“If Nanami says Ristia’s an angel, then she’s an angel.”
“Now you’re saying it too, Mom?!”
“Rick, if ya just talked to Ristia, you’d get it yerself. Girl’s practically an angel.” It was hard to imagine Ristia’s sheer innocence as being just an act. If Ristia were just putting on a mask, then Eindebelle wouldn’t know what to wake up and believe anymore. That was why she then presented the brooch back to Ristia. “This brooch is too expensive to be sellin’ here at the shop. Here ya go, Hun. Take it back.”
“Oh, okay...” Ristia took back the brooch with a face that screamed reluctant acceptance. Seeing Ristia slump her shoulders in disappointment brought a cheeky smile to Eindebelle’s face.
“In exchange, I’ll ask one of my connections t’buy it off ya. And as for your costs of livin’ at the moment, I’ll take care of ya.”
“I do appreciate it, but are you sure...?”
“’Course I am. Y’can repay me by gettin’ along with Nanami, okay?”
Ristia stood dumbfounded, blinking her eyes, before she replied with a big smile.
“Okay!”
Seeing that pleased smile was enough to reaffirm to Eindebelle that Ristia was indeed a good and honest girl. Her overwhelming cuteness was giving her the urge to give the girl another big hug, but Rick interjected before she had a chance.
“Wait just a second, Mom. Are you being serious?”
“Darn straight, I’m bein’ serious.”
“Okay, but...” Before Rick could begin his dissatisfied sentence, Eindebelle cut in.
“Now, see ’ere, Rick. If Ristia was trying t’do somethin’ to Nanami, what point would bringin’ her back here to us serve?” If she did have something nefarious in store for Nanami, then there was no need to prove to Eindebelle or Rick that she was still alive. After all, if the reconnaissance team was wiped out, then there would have been no way to know if Nanami got taken away, anyway.
“You do have a point there...”
“Now, it’s all well ‘n’ good that y’dote over Nanami, but losin’ sight of what’s around ya as a result is somethin’ ya gotta work on, Rick.”
“Urk... S-Sorry.”
“Shouldn’t be apologizin’ t’me, Son.”
“R-Right. Um... I’m sorry if I said anything to offend you, Ristia. Uh, Ms. Ristia.”
“Mm-mm, don’t worry; it didn’t bother me,” said Ristia with a grin. She listened to their entire conversation with an extremely bored expression, making it clear that she was saying that out of consideration. Upon realizing that, Rick let out a slow groan out of guilt. That was when...
“Hah, hah, hah... Big Brother! Rick! Wait! Don’t leave me behind like that!”
“N-Nanami?!” Nanami came back home at the worst possible time from Rick’s perspective.
“Big Brother, you aren’t being rude to Lady Ristia, are you? If you are, I don’t care if you are my brother, you’ll pay the price,” Nanami declared, her words after her late arrival back home forcing Rick further and further into a corner. It was a sight that made her suspicious, so she instead turned her attention toward Ristia.
“Lady Ristia, he wasn’t being rude to you, was he?” Posed with an extremely sticky situation, Rick started to sweat bullets until...
“Nope, everything’s fine. These two really do love you, Nanami.” Ristia didn’t tattle; on the contrary, she gave both Rick and Eindebelle high praise.
“Ms. Ristia...” Rick looked at Ristia, as if feeling sentimental that the person he treated so poorly was returning his rudeness with kindness. Eindebelle’s glimpse of his face going slightly red was most likely not just a figment of her imagination.
Looks like spring is here and love is in the air for you, Rick. Well, I’d like t’say that, but I reckon that this is one girl that’s too much for you t’handle, Son. Eindebelle thought to herself, ruminating over Rick’s future hardships with an awkward smile.
──6──
The following morning after Ristia was taken in at Nanami’s house, Ristia was partaking in breakfast with the rest of the family.
“By the way, Ristia?”
“Hm?”
Just as breakfast was winding down, Eindebelle addressed Ristia, who responded curiously.
“It’s ‘bout introducin’ you to my magic item seller connection. I’m gonna get in contact with him, so d’ya mind waitin’ a few days while I do? Yer more than welcome t’stay as long as y’like in the meantime, of course.”
“I don’t mind waiting, but I do plan on straightening out my living situation.”
“Wha? Lady Ristia, you don’t want to live here?!” Nanami seemed surprised at the sudden news, but Ristia thought otherwise. She couldn’t overstay her welcome at Nanami’s house, since it would set a bad example of her goal to be a good older sister.
“Maybe you would have a better idea. Are there any kinds of jobs where you can help children in need?” Ristia asked, thinking that she could kill two birds with one stone by finding a child to love her as an older sibling and earn living wages.
“Work to help children in need, eh? Hmm, thing that springs t’mind first is the orphanage, but...” Eindebelle said, curiously muddling her words.
“When you say ‘orphanage,’ I assume you mean a facility where they raise children with no living relatives?” In other words, it was a gathering place for children in need. If I could work there, then that really would be killing two birds with one stone! Ristia thought, overjoyed. However, there was bad news.
“Ms. Ristia, if you’re thinking about working at that orphanage, I would just give up on that idea,” Rick disapproved, speaking up from the seat diagonally across from Ristia after a long stint of silence during the majority of breakfast.
“How come?”
“There are some unsavory rumors about that orphanage.”
“Unsavory rumors in what way, exactly?”
“The director of the orphanage embezzling the local lord’s grants, cases of missing children—those kind of rumors.”
“Oh wow... So then, is this orphanage taking applications?”
“It’s got a bad rep, so the townspeople stay away from it. I’m guessing they’re pretty short on hands there, but... Hello? Were you listening to what I said?”
“Of course. Basically, the kids there might be in need of help, right?” If the director of the orphanage is a bad person, then all the kids living there must really need someone’s help. That just gives me all the more reason to head out there, Ristia thought to herself, only to be met by shocked faces from Eindebelle and Rick.
Nanami, on the other hand, complimented her. “Benevolent as always, Lady Ristia. Mom, what do you think?”
“Well... since this is Ristia we’re talkin’ ‘bout here, I’m pretty sure she’ll be fine.”
“Good point. If it’s true that she one-shotted that dragon, then even if there is trouble, I doubt it’ll get the best of her.”
“Pretty much. That bein’ said, I’ll tell ya where it is if you’re set on the idea, but make sure t’be careful there, y’hear, Ristia?”
“Loud and clear! Thank you so much!” Ristia said with a satisfied grin as Eindebelle proceeded to tell her where the orphanage was located.
“Okay, then! If Lady Ristia is going to this orphanage, so will I!”
“No way, Nanami,” Rick interjected faster than Ristia could even squeeze out a reply.
“Aww, how come?”
“You need to report to the guild with me; that’s why. Since we didn’t end up going yesterday, we need to go today, or else getting chewed out is going to be the least of your problems.”
“Urk, r-right. I almost forgot. Ughh... Lady Ristiaaa~” Nanami said with a pleading look toward Ristia, to no avail; the situation was out of her hands.
“If you need to report, then it is necessary to report.”
“But... Lady Ristia, there is a chance you might not come back to our house, isn’t there?”
“I’m not sure about that, but I’ll make it a point to tell you even if I do end up staying elsewhere, okay?”
“...Really?”
“Yup. After all, I want us to form a good relationship and keep it that way.”
“Lady Ristia, I... I appreciate that so much!” Seeing Nanami in so much joy brought happiness to Ristia, as well. She had someone who really adored her, which brought a smile to her face.
Ristia set out afterwards, climbing to the top of a hill on the outskirts of town. She eventually arrived in front of the orphanage, a stone-constructed building that looked far from sturdy. There were several spots that were damaged all over, giving the impression that it might collapse at any moment. Normally, one would have cold feet about coming near a place like this, but Ristia was just the opposite. She was excited, thinking, My future sister might be here, in need of my help!