NOVEL NEXT Chapter 144
144. The Two Running Together Now [SIDE – Sierra]
It’s been about ten minutes since Ar-kun went to the grassland area. My heart is still racing. Surely, I’m still being pulled back. Even though I thought I had let go a long time ago.
“Onee-chan!”
While I was sitting at the reception desk, Fran came running in. Her breathing was heavy, and sweat was pouring from her forehead.
“I heard from Eleanor-san! Laura’s in danger right now! Let’s go together!”
“…I’m not going.”
I responded coldly, in the same tone as I had with Ar-kun, to Fran, who was clearly desperate.
“…I’m sorry. I don’t have the right to see Laura. Go on without me.”
I forced a smile somehow. I thought it was the right thing to do as an adult.
“…You’re running away again.”
But what came from Fran’s mouth were unexpected words.
“Fran…?”
“You’re running away again. Just like when you left home, abandoning us!”
I was shocked to hear Fran say something like that. Fran had always been considerate and thoughtful of everyone around her. That’s why I knew these were her true feelings.
“Sierra-neesan, you’re so unfair. Laura-neesan has been facing everything head-on, but you’re just pretending to understand!”
“I haven’t been running away all this time!”
I raised my voice. The guild fell into a tense silence. Neither of us was calm. Fran, in her frustration, had reverted to calling me “Sierra-neesan,” a name she had stopped using long ago.
“I’ve regretted that day ever since! But I thought this was the best way!”
“Not talking to Laura-neesan directly and using me as a go-between is the best way? You’ve got to be kidding me. I’m not your messenger pigeon!”
I found myself at a loss for words. It might be the first time I’ve seen Fran so angry. When I was focused solely on training, I hardly spent any time playing with Fran. By the time I left home, she had already grown into the considerate Fran she was now.
“…Laura-neesan loves you, Sierra-neesan. She’s done everything she could because of that love.
And even so, she chose not to see you.”
“That’s a lie! She stopped smiling, just like before! Because I pushed all the training onto her…”
“That’s not true! Laura-neesan still smiles, and she still cries! It’s just that you refuse to see it!”
I was startled. How many times had I actually looked at her face? —And how many times had I deliberately looked away?
“But… but even if you tell me this now, what can I do…”
“Face it! Face Laura-neesan. Face me. Face what’s to come. If you keep running away, you’ll never be able to move forward!”
Fran, now almost out of breath, continued speaking.
“You haven’t heard Mom’s final words yet, have you?”
“Mom’s…?”
“Mom told us, ‘I’m sorry for what I’ve done to you both. If I could, I’d… start over…’”
The mother I remembered was always blaming me. So, hearing this from Fran was a complete surprise. But for some reason, I couldn’t believe it. A warm feeling spread in my heart.
That warmth was undoubtedly proof that I had grown up with her love, even in my early childhood.
“We can start over! Our sisterhood, our family, and everything ahead of us! So please, stop running away and face us!”
When I looked, I saw Fran was crying. Her tears streamed down her cheeks and fell onto the guild floor.
What had I been doing all this time? I’m such an idiot. Why am I only realizing what’s important now? I really am an idiot—completely hopeless.
[I understood after clearing the dungeon with Laura. She loves people, and she cherishes everyone. Most of all, I realized when I fought alongside her…]
I remembered the words Ar-kun had told me. His words always gave me the push I needed.
[Laura is strong because she’s overcome the painful past. She’s not as trapped in the past as you think, Sierra-san. In fact, she’s thinking about how to face you now.]
The Ar-kun who used to be completely helpless without me is now fighting alongside Laura in my place.
If I can find the courage to change like he did—there’s only one thing to do.
“…Fran. Let’s go to the grassland area together!”
“Yeah!”
We ran out of the guild. It was still business hours, but that didn’t matter at all. We just kept running north, letting ourselves be carried by the feeling of not wanting to stop.
—Looking back, I was never alone. Ar-kun. Fran. Mom. Laura. They were always giving me the words I needed.
The smell of the old, closed-off dojo filled my nose again. I shook it off and kept running. I won’t hesitate anymore!