Angel Little Sister 270

 

Chapter 270 : Farewell Gift

 

As soon as we arrived at Ester’s house, Stina-san welcomed us inside.

After waiting for Ester to get ready, Stina-san pointed at the three pots of hot stew on the table.

「Mark, can you put these pots in your Item Box? I made a lot of stew for you to eat on the way.」(Stina)

「Thank you, Stina-san. I’ll gratefully take them then.」(Mark)

「You can take Ester as well if you want. Fufu~」(Stina)

「M, Mom! Geez!」(Ester)

Ester’s face immediately turned red after Stina-san teased me.

Ignoring her teasing, I approached the table and put the pots of stew in my Item Box.

I think it will last a few days for the four of us to eat.

「Thank you, Stina-san. I really appreciate it. We will eat the stew on our way to my hometown.」(Mark)

As long as I still have room in my Item Box, it will be a pleasure for me to receive more food.

「I will give you these in exchange. Miguel-san, this is for you.」(Mark)

I took out a small cloth bag from my Item Box and handed it to Miguel-san.

「What is this?」(Miguel)

「Cucumber seeds. You can grow them in your field and sell them in my stead if you want.」(Mark)

「I see. Thank you. I will definitely grow them. I think everyone will be happy if they can eat cucumbers even if you’re no longer in this village. They love your cucumbers after all.」(Miguel)

「Ahaha… Well, there is a particular man who may go crazy and make trouble for everyone else if he can no longer eat cucumbers. He might even leave the village to look for cucumbers.」(Mark)

「Ah, you mean Deel? Gahaha! Certainly, he would likely do that. But, I don’t think he would leave the village only to look for cucumbers, but also to look for his beloved Celine. He likes both cucumber and Celine after all.」(Miguel)

「Right?」(Mark)

「Miguel-san, please! That would be horrifying!」(Celine)

Celine shivered and frowned in disgust when she imagined Deel coming for her.

「Gahaha! I’m sorry. Alright, I’ll definitely grow them then, and by the time you visit this village again in the future, I’ll serve you some delicious cucumber meals. That’s a promise!」(Miguel)

「I’m looking forward to it.」(Mark)

Miguel-san is a good chef just like my dad. I’m sure he will be able to come up with unique recipes using cucumbers.

「Rumilu, I’m going to Fatia and won’t be here for a while, but I will come home someday. When the time comes, will you call me “Onee-chan”?」(Ester)

「Auu…?」(Rumilu)

While Miguel-san and I were talking with each other, Ester who had finished packing, approached Rumilu’s crib and asked her while stroking her head.

Rumilu, who didn’t understand what Ester was saying, could only stare at her while sucking her thumb.

Seeing the interaction between the two sisters, Stina-san approached the crib and put her hand on Ester’s shoulder.

「Ester, I hope you will enjoy the outside world. Promise me not to get hurt, okay?」(Stina)

「Un! Thank you, Mom!」(Ester)

「Ester, you are a strong child. I believe you can take care of yourself.」(Miguel)

「Thank you, Dad!」(Ester)

Stina-san, Miguel-san, and Ester were hugging each other.

It’s nice to see them getting along with each other.

「Mom, Dad, Rumilu, I’ll see you again someday! Wish me luck!」(Ester)

「I’m going to miss you… Good luck on your adventure!」(Stina)

While hugging Ester and Stina-san, Miguel-san turned to me and smiled.

「Mark, please take care of her.」(Miguel)

「I will.」(Mark)

After hugging her parents for a while, Ester approached Celine who had been waiting by the door.

「Celine, I’m ready. Let’s go!」(Ester)

After saying that, Ester opened the door and went outside without turning back.

「Well then, Miguel-san, Stina-san, thank you for everything.」(Mark)

「Thank you for everything!」(Nicola)

「We’ll always be waiting for you here, so please come again anytime.」(Stina)

Nicola, Celine, and I bowed to the two and then left the house.

 

◇◇◇

 

After leaving Ester’s house we decided to go to the morning market in the village square to buy more supplies.

Because Kazuul-san, the peddler who only comes once in a few months, is here, the village square is bustling with more people than usual.

The first stall we visited was Matilda-san’s stall. She is Norwell-san’s wife.

I think we should say goodbye to Norwell-san and Matilda-san because they’re always kind to us.

「…I see, so you’re leaving today.」(Matilda)

「Yes. Matilda-san, thank you for being so kind to me and Nicola.」(Mark)

「I’m the one who should thank you. If it wasn’t for you, my husband would have been dead in the forest a while ago. Thank you, Mark-kun.」(Matilda)

「Please, you have already thanked me many times for that.」(Mark)

「Fufu, you’re such a polite child. Dear, come here quickー!」(Matilda)

After smiling at me, Matilda-san turned her face toward Norwell-san who was talking with some men a bit far away, and shouted.

「What’s wrong, Matilda?」(Norwell)

Soon after, Norwell-san approached the stall and asked his wife with a confused face.

「I bet you have no idea that these kids are going to leave this village today.」(Matilda)

「Eh!? Cucumber Boy, you’re leaving today?」(Norwell)

「Yeah. We will be riding Kazuul-san’s carriage.」(Mark)

「I see… Alright, can you come with me for a moment?」(Norwell)

Norwell-san took me to the back of his stall and opened a large wooden storage box on his cart.

There was a lot of meat in the storage box. I don’t know what kind of meat it was, but there were various kinds of meat.

「Cucumber Boy, you can take all this meat. Your Item Box can hold this much meat, right?」(Norwell)

「It does, but… It’s too much. I feel bad to accept it.」(Mark)

「Aa-ahh, I knew you would say that. Cucumber Boy, you saved me from the Evil Fungus. I owe you my life. This is just a small token of gratitude from me. Please accept it. I’m begging you.」(Norwell)

「But…」(Mark)

「Mark-kun, a child shouldn’t be so considerate toward adults. Hurry up and put it into your Item Box before Deel finds you here!」(Matilda)

Matilda-san, who suddenly showed up and stood next to Norwell-san before I noticed it, urged me to take the meat.

Well, she’s right. I have no time to hesitate. Deel may come here and find us anytime.

「Alright. Thank you, Norwell-san, Matilda-san.」(Mark)

When I thanked them and put the meat into my Item Box, Matilda-san and Norwell-san held hands and smiled at me.

「We have said it many times, but let us say it again for the last time. Thank you for saving my life, Cucumber Boyー No, Mark-kun.」(Norwell)

「Thanks to you I still have my beloved husband who loves me by my side. Thank you, Mark-kun.」(Matilda)

I smiled back at them with a bright smile and saidー

「You’re welcome!」(Mark)

 

◇◇◇

 

After receiving plenty of meat from Matilda-san and Norwell-san, we wandered around the morning market to buy some winter gear and blankets.

Now that all the preparations for the journey are complete, all we have to do is to meet with Kazuul-san, the peddler.

We still had some time until the departure time, but it would be troublesome if we bumped into Deel, so we decided to go straight to Tori-san’s house, the meeting place with Kazuul-san, without wandering around the village square any longer.

 

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