Vol 4. Chapter 41: "Spacing Out"

As an obedient daughter who cared about her mother at all times, Liyu naturally knew something about Yumo's current condition.

According to Big Sister Karina, Mother's strange condition had first appeared more than four hundred years ago.

Back then,

The Asumos Church had organized the major forces across the continent and formed a united army to attack the Great Winter Forest, intending to completely eradicate the threat in the north from this world.

However,

They had arrived with overwhelming momentum, brimming with confidence,

And left having thrown away their armor and weapons, utterly battered and miserable.

Although that attack by the Asumos Church had ultimately been repelled by Big Brother Piere and Big Sister Karina working together, three Earth Braves still managed to break into the Hall of Ten Thousand Demons. Adhering to the principle of never letting anything go to waste, Mother decided to use those three Earth Braves for an experiment...

Apparently, she had let those three Braves attack her however they pleased, wanting to see how long the Braves' power would have to strike her before they could actually damage the Hall of Ten Thousand Demons.

Unsurprisingly,

Those three Braves used everything they had and fiercely attacked Mother's body for around an entire week, yet it was still completely fucking useless. Eventually, even after sacrificing their lives to unleash one incredibly powerful attack, they simply dropped dead...

At least,

That was how Mother remembered it...

Those three Braves had ultimately died from complete physical exhaustion.

However, according to Big Sister Karina, only two of those Braves had actually died from exhausting all their power. The last surviving Brave had, in fact, been killed by Mother. Mother's Blood Butterflies had directly sucked him into dried meat before blasting him into pieces...

And strangely enough, Mother seemed to have absolutely no memory of any of this afterward.

Of course,

Most importantly, when Mother attacked that surviving Earth Brave, the atmosphere throughout the Hall of Ten Thousand Demons became oppressively heavy to an unprecedented degree. The chill permeating the hall felt so unfamiliar that even Karina and Piere couldn't help trembling...

Neither of them knew what exactly had happened to Mother.

Fortunately,

For the next several hundred years, Mother's condition remained perfectly normal, and she never entered that strange state again. As a result, the children gradually forgot about what had happened that day...

However,

In recent years,

Mother in that strange state had once again begun appearing before Liyu and the others.

And the frequency of these occurrences was increasing...

This couldn't help making Liyu deeply worried.

"Mother... What's happening to you?"

Looking at the familiar yet strangely unfamiliar black-haired girl, Liyu couldn't help revealing a vigilant expression as she cautiously shielded Yuan'er behind herself.

Normally, Liyu firmly believed that no matter how angry her mother became, she would never hurt them, her own children.

At most...

She would give them a beating with the feather duster.

However,

Faced with Mother in this state, Liyu no longer possessed that confidence.

All she felt was apprehension and unease.

With Liyu's nerves stretched taut as she entered a state of vigilance, while Yuan'er trembled and didn't dare utter a word, the kitchen suddenly became so silent that even the drop of a needle could have been heard.

Everything felt unbearably oppressive, making it difficult to breathe...

However,

At that moment,

The little white wolf whom Liyu had tossed behind her earlier cheerfully trotted over behind her two younger sisters.

Little Limo, who had absolutely no ability to read the atmosphere, naturally failed to notice the strange mood inside the kitchen. Instead, she was curious about why her younger sisters had suddenly become so quiet.

And,

'Meowuu?' (What delicious food is Mother making?)

Curious, Limo wagged her tail and poked her head out, staring into the kitchen with her adorably silly eyes.

"Awooo, meowuu?" (What are you doing? What are you doing? What are we having for lunch today??)

?!

"Big Sister?! Can't you read the room!!"

Faced with Limo's sudden intrusion, Liyu couldn't help glaring unhappily at her elder sister while roaring furiously in her heart.

However,

Liyu, who was about to drag Limo outside, suddenly discovered that as the little white wolf randomly "meowed" away, Mother's incomparably hollow and icy crimson eyes unexpectedly began to regain their usual expression.

The oppressive aura surrounding them abruptly dissipated, while the Blood Butterflies that had been flying around somewhat violently gradually calmed down.

As light slowly returned to the black-haired girl's eyes, that unfamiliar chill vanished without a trace.

The gentle and innocent gaze from before once again appeared before the children.

?!

Hm?

"What's wrong? Are you hungry?"

Having returned to her senses, Miss Yumo stared somewhat blankly at the three little treasures beside the kitchen door and couldn't help asking in confusion.

Seeing that Mother had finally returned to normal, the enormous weight hanging over Liyu's heart finally disappeared.

The little girl couldn't help letting out a long sigh of relief. Then, as though nothing had happened, she raised a hand and scratched her head before eagerly nodding.

"Mhm, mhm!! I'm hungry! I want to eat the lunch Mother made!"

"I see."

While patting the little white wolf that had rubbed herself against her leg, Yumo smiled and sighed.

"What a bunch of little gluttons."

"Oh, right, Mother."

"Hm? What's wrong, Little Yu?"

"Were you cooking just now? Did you feel anything strange? Like feeling sick or uncomfortable anywhere?"

"Something strange? Uncomfortable?"

Hearing Liyu's words, Yumo frowned in confusion before slowly shaking her head.

"What are you talking about? Your mother is perfectly fine. I was properly cooking for all of you just now. What could possibly have been strange?"

"Ah, n-no, it's nothing. I was just curious."

"Enmm, you little girl... Forget it. You should all go wait in the dining room. The fish will be ready soon."

"Mhm, got it."

Liyu obediently nodded before taking Yuan'er and leaving the kitchen.

After walking only a few steps, however, she didn't forget to hurriedly run back and drag out the little white wolf who was attempting to begin a kitchen-demolition operation...

After giving Mother Yumo an innocent and adorable smile, Liyu closed the kitchen door.

Inside the moderately sized kitchen, only Miss Yumo remained.

"Hm? What's gotten into that child now? Why did she seem a little strange..."

The black-haired girl tilted her head in confusion while twirling her hair around one slender finger.

Umu, those little fellows haven't gotten into trouble again, have they...

Although she felt somewhat puzzled, Miss Yumo still decided to focus her attention on cooking for now.

Her main priority at the moment was preparing the Filoni grilled fish she had promised the children. At the same time, Yumo couldn't help looking forward to seeing the blissful expressions on her little cuties' faces after they tasted the dish.

When the children were happy,

Miss Yumo was naturally happy as well.

'Oh, right. This fish seems to be some kind of Fish King, doesn't it? I'll give half of it to the Black Rose children later. They work so hard every day. It isn't easy for them either. I'll give them a nice treat~'

Thinking this,

Miss Yumo enthusiastically lowered her head, preparing to pick up the kitchen knife on the counter.

However, the black-haired girl's delicate brows suddenly furrowed.

'Hm? What's this?'

She slowly raised her hand and looked at the sleeve that had somehow been stained red by an unknown "liquid."

Intense confusion instantly surged through Miss Yumo's heart.

'Wh... What's going on?'

Why was there blood on my clothes?

Hm?

'Th... That's?'

While feeling puzzled, Miss Yumo inadvertently caught sight of the enormous oven not far away from the corner of her eye.

And when she saw the number "twenty" outlined in magical light on the oven, Miss Yumo couldn't help raising a hand and scratching her head in bewilderment.

'Huh? Hadn't it only been baking for a few minutes just now? How did... twenty minutes pass?'

Did I,

Just,

"Space out" again...?