Chapter 22 “Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?”

After everyone had finished dinner, and her mother had also finished packing up all the cutlery. Cecilia suddenly walked in.

“Teacher! What about Wallace? Is he okay?” Adel asked.

“Hmm? It's rare that you can worry about him, is it all because of the food he made for you?” Cecilia asked.

“No! It's not because I'm worried or anything, but I just feel a little sorry for him who always seems to keep all his problems bottled up.” Adel replied.

“Heee... That's strange.” Cecilia responded.

Then Cecilia paused for a moment while shaking her head.

“Hey, where's Sherina by the way? Is she asleep?” Cecilia asked.

“Ooo... Sherina? She's been sleeping on your father's lap since a while ago.” Mom replied.

“Hahaha, you took so long to come home, you should have seen how hard Sherina struggled just to fight her sleepiness. Hahaha so funny!” Laughed her father who had been holding and sitting beside Adel.

“Mmm... Are you mocking me right now?” Cecilia asked.

“Oops! Sorry, not on purpose. I completely forgot about your current condition.” Her father replied.

“Huh, whatever. And it also seems like it's better if we don't care about that young man anymore, because it doesn't seem like that young man will come back to this house.” Cecilia said.

Instantly everyone was surprised. Adel's gaping mouth, her father's furrowed brow and also her mother who suddenly dropped and broke the plate she had been washing.

“Why!?” Asked the three of them simultaneously.

“It's simple, it's because he got everything he wanted.” Cecilia replied.

Suddenly the door of the house opened, and a young man with hair like sunshine entered the room full of confusion.

“Don't decide everything like that! Didn't I say that before? This is my life! This is my path! And this country has decided for me to be their hero! Therefore, I will try my hardest to fulfill its wishes!” The young man snapped.

“Wallace!?”

Everyone in the house was startled by the young man's unexpected outburst.

“What are you here for again? Didn't I tell you that this has nothing to do with you?” Cecilia asked.

“There is! Of course there is! Even though I'm a stranger, I have siblings in this world! I have parents! And I also have friends who care about me! That's why I won't let you decide so easily! And also... I still haven't repaid all the kindness you've given me.” The young man said.

“... you moron. Leave, or do you want my katana to pierce that weak body of yours.” Cecilia threatened.

“How stubborn! Didn't I promise to pay for all your services before! And since I currently have no possessions then let me help you to change this world!” The young man snapped.

“Change this world?” Adel asked.

Cecilia's cold facial expression suddenly turned red with her pent-up anger. She ruffled her long hair and scratched her scalp violently while covering both ears.

“Tch, SHUT UP! I told you that I alone am enough to take on this task! If you really want to help me then you'd better scram! Hide and alienate your weak self! Because if not then your existence will only be a burden to me!” Cecilia snapped.

“But I'm serious about this! Don't you all also believe that I must be the one who will fix your wrong world?” The young man asked everyone in the house.

“Shut up! Shut up! SHUT UP! I have said many times that you are no longer a hero! And never will be! Without your blue fire you are just an empty vessel! Now get lost!” Cecilia snapped at the young man.

“Cecilia, what if he manages to get all his powers back?”

Suddenly Cecilia's father said something that almost didn't make sense to everyone in the house.

Except for Cecilia...

“Father... Why are you even asking something like that?” Cecilia asked her father with eyes as sharp as her katanas.

“I asked what if...”

“Shut up. Even though you're my father I won't hold back if you say something pointless.” Cecilia threatened.

“What does that mean? Are you saying that all this time you guys knew a way for me to get all my powers back?” Asked the young man.

“Not a way, but a trial. And also not your power, but your identity and potential.” Cecilia's mother explained.

“You guys... Why are you even talking about it now? Do you all intend to help him? Have you forgotten what he will do to us!? Don't you know how cruelly he will slaughter our people!? He is not our hero!” Cecilia snapped.

Hearing Cecilia's words, her parents just looked at each other for a while and then said.

“Cecilia... We know who Wallace is, and we also know who this young man who is currently standing before us is. Therefore, forget all your past that will one day become our future, because we are sure that this is not the Wallace you used to know.” Cecilia's father said.

“Umm... I really don't understand this conversation anymore.” Adel muttered while scratching his head.

“Don't worry, it seems that I also don't understand some points of their conversation.” Said the young man who was now standing next to Adel.

After contemplating the words of her parents, Cecilia then inhaled and exhaled slowly while trying to calm her mind.

“Hah... I'm sorry about before. Even though I'm this old it seems like I can still act like a teenage girl.” Cecilia complained.

“Umm... A teenage girl?” Her mother asked.

“...Forget it.” Said Cecilia who then walked and sat back beside the dining table as before.

“Hey, Wallace seems like she has something to say to you.” Cecilia's mother whispered.

“Huh? How did you know? Even if I'm being honest, I was already standing in fear when I found out that she could be that scary.” The young man replied while whispering to Cecilia's mother.

“We were scared too, but in the end she calmed down and tried to understand us, didn't she?” Asked Cecilia's mother who was still whispering in the young man's ear.

“Hah... Are you all done whispering? You couldn't have forgotten if I could hear all your whispers right?” Asked Cecilia while sighing.

“Ah! We forgot...” They all thought.

“Whatever! Now come and sit down, because right now I have something to tell you all.” Cecilia said.

Without thinking, they all sat down around the table just like they had dinner the night before.

“Father, mother, as you have said before, tomorrow morning I will bring Wallace to accompany me to the Dungeon in the sacred forest.” Cecilia said.

“Dungeon? Why is this the first time I've heard of it?” Adel asked.

“That's because its position is always changing. The Dungeon itself is actually nothing more than an ancient ruined tower left by our ancestors. And under that tower our god is sealed.” Cecilia explained.

“Our god? Does that mean the horned god?” Adel asked.

“Yes. That's why I've rarely been home because I'm always looking for the whereabouts of the ruins.” Cecilia said.

“Then wouldn't it be better for me to come with you? If solving the Dungeon allows Wallace to unlock his potential, then why don't I do it too?” Adel asked.

Hearing Adel's question, Cecilia then raised one of her eyebrows and turned to ask Adel.

“Didn't you hear our previous conversation? The Dungeon only contains a test to find out what and who we really are. It is not a place to give power, but a place to find out our own potential.” Cecilia explained.

“Umm... I still don't understand.” Adel replied.

“For example like this, can you fight?” Asked Cecilia.

“Yes, I can fight.” replied Adel.

“What weapon are you particularly good at?”

“Lance what else?”

“How about magic? What magic elements do you currently possess?”

“Hmm... Earth?”

“Now it's time for the last question, who are you really.”

“That's... Of course I'm Adel! The student of the red comet!” Adel replied with great confidence.

“Now you ask all these questions to that stupid man sitting next to you, do you think he can answer them all?” Cecilia asked.

After looking at the young man for a few moments, Adel smacked his own palm.

“Ooo... I see...” Said Adel who seemed to have now understood all of his teacher's explanation.

“And also if I take you too to the ruins then who will look after this village and my family? If there is you guarding this village, I will definitely be calmer to leave for a while as usual. And besides, I'm sure that this ritual won't take as long as usual.” Cecilia explained.

“Hmm? Ritual? It's rare that you want to do a ritual? Didn't you hate it since you were a kid?” Asked her mother.

“Umm... You can't possibly forget that I have done many rituals like that for hundreds or even thousands of times, right?” Asked Cecilia.

“Oh yes! Sorry I forgot about that! So what time will you two leave the house?” Asked her mother.

“Hmm... Six o'clock in the morning seems to be quite enough.” Cecilia said.

“Alright, I'll get up early and make you both a delicious lunch.” Said her mother who then picked up and carried Sherina who had fallen asleep on her father's lap to her bed.

“Thank you mom. And also Adel come here for a second, I want to talk to you about something.” Cecilia said while patting the floor beside her.

Hearing that without thinking, Adel immediately stood up and sat next to her teacher.

“Hmm? Something about what?” Asked Adel who was now sitting on the floor next to Cecilia.

“Hup!” Cecilia hugged Adel's little body very tightly.

“Hey, Teacher! What's wrong!? Why are you suddenly hugging me!?” Adel asked with a flushed and confused face.

“Nothing, I'm just a little jealous with my father.” Said Cecilia who then hugged Adel even tighter.

“Tight! I can't breathe!” Adel whimpered.

“Oh sorry! Umm... Oh yes! I'm giving you a gift for being my student! Just so you know, even though it's just a small bell, this bell is...”

“The bell that's usually tied to one of your favorite katanas, right?” interrupted Adel.

“One hundred points for you! That's why as long as this little bell keeps ringing, then believe me, I will definitely stay by your side.” Cecilia said to Adel while stroking her student's head.

Then the day that began with this happiness closed with another happiness.

Tonight let's all pray together to welcome a happier tomorrow!

Last night, Good night.