This House Has A Delicious Restaurant - Chapter 11 - Operation To Recapture Diswen (2) - Part 4

Obella had said that they successfully brought Diswen back.

Phel hesitated for a moment before answering.

“She’s still out of it. She doesn’t seem to have any physical injuries, but she was under control for a long time, so we’ll have to keep an eye on her for now. None of us have healing or ability-cancelling powers, so we have no choice but to wait.”

“I see… I hope she recovers soon.”

Or did Zerdan do something to make sure she wouldn’t be easily handed over?

There was a lack of information.

For now, I expressed my sympathy in a concerned tone and followed Phel to the living room. There, Obella, Terisier, Mummy Man, and Anise were gathered.

They must have heard our footsteps because their eyes turned toward us. When Anise and Mummy Man saw me, they jumped to their feet.

They must have been worried since they saw me nearly die.

Anise quickly ran to me, clinging to me before I even made it down the stairs. I almost fell back, but Phel gently supported me. She must have anticipated Anise’s reaction.

“Moa! I was so worried… I thought you were dead, I really… really…”

I stroked Anise’s blonde hair slowly as she cried like a child. Whispering that it was okay, she finally started to calm down, swallowing her sobs little by little as she let go. She then took my hand to help me down the stairs.

Following Anise’s lead, I headed to the living room and took a seat. It seemed like everyone except Diswen, who was still lying in the room, was gathered there.

I noticed Mummy Man anxiously watching me, so I gave him a reassuring smile, which finally made him relax and let out a sigh of relief.

One of his sleeves hung limply at his side, indicating that the wound inflicted by Zerdan hadn’t healed properly.

He should be more concerned about his own well-being… He’s a good person.

I sipped the tea Anise handed me.

Obella, sensing that I was finally here and ready to discuss serious matters, began to speak. It seemed like a similar conversation had already taken place before I arrived.

“I’ll ask you both formally. You assisted us temporarily in retrieving Diswen, and you’ve fulfilled that obligation. Everyone here is grateful for that. So from now on, there’s no need for you to stay with us. You’ve been through enough danger, and we won’t force you to stay any longer.”

Obella, sitting in the center, looked at me and Anise as he spoke.

He was asking us what we intended to do from this point on.

There was a sense of respect and consideration in his words, making it clear that if we chose to leave, no one would hold it against us or question our sense of responsibility or justice.

Indeed, our lives had been in danger, and if we weren’t here by our own will, there was no point in keeping us against it. Phel, aware of this, remained silent.

Surprisingly, it was Anise who spoke first, her voice firm.

“I’ll continue to cooperate.”

“Anise? Are you sure? It could be really dangerous. Of course, I’ll protect you, but—”

Phel, taken aback by her response, asked again. Anise, her face resolute, looked at Obella as well as Phel.

“I saw with my own eyes how these people treat life so carelessly. And there were more of them than I had imagined. Yes, it’s scary, but I believe they need to be stopped. Most importantly, I can’t stand what they did to Moa!”

It seemed she had been deeply affected by witnessing how close I had come to death. Her deep blue eyes were filled with determination.

Seeing her resolve, Obella nodded. They were pleased with her decision to continue cooperating.

Phel, on the other hand, looked stunned, unable to fully grasp the situation.

“What about you? Are you going to leave?”

Terisier asked, leaning back with his arms crossed. Although he posed the question, his piercing gaze seemed to demand a certain answer. Obella, sitting beside him, also looked a bit anxious.

“Well… as you know, my abilities are pretty useless.”

“But we value you highly in many ways. I’m confident that if you join us, you’ll be a great help.”

Obella replied with a smile.

I chuckled at Obella’s generous assessment of me.

But my decision had been made the moment Zerdan threatened my life.

I had initially thought of this as just a game, but Zerdan saw it as reality. Even after we had shared an intimate moment and he had shown some level of affection, he didn’t hesitate to turn a knife on me in an instant.

“I’ll cooperate for one reason only—to make Zerdan pay. I may not be the strongest, but I’ll do everything in my power to help.”

If this isn’t just a game but reality, then I can no longer afford to be complacent. I’ll move forward with caution, and any vengeance I seek along the way will be well-earned.

I won’t be complacent.

Compared to Zerdan, my abilities are insignificant, and I lack strength. I don’t even have a weapon I can wield properly. But I have allies who possess the power I lack. I’ll rely on them to make up for my shortcomings.

I won’t be careless.

Given Liffree’s behavior, it’s clear there’s a spy for Zerdan among us. I don’t know who it is yet, but I’ll need to uncover them discreetly. Once identified, they’ll be eliminated, and I’ll recruit more capable allies.

We should also consider planting our spy within their ranks to gather information and uncover their weaknesses.

I smiled at Anise and the others, who seemed pleased with my response.

I’ll have to find Ding.

Using that child, I’ll turn Khan into our spy, striking Zerdan from within. The thought sent a pleasant shiver down my spine.

* * *

The mood is good.

Despite the brutal situation from the last battle, apart from bringing back Diswen, no one seemed overly concerned.

The ones who suffered the most were likely Mummy Man and me. Though, for some reason, my wounds had disappeared as if they had never existed.

“Did you receive proper treatment for your injuries?”

I asked, noticing the bandages covering his entire body, giving him the appearance of a severe patient.

He glanced at his loose sleeve before nodding.

Obella spoke in a somber tone.

“They said there was nothing left of the arm to reattach. Luckily, Lazis got him out in time for treatment, but… I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine… I’m just sorry I couldn’t be of more help.”

He replied, shaking his head, dismissing Obella’s apology.

Obella’s personality likely made him feel guilty for the injuries sustained by those under his command. But what’s done is done, and we should be grateful we survived.

“I heard Diswen hasn’t woken up yet. Is there a problem?”

“Zerdan’s ability seems to have left lingering effects. Or perhaps Diswen’s mental abilities made her more vulnerable.”

Terisier sighed, scratching his head as he stood up.

“I think we’ll need to bring Sidon here. It might be a good idea to have him take a look.”

“Oh, then I’ll go with you. If he sees us, he might try to run away again. I’ll have to catch him.”

Phel said, getting up to follow Terisier. She glanced at Obella, silently asking for permission, and he nodded.

“By the way, who is Sidon?”

“Sidon is one of our comrades. He’s the only one without any special abilities, but his extensive medical knowledge has been very helpful to us.”

“I see. I hope Diswen recovers quickly; it’s concerning.”

“I’m worried too, especially since Zerdan might have done something.”

Obella’s concern was understandable. All they could do was hope that Diswen had simply fainted from exhaustion and would wake up soon.

“Um, so now that we’ve agreed to cooperate, does that mean Moa and I will be living here?”

“You can do whatever is most comfortable, but it would be safer to stay here if possible. Zerdan might try to target your abilities. Don’t worry, there’s enough room for both of you.”

“Alright. Before settling in, I’d like to go home and grab some things. Is that okay?”

When Anise said this, Obella glanced at Mummy Man, who silently stood up and approached her. Anise looked at Obella with a puzzled expression as he explained.

“It’s just a precaution. I need to stay here to keep an eye on Diswen since she’s still unconscious.”

“Oh, I didn’t mean I was worried… but thank you.”

“Should I come with you?”

“No, it’s okay. Moa, you just woke up, so you should rest here.”

Anise smiled and gently declined my offer. Then she led Mummy Man outside, who was following her quietly.

As I watched them leave, I turned to Obella and asked.

“So, there’s a room for us to stay in?”

“There is, but you’ll have to share it. If you’re uncomfortable staying with Anise, she can have the room to herself, and you can use a different one.”

“A different room?”

Is there another room? It didn’t seem like it.

Obella cleared his throat in response to my question. His silence made a thought suddenly cross my mind, and I smiled.

“Are you talking about your room, Bella?”

“…It’s spacious, so it shouldn’t be uncomfortable.”

His attempt to avoid my gaze was adorable and I couldn’t help but laugh.

Even when embarrassed, he couldn’t help but show his true feelings.

I stood up and approached Obella, gently stroking his firm thigh before sitting on it. He instinctively wrapped his arms around my waist to prevent me from falling.