The day of the operation.
This was the day
Preparations complete. All that remained was to put the plan into action.
I gathered Norn,
"I've got something to talk about. Will you three come with me for a bit?"
"What is it?"
The two sisters tilted their heads.
However, I'd already informed Roxy beforehand that we'd be throwing a surprise party. To handle the food prep and gift retrieval, I needed to get the two sisters out of the house.
"Sure. I'll come along."
She hopped on board naturally, just like that. Heh heh — not even knowing she was the one being celebrated.
"Hey, Mom, I still have some work left, but is it okay if I go out for a bit?"
"It's an invitation from Lord
"Then I'm going too."
Aisha got Lillia's permission and agreed.
"……"
As for Norn, she looked at Sylphie with a somewhat troubled expression.
"Roxy is going, but aren't you going too, Sylphie?"
"Eh?"
Caught off guard by the sudden question, Sylphie became flustered.
"Um, well, I have to look after Lucy!"
"Last time, you two both went out. Isn't that fine for you too, Sylphie?"
"Well, um……"
Sylphie cast her eyes toward me, silently pleading for help.
But then she looked at Roxy, and her eyes suddenly lit up as if she'd thought of something.
"Ac-actually, this whole thing was my idea."
"Hm? What do you mean?"
"Norn, you and Roxy haven't exactly gotten along great, right?"
"Well, that's true."
"Having bad blood at home isn't good. So I thought we could all go out together and deepen our bond. If you get to know each other better, you'll get along more, right?"
"……I see. Understood."
That seemed to satisfy Norn.
If anything, Aisha was the one looking skeptical now.
It wasn't like Aisha and Roxy had any problems between them, either. When Roxy was preparing for the next day's lessons, Aisha would bring her tea and late-night snacks. The two of them were building their own relationship.
That said, Aisha apparently resolved it quickly in her own head. She shrugged with a "whatever" expression and grinned.
……I hoped she hadn't caught on.
"So, have fun with the four of you today."
"Okay!"
"Okaaay!"
"Sorry for the trouble."
Despite a little cold sweat, I successfully ushered the three of them out of the house.
--- Preparations take time.
The two of us would handle the cooking, decorations, and gift setup. To give ourselves plenty of leeway, we should kill time outside until early afternoon.
That said, we couldn't go to the commercial district. Running into Sylphie while she was picking up the presents would be a problem.
Of course, we could kill time in the inn district, the workshop district, or at the school.
But that was where I made my choice.
"Fishing?"
We'd left town.
It was a quiet little stream away from the hustle and bustle. Through the clear water, we could see the shadows of countless fish.
"Yeah. Isn't this kind of thing good for bonding?"
"So Sylphie's comment earlier wasn't entirely a lie after all."
Roxy and I whispered to each other as I pulled out the fishing gear I'd prepared in advance. No fancy reels or lures — just a simple setup: a supple piece of wood combined with giant spider silk.
To that, I attached a float made from a radia-toad's cheek pouch and an iron fishing hook. The bait was earthworms.
"I've never been fishing before!"
"Me neither! I've always wanted to try."
The two sisters said that as they picked up their gear. Aisha quickly attached the float, hook, and bait, then ran to the river and cast the line in with a dynamic motion that would make Sanpei jealous.
Had she really never done this before?
"Brother, what do I do with this?"
Norn, on the other hand, stood there holding the hook and float, completely lost.
"Heh heh, your brother's no help there. I've never fished either."
In my previous life, I was the indoors type. Never went fishing, never had any interest.
Of course, even after coming to this world, I'd never fished a single time. If I wanted fish, I just had to freeze the river.
"Um, Norn, shall I teach you?"
Roxy offered timidly. Apparently, she had experience.
If she were also inexperienced, the three of them fumbling around together might have been fun, but if I could get taught too, I figured I might as well.
"……Please."
Norn nodded with a reluctant expression. Being a Millis devotee, she apparently still had some reservations about Roxy.
Though she couldn't really dislike Roxy that much.
"——Please, try it yourself."
"Like this?"
"Yes. You're quite good at it."
"……Thank you."
Roxy taught her with remarkable patience, and Norn listened carefully.
Good, good.
I wanted Norn and Roxy to get along.
--- Fishing commenced.
Roxy was an expert. There was something... dignified about her.
She sat on the chair I'd made with earth magic, rod in one hand, eyes half-closed as she gazed at the water's surface. She looked like a monk meditating.
Then, with a faint vibration transmitted through the rod, she pulled up.
She hadn't caught anything huge so far, but she still had the best haul of anyone.
"You're really good, Roxy!"
"When I was traveling alone, I had to catch as much of my own food as possible."
"Now that you mention it, when she was traveling, Rujeerd caught fish for us."
"He fished too?"
"No, with a spear — he poked it into the water with a *thonk*, and there were three fish stuck on the tip——"
Norn sat next to Roxy and chattered away. It was a little awkward, but the atmosphere was nice.
"Oh, Norn, you've got a bite! Pull it in!"
"Wh-what?! O-okay! Ah……"
"That happens often. Let's bait the hook again."
Norn's concentration had apparently wandered, and she'd lost another one.
But she seemed to enjoy chatting with Roxy, and her expression was bright.
"Hehehe, big brother~ You seem to be struggling lately, what's wrong?"
Aisha, on the other hand, was in peak form. She'd had her bait stolen a few times but had already reeled in three fish.
"Don't forget the promise — the loser has to do whatever the winner says!"
A little while ago, Aisha had challenged me to a "whoever catches more fish wins" contest, and I'd accepted. My current count: zero.
It was looking bad.
Losing was fine, but — why was there such a gap between two beginners?
Aisha really was good at everything.
"Just make it something I can do."
"Hmm, what should I ask for~ Maybe I'll have you hold me tight all night and whisper 'Aisha, you're so cute' into my ear. Or maybe something like Sylphie or Roxy—"
"Let's skip the naughty stuff. Dad would get mad."
"Don't bring up Dad!"
We talked like that, but she'd probably just ask for some expensive little creature or other.
But should I really lose?
Was it okay for a little sister to surpass her big brother in a place like this?
No.
Shouldn't I show my dignity as an older brother here?
Better a strong, dependable brother than a gentle, unreliable one.
"Aisha. I'm getting serious now."
"You weren't serious until now?"
"That's right. From here on out, I'm using my magic eye."
"That's cheating!"
Say what you want.
This is my trump card. By perceiving one second into the future, I'd show her an overwhelming lead.
I activated my magic eye.
I stared intently at the float.
<No response> <No response> <Twitch — a reaction on the float> "Fish!!"
A refined up-and-down motion honed by days of practice. My prosthetic arm, which enhanced my strength, ignored all resistance. The hook was reeled in by sheer force.
"Yessh, got a big one—"
What came up was a large boot.
"……"
Boots existed in this world, too. And this river flowed downstream from the magic city Sharia. People used it daily for laundry, fetching water — all sorts of things. Occasionally someone would drop a shoe in and never find it again.
Or maybe some adventurer upstream had dropped it, and it had washed down here.
"Big brother……"
Aisha looked at me with an expression reserved for pathetic things.
No, wait. Let me rethink this for a second.
This isn't a boot. That's how I'd think of it.
Yeah.
If I changed my perspective, it didn't look entirely different from what I imagined.
Yeah.
Looking carefully, it wasn't unreasonable to call it a fish.
Calling it a fish wouldn't be an exaggeration.
This was clearly a fish.
Nothing but a fish.
I tossed the boot into my creel.
"There! That's one. I'll catch up in no time."
"Wait! That was a boot!"
"It looked like a boot, but it was a fine river creature. I call it……a shoe-fish."
"That's literally just a boot! No way! That's cheating!"
Aisha reached into my creel, grabbed the boot, and hurled it back into the river.
"Aaah!"
Even though you're not supposed to litter in the river.
Well, whatever. This was catch and release.
That previous boot was still a child. If I let it go here, it would surely make its way to the sea, grow up, and come back.
I'd tell myself that.
"Ah! Nn……yes! That's four!"
While I was having those thoughts, Aisha caught her fourth fish.
Yeah.
I might not be able to win this one.
Sorry, Sylphie. Sorry, Roxy.
Tonight, I'll be at Aisha's mercy…….
"Yes, good, pull, pull!"
"Nn……kgh……ah!"
"Do your best! Carefully!"
When I looked over at the commotion, Norn was pulling in a fish. A big one — it looked like it could be koi-sized.
"I did it! I caught it! My first one ever!"
"That's amazing! It's a huge one!"
Norn beamed with joy, and Roxy clapped her hands in delight.
It was a truly heartwarming scene.
I was glad we'd come.
--- Before we knew it, the sun was setting, and it was time to head home.
"Let's head back soon, shall we?"
The moment I said it, the two sisters threw a fit.
"Whaaat, already?!"
"……I want to catch just one more."
Time spent having fun always flies by. I understood the feeling of wanting just a little more, just a little longer.
But the real fun was still ahead.
"It might get dark, and monsters could show up."
"So you could just beat them up, big brother!"
"And Roxy's here too……"
True, the monsters around here would be manageable. With me and Roxy, we could escort Norn and Aisha without issue. I had that much strength now.
That said, that was a separate matter. If I started down that road, we'd end up staying until midnight. Even if there were nothing planned afterward, I should nip any possibility in the bud.
"No. We can come again another time."
"Big brother, just because you can't catch anything—"
"If I got serious, I could get as many fish as I wanted."
I could use lightning and explosions, so there was no need to be hung up on fishing.
This wasn't sour grapes or anything.
"Come on, let's go home."
"Fine~"
"Okay."
I flash-froze the fish with magic and carried them home. I'd considered grilling them along the way, but you're supposed to go to a party on an empty stomach. We could eat the fish tomorrow or the day after.
On the way back, Aisha and Norn chatted happily about who caught more and whose was bigger.
Roxy and I followed behind them.
Roxy's expression carried the look of someone who'd accomplished something.
She and Norn had been awkward around each other for a long time. Surely this had helped improve things.
"I'm hooooome!"
"Congratulations!"
The instant we stepped inside, applause erupted.
Sparse but enthusiastic. Standing in the entrance were Sylphie, Lillia, and
Zenith just stood there with a blank expression, but she seemed to be smiling somehow.
"Wha—!?"
Norn cried out in surprise at the sudden spectacle.
On cue, Roxy and I joined in, clapping from behind.
Norn turned around with a confused face and murmured "What?" again.
She had no idea what was going on.
Norn was bewildered, and Aisha looked suspicious.
I guided the two of them into the dining hall.
The room was simply but beautifully decorated. There was no banner, but flowers adorned the walls. Candlesticks were placed throughout, casting their light.
The table was draped in a white cloth, with a vase and plates on top. Drinks were prepared, but no food yet — they'd bring it out later.
At the head of the table — the so-called birthday seat — two chairs were set out.
I had the two of them sit there.
"Why? Huh?"
Norn still wore a puzzled expression.
But Aisha grinned.
She'd figured something out.
Clever kid.
Once they were seated, Lillia guided Zenith to her chair. Sylphie and Roxy followed suit, sitting down one after another.
Once everyone was seated, I cleared my throat.
"It's been seven years since the teleportation incident.
It's been long, but at last, our family is together again.
Father is gone, and Mother's memories may never return.
But if we keep looking sad forever, Father wouldn't be smiling down on us either.
I think we should keep smiling — for Father's sake.
He wanted us to get together and have a grand celebration. That was his wish.
So today, in honor of that wish, let's let loose to our hearts' content!
Cheers!"
I raised my cup.
"Cheers."
Everyone but Norn quietly raised theirs.
She still looked bewildered, as always.
Aisha was grinning ear to ear — she'd fully figured it out.
And yet, here I was thinking I'd keep things upbeat, and it had turned a bit somber after all.
No good, no good. I had to smile.
"Sylphie!"
"Ah, yes!"
I called to Sylphie, and she moved instantly.
A well-practiced duo. Sylphie pulled out the items from under the table — two large, beautifully wrapped boxes.
Sylphie handed one to Roxy. She handed the other to Aisha.
Roxy gave hers to Norn.
"Happy tenth birthday!"
"Congratulations!"
Neither of them seemed to understand what was happening.
Norn, of course — but Aisha too.
"Um, we're already eleven though…?"
This might be the first time I'd ever seen Aisha make a look like a fox had gotten the better of her. Even she hadn't expected to receive a present.
This was the face I'd wanted to see.
"Yep. We couldn't celebrate when you turned ten. It's a year late, but Rudy said one year should be fine."
"Big brother…?"
Aisha clutched the box to her chest, overcome with emotion.
Then she looked toward Lillia.
Lillia smiled gently and nodded back at her.
Aisha turned to Sylphie with a face that could barely contain her joy.
"Can I open it?!"
"Of course!"
With that, Aisha and Norn sprang into action — about to tear the wrapping apart in their excitement.
But simultaneously, they stopped themselves.
They slowly untied the ribbons and carefully unfolded the cloth.
For some reason, their movements were perfectly synchronized.
They really were sisters.
"Wow, it's shoes! What did Norn get?"
"Look, Aisha, I got a coat!"
The two of them looked at their gifts and beamed with happiness.
If they were this happy, the person who chose them felt satisfied too.
Then Lillia and Zenith approached.
"Oh, Mom! Look!"
Norn held up the coat to show Zenith.
Of course, there was no reaction.
For me, it was heartbreaking.
Zenith was the type who would have gone wild at a time like this. When I was five, she'd been so excited, practically saying "See? I know Rudy's taste best!" as she gave me a book as a present.
If she were her usual self, she would have squealed alongside Norn like a child.
Zenith now — this expressionless face — was painful for me to see.
If she came to her senses and learned that
But even so, showing no expression at all made my chest tighten.
And in the very next moment — Zenith smiled.
"……Huh?"
Zenith's expression vanished immediately.
It was just an instant.
Maybe only I had seen it.
"Did she just smile?"
No — everyone had seen it.
Lillia, Aisha, Sylphie, Roxy.
They were all staring at Zenith with surprised faces.
"……Mom."
Norn, who had been directly smiled at, stared wide-eyed at Zenith, looking like she might cry.
"……"
Zenith reached out and gently stroked Norn's and Aisha's heads in turn.
The way she patted them was gentler than usual.
She was happy.
For her daughters' growth.
"Madam……I'm so glad……"
Lillia quietly put her arm around Zenith's shoulder.
It was a rare sight — Lillia on the verge of tears, smiling.
Zenith, with her blank expression, placed her hand over Lillia's.
Lillia bit her lip, holding back tears.
"This is from Madam and me to you two."
After settling Zenith in her seat, Lillia presented the two of them with gifts — handkerchiefs embroidered with beautiful flowers. A matching pair.
"Thank you, Lillia."
Norn accepted hers gratefully, but Aisha hesitated.
Maybe she felt some discomfort at receiving the same gift.
"Um, Mom, can I really have one too?"
"Of course. You are Paul's daughter as well."
What kind of change of heart was this?
Lillia had always made it clear that Aisha should remain a maid.
"You must continue to properly respect Norn and Rudeus, you know?"
"……Yes, Mom."
Well, Lillia was Lillia.
Though she said those things, recently — in words and in action — I'd never once seen her being harshly strict with Aisha.
She, too, must have had her own complicated feelings.
When Lillia returned to her seat, Zenith placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Madam……"
"……"
Lillia clasped the hand that had been placed on her own and quietly said: "Thank you."
Between the two of them, an unheard conversation seemed to take place.
I noticed Roxy watching the scene with a deeply moved expression — that was a striking image.
"Hm?"
While watching Roxy, I felt a tug on my sleeve from behind.
I turned to see Sylphie. She was holding a different box from the ones she'd given the sisters earlier.
Right.
I mustn't forget.
"Roxy."
Roxy turned around.
She looked at me, then at Sylphie holding the box, and tilted her head.
"Wh-what is it?"
Sylphie spoke to her.
"Here. This is from us to Roxy."
"Wha— eh, um, what is this?"
"It's a wedding gift! Congratulations on your marriage to Rudy!"
With that, Sylphie handed the box to Roxy.
"Go on, open it."
Roxy opened the box as urged.
And when she saw the hat inside, her eyes went wide.
"Sylphie, Rudy, what is this?"
"Roxy. Let's become like Zenith and Lillia someday."
Sylphie smiled like an angel as she said it.
Receiving that smile, Roxy bit her lower lip. She bowed her head slightly, clutching the hat tightly to her chest. And in a voice barely above a whisper: "Thank……you……Sylphie……"
Roxy's eyes glistened with tears.
I heard later that this was the first time Roxy truly felt accepted by Sylphie.
--- After that, the party went smoothly.
First, the cake was brought out.
It was like a fluffy sponge cake, with no cream. It was loaded with dried fruit. The dough was slightly bitter, but the sweetness of the fruit compensated for it.
I'd eaten this before in the
I think it had been served at someone's tenth birthday.
Nostalgic.
That girl would be fine anywhere.
I wondered if she'd gotten married, like me.
I'd respect whoever could handle dating Eris.
I asked Lillia about the cake, and she said it was a traditional sweet from the Asura Kingdom — apparently served on celebratory occasions.
We'd never eaten it in
Paul had disliked it, so they never made it.
That was so like Paul, with his likes and dislikes.
Sylphie said she'd learned the recipe this time and would make it from now on.
Norn was eating it happily, and I didn't mind the taste either.
Although Aisha seemed to have trouble with it and was trying to pick out the fruit.
Seeing that, Lillia scolded her to eat without being picky, then laughed and said, "It reminds me of your father."
Aisha came to me all sweet and said, "Big brother, eat it!" so I egged on Roxy, who had a weakness for sweets.
Watching the two of them feed each other "aah" would surely be entertaining.
That was my lighthearted intention, but — I don't know what Roxy misunderstood.
"Aisha. You may be fortunate enough not to understand this, but there are times when you're starving and you have to eat even a venomous scorpion."
"Uh, ah, yes."
She'd started lecturing.
Guillotine had said something similar once — was it a universal thing?
When I was traveling through the Demon Continent, I'd endured bad meals too. But I didn't think I'd eaten any venomous monsters.
Maybe I'd been fortunate too.
"It's unthinkable to leave behind something this sweet and delicious. Eat it."
"Yes."
There was no fury behind it, but the conviction was remarkable, and for once, Aisha actually looked scared.
She then solemnly began eating the cake.
Come to think of it, this might be the first time I'd seen Aisha obediently do what she was told.
Well, she listens to me properly, actually.
But thinking about it, eliminating picky eating was important.
Even if it was just cake.
I'd almost made the same mistake again.
As expected of Roxy.
"If you really can't eat it all, I'll finish it for you."
When she said that, Roxy's own cake was already gone.
Yeah.
As expected of Roxy.
"I can't eat it all."
Aisha's reply came instantly.
So fast that Roxy restarted her lecture.
"You must! Eat it!"
Neither Sylphie nor I scolded Aisha much, and maybe because of that, Lillia held back too.
Aisha was smart, but she was still eleven.
Maybe she needed someone to discipline her.
--- Roxy and the sisters had grown closer, too.
Before long, Norn and Aisha stopped bickering.
We confirmed that Zenith was steadily improving.
I felt the bonds of family had deepened.
The party was a success.
Festivals really are the best.
Norn and Aisha — when they turn fifteen, I'd throw them a grand celebration too.
School Rumors, Part 9 "The Delinquent is a Boy"