The Goddess Granted Me the [Hatching] Skill and Somehow I Became the Strongest Tamer, Commanding Mythical and Divine Beasts - 30

A week has passed since the party’s security detail.

As promised by Marguerite, the next day I received notice that I could proceed to the final stage of the national adventurer exam.

I’ve been told to wait until the escort request, so here I am, holed up in my apartment, waiting for further news…

“Hehe, they’re so cute.”

Celia, lying on the bed, is happily poking Feni and Purple with her fingers.

It seems she came to visit today because school is on break.

We had originally planned for her to meet Feni, so it was a perfect opportunity.

When Celia first saw Feni and Purple, her eyes lit up, and she immediately began to dote on them.

“Chichichichichi!”

“……♪”

Both Feni and Purple, accustomed to being pampered by many at the Tamer Guild, showed no signs of discomfort at Celia’s touch—in fact, they seemed quite pleased.

As I had taught her, Celia kept stroking Feni and Purple under their chins.

After enjoying herself for a while, Celia sat up, holding Feni to her chest, and looked at me.

“By the way, brother, isn’t this room a bit small?”

The apartment I rent is indeed small compared to a typical house. Back home, we had a detached house with separate rooms for everyone, a garden, and even a stable. But here, the bed alone takes up half the room.

I only rented this place because it was cheap, and I needed it to hatch the Phoenix egg, so it can’t be helped.

There are many such single-occupant apartments in the royal capital, where apprentices and those with low income live.

“Well, you’re right about that…”

It’s been about a month since Feni hatched. She was small at first, but she’s been growing, and now it’s getting cramped, with her wings brushing against the walls when she spreads them.

“But even so, moving isn’t that easy…”

Most apartments don’t allow familiars. This one doesn’t have such rules, so I’m living here by unspoken agreement, but in a typical residential area where families live, there’s little understanding of monsters. Moving could lead to unnecessary trouble.

To avoid that, I want to thoroughly investigate any potential new place before deciding to move. When I explained this to Celia,

“I see. If you do decide to rent a house, I was thinking of moving in with you to help take care of Feni and Purple.”

It seems Celia has really taken a liking to Feni and Purple. Living together would give her unlimited access to pet them, so I completely understand her desire.

The happiness of holding Feni while sleeping is beyond compare…

Certainly, there are big advantages to having Celia live with me. First of all, she’s good at housework, and with my job, I’m often away from home.

I can’t always take Feni and Purple with me on jobs, so having someone to look after them would be a great help. But…

“Right now, you should prioritize your studies, don’t you think?”

Celia has her own dreams. Taking care of me, Feni, and Purple would make it difficult to achieve those dreams.

“Besides, the Tamer Guild can look after them too, and I can manage household chores.”

There are things she can only learn at school now. I persuaded Celia with this.

“You’re right… But, may I still come to visit whenever I have time?”

Celia said this while closely watching my reaction.

“Of course, we’re family. You can visit as often as you like.”

She looked relieved at my answer, placing a hand over her mouth and smiling.

—Knock, knock, knock—

At that moment, there was a knock on the door.

Since coming to the royal capital, the only one who ever knocked was Celia when she visited.

“Yes, who is it?”

I asked through the door, trying to gauge who it was. Celia hugged Feni tightly and moved out of sight, while Purple perched in her hair, flapping its wings.

“I have a letter for Klaus.”

I opened the door and accepted the letter.

After thanking the delivery person, I closed the door and returned.

“Is it from our parents?” Celia asked, curious about the sender.

I looked at the name on the letter.

“No, it’s not.”

“Then, who is it from?”

Celia, Feni, and Purple all tilted their heads in unison. The sight of the three of them doing this was so adorable that I was momentarily captivated.

“It’s from the National Adventurer Organization.”

I said, opening the letter and scanning its contents.

“So… it’s finally time,” Celia said, her expression serious.

“Yeah, my final exam is about to begin.”

The letter contained details on the assembly time and location, but no mention of the escort target.