Episode 32 – Blood Ties IV
Preparing for the journey was simple for Nada.
Since he wasn’t bringing his armor or his crescent blade, he wore only a set of inexpensive linen clothes. Over that, he threw on a black coat that buttoned in the front. It was the first time in a long while he’d worn it; near the hem was a small hole, and although it was supposed to be black, the color had faded. That was because he’d worn it for years. It was a gift from Iris when he first enrolled, and ever since then, he’d never had the money to replace it.
The duffel bag slung over his shoulder contained several days’ worth of rations and water, a sleeping bag, a simple tent, and even some cooking tools.
At his waist, he carried a kukri for self-defense, and tucked at his chest was a small knife used as a handy tool.
Normally, someone like Nada, used to life in the dungeon, wouldn’t need this much preparation. He could sleep on bare rock or on wet leaves without issue. For him, just water and a kukri were already more than enough.
But this time, he was taking his younger sister Tayla with him.
Camping outdoors would be too harsh for her—or so Iris and Dan had said.
So, for this trip alone, Nada bought all this extra gear. He also carried some money for emergencies.
On the other hand, Tayla, who was now under Nada’s protection, looked completely different from a few days ago.
At first, her face had been dirty with mud and sweat; she was thin, her complexion poor. But over the last few days, she had eaten plenty under Nada’s care. Since she ate the same meals as Nada, whose body was his livelihood, her nutrition was now more than sufficient.
Her complexion had improved, Iris had combed through her tangled hair, and her original cute face had reappeared, now showing a friendly smile.
Of course, the rag-like clothing she had worn before had been thrown out, and she now wore new clothes.
A black dress. Its cute, girlish design had been picked out by Dan, who’d given it to her as a gift. Over it, she wore a gray mantle—both pieces made from materials easy to move in.
“Hey, hey, what was the name of Nada’s hometown again? The village was called—”
And for some reason, Iris was standing right beside Nada and Tayla.
“Pequeño.”
“Right, that one. It was west of here, wasn’t it? I’m looking forward to it—your hometown. You always said there’s nothing there, but is it really that boring?”
“Yeah. It’s countryside.”
“I see. Well, it’ll be good for my social education—”
At that, Nada looked up at the sky.
He hadn’t expected Iris to tag along.
Yesterday, since Nada didn’t know what a young girl like Tayla would need, he dragged along the idle Iris he spotted wandering the town and asked for her help preparing for the trip. Needless to say, he ended up owing her a favor and paying for lunch.
And when Iris asked what day he planned to leave, Nada told her—and she immediately declared she was coming along. Nada refused at first, but she threatened to cancel the favor he owed her unless he accepted, so he had no choice but to bring her.
Iris’s outfit was simple: a black pleated skirt, a white long-sleeved blouse, and black boots. Pretty normal clothing.
Normal for an ordinary town.
But the dungeon city wasn’t ordinary. Most residents here were students or adventurers, whose formal wear, armor, and everyday clothes didn’t differ much. Which meant Iris definitely stood out in this place.
Fortunately, it was still around six in the morning—the sun not yet risen, the sky a pale blue. With no one else around to see her, she wasn’t drawing attention.
But that wasn’t what worried Nada.
Iris wasn’t carrying a single bag. No rapier, no kukri, no weapon of any kind. She was empty-handed. She even forced all the food, sleeping gear, and supplies on Nada this morning so he’d stuff them into his duffel. She clearly had no intention of carrying anything herself.
To any bandit on the plains, Iris—being a beautiful woman—would look like the perfect target, but Nada’s thoughts were different.
He thought: This is going to be a pain.
She could probably defeat washed-up adventurer-bandits even barehanded, but she likely wouldn’t bother. She’d probably leave it all to him—and then watch from behind, grinning as he took them down.
“Is big sis coming too?”
Tayla tugged on the hem of Nada’s coat.
“…Are you really coming?”
Nada double-checked with Iris, just in case.
“Of course I am. If I’m going to grant your request, I have to be there. There’s no way someone like you, just a lone adventurer, would be allowed through. That’s why I’m coming along. So be grateful—”
“…Yeah.”
Nada nodded.
It looked like Iris really was going to fulfill the favor he’d asked of her beforehand, and that alone eased some of his worries.
If he was going back home, there were things he absolutely had to do.
“Then… Nada… big brother.”
Tayla tugged on his coat again.
She seemed to have accepted Iris coming along.
But since she still wasn’t used to Nada—whom she had only just met a few days ago—she seemed unsure how to call him.
“…Alright. Let’s go.”
Nada didn’t say anything more than that.
He had no idea how he was supposed to interact with a sister he’d only just reunited with. Unlike Claire, Tayla had no memories of him beyond infancy. He didn’t know what she liked, what she disliked, or what she was like as a person.
But perhaps because the rest of their family was gone and she felt insecure, she wouldn’t let go of his coat whenever she was near him. She didn’t get any closer than that, but she didn’t pull away either.
With Tayla clinging to his coat, Nada left the dungeon city of Inferno. Iris, dressed for a simple walk around town, followed behind.
Nada had left home to become an adventurer, and since then, he had never returned. He never had time to, and since he wasn’t outstanding in his studies, he’d never been invited to the capital either. For the past five years and some change, he had spent almost all his life struggling to survive in Inferno. In truth, everything he needed could be found in the city; he’d never had a reason to leave.
Yet now, he was stepping outside.
It was his first time beyond the city in years.
A vast plain stretched before them. The sky was clear, without a single cloud, and the bright sun blazed overhead. Beyond the fields would be a forest, then a path through a pair of lakes, then into the mountains—and past that lay his hometown. If his memory was right.
It feels nostalgic.
Back then, he’d walked this road nearly starving to death. He barely remembered anything about it—the color of the sky, the scenery—everything had been blurry and vague.
But now his mind was clear.
He’d grown taller, his body far stronger than the scrawny, skin-and-bones kid he used to be. He had knowledge now. He even had a little money. And he carried tools—tents, a kukri, conveniences he could never have afforded back then.
He supposed he’d grown.
At least a little.
But if someone asked how much he’d grown as a person, Nada wouldn’t know how to answer.
Inside, he didn’t feel all that different from back then.
Still troubled by something, still struggling just to live.
“You know, you’ve never left the city before. Getting sentimental?”
Iris teased.
“No… I’m just surprised. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen open sky like this.”
Nada took a deep breath.
It tasted like greenery. Rich and fresh. It warmed him from the inside.
It really had been a long time since he’d last seen a sky this wide.
Inferno was full of tall buildings, with few places where you could see far. And Nada spent most of his days in a cramped apartment, a school building, or the dungeon—an enclosed space with no sky at all. There was almost no serenity there… only iron, blood, mud, and countless deaths.
He exhaled slowly.
“…Alright. Let’s go.”
With those words, the three of them began to walk.
Toward the village where Nada had once lived.
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