Chapter 19 “We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; For he today that sheds his blood with me Shall be my brother.”

On a calm evening inside Cecilia's family home, unlike the usual days, the young man prepared a dinner menu that was looks so strange and foreign to the people living in this world. With the help of Cecilia's mother, the young man had now created a peculiar dish from his world.

Using various boiled vegetables and chili paste pounded together with peanuts, the young man now presented a dish that had never been seen by them before.

“This is a dish from my village called pecel. A dish that is very easy to make and doesn't take long to make!” Said the young man.

But everyone in the house could only stare at the brown and peculiar-looking food that didn't seem appetizing to any of them.

"Um... It seems we made a mistake by letting Wallace cook for us today." said Cecilia's father.

"Hahaha! The food looks like a poop." said Cecilia's younger sibling who sitting on their mother's lap.

"Shh! That's rude! Don't talk like that about the food!" scolded Cecilia's mother.

"Hah... Now what? Is no one brave enough to start eating this strange food?" asked Adel, Cecilia's student.

"Hey, why do you all assume that this food is like something very dangerous? Come on, just look at me; it's no problem even though I've eaten this food my whole life!" protested the young man.

Although guaranteed safe by the young man, still no one dared to try the food he had cooked.

"Hah... This is sad, especially since I went through the trouble of finding all the ingredients. Hey, Cecilia! Just try a little; I'm sure it tastes good." said the young man.

"Don't worry; the food is delicious, and also... Hmm…? Huh? Wait a minute, have none of you started eating it yet?" asked Cecilia, who had already started eating the food.

"Umm… fine if the teacher says so." said Adel, who then joined in eating and enjoying the strange dish made by the young man.

"Wow! It tastes good too, but I think it just needs more chili." said Cecilia's mother.

"Don't listen to that old lady. Your sweet peanut sauce is spicy enough for normal people like us, right, Sherina?" said Cecilia's father, asking his young daughter.

"No! The food is still not spicy enough!" replied Sherina, Cecilia's 4-year-old sister.

"Oh no! My adorable daughter Sherina has also inherited her mother's spicy tongue! Wallace! Don't worry; we, as a group of sweet food lovers, will one day succeed in converting them all to like sweet food!" said Cecilia's father.

"Um... Sorry, but actually, I also prefer spicy food. And also, I reduced the spiciness of this food initially so that Sherina could eat it without worrying about stomachaches." said the young man.

"What!? Ah... It's really sad. I thought you would defend me, Wallace. What about you, Adel? Are you on my side? You should be, shouldn't you?" Cecilia's father asked Adel.

"Of course, I choose the sweet side. Sweet food contains energy, and spicy food only stores sickness. Besides, who in their right mind would choose food that brings illness? Right, teacher?" Adel asked Cecilia, but unfortunately, Cecilia just remained silent and continued eating her food.

"Yes! Finally, I have found my true child! Come here, Adelheid! Now you are my only true child because you are not like my two daughters who like spicy dishes!" said Cecilia's father while hugging Adel.

"Huh? So you mean the teacher likes spicy food?" asked Adel.

"Of course, she likes it because in this house, I am the only one who doesn't like spicy foo." said Cecilia's father with a big smile.

"No way! I've changed course! Spicy food makes us energetic! Whereas sweet food often makes us lazy, especially if there's too much! Something sweet is bad for our health!" Argued Adel, who then broke free from Cecilia father's embrace.

"Hah… And finally, the fastest and biggest betrayal has occurred in my family..." lamented Cecilia's father.

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The atmosphere of cheerful conversation and laughter continued at the small family dining table. Although some of them did not share a blood relationship with other family members, their bonds seemed tighter than those of the young man's previous family.

The young man gazed at the food in front of him and then observed everyone joyfully laughing around him. Suddenly, all the sad memories he had experienced in his previous world echoed in his mind. A bad memory, a rotten and disgusting memory. A memory from the past that had now turned into a curse for him.

“You should have thought about me!”

“Ah, until when do I have to suffer like this? Look, I'm sure no one in this world can live a life like mine.”

“I gave birth to you so that you could support me! Instead, you're dragging me down!”

“Hah! You proudly feast on meat just once, look at my child here; he can't eat without a piece of meat for his side dishes.”

“Living like you is nice, huh? Being able to eat meat every day, drink juice, and eat the best quality rice. Unlike us, who can only eat vegetables.”

“Son, your mother is currently struggling. You said you would help me, didn't you? If so, please give me your money. I can't buy a lottery ticket if you don't give me money. What if the number I dream of comes out tonight?”

“Hey! Did you hear? That's our neighbor's disobedient child who doesn't want to give a penny of his money to his own mother. Just so you know, now he is a poor unemployed person who can only pick up food from the trash!”

“Hahaha! Feel that! God is fair! Although he used to be a polite and good child, it doesn't mean he will succeed and prosper! Hahaha, feel that, you arrogant kid!”

“All of this is because of you, mother, suffering like this! It's all because of you! I shouldn't have given birth to you back then!”

“...........”

“........”

“......”

“….”

“Hey me… Can I escape from this place?”

"......."

"...Lace?"

"...Wallace?"

"Wallace, are you okay?" Cecilia's mother asked.

"Hmm? Hahaha, of course I am okay!" The young man responded with a wide smile on his face. Instantly, everyone around him fell silent. They all turned their gazes toward the young man.

"......"

The room that was previously lively suddenly became silent without a single sound.

Everyone stared.

Everyone observed.

And everyone was puzzled.

Everyone, except that woman…

Cecilia.

"If you're fine, then why are you crying?" Cecilia's mother was the first to notice the oddity and asked.

"...Me? Crying?" The young man questioned, touching both his cheeks and eyelids.

Unbeknownst to him, many tears had fallen and moistened his cheeks.

"This... Why?" The young man mumbled while wiping away all the tears on his face. But his tears didn't want to stop and kept flowing and wetting his cheeks.

"Darn it... Why now!?" The young man thought.

"Hahaha, what a crybaby! Is this how the so-called hero prophecy acts? Pathetic!" Adel jeered.

"Hahaha, forgive me. I'm supposed to be a great hero, and I'm also more mature than you, but for some reason... I still shed these useless tears... It's pathetic!" The young man cried.

Everyone fell silent and looked at each other's faces. They all felt that something was not right with the condition of the young man crying before them.

Wasn't he okay all this time?

Didn't he laugh just this morning?

Wasn't he cheerful this afternoon?

And weren't we all eating and joking together before?

So why could Wallace suddenly cry like this?

Everyone around the young man wondered, scratching their heads.

Everyone.

Except for the red-haired woman.

While looking at everyone in the room, Adel scratched his cheek and began to speak.

"Umm... Hey, Wallace. I apologize; I know I've teased you many times, but it's because I..."

Before Adel could finish his statement, the young man immediately cut him off and denied it.

"No, it's not your fault. In fact, if I'm honest, I don't understand why I can cry like this..."

"This is embarrassing. I never thought that in any world I would still continue to show this weak side of me. Even though right now I am a hero of prophecy... This is stupid."

The young man then wiped away all his tears and took a deep breath.

"I... I'll go outside to get some fresh air for a moment. Don't worry about me." The young man said while getting up and leaving the dining table.

The sound of the house door closing was heard as the young man left.

Everyone was puzzled; what had happened? Why did everything suddenly change like this?

Everyone.

Except for the woman with silver eyes.

"Hey, What did you do to him, actually?" Cecilia's father asked Adel.

"Hah? Me? I just did the usual stuff; besides, you all know what we usually do, right?" Adel replied.

"Could it be that all this is because the training you gave him was too harsh?" Cecilia's mother asked.

"Hah!? No way! Even though I hate him, every time we spar, I always try to hold back!" Adel retorted.

Then Cecilia's sister Sherina suddenly got off her mother's lap and ran towards Adel and rubbed Adel's cheek using the palm of her small hand.

"Hmm? What are you doing Sherina? Even though your hands are soft, it's Wallace who is crying, not me." said Adel.

Suddenly, with all her strength, Sherina pinched Adel's cheek.

"Ah! Ouch!! Why did you pinch my cheek!" Adel protested.

"Adel is mean! That's punishment for being mean!" Sherina said, then ran back to her mother's lap.

"What!? Since when did Sherina want to defend Wallace!? Wasn't she afraid of him before?" Adel asked.

"Oh, that? It's because all this time, whenever there's free time, Wallace often plays with the kids around here. It seems like Cecilia's position has been taken by Wallace." Cecilia's father explained.

"Whaaaat!? Why would he do something pointless like that!?" Adel questioned.

"He said it was so he could teach and be a good role model for them. Well, after all he considers it was his duty." Cecilia's father replied.

"The longer it takes, the more I realize that Wallace is indeed a weird person." Adel commented.

"..."

"By the way, why don't you go talk to him?" Cecilia's mother asked her daughter, who had been staring at her empty plate.

"... What do you mean, Mom?" Cecilia asked.

"Of course, you brought him here. Besides, aren't you his teacher?" Cecilia's mother inquired.

"Then why not Adel instead?" replied Cecilia, who was still staring at her empty plate.

"Cecilia... Please, at this moment, it seems like Wallace really needs you." Cecilia's father said.

"You guys are weird. Haven't you all hated him all this time? Didn't the three of you oppose him when Marie and I took care of him at my house? Now why are you suddenly worried about him?" Cecilia said.

"..."

Everyone fell silent; no one could answer Cecilia's words. Although they wanted to respond, they knew they had no right to contradict everything Cecilia said. Except...

"Because Wallace is my friend!"

Suddenly, everyone was surprised and looked in the direction of the voice.

Bravely, Sherina climbed onto the dining table and stood in front of Cecilia.

"Wallace is my friend! That's why Sister has to help him!" Her little sister ordered.

"Huh? Since when did you become this tall?" Cecilia asked with a look of astonishment on her face.

"Sister! If Sister doesn't want to help Wallace, then I won't talk to Sister instead!" Sherina threatened, pointing her small finger towards Cecilia's face.

Cecilia was stunned for a moment after hearing what her sister said. But…

"... Then I won't talk to you either." Cecilia replied without showing any expression on her face.

Suddenly, all the courage that had previously shown on Sherina's face disappeared.

Her face turned red, and tears started gathering in her eyes. Without waiting long, the sound of a high-pitched cry filled the room.

"Sob, Sob… uuuwaAAAAAAAA!!! Mom! Sister Cecilia is mean! She said she doesn't want to talk to me anymore! WAAAH!!!" Sherina screamed as she ran towards her mother.

"Oh, God! That voice! Please, someone stop that banshee's crying!" Cecilia groaned while covering her ears.

"Sherina, good girls shouldn't cry, okay?" Her mother said, trying to soothe Sherina's crying.

"UUUWAAAAAAAAA!!!!"

Instead of stopping, Sherina's crying inexplicably intensified, breaking the silence of the night.

"Ugh! Enough! I can't take it anymore! I'm going out!" Cecilia said, then got up and ran out of her parents' house.

As she was leaving, Cecilia suddenly bumped into someone in front of her.

"Ouch! Cecilia!? Why are you in such a hurry?" asked the person.

"Who do you think this is all to blame?" Cecilia asked in an annoyed tone.

"Hmm? Me?"

""Yes! You! If you don't cry at dinner there's no way my little sister will let out that banshee-like cry!" Cecilia snapped.

"WAAAAAAAA!!!!" Sherina's cry suddenly grew louder and echoing from inside the small house of her parents.

"Wow, that's really loud." Said the young man.

"Aaaah! My ears! Its hurt so much! Come on, let's get out of here!" Cecilia exclaimed, then grabbed and pulled the young man's hand.

On the other side, inside Cecilia's parents' house.

"It seems like Cecilia has already left." Cecilia's father remarked.

"Yay! Sherina is Mom's smartest child!" Cecilia's mother said, lifting Sherina up high.

"Hahaha! Yay! I'm smart!" Sherina shouted with a wide smile on her face.

“Hah... I didn't expect my teacher to be defeated by the cries of his own sister." Adel muttered as he glanced at the dining table which was now messy due to Sherina's previous stomping.

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