Chapter 17 Parents
My father and I aren't the talkative type, so the room fell silent.
Mom hesitantly suggested, "How about some tea?" and we all moved to the living room.
"Which one is Mr. Momota's child?"
Yuruyana tugged at the sleeve near his elbow, whispering the question.
"Mom."
We moved into this house around the time my brother was preparing for his entrance exams to Arcane Art Academy.
We were considering moving to a bigger house with more rooms, thinking it would be better for him to have a quiet space to study, instead of staying in an apartment. Then, after my grandmother passed away, my grandfather, who had been living in the general store, suggested we use the family home instead.
So, this house is both my family's and my mother's family's.
"Are you going to take over that store?"
As we sat facing each other on the sofa, my father suddenly asked.
He probably guessed it had something to do with me rummaging through my grandfather's room.
"I haven't decided yet."
"I see... Well, if anything's bothering you, just let me know. I might not be able to do much, but I have some connections with the nobles."
It was surprising to hear my father say that, considering he was the type to silently watch my brother and me do whatever we wanted.
By the way, my father is the third son of a Baron, who essentially had a commoner's status, and entered the family by marriage.
Since his older brother inherited their family's estate, he only goes back once a year and has mentioned before that, "This is pretty much my family home."
"Yeah. That... When I heard you suddenly quit the army, I was shocked. I know there must be things you can't talk about because of secrecy, but even if there's no reason, you should come by and show your face sometimes."
Maybe Luka asked about the details and my current condition when he came to visit.
I can tell that everyone's choosing their words carefully, trying to be considerate while speaking.
"And..."
Mom's gaze shifted slightly.
I know what she's about to say.
"He's worried about Yuruyana."
When I nudged Yuruyana with my elbow, telling him to introduce himself properly, Yuruyana lowered his head deeply.
"I came out from Suroi to open up my shop as an Arcanopharmacist. I went to see Mr. Momota, and Tsukumo was there. Now I'm staying at that odds-and-ends store."
"Arcanopharmacist! Well..."
"Grandpa was tight with Mr. Elmer, the guy I'm apprenticed to. Mom, you didn't know?"
I showed Mr. Junce a photo, but I'm not sure when it was taken. My mom should've been born by then, though.
Then,
"Mr. Elmer... Oh, that long-lived pharmacist? He's an incredibly handsome guy."
"Yeah! I've met Tsukumo's Mama before, too!"
Mama...?
I held back real hard from jumping in.
"Just once, though. But you don't forget someone that beautiful, right? Yuruyana is a looker too, huh?"
"Thank you. I'm confident about my looks because my master picked me up thinking I'd grow up to be as beautiful as him."
"Picked you up?"
"Yeah, 'cause I got no parents."
"First I've heard of it..."
Come to think of it, I haven't heard Yuruyana's story yet.
Mom seemed to brace herself a bit, like it was gonna be a heavy tale.
But Yuruyana spoke casually.
"It's not that rare in the west. Where I lived was near the border, so the security was bad. Getting picked up was a lucky break; it let me live a good life."
"That must've been tough, huh..."
This flow is bad.
"You're new, so you don't have many friends, right? If something's up, Yuruyana, you can talk to me."
"I'd appreciate that."
It's only been an hour since we met, and already Mom's getting all cozy.
Can't speak for others, but she's too easy.
"...Guess I'll head back."
"Aren't you staying for dinner? Senri wanted to talk too."
"Next time. Tell my big brother thanks for the key."
At this point, Mom would make my favorite dish, but having to eat it all while acting like it's no good, and not being able to say how it tastes is rough.
"I came on short notice, so I gotta go buy some ingredients now. Next time I'll let you know before I come."
"But you've lost a bit of weight, haven't you? You eating alright?"
"It's okay, there's Auntie Hannah's diner nearby too."
"Oh, right. Then it should be fine, huh?"
I managed to talk my way out of it and finally left my parents' house.
My mom, who seemed like she had more to say, and my dad, who looked like he wanted to say something too, I'll make time for them again soon.
On my way back, I asked Yuruyana.
"Did Yuruyana's parents pass away?"
"Yeah. They were merchants, but got robbed while buying supplies. They were gonna sell me 'cause I'm cute, but I managed to escape and was living as an orphan when my master found me."
Even though it was a dark story, Yuruyana puffed up his chest proudly.
It's not an exaggeration to say that he's lived thanks to his pretty face.
He's got confidence in his looks.
Putting that aside, after hearing Yuruyana's introduction and his story, something clicked for me.
"...The robbers were connected to human traffickers?"
"Yeah. So?"
Yuruyana nodded in surprise, looking at me deep in thought.
"I took care of that place. About a year and a half ago."
"Huh!? Tsukumo did that!?"
Army jobs don't get reported, but since nobles were involved, when it got destroyed, it made the news pretty big.
I got teased for a while 'cause my face was in a corner of a front-page photo, so I remember it well.
"So, Tsukumo also avenged my parents, huh. I owe him one."
"It was just a job, and not my solo achievement or anything, so it's fine."
It wasn't just me, there was Thomas, Luka, and he was there too, part of a special forces unit called the [Fourth], an Arcanist squad.
"Then how about I give you a massage before bed? Supposed to be good for you."
He wiggled his fingers and laughed mischievously, a grin that didn't suit his face.
"That sounds a bit... concerning."
"You'll sleep better, so be ready for it."
"...Ready for it?"
Just like Yuruyana said, that day I had the best sleep I'd had in a year.
* * *
While covering the guy who was snoring away without a care, Yuruyana glared at his face with those dark circles that just wouldn't go away, looking pissed off.
He let out a big sigh and shook his head.
Even though Elmer took him in and he was training to be a pharmacist, Yuruyana lived every day on edge, worried that the human traffickers might find him again and snatch him away.
When he finally read in the newspaper that the whole gang was busted and wiped out, he felt a deep relief──no more hiding in the shadows.
That's what pushed him to decide to go independent.
"If I can pay it back this easy, it's a damn good deal. Thanks for saving me."
He'd never say this when he was awake, but Yuruyana snorted, messed up his black curly hair one last time, and then left the room.
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