Volume 5 Chapter 19 Sandra's Grandmother
The next morning, I was hit by a terrible feeling of fatigue.
"I don't want to go...!"
Why? Because I have to meet up with that damn old man at noon today to get some information. It's a pain. It's really a pain. I really don't want to go.
But it's also a job I took on myself. At least, I need to find out the location of the Mercenary Department's base. So I have to go either way.
But still, I don't want to go.
"It's pretty rough today."
Clay said in a good mood. Why was he in a good mood? Because Clay is now in a situation where he has an endless stream of money coming in.
"Hey Clay. Are you enjoying the dragon hunt?"
"I'm doing great. I'm rolling in so much money that I could live off it for the rest of my life!"
"You're really excited."
I'm glad he's having fun. I think I would have been having fun too if I had taken this job instead.
...but I still think I chose the right path. I can't move on without resolving my grudge with that damn old man.
"We're off today, but what about you, Wade-kun?"
"I'm going to see my old man in the afternoon."
"That's the toughest job of all. I wish you the best."
"Ughhhhhhh..."
I screamed and fell face first into the table. Clay laughed out loud at my behavior.
"Well, you're free until noon. At least do something you enjoy. Like spending time with Moruru."
"I can't touch Moruru with these murderous feelings..."
"You are really overprotective."
Is it bad to be overprotective? She's my daughter, more precious than my own life.
While we were having this conversation, the people in the house started to wake up.
Ice woke up and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek before heading to the kitchen to make breakfast.
Toxy woke up and said, "See you at lunch," and patted my head before starting to clean up.
Moruru, with her wide-eyed eyes, grabbed Ridge's back collar and dragged her into the living room.
Alex, who knows when he woke up, and Windy, who seemed to have been dragged along with him, came back from outside.
Finally, Sandra woke up half-asleep and came to the breakfast table in her pajamas.
'Let's dig in.'
The Wade family, which has become like a large family, basically eats breakfast together. Aside from that, we eat together whenever we can, in a relaxed way.
After eating, we scatter at our own pace, starting our day with work, housework, hobbies, or training. Some days, there are people who just rest or play.
Today, the core members, namely me, Ice, Clay, Toxy, and Sandra, didn't have any plans in the morning and were relaxing in the living room.
"This is typical of the Wade Party,"
Clay teased me, Ice, Toxy, and Sandra as we gathered around him. I'm used to it by now, so I just stuck out my tongue.
Ice and Sandra, perhaps because they hadn't had many opportunities to cling to me like this lately, were being quite direct with their affection. I just let them do whatever they wanted. They're cute and I have no complaints.
But these sweet and blissful moments don't last forever.
The doorbell rang at the front door.
Toxy and I were the ones who narrowed our eyes at this. We both had a strong memory of the unpleasant visitor from the other day, so we couldn't help but be wary.
Clay was the one who stood up.
"You guys probably don't want to move, so I'll go,"
A little while after Clay went to the door, Clay called Sandra, "Sandra-san. Your grandmother is here."
"...Grandma?"
Sandra tilted her head and stood up. Then she headed towards the front door.
"You stupid grandchild! You never show your face! You rascal!"
"Hi-ya!"
And then a scream went up, so we looked at each other.
"...Should we go check it out?"
"Yeah, right..."
"I'm really curious about this,"
The three of us, Ice, Toxy, and I, crept out towards the front door. Then Sandra's grandmother noticed us and said, "Huh? Oh, it's been a while," looking at me.
I went out of the door and stood next to Sandra, who was clutching her head and groaning.
"Long time no see. ...What about Sandra?"
"She never showed her face, so I gave her some moxibustion,"
"Hmmph," the grandmother snorted. "Demon old hag..." Sandra said, and got another punch on the head.
"Ow..."
"Well, it seems you idiot being taken care of by them. But there are more of you than I expected. And you all look pretty young. ...Can I come in?"
"Yes, please."
I remembered that I was supposed to show her the deed, but I completely forgot about it. Oh no. I don't want to get yelled at like Sandra did.
Sandra's grandmother entered the house and looked around the living room. "Hmm," she nodded.
"It's well cleaned. Who does the cleaning?"
"Oh, I do. Cleaning is kind of my hobby."
The grandmother nodded approvingly at Toxy, who had introduced herself.
"You're well-mannered. It seems your parents are good people."
"Oh, um... yes. They are parents I respect."
Embarrassment, shyness, and nostalgia. Toxy's feelings for her parents are complex.
"Sandra, are you eating properly?"
The grandmother called out to Sandra as she headed towards the kitchen. I remembered what my damn old man used to say, and I tensed up slightly.
Stroking her head, Sandra replied sullenly.
"I'm eating. Ice's cooking is delicious."
"Hmm, Ice, is that..."
"W-well... it's me..."
"I see, I see. So you're helping each other survive."
The grandmother nodded with a kind smile. Then, she asked,
"By the way, what does Sandra do around the house?"
'...'
No one answered. The grandmother's expression hardened instantly.
"...Sandra...?"
"I-I mean, I help out with chores when they ask me."
"Oh... well, you do, I guess. Uh-huh."
The grandmother nodded in approval when Toxy nodded.
"How about money? Do you have enough to eat? If you're struggling, I can help you out a bit."
"Oh, that's okay. We're making a decent living."
Clay said, "Hmm?" The grandmother looked puzzled.
"...To get down to brass tacks, how much is it?"
"If you would lend me your ear."
Clay whispered something to the grandmother. As soon as she heard it, the grandmother's eyes widened and she said, "So, that much. It's comparable to my daughter, Sandra's parents."
Sandra is the one who gets smug.
"Grandma, you underestimates us. We're already a gold party. We're the strongest in Karditsa."
"Sandra, that's an exaggeration."
"I exaggerated. At least among the top."
Sandra corrected herself with a "Ssss" when I pointed it out. Then, with a sly smile, the grandmother looked at me.
"It seems you're holding this wild horse firmly by the reins."
"Haha, yes. But Sandra is actually quite obedient."
"Obedient? This idiot of a grandchild?"
Sandra is being dragged by her grandmother. Just from looking at this scene, I think she's quite obedient.
"...So, Sandra. Did you catch it properly?"
The grandmother whispered to Sandra. Sandra looked confused for a moment, then blushed and replied, "...Yes." What is this grandmother asking?
"Oh! Oh! Well, well, then everything is going well! It's very gratifying, well!"
The grandmother slaps Sandra on the back. Sandra, perhaps embarrassed, closed her eyes and stiffened. The other members are also chuckling.
Then Ice, trying to be considerate, said, "Well, since we're here, why don't we have some tea..." The grandmother shook her head.
"No, I'm afraid it would be too much trouble to ask. Besides, haven't you already been very accommodating?"
"Haha..."
"Hahaha! That's as it should be. An old hag like me is always a pain in the neck for young people."
Laughing cheerfully, she said, "I really just came to check on you. I may come by more often from now on, but don't treat my souvenirs harshly," she joked, and headed for the front door.
"Grandma, I'll see you off."
"Oh, so you've learned to be that considerate. They say, 'Send the cute ones on a journey,' and it's a well-crafted lesson, isn't it?"
Sandra followed her grandmother to the front door. The others settled down on the spot. There was an air of understanding that there were things that only blood relatives could talk about.
But I had something to ask, so I followed Sandra a little distance away to the front door.
"―――Sandra, have fun while you're there. But if there's anything you absolutely can't forgive, come back anytime. That's what family is for."
"Yeah. But I'm fine. The Wade Party is a really good place."
At the front door, there was an exchange of honest words that could only be shared between family members. I held my breath and waited for it to end.
"Alright then. Bring another dish sometime. What would you like?"
"Meat pie."
"Ah, that one, huh? Alright. I'll make a big one so we can all eat it."
"Yay!"
Sandra said in a more childlike voice than usual. Then, I thought, she is a child. She's an adult in this world, but from my past life, she's a child's age, and from her parents' point of view, she'll always be a child.
And the grandmother left, escorted by Sandra. I guess it's time. I left the house.
"Wade. What's up?"
"Oh no, I just wanted to talk to the grandmother for a bit. Is she over there?"
"Yeah."
"Thanks."
I passed Sandra and followed the grandmother.
She was not far away, as her steps were slow due to her age. When I called out, "Grandmother," she turned around in a good mood and said, "Oh, you little rascal. What's up? Did you bring something you forgot?"
"Oh, well. I guess this is a weird question to ask."
I felt a little awkward and looked down at my feet. The grandmother laughed and said, "Go ahead and ask."
I made up my mind and asked.
"...Why do parents ask their children, 'Have you eaten properly?'?"
"Huh?"
My question seemed to be something she hadn't expected, and she groaned, "Hmm, that's a good question. You're asking some tough questions..."
Then, the grandmother said,
"Saying that it's because of worry is too shallow. That's just a superficial reason. That's not what the little boy wants to hear."
"...Yeah, you're right."
I couldn't believe or understand that my damn old man was worried about me. If that were true, he should have found me sooner. That's what I thought.
The grandmother nodded and said, "Well, yes."
"That's my way of saying 'I love you.' It might be embarrassing to say that to a child, right? But, if I didn't love you, I wouldn't say such a thing."
And I was...
I couldn't say anything and just stood there dumbfounded.
"...I think there's something else going on."
The grandmother looked up at me and patted me on the upper arms.
"I won't ask for details. But, parents aren't perfect either. At your age, you probably feel it even more strongly."
The grandmother took a breath and continued.
"But, forgive them. Parents are human too. They're foolish creatures. Even so, if they said that to you, who are living away from home, they love you in some way."
"...But"
"You don't have to understand. You don't need to agree. I just said what I think. How you interpret and accept it is up to you, little boy... Wade."
The grandmother gently encouraged me, who was trembling, and started back home. I could only watch her small yet incredibly large back without a word.
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