Chapter 654 – Gratitude and Family

000

The two of her attendants were worried about Aisha, who was able to return in a day, but Aisha opened the door and entered her house, and her expression immediately brightened.

And, having heard all of her stories about Darwin from her, they immediately look furious again and say they can’t forgive her Darwin.

Perhaps, for the two of them, beating Darwin is harder than picking stars in the sky, so they persuaded them to accept the help of anyone who could help them.

“What are you saying… I wonder if there is anyone who can help us who are no different from tramps…”

Of Aisha’s duo of attendants, if her taller side does so, her shorter side will cross her arms and nod her head.

“I can’t trust the palace or the temple. Lady, this is what happened, leaving Asteris…”

“No. … One day, when the curse of the Oberti family is lifted, we decided to build the family mansion in Asteris once again. And so that the three of us can live a normal life together.”

“That’s… But that’s the case.”

Aisha said sternly, but if possible, she wanted the two of them to not get caught up in their affairs.

If the two of them were ordinary humans unlike themselves, they would be able to enjoy life as ordinary humans even if they abandoned themselves and left Asteris and went to another country.

They are just claiming to be their own servants following the will of their ancestors.

They’ve always been told to leave if they’re tired of hanging out with them, but right now it’s not a good situation for them to leave.

Because Darwin knew about these two men too.

If, for their sake, he separated from the two now, he could have tried to take them hostage to lure him out.

So, thinking that it’s safe to be together right now, Ayesha talks.

“You remember the knight who swore an oath to us before? He said he could help because he had a hostile relationship with Mr. Darwin.”

“Ohh… Is that true!?”

“As expected, the sky hasn’t abandoned us yet!”

Aisha nodded her head as she looked at the two of them with happy faces, as if she could trust that person.

“Huh. So, let’s pack up right now and go to the Dark Dragon Chamber. Even if it’s luggage… With clothes-“

And then, she turns her head and looks at the basket that contained the sewing cloth she had left on the way.

Then, it was a state where it had progressed much further from where it had stopped, and was on the verge of completion.

“This…”

Aisha approaches it, and when she holds up the cloth, the taller of her attendants averts her gaze with a sullen expression.

The reason, she said, was that Aisha had told them not to help her with her usual affairs.

The two of them go out to work in the field during the day, but if they return home and try to help with their own work, they will surely run out of strength.

Besides, she doesn’t seem to always get help from the two of them.

At least, maintaining her livelihood through her work was Aisha’s will, which she wanted to do with her own efforts on an equal footing with the two of them.

“Ah… That, that’s…”

And, on the short side, he answered as if he were making excuses while facing the index fingers of both hands.

“I’m afraid that if the lady comes back late, things won’t end…”

“…”

Aisha let out a laugh as both of them averted their gaze, whether they were aware that they had touched Aisha’s pride.

“Put. Ahaha…!”

It was because from that behavior and appearance, it was all conveyed that the two of them really valued each other.

Because of that, she couldn’t lose either of them.

The two are not like servants and servants, after all, they are his own family.

“…Are you okay. Thanks, Pete. Mitt.”

“No, no…”

The tall side apologetic – Pete, and the short side clearing the throat, Mitt.

Aisha smiled as she looked at the two of them, and as she rolled up her arms, she began to pack her not so many things.

001

“Whoa… I wonder if this is enough.”

When Aisha finished carrying her luggage, she wiped the sweat from her forehead.

There, there should have been a headband to cover her antlers, but as she moved her luggage, the heat rose from her body, and she was stuffy, so she abandoned it now.

And suddenly, as she looked around the inn she was staying in today, she stuck her tongue out at its expanse.

Pete and Mitt, together with the two of them, packed all their belongings and headed to the Dark Dragon Co., Where Calia, who had already heard the story from Cleon, was waiting for the three of them.

Aisha, who had seen her sensible appearance from a distance walking around her town with Hertie, had no particular feelings for her, but-

From her appearance, she thought that she was a cool-headed woman who had both ‘strictness’ and ‘resoluteness to say something even to her boss’.

However, no matter where she looked, she let the suspicious three of them in without any doubts with a friendly smile, saying ‘I heard the circumstances from Cleon’.

And the house he guided me to was the same size as the lodging where Cleon was living now.

When they were shown to a house that was too large for the three of them to live in, Pete, Mitt, and Aisha said they didn’t care if they stayed in the warehouse.

“I can’t keep Cleon-nim’s friend in such a place. It’s a house that remains anyway, so rather than wasting space, the house would be happy to let someone stay like this.”

While saying that, he was entrusting them with the keys to the house.

After following her with her eyes for a while as she walked away with her dumbfounded eyes, she suddenly came to her senses and went inside her house to examine her equipment.

Contrary to their house where the water did not come out properly, the spacious bathroom.

A living room with a garden, a kitchen with plenty of ingredients.

Besides, in a few bedrooms, even if three people share one room, it will still be there.

“My lady… We are not dreaming, are we? How can you live in a place like this…”

“Huh, by any chance, in exchange for living here, you’re being asked for something else…!?”

“Um, I don’t know. First of all, let’s unpack… If there were other conditions, that Calia-san from earlier would tell you…”

And, after unpacking everything with half the joy of being able to live in a proper house and half the worry that living in such a nice house, there can be no conditions.

Even though it wasn’t a lot of luggage, after cleaning the dusty area, the sun was setting.

Ayesha scratched her head as she looked at the bed as big as the room she used to be in, then she looked around her to see who wasn’t watching.

With a pounding heart, cautiously approach the bed-

As if throwing himself with a swish, he spread his arms and jumped into the bed.

Fluffy, the soft blanket that wrapped around her body was submerged while accepting her weight.

Although Aisha’s bed was flimsy and on the verge of collapsing, there was a risk that her legs would be broken and injured if she did this.

Like this, she thought, if it was a sturdy, big bed, she would certainly be able to accommodate her.

The feel of the warm, thick blanket that seduced her behind her.

Somewhere, unlike her bed at home, where she always scolded for dampness, a fragrant smell tickled and stimulated her nose.

‘If I fall asleep like this… I’m sure I’ll feel better…’

If you think about it… Even the escapade with Schrödinger, which feels like yesterday or the day before yesterday, happened just a few hours ago.

In that situation, thinking about how things had progressed and reached this point now, it seemed that my time, which had stopped, suddenly gained momentum and was about to flow quickly.

I don’t know where the flow of time will lead me…

After thinking that far, Aisha gently opened her eyes, and she got herself up and sat down on her bed.

“…That’s right, Schrödinger.”

And her heart is heavy when she thinks about the new friend she made today that got her out of there.

The thing about her was how her Cleon did it, but…

“… Why did I come out as if I was running away…”

Thinking so, she stood up from her seat without even recalling what kind of emotion she felt that Cleon was remembering her.

Let’s go and check Schrödinger’s status once again.

And, if you don’t say thank you properly.

Both Cleon and Schrödinger.

002

Like that, she left the house after leaving Mitt the story that she would return before dinner, and the one that came out after walking less than 100 steps was the building of the Dark Dragon Company that Cleon and his party were using.

As you approach and knock on the door, you hear footsteps approaching from the inside.

“Who are you?”

A voice confirming the other person before opening the door.

It was the voice of a little girl I had never heard before.

“Ah, Aisha… It’s. I’m here to see Schrödinger and Cleon…”

“Aisha…?”

Aisha was a little taken aback by her partner’s reaction to the name she had heard for the first time, but she soon calmly tried to explain herself.

“Wait a minute.”

However, along with the instructions to wait for a while from the inside, a voice talking to someone could be heard after walking a little further.

‘Sir, I was going to explain…’

And, to the sound of footsteps coming back after a while, when I was about to introduce myself this time.

The door opened with a creaking sound.

And the figure of the girl who appears when the door is opened.

The girl’s hair, in her voluminous, wavy blonde braid, fell down to her chest rather than past her shoulders.

And, when the big, sparkling blue eyes looked this way, the smile created by the clear, sculpted face was directed at Aisha.

Her clothes were obviously worn in clothes that were easy to move in, like those of ordinary people, in a slightly larger size, but I felt something like nobility that could not be erased from her.

‘Ears are so cute… They’re shiny… Just like a princess…’

The clothes she was wearing were no different from her own, but Aisha seemed a bit overwhelmed by the atmosphere she felt just by looking at her.

“I’m sorry, Aisha-san…! It’s a name I don’t know, so I had to ask someone else…!”

“Oh no! I’m really sorry for coming to you all of a sudden!”

And when she, who had politely apologized even though she was young, bowed her back, Aisha was flustered as if she begged her not to bend her back, and she didn’t know what to do.

“What are you doing at the front door…”

Then, another voice came from behind the girl.

A red-haired girl was looking this way with her hair undone.

If it was her, she’d seen it before. Obviously the name is-

“Lyla Flamewatch. Cleon’s colleague, and the magician of the party. And this is ‘Lea’. Likewise, a member of the party. Do you want to become an apprentice adventurer, for now?”

“Ah yes! That’s right. Her self-introduction must have been late. She is called Leah.”

And when she bowed her head once more, Aisha felt the impression of ‘Huh?’ At her words.

No matter where you look, the nobles of the least kingdom. The fact that he is living with adventurers as an apprentice adventurer-

‘Come to think of it, Cleon-sama was also the person I was with when we first met… I heard that he was the son of a beautiful dyer. In other words, the royal family of the East…’

After examining the situation like that, Aisha finally realized the identity of Cleon and his party.

‘Could it be that Cleon-sama and the people in the party are adventurers who are active outside the kingdom on a secret mission…? For example… Lia- No, Lia-sama’s escort…!’

When she looked like she understood everything, she nodded yes and looked at Lila with her respect.

“…?”

And Layla herself suddenly sees respect on her face as she looks at her, and she doesn’t know what’s going on-

‘Couldn’t you hide it… The aura of the archmage of this body…’

While thinking such a carefree thought, Layla and Amelia accepted Aisha into her house without knowing each other that a chain of illusions was occurring.

Walking through the hallway, passing by the door of the room where Schrödinger had been sleeping earlier, Aisha looked toward that door without realizing it.

Then, as Lila walks out in the lead, she questions Aisha.

“Did you come because you were worried about Cleon and Schrödinger?”

“Yes, the two of you…”

“The treatment was just finished. Cleon is taking a bath. It will be out soon, and Schrödinger will be fine soon.”

At her words, Aisha lets out a sigh of relief.

And the place we were guided to was not a room somewhere, but a living room.

“Sit down and wait. Schrödinger may not be able to wake up today, but I think I can talk to Cleon… And I also had a question for you.”

“Me, you mean?”

Was there anything she might be interested in?

This is the first time I’ve properly spoken to her face to face, her eyes twinkling and piercing Aisha.

‘Ah. These eyes are-‘

The eyes of a scholar – the eyes of curiosity.

It was a look similar to the one Darwin had shown himself.

However – there, through the difference between Lyla and Darwin’s gaze, she sees what is contained in it as a tool to satisfy her simple desire for knowledge –

Or, was she treating herself as a person who wanted to understand herself? She felt the difference, albeit slightly.

When Aisha sat down in her chair as she was guided, she straddled Lila across from her and she immediately began asking her own questions.

“Okay. Was it you The very next day after Cleon came to Asteris. That he is a nobleman whom I met when I went to the temple to get materials and made an oath.”

“Ugh.”

Aisha immediately felt guilty as her expression darkened.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry back then… Should I say I was immature… No, that would only be an excuse…”

Now that it’s like this, if you bow down and don’t be forgiven…!

And, trying to put her head down, Layla no no! Hers is dry and she shakes her head.

“I’m not trying to blame you for what happened then. Oaths do not force a person’s will. It’s just ‘when you break the rules, you take the soul.'”

While saying that, Lila put her chin on her chin and spoke to Aisha.

“That’s why, those guys who don’t know how to reflect even after making an oath like that, straight away repeat their mistakes, break the oath and get punished. At that point, you must have been reflecting properly. That Cleon’s oath didn’t activate.”

“That…”

At Lila’s words, Aisha looked her in the eyes as she lifted her head.

Then, as if to organize what she wanted to say, she closed her mouth, and then, to Lila, she slowly poured out her inner thoughts.

“…For me, to somehow survive in this world. I thought I needed to live on, even if I took away anything. For him, without caring about hurting others…”

Her own family – her ancestors and her parents had been taken away that way all this time.

After all, she had no choice but to do it herself, she was mistaken.

“But, thanks to Cleon-sama’s promise to me, it was awkward and annoying to do something for others at first… But gradually, people who saw us like that began to acknowledge us. ..”

Until now, in her life, which had repeated countless vicious cycles, that would have been the first virtuous cycle she had achieved.

Forgiveness rather than hatred, goodwill rather than malice, mercy rather than anger.

When many things he had been turning his eyes to because he was a nobleman began to come into his eyes, it seemed as if the mask of a ghost nested inside him was slowly peeling off.

“Therefore. Thank you. To Cleon-sama… For turning our steps, which had been far off, to the right path.”

“Hmm… That’s right.”

Layla smiled contentedly, then, still holding her chin, turned her gaze to the hallway leading to the living room.

“Is that so? Cleon. That’s good.”

“Eh!?”

Then, with a slightly troubled expression on Lila’s words, Cleon walked out of her hallway and stood at the entrance to her living room.

“Sorry. I just came out after taking a bath… I heard two people talking.”

Her black hair, as if she had just changed her clothes, was still wet.

Cleon looks back and forth between Layla and Aisha as she scratches her head with her apologetic face.

Then, Aisha also blushed as if she was ashamed that she had revealed all of her inner feelings.

Soon, she jumped out of her seat, turned her body toward Cleon, and bowed her back.

“I, really, thank you! Cleon! Of course, it was the same as the last time, but this time, thank you for helping us…!”

“No it’s okay. If we have the same enemy, it is only natural that we join forces.”

“Yes, of course…! I, too, will do whatever I can to help stop Mr. Darwin!”

In response to her voice full of motivation, Cleon smiles a little at her and nods her head knowingly.

And Aisha spoke to them, clenching her fists as if to show her own determination.

“—Even though our family was cursed in the line of ancestors… If we can help with the right thing, I hope!”

After untangling her headband, which had been wrapped around her head and hiding the horns of her aristocrat, she declared by placing her hand on her chest.

“This Aisha Oberti … I will do everything in my power so that the family name will not be ashamed!”

As her voice booms through her living room, Lila looks up at her, reacting with her ‘surprisingly hot-blooded…’.

Cleon, too, answered her words by nodding her head once more.

“Huh. Take good care of me child… ─”

However, soon after she noticed the identity of her name in her mouth, her mouth fell shut.

And, as her eyes slowly widen, she can’t hide her astonishment.

“…Why, do you think so? Cleon?”

Seeing Cleon’s reaction like that, Aisha also became a little curious about her face at the bottom.

“Oh, Berti!?”

Cleon shouts the name of her family.

A few days ago, Cleon had received the curse of a raksha on one of her arms, now a fallen family.

The family was cursed by Gaios as a result of Nayuta giving her life to cut down the tree that sealed the Rakshasa.

The descendant of that family was right in front of Cleon’s eyes.

“Huh…?”

Aisha just tilted her head.