Episode 34 – Blood Ties VI
The three of them left Pequeño and headed toward Inferno—or rather, not directly there, but toward another place Iris guided them to.
They walked along a wagon road stretching across the plains beyond the mountain Pequeño sat on. When Tayla asked where the road led, Iris explained that it was a major route connecting the royal capital, Purgatorio, with the surrounding region’s governing city, Arvore.
Naturally, Pequeño was included among the villages under Arvore’s administration. After all, Arvore was where Pequeño paid its taxes.
As far as Nada knew, Arvore didn’t have a dungeon. Instead, it had developed into an important commercial city connecting Purgatorio and Inferno. Because of that, Arvore often held extremely valuable goods, which made it a target for foreign threats. To counter this, the entire city was surrounded by very tall walls, and—unlike Inferno, where anyone could stroll in—entering Arvore required an ID or a pass.
At Arvore’s entrance, which functioned as a checkpoint, about six sturdy men stood guard. Each was armed with a sword and wore armor.
In front of them, a long line of merchants and travelers waited their turn, handing over their identification or travel passes before being allowed inside. Noble carriages, decorated far more extravagantly than the others, were allowed through ahead of everyone else, and the guards clearly prioritized them.
Nada moved to line up with the other travelers—only for Iris to step ahead of the line entirely and plant herself right in front of the guards.
With a cool, mocking smile, Iris spoke.
“Hey, let us through.”
“You think you can just cut in line? Who do you think you are? Disrupting order here means defying us,” one of the guards growled, glaring at her.
“Oh? Even after seeing this?”
Iris pulled out the necklace hanging around her neck.
The moment they saw it, the guards’ expressions changed.
It was a deep, blood-red color—darker than real blood—and unmistakably made of a rare gemstone.
Under the sunlight, it gleamed brilliantly. Its pendant was shaped like blazing wings, joined to the chain.
The guards clearly recognized it. The instant they saw it, cold sweat ran down their faces, and they bowed deeply.
“W-we had no idea… You’re from House Scarlet. Please, go right in—”
House Scarlet—one of the five greatest noble houses in the entire kingdom. Even gate guards knew their crest.
And only House Scarlet was permitted to use the emblem of burning wings. If anyone else—noble or not—dared wear it, House Scarlet themselves would personally deliver punishment.
So to the guards, Iris was either a madwoman showing off a forbidden crest… or she really was a daughter of House Scarlet. In either case, the wisest choice was not to get involved.
“Is it fine if my acquaintances come in too?”
Iris asked, pointing back at Nada and Tayla.
“Yes, of course—please.”
“Thanks.”
With that, Iris led Nada and Tayla through the gate into Arvore.
“Come to think of it…”
One guard murmured as he watched Iris walk away.
It was almost unheard of for nobles to travel without a carriage. But… he remembered hearing rumors that House Scarlet’s third daughter didn’t behave like a normal noblewoman at all.
While noble daughters were raised like pampered flowers and expected to marry into other houses, the third daughter of House Scarlet had, for some reason, chosen to become an adventurer—bloodstained, battle-worn—and even excelled in that path. At this point, not even her father, the head of the house, could restrain her.
The guard wondered if the girl who had just passed through was that infamous third daughter of the Scarlet family.
◆◆◆
Iris led Nada and Tayla to a large mansion inside Arvore.
This was the noble district, and the mansion Iris headed for was especially huge even among them.
“This is the Nouven estate you wanted to come to. Seriously, what business do you have with a place like this…?”
Iris sighed as she said it to Nada.
“I owe you one.”
Nada stared at the mansion before him.
Before they set out on this journey, Nada had asked Iris for a favor—he wanted to speak with the head of House Nouven.
“…Come to think of it, the current head here is a woman, right? I heard the previous head—her husband—died a few months ago, and she became a young, beautiful widow. Nada… you’re not after that, are you?”
Iris narrowed her eyes and stared at him.
“…Whatever. Just show us inside already.”
Nada waved off her suspicion and urged her to hurry. Iris muttered, “Boring,” then walked over to speak with a servant cleaning near the gate.
Once the servant noticed Iris, she showed the same necklace she had displayed at the city gate—the blazing wing–shaped emblem. The servant froze for a moment, stunned, then quickly bowed and hurried into the mansion.
A few minutes later, the servant returned with others—an elderly butler in a tailcoat and maids around the same age. They hurried to Iris and bowed deeply.
“Our apologies for keeping you waiting, Lady Iris. Please, this way. You’ve arrived earlier than expected. The mistress is already waiting in the inner room. Right this way—”
The butler spoke nervously.
Just what kind of rumors had they heard about Iris?
Nada knew Iris had sent a letter ahead of time to set an appointment before coming here.
“Well, fine. Come on, Nada, Tayla-chan. I don’t know what business you have here, but let’s go.”
Following Iris, Nada, and Tayla stepped onto the mansion grounds.
First, they were guided through the front garden. Like a proper noble estate, many kinds of flowers bloomed in an array of colors, clearly tended by a gardener. The garden had many yellow roses, which the butler explained were the mistress’s preference.
Iris, accustomed to gardens of this scale, barely glanced at it with any interest. Tayla, on the other hand, looked around curiously at the colorful flowers. Nada didn’t seem to care about flowers at all.
After passing through the garden, the three entered the brick-built mansion.
It was large even for a noble home—walking around it would take time. Following the butler, the trio made their way inside.
They were led to a room on the second floor—a room larger than most. A plaque on the door read Reception Room. After the butler knocked and a bell-like voice from inside said, “Please, come in,” he opened the door for them.
“Pleased to meet you—”
The interior was simple.
One desk, two sofas, and several paintings on the walls—likely expensive pieces. The sofas were upholstered with a leather Nada had never seen before, and the wooden desk bore intricate carvings.
On the opposite sofa sat a woman in a black dress with modest exposure.
The three sat on the sofa facing her, with Iris in the center. A maid entered and served fragrant tea to all four.
After everyone took a sip, the mistress of the house finally spoke.
“Welcome to my home. Miss Iris—we’ve met several times at the balls, haven’t we?”
She was a woman of refined, mature beauty.
A mole near her lips lent her a mysterious charm. Her skin was pale as though she seldom went outside, and her long, glossy hair was gently wavy and gathered atop her head. A black veil hid her features somewhat, but even through it, her beauty was clear.
Her frame was delicate overall—so slender she looked like she might break if touched.
“Indeed. When was the last time we met?”
“Let me think… I believe it was about a year ago. And the other two—this is our first time meeting, isn’t it? Welcome to my home. My name is Beatrice. I am currently acting head of House Nouven in place of my late husband. I look forward to your acquaintance. May I have your names as well?”
“I’m Nada.”
“And I’m Tayla!”
“So then—who is it that has business with me?”
Beatrice looked at Nada and Tayla one after the other.
“It’s me—”
Nada answered.
“You are… Nada, was it? I’ve heard quite a bit about you. Good rumors, and bad ones. But it seems true that you’re a skilled adventurer—enough that I’d love to hear stories of your exploits someday. Now then, what brings you here today? Have you come to form a contract with me?”
“No…”
“Then what is it? Don’t tell me—are you here to confess to me?”
She covered her mouth with her hand as she said it.
“I went as far as using Iris to get in here for one reason only. I absolutely needed to enter this mansion and ask you personally about someone.”
“And who might that be?”
“Is there a woman named Maria working here? As a maid—”
When he said this, Iris muttered, exasperated, “I knew it, a woman…” but Nada ignored her and continued.
“Well? Is she still here?”
“…Yes, a maid by that name does work here. But what business do you have with her?”
“It’s nothing big. I just need to talk to her—”
“…Very well. Sebastian—”
After thinking for a moment, Beatrice lightly tapped the armrest twice with her slender, pale fingers.
The butler who had guided them earlier knocked, opened the door carefully, and entered.
“Do you require more tea, madam?”
“No, something else. This guest—Sir Nada—wishes to meet with the maid Maria. Could you bring her here?”
Hearing this, the butler’s expression soured.
“However, Maria is to be married in a month to the master of House Caridade, who took a liking to her. I don’t know what this man wants with her, but if he lays a hand on her, it will damage your reputation, Lady Beatrice.”
“…Are you defying my orders?”
Beatrice’s voice dropped to a low, icy tone.
Sebastian panicked, bowed, and hurried out of the room—apparently rushing to fetch Maria.
“Thanks.”
“Indeed. I’ll accept your gratitude—at a later date, shall we?”
Beatrice smiled sweetly.
“…Depends on what the payment is.”
“Of course. I’ll think of something Sir Nada can handle.”
“…Fine.”
While Nada and Beatrice exchanged those words, Sebastian returned with Maria.
Maria was a plain-looking woman.
Her black hair was cut short around shoulder length—likely so it wouldn’t get in the way of her work.
She was slightly plump, with the kind of body that looked soft to hold. Her eyes were black, with heavy double lids, and faint freckles dotted her cheeks.
She wasn’t exactly beautiful, but she certainly had her own charm.
“Y-Yes… an adventurer wishes to speak with me? Who might you be…?”
The maid named Maria spoke with a trembling voice.
Maybe the word adventurer made her picture something rough or violent; her voice shook slightly, though she was clearly trying her best to keep a brave front.
“It’s me.”
Nada answered simply.
Maria stared at him, sizing him up, but she didn’t seem to recognize him—and more than that, she looked intimidated by his massive build.
“Um… what business do you have with me? If it’s about purchasing my contract, I’ve already been promised to Lord Caridade. If possible, I’d rather you not lay a hand on me, but if Lady Beatrice orders it, then I…”
Maria glanced repeatedly at Beatrice, her eyes silently begging for help. But before Beatrice could say anything, Nada opened his mouth.
“Hey now, did you forget my face?—I’m your little brother.”
“Ah—Mom!”
Maria didn’t even get the chance to be surprised by the word brother before Tayla jumped off the sofa and clung to her.
She was still small, so even though Maria was petite, she managed to withstand the impact. Tayla rubbed her head against Maria’s chest and stomach, like a child lavishing affection on a parent. Maria couldn’t bring herself to forcibly push her away.
“…Huh? Wait… something’s off. This doesn’t smell like Mom…”
Sensing something strange, Tayla stopped rubbing her head and looked up.
There was Maria’s face—very similar to her mother’s. But compared to Tayla’s mother, Maria was clearly younger.
“You… Claire…?”
Maria recognized Tayla’s face, too.
Her far-away hometown, the memories she’d never forgotten—she’d carried them with her all this time. Whenever things were hard, thoughts of her parents and siblings rose up, and remembering those happy days had helped her endure more than once.
And now, the face she had dreamed of again and again was right in front of her.
Maria burst into tears and hugged Tayla tightly.
“Y-You’re squishing me—big sis, I’m not Claire-nee! My name is Tayla!”
“T-Tayla? Tayla-chan…?”
Maria looked bewildered—she’d never heard the name Tayla, yet the child’s appearance was clearly so much like Claire’s.
“Her name’s Tayla, and she’s our little sister. See? Looks just like Claire, doesn’t she?”
Nada stepped in to help the still-confused Maria.
Maria looked at Nada’s face again—really looked. There were details she didn’t recognize: the small scars, the stronger, more masculine jaw. But that mischievous grin, the slight upward curl of the mouth… that she remembered.
Only one of her brothers ever smiled like that.
“No way… you’re…!!”
“Come on, you finally remembered? That’s right. It's me, Nada. Brings back memories, doesn’t it? How’s it feel, seeing your little brother again after so long?”
Maria stared intently at Nada’s face once more. And once she realized it truly was her little brother, she hugged him too—still clutching Tayla tightly.
It took Maria quite a while to calm down.
She had never imagined her family would suddenly show up like this. She wasn’t prepared at all—and yet here they were, the ones she loved most, standing before her. Her heart overflowed with joy she didn’t know how to handle. Holding her two siblings in her arms, she cried and cried.
Once Maria finally settled down, Beatrice, with a single firm instruction, arranged for the three of them to talk in a separate room.
“If you’re family, you must have plenty to catch up on,” she had said. Beatrice herself was utterly stunned—she never imagined the reason Nada wanted to meet Maria was that they were siblings. She blinked in disbelief over and over, looking between Nada, Maria, and Tayla.
Iris had also been sure Nada had chased Maria down because they’d had some one-night affair in the past—never in her wildest dreams did she expect them to be siblings. She too looked shocked.
Nada, Maria, and Tayla moved to a guest room and sat together on the same bed.
Even then, Tayla remained clinging tightly to Maria.
“So then, could you tell me your name once more?”
Maria asked the girl clinging to her—Tayla.
To Maria, she was a sister she had never seen before. That was only natural; Tayla had been born after Maria left to serve the Nouven household. When Maria departed, their mother’s stomach hadn’t even begun to show.
“I’m Tayla! Dad gave me the name!”
“Tayla-chan, then. My name is Maria. You probably don’t know me, but I’m your older sister—older than Shama, Claire, and Karol, and of course older than Nada here.”
“Really!? Wow! That’s why you look so much like Mom!”
With that, Tayla hugged Maria again.
She clung to her as if refusing to let go of the warmth of her dead mother, holding Maria tightly—so tightly it was almost painful. Maria answered that embrace with equal strength.
Her eyes grew wet again, but this time she didn’t cry. She wiped the corner of her eye with one hand and looked at Nada beside her.
“So, Nada—what business did you have with me? Did you get lonely without your big sister? Want to cling to me like you used to? If I remember right, you were the biggest crybaby of all the siblings…”
“…No, I’ll pass.”
Seeing Tayla wrapped in Maria’s arms, Nada suddenly remembered.
When he’d been old enough to understand things, their mother had been constantly busy with the newborns. So the one he had clung to the most was Maria, the eldest sister. Even though she’d still been small herself, she used to carry Nada all the time.
Those were memories of days long gone—faint fragments Nada could barely recall.
“So then, what did you want to see me for?”
“…A report.”
Nada said this quietly, then told her what had become of the rest of their family.
He’d come all this way solely because he believed Maria had the right to know. She reacted with shock when she heard their parents and siblings had died—but she didn’t cry. It seemed she had been prepared for the possibility.
Their village had always been small and poor in resources. Maria herself had been sold into service under the guise of “apprenticeship” just to secure food for the family.
If it was that bad back then…
Maria had tried not to think about the worst. But hearing the fate of her family from her own brother still struck a painful chord. She held Tayla tightly, her body trembling just a little.
“…I see. Thank you, Nada. I’m glad I know. If I’d gone straight to Lord Caridade’s household like this, I would’ve never learned a thing. So… what are you doing now, Nada?”
Maria shifted the topic to his present life, wanting to move away from the dark subject.
“Well… not long after you left home, I left too. I became an adventurer.”
Nada briefly outlined his life since leaving.
He’d enrolled in an adventurers’ academy and was working there now. There had been hardships, but he lived well enough that he wasn’t struggling to eat anymore. He didn’t go into too much detail—he didn’t want to make her worry.
“I see… so you became an adventurer. That must’ve been tough, right?”
Maria took his right hand—thick, hardened by training—and squeezed it.
“Not as tough as for you, sis. You came here for the family. I just wanted to eat my fill—I became an adventurer for myself.”
Nada didn’t pull his hand away.
If anything, he held Maria’s own hand gently, as if comforting it. The dry, cracked skin told him exactly what kind of life she’d lived. He could imagine it easily: helping with chores in the village, helping raise the younger ones, working hard without ever slacking off. Even here, she must’ve worked earnestly and tirelessly.
Her hands alone were proof of it.
“No, you’re wrong. I don’t know exactly what happened back then, but I’m sure you left home for the family, too. You were always so kind, Nada.”
“…I wasn’t that great.”
“You were…”
And just like that, the two of them embraced—Tayla still between them—holding each other gently, as if remembering the warmth of their childhood.
After that, thanks to Beatrice’s kindness, Nada, Tayla, and Iris stayed overnight at the Nouven estate.
Maria’s duties for the day were all canceled with the cooperation of the other butlers and maids, so that she could catch up with her siblings. For the first time in so long, the three of them spent the entire day together. And, of course, they slept in the same room.
The next morning came.
Nada and the others had to return to Inferno, so they prepared to depart early. Tayla pouted and fussed a little, but Nada lifted her into his arms and carried her to the mansion’s entrance. Waiting to see them off were Beatrice, Maria, and Sebastian.
“Hey, Nada… are you really sure? If you want, Tayla-chan could—”
Maria said this while gripping Nada’s sleeve, glancing at the teary-eyed Tayla. Nada spoke before she could finish.
“It’s fine. I’ll take care of Tayla. You’re getting married soon, right? You should keep your burdens as light as you can.”
“…I see.”
She must have still had so many things she wanted to say.
Nada and Maria had enough to talk about to fill one night, two nights, even more. But they both knew they had their own paths to walk.
And because they understood that, Maria embraced Nada and Tayla once more, trying not to forget their warmth—the warmth of family.
“Tayla-chan, see you again. Stay healthy, okay?”
“Mm! See you!”
The two girls hugged each other, then waved with small hands.
“Nada, don’t trouble other people, okay? You had a habit of running off and doing whatever you wanted, and you need to stop that. And you didn’t talk much compared to the others, so you need to communicate more. And make sure you eat properly. And also, and also…”
Maria said all this while hugging Nada tightly and crying. She had so many things she wanted to say that toward the end, she couldn’t even tell what she was saying herself.
She had promised herself she wouldn’t cry when they parted—but she couldn’t help it. She wanted to hold onto this warmth just a little longer.
Nada hugged her tightly once, then put his hands on her shoulders and gently pushed her back.
“Take care, sis. And… this is for you.”
He pressed a small pouch, taken from his pocket, against Maria’s chest.
“Nada, this is—”
Just from the weight, Maria knew what was inside.
“It’s fine. I earn my own money now as an adventurer. Think of it as a parting gift. When you left home, you gave the family a farewell gift, right? This is me returning that favor. It’s not much, but take it.”
“But this is money you worked for—”
“It’s fine. You’re getting married, aren’t you? Then buy yourself a dress, some makeup—something to make yourself a little prettier for the occasion.”
With that, Nada turned away, holding Tayla.
Maria clutched the pouch to her chest and whispered a small “Thank you.”
Then she waved her arms wide and called out, “See you later! Take care!” over and over to Nada and Tayla.
Nada didn’t look back. Tayla, still carried, peeked over Nada’s shoulder and waved hard.
“See you later, big sis!”
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