"Hmhmhm… Hmhmhm! The weather's great… it's a perfect day for returning to our old house."
I was humming at a rhythmic time while happily skipping down onto the main street of Town Allure.
I was wearing a simple commoner's dress, instead of my usual adventuring outfit. Beside me was my big brother, who wore a standard luminous knight uniform.
"Ugh, this weather is creeping me off…" Elias grunted
We walked through the Central plaza all the way to the merchant district, where the Rynd Household resides to this day. As such, it is still bustling with merchant and seller activities, so it is common that a lot of people gather at the Merchant District, especially in broad daylight.
We woke up exactly nine in the morning, beginning our morning walk. Elias's attire flashes between the crowded area of Town Allure, thinking to themselves to their thoughts like. Is that guy literally an luminous knight? Why is he in a crowded area like this? Why does he walk in a commoner, doesn't a luminous knight like hella rich?
As Elias' shining uniform attracts nearby people from the crowds, I asked my brother about this problem.
"Brother!"
"Hmm?"
On the other hand, Elias was dozing off the cute and sexy girls that he'd seen over the distance, their outfit was more of a slut than a normal lady-like dress. Its revealing clothes attract Elias even the slightest, producing dopamine inside of his thick skull. Then he responded.
"Do prostitutes always roam around in Town Allure?"
"Ehh?"
"Come to think of it, this town has less justice than in Caria. Like how the hell does prostitutes roam freely in broad daylight."
Shocked by his discovery, there were certainly a lot of prostitutes under the bustling area of the Merchant District, like hell that Elias compared it to Caria City, even though laws were different there. I think someday, I will go to Caria City.
Then, Elias shrugged off, clearing his head with cute girls in his mind, then began eye-to-eye contact with me.
"What is it, Eirene?"
"Oh, I completely forgot. Like, why do you still wear your uniform like that even though you've been branded by an heretic from the bureau."
Then, Elias simply answered quickly and easily.
"Even though I was an enemy. I'm still handling tough missions like a normal luminous knight does."
"Like, is it necessary?"
"Even I was not labeled enough as a hero. Even I will defeat anyone who stood in my path. I will use my strength just to survive."
Seeing Elias answer straightened up, I can tell that he has a lack of heroism, he will use his strength just to survive. And its famously motto "I will defeat anyone who stood in my path," generally fits its attitude easily, an anti-heroic brother.
However, most charming of all was my radiant smile. My cheeks were flushed and joy was overflowing from her every pore. The fact that I have a commoner's dress and my fascinating heterochromic eyes, it didn't matter at all to the onlookers. They were all utterly entranced by me.
"You don't need to run that fast, Eirene. What if you go on a trip?"
"No worries, we were almost at our house."
Over a few houses in the distance we finally reached the Rynd Household, it was the same as before, but the meat shop was fully renovated, as if the old and boring look became a positive outlook. I was fascinated by the owner of this.
I noticed that the meat shop was closed, with its particles and dust flying through the air. I can tell that Mya hasn't opened the shop in weeks. No signs of meat was hanging at the cellar, as well as displaying it. However, the colorful design of the meat shop was fascinating for me.
As we arrived in time, Elias, who was standing beside me, his demeanor more at ease than it normally was. Suddenly looked at me in a discerning look. It was a frustrated face that I saw it for a first time ime
"Hey Eirene, did you sell the house?"
"N-N-No, No, Brother, I'll swear that you are currently living there."
"Who you may ask?"
"I'll swear I didn't sell the house. A friend of mine is currently living in the house, as well as in-charge of the meat shop. I swear I didn't sell it."
Elias thinks that I've abandoned the family house when I left for good. But the truth is that, Mya was now in-charge of the household, particularly not sold. I tried explaining to my brother but he angrily knocked on the door with full force.
"Hey, open the door you scumbag. This is our home! Our family home."
Then, the door suddenly opened, as from Elias' shock, that door lies a demi-human with yellow hair and cat ears, as well as both ears and tails are present. Wearing a white dress that belonged to my mother's, I can tell Mya was inside of this door.
"Roxyyyyy… I miss you!"
"Mya!"
Mya hugged me tightly as our reunion had begun while Elias led out both shocked and a confused face through his demeanor. His reply says otherwise.
"Eirene, who's this girl?"
As I was about to answer the same thing. Mya approaches Elias and begins introducing herself. Simple and shortful…
"Greeting kind strangers. My name is Mya Rynd, I am a kind demi-human with the traits of a cat, I am sixteen years old and it's so nice to meet you."
"Mya Rynd?"
I snapped back and responded to Mya easily.
"Mya, care to explain yourself about your name? Mya Rynd, seriously?"
"Oh, sorry Roxy. I will tell the truth."
Mya had signed herself to become a proud and original citizen of Town Allure, in order to do that, she will have to have an inherited surname. Since Mya didn't know her surname very well. He adopted the surname "Rynd" to be enlisted in the population data. And I was not happy about it…
"Mya! Why our surname! It's kind of an embarrassing option you've made."
"It's my one choice to become a proud citizen of Town Allure otherwise I would be deported."
Maybe Mya has a point. Because of its strict rules of Town Allure, Mya had managed to follow those rules with ease, as well as verifying from being an official citizen of Town Allure, otherwise, her life would be in danger. Even though she has a small head, she nearly has an IQ of an average genius.
"Roxy, care to head inside. I've been waiting for you all these months. Like where have you been? I told you to return every weekend."
And yet, Mya strikes another bingo. I didn't visit Mya more often in these few weeks, she endured the isolation all by herself because of the discrimination she'd face outside the household. Over these many years, demi-humans were criticized about their personalities and traits over their lives. They'd been a victim of racism. Or worse, bullying.
As we entered the house, Elias and I surged a bit of nostalgia from inside. All these years and Elias had finally returned to the place where it all started. All the family moments, memories and happy experiences were etched in Elias mind. Like he'd been in his childhood days once again.
We sat beside the sofa, it was not as pleasant as expected. The sofa was full of stretch marks all around it, and its cotton fibers were well destroyed. Not only that, full of scratch and bite marks were scattered along the walls of the house, it was a mess. No wonder Mya has fully adapted to this house, even in all means.
I waited until Mya to prepare our pastries from my sudden arrival. She was surprised because, for the first time in weeks. I finally come home, even the main events of the Castle Libra Raid all the way to Rebelbub Village, I endured that pain and decided to take a quick peek on my house once again. Seeing my friend is not still alive and well.
Mya walked back over me. This time, she seemed much more at ease, even relaxed.
Me, on the other hand, I was a bit taken aback. Was Mya always this short? Back when I first met her, we were at the same height as me. Now, I looked down on her. Did she shrink somehow?! Wait, no, that can't be it.
Come to think of it, the clothes I wore seemed to be getting shorter. Huh. I'd grown. Through all my fighting to get here. I'd been too busy to notice.
One factor was probably my diet, which had improved significantly since I was living a normal life inside at the Flower Manor. Back then, the pittance my appraisal stall paid me had been barely enough to live on. But since joining a small guild then living life as an adventurer, I'd been able to eat and fill myself with delicious, nutrient-filled foods such as skewers.
Back when I'd traveled with my members to Rebelbub Village, I had practically emptied my wallet whenever we ate. Naturally, my members never paid a single coin.
Hm. So maybe life circumstances held me back from my natural growth spurt. After all, I was still only eighteen. I was pretty sure growth spurts were a normal part of growing up.
"Have you listened to a word I've said?" Mya asked
She'd been talking to me while I was lost in thought, and I hadn't caught a thing.
"Y-Yeah, of course I have, so what are we talking about?"
I said calmly, scrambling to gather my composure.
"You haven't been listening at all! How would you like to steal one of your bras?"
"Ugh, anything but that!" I blanched
However, Mya laughed at my reaction. The threat has been little more than just a bit of playful intimidation. Mya knew humor.
"Hahaha, I was just kidding, Roxy!"
While on the other side of the sofa, Elias resides. Therefore he suddenly asks questions.
"Hey Mya, may I ask you a question?" Elias said calmly
"Sure kind stranger!"
"Call me Elias, instead."
"Okay, Elias."
Then, Mya twitched both of her cat ears from a distance, and its tail was wagging like crazy over her dress. Then, Elias questions briefly.
"Mya, how did you and your sister meet?"
"Oh, she'd rescue me in that forest. Then lead me to the Town of Tata. My hometown."
"Mya, why did you close our meat shop?"
"Oh, Seth didn't have any livestock. It's been days since his animals kept dying."
"My last question Mya, do you have any siblings or some kind?"
"I barely recall that? But, I have an older brother. I didn't know his name though, but I've met him before."
Telling Mya's sibling was some point necessary for Elias, but he saw Mya as a friend of mine. Much like he saw from one of my guildmembers, Natalie. But more like a best-friend type. And yet, he deeply respects Mya because she is the main reason why the meat shop is still running.
We sipped our tea in nostalgia, reminding me back of my younger days.
Even after that, out of all the adventures we had faced, our struggle we've endured. This is the moment we will catch our breaks from now on. Reuniting the family from now.
Even then, the fight was over, the suffering had subsided, and the love for the family had never been broken. It was etched into our hearts like a gemstone that is concealed between the stones.
I believed in that. I believed in him.