Support from the Tribunal always arrived late, but when it ca to after-action work, they were fairly competent. The entire area around the teahouse was imdiately brought under control, the crowd of onlookers was dispersed and sent ho, and the whole street was cordoned off with warning lines. Under orderly command, every person involved in the incident was taken into custody.
Among them, the yellow-haired girl Irena didn’t forget to bring along those people who had earlier fainted in the alley—she had soone carry them together as well. But the damages to the teahouse were recorded under Irena’s na. Though she was unhappy about it, after Allison’s persuasion she reluctantly accepted it, and thus beca the teahouse’s new owner.
On the rooftop, Vieya—who had secretly watched everything end smoothly—finally relaxed. Her figure flickered and she vanished into the night.
In her impression, the Tribunal was like a universal human catch-all organization. What the Church and the Demon-Hunting Order could handle, it handled; what they couldn’t handle, it also insisted on handling.
In short, one sentence: it dared to interfere in anything, and it insisted on interfering in everything.
After all, the Tribunal itself was built by elite humans from all sorts of professions, a group established for the sake of maintaining the stability of human society.
Vieya returned to the inn where she had booked a room. The inn had a very pretty na—California. Supposedly it was the na of the inn’s founder; he nad the inn after himself, and even after his death the na had been passed down ever since.
She did not imdiately return to her room to look for her daughter, but instead went to the public bathhouse, swiped her card to open a private stall, and walked in.
She wanted to rinse herself off outside first, so she wouldn’t go back with a mix of alcohol stench and blood sll clinging to her, wash while carrying that sll into the room, and end up worrying her daughter again.
But as she passed the mirror above the sink, she suddenly stopped. She saw the girl in the mirror—that was her current self. White hair, black dress, an impressive figure, but her face seed frozen at eighteen years old, looking youthful, tender, and soft to the touch.
Although human age charts were completely useless for a creature like a sli girl... still, is this beautiful girl in the mirror really ? After realizing it, Vieya felt slightly dazed.
This world... really changes so fast.
In the blink of an eye, the children you once held in your arms have grown up, now old enough to call you “aunt” or “uncle.” Past mories slowly fade, and the faces of old friends blur little by little...
Vieya turned on the faucet, dipped her hand in water, and patted her face.
After waking herself up a bit, she undid her clothes and hung them on the hook beside her. She stepped beneath the showerhead, adjusted the water to a comfortable temperature, and let the flowing water wash over her body.
A faint mist filled the small cubicle.
Suddenly, Vieya heard water trickling in the bath stall next to her.
She felt slightly curious. So even this late at night, there were still others like her coming to bathe?
But Vieya had no habit of chatting with strangers. She planned to wash off the faint traces of blood and alcohol and then return to her room to rest.
It was already very late by now; her daughter was probably sleeping deeply. When she went back later, she’d have to be careful with noise, so as not to wake her.
Suddenly—
The stranger bathing in the next stall tapped on the wooden divider, making a du du du sound.
Then, a pleasant girl’s voice ca from the other side. “Are you also here in Talin for sightseeing?”
“...No.”
Vieya’s hands paused mid-lather, but quickly resud their normal rhythm.
The voice sounded young—likely a girl not very old.
Vieya guessed that the stranger was probably a travel-loving girl who, after playing all day, ca back late and didn’t want to disturb her companions, so she quietly ca to the public bath alone.
“I’m not here for sightseeing either,” the girl next door said softly. “I ca here to slay demons and exterminate evil.”
After a pause, she added, “Slay demons, exterminate evil, uphold the righteous path.”
“Little girl, how old are you?” Vieya said while rinsing off the foam. “Right now all sorts of places are unstable. Humans, monsters—one day you might get unlucky and end up caught by goblins and never make it back ho.”
“I’m a swordswoman. Goblins can’t beat .”
“That’s even more dangerous. I once read a story—there was a Sword Saintess who got captured by goblins and taken back to their nest and— cough. I’m done washing. Anyway, things aren’t peaceful lately, so be careful.”
Vieya cut off the topic in ti, wiped off the water on her body, then after a mont of hesitation decided not to put on her underwear. She would return to her room like this.
After throwing on her outer coat and outer clothes, she pushed the door open to leave—only to notice that the water sound from next door had also stopped.
She didn’t think much of it. Retrieving her access card, she turned to leave.
Monts later, a girl ca out of the next stall. Wrapped in a wide white bathrobe, she tilted her head as she used a towel to dry her dripping red hair.
“Looks like you’re adapting to your new life pretty well... well, it has been six years after all.”
...
Back before her room door, Vieya paused slightly. She saw light shining from underneath the door.
Jasmine still hadn’t gone to sleep this late? Does she not want to grow any taller? Or was she waiting for her all along, waiting until now?
What a silly daughter.
Muttering in her heart, Vieya gently opened the door.
Sure enough, Jasmine was still awake. The mont the doorknob turned, she turned her head toward the entrance.
“Uh... you’re still up at this hour?”
Vieya closed the door casually and calmly walked toward Jasmine. As she walked, she asked softly, “Was it because Mommy wasn’t here, so you couldn’t fall asleep alone tonight?”
She went over and sat beside her daughter, giving her a light hug. “Sorry, I spent so extra ti sending your Teacher Anna off earlier. From now on, you might not see her for a while.”
“Did Teacher Anna have sothing very important to go do?” Jasmine asked softly, leaning against the sli girl’s arms.
“Yes, sothing very important.”
Vieya stroked her daughter’s pale-gold hair and smiled. “She said she has a great dream, so she’s been working hard toward it all this ti. And today, she took another big step toward realizing that dream.”
“A dream... actually Jasmine has dreams too.” Jasmine lifted her head, her clear eyes reflecting Vieya. “I love you, Mommy.”
“I love you too.”
Vieya smiled slightly, hugged her daughter, and fell back onto the bed with her. Teasing, she said, “Little Jasmine, you’ll be eight next year. By then, you need to start learning how to be independent. Even if Mommy isn’t by your side, you have to adapt on your own and live well.”
“Mm...” Jasmine nodded hard and gently leaned against the sli girl’s chest—then suddenly noticed sothing off.
She quickly reached out and touched Mommy’s chest.
“Jasmine, don’t touch randomly.” Vieya pinched her daughter’s cheek indulgently. “It’s late. Ti to behave and sleep.”
“But Mommy...” Jasmine’s voice stiffened. “...you’re not wearing anything underneath. You’re totally bare.”
Late at night, when they separated earlier, Mommy had been fully dressed. Yet after supposedly just sending off Teacher Anna, she returned without anything underneath.
It was very hard for Jasmine not to suspect that her mom was tricking her again.
“Mommy... did you really go send Teacher Anna off?” Jasmine asked anxiously.
“......”
Vieya’s face twitched. She didn’t know what expression to use.
If I say I ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ forgot... will you believe ?
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