Chapter 39
The fingers move with incredible dexterity and delicacy, untangling, combing, and tying the beautiful soft white hair . Charlotte has her eyes closed and a relaxed expression .
“Good, it’s done,” Yuri says with a smile after tying up the ribbon . Charlotte looks in the mirror in front of her and smiles shyly .
The braids are elegantly tied at the back of the head with a thin sky blue ribbon, which matches Charlotte’s white hair perfectly .
Charlotte runs her hand through her hair and then looks at Yuri over her shoulder . “Thank you! Hehe!”
“Fufu, you’re welcome . It’s worth the effort . You have beautiful hair, little Lottie . ”
“Fine art can be created if there are good materials… Good work, Miss Yuri . ”Angeline raises her thumbs .
Charlotte gets out of her chair, gets behind Angeline, and pushes her into the chair .
“Now I’ll comb your hair, big sis! Sit down!”
“Hehe… okay . ”
Angeline sits down on a chair in front of the mirror, Charlotte stands behind her and begins to play with her black hair .
Angeline and her party have the day off, but since Anessa and Miriam had other commitments, Angeline decided to visit Yuri’s house along with Byaku and Charlotte .
Yuri lives in a rented room in a building near the Guild . The room has a classic feminine touch and, although there are many things, everything is clean and tidy . This reinforces Angeline’s idea that Yuri is a good candidate to be Belgriff’s wife
It has been about ten days since Angeline protected Charlotte and Byaku in the alley, and since then she has not seen any other attackers nor has there been any trace of them .
Those responsible may have forgotten everything or simply think that the problem has become too complicated . But if they plan to do something, I’d like them to at least leave behind a clue, thinks Angeline .
After all, being constantly on the alert is quite exhausting . Angeline has to pay attention to her surroundings at all times, assessing every person who approaches them and every object that can be used as a weapon, whether small or large . While she is used to this type of behavior during escort missions or dungeon exploration, having to do it all day for several days is extremely exhausting .
That’s why Angeline feels relaxed now that she’s by Yuri’s side as she’s a former AAranked adventurer . And although she was out of the business for a while and has recently worked only as a receptionist, you can still see the spark that only powerful adventurers have in their eyes .
Angeline looks at Byaku while Charlotte plays with her hair . The boy is leaning against the wall, with his arms crossed and a bored expression on his face . Despite his appearance, Byaku is powerful enough to compete with the high-ranking adventurers . Once he was able to repel the attacks of Lionel and Chebolg, but Angeline does not want Byaku to get involved in any more fights .
It is not that she cares about the Demon King within Byaku, it is just that she does not want a boy younger than her, and who is certainly not even an adventurer, to have to fight like that .
Besides, those dark feelings may be reawakened if he fights again, thinks Angeline .
Of course, Angeline has not mentioned any of this to Byaku . But she’s determined to protect him just like Charlotte . This way the boy would also call her ‘big sister’ and he could be a normal, happy boy at last .
“Fufu… A big family… “
How will her dad react when she takes these two to Tornela? Angeline is sure Belgriff will be surprised, but at the same time, he will be happy and welcome the children with a warm smile .
Angeline smiles at the thought of Belgriff’s surprised face as she sees her family grow . But what she doesn’t know is that there’s already a new member of the family in her house…
“Well, it’s ready!” Angeline comes back to reality when she hears Charlotte’s cheerful voice .
Then the adventurer lifts her face and sees her reflection in the mirror . Her long black hair, which was always unkempt and loose, is now neatly combed and gathered into a beautiful braid that rests on her right shoulder .
“Oh my…”
“Hehe! I thought you’d look pretty in a braid, big sister! “
“I’m not used to hairstyles like this, but it’s quite nice . Thank you, Lottie . ”
“You’re welcome!”
Angeline strokes Charlotte’s head and she smiles brightly . After only ten days Charlotte has grown fond of Angeline and vice versa .
At which point, Yuri pricks Angeline’s cheek from behind . “Why don’t you put on some makeup too, little Angie?”
“And I never wear makeup… “says Angeline, a little surprised .
Suddenly, Charlotte hugs Angeline . “Huh? Why? I’m sure you’ll look prettier in makeup, big sister!”
“No, it’s not my style . Besides…”
“Mmm, but you can’t get a boyfriend that way . You have to try new things . Come on, let’s try it . ”
“But, I don’t like the feeling of putting something on my face . It reminds me of the disgusting repellents we use in dungeons . ”
At that moment, Angeline hears a chuckle and when she turns around, she can see Byaku smiling .
“What?” Angeline asks with a scowl
“Even if you wear makeup, you’ll still look like a magic beast . You’re right not to use it, you twig . ”
Angeline’s eyebrow twitches slightly, but after thinking carefully for a few seconds she begins to laugh maliciously and turns to look at Yuri . “Why don’t we just put some makeup on him? We can also put some nice clothes on him and play for a while . ”
Byaku’s face pales immediately . Without missing a beat, the boy turns and runs to the door . However, in the blink of an eye, Angeline appears right next to him and pushes him to the wall .
“Let me go, you twig!”
“…I think I have something for him~, somewhere . ”
“Who said that?! I told you to let me go!”
“It’s just a little joke~ . Easy, little Byaku, we’ll make you look cute . ”
“Don’t call me little Byaku! Hey you… Don’t you dare choose those clothes!” shouts Byaku desperately as he sees Charlotte and Yuri picking out some outfits .
Charlotte cheerfully chooses an outfit and shows it to Byaku .
“I think you’ll look great in this!”
“Don’t you dare put that on me, you traitor!”
“Don’t you like it? I wonder if this is better?”
“Hey, old hag! You can help me!” Byaku shouts at Yuri .
“Oh, my… You can’t talk to a lady like that, little Byaku . I think we’ll have to punish you . ” Yuri replies with a smile as she lifts a shirt with lots of frills . Byaku’s face pales even more .
The memories of what happened at the clothing store quickly return to Byaku’s mind . He had never experienced a situation as embarrassing as that before, and as one might expect, he was not used to it in the least .
Byaku does not like the idea that all these feelings and thoughts, which he once considered useless, making their way into his mind . It’s as if something inside him is changing .
Byaku does his best to stay clinging to the wall and avoid having to try on all those outfits, but Angeline holds him firmly and, without the slightest effort, separates him from the wall .
“Come on, you don’t have to be so stoic . You have to enjoy life and do fun things whenever possible . ”
“Shut up! This is no fun at all!”
“There, there~ . Don’t worry…” says Angeline with a smile as she pats Byaku on the head
“What do you think you’re doing?!”
“You can’t keep pushing away people who want to be close to you . You’ve already experienced what it’s like to live alone, right? You can’t keep frowning all the time . ”
“What does that have to do with trying on all those outfits?”
Angeline just smiles . “Come on, I know you’re a very emotional person . You’re always trying to hide your feelings, but inside you, all those emotions are still present . ”
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Certainly, Byaku usually ignores any beautiful scenery, tasty food, and any kind of game or toy . It’s as if he doesn’t want such things to divert him from his behavior .
Both he and Charlotte have escaped from the dangerous and abusive environment in which they lived, but it seems that he has not changed much . It’s like he doesn’t want to change at all .
That’s what Angeline doesn’t like . It’s like he’s making his life sad and lonely on purpose . Why would anyone want to do something like that?
But despite Angeline’s words, Byaku continues to frown . “I don’t like to bond with people, it’s unpleasant . Everyone often has hidden motives within their hearts . ”
“It’s not important if you don’t like me . But Lottie will surely feel sad if you don’t smile more often . ”
Byaku turns to see Charlotte . She’s next to Yuri, looking for clothes in the closet and smiling happily . Her appearance is completely different from the girl who escaped from Lucressia and traveled through several villages using the title of a Saint of Solomon . Right now she looks like an ordinary ten-year-old girl .
Byaku looks down and sighs with a resigned look . “…Damn . ”
“Fufu~! You’re a really good guy . As your big sister, I know you very well . “
“What big sister? You idiot…”
Angeline smiles and squeezes Byaku’s hand a little . “Now, Miss Yuri . It’s time to put some makeup on him . ”
“Oh my~, finally it’s my turn . This is gonna be fun . ”
While Yuri is looking for his makeup kit, Byaku takes the opportunity to talk to Angeline .
“Hey…”
“What?”
“I still think trying on all those clothes is too much for me . ”
“Oh, come on, that’s not true .
“You find this very amusing, don’t you, you damn twig?”
Angeline doesn’t say anything and just sticks out her tongue .
Angeline and the children finally leave Yuri’s house . Charlotte is very happy while Byaku seems to be exhausted .
Angeline and Charlotte are excited because Byaku looks much prettier than they expected in those flashy clothes and makeup . Byaku, on the other hand, is extremely miserable .
The three of them are looking for a place to have lunch .
There are too many people on the street, and if one doesn’t pay attention, one could end up getting lost . For this reason, Angeline holds Charlotte’s right hand, while the girl holds Byaku with her left hand .
There aren’t many clouds in the sky and the sun is shining brightly . However, because of the heat and the crowds, it is difficult to walk freely .
As Angeline enters a nearby store, Charlotte seizes the moment and talks to Byaku .
“Hey, Byaku . What would you like to eat?”
“I don’t know . You guys can have whatever you want . ”
“Hmph! I’ll tell big sis on you if you keep acting like this!”
“…You’ve gone soft . ” Byaku says with a sigh .
After that, Angeline leads the kids to one of the alleys and they walk down a narrow path . Then they go up a little dirt road and up a slope . Angeline knows a small café that is near there, and she has even visited it on other occasions .
Angeline finally finds the café, and when she opens the door of the establishment, she and the kids are greeted by a gust of cold wind .
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The owner of the cafe is a retired magician, and the place is constantly under the influence of a cooling spell . However, even though the place is quite cozy thanks to the control of the owner’s magic power, there are not many customers in the café . This may be due to the lack of signs or advertisements outside the building .
Angeline looks around and sees a familiar person in one of the seats .
“Granny Maria!” says Angeline tapping the person on her shoulder .
Maria is drinking something, but when she hears Angeline’s voice, she looks up with a surprised expression . “Angie… You shouldn’t come to a strange place like this . ”
“It’s weird seeing you in town, Granny Maria . Did something happen?”
“Hmm, I needed some ingredients . I came to this place because I wanted to see the quality of the ingredients for myself . But it’s still as unhealthy as ever, right?” says Maria as she fixes her muffler . She also has a big bag next to her feet, surely that’s where she has all the ingredients she has bought . “Did you change your hairstyle, Angie?”
“Fufu~, you realized…” Angeline happily runs her hands through her braids .
Maria takes a drink from her glass and then looks at Charlotte and Byaku . “Who are these children?”
“My little sister and my little brother . ”
“Ah?”
“Just kidding . Due to some strange circumstances, they are living with me . ”
“Hmm, I see . But don’t ever lie to me again… “
“Fufufu~, I’m sorry . This is Charlotte and this is Byaku . Come on, say hello…”
Encouraged by Angeline, Charlotte bows a little, while Byaku just nods quickly .
Maria squints and looks at Charlotte, then Byaku .
“You both have a lot of magic power . But the quality of the boy’s magical power is a little strange, who the hell are you?”
“Who knows?”
“Ja! You’re a cheeky little brat . But try to keep those magic patterns under control . ”
Byaku’s eyes widen in surprise and Angeline looks at the boy with a suspicious look .
“Are you using your Three-dimensional magic patterns?”
“Well, yeah… It’s a precautionary measure . ”
“It’s not a bad idea to use invisible patterns as a defense mechanism . But yours are too crude . You should have built them better . ”
“That’s none of your business… “
“Shut up . That kind of half-assed magic makes me uncomfortable . ”
Maria mumbles something and shakes her finger slightly . Suddenly, several Three-dimensional magic patterns appear around them . Byaku seems surprised and squints .
“Look at this . Your attack pattern is locked into this plane . This circle here should be a sphere . This is where the cubes and tetrahedrons intersect . And you can’t just add a frame to a cube . Also, if you don’t add another pattern here, your magic will leak out . ”
“Tsk…” Apparently, Byaku realizes his mistakes when he hears Maria’s explanation, but the boy says nothing and just clicks his tongue .
Angeline laughs and places her hand on the chair in front of Maria . “Granny, can I sit here?”
“As you wish . But don’t make too much noise . ” Maria leans even more in her chair and lets out a loud sigh .
Charlotte also sits in a chair nearby and takes the opportunity to talk to Angeline . “Granny?”
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“Yes . Granny Maria is a great magician . Thanks to her magic, she hasn’t aged at all even though she’s 68, or was it 69?”
“She’s very pretty . Like a real maiden . ” Charlotte looks at Maria with an expression of admiration . Then she looks at the clothes Maria is wearing and tilts her head . “Doesn’t she feel hot in all those clothes?”
“Mmm? Oh, well, because of a strange illness she’s always cold . ”
Hearing that, Charlotte is horrified . “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t know… “
“Hmm, of course you didn´t . Come on, just order something and stop bothering me . ” Maria says casually and then takes another sip from her glass .
Although the food is not extraordinary, Angeline can have a pleasant conversation with Maria while eating .
“You haven’t coughed today, Granny . ”
“Oh, yeah . I’ve been testing a new drug . But the ingredients are surprisingly expensive . I can only get them so many times . ”
“I see… And how’s the investigation going? Everything okay?”
“I guess you can say everything’s fine when you can understand everything you’re investigating . ”
The reason Angeline’s in this place is that she wants Charlotte to learn how to defend herself .
Unfortunately, she cannot handle swords, bows, or any other weapon . However, the girl has much more magical power than an ordinary person . In Bordeaux, both she and Byaku fought using magic and were able to plunge the entire city into chaos .
However, Angeline is not a wizard, and the magic Byaku uses is too advanced for Charlotte . Besides, Miriam is not good at teaching .
Angeline knew that the best option was Maria, and finding her in this place was quite timely . And as she watched Maria correct Byaku’s mistakes in his magic patterns, Angeline knew that she was the best choice .
“Hey, Grandma . Lottie’s got a lot of magic power, right? You think you can teach her to control it?”
“What?”
Maria turns to see Charlotte and the girl is petrified by the impression .
“I cannot determine her talent by the amount of magic power alone . To determine that, she has to use her magical skill . ” Says Maria with a frown
“Could you teach Lottie? As a favor to me… “
“Okay, but I’m very strict . I never do things halfway . ”
“Understood… Then, let’s go to Tornela, Granny . ”
“Ah?” The conversation takes a sudden turn and Maria is confused . “What the hell are you talking about? Why would I go to that place?”
“Some villains seek to harm these children . Which means it’s dangerous to stay in Orphen . ”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“It occurred to me that the safest option was to take Lottie and Byaku to Tornela with me . And if you’re going to teach Lottie to use her magic power, then you must come to Tornela too…”
Tornela is located in the northern part of the Grand Duchy of Estgarl, which will make it difficult to find Charlotte . Even if the Pope’s secret group is looking for her .
And if for some reason, they do find out where she is, they can count on Belgriff’s help in Tornela . Angeline has full confidence in her father’s abilities .
Maria shakes her head in disbelief “Nonsense” . I can’t get the ingredients I need in Tornela . Just because I’m retired doesn’t mean I’m lazy . I don’t like to fight, but I like to keep researching . ”
“But Tornela has clean air . It would be good for your lungs . Besides, if you marry my Daddy, he can take care of you . ”
Maria shakes her head again “There it is again . I have no intention of becoming your mother . And I have no interest in that father of yours . ”
Angeline pouts . “Hmm, you’re just saying it’s because you don’t know my Daddy . Well, it doesn’t matter . I still want you to come with us to Tornela . If we get attacked on the way, I’d feel a lot safer with you by our side . “
“Mmm… Well, I’ll think about it when I finish my current research . ” Maria replies as she takes another sip from her glass .