Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Chapter 35

It was them.

They were a pair of older [Farmers]. Commoners, as evident from the way they were dressed, with calloused hands and rough tanned skin. Their names were Nolan and Nicole. No surnames, for that was reserved for only the nobility class in the Astrad Kingdom. They were an unassuming couple— nothing about them really stood out even if they were passed on the street.

But they were Noele’s parents, and that’s why they mattered.

The blonde girl hadn’t seen the pair in so long, but she recognized the elderly man and woman immediately. They were so different. So much older now. They were almost unrecognizable. However, who wouldn’t recognize their own parents who raised them from their birth?

But still, she saw how much they changed. They had aged— their appearance had wizened over the years. Her papa’s hair had begun graying when she last saw him, and her mama walked with only a slight hunch on her back. Now, her papa’s hair was completely white, hairline receding halfway across his head, while her mama had a full hunch now and walked with a stick.

The both of them were dehydrated and starving too, but that was clearly because of their current situation. They must’ve been locked in this vault for two weeks— maybe even longer. It was likely they either ran out of food and water, or were rationing whatever they had left.

Noele could hardly control herself as soon as she saw them. It had been ten years since she ran away. It had been ten years since she first became an adventurer. She hadn’t seen them, touched them, or hugged them in ten years.

The moment she recognized her parents, she was sprinting forward as fast as she could, before throwing her arms around them. Their eyes grew wide. They probably didn’t recognize her because it had been so long. She was a [Farm Help] when they last saw her— barely a teen with her rosy cheeks and foolish outlook in life.

But now, she was a full-fledged adventurer. An [Arcane Blademaster]. An A-rank adventurer. Perhaps she still had that foolish outlook— but it didn’t matter anymore. Because...

“Mama... Papa... I’m back.” The blonde girl sniffled as she hugged her parents tightly.

Nolan blinked, and Nicole just stared. Noele wasn’t sure if they recognized her. They were probably confused as to why a random adventurer was hugging them. But she didn’t care. She just held onto them as tears streamed down her face.

“I-I... I’m sorry...” she said, choking on her words. “I didn’t... I didn’t mean to take so long...” Trailing off, the blonde girl raised her head and met their gazes with blurred vision.

She wiped away her tears, and the pair of [Farmers] just looked down at her. What were they thinking? Noele didn’t know. She expected them to be upset— to be angry at her. But they simply hugged her back warmly.

“We missed you, Noele,” they said softly. “We missed you so much.”

Noele paused. Her chest filled with warmth as tears streamed down her cheeks once more. She opened her mouth to say something, but decided against it. She just hugged them tighter. They luxuriated in each others’ arms for a long moment. Not a single word being uttered.

Just joy in their embrace.

—--

I watched this scene unfurl— I looked on as Noele and her parents held onto each other wordlessly. I wasn’t going to interrupt them. I felt happy for the blonde girl. But also, I felt... odd inside.

For a moment, I remembered my own parents. I thought about my mother and my father back on Earth. It was a memory I hadn’t had in so long— and I dismissed the thought as I saw the final figure in the vault staggered out.

A white-haired woman barely took a step from the room before collapsing. She groaned as she lay on the ground, clutching at her stomach. Looking up at me, she rasped.

“T-thank you, kind adventurer. For saving us.”

I blinked. “Oh, uh, sure.”

This woman was incredibly dehydrated— significantly more so than Noele’s parents. I probably had to reassure her or whatever, but I wasn’t really sure what I was supposed to say in response to that.

Fortunately for me, Saros was here. The Gnome Inventor stepped forward, staring at the collapsed woman.

“You’re Skye the Silver Shade, aren’t you?” he asked, wide-eyed. He looked at her state— her gray had been torn and shredded, and she was covered in stained bandages around her arms and neck. Saros bit his lower lip. “What happened?”

Skye forced herself to a seating position, leaning against the wall.

“It was...” she trailed off.

Her eyes darted over to Nolan and Nicole as they finally drew back from their daughter. The Silver Shade sighed.

“I found a necronomicon while investigating one of the floors. But Nolan took interest in it— he wondered if there was a spell inside to revive his dead daughter. I tried to stop him from taking it, and we accidentally activated one of the spells inside.”

She swept her gaze over all the dead undead littering the room. She chuckled as she closed her eyes.

This is proof of Nora the Noble Sworddancer’s eternal bravery.

Noele stared at the inscriptions engraved onto the wyvern’s skull. Her vision no longer blurred. She had cried all the tears she could when she reunited with her parents. Now, her eyes were dry. Nolan and Nicole had given her space as she approached her sister’s memorial.

This was the first time she had seen it— this was the first time she had ever been here. Nora had wanted to show it to the blonde girl a long time ago, but the opportunity never came up. Because shortly after that... shortly after Nora returned from the Fallen Wyvern’s Keep... the Miststorm Riders had attacked.

“Are you proud of me, Nora?” Noele asked, placing a hand on the wyvern’s skull. She brushed over the words, mustering up a small smile. “I did it— I became an A-rank adventurer for you. I... I...”

The blonde girl trailed off. She thought she’d want to cry again, but nothing came out. Because seeing this— the height of Nora’s achievements? The Noble Spellsword only felt pride.

She was proud of what her sister had accomplished. She was proud of who her sister was. Even if she still felt lost, she was proud.

“Why did you become an adventurer?” Noele had asked her sister so long ago.

And Nora’s reply forever inspired the little girl.

“To become strong.”

It was a memory that had been forever burned into Noele’s mind. It was the reason why she even became an adventurer in the first place— to pursue her sister’s dreams. But after encountering Jax, the blonde girl had begun to doubt herself. And now, she had a different question.

“Why did I become an adventurer, Nora?” Noele asked in the present. Her voice came out a whisper, and no answer came in return. “What is the point of becoming strong in the first place? I’m an A-rank adventurer— I’m strong now, aren’t I? But what comes next?”

These were questions. Just questions. The blonde girl didn’t expect to hear an answer. She simply wondered aloud as she hovered over the wyvern skull. A moment passed, and nothing was said. She remained in mournful silence, until a hand rested against her shoulder.

Glancing back, she saw her parents standing there. They smiled at her, before bowing their heads at the memorial.

“We’ve wanted to come here with you for a long while, Noele,” Nolan said in a somber voice. Her papa raised his head and met her gaze. “We knew that you’d want to see this.”

“I...” she trailed off, and her mama spoke up.

“Nora would’ve been proud of you,” Nicole whispered, eyes welling up. “To see how much you’ve grown— how far you’ve come.”

Noele’s eyes widened. Her lips quivered as she opened her mouth. But both parents turned to face her and spoke together.

“We are proud of you, Noele. We have always been proud of you.” Nolan hugged the blonde girl again.

Nicole spoke with tears streaming down her cheeks. “We regret pushing you to run away all those years ago. We just wish you’d return sooner, so we can support you in becoming who you are today.”

Noele stared at her parents for a moment. They spoke from the heart, and it pained the blonde girl. She wished she returned sooner. She should’ve returned sooner. She closed her eyes and smiled.

“Thank you,” she said, holding back tears. “Thank you, Mama, Papa. For everything.”

It was such a foolish question. Why did Noele become an adventurer? She still didn’t have a reason. But Amelia was right. Even if the blonde girl was uncertain about why she became an adventurer, there was no need to give up now.

After all, it was her dream. It was her sister’s dream. And she was going to continue living it for as long as she could.

—--

I looked on as Noele embraced her parents again. It really was a heartwarming sight. Skye choked as she watched, while Saros had to avert his gaze. And I...

I thought of my family back home again.

MelasD

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