The sight of their own parents mangled to pieces wasn’t something their child should see. As such, the three unanimously decided to "clean up" the scene.
Shymine froze everything. From the meat pieces to the faintest drop of blood. Then, Khamish used his Storage Bag to keep the frozen goods out of sight.
It was a temporary measure, of course.
They’ve already decided on cremating the remains of Hershey’s parents if given a chance. Unfortunately, now is not the time for that.
They have more pressing problems than that.
"Who... will tell her?"
As if to voice their worries, Shymine stepped forward and asked.
From where they stood, they could see how Therese was pushing Hershey on the swing, making her squeal with joy and excitement. Telling her the news would definitely steal that smile from her, no doubt.
However, it’s not like they could keep it secret either.
After considering everything, Raive sighed and spoke. "I... Will tell her." He declared.
With his mind made up, he walked over to where Therese and Hershey were, causing the two to stop playing. They looked at Raive, who had a serious expression on, and went silent.
"Hershey," Raive knelt close, showing a faint, sad smile. "Unfortunately, your parents... Already went to heaven."
He decided that telling her directly was for the best. That coating it in lies would just hurt her more instead. He expected her to cry, but...
"I... I figured."
Hershey only showed a lonely smile. Her tears fell, drawing lines across her cheeks. It was a heartbreaking sight of a little girl acting tough after hearing the news.
Raive, seeing her strength, couldn’t help but feel a pang in his heart.
He wondered if there was something he could’ve done.
If he could’ve saved Hershey’s parents too.
However, in the end, he was powerless. He could only save a few within arm’s reach, at best. Saving anyone and everyone was still beyond him.
"Hershey..." But still, he felt that he shouldn’t leave the little girl be.
To not make her feel alone.
"I know I could never replace them in your heart, but..." He said, pausing, taking a deep breath, and holding her hands tightly, as if in a prayer. "From now on, I’ll be your brother. I’ll be your new family. I will protect you."
He then smiled, wiping the tears off Hershey’s face with his thumb.
"So cry to your heart’s content. Don’t hold it in, and let it all out."
"M-Mister..."
Hershey stared at Raive’s face before she lowered her head, sniffling, then jumped toward him, embracing him tightly.
"Brother...! WAAAAH! Mom! Dad! WAAAAAAH!"
The little girl cried and cried until her tears dried up. She cried for so long that when she finished, she ended up passing out from fatigue instead.
Raive just sat by the base of the tree, letting Hershey use his lap as a pillow to sleep on.
The rest were watching the heartwarming scene from the side, each with their own worries and thoughts circling through their heads.
Raive doesn’t have a family remaining, and so does Therese. But Shymine and Khamish both have families.
Of course, they already initiated contact through text messages, calls, and even reaching out through social media. However, they have yet to receive any response. Not a single one.
Worry began to gnaw at them, thinking of the worst case.
A case similar to Hershey’s parents.
If such a thing truly came to pass, then they couldn’t be sure if they could stay as composed as the little girl did. She was more mature than even the two adults before her.
As such, they thought to follow Hershey’s steps.
That even if their family truly was gone... That they would accept it, cry their hearts out for a moment, and then, completely move on.
If they couldn’t even do that, then they’d be proving they have a weaker mentality than a little girl who lived less than half as long as them. Whether it was pride or simply the stubbornness of an adult, they couldn’t let that happen.
"Raive..."
At that moment, Therese finally spoke up.
She had been brooding the entire time Hershey was crying, as if she was unable to decide. But now, her resolute expression told everyone that she already figured out whatever it was.
She moved to Raive’s side, kneeling to gently pat Hershey’s head.
She stared at her reddened eyes, puffy from all the crying, then whispered.
"If you’re to be her new brother, then... let me be her foster mother from now on." She said.
"I already lost my husband and son before all this chaos even started. And seeing you two... I suddenly feel like being your guardian is why god let me live until now."
Raive looked at her, as if scrutinizing the pros and cons of it.
True, having a mother figure would be for the better. After all, Raive couldn’t cook for himself, much less for others. Since he lived alone, his lifestyle was bleak too.
Basically, he was in no shape to rear an extra mouth to feed.
"Then, from now on, you’ll be my foster mother too." He smiled teasingly while nodding.
Therese didn’t miss how Raive was trying to brighten the atmosphere and smiled, replying. "Then, first of all, let’s bring our little princess to bed."
Raive estimated that Hershey would wake up in two hours—right at noon.
So, as if to match that schedule, he decided.
"Then, let’s take a short break until lunch."
His gaze slowly moved to the side. To the gate where the entrance to the green dungeon was, and smiled.
"After that, we shall try and conquer that green dungeon." He announced. "If we don’t, then the likelihood of our survival on the next trial would definitely be bleak."
Right.
They could dally, for sure, but the time they waste resting is time used by others to become stronger. If the gap between them and him becomes too large, then no matter how many times he could loop back, it’d be useless.
As such, they, too, need to clear the dungeons they could.
Gain more rewards.
And increase their overall strength.
And for that to happen, the five of them needed to de-stress for a bit.
Time was tight.
But to Raive, time was his only assured ally.