After enjoying the cocktail that Iris-san had made for me and eating the
snacks that were served, I brought up the subject to Anima.
[So, Anima, there's something I'd like to consult with you… about Fatesan, and Mom and Dad. Both were trying to step up for each other's
sake, but it's not going well. I've been thinking if you have a good way to
help mediate between them.]
[…I see, this is quite a difficult problem. I've been in such a situation
myself after all.]
[Anima too?]
[Yes, as Master knows, I used to be a Black Bear… a monster. And a
monster like me became a person… as expected, it took me a while to
get used to it. Back when I was a monster, it was common sense that if I
didn't like something, I would just solve it with force.]
Now that she mentioned it, I remembered when I first met Anima… the
Anima back then is hard to approach, as she was quick to fight.
This was probably because it was the norm when she was living as a
Black Bear. But after that, Anima has gradually softened, or rather, she
isn't as intimidating to others as she was in the beginning.
And now, after she acquired common sense and education, she has
turned into someone who can be trusted to do various things with
peace of mind.
[Fate-dono is a God, and even though she looked like a Human, her
values are different from one. Even I, who had only lived as a monster
for about 20 years at most, found it quite difficult to change. For Fatedono who has lived for so many years, I think it may even be even more
difficult for her to change herself than for me.]
[…I see. By the way, regarding how Anima's mentality changed, did you
have something that triggered your change?]
[…Let's see. Thinking about it again… I think it was when I first met
Alice-dono. Until then, I had been looking down on everyone around
me. Perhaps, because I was stronger than the rest of my kind, so other
than Master and Shallow Vernal-sama… deep down, I may have been
looking down on everyone as inferior beings.]
As she lightly tilted her glass, Anima had a nostalgic look on her face.
[Even in the beginning, Lilia-dono was much stronger than me, but
since I had never personally seen her fight… I may have vaguely
thought that even if I couldn't win now, I would eventually win against
her.]
[And that changed when you saw Alice?]
[Yes. In the beginning, I had thought that Alice-dono was a human…
Seeing her fight Sigma-dono brought a chill down my spine. Bacchusdono, who appeared afterwards, also possessed great power, but even
more than him… Even more than Lilia-dono… I felt an unfathomable
power from Alice-dono.]
I see. It's probably because Anima has lived as a monster for so long,
but she has an instinctive sense of smell in identifying strong people.
From that fight with Sigma, she instinctively felt and feared a part of the
power shown by Alice, someone who is one of the strongest in the
world.
[I felt so tiny. I started wondering why I was so cocky even when I was
so weak… From that point on, as Master may have realized, I felt
inferior to Alice-dono… but Master's words helped me to walk forward.
I guess that's where it started. I think my sense of values started to
change after I stopped looking down on the people around me.]
[…I see, a change in perception, some kind of catalyst…]
[Yes, I think it's best to have some sort of big trigger but… I don't think
it will be that easy. Therefore, even though it might be old-fashioned,
wouldn't it be better if you prepare events where they can talk to each
other?]
Indeed, I feel that the idea Anima mentioned would be the best course
of action here. Whether it's a change of Fate-san's values or the
appearance of a catalyst that leads to such change… All of them need an
opportunity for them to appear.
In fact, even if us outsiders talk about this or that, nothing would
change immediately. However, preparing a place for them is something
even the outsider me can do.
[Thank you, Anima. I think I'm starting to see what I need to do now.]
[I'm glad if I could be of help to Master.]
Yes, the intervention that I could do was arranging tea parties or events
like that so that Fate-san and my parents would have more
opportunities to meet. Even if they talk through me at first, it wouldn't
be any problem.
We don't have to be in a hurry, we could just make it easier for them to
talk by having me as their conversation topic. If they talk with each
other a lot, the catalyst for Fate-san's change of mentality might
eventually appear.
If we don't find it, we could just find another way to find it then.
Feeling as if my vision had opened up a bit, as I twirled my glass of
cocktail for a bit and reaching out for the carpaccio-like dish, Iris spoke.
[I'll give you these words then. Jack of all trades are beings who can do
everything, but they possess mediocre talent which only allows her to
be only second-rate in everything. Even so, an idiot who has spent many
years developing every skill to a super-top-notch level once said these
words to me. "My dictionary has the word "impossible" in bold red
letters in it, but it doesn't have the words "give up" in it.]
[…Those were good words.]
[Yeah… She had also told me that "There's no point in thinking about
whether or not you can overcome a big obstacle in front of you. What
you should be thinking about is how you can overcome that obstacle".
Well, such positivity… I did have quite the helpless idiot of a best
friend.]
Even if it's impossible, don't give up. If you have the time to think about
giving up, you should just think about how to make the impossible
possible… As expected of someone called a Hero in another world.
Those were good words.
Well, there's that idiot rolling around on the ground behind me, holding
her blushing red face with her hands, but I just decided to not worry
about her… Thanks to Anima and Iris-san, I saw what I needed to do
now. All that's left for me to do is act.