"Hey big brother, how did you and Miss Sylvia meet?"
A little red-headed girl who barely reached my waist stood next to me, her curious grin stretching from ear to ear.
"Hey, it's not polite to ask people questions like that so suddenly," said the woman behind us, her tone gentle but firm.
These two were Lilia and my little sister Aisha.
"It's okay," I said to Lilia, then turned to Aisha. "It's somewhat of a complicated story. I'll tell you some other time when I'm free, okay?"
Aisha's mood drooped a bit, her shoulders sagging and her smile fading. But just as quickly, she recovered, forcing brightness back into her expression. "Okay, big brother."
My hand moved on instinct, ruffling her soft red hair. She leaned into the touch immediately, and I heard a soft, contented sigh escape her lips. The sound was surprisingly cute, making something warm stir in my chest.
Lilia watched us, and a small smile graced her usually stern features. After everything that had happened, it was nice seeing Rudeus and her daughter getting along like proper siblings.
"Okay, Aisha, let's give him some space," Lilia said, gently ushering Aisha to her side.
Aisha's frown returned instantly. She looked up at me with pleading eyes. "Come on, tell her it's okay."
She stared deep into my eyes, which I knew were dull and lifeless compared to her bright, hopeful gaze. I looked at her for several seconds, but her stare never wavered, never blinked.
"Sorry, but you should listen to your mother," I said apologetically.
Her frown deepened. She crossed her arms and slowly walked over to Lilia's side, dragging her feet with each step like she was being sentenced to exile.
I watched her go, and somewhere deep in my chest, I felt a pang of sadness. It was strange. I barely knew this girl, yet the sight of her disappointment affected me more than I expected.
"Hmm."
When I looked up, I caught Sylvia staring in my direction. She looked like she wanted to say something, her mouth opening slightly before closing again.
I could have a general idea of what was on her mind, but there was no point in addressing it.
The next morning, I woke to find everyone still asleep everyone except Lilia.
She was already up and moving, arranging various foods she'd apparently brought back from somewhere. I sat up slowly from the bed, trying not to disturb the others.
Lilia turned my way, her posture as straight as ever, her eyes stern and focused. "Rudeus, you're awake. As you can see, I've just returned from the market stalls." She gestured to the assortment of ingredients spread across the table. "Miss Sylvia was kind enough to lend me money to afford all this. I'll start cooking right away. If you could assist me in starting a fire?"
She began setting everything up on the floor. It struck me as strange we could've just gone to the nearest guild hall and bought prepared food. But I kept the thought to myself.
To help her, I used earth magic to create a raised platform where she could place her bowl and ingredients. She'd already obtained wood, so I lit it with a small flame and let her begin.
"Thank you, Rudeus." She bowed slightly and started cooking.
Everyone else remained soundly asleep. I found myself pondering everything that had happened and what our next moves should be.
"Rudeus."
Lilia's voice cut through my thoughts. Her tone was sharp and low, carrying an edge that made me pay attention.
I turned my gaze to her and hummed, waiting.
She paused, clearly weighing her words before speaking. "There's some news you probably want to hear." Her voice dropped even lower. "Prince Pax has been pronounced dead, and they're looking for the killer."
I hummed again, careful to keep any expression from crossing my face. I nodded once, acknowledging the information.
I'd known this would happen. The fact that they couldn't trace it back to me was expected. But Lilia bringing it up out of the blue meant she'd definitely figured out I was responsible.
It wasn't hard to connect the dots, really. And I knew I could trust Lilia with my life.
"So you know?" I asked her directly.
She nodded while continuing to stir the pot. "I won't tell a single soul, even if I'm to be killed for it."
I nodded again, appreciating her loyalty more than I could express.
It made sense now why she'd gone out to buy ingredients instead of suggesting we eat at a public establishment. She didn't want us going out where we might be noticed or questioned. Smart.
"Thank you," I said quietly.
She simply nodded and kept stirring.
After a while, Sylvia began to stir, then Aisha. Sylvia sat up with a yawn, then immediately sniffed the air. Her head whipped toward Lilia.
"Wow, that smells amazing!"
She practically jumped out of bed and rushed over to look at what Lilia was cooking. Her eyes sparkled with childlike wonder, and I swear I saw a bit of drool forming at the corner of her mouth.
Lilia smiled warmly at the reaction. "Don't drool too much, or it might fall into the food," she joked gently.
Sylvia blinked, realizing what she was doing, and quickly wiped her mouth. "Sorry!" she squealed, her face turning slightly pink.
I shifted my attention to Aisha, who was stretching and yawning elaborately.
"I know you were awake," I whispered to her.
She froze mid-stretch, going stiff as a board. "H-How?!" Her voice shook slightly.
"Nothing escapes my eyes," I said vaguely, enjoying her reaction.
She gulped but quickly regained her composure, her expression shifting to something more serious and mature than a seven-year-old should be capable of. "Don't worry, big brother. I won't tell a soul." She leaned in closer, whispering, "You did that for revenge, right? For what he did to us?"
She wasn't exactly right, but I'd let her think that. I nodded.
Her eyes lit up so brightly I had to turn away. The pure admiration radiating from her was almost overwhelming.
Looks like I have a fan girl already, I thought wryly.
Lilia finished cooking shortly after, and we all gathered around to eat. The smell alone was enough to make my stomach growl embarrassingly loud.
She'd prepared some kind of stew with vegetables and chunks of meat, along with fresh bread she must have bought from a bakery. Simple food, but prepared with obvious care and skill.
We ate in relative silence at first, everyone too focused on the meal to make conversation. Then Sylvia broke the quiet.
"Oh my god," she moaned around a mouthful of stew. "This is incredible. I haven't had food this good since I was a child." She looked at Lilia with genuine awe. "Where did you learn to cook like this?"
Lilia's expression softened with pleasure at the compliment. "I've been a maid for many years. Cooking is simply part of the profession. Though I'm glad you're enjoying it."
"Enjoying it? I'm melting." Sylvia took another huge bite of bread soaked in stew. "Seriously, this is amazing."
Aisha giggled at Sylvia's dramatic reaction, then turned to her own bowl with renewed enthusiasm. "Miss Lilia's cooking is the best," she said proudly. "She makes the yummiest food."
I ate more slowly, savoring the taste but also lost in thought about our next moves. We couldn't stay in Shirone much longer not with a dead prince and an ongoing investigation. We needed to leave soon, preferably within the next day or two.
The plan was still the same head toward the Demon Continent. Find Eris. Everything else was secondary.
"Hey, Rudeus."
Sylvia's voice pulled me from my thoughts. She'd finished her bowl and was looking at me with that expression again the one that said she wanted to suggest something but wasn't sure how I'd react.
"We should go out and explore the city today," she said, her tone brightening with forced cheerfulness. "I mean, we're already here, and there's so much to see. The markets, the historical sites, the architecture—"
"I'll stay back," I said immediately.
Her face fell slightly. "But—"
"I'll stay as well," Lilia interjected, saving me from having to explain further. "I should rest and recover from our ordeal. You two should go enjoy yourselves."
"No!"
Aisha's voice rang out, loud and insistent. She stood up from her seat, her small hands planted on her hips in a pose that looked exactly like something Lilia would do. "Big brother has to come too!"
I opened my mouth to refuse, but she cut me off.
"Please? Pretty please?" Her eyes went wide and watery, employing what had to be the most devastating puppy-dog expression I'd ever seen. "I want to spend time with you. We just met, and you're already trying to avoid me."
"I'm not avoiding—"
"Then prove it. Come with us."
I looked at Lilia for help, but she just gave me a small, knowing smile that offered zero assistance.
I sighed internally, running through the calculations. They didn't have any evidence pointing to me as Pax's killer. The guards who'd seen me were all unconscious and wouldn't have gotten a good look at my face in the darkness anyway. Zanoba wouldn't say anything he'd basically given me permission to kill his brother.
Going out should be fine. Probably.
"Alright," I said finally. "I'll go."
Aisha's face exploded with joy. She rushed over and threw her arms around me in a tight hug, her small body practically vibrating with excitement.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
I awkwardly patted her head, unused to this level of physical affection from anyone other than Sylphie. "Yeah, yeah. Just don't make me regret this."
She pulled back, grinning from ear to ear. "I promise you won't!"
Somehow, I doubted that.
We left the inn about an hour later, after everyone had finished eating and gotten ready. Sylvia took the lead, practically bouncing with excitement as she guided us through the city streets.
"Okay, so first we should visit the central plaza," she said, consulting a small map she'd apparently bought yesterday. "It's the historical heart of Shirone, and there's a famous fountain there that—"
She launched into an explanation of the fountain's history, the architectural significance, the cultural importance of the plaza in various historical events. Her knowledge was surprisingly deep for someone who'd never been here before. She must have spent hours yesterday talking to locals and gathering information.
I held Aisha's hand as we walked, making sure she didn't get separated in the crowded streets. Her small hand fit perfectly in mine, it was warm and refreshing.
Even though I'd barely known her for a day, I could feel something stirring in my chest when I looked at her. It was the same protective instinct I felt when I thought about Sylphie this overwhelming urge to keep her safe, to make sure nothing bad ever happened to her.
Is this what having a little sister feels like? I wondered.
Sylvia continued her tour guide routine, pointing out landmarks and explaining their significance. I began to tune her out, letting my thoughts drift to the forefront of my mind.
But looking down at the small hand I was holding, at Aisha's excited face as she listened to Sylvia's explanations, I felt a twinge of something uncomfortable.
Leaving meant saying goodbye to her again. Leaving her behind with Lilia to continue their own journey while I pursued mine.
She'll be fine, I told myself. Lilia will take care of her. They don't need me.
But the thought didn't sit as comfortably as it should have.
"Big brother?"
Aisha's voice brought me back to the present. She was looking up at me with curious eyes. "Can I ask you and Miss Sylvia something?"
"Sure," I said cautiously.
She grinned mischievously and turned to include Sylvia in the conversation. "Miss Sylvia, can you tell me about your adventures together? All the exciting things you've done?"
Sylvia's face lit up. "Oh, absolutely! Well, there was this one time in a small town where we discovered—"
She launched into an animated retelling of our various encounters and experiences. I half-listened, noting how she carefully edited out the more dangerous or traumatic parts to make everything sound like a grand adventure suitable for a child's ears.
Aisha listened with rapt attention, asking questions and gasping at all the appropriate moments. But I noticed something the way her questions gradually shifted direction, becoming more pointed, more specific.
"So you two travel together all the time?" Aisha asked innocently.
"Yes, for a few weeks now," Sylvia confirmed.
"And you sleep in the same rooms?"
"Well, yes, but—"
"And you protect each other?"
"Of course we do, that's what partners—"
"So are you two together-together?"
Sylvia's face turned bright red. "W-What? No! It's not like that at all! We're just traveling companions, that's all!"
"I see," Aisha said with a knowing smile that was way too mature for her age. She turned to me. "What about you, big brother? Is there something between you and Miss Sylvia?"
"No," I said flatly, refusing to engage with whatever game she was playing.
Aisha giggled at our reactions, clearly delighted by how flustered she'd made Sylvia.
Sylvia shot me a look that promised we'd be discussing this later, then made a mental note to watch out for Aisha in the future. The girl was far too perceptive and clever for her age.
We spent the next few hours wandering through the city. Sylvia showed us the central plaza with its famous fountain, the historical district with buildings dating back centuries, the market square where vendors sold everything from fresh produce to magical trinkets.
Aisha's energy seemed boundless. She ran from stall to stall, examining everything with wide-eyed wonder, asking a million questions about how things worked and where they came from.
By the time the sun started setting, even her enthusiasm was beginning to flag. Her steps became slower, her questions less frequent. She was still holding my hand, but now she was leaning against me slightly as we walked.
"Tired?" I asked.
"A little," she admitted, then perked up slightly. "But I'm having so much fun! Can we do this again tomorrow?"
"We'll see," I said noncommittally.
We started heading back toward the inn. The streets were less crowded now as people returned home for dinner. Aisha walked between Sylvia and me, occasionally skipping a few steps before remembering she was supposed to be tired.
"Hey, big brother?"
"Yeah?"
"Can I see your sword?"
I paused mid-step. "My sword?"
"The one on your hip. It looks really cool. I want to see it up close."
"Alright."
I reached down to grasp the hilt, my hand moving automatically to where it should be—
My fingers closed on empty air.
Shock jolted through me like lightning. I looked down immediately, my eye widening.
The sword was gone.