Chapter 226: Apostle of the Holy Land
Weekly chapters (2/2)
Thank you everyone who joined and voted the polling.
There will be a new announcement from us soon. Please look forward for it.
Enjoy the chapter~
A lot happened today. That"s why I felt kind of tired.
By the time I returned to Cecilia"s house from the Great Wall, it was nightfall.
[Aaaaaa, I’ve been revived!]
As I slowly lowered myself into the bathtub, I exhaled like a child.
(Being an apostle from the holy land… changing the world!? I"m not that big of a deal)
I lost my important memories and don"t know my way home. I’m just a lost child.
Greed is also still asleep, having lost the power he had before.
(What should I do…)
As I was still mumbling in the bathtub, I heard a voice from the other side of the bathroom door.
[How is the water temperature?]
It"s Cecilia. She took good care of me and suggested that I take a bath to wash away my tiredness.
We were silent all the way back to her home.
I was at a loss as to what to say to her. Cecilia didn"t seem to know what to do since I didn"t say anything.
I remember feeling a little awkward.
[It"s just right. It smells nice too.]
[Good. Well…I put some homemade herbs in there. There is a small cloth bag there, right? The dried herbs are in there.]
[You mean this one?]
I was wondering what it was.
When I picked it up and smelled it… it had a refreshing scent.
[This is the best way to relieve fatigue.]
[Thanks. It’s calming alright.]
[Un, good then.]
A voice of relief was heard through the door.
That"s what I thought when I heard that. She must have come this far because she couldn"t wait until I got out of the bath.
As expected, Cecilia started talking.
[Have you decided?]
[To stay here?]
[Un…]
She didn"t say anything more.
Waiting for my reply. Even though it"s completely understandable.
I laughed when I thought about it.
[Why are you laughing?]
[I mean because…]
[Because of what?]
[If I decide not to stay, I won"t go home with you. And definitely not taking a bath like right now.]
[I know. But, I want to hear it in your own words.]
I felt like I was being disrespectful.
Even though she was serious.
I apologized and told Cecilia.
[I"ll go along with you for a while. But…]
[My brother? I"ll take care of that.]
[You didn’t seem to get along very well though?]
I just couldn’t figure out what it feels like to have a real sibling. Mimir is my younger sister, but she’s not my real sister.
[That person was shunned by our parents because he was born blind. Because of that, he was not blessed with spirits. I was the opposite.]
[Is Georg jealous of you? He seemed happy to be able to perform the reincarnation ceremony in your place.]
[It’s to spite me. Since it’s what I hate the most, he"d have fun doing it.]
[That’s… kinda complicated.]
Is Cecilia really able to do anything about Georg?
I felt a bit worried.
[Does Fate have any siblings?]
[I do. We’re not related by blood, but I guess we are brother and sister.]
[Are you on good terms?]
[Hmm~ …I guess?]
[You sound unsure. Why is that?]
[About that…]
Should I tell the truth, lie, or evade…
But Cecilia is smart. She"ll see through the lies of a clumsy man like me in the blink of an eye.
[I mean… I killed her real older brother.]
[What did you say!]
Cecilia instinctively tried to open the bathroom door.
So, I replied in panic.
[Wait, I"ll explain the reason step by step! Don"t come in.]
[Then, wipe yourself with this and come out. At once!]
The bath towel thrown in was fluffy and soft.
I went out to the changing room where she was gone and wiped myself. The bath towel smelled like an unknown flower.
The scent somehow calmed me down, giving me peace of mind as I worry about how I"m going to explain this to Cecilia. Even the changing room was orderly, which was incongruous to my rough-and-tumble self.
Just like this bath towel I’m using to dry myself.
[…We should talk this out properly.]
If Cecilia rejects me, then it"s time to leave.
[Alright.]
It is difficult to understand each other through words alone. But if we don"t talk, we can"t even get to know each other.
Look at the broken black sword. He’s an amazing guy. He may be the one who believes the most in the power of words.
I wonder what Greed, who is still silent, will say to me at a time like this.
Anyway, he’s just like a long lost brother to me. I couldn"t help but smile a little.
But that’s what always pushed me forward.
[How long are you going to stay asleep?]
Can he hear my voice?
Or…
[…Hey, Greed. Let"s go a little further.]
Where are you going to go, even though you don"t know the way home? I thought I heard a sarcastic voice saying that.
I’ve decided to go back home with Cecilia’s help.
As always, I"ll just do my best.
I dried my hair and put on elven clothing. It was lighter and warmer than it looked.
The size was perfect too. Cecilia prepared it for me because she couldn"t see me without any other clothes to change into.
Even though she didn"t measure it, that"s amazing insight.
[Well…]
I shouldn"t keep her waiting any longer.
I left the changing room and headed to the living room where I think the elven girl will be.
It"s a small house. I immediately saw the back of Cecilia sitting at the table.
[Sorry for the wait.]
[Warmed up?]
[I thought we’re going to talk?]
[Just saying. Well then, let me hear it. Fate’s story.]
I took a seat facing each other and looked straight into Cecilia"s face.
The long ears characteristic of elves were twitching up and down. This is… when exactly does this behavior occur?
[The circ.u.mstance on how you two became brother and sister.]
[Right. Afterward, Cecilia should tell me about yourself too.]
[I guess that depends on what Fate is talking about.]
[I"m not good at things like this…but I"ll try my best.]
I talked little by little about my relationship with Hado and the battle against Rafal in the Royal Capital Seifert… while answering Cecilia"s questions.
Like as a first, what"s the level? status? Skill? Arts? What a situation it was.
The world of elves and the world I was in have different fundamental concepts.
Elves live in the world of spirits. However, humans live in a world of skills.
[Hmm, I wonder if our spirits are similar to skills in humans.]
[From my point of view, spirits seem to be more versatile, right?]
[I don"t know. Spirits live with their own wills just like we do. They"re usually invisible, though. It"s quite difficult to borrow power from them. Comparatively, skills are easy. That’s how I felt.]
Does the spirit have a will… maybe it"s floating by our side and listening to us. Since I can"t see it, I think of it as a ghost.
[So, about Hado and Rafal.]
If anything, she’s more interested in the story of the world I was in.
[If your words are to be believed… I think that’s the only feasible way in Fate’s situation. Some people were saved because of that, yes?]
[…perhaps.]
[Thanks. For telling me all that…and sorry]
[Why are you apologizing?]
[I mean, I should have done that at that time. I should have done this. If you keep regretting things like that, your heart will become painful and you won’t be able to move forward. I’m sorry for reminding you of this again, even though you’ve made your own adjustments. That"s what I mean.]
I left my mouth open and couldn"t make a sound.
It was because I had heard something very similar to these words before.
Roxy"s smile flashed through my mind. Immediately, I felt a feeling of helpless loneliness.
[No worries.]
Cecilia kept staring at my face as I said that. The flame of the lamp placed in the middle of the table flickers and smears.
[I am really sorry.]
[Why are you apologizing so much?]
[Don"t you realize? Because you… are crying right now.]
Ha! ? I"m crying?
When I suddenly looked down, the tears that seemed to have been building up in my eyes spilled onto the table.
Regardless of my will, the number of tears curled up on the table increases.
I couldn"t even see Cecilia"s face anymore. Unable to look at it anymore, she picked up the lamp on the table.
[Let"s leave it at that for today. There were too many things going on and I wasn"t paying enough attention. You should get some rest now.]
[I’ll do just that.]
I was led to a small guest room and jumped into bed.
What should I do tomorrow… I don"t have time to think about it. Wrapped in a soft bed, my consciousness recedes.
[Good night, Fate…]
After hearing Cecilia"s voice, my consciousness faded out.