After leaving Nemnesia.
We broke up with Nemia in Elstania, and we came to the capital of the Kingdom of Casco by airship.
Get on the train now and go home.
"How soon will we be in your hometown?
"You'll arrive as early as after noon the day after tomorrow."
"Sometimes. What kind of place is your hometown?
"It's a small village at the foot of the mountain."
"At the foot of the mountain... you can taste the mountain vegetable dish?
"Yeah. Mother's handicrafts were delicious, and I want Mr. Noir to eat them."
"I'm looking forward to it. So you're staying at your house the day after tomorrow?
"Well, I guess it will if it works out"
"I look forward to staying at your place. Is it after that that I'm going to see the Lord of the Red Dots?
Homecoming has two purposes.
One is to dissolve the family attachment.
The other is to apprentice to the Lord of the Red Dots.
And the two can be fulfilled at the same time.
Because...
"Truth be told, the Lord of those red dots is my father."
Mr. Noir turns a blind eye to surprise.
"Your father is strong."
"Yeah. I didn't see you fighting demons, but one of the villages respected you as a wizard."
"What magic would your father use?
"Wind magic."
"What about your mother?
"My mother is a wizard of the dark system."
"So you inherited your father's lineage?
"Yeah. The pedigree is my father's. Well, I didn't inherit my talent."
"That's not true. I also inherit my talent as a wizard. It was just a late bloom, and you could be a great wizard."
Strong encouragement made me happy.
"Thanks! I'll make sure you become a great wizard!
"I'll see to that moment."
With that said, Mr. Noir held his stomach.
"If we were talking, I'd be hungry."
"Well, let's have a station valve!
"I'll eat...!
That's how we looked at the shifting scenery and cheeked up the station valves for in-car sales.
◆
Then another two days passed.
That evening.
The train rocked us for a long time, and we finally made it to our destination.
"This is your hometown..."
"Yeah. My birth village - it's Nebra."
The natural Nebra has an idyllic atmosphere.
A small shop is set up near the station building and children play in the fountain square.
"I miss you..."
"Have you ever played there too?
"Sort of. I went home soaking wet, and I had my father dry it with a hairdryer magic."
"That's sweet."
"Yeah. Dad's a strong guy, but he was so sweet."
"I want to see your parents soon. Are you just going to see him?
Mr. Noir widened the map to show where the mighty were.
Nebra shows two red dots.
One is me.
The other is my father.
The map says there's my father about three kilometers away.
And three kilometers from here, there's my home.
That means my father is at home.
I'm sure your mother will be with you.
"I'm relieved you haven't moved."
"Right. I'm sure he was off work today."
"What kind of work does your father do?
"It's a hunt. I take down demons and I sell them."
"Do you work every day?
"It's about three days a week. So, he used to hang out with me all the time on the day off, and he followed me to the city. I miss you......"
"There's another day when the three of us can go out together."
"I'd love it if it did. But there were not three, there were four."
"Who might be the other one?
It's Mr. Noir.
"Can I go out with you, too?
"Of course you are! I don't know when I'm going to be a great wizard. If you're not there all the time, you're gonna miss that moment."
"Exactly...! I'm going out with you."
Mr. Noir makes his voice play with pleasure.
and then.
"What!? Ash-kun!?
A woman's voice sounded.
One of the women who was shopping at the fruit shop is surprised to see me.
I reacted to that voice, and one of the people nearby came together.
"Really! Ash, it's you! Ash-kun's back!
"You've come home so often!
"I wanted to thank you, Ash!
"Thank you for defeating the Demon King!
"Your parents will be delighted to know that Ash-kun is back!
Huh?
"Oh, uh, what did you just say?
When I asked my uncle back, he replied with a smile.
"If Ash-kun finds out he's back, your parents must be happy. Say it! They were both happy to see Ash-kun safe and tearful!
It didn't seem like my mistake.
That day, my father and mother dumped me.
Yet he was happy to see me safe on The Demon King Broadcast, crying.
What the hell is this all about?
You two dumped me, why are you so happy I'm alive?
I don't know if I'm thinking about it.
The only way to solve this mystery is to go see the two of you.
I'm going home.
"Whoa! That's good! You must both be delighted!
The villagers drop me off, and me and Mr. Noir walk away.
On that road, one of the villages talked to me more than once, but I kept walking.
I finally reached my parents' house.
"The Lord of the Red Dots is in here.... Should I knock?
"Yeah. You don't have to knock. This is my house."
I don't need a knock to get home.
I breathed and grabbed the door knob softly.
Slowly open the door.
"... it smells good"
"I'm sure he's having dinner."
"I'm hungry, too."
"Me, too."
Talking to Mr. Noir as usual, he calmed down.
I calm my mind and head to the table.
And...
"Ash!? Are you Ash?
"It's Ash!
I was reunited with my family.
"I'm home, Father, Mother."
When I followed and greeted him, my father and mother rushed over.
"I missed you, Ash!
"You've come home so often!
He hugs me so hard, I get confused.
I thought it would sneeze, but I didn't think you'd be welcome.
This is obviously not the parents' reaction to abandoning their son.
"Oh, you know. Dad and Mom are happy that I'm back and...?
"It's not natural! You are my lovely son!
"I'm glad Ash's back safe and sound!
"So, but your father and mother dumped me in the Devil's Forest, didn't they? Isn't that what you tried to kill me for?
Throwing it away in the 'Devil's Forest' far from the village means he tried to kill it.
And I overheard a disturbing conversation that day, on the verge of falling asleep.
- "Come on, Ash didn't have XX floating around."
- "After all, there's only XX?
I couldn't hear you clearly, but I can imagine what the conversation was about.
They mourned that I didn't get magic spots, and they decided to kill me.
Because you can't survive a magical world without magic.
If it's enough to make you struggle like that, let's kill it and make it easier.
But it was resistant to lay hands directly, so I decided to dump it in the Devil's Forest, where demons spread.
It doesn't make any difference that you tried to kill me, even though you acted from kindness, not hate.
From the conversation that sounded fragmented and the circumstances then, that's what I interpreted...
"I can't believe I even flew to The Devil's Forest... it made me feel scared and really bad..."
"It's not your fault. I'm the bad one...... If I hadn't even gotten my foot together then I wouldn't have to lose Ash..."
"That's not true! All responsibility lies with me for failing to protect Ash! If I were stronger, I wouldn't have to be like that..."
He apologizes in tears, and I get more and more confused.
You both just seem sincerely happy with my return.
Then it would mean that you two didn't dump me.
But then why was I in the Devil's Forest?
"Hey, what happened that day?
To solve all the mysteries, I ask the two of you.
Then his father looked distressed and told him about the day.