This is a story from about ten years ago, when I was still making money using healing magic.
The weather was slightly past spring.
Cotton-like clouds floated by in the endless blue skies.
Cordelia and I walked along a path across green fields.
Hey-hey, Lute? Isnt it fun?
Cordelia was already five years old, it was just before she was chosen as the hero.
Smooth crimson hair, and clear white skin.
A perfect face which seed like a western doll turned into a human.
However, a five year old is a five year old. There was a childlike innocence or rather, since she had lost her front tooth, she had an aura of clumsiness.
Hey, hey? Im asking if its fun?
Yeah, thats right. Its fun.
Today was the day the peddlers ca.
Peddlers try to sell their rare and interesting wares at obviously high prices, it was a bad way to put it as expected.
They travel around the entire country using their legs to gather precious objects, then sell it with a slightly overt commission for their efforts, well it was sothing like that.
Of course, since this location was a country-side even among country-sides, the arrival of a peddler would beco quite the event.
I am being called the genius of playing in the mountains.
So, I go to the mountains making the excuse of collecting rare herbs or sothing, and return ho with the money I make from selling them.
And so, I have a lot more money to spend among the people from my generation.
Well, I was actually using healing magic to make a killing, so I am ridiculously rich even amongst the adults, but lets put that aside for now.
And so whenever a peddler arrived at the village, Cordelia started treating like a treasure.
Cordelia loved having those honey sugar candies, but they were sowhat expensive.
In fact, the price of one was close to half my allowance.
From the peddlers perspective I mustve looked like a reckless boy spending most of his allowance on his childhood friend.
As proof, the peddlers father was always half-laughing whenever he saw my face.
Isnt Moses family going to co?
The harvest last year was bad so theyre living minimalist lives right now.
Mi-ni-mal-ist?
It ans theyre trying not to spend uselessly.
Oh, I see.
My house made beans, but last years weather was truly horrible.
The other bean-making households are in a state where they were forced to sell their sons and daughters as slaves to keep themselves from collapsing.
Well, we have the genius of herb collecting, well its really embarrassing calling myself that. Anyways, Im there so were barely getting by.
Even my parents are starting to beco suspicious of my herb-finding abilities.
Then, Cordelia asked a question.
Hey, hey, Lute? Why dont you try saying sunburn ten tis?
Sunburn sunburn sunburn sunburn sunburn sunburn sunburn sunburn sunburn sunburn.
Then, then? What does a chicken give birth to?
Cordelia gave a big smile.
It was truly a face that was planning sothing-
Egg.
-I imdiately crushed her plans.
Originally, one would naturally respond chicks, having said sunburn so many tis, to which the questioner would laugh and reply that its eggs, but I didnt fall for that trick. 1
Ive already experienced that trick several tis in Japanese elentary schools.
She was pretty childish for a future hero.
Gununu~
Youre ten years too young to play a trick on .
Seeing elated in my victory, Cordelia made a face like shes about to cry.
B-but, you might not win the next ti, right?
Hou Fine, fire away? What is it?
Then With the aning of like or hate, try saying like ten tis?
Was it a trick using the like from plowing tools? 2
Thinking so, I did as she asked.
Like like like like like like like like like like.
Everyti I said like, Cordelias face turned redder and redder.
Finally, as I said the last word she blushed red like an apple.
While looking at the ground, her feet suddenly stopped and she froze.
So?
Cordelia stayed silent for a while.
And then, she said shyly.
I was so happy when you said that I forgot what I was about to ask.
Oh my, what a cute kid.
As expected, even I couldnt help letting my expression change.
So, I tried sorting out my feelings regarding Cordelia right there and then.
It was as though she could be my childhood friend, my little sister, my daughter or my niece as well.
Setting the current mont aside, I know what she was like when she was fifteen years old At that point too, it felt a bit different from a romantic feeling.
But theres no mistaking the fact that shes important to .
Ive thought about this several tis, but I dont know what to make of it myself, as expected.
Then Cordelia and I reached the target square.
At the sa ti, a smile as bright as a sunflower blood on her face.
Will the usual honey sugar candy be fine today too?
Lute, wait here for a bit!
Saying so, she ran alone towards the peddlers stand.
Oi, Cordelia?
It was still early so there were only a few people around.
Cordelia said sothing to the peddler before handing sothing over.
The peddler handed over a pastry in return, and she ca back to .
?
Cordelia holds the pastry out towards .
Today, I bought a return gift for Lute, you know?
Eh?
Th-that is, Ive been saving up so money.
This pastry shouldve cost a lot.
I dont know how much of an allowance she had been getting, but at the very least, I know this wasnt anything cheap for her.
What for?
That is, today is Lutes birthday, right?
Ah
I had completely forgotten.
Every year, my mother made a huge uproar around this ti, but this year the harvest was bad so there wasnt much she could do.
My affectionate mother didnt even hold a small party for her son.
No, she hadnt even brought it up now that I thought about it.
-It was probably the harvest. It must have been pretty bad to push people this far.
During such a ti, Cordelia mustve carefully collected the money safely in her house, in order to not get found out.
A sigh threatened to break free as the number of headaches I had started increasing, but I desperately held it back.
A face that didnt look happy after receiving a present wasnt very polite.
Happy? Is Lute happy?
Yeah. Thank you, Cordelia.
I smiled as I stroked Cordelias head.
Ehehe.
An innocent smile with incredible destructive power assaulted .
Sohow, watching her smile naturally made my cheeks loosen up, it was quite problematic.
Then, shall we go?
Then, I looked at Cordelia with a blank expression.
In response, she cocked her head and puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction.
Eh? Why are you leaving already?
Hmm? We bought what we wanted Isnt our work here already over?
My part
Eh?
With an expression that looked like it would burst into tears any second, Cordelia said.
Honey sugar candy I Didnt get any.
Ah, my present was a separate thing, and her portion, was also separate, huh
This girl in the future, shes definitely the kind wholl say theres a separate stomach for sweets.
Shrugging my shoulders, I pulled out my wallet and started walking towards the peddler.
-By the way, the fact that I bought a larger candy than usual, couldnt really be helped.
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