Chapter 280

280th Episode

A Brief Respite #2

When I returned to the run-down inn room, there was an unfamiliar old woman waiting for me. Tall and dignified, she didn’t seem like an ordinary elder.

Perhaps she was from some noble family?

That was all I could immediately infer.

She had wrapped herself in what seemed like a black robe, but it was actually a glossy silk shawl that sparkled like dark starlight. Furthermore, her arms and neck were adorned with fairly large jeweled accessories that glittered.

An ordinary old woman could never dress so neatly and lavishly. More importantly, what I carefully observed was her expression.

Compared to many of the elderly in this world who carry themselves with the weary look of having weathered countless storms, this woman gazed at me with a rather imperious and haughty expression.

Whether from experience or not, despite being similar in height, she gave me the feeling of looking down on me. In my experience, the type of person who emits this kind of aura are mostly nobles.

Why would a noble come to me?

That question came to mind, but it wasn’t entirely unfounded. Living separately from the nobility, I had lately found myself crossing paths with them in various matters, forming at least some connection.

Could she be an acquaintance of the Baron of Skulls? No, that person wouldn’t know who I am. Besides, that incident was quite some time ago. Therefore, the first thought that came to mind was the House of Count Sarditch.

Wasn’t it agreed to keep what happened there a secret? Considering the negative implications of rumors spreading about a savage massaging a noble young lady’s feet, we had both come to a mutual understanding.

Had someone leaked the story?

As I furrowed my brow with these thoughts, the old woman slowly approached me and made eye contact.

“You seem deep in thought. My dear, I can literally hear the wheels turning in your head.”

In a manner characteristic of people from this world, her unwavering gaze was unsettling. It was as if her eyes could sh**t lasers, causing me to instinctively take a step back.

Here I was, someone who had recently fought off powerful bees without retreating, now backing away from an elderly woman.

I was taken aback by this fact. What is this? She just feels like an ordinary middle-aged woman. I don’t sense any special mana or energy.

As I pondered this, the woman, narrowing her brows slightly, spoke.

“In this, you resemble him. Every time you tried to deceive me and intended to leave home, you became more silent. And that black hair—indeed, what the children said appears to be true.”

What is she talking about?

From the start, she had been speaking incomprehensibly, conversing and responding to herself in a rather peculiar fashion.

“Don’t pretend you don’t know. Likely, you are my grandson. Have you never heard of me? I am your grandmother.”

“Excuse me? My grandmother?”

“Yes.”

All of a sudden calling me her grandson? We don’t even look alike.

At that moment, a bolt of realization struck me.

Could she be suffering from dementia?

Could a dementia-stricken noblewoman, meandering around, have found her way to me? Having worked around many elderly individuals at the Health Center, I had seen many dementia patients.

When someone has dementia, they often engage in self-dialogue and self-response.

Indeed, dementia is an extremely frightening incurable disease. Even worse, it causes immense fatigue for the family members caring for the patient, an exhaustion that screams with anguish.

In a place without proper medical welfare, dementia must be an even scarier disease. Judging by her appearance, this woman was from an affluent family. Are her relatives looking for her?

“Grandma, have you perhaps lost your way? Do you know how to get back?”

“My dear, don’t treat me like a child. Yes, I may have lost my way in a few ways. No matter where I go, I can’t seem to find what I’ve lost.”

Ah, her mental state seems to be fluctuating. However, the awareness that she has lost her way is somewhat reassuring.

“Do you happen to have anything with your address written on it?”

Dementia patients often have their addresses stitched into their clothes or on necklaces, wallets, and other belongings.

“Oh, I know the way back. Today, I only came out because the autumn wind was whispering. Now that I’ve seen you, I’ll return.”

“In that case, should I accompany you?”

It’s quite dangerous to leave dementia patients alone. Judging by her demeanor, she’s from a very well-off noble family. If she takes the wrong road and ends up kidnapped, a big issue could arise.

Moreover, if I return her to her family, perhaps she will give me a small token of gratitude?

A Silver Tier adventurer about to ascend, guiding a dementia patient back to her family’s arms—quite a heartwarming story. Or not.

“Bringing me back, are you? You’re rather gentlemanly. Although, you’re devious. I can sense your intent to gain favor. Your devious thoughts are not hidden from me. You, too, are much like the others.”

Tch, for an old woman, she’s quite perceptive.

I presumed she was about to reject my offer, but surprisingly, she extended her palm to me with a graceful gesture.

“Well then, let me indulge you once, knowing full well your intentions. It’s been my role to do so.”

Her posture was the epitome of a noblewoman desiring an escort. This only reinforced my hypothesis that she was a noblewoman from a prestigious family.

“What are you waiting for? Lead the way.”

“Yes.”

In the end, I took her hand and guided her out like a seasoned tour guide.

“Where exactly should we go?”

“Is there a Shrine of Abundance nearby?”

“What’s that?”

“I mean the Shrine of Ceres. My home is near there.”

“I see.”

Was there a Temple of Ceres in Sodomora? Since I wasn’t too interested in shrines, I wasn’t sure. But it seemed like her home was indeed close to the Temple of Ceres.

Knowing the rough location was enough, so I grabbed a nearby street thug and asked if they knew where the Shrine of Ceres was.

“Head to the South Gate. It’ll be there.”

Ah, it’s located near the South Gate then. It’s about an hour’s walk from here. Not too far from where I stand as a physically fit man.

Of course, that’s speaking from my perspective. For an elderly woman, a one-hour walk is sure to be quite exhausting.

“Should we hire a carriage?”

“No, walking would be better. It’s been a while since I’ve been out. It’s necessary to take a look around the world occasionally.”

“It might make your legs hurt later.”

“I won’t ask to be carried. Although I may be in decline, I can still take care of myself.”

For someone who forgets things so easily, her confidence is a bit misplaced. Judging by how she called me her grandson earlier, it seems quite severe dementia.

Dementia can vary—sometimes the patient is fairly healthy and mobile but still very dangerous. With memory lapses, wandering here and there, the chances of getting lost immediately increase.

“Well then, let’s walk.”

“Alright, let’s.”

You’re a fairly determined and resolute person, aren’t you?

Thus, the lady and I set off on foot for a journey that was about an hour long. From the North Gate to the South Gate, it was quite a distance spanning the city.

I would have been a bit worried if some street urchins decided to cause trouble, so while keeping an eye out, I glanced around and noticed that the noblewoman, who had been relatively silent, spoke up.

“The air seems sharp. It seems like we might be attacked.”

“You may not know how people like me, with dark hair, are treated.”

“Black is believed to be bad. It’s because of the remnants of Pluto. In truth, black things are bad. Pluto is as bad as they come. He’s very wicked.”

“Is that so.”

“Your father must have had the same black hair as you, right?”

At that moment, I tensed up. What if this old woman starts trash-talking? Hence, I made a curt reply, indicating that I don’t want to discuss such topics.

“Naturally.”

“Then what about your mother?”

My mother?

What color was her hair? Mostly it had a brown tone, I think. But she frequently dyed it, resulting in various vibrant colors. There wasn’t a fixed hue.

My father was rather conservative, but my mother had a free spirit. And my younger sister has inherited her temperament, causing plenty of problems.

“Hmm, I’m not sure.”

“Ah, it was a mistake on my part to mention that earlier. You are not my grandson. You just resemble someone I know, so I must have been mistaken.”

“Of course. Have your memories returned?”

“Memories?”

“It might not be right to say this, but could you be suffering from dementia?”

“Blasphemy!”

Ack!

The hand holding mine suddenly tightened with a surprising strength, startling me to the point that I almost screamed. Luckily, the grip loosened in time before I lost my dignity. A adventurer crying out in distress from an old woman would not do much for my already fading reputation.

With my brows furrowed, the nobility spoke.

“Yet, you might be right. I have forgotten so much, lost so much. Too much has been left behind, even my duties. I’ve caused trouble for many people. It might be impossible to turn back now.”

Upon hearing the words of the elder, I was at a loss for how to respond. Her long life seems to match the weight of her regrets.

What could a young person like me possibly have to say about such matters? It’s best to simply listen quietly, I thought, when the nobility, perhaps disturbed by the brief silence, spoke again.

“Child, the journey is dull. Tell me your story.”

“My story?”

“Yes. What did your parents do? I’m curious about their well-being.”

Suddenly asking about my parents’ health?

“It’s been a long time since I saw them, so I’m not quite sure.”

“Ah, I see. Then you can just tell me what you remember. How about the relationship between your parents?”

“Eh, well, they were fine, I guess. Nothing special. Not bad, not good. They’d argue sometimes, and would be good to each other at other times as well.”

“Ah, indeed. That’s typical of an average couple. And being average in a marriage is a good sign.”

“Is that so.”

That concluded our brief exchange. Talking and falling silent repeatedly, before we knew it, we had passed through the central street and were approaching the South Gate.

“Will you be able to find the way from here?”

“Yes. That much I can manage. But returning home will only leave me lonely. There’s no one waiting for me there, just silence.”

The noblewoman lives alone? Is there no maid either? I asked idly, trying to pass the time.

“Where are your children?”

“There was once.”

Almost as if she’d been waiting for it, her story flowed freely.

“I had a daughter. A cherished daughter, raised carefully so that no harm would befall her, so that the world wouldn’t wound her.”

“Is that so.”

It was common for the elderly to boast about their children, so with a generic response, I nodded, all the while keeping my eyes busy searching for the Shrine of Ceres. Where is it?

“She thought about nothing but sneaking out of the house every day, avoiding my watchful eye. Yet, she was a pretty child. When they say you wouldn’t poke her eye accidentally, it’s true. My beautiful daughter. But she disappeared a long time ago.”

“You mean she left home?”

“I don’t know. I wondered if she might have been kidnapped by someone. Maybe she disappeared into the ground. Or rose into the sky. I searched for her tirelessly for years, decades, but recently I learned a little about her.”

To know something now means she’s at least not dead or severely injured?

“Still, it’s good to hear something.”

“Surprisingly, it seems she’s doing well. She has even defiled her mother’s heart by casually having a child of her own and carrying on happily. It makes me so angry. So angry. That wretched girl.”

The old woman kept repeating that she was angry. She seemed quite furious, her anger towards her daughter and curses, with her emotions swinging up and down like the common symptoms.

Thinking about it, if my own child had left without a word and was living comfortably somewhere, I might get really upset too.

Come to think of it, could my own parents be incredibly mad about me leaving home so carelessly? That’s a bit unfair.

What would my father think about my current situation?

First off, having a girlfriend and fooling around could lead to him breaking my legs. My father was quite sensitive about infidelity.

Troubling.

Thinking about that, it was fortunate my father wasn’t nearby. I would have been beaten mercilessly.

No matter how much I trained and became stronger, even reaching Silver Tier and using aura, I couldn’t imagine defeating my father.

To me, my father was like a massive ancient tree or a towering mountain. Unshakable. Unbreakable. A pillar.

As I was imagining my father’s face while walking hand in hand with the noblewoman, suddenly, she stopped in her tracks.

“Is there a problem?”

And the noblewoman replied.

“The strap on my sandal has broken.”

The strap of her sandal?

Beneath the long flowing dress, something tumbled down and flapped—it was indeed the broken sandal strap.

Compared to the splendid exterior of the elderly lady, her sandal was completely worn out, the sole nearly falling off.

“Looks like you’ve worn them for a very long time.”

“I used to wear these while looking for my daughter everywhere. Now that my task is done, perhaps it’s their time to rest. Don’t worry about it. Let’s keep going.”

With that, she resumed walking. However, like this, she would be walking barefoot.

In this world, feet are a rather precious part of a woman’s body. This applies not just to young women but also to married women and even the elderly.

Recalling how Luna and Hippolyte took great care of their feet, I glanced around.

In the distance, one of the many shops near the South Gate was in the process of closing down.

“Please wait a moment.”

“And what do you plan to do?”

I quickly rushed to that shop and bought a cheap pair of sandals for 20 coppers. When I handed them to the old woman, she chuckled as if witnessing something extremely amusing.

“How amusing. Child, are you giving me this shoe as a gift? There’s no ulterior motive, is there?”

“Well, it’s just… walking barefoot might be a bit inappropriate, right?”

“Yes, for a long journey, good footwear is necessary. I accept your gift graciously.”

And with that, the elderly woman slipped on the 20-copper cheap sandals under her long robes, adjusting them with swift swipes.

“They fit perfectly. Although, they do give off a bit of a cheap vibe.”

“Well, there’s nothing that can be done about that. Later, you should buy yourself an expensive pair and wear them.”

“Yes, it would be fitting to do so. However, receiving things from a young boy like you feels improper. Though I may be in decline, I still have the means to offer a token of gratitude. Is there something you wish for?”

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