gets surprised."

"I don’t want to hear that from a fake cool guy who was completely flustered."