“...So this is Loki Familia’s home?”
“Yeah...”
Watching Ais rub her sleepy eyes as she spoke, I could only stare blankly at the estate, unable to find the words.
It was a place I could never forget.
A stately building surrounded by a spacious garden.
It had originally been the home of the Apollo Familia, and later, it would serve as the home for the Hestia Familia.
*The Hearth Mansion...*
To think that the place where we would eventually eat and sleep was currently the home of the Loki Familia. The irony of it all was striking.
“...What are you doing?”
“Ah, um, well...”
I had wanted to visit it someday, but I hadn’t expected to see it like this. My words came out awkwardly, stumbling over each other.
The basement beneath the church had been a place I’d stayed in for barely two months—a place that was, quite literally, nothing more than a memory.
It was a place where I had lived hand-to-mouth; if not for the nostalgia, it wasn't exactly a fond memory. Consequently, seeing it hadn't stirred much emotion in me.
But this place was different. This was where I had spent the majority of my days as an adventurer. It was the place I had always considered my true home.
I thought I would be fine, but standing before it now, I found it difficult to maintain my composure. Facing a place I had never been able to bring myself to visit was more unsettling than I had anticipated.
Perhaps that was why.
“Ais!”
That sharp voice felt strangely welcome.
Normally, I would have dreaded the trouble such a voice signaled, but right now, it was a welcome distraction.
With the house right in front of me, an indescribable swirl of emotions began to churn within. I needed to divert my attention.
“Ais! Why are you only coming in now? We were worried sick!”
“You’re definitely getting scolded this time. Missing curfew is a serious problem.”
“Tch, don’t be so hard on her. Everyone’s late once in a while.”
“Shut up, you careless dwarf! It’s a relief she’s back safely, but what if she’d been kidnapped? What then?!”
They ignored me completely, crowding around Ais and peppering her with complaints.
...I felt a twinge of guilt, feeling as though she was being scolded because of me. If I’d known she’d sleep that long, I would have woken her up sooner.
“Hm...? You’re...”
“Haha... nice to see you again.”
As Ais looked at me in confusion, the others' gazes naturally shifted toward me as well.
I had pulled up my hood to hide my face, but Riveria, whom I had encountered once before, seemed to recognize me.
“...Why are you with Ais? And at this hour, no less.”
“...Well, it is night, but it’s not quite the middle of the night yet, is it?”
“Speak. Otherwise...”
Gareth’s retort vanished into the air. Riveria, acting every bit the overprotective mother, had already raised her staff and was channeling Mind, ready to strike at a moment’s notice.
Geez... I only brought her back because I was worried... I understood her perspective, but this was still a very unpleasant misunderstanding.
“...Ais, can you explain what happened?”
“Mm...?”
Finn directed his question toward Ais, who was still standing there with a vacant, dazed expression, as if her mind were still drifting.
Seriously, how can she be this sleepy in a situation like this? She really does move at her own pace.
“Training, and then sleep.”
“No, wait, sle—”
She had omitted so much detail that, to an outsider, her words sounded incredibly suspicious.
“...I’ll kill him.”
See? Total misunderstanding.
Riveria pointed her staff at me and began her chant. Judging by her expression, she looked ready to kill... ah, she actually intended to kill me.
First priority: dodge. I can explain later.
“Wait, Riveria.”
Finn spoke up just in time.
As expected of Finn. Even now, he possessed a remarkable level of composure. I suppose this is what makes a [Hero] different.
“Calm down for now. You know Ais isn’t one for many words.”
“...”
Riveria slowly lowered her staff. However, her Mind remained primed and her expression remained murderous; she clearly still harbored deep suspicions.
That’s a bit unfair. I mean, I know the situation looks bad, but still.
“I’d like to hear the full story first. Would you be willing to cooperate?”
“...Please keep it brief.”
“Haha, that depends on the circumstances.”
With a smile, Finn opened the door and gestured for us to enter.
“...”
In the dark of night, the lamp-lit interior was exactly as I remembered it from the past.
On the second day since being thrown back in time, I set foot once more in a place I had believed I would never tread again for the rest of my life.
*
“Hmm, I see. So Ais...”
The misunderstanding was cleared up quickly. With Ais right there beside me, there wasn't much to debate. We had simply trained on the city wall and then taken a nap—that was all.
“...That really is all?”
“...Even if you keep asking, the answer won’t change.”
“Honestly, this is why elves are like this. You need to learn how to trust others a bit more.”
After over an hour of interrogation, the people around me actually started defending me. Meanwhile, Ais had already fallen fast asleep, using my lap as a pillow.
This only made Riveria’s gaze sharper, but given the support of the other comrades, she finally seemed willing to set her suspicions aside for the moment.
“Um, may I ask one thing as well?”
“Sure, go ahead.”
“Why was Ais alone on the streets?”
Honestly, I had been curious about this since the moment we met. I mean, why on earth would they let a child wander around alone?
“Haha, well. It’s a bit embarrassing to admit, but Ais escaped through the window. I was genuinely shocked!”
“...Sigh. I thought I had scolded her properly, but it seems she still hasn't learned her lesson.”
Riveria glared at the sleeping Ais. It looked like a long lecture was guaranteed for her tomorrow.
The fact that they weren't waking her up now was perhaps the only kind thing about the situation.
“...Hah, I apologize to you once more. Between yesterday and today, I’ve done nothing but be rude to you.”
“No, it’s fine. It was a situation where anyone would have misunderstood.”
“...I am truly sorry.”
Her sincere apology made me feel awkward. If other elves found out about this, it might actually become a headache.
“Well then, I should be going...”
*Tug—*
I tried to leave quickly before things got any more complicated, but something caught me and wouldn't let go.
I looked down to find it was Ais. I don't know where she found the strength in that small body, but she was gripping the hem of my robe tightly, refusing to let me move.
“Mm...”
“Haha, it looks like Ais has taken a liking to you.”
“It’s true. I’ve never seen her cling to someone like this before. She doesn’t even follow Riveria around like that.”
“Hmm...”
The three of them watched Ais with fascinated expressions.
Was she this shy back then?
“I’m sorry, Vesta-kun, but if you don’t mind, could you stay just a little longer? It’s been a long time since Ais slept so peacefully, and I’d hate to disturb her.”
“I’ll ask the same of you. I was worried about her, as she’s the type who couldn’t sleep even if you sang her a lullaby.”
“I don’t mind, but... is it really alright? Letting an outsider stay in the home in the middle of the night?”
“Haha, we’re the ones asking the favor, so we can’t really be picky about the rules.”
With that, Finn headed off, mentioning he had work to attend to. I recalled that he was the captain of the Loki Familia even then. He was likely going to handle some administrative duties.
Tch, I remember a time when he didn't show a single shred of captainly dignity!
“...How strange.”
“...Pardon?”
“That girl. I’ve never seen her sleep so soundly.”
“Well, she’s the youngest by a landslide, both in age and in terms of when she joined. In the Familia, she’s more like a little sister or a daughter than a comrade.”
True. Looking at the average age of the members, there was no way she could be treated as a peer.
“Because of that, the others were worried. They wondered why such a young child was so filled with such fierce determination.”
“...”
“Still, seeing her like this puts me at ease. She didn’t even care when Riveria tried to look after her.”
“Hey, keep it down.”
The two of them, laughing and chatting, had a much lighter and friendlier vibe than they did in the future.
I heard that there were veterans senior to them at this time. Perhaps that’s why they felt less pressure on their shoulders.
Standing at the top is a burden in itself. Not that such a thing has anything to do with me.
“So, I’m sorry, but I’d appreciate it if you could spend a little more time with her.”
“Haha...”
I couldn't bring myself to answer.
I knew better than anyone how absurd this entire situation was.
Waking up one day to find myself in the past... does that even make sense?
Why on earth did this happen...?
*Ah, come to think of it.*
Before I was sent back to this era, I was definitely at Elegia. I had been preparing to honor them, and then...
*What is the date now?*
“Hm? Elegia was yesterday, wasn’t it?”
“I didn’t expect you to enter the Dungeon even for Elegia, but...”
It seemed the timeline hadn't shifted much.
*...This is a first.*
This was the first time since that day that I had let Elegia pass without ceremony.
Usually, I would have spent the day alone, staring at the sky and sobbing. Perhaps because of the current chaos, I didn't even have the luxury of being sentimental.
I don't know how to feel about that... should I be relieved, or...?
“Mm...”
“Oops, were we talking too loudly?”
“You’re the one making all the noise. Honestly, this is why dwarves are...”
“What was that?!”
“Quiet...”
Ais rubbed her eyes and woke up, startled by the sudden bickering.
Maybe because she’d slept so long, she woke up earlier than I expected.
“Since Ais is awake, I’ll be taking my leave...”
“Whoa there, why the rush? Stay a bit longer.”
...Too late.
I knew their hospitality wasn't purely out of kindness.
They needed to verify something. At the very least, whether I was an enemy or not.
I wasn't an enemy, but I was carrying far too many secrets to be considered "safe," so I had tried to slip away quietly... but I guess I was too slow.
“Nice to meet ya.”
Before I knew it, a woman with a breezy, lighthearted aura was standing behind me.
Red hair, narrow slit-like eyes, and a sharp, snake-like glint shining through them.
“I’m Loki.”
Comments (0)
Please log in to leave a comment. Login or Register