Chapter 12: Let’s go home (2)

“Did you… just call me Father?”

Whoosh.

“…….”

Reflected in Surd’s eyes was a pure-white girl.
Faced with the unmistakable hostility directed at her, the girl’s gaze instantly turned cold.

“Uh… Huh?”
“Lord Surd… Perhaps you should calm down a little…”

The soldiers being held responsible cautiously glanced at Surd.
Under the killing intent that seemed ready to draw a sword at any moment, their legs slowly backed away.

Surd left the soldiers behind and approached the girl.

“How dare you call me Father… I suppose you don’t value your life.”
“…….”
“Answer me.”

Surd’s hand moved toward his sword.

“What exactly is your relationship with Cain?”

After carefully burying his son’s corpse, he had hurried to the tent where the girl was lying.

The appearance of his dead son had been anything but normal.

Every organ inside his body had been burned away, leaving behind such an unnatural state of carbonization that it could not simply be described as death from burns.

“There’s one thing I can be certain of, at least.”

Sching.

Surd’s greatsword touched the girl’s neck.
Even with the cold blade against her skin, the girl’s gaze did not waver in the slightest.

“You’re the one responsible for Cain ending up like that.”
“…….”

The girl’s beautiful eyes stared at the tip of the cold blade.
Her gaze traveled up Surd’s arm, and at the end of it was Cain’s identification tag hanging around his neck.

“That is…”

The meaning of the identification tag worn around a parent’s neck.
As the girl realized what it meant, her eyelids narrowed slightly.

Remembrance.

Parents longing for their dead child.
A child who wanted to remain within the embrace of their family.

A way for parents to mourn by holding onto the traces of their child, because they did not want to forget someone they could no longer see.

The greater the feelings left behind, the more clearly those traces remained, and the clearer those traces were, the harder it became to forget them.

At Surd’s ordinary act of mourning, a faint smile appeared at the corner of the girl’s lips.

“You’re smiling? You find this funny?”
“Ah, I’m sorry. It’s just…”

Clack.

The girl’s hand grasped the blade.

“I only just realized that Father was an ordinary father after all.”
“What?”
“Isn’t that right?”

Step.

She took a step forward.

“That Father, who was always so dignified, came all the way here for my sake, and on top of that, even lost control of himself like this…”
“…….”
“How could I not smile, as your child?”

Surd felt something strange as the girl approached while holding onto his blade.

‘She’s similar.’

The way Cain walked.
The way Cain raised his eyes.
The way Cain spoke.

Everything overlapped far too perfectly with the image of his son embedded in Surd’s memories.

“…Just answer my question.”

For some reason, the familiar feeling caused Surd’s killing intent to soften considerably.
The girl tilted her head and twitched the corners of her lips.

“Are you really asking because you don’t know? Or perhaps…”

Whoosh.

“Do you need confirmation?”
“You…”

Deep killing intent filled the pure-white eyes that shimmered brightly.
They were different from the black eyes he had known.

Yet those eyes were completely identical to the eyes of the son he knew.
Through the girl’s eyes, Surd was able to become certain of her identity.

‘How could this happen…?’

Even if he were looking at a photograph, could there possibly be another person this identical?
The perfect resemblance was beyond anything that could be described as merely similar, and Surd’s sword slowly lowered.

“You… What on earth happened to you?”
“…….”

The girl silently shifted her eyes.
Surd followed her gaze and turned his head, finding the soldiers gathered behind him, all staring at them.

He spoke quietly to the soldiers.

“Everyone, leave this place.
And make sure no one approaches this tent.”
“Pardon?”
“Do I have to say it twice?”

Surd’s gaze turned toward the soldiers.
The soldiers scattered in perfect order, and after confirming that there were no longer any eyes watching them, he extended his hand toward the girl.

“Let’s talk for a moment.
Would that be all right?”

The corners of the girl’s eyes softened slightly.

“Of course.”

Whooooooosh—!

“Hmm…”

A massive cliff carved through the peak of a mountain.
At the foot of a cascading waterfall, a girl wearing a neatly arranged white burial robe stood with her eyes closed.

The splashing droplets tickled the girl’s face with their cold touch.
Savoring the mist that had entered her nostrils, the girl slowly rose to her feet.

“Have you realized it?”

The calm, low voice of an old man echoed quietly.
The girl gave a small nod toward the unseen old man.
When the girl opened her eyes, a perfectly round pattern appeared within her pupils.

“Yes, Father.
I understand now.”

Seeing the girl’s eyes, the old man blessed her in a delighted voice.

“As expected of my daughter.
To awaken the Mind’s Eye at such a young age, at only fifteen…”

The round pattern rolled smoothly as it observed the ground beneath the girl’s feet.
Even though she had only just obtained the Mind’s Eye, she confirmed that its functions were working properly.
The girl smiled happily.

“With this, I have kept my promise, Father.
Now it’s your turn.”
“Yes… Now it is my turn.”

The surface of the water gently rippled, and an old man emerged from it.
The old man held out a violet necklace toward the girl.

“Here, take it.
With this, you’ll be able to pass through the gates of the Leoni Kingdom.”
“Thank you, Father.
And…”

The girl’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“I understand now.
I finally know why you called me a fledgling little brat.”
“Hahaha…”

Throb.

“Ugh…”

A powerful pain struck the eye that had looked at the old man.
The girl raised a hand and gently rubbed her eyelid.

‘As expected of Father.
Just trying to determine the gap between us is enough to strain me.’

The sphere within her eye twisted violently.
The gap was so unimaginably vast that she could not help but feel a sense of awe.
Feeling dizzy, the girl bent her knees.

Thud.

The man known throughout the world as the Sword Demon, Cardrin Chen Meglai.
He was one of the superhumans known as heroes, possessing strength comparable to Surd, the former strongest hero.

Cardrin gently grasped the girl’s shoulder.

“But do you really have to go?
Wouldn’t it be better to stay here and continue training with me?”

At the gentle hand helping her up, the corners of the girl’s lips rose softly.

“I’m sorry, Father.
But I want to attend school.”
“Yes… Is that so?”

I suppose it can’t be helped.

After saying that, Cardrin placed the necklace around the girl’s neck.

His child was ready to leave his side.
Feeling a strange sense of loneliness, Cardrin placed his sword in the girl’s hand.

“Father.
This is…”
“Take it.
It’s a gift from this useless father of yours.”

Rustle.

The moment he finished speaking, Cardrin’s figure disappeared in an instant.
As the rising mist shimmered, Cardrin’s voice echoed softly.

“Go and return safely.
Go and do everything you want to do to your heart’s content.
My daughter, Agrian.”
“Yes…
I’ll be back, Father.”

Parents and children are like mirrors of one another.
A parent’s usual conduct is revealed through their child, while a parent’s character inevitably leaves its mark on the child’s behavior.

Families who live together, sharing one another’s warmth, cannot help but resemble each other, even if they don’t want to.

‘I was an exception, since I was a piece of trash…’

Even putting aside the things I had done, parents and children inevitably come to resemble each other in personality.

My usual personality often bears traces of my father’s strictness.

I had never resented that, and I had actually been quite satisfied with the kind of person I was.

But now, I was beginning to have a different thought.

‘M-my head…!’

Maybe being too strict wasn’t necessarily a good thing…

“Don’t tell me you’re thinking about something else right now?”
“No!
I’m not!
I’m truly reflecting on my actions!”
“Good.
You should reflect.
You should reflect sincerely.”

Crack.

“To leave your elderly father behind and commit the unfilial act of dying before your own parent.
If you don’t sincerely reflect on that, you aren’t even human.”
“…….”

It had been an hour since I had been pounding my head against the floor.
With my head pressed against the floor before my father, I continued confessing everything that had happened to me.

My long hair tangled across the floor, making my scalp sting.

‘M-my hair is long, so is that why?
It fcking hurts!’

Father sat in a chair and calmly went over everything I had confessed.

“Fine, I understand that the Hero Party ran away.
That’s all well and good.
But…”

Whoosh.

“I can’t believe the bullsht about you staying behind alone and charging into an army of monsters.”
“Well…”
“And what?
You challenged a trial where death was certain just to save that goddess?”
“That…”
“And in the end, you did something insane like overloading your mana circuits?”
“…….”

The way to handle situations like this wasn’t particularly difficult.
All I had to do was keep my mouth shut and buy some time until the other person calmed down…

“Why don’t you try saying something?”

I’m fcked.

Fck.

Father slammed the pen he was holding onto the desk.

“Get up.”
“Yes!”

……

“Huh?”

I sprang to my feet and, after such a long time, finally got a proper look at Father’s face.

“Father.
Did you cry?”
“…….”

His normally composed eyes were swollen and red.
Pressing the bridge of his nose with one hand, he lowered his head and sighed.

“Put your head back down.”
“Yes!”

Bang!

A soldier’s helmet lying on the floor caved in with a loud clang.
I deeply regretted that I should have just kept my mouth shut.

“So, where is that goddess?”
“I… I don’t know either.”
“Does saying you don’t know solve anything?
You should find out even if you have to make the answer yourself.”
“Ah… Father.
That’s basically military hazing…”
“What?”
“Nothing!”

I immediately shut my mouth and focused on keeping my head against the floor.

“Pfft…”
“…?”

Starting with a small snicker, Father’s laughter echoed through the gloomy tent.

“Hahaha!
Wahahahaha!”

Father smiled warmly with his eyes and grabbed my shoulders, lifting me up.

“Hahahahaha!
It really is you.
It really is Cain.”
“Eh?
Father, you didn’t believe me?”

Father’s laughter abruptly stopped.

“If you were me, would you have believed it?”
“Hmm… No.”
“Good grief…
It’s so absurd that I don’t even feel like scolding you.”

With a quiet snort of laughter, Father carefully lowered me to the ground.
Then he suddenly pulled me into his arms and began trembling silently.

“Father?”
“Welcome… back.”
“…….”

Feeling his shoulder becoming wet, I gently closed my eyes.
I carefully embraced Father’s body and offered him a greeting after our reunion.

“Yes…
I’m home.”