Unseen Ties (part 1)

Mildiesta, Hensberg Kingdom, Northern Continent

The two little children dashed out of the room in a hurry, calling for their mother.

"Ah… wait a moment…"

It seemed they didn't hear me. They were a boy and a girl, both about five to nine years old. The girl looked to be around six, while the boy seemed closer to eight.

At a glance, I noticed the little girl was wearing a simple red dress adorned with floral lace along its hemline. As for the boy, he wore a light blue shirt paired with white shorts.

Outside, they kept shouting "Sleeping Beauty" and "Pretty Lady," all while calling for their mother. This is so embarrassing! Especially if I imagine Master Ryuji hearing their shouts.

I buried my face in my hands, trying to hide my embarrassment.

But… where am I?

I uncovered my face and observed my surroundings. Leaning my body against the wooden frame of the bed, I took a closer look at the room. The walls were painted white, and the window frames were black. Judging from the view outside, this room seemed to be on the second or third floor—definitely not on the ground level.

The room was adorned with a wardrobe made of oak, its surface intricately carved with musical instrument motifs. There was a small brown dressing table accompanied by a petite chair and other furniture neatly arranged throughout the room. In one corner sat a small table adorned with a white rose.

Judging from the interior layout, this seemed to be a private bedroom or perhaps a guest room. That meant I was likely inside someone's private residence. And what about Ryuji-san? Was he all right?

I tried to stand, but… my body felt incredibly weak.

Suddenly, I heard a gentle voice from the doorway,

"It's better not to force yourself to get up, little one."

I quickly turned to the source of the voice, and there stood a beautiful elf woman. Her long, silky white hair flowed gracefully, complementing her light blue eyes. She wore an elegant blue house dress that seemed stunning, most likely because she was the one wearing it.

This elf woman… she was the same one who flirted with Ryuji-san back at the Noctis Amor Inn bar. Her name was… Aella, if I recall correctly.

Yes… now I remember. During our fight with the wyverns in the Terradin Forest, she appeared just as I had given up on my life. Could it be this beautiful elf woman was the one who saved me?

I continued to stare at her in silence. She stepped closer, revealing the two little children hiding behind her gown. They were the ones shouting earlier.

"Stella… Sol… can you both leave for a moment? Mother needs to speak with this lovely sister alone."

Her voice was soothing as she smiled warmly at the two children.

They nodded in agreement before leaving the room.

The elf woman sat on a chair beside my bed, lightly touching my shoulder as she said,

"For now, could you lie back down? Your body might still carry trauma from your previous ordeal."

Honestly, her touch made me tremble. Her gentle voice, her worried expression—it all reminded me of my mother. The way she gazed at me with such affection… it felt almost identical to how my mother looked at me with her beautiful eyes. Why… why does she seem to care about me so much?

Unconsciously, my body moved to follow her suggestion, and I lay back down on the bed. She softly stroked my head and asked,

"So… is your name Elena, little one?"

"How do you know my name, Ma'am?"

"Ma'am, huh? Do I look that old for you to call me 'Ma'am'?"

She smiled teasingly at me.

"Sorry…"

Feeling embarrassed (and slightly guilty) about my words, I hid half of my face behind the blanket that covered my body.

"You know, little one, you look incredibly sweet and adorable right now…"

The elf woman sitting beside me seemed to enjoy teasing me. I glanced at her shyly (still hiding half my face behind the blanket).

"So… is it true that your name is Elena?"

I nodded and replied,

"How does Miss know my name?"

"A… a crazy swordmaster who was with you kept shouting your name during our battle with the wyverns and that evil sorcerer in the Terradin Forest."

Evil sorcerer…?

Ah… wait! Ryuji-san!

Realizing this, I quickly sat up, escaping from my cocoon of blankets.

"Miss Elf, where is the swordmaster who was with me earlier?"

"Ah… that crazy man? Do you really have to look for someone as insane as him?"

"What do you mean by calling my companion crazy?"

She looked at me for a moment, her expression serious and tense, then began her story.

Miss Elf in front of me explained the events that took place while I was unconscious in the Terradin Forest. The reason behind the appearance of three wyverns in the forest was due to the powers of the Dark Sorceress, Lilith Nightshade. She recounted their battle (Ryuji-san and Miss Elf) against Lilith, Ryuji-san losing control and almost killing her (and me…), and the sudden appearance of Fenrir, the legendary wolf of the Northern Continent, known as the "God Slayer."

I tried to absorb everything she said. But… what did my previous experience mean? My encounter with Fenrir-sama… could he truly be the mythical wolf from Northern Continent legends?

When I remembered it, the entire experience of meeting Fenrir-sama felt like a vivid dream. So, what was its purpose?

But beyond that…

"Miss Elf… where is my companion now?"

"Elena! Can you stop asking about him? That madman almost killed you!"

"But…"

"Enough!"

Miss Elf beside me appeared angry when I asked about Ryuji-san's whereabouts. I could understand her anger; it was her way of showing concern for me.

"At the very least, rest for now. Regain your strength first. Lie back down!"

She gently pushed me back to lie down and tucked the blanket around me again.

"Yes… this is better. Please don't think about anything, Elena. Do you understand? Nod if you do… yes… good… huh… girls smitten with love truly are the most troublesome beings."

"I…"

I wanted to speak, but I felt too shy to voice my thoughts. Instead, I ended up hiding under the blanket again.

"Ah… look at you now… your ears are completely red, Elena. You've definitely fallen head over heels for that madman!"

No… that's not true!

I wanted to deny it, but for some reason, no words came out.

After a long silence and hearing Miss Elf's gentle scolding beside me (she really did remind me of my mother), I finally found my voice.

"So… your name is Aella, right?"

"Oh my, you remembered my name? Was it from our first meeting at Noctis Amor?"

"Yes…"

I nodded as I replied.

"I see…"

She smiled warmly and, once more, gently stroked my head. What is this… what is this warmth I feel? It's enough to make me want to cry. The longing I've kept buried for so long seems to be soothed by the smile, laughter, and warmth Aella-san gives me.

Her kindness reminded me of my mother, of the times she lovingly stroked my head in the past. Honestly, I tried to hold back the tears welling up in my eyes. It would be too embarrassing for Aella-san to see me cry.

But… I really, truly want to cry!

What should I do…?

†**************†

"Ah… I really feel like crying. Aella-san reminds me so much of my mother. Why… why does she care so much about me? Isn't this the first time we've spoken?

By the way, the next episode, 'Unseen Ties,' will continue in part 2. So, don't miss it!"

Elena Fearis