Why Did You Raise Your Daughter Like That?
Why Did You Raise Your Daughter Like That?
Ian was flustered.
Sharon's mother.
If he and Sharon were on good terms, it might have been different, but their relationship was such that crossing swords at any moment—though Ian wasn't sure he even had a sword to cross with her—wouldn't have been unusual.
But to the sickly, graceful mother of a fellow student?
'That's right. Your daughter grew up wrong. Why in the world did you raise her like that?'
He couldn't quite bring himself to say that. Some trace of Eastern propriety still lingered in Ian's blood. However.
"Truth be told, your daughter and I don't get along."
When it came to manners, Ian had been through far worse since possessing this body. Having matured into a consummate pragmatist, he was blunt.
"How can that be..."
The woman's expression rapidly darkened.
She already radiated a delicate, sickly air. Sharon's mother looked as though she might collapse from distress at any second.
Ian hesitated for a moment, taking in that pitiful face.
Looking closer, even her hairstyle was the so-called "short-lived mother" cut you often saw in fiction—the kind worn by mothers destined to die young.
'Wait, isn't this a reverse Tallulah situation?'
He hadn't badmouthed the mother in front of the daughter; he'd badmouthed the daughter right in front of the mother...
He could practically hear his reputation shattering in real time.
On top of that, this woman was the sole lead for getting out of this situation. Rather than worry about a Sharon who wasn't even here, he needed to focus on the person right before him.
Ian hastily added,
"Your daughter's skill with the sword is so exceptional that I've been rather jealous, you see."
Sharon's mother, Sasha Asilia, brightened.
"Oh, what a relief. I was separated from that child when she was young, so..."
Having recovered her breath with difficulty, she continued.
"I was so terribly worried she might have gone astray. My breath caught, and for a moment everything went dark. Forgive me for such an unsightly display."
With a delicate, trembling arm, she wiped away the tears welling in her eyes.
Ian let out a small sigh.
'I nearly died, socially and reputationally speaking.'
From now on, he'd pay close attention to a person's hairstyle.
Anyway.
There was something in Asilia's words he couldn't let slide.
Officially, the established setting was that Sasha Asilia had been killed by a Blood Rock Sect follower when Sharon was young.
'That's the setting.'
But the fact that she was here meant she had been absorbed by Richard Pierce.
And it didn't actually contradict the setting. After all, being absorbed by the "Blood Rock Sect follower" Richard Pierce was, for all intents and purposes, being "killed" by him.
"When you say you were separated... that means you were absorbed by Richard, I take it?"
Asilia's eyes widened.
"D-don't tell me you know about that?"
As she asked, her deep blue hair swayed softly.
"If you're asking whether Richard Pierce is a Blood Rock Sect member, and whether he's been absorbing people—then yes. That's my conclusion."
"To think there was someone who knew."
Asilia's face looked like someone who had just discovered an oasis in the desert. She clasped Ian's hands in both of hers.
"No one would believe me. I tried to oppose him alone, only to..."
Just as it was starting to feel a little uncomfortable.
Yergina cut in between them.
"Wait."
After cutting off Asilia, Yergina pressed her temples for a moment.
She had too many questions.
Yergina laboriously opened her mouth.
"Is this woman truly Sharon Pierce's mother?"
For all the effort it took to speak, she started with the comparatively less shocking subject. Asilia, who had been looking at Yergina for a moment, brought her hands together with a sharp clap.
"Oh my. Could it be Miss Yergina? My, how upright and fine you've grown up."
Ian was surprised.
Asilia had fearlessly started stroking Yergina's head without warning.
He rubbed his eyes.
'???'
Pat, pat.
Yergina, like a startled lioness, simply stood still and let her head be stroked.
What on earth was he looking at?
A scene of someone stroking the head of a 5-Star Seat Awakened.
'Ah.'
Then it came back to him.
The sword technique that had been an SSR-grade hidden scroll in Fanta X Aca: the Snow Blossom Sword.
If Sasha Asilia was, as her epithet implied, the Snow Blossom Sword Empress—the one who created the technique—then she was a master who surpassed even Yergina.
To Ian, the scene began to look like a dragon stroking a lion's mane.
Though the dragon was infinitely benevolent, soft, and somewhat sickly-looking.
A somewhat subdued Yergina spoke to Asilia as if apologizing.
"...I'm sorry, but I have no memory of you. I didn't even know you were the Snow Blossom Sword Empress."
"It's quite alright. You were sent straight to the front lines and practically grew up there, weren't you? Your mother Asilia understands everything. You've worked so hard."
"Th-thank you. It does seem you truly are Sharon's mother. To think it was you, the creator of the Snow Blossom Sword."
In Asilia's embrace, Yergina was inwardly staggered.
'I can sense incredible internal energy in her every gesture.'
She smiled warmly, but she was indeed a master who had dominated an era.
Accepting her touch so quietly, even if she was the mother of another sister, a feeling of comfort naturally settled in her heart... no, not that.
Ahem!
With a clearing of her throat, Yergina carefully and politely pushed Asilia back a little and asked,
"I would appreciate it if you could answer just one thing. Is father Richard truly a Blood Rock Sect member? And are we all trapped inside that man's stomach?"
"Yes. My husband, your father Richard Pierce, is a Blood Rock Sect member."
"And this place is...?"
"You could call this the mental world he created to absorb the life force of others. To be precise, it's his mana heart. In other words..."
Cough.
Asilia let out a pitiful cough and continued.
"It's his dantian."
◆
'This is Richard's dantian?'
A chill ran down his spine for a second, but at the same time, it made perfect sense.
The most efficient way to absorb humans and use them as fuel for growth would be to digest them inside the dantian, after all.
The others weren't doing any better than Ian.
"So I'm being digested right now?" Danya asked, looking shocked.
"There's still so much I haven't gotten to do..." Rina said, fidgeting with the handkerchief around her neck and glancing at Ian.
"......"
Yergina seemed lost in deep thought.
To be precise, she looked like a half-broken lioness.
Then.
— Clap!
The sound of hands coming together rang out.
Everyone's gaze turned to Asilia.
"Oh my. Look at my manners."
With her hands clasped together, Asilia smiled warmly.
"Guests have arrived, so I simply must provide some hospitality!"
Ian thought she was pushing herself a little to lighten the mood.
And he had good reason. There didn't seem to be any real ingredients for cooking in this cave.
"Forgive the humble fare."
She busied herself, knocking this and that about.
"This is a frozen dessert made from 10-year-old snow."
She offered a bowl piled high with something white.
"And this is a frozen dessert made from 30-year-old snow. This one has a somewhat deeper, richer flavor."
Ian accepted the bowl and took a spoonful.
It was just snow.
Yergina's expression softened with pity.
"I figured there wouldn't be much in the way of proper food."
Rina wiped at the corner of her eye as if sad.
"Just how long did she have to endure such hardship..."
Danya, on the other hand...
"Mm, it's tasty, meow."
She ate the snow with relish.
Now that he thought about it, some dogs or cats would sometimes eat snow. Maybe they really did find it delicious.
...No. That wasn't the point.
"Danya, your backpack."
He hadn't gotten a clear look inside her magitech backpack, but he'd glimpsed some ingredients.
Jerky, milk and cheese powder, dried noodles, spices...
Ian skillfully set out the ingredients and cooking tools, then dusted off his hands.
Then he turned to Asilia.
"Please cook."
◆
"I-Ian. What are you saying... This woman is the Snow Blossom Sword Empress."
"Ian?"
The group was bewildered. But Ian was uncompromising.
"I'm hungry. Please cook."
At his words, Yergina let out a small sigh.
"The shock must have caused a regression to childhood."
"I-I can look after him well! I've taken care of my younger siblings since I was little!"
"I'm first, meow! My tail is fluffy and I've always been popular with children!"
Ian ignored the sudden squabble that broke out.
Asilia, who had been quietly watching Ian, smiled warmly.
"Of course. It's been a while, so I'd better put my skills to use."
Swish, swish.
Asilia rolled up her sleeves and began to cook.
— Sizzle.
She expertly poured oil into a pan and added garlic.
— Slash!
With a single swing of her cooking knife, the jerky pieces were cut into bite-sized pieces and began to brown nicely.
Finally, she added milk and boiled the pasta, which she had broken into four pieces.
"Here. I've finally gotten to show off a bit. I'm not sure if it'll suit your tastes."
As she said this and served a bowl for each of them, Asilia's shoulders seemed much lighter than before.
"You said you were hungry, so eat up. You'll be in trouble if you leave any leftovers."
When he stirred the bowl with his spoon, there was a noticeably generous amount of meat.
Wink.
Asilia closed one eye.
"Thank you."
Danya's eyes had narrowed into slits. Was it because of the meat, or because of Asilia's wink?
Avoiding Danya's gaze, Ian lifted a spoonful to his mouth.
"Whoa."
He blinked dazedly several times.
And then he loaded another spoonful.
"...Crazy."
High praise slipped out before he knew it.
The milk-based broth had a gentle, savory depth. Just as it was about to feel heavy, the sharp bite of the garlic came in to clean up the aftertaste. It was a dish that warmed you through.
And the meat was sublime.
It was chewy and tender, yet moist from soaking up the broth. Any thought of 'A dish made from jerky?' was instantly gone. In fact, the dish felt like it couldn't be perfected without using jerky.
"I've never tasted anything this good before..."
"It's so delicious."
Danya and Rina murmured out at the same time.
"Hmhmhm. I'm so glad everyone is eating with such pleasure."
Asilia, who had been watching with her chin resting on her hand, smiled contentedly. Without taking a bite of food for herself, she had already made something else.
"It's a dessert made by finely grinding dried fruit and mixing it with sugar into a paste."
The question of how she ground it without a blender was solved by the single cooking knife in her hand.
Thinking that perhaps the true flavor of cooking came not from fire but from the knife, Ian bit into the dessert.
The tartness of the fruit and the sweetness of the sugar blended harmoniously, pleasing the tip of his tongue.
Ian tucked one into his pocket while listening to the conversation between Asilia and Danya.
"...It was Lichten Academy. What kind of child is Sharon there?"
Danya's eyes darted around. There was no way Asilia missed her looking to Ian for cues.
Rina quickly stepped in to salvage the situation.
"She was so amazing that she was considered the school's top rising prospect for a while! And she had so many people who followed her."
"Oh, is that so?"
"Yes! Truly!"
A faint bitterness flickered across Asilia's face and then vanished.
But she smiled brightly without pressing further.
"Fufufu. What a relief. Would you all follow me this way for a moment?"
Asilia rose smoothly from her seat.
Watching her, Danya whispered cautiously to Ian.
"Doesn't this seem suspicious? Doesn't she seem to be treating us a little too well, meow?"
"After you just ate her food so happily?"
"Th-that's... anyway, I'm getting a bad feeling. Something's strange, meow..."
Her face was utterly serious.
And in the place Asilia led them to, steam was rising gently into the air.
"I-I knew it! She's trying to fatten us up and eat us!"
Danya's eyes trembled.