Welcome to the Special-Grade Guild! ~ The Beloved Elf Poster Girl Soothes Everyone’s Hearts ~
Chapter 139

139. Welcome Back

“Ohh? So, thanks to little Meg’s great work, the hopeless Demon King came to his senses, and even the patriarch problem and Nemo’s future were resolved? Wow, Meg is amazing! We’ve gotta give her a reward! …I wonder what the hopeless Demon King was doing? Hmm?”

“Wait, Eugene, if you let me explain…!”

In the morning, after finishing my preparations and happily eating breakfast with Maryla-san, who had taken care of me, I was currently attending a reporting session in the guild’s meeting room. It seemed Dad and the others had returned early in the morning. I’d heard they’d already finished most of the report, so I came here, but… What I saw unfolding in front of me was Dad lecturing the Demon King. Dad was smiling at the Demon King. Smiling while glaring, that’s quite a feat…!

“Ah, good morning Meg-chan! Are you still tired? I heard about it! You’re amazing, Meg-chan! Unlike a certain pathetic someone!”

“Yes, as expected of Meg. I wish a certain pathetic someone would learn from her.”

“Fufu, Meg-chan worked really hard, didn’t she? It must have been tough dealing with a certain pathetic someone.”

Whoa. A barrage of arrows from Saura-san, Schlie-san, and Kei-san pierced the Demon King’s heart! I’m happy to be praised, but I can’t honestly enjoy it…!

“Well, it’s good that everything’s been resolved. There’s going to be a lot of post-processing, but let’s have a banquet today! I’ll give Ash a thorough lecture later.”

“Alright! You get it, Don!”

The first to react to the word “banquet” was Juma-kun, who I hadn’t seen yesterday. Looking at him, he was covered in bandages and quite seriously injured. Even Juma-kun! And yet he looked so energetic that it felt strange to worry too much!

“Hey hey, the hero this time is Meg. Let’s have them prepare Meg’s favorite dishes.”

“Fuoooh…!”

H-Hero, you say!? Is that really okay? Aren’t they spoiling me too much? As I was fidgeting, Dad encouraged me to feel free to say what I wanted. Everyone was watching me with warm eyes. This is embarrassing!?

Hmm, a banquet. It’s best to have something that everyone can eat together. …Come to think of it, that thing we always made for celebrations might be good. Dad and Megu’s memories at the dinner table. But can they prepare it in this world? Thinking that, I glanced at Dad.

“Hm?”

Dad, noticing my gaze, looked at me gently.

—Now might be the time.

I thought that. I wanted him to see me as Megu with those eyes.

“Um…”

“What is it?”

Dad knelt in front of me to meet my gaze. Wh-What should I do? Can I say it properly?

“…I want chirashi-zushi.”

“…What?”

Dad’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. Everyone here tilted their heads at the word “chirashi-zushi,” so maybe they didn’t know what it was. A dish that might not exist in this world yet.

“As long as it can be made in this world, it’s okii.”

“This world… Meg, are you…”

Somehow, it seemed like Dad sensed that I was about to talk about myself. I could tell that everyone was quietly listening, waiting to hear what I had to say.

“For desshert, I want pudding. A simple, homemade one. …You wike that, right?”

“No way, it can’t be…!?”

Dad’s hands started trembling. Maybe they noticed, because I could feel a murmur going through the room. Since everyone’s here, I want them to listen properly. This is something I want my current family to know.

With everyone’s attention on me, I continued.

“Your name isn’t Eugene, is it? I shaw your business card, La-shan showed it to me.”

Dad’s eyes widened and he was at a loss for words.

“Everyone said they couldn’t read it, but I could. And that weally surprised me.”

“…Tell me.”

His gaze was pleading. His voice, which he somehow managed to squeeze out, was also trembling.

“It’s Hasegawa Tomohiro, right? The same name as my Dad.”

“—!”

I could see his intense agitation. His eyes were wavering. My face, reflected in those eyes, also looked like it was about to cry. Somehow I managed to smile, but it probably looked terrible.

“Dad…”

I somehow managed to squeeze out my voice. At that one word, the guild members gasped.

“I died… I died from overwork…”

I’m sorry. I’m sorry.

“Even though Mom gave birth to me, and you waised me…”

What an ungrateful child I am.

“I couldn’t… treasure myshelf… and I…!”

I couldn’t finish my words. I couldn’t tell him without crying.

“I’m sowwy… I’m sowwy! Dad…!”

Only my crying echoed through the room.

“Megu, is that you…?”

“…Yes.”

“Really…?”

I nodded repeatedly at Dad’s question, as if to confirm.

“Why are you apologizing… I can’t believe… something so terrible happened to you… You must have been through so much since I disappeared…!”

Dad couldn’t finish his sentence and covered his mouth with his hand. He must have imagined it. My life alone after he disappeared. Me working myself to death. I could feel he wanted to say that he should be the one apologizing.

It’s okay. I understand. I want to apologize just as much. But there’s something I want to say more than that.

…Alright. I’ve calmed down a bit. I have to say it properly.

Covering the lower half of my face with one hand, I continued speaking to Dad, who was trembling with his eyes wide open.

“There’s something I’ve always wanted to say. Can I say it?”

“Yeah,” Dad answered in a hoarse voice. His expression seemed to say he would accept any words of blame, making me chuckle despite myself.

No, Dad, the words I wanted to say weren’t words of blame.

On that day, when Dad came back from his business trip, I wanted to greet him with a smile. I’d always wanted to say these words. Even after I found out he was missing, every single day, I waited at home just to say these words.

“…Welcome back.”

“…!”

“Welcome back, Dad. I’ve awways wanted to shay this.”

“…!!”

Oh geez, I’m stuttering even at a time like this and can’t say it properly. Tears were overflowing from Dad’s tightly closed eyes. As the Don of a Special-grade guild, he probably didn’t want anyone to see him in such a pitiful state. Thinking that, I tightly hugged Dad, who was trembling and looking down, to hide his appearance. My body was small, so it might not have hidden him completely, but.

“Welcome back. From now on, we’ll always be together.”

“Yeah… Yeah…! Always, together…!”

Dad hugged me back. His ragged tie, peeking out from his collar, had already faded in color. Thanking it for working so hard to protect Dad, I gently stroked it with my fingers.

I felt the long, painful and lonely time disappearing in this short moment. I felt myself being filled.

I was even more glad that everyone was silently watching over us.

I’m not alone anymore. I have Dad, and more than anything, I have so many friends who I can call family.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.