Volume 3 Chapter 57 The Dream of Bubbles, It is a Very Nostalgic Memory
(...Where am I?)
I was running away from thunder, but somehow I ended up leaning against a wall in a strange town, getting soaked by the rain.
My whole body hurts.
I tried to speak, but no sound came out. I wanted to move my body and look around, but I couldn't.
(...No, this isn't a strange town. It's the neighboring country to the west of the Sakura Empire, the Tou Empire──though I can't remember the name of this town, it's a poor slum.)
So this is my memory.
I remember trying to steal food from a stall and failing, then getting beaten up.
No wonder I'm in pain.
"Why are you out here all soaked?"
A woman's voice called from above, making me look up.
The speaker, using a shaky common tongue, was──
"...Who cares?"
I──no, the me who was just 12 years old──answered her crankily.
The woman was an elf with long, moss-green hair and a metal staff.
Even though I was rude, she smiled kindly.
"It matters. I can't ignore a child like you with wounds all over. Wait a moment, I'll heal you with my magic──"
"...No, it's fine. I brought this on myself. I tried to steal, and now I'm paying for it."
I tried to get up while crawling on the wall, but I stumbled.
At that moment, I didn't want to involve anyone else in my kid problems.
"Then, I really have to help you."
"Why?"
She roughly pushed down my shoulder, making me sit back on the ground again.
I was surprised by how strong she was.
Yeah, she was always stronger and smarter than me.
"You know you did something bad, right? You don't deserve more punishment."
"........."
I couldn't say anything else, so I let her use her magic to fix me up.
Luckily, my bones seemed fine, and she looked surprised now.
It was like being tough was my thing.
"So, you're a priestess?"
"I am, but I'm a magician now. I shouldn't really be using holy magic."
She playfully stuck out her tongue and giggled a little.
Then she crouched next to me and leaned in close.
"Where are your parents?"
"If they were here, I wouldn't be in this mess."
"I see. Some parents make their kids steal. It's sad, but some kids don't get love."
She looked a bit sad saying that.
Now I realize she was talking about her and her sister.
We sat in silence, soaked by the rain, while I stared at the ground.
"...My hometown is in chaos because of a civil war. My parents died there."
"......I'm sorry."
"...But I have 2 little sisters I brought with me. They are hungry, so I stole food for them. I knew it was wrong, but I had to live."
"...Yeah."
Slowly, with tears streaming down my face, I told the woman my story.
I ran away from the Sakura Empire with 2 girls in the same situation.
I worked hard to take care of them.
Even though I was big, I couldn't find work just because I was a foreign kid.
I started stealing when money ran out, and now I'm paying for it.
As I shared all this, the woman listened seriously.
She didn't mock my struggle.
"You did your best," she said.
"...I did. But my face is known, and I can't live in this town. I have no money or strength to go to the next town, so──"
Just as I was about to say I'd have to die in the streets, my head buried in the woman's chest.
Even though it was raining, I remember it smelled like sunshine.
"I came here to meet you."
the woman whispered softly.
I didn't understand what she meant, but I cried in her embrace.
"...And, Ryuji. I understood *my sins* somewhere. I wanted you to punish me...and you have."
...Huh?
"What do you mean, 'teacher'?"
With my *newfound* body, I looked up at the 'teacher' in front of me.
I was no longer the kid I once was, but a big guy──no, I had gone back to it.
The 'teacher' smiled at me with that playful grin she always had.
...I see, this is a fleeting dream.
It's a dream I'm having after being struck by lightning.
"Yes, it's a sweet memory, Ryuuji."
"...I felt pretty embarrassed though."
Did I really cry so much on a stranger's chest?
Just thinking about it makes me blush.
'Teacher' giggles at me, looking amused.
Her laugh is just like Lene's, and I finally get that they're sisters.
"...Well, Ryuuji. I have to go now, but you still have your path."
"...I'm still alive, right?"
I answer her, a bit confused by her words.
It's my second time being struck by lightning; will I really come back?
Maybe my worry showed, because 'teacher' smiled softly and said, "It's okay."
"You have to make Lene happy!"
"...Do you accept us?"
"Well, it depends on what you do next, Ryuuji."
Her words, said with a shrug, make it hard to feel accepted.
Even with this relaxed chat, 'teacher' showed a fleeting smile and then closed her eyes.
Slowly, her body starts to fade.
Is this kind dream also coming to an end?
"I made mistakes, but please, don't go down the wrong path."
"......Okay."
I will never go the wrong way.
This is what 'teacher' taught me at the end.
"So, just watch over me."
I said to the fading 'teacher' as she disappeared like bubbles.
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