Akira returned when the sun began to rise, around that time.
I sat on a chair in the living room, and watched as the black turned into a dark blue, the world being dyed in the sunlight.
Watching as the bright sunlight streamed through the window and hit my face, the black figure entered the room through an open window and I was surprised.
In the end, I didn’t get a wink of sleep, but perhaps I felt relieved when I saw that face of his, as I was suddenly attacked by a bout of drowsiness.
Incidentally, Kurou had immediately returned to his bedroom.
He’s an elderly person, so he will get up soon.
「Akira…!」
I was about to rush over to him, but there was such a strong smell of blood coming from Akira that one could choke on it, and I unconsciously stopped one step away from Akira, frowning.
His black cloak, if you didn’t look closely, then you wouldn’t know, but there was something of a different color on the black fabric.
And in addition to that, it wasn’t Akira’s, and it didn’t seem like it was just Gram’s.
「Sorry.」
Akira said that to me.
That, what was he apologizing for.
Was it for pretending to not hear me when I tried to stop him from leaving?
Or, was it for killing a person, Gram?
My emotions grew violent, and for some reason, my tears spilled over.
「Why…for what reason….」
When my tears fell as I muttered these words, I messed up my hair even more roughly than usual, and Akira indifferently began to speak.
About how, before killing Gram, he killed someone of the same profession who saw him—-an assassin who had similarly been requested to assassinate Gram.
And how he was emotionless when he killed a person.
Because his back was facing the window, I couldn’t see Akira’s face, but he definitely had a pained look on his face.
「Up until now, I was just a half-baked assassin. If I had been like this since the beginning, Commander Saran wouldn’t have died.」
Akira was surely talking about when he found out about the king of Retice’s scheme after he had been summoned.
Even in this world, while it was true that people did have an occupation as an assassin, there weren’t many who actually worked as an assassin.
The occupation that one was born with could not be changed, but it was not something that was absolute.
Like the guildmaster of Ul, Linga, there were people who took up employment that was completely different, but in most circumstances, they become adventurers.
Despite this, Akira chose to be an assassin.
「No! That is not Akira’s fau….」
「Even so, I could have killed those guys at that time. The fact that I did not kill them, was because I was naive.」
I was appalled when Akira interrupted me in a quiet and dark voice.
I didn’t know which point in time Akira was talking about.
I thought that Akira would be fine if he avenged Saran Misray.
Despite this, the look on Akira’s face right now was worse than when I made him go to sleep against his will.
However, this time, even if I made him go to sleep, there would be no meaning to it.
I, needed to do something.
I roughly wiped my tears with my sleeve, raised my head, and looked up at the backlighting Akira.
「…but, if that’s so, then I might not have met Akira. I might have been swallowed up by that slime in Continent Dungeon with my magic absorbed. And then, I wouldn’t have been able to reconcile with Kirika either. …Akira, if it was like that, or like this, there are many things that could’ve been different. However, we are living in this moment.」
“We are living in this moment”.
Even I was surprised by the words that came out of my own mouth.
To think that there would be a day where I, who had even thought about wanting to erase the things that I did, and my past self, would say such words to someone else.
「I won’t tell you to not regret, to not brood over it. However, please do not be caught up in it any more than that. The most important thing is what you will do from now on. Isn’t that right?」
Within the dim room, Akira;s finger moved slightly, and gently touched my eyes that I had roughly wiped.
Perhaps he washed his hands before coming back, as that hand was surprisingly cold.
「…I won’t live for a long time like Amelia. That’s why, I wouldn’t be able to change so easily. …I, who didn’t think anything of killing people is scary. I who thought that I should’ve killed the king of Retice and the others at that time is scary.」
This, was definitely Akira’s true thoughts.
He was afraid of himself for thinking that he regretted not killing the king of Retice, enough that he put it into words and said it.
Akira was a child, so perhaps his mind was still unstable.
His voice was somewhat painful to hear.
Akira who had lived in a peaceful word up until now and me who had seen hell multiple times throughout my long life.
There were many things between us that we mutually didn’t know, nor understood.
Even so, I wish to be together with Akira.
I took a step forward and extended my hand.
「I’m sorry, I don’t understand why Akira is scared. However, it’s alright. It’s not scary. At least, when you’re with Yoru and me.」
I pulled his head down towards my chest, and stroked his jet black hair.
Akira remained quiet.
Slowly and gently, as if reminiscent of a mother, I muttered this.
「No matter how Akira is, I want to be with you. It is the same with Yoru. What about Akira?」
When I asked that, a hoarse reply reverberated within the room.
His shoulders that had been covered up by the cloak seemed to be trembling.
「…me too, I want to be with Amelia and Yoru. No matter what I will be like hereafter, that will never change.」
When he said that, Akira raised his head, and hugged me who was looking down towards him this time.
「Thank you, Amelia. I have yet to completely recover. But, I feel better.」
「If I could be Akira’s strength, then that’s good. Now, why don’t you take a shower?」
I patted Akira on the back and urged him to go.
When Akira let go of me, he nodded, his eyes slightly red.
He probably didn’t want to be thought of like this, but Akira was cute when he’s meek.
Akira returned when the sun began to rise, around that time.
I sat on a chair in the living room, and watched as the black turned into a dark blue, the world being dyed in the sunlight.
Watching as the bright sunlight streamed through the window and hit my face, the black figure entered the room through an open window and I was surprised.
In the end, I didn’t get a wink of sleep, but perhaps I felt relieved when I saw that face of his, as I was suddenly attacked by a bout of drowsiness.
Incidentally, Kurou had immediately returned to his bedroom.
He’s an elderly person, so he will get up soon.
「Akira…!」
I was about to rush over to him, but there was such a strong smell of blood coming from Akira that one could choke on it, and I unconsciously stopped one step away from Akira, frowning.
His black cloak, if you didn’t look closely, then you wouldn’t know, but there was something of a different color on the black fabric.
And in addition to that, it wasn’t Akira’s, and it didn’t seem like it was just Gram’s.
「Sorry.」
Akira said that to me.
That, what was he apologizing for.
Was it for pretending to not hear me when I tried to stop him from leaving?
Or, was it for killing a person, Gram?
My emotions grew violent, and for some reason, my tears spilled over.
「Why…for what reason….」
When my tears fell as I muttered these words, I messed up my hair even more roughly than usual, and Akira indifferently began to speak.
About how, before killing Gram, he killed someone of the same profession who saw him—-an assassin who had similarly been requested to assassinate Gram.
And how he was emotionless when he killed a person.
Because his back was facing the window, I couldn’t see Akira’s face, but he definitely had a pained look on his face.
「Up until now, I was just a half-baked assassin. If I had been like this since the beginning, Commander Saran wouldn’t have died.」
Akira was surely talking about when he found out about the king of Retice’s scheme after he had been summoned.
Even in this world, while it was true that people did have an occupation as an assassin, there weren’t many who actually worked as an assassin.
The occupation that one was born with could not be changed, but it was not something that was absolute.
Like the guildmaster of Ul, Linga, there were people who took up employment that was completely different, but in most circumstances, they become adventurers.
Despite this, Akira chose to be an assassin.
「No! That is not Akira’s fau….」
「Even so, I could have killed those guys at that time. The fact that I did not kill them, was because I was naive.」
I was appalled when Akira interrupted me in a quiet and dark voice.
I didn’t know which point in time Akira was talking about.
I thought that Akira would be fine if he avenged Saran Misray.
Despite this, the look on Akira’s face right now was worse than when I made him go to sleep against his will.
However, this time, even if I made him go to sleep, there would be no meaning to it.
I, needed to do something.
I roughly wiped my tears with my sleeve, raised my head, and looked up at the backlighting Akira.
「…but, if that’s so, then I might not have met Akira. I might have been swallowed up by that slime in Continent Dungeon with my magic absorbed. And then, I wouldn’t have been able to reconcile with Kirika either. …Akira, if it was like that, or like this, there are many things that could’ve been different. However, we are living in this moment.」
“We are living in this moment”.
Even I was surprised by the words that came out of my own mouth.
To think that there would be a day where I, who had even thought about wanting to erase the things that I did, and my past self, would say such words to someone else.
「I won’t tell you to not regret, to not brood over it. However, please do not be caught up in it any more than that. The most important thing is what you will do from now on. Isn’t that right?」
Within the dim room, Akira;s finger moved slightly, and gently touched my eyes that I had roughly wiped.
Perhaps he washed his hands before coming back, as that hand was surprisingly cold.
「…I won’t live for a long time like Amelia. That’s why, I wouldn’t be able to change so easily. …I, who didn’t think anything of killing people is scary. I who thought that I should’ve killed the king of Retice and the others at that time is scary.」
This, was definitely Akira’s true thoughts.
He was afraid of himself for thinking that he regretted not killing the king of Retice, enough that he put it into words and said it.
Akira was a child, so perhaps his mind was still unstable.
His voice was somewhat painful to hear.
Akira who had lived in a peaceful word up until now and me who had seen hell multiple times throughout my long life.
There were many things between us that we mutually didn’t know, nor understood.
Even so, I wish to be together with Akira.
I took a step forward and extended my hand.
「I’m sorry, I don’t understand why Akira is scared. However, it’s alright. It’s not scary. At least, when you’re with Yoru and me.」
I pulled his head down towards my chest, and stroked his jet black hair.
Akira remained quiet.
Slowly and gently, as if reminiscent of a mother, I muttered this.
「No matter how Akira is, I want to be with you. It is the same with Yoru. What about Akira?」
When I asked that, a hoarse reply reverberated within the room.
His shoulders that had been covered up by the cloak seemed to be trembling.
「…me too, I want to be with Amelia and Yoru. No matter what I will be like hereafter, that will never change.」
When he said that, Akira raised his head, and hugged me who was looking down towards him this time.
「Thank you, Amelia. I have yet to completely recover. But, I feel better.」
「If I could be Akira’s strength, then that’s good. Now, why don’t you take a shower?」
I patted Akira on the back and urged him to go.
When Akira let go of me, he nodded, his eyes slightly red.
He probably didn’t want to be thought of like this, but Akira was cute when he’s meek.
