Chapter 13 - Just Like a Kid
When [Axe Mastery] skill reaches 30, no matter how much firewood you chop, the skill seems like it won’t rise at all from the very small experience point generated from it. It was just like back then in Eternal Magia as any level 30 skill would reach it first attainment point.
- You are doing [Firewood Splitting]
In the backyard of my house, I split apart log to create firewood by using a wood stump. This is the easiest way to grind [Axe mastery] skill and thanks to the buff granted by the skill, even a kid like me with my small hand axe still manage to split a log cleanly without any problem. It sure is a surreal scene if anyone witnesses it.
This world which was created by the goddess has skills reign over and alter even the natural physical law. That is exactly why Filianes-san with her slender arms could dish out that kind of unbelievable damage. If it was Mar-san and father Ricardo then their [Strong Body] skill point is just matched with their physical constitution so it was not strange at all if they are [Strong].
Because even a frail looking beautiful girl still has the possibility to gives out a high damage when attacking. Just like myself right now who can already beat an orc which have a much much much stronger physical looks than me without breaking a sweat.
“Hiro-chan. Stella-oneechan is coming! Let’s play~”
“Are you helping your dad? Hiroto is a good boy as usual”
“Hiro-chan, what should we play? Hide and seek?”
So I just come out and try teaching the girls cat’s cradle game that I only know little of but it was unexpectedly become popular. There is not much amusement in this village so the kids really appreciate even this meager addition.
“puri fate cutor?”
While hearing to dialogue between Stella and Riona, I remember what Elena had once said to me. But even so, even if Stella is older, she should be not old enough to have the ability to teach others……
“Y-yes…… let’s study then. What will you teach us?”
“Riona likes studying! Riona also likes Stella-oneechan!”
“Riona, I will help you comb your hair later. Girls must learn how to treat their appearances”
While remembering the time when I help combing Filianes-san’s hair, the scene in front of me made me think. The friendship between this two little girl really is pure and it made me all warm inside.
In my previous live, it was at the middle of elementary school that I start to avoid other people. Even if the cause was just a trivial thing, if that thing were to not happen, maybe I would still be capable to communicate with other people.
Well, I now have the precious chance to start over my life. I turned back into a little boy now so I shouldn’t just focus on only raising my skill, I have to improve my own self as well.
The book that Stella bought is a children's picture book with a word [Hero] written on the cover.
The book is spread out in the floor of my room and Stella-nee is reading the book out loud. Riona and I are lying in both of her sides peeking at the content of the book.
Maybe because the situation is just too comfortable, Riona seems to be fallen asleep at a time…… If she were to go to school then she will definitely become the type that will sleep in afternoon class after having her lunch. But well, she would be more diligent at that time maybe.
Stella flips the page. And in this new page, there are pictures of 8 weapons. There is also a picture of a woman…… she is probably the goddess herself. The picture is like the scene from the goddess bestowing these 8 weapons.
The strong person that the goddess dispatches…… is this refers about the hero?
(The same number as the weapons bestowed to the demon kings by the evil god……?)
“Stella-nee, who writes this picture book?”
“Y-yeah…… it is interesting”
“Yes, I learn much”
“…… I’m really glad that I can help”
Stella-nee is having a very happy smile in her face.
As for me, I feel like I still couldn’t smile naturally like her. So that smile is really too bright for me to see.
“Ah…… I’m sorry, I only bought this book today”
“Zzz…… Hiro-chan……”
Stella-nee isn’t mad with her sleeping. She’s just poking playfully at Riona’s cheek. And after that, she smiles while turning her gaze on me.
At that time, it really can be said as a hair breath rescue. I still can’t forget Stella crying face even now……
“Hiroto? Did your tummy hurt?”
“Mama had made some cookie. Here eat some. Mama put my favorite nuts inside you know”
- 《Stella》 is giving you [Nuts Cookie]. Would you accept? YES / NO
“Okay, open wide……”
“A-aan……” (Opening mouth)
“Is it good?”
“Is that so…… hic……”
But instead of getting happy from my response, Stella-nee’s happy expression suddenly crumbled. From both of her eyes, droplets of tears stream down on her cheek.
My head suddenly went panic seeing the scene. Why did she cry? Was I wrong eating that cookie before? ---- Well, probably it was not about that as my mind gets calmer but still, seeing a girl crying before my eyes like this is not something comfortable.
When I realize it, I have already hugged Stella-nee strongly. She probably surprised by the strength that I put unintentionally in my hug.
“…… Stella-nee……”
I can only give her a hug now. I can’t even say anything else to comfort her beside letting her cry inside my arms.
If she had tried to stop Deen from being rash. If she had asked another adult to help them at that time……
And if at that time Hiroto was a bit late in saving her, she doesn’t know whether she could be saved or not.
By myself, trying to lower the danger level…… if that attempt is still not enough, then.
The people that had joined in my party until now, the people that had raised their level by grouping together in a party…… if I got their cooperation, then protecting Mizell’s peace is not an impossible thing.
“…… Is it true?”
There’s a possibility of meeting an orc again and she is scared by that. To erase that fear, what I can do is only one thing.
By patting Stella’s back, she started to calmed down and separates herself from me.
“It’s alright. I won’t say it to anyone”
Stella ---- no, Stella-nee seems to be having something else to say.
“…… Stella-neechan, let’s take a nap together with Riona”
‘I still don’t want to go back home’ that was the feeling that I managed to perceive from Stella-nee or so I think…… but her reaction was not quite right.
“…… Hiroto, will you be there for me?”
I immediately answer without hesitation. And when I do, Stella who was being bashful a while ago suddenly gives out a shining smile like when a flower blooms under the gentle light of the sun.
I am strong enough to carry Riona to my bed but I ask mother to carry her for me. Stella knows a bit of my power but I ask her to keep it a secret.
The letters that I wrote for Stella were known by Elena-san. I can’t help but feel embarrassed because of it but…… I seem to feel quite comfortable doing this kind of communication so I just resigned myself to the feeling of shame in content.
After waking up from my nap with Riona and Stella, after much pondering, I write a letter to my father.
I can, by myself, let people who have joined my party to work for me and assemble fighting power quickly. But of course the adults of Mizell town won’t just stay silent if they know of my doing. That is not something appropriate for me to do as I am just still too young.
Even father, if he heard I say ‘let’s make a vigilant company to protect the town!’, probably won’t take that seriously. But father should also realize it…… because he goes out of the town everyday he should realize that the number of monsters is increasing.
Father Ricardo comes back from his work. After putting his axe down on the workbench used to maintain it, he then approaches me.
My hesitation only persist for an instant, I quickly hand him my letter that I hide behind my back.
“N-no…… That’s not it. Here, dad……”
Father Ricardo takes my letter and starts reading it…… his expression quickly turned into a serious one as he continue reading my letter.
“…… in the bath”
Dad then pulls out a dining table chair and tells me to sit there. We sit facing each other and dad put my letter down on the table then he read aloud the content.
“…… Stella-nee was crying. And I don’t want to see her or my other friend crying again like that”
(Eros: don’t have a better way to translate this so I just put it like that)
I just give dad a letter which content is not childlike at all. How will dad reacts I wonder. It was plainly abnormal after all……
---- But I worried for nothing. Dad didn’t show any contempt or scared expression to me. He instead looks at me straight in the eyes with a serious expression.
Even if I try to keep it a secret, if I go to the town then it will reach father and mother’s ear someday…… and I have prepared for that. Because every time I go to the guild to take any quest, I have to show my face at the counter no matter what.
“…… I’m sorry for being quiet about it. But, I……”
Father is actually aware with what I’ve been doing. He is just feigning ignorance against that fact all along.
“…… Dad, do you hate me?”
A sudden anxiety assails me and made me unintentionally ask that. I become afraid from the possibility of being chased out from the house because I’m not acting like a normal kid.
“HAHAHA! …… Is that so? So you’ve been thinking about such things too? Daddy here you know, has been filled with trepidation in deciding whether Dad should treat Hiroto just like and adult or not. In any way, trying to treat a kid like you like that of an adult man needs a lot of courage in Daddy’s part”
“For Daddy, no matter how fast Hiroto grow, Daddy will stay being your daddy. Even if you said that you don’t like it, Daddy wouldn’t care a bit. You can surpass Daddy in any way and Daddy will not get mad about it. But Daddy will not ever let you surpass Daddy in terms of age! This and that are different matters okay”
Hearing father’s joke, I finally let out a spontaneous laugh that has been sealed from my worry lately. I know this situation is not the right situation to laugh like that but I just laugh anyway.
“U…… I-I and Riona, is not……”
“T-that was…… That was because she just won’t stop following me”
Well, when I want to do my quest, stopping her from following me always burns my hand every time but…… Personally, I want to stay at Riona’s side to offset her misfortune but I just can’t exist in two different places at the same time which vexed me.
“…… I also, thought so”
Father stands up from his chair and approaches me. His large hand then lands gently on top of my head.
“…… I’m sorry”
Father just left his hand on top of my head. He usually will pat me at such time but he seems to be waiting for my answer.
“Okay dad, I understand”
That approving word from father Ricardo somehow seeps deep inside my heart.
When I was Morioka Hiroto, when was the last time did my father give me a pat in the head like this I wonder?
“N-no…… but……”
“…… Okay!”
“Hiroto, why did you in such a rush? Did you run away because you don’t want to take a bath with your dad?”
“Oh my…… this is the first time you said such a sweet thing. Ah, I know! Hiroto, do you mom to buy something for you?”
“No mom, it’s not that……”
Mother suddenly stands up from being soaked inside the bathtub. She who just reached 22 years old this year, added with the gracefulness from her [Elegance] skill, had ripen even more womanly as she ages.
The reason why I don’t go take a bath with my mother anymore was because of that…… my mother is just too beautiful. When I remember the time when she still breastfed me, my face just get blushed reflexively.
Father who can wed such a beautiful woman like mother is very lucky and it made me jealous…… Okay, that’s not what a son should think of but, I really do think so from my heart.
Mother gets off from the bath tub. She doesn’t even bother hiding her body which is wet with water drops running freely on her skin. She just get me to sit on a stool and moves to my back to wash my hair. There is no shampoo here like it was in my previous life but there is a mixed herb sap that is used to wash the hair and she is using that to wash my hair now.
“I’m sorry…… If mommy is alright with it, I also want to take a bath together”
“…… Okay mom”
Since I saw Riona’s status that day, I always trying to rush up with my life. Even by a bit, I want to get stronger faster. Even by a bit, I want to collect more information…… those was all that always occupy my mind lately.
But even so, more than that…… I wish to keep being mother and father’s son. Being born her, that must be my……
“Eh…… B-breast milk? I don’t, breast milk…… WA!”
“Mommy has been talking to your dad, and we agree that we should spoil you a bit more……”
(……Mother)
She hugs me tight from upfront. While having my face buried in mother bountiful valley, I thought like this.
“…… Did you understand, what Mommy what to ask?“
“Is that so…… Then, just a little bit, just like when you are still a baby…… Does Hiroto feel embarrassed?”
I don’t feel embarrassed or any other thing. All I did just forget everything to turn back my mental condition to be similar to the time when I was still a baby and give myself in inside my mother’s cradle.