Chapter 26

With Michel's guards being incapacitated by something other than alcohol, the banquet ended before night had fully fallen.

Aldis received his share of the reward and, for the first time in a long while, felt his pockets warm as he made his way home. The job, which he had braced himself to last over ten days, was resolved in an incredibly short period thanks to Michel's assistance.

For Aldis, who had left his twins at home, it was fortunate that he did not have to be away for an extended period. Above all, Aldis was delighted to be able to sleep soundly in his bed. Considering the earnings, this reward would likely cover his and the twins' living expenses for some time.

Eventually, Aldis arrived at his house, unlocked the front door, and entered. The house, which he had lived in for about a month, gave him a sense of security that a rented room could not.

The family waiting at home—though it was only two girls who barely spoke—meant that someone was there for him to return to, something Aldis had not experienced in a long time. This wasn't so bad, he thought. As Aldis returned home, pondering the unexpected life he had started with the twins, he noticed that the atmosphere in the house was different from usual.

As usual, Aldis peeked into the twins' room and said, "I'm back," but what he saw was one of the twins lying on the floor, breathing heavily, and the other holding her hand.

"Hey, what's going on!?"

Aldis hurried to the twins' side. The face of the girl who had collapsed was flushed with fever, and she was breathing with difficulty. Her eyes were closed, but it was unclear whether she was sleeping or unconscious.

"Is it a cold…?"

Aldis was neither a doctor nor a pharmacist and had no knowledge to diagnose symptoms at a glance.

For ordinary people, it would be common to take the sick to a church for treatment. However, the twins could not easily choose this option. In this world, twins were considered cursed because they were once the apostles of an evil god who opposed the goddess. It was unlikely that those who worshiped the goddess would heal the twins. Moreover, most healers were followers of the goddess.

What about a doctor?

That was also not an option. They would likely refuse to treat the twins for the same reason. The city was full of followers of the goddess.

Even if a pharmacist could treat them, if it became known that twins lived in this house, it would be impossible to leave the house without worry in the future.

"Riana will die… I don't want her to die…"

The other girl, Filia, with her light yellow eyes moist, pleaded as she desperately held the hand of the twin suffering from fever.

What could the twins, who were shunned even by the goddess, pray to or rely on? Aldis felt helpless.

"Let's get her to bed first."

Aldis picked up the limp twin, Riana, and laid her on the bed, which had never been used before, and covered her with a blanket.

During this time, Filia did not leave Riana's side. Ideally, he should have kept some distance from the sick, but with these twins, it was impractical. Forcing them apart would be counterproductive, so Aldis let Filia do as she pleased.

Aldis used magic to freeze a wet towel and placed it on Riana's forehead, wiping away her sweat. For hours, he took care of her. As dawn approached and Riana's fever began to subside, Filia started to run a fever.

She had been by Riana's side the whole time, and as a girl with little stamina, she had also neglected to eat since Riana fell ill until Aldis returned. It was impossible for Filia to remain well.

However, Aldis was somewhat relieved that Riana's fever was subsiding. If it was a cold that Riana had, Filia's symptoms would likely improve similarly.

Laying Riana and the now conscious Filia side by side in the bed and cooling their heads, Aldis managed to get them to sleep. By the morning of the following day, both of their symptoms had improved.

During this time, Aldis focused on taking care of the twins, giving them fever reducers and preparing easy-to-eat meals. He held the hand of the twin who occasionally had nightmares, cooled the towel on her forehead, and stroked her head, staying by her side as much as possible.

Aldis had never been taken care of like this before. However, for some reason he couldn't understand, he felt it was the right thing to do. It seemed that something he couldn't recall was guiding him.

In the end, it was just a cold, but the children, who had collapsed on the floor without eating, were safe because Aldis returned before it was too late.

What if the mission to rescue the students had taken longer? What if his return had been delayed by half a day? The twins might have both become cold and lifeless.

This thought chilled Aldis's spine. He realized the danger of leaving children at home alone.

However, it was not feasible for Aldis to stay at home all the time. Normally, he could hire someone. A silver coin would likely hire a helper. But with the twins, that was difficult. He could not leave them with anyone he did not trust completely.

Thinking about this, Aldis realized how limited his social circle was. On the other hand, not everything was bad.

Since the day Aldis took care of the twins during their fever, the distance between them visibly shortened. Their responses, which were limited to "yes" or "no," gradually included other words, and they began to follow Aldis around the house instead of crouching in the corner, watching others' expressions.

Most of all, Aldis was relieved that they started to sleep in the bed. He didn't want them to catch a cold by sleeping on the floor as they used to.

At the same time, a self-deprecating feeling arose. Aldis had never intended to get deeply involved with the twins. He had planned to take care of them for a while, find them foster parents, or send them to a guild as apprentices.

However, after living together for over a month, it was inevitable that he would grow fond of them. Now, he seemed to have developed a deep affection for the twins.

He couldn't leave the twins, who called his name and occasionally smiled, at home. He taught them household chores and sometimes enjoyed naps with them, spending his days aimlessly.

"So? When are you going to work?"

Ted, with a scowl, asked. The large man, who already had a menacing face, made the twins, who were sitting on either side of Aldis, cling to his arms in fear.

Due to prioritizing the twins, Aldis had not taken any jobs for nearly a month. Unable to bear seeing Aldis like this, Ted and the others came to his house.

"Ted, don't make such a scary face. The children are scared."

"Hey, it was you who said to get Aldis back to work, right?"

Ted, looking dissatisfied, retorted at Orphelia.

"That's true, but I was also worried about the children's situation."

The "children" she referred to were the twins, who were currently clinging to Aldis with wary expressions.

"It seems they've opened up a bit."

Seeing the twins, Orphelia smiled in relief. While they were not yet "normal," it was clear to her that a good relationship was forming between the three.

"Yeah, it was tough at first, but things are going well now."

Aldis also showed a not-so-bad expression.

"Then, shouldn't you start working soon? Your savings won't last forever, you know."

Norris chimed in from the side.

"Right, Aldis. You've been turning down invitations lately, and you haven't been making any money on your own. I haven't really probed your finances, but don't you think it's time to take a job?"

Aldis gave a slight smile at Ted's words, unable to deny them.

The reward from the job he took before the twins fell ill—the rescue of the academy students—was forty gold coins and a little more. This amount, if not spent extravagantly, could support a typical family for two years. It was certainly more than enough for Aldis and the twin girls.

However, Aldis was a mercenary. Just having food, clothing, and shelter was not enough. He needed to maintain his weapons, buy healing potions, and replenish other supplies, all of which were much more expensive than everyday items for ordinary citizens. The gold coins would quickly run out.

Indeed, his pockets were starting to feel empty.

But there was the issue with the twins. They had finally lowered their guard around Aldis, but now they showed signs of dependency.

They followed Aldis around the house, sat next to him when he relaxed on the sofa, and even fell asleep beside him when he napped in the living room. At night, despite having their own room and bed, they sneaked into Aldis's bed. They didn't follow him outside for shopping, but they stuck to him while inside the house.

Aldis, in turn, found himself growing attached to the twins and hesitated to leave them alone to go to work or hunting.

"That's why you can't keep this up forever, right?"

Ted's words were logical. Aldis also felt that it was time to start working again.

"Speaking of which, I have an interesting job for you."

Norris, who had been observing Aldis's expression, spoke up.

"Have you heard about the beautiful woman on the road?"

"What's that?"

"Haha, you must have been cooped up at home. This rumor is all over Tria and even the capital now."

Norris laughed, though it was nothing new for him. Aldis, impatient, urged him to speak faster with his gaze.

"Apparently, there's a young woman who appears alone on the road from Tria to the capital, about half a day's journey. And this woman is strong."

"…A bandit?"

"No, no, it's completely different. She challenges mercenaries and merchant guards who pass by to a duel, and she wins easily. She's undefeated against experienced mercenaries."

"I don't get it."

"Neither do I. The woman doesn't seem to have any demands even when she wins. When asked for a reason, she doesn't respond, leading to all sorts of speculation."

From what he heard, it sounded like a mercenary challenging anyone on the road to test their skills. Some speculated that she was trying to make a name for herself, but since she didn't reveal her name, it was probably a wrong assumption.

"However, no one has been seriously injured or killed in these duels, and if someone refuses, she lets them pass. So, except for a few people, no one sees it as a problem. Some say she even protected a merchant caravan from bandits."

"If there's no harm, there's no problem. What's the issue with those few people?"

Many shared Aldis's view. Not only was there no harm, but it could even be seen as a contribution to law and order. If she didn't interfere with those who didn't want to, it was just a matter of a strange person appearing on the road. Some were even going to meet her for a duel, but as long as it was her choice to fight, it wasn't anyone else's business.

"There's no real harm. If anything, it's a matter of pride."

"Of pride… So, is there a request from the lord or the army?"

"Exactly. It's a request from the Duke of Tria."

The woman wasn't breaking any laws or causing trouble, but having an unknown person sitting on the road was a blow to the lord's dignity. It could even be used as a political tool against rival nobles.

"Hmm. What's the request?"

"Negotiation. They want to invite the woman to the lord's mansion."

Aldis frowned at this.

"I don't get it. Why not send one of the lord's subordinates?"

"Who knows? Maybe they don't want to send a messenger to a mercenary, or maybe they were refused once. I can't judge with the information I have. But since it's not a kill order and the duels don't result in injuries, it might be a good job for you to take after a long break."

"Maybe. What's the reward?"

"Two gold coins for success, one silver coin for failure."

"Isn't that too little?"

Aldis's concern was valid. Even if successful, two gold coins for a day's work for four people was not worth it. If he failed, he would barely make any money, essentially working for free.

"We're taking other jobs. Seducing a beautiful woman is up to you, Aldis."

"We're heading to the wilderness for a while."

"Ah, I see."

It seemed this job was really intended for Aldis alone. While he thought it was unnecessary, he decided to take the job out of gratitude for their kindness.

After telling Aldis about the tavern that would connect him to the job, Ted and the others left.

"Aldis, are you going out?"

"Aldis, are you leaving?"

The twins immediately pulled on Aldis's sleeves and asked.

"Yeah, I'm going out tomorrow. Can you two stay home alone?"

In response to Aldis's question, the twins nodded and looked at him with their light yellow eyes, still asking.

"Aldis, are you leaving Riana and me behind?"

"Aldis, ……will you come back?"

"……I'll come back, so don't worry."

Seeing their desperate, young faces, Aldis smiled and gently stroked their heads.

2016/12/18 Typo correction: Astal smiled and → Aldis smiled and

*Thank you for your feedback.

2017/05/29 Typo correction: others' faces → others' expressions

2017/11/02 Typo correction: observed → observed

2017/11/02 Typo correction: kindness → kindness

2019/10/13 Correction: cold—transmitted → cold—transmitted

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