Arika, Let’s Not Be Emotional

“Arika! Rana! Rama! Why are you all here…? And that’s….”

Seeing Elder’s crying and relieved face brings me a sense of relief. What I’ve done is basically dragging his twin children and himself to my own problems, anyway. If they weren’t one to pick me up like this, I don’t think they would get involved, and that made me feel guilty.

“I paid a lot for Dellney to help us. Don’t worry about her.”

“Y—Yeah, I won’t be in the way! I swore I would help them!”

Yet, I knew there’s nothing I could do about it either, so all we need to do is move forward. I’m worried about Rui too…

“If you say so.”

Elder shrugs, surprisingly accepted Dellney rather easily despite the previous attack— but now that I thought about it, he did partner with her to protect his own home from Rama’s destruction magic and the twins rampage. He must’ve known better already that Dellney is someone that would do anything for money. Which does make her feel a lot more pathetic than she was before I knew better.

“First thing first. Elder, Rama’s like this ever since he drank that mana pill. When or how will he recover?” I poked at the cheeks of Rama who’s clinging to me. He’s now swaying around with an expression just like a sleepy little kid— or even cat-like, as it reminded me of Rui.

“Arika? Elder…. Nyaa…?”

He even made a sound similar to meows as he yawned. What a cute boy, to think he’s the one who kissed me in this world— ahem, let’s put that aside for now.

“It usually would take a whole day. So you kids were really in an emergency…” Elder sighed. It seems like Rama was the kind of boy who would stick to the rules from what I do know of him, so even him using that pill was already a flag for Elder. “There’s nothing much we could do besides waiting. I don’t think anyone knows you guys are here right now, so take your rest here.”

Now that I think of it, I haven’t ever slept in this house. We kind of got into trouble before I did. Maybe just like this, I can learn a little more from both Rama and Rana? That thing from before does make me feel a little curious….

I shook my head. I do want to know them better, but now’s not the right time. I need to focus!

“We’re kind of in a rush…. I mean…. We might lose Rui if we’re not quick…” I remind myself of Rui, as my face clearly shows distress that Elder caught on as he frowned.

“What happened to Rui?”

“The Temple guys seemingly caught him. That’s why Lady Arika’s rushing things out.”

Rana simply explained to Elder. Elder with all his cool and mature charm of an old man— one that supposedly are more to my type than this childish boy clinging to me right now, calmly turned to Dellney.

“Dellney. Do you happen to know where they took Rui and what would they do to him?”

“I— I don’t know exactly, but I can at least reassure you guys that they won’t harm him! He’s like the only clue they have on finding Mage Hero Angelica in flesh since Rama escaped, in any case ....” Dellney explained, slightly panicking that she won’t be any help. She really feels kind of pathetic as she said; “I– I can also go to the library to spread some information in the Comanet forums that harming Rui would anger the Mage Hero herself and prevent the Temple from gaining anything!”

“...You sure you wouldn’t just give our position away?” Rana stared sharply at Dellney. Despite the fact that I bought Dellney’s loyalty with the power of money, it’s hard to actually trust her not to betray us, and I understand Rana’s feelings. I don’t, either. She might’ve just taken her money and run back.

“In that case… Rana, go with Dellney.” Elder suggested wisely. “Pay close attention to what she’s posting, and if she tries to do anything funny, we won’t be paying her again ever. We’ll have Arika and Rama rest up here for now.”

“But Elder, Rui’s—”

“I won’t approve of anyone bringing the twins to danger just for a mere Cheshire without any plan. Even if it’s Mage Hero Angelica— even if it’s you, Arika.”

Elder’s words were cold, reminding me again that I did put his family members, blood related or not, into danger. It actually caused me to shiver, as this is the first time I saw Elder so antagonistic towards me— I was busy crushing on his appearance and voice to remember that unlike the twins, I’m nothing much to him. Just a Blessed One that happened to come to this world some days ago without much meaning to him.

“...Arika. Do you think everything in life needs a reason to be?”

Grandma’s words in that dream where she talked to me, resonated again in my head. I really wanted my life to have a meaning to someone in this world, at least, even when I’m nothing in my previous world. I clenched my fist as hard as I could, useless thoughts began filling my head.

At least until he spoke up.

“Arika, are you okay? Pat… pat… It’s okay, I’m here…”

The childishly drunken Rama stopped me from thinking further into it as he patted my head. That’s right. Even when I’m just a small dangerous speck in Elder’s thousands or more years of living, at least Rama and Rana trusted me enough to become somewhat of friends in an adventure with me— even if it started as an accident. It somehow gives me strength.

“I’m okay, Rama. Let’s rest until you’re getting back to normal.” I smiled at him. At that moment I couldn’t see Elder’s face, but I feel like he’s finally back to smiling again at me.

~*~*~*~

“Nooo.”

“Rama, you and I are adults, it’s not wise if I slept with you on the same bed…”

“Why nooot? This room used to be mine and Rana’s too….”

“That’s not the problem—”

Of course it’s not easy to convince the drunken Rama to stop clinging to me. He really marked me like some mother hen, and I started to wonder if it’s really just the effect of the mana pill or if he's just like that if he’s drunk. There’s no way to test it— unless we finally have some down time after everything’s done and then maybe we could go out for drinks together.

That is, if everything’s really going to be alright after this. We’ve been lucky from time to time, but what if it wasn’t? Would Elder hates me for dragging his seemingly only family members to this?

“Arika’s thinking of something terrible again…”

Rama pouts. It was as if Rama could also sense what’s going on in my mind. Maybe a side effect of the mana pill? Who knows, and I don’t want to know. Especially when Rama just decided to pull my hand as we ended up lying down on the bottom side of the bunkbed.

…He even locked his arms on mine, as if trapping me not to let go. There’s really no way out of this, as I ended up observing the sleepy Rama’s drunken, blushing face. He really looks young once he shut his eyes and mouth just like this, and it brings a smile to my face. My eyes gazed down from his eyes to his lips, and as I did, I got reminded again of a fact.

Surely, he wasn’t sober that time, but he did force a kiss on me, and it feels really embarrassing remembering it once again. I decided to throw away any funny thoughts about it, as I spelt repeatedly to myself as if a curse that the drunk Rama is just a kid with no harmful intentions.

Feeling awkward, I decided to shut my eyes and just won’t think of anything. Sleeping cures all, or so they said.

Except, of course I would’ve known beforehand that the sleep I would have in this world wasn’t any ordinary sleep. So far, they all connected me to Grandma’s existence in this world. I need to check out whether its magical properties would work well before using them to help me teleport back to Marconne or anywhere that has Rui held captive, anyway.

As a shine sparkles from a stone I got from Dellney, one as big as my palm that I snuck behind my pillow, I closed my eyes and thought over and over again of talking once again to the only person that would’ve pulled the string behind my descent to this world.

The real Mage Hero Angelica— My Grandma.