After seeing off Ruijerd, we headed home.
On the way, we separate from Sylphy.
I want to be with her, but she has work to do.
It's not good to skip work without notice.
To inform Ariel of the situation, she heads off to school.
By the time we reached home, it was already noon.
Time for lunch.
Staying with Norn is a bit awkward right now, so I'll make the meal instead.
Aisha offers to help, but I'll cook alone this time.
The finished food was totally 'bachelor cooking.'
If I am going to name it, it'll be 'Bean Fried Rice,' or something like that.
Well, there is no helping it. Unlike Sylphy, I haven't seriously learned cooking.
"Is it good?"
"This is delicious!"
"......"
Aisha is eating cheerfully.
Norn is eating without complaint as well.
It's worlds apart from what Sylphy cooks, but it's not bad.
After finishing lunch, we went to living room.
Norn and Aisha sit beside each other and I in front of them.
I take a breath before I began.
"Well, it's a little late, but first, good job finishing the long trip to here."
"Yes, it's good to see Onii-sama in good health as well."
Aisha said, with a clear expression.
She's dressed in maid outfit.
Though compared to last time I saw her it's now a perfect fit for her.
It's patched up in some places, but it's probably the remnant of events of that time.[1]
I guess this room is a new and interesting thing for her, since she is looking around with sparkling eyes.
Her brown ponytail is swaying back and forth.
Her ponytail is decorated with a white colored ribbon, but it's a bit rugged and turning gray in some places which makes it even more eye-catching.
"......"
Norn is looking down, just like a normal child. [2]
Her clothing is normal children's clothing as well.
It's blue clothing with a cute design.
In Millis Kingdom I saw a lot of children dressed like this, but it might stand out a bit here.
Her blond hair is a little longer than Aisha's.
She has her hair behind her head with a large hairclip, very fashionable.
"It seems Aisha has worked fairly hard during the trip."
"Yes, it was all in order to see Onii-sama. It wasn't hard work at all."
Said Aisha earnestly.
But why is her tone weird today.
I wonder why she is acting so strange?
"We are a family and from today onward this is your home, so there is no need to refrain from anything, make yourself at home."
"Yes, but even though we are family, this is Onii-sama's house, so staying without doing anything is troubling, so I was thinking about helping with cleaning and house chores."
Somehow I feel a great distance[3] between us, I wonder why. Did I do something. Maybe it's because she is using honorifics?
"Hey, Imouto-sama."[4]
"What is it, Onii-sama?"
"That way of talking, will you please stop it?"
"I don't want to, it's the right way to talk to those older than you, is what you have said before, so why should I quit?"
Is it because of me, since I am using honorifics[5] she won't stop using it either?
"I get it, I won't use honorifics."
"I understand, after all honorifics aren't suited between relatives. You will feel the distance, but Onii-chan I'll be using it, since you are older after all."
Oi, isn't that where you go with the flow and say 'I won't use honorifics either'? Well, it's okay. Learning how to use it from a young age means you know how to converse in the future. It's a good thing.
Hearing the words 'feeling distant' I wonder, maybe Ruijerd and Eris felt like that as well. Though I believe using honorifics is the smoothest way to communicate between humans.
Well, next time we meet, let's talk a bit more relaxed.
[Hey, Ruijerd, HOW'S IT GOING. You have changed a lot. You were so thin and had no beard. What? That's not your name? Did you even change your name?]
...... something like that.[6]
Ruijerd is someone I respect. Talking to someone you respect should be by using honorifics.
That's a given.
If I talked like that to Ruijerd or Roxy in a parallel world I would probably be beaten to death.
"Aisha, Norn, this is our first time living like this together, there will probably be things that we don't know about each other… well… let's get along well."
"Yes!"
"......"
Aisha nodded cheerfully.
It kind of feels like when I give Pursena meat. I can almost see her[7] tail. It feels like she is saying, I'll listen to whatever you say.
In contrast, Norn is grumpy. That's the kind of face that says, she didn't want to come live with me at all.
Well, it can't be helped since our reunion wasn't a good one. I was drunk and had a woman along with me. I better treat her cautiously for now.
"I never thought Onii-chan would marry Sylphy-ane, I was very surprised, Norn-ane agrees, right?"
Like that, Aisha turns the conversation to Norn.
"I ... I don't really remember much about Sylphy-san."
Said Norn while shaking her head.
No helping it, huh? Since she is unlike Aisha, and didn't take etiquette lessons together with Sylphy and didn't have much contact with her.
"Ne..ne, Onii-chan, did something happen? What happened to the Eris-san who was with you before?"
Said Aisha leaning in. Well, I guess everyone is curious about Eris.
"Yeah...."
After that, I explained everything that happened to me after returning to Fedoa Region, Eris leaving me, and me becoming an adventurer.
Then getting sick[8], and to heal myself being referred to Magic University, and then seeing Sylphy here and getting healed.
Well, I did hide the fact that my sickness was ED and how it was treated. After all, it's not something for 10-year-old girls to hear.
After that, I explained Sylphy's situation and the fact that she has to hide her gender in public.
Well, as for whether or not I can tell people about this, Ariel gave me the right to do so based on my judgment, though my little sisters might be too young for this.
Since we are living together, they would find out about it sooner or later.
It's not wise to lose their trust by hiding things from them, and this way, getting their cooperation is easier.
"That's how it is."
I finished my monologue.
Norn is looking down with a serious face, and Aisha is looking at me worriedly.
"So, is your disease okay now?"
"Oh, it is completely cured. No worries anymore."
Although I still take a treatment once every 3 days, and Aisha clapped her hands in understanding.
"Oh, I know!"
"N~?"
"Dad gave me something to pass onto Onii-chan when I see you."
Saying that, Aisha jumped up and went to the second floor and brought a trunk back with her.
"Yes, this is it. Take it please!"
The trunk is tightly locked, with three big locks put on it. Was it caution toward those who would try stealing it? Nah, in this case, it was probably to prevent Aisha and Norn from frivolously opening it.
"Oh, the key ......"
"N? Oh~"
It seems that Aisha has the keys. I get the keys from her and put them in the keyholes.
"Oh."
There was a treasure chest full of silver and gold.
Saying it like that is going too far, but it was a lot of money.
A few dozen of big bars from Millis Kingdom made of precious metals.
It's difficult to guess the value just from looking, but if sold, it would be worth a lot.
This is the lot of money Paul mentioned in his letter, with this much we can live for 10 years, but I have to be careful to not spend it wastefully.
In the other side of the trunk there are 2 letters, let's check them out.
One is the same one that arrived the other day. The other one is from Lilia, it's regarding Aisha and Norn's education and personalities.
Aisha is a brilliant kid and won't make any mistakes, but since she is a bit mischievous, I need to be strict with her.
Norn is a common girl, but since she gets compared to Aisha in school a lot, she might have a rotten[9] personality. But it's better to treat her kindly, is what is written in the letter.
Lilia seems to be a bit hard on Aisha. I think it's because she thinks of herself as the lover (mistress), and spoils Norn for that same reason.
But I think you have to treat both sisters the same.
However, Aisha's really excellent.
After just a year of study, there is not much to teach her anymore.
She is at a fine level in reading, writing, history and mathematics. Additionally she is skilled with cleaning, laundry, and cooking. Her swordsmanship is at elementary level in Water-God style and she is at the elementary level for all six basic magic.
Although she went to school in Millis, since Roxy arrived and Paul went on the trip to find Zenith she shouldn't have a been there for a long time.
With just that much Aisha is like this, no wonder Norn lost confidence.
Norn is normal, not so good nor bad. Though she is better than Eris was at the same age, I think she is average, no, maybe a bit below average.
Norn was caught in the Mana Calamity incident, and from then on she has given it her all. There is no reason to lose her confidence at all [she did do well.]
There is no other letter, I was expecting something from Roxy as well but....
Well, this is a letter from family members to each other, so she might have refrained because of that.
"Be that as it is, after you have settled in you should attend school."
"Ehh!"
Says Aisha with a displeased voice, does she have a bad memory from school?
"There is nothing more for me to learn at school, I just want to serve Onii-chan at home."
"But you know…"
"But I only want to take care of Onii-chan! Remember the promise from that time, here, I always held onto it."
Then she lets her hair down and shows me the ribbon, it's the headband I gave her when we separated from each other.
Part of the metal has been bent so it could be used as a hairband, though it's kind of unrefined and rugged looking.
Seeing what I have given her being treated preciously, kind of makes me feel happy.
Be that as it may, I wonder about her not wanting to go to school.
To be honest I don't think it's that necessary for her to go to school