Chapter 475: Man and Woman (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 475: Man and Woman (2)
I left the temple and walked down the long hallway, eventually reaching the room with the two sisters: the young dragonian shaman who bestowed the Dragon's Blessing on me, Pen, and my former squadron mate, Ravien.
"...You're here?"
When I knocked on the door and entered, Pen looked my way, made eye contact, and then quickly turned away.
Why does she always act like a little kid?
I had to admit, though, it was pretty cute that she was acting all aloof. Mr. Dragon and Ravien both told me that she was depressed when she heard that I died. I guess I did promise to tell her more interesting stories the next time I—
A grumble stopped my thoughts dead in their tracks. "Hm? What did you just say?"
"Did you... hear that?"
"Not really. So what was it?"
When I raised my eyebrow at her, Pen glared at me in agitation and yelled, "What...?! I just—I was just saying I knew it was really you and not some fake the moment I saw your face!"
That was an obvious lie. I definitely heard her say 'that ugly face' just now.
"Pantyseauros."
"It's Penitaseauros!"
"Since it's been a few years, I guess you need another reminder. I am not ugly, I'm manly. You got that?"
"...Yeah, fine."
So she was finally willing to admit it. Anyway, now that I was done teasing her, I greeted her sister as well. "It's been a while, Ravien."
"You two... seem closer than I thought."
"Close? We've only met once, back when I got the Dragon's Blessing."
"Still, you're probably the last outsider Pen interacted with. Someone outside of the dragon clan."
Well, I guess so. How many outsiders would even have a valid reason to come to the Dragon's Temple in the first place?
I sat down in an empty seat by the table as I asked them something I was wondering. "But from the way you reacted, it looked like you knew I was coming, right?"
"...We heard from Dad, yeah."
"When was that?"
"While he was talking to you. We can hear Dad's voice from anywhere if he wants us to."
So he could use his Dragon Speech not only for teleportation but also for transmitting messages? He was even more talented than I thought.
"How much did you hear?"
"How much? Well, he just told us to sit tight since you were coming to us. Oh! He also said that you had good news to tell me."
Ha, that guy.
"So, what's the good news?" Pen looked up at me, her eyes brimming with curiosity. I avoided her gaze and glanced at Ravien, but she simply shrugged her shoulders, unwilling to help me out. I really couldn't get a read on these dragonians. Why were they having an outsider of all people deliver such important news?
Well, it's not like telling her is any skin off my back.
Beating around the bush any longer was pointless, so I deadpanned, "I killed the Dragon Slayer and brought his heart back." A lot had happened, but it could all be summed up in that one sentence.
"...What?" Even so, the young dragonian just stared at me in disbelief, struggling to wrap her head around what I was saying. However succinct it was, that one sentence wasn't easy to process.
"I'm serious. I gave your father his heart, so you should be able to get better soon."
"...S-Sister?"
"What he says is true, Pen."
Even with her sister's confirmation, she still looked dumbfounded. It seemed the shock of receiving this gift currently outweighed any joy she could be feeling.
After a long moment, Pen finally regained her composure. "...Thanks."
I guess I should take back what I said about her being childish. She and Mr. Dragon were the same in that they both gave their thanks with the utmost sincerity.
"Of course, even after you recover, not much will change for you right away," I warned. "I've got a bit of a situation right now."
"...A situation? What do you mean?"
I had taken the liberty of asking Mr. Dragon for a few things while we were still speaking, and one such request was that my killing the Dragon Slayer stay a secret for the time being. That meant that even after Pen recovered, she would remain stuck in the temple for the foreseeable future. In the end, though, he agreed with my logic.
"I'm sorry. I'm sure you're fed up with being stuck in this place all the time. But for my sake, I—"
"It's fine." Pen interrupted my apology. "I don't really mind being stuck here."
Those weren't just empty words—I could hear the sincerity in her tone. Not that I didn't understand why she might feel that way. "That makes sense. I mean, you get to mess around all day and get meals served to you whenever you want. It's not a bad life to—"
"What are you talking about, you moron?"
"...Huh? That's not why you're okay with it?"
Pen let out a deep sigh. "Of course it isn't. I'm so sick and tired of this place. I want to run around in the wind and smell the flowers again, but..." She trailed off and clenched her fists. "My father was trapped here, all this time, because of me. But now, things are different. He'll be able to go wherever he wants to go and see whatever he wants to see."
Her answer was nothing like I expected.
"So, that's more than enough for me."
Family...
In the face of her conviction, I couldn't help but wonder.
"Thank you, Yandel, for saving my father."
What's it like to have a real family?
***
After our conversation, Pen left the room, saying she needed some time alone. With that, Ravien and I were the only two left. I didn't mind since I had something to ask her in private anyway.
"Ravien."
"I'm listening, so say whatever it is you need to say."
"Why has it been so hard for me to see you?"
"What... do you mean by that?"
Was that too vague?
I'd figured this might be a touchy subject, so I tried to phrase it as delicately as I could, but it seemed I should have just been blunt like the barbarian I was from the start. "I'm talking about the afterparty. I thought you didn't come because you were busy, but you don't look all that busy to me."
"I heard that Ms. Titana Akurava wasn't there either, though."
"Well, true," I said, nodding. "But that woman had a full plate."
"I'm serious. I gave your father his heart, so you should be able to get better soon."
"...S-Sister?"
"What he says is true, Pen."
Even with her sister's confirmation, she still looked dumbfounded. It seemed the shock of receiving this gift currently outweighed any joy she could be feeling.
After a long moment, Pen finally regained her composure. "...Thanks."
I guess I should take back what I said about her being childish. She and Mr. Dragon were the same in that they both gave their thanks with the utmost sincerity.
"Of course, even after you recover, not much will change for you right away," I warned. "I've got a bit of a situation right now."
"...A situation? What do you mean?"
I had taken the liberty of asking Mr. Dragon for a few things while we were still speaking, and one such request was that my killing the Dragon Slayer stay a secret for the time being. That meant that even after Pen recovered, she would remain stuck in the temple for the foreseeable future. In the end, though, he agreed with my logic.
"I'm sorry. I'm sure you're fed up with being stuck in this place all the time. But for my sake, I—"
"It's fine." Pen interrupted my apology. "I don't really mind being stuck here."
Those weren't just empty words—I could hear the sincerity in her tone. Not that I didn't understand why she might feel that way. "That makes sense. I mean, you get to mess around all day and get meals served to you whenever you want. It's not a bad life to—"
"What are you talking about, you moron?"
"...Huh? That's not why you're okay with it?"
Pen let out a deep sigh. "Of course it isn't. I'm so sick and tired of this place. I want to run around in the wind and smell the flowers again, but..." She trailed off and clenched her fists. "My father was trapped here, all this time, because of me. But now, things are different. He'll be able to go wherever he wants to go and see whatever he wants to see."
Her answer was nothing like I expected.
"So, that's more than enough for me."
Family...
In the face of her conviction, I couldn't help but wonder.
"Thank you, Yandel, for saving my father."
What's it like to have a real family?
***
After our conversation, Pen left the room, saying she needed some time alone. With that, Ravien and I were the only two left. I didn't mind since I had something to ask her in private anyway.
"Ravien."
"I'm listening, so say whatever it is you need to say."
"Why has it been so hard for me to see you?"
"What... do you mean by that?"
Was that too vague?
I'd figured this might be a touchy subject, so I tried to phrase it as delicately as I could, but it seemed I should have just been blunt like the barbarian I was from the start. "I'm talking about the afterparty. I thought you didn't come because you were busy, but you don't look all that busy to me."
"I heard that Ms. Titana Akurava wasn't there either, though."
"Well, true," I said, nodding. "But that woman had a full plate."
There was an awkward pause. "...I was also busy."
"Oh, really? Then I guess that's that."
"Is that all you were wondering?" Ravien tried to act nonchalant, quietly sipping her tea.
Ha, did she really think I would fall for that act?
"Ravien, I'll be fine regardless of your answer, so just be honest. Have you changed your mind?"
Even though I didn't add any more context than that, it was obvious to both of us what I was talking about.
"No. I haven't."
"Really? Ever since we got back to the city, I've been getting the feeling you're trying to distance yourself from us, so—"
"I was never on the same page as you to begin with."
"What do you mean...?"
When I stared at her, brow furrowed, Ravien finally cracked. "Of course I'm sad for the innocents who died in that cold place. Of course I'm angry at the marquess and the royal family for what they put us through. But..."
"But?"
"That's it. Not everyone in the world is like you, Yandel." Unfortunately, it looked like I wasn't wrong to suspect Ravien was distancing herself from us. The reason was about what I expected too. "No matter how close we might have gotten over the months, at the end of the day, it was only one expedition."
Things may have been different if it was a family member of hers who died, but we were barely more than acquaintances. It wasn't strange that she'd feel that way.
"If you're asking me whether I think it's worth it to put my life on the line for the sake of revenge, the only answer I can give you is no, it's not."
Ravien had pushed aside her emotions to make a logical decision. If anything, her reaction was the normal one. Even if it had been a family member who died, most people wouldn't ever dream of taking revenge against the royal family.
"I see... Thanks for telling me. It must have been hard to be completely honest with me."
"...I'm sorry that this is the only thing I can offer you, but I'm sure there's at least one other person from the group who feels the same way I do. The momentum and energy is just making it hard for them to voice their opinions."
That was probably true. People were quick to change their minds after their emotions cooled. "I'll keep that advice in mind."
"This is... a surprise. I honestly thought you would scream at me and call me a traitor."
"If I did that, would it change your mind? Because if it would, I would call you that a hundred times."
"Oh... Well..." Ravien averted her eyes, which told me everything I needed to know about her ability to be convinced. Still, we had both said what we needed to say, and our conversation came to a civil end.
I watched for a moment as she glared at the floor, clearly frustrated with herself. It reminded me of the old me. I used to be just like her, after all.
"Ravien," I heard myself say, "let me give you a piece of advice as well."
"What is it?"
"If everyone had been as rational as you that day, none of us would have made it back alive."
There was no such thing as an objectively right thing to do. There were only the choices we made and could make.
"Come and see me if you change your mind," I said, moving toward the doorway. "We'll always welcome you with open arms."
There was an awkward pause. "...I was also busy."
"Oh, really? Then I guess that's that."
"Is that all you were wondering?" Ravien tried to act nonchalant, quietly sipping her tea.
Ha, did she really think I would fall for that act?
"Ravien, I'll be fine regardless of your answer, so just be honest. Have you changed your mind?"
Even though I didn't add any more context than that, it was obvious to both of us what I was talking about.
"No. I haven't."
"Really? Ever since we got back to the city, I've been getting the feeling you're trying to distance yourself from us, so—"
"I was never on the same page as you to begin with."
"What do you mean...?"
When I stared at her, brow furrowed, Ravien finally cracked. "Of course I'm sad for the innocents who died in that cold place. Of course I'm angry at the marquess and the royal family for what they put us through. But..."
"But?"
"That's it. Not everyone in the world is like you, Yandel." Unfortunately, it looked like I wasn't wrong to suspect Ravien was distancing herself from us. The reason was about what I expected too. "No matter how close we might have gotten over the months, at the end of the day, it was only one expedition."
Things may have been different if it was a family member of hers who died, but we were barely more than acquaintances. It wasn't strange that she'd feel that way.
"If you're asking me whether I think it's worth it to put my life on the line for the sake of revenge, the only answer I can give you is no, it's not."
Ravien had pushed aside her emotions to make a logical decision. If anything, her reaction was the normal one. Even if it had been a family member who died, most people wouldn't ever dream of taking revenge against the royal family.
"I see... Thanks for telling me. It must have been hard to be completely honest with me."
"...I'm sorry that this is the only thing I can offer you, but I'm sure there's at least one other person from the group who feels the same way I do. The momentum and energy is just making it hard for them to voice their opinions."
That was probably true. People were quick to change their minds after their emotions cooled. "I'll keep that advice in mind."
"This is... a surprise. I honestly thought you would scream at me and call me a traitor."
"If I did that, would it change your mind? Because if it would, I would call you that a hundred times."
"Oh... Well..." Ravien averted her eyes, which told me everything I needed to know about her ability to be convinced. Still, we had both said what we needed to say, and our conversation came to a civil end.
I watched for a moment as she glared at the floor, clearly frustrated with herself. It reminded me of the old me. I used to be just like her, after all.
"Ravien," I heard myself say, "let me give you a piece of advice as well."
"What is it?"
"If everyone had been as rational as you that day, none of us would have made it back alive."
There was no such thing as an objectively right thing to do. There were only the choices we made and could make.
"Come and see me if you change your mind," I said, moving toward the doorway. "We'll always welcome you with open arms."
She called out to me as I went to leave. "...I think my father is still in a meeting, though?"
"Oh, right."
In the end, I had to stick around for a bit longer, awkwardly drinking tea with her until Mr. Dragon eventually came back and teleported me home. Since I had left early in the morning, I was able to make it back by noon.
"Mister! You're back!"
"...You're home early. I thought you said you might be out late?"
When I walked back up toward the house, Amelia and Erwen quickly ran out to greet me.
"Ah, the meeting ended earlier than I thought. But what happened here?" I gestured at the backyard. Before I left, it was a vacant lot full of weeds, but now, it had been completely remodeled. A line was drawn down the middle. One side was a garden full of bushes and plants, while the other side was set up like a training ground.
"Oh, this? Don't worry about it. It might look a bit odd, but... there was no other option."
"Since it would be unfair for one person to have it all to themselves, we decided to split it in two."
So that was why it was both a garden and a training ground now. After fighting for the past few days, this was apparently the compromise they had reached.
"Yandel, did you eat?"
"Just a few snacks. What about you all?"
"Not yet!"
"Then let's eat together."
I thought it might be nice to go out to eat for the first time in a while, but before I could even ask, I was told that Auyen was already cooking for us. At first, I couldn't comprehend what I was hearing at all. "That guy is cooking...?"
"You didn't know? He also made the dinner you ate yesterday."
"...I thought you guys bought that. Is there even a kitchen here?"
Amelia shot me a pitying look. "We converted one of the rooms on the first floor into a kitchen a while ago. How did you not even notice?"
I didn't respond.
"Yandel, I know you're busy, but you should pay attention to the place you're living."
I had nothing to say to that. I was already planning to use my free time over the next few days to get a proper night's rest, at least.
For the time being, I followed Amelia over to the new kitchen.
"Ah, you're here, Captain!" Auyen, who was wearing a white apron, greeted me. I glanced at the counter to see a meal laid out on clean, white plates.
"Mister, come here. He'll take care of everything, so just sit down."
"Oh... Sure."
What else could Auyen do? The guy was a navigator, equestrian, and now a cook?
...Is he good at everything aside from fighting?
It hit me once again just how important strength was in this world. If I weren't strong, maybe this guy would be bossing me around instead.
"What do you think? Is it to your taste?"
"It's perfect. It tastes great, and there's a lot of side dishes with meat too."
"Since we never know when you will get back, the mistresses always make me prepare plenty to eat."
"...Mistresses?"
"Oh..." Auyen flinched at his slip of the tongue. Since he realized himself that he'd messed up, I didn't bother getting on his case about it any further and just ate my meal.
"You can leave it. I'll clean it up."
When we finished eating, Auyen came over and collected the dishes. How strange. This special treatment made me feel like a genuine noble.
"Mister, you don't have any other plans today, right?"
"Yeah. I left the rest of my day empty just in case."
"Then... how about we drink some tea in the garden?"
"Oh, that sounds great."
"Tersia, I want black tea," Amelia chimed in.
"Ha... you really are shameless."
Despite her grumbling, Erwen did end up making us black tea, and the three of us sat out in the garden and talked. Beneath the sun's warm rays, I looked at the fence sequestering our house from the outside world, creating a comfortable bubble. It had been a while since I'd had a break like this.
This is nice...
Even Erwen and Amelia's bickering just felt like soothing background noise, and I felt relaxed for the first time in ages.
Perhaps my exhausted state explained what happened next.
"Family..."
Without realizing it, the word slipped out of my mouth. It was only spoken in a murmur, meaning no one should have heard it, not unless they were listening attentively. Nevertheless, the quarreling duo next to me suddenly went quiet.
An awkward silence filled the garden.
"...Yandel, what did you just say?"
"Yeah, what did you say, Mister?"
The two both turned to me in unison like they hadn't been fighting mere seconds ago.
"...Nothing." I quickly tried to brush it off, but their expressions told me that they weren't going to drop it.
"No, what did you mean? We clearly heard you say 'family'..."
I groaned. Why did I let that slip? Ever since my meeting with that little dragonian and what she told me today, the word had been on my mind and I ended up blurting it out...
"It's just..." I let out a heavy sigh. "I was wondering if this might be what it feels like to have a family."
It was an honest answer. But despite my candidness, the two of them fell silent again, their mouths closing with a click.
If they don't say something soon, this is only going to get more awkward...
Erwen stared down at her teacup, refusing to meet my gaze.
Then, suddenly, her eyes snapped up and she murmured, almost imperceptibly, "...The left side of the fence."
The left side of the fence? What was she talking about all of a sudden?
Just as I was about to ask what she meant, Amelia spoke up and answered my question. "Someone is watching us."
What?
"Tersia, let's ambush them on the count of three."
"All right."
Without needing any input from me, the two of them crept toward the fence and prepared to attack whoever was watching us.
"...Ehhh?!"
In an instant, they pounced and began to drag the stalker out like a trophy, like predators who had just caught their prey.
"...Oh. It's you... I don't know if I should be happy to see you or not."
Amelia's reaction tipped me off to the fact that something was wrong.
Erwen, meanwhile, was dead silent, her expression frozen.
"Ahaha..." Their prey fell to the floor and looked up at me with an awkward smile. "I-It's been a while... Bjorrrn—Ack!" She winced in pain like she had bit her tongue while trying to wrap it around the words.
Amelia, Erwen, and I just stared at her in stunned silence.
It was Missha.
She called out to me as I went to leave. "...I think my father is still in a meeting, though?"
"Oh, right."
In the end, I had to stick around for a bit longer, awkwardly drinking tea with her until Mr. Dragon eventually came back and teleported me home. Since I had left early in the morning, I was able to make it back by noon.
"Mister! You're back!"
"...You're home early. I thought you said you might be out late?"
When I walked back up toward the house, Amelia and Erwen quickly ran out to greet me.
"Ah, the meeting ended earlier than I thought. But what happened here?" I gestured at the backyard. Before I left, it was a vacant lot full of weeds, but now, it had been completely remodeled. A line was drawn down the middle. One side was a garden full of bushes and plants, while the other side was set up like a training ground.
"Oh, this? Don't worry about it. It might look a bit odd, but... there was no other option."
"Since it would be unfair for one person to have it all to themselves, we decided to split it in two."
So that was why it was both a garden and a training ground now. After fighting for the past few days, this was apparently the compromise they had reached.
"Yandel, did you eat?"
"Just a few snacks. What about you all?"
"Not yet!"
"Then let's eat together."
I thought it might be nice to go out to eat for the first time in a while, but before I could even ask, I was told that Auyen was already cooking for us. At first, I couldn't comprehend what I was hearing at all. "That guy is cooking...?"
"You didn't know? He also made the dinner you ate yesterday."
"...I thought you guys bought that. Is there even a kitchen here?"
Amelia shot me a pitying look. "We converted one of the rooms on the first floor into a kitchen a while ago. How did you not even notice?"
I didn't respond.
"Yandel, I know you're busy, but you should pay attention to the place you're living."
I had nothing to say to that. I was already planning to use my free time over the next few days to get a proper night's rest, at least.
For the time being, I followed Amelia over to the new kitchen.
"Ah, you're here, Captain!" Auyen, who was wearing a white apron, greeted me. I glanced at the counter to see a meal laid out on clean, white plates.
"Mister, come here. He'll take care of everything, so just sit down."
"Oh... Sure."
What else could Auyen do? The guy was a navigator, equestrian, and now a cook?
...Is he good at everything aside from fighting?
It hit me once again just how important strength was in this world. If I weren't strong, maybe this guy would be bossing me around instead.
"What do you think? Is it to your taste?"
"It's perfect. It tastes great, and there's a lot of side dishes with meat too."
"Since we never know when you will get back, the mistresses always make me prepare plenty to eat."
"...Mistresses?"
"Oh..." Auyen flinched at his slip of the tongue. Since he realized himself that he'd messed up, I didn't bother getting on his case about it any further and just ate my meal.
"You can leave it. I'll clean it up."
When we finished eating, Auyen came over and collected the dishes. How strange. This special treatment made me feel like a genuine noble.
"Mister, you don't have any other plans today, right?"
"Yeah. I left the rest of my day empty just in case."
"Then... how about we drink some tea in the garden?"
"Oh, that sounds great."
"Tersia, I want black tea," Amelia chimed in.
"Ha... you really are shameless."
Despite her grumbling, Erwen did end up making us black tea, and the three of us sat out in the garden and talked. Beneath the sun's warm rays, I looked at the fence sequestering our house from the outside world, creating a comfortable bubble. It had been a while since I'd had a break like this.
This is nice...
Even Erwen and Amelia's bickering just felt like soothing background noise, and I felt relaxed for the first time in ages.
Perhaps my exhausted state explained what happened next.
"Family..."
Without realizing it, the word slipped out of my mouth. It was only spoken in a murmur, meaning no one should have heard it, not unless they were listening attentively. Nevertheless, the quarreling duo next to me suddenly went quiet.
An awkward silence filled the garden.
"...Yandel, what did you just say?"
"Yeah, what did you say, Mister?"
The two both turned to me in unison like they hadn't been fighting mere seconds ago.
"...Nothing." I quickly tried to brush it off, but their expressions told me that they weren't going to drop it.
"No, what did you mean? We clearly heard you say 'family'..."
I groaned. Why did I let that slip? Ever since my meeting with that little dragonian and what she told me today, the word had been on my mind and I ended up blurting it out...
"It's just..." I let out a heavy sigh. "I was wondering if this might be what it feels like to have a family."
It was an honest answer. But despite my candidness, the two of them fell silent again, their mouths closing with a click.
If they don't say something soon, this is only going to get more awkward...
Erwen stared down at her teacup, refusing to meet my gaze.
Then, suddenly, her eyes snapped up and she murmured, almost imperceptibly, "...The left side of the fence."
The left side of the fence? What was she talking about all of a sudden?
Just as I was about to ask what she meant, Amelia spoke up and answered my question. "Someone is watching us."
What?
"Tersia, let's ambush them on the count of three."
"All right."
Without needing any input from me, the two of them crept toward the fence and prepared to attack whoever was watching us.
"...Ehhh?!"
In an instant, they pounced and began to drag the stalker out like a trophy, like predators who had just caught their prey.
"...Oh. It's you... I don't know if I should be happy to see you or not."
Amelia's reaction tipped me off to the fact that something was wrong.
Erwen, meanwhile, was dead silent, her expression frozen.
"Ahaha..." Their prey fell to the floor and looked up at me with an awkward smile. "I-It's been a while... Bjorrrn—Ack!" She winced in pain like she had bit her tongue while trying to wrap it around the words.
Amelia, Erwen, and I just stared at her in stunned silence.
It was Missha.