Chapter 112
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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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Chapter 112
"Don't you want to make friends like that too, Melody?"
At Vivian's question, the child shook her head.
She seemed to want to say something, but couldn't quite bring herself to speak. Vivian waited patiently in silence.
"But... everyone hates me."
Instead of running away as she did when others approached, the child managed to speak her first words with difficulty.
Noticing the opening, Vivian carefully drew closer and crouched down beside her.
"They don't actually hate you. They're afraid of you."
"Munji and I aren't bad people..."
So the child's spirit's name was Munji, it seemed.
Vivian watched the downcast child and added an explanation.
"It's not because you're truly a bad person. It's because people don't know you well."
"Don't know me?"
"Right. People fear what they don't understand."
“....”
"Isn't that true for you too, Melody? Unknown paths, unfamiliar people, unfamiliar problems... everything unknown is frightening, isn't it?"
Vivian spoke the same words she had once told Rachel.
The child pondered this for a moment, then nodded slightly as understanding dawned.
Along with that realization, the gloom that had shadowed her face began to lift.
"So my friends were originally afraid of me too?"
"Then how did you become friends?"
"I just kept sticking by their side. To show them I wasn't a scary person."
Suddenly, memories of my childhood—when I had clung to Rachel's side despite her prickly nature—came flooding back, and I couldn't help but smile.
"So you can do the same with Melody. Show them you're not a bad person."
"...How?"
"Play together with everyone."
I gestured with my eyes toward where Lahedis and Hildegard were playing with the other children.
But the child glanced in that direction once before shrinking back further, asking hesitantly.
"Then... would I have to send Munji away?"
I knew that people avoided me as a "monster" because of the Dark Spirit.
But I couldn't send the Dark Spirit away.
It was a precious friend who had protected me from danger after I lost my parents and was left alone in this world.
Because I understood what it meant to be alone in the world, I didn't want to turn away from the Dark Spirit.
So instead of dismissing the spirit and blending in with people, I had chosen for us both to remain on the outside.
But if they asked me to send the spirit away just to fit in with friends...
'I don't want that.'
Worried that I might have to send the Dark Spirit away, I held it even more tightly to my chest.
But then...
"What? Munji should play with us too. Munji is Melody's precious friend, after all."
Contrary to my fears, Vivian acknowledged my spirit as a friend. As if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"First, let's go introduce Munji to my friends. What do you say?"
"Meow!"
Melody stared blankly at Vivian, who extended her hand toward me, and at her spirit.
Vivian, extending her hand toward me, and the Dark Spirit gleamed with a brilliant radiance.
As if no darkness in the world could ever shake them.
After hesitating for a moment, Melody carefully placed her hand atop the offered palm.
Harboring a small hope that by grasping that hand, she too might become someone who shines like Vivian.
* * *
I introduced Blackie and Munji to the children.
"This is Blackie, my spirit, and that's Munji, Melody's spirit."
"Gasp! Isn't that a monster?"
"They say monsters eat people...."
As I'd anticipated, the children were initially wary of Blackie and Munji, thinking they were monsters, but....
"What, a monster? Do you really want to get eaten by a monster?"
Once Blackie began playing with them, rolling around while they were nestled inside, they forgot their caution entirely and came tumbling over.
Not just Blackie and Munji, either.
"Hey, Melody. Can your spirit do things like that too?"
Even Melody, Munji's summoner.
Unfamiliar with peers her own age, Melody had initially hidden behind me and hesitated, but soon gave a small nod.
"Oh! Can we get it to do that for us too?"
When a boy pointed at the children playing with Blackie and asked, Melody whispered something to Munji.
Munji swallowed the boy and began rolling around with him inside.
The children, who had initially found Melody and Munji strange, approached eagerly upon seeing this.
"M-Melody. Can you do it for me next?"
"Me too, me too!"
Melody, who had clung to my back in awkwardness at first, had soon mingled naturally among the children.
Without my help.
'Children really do accept things quickly, don't they.'
Children learned fast, which meant they were easily swayed by prejudice, but they could just as easily be corrected.
Because their hearts were still soft and flexible, not yet hardened.
Watching these children, a thought suddenly occurred to me.
Even if the Demon Realm's barrier were to disappear and the two worlds reconnect....
'Couldn't we prevent people from drawing swords simply because they're different from one another?'
Of course, changing the atmosphere overnight would be difficult, but if we slowly came to understand each other's unfamiliar ways....
Couldn't we become 'friends' like these children?
'I wish I could tell Father about what happened today....'
As I thoughtlessly recalled Father while contemplating war, I suddenly remembered what I'd forgotten and cried out.
"Oh no! That's right! Father's bread!"
How could I have forgotten the most important thing?!
* * *
"Come visit again next time!"
"Next time you have to give me two rides!"
Vivian, who had belatedly remembered something she needed to do, found herself hastily saying goodbye to the children.
'I'm not sure if they're sad to part with me or sad to part with Blackie....'
"Got it. I'll definitely come. Promise!"
As Vivian linked pinky fingers with the children one by one to seal the promise.
Lahedis, who had been drained of his energy absorbing mana while pretending to play with the children, stepped out through the Orphanage gates first.
'Children really are....'
Someone followed him out as he caught his breath.
Without turning around, Lahedis recognized from the presence alone that it was Hildegard.
"Is Vivian still inside?"
Hildegard looked at him with surprised eyes, as if she hadn't expected him to speak first.
Both Vivian and Hildegard seemed inwardly worried about my relationship with Hildegard, but I actually had no particular thoughts on the matter.
It was something that happened before Hildegard was even born....
'She walks a different path than her father.'
Of course, even so, I couldn't completely ignore blood relations, so I wouldn't discuss important matters in front of her.
Hildegard, who had blinked her surprised eyes for a moment, soon answered as usual.
"Still saying goodbye. She was fussing about being busy, but at this rate she'll leave tomorrow."
Glancing back, I could still see Vivian being held captive by the children.
Lahedis let out a small laugh at the sight and brought up what he had intended to say.
"We'll try to obtain the Tartrium on our end."
"I'll give my thanks to Vivian. It's not like it was your intention anyway."
The words carried the implication of 'you couldn't possibly be that kind,' but Lahedis felt neither offended nor compelled to object.
It wasn't wrong, after all.
But Hildegard didn't stop there and went one step further.
"And since you're helping anyway, I'd like to ask one more thing."
Her audacity was astounding, but knowing that Hildegard wouldn't make requests for personal gain, curiosity stirred within him.
Lahedis looked at her instead of asking what it was.
"Find out who's behind the purchase of the Tartrium."
Before hearing more of Hildegard's explanation, he could already sense her intent.
'It is certainly suspicious.'
Purchasing toxic herbs in bulk—not medicinal herbs, but poisonous ones—and not just once but multiple times.
'Surely they're not trying to poison that many people.'
There were far more efficient poisons for assassination.
"I tried investigating it myself, but there are limits to investigating while hiding one's identity."
Hearing Hildegard's explanation, Lahedis nodded.
"Understood. I'll look into that as well."
"Your answer is quite straightforward."
"Because that's what Vivian would want."
Hildegard looked at Lahedis as if to say he was being excessive, but before she could say anything, a wilted Vivian slipped out through the Orphanage gates.
"Children really do have boundless energy, don't they..."
"Then the bread for tomorrow―"
"No, that's exactly why we should finish it while we're at it! Let's go!"
Vivian, as if she had never been exhausted moments before, linked arms with Lahedis and Hildegard on either side and headed back toward the Village Square.
At the same moment, the shadow that had been watching the three of them from behind the tree vanished from sight.
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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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