Chapter – 44
‘Lord of Words.’
Peeking out from my mother’s arms, I lifted my head to look at the sky.
‘Thank you.’
It was quiet. After a long, long while, a message finally came through.
[“The Wordsmith who constructs worlds says not to forget to pack your items.”]
The long hesitation and the dry phrasing somehow made it feel even more gentle. I smiled brightly.
‘Yes!’
At that moment, as if judging that the mother-daughter reunion was sufficiently complete, my grandfather cautiously stepped in.
“Uh… Elthea.”
“Who are you?”
“I-I’m your dad!”
“I don’t have a dad.”
“Kurhh-uh!”
Grandfather gasped as if struck in the chest by an arrow.
My mother held me tighter and shot him a sharp glare.
“You finally found your real daughter, right? Well, I’ve found my real family too. I’m going to live with my family.”
“Eh, Elissa was kicked out! The orphanage director and Vishten Viscount conspired to use an actor to deceive me. It was a scam targeting our family. Everything’s settled now, so let’s just go home, Elthea, okay?”
“My home isn’t there.”
Faced with my mother’s firmness, my grandfather didn’t know what to do.
“I-I’ll grant you your title immediately. You won’t need to struggle outside. You can come live here with your husband and kids…”
“Title? Wealth? Do you think that matters to someone with an Aura like me?”
“Eh, Elthea, then….”
“I don’t need any of it.”
My mother didn’t even listen with her ears. Grandfather, desperate, kept pouring out words.
“I-I was wrong, Elthea. I just wanted to raise you as my heir, so I was too strict. I couldn’t properly act as a father, and Elissa… I was trying to care for her, and now I regret it all.”
“Now that Elissa is gone, you finally pay attention to me. How convenient.”
“Th-That’s true… But remember just one thing. The reason I cared so much for Elissa was because I projected you onto her. I kept thinking of what I couldn’t do for you, and in trying to atone, I wanted to act like a father…”
“Is that even an excuse? I was the practice, and she was the real thing?!”
“Crh, crhh… Y-Yes. All of it is just pitiful excuses. I was foolish. It was all my fault….”
“Wait, what are you doing right now?!”
Grandfather went so far as to kneel before my mother.
My mother tried to lift him, but even with the strength she used earlier to plant him to the ground, he didn’t move.
“I’m a terrible father who didn’t know how to love and cherish his daughter. So please, give me a chance to learn how to love you… even now.”
“……”
“Wh-What will it take to have your forgiveness? Just say it. Anything. Really, anything….”
“……”
My mother quietly turned away from my grandfather.
“Eh, Elthea! Don’t turn away, Elthea! Show your face! Please!”
“……”
It seemed my mother wasn’t entirely heartless after all.
From where I stood beside her, I could see everything. She was holding my hand tightly, her face contorted as if she might cry.
After gathering her voice, she spoke, still facing away.
“……I don’t want to see your face just yet. Give me time.”
“……”
“I’ve been happier since leaving that house. I don’t want to return to that suffocating place, and I have no intention of inheriting the family.”
Hearing this, my grandfather’s shoulders seemed to sag as if all the strength drained from him.
“I’ll wait. I’ll keep waiting. And once again, I’m truly sorry.”
“……”
Drip, drip.
The sound of his tears hitting the floor where he knelt—my mother, with her Aura, must have heard it.
It was then that a slight crack appeared in my mother’s ironclad demeanor.
“If you really are that sorry….”
It seemed a chance for atonement was granted. Grandfather perked up instantly.
“Just say it! Anything!”
“Just… hit someone, or, um, how should I say it… Ah! Spank them for me.”
I was moved by how she carefully chose her words to educate a child.
“Who shall I spank?!”
“Hikim Sarma-tan.”
Ah, here comes my father’s nemesis!
My mother swiped her face with one hand in irritation. Once the hand was removed, her eyes shone sharply.
“I was going to cut his throat… no, strike him, but a Dungeon Burst happened near the house, so I couldn’t.”
“What kind of guy is he? Did he really harm you?!”
“He’s a senior alchemist of the Golden Ivory Tower. He harassed and exploited my husband.”
“What! Our son-in-law?!”
I quickly added the latest information.
“That’s not all! Later, he falsely accused my father of stealing research and got him kicked out of the Ivory Tower. My father had to wander everywhere, struggling to raise me and my brother.”
“……Is that so?”
In an instant, her Aura merged with her hoe—my mother was ready to fight.
Grandfather, fearing he’d lose the chance to act, stepped forward desperately.
“Leave it to me! I’ll take responsibility and punish Hikim Satan in the name of justice.”
“Hikim Sarma-tan. First, remember him as a criminal, not in the name of justice.”
“Right! That guy! How dare he harass my son-in-law, a talented alchemist! Unforgivable!”
Grandfather thumped his pectorals confidently.
Judging by his self-assurance, his authority must be quite significant.
Once he confirmed my mother’s expression had softened, he cautiously continued.
“Uh, Elthea. I’ll take care of your nemesis… Uh… Is there anything you’d like to say?”
“Do you have something you want to say?”
“Once a month… No, every two months, you’ll at least show your face, right?”
“……”
“With your son-in-law and grandkids… I-I’ll love them well, really well.”
“……”
“If two months is too hard, then three… no, six months….”
“……”
“One year! How about one year!”
“……”
“Thanksgiving is a family holiday! Eating turkey breast alone is too dry… Elthea, please….”
With no reply from my mother, grandfather looked utterly forlorn.
My mother seemed hesitant. In times like this, someone needed to push her.
“Mom, I think I want to see Grandpa too.”
“R-Really! The grandchildren should have a grandpa!”
“…If the child wants it, I’ll consider it.”
“R-Really?! Please, seriously consider it! Thank you! Thank you so much!”
“All right, calm down. Don’t get so overexcited.”
She seemed to give in reluctantly, but her expression looked more relaxed than before.
“My beautiful daughter, hand with mom.”
“Hand!”
My mother held my hand and smiled gently. I smiled along with her.
“……Wait.”
Suddenly, my mother’s face hardened fiercely. It looked like she was about to scold me.
“Child, you….”
“Eh?”
What? Did I do something wrong?
“What’s wrong? Why are you looking at the child so fearfully….”
“Child!”
“Aigo, you scared me!”
“Quiet!”
She lifted me up, pressing our foreheads together.
“Oh my! You’re like a fireball! You’ve been holding this in?”
“Ah…….”
She had noticed my rising fever. How incredible. How did she know? Was she always like this?
“Doctor! We need to go to a doctor. Close the Dungeon immediately and get out….”
“Ah, mom, wait a moment.”
I held her wrist with my hot hand. My mother looked back, worried.
“Don’t worry. It’s just a Fever of the Divine. I’ll recover in two days.”
“Fever of the Divine?”
“Well… there’s no time to explain now. Ask grandfather later. More importantly, I have a favor. Please keep the Fever of the Divine a secret. Stay in the Dungeon until I recover.”
I didn’t want to worry my father, brother, or Bianca by showing them me sick for two days.
To do that, I would use the Dungeon’s fast time flow.
“But the heat….”
“Please. Promise me. I’m asking.”
“….”
There was no verbal reply, but I could feel they would honor my request.
“My satchel has food and camping gear. You can use them. I’ll… take a short rest and wake up later….”
“Ah, child!”
“My dear!”
My head drooped heavily.
[<System> Due to excessive use of the Divine Skill, you have contracted the aftereffect ‘Fever of the Divine’. Sleep is recommended for recovery. Remaining time: 1 day 23 hours 59 minutes.]
Even a brief use of the Divine Descent brought no reduction in the two-day penalty.
Feeling slightly aggrieved, I drifted into sleep.
