Isekai Journey Of The Magic Archer

[Zoe's POV: ]

"Will they come today…?"

"We don't really know, Anna."

"They did not come yesterday either."

"Of course they didn't, dummy. You wouldn't be sitting here if they did."

My little sweet strawberry.

How can I tell her they might not even come tomorrow, or day after that?

"It's been so many days… they said they will only be gone for three days."

"They also said they might have to stay for longer, didn't they?"

This garden had become her playground and this shade of this certain tree before the portal in the front yard had become the only place she stays at since the last few days.

"But… sister Zoe… they also said they wouldn't take longer than a week."

She looked at me with a sad look. A look that I could not help but bitterly smile at.

"Yes dear…"

She was fine for a few days after they all went for the grand conference, but after the third day, she started getting restless.

Every day, she would come here and play with all the Povpoi in the front garden.

She even finished her training in the morning early so that she can wait for the rest of them in the garden.

"You know what I told you about the importance of their work, right?"

Carla tried and played with her on the fourth day, Alf showed her magic on the fifth day, Quin was busy taking care of all the things around the house already, and yet she was with Anna on the sixth day.

There wasn't anything special happening in the house, but that was thanks to all the work Quin and grandpa Zhen were doing in everyone's absence.

"They are doing something very important. And sometimes, they have to work a little longer for the work to finish.

Didn't dad show you how things work in the big places?"

Dad even took her out to show her around the capital's adventurer's association.

'I was with them, of course, so Anna had fun that whole morning.'

Sadly we could not stay there for too long so the trip was short. Yet, Anna saw all those people doing all their work, and though seeing so many people in a place like that was not a first time for her, she understood how even the simplest work could be difficult under different circumstances.

"Yes! I remember that… People work so much. How do they work so much…?" Taika was in her smaller form, sleeping in Anna's lap. So, the little one was caressing her soft fur.

Uto was sleeping on her right side while the Povpoi were playing with their magic in the garden away from Aunt Haze's flowers.

"Work is something important to many people, little one.

For students like us, homework and assignments, learning itself is our work.

For knights, practising their weapons and training is their work and for the mages, studying magic and understanding more about the truth of the magic that they use is work."

For mom, a merchant, her paperwork and looking after her business was her work, for a Lord like grandma, looking after her estate and territory, as well as the rest of the empire and world's affairs was her work, for someone like grandpa, training the other knights was his work.

"Work is not something we can give a boundary to, Anna. And just like that, those who have to do their work should not limit themselves when it comes to their work."

If one wishes to finish their work early and go on a date with their partner, they would have to work faster, if there is more workload overall, all of the employees in an organisation would share the workload, and there are times when the work just floods in on us.

But work is work. It doesn't matter if one has energy or not, now or some other time, one has to finish it.

"In organisational settings, especially, one has to deal with all the extra work regardless of how difficult it is… at least, until it gets unbearable."

If that happens, as mom says, we should just call it quits for the day and go home.

"Hmmm…"

I'm pretty sure she doesn't understand a lot of what I just said, and it's good.

"Don't think too much about it, dummy. I just mean they have the energy because they have something to gain from their work.

Don't you also have a lot of energy when you are playing? For the people that work in professional places, their work is pretty much the same as playing."

Well, it will always be true that not everyone does what they want to do or what would be like playing for them, but that's just a tale of life.

"Haaa."

It was late evening already. So, the chances were low that they would come back today either.

"How about we go back inside now? Or should I call everyone here like yesterday? We can have dinner out here again if you want."

"Mmmm…"

We had dinner outside since she was feeling so down.

These last few days were especially difficult for her.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"No. We should go inside." she shook her head and gently placed Taika on the ground.

"Let's sleep outside today~."

She did not want to eat outside again since, well, it reminded her of the tea parties they have outside, as well as of the rest of them who have gone for the conference.

She was happy at first, but then she got sad when the food did not taste as good as how big brother makes it for us.

Elle isn't here to joke around with Anna, mom isn't around so dad is not so bright either and without grandpa and grandma, the house just feels a little empty.

"Sure, let's sleep outside."

She was sad until just now as well, but this new thought of sleeping out under the sky somehow brightend her mood.

She was happy, so there was no way I was going to rob her off of her little happiness.

'I'm the best big sister she has, after all.'

I may be a little hard on her sometimes, and I may not know how to take care of her as well as Quin does, but I most certainly know when to stop her from doing things that she should not.

'Sleeping out in the garden wasn't good even if there was nothing harmful about it, but if she wanted to do it, we could just bring a few beds outside for us.'

Carla and our aunts would like the idea as well.

Enjoy new chapters from empire

Perhaps we can tell each other some stories or something.

That would certainly brighten her mood a little more.

"Alright then, let's go in."

"Yes~."

Taika and Uto were fine here. They would come back inside when they woke up so we did not have to wake them when they were sleeping so peacefully.

'Almost ten days, big brother...'

It took a lot longer than what any of us anticipated so I can already tell something must have happened in the conference.

'Big brother wasn't talking to me since they entered the conference ground. There was an established truth preventing them from sharing information on what was going on.'

Until he came back I would not know what happened there. And, well, I can guess what might have happened without that anyway.

"Oh. Hey there you two…"

We were going to go back, but right when we reached the door, Quin opened it from inside.

"I was just coming to you to ask you what you wanted to eat for dinner."

She looked tired, as always.

"Oh, sister Quin. You look tired."

"I'm alright, Anna."

She was running around the entire house, doing various things that grandpa, grandma, mom or big brother usually did.

'Teaching the younger knights, looking after the other knight's training, looking after the paperworks with grandpa Zhen, doing water plants with aunt Haze and the povpoi, she even went to an event with Aunt Aug a few days ago.'

She was looking after Alf and Carla's training as well, coordinating with Miss Moon over big brother's personal affairs, and she was doing all that while taking care of Anna with me.

It was admirable… She is amazing.

"Awww. But you don't look alright, sister."

Anna kissed her sister Quin, and her special kiss rejuvenated the exhausted friend of mine.

"Anna…"

It wasn't new to most of us anymore.

In the last few days, Quin had looked exhausted many times and whenever Anna saw her like that, she would go and kiss her, giving her strength for the work she still needed to do.

Quin knew such a powerful effect must not be coming without any cost, so she had asked her not to do it without asking her. But, Anna being Anna, she never asked her for something she knew her big sister genuinely needed.

'As someone possessing crystal eyes and those special skills of hers, she knew people and she felt all kinds of things they were feeling.'

She was also practising sword and learning magic every day, so she knew what it meant to be truly exhausted.

She had seen the hardworking knights and mages. Hiding it from her was not possible, really.

"Haaa."

Quin had learned of her special powers in the few days she had been here as well, so now whenever she gave her a kiss, Quin knew it was because this little angel knew she needed it.

"Well, anything special either of you want?"

"Yesss~!"

Sadly, it did seem like they would come back anytime today. Perhaps they might be back at night, so sleeping out was quite a nice idea.

We would greet them in our night clothes, but it was fine.

'If they do come at night, it would actually be fun greeting them in night clothing.'

Now that I think about it, it really is a great idea.

"Quin, we are going to sleep outside today."

We will need to do a lot of preparations for that though. I better get all of the people working

'Heheh~.'