Chapter 293: We Will Not Hold Back Our Assistance
“W-What… did you just say?”
With a stiff expression, Kaede-san slowly looked back at us, as if trying to confirm what she had just heard. Her hands, clasped tightly on the table, appeared to tremble slightly.
“It’s Jushiro-san and Mr. Jinpei.”
I spoke slowly and clearly to ensure there was no misunderstanding, and Kaede-san seemed to have confirmed it in her mind.
“Why do you know my father and grandfather’s names?”
Her voice quivered as she spoke, and her expression was a mix of hope, anxiety, and confusion. Mirabel-san, sitting next to her, widened her eyes and shifted her gaze between Kaede-san and us. I had conveyed that her family was searching for her, but perhaps they hadn’t taken it seriously.
“We received a request from both of them to find you.”
Rio gently smiled as she spoke, trying to reassure Kaede-san.
“Eh? How did you…?”
It seemed that confusion had taken precedence in Kaede-san’s mind, as question marks floated around her head.
“Of course, we met them directly.”
“You met them!?”
She shot up from her chair, leaning forward with both hands on the table.
“Were my father and grandfather well? And what about my mother?”
“Kaede, I understand how you feel, but please calm down a bit.”
Mirabel-san chided Kaede-san, who blushed in embarrassment and sat back down. We could only offer a wry smile in response, but the mention of her mother caught my attention. I realized I had never heard anything about her before…
“Now that I think about it, we’ve never talked about her mother.”
“Right? I wonder if something happened after Kaede-chan went missing?”
“Yeah…”
“They both seemed to be doing well. I didn’t meet your mother, so I can’t say anything about her…”
While I spoke with Rio in the background, I intentionally avoided the topic of her mother.
“Oh, by the way, I have something that might bring back memories for you, Kaede-san.”
To divert the conversation, I pulled out two rice balls from the Dimensional Box and placed them on the table.
“Ah!”
Kaede-san exclaimed as she noticed, cautiously extending her trembling arm to take one. She examined it closely, taking a deep breath.
“It’s a rice ball…”
Tears began to well up in Kaede-san’s eyes, and Mirabel-san seemed to be affected as well, her own eyes glistening with tears.
“You can eat it.”
“Is it really okay?”
“Is it food!?”
Their contrasting reactions were amusing. The rice balls were wrapped in the familiar plastic packaging found in convenience stores. By peeling back the plastic from the top to the back, and pulling the sides, the rice balls would be revealed, perfectly wrapped in crispy seaweed. I had never seen dried seaweed or rice like this in this world. It was likely Kaede-san’s first time tasting it since she went missing.
“Oh, this is how you open it.”
Kaede-san smiled wryly at Mirabel-san’s unexpected words. It seemed her tears had subsided, but when she took a bite of her rice ball after Mirabel-san explained how to open it, more tears spilled over.
“It’s so delicious…”
“The filling is incredibly tasty, isn’t it?”
“Rice balls are the best!”
Ivan sighed contentedly. Phonia, who had been eyeing the food, received another rice ball from me.
Mirabel-san tilted her head as she took a bite from the triangular rice ball, but after hearing Ivan’s words, she peered into the bite she had taken.
“This is… really delicious!”
After taking a second bite, Mirabel-san savored the rice ball, clearly impressed. Time passed as we chewed thoughtfully on the rice balls, and Phonia joined in, munching away. The heightened tension in the room seemed to ease a little.
“So… um… can I really go home?”
Kaede-san’s words, after finishing her rice ball, made Mirabel-san look up in surprise.
“Yes, you can go home.”
Kaede-san’s face lit up with joy at the affirmation, but she quickly turned to Mirabel-san.
“If I can return to my family, then I should go. I’ve received so much help from you, but you don’t have to worry about this orphanage.”
“But…”
Kaede-san still seemed concerned, perhaps worried about the staff shortage at the orphanage. I wasn’t sure how much Mirabel-san knew about Kaede-san’s situation, but it seemed she had been informed to some extent.
“If I stop working, the children will go hungry…”
Kaede-san looked back at Mirabel-san with worry, revealing that she wasn’t just helping out; she was earning money too.
“Well, you don’t need to worry about that.”
“Eh?”
“What do you mean?”
It was only natural for the two of them to be puzzled. Our request was simply to find Kaede-san and take her back to her family, but it was possible to do so without leaving any worries behind. The money we earned should be used for situations like this.
“Believe it or not, we are S Rank Adventurers, so we can personally provide assistance to this orphanage. We will absolutely not let the children go hungry.”
““What!?””
“So please don’t worry. Also, just because you go back doesn’t mean you can’t return here again. We will need to escort you, though.”
““R-Really!?””
The two of them, clearly caught off guard, were in complete shock.