Chapter 54: The 6th floor (6)

Chapter 54: The 6th floor
(6)

Dad.

In
other words, her father.

It
was an unfamiliar word. From the moment it entered my ears to the
moment it rolled off my tongue, words related to parents were so
foreign to me.

It
felt even stranger to hear it from a benefactor’s daughter, much less
someone else.

I
was both stunned and embarrassed, so I naturally asked.

“Why
did you think that?”

“⋯Well,
it’s⋯”

After
a moment of silence, Ellie’s face immediately turned bright red. A
few more moments and it would be the same color as her hair.

Her
eyes scanned every inch of my body as if she didn’t know where to
look. Then.

“⋯⋯!!!”

Ellie’s
long elf ears flared to a smoldering red.

She
pressed her wide-brimmed wizard’s hat down tightly to hide it, but
there was no chin to cover it.

“There,
there. I think I know what you’re thinking.”

“⋯⋯”

Ellie
hangs her head, embarrassed and ashamed at her own thoughts.

Let’s
rewind to the beginning of the misunderstanding.

That
day, I went to Diana’s bedroom to calm her curse.

I
was followed by Ellie, who came to visit her.

Ellie
came out of the doorway and accused Diana of baby production. She
fled from the inn, mistakenly believing that Diana was engaged in the
act of producing a baby.

When
we were reunited, Ellie had gone from the shy and energetic Positive
Ellie from the library to the depressed and pessimistic Nerd Ellie.

“You’re
still young, it’s understandable that you’d be shocked to be reunited
like that with your adoptive mother, who you don’t even get along
with.

I
and Ms. Diana aren’t like that. I was just helping my benefactor
break her curse.”

⋯It
wasn’t that kind of relationship, at least not yet. It might be
something else later, but it wasn’t now.

For
a moment, I wondered if I should tell her about Diana’s curse, but
then I realized that everyone around me was asleep, and Ellie was
Diana’s daughter, so it wouldn’t matter.

“It’s
that kind of curse, so I don’t think Diana had any choice.”

Honestly,
curses like the curse of inept intrusion or the curse of lecherous
weakness with a corruption motif are both beyond conventional curses,
especially in the sense that getting caught with either would be
social suicide.

“⋯Is
this real? So, you’re not my dad?”

“Seriously,
I’m neither an uncle nor a dad.”

I’ve
never had sex or kissed a woman, let alone married one. Poor Ellie
had such a misunderstanding.

“Actually,
I didn’t even know you were Diana’s daughter until we met at the
library. I first heard about you on the day you ran away.”

“Oh.”

Ellie’s
mouth fell open in a daze. Her eyes shook like an earthquake, and her
ears flapped uncontrollably.

Tugging
hard at the brim of her hat, Ellie buried her face in her lap.

“My,
my, what a misunderstanding!”

Her
reaction was similar to Diana’s, as if they were mother and daughter
even though they didn’t share blood.

“Stupid,
stupid bitch! Ugh! Just die!”

No,
maybe it’s a little different.

Ellie
was very embarrassed by her misunderstandings and delusions about me,
and she rolled around on the floor in agony, unable to overcome her
shame.

It
was a fresh reaction, like a college student remembering the black
history of his middle school days.

After
rolling on the floor, Ellie covered her face with her hat and lay
down, staring into space. Her long ears drooped as if reflecting her
feelings.

“⋯I’m
pathetic, right?”

The
way she said it, even with a hint of self-help, made me think she was
in the throes of a severe breakdown.

“I
run away stupidly, I’m delusional, and I don’t have the confidence to
ask people honestly even if I want to.”

“⋯⋯”

“It’s
not just this time, it happened at the academy too, I can’t take
compliments as compliments, I take them with a twist in my stomach,
and when people give me compliments, they have ulterior motives.”

“⋯What
do you mean?”

“Everyone’s
looking at the last name Ordia, not the girl named Ellie, and it
doesn’t matter if I’m being sneaky and throwing in more
accomplishments, it doesn’t change anything.”

I
remembered Ellie’s wide smile at my compliment in the library and I
could vaguely realize what she was lacking.

‘Inferiority,
affection, or interest.’

An
inferiority complex about Diana, a craving for praise and a need for
others to see her.

They
were normal feelings that any kid Ellie’s age would have.

“I
don’t understand.”

“You
don’t?”

I
turned toward Ellie. Her face peeked out from under her hat.

I
plopped down on Ellie’s side and put my hand on top of her head. The
texture of her red hair felt good against my fingertips.

“What
the hell!”

Panicked,
Ellie tried to dodge my hand, but there was no way a half-assed mage
could escape a warrior’s grasp.

She
stopped moving and meekly accepted my touch.

Her
hair, which was obviously unwashed, was soft and shiny as if it had
been well cared for by her elven blood.

I
stroked her hair gently.

“Ellie,
I don’t know much about magic or the history of the Labyrinth City,
so I don’t know how amazing Ms. Diana is. She must be amazing, but
does it really matter?”

Ellie
gave me a dumbfounded look, the kind of look that says, of course it
matters.

I
didn’t understand it.

Why
do you keep comparing yourself to others and putting yourself down?

“From
what I’ve seen of you, Ellie, you’re one fine mage in your own
right.”

“⋯⋯!”

Ellie’s
eyes widened and I continued to speak.

“I
am alive because of your magic. Do you think I would have dealt with
the minotaur so easily if it weren’t for your magic? I don’t think
so, so I’ll say it now. I’m alive because of you. Thank you, Ellie.”

“That’s
not true! ⋯anyone
would have acted like me in that situation.”

“But
you saw it, you were the only one who had the courage to step out of
the barrier, and that’s a choice not many people can make.”

“⋯⋯”

“Ellie,
you don’t have to compare yourself to others. You are already special
enough as you are.”

No
matter how much you compare yourself to others, at the end of the
day, the most important thing in your life is yourself.

What
I did for Ellie wasn’t much.

“I
am my own person.”

Ellie
mumbled, her eyes calm as she took in my words.

“⋯Really,
do you think so?”

“Of
course I do. You’re the best wizard I’ve ever seen.”

“I
have professors and teaching assistants⋯”

“Who
can’t even help when I need them.”

Ellie
smirked at my comment. I felt quite embarrassed after I said
everything, so I just laughed.

After
a round of laughter, there was a moment of silence.

Bang-bang-bang

The
only sound was the crackling of the campfire, and then Ellie
cautiously spoke up.

“Thank
you, Mister.”

“You
don’t have to thank me, I was just telling you the truth.”

I
don’t know if she’s embarrassed or ashamed but Ellie flicked her
reddened ears and looked away, her gaze fixed on the bonfire.

Maybe
it was the scarlet flames, but I could see the determination burning
in her eyes.

With
a little self-esteem, Ellie would either be consumed by her
inferiority complex or use it as a springboard to new heights.

“I’ll
do better from now on.”

It’s
up to Ellie.

***

The
next day the students’ labyrinth phenomenon investigation was
finished.

“This
is your last phenomenon investigation, so I want you to make sure you
have no regrets before you graduate.”

The
contrast between Professor Mankostil’s smiling face and the
students’ stifled laughter was stark.

“The
Academy requires you to write a paper analyzing the Labyrinth or
develop a unique magic before you graduate, so it’s kind of a
capstone project.”

Ellie’s
explanation made sense. So that’s why they’ve been going through
all this trouble.

“Ellie,
what are you going to do after you graduate?”

“⋯I’m
thinking about it. I have a recommendation for a royal mage, and I
can choose a noble vassal.”

Ellie
pondered her options with a serious face. With her future at stake,
it was only right to choose carefully.

“If
you have nowhere else to go, come to our party, we’ll take you in
anytime!”

“⋯?”

“What
nonsense, Jubeel. Are you crazy? Ellie, don’t listen.”

I
quickly plugged Ellie’s eager ears and stepped away from the crazy
cow girl.

What
a crazy bitch, trying to throw a beautiful girl across the street
into a dumpster in the middle of nowhere.

Ellie,
being dragged by the hair by me, slowly raised her head.

“⋯Mister.
Are you still going to be an explorer at that party?”

“Uh.
For now.”

Unless
something big happens to them, or the party suddenly breaks up, I
think I’ll be going with them at least until the eighth floor.

Ellie
looked at me with a strangely lascivious expression. I felt a slight
tug on the back of my neck at the sight of that face.

Ellie
is an excellent mage but the Labyrinth is too dangerous. Being the
daughter of a benefactor makes me even more concerned about her
safety.

“Ellie,
you’re a genius, a mage with a bright future ahead of you,
recommended by the royal family.”

“I
know that, I’m a genius, no doubt about it, you reminded me of that
last night.”

“⋯Since
you know, make the right choice. Okay?”

“⋯I’ll
think about it!”

Ellie
laughed wryly and let the situation pass.

For
some reason, I think she lost her smile from last night.

No,
did she go from being a dorky Ellie to a positive Ellie again?

“Tsk!”

That’s
a good thing. She’s a smart kid, even if she looks like that. I’m
sure she’ll make good decisions.

***

We
exited the labyrinth after two weeks and three days. None of the
students were injured or involved in any incidents because we were
extra cautious about safety.

The
mission was a success, and our party parted ways with a promise to
meet again to settle the bill.

“I’m
going to Diana’s inn, are you coming?”

“I
just got a little break, so I’m planning to go back to the academy
after seeing her face.”

The
destination was the same. Diana’s inn.

Hopefully,
the mother and daughter would mend their relationship, even if it
took a while.

After
a few moments of silence, Ellie’s head snapped up as if she’d
remembered something.

“That
reminds me, Mister. I need you to keep your promise.”

“Huh?
A promise? What promise?”

I
wondered what I promised, but Ellie’s cheeks were flushed, and she
was inching closer to my side. And then.

-Bam.

She
wrapped her arms around my left arm and hugged me tightly. A little
smaller than Diana’s, but no smaller by any means, she swallowed my
arm. I focused all my attention on that touching sensation.

“⋯You
said you’d give me a stamp.”

⋯Uh,
now that I think about it, I did say that, but⋯Why
is he making such a face?

“I’m
too embarrassed to do it outside, so let’s go to the inn. At my
stepmother’s inn!”