Chapter 68

Nere's mornings start early.

Even before the sun rises, when the sky begins to turn white, she slips out of bed and starts to change her clothes.

In the bed, the small twins, who have yet to return from the land of dreams, sleep soundly and happily.

It's still too early to wake the twins.

Nere changes into the simple, modestly decorated clothes that Aldis bought, being careful not to make a sound.

The clothes she wore while pretending to be a mercenary wouldn't be suitable for doing housework.

After changing, Nere quietly leaves the room, being careful not to wake the twins, and heads to the kitchen.

Only Nere and the young twin girls live in this house.

Even if Nere were to oversleep or enjoy her sleep until the sun rises, there would be no one to scold her.

However, that doesn't mean she can indulge in laziness.

It is the duty of a servant to protect the house in the absence of the master.

If so, she must devote herself to the task wholeheartedly.

First, to protect the still-sleeping twins, she casts a barrier around the house.

While it's difficult to maintain for a long time, it should ensure safety for the time it takes to check the surroundings.

Nere confirms the feel of the dagger hidden in her pocket, then proceeds into the forest with light steps, as if taking a morning walk.

She runs lightly, driving away any beasts that might harm the twins one by one.

Whenever she encounters a carnivorous beast, she intimidates it with a weakened attack spell, guiding it to flee in the opposite direction of the house.

Some beasts, unable to gauge Nere's strength, recklessly challenge her, but she shows no mercy to them.

She stops their breath without hesitation, as if plucking weeds, and burns them with fire to prevent the smell of blood from attracting other carnivores.

Her blue hair fluttering, her running figure evokes a refreshing morning breeze.

But to the beasts living in the forest, it is a wind that brings death.

One might even call it the scythe of the Grim Reaper.

"Hmm... They've certainly decreased."

Even beasts without intelligence seem to have instinctively recognized this place as dangerous after repeated encounters.

Compared to when they first moved into the forest, the number of carnivorous beasts near the house has clearly decreased.

On the other hand, with the reduced threat of being preyed upon, the number of gentle herbivores has increased.

In the midst of a dangerous forest, this has become a safe haven, like an oasis in the desert for the herbivores.

The area where Nere eliminates carnivorous beasts is only a small part of the forest.

If she were to get serious, she could turn the entire forest into a paradise for herbivores, but Nere's priority is the safety of the twins, not changing the forest's ecosystem.

Therefore, only a select few herbivores can benefit from this safe haven.

Of course, even if it's safer compared to other areas, it doesn't mean they will necessarily live out their natural lives.

Even if they escape the fangs of carnivores, there are still territorial disputes over feeding grounds among herbivores.

Moreover, there is the possibility of being hunted by Nere, the only predator in this safe haven.

The day's victims were two small rabbits with brown fur, chosen as sustenance for Nere and the twins.

After patrolling the surroundings for about thirty minutes, Nere returns home with the prey she hunted for the meal.

She uses a magical wind to remove the sand and dust that clung to her clothes, then heads to the kitchen.

After cleaning the prey, she uses water magic to wash the blood off her hands and tools, and uses magic to keep the meat from spoiling.

At the same time, she controls the airflow to prevent the smell of blood from permeating the house, ensuring proper ventilation.

Just as she starts preparing breakfast, Nere notices the light footsteps of the twins approaching.

"Nere, good morning!"

Rubbing their sleepy eyes, the twins enter the kitchen.

"Is Aldis back yet?"

Following the morning greeting, the twins check if Aldis has returned, a daily routine.

"Not yet, my master hasn't returned."

"When will Aldis come back?"

"I don't know. It's up to the master. Come, breakfast will be ready soon, so go wash your face quickly."

Hearing Nere's answer, the twins look sad.

However, they understand that it's pointless to lament Aldis's absence.

Following her instructions, they move to the water storage area and start washing their faces.

Meanwhile, Nere quickly prepares breakfast.

She reheats the soup she made in advance, lightly toasts the bread she baked the day before with fire magic, and washes the leafy vegetables she harvested from the garden with water magic, tearing them by hand and sprinkling salt on them.

It's not a lavish meal, but it's enough to provide energy for the morning.

If Nere wanted to, she could prepare a feast fit for a noble's table.

But the master of this house doesn't desire overly luxurious meals, so it has become a habit to keep the menu simple.

"The bread is warm."

"It's delicious!"

The twins eat the bread with smiles, not complaining about the nearly identical meal from the previous day.

Fortunately, the twins don't have picky tastes and finish everything that is served.

The twins' straightforwardness, free from any whims, is likely a result of the painful past they have endured.

Nere only knows the story Aldis told her and doesn't know the actual circumstances the twins were in.

However, she is aware of the custom of shunning twins and understands how absurd it is.

"No matter how much time passes, human foolishness remains unchanged..."

Nere mutters this almost inaudibly and shakes her head.

It's not her role to lament human foolishness or to guide them.

She simply fulfills her mission.

"Thank you for the meal!"

"Thank you for the meal!"

After the twins finish their breakfast, Nere calls out to them as usual.

"Take the dishes to the washing area and do as you please until lunch. But don't go into the forest without permission."

"Okay!"

"Got it!"

The energetic twins take the dishes to the washing area and start discussing what to play next.

"What should we do today?"

"Riana wants to swing on the swing."

"Okay, then Filia will swing too."

"Who goes first?"

"Can we go together?"

"Can we swing together?"

"Sounds fun!"

"Let's go, let's go!"

Holding hands, the twins run out to the garden, laughing and shouting.

Their destination is likely the small swing Nere built in the garden five days ago.

To keep the twins from leaving the garden, Nere has made several children's play items in the available space.

In just ten days, a swing, slide, seesaw, and jumping box have been added to the garden.

What was once a spacious garden is now almost crowded with play equipment.

"Well, let's get this over with."

Nere clears the dishes from the table and quickly finishes the washing, then starts cleaning the house.

Cleaning doesn't involve sweeping with a broom or wiping with a cloth. Using wind and water magic, she gathers dust and washes away dirt without touching anything.

What would take more than half a day to clean by hand, she finishes in just thirty minutes. Then she starts doing the laundry.

First, she fills a large, deep bucket with water and adds the cleaning agent Aldis bought from the capital.

She throws the dirty clothes into the bucket and starts moving the water with magic.

The water swirls in the bucket, and the clothes begin to dance in the current.

"Hmm. That's it."

Nere finishes the laundry without much effort, hangs the clothes to dry in a sunny spot, and then checks on the twins playing on the swing before going back inside to prepare lunch.

Nere and the twins' day passes like this.

Despite living in a forest filled with dangerous beasts, the time flows gently and peacefully.

After finishing her chores, Nere sits on a bench in the garden and watches the twins play.

"Occasionally, it's not bad to have such a leisurely time."

If possible, she would like to accompany her master.

But the master is young, and there is still a long future ahead. Spending a few years in peace won't be a problem.

"Heh. If others heard me, what would they say..."

Nere murmured with a rare smile.

"Nere! Nere!"

"Look, look!"

Turning her gaze to the cheerful voices, she sees the twins swinging on the swing, their long platinum blonde hair fluttering.

Their hair, tousled by the wind, sticks to their faces.

Seeing the slightly annoyed expression on the twins' faces, Nere realizes something.

"Come to think of it, they've never had a haircut..."

Nere brings a chair and scissors from inside the house, moves to the center of the garden, and calls the twins over.

"Did you call us?"

"Are you going to play with us, Nere?"

Breathless, the twins' hair is stuck to their necks and cheeks with sweat.

"Your hair has grown quite long. I think it's time for a haircut... Do you prefer to keep it long?"

"Hmm? Hair?"

"Well, Riana thinks short is better."

"Then Filia will have it short too!"

Both twins seem indifferent to the length of their hair and choose a short cut that won't get in the way when they move around.

Deciding to cut it quickly, Nere takes the scissors and starts cutting the twins' hair.

While using wind magic would eliminate the need for scissors, this is a kind of diversion for Nere.

She cuts the twins' hair slowly, enjoying the process and chatting with them.

The small sounds of the scissors cutting hair, the twins' chatter, and the rustling of the trees in the wind create a harmonious sound that makes one feel as if time has stopped.

"Done. Now, let's switch."

"It feels prickly."

After finishing Filia's hair, Nere seats Riana on the chair.

"Do you want the same length as Filia?"

"Yep! Riana wants the same length as Filia!"

In the end, Riana also chose the same length as Filia.

It took a while, but she finished cutting Riana's hair by the time the sun was fully up.

"That's better. Now, let's have lunch."

"Is it okay for Nere?"

"Is Nere going to cut her hair?"

As Nere picks up the chair to go back inside, the twins ask.

"Me? I don't have to—"

"Then Filia will cut Nere's hair!"

"Riana will cut Nere's hair too!"

The twins offer to return the favor.

"Hmm... You want to cut my hair?"

Faced with the twins' enthusiasm, Nere ponders for a moment.

"I use scissors regularly... Experience is important, right..."

Both twins are well aware of the dangers of sharp objects.

They won't recklessly stab themselves with scissors. Just to be safe, she creates a thin physical barrier around her skin.

Nere decides it's safe and hands the scissors to Filia, then kneels on the ground.

"Alright, you're ready. Just trim the ends a little. Be careful not to hurt yourself."

At Nere's signal, Filia applies the scissors to Nere's hair.

The sound of the scissors cutting hair, "snip, snip, snip," reaches Nere's ears.

Filia is cutting the blue hair cautiously.

The unnatural sound of the scissors and the natural sounds of the forest create a harmonious blend that strangely calms the mind.

While thinking about trivial matters, Nere closes her eyes with a smile.

At that moment, Nere senses a human presence approaching the house.

Someone is coming straight toward the house.

But Nere doesn't move.

She recognizes the presence as someone familiar who won't harm them.

Soon, a black-haired boy appears between the trees, wearing a violet robe and carrying three swords at his waist. A violet cloth is tied around his forehead, with the excess hanging down and fluttering in the wind.

"Did you add anything new?"

"Safe return, my master."

Seeing the play equipment in the garden, the master smiles wryly, and the servant sitting in the garden smiles gently.

"Ah! It's Aldis!"

"Welcome back, Aldis!"

The twins, noticing the master's return, call out happily.

This distracts Filia, and her hand slips.

The scissors make a loud "snip" sound, and a large clump of hair falls to the ground.

"Ah..."

"Ah..."

"Ah..."

The three of them, except Nere, let out a sound of surprise.

Six eyes focus on the same spot.

A portion of Nere's long hair, which had reached her back, is now missing, and a clump of blue hair lies on the ground.

2019/05/03 Typo correction: Nere doesn't move → Nere doesn't move.

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2019/07/30 Typo correction: Even if → Even if

2019/08/05 Typo correction: duty → duty

2019/08/05 Typo correction: eating bread → eating bread.

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