Chapter 38: 38

It’s dark and cold… Where am I?

Why am I here?

That’s right… If I don’t go home soon, Nina and the others will be hungry. But… was there something to eat?

I’m the oldest sister so I have to be strong.

But how can I go home if I don’t know where I am…

Huh?

Leave?

……… Oh, I see. The hut where we all lived has already burned down.

My father and mother died and I didn’t know what to do…

I met everyone and started a new life. We had no money or food to eat, but life was warm and happy with everyone huddled together.

But there’s nothing left.

Suddenly, scary adults took me away from the group, and we were all separated…. They put a collar on me and told me that from today I was a slave.

I was bought into a life of hell… and then… Well, they told me about the saints. I was taken to see the hero.

The people who had beaten me a lot and treated me like trash up to that point started talking to me with disgusting smiles on their faces.

Stop playing around, stop playing around, stop playing around, stop playing around!

Return them! Give everyone back!

“Haaaaaaaaa! Haaaaaaaaaaaa! Die! Die, all of you! Curse you! Suffer and suffer and suffer and die!”

Oh…that’s how I died. I stabbed myself.

Iska-kun, Fio-chan, Ratz-kun, Stella-chan, Nina… I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you, I couldn’t do anything…

It’s cold here… it’s lonely… someone…

Oh… but it’s getting a little warmer. It’s like being in your mother’s or father’s arms.

The face of a gentle father and mother that comes to mind.

And—

“…Ah…Gray-san?…”

“Oh, sorry. I must have woken you up.”

I slowly opened my eyes with a pleasant feeling and saw Gray-san’s face right next to mine.

Oh, I fell asleep on the sofa while I was waiting for Gray-san…

Gray-san was on his way up the stairs carrying me in his arms like a princess.

“Were you having a scary dream?”

Gray-san looks worried.

“You were having a little bit of a nightmare.”

“Oh, that.”

……that?

“Uh, I don’t really remember…”

I feel like I had a very scary dream…

“I see.”

Gray-san replied shortly.

“And I know I told you to go ahead and get some rest, but you’re going to catch a cold if you sleep in a place like that.”

“I-I’m sorry. I had something I really wanted to tell you when you got back…”

“What did you want to tell me?”

“Yes, Gray-san–“

――――――――――

When I met up with Emilia and the others who were escorting me near my house, Halsaria had explained almost everything about the situation.

I thought she would get angry with me for helping the hero, but

“Totally. Same old, same old.”

Emilia, with a dumbfounded look on her face, said to Kasha

“Well, it’s Gray, so it’s within the realm of possibility.”

I didn’t know what to do.

“So, what are you going to do with the hero? Is he going to live with the other children?”

“Oh, that’s…”

If he doesn’t mind the other children, he can live with us for the time being.

If Ares wanted to meet with his friends, I told him that I would make it happen somehow.

However…I don’t know if the orphanage where Ares lived is still operating safely today. There is a possibility that they are all enslaved by illegal means, or worse, killed to silence them.

So I decided to ask an informant to check it out first. I’m going to try to do some simple requests with Ares while I train him with sword and magic until I get some results.

But what will I say to Iska and Fio….

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“I see. Let me know if you need anything else. I’ll do everything I can.”

“Oh, thank you Emilia. I’m always sorry.”

“… uh, well, it’s our relationship. You don’t need to be shy, yeah.”

Emilia, while turning her eyes away, scratches her reddened cheeks.

…Oh, by the way.

“Well, we can’t stay out here talking all night, so why don’t we go inside? I’ve got some tea or coffee.”

“Uh… no, I mean…”

“Why don’t you just give up Emmy? You’re going to have to cross that wall someday.”

Wall?

Kasha puts her hand on Emilia’s shoulder, which makes her look awkward for some reason.

“… I’m going home today after all!”

After a short period of silence, Emilia then begins to leave after saying so.

“Escaping before the enemy… Haru, there’s a court martial tomorrow.”

“Yeah… it’s troublesome. I’m going to get bored anyway.”

“Don’t say that. Oh, I’m sorry Gray-san. We’re going home, too.”

“I see.”

“Oh, oh…”

The rest of the members start to leave while having a terse conversation. I entered the house while worrying about Emilia’s dignity.

Thinking that everyone would be upstairs asleep by now, I found Ariamel sitting on the couch in the dimly lit living room.

“I’m back, are you still awake, Ariamel?…………Ariamel?”

I called out to her from behind, but she did not respond, so I approached her and found her with her eyes closed and breathing a small sigh of sleep. I guess Ariamel must have fallen asleep while waiting for me to come back…or something.

“… ugh”

Are you having some scary dreams?  I wish I could help you in your dreams.

When I gently pick up the sleeping Ariamel so as not to wake her to carry her upstairs to her room, her sleeping face turns a little more reassuring.

I wonder if the scary dream is over?

As I am quietly walking up the stairs, Ariamel slowly opens her eyes.

“…Ah…Gray-san?…”

“Nn, I’m sorry. I must have woken you up.”

Ariamel, perhaps dazed from sleep, looks at me and says nothing.

“Were you having a scary dream? You were having a little bit of a nightmare.”

“Oh, that.”

After saying that much, I stop talking. She was trying to remember something.

“Uh, I don’t really remember…”

I don’t feel like I’m overdoing it, I guess I really don’t remember.

“I see.”

I’ll give you a heads up that you were asleep on the sofa. I’m honestly glad that you tried to wait for me, but I don’t want you to get sick because of it.

“And I know I told you to go ahead and get some rest, but you’re going to catch a cold if you sleep in a place like that.”

Ariamel looks flustered.

“I-I’m sorry. I had something I really wanted to tell you when you got back…”

“What did you want to tell me?”

What is it…is there something you really need to say tonight?

“Yes, Gray-san…–Welcome home.”

“…”

In my previous life, I couldn’t help but feel depressed about going home. An empty house…and yet there were so many memories, and I hated the pain I felt in my chest every time I thought of them.

It’s not that I want to forget, even though I don’t want to remember. Rather, it is a memory that I definitely don’t want to forget.

In a moment, I remembered it…

It’s so silly

trivial

Lovely

Warm

The reason why I kept saying “I’m off” and “I’m home” even though there was no one to return them. ……

Oh, I see

I wanted a family

“… Oh, I’m home “

I want to continue to be a family with these children from now on.

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