58 Marina’s Side — Returning Home

Marina

"This is the place, right, Miss?"

"Yes, it is."

I disembarked from the horse—my sight completely focused on the house I was standing right in front of now.

Home.

"Well, it's been a pleasant journey, Miss. It's the first time I've been all the way out here." The rider said with a grin, showing that he had one tooth missing.

"Thank you, Alex," I replied. I learned his name in our journey. It was easier to address him with it than just calling him "Mr. Courier" like she did.

"Miss…" His grin suddenly disappeared, replaced by a concerned look. "Do you… require any other assistance?"

...He's smart enough to know that I'm probably in some form of trouble. What a kind soul.

"That will be all," I responded, only now putting up a smile. "I can take care of myself from now on. You don't have to worry a thing, Alex."

"I see… Then, if you'll excuse me."

He tipped his hat and bowed, before riding away with his horse. I watched him go until he disappeared over the hill. I probably would never see him again.

And then, I turned around, once again facing the inevitable.

I took a deep sigh. And I entered.

----------

It's just like the way I last remembered it… Nothing has changed…

Only that… they're gone now… and Hugo too…

And now, we would have to leave as well…

"M-Miss Marina!"

Mary was the one who spotted me coming in first. She was hanging the clothes to dry when I walked into the courtyard.

"Miss Marina, oh, Miss Marina, you're safe! Oh thank the Saint you're safe!"

She hugged me tightly to the point that it hurt. She also smothered me with her large breasts. Thankfully, it only lasted for a few seconds before she released me.

"You must be so tired, Miss! But don't worry! I keep your room clean and ready every day so when you arrive, you can use it right away!" she said as she sniffled—tears of happiness falling down her cheeks.

"Oh, that's right, where are Master and Madam? And where's Young Master Hugo?"

"...Father and Mother are dead. Hugo ran away."

I then explained everything that had transpired, from how they went all the way to Vera's home to save me, and to how Father and Mother perished in the fight against the ice witch, and Hugo deciding to run away because he blamed himself from it. I recited it in a monotone, lifeless manner, as if I was just a distant observer, wholly unaffected by those events.

But before I knew it, tears started to fall down my eyes once again. And once I finished, I hugged the maid, burying myself into her chest once again as I weeped.

I didn't know why I did it. Only that her soft and warm bosom reminded me of Mother's terribly. I remembered, how many years ago it was, when I was still really young. I was practicing my magic foolishly inside the house, and I ended up starting a fire that would've burned the house if not for Father being nearby.

I was so terrified of my mistake that I was paralyzed. I couldn't even shout for help. I could only stand with shaking legs, crying.

And yet, after what I did, Mother just hugged me, thanking the Saint that I was alright. She didn't even scold me afterwards.

That warmth… I now experienced it again, even if it's Mary's warmth.

If I had known… if I had known that Mother would...

I shouldn't have been so prideful. I shouldn't have been so stubborn. I wanted so badly to grow up so I could be a proper older sister to Hugo that I refused to receive the show of affection Mother loved to do. I told her that I didn't want to be hugged or embraced, especially in front of Hugo. The last time I willingly buried my face in her chest was when I wet the bed as a nine year old girl. I was so ashamed, especially since I had Hugo who had completely stopped doing that. I didn't want to be laughed by him. And so I cried to her, begging for her to hide the evidence. And, like a good mother, she did. Hugo never found out to this day and I managed to keep my dignity as his older sister.

It doesn't matter now, does it? I have failed as his big sister completely.

If I had just accepted what Vera wanted of me, our parents would still be alive and he wouldn't have to run away. I should have just sacrificed myself for their sake.

But now… now our family is in ruins.

I soon recovered, returning back to my usual stoic self. Mary kindly wiped off my tears using her apron.

"Miss…" She spoke. "Do you... want me to—"

"It's fine. I'll do it myself. I'll tell it to her," I replied.

I readied myself, taking a deep breath before I entered the house.

Erika would need me more than ever now. So I have to keep my chin up and be her pillar of support.

Those tears I just showed to Mary… let them be the last one…

----------

I found Erika inside Father's study, reading a book down on the floor. I smiled. It made me remember how Hugo and I would do the same, back when we were young. We were bookworms and it seemed little Erika here is one as well.

"Big Sis?" She looked up, noticing my presence. "Oh, Big Sis!"

She threw herself to me, hugging my legs with a wide smile on her face.

"Big Sis, you're back!"

"Yes, I'm back, Erika," I replied, kneeling down to pat her in the head. "You've been a good girl with Mary while I was gone?"

"Of course! I've been a real good girl! I've stopped wetting my bed entirely, so Mary won't have to worry about washing my sheets ever again!" She grinned.

"That's great news, Erika! I'm so proud of you!" I wrapped my arms around her for a hug.

"Oh, where's Mommy and Daddy?"

My smile disappeared.

"They… well, they…"

I hugged her tighter. And told her everything.

---------

"...Y-you're kidding, r-right, Sis? There's no way… there's no way that can be right."

"…"

"H-hey, i-it's not funny, you know! M-Mother wouldn't like you making this joke! I-I'll tell on you!"

"…"

"Hey, answer me, Sis! Please… please tell me that you're just teasing me! M-Mother! F-Father… t-they can't be… they can't be…"

"U-uwaaahhh!"

Nothing in this world was more painful to me than to hear her tears at that moment. I would willingly accept being tortured once more by Vera if I could make her stop.

She had learned the concept of death at an early age, just last summer in fact, thanks to a certain picture book that had the main character die in the end. It was a sad and harrowing tale of an orphaned boy trying to live on in a harsh and cruel world, yet in the end, he succumbed to it and left the mortal coil as he died starving in the snow.

It was a Milicis religious book, teaching young kids to be kind to those in need and to be grateful for your blessings. Erika had picked it up on her own from here, Father's study, and she asked Mother on what it meant for the poor boy to die at the end. To my surprise, Mother decided to tell her right away, even though she was just a three-year old child.

Of course, she also cheered her up, saying that the boy would no doubt enter Andalucia, the Paradise of the Poor. In the Milicis Faith, there are several paradises its believers could enter once they left this world. Depending on your virtue, you would enter different types of paradises. Andalucia was one of such paradises. They said that it was a bountiful land free of hunger and want, perfect for those who suffered them in this world.

Knowing her past, of course Mother would know such a thing.

She cried and cried and cried until she fell asleep. Gently, I lifted her up with me as I stood up, putting her light body over my shoulder, intending to take her back to her room.

Mary was standing outside the study, looking as if she was going to cry herself.

"It's fine," I told her with a forced smile. "I'll be there when she wakes up. In the meantime, can you please go to the village and buy a carriage? You can use Father's money. No need for the horses. We can use the ones we already had."

"A-a carriage? W-what for, Miss?" the maid asked back, a clear expression of surprise drawn on her face. "A-and the horses… Sir and Madam took them when they rode after you."

"Oh… Then they must have left them in Rau Uvarsa…"

I had completely ignored that possibility. Oh those poor beasts… the stablemaster where they're stored in would no doubt just take them as his own sooner or later… I just hope he'll treat them right.

"Then, purchase the horses as well. Buy the best and strongest pair that you can get."

"Why, Miss?! Don't tell me that you—"

"Yes. I am leaving. With Erika. We're going to Grandfather's place."

Her expression immediately switched into confusion to that of horror. "Y-your grandfather, Miss? May I ask where that is?"

I looked away, pausing for a short while before shaking my head. "...I'm sorry. I cannot tell you. It's for your own good."

"What do you—"

"The Magocracy will soon send its agents after me." I interrupted her. "And I can't stay here. Marchen cannot protect me. I need to go somewhere else, where their long arms cannot reach me."

"And that would be your Grandfather's place, Miss?"

"Yes. Or at least, I hope so."

I knew where Father and Mother hailed. And after weighing my options, judging by what they were willing to share with me about their past, I decided that Father's homeland would be the better option.

���W-what do you mean by 'hope so'? You're not even sure if he's—"

"Enough, Mary." I gave her a stern look. "It's what I have decided."

"Then I should go with—"

"No, you're not coming with me. You're going to get married soon, aren't you? Your place is here, back in Karha Village. I won't ask for you to ruin your life just because of me. If you come with us, you too would be a fugitive."

"M-Miss…" She now averted her gaze, and her look was now a mixture between guilt and concern.

"Don't fret." I smiled, putting a hand on her shoulder. "We'll be fine. I'll make sure of it."

Once Mary left to purchase the carriage, I went to Erika's room and placed her gently on the bed there.

Poor thing… to lose her parents at such a young age…

I'm already old enough to take care of myself. But her?

Should I even leave her with Grandfather?

I sighed as I took a seat on the nearby chair.

Eventually, I started to doze off, as I was certainly still quite tired from the journey here.

Only to be woken up by Erika, who was moving around in her bed, sweat covering her face.

"Mommy… Daddy… Don't go…"

She was mumbling in her sleep. It was clear that she was having a nightmare.

And once again, tears started to flow from her eyes.

Oh, what am I thinking?! I should be comforting her!

I immediately rushed to the bed, giving her a hug as I laid down beside her.

"Shh, it's alright, Erika… it's alright… Big Sis is here… " I whispered to her as I pulled her close to my bosom.

This is how Mother did it, right? Just place the head near her breasts like this…

My chest might be nowhere near as big as hers, but I hope this will be enough to calm her down…

Now that she's gone, I have to take her role as Erika's mother.

I just hope that I can do as good a job as she did when she raised me.

-------------

"...Sis…"

"...ake up…"

"Wake up, Sis!"

When I woke up, it was because of Erika.

To my surprise, she woke up earlier than me.

"Sis, I… I wet the bed."

...Hmm?

Sure enough, I could feel the dampness on me.

"I-I'm sorry!" She apologized, as tears started to appear in her eyes yet again.

Ah, that explained why she woke up earlier than me.

"Shh, it's fine." I smiled, brushing a stray thread of hair near her bright blue eyes back over her ear. "You had a nightmare, didn't you? About Father and Mother?"

She nodded, before looking away. "So it's true then. Mommy and Daddy are—" She abruptly trailed off. "H-how about Big Bro? Is he alright?" She looked back at me with a hope-filled yet fearful look.

"He's fine," I replied. "But he… well he…"

Ran away. I was about to say that before I stopped myself.

"W-what's the matter, Big Sis? D-did something happen to him?" Her expression was full of worry, and it only made it even more difficult for me to tell the truth.

"He… left." was the best that I could come up with.

"Left? What do you mean 'left'?"

"He… doesn't want to come home, Erika," I replied. "Before I could stop him, he already left. Most likely to Sherry's homeland, at the Demon Continent."

Erika's expression quickly shifted, from that of worry, to confusion, to bewilderment…

And then, to anger.

"He promised… He promised to keep Mommy and Daddy safe…"

She gripped her blanket tightly.

"He broke it… he broke his promise… And he ran away to Sherry…"

"H-how could he… how could he?!"

"Erika, calm down! He… he's just…"

"Just what?" She glared at me, tears pooling under her eyes yet again. "He's a coward! And a liar! I… I hate him!"

Before I could do anything, she bolted out of her blanket and stormed out of the room.

"Oh, Erika…" I sat up, before curling my legs and resting my head on my knees.

She's right. That idiot is really being a coward by running away like that.

Why, Hugo? Why do you blame yourself that much?

---------

Dinner was awkward, as I had feared. Erika remained completely silent, not even touching any of her food. Mary, who had returned from her task, looked as if she was going to burst to tears at any minute. And I imagined my expression not being that welcoming either.

And to think that I have yet to tell Erika of our journey.

I sighed. Might as well do it now.

"Erika, I have something to tell you."

She didn't respond.

"Tomorrow, we'll be leaving for the northwest of the continent. We're going to Grandfather's place."

"Grandpa?!" She finally looked at me, with a surprised expression.

"The bad guys that kidnapped me… they're still after me, you see. So we have to go to a safer place."

"T-the bad guys… they're still around?"

"Yes, unfortunately. Even Father and Mother couldn't take care of all of them." I looked away.

"B-But it's not… it's not fair!" She suddenly yelled, slamming her fists to the table. "Mommy and Daddy are dead and yet they're still alive?" Her entire body shook. My heart skipped. Her expression… it genuinely terrified me. Her eyes were bulging out of their sockets, even as she started to cry yet again.

"I know," I replied with a forlorn look. "That's why your sister here had sworn to be stronger."

If I had been just a little stronger, I might be able to run from Vera. Then this tragedy wouldn't have occured in the first place.

"Really?" Her expression immediately brightened. "You promise you'll beat up the rest of the bad guys?"

"Of course," I replied. "When Big Sis is strong enough, then we can go back here."

The rest of the bad guys, huh? The rest of the Council, obviously.

If I am to beat them, then I must become so much stronger than I am now.

I need to reach Grandmaster-level—no, even more than that.

If I am going to fight against a number of Grandmaster-level mages, I need to reach a level even beyond that.

I need to become an Archmage, surpassing all of them in magic prowess.

I don't care how long it will take. One day, I shall reach that level.

And then…

--------

The next morning, after sleeping with Erika together once more (thankfully, she didn't wet the bed this time around), we immediately started packing for our journey. I packed on my own while Mary did most of the work for Erika's clothes, toys, books, etc. We couldn't really carry everything with us though, as my dimensional storage spell capability was limited and there wasn't that much space in the carriage Mary had purchased. Not to mention that carrying too much goods would just make you a target for bandits and the like since they'd think you would make a good target for them.

Well, if they were just ordinary bandits, I think I could take them just fine though.

"Miss, I've finished packing Miss Erika's goods," Mary reported to me afterwards.

"Thank you," I replied, giving her a smile. "You've been a great help, Mary. Not just today, but all the years you've been employed by Father to help around in the house."

"N-no, not at all! I should be the one thanking you, Miss!" she replied, waving around her arms in a panic. "Your father paid me unbelievably well for this job and thanks to that, I can actually have my wedding with John!"

John was just an ordinary farmer in the village. I didn't know the details but over the years he actually managed to woo Mary into agreeing to marry him.

Of course, Father had looked into his background. And personality as well. He didn't want her valued employee to be tricked into a marriage she wouldn't be happy about after all. And he told me that there wasn't any problem with John, that he was a perfectly trustworthy person.

"I'm happy for you, Mary." I continued my smile, though there was now a wistful, lonely tinge to it. "I hope you will be able to make a happy family with him."

"Miss… Oh Miss!"

Before I knew it, once again, I was in her embrace.

"I'm so terribly sorry that I can't accompany you, Miss!"

"I told you, Mary. You've done nothing wrong. In fact, here. I almost forgot."

"Huh?"

After she released me, using my storage spell, I took out a diamond necklace.

"Here. Consider this your severance pay, Mary." I handed it over to her.

"W-what? T-this is—"

"I suggest you sell it immediately in the city if you could. I stole it from the house of the bad guy that kidnapped me, you know," I replied with an innocent smile.

Indeed, it was one of Vera's jewelry. And I had no doubt that it would fetch a good price if she were to sell it.

"Just don't do it on 'Benedict's Beautiful Jewelries', alright?" I added with a small smirk. Ah, that seemed like such a long time ago, now that I thought about it.

"I-I can't… t-this is too valuable, Miss!" Her hands shook as she looked over the necklace.

"No, you deserve it. You have not only been our maid, but you've been a part of our family as well. And don't worry. I still have more of those where they come from."

If I rationed our coins well, it would be enough until we reached Verus.

"M-Miss, thank you! Thank you so much!"

And once again, I was buried inside her large bosom.

-----------

It was finally time for us to depart.

Mary had already moved the carriage to the front. Apparently, she had gone all around the village looking for the very best carriage and horses that she could find.

She gave her goodbyes to Erika as well, hugging her in the process, but she wasn't really responding to her, not giving her a nod of acknowledgment, let alone a smile. She had turned completely quiet.

I would be the one driving. Thankfully, I think I already got the gist of it well enough from all these years watching the driver that brought me from home to the academy and vice versa. A few times I actually got him to teach me how to do it too. He was a kind old man and I was thankful for him to indulge my curiosity.

Erika remained silent, sitting beside me on the driver seat. I told her to go inside but she shook her head. She instead grabbed my left arm and wrapped herself around it.

I smiled. She just wanted to be close to me, wasn't she?

Mary stood nearby, using a handkerchief to continuously wipe off the tears trailing down her cheeks. I told her that she could just leave the house behind, especially since eventually, another knight would be assigned to live here. I just hoped that it would be the good and benevolent kind, like Father.

Should I make a visit to Lord Eriol's place, just to tell him about Father? He'll probably tell me to move in with him instead. But I will have to refuse. He can't protect me from the Magocracy.

I decided to think about it more later. For now, we would just make our way to Aarom.

Taking the carriage reins, I whipped the two horses to move forward. The wheels began to turn, and with it, our long journey finally started.

"Miss! Be healthy! And most of all, be happy!" I heard Mary yell as she waved her arm. "I'll be happy with John! So please, you have to be happy as well!"

I smiled wryly.

Be happy? Can I even do that anymore?

...Perhaps… perhaps if I can get Hugo to come back… then I can start being happy once again.

But now… I don't feel anything, other than a desire for revenge, for those who have wronged me and my family. And Erika has shared that feeling as well.

Don't worry, Erika. I'll make sure I'll get your share of revenge as well.

One day… one day… once I'm stronger...