Amelia the Level Zero Hero

Edlyn broke down into tears. And I just watched from the side, not sure how to react.

It wasn’t that I didn’t feel bad for her. Certainly, I could understand how she felt. She hadn’t seen her family in years. I could understand how she felt.

My eyes flickered as I remembered a moment so long ago. When I first returned back to my world. And I found that everything had changed…

It was hard to believe— hard to accept. I knew that when I was first shown that vision of what happened to my world since I had been gone, I refused to believe it was real. That I rejected the Voidgod’s words. After all, why should I trust him?

Even if he told me that my parents were long dead, and that decades had already passed in my world, so there was no reason for me to even strive to go back, I rebuked his words. I had called him a liar back then.

And only after I had killed him— after I had become strong enough to triumph against him— had I been able to return to my world. When I did go back, I found that he was right. I found nothing waiting for me there.

But even though I had been distraught to discover that my old life was gone, I didn’t fall into despair. Perhaps it was because I had already been jaded, after having been forced to endure the torturous environment of the Fractured Realm for what felt like an eternity, but I managed to muster up the strength to leave and make a new life for myself here in Vacuos.

And while Edlyn’s circumstances weren’t exactly the same as mine, I was afraid for her mental wellbeing. I wondered if she would have broken down at this moment, unable to continue working as a [Royal Chef]. After all, she had discovered that everything she had been through had only led to this.

Her parents had aged significantly, and her hometown had changed. What was the point of everything she had done?

I pursed my lips, unsure of what to say. But I knew I needed to say something to cheer her up. Especially if I didn’t want to lose her as an employee. Sure, I cared about her as an individual as well. However, I was certain that she would find it to be quite therapeutic to remain here with her family after this revelation, so that wouldn’t even be a terrible outcome for her.

I was torn on what to do. That was why I just stood to the side and watched her as she cried.

But even if I didn’t act or react, Edlyn’s parents did. They saw the way she cried her heart out, and they exchanged a glance. Immediately, they huddled around the [Royal Chef] and cooed.

“What’s wrong, Edlyn?” Cheryl asked. “Did something happen to you while you were gone?”

Even though Edlyn was a grown adult, her mother still treated her like a child. It was a sweet sight to see. And while her dad was gruffer, he was still caring for his daughter.

“Huh? What’s going on? Is this related to why you quit working at the Astra Palace? I always knew that that king was a no-good—” Stephan started.

But Edlyn quickly spoke up. “That’s not it!”

And both Cheryl and Stephan blinked. Edlyn chewed on her lower lip as she wiped away her tears.

“I’m crying because…” Edlyn hesitated as she looked up towards me.

I blinked, and Stephan glared my way.

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“It’s that lady’s fault?” he asked, jumping to conclusions immediately once again.

But Edlyn shook her head. “No— I should be grateful to her instead.”

And that caught me off guard. “You do?”

“I never would’ve realized this if not for Ms Amelia…” Edlyn said as she looked down at herself. “I have… wasted my life away.”

Her lips trembled as she whispered. She brought her hands up to her face, and she gritted her teeth.

“I always wanted to become a [Royal Chef]. I wanted to achieve my dreams. But what was it for? Even when I was working at the Astra Palace, I wasn’t happy. And now, I missed a decade of my life with you. All that time we could’ve spent together is gone…”

Edlyn looked up and met the aging face of her parents. They exchanged a glance, and she began to break out into tears again.

“I-it was all for nothing.”

There was a long pause as Edlyn cried. And she would have continued to cry for far longer. I almost regretted bringing her here. But at the very least, it seemed like I had helped her overcome her fear of me, considering that she just defended me.

Finally, Cheryl spoke up once again.

“Oh, but my sweet little Edlyn,” Cheryl said as she placed a hand over her daughter’s shoulder. “We have always understood and supported your dream. We knew that we wouldn’t see you for a while and we prepared ourselves for it. So don’t blame yourself for this.”

Stephan nodded in agreement. “That’s right— we’re just glad you were able to fulfill your dream.”

“But I—” Edlyn started.

And Cheryl chuckled. “Also, we’re not that old yet. We still have a few decades in us. So if you really miss us that much, you should come see us more often.”

“That’s right.” Stephan scoffed, placing a hand on his chest. “I don’t know about your mother, but I definitely have quite a long life ahead of me, even still.”

Cheryl shot him a glare.

But he snorted and continued. “Also, we were able to afford all this thanks to you. So don’t act like you have done nothing for us!”

He gestured at the room around them. While it wasn’t the most luxurious place I had ever seen, it certainly wasn’t a shoddy hut. Edlyn blinked a few times as she processed this, before she slowly raised her head.

“I… see.”

“All your hard work wasn’t for nothing, Edlyn,” Cheryl said as she smiled at her daughter. “And we are glad we were able to see you again after so long. Just don’t take so long to visit us again next time.”

“...right.” Edlyn nodded as she wiped away the last of her tears.

And I just smiled, glad to see that she was feeling better already.

—--

After speaking with her parents, Edlyn felt… better.

At the very least, she didn’t regret her actions of going to work at the Astra Palace as much as she did before. But still, she resolved herself to spend more time with her family. So she spent the rest of the day catching up with Cheryl and Stephan.

Amelia didn’t seem to want to intrude too much, going around and exploring the town, only returning when it was night and time to go back. That was when Edlyn bade farewell to her parents with teary eyes.

“Visit us more often, alright?” Cheryl said with a kind smile.

And Stephan snickered. “But not too often either! These old bones need some time to rest after today…”

Cheryl rolled her eyes. “He’s just saying that so you don’t feel guilted into giving up on your dreams.”

“I’m not giving up on my dreams, mother, father,” Edlyn said as she nodded at them. “I… feel better now though, thanks to the both of you.”

Cheryl held onto Stephan’s hands and spoke softly. “We’re glad to hear that.”

Edlyn turned away and walked up to Amelia. The brown-haired woman raised an expectant brow.

“Well… that went… uh, alright?” Amelia said uncertainly. “I think?”

“It certainly went, alright,” Edlyn countered.

The two women slowly made their way out of the town. Finally, Amelia spoke up again.

“So, what do you think of my offer?” Amelia asked curiously. “You can take time off to visit your parents every weekend.”

Edlyn sighed, looking up at her employer. “Of course I accept it. After seeing all that, I would be an idiot not to accept it.”

“Well, as long as it makes you feel better,” Amelia said with a shrug.

They continued to walk on in silence. Normally, Edlyn would be quivering in her shoes with each step she took, even just being in close proximity to the brown-haired woman. But after seeing the passion in Amelia— after how far Amelia had gone to prove herself— there couldn’t have been any malintent to it.

And Edlyn was grateful now.

“Thank you, Amelia,” Edlyn finally said. “For doing this for me.”

Amelia just gave a small smile in return. “Hey, don’t worry about it. You’re my best employee, as I said. But just don’t scream too much when we go back.

Edlyn chuckled as she closed her eyes. “Oh, I definitely will.”

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