A knocking sound echoed through Aldoโs house.
โComing!โ
Aldo headed to the entrance to greet the visitor. There stood Clara, holding a basket filled with colorful vegetables.
โHello, Aldo.โ
โHey, Clara. Whatโs up? Whatโs with the vegetables?โ
โSome vegetables from my hometown arrived, so I thought Iโd share some with you and Iris.โ
โWow, thanks, Clara. Iris! Claraโs here!โ
โYay, Clara!โ
Iris came running, her footsteps thudding as she hurried to the entrance where Clara stood.
โHello, Iris.โ
โHi!โ
Clara crouched down to meet Iris at eye level. Iris beamed with an innocent smile, and Clara smiled back warmly.
โBy the way, Clara, are you okay? Even though this area is relatively safe, flaunting food like that around here can be dangerous.โ
โDonโt worry. I covered it with this cloth outside, and even if someone tried to attack me, Iโm strong.โ
Clara fluttered the white cloth to show Aldo.
โAlright, thatโs good to hear.โ
Aldo felt relieved. From Aldoโs perspective, Clara was still a child, a girl of an age where he couldnโt help but worry about her.
โWell, Clara, since youโre here, why donโt you come in? I can at least offer you some tea.โ
โThank you, Aldo.โ
โClara, letโs play!โ
โSure!โ
Clara stepped inside Aldoโs house and played with Iris. A happy, carefree time passed as they enjoyed each otherโs company.
โHey, Clara, whatโs your hometown like?โ
โItโs a place with lots of nature. Thereโs a spirit of fertility there, and because of its influence, agriculture thrives.โ
โWow.โ
Spirits are beneficial to humans. They enrich the land and help crops grow.
โThat sounds nice. Iโd love to visit your hometown someday.โ
โFufufu. Sure, youโre welcome anytime.โ
It was a casual promise. At that moment, no one could have guessed how soon that promise would be fulfilled.
โ
A few days after the vegetables arrived at Claraโs house, something else from her hometown was delivered.
It was a letter. When Clara read it, her face turned pale.
โN-no wayโฆโ
The news from her hometown was shockingโan evil spirit had appeared, and the spirit of fertility had sealed it away. Sealing the evil spirit in a dungeon meant the spirit of fertility was also trapped. Without the spirit, the village could no longer benefit from its blessings.
Originally, Claraโs hometown had poor soil. Without the spirit, the village wouldnโt survive as an agricultural community.
โI have to do something.โ
Clara began preparing to return to her hometown. She believed that if she could free the spirit from the dungeon, the farmland could be restored.
โOh, right. I have a promise with Aldo.โ
Checking the clock, Clara headed to the meeting spot. They had planned to excavate materials from the dungeon they had recently cleared, with Aldo and Iris joining her.
Since she had made a promise, Clara felt she had to go. When she arrived, Aldo and Iris were already waiting, with Iris clinging to Aldo.
โDad, carry me!โ
โSure thingโฆ Oh, Clara. Youโre here.โ
Just as Aldo picked up Iris, Clara arrived.
โAh, yeah. Haha. Hello, Aldo, Iris.โ
Claraโs lack of energy was obvious. Iris immediately noticed something was off.
โWhatโs wrong, Clara? You donโt seem like yourself.โ
โSorry, Iris. I canโt go excavating today.โ
โWhat do you mean?โ
Iris pressed Clara for an answer. Clara wouldnโt break a promise without a good reason. While Iris was sad they couldnโt excavate together, she was more worried about Clara.
โWellโฆโ
โIf itโs hard to talk about, you donโt have to force yourself. But if thereโs anything we can do, we want to help. Weโve been saved by you so many times, and weโre not going to hold back now.โ
Aldoโs concern touched Clara. She didnโt want to drag Aldo and Iris into her hometownโs problems. But if she were in their shoes, she would feel sad if they left without saying anything. She would want them to consult her. With that in mind, Clara decided to be honest.
โActually, a dungeon has appeared in my hometownโฆ The spirit of fertility was sacrificed. Our village relies on its blessings to survive. Since the spirit has been sealed in the dungeon, I have to free it.โ
Aldo and Iris exchanged glances. Of course, their answers were the same. Iris climbed down from Aldo and ran over to Clara.
โClara! I want to go to your hometown too!โ
โYeah, thatโs right. If Claraโs hometown is in trouble, I canโt just stand by and do nothing.โ
Without hesitation, the two of them chose to help Clara. A warm feeling welled up in Claraโs chest. She clenched her fists in front of her chest and looked up.
โThank you, both of you!โ
And so, Aldo and Iris decided to go to Claraโs hometown. They temporarily parted ways to prepare for the journey.
As soon as they got home, Iris began humming and packing for the trip.
โLa la laโฆ I wonder what Claraโs hometown is like.โ
โIris, arenโt you getting a little too excited? Weโre not going for fun. Weโre going to save Claraโs hometown. We need to prepare the necessary things for diving into the dungeon.โ
Aldo tried to rein in Irisโs excitement. However, Iris froze, her eyes widening at Aldoโs words.
โI-Iโm sorry, Dadโฆ Itโs justโฆโ
Iris looked down, feeling guilty.
Seeing Irisโs expression at that moment, Aldo realized something.
Until now, she had been confined to the house by the old Aldo, before he lost his memory. She rarely had the chance to go outside, which meantโฆ she had no memories of fun outings or trips.
For Iris, going to a friendโs hometown was a first-time experience. Of course, she was excited. Even if the purpose was seriousโto save the villageโfor Iris, it was her first trip.
But Iris couldnโt bring herself to tell Aldo. The current Aldo was kind, unlike the old one. She could never say that the old Aldo had never let her go on a single trip.
โSorry, Iris. I went a bit too far. Itโs fine to have some fun, you know.โ
Aldo corrected himself. Unlike the old Aldo, who would never admit he was wrong, the current Aldo understood Irisโs feelings and apologized when he made a mistake. Iris loved this new Aldo.
โYeah. I think I got a little too carried away. Claraโs hometown is in trouble, after all.โ
Both of them acknowledged their mistakes and grew closer. This parent-child bond had deepened once again.
โCan I bring this bear?โ
Iris held up a stuffed bear. It was absolutely unnecessary for diving into a dungeon. It would just be extra baggage. Butโ
โSure, thatโs a good call, Iris. Iโm sure the bear wants to go to Claraโs hometown too.โ
Aldo readily agreed.