IV

━━━━━━┓༻❁༺┏━━━━━━

Arc IV Chapter 25

━━━━━━┛༻❁༺┗━━━━━━

17th Ignis Solar 753 AAC

Grumbling under her breath, Aurora held tightly onto her bucket and her cute doll. “Stupid floor board.” The guild was well advised to invest in some better nails and some competent carpenters.

Her bucket limited her line of sight and a loose wooden board nearly made her trip. Fortunately, she narrowly escaped the worst. For a change, luck was on her side.

Recuperating from her near disaster, Aurora continued her laden journey ... until suddenly ...

“Fret not, child! Help has arrived!” A cheerful voice interrupted her toiling, startling her. A mysterious woman appeared before her eyes.

“Big sister is coming to the rescue!” The enigmatic woman clenched her fist in high spirits before flashing a motivated grin.

“Hmm ...” Aurora blinked in confusion, tilting her head. Who was this strange woman? Why was she blocking her path? Why was she standing in her way? Why was she grinning at her like an absolute fool? The first impression of her was little positive. The woman was far too cheerful for her taste. The cheerful woman was giving her a migraine.

Aurora's schooled glare scrutinised her most recent acquaintance, assessing, examining her figure minutely from head to toe. Her delicate blonde hair was fluttering in the air. A lovely flower bouquet decorated her strands, fastening them together in a charming braid. Her azure eyes veritably sparkled with the radiance of a little sun, outshining even the brightest stars. Her pure gentleness blinded Aurora regardless of the woman's bottomless foolishness. The enigmatic woman radiated undiluted cheerfulness.

Out of nowhere, the unknown woman moved, placing her free hand on Aurora’s head for a head …

Be it by reflex or instinct, Aurora jerked away, retreating backwards. Her suspicion increased and her eyes narrowed. How impudent! No stranger was allowed to pat her without her permission! “...”

“Don't be afraid, child”, The woman reassured her with a soothing tone. “I am just here to help you~! Let me lend you a hand~.”

“...” Aurora hugged her doll and clutched her pail before retreating further. Despite the woman’s soothing words, Aurora’s distrust remained undiminished. Stranger danger! Every little girl knew that!

Yet the enigmatic woman didn't cease her advances, undaunted by the rejection she had suffered. “Listen, a little girl such as yourself shouldn’t need to carry so many buckets back and forth on your own. So let me help you. With two additional hands, we will be done in a jiffy!”

“...” Aurora remained unconvinced. Her help would be appreciated, but ... There surely must be a catch.

Angelika sighed in resignation. A hint of annoyance tainted her voice. Her tone grew forceful and impatient. “Stop being unreasonable! Why are you so stubborn, girl? I only want to help you!”

Aurora responded in kind, pouting, “And yet I have never asked for your help. Seriously, who do you think you are? Who are you to appear out of nowhere and impose your unwanted kindness on others? Neither do I need, nor do I want, your help. In fact, your insisting nature is grating my nerves.”

“...” The enigmatic woman gasped in shock, fell silent, her enthusiasm finally withering. “...

“...” Aurora intensified her glare.

“I am sorry.” The once cheerful woman lowered her head in shame. Her hopes and shoulders deflated. “I only tried to help you ... I thought that you would appreciate my company, but apparently that is not the case ...”

Aurora hugged her doll, maintaining her uncompromising attitude. “... ... ... Why? Why are you doing this?”

“Hmm?” The woman raised a confused eyebrow. Her question baffled the enigmatic woman.

“Tell me, why are you troubling yourself .. Why are you bothering? I don’t understand you.”

The woman mustered a soft, subdued giggle. “Hehehe.”

Aurora frowned. “What's so funny?”

“Why am I trying to help?” Her radiance was fidgeting with her fingers in bashful embarrassment. Her cheeks were blushing cherry red. “Well, ... Ehm ... Well, to be honest, I don't know myself. I saw you struggling with your buckets ... And I saw how you nearly tripped ... You are a little girl ... You also remind me a little of my ... So I thought that I might be able to help you. And afterwards, I could maybe even treat you to a hot chocolate, if you want …”

“...” Aurora blinked in total disbelief. She was completely speechless, even though the words ‘hot’ and ‘chocolate’ elicited her interest. “Tell me, why are you trying to help me, a complete stranger, someone you are not related to by blood or kinship, someone you neither know nor have ever met before? I don't understand, why are you doing this? What is your rationale?”

“What a silly question.” The woman beamed, her smile radiating nothing but limitless gentleness. “Do I really need a reason to help you?”

“I suppose not”, Aurora conceded. “I merely find your behaviour peculiar. You seem to offer help without expecting anything in return!”

The mysterious woman offered an enigmatic smile. “Then so be it. I am who I am. No matter what, I will stay true to myself. I love to help people as much as I can. That is my creed. That is why I became an adventurer in the first place. To make the world a better place. I want to do my small part.”

...

...

...

“...” Aurora didn't know what to say. Her eyes were studying the strange woman, her face, her eyes, her lips. She had no way of telling whether the woman was lying, or not. The enigmatic woman was ... kind hearted. Almost too kind hearted. Was this not a ploy? Was this not a ruse? Or was she really just an incorrigible fool? Was it possible ... that the woman ... was actually telling the truth?

...

...

...

The woman smiled and offered Aurora her hand. The dark clouds had parted as all embarrassment and sadness had vanished from her face. Her lips were shining in old splendour. “I am Angelika. I am delighted to meet you.”

“...” Aurora was staring at the hand she was offered. Time passed. “So you offer me your help?”

Angelika nodded, her beam never leaving her lips. “I do.”

“Without remuneration?”

Angelika nodded.

“Without compensation?”

Angelika was forced to chuckle. “Oh my, so many complicated words. You are a bright child for your age.”

“Not to mention, you also promise me that you will buy me a hot chocolate afterwards?”

Angelika beamed. “Of course, a promise is a promise.”

Incredulity befell Aurora. Was Angelika an idiot? She was a useful idiot, for sure. “Wait a moment, I must consult with my doll first.” It was a good deal. It almost made her feel bad for taking advantage of Angelika and her naivety. Somehow, it felt wrong.

Turning around, Aurora started whispering in her doll's ears in secrecy, “Do you think that we can trust her?”

“...” Her doll nodded.

“Are you sure?”

“...” Her doll nodded once again, lured .

“Hmm ...” Aurora returned her attention to the waiting Angelika. Her mind hesitated, yet she accepted Angelika's hand. “My name is ... Edelgart.”

The woman called Angelika beamed, even going as far as to squeeze her little hand. “Edelgart ... such a cute name. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.

━━━━━━┛༻❁༺┗━━━━━━

Their little hauling operation had ended and now they were spending some merry time, together at the entrance to the girl's room. Angelika kept her word and provided the girl with a steaming cup of hot chocolate exactly as promised.

Edelgart was taking a sip from her delicious cup, inundating her little tongue with the decadence of hot chocolate.The girl beamed at her latest benefactor with a smile of pure, sweet bliss. “Thank you, Sister Angelika, you are the best~.”

“Exactly.” Angelika's chest swelled with pride. She might have bribed the girl with a cup of hot chocolate, but it was a noble purpose. It was worth every last coin of her limited funds. “I am always glad to help. Although I wonder, what do you need all the water for?”

The girl smiled like a little sunshine. “I plan to take a hot bath. So we need a lot of water. That is why we hauled all the buckets up the stairs.”

“...” Angelika blinked in moment of disbelief. “Edelgart, a hot bath is all well and good, but your water is ice cold ...”

The girl nodded. “I know.”

“And you have no firewood whatsoever ...”

The girl nodded once more. “I know.”

“Don't you see the problem?”

The girl tilted her head, briefly contemplating her answer. “No, not really.”

“...” Angelika merely sighed before shaking her head. “And you call me peculiar. Anyway, I guess it is time for me to take my leave. It was a pleasure to have met you. I hope we meet again in the future ...”

“No, wait a moment!” the girl shouted.

“Hmm?” Angelika raised an eyebrow.

“Wait a moment, I have something for you~.” Edelgart and her doll sprinted away before returning again. Her arms were clutching a massive jar.

“What is this?” Angelika asked, her eyes drawn to the mysterious jar. It looked like a ...

Edelgart opened the jar, her hand rummaging inside. “Here~. For you~.” Her arm produced a single biscuit.

“A biscuit?” Angelika gazed at the baked sweet made from sugar and flour.

Edelgart and her doll beamed. “Yes, it is a cookie~. It is for you~. You have earned it~.”

Angelika was Her hand reached for her the biscuit. “Thank you, how sweet of ...”

Sister, it is a biscuit~. It is for you~.

Her muscles contracted. Her breathing accelerated. Her neck tightened. Her lungs were desperately gasping for air. She couldn't breathe. She needed air.

One year ago. A blonde girl. Her sister. A biscuit. A petite hand. A starless night night. A fire. A burning mansion. Flames. Smoke. Ash. Betrayal. Desperation. Pain. Endless agony. Undying hatred. Death. A thirst for revenge. Justice. Retribution.

Her hands were trembling, shaking in fear. Her blood froze and her entire body refused to move. Memories from the past haunted her. Old spectres not yet forgotten returned to invade her mind ...

“Sister Angelika~, Sister Angelika~, Sister Angelika~. It was Edelgart who would free her from her stupor. The girl's little hands were shaking her whole body, tugging at her sleeves.

An expression of worry clouded her face. Edelgart looked concerned. “Sister Angelika, is something the the matter? You lost consciousness for a moment.”

“Don't worry, it was ... nothing.” Angelika merely smiled. It was an uneasy smile. “Thank you very much for your biscuit, Edelgart. I will treasure it.”

━━━━━━┛༻❁༺┗━━━━━━