Mom...?
“Welcome, El!”
Anne rushed up the moment I stepped down from the carriage, beaming as she greeted me. Ian, whom I had thought was fairly close to me by now, was nowhere to be seen.
“Yay!”
I slapped my palm against Anne’s outstretched hand in a high-five. Looking thoroughly satisfied, she fell into step beside me.
Somehow, both of my bags had already ended up in her hands. The maid who had ridden with me had been carrying them, so when—and why—Anne had snatched them away was a mystery. In the end I reclaimed one bag from her, and the two of us walked side by side into the mansion, each carrying one like a pair of good friends.
“Mom’s out on business, and Dad’s in the study right now. Let’s just say a quick hello and then head to my room.”
“Sounds good.”
I had no reason to refuse, so we went together to pay our respects to Anne’s father. Fortunately, whatever good things Anne and Ian had said about me seemed to have stuck; his manner toward me was openly friendly.
“Of course. You must be tired from the journey—go rest. If you need anything at all, just say the word.”
“Yes, thank you.”
One unusual detail: the head of the Klein family was not Anne’s father, but her mother. Anne had casually mentioned it before we reached the study, so I managed to avoid a major faux pas. Apparently Alec had married into the family as a live-in son-in-law.
“By the way, Anne, you don’t look much like your father.”
“Right? I really don’t take after Dad at all—I’m the spitting image of Mom. Ian’s the one who looks just like him.”
True enough. From the moment I first saw Alec, I could tell exactly where Ian’s massive build had come from. I still hadn’t met Anne’s mother, but Alec was every bit as tall as Ian. Watching that towering man completely absorbed in a book when we visited the study had been surprisingly unexpected.
If Anne had inherited even a little of her father’s height, maybe she wouldn’t be stuck with that ridiculously tiny stature…
Poke.
“Hyah! Wh-what was that for?! Why’d you suddenly jab me in the side?!”
Anne’s sudden attack startled a yelp out of me. I had heard that scream of mine plenty of times by now, yet it still never felt natural. Not that I could suppress the sound that burst out on pure reflex whenever I was startled.
“No reason. Just felt like you were thinking something mean.”
“I-I was not! Stop making me sound like some weird person!”
“……”
Anne was glaring at me through half-lidded eyes. Honestly, her instincts were so sharp around me that I could barely think a private thought in her presence.
“Fine, fine! I was thinking you were cute, okay? Is that not allowed either?”
Well, I had thought she was cute because she was small, so it wasn’t exactly a lie. At this point I couldn’t even picture a tall version of Anne.
“Hmm? Still suspicious, but I’ll let it slide for now!”
Luckily, the single word “cute” was enough to smooth things over.
“Anyway, El, you said this is your first time in our town, right? What do you think so far?”
“Hard to say. I only got a rough look from the carriage window, but for a place this close to the Forbidden Forest, it seems surprisingly lively.”
Even though this was the city nearest the Forbidden Forest—where even the demonkin who threatened the continent dared not set foot—the streets were bustling. If anything, it felt more vibrant than Yuri’s territory.
“Right? Right? But you can’t really get a feel for it just looking from the outside. I’ll show you around! Let’s go out together.”
I hadn’t even answered yet, but Anne was already on her feet, urging me along. Since I had planned to agree anyway, I simply followed without protest.
And so we stepped out into the streets.
Ordinary townsfolk were out and about, of course, but there were also plenty of people who were unmistakably adventurers. Most carried swords on their backs or at their hips; every so often a mage in robes with a staff would catch the eye.
In front of a weapons shop, a swordsman haggled over a displayed blade with the owner. Across the way, a housewife bantered for a free extra with a vendor selling ingredients. The lively mix of local residents and wandering adventurers felt refreshingly new.
“You can’t enter the Forbidden Forest itself, but there are tons of labyrinths and ruins around it. Plenty of monsters too, so the subjugation bounties are pretty good. Our city’s adventurer guild is probably the second largest in the empire.”
Naturally the biggest would be the headquarters in the capital.
“I figured a city this close to the Forbidden Forest would be barren, but it’s the opposite.”
“His Majesty knows it too. If our city falls, the monsters crawling out of the Forbidden Forest become a real headache. So there are all sorts of benefits, and that’s why the place ended up growing instead.”
“Huh. Makes sense. So where are we headed right now?”
“To the café with the best desserts in the whole city!”
I had only started frequenting cafés after entering the academy, but the ones in Felches had already raised my standards considerably. Most catered mainly to students, and quite a few specifically targeted nobles, so tagging along with my friends had refined my palate more than I cared to admit.
Anne had explored Felches’s cafés with me, so she knew that—yet she spoke with absolute confidence.
“I bet even you’ll be shocked after one bite.”
Anne wasn’t above the occasional fib, but when she got this excited it usually meant she genuinely believed it. Seeing her even more fired up than I was started to get my hopes up too.
“Ta-da!”
The place we arrived at looked shabbier than I expected. Most cafés, aiming at a young clientele, put real effort into their interiors. This one, if I were being generous, had a “quaint antique” vibe; if I were being honest, it just looked run-down.
At least the shop itself was fairly spacious, and it was already packed—finding a seat looked nearly impossible. The fact that so many people crowded in despite the lackluster décor meant everything else more than made up for the flaws. Anne’s bold claim clearly had some foundation.
“What’ll you have, El? My recommendation is the double chocolate shake and the chocolate mud cake. How about it?”
…Just hearing the names made my mouth feel sticky. Normally a sweet cake paired with a bitter americano was the classic combo, but telling Anne that would be pointless.
“Then I’ll go with those…”
“Okay! You grab us a table. I’ll order.”
It felt a little awkward, but since it was Anne’s recommendation I decided to just close my eyes and dive headfirst into pure sweetness.
“Ah, how much is it? I’ll pay half.”
“No need. If I make a guest pay, Mom would kill me.”
Anne said it with a perfectly serious face—kill me, no less. Talk about strict household rules. Of course, coming from someone raised under an assassin’s idea of “family education,” I didn’t exactly have room to talk.
Leaving Anne at the counter, I wandered in search of an empty seat. No matter how thoroughly I scanned the interior, though, nothing was free. Wondering if the outdoor tables might have space, I had just stepped outside when—
Thump.
More of a soft poof than a hard thump, really. Something collided with my chest. Looking down, I found a child’s face buried right against me.
Apparently, while I had been glancing around for seats, I had completely failed to notice the short little figure right in front of me and walked straight into her.
I quickly stepped back to check on the child—and froze in surprise. Bright red hair just like Anne’s, and that same tiny stature… for a split second I almost mistook her for Anne herself. Her features were so similar that if the two stood side by side, anyone would assume they were sisters. But a quick glance toward the counter confirmed Anne was still waiting for her order of drinks and dessert.
“Sorry, little one. Big sister wasn’t watching where she was going. Are you hurt anywhere?”
Thankfully the child didn’t seem injured.
…My chest wasn’t huge, but it still had enough cushion to soften the impact, I figured.
The girl, however, simply lifted her head and stared at me without a word.
“How dare you—do you even know who this person is…?!”
A man standing beside her barked in her place. Turning, I saw a fellow in armor gripping a massive greatsword with both hands. Odd armament, considering he already had a sword at his hip—and he was carrying the greatsword separately instead of strapping it to his back.
The child’s clothes looked quite luxurious as well; clearly some high-ranking person’s daughter out for a stroll. Sure enough, the moment the little girl raised a hand, the scolding man fell silent and stood at attention.
“Hmm… a newly settled adventurer, are you? Not bad skill, from the looks of it.”
She had clearly seen a lot for her age, gazing up at me as she spoke. She was trying to sound imposing, but with that tiny frame and adorable voice it only came off as cute—exactly like watching Anne put on airs.
“Heh. Our little one here has a good eye. This big sister may not look it, but people say I’m pretty decent with a sword.”
I was only playing along because the child was so adorable, yet the man who seemed to be her escort was growing visibly restless. It wasn’t as if I was going to eat the kid; reacting that strongly was enough to sting a little even for me.
“Ah, El! There you are.”
While I was chatting with the girl, Anne’s order must have come out already. She approached carrying a tray loaded with drinks and cake.
“I still haven’t found a se—eh?”
But as she drew closer, Anne made a strange noise and stopped dead in her tracks.
“M-Mom…?”
?
At the word “Mom,” I turned to look, but no one matching that description was in sight. I glanced back at Anne’s eyes, then followed her gaze.
…?
Anne was staring straight at the child I had bumped into.
I looked at Anne again, but her eyes remained fixed on the little girl standing in front of me. No matter how many times I turned my head, nothing changed.
Ah……