Chereads / The Cursed Trickster / Chapter 30 - Selene and the Freebird Party

Chapter 30 - Selene and the Freebird Party

During the time that Morgana was in the Kartan Crypts, the teenagers of the Freebird party took seriously the role of protectors given to them by their big sister.

At night, they ensured that two of them were always awake and took turns on their duties. One overlooked the orphanage's outer area while the other looked after Selene.

The other adventurers that the trickster freed offered their help and did the same thing, although taking the rear and sides of the orphanage.

The group expected a retaliation attack from The Roaches. Even knowing that they had all been annihilated by Morgana, they believed there was a chance that some were still out there searching for them.

During the first day, just a few hours after the trickster had left the place, Angie overheard a couple of the adventurers discussing amongst themselves.

"Do you really think that woman is a trickster?" a man asked.

"After what we saw, it's hard not to believe her…" said a female adventurer.

"Wasn't the name 'Morgana' the name of The Cursed one?" said a man with a terrified expression.

"Idiot! Do you really believe that lie from those 'Orion' loonies?" refuted the woman.

"Well, no, of course not! But it's still scary to think about it. The rumors said that she grew tired of this world during the war and hated it with all her being."

"There you go again with rumors. How about you act a little more grateful?" said the woman as she reprimanded the man.

Angie wondered if it was true that Morgana hated the world and pondered if that was why she wanted to return to The Underworld.

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The first night, Kaede, the assassin girl, was taking care of Selene, who slept peacefully until she suddenly woke up shaking in tears.

"Mom!?" she exclaimed as she sat up on the bed.

The dark-haired girl grabbed her hand and slightly embraced her. "She will be here soon…" she said.

"Sister Kaede?" said the little girl, her eyes gazing nowhere in particular.

Kaede was always the most composed and quiet of the Freebird party. Her serious demeanor made her hide her true feelings most of the time. Although with her big sister Morgana, she felt like she could delve deeper into those feelings.

She thought about the fact that Selene had only heard her name once when Morgana introduced them. Even so, the little girl recognized her voice, remembered her name, and called her sister.

Kaede tightened her embrace around the blind girl. "Yes, I'm your sister Kaede. Mom will be here soon…" she reassured.

Selene smiled and laid back on the bed, sleeping continuously throughout the night without any more nightmares, while Kaede stayed on high alert, determined to protect her at all costs.

The following day, the people of the orphanage were having lunch that Morgana had left for them. Ray, the leader of the Freebird party, and Angie, the mage, were feeding Selene as she wasn't used to eating while blinded.

"Alright, Selene, say 'Ahh'..." said Angie, giving the girl a spoonful of fried rice.

The little girl opened her mouth and showed her delight at the food as her cheeks blushed.

"Hah, seeing you like this makes me think you would be a good mom," said Ray teasingly to Angie.

The blonde mage blushed. "Wh-what are you even saying right now!?" she exclaimed before gently giving Selene another spoonful.

"What? Look at you. It fits you well!" Ray said, continuing his teasing.

The two teenagers discussed with each other momentarily while the little girl moved her blinded gaze to whoever was talking and began giggling.

Ray and Angie stopped their bickering and turned to Selene.

"Brother Ray and sister Angie like each other!" she exclaimed with a bright smile, making both teenagers flush as their faces got as red as a tomato.

After the little girl's remarks, they kept feeding her in silence with embarrassed looks.

Later that night, Selene was brought to bed by Conrad, the priest of the Freebird party and the teenager who seemed the most interested in learning about history and the truth of the world.

As he gently placed the girl on the bed and covered her, the girl gripped his sleeve.

"Brother Conrad…" she whispered.

The boy sat next to the blind girl and patted her head. "What's up?" he asked.

"Is mom coming soon?"

"She is. I promise she will come soon. And if she doesn't, we can go look for her!" He said with a happy tone to lift the girl's spirits.

However, she gripped his sleeve tighter and frowned.

"I want to see you, brother Conrad…" she said, her voice breaking from the tears in her eyes.

"You want to see me!? But I'm too ugly for you to see!" he said jokingly, still trying to raise her spirits.

"I don't care!" she exclaimed with resolution in her voice, leaving Conrad shocked.

"I want to see you and brother Ray, and sister Angie and Kaede, and… and… I want to see mom!" she yelled, her voice broken and the tears rolling down her cheeks like a fountain.

Conrad embraced the little girl that called him big brother. "Just a little longer, Selene…" he said as he comforted his little sister.

"How about I tell you a story?" he asked, making the girl show interest in his words.

"A story?" she asked.

Conrad nodded. "That's right! Your mom has lots of stories…" he said before clearing his throat.

"Once upon a time, a group of rookie adventurers was traveling with Morgana… ehh, I mean, your mom." he corrected.

"One day, they needed to cross a mountain where a giant monster lived, and your mom, not wanting to let anyone get hurt, fought the giant beast all on her own…" said Conrad enthusiastically.

A few moments later, Angie went into Selene's room to check on her. But what she found was Conrad telling stories of Morgana with enthusiasm as he stood up in front of the girl reenacting the scenes, not that the girl could see his performance in the first place.

Angie looked confused at first, but seeing the bright smile on Selene's face made her join the moment and tell her own stories that she knew of the trickster—always keeping it suitable for children to hear.