In the Royal Capital, there is a saying, “the rush of spring”. As the days get longer in March, it gets warmer and warmer.
I walk back, my breath is white as I step on the shadows cast by the setting sun. Smoke is rising from my house.
“I’m home!”
My mother is arranging dinner. Mom works at the hospital and is wearing a white robe as part of her uniform. Her brown hair was tied up and hangs down beneath her hood. Her hair swayed a little as she turned around.
“Welcome back, Rion.”
Mom looks a little better. It looks like the family is getting together early today.
“Lu is resting upstairs. You should call her over and let’s have dinner.”
The three of us started our meal. Somehow, it’s warm because we don’t have to save firewood. With Spring approaching, the wood is cheaper and besides, we now have money to spare.
The number of dishes on the table also increased. Vegetables are precious during the cold season, but the soup had lots of root vegetables in it. Biting into the potato made my mouth warm, and swallowing it warmed me to the core. When I chewed the bread with walnuts, the sweetness and savory smell filled my mouth.
“Eh?”
There is chicken in the soup.
“This….…”
“I got it for Lu. It is in celebration for her, the person close to us, on getting better.”
Lu nodded sternly. Meat is a precious commodity in the Royal Capital during winter.
I stuff my face with the flavorful chicken.
“It’s delicious……!”
Having the three of us gathered at the table as a family was such a happy thing. Lu hadn’t been able to eat until a little while ago. She had only been shoveling small amounts of barley porridge that had been soaked in water into her mouth.
“I’m glad Lu has gotten better. The medicine is working.”
I nearly choked on the meat I was about to swallow.
They thought that is how Lu’s illness got better.
Even if I say that she has been cured by a Goddess, they probably will not believe me right away. The power to awaken gods other than the main god Odis-sama—the more I think about it, the more cautious I am on speaking about it. This is especially true since my mother is a healer, a healer who serves the main god, Odis-sama.
“Rion”
I was thinking about that, so I was surprised when mom called me.
“Y-yes!”
“Oh my, why are you so surprised? Are you thinking deeply of something again?”
“Ha, hahaha—”
Mom smiled at me.
“Just know that you’re doing great. Thank you.”
“……Dad is not here anymore. I’ve got to do it.”
“Enough with that. Rion, let me tell you, you’re working harder than you think. Don’t try too hard on your own…… It’s a dangerous job after all.”
Mom doesn’t seem to be happy about me entering the dungeon because of Dad. But adventurers who defeat monsters are needed, so I still want to aim to become one.
Mom asked.
“What about your companions?”
Of course, she is not talking about Solana. She is talking about Mia.
“I think she’s a good person.”
“I see. Then please introduce us sometime.”
I answered yes, but I wonder…. I just have a feeling that it might include Solana.
Why is mom so sharp sometimes?
“Hey, I think today’s food are luxurious.”
I said it with the intention of diverting the topic, but Mom just laughed.
“It’s okay. They gave me some extra dried meat and vegetables.”
“E-extra?”
“I heard from the shopkeeper that a nobleman told them that they couldn’t sell things to us. That’s why he added extra things to our daily necessities and food.”
I held my breath.
I knew Gideon has been pressuring me so I could not sell my things easily. I can’t believe that it was the same even in the surrounding shops that had nothing to do with being an adventurer.
But…. did they give Mom an extra instead?
“There are fewer people who sell their goods to me, but there are people who do better for me, it is all thanks to Rion.”
My heart warmed. Even if they know that they shouldn’t go against the nobles, there are still some who helped our family in this way.
“Oniichan.”
Lu pursed her lips. She looks at me with her big sky-blue eyes. Her eyes seem to be thinking about something, as if she is lost.
“What’s wrong?”
When I asked, Lu closed her eyes tightly before speaking.
“Uhm… That, after we pay off our debts and I’m cured of my illness, what will you do next?”
“……What should I do?”
It was a question that didn’t feel real until a while ago.
But now it’s different. Freedom is within reach.
“Oniichan worked so hard for us up until now, haven’t you? So I wonder what you want to do next.”
“……Me?”
“I-, I’m going to be fine! I’ll definitely get better! Once we pay off our debts, we can even move out of town, right? So, Oniichan, you should think about your own dream this time!”
Along with the hot food, her words sink into my heart.
I couldn’t put my reply into words, so I continued eating.
Then it was the common sight. The sound of clinking on the plates, the warm living room, the cheerful Lu.
Suddenly, my eyes get hot.
I’ve always thought that I had to be firm. Now, happiness came back little by little. What is missing may never come back, but happiness can be restored.
“Thank you, Oniichan.”
My vision blurred as I swallowed the hot soup.
Hey self, don’t cry, you are the big brother…..
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
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