Re:Zero - Jobless Reincarnation: Succubus Sword God? I don't recognize it!

Chapter 555 Where I Will Find My Place in This Life

Aisha's words reached Allen's ears, and he instantly thought of Hilda.

Then his expression froze:
"Forehead?"

For some reason, even though the two were about to return to the mansion and would have plenty of opportunities to talk in the future, Aisha seemed to be talking a lot more at this moment.

Aisha counted on her fingers: "When my brother learned about the teleportation magic circle, he looked worried."

After we stepped onto the teleportation magic circle, my brother became even more noticeable when he looked towards the capital.
I was thinking about this almost the entire time I was staring out the window in a daze.
When he was talking to Chers at the city gate, he was also subconsciously testing whether his appearance was unrecognizable.
"And when I saw Her Majesty Leda, whom I hadn't seen in a long time, my first reaction was to greet her, but seeing that she didn't recognize you, brother, I gave up the idea."

Allen instinctively wanted to retort, but seeing Aisha's all-knowing gaze, he could only nod and say with a self-deprecating smile:
"I have to admit, I did think about this the whole way."

Previously, I had been facing threats from gods and humans and had little time to worry about these things, but half a month ago, the pressure from gods and humans suddenly eased.

These thoughts inevitably crept into my mind. Heh, doesn't it seem weak? Not at all like the decisive 'Allen' I've known all this time?

"Not weak."

"Ok?"

Aisha looked at Allen's face, reached out and took his hands, placing them on her knees:
"The decisive demeanor of the seven great powers is my brother's armor, while his consideration for everyone's feelings is his flesh and blood."

Our brother, clad in armor, wielding a sword to kill, doesn't frighten us at all.

Because whether it's me, Sister Sylphie, Sister Loki, or Sister Izoruti, everyone knows:
No matter how cold your armor is
Your heart will always burn brightly.

My brother is not weak at all; in my eyes, that's what makes him a real, living person.

Allen looked somewhat dazed, and after a long pause, he continued:
"Where did you learn those fancy words?"

Aisha chuckled and said, "You learned it from your brother?"
In my past life, when my brother appeared before me, he had killed a lot of people; the corpses were scattered and broken into pieces.

I was so young then, and that scene was so unforgettable that it made it difficult for me to talk to my brother properly for a long time.

On the way back to the capital, my brother said all sorts of nice things, which made me forget that somewhat unpleasant memory.

She gripped Allen's hand tightly and said with a stern face:
"On the night of November 3, what saved us was not the blood-dripping sword filled with images of death, but the person who held the sword and longed to protect us."

As soon as he finished speaking, Allen chuckled to himself.

It has that flavor.

It really does sound like the fairy tales I tell my children.

But right now.
The crux of the problem is not merely a result of changes in appearance.
As for Hilfi, she might be a little uneasy because of the change in her appearance, but Allen had confidence in Hilfi and felt that with the letter written in advance to give her a heads-up, there wouldn't be any problems on her side.

At the beginning of your meeting, she may be surprised, and there may be some distance and unfamiliarity.

But the intimacy they built was through what Allen did, not through his face.

This slight disharmony will gradually weaken and eventually disappear as one's sense of presence deepens and one's words and actions become more prominent.

The result of changing one's appearance is irrelevant.

However, there are reasons for the change in appearance.

Not for Hilda, but for Hilda.

This is the underlying reason for his anxiety.

How would Hilda, the mother, view this stranger who had taken over her child's body?
She.
Lost in thought, Allen's expression grew increasingly tense.

Just then, the person in front of him moved.

The scent of lotus blossoms filled the air, and the black and white silhouette of the maid in her outfit flickered, her hair creating a beautiful wave in the air before landing beside Allen's shoulder and neck.

Allen's pupils contracted, reflecting the surging red waves.

Her hair color is similar to Hilda's.

—Aisha bent down and reached out to embrace Alan, who was sitting on the carriage seat.

She gently stroked Allen's hair, narrowed her eyes into two crescent moons, and looked down at Allen's earlobe.

"Do not be afraid. The 'flesh and blood' beneath your brother's armor are imbued with burning emotions, not with the surname Boreas."
I know, Sister Sylphie knows, and Lady Hilda must know too.

Allen only realized what was happening when he heard the gentle voice coming from above.

Aisha knows she is a visitor from another world, and she is also aware of her 'weakness'.

So of course she knows what she cares about.

The earlier discussion about armor and flesh ultimately emphasizes the word "emotion."

As Allen inhaled the lotus scent emanating from Aysha's hair and listened to her words, his mood gradually calmed down.

Too
I have done everything I should have done, and I should not be afraid of the outcome, whatever it may be.

Aishan Orphanage.
For me now, it's all in the past.

"Thank you, Aisha."

"Hehe, you're welcome~"

Roll, roll.

The carriage continued forward and arrived at the city gate of the noble district.

The coachman slowed down, intending to get off and be questioned, but Hill Chers was a cautious fellow. He had just ridden a fast horse past Allen's carriage and was now standing in front of the city gate, waving to the coachman to come inside.

The coachman turned around to ask his employer for his opinion. To be honest, he had never been to the noble district of Yars before, and he was a little nervous and unsure of what to do.

But in the blink of an eye, as the carriage curtain fluttered, he spotted the adulterous couple inside the carriage—well, the good brother and sister were already embracing each other.

The driver's expression froze, and he stood there stunned.

Hill Chers, who was standing nearby, was also about to greet Allen when he witnessed this scene.

He paused for a moment, then gave a knowing look.

He quickly waved to the driver to stop messing around and focus on driving, and not to do anything unnecessary.

The coachman snapped out of his daze and mechanically steered the carriage smoothly through the city gate.

As for why neither of them noticed that someone was missing from the carriage?

Because Alsted was secretly sitting in the carriage, after all, if the old man showed up and everyone saw his face, they would be terrified and run away in fear due to the curse.

Time passed normally.

half a minute.

One minute.

Two minutes.

Roll, roll, the wheels never stop.

The two people inside the carriage were already stiff.

After thanking him, Allen snapped out of his emotional turmoil and only relaxed for a moment before realizing something was wrong.

Wait a minute, why did Aisha suddenly hug me?

That was quite forceful.
Should I pat her back now and tell her to let go of her dog head?

But we can't see Aisha's expression.
Um... Will doing this make her think I'm looking down on her?
There wasn't a trace of him letting go.
this.
Above Allen's head, Aisha looked down at Allen's skull, her face stiff, just like Allen's, who now shared a surname only with her but was actually unrelated by blood after their bodies merged.

Wait, why did I instinctively hug him?
Although my brother looked very conflicted and seemed to need comforting, why did I hug him to comfort him?
Yes. Is it because of my subconscious urge to hug him?
Indeed, ever since her body grew larger, her older brother Allen has always maintained a subtle, respectful distance from her.
but.
What should we do now?
Should we let go of my brother?
But if I suddenly let him go, will he think I'm deliberately keeping my distance from him?
Aisha was taken aback and glanced at the scenery of the noble district outside the carriage window.

No!

She shoved Allen away abruptly, put her hands on his shoulders, and shouted:

"Brother!! So you have to pull yourself together!!!"

Allen jolted awake and quickly nodded:

"Ah, yes, yes, yes!! Aisha, you're right!!"

The two of them stepped back in unison and sat securely in their respective seats.

Allen sat up straight to show that he had pulled himself together and was done.

Aisha, on the other hand, had her hands on her knees, her face flushed, and was looking up at the roof of the carriage, blinking rapidly.

The two remained silent for a while. Then the carriage turned a corner, and the gates of Boreas's mansion could be seen in the distance.

Aisha felt the atmosphere in the carriage was a bit awkward and thought she should say something.

"By the way, brother, what do you think her reaction will be when she sees Sister Sylphie later? After all, you haven't seen each other for so long."

These words quickly diverted Allen's attention, and he stroked his chin thoughtfully, "Rufi's reaction?"

Seeing that diverting her attention had worked, Aisha breathed a silent sigh of relief, the blush on her face quickly fading. She then pondered her impression of Sylvie's breakdown and weeping after Eren's death, and said:

"She'll probably run over and hug her brother, crying. After all, she hasn't seen you in so long, she must miss you terribly."

Allen stroked his chin thoughtfully, then shook his head without saying a word.

Aisha recalled how, after Eren's death, she had remained silent for a while, but then rallied to help Ariel at her invitation in the capital, displaying remarkable resilience. She then speculated:
"Perhaps... Sister Hilfi wouldn't cry either, but would happily run over and jump into her brother's arms?"

Allen chuckled: "That's Alice's reaction, not Hilfi's."

Aisha asked in confusion, "What will Sister Hilfi's reaction be?"

Allen lowered his eyes and slowly said:
"Given her personality"

The carriage suddenly stopped.

The coachman furtively lifted the curtain, and seeing that the two were not doing anything, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"The road ahead is blocked by a lot of people. You might have to get off the carriage and walk a few steps."

Allen lifted the carriage curtain in confusion, only to see a 'square formation' of over a hundred people emerging from the far end of the street corner.

They were all richly dressed nobles, surrounded by knights in full armor.

They were practically the Knights of Dawn.

No wonder the driver was hesitant.

Aisha, watching the approaching noble procession from afar, suddenly realized, "Wait, is this the procession for bestowing titles? We've run into it here! Brother, let's get out of the carriage and walk over. If the coachman goes straight through, he'll block the road."
Brother, brother?

As Aisha spoke, she noticed that Allen didn't react, so she turned to look at him.

But then he saw Allen gazing at the approaching formation from afar, his eyes gleaming.

"Okay, let's get off the bus and walk over."

— The procession of nobles had descended from the hill above the royal palace and entered the mansions of the noble district.

It was still just as noisy as ever.

The nobles whispered and chatted as they walked, with Roltz at the head of the procession being carried forward by Gravel like a wooden puppet. Tea tables were set up on the windows and balconies of the mansions along the streets of the noble district, where noble ladies drank red tea and gazed at the grand scene they had not seen for a long time since the great disaster.

Hilfi and Philip walked among the crowd.

"Roltz looks more nervous."

"It seems there's no good solution. Father will get used to it eventually."

The two were positioned just around the corner from where they could see Boreas's mansion.

Suddenly, Philip stopped in his tracks.

Hilfi glanced to her side in confusion, slowed her pace, and asked, "What's wrong, Lord Philip?"

Philip looked at the street corner in the distance, and after a moment, smiled with narrowed eyes:

“I’ve been having a lot of social engagements lately, and I’ve passed by my house quite a few times, but I haven’t been going home much.”

Hilfi waited quietly for Philip to continue, after which the latter paused for a moment before speaking:
“Every time I pass this street corner, I can’t help but think that, just around the corner, Allen will be standing in front of the mansion’s gate, looking at me sideways just like he did two years ago.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Silphie, who remained calm even amidst the 'grand scene', kicked a piece of gravel away.

She subconsciously smoothed the strands of hair on the side of her forehead, only to find that her hair was neatly draped behind her ears, not messy at all.

What's in turmoil is her heart.

"Considering the time and distance of the letter's arrival, it should still be early."

Philip nodded: "That's true."

He glanced at Silphie and smiled:

"Does Silphie have similar thoughts?"

Hilfi was silent for a moment, then shook her head:
"I just keep track of time every day."

Philip smiled silently: "That's more like Alan's family than me, his incompetent father."

Hilfi's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly explained:

"Lord Philip, you've always cared about Alan. I'll talk to him about it when he gets back."

"No need. Alan doesn't like me. Instead of talking to him about that, let's discuss your wedding date."

Hilfi's expression froze for a moment: "...Huh?"

"By the way, have you read the letter Allen sent to Hilda?"

While Hilfi was still shy when the wedding date was mentioned earlier, she suddenly felt inexplicably nervous upon hearing this.
"I've already checked it."

Philip's face didn't show much of a change: "I knew his many amazing talents seemed to come out of nowhere. It turns out he was born with wisdom. Rather than a hero, he's more like a person destined by fate."

Hilfi looked even more nervous, unsure of what to say.

Philip smiled and said, "Why do you look a little nervous?"

Hilfi: "I, Allen, he..."

"Don't worry, although I was at a loss when I first learned about this, Hilda understands this much better than I do, and she told me a lot."

Through these words, I also understood why Allen agreed with Hilda but never agreed with me.

Hilda is Hilda; I am just a mediocre person who focuses on the rise and fall of my family.

Not to mention, the current situation in Boreas is something Allen has single-handedly shouldered.

Hilfi was taken aback, her expression slightly confused.

Philip was somewhat surprised: "Hilda didn't tell you about these things?"

Hilfi hesitated before replying, "No. I haven't discussed the topic of Hero Allen with Madam yet."

Philip smiled and said, "I see."

As the conversation continued, a nobleman approached and struck up a conversation with Philip, and the two chatted familiarly.

Hilfi looked down at the surface of her shoes.

The shoes were made by Hilda herself; they were flat, round-toed leather boots with a five-centimeter heel, made of finely polished cowhide, with a simple design that suited Hilda's temperament perfectly.

She turned the corner with the crowd, walked slowly forward, and pondered something.

The noise around me gradually faded away and went into the distance.

Step by step, my footsteps follow my thoughts.

Step by step, my thoughts and feelings kept turning.

After turning the corner, it was fifty steps away from the gate of Boreas's mansion.

They quickly walked over.

Hilfi didn't even look up; she simply let herself drift with the tide.

Thinking about his identity as a hero from another world, and how he would mediate the relationship between Hilda and Allen after they met.

Thinking of Philip's words, which sounded more like those of a family member, and the teasing expressions and questions everyone had about her marital status whenever they met her.

Thinking, thinking.

She was thinking of Ellen.

And so, fifty steps were taken.

Just as I was about to pass the gates of the Boreas mansion, my thoughts mysteriously snapped out of that detached state.

The noise returned to my ears.

The crowd was bustling.

The excitement seems never to end.

Everything in the aristocratic circles of the capital remained as unremarkable as ever.

The expectation remains in the future, and has not yet arrived.

Even so, Hilfi still thought of Philip's words earlier, and inexplicably turned her gaze to the gate of the Boreas family mansion.

He glanced at it and then looked away.

The next moment, she stopped.

The nobles behind her all recognized her, and even though Hilfi wasn't leaving, they gave her a safe distance and walked around her.

Hilfi looked at her round-toed leather boots and blinked.

After a brief pause, he turned his head again to look at the gate of the Boreas family mansion.

There are two people standing there.

But at this moment, only one person's figure was reflected in Silphie's pupils.

A tree was planted at the Boreas Palace two years ago.

It's the same variety as the one in Roya's courtyard.

It was very high, and it was late autumn; the leaves were turning yellow and falling with a rustling sound in the wind.

But in Silphie's eyes, it felt as if she had returned to that lush summer many years ago, a summer that shimmered with the brilliance of life.

There is a small hill to the north of the village of Buena, and on the hill there is also a towering tree.

Amidst the cicadas' chirping in the summer, someone always stands under a tree, where the wind blows and the shadows sway.

His smile was gentler than the wind.

Today, the territory of Fituya has disappeared, and the trees of the village of Buena have also disappeared.

But the person under the tree returned.

The same smile remained, with dappled sunlight filtering through the leaves onto her face.

Even though he had white hair that was different from what I remembered.

Even though his facial features have changed slightly.

Even though he had become taller and more slender.

Even the hilt of the sword at his waist had changed.

But the smile is still the same smile, unchanged.

At this moment, Hilfi stood quietly in place, looking at the owner of that smile.

The bustling crowd of shoulders and footsteps couldn't stop the gazes from meeting.

The concept of time is stretched out and then shortened.

Thus, the crowd continued its noisy march forward, while those who should have continued to follow the crowd stopped and did not move forward.

The crowds surged, and the lights and shadows danced.

Two years have passed in the blink of an eye amidst the hustle and bustle.

The area in front of the Boreas family mansion has returned to tranquility.

Hilfi suddenly laughed.

She looked at the person with the expression she had practiced repeatedly over the past month, the way she had rehearsed countless times in her mind, and the way she felt was most suitable for the current situation.

She pursed her lips into an expression that anyone could only see as joy, and spoke gently:
"Thank you for your hard work, Allen."

"Welcome home."

Across from Hilfi, Allen, who had been watching Hilfi walk towards him with her head down, had a big smile on his face.

He replied in the same way:

"Thank you for your hard work, Lufei."

"I am back."

(End of this chapter)