Chapter 4: A Pure Love

Six months remained until we were to be kicked out.

It had become the snowflake moon season, which was pretty much identical to winter from my world. During the cold days, we relied on mana tool heaters for warmth.

By the time the winter was over, we would no longer be staying in this house.

I would go to school, but I was worried about what would happen to my students. At first, the plan had been to have Noel take care of them; but they had said they wanted to work in the city my school was in so they could be close to me.

I couldn’t say no to that, so I’d continued their harsh training to make sure they could take care of themselves.

Noel was going to return home to her old village. It was very poor, and the reason she’d left home as a kid was because there would be one mouth less to feed. But, according to rumors in town, their village was doing better, thanks to the new feudal lord in the area. That’s why she’d decided to go home. Dii was going to go with her. As an old adventurer, he enjoyed traveling to new places. With his great cooking, he’d be able to stay anywhere without any problems. Those two would be just fine.

As for Erina...

Leus and I were sparring in the garden when it happened.

“Big bro! Ouch, ouuuch!”

“I got you because you lett your guard down.”

I was punishing Leus with the “Iron Claw” when Emilia’s frantic yells came from the house.

“Sirius! Come quick! Hurry!”

The panic in her voice instantly made me realize that it was serious. I sprinted into the house and saw what was wrong right away.

“Help! Erina collapsed!”

Emilia was holding Erina’s body in her arms, and there were tears forming in her eyes.

“Erina! Are you okay?! Erina!”

“I-I’m... fine. I... just need... rest...”

“Emilia, calm down. Take Erina to her bed right away.”

Panic would have only made the situation worse. For starters, we needed to get Erina to her room. I calmly looked down at Emilia.

“Carry Erina to her bed. I can’t examine her here. Got it?”

“O-Okay...”

Emilia was still a little bewildered, but she did as she was told. The ability to carry their master to their room was an important skill for a servant, after all.

I started to analyze her body, and Dii and Noel quickly showed up. They looked worried, though they stayed silent until I had finished my examination. The siblings were both crying in the corner. After using “Scan” on Erina for a bit, I knew the problem.

“It’s time, huh?”

Erina wasn’t hurt, or ill—she was simply getting old. In my old world, it wasn’t unusual for people to live to a hundred. In this world, there was no medical science, so a woman her age was not as strong as one from my world would have been. Also, Erina had struggled with a serious illness earlier in life. She had recovered, but it had taken a serious toll on her body. That was also the reason she wasn’t able to have children of her own. Her lifespan must have been reduced from the strain of it. Healing magic could cure a lot of things, but it couldn’t restore someone’s life. One thing was for certain—she didn’t have much time left.

She had rapidly deteriorated over the past six months. She spent most of her time sitting or lying down, and rarely did any work. Even so, she still took time to show Emilia the proper mannerisms for a servant, and endured the pain it caused her frail body. She was doing her best to pass on everything she knew.

“Sirius! Erina will be fine, right?!”

“Do something, Big bro!”

Dii and Noel seemed to understand what was wrong, but the siblings were looking at me for hope. Nothing could cure Erina—neither magic, nor medicine. We just had to pray and hope for a miracle. Sadly, I didn’t believe in miracles, and I wasn’t able to make them happen.

“Don’t... ask the impossible.”

“Erina!”

Erina had regained consciousness, though she still looked as pale as a ghost.

The siblings rushed up to her, and she gently patted their heads as she looked over at me.

“Sirius, you examined me?”

“Yeah, I did.”

“Then you know what’s wrong. Please tell everyone.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’ve made my peace with it. I want everyone to know.”

“Right... that makes sense.”

Erina smiled bitterly. She was ready, so I had to respect her wishes. I looked over at the servants and told them my diagnosis.

“Erina doesn’t have long left. No more than a month or two.”

Dii and Noel looked away in sadness, while the siblings both broke down crying.

“Did you hear that, everyone?”

But Erina kept a smile on her face.

“This is out of our hands. So please get ready for it.”

Erina’s condition only worsened over the next few days. She was bedridden, and needed to be nursed and fed. The only thing she was able to do was to nod and say a few words. The servants would come and sit by her side when they could. It was hard for them to watch her slowly approach death like that.

She didn’t try to hide the fact that her time was running out, probably for the siblings’ sake. They had just gotten over their parents’ death, so having another loved one pass away would be tough for them. That was why she didn’t try to hide the truth, so they had some time together with her to accept it. Despite her weak condition, she still forced herself up to teach Emilia.

“Please don’t push yourself, Erina. You can watch me and give pointers from the bed.”

“I still have many things to teach you before I can leave you with Sirius. Until I’m done with that, I don’t have time to lay down.”

“But, you’re in no condition to...”

“I’m sorry, but please let me be selfish and do this.”

“Okay.”

Even on her deathbed, Erina continued to teach Emilia. She was using the last strength she had to pass on all the knowledge that she could.

Of course, I continued training too, despite the tough circumstances. The siblings continued to train with me, but they were distracted a lot more than usual. Still, exercise was a good way to get some frustration out of their systems.

※※※

It was half a month after Erina collapsed.

It was becoming hard for her to eat solid food, so we had to start preparing a new liquid diet for her. The siblings were no longer denying the reality of the situation, and had started greeting Erina with big smiles. They were trying their best to reassure her.

What could I do for her?

Erina had been there for me since I had been reborn. How could I repay such an incredible debt? I spent my time looking through every book I could find for the tiniest chance at finding something to cure her. It was all in vain, of course. However, I did learn about a certain object that I could try to use. It had terrible properties, as well, but I felt like it was worth a shot.

After I’d received her permission, I headed to several faraway towns and forests in search of the object. It took several days, but I finally got my hands on it and returned home. All that was left was for her to choose when to use it.

※※※

It was a month after she had collapsed. That morning started off with a ruckus.

“Good morning!”

“Erina?!”

As everyone woke up, Erina was already in the kitchen preparing food. She was humming and moving around just fine, as if it had all been a dream.

“Are you feeling better?! What’s happening?!”

“I’ll explain it all later. Please, let’s have breakfast.”

She had prepared quite a feast for everyone else, but only had a simple cup of water in front of her own seat.

“You’re not eating, Erina?”

“I’ll explain everything later. Just enjoy the food and don’t mind me.”

Everyone seemed like they had their suspicions, but they put it aside for the time being. It had been a while since they had eaten Erina’s cooking, so they quickly got caught up in eating.

“How is it, Sirius? I haven’t cooked in a while, so I’m not sure if it’s any good...”

“It’s perfect. Just the way it always has been. I love your cooking.”

“Oh, thank God. I was worried it wouldn’t taste good.”

“It’s delicious, Erina!”

“Hehe, thank you.”

After breakfast, Erina prepared tea for everyone. And then, as everyone started drinking their tea, she dropped a bomb on everyone.

“I’ll die today.”

Everyone froze up and stared at Erina in shock. After a long pause, Noel spoke up.

“Um, could you explain...? What’s going on? This is so sudden...”

“Of course. I might look fine right now, but that’s all thanks to a certain medicine.”

“Medicine? D-Did it cure you?”

“No. This medicine drains the life force of whoever drinks it—no matter how little is left—and gives them great strength for about one day. After that, their life ends. Mine will wear out tonight.”

The “medicine” I had gotten her was an illegal elixir called “life boost.”

It numbed the user’s senses and increased their physical abilities to the max for the duration. It had been used during wars to bring nearly dead soldiers back to the battlefield. As such, it had been deemed illegal due to its horrible effects. Normally, the standar elixir would last no more than a few hours, but I’d tinkered with it and managed to extend the duration to about one day. Now Erina wasn’t feeling any pain and could move around just like normal. Though once the elixir’s effect ran out, she’d die. The reason she hadn’t eaten was simply because she didn’t need to.

“Why would you take something like that?!”

“Yeah, this is too sudden!”

“Even if I didn’t take it, I would only have had days left. So I wanted to have one day where I’m back to normal with all of you instead.”

The room went silent after that response. Everyone was at a loss, so they started looking toward me for answers instead. But I had been the one who had gotten her the elixir in the first place, and had left the choice to take it to her.

“This is what Erina wants. I think we should respect her wishes. So, after work, let’s have some tea again.”

“Thank you. Okay, everyone, let’s start with cleaning! Let’s split up and finish it quickly!”

All that Erina had wanted was to do chores with the others like she used to. They cleaned the house, did the laundry, prepared some lunch, and continued with their usual housework like any other day. The other servants seemed a little bewildered at first, but when they saw Erina skip around the house and do her chores, they quickly got excited to join.

“Emilia, Leus, come—I’ll pat you.”

“Yaaay!”

“Noel, Dii, I made some cookies. Why don’t we have some tea and eat them?”

“Now we’re talking!”

“Thank you.”

“Sirius, do you want to rest your head in my lap?”

“Yeah, I’d love that.”

She used the remainder of her life force to enjoy the day with her family. After we had finished eating dinner, Erina brought everyone to her room. She lay down in bed and made sure we were all there.

“I had so much fun today. I don’t think I have much time left, so I want to say something to each one of you before I go.”

With a loving smile, Erina started to call us over to leave us with some final words. She told Noel to remember her training and to believe in herself. If she did, she’d do a fine job. She told Dii to work on his speaking skills so he could do better on his own. Leus was told to work on his etiquette, and Emilia was told to use what Erina had taught her to support me. Everyone just stayed silent, crying as they listened to Erina, but I couldn’t control my feelings any longer.

“Why...”

“What’s wrong, Sirius?”

“Why are you... smiling?”

She continued to smile as she replied, of course, but that made me feel angry. She had basically just told people how to improve in their jobs, nothing more. Was that really all she had to say? Was that really the final thing she wanted to leave us with?

“Erina... is that really all you want to say?”

“I’m sorry, did I do something wrong?”

Erina looked bewildered. It was obvious she hadn’t understood my anger, but I just couldn’t stop myself. She had done something wrong. Erina wasn’t just a maid who was there to pass on her knowledge—she was family. I wanted her to act like that. Like the kind mother figure she had always been to me...

“True. You’re very suited for a motherly role. I’ve felt like you’re my mom many times myself, after all.”

“Oh?! Th-Thank you very much...”

“Haha, you two sound like parents!”

“At my age? Shouldn’t I at least be their big brother or something?”

“In that case, I’d be your mother, Sirius. How wonderful...”

Of course.

The reason she was acting like just a servant was my fault. If I had just spent more time acting like a kid my age and allowed her to dote on me, instead of acting like an adult, then...

“If I hurt you in some way, I’m terribly sorry. Please, Sirius, let me say my goodbyes...”

“Of course. But I want to hear what you really have to say, Mom.”

She twitched in surprise, but quickly shook her head and smiled wryly.

“Please don’t make fun now. Your mother was the mistress. I’m simply your loyal servant, nothing more... I’m not your mother.”

“Yes, you are. I have two. Mom gave birth to me and loved me, but you raised me. You are my mother, Erina—that, I’m sure of.”

“I-I am...?”

“That’s right. You’ve always been a mother to me. So I don’t want you to pass on your knowledge as a maid now. I want to hear what you, as my mother, has to say to her family. Please...”

Suddenly, there were tears streaming down Erina’s face.

---

---

They were tears of joy, and she made no effort to wipe them away.

“A-Are you sure?”

“Of course. We’re family, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Actually, if you don’t tell us how you really feel, I’d be mad at you forever.”

“Sirius... Oh, Sirius... I don’t want you to be mad with me, so I’ll do as you say.”

The others watched us in surprise, though I felt good. I should have called her mom much earlier. I should have let her dote on me more. How could I not have realized this until now...?

“Everyone, could I please have a bit more of your time?”

Erina was finally speaking from her heart.

“Leus, you have to make sure you chew your food properly. I’ve told you this several times before. You need to chew the food and take your time tasting it, or else the person who made it will feel bad.”

“Wh-Why do you need to bring that up now...”

“Because this is important! And you need to work on your manners. If you’re seen acting rude around Sirius, you might get him in trouble. Do you understand?”

“Y-Yeah... I mean yes!”

“Dii... I only have one thing to say to you.”

“Yes?”

“It’s fine to be a little shy, but don’t let it turn to cowardice. Be proud and stick your chest out. These kids look up to you, so be a good role model for them.”

“I-I’ll remember that.”

“Noel... Oh, Noel, my cute, ditzy little sister. You could really be a handful, did you know that?”

“Uh... ouch?!”

“What’s the matter? I called you cute!”

“Ouch.”

“I’m joking. It’s okay, you’re perfect like this. Please stay the same cute and honest girl—don’t let anything change that.”

“Yeah... I will.”

“Emilia, remember your training. I’ve asked this many times before, but you still haven’t changed your mind about your future, right?”

“I haven’t. I want to stay by Sirius’s side.”

“I see. Don’t push yourself, though. If something happens to you, you’ll just worry Sirius.”

“Okay. I’ll be... careful.”

“Good. Take good care of yourself. You’ll need to be at your best to support him, after all.”

“Yeah... I will...”

“Sirius... I have nothing left I need to say to you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You can do anything on your own, can’t you?”

“Not anything.”

“No, you can. I’m your mother, and I’m so proud of you. I know you can.”

“Well, if you put it that way...”

“Just like the mistress said—please be strong and live your own life. Don’t let anyone hold you back.”

“That is something I’m good at, so don’t worry about it.”

“That’s good to hear. I have... one final request. If I may...”

“Of course.”

“Can you... hold my hand?”

“Of course.”

“Can you... call me ‘Mom’ one more time?”

“I’ll say it as many times as you want, Mom.”

“One more time...”

“Mom.”

“Once more...”

“Mom.”

“Hehe. This is the first time I’ve seen you cry in your whole life. Are you... crying for my sake?”

“Of course I am...”

“Say, Sirius. I couldn’t be happier.”

“I’m glad.”

“The only regret I have is that I won’t be there to watch you grow.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s all right. I’m happy. There were a lot of hard times along the way, but I had my beloved family there with me. That’s why I couldn’t be happier now.”

“I’m happy too. I’m so glad I got to grow up with you, Mom.”

“I love you, Sirius.”

“I love you too, Mom.”

“Thank you. That’s all I needed to hear.”

“Thank you...”

| Erina |

Suddenly, I found myself standing in an empty, white space. I had just been lying in bed holding Sirius’s hand, then suddenly I woke up here.

“You’re too early!”

Miss Arya?

“That’s right. Long time no see!”

It has been far too long. Your son has grown up so well.

“I know, I’ve been watching. And hey, he’s not my son—he’s ours.”

That’s right.

“Don’t be so stiff! We’re not master and servant anymore, we’re both just two mothers talking. Loosen up!”

I appreciate the sentiment, but it’s a tough habit to break. Now... where are we?

“Hmm, I don’t know! Heaven, I guess?”

Heaven, you say? And we’re able to watch Sirius from here?

“That’s it? You’re not surprised or anything?”

As long as I can watch Sirius, nothing else matters.

“I see. Here, come sit next to me, then. There’s a seat that’s open for you!”

I don’t see chairs or anything. What do you mean?

“It’s an expression. Just come, sit, and watch Sirius.”

Of course. Ah, he’s so cute.

“He’s quite the ladykiller, huh? He’s the first man to ever make you this obsessed, that’s for sure!”

I’ve been obsessed with him since the moment I first held him in my arms.

“Well, I’ve been obsessed with him since before he was even born! Hah! I win.”

No—with all due respect, no one loves Sirius more than me.

“I do!”

No, I love him more.

“This is going nowhere... Hmm, how about we say we love him equally, then?”

No, I love him more.

“Ugh... you’re the same as always, huh?”

So are you.

“Well, I had no reason to change, did I?! Anyways, Erina... at this point, all we can do is watch, but I have something to tell you.”

I’m listening.

“Thank you. You did good. You can rest now.”

Thank you. I was truly happy.

| Sirius |

The next day, we headed to the spot where we’d had a picnic a month ago. We decided to make Erina’s grave there, among the beautiful flowers. In this world, a funeral meant that only the closest relatives got together to mourn. The only exception to this was with nobles.

The deceased would be cremated, and their remains would then be crushed. This was to prevent the remains from reanimating into a skeletal monster. We quietly buried Erina’s remains in the box she’d kept hidden with my mother’s picture.

“Big bro, is this good?”

Leus set down the gravestone, and we carved her name in the stone with my mirthil knife. It didn’t feel right just carving in her name, though.

“I’d like to leave a message in her memory on the grave. Does anyone have any ideas?”

“Hmm, something about family...”

“And her loyalty.”

“‘Our beloved Erina?’ Something like that?”

“Yes, I’d definitely like something like that too.”

“Hmm. How about this, then?”

I took everyone’s suggestions and put them all together. After getting everyone’s approval, I etched it into the stone.

In my old world, I had never met my parents. My master had not really been a parent—he had been more like a teacher. When I had died, I had never known what the warmth of a loving parent felt like. Erina taught me how that felt. I thought I had lost the ability to cry after everything I’d been through in my old life, but the thought of her brought tears to my eyes once more.

What a nostalgic feeling. The only thing that was able to make me cry now was the strong affection I felt for Erina, my mother. Her honest and pure love still lived within my heart. She had always been there to support me since the day I had been reborn.

Goodbye, Mom. Thank you for having taught me what it felt like to be loved like this.

Please rest in peace.

Her gravestone read:

Here lies Erina—loved by her family, trusted by all.

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