17 Chapter 17: The Lady in the Church

[Izumi POV]

Leaving the classroom I decided to walk around the Life layer and find some good spots to let Coco play. Right now she was asleep and would most likely not wake up until late.

Finding a small clearing which was quite hidden, I sat and looked around. There was no signs of human interventions and the path to it was simply to long, confusing, and annoying for it to be worth going here. But it should be a good place to let Coco explore, looking around I found a few other places to note.

Returning near the academic center, I found a few shops, buying a few books and a nice chocolate pastry for Coco and a Jagamaruken for myself. Interesting enough a Neko, especially Marine Coon grow extremely fast both physically and mentally. Although still quite childish in comparison to her physical development, she picks up and learns things extremely quickly. Already understanding subjects like reading and writing to advanced mathematics, under Izumi's diligent tutelage.

...

As Izumi was exploring the more serene and deserted areas of the Life layer he found an old, run down church. Izumi feeling compelled walked in and was strangely much calmer as he sat down on one of the benches. Suddenly, he heard a notification in his ear.

[Ability: [Plot Armor] is activating…]

And with the notification he heard the church doors open, making way for a thin yet beautiful lady, Standing on the opposite side. Izumi seeing her inwardly slack jawed as he recognized who this was.

With fair skin and silver hair, she stood at about 5'7'' seeming to be in her early 20s. She wore a black and silver off shoulder dress with long black sleeves, revealing her abundant chest, connected to a black silk choker like necklace with a jade gem. But, what stood out even more than the women's stunning beauty was her closed eyes and cold aura.

Without opening her eyes she turned to Izumi's direction momentarily freezing, before quickly recovering and giving a slight nod, which Izumi subconsciously returned with a polite nod of his own. The woman walking forward sat on the beginning of the bench across from the one Izumi sat down on as she turned towards the front and sat their in silence.

Izumi feeling slightly awkward at the unexpected encounter simply sat back down and fiddled with his fingers, not knowing what to say while also not wanting to disturb her in her seemingly deep state of concentration.

Noticing Izumi's situation, the woman smiled softly thinking his actions were cute and still, facing towards the front, she began to speak.

''Are you a new student, I don't think I've seen you here before'' The woman stated. Izumi hearing this straightened his back as he awkwardly replied.

''Y-yes, I just joined the Ilmarinen class as an aspiring blacksmith.'' Izumi answered, which seemed to surprise the woman.

''A blacksmith? Are you sure you shouldn't be joining a combat related class? I believe you'd do well'' The woman said with slight confusion, as in her eyes the boy seemed suited to be an adventurer or swordsman rather than a blacksmith, due to his muscle structure.

''H-haha, I do practice swordsmanship, but I came to train my blacksmithing.'' Izumi said as he knew lying would be pointless in front of her.

''Huh is that so.'' The woman huffed, as they returned to a state of silence. As another heavy silence fell, Izumi again became awkward and inwardly tried to think about conversation starters to end his awkward suffering. The woman, who could read him like an open book, smiled, amused at his dismay, thinking it was cute.

''So… what brings you here, it's quite far from the popular areas?'' Izumi asked trying to break the ice. The women who had become increasingly more amused decided to humor him.

''I always visit here, it reminds me of someone dear to me. How about you?'' The woman said, while reminiscing about old times.

''Oh, I wanted to explore and find some nice spots away from… people… I'm not very good with new people, as you can tell.'' Izumi said while scratching his the back of his neck and adopting a strained smile. The woman seeing this, chuckled softly, bringing het hand over her mouth.

''Yes, I can'' She said, causing Izumi to slightly cringe and made a strained smile, causing the woman to once again lightly chuckle.

Returning to the serene silence, Izumi had found it no longer as awkward and decided to start the conversation again. Something the woman seemed fine with, enjoying their conversation.

''So, who was it this place reminded you of?'' Izumi asked, which caused the women to momentarily freeze, seeing this Izumi sensed something wrong and began to talk.

''Oh, it's fine if you don't want to talk about it. I can understand, it being weird to talk about with a stranger, sorry for aski-'' Izumi quickly said, not wanting to ruin her mood. Seeing this however the woman smiled as his reaction reminded her of the very same person the boy had just asked about.

''No, it's fine'' She cut him off, with a warm smile. Which shut down Izumi, as he lightly blushed, embarrassed.

''The person this place reminds me of… was my sister.'' The women revealed, causing Izumi's eyes to widen at her choice of words.

'' 'was'?'' Izumi repeated subconsciously, which he immediately regretted as he realized the implication of the word.

''She died.'' The woman answered with a heavy tone, confirming Izumi's assumption.

''I'm sorry, for bringing it up.'' Izumi said with clear guilt in his voice, this caused the women to freeze up as the image of her sister and the boy momentarily overlapped, in her head. Absentmindedly her eyes opened wide, momentarily caching Izumi by surprise because of the color of her eyes, one emerald green, the other silver.

Taking out a handkerchief, Izumi got up and offered it to her with worry on his face.

''Here.'' Izumi said, waking her up as she looked confused at the boy, holding a handkerchief. Seeing this the boy explained.

''Your crying. It's for the tears… I'm sorry for making you remember something sad.'' Izumi explained as the woman subconsciously touched her check feeling a wet sensation as she unconsciously took Izumi's handkerchief.

''Thank you, but it wasn't your fault.'' She said with a soft smile.

''No it is, I forced you to remember something difficult.'' Izumi said, this however prompted the women to shake her head and explained the real reason with a smile.

''No, instead you just remind me of her…'' She said, as she ruffled his hair.

''I do?'' Izumi questioned. Which prompted the woman to smile wider and explain.

''Yes, she had the same white hair as you, but her eyes were more blue. She was also a very carrying yet thick headed person'' She said as she stared at Izumi's long white hair with a small reminiscent smile.

''…thank you?'' Izumi replied not sure if it was a complement or insult. Seeing his confused face the woman burst out into laughter as her shoulders shook at his adorable antics. Causing Izumi glared at her, feeling he had been insulted. Only prompting her to laugh harder. As she did so, another round of silence descended on them, this time cozy and warm as the woman's smile brightened the room.

''...you seem to really love your sister.'' Izumi said as he had become curious about her sister.

''Yes, she was a lot more carefree than me and because of that I had to look after her. Though she was also very kind at heart, she had a knack for bring people together. Her smile could brighten a room and she could always make people warm up to her. One time…'' The woman explained, as she began to tell the tails of their childhood and a few of her sisters embarrassing stories. Izumi, patiently listened to them all, sometimes asking questions and laughing along with her.

By the end of their talk Izumi and the woman where sitting beside each other and talking about her sister, thought mostly the woman talking and Izumi adding comments or questions.

''She really was a handful, but I'm lucky I had her. She was the person I cherished the most.'' The woman finished as she now had a smile on her face and seemed more alive.

''I'm sure she felt the same way. She's lucky she had such a loving sister.'' Izumi said thinking their relationship was really good. However his comment made the woman freeze as she tightened her hand and looked down.

''No, I-I ruined her life... if I was never born, maybe she would be healthier and live the life she deserved…I-I'' She squeezed out as she clenched her fists, in self deprivation. Slowly her head fell as she silently cried, finding all of her walls slowly crumble in this place that allowed her to momentarily be weak.

Izumi seeing this, out of pure impulse, consoled her the only way he knew how too. He wrapped his arms around her, in an awkward position, and brought her into his embrace, he rubbed her head trying to calm her down.

''None of that. Your sister loved you dearly, even I can tell from the stories you told me about... So don't think stupid thoughts. She loved you just as much as you did to her.'' Izumi said, trying to console the older woman, he rubbed her head and allowed her to cry in his chest.

In this position, the woman who had carried a heavy burden, opened up to a stranger and for the first time in years, cried. Izumi being beside her rubbed her head and comforted her. For half an hour Izumi and the woman stayed their as she cried and he hugged her.

…

''I'm sorry you had to see that.'' The woman said with slight embarrassment at her previous vulnerableness. Still whipping tears from her check.

''Think nothing of it! Everyone needs to cry sometimes, it reminds us where still human.'' Izumi replied back.

''Um. and thank you for what you said.'' She added this time in a much quieter voice.

''Those were straight from the heart. Your sister did love you and theirs no meaning in thinking of a what you should have done, because you can't change it. I mean, why worry about the past and waste the present, when we could be thinking about the future and treasure the present. I mean I would rather think about 'what if's of my future than be hung up in the past.'' Izumi said, as his words deeply resonated with the woman as she remembered the never fading smile of her sister and the nights of them debating about 'what if's they'd dreamed doing in the future.

Closing her eyes she could still hear her sisters words.

'What if we become fishermen and travel the sea…'

'What if we reach the dungeons last floor…'

'What if we could fly…'

As the women closed her eyes the many 'what if's they'd talked about reverberating through her ears, some childish, some she even wondered herself, and some plain impossible.

Looking over to the boys smile the woman blushed as she was lost in his deep purple eyes. However shaking her head she recovered from it and smiled too, reflecting the boys smile.

Rubbing his head causing his eyes to close in contentment she felt a sudden sense of relaxation and calmness. Suddenly a memory of her sister overlapped with her current one as she inwardly thought.

'He reminds me of you, Meteria...'

''So, what about your family?'' She asked the boy, wondering about his background after sharing so much of her own with him.

''Oh, I didn't really have any family.'' Izumi said. Causing her to slightly choke and mentally slap her own forehead, as she thought she steeped on a landmine when the boy had even tried comforting her.

''Sorry.'' She said.

''Oh, don't worry I never really knew them to begin with, I grew up alone near the village I was born in. I later built my own house when I reached seven and lived there. Anyways I'm not alone anymore.'' The boy said, but his words caused a bit of surprise to the woman.

''Wait, you built your own house at seven?'' She asked bewildered, thinking he probably had a little hut.

''Haha, yah it was a 2000 sq ft house with 2 stories and an attic.'' Izumi said with a bit of pride in his voice. The woman however just stared dumbly at him not being able to understand how a seven year old built that.

''So, you said your 'not alone anymore'?'' She said deciding to change the subject to something she could probably understand better.

''Yup, when I was seven, I saved two, level two, Amazoness named Tione and Tiona, from a large pack of serpent wolves. After that they decided to join my harem, which they started and marry me in the future. I also got a cat.'' Izumi said summarizing the major events of his previous two years.

''Wait, what!?'' The woman said even more confused as the oddity of Izumi's words kept increasing.

''Ya, my cat is a Marine Coon, she's pretty big now…'' Izumi said as he began to talk about Coconut as if she was a normal house cat.

''No, not that, the saving Amazonians from serpent wolves!'' The woman said stupidly.

''Oh, I think their was a group of about 60 or so serpent wolves, Tione and Tiona had already killed a lot of them. I mean those two where already level two.'' Izumi explained.

''So you saved two level two Amazonians from a pack of 60 monsters, while being falnaless and the Amazonians you saved…joined your harem?'' She repeated trying to fathom the legitimacy of such a thing, but oddly couldn't see the boy lying.

''Umm…well, Tione and Tiona are level 3 now and I didn't kill the serpent wolves, just scare them off.'' Izumi said and the woman didn't sense any falsehoods in his words... he wasn't lying.

''So, a kid less than 8 years old, scared away a pack of 60 monsters, that even 2 level 2 Amazonians couldn't take. On top of all that without a falna.'' The woman deadpanned inside her head as she reiterated with a twitching eye brow.

''Yes, basically.'' Izumi stated and the woman once again couldn't find any falsehood in his words.

''...Are you sure, you don't want to join the combat division?'' The woman asked, referencing back to when Izumi said he had joined a Blacksmithing class.

''Haha, nope I'll stick with blacksmithing for now, but that doesn't mean I'll stop my swordsmanship training.'' Izumi said.

''So be it.'' The woman replied.

''But what about you, you're pretty strong from the stories you've told me about your sister and you. You said you where an adventurer at one point, right?'' Izumi said changing the topic back to the woman.

''Yes, however that was a long time ago…'' She reminisced.

''Huh, so you're already retired?'' Izumi asked and this caused her to freeze, as a terrifying aura slowly seeped out of her.

''Are you calling me old?'' She said, while Izumi, who had experienced a similar situation with Tione, knew exactly how to answer.

''Hmm… No the opposite really, aren't you to young to retire?'' Izumi said, as the woman mood slightly brightened and she ruffled his hair, but the woman saw through his calm persona.

''Nice save.'' She said as she had seen through Izumi's words and tightened her hand on his head in an iron claw.

Izumi who had been busted panicked, resorted to his secret weapon.

His big eyes, slightly teared up, and his lips quivered. Like a small animal his shoulders shook as he looked up at her from beneath the iron claw.

''Your hearting me, Onee-san'' Izumi said in a quite, yet adorable voice mimicking a small animal.

This seemed to have worked as even though she knew it was fake, her iron claw weakened as she slightly blushed and once again saw her sister in him.

''S-sorry.'' She said in a slightly dejected way with a small blush, embarrassed at her own actions.

Meanwhile, Izumi rubbed his head, as he tried to numb the pain.

''It's ok.'' He said in a small voice and they returned to a warm silence, however not for long as it had started to get dark.

''Oh, it's already this late! Sorry, Oneesan I have to go, I have a blacksmithing test in the morning.'' Izumi said checking the time.

''On your second day?'' The woman asked back.

''Yup, it's for the teacher to check our blacksmithing skill.'' Izumi said explaining the reason for it.

''Huh is that so.'' She said.

''Alright, I'll be on my way. Next time I'll tell you about my cat.'' Izumi said, promising to return, but as he reached the door he realized something.

''I just realized we never introduced ourselves.'' He said in a slightly surprised tone.

''Huh, I guess we didn't.'' She said, trying to remember if she had or not during the beginning of their conversation.

''In that case I'm Izumi, Nice to meet you.'' Izumi said.

''Alfia.'' The woman said curtly.

''See you tomorrow.'' Izumi waved as he rushed back home.

''Tomorrow, then.'' The woman replied and waved back.

…

As Izumi reached back home, he was met with a grumpy catgirl in his room. The catgirl noticing him had knitted brows and a small frown. Izumi for a second, thought it was Garfield and not Coconut before he shook his head.

'Garfield could never be that cute.' He said in his head.

''Late.'' she said curtly with inflated cheeks.

''Sorry.'' He genuinely apologize. Coconut, seeing this slightly nodded before letting him off the hook, but not without compensation.

''Food, please.'' She said with a serious face, until her stomach grumbled and her cheeks became red in embarrassment.

''Sure! I'll cook something up, in the mean time here eat this pastry. Oh, I brought you a few books too. I'll be right back after cooking something.'' Izumi said as he left Coconut, who had a spoon in her mouth and cream on her cheek from the pastry.

'Hmm…Maybe I should make some snacks for Alfia, too.' Izumi thought as he walked to the shared kitchen, that nobody in his building used, since they where all prideful blacksmiths, who didn't know the first thing about cooking.

…

In a cozy home, neither too big nor too small, within the outskirts of the school district. A large man with a scar on his face and a woman could be seen together.

''You seem to be in a good mood today, Alfia.'' The man said, as he looked over to the girl he considered his niece.

''Yes, I met someone who reminded me of Meteria'' She said with a small smile.

''Someone like Meteria? That's quite rare, maybe I should meet them too?'' He said, knowing how important Meteria is to Alfia.

''Maybe, he did say he was a swordsmen.'' Alfia replied.

''Oh ho? a student, huh.'' Zald said.

''Yes.'' Alfia replied as she waited for Zald to make dinner, while still thinking about the boy.