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Chapter 30

The Relief of Getting The Affirmation That I’m No Longer The Me From My Memory

 

I take off my new armor made of Fire Dragon scales and put it on the desk then tap it with the back of my hand.

It made almost no sound when I did that strangely enough. I guess it can absorb blows and shocks too.

 

And besides the armor, there are other things here that caught my attention

 

「This is… a sword?」

 

「Yes, it is. It’s a masterpiece made from the fangs of the Fire Dragon, a weapon made for you, Russell-san.」

 

The sword fitted in its scabbard is rather big and wide.

The Dwarves probably made it as they wished after seeing the materials from the Fire Dragon.

……But I guess with this size, it’s going to be difficult to use it in a dungeon.

 

「Ahh, are you perhaps thinking that this sword will be difficult to use in a dungeon, Russell?」

 

「You’re right that I was thinking exactly about that, but… isn’t it true?」

 

「I don’t know how effective it would be, but if you enchant it with your magic, you could probably cut through the ceiling, you know?」

 

Seriously? …..No, now that I think about it, I did damage the ceiling when I cut off the neck of the Fire Dragon.

As I thought, the power of the dark attribute is frightening.

If it can be used in tight spaces, then maybe I’ll take this sword with me tomorrow.

 

「The last one is… a shield huh? This too, is quite a big one, isn’t it?」

 

Dwarves are known to be muscleheads, so they tend to make bigger equipment depending on how great their moods are. And since we’ve brought them materials from a Fire Dragon, it’s no wonder the equipment they made is this big.

 

……I’m starting to really feel the harm of assuming that others can do what you can do, as well.

This one seems useful too, but I don’t know if I can use it. Besides, I can’t use Dark Magic, which is the crucial part of my power, if my hands are tied with a sword and a shield.

 

Using Enchant Dark on my sword and fight using it alone is not a bad idea, but it’s foolish to even consider fighting those group of Living Armors at short range when I can just shoot magic at them from long range.

 

「With this, we’ve gone through and checked everything inside the package.」

 

I nodded at Sybilla’s statement, and then I heard a sound coming from the door to the orphanage.

Gemma Baa-san should’ve been looking after the kids, as I recall, so I wonder who is it.

 

For a moment, I was wary, wondering if it was a burglar or something, but a burglar wouldn’t have entered so brazenly from the front door, and more importantly, the person who entered didn’t seem to be hiding the sound of their hurried footsteps.

As we looked at each other, we noticed the footsteps approaching, and we prepared ourselves just in case.

Then, the doorknob slowly opened.

 

「Russel-chan!」

 

As soon as our eyes met, I heard a nostalgic voice filled with surprise.

Who appeared was a figure I hadn’t seen in a long time, with a bit of peach-colored hair peeking out from between her sister uniform.

 

It was Frederica, a sister who also managed this orphanage along with Gemma Baa-san.

She was away for a while because of some business, but it looks like that’s finished and she was able to return.

 

「It’s been a while, Frederica.」

 

「…Ah, oh my? Russell-chan, looks like your atmosphere has cha—」

 

「——Frederica!」

 

As if to cut her off, a voice comes from behind the door. That’s definitely Gemma Baa-san.

 

「Ah, I’ve just returned now, Gemma-san. Uhm, so…」

 

「Come here for a sec!」

 

Frederica alternately looked at me and the hallway on the other side of the door where she came from——which was probably where Gemma Baa-san was——and walked toward that direction with a bit of a reluctant face.

 

I don’t quite get what’s happening, but after thinking about it for a while, I came to an understanding.

I hadn’t been aware of it myself, but apparently, I had changed a lot.

No wonder Frederica reacted the way she did.

 

Gemma Baa-san must’ve wanted to explain the situation that caused my change to her.

That’s really thoughtful of her. When I was a child, I always thought she was just a strict old lady, but now I understand that it was because she was more concerned about the various dangers than anyone else.

 

And Sybilla also seemed to have grasped the situation somewhat by seeing Frederica’s reaction.

She crossed her arms, lifted her shoulders, and said 「She’s really a nice old lady, isn’t she?」.

……Yeah, totally.

 

「But still, making a third party waiting for this kind of thing is so awkward, isn’t it?」

 

「Eh? Ah, Uhm… that’s… I guess? Ohohoho…」

 

And Sybilla, the fact that you don’t hesitate to say that very statement that causes the awkward atmosphere is what’s no good about you, you know? I don’t think Victoria would easily nod her head in affirmation, especially when I’m right in front of her.

I’m really sorry, Victoria. Please give up hoping for a delicacy from this girl.

 

While we were having such an exchange, Frederica returned with Gemma Baa-san.

Frederica is…… somewhat worried as she looks up at me.

 

「Did you tell her everything, Gemma Baa-san?」

 

「Yeah, I’m sure you don’t want to explain it all over again to Frederica, right?」

 

「I see. Well, thank you for the consideration, but… actually, I don’t really care about it anymore.」

 

「……Oh my.」

 

Gemma Baa-san comes closer to me and inspects my face.

Her eyes are staring at me, but I just can’t look at her straight in the eyes.

 

「……Looks like your complexion has gotten better now.」

 

「You can tell?」

 

Gemma Baa-san’s eyes widened when she heard my question and she laughed happily right after in a voice that doesn’t fit her old age.

 

「Kakaka! I’ve seen all kinds of people, you know? From young people like you to gramps who were older than me at that time.」

 

Then she looked at me in the eyes again.

 

「Let me just tell you this. Your eyes, after everything that’s happened, it’s finally looking toward the future.」

 

「Yeah, you don’t have to worry anymore. All of that dark stuff from the past, I’ve gotten all over it. Well, everything except the things that involve those guys.」

 

「Yep, I knew that you’re the most strong-willed child out of all of them.」

 

As Gemma Baa-san backs away with a satisfied look on her face, Frederica approaches me with a slightly curious look on her face. 

 

「You’re really Russell-chan… aren’t you?」

 

「Do I look like someone else?」

 

「A little bit. I mean, you used to be this child who followed me around while saying 『Frederica-san!』」

 

「That was ten years ago, not six months ago, though.」

 

「It feels just like yesterday to me.」

 

And what am I supposed to say to that? Well, I got the impression that Frederica is somewhat of an absentminded person, so maybe she’s just not too affected by the passage of time.

 

「Hey, Russell-chan. Can you look at my eyes for a moment?」

 

「…Sure, but…」

 

I stared at Frederica’s eyes as she looked me in the eye.

She’s someone like a sister who’s a little older than me, who took care of me when I was a child.

And now, she’s about half a head shorter than me.

 

——then, suddenly, Frederica’s upper body began to shake for some reason.

 

I turn toward Gemma Baa-san because it’s getting more difficult for me to control my gaze.

 

「Russell-chan? Look at me.」

 

「…Can I refuse?」

「Nope. Come on, just a bit more.」

 

Just why is she so strangely obsessed with looking into my eyes? I don’t know the answer, but I’m willing to go with her selfishness since it’s been a while since we’ve seen each other.

It’s rare for Frederica to be this selfish anyway.

 

Once again, I stared at Frederica’s golden eyes.

And just like earlier, Frederica is still staring at me, with her upper body slightly shaking.

……It’s hard to keep eye contact.

Look at the front, me…… the front…….

 

「……Hup!」

 

「Ouch!」

 

I dropped a chop at Shybilla who was watching from the side.

 

「What are you doing!? I didn’t do anything just now! Or rather, you averted your gaze again just now, didn’t you!?」

 

「No, it just pisses me off somehow.」

 

「That’s just unreasonable!」

 

When me and Sybilla started having such banter…… Frederica started laughing.

 

「Fufu, fufufu… Ahahaha, hahaha…! Ow ow, my stomach… my stomach hurts!」

 

Frederica’s sudden change made me and Sybilla, who looked at each other with a straight face, also Victoria who was watching in silence, tilted our heads.

 

「What is it, so suddenly?」

 

「Ahaha… I’m sorry. But… I see, Russell-chan is no longer that Russell-chan, huh.」

 

「 What does that even mean?」

 

As I tilted my head in confusion at Frederica, who’s a bit weird today, she reached out her hand towards my face… and touched my cheek.

 

It’s a little sad, but… yep, as I thought, Russell-chan is still Russell-chan. And I think the Russell-chan now is very cool too.

 

「Thanks… I guess?」

 

「For something like this to happen…… If only… If only I watched over you more properly…」

 

Her small murmur sounded like a mixture of regret and loneliness but also filled with joy.

And her fingers that were touching my cheek felt a little cold.

 

Still, I can’t help but feel embarrassed when Frederica, who was like a big sister to me when I was a kid, said that kind of thing to me.

It’s as if she’s gone from being a big sister to a comrade who protects the orphanage together with you.

 

——Yeah, that’s right.

I won’t be a kid forever.

 

I guess to Frederica, I was like a little brother who’s much younger than her.

I wanted to play an active role in a party as a Saint, but I had always been the one to be protected.

And now that I’ve figured out everything and moved on, I guess that younger brother feeling in me is no longer there.

 

Frederica’s hand expressed the 『Sadness』 of losing that part inside of me, but at the same time, she also affirmed that the me now is still the me she knew.

Knowing this, I feel a certain comfort inside me.

 

My reunion with Frederica seemed to represent a goodbye and a fresh start in a way.

…It might be a good idea to also talk about the evacuation of children. Since I’ve now become someone who stands side by side with Frederica.

 

Also, Victoria, I’m sorry for putting you in this really awkward situation even though you are an outsider.

Please return to Brenda who is waiting for you at home as soon as possible.

 

My power is not mine alone. And now that we have all these things, I’m sure we can work it out.

 

Alright! Tomorrow, let’s challenge the boss with this new equipment and a renewed spirit.

Wait for me, the Floor Boss I haven’t seen yet.

And you… the Demon Lord.