Volume 3, Chapter 50: A woman named Filaret
Volume 3, Chapter 50: A woman named Filaret
I opened my eyes and realized that my body was resting at the second floor of the night tavern, I could easily recognize this place because I had been here previously.
I wondered what time of the day it was. Perhaps, it was the middle of the night. I could see that the soft and pleasant moonlight touched the window of the room.
There was no sound in the surroundings. It was as if silence swallowed the entire world. Yet, my heart didn’t feel that relaxed nor pleasant about this quietness. I hated this environment and the calmness of the night. Bewilderment and confusion swirled with each other in my heart.
What happened after those events? I wondered about what really happened and how it ended up.
I exchanged sword blows with Helot Stanley. And, in the end, I managed to break that Lizard’s chin. Still, these events were the last memories I could recall in my mind.
But, afterwards. I wasn’t sure how I managed to escape from that perilous situation. I was badly hurt and I was the only one against several men. There was no way that I could’ve escaped on my own. In other words, someone rescued me and brought me here.
But, who? Who would help someone like me? Was it God itself? On this precise moment, I recalled a memory.
Certainly, the wind. The wind was blowing on my earlobes back then. I remembered that a voice called to me. I’ve got the feeling that I was wrapped up in something out of this world based on my vague consciousness. It was as if the wind saved me by lifting my whole body.
…I see. So, it was Filaret.
My brain tried to figure out many options. But, I realized that only one person could have saved me based on these assumptions. She was the only person capable of saving me amidst the malice and the life-and-death situation of a fight.
Of course. There was a high probability that this was all a dream. Or maybe it was all an illusion of my mind. All that my eyes wanted to believe. A daydream. But, once I moved my fingertips and started to move my upper body I realized that this wasn’t a dream after all.
I felt severe pain from the right side of my stomach. And because I moved my upper body recklessly, this pain spread throughout my whole body.
My back teeth gritted on one another involuntarily. I pressed my teeth so much to suppress the pain that it even made a cracking sound. I didn’t have a choice but to wait until the pain subsided, while I quivered my jaw repeatedly. The moment my pain went slightly away, I realized that I was severely injured, but that someone tended to my wounds.
Cold sweat fell from my forehead.
「…Don’t get up. Beasts, and even dragons, rest when they’re injured. 」
I heard the word “dragons” and I noticed that it were Filaret who spoke, while hiding beneath the moonlight of the night. Her language was graceful and friendly.
However, my spine jumped from a sudden surprise when I heard her voice, and my body was tormented by pain once again.
「Hmm…Hey, you could’ve warned me that you were here. Why are you hiding like that…? 」
「…Where is your thanks? 」
After I spoke bluntly, Filaret replied in a cold manner. She blank her eyes consecutively because she didn’t expect to hear those words of mine. At first, she wasn’t that frustrated, but soon, her annoyance piled up and her words burst out.
「I mean, you should be saying your thanks instead of just complaining about my presence. Do you know that it was hard to save you back then!? Besides…C’mon, you have no idea what I went through with this. So, just say thanks! I saved you. Aren’t you glad that I was there to help you!?」
In the shadow, I could see that Filaret turned her face down.
I opened my eyes when I saw how vulnerable she was. I saw a scene that I never thought I’d see. My heart couldn’t understand these confusing feelings.
She behaved like a child with tantrums. She was grumpy as opposed to the poised, calm and excellent Filaret La Volgograd that I met on my previous timeline. This personality didn’t match with her previous profile.
Well, of course. There was no doubt that the behaviors of their past lives deviated a little bit from their former selves. I should’ve got used to this by now. But, the differences of this girl were the most obvious. It was as if she was an entirely different person now.
At least, she wasn’t a fool nor a weakling if she put her mind to it.
「That’s right. Lugis bro. You should thank big sis. She’s been taking care of you for the last few days without getting much sleep.」
Then, a quiet voice came along when the door of the room opened up.
Someone entered the room after bowing his head as a greeting. It was a resident of the Poor People’s cave. It was Wood. His sister Sereal also came with him. I wondered if he managed to escape safely. Sereal was moving her eyes strangely as if she wanted to say something but couldn’t. Her lips were tightly closed.
I see. So, it’s been a few days now. It meant that this night wasn’t the night following the events that happened during the day. So, it has been a while.
Oh really, it seemed that I was really engrossed with my own dreams, since I didn’t want to wake up.
「…Of course. I must show you my gratitude, Filaret. If you weren’t there for me, I would’ve been sleeping alongside the god of death right now.」
I expressed my utmost respect and gratitude towards Filaret.
Moreover, this wasn’t the first time that Filaret saved my life. She helped me during the fire at the underground temple.
Really, I would’ve been dead if she weren’t there. The Goddess of Luck abandoned me, but the black-haired Goddess did not.
My words echoed in the room. Those words were definitely straight out of my heart.
However, I didn’t sound like myself. Who would’ve thought that I’d spill genuine words from the bottom of my hearth.
However, it was somewhat better than selling favors to Caria. Yet, this girl was more insecure and eager to gain my attention. Certainly, my words weren’t enough for her.
For a brief moment, Filaret sighed strangely and then, she spoke.
「…One more time. I don’t feel satisfied with your answer. 」
Hey, she’s joking with me.
And then, I didn’t know why, but I continued to humiliate myself a little more, until Filaret was satisfied with my answers.
She made me repeat myself in front of both Wood and Sereal.
I realized that the woman named Filaret wasn’t that better than the woman named Caria.
—
「Ah…I shall give my thanks to my bro and big sis as well. 」
Filaret was extremely satisfied after my throat became dry from saying thanks too much. Then, Wood changed the topic to show his own gratitude towards us.
Wood bent over and lowered his head.
「Thank you for saving Sereal…bro and big sis. I can’t express just how grateful I am for your aid…」
His voice sounded as if he were about to burst into tears. I involuntarily squint my eyes. It wasn’t just gratitude. His tone was mixed with regret and compassion.
The mute Sereal also bowed her head like her brother as a sign of gratitude.
「I…I wished that I weren’t so powerless. 」
His words resonated through my earlobes. It seemed that something sunk to the bottom of my belly with a tremendous weight because it felt as if he were enduring some suffering on his own.
I bit my lips slightly before choosing the words to answer him.
「Wood, you don’t have to thank me nor Filaret. That’s what says the contract, right?」
Yes, that one contract.
My relationship with this brother and sister was based on a single contract.