Truth to be told, It's hard for me to be upfront in front of a kid.

Especially If it's someone like Aria.

She was staring at me with such... sorrowful, melancholic eyes.

When you look at her closely, You can see her pure white face clearly under the twilight,

Her platinum blonde hair that was somehow disheveled made her look distressed.

It's rare for such a girl to exist in the countryside. Her appearance makes it look like she was a noble yet.. It was also different.

She didn't look particularly innocent and weak like a princess yet her aura exudes a very charming atmosphere.

She would look more dignified as she grew up.

If it weren't for her shy nature, She would have definitely been the village's favorite child.

But right now, she's something more like a daughter to me.

"Aria, can we talk inside?"

I casually said those words to her.

I don't want to be presumptuous but...

At first she hesitated, seemingly closing the door.

After a while, she opened the door again and looked at me.

"I-If it's big brother then... I suppose it's alright."

She then opened the door completely.

I took the chance and entered the room without hesitation.

"Then, excuse my rudeness."

I then saw her dimly lit room. It was already dusk when I arrived at her house.

When I looked around, Her room was very normal.

It had a bed and a table with a lamp that's currently off. Aside from that, her drawer of clothes which is actually more similar to a basket than the wood flooring. She also had a window which she fairly uses whenever she wants to see the beautiful view of the mountains.

Yep, in this world such luxury of a modern room back when I was on Earth is only limited to those of nobles.

We commoners are actually fairly happy with this set-up.

And as technology here is primitive, we only used lamps fueled by magic stones as a light source.

I didn’t look at her right now.

I brushed past her to light the lamp. It was already going to be dark.

She just stood there and said nothing while I lit the lamp.

From there, I just stood right in front of her and knelt while she was sitting at her bed.

"Aria, how do you feel today?" I asked.

"I-i'm fine...."

Liar. Your face tells a different story.

Her hands were shaking as she kept them on her lap and she was noticeably pale than the usual Aria i know,

"You don't need to push yourself."

"B-but!"

I knew from the very start that Aria would hesitate to accept this offer. But I also knew that she would think about this matter seriously.

Because she's a very earnest child.

"T-the village is counting on me! They said that I would save the world and bring happiness to my family!"

And there she goes...

"Then why are you crying then?"

"--!"

As I knelt there, I looked at her seriously.

"Then let me ask this, Do you really want to do it?"

She hesitated once again, this time it looks like she doesn't have an answer.

"Look here kid, I had a time once where I regretted not following a path which I really wanted. But knowing you, I know that you would still choose this because you're a very kind person."

She stopped crying and suddenly looked at me with her mellow eyes.

"However, I do believe that you have the right to refuse them if you really want to."

"Uncle, I can't really follow what you're saying right now." she chuckled as she said that.

"Argh! I'm still 30 you know!"

We both giggled momentarily before I continued. At least now, we are not that tense anymore.

"Aria, what I'm trying to say is that your decision is ultimately your decision. Especially now that you're faced with this dilemma, What you need to do is to follow what you really want. You shouldn't let other people influence your feelings."

She responded back with a light nod.

"Then, do you really want to be a Hero, who would go into countless trials in order to defeat the Demon King and save the world?"

She again hesitated, but this time-

"Yes!"

She gave off a loud affirmation as she stood up with fierce eyes that I have never seen a child make

But…

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

"Then why?"

This is not a method in order to make her lose her motivation. But I just want her to realize what she truly wants. In order to have your purpose in this world, you need a reason to do so.

But this time she did not think twice.

"Because I want to protect my friends and family and... you Uncle!"

I was surprised by her words.

Honestly! What an earnest child you are! I really want to pinch her cheeks right now!

But now is not the time.

"If that's what you want then do it. But here's a little advice from your Uncle."

I stood up and hugged her immediately.

She was taken aback but I immediately said to her:

"You shouldn't take the burden all to yourself especially if you're still young."

She cried. Her tears start falling onto my shoulders.

She held tight into my shirt and her tears weren't stopping

And of course, I calmed her down.

After that, she fell asleep probably due to being tired all-day and I laid her into her bed and laid a blanket over her.

I proceeded to leave her room until she grabbed the end of my shirt.

"?"

Of course I was puzzled.

But she looked more puzzled than me.

After some silence, she started to speak up.

"Will you stay by your side a little longer?"

Ah, I kind of overthinked it a little bit.

I kind of forgot that she's still a child.

But even someone like her has this "side" huh?

There's no need to hesitate for the answer-

"Of course."

I pulled the chair on the nearby table and sat down beside her bed.

"Would you like me to read you a bedtime story?"

"I'm too old for bedtime stories already!"

I abruptly laughed at her remark.

I really like teasing this child.

"I want you to... pat me."

I flinched back at what she requested.

She tries to act mature but on the inside she's still very much a child.

So at least then before I realized it, I started patting her head.

And she held my hand onto her head.

Her hair was really soft.

Before I knew it-

"She's already asleep..."

And so, It was truly the time to leave.

The night sky from the window had illuminated her room and so I had turn off the lamp.

"Goodnight, Aria"

When I slowly closed the door and confirmed that she was asleep already, I let out a sigh

"Hah....."

What should I do? Even though I comforted the child right now, what will I do tomorrow?

Now that I think of it, she said that she wanted to become a hero no matter what.

That statement itself is very bold but the harsh reality of life is cruel especially to kids like her.

She's an upright person but... I'm afraid that she'll get exploited by some people.

Especially since the kingdom's situation is getting desperate.

Although I don't want to interfere with her decision, It's also hard for me to convince her to stay.

And those villagers will surely try to convince her to fulfill her duties otherwise.

Heartless bastards. Can't you see that you're sending a mere child to the battlefield just for the sake of your village?

"How did it go?"

Just when I was sulking while leaning my back on the door, Gildot approached with a worried look.

"For now, I have put her to sleep."

“Is that so…?”

He really looked anxious right now. It seems that he was disheveled and was sweating a lot.

Now that I’ve thought of it, isn’t he too worried?

No, worried isn’t the right word… Is it more like fear?

Really. When it comes to this there’s only one way to know what a man feels.

I raised my hand in order to reach for something in my sub-space storage.

By the way, this thing is made by magic.

It was worth learning since it was a really convenient magic that adventurers had sought after. In my world’s knowledge of course.

But I heard someone saying that it was really rare for someone to have it?

Not that I don’t care honestly. As long as it was convenient then I was willing to learn it diligently.

That has been my logic in this world after all.

And that was also how I survived.

“Y-you have sub-space storage?!?” Gildot said with a very surprised look.

I guess it was really that rare huh? Even the guild told me something like that. But since it was convenient, I didn’t really pay attention to it.

Ignoring him, I reached out for something that I had saved up for myself to drink.

“A fine bottle of Fire Water”

“F-fire Water?!? Isn’t that drink so strong that it can knock somebody down in one shot?”

Weak. I guess that is a common stereotype here in the South.

I was born and raised in the North after all and to be honest, I don’t really like it there either.

Because the North is a frozen wasteland with nothing but snow and mountains in between.

I guess the Earth equivalent of the North would be something like Russia?

And this Fire Water was one of the North’s specialties as it is a common staple there for people even if you aren’t alcoholic.

Because it was freezing out there. It’s either you have a roof or a blanket or a bottle of this stuff.

And I’ll tell you, you’re better suited to the last one if you are really poor.

But of course again, My family was a little well-off than some of our neighbors.

So I had a roof and a blanket but still, nothing beats a cheap way to get drunk and warm during the harsh winters.

But again, the only reason we were able to drink this was because we had no choice and it became more like a tradition.

And this Fire Water would be something equivalent to “Vodka” on Earth. Non-russians have a difficult time drinking that too.

So it’s a bit extreme to share this one with Aria’s father after all.

With a sigh, I put back the bottle of Fire Water back in my sub-storage and reached out for a bottle of wine instead.

Hmmm. I can’t remember the brand.

When I pulled out the bottle, It looked kind of different…?

At the same time, Gildot and I had the same reaction.

What was this expensive thing doing in here?

An intricately designed bottle covered in gold and the official seal of the imperial family-

“Isn’t that the Empire’s Best Wine, Mit Trauben?!?”

Weird. I can’t recall why this thing is in my storage either.

By the way, Mit Trauben is not its full name. Its full name is “Mit Trauben, Kommt Wein”

Not that I actually care about what it means either.

But the point here is that this “thing” is more expensive than a common house in the empire. And this one is enjoyed by high-end nobles and… the royal family?

“John? Is there something wrong?”

Before I noticed it, I was already exuding a dark and gloomy face.

That’s right. Let’s just forget “her” and focus on my life here.

Nothing good will come out if I let her know about me.

“Nothing. I just remembered something from the past.” I said with a straight face.

“I see. I won’t ask anymore”

We both nod in agreement.

“Let’s go outside shall we?”