Teresa and the Vice-Captain were still bewildered, but I left the explanation for later and returned to the carriage where Freed was waiting.
「What happened? You seem to be in quite a good mood」
「Aah. I heard something truly wonderful. The Goddess is amazing!」
「Oh… have you awakened to faith, perhaps?」
「Yeah. With a Goddess like that, I don’t think it would be bad to awaken to faith」
Beautiful appearance, perfect figure, flawless personality, and even worried about me. If that doesn’t stir faith, it would be blasphemy.
And the way she ate manjuu, that little gap in character was endearingly cute.
「And what will you do now? Shall we buy some souvenirs?」
「Hmm… no, I’ll head home right away. There’s something I need to tell Mizera as soon as possible」
「Understood. Then allow us to prepare the souvenirs for you. Please take them home」
「Thanks. I’ll leave some pudding here, so share it with everyone. Freed, you get the matcha pudding」
「Much obliged. Everyone will surely be delighted」
And so, I returned home from the capital by teleportation.
When the maids heard there was pudding, they joined hands in pairs and bounced up and down in delight. It was so charming I couldn’t help but smile.
Hmm… maids really are wonderful.
-0-
When I teleported back into my workroom, evening had already passed.
I must have been unconscious at the church longer than I realized.
Hmm. I feel a bit hungry, but first I should look for Mizera.
Ah… come to think of it, aren’t things still awkward between Mizera and me?
Ah, what should I do about this…
「Ah…」
「Oh?」
The workroom door opened, and I saw the person who had let out that voice.
It was Mizera, wearing an apron, stepping into the room.
「I-I’m sorry for not knocking. I didn’t think you’d be here… I was looking for you though…」
「I was just about to look for you too… Ah… come to think of it, you ran off again today, didn’t you?」
「Eh, ah, yes. I did run off today too, and Shiro caught me right away…」
「I see, I see. Then… welcome back, I guess?」
「Yes… I suppose… I’m back…?」
「「……」」
What is this atmosphere?
I let out a forced laugh, ahahaha, but I had to somehow escape this painfully awkward mood.
But how was I supposed to start?
At least she didn’t look like she was about to ignore me and storm off, so I had to steer this conversation properly…
「Come to think of it, you went to the capital today, didn’t you…?」
「Hm? Ah, yeah, that’s right」
「The capital… can you really go there and come back so quickly…?」
Ah… that’s right, I hadn’t told Mizera about my space magic yet.
Well, it should be fine with her.
I had no intention of letting her go anymore anyway.
「Actually, I can use space magic. Keep that a secret though」
「Space magic…? The one from legends…?」
「So it seems. Well, this too is… a power given to me by the Goddess」
「Ah… I-I’m sorry. Um, I didn’t mean…」
「Hm? Ah, no, that’s not what I meant! Sorry…」
Crap, that must have sounded like sarcasm.
Now it felt a little awkward again…
「「……」」
The silence was uncomfortable.
Maybe it’s just the Japanese in me that felt the need to fill in the gap.
But the one who broke it first was Mizera.
「…Hey, if you didn’t have that power, what would you have done about Wendy-sama and Shiro?」
「Eh?」
「I heard you bought Wendy-sama for eighty million Nohl. But if you didn’t have alchemy, or that incredible space magic, if you were just an ordinary man… what would you have done?」
According to the Goddess, alchemy was my natural talent, but if I didn’t have it… huh.
If I really were just someone with no gifts at all, things would’ve been very different, but… let’s just think about it simply, as if I had no talent for alchemy.
「Hmm… I guess I’d first look for what I ‘could’ do. And then, I’d do whatever it took to earn enough to buy them」
「Enough to cover eighty million Nohl…?」
「Yeah. But the only thing I can think of is going around bowing my head and begging. The most likely would be Reinrich, or maybe the folks at the Adventurer’s Guild. Or honestly, the one I’d rely on the most would probably be Hayato」
Back then I hardly knew anyone else.
I doubt I could’ve persuaded Yasis with words alone, but if I had no other choice, I would’ve borrowed money and somehow talked him into it.
If I had no talent for alchemy, I probably would never have gotten close to Reinrich, I would never have had the run-in with the Adventurers Guild, and I might never have met Aina and the others. Thinking about that makes me feel deeply grateful for the alchemy skill.
「Rely on others…?」
「Yeah. If there’s nothing else I can do, I’ll bow my head and ask people for help. I’ll go around saying, ‘Please help me!’」
「You have no pride?」
「Pride won’t buy food, and it won’t save anyone. Besides, I don’t think relying on others is a bad thing.」
I let out a light laugh.
Saying it aloud sounds terrible, but no matter how long I live in this world, the root desire to live with other people’s help hasn’t changed. Even now, if I could, I’d like to live without working.
…That’s not really possible anymore, though.
「Everyone has limits on their own. So if I think I can’t do it, I won’t hesitate to rely on people. Of course, if someone relies on me, I’ll do my best for them too」
「I see…」
If even that weren’t possible… what would I have done then?
Since giving up on Wendy is not an option, I’d surely find some other measure. I can’t think of one right now.
Begging Reinrich for money to use as a human test subject might work… No, I’d die.
「Well, I wouldn’t know until it happened. But I think I’d have done something. How does that answer sound?」
「…Yeah. I’m satisfied. You really are… optimistic」
「Optimistic… hmm. Well, except in truly desperate situations, I guess I am usually not that way, but…」
「Is that so… I think you’re someone who can face forward and take a step without running away. Unlike me, who only runs away…」
「No, wait. I’m not saying running away is wrong. In fact, I recommend it. What’s wrong with running away? There are thirty-six strategies, and sometimes running away is best」
「Eh? But you told me not to run from being a Half-Elf…」
「That’s different. What I meant was don’t run from things you don’t want to give up on. You said you don’t want to give up, so giving up shouldn’t be an option. If you truly hate it, then I’ll say it’s okay to run away」
Honestly, if I truly hate something, I’ll run too.
Especially from bugs, I’ll run immediately.
Unless Wendy and the others’ lives are at stake, I’ll avoid anything bug-related at all costs.
「But you said you can’t stay in this house because you’re useless, right? That means if you can be useful, you want to stay here, right?」
「…That’s true, but…」
「Then find something you can do. You already know if you can be useful, you can stay here, right?」
「Yes… But I…」
Yeah.
That’s why I didn’t want Mizera to run away.
I didn’t want her to give up on herself after wishing there was something she could do.
So,
「Then it’s fine. Half-Elves aren’t dropouts!」
「Eh……?」
「They just grow more slowly because they live longer. That doesn’t mean they’re inferior. If Mizera puts in the effort, you’ll see results.」
It’s true their growth rate is slower, so whether that counts as “inferior” is a touchy question, but first I needed Mizera to believe in herself.
「That’s a lie……. Fine, keep trying to cheer me up with that」
「It’s not a lie. In other countries Half-Elves use skills in their daily lives, and besides, I heard it straight from Reidianna-sama herself, so it’s not wrong!」
「Reidianna-sama…? What do you mean?」
「I went to the capital today and prayed at the church. By luck I met Reidianna-sama. I asked her about Half-Elves and about you, and she told me.」
Mizera was stunned.
She stood there with her mouth agape, mulling over my words.
Then she suddenly snapped back and cautiously asked me again.
「Really…? Then… can I learn skills too?」
「Yeah. Whether you believe me is up to you, Mizera.」
Would she trust such a wild story that I said came from the Goddess?
Normally no, but I told her with confidence and a smile because this was the truth.
「Yes, yes. I believe you… You said it. Of course I’ll believe you… So I can stay here…?」
「Of course. Let’s find what you want to do here. We’ll help you. Let’s find what you want from now on」
「Yes……. Mm…… Thank you……. Really, thank you……」
I gently pulled Mizera into my arms as she wiped at the endless tears.
She wrapped her hands around my waist and pressed her face hard into my chest.
「Ugh, uuuu……」
Feeling her tears soak against my shirt, I held her warmly and patted her head gently.
「There, there. Let’s work hard together. This is your new start, Mizera」
「Mm……. Hrk, waaaah……」
Seeing a normally cool girl cry aloud was deeply moving.
I tightened my hold so she could cry freely without holding anything back and so her sobs would not escape too loudly.
-0-
After a while, Mizera stopped crying and quietly pulled away from me.
Her eyes were red, and a faint trail of tears and a bit of runny nose could still be seen.
「I-I’m sorry. For losing control like that… and ah, I’m sorry about your clothes too…」
「Hahaha. It’s fine, I got to see something rare. Besides, it’s a man’s honor to hide a woman’s tears」
「Idiot… If you didn’t joke around so much, you’d actually be cooler…」
「This much is just right, isn’t it? If I were too cool, I’d get way too popular and that’d be troublesome」
「Idiot. You’re getting carried away」
「Hahaha. You’re already looking lively again」
Mizera gave a small smile at my laughter.
Her smile really did look better than her tears.
She was beautiful to begin with, but when she smiled, her beauty stood out even more.
「Alright, starting tomorrow we’ll search for what you want to do, Mizera」
「About that… I have a request for you」
「Oh? What is it? Something you’ve decided on already? Anything is fine, I’ll gather whatever tools you need right away」
「Yes… There’s something I want to try. I want to learn…」
I was surprised at the skill Mizera named.
I had planned to immediately say yes to anything, but instead I found myself asking again.
「Eh, are you sure about that?」
「Yes. That’s what I want. That’s the first thing I want to learn」
「…Got it. Leave it to me」
This was a heavy responsibility.
I would have to put my heart into it and be serious.
But honestly, out of all the skills, this one got me the most excited.
「Then, since it’s already evening, we’ll start tomorrow morning」
「Yes. I’ll do my best」
When I thrust my fist forward with an “alright,” Mizera understood and bumped her fist against mine.
Tomorrow was going to be busy.
「Ah, by the way, why are you wearing an apron?」
「Ah! Right. Um… today, I went shopping with Shiro and tried cooking. Of course, Wendy-sama helped me, and Shiro tasted it, so it should be edible at least… That’s why I was looking for you, since it’s finished」
I see.
So that’s why Mizera was looking for me, and why Shiro wanted money.
Come to think of it, she had already taken a step forward on her own.
Maybe I had been worrying for nothing?
Well, whatever. More importantly….
「You should’ve told me sooner! Come on, let’s eat before it gets cold!」
「…You could just reheat it if it’s cold」
「No way, I want it fresh! Come on, hurry, hurry!」
「Wait, don’t push me… It’s not something worth getting so excited about… Hey, are you listening? Hey!」
Not listening.
I had already decided I’d finish every bite of Mizera’s cooking, even if it was burnt or undercooked.
But it turned out to be delicious, and I ate until I was completely full and couldn’t move anymore.
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