Chapter 27
“Lies, that’s clearly a lie! Sticky rice!”
Um, having suffered a cognitive dissonance regarding Annette’s ‘magnificent and lofty’ dream, jumped to his feet and shouted.
Then, Annette opened her round eyes wide like a puppy and said.
“It’s true, though.”
“……!!!”
Softly, his light green eyes crinkled.
“I’ve wanted to try it at least once for a long time. Being the owner of a bakery that produces savory, fragrant, and fluffy bread!”
Sordi quietly took out a handkerchief and wiped his face. The milk tea splashed on his face looked like honey drizzled over a lily.
Um’s face turned as red as his hair.
“Bu, but you could even become the Emperor with that power, sticky rice!”
Hmm, it would be strange for a sticky rice to be the Emperor, though.
“But the Emperor can’t even sleep in.”
As I said that while blinking, Um made a face like he’d been hit with a hammer, saying, “Is that really the only reason…?” before hurriedly speaking again.
“Or you could make the Awakened grovel at your feet and obey you. Make them tremble at a single word from you!”
……Is it for real that you’re telling a 12-year-old to do such scary things?
I replied with dull eyes.
“That sounds a little scary, Um.”
I don’t particularly want to make anyone tremble.
When I looked at Um with a ‘What… that’s scary…’ expression, Um clutched his heart with a groan.
“But to become a mere bakery owner with such tremendous power!”
Sordi, who had barely finished wiping his face, folded the wet handkerchief neatly and set it down, then placed a hand on the excited wolf’s shoulder.
“Um, calm down.”
“……But! A bakery! A bakery, of all things!”
“She’s still young. Dreams can change throughout one’s life, and even if she does become a bakery owner, we must respect this child.”
“Kugh!”
After calmly soothing the rampaging wolf, Sordi looked at me and said affectionately.
“My child, as Um said, you don’t necessarily have to use your ability for yourself. You can also use it to protect your precious people.”
It was the story I liked most out of everything I’d heard. My eyes sparkled.
‘I can protect my precious people!’
Heinri’s face came to mind, followed by Sislein’s. And the large, innocent eyes of the children in The Forest, too.
“That really is a wonderful thing….”
From now on, I’ll be able to protect anyone I hold dear.
My heart pounded, and I felt a warmth spreading through my chest.
“Um, then will I be able to defeat monsters by emitting light like I did earlier?”
When I asked, perhaps a bit naively, Sordi lowered his brows and smiled.
“Earlier was the moment of ‘Succession,’ so you were just able to exert great power. You and the soul of Exórdĭum haven’t perfectly resonated yet, so that’s impossible for now.”
“Ah….”
Seeing my disappointed face, Sordi quickly added.
“But the longer you spend time with us, the stronger you will become.”
“Great! Then how much power can I exert for now?”
Sordi pondered for a moment, then smiled as he held up his index finger.
“Perhaps you could light a very small flame?”
Oh? That’s pretty cool in its own way, isn’t it?
I covered my mouth with both hands in delight.
“Then I can light up the dark and bake bread!”
A life where I don’t have to worry about the cost of candles!
For a self-employed person, cost reduction is a truly important matter. Yes, indeed.
“Chuckle, how cute.”
Sordi laughed softly at my reaction, but Um’s expression was not good at all.
‘Um, your expression is getting worse every time I talk about bread…?’
It seemed he still hadn’t accepted the fact that the Successor of Exórdĭum would become a fine bakery owner.
How troublesome, really.
Just then, Um, who had been holding his forehead, opened his mouth.
“……My power can currently only be used for heat control.”
Clap! I clapped my hands and replied.
“Then I can bake bread at the perfect temperature!”
“Ugh, stop connecting everything to a bakery! Sticky rice!”
At my ‘obsessive-bread-maniac’ remark, the red wolf clutched his hair in agony.
‘Hehe. But it’s my long-cherished dream.’
I didn’t care at all. I just drank the sweet milk tea placed in front of me.
I am a wonderful bakery owner who bakes perfect bread with the best heat control, lulu.
I’m sorry, but Mom and Dad, please stay out of my career counseling.
Having finished the milk tea with a sense of fulfillment, I stood up and greeted them like a model student. Very politely.
“Then I’ll be going now! The children must be waiting.”
“My child, keep one thing in mind.”
Sordi then grabbed my wrist and urged me with a serious face.
“Never, ever reveal your ability easily.”
“Yes. I understand.”
I nodded.
“Some will fear your power like death, and others will want it, drooling like dogs craving meat laced with poison.”
Ever since Um said that, I had vowed in my heart not to reveal my ability easily.
Besides, if my ability were revealed while I was as young and weak as I am now, I would be kidnapped without a trace and torn to pieces.
In the clutches of those who fear me and want to eliminate me, or those who covet me.
Ugh, I get chills.
At my answer, Sordi finally seemed relieved.
“You are indeed clever, my child. Once you’ve kept that in mind, you may go.”
“Yes! It was truly a pleasure to meet you. Sordi, and Um.”
After shaking hands with Sordi and Um in turn, I grabbed a handful of jellies and candies from the dessert tray and stuffed them into my pockets. Like a squirrel trying to store cashews in its cheek pouches.
Sordi covered his mouth as if finding it cute, chuckled, and asked.
“Are you taking those to eat later?”
“No, I’m going to give them to the children in The Forest. These kinds of snacks are rare, so everyone will like them.”
As I smiled brightly, the lily-like handsome man suddenly blushed and made a touched expression.
“My goodness, Um, look at our child…! Even though she’s young herself, she’s looking after other children like this. How can she be so sweet?”
“……She’s certainly a sticky rice without ambition, but she has a very warm heart. The Successor is indeed different.”
I think that’s a bit of an over-interpretation?
“Your pockets are cute, too. Like a hamster, Um.”
“Hmm. To be precise, she’s like a hamster whose cheek pouches are made of sticky rice.”
Boing, boing—they enjoyed themselves by pulling on my cheeks from both sides.
“…….”
I thought with dull eyes as my cheeks were being pulled.
‘You both are incredibly blinded by affection….’
*Smooch*
“It’s a pity, but you should go now, my child.”
Sordi, with an expression that showed he really didn’t want to let go of my cheeks, kissed my forehead.
Then, the surrounding environment scattered dizzyingly like colorful paint dissolved in water, and I returned to reality in an instant.
* * *
When I opened my eyes, the boys’ faces were gathered in a huddle in front of me.
On the left was a boy with silver hair and pretty cat-like purple eyes.
On the right was a boy with an expressionless face, black hair, and red eyes like a young beast.
“Big sister!”
“Annette, did you sleep well?”
I smiled a little awkwardly.
“Ah, y-yeah!”
Is this that cave?
Could it be that meeting Sordi and Um was all a dream?
I hurriedly rummaged through my pockets and could still feel the candies and jellies in abundance.
‘So it wasn’t a dream after all.’
To be eaten by a monster plant, go meet Sordi and Um, and return with a sweet kiss.
It was a mysterious experience.
That space earlier must have been my subconscious or a special virtual space they created.
I briefly told Sislein and Heinri about what I had experienced.
I also told them quite detailed things about my ability. Although I had to hide my power, Sislein and Heinri were my true allies and the only children I could trust.
‘Above all, it will be easier to hide in The Forest if I have people on my side.’
However, I deliberately didn’t mention Sordi and Um. A certain amount of secrecy was necessary, after all.
“Big sister, you awakened a tremendous power?!”
As Heinri said in amazement, Sislein, who had been listening quietly from the side, opened his mouth.
“Don’t worry from now on, Annette. I will protect your secret.”
“Yeah. Thank you!”
“And even if it were to be discovered….”
Sislein closed his red eyes quietly and opened them again as he continued.
“I will protect you. Even if it costs me my life.”
Please don’t sacrifice your life at 11, kid. Usually, 11-year-olds don’t say things like that!
‘The sprout of an obsessive-maniac is indeed different, different.’
Just then, the crazy Chihuahua went “Woof!” and pushed Sislein aside to take his place.
“Not true? I’m the one who will protect big sister.”
*Shove!* Sislein pushed Heinri back.
Then, he shone his red eyes and said seriously again.
“Don’t worry, Annette.”
“Hey, get lost, you beast! I’m the one who protects big sister. Big sister, don’t worry about anything! Promise! Got it? You mustn’t worry!”
I’m the one most worried about you guys…….
If it weren’t for you two, I wouldn’t have a single thing to worry about.
I smiled awkwardly and nodded, and anyway, I felt there was no reason to stay here any longer.
So, I held up the Pluto Ring.
“Are you thinking of going back now?”
To Sislein’s question, I replied.
“Yeah! If I rub this, Teacher Julius will come right away.”
Probably, anyway.
Since it was my first time using the ring’s power, I couldn’t be sure.
Even in the original work, it was only described in vague, passing explanations, and there was no scene where the Pluto Clan properly obeyed the owner of the ring.
‘They said he would appear in a very polite posture.’
In a posture of serving his master, that is.
Hmm, and I think he also struck a very cringey pose, but what was that again?
I groped through the parts where my memory was faint and decided to try calling him for now. I let out a small breath, feeling nervous, and rubbed the ring.
Then, *pop!* An amazing thing happened.
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