14 - You are my Ramiel (10)

After writing a letter to the siblings, Lei and Linda, including the advice Eros had given. 

The writing in the letter didn't have any significant content. As Eros said, it gave Lei some peace of mind about his parents' situation, but as for his younger sister, Linda, Eriu didn't know if she shared her brother's sins.

Nobody knows how the world works, right?

I myself, who play this romantic genre game, don't know what events will await me in the future, they have their own paths with their own endings. But not for me, who can probably only live once.

001 alone has confirmed that if I die in this world, it means I'm dead.

Even rain will never save the world from the problems it creates.

Knock knock!

The door was opened by Eriu, who had already packed his bags when he heard the knock. Louise was waiting for him at the door with the gentle smile that was always on his face. Louise quietly picked up Eros' bag that had been with Eriu.

In a low voice, Louise reminded him, "They're waiting for us."

In just one night, the world was shaken with harsh reality, old memories, letters and soon leaving the house that had become a memory for him who considered this place completely home. 

Meeting 001, finding a peaceful life in this village and getting to know Eros, who is more than the protagonist.

These are really good memories.

The day went by very fast, but also very slowly.

Sigh...

"Let's go." Eriu walked out and closed the door to his room. Memories with memories will remain in this small room and will fade with time. Just like the day we put decorations on every wall and it changes every year.

When we remember it and smile at those little memories afterward, we forget about it.

***

Grace, still wearing her armor, stood at the front of the house waiting for everyone to come out while talking to Eros. Even Ariadne felt awkward trying to start a conversation with Grace, let alone Louise, who had only known her for a day and had asked her to take the children home.

Don't ask about me either. Talking to people was the most impossible thing for him, who already had a feeling of suspicion every time he met new people.

"This way." Grace walked ahead of them, her face still alert to her surroundings. Even the wild animals that passed by and strolled there were immediately struck by the stones she saw with electric-like speed.

With a knightly gesture, Grace allowed them to go ahead of her. Eriu, seeing their surroundings suddenly empty of trees and water, fell silent as he looked to his right and left. On the left side, there were only rocks, the ground looked dry and very different compared to the right side, which was covered with green and fertile soil.

"If you go straight ahead, you will find a group of people who like to explore. You can ask them for a ride."

"Thank you, um, Knight Grace."

"And thank you, too, for bringing the children home..." Louise, still remembering Eriu's previous statement about this mysterious lady, thanked her for driving them home, of course Louise did not know that Eros was the one who carried Eriu's shield directly without Grace's help.

"..." Although Grace's face was flat, hearing this surprised Eriu, because asking Grace to leave them alone got him into another trouble!

"!"

With a still flat face, Grace replied, "No need, it's my duty." Hearing this lie, Eriu wondered...

Could a person close to the God of Hope lie like that? 

To be honest, Ariadne was quite confused, especially since she didn't see Grace when she saw the two children go home, but hearing Grace's convincing answer made Ariadne believe her. 

It was possible that Grace had left immediately after taking them home.

With a friendly smile, Ariadne expressed her gratitude, "Thank you for getting them home safely and for the advice, too."

"Hmm." Grace replied, "May hope be with you to the end." Ariadne and Louise replied to Grace's greeting, ""May hope be with you to the end.""

"See you soon." Before Grace left, Eriu suddenly stopped Grace, "Wait a moment, Knight!"

"?"

"This is my farewell gift to the two siblings, please give it to them." Eriu handed over the folded paper and a candy that would definitely be given to Linda. "Alright. I'll give it to them right away," Grace took the paper and candy. After that, Grace left them all there.

Eros, remaining silent, embraced Eriu and laid his head on Eriu's shoulder. Ariadne laughed at them, and Louise, hearing the scene, laughed quietly with her. "Eri looks so much like his dad!" Ariadne whispered to Louise as she nudged him with the back of her hand, "Handsome and cool!" 

The red color filled Louise's cheeks, which made Ariadne smile even wider.

'filled with love.'

Like a bird chirping in the sunshine.

The baby's breath flower you gave me tells me that you are my true love.

***

"This was given by a child of the Grith family." Lei, standing outside the room watching Linda sleeping, looked at the paper and candy in Grace's hand. 

"Eriu Grith...?" Lei was stunned before finally taking the gift from Grace's hand. 

"Yes." 

Lei stared at the paper and hesitated to open it. Today was the last day he could see his parents. As they say, the fruit doesn't fall far from the tree, he too was a coward like his father and afraid like his mother.

After taking Linda to Madam Quela, Grace took Lei to see the condition of his father and mother before they were imprisoned there. With their heads bowed, the two parents walked behind the person in front of them, not seeing Lei standing in front of the cave. 

"Father, Mother..." Even after hearing the call, they still bowed their heads, but they stopped in front of him.

The father who used to laugh happily when he came home, or the mother who was getting worse by the day.

No one ever knew the burden on each of their backs, even for him.

They didn't move, they just stood there, and he didn't even know what to say. The answer he always wanted to give them was that he understood everything.

I feel like my eyes are blurry now. Am I crying?

"You just wanted me to be someone who could live without you when I grew up."

"You gave me a cozy home filled with harmony, a home where I could sleep and eat every day."

"You told me all your stories at dinner."

I felt a tightness in my chest, all the feelings that had plagued my heart seemed to be slowly disappearing.

"But what about Linda, who doesn't feel the same way?"

"Is blaming everything on a three-year-old going to change everything?"

"'Will she be as perfect as you think she is?"

The more I wanted to say, the more I wanted to cry. If Linda saw this, she would worry and say, "You can't cry! If you keep crying, I'll cry too.

"Whether you tell her to behave normally or not, things won't change."

"Linda is still Linda."

"So am I."

"That will never change, even if you hate one of them so much!"

"Linda and I are your children."

Lei tried to wipe away his tears to keep them from coming out, and Maya, hearing this, cried as she hugged Lei gently, as she did when she was a mother telling heroic stories to put her child to sleep.

Reliun looked down before reaching into his shirt pocket and pulling out a handkerchief. Two handkerchiefs with different pictures, one with a picture of a boy in a hero's outfit and the other with a picture of a princess in a beautiful pink dress.

Reliun took Lei's hand and placed the handkerchief in his hand, "Go!"

"! Honey, stop it! Lei is crying!"

"... We can't give him any more advice. He committed a grave sin by trying to work with the merchant Vor. I didn't even introduce that bastard to that kid, but how could he get involved."

Maya stared at Reliun with a look of disbelief, her voice trembling as she could not bear it all.

"..."

"Does it still matter..."

"How could you be like that..."

"!" Reliun immediately took Maya's hand and pulled her into the cave. Maya, who was used to feeling like this, was silent and did not dare to resist. With a tired voice and sounding hoarse with every word, Reliun said to his wife, "There is nothing we can do."

"I am the cause of all this."

"I'm sorry."

Lei cried as he held the handkerchief in his hand, his own parents had already endured the hardship of being unwanted children, his mother was ordered to serve in the war and his father had to serve the country because he was told to.

Lei took a deep breath and quickly unfolded the folded paper. His eyes traced the writing as he read and read.

Go to the Peacon Kingdom and tell the interrogating knight that you are a resident of Barlyon Tower and have just passed the skill test there. Ask Knight Grace for the card of one of the merchants and you will successfully enter the Peacon Kingdom with your sister. You should know the shape of the card yourself, so I don't need to explain what it's for.

If they still won't let you in, just say that you met a little boy named Cleon XII, who always travels with two people. The boy's trademark is dark blue hair. After that it's up to you to tell them where they are, because after that I'll make sure you get in. 

That is all I have to say. 

May hope be with you to the end.

"!!!" Lei was surprised to see all this secret information. He had only heard from his colleagues that there were internal conflicts in the Peacon Kingdom, but since everything was closed, no one ever knew. It was only because of this that Transwarp was shut down for a whole year before it was put back into operation.

When he was stunned, he found the writing on the back of the paper.

P.S. Ask Linda if Nois and Rein are okay. I felt guilty for leaving them looking in pain and told Linda thank you for helping me twice.

"Nois and Rein... Who are they?"

Lei tried to recall all the names of the villagers and was sure that there were no two people with those names, and again, Linda was rarely allowed out without her father or mother's supervision. 

Also, Linda doesn't seem to have left the house for two weeks... 

Maybe it's a new tenant who lives here, I can ask her directly when she wakes up later.

***

In the darkness, where the sunlight could not reach, two small children were seen laughing as they played with dolls in their hands. The faces of the two children were so similar that there was no difference, as if they were looking in a mirror.

"Sophie, you can't be mean to Lily, look, Lily's crying!" The child pointed to the child who had the same face as the other. Their voices were similar to both boys and girls, making them indistinguishable. 

Their stature was similar to that of boys, but their eye-catching light pink clothing made it difficult to tell the gender of these two children. Their completely black eyes and black hair made them look like children in a horror movie.

The one named Sophie was annoyed and pointed at the other child, "You're wrong, Sophie!"

"It's not me, it's you!"

"You!!!"

"Ch, you're annoying!" With one hand holding the doll of the girl named Lily, one Sophie immediately threw it to the ground and the other immediately stepped on the doll vengefully.

"Hmph, because Lily the child left..."

"Yes, you're right!"

"If he stays here, we can play together"

"Um, we can make him our pet! Unfortunately, that horrible child is always next to him, Hmph!"

"It's all because of you! We got caught by him!"

"What do you mean!?"

"You made a fuss from the beginning!"

One Sophie immediately pulled the other's hair, the other kicked the other, and they fought until black blood dripped from their heads.

***

Grace picked up a device that looked like a smartphone. Of course, the giver of this thing was her own goddess, Ramiel. The fact that Ramiel had called her 6 times meant that something was wrong (I'll take care of the village.)

The cell phone had a small inscription on the end, 001.

[Come back and get ready. I'll turn on the center immediately and you just need to come in.]

Grace, reading it, immediately answered back.

[Okay.]

[May hope be with you until the end.] This was the last reply Ramiel wrote to her. Grace closed her eyes, "001 ready for duty."

.

They gave freedom, but they also gave the latest rules.

It would never change, even if they gave birth to a child that would be the epitome of happiness for both of them.

Isn't that right?

Haha, I'm just kidding.

So, do you want to hear a story about a weak creature in the middle of the forest?

Ah, you would! 

Hehe, of course I can guess, because I... it's a secret!

You haven't heard the story yet.

Let me start and listen carefully, okay?

It was a dark day as usual when the hunter was looking for his prey, but on that day he saw a dog that was acting very suspiciously.

The dog looked normal, but at the same time the look on the dog's face was terrifying.

When the hunter was surprised, the dog immediately bit him. This reminded the hunter of the scary stories in his village. A lonely widow went into the forest with her newborn child. She took her beloved dog with her, and they all disappeared, never to return.

Rumor has it that they became vengeful creatures that live in the forest, and others say that they died from being eaten by wild animals.

Who knows what happened there. Our eyes are all closed and we can't see into the darkness unless someone is crazy.

It's like the sea, which looks so beautiful on the outside, but is so dangerous on the inside.

People can explode if they try to control the sea, not to mention people who want to control the world.

Haha, you're right!

Now pick a card in front of you and beat me.

See what kind of fate your choice brings. 

Is it the card of justice or the card of death?

Because the card that comes up means that one of them will win, and you can use it to defeat me.

So do you want to keep playing when you see this?

It's all in your hands.