(Cursed Child) Meeting Grandma and the Morning Scenery

* * *

You there! What are you doing!?

I think those were the words Grandma Numbri first said to me.

At that time, it had only been a few days since I came to this royal capital.

Even though this was a place where people didnt discriminate against black hair and black eyes that much given the national character here.

Since I didnt have any money, naturally, I couldnt buy food.

I was secretly rummaging through the leftovers thrown out by restaurants in the dim shadows thats when it happened.

I stopped the leftover food review meeting I was having with Extra-sama in my mind and slowly turned around.

And there, standing in the sunlight, was Grandma Numbri.

She was slender and leaning on a cane.

Her long white hair was tied together at the back.

I thought she was a beautiful person.

She must have been very popular when she was young.

Maybe shes still popular now.

Now, that grandma.

When she saw my face as I turned around, she looked quite surprised.

Her eyes were wide open and her mouth was agape.

Black-haired and black-eyed humans are very few in number in this world.

Originally there were few, and probably, for various reasons they die quickly.

So, Grandma must have been surprised by my unfamiliar colors.

She was silent for a while.

But after being stunned for a while, Grandma Numbri shook her head, pulled herself together, and asked me.

Are you hungry?

Im always hungry.

I nodded.

Then Grandma grinned.

Then, come with me! Ill treat you to something delicious!

Saying that, she pulled me out of the dim garbage dump by the hand and started walking down the bright street.

Ah, this person is a good person.

I thought so.

Then, shouldnt I part with her right away?

I also thought.

Because Im a cursed child.

If theyre with me, that person will eventually meet with misfortune.

From my life experience, thats not a superstition or anything, its a fact.

But.

In the end, its been a little over a month since then.

Im living with Grandma Numbri in the same house.

The season has ended summer and is already autumn.

The street trees have also started changing colors.

In order not to make good people unhappy.

If there are no special circumstances, I should part with that person immediately.

Thats what I think, but.

I havent parted with Grandma Numbri.

The reason why, is because.

Grandma Numbri

* * *

Emi! Its breakfast time!

Hearing Grandma Numbris voice coming from downstairs, I woke up with a start.

Jumping up from the bed and opening the curtains of the small window, the sun had already risen.

< Good morning, Emi.>

Good morning, Extra-sama.

Greeting my brain roommate, I do some simple morning exercises.

Wrists, ankles, neck, waist, shoulders.

Rotate them around and stretch.

After doing that and taking a deep breath, my eyes are wide open!

Come down quickly!

Once again, Grandmas voice.

I have to go right away.

I jumped down the hole in the floor and moved to the first floor.

The room Im sleeping in now is like an attic room above Grandma Numbris flower shop.

Im actually supposed to put up a ladder and go up and down each time, but I can manage by just jumping without doing such a troublesome thing.

Landing on the first floor without a sound, I move to the kitchen next door.

Theres a nice smell of smoked meat being grilled.

Peeking into the kitchen, Grandma Numbri had already started breakfast.

On the small dining table, there was bread from the bakery in the back alley next door, grilled smoked meat of Topopolock, fried eggs of Yamapippi, and some red fruit similar to tomatoes.

Whats this red one?

Its Pononochi.

Hmm.

Whats that?

<Its a fruit native to the Fantasy Continent. This country seems to engage in trade with other continents, so maybe the seedlings were brought in and cultivated.>

Hmm.

Come on, sit down quickly. The food will get cold.

Okay.

* * *

Now, after the meal.

Grandma Numbri takes the dishes to the kitchen for a moment and drinks tea while reading something that looks like a newspaper.

Compared to my memories from my previous life, its quite small and thin, but its definitely a newspaper.

I learned for the first time since coming to this house that this world also has such a culture.

I gaze at it vaguely from across the dining table.

Various headlines are jumping out, such as Mysterious Village Discovered Deep in Nanga Mountain, How to Eat Nankero, Great Mage Dies, and so on.

Ah.

Among them, I found one headline that I couldnt help but be curious about.

It was a small article like an editorial, titled The Dawn Day is Near.

Im not particularly interested in the contents of the article.

What Im curious about is the headline.

The phrase The Dawn Day.

What in the world is The Dawn Day in the end?

<Come to think of it, Numbri also mentioned it yesterday.>

Yeah.

I was curious about it at that time too, though.

<We couldnt ask because>

Grandma was angry.

But now.

Hey, Grandma.

What is it?

Grandma Numbri, who was reading the newspaper, puts it on the dining table with a rustle and turns her eyes to me.

Leaning on the table, I asked while dangling my feet on the chair.

What is The Dawn Day?

Ah you dont know. You were a vagrant child after all.

Im not a vagrant anymore. Im a traveler. Im the traveler Emi Rune.

Yes, yes. You had a grand adventure from the east and made it all the way here, right?

Grandma smiled while folding the newspaper with a crinkle.

Ive told this person about my journey many times, but it seems to be thought of as my made-up story.

<Well, Emi, youre living a rather absurd life. Even if you honestly talk about whats happened so far, it cant be helped that its thought of as a preposterous made-up story.>

Well, thats fine, but.

So, what is The Dawn Day?

Its the anniversary of when this country took a new first step. Its exactly two days from today.

After saying that, sip.

Grandma Numbri took a sip of tea.

Anniversary?

Yes, an anniversary. You see, this country was once ruled by a bad, bad king.

Clink.

Putting the teacup on the table, Grandma continues speaking with a distant look in her eyes.

The day a hero defeated that bad king. Thats The Dawn Day Its a story from when I was still young.

Hmm.

She must be remembering various things.

Grandmas words are slow.

And she has a slightly sad face, looking downward

<The reason the story is slow is probably because shes choosing her words to explain it to you, who is still a child. Since defeated implies a bloody story.>

Well, theres no need to worry about it.

I dont care how some stranger I dont know dies.

Still, an anniversary, huh.

Since its an anniversary, is it a holiday?

Practically, yes. But no matter how bad he was, the one who was defeated was the king. Kings are the ones who are recognized by God to rule over the land, you know? Defeating him cant be officially celebrated. Many of the elderly remain silent about this incident even though they are grateful.

What does that mean?

< In this world, Emi, the distance between gods and humans is closer than in the world you used to live in. Especially the kings within this Golden Continent are all, without exception, from divine child lineages who have truly been granted the right to rule by the gods. Regicide, no matter how bad the guy was, is more fearsome for the people than you can imagine Thats what it means.>

Hmm?

I dont really understand.

Well, anyway, in other words, the reason why the village chief of Panemo Village didnt tell me the details for some reason seems to be related to that?

<That seems to be the case.>

But this grandma seems to be willing to tell me about that to some extent.

Since I have the chance, Id like to ask various things.

Hey, what kind of person was the hero?

Its well-known, but he had black hair and black eyes. Just like you.

I kind of expected that.

Thats why in this country, Im not discriminated against.

Because black hair and black eyes are the colors of the hero.

And he was a scary man.

Scary?

Thats right. He defeated the king, you know? Theres no way a person who can do such a thing is an ordinary person. He was a man who did shady jobs. Thats why everyone cant talk about that hero in a loud voice.

Here, I suddenly became curious.

This Grandma Numbri.

Shes not just talking about the general rumors about that hero

This person, as if

Ugh cough, cough!

But then.

Grandma Numbri suddenly started coughing.

Are you okay?

As I jumped off the chair and tried to approach her, Grandma stopped me while holding a handkerchief to her mouth.

Im fine, Im fine Its common for the elderly to cough Emi, Im going to take some medicine, so could I ask you to do the dishes?

Okay.

Saying that, Grandma went back to her room while coughing.

* * *

Making a clattering sound, I wash the dishes.

I have Peel, so Im very good at washing dishes.

If I give it a single lick with this hand, the dishes instantly become sparkling clean.

I quietly let out a single sigh.

<It cant be helped. Theres nothing you can do about it, so theres no need for you to worry.>

Even so.

If theyre with me, that person will eventually meet with misfortune.

Knowing that, the reason why Im still with Grandma Numbri.

Its because Grandma seems lonely living alone.

And one more thing.

Hey, Grandma.

I have a good sense of smell.

I can tell that the blood you coughed up has stained the handkerchief youre holding over your mouth.

Even if you hide it, I can tell.

And I can also tell with Magic Perception.

The mana leaking from Grandmas body is really low.

This isnt because Grandma is actually a master of mana manipulation and suppressing the leaking mana Its definitely not something like that.

Purely, Grandmas mana has become quite low.

What does that mean? In other words.

Grandmas body has become quite weak.

So, in other words, Grandma.

Before becoming unhappy because of me

Yeah.

Well, you know, Grandma Numbri.

doesnt have much longer to live.