113. Let's Not Carelessly Peek into Others' Memories (6)
Breakfast began in an unusually quiet atmosphere.
The Hero Party seemed busy gauging each other's reactions, and it looked like the food wasn't going down well. Watching that scene, I became certain of one thing.
*Something happened last night.*
And in the process, Estia had done something wrong.
She had wronged Luna, Hare, and Saten.
That seemed like the right interpretation.
Unable to bear the children's stares, Estia shrieked.
"Stop staring at me! Let's just eat!"
At Estia's outburst, the children except Luna responded.
"...That's not what you said, Estia."
"I wasn't particularly staring. You're being overly self-conscious."
"Ugh—!!"
*Thud—*
Estia stabbed her fork into the meat, venting her anger.
Someone who did wrong should be subdued, but Estia maintained a confident demeanor as if she had done nothing wrong.
*I don't know whose fault it is, but...*
It would be better to hear everyone's opinions.
Not even one person should end up feeling wronged.
The judgment must be careful.
After the children finished their meal, I cleared the dishes to the kitchen and said:
"Luna, was breakfast okay?"
"...Yes, it was delicious."
"You seem to have left more than usual."
"I-I'm on a diet."
Luna muttered while desperately avoiding my eyes.
*A diet... That's an interesting excuse for someone who loves eating.*
If someone who was getting along well suddenly avoids me, there are two possible reasons.
Either I wronged that person, or that person wronged me.
I wasn't sure which case Luna was, but she had eaten.
I could slowly figure it out now.
"Luna."
"Y-yes?"
"Tell everyone not to go to their rooms, but to gather in the dining room."
"Wh-why?"
"We need to talk, don't we?"
About last night.
Why they were all gathered in my room, and why they were treating Estia as a traitor.
"O-okay. Mister..."
*Gulp—*
Luna, looking gloomy, swallowed nervously and approached the children.
I watched Luna's retreating figure carefully.
*Hmm...*
As expected.
Judging by her atmosphere and expression, Luna seemed closer to the latter case.
Estia was in the center.
On both sides were Luna, Hare, and Saten.
I'd never been to court, but we were gathered at the dining room table for judgment.
I cleared my throat and spoke in a deep, heavy voice.
"I believe you all know why you're here together. Does anyone have questions about this?"
"..."
None.
I continued speaking.
"Last night. When I woke up. You were all in my room. To confirm, the reason was to restore my memories, correct?"
When I finished, Estia raised her hand.
"Yes, Estia. Speak."
"Brother's right! We gathered to restore Brother's memories! Or wait, was it 'we'...?"
Estia said this while glancing at the other children.
Luna lowered her head at that gaze.
However, Hare and Saten kept their heads up.
There seemed to be a difference of opinion.
*Should I apply a little pressure here?*
I placed my hands on the table and added more weight to my voice.
"I know most of the story, so lying won't help. Then, I'll ask again. Estia is being treated as a traitor by you all, correct?"
"I'm not a traitor!"
"...I said you're being *treated* as one."
Estia asserting confidently that she wasn't a traitor.
At that outcry, Saten calmly raised her hand and said:
"Estia is a traitor, Mister."
"The reason?"
"Because she betrayed us."
"Explain in a bit more detail."
"If you want details, should I explain like this?"
Saten made a small cut on her wrist and created four apple shapes with blood.
"Ugh... gross..."
Estia gagged at the sight, but Saten continued her explanation as if nothing had happened.
"At first, four apples growing wild made a pact together in one place. We promised to be buried in the same spot, grow together, and become a wonderful apple tree. We were moving with the same goal. But..."
Saten placed her finger on one apple.
The apple suddenly began rotting black.
"One apple betrayed the others and left for a farm where people would raise it instead. It broke its promise to the other apples for its own comfort. You said it yourself, Mister. Promises are important."
*Nod nod—*
Beside her, Hare nodded in agreement with Saten's words.
The promise not to lie to me.
Hare had been keeping that promise quite well.
I met Saten's black eyes and asked:
"So, Saten, what are you trying to say?"
"We made a promise like the apples. The rotten apple that went a different direction—that's a traitor. I think punishment is appropriate."
"Hmm..."
Punishment.
Saten explained what happened to the Hero Party by comparing them to apples.
That story had some merit and was persuasive.
But it had one flaw.
"Saten."
"Yes, Mister."
"Don't compare yourselves to apples, and tell me everything you're hiding."
Saten's speech is normally straightforward.
However, if there's something she wants to hide or doesn't want to say, she uses metaphors like this or twists the conversation itself.
It was a habit I'd noticed from teaching and living with Saten.
"Tell me what you're hiding, Saten."
"I only stated facts."
"You didn't cleverly leave out content?"
"If you won't trust me, ask Estia. That would work, wouldn't it?"
"M-me?"
Estia pointed at herself with a finger that had nowhere to go.
Trembling, looking flustered.
I erased the thought of following Saten's suggestion from my mind.
"No, I'll hear the story directly from your mouths."
"...Yes, if that's what you want, Mister."
"Then, Hare."
"Y-yes!"
Hare raised her hand high and shouted confidently.
As if she hadn't done a single thing wrong.
"Yes, Hare. Can you explain why Estia is a traitor?"
"Yes...! I-I'll explain...! Just trust me, Mister...!"
Hare began explaining in an excited voice, as if pleased to be asked.
It felt like being at some kind of performance.
"W-we entered Mister's memories...!"
"There we saw Mister's master...! Found the key...!"
"I-I was happy to see young Mister...!"
"We tried to erase the memories so Mister could be happy...!"
...What?
Words I couldn't let slide.
I stopped Hare, who was continuing her explanation.
"A-and, I carried the key alone so it was hard—"
"Hare, wait."
"Yes...?"
"You tried to erase my memories? What do you mean by that?"
Hare blinked and tilted her head.
She looked puzzled about why I was asking this question.
"Well, obviously... for Mister's happiness..."
"You'd erase my memories for my happiness?"
"Yes... if we erase Mister's sad memories... Mister won't remember the past and can be happy...!"
After finishing her explanation, Hare approached me as if asking for praise and brought her head close.
*I'm speechless...*
Did she really think that action was right?
It's so absurd I'm not even angry.
Rather, I feel deflated.
I gently pushed away Hare, who was clinging to me, and said:
"Hare."
"Yes..."
"Were your memories with your grandmother good or sad? Are your memories of living in that Garbage Dump sad memories?"
"N-no! Th-they're good memories! Even though it was sad, the time with Grandmother was good!"
"I feel the same way."
"What...?"
"Though it ended sadly, when I recall it, there are far more good memories."
"Ah, ahhh..."
Hare let out a groan as if realizing something.
"I-I... because Sister Aina... t-tormented Mister... I-I tried to remove that... I tried to remove it for Mister's happiness..."
"I never wanted that."
"...!!"
Realizing that fact, Hare immediately apologized to me.
"I-I'm sorry...! Mister...! I-I was wrong...! I-I thought wrong and almost hurt Mister...!"
Hare kept apologizing to me, bowing at the waist.
For wrongs born from ignorance, one should apologize, reflect, and act to not commit the wrong again.
However, what upset me most was...
*Did the other children see Aina as causing me pain...*
I don't know exactly what memories the Hero Party saw.
But to think that the past Aina was causing me pain in the present—that fact struck me rather painfully.
"...So that's why you called Estia a traitor."
"Y-yes... Estia said we should restore the memories... so we called her a traitor... *sniff*... I-I'm sorry... *sniff*... P-please don't abandon me..."
Hare shed tears, perhaps thinking I would punish her.
Since she showed remorse, I had no intention of punishing Hare.
"...First, Estia."
"Yeah?"
"Well done. When the other children said no, you thought for yourself and acted on what you believed was right. You've grown a lot compared to before."
"Heh, hehe..."
Estia blushed and only let out laughter, as if embarrassed by the praise.
It was Estia's appearance, having grown dramatically compared to the beginning.
I turned my gaze to Luna, who had kept her mouth shut and said nothing since earlier.
"Luna."
"Yes..."
Luna kept her head down and wouldn't meet my eyes.
She seemed to have realized from the start that she was wrong.
Yet she continued to side with them because of greed, I suppose.
"A wrong done knowingly and a wrong done unknowingly—their weight is completely different."
Luna and Saten knew this action was wrong and did it anyway.
A slightly different case from Hare.
Normally I should have punished them, but...
"Luna, Saten."
"Yes..."
"Yes."
"I won't punish you."
"...What?"
"What do you mean? If we did wrong, you should punish us—"
I decided not to.
Was it because my memories were returning and Aina felt closer to me now?
For some reason, I didn't want to punish them.
I stood up from my seat and left the dining room, saying:
"I won't punish you, so do as you please. I won't concern myself with it."
Was the shock of the other children's thoughts about Aina too great?
My head hurt.
My heart hurt too.
And.
"...Too much greed."
Today's Hero Party was far too disappointing.