“Gelin, why didn't you come back with Carl? Did that brat bully you?”
After welcoming Ogre into the house, Mima brought over the ginger tea she had brewed.
“No...” Ogre shook his head.
He figured that fellow Macar was probably still bickering with Eve.
He had initially wanted to go and watch the drama, but after thinking it over for a moment, Ogre ultimately gave up on the idea.
Putting himself in their shoes, there was no need for him to go over and cause trouble at a time like this.
He had already troubled Mima's family enough as it was.
“That's good. If he ever bullies you, you must tell me. Auntie will teach that brat a lesson for you.” Mima placed a white porcelain cup in front of Ogre.
She then lifted the teapot and poured the scalding ginger tea for him.
“I added some brown sugar. Drink up, it's good for you. On such a cold day, you should have something warm to drink.” After pouring the tea, Mima smiled at Ogre again.
Sure enough, just looking at something beautiful could improve one's mood.
“Th... thank you.” Ogre picked up the ginger tea and blew gently across its surface.
In truth, given Ogre's current physical constitution, even drinking boiling water directly wouldn't harm him at all.
“Why are you being so polite with Auntie?”
Mima picked up her own cup of ginger tea and blew on it just like Ogre did.
She had brewed this pot of ginger tea partly to warm her hands.
“Once that brat gets back, I'm going to have a proper talk with him.”
Blowing on the tea's surface, Mima took a small sip and casually began talking about Macar.
Ogre merely smiled, not intending to say anything.
He figured that once Macar returned, Mima probably wouldn't care why he had come back early.
'If this matter is handled well, Macar should be able to live a pretty good life...'
Watching the endlessly chattering Mima, Ogre thought of his own father...
If he couldn't find a partner, his old man would probably start nagging him too.
Well... maybe not.
“Carl, that boy, used to wet the bed all the time when he was little. Back then, his uncle was still around...” Perhaps worried that Ogre might be bored, Mima began rattling off Macar's embarrassing childhood stories like spilling beans.
People were just like that; once they began reminiscing about the past, they always loved to talk endlessly.
Especially about a past that was lost.
“Our family's situation wasn't nearly as good in the past as it is now...” Whenever she spoke of the bygone days, the joy on Mima's face was impossible to hide...
“It's a pity, though. Later on, they all became successful...”
As she reached this point, what showed on Mima's face was not pride, but a slightly lonely lament...
It was hard to tell whether she preferred her current prosperous days, or the times when the whole family was gathered together.
'Perhaps, a bit of both...'
Ogre simply listened patiently.
Every now and then, he would nod along. This was when Ogre most wanted to speak—he felt a desire to talk...
But in the end, he still chose to be a qualified listener.
“I really want to hold a grandchild... Sigh, you young people are different from how we were back then. None of you are in any rush.”
Before they knew it, the ginger tea in Mima's hand had reached the bottom of the cup.
Her topic also shifted to recent events.
“Mm...” Ogre uttered a soft sound.
Then, catching the hopeful look in Mima's eyes, he silently shook his head—indicating that he was just a kid and didn't know much about such things.
“If only... I had a daughter like you...”
Mima knew that Ogre wouldn't stay.
But she still couldn't help harboring that wish.
Ogre fell silent.
Ultimately, he shook his head, set down the cooling white porcelain cup, and stood up.
Ogre did not play along with Mima's wishes.
For he knew that if he kept nodding, he would likely end up being adopted as a goddaughter or something...
It was not that Ogre disliked Mima's home, but rather that his path ahead was unfinished; it was not yet time for him to stop.
Ogre would not stop—at least, not before he reached despair, he wouldn't stop on his own.
“Miss Gelin...” Mima raised her hand, but in the end, she let it drop. “I'll go prepare lunch.”
“Mm...”
Ogre nodded, stepped past Mima, and walked up to the attic.
“That child...” Watching Ogre's thin and weak back, Mima felt a pang of heartache for some reason.
...
'How much longer will I stay here...' Ogre silently calculated the timing of his plan.
Ultimately, he arrived at a number—three days.
He would stay here for three days at most.
If everything went smoothly, that duration might be even shorter.
'Gentle places are always prone to making people soft...' Ogre extended his hand and made a loose fist—he hadn't held his spear in two days.
It had only been two days...
Yet a tiny sliver of desire to stay had actually welled up inside him.
'Is this a weakness...'
Ogre lowered his hand, walked over to the window, and gazed into the distance.
During these past two years of a slaughter-filled life, Ogre's heart had never known confusion.
But just this brief period of interaction...
He had indeed wavered slightly.
For a split second, Ogre really did feel an urge to nod...
Cruel environments had never dulled Ogre's edge.
Yet a gentle environment had almost caused him to hesitate.
'It's not time yet. Even if I want to stay, it's not the time—I'm still too weak, so weak that I have to hide behind a disguise.'
Ogre was well aware.
All beautiful things must be built upon strength. Otherwise, even if one possessed them temporarily, they would be lost again at some unknown moment...
Moreover, this beauty was a lie from the very beginning.
It was obtained by utilizing a fake identity.
'Get stronger, I must continue to get stronger!'
Ogre once again took out the Silver Badge left behind by Yade.
He then closed the window and sat against the headboard, falling into deep thought as he stared at the Silver Badge...
Yade had never worried that Ogre would leave on his own accord.
He knew that with Ogre's impatient ambition to grow stronger, he would absolutely never give up on going to the clock tower.
Unless... Ogre was willing to let go of his hatred.
So, he had given Ogre a month to think.
During this period, Ogre was completely free to investigate, flee, or enter early.
One month was more than enough.
From the moment Ogre accepted the badge, the choice had already begun... both for Ogre, and the choice Yade left for himself.
'To go... or not to go.'
Ogre had made up his mind countless times, but had also hesitated countless times for various reasons.
This hesitation stemmed from a lack of a sufficient sense of security.
Ogre possessed both the courage to risk everything on a single throw, and the principle of being cautious and prudent—
It was just that sometimes, these two were incompatible.
“Clock tower... vampires...”
“Phew...”
In the end, Ogre reached up and touched the center of his forehead.
That was where Fula had left a restriction on him.
This was a sacred power left behind by a Cleric equivalent to a Senior Professional, and it had a strong restraining effect against variants.
Ogre wasn't sure if this would have any effect on a former Cleric—but it gave him some confidence at least.
“And then there's the matter of Seran...” Ogre lowered his finger.
He understood that to make sense of all this, he would have to face his former teacher—Yade.
Unless he wanted to run away.
“Gelin, time to eat.”
As Mima's call drifted up.
Ogre also realized at this moment what his heart truly wanted.
Some things were unavoidable; all he could do was try his best to handle them well and add weight to his side of the scale.
Rate on N.U.
