In the end, the three of us were kept in the living room of the landlord. There were some people who wanted to arrest the three of us after making a scene, but since we were basically victims as well. Not many people agreed with that opinion. The leader of this town doesn't want to risk any conflict with other nobles. Everyone was told to keep their distance.

  Maybe that's why none of the servants, guards, and residents of this house looked at us with a friendly gaze. I could feel that everyone thought that our presence is a nuisance.

  "Huh. . . ."

  For a veteran loner like me who are used to being ostracized at the academy. The unwelcoming aura exuded by everyone here doesn't have much effect. If there's something that had a great impact on my current mental state, it's the fact that. Me, Erwin, and Haruki felt like we were in a cold war.

  From the moment we walked into this room, none of us wanted to talk. Not only that, we were reluctant to even look at each other.

  Not because we were fighting of course. But because we were all thinking about what to say and what to do while regretting our stupidity throughout the day.

  You might think that in a situation like this, apologizing is the right choice. But unfortunately, everyone understands that if one of us apologizes. That person will only make everyone feel guilty.

  For example, if I apologized for carelessly splitting away from the two of them. Erwin would feel guilty for failing to protect me, and Haruki would also feel guilty for not being able to prevent my abduction. And the worst part about our guilt are.

  Everything are valid.

  I knew that I'm just a weak little girl who couldn't do anything. But I foolishly separated myself from Erwin and Haruki.

  Erwin, who had the duty to look after me, forgot his main job and didn't stay with me. Giving the people with bad intentions against me a chance to do whatever they want.

  Then Haruki. For some reason, he didn't pay attention to his surroundings and kept himself busy.

  I wish we could laugh at all the silly things we did at that time. But unfortunately, I honestly still felt scared to the point of crying. The blunders we made were too serious to laugh at. Erwin and I have the mental age of adults, and Haruki is not a fool either. But it seemed, all those things couldn't make the reality that we were all just children go away.

  We are at loss.

  A bit late and I would have been kidnapped.

  If no one had stopped Erwin in time, he would've wound up killing someone.

  And then, say the wrong thing and Haruki could be detained by the guards.

  Ahhh. . . . the thought of the worst thing that might happen to us made me finally can't stand it anymore. My tears started to leak out. If they saw me crying, I am sure that I would make them feel even worse. That's why. . .

  "I-I, I need to use the restroom"

  I stood up, turned my face away from them, and moved towards the door before anyone could even answer.

  But, before I could go far. The door of the room had already opened, and from behind it. . .

  "Amelie!!!"

  My mother with a worried face rushed in.

  "Mama!"

  Without any question, my mother instantly held me so tightly that I felt a bit hurt. But even though my body felt tight, my feelings immediately became light as soon as I'm in her arms. I felt that all the problems I had were no longer important.

  For a while, we stayed in that position until mother finally loosened her embrace and looked the other way.

  "Erwin! Haruki!"

  The focus of her gaze are Erwin and Haruki who had been looking at me and my mom. And seeing my mom's gaze, both of them immediately wore tense expressions. A reaction that forced me to inevitably check what they were looking at.

  "Ma. . ma?"

  No wonder they are tense. My mother, someone known for always putting on a cheerful face and never getting angry at anyone, is staring at the two boys with a piercing glare.

  ". . ."

  ". . ."

  They seem to understand that my mother is really upset. The two of them look at each other for a moment, then nod before finally walking toward my mother with faces like criminals ready to receive their sentences.

  "Mama! Haruki and Erwin! . . . ."

  "Amelie! Shut up!"

  My mother does get angry with me or Erwin and Haruki sometimes. But even so, this is the first time she has made such a severe expression. As if using my mother's yell as a signal, Haruki and Erwin immediately look down and say. . . .

  "I'm sorry that we failed to take care of Amel. . ."

  "Haa... . what are you talking about?"

  t instead of anger, Erwin and Haruki's serious, guilt-filled apology is greeted with my mother's confused voice and odd questions. This makes not only me but also Erwin and Haruki put on puzzled faces. I'm pretty sure that when she calls my two friends by name, her voice is full of anger.

  So, if she's not angry because both of them failed to protect me, what is she angry about? Well, there is only one way to find out.

  "Mama, aren't you mad at them?"

  "Of course I'm mad!"

  But she is angry, not because these two failed to protect me. Rather, it's because even though they are clearly also victims and need mental support, Erwin and Haruki stay away from her and behave like strangers.

  That's what made my mother angry.

  "Erwin! Haruki! I'm not your mother!"

  But my mother already regarded them both as her children. That's why she felt obligated not only to take care of their bodies. But also their hearts.

  "Come here!"

  My mother spread her arms and invited Erwin and Haruki to share her embrace with me. And as you might have guessed, neither of them complied right away.

  My mother may indeed be a "mother," but she gives birth to me when she is only sixteen or seventeen. So, her age is actually more appropriate for her to be Erwin and Haruki's older sister.

  Besides, the fact that she still looked like a young girl didn't help either. I can imagine that Haruki and Erwin have a hard time seeing that my mom is the mother of their close friend.

  "I said come here!"

  And just look, her pouty face is still just as cute as a teenager's. If my father were living with us, I guarantee that he wouldn't be able to stand it and immediately take her to the room and made a younger sibling for me.

  ". . . ."

  ". . . ."

  I could feel Haruki and Erwin looking at me and asking for help. But I didn't care and decided to hug my mother's body tighter.

  "Good boys!. . ."

  Understanding that I have absolutely no intention of helping them, both of them finally give in to my mother's demands. First, Erwin hugs my mother nervously. After that, Haruki follows with a hug that feels even more awkward. And since I am between all of them, they also end up hugging me at the same time

  "Thank you, Erwin! Haruki."

  Our position couldn't be called nice in any way. But even though we physically felt hot, cramped, and uncomfortable. Somehow I felt completely at ease being in the middle of all these people who loved me.

  And I am not the only one who feels that way. When I look at Erwin and Haruki, I find that both boys' eyes are wide open. I'm no psychologist, but even without any special education, I know that my mother's sense of gratitude easily permeates their hearts.

  It melted away the guilt, regret, anger, and fear that they were carrying and trying to hold in. And once those emotions are completely washed away, everything else starts to melt away too.

  "Aaaaa. . . ."

  The first one to have his dam burst is Haruki. He tightens his embrace on both of us and then starts to cry. The boy no longer cares about his image and buries his face in my mom's upper chest, right above my head, then starts crying his eyes out.

  ". . . ."

  After that, Erwin follows. He seems to want to say so many things but doesn’t know what to say. He can only sob before burying his face near my mom's shoulder. It’s just that, unlike Haruki, he is still able to refrain from making loud noises. Even so, the amount of tears Erwin spills out is no less than Haruki's.

  And me?

  "Mamaaaa"

  I don't know why but seeing the two of them crying made me also end up bawling on my mom's belly.

  The day ended with the three of us crying together in my mother's arms.

  The day ended with everyone realizing that we were just kids.

  I might be smarter than mother, Haruki might have far more knowledge than mother, and Erwin might be peerless. But our intelligence, knowledge, strength, and even our past experiences didn't make us into adults.

  Right now we are all just weak children who need a mother's love.

  ***

  My birthday finally arrives. And of course, just like in previous years, there is no big party to mark the occasion. Considering what just happened this month, I am already quite happy that everyone can still be with me.

  After spending the morning doing my daily activities while occasionally receiving congratulations from the people around me. In the afternoon, Mom and Haruki, Erwin, and I gathered in the dining room.

  "This is a gift from me"

  First, Erwin brought a large cake that he had prepared during the day. Since he didn't feel the need to keep his gift a secret, I could prepare myself by eating only a little for lunch. Leaving plenty of room in my small tummy.

  The cake he makes is not just a cake, but a real birthday cake. Of course, he can't bake a birthday cake like the ones from our old life, but the cake already has the most important thing for a birthday cake.

  Candles.

  Because in this country there is no tradition of blowing out candles or singing happy birthday, Mom and Haruki are confused by what we are doing. But both of them decide not to ask much, probably thinking that what we are doing is normal in the Capital.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  "Thank you, Erwin."

  Erwin smiled and said. . .

  "You're welcome, now make a wish and blast the candles."

  Once again, my mother and Haruki made confused faces. I followed Erwin's instructions and put my hands together and closed my eyes and finally blew out the candles.

  In my heart, I made a wish.

  I wish we could all stay together.

  To whoever brought me into this world and gave me a second chance.

  "Fuuuuu. . ."

  Before finally blowing out the candles in front of me.

  Erwin then cuts my birthday cake and shares it with all the attendees of our little party. The cake itself is simple in appearance because the baker doesn't have the proper ingredients or tools. But in terms of flavor...

  "Ahh. . . Erwin just beat me as a mother."

  "I don't have a sweet tooth, but this. . . really good!"

  As you hear for yourself, it tastes so good that my mother feels defeated as a mother, and Haruki, who doesn't like sweets, can savor it. My mouth, often stuffed with cakes in the city, can feel that the taste of Erwin's creation is not inferior to the hard work of the chefs in the capital.

  Once again, I am reminded that Erwin is the definition of the main character in an isekai light novel.

  Born into an upper-class family, possessing special powers, and a wealth of talents and useful knowledge from his past. I can even see that he'll have a harem in the future.

  "I'm glad you like it."

  Erwin returned to his seat and ate his cake along with us. He had a satisfied look on his face. But sometimes I wonder, would it be better if he not here?

  Erwin can do anything if he chooses. He could be successful in whatever field he pursues. But because of me, he has to be stuck here and waste all his talents.

  "Amelie, Erwin is here because he wanted to."

  "Haruki?... ."

  "If you want him to be happy, just be grateful that he's here."

  It seems that even though I've gotten older, my face is still just as easy for someone to read.

  "Amelie, you don't want me around?"

  Erwin asked with an exasperated face.

  "Of course not!"

  "Then don't think anything weird!"

  I nodded.

  As Haruki said, Erwin is here because he wanted to. He likes being here, and he's happy to be here. I had no right to separate him from his happiness.

  "Now it's Mama's turn."

  Once we finish digging into Erwin's cake, it's my mom's turn to bring something out. But it's not like Erwin, who brings a gift on a big tray. What my mom brings looks like a pile of papers.

  Wait. . It is a piles of paper.

  "I managed to pull a fast one. . .ahem! to persuade Rodik to cooperate with us!!.. Amelie. . . why are you looking at Mama with that look. . .?"

  "What kind of look? I don't understaaaand. . ."

  "You sure like to act like a small child when you're angry, huh. . ."

  Instead of pushing her away. My actions caused my mother to get up from her chair and hug me tightly.

  "You were almost kidnapped on his soil, and you were treated like a problem! After doing all that of course I couldn't stay silent!"

  Normally my mother is not an aggressive type of person. But this time, she didn't hesitate to use her position to squeeze compensation for what had happened to us.

  I'm sure it must not have been easy to change her ways in front of someone who had no problem belittling her. But for the sake of her child. For my sake, my mother gathered all her courage and negotiated with Rodik herself. The Lord of Punto to gave me what I wanted.

  "Mama, thank you"

  What my mother gives me is an official agreement with Rodik as compensation. He gives us a piece of land to use freely without any taxes. He also frees people from my territory from trade and entrance tax. In other words, If we do business there. We can have all the profit for ourselves.

  Not to mention he also lent us some of his soldiers for free.

  Well, at least for 5 years that is.

  For us who want to do business, my mom's gift is truly priceless. And for us who need security, that deal is a godsend.

  "You're welcome. . "

  My mother hugged me again before returning to her seat.

  Erwin is done, my mom is done, and now only Haruki is left.

  "Haruki, where's my present?"

  Excitedly, I look at Haruki while extending both my hands.

  I get it, I get it. You don't need to tell me that my act of asking Haruki for a present is not only shameless. But also embarrassing. It's just that I did it because I wanted to help the boy.

  "I... . . ."

  Before being dragged away by the kidnappers. I'm sure that Haruki had bought something for me as a gift. Maybe it sounds too narcissistic, but I can't imagine he had any other reason to buy something at an accessories store.

  Haruki didn't have any sisters, he never mentioned having any close female friends, or if he wanted to buy something for his mother. In that shop, there were absolutely no items suitable for adult women.

  After going through the process of elimination and looking at the timing, there is only one possibility left. He buys something for my birthday.

  Then what does that have to do with me demanding a gift from him?

  The link is that I do not want Haruki to feel too embarrassed when he gives me his present. I absolutely did not want his money and effort to go to waste because he felt too shy or afraid.

  Even if it's just mentally. I'm the older one here. So I should be more considerate.

  "Huh. . . ."

  Haruki took a deep breath and then took out something from his shirt pocket.

  "Don't expect too much, I can only give you cheap stuff"

  Haruki pulls out a red ribbon from his pocket. Yes, a plain red ribbon without any wrapping, decoration, or pattern on it. When he says that his gift is a cheap item, he is not joking at all.

  But just because Haruki says it's cheap, doesn't mean that what he's giving me is really cheap. This nation still hasn't gone through the industrial revolution. So, even a simple item like a ribbon still has to be manually crafted by one person for a lengthy period of time.

  Making the price simply cannot be cheap.

  Haruki says so probably because of the gift. One, it is the same as the ribbon I am wearing now. Two, although all ribbons are expensive, red is indeed the cheapest color because the process of making the color is the easiest. Then third, maybe Haruki also feels that the gift isn't special.

  Because, unlike my mother's gift, which is obtained through hard-fought negotiations, and Erwin's gift, which is created by his knowledge and hard work during the day, Haruki's gifts are just things that can be easily bought with money.

  "Brother Haruki. . ."

  I can tell that the money he receives is also the result of his own efforts and that he can be proud of it. But I'm sure that Haruki already knows that too. That's why I will tell him something much more important.

  "Thank you, brother Haruki, I will treasure it"

  The fact that I get a gift from him already makes me happy. That is the most important thing. Even just thinking about it makes me not only smile reflexively.

  "A-Amelie. . ."

  But I also want to hug him.

  "Your Majesty . . . . do you have any grave diggers acquaintances? I think Haruki will be done soon."

  And so, I hugged him.

  "Nahh. . .Erwin, if his face can be that red! then he's perfectly healthy."

  Ha?

  "Are you alright brother Haru. ."

  Hearing Erwin and my mother's conversation, I feel a bit worried that Haruki might suddenly feel ill or something like that. But when I try to look at his face, Haruki immediately uses his hand to push my head down onto his chest.

  "I'm fine!.... you have nothing to worry about."

  Then, as if trying to make sure that I wouldn't try to look up again. Haruki started returning my hug tightly. We remained in that position for a while until my mom called me over to help me put on my new ribbon.

  "How about this Amelie?"

  Since my hair is short, the hairstyles my mother can make are quite limited. In the end, my mother just ties my hair in two.

  "Now show it to Haruki"

  "Mmmm. . ."

  Are you serious mum? You put on such a childish hairstyle and want me to show it to my friend? Do you want me to be laughed at?

  "Ahahahah . . . . I'm sorry Amelie, you are just so cute"

  Fine, If you want people to laugh, I'll just go along with it.

  Following my mom's advice, I approach Haruki again and turn my body in front of him to show how his gift looks in my hair. After that, I smile widely and stare at him with a look that doesn't even need to be translated; it is clear what it means.

  "You're really beautiful, Amelie."

  As expected, Haruki immediately understood that I wanted to ask for his comment. I'm trying to joke around and expecting the same joke compliment. But I didn't expect him to just honestly praise me instead.

  "A. . .mmm. . . ."

  Haruki's honest compliment leaves me not knowing what to say. Not only that, but I can feel that his praise is really sincere. It also manages to make me feel very embarrassed. Moreover, I could also feel that his praise this time is different.

  He didn't use the words cute or sweet to praise me. The words that my mother, Erwin, and everyone including myself used to praise my looks.

  Right now, I feel that Haruki no longer considers me as just a cute little child that he wants to spoil.

  "Tt-thank you. . ."

  His recognition made me feel very happy. So happy that my heart felt like it wanted to leap out of my chest. So happy that I wanted to. . .

  "Amelie? . ."

  Cry again.

  "You really are a crybaby. . ."

  "I'm sowwyy. . ."

  Haruki reaches his hand to my head and begins to caress it gently while wearing a face full of smiles. It causes me to smile too, even though I am still crying. Unfortunately, it isn't long before his smile disappears and is replaced by a regretful face.

  And after a few moments of seemingly deep thought, Haruki finally opened his lips.

  "If anyone should apologize, it's me"

  "Eh? Why?"

  "Actually. . . ."

  When Jonas arrives, he also brings a letter from Haruki's father for him. But since their situation is bad, he decides not to talk about it until everything is over. And since today all the problems are over, Haruki decides that it is the right time to...

  "Apologize for what? brother Haruki?"

  I asked.

  "For this."

  Haruki held out the letter from his father for everyone to see.

  It says that his father's assignment in Amteric is over and they must return to Yamato as soon as possible. The letter itself is written roughly a month ago. But once you add in the length of the trip and the commotion about bandits in this place, the time Haruki has left here ends up being just a week.

  ". . . . ."

  I know that Haruki coming home is just a matter of when. He only comes to Amteric following his father, and he is just here to fulfill his duty as my personal tutor. Moreover, the conflict between Amteric and the surrounding countries is starting to reach its peak. His safety is also no longer guaranteed.

  If he didn't come back soon both Haruki and his father would be in danger.

  I know all of that but still. . .

  "I'm sorry Amelie"

  "No!"

  He may feel guilty for making me sad. But the source of my sadness is my own unrealistic expectations. The expectation is that things won't change and that we can stay together. Instead of being sad that we are apart, I should be grateful that I have the chance to meet him.

  "Brother Haruki!"

  "Yes?"

  “I……”

  The wishes I made for my birthday were shattered that very night. But even so, I don't want to feel sad. I wanted to send him home with a smile. I would use the remaining time to play and have fun with everyone until we are sick of it.

  ***

  Before we realized it, a week had flown by. And during that week, we decided to do all the things we wanted to do. Helping Erwin make new things and experimenting with his power, applying our research on things, walking all over the villages and towns around our territory, and buying random things. Then playing whatever we wanted.

  For a week, we were really just kids busy doing what kids do. Playing.

  And that of course included stupid things like Erwin trying to run on water using his powers, Haruki taking Erwin on a rematch of their old duel, and everyone trying to do all the things that came to their mind to awaken my own special powers.

  After giving Haruki a hug, my mother gives the boy a bag of money, even though he already gave him his salary as my teacher the previous day. And because Haruki knows that trying to refuse is a pointless endeavor. He just said thank you and obediently took the present.

  "Do you want a hug?"

  From my mother, Haruki moved to Erwin.

  "Thanks, but no thanks!."

  "Thank goodness, I didn't know what to do if you actually agreed."

  After that, both of them laughed. And watching that, I became a bit jealous. Unlike with me, which is more like Haruki taking care of me. The interaction between Erwin and Haruki is more like a relationship between two brothers in arms. If this is an action story, I can even imagine them going back to back while fighting against numerous enemies.

  We may have only known each other for around two years, but if you look at how these two act in public. You'd think that they've been together since birth. It seems like boys being able to trust each other so easily isn't just a meme.

  "This is from me"

  "Hmm? What is this?"

  "Pocket knife, just in case."

  During the past week, I often saw that Erwin working in the workshop until midnight. So that's the reason huh.

  "Just in case of what?"

  "Well, if you get lost on the road, you can use this knife to skin your prey."

  Suppose Haruki encounters a strong adversary, it can also serve as a ballistic knife. In addition, if Haruki failed to escape and is captured, it also contained tools for picking locks, removing fish scales, prying things, hooking things, measuring things, spoons, forks, and lastly matches.

  "Erwin, I want to go home! Not go on an adventure!"

  "Well, just in case. . "

  "Don't jinx it! And…..Thank you!"

  The two smiled again, after which they exchanged a fist bump before Haruki finally walked towards me.

  "Amelie, I'm going home."

  "Mm. . . ."

  I said nothing, gave nothing, nor did anything else. Not because I didn't want to, but because if I didn't focus, the tears I'm holding back will just burst. I didn't want to send him off crying.

  "Ahaha. . What is that face . ."

  "Wahah fahe. . ."

  "This face. . . ."

  Haruki took out a handkerchief from his bag and wiped my tears as well...

  "Blow your nose."

  "I can.... do it mahef "

  I took my own handkerchief and blew my nose, getting rid of all the snot that came out because I kept holding back tears. The same reason that made me make a funny face.

  "I'm used to seeing you cry, so don't bother holding it in"

  "No way!"

  Facing me, who is acting stubborn, Haruki takes a deep breath and then looks directly into my eyes.

  "Amelie, I promise we'll meet again"

  I nodded, understanding that this is not a final goodbye. As long as we lived, we would be able to meet again in the future. But what he said made me realize even more that meeting him is extremely hard.

  He lives far away. Going to his place requires traveling by road for more than half a month and sailing for another half month. And that assumes everything is smooth. Not to mention, the unfavorable conditions on this continent also made traveling not only difficult but also dangerous. Meeting him is easier said than done.

  "Brother Haruki . . ."

  Unable to hold back my emotions any longer. Not knowing what else to say. I decided to express my feelings with my actions. I jumped onto Haruki's chair then pulled his body towards me then . . .

  ". . . . Amelie."

  Kissed his cheek.

  "I'll miss you"

  At first, Haruki makes a surprised face, then an embarrassed one, but once he sees my face soaked with tears and snot, a bit of his tears eventually falls too.

  "Me too. . ."

  With that, Haruki went home. Leaving me who couldn't stop crying for almost half an hour.

  ***

  While everyone is busy comforting Amelie, in another place, dozens of people are busy scouring a river. They have been doing this for almost a week. They travel tens of kilometers along the river in front of them, but they haven't managed to locate the object they are looking for.

  Just when everyone is starting to lose faith and thinks about giving up, suddenly, one of them shouts.

  "Captain! I found it."

  The captain immediately rushed over to his men. After that, he received the object that his men had found and began to inspect it.

  It is dirty and full of mud, probably from hitting the rocks many times. There are a lot of punctured, bent, and broken spots. He is sure that some of the components must have been washed away in the river too. In short, it is no longer of any use.

  But he doesn't need it to work because he is not looking to use it but to research and recreate it.

  "Good, everyone! It's time to go home! Get ready for your bonus!"

  The captain's promise is immediately welcomed by all his men. They have been exhausted from days of expeditions that they feel are pointless. So as soon as they are told to go home and are even promised a bonus, everyone immediately feels delighted.

  But, of them all. The captain is the happiest.

  Why?

  "This will change the world."

  In his hand is Erwin's rifle that Haruki had thrown away a week ago.