ASDP Chapter 60

“Huh?! You’re trying to kick me out?!”
“No. I don’t want to kick them out, it’s just for safety reasons–”
I half threatened Alice and Sylphia with the idea of treating children who were on the verge of becoming werewolves. With that in mind, we changed the location to the guest room of my grandfather’s house, and in the middle of discussing what to do next, Alice raised her eyes. If anything, she was much angrier than she was at the clinic.

“Even though you’ve taken precautions, aren’t you worried about living in the same house as children who have been turned into monsters, Sylphia? From the perspective of the Saint’s safety, don’t you think it would be better for them to stay away from each other until the treatment is over?”
I looked away from Alice, who was so angry that she didn’t seem to be listening to what she was saying, and towards Sylphia, who had been opposed to administering medication to the children until just now. Although Sylphia had been restrained by Alice, who asked if she couldn’t hear her own opinion, she was in a position where she had to protect Alice at all costs. If that was the case, then this offer was a godsend for her, as she felt that children close to monsters were dangerous.
“Why doesn’t Amelia just let the kids be looked after at the clinic instead of taking them home?”
“So, as I explained earlier, so that there’s no need to worry about anything happening, so I’ll be watching over you two at night… If they turn into monsters, I’ll be the one to subjugate them, but wouldn’t it be dangerous for us to be under the same roof at that time?”
To subjugate them would require the use of magic, so even if they were in a different room, there was no guarantee they wouldn’t get caught up in it.
“But then I wouldn’t be able to see Amelia at all. Those kids are so unfair.”
“No, that’s unfair. Don’t compete with a six-year-old and a three-year-old. Sylphia, please give your opinion properly.”

When I told them I wanted to take care of the siblings in my room, Alice and Sylphia should be looked after by my grandfather, and this is what happened.
“I am simply following Lady Alice’s orders.”
“No. Just like you gave me a lot of opinions earlier, I want you to give your opinion here too without being swayed. Or rather, as for Sylphia-san, if by some chance you panic and splash holy water on the two of them even though you weren’t attacked, it would be irreversible.”
On the contrary, if it’s for the sake of the Saint’s safety, I wouldn’t be surprised if Sylphia splashed holy water on them. From our previous discussion, I understood that this is the position she holds.
“Neither I nor Sylphia will cast it.”
“That’s why I said what if. anyone can make a mistake in their judgment in an instant, and my assumptions are different from yours, as I want to actively help them and Sylphia wants to prioritize the Saint’s safety as much as possible.”
Sylphia didn’t really care if the children died. That’s exactly what she was trying to say when she wanted to pour holy water on them earlier.
On the other hand, I want to do everything I can to save the children, so I can wait until the last minute to use holy water.

“But Amelia goes out during the day, doesn’t she? If you’re with the children in the morning and evening and I can’t see you, doesn’t that mean I won’t be able to see you at all?”
“No. It’s not like we’ll never see each other again. I’m thinking of using the holy water once the medicine has taken effect on the children and their monster-like bodies have returned to human form. So there’s a chance the treatment will be over soon.”
Holy water is only poisonous to monsters, it is not poisonous to humans. In fact, medicines with side effects are more poisonous.
“But now that you’re going into town, I can’t be with you during the day. I want to be with you at least in the mornings and evenings. And those children are going to sleep in the same bed as my Amelia, aren’t they? Instead of me.”
“…Since when did I become Alice’s? I haven’t, and like I said before, you can’t compete with a six-year-old and a three-year-old. Besides, I’m planning on sleeping on the floor. Three people, even children, can’t fit in a single bed, and I’d probably crush them.”
She protected me from Sylphia, and I was aware that Alice liked me quite a bit, but I never thought she would ask to sleep with me. I think she is being spoiled with all her might, and I know that it comes from affection, so it’s hard to be mean to her.

“Amelia is my child, my dear.”
While I was wondering how to calm her down, my father, who seemed to be impatient with me because I was taking so long to return to the clinic, came to pick me up.
“Amelia’s proposal is based on the idea that your safety is the top priority, but what do you dislike about it? As I said before, if you want to be selfish, don’t forget that you shouldn’t have left the temple.”
“I know, I know! I just can’t stand having to be the only one to put up with this. Even if we can’t spend time together, I want to at least eat meals together!”
Alice cried, her face red.
“This seems to be the compromise, but what will you do, Amelia?”
Her cute reaction made my heart flutter, but it would be bad if she splashed holy water on them. That being said, I can’t forbid her from carrying holy water for self-defense, since she should be able to use it in times of danger.
Considering travel, mornings are very busy, so I don’t want to travel just for breakfast. I also have to look after the children’s meals.

“…If I’m bothering Amelia…I’ll just put up with it.”
While I was racking my brains over this, Alice suddenly muttered something.
Her mouth was clenched in a ‘S’, giving her a very sad expression which made her shake even more.
“Can you promise me that you won’t use holy water when my father and I are around until one of us gives permission? Of course, that includes Sylphia. In return, I won’t let them leave their room alone, and I’ll take measures to stop them from leaving.”
“Any countermeasures?”
“Whenever they leave my room, they wear a numbing band and smear holy water on the door, and of course the window that serves as an escape route.”
“Then if I sprinkle some in front of my room, it will be fine. If anyone tries to enter, they will be purified.”
“Yes. I don’t mind how strict the defensive measures you take, but I would like you to stop attacking them, and when you do talk to them, please don’t be malicious and talk to them like humans. If that’s not possible, then I would like you to avoid meeting each other as much as possible. Those two may look like werewolves, but they’re not monsters, they’re children who’ve just lost their parents.”
The children are exhausted by having to deal with the constant changes in their environment and their worries. But the future without their parents will be very difficult, and even if they become human again, they will not be able to return to their old lives.
I don’t know how much of a loss not having a parent would cause them.

“Okay. So those are my brothers and sisters.”
“Eh?”
“In that case, as their big sister, I’ll lend you my big sister for a while.”
“…Could that be me, the big sister?”
We’ve suddenly started a pseudo-family, but will I be included in it?
“Because Amelia is the oldest, right?”
“Well, in that sense, I guess so.”
“Am I the father then?”
“Huh? I don’t need you, Father.”
My father was slightly depressed after being rejected so easily.

“I’ve never lived with Father, so I don’t really know what it feels like to be at home with him. Besides, to those children, their parents are their dead parents, right?”
I see. Alice lives in the temple, so she can’t meet her parents, and there are orphans living in the temple, and many of the priests are orphans. So the concept of parents is weak. The people she grew up with are more like siblings than parents.
“So, am I your brother?”
“…Isn’t he too old to be called your brother?”
terrible.
My father was devastated by Alice’s words, which were completely devoid of kindness. But I also think it’s presumptuous of him to call himself “brother” at his age.

“Sylphia. Treat them like the orphans of the temple. Of course, if there is danger, we will escape and use the power of the Saint. So, is it okay for us to continue living in Amelia’s house as before?”
I think Alice knew that it would be difficult to refuse when she begged with her eyes looking up. But Sylphia gave in easily, and had no choice but to accept it.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thank you for reading!