When we got back ho, naturally, we received a scolding from Mother, for returning covered in blood from top to bottom. To my pleasant surprise, it wasn’t as long as I expected it would be, knowing her. She scolded
more than Sherry too, which I found unfair at first, until I realized it’s because she didn’t want to treat Sherry even the slightest bit harshly, after what she just went through. Afterwards, she told us to go clean up imdiately, which was exactly what we were already planning on doing.
However, I also noticed a sad look on her face as we left.
Mother… you’re thinking what I’m thinking, aren’t you?
-----
Our bathing ti together went smoothly at first,
with Sherry insisting that she should be the one doing all the scrubbing, still feeling guilty for smothering all that blood onto . Of course, Sherry being Sherry, she was still too shy to scrub my front, opting to only scrub my back. Hehe, it’s okay if you want to, you know~
And, as promised, she also told
I could play with her hair as much as I wanted. I only ended up just admiring how glossy and smooth it looked and felt though. Could sothing this lovely be turned into a weapon? I find it hard to believe.
…
Ah, what am I thinking? I’m just trying to forget the elephant in the room, aren’t I?
Is Sherry going to leave?
That’s one of the two questions that had occupied my mind ever since Myrilla made her offer.
The other one being, should I persuade her to stay?
Of course I wouldn’t want her to go. Just like how I wished Marina could stay all year.
However, if going with Myrilla would result in a better outco for her, then I had no right to force her to stay. Just like Marina studying magic in the academy would make her be a skillful mage once she’s an adult, securing a bright future ahead of her. A high-skill mage was always in demand, and the Magocracy, and other countries for that matter, would pay her handsoly either to act as part of their military or just to foster the prosperity of their domain. After all, a high level mage could do all sorts of useful things like controlling the weather and turning a wasteland into a lush farmland. Or so Marina told . And I had no doubt whatsoever that she would be one of said mages.
However, for Sherry, what future would she be able to earn if she went with Myrilla now? Wouldn’t it be better if she waited until she was older then we three could go to the Demon Continent and to her holand on her own, with , Marina, and her? Does she really need to know how to manipulate her hair like the other Izurds?
Once again, I had yet to co up with a satisfactory answer. I didn’t even know whether I should ask her on the matter.
Mother felt the sa way. I knew just by looking at her expression then. Father probably too as well.
“Hey…” Suddenly Sherry spoke, breaking the silence. “You’re thinking about
leaving, aren’t you?”
Welp, she hit the jackpot right away.
I sighed and nodded.
“Do you… want ... not to go?”
This question… it’s exactly what I feared.And that sad, hesitating expression on her face only made it harder for
to answer.
“...If you want to, I won’t stop you.”
Such was the answer that escaped my mouth.
It wasn’t
telling her not to go, or how much I would miss her if she did.
It was
telling her to do as she pleased. To go if she wanted to go, or to stay if she wanted to stay.
I forced a smile and added, “I'll miss you for sure. But if you want to et your relatives, then who am I to stop you?"
To my surprise, her reaction was not of relief, but that of sadness, before switching to anger entirely.
“Hmph, stupid Hugo!”
“H-hey Sherry, wa—”
SLAM
Before I could say anything, she already jumped out of the bath and slamd the bathroom door behind her.
--------
Sherry
At first, I didn’t know why I got so angry.
Only that I was, and that I wanted to hide back in my room and cry myself to sleep.
I took my towel and wore it in a hurry, before also taking my clean clothes with . Then, I imdiately bolted there.
I didn’t want Hugo to chase after .
...No, I wanted him to chase after . In fact, I wanted him to apologize, begging to
not to leave.
That’s what made
so angry. His answer—it’s like he didn’t care about
leaving at all!
I knew for a fact that wasn’t true however. With everything that he had done to , and with how nice he had been to , there was no way he wouldn’t be hurt if I decided to leave.
But my heart was greedy. It wanted more. It wanted him pleading with tears for
not to leave.
If he did, I would’ve decided to stay to be sure. I wouldn’t leave him just for so relatives I didn’t know about, no matter how curious I was to et them.
But if he acted like this… how would I know what to do?
Once back in my room, I locked the door behind
before throwing off my towel. I then looked at the mirror in my room.
So this is how a demon looks… how an Izurd looks…
My real father and mother… even if they have abandoned , I still want to et with them…
And I want to get stronger too… strong enough to beat Hugo, just like I used to be able to…
The gap between us…
I know it’s only getting bigger and bigger…
Before I know it, he would be just as strong as his big sister, whom I couldn’t land a single blow on…
And then, if we really beco a party of adventurers as he wants, I would just be a burden… The weak link in their party…
It would be better if I don’t go with them after all…
My training with Hugo’s father had plateaued. He said that I should be patient, and I would eventually beco strong if I just kept up my training, but I knew if I only improved at this rate, I would only be left behind by Hugo and Marina more and more. The imnse Izurdian strength I was born with, and whatever talent I might have in the sword, it’s nowhere near those two’s level of talent in magic. They were true geniuses, while I was just a girl who got lucky that she was actually a demon and not a normal human.
…
I want it.
I want more power.
I want more strength to protect Hugo.
And if I have to go all the way to the Demon Continent for that, then I will, without hesitation.
Then, I will return to Hugo as a proud woman, who’s worthy of becoming his partner and party mber.
And even…
Even his wife, if he still would have …
-------------
Hugo
When I t Sherry again at lunch, she was back to her usual self, as if nothing had happened.
...No, there was just one difference.
Her eyes… there was fire behind them.
She had made her decision.
“Father… Mother… I have decided. I will go with Myrilla to the Demon Continent.”
Those were the words that first ca out of her mouth the mont she arrived and sat on.
Mother gasped, dropping the fork and spoon she had been holding with a loud clang. Father, on the other hand, looked as if he already saw this coming.
“S-Sherry, you can’t seriously think of—”
“I am serious, Mother,” she replied without flinching. “I am already ten years old, rember? I am perfectly qualified to start traveling around and being an adventurer. Father, you left your ho at the sa age, right?”
“Yes, that’s true, but—”
“Then there is no problem, is there?”
“There is a problem!” Mother suddenly slamd her hands to the table. “Do you have any idea how dangerous the Demon Continent is, young lady? Your father nearly died once there! If not for Myrilla, he’d be—”
“And that’s why Mother shouldn’t worry. Myrilla is going to be with
after all,” Sherry quickly retorted with a sharp look.
“You would trust soone who you just t with your life?”
“That’s enough, Renee. I trust Myrilla with my life, so for Sherry to do the sa, there’s nothing wrong in doing so.”
Father finally interrupted, and judging from his expression, he most likely didn’t appreciate the tone Mother had taken on ntioning his ex-partner.
“Sherry, are you serious about this? The journey there would be tough, tougher than anything you have ever encountered in your life. Even discounting the harsh environnt and the strong monsters of the Demon Continent, you would be out there with only Myrilla guiding you against the rest of the world. The hardships on becoming a wandering adventurer is not just from the quests you have to do and the monsters you have to fight. You will no doubt encounter people who would try to harm you, just like Marina did back at Aarom. You would be swindled, cheated upon, and even hurt, and the worst part about it that you wouldn’t always be able to fight back. You might think you’re really strong but there are many stronger folks out there. And if you pick fights with every single one of them, well, you’ll end up dead in a ditch sooner or later.”
Father folded his hands, looking fully serious. He was eyeing Sherry, no doubt looking whether there were any doubts displayed on her expression.
“I know,” she replied. “But I have to do it. Not just because I want to know who I really am and why I was abandoned, but also because I want to beco stronger. You know very well how my progress in swordplay has been slowing down lately. No matter what you say, I don't have as much talent in it as Hugo and Marina do in magic. If I stay here, I'll never be able to catch up with them. I want to go there, and learn how an Izurd is supposed to fight."
Father didn't even try to rebuke her. Instead, he simply let out a deep sigh.
"It indeed might be best for you to continue your training there."
"Alan!" Mother glared.
"I rembered so tales on how the Izurd fights. They certainly aren’t using the sa style that I have been teaching you all this ti. To them, their hair is also a weapon, and they can combine it with their actual weapon to unleash a devastating barrage of attacks against their opponents. They could even use it in a defensive way, forming makeshift shields and armors at will. So I cannot lie and say that you wouldn’t get stronger if you train with them instead.”
“Then—!”
“You might go. But in one condition.” He leaned forward, looking at Sherry straight in the eye. “You will obey whatever Myrilla tells you to do. With no questions asked, alright?”
“Alan, you can’t really be saying that she should—”
“I see no uncertainty in her eyes, Renee,” he returned, looking at her. “If we forbid her, she would just run away on her own. I have no doubt about that.”
And with that, Father had given his blessings.
--------
For the rest of lunch, Mother continued to tell her not to go, each ti sounding more and more desperate to change her mind. Until eventually, Sherry was fed up with it and finished her lunch earlier than normal. She then left the house afterwards, most likely to train, judging by her statents before.
“Hugo, what do you think?” Father asked
once she left. “Do you think she should go? It’s not like you to be all quiet back then.” He gave
a small smile.
“I-I don’t know…” I answered honestly, sighing in the process. “I certainly don’t want her to go, but on the other hand, if she’s already that determined…”
“You know you would be able to convince her to stay, right? She likes you after all. Just give her so earnest tears and beg her to stay. That would surely convince her,” he answered with a light smirk. “Won like it when their n show off a little weakness once in a while. It triggers their motherhood instincts, making them want to comfort and even coddle them. If you read those female romance novels, you'd see it over and over."
"...Wait, you read those kinds of novels, Father?"
"N-no! I-I just want to see what your mother's into, that's all!" He quickly denied with a little blush on his face.
Heh, even soone like him could get flustered by just a simple thing like that.
My thoughts quickly returned to Sherry however, wiping the little smirk I had.
Father then sighed, ruffling my hair with a smile.
"You're too mature for your own good sotis. If you're like any other eight year old boy, you probably would have run to her and beg her not to go. But you're thinking of the bigger picture. You don't want to beco Sherry's impedint. So you keep your feelings in check, hiding it behind a smile."
I paused, looking at Father with a shocked expression.
He was right. He was absolutely right.
"Ha! Of course I was right! I'm your father after all! What kind of a father who can't tell what their son is thinking?"
Our conversation unfortunately was interrupted by Mother who slamd our desert on the table. She was clearly exasperated by Sherry running off like that.
I spent the rest of the lunch in silence, deep in my own thoughts.
----
Afterwards, I imdiately went out to look for Sherry.
I had sothing really important that I wanted to say to her.
…
I found her a ways away from our house, on the grassy hills. And just as I expected, she was busy swinging her sword around. It seed she was training her precision, as she was cutting the small leaves on the tree above her one by one into two, without cutting a branch or another leaf in the process.
Amazing…
Would Father even be able to do sothing like this? He doesn’t look like the precise type in the slightest.
When she sensed my presence however, her movent beca sloppy, ending it her cutting a whole branch off and then it landing right on top of her head.
“Oww!” She said as she rubbed her head.
I couldn’t help but chuckle at the comical scene.
“Oh, it’s you, Hugo.” She looked at . “What do you want?” It seed she wasn’t pleased that I had interrupted her practice.
At first, my thought was to apologize to her, to tell her that I was sorry for becoming too strong too quickly to the point that she couldn’t catch up.
But I knew that if I said that, it would only wound her pride. She wouldn’t be happy hearing
saying that. She would feel insulted. Gravely, I might add.
I would feel the sa. I saw how my siblings all grew to beco successful people, with only
being the failure. If they started apologizing for their accomplishnts, I would end up disliking them even more. Kindness could beco condescension to an insecure person after all.
So there was only one thing that he could say to her.
“Do you want to win over
and Marina that badly?”
She returned an annoyed look, as if I had just asked sothing stupid.
“Of course I am. Like I said, I don’t want to be left behind by you two.”
“Then, how would you know when you’re good enough? You can no longer compare your strength with mine or Marina’s if you go there after all.”
She paused, averting her gaze away. She probably hadn’t even thought of that.
“...I’ll return when I feel I’m strong enough.”
“That’s no good! What if you always feel you’re not strong enough? Or what if you train too much and you end up being the one to leave
and Marina behind? You would make us feel bad then,” I said with a smile.
She smiled as well. She knew I was trying to humor her.
“Don’t worry. I won’t be there for long. Just until I could learn how to control my hair. I’m an Izurd after all. I have to learn that stuff, you know.”
Judging by her happy, almost proud face, I knew that she already accepted the fact that she wasn’t human. And I felt relieved for that.
You will never devolve into that kind of self-hate again, would you, Sherry?
“How about this? You co back when Marina finishes attending the academy. Perfect ti for us three to start adventuring, no?”
“Eh? You’re not going to go there as well?”
“Hmm, I dunno. I think I’m already good enough just having Big Sis as my teacher,” I replied with a small smirk.
I really couldn’t imagine myself wasting six years of my youth just being a student in a boarding school like that. I would be bored out of my mind quickly, after the pleasure I got from being the best student there disappeared. After all, Marina always said that I was already better than a lot of the students her age. And I would only get even better. When I was old enough to enter, I would be far and beyond my peers. Or so my cocky self believed.
I just want to beco an adventurer. And that’s that.
Sherry went silent for a few monts, looking away as she thought of my request.
“Alright!” she replied with a confident grin. “Since you want it so badly, I promise I’ll be back by then!”
She offered her hand. I readily shook it without a second thought, smiling back at her.
“Now, why don’t you train your sword skill with
for a change, Hugo? See if you can cut those leaves like I just did.”
“Eeh, I can’t even do the ranged cutting thing you’re doing!”
“Oh, don’t complain already! You just have to swing your sword fast enough!”
And so for the rest of the week, I obliged her, playing and training with her as much as I could. I didn’t get much out of it, but Sherry was easily the happiest that I had ever seen, so I was happy as well.
And then, ca the day of her departure.
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