Chapter 25 – 8. The Village that Conceived the Hero (2)

8. The Village that Conceived the Hero (2)

The hero’s mother and my grandmother, Othel, was a very famous person in the city. Surprisingly, she was known to be incredibly kind and gentle even before her son became a hero.

Most people who knew her would say,

“It’s because he’s her son that he could become the hero.”

Such was her stature in the city. It wasn’t that she became famous because she was the hero’s mother; it felt more like the child of an already famous person became a hero and thus became even more famous.

How should I deal with such a person? I’ve been pondering this at home for the past few days, my head in my hands. Of course, I didn’t just sit there stupidly. I went out and played like a child should, and made my rounds to the neighbors.

And whenever I had time, I observed Othel’s every move with my far-reaching eyes, trying to understand what kind of person she was.

What I found out after days of observation was that Othel was just as people said: kind to her neighbors and gentle with children.

She had no involvement in any crimes, didn’t cause trouble for others, and was a modest and humble person. That’s why I couldn’t understand.

“Demon, tell me about Othel.”

“Hmm… She was quite a beauty in the village, liked to help others, chased after a man she secretly liked… Other than that, she’s pretty ordinary.”

I asked the demon about her past just in case, but there was no harvest. So I was even more confused.

“How could a hero come from under such a person?”

Ah, I’m not badmouthing Othel. Anyone can see that Othel is a good and kind person. I see it too. She seems more saintly than Barkius, who has received the title of a saint.

If I had been left in her hands before I became like this, I might have at least become a good farmer or fisherman. I even think she’s too precious a person to waste like Barkius.

Well… of course, that doesn’t mean I’ll let her off. When the time comes, I’ll destroy her. The hero seems to take care of his mother with utmost sincerity.

Anyway, what I don’t understand is not those things. How could a person who is the complete opposite of such a good person come from under her? That’s my question.

“She’s kind to everyone, without discrimination. She has no greed, donates the money the hero sends every month, and only cultivates a small garden for herself to eat from.”

“She sounds like a retired pope. Kuhuhu.”

“How could a character like the hero come from under such a person? I’m really curious about that.”

“Well… All I can say is, when humans gain overwhelming power, they become intoxicated by it.”

“So you’re saying the hero became such a bastard because he was intoxicated by power?”

“Well? He might have been intoxicated by power, or he might have been crushed by a sense of duty or responsibility. I have to do it. If not me, then who? After I retire, you have to do it. So you have to do as much as I do… something along those lines.”

“I see, that could be a possibility.”

But that’s none of my business. The demon chuckled at my response.

In the end, I couldn’t get any meaningful answers from the demon. But I wasn’t particularly disappointed.

It wasn’t something I needed to know, just a trivial curiosity, like wondering why clouds float in the sky. As I stroked my head with such thoughts, the demon, who had been sewing, asked me.

“So, have you decided what to do?”

“I’ve already decided. Even before I came to this city. I told you before I came here, I wanted to try an experiment.”

“Hmm? Then what was the reason for just watching until now?”

“The reason I’ve been watching quietly until now was to confirm whether Grandma Othel is really as kind as the rumors say.”

The demon cocked her head with a puzzled look. It was a face curious about what I had been confirming for several days.

I got up from my seat with a broad smile, placing Nae’s head on the soft cushion. Keeping Nae’s head straight so it wouldn’t shake, I nodded in satisfaction and turned my back.

“You’ll find out from now on.”

“I’m already looking forward to it. But waiting is also part of the meal. I will wait while looking forward to the feast you will create.”

Leaving the demon, who seemed to be laughing, behind, I grabbed the doorknob of the front door. It was about time for the children to come out.

“Oh right. Mom!”

When I turned around, a woman who looked like me, who had been knitting, turned to me. As if she had been there from the beginning.

“Huh? What is it, honey?”

“Can you leave the ‘door’ open today! I think my friends are coming!”

“Friends? Hehe, how many are you bringing?”

“Just one!”

Now is the time!
At that, my mother nodded her head.

“Then I’ll go play with my friends! I’ll be back~!”

“Be careful~”

As I stepped outside making a fuss, Grandma Othel, who had been tending her garden next door, saw me and greeted me.

“Are you going out to play with your friends?”

“Yes! We decided to play together today!”

“Hehe, I see. Oh, wait there for a moment.”

Grandma Othel said that and went into the house, and soon came out with a basket. A sweet smell came from the basket covered with cloth.

“Wow! Grandma, what is this?”

“Hehe, it’s strawberry season. I bought some at the market, but there were too much for me to eat alone, so I made it into a pie. Take it and share it with your friends.”

“Hehe, thank you!”

I took the basket, bowed deeply in thanks, and headed towards the fountain where my friends were waiting. The children I had become close with over the past few days were waiting for me, chattering.

“Ah! Venus is here!”

“Why are you so late!”

The children shouted loudly, but they were not angry, they were joking. I also showed them the basket I brought with a big smile.

“Hehe, sorry. I was late because I was getting this.”

“Oh! It’s Grandma Othel’s pie!”

“Really!? I wanted to eat it because I couldn’t eat it all winter! Yahoo!!”

“Oh! Awesome!!”

The boy who had shouted first, Karl and Locke, ran towards me at my words, lifted the cloth to look inside, and cheered. Bork, who had been listening to the conversation from behind, also cheered. Following their cheers, the girl, Hilda, smiled and pointed at the basket.

“Venus, Venus! What kind of pie is in there?”

“It’s a strawberry pie. Grandma said to share it.”

“Wow, strawberries! I love strawberries!”

Hilda smiled brightly, delighted.

“Hehe, if we’re late because of this, it’s worth it!”

“Can you get another since it’s a bit late?”

“No, it takes a long time to bake a pie. I want to play.”

“That’s true.”

We laughed together and shared the pie in harmony. Hilda was the one who answered the question that came up while eating the pie: what should we do today?

“How about hide and seek?”

“Hide and seek?”

What is hide and seek? As I was thinking about this, Karl swallowed the pie in his mouth and shouted.

“Hey, hide and seek is boring! Let’s play tag!”

At his words, Hilda frowned and shouted back.

“We always play tag! I want to play hide and seek today!”

“You had fun too!”

“What are you talking about? You were the one running around the most.”

“That’s right! That’s right!”

“Hey, we can do what Hilda wants for one day.”

“Hey, Bork! You should be on our side! Why are you on Hilda’s side?”

Karl and Locke joined forces, but Bork sided with Hilda. Hilda, who had been mumbling, suddenly turned to look at me. Following her gaze, Karl and Locke, who had been insisting on tag, also looked at me.

It was clear that I had to make the decision. As I awkwardly smiled and took a bite of the pie, the three shouted at the same time.

“We’re playing hide and seek, right!?”

“”We’re playing tag, right!””

“No! Venus will play hide and seek!”

“What are you talking about? It’s tag, right Venus?”

“That’s right, it’s tag! We’ve filled our stomachs, it’s perfect for running around!”

Looking at the three noisy people, I awkwardly smiled and sided with Hilda.

“Let’s play hide and seek. Running around after eating hurts my stomach.”

“Ah! You wuss! Why would your stomach hurt from that?”

“What are you talking about, Karl? You also threw up last time after running around right after eating!”

“Hey! Hilda! We agreed not to talk about that!!”

“Na~na! Who asked you to tease me with that?”

“Ahahaha!”

After finishing the pie amidst the noisy laughter and chatter, we returned the empty basket to Grandma Othel. It was because of Hilda’s words that we might forget to return it if we did so after playing for a long time.

Having filled our stomachs and returning the basket, we finally started the game of hide and seek that Hilda wanted to play.

“Who wants to be ‘it’?”

“We should decide by rock-paper-scissors.”

If you don’t play, you lose, rock-paper-scissors!
And so, Bork became ‘it’.

“Alright, I’ll count to a hundred and then come find you!”

Everyone, run!
With Bork’s signal, the game of hide and seek began.