Drawn Mochi Volume 4 Chapter 7.1: Operation Capture an Angel*6

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“You have a slave you want to buy, don’t you?” (Tougo)

　I asked Celeste that at the breakfast table the next day, and he gave me a shocked look.

“…well.” (Celeste)

“I’m sorry if I’m wrong, but I just had a feeling.” (Tougo)

　Celeste was staring blankly, but after a while, he made a face of heightened vigilance.

“…what are you going to do knowing that!?” (Celeste)

“No, I thought I’d buy them before someone else does.” (Tougo)

“Eh?” (Celeste)

　Celeste is looking at me with an agitated, warry and more anxious expression. But there was a faint glimmer of hope in his eyes.

“So… that’s probably why you came up with the definite amount of 50 gold coins, and why you were wandering around in front of the slave shop… They are probably someone important to you. I thought there must be someone like that in that store, but I wonder if I was wrong.” (Tougo)

　I ask Celeste, who has completely stopped eating breakfast.

“If you want, I can buy them and take them to the forest with you. Then you can buy them back from me for 50 gold coins.” (Tougo)

　When I said that, Celeste looked on the verge of tears.

　And he looked away and gazed at the floor…

“…it’s my sister.” (Celeste)

　He spoke in a trembling voice.

“My little sister. Ange… She was sold by my father… So, I wanted to buy her back… Pickpocketing to make money…” (Celeste)

“…I see.” (Tougo)

　I don’t know what to do, so for the time being I patted Celeste’s head.

“Then, after breakfast, let’s go buy her back.” (Tougo)

“…Is that okay?” (Celeste)

“Yeah. Let’s do it.” (Tougo)

　Yep. I’m glad he told me. I’m sure this will take the worry off of Celeste. I’m sure he’ll look more angelic that way. If possible, I could draw him and his sister together. When I saw her at the slave shop, she looked like a doll, but maybe, unexpectedly, she could become an angel if I put her with an angel.

　Then our shopping began.

　The first place we headed to was a weapons shop on a back street… The slave shop opened a little late, so we decided to finish our shopping at the other stores on the back street before we went there.

　Laocles is the biggest help here. After all, I don’t know if the weapon is good or bad, and Fay doesn’t seem to be very good at it either.

　…So, five thin, beautiful knives. I was able to accomplish one of the items on Ms. Croix’s list of errands.

　After that, we waited in front of the slave shop until it opened. The store owner looked a little suspicious at first, but that quickly disappeared thanks to the happy look on Celeste’s beautiful face and the “thank you” I paid the store owner yesterday for showing us all the things he had done for us.

　Rather, the store owner took care of us and let us into the store before it opened and offered us tea. …Fay seemed to like the tea served there and was asking where it was from. Maybe I should buy some as a souvenir for Ms. Croix.

　… This is how the time gradually progressed, and finally, it was time for the official opening of the store.

　At that moment, Celeste said in a nervous voice.

“Ange Celeste! A seven-year-old girl named Ange Celeste! Please!” (Celeste)

　…What, does that mean that “Celeste” was his last name?

　Putting my confusion aside, the shopkeeper brought out a little girl with a big smile on her face.

　The little girl is a very similar color to Ceres. Her grayish pale blonde hair is loosely curled. Sky-blue eyes and long eyelashes. Their faces are very similar, as if they are brother and sister.

　At first, the girl looked nervous. But still, she seemed to be trying hard to smile… She looked like a doll.

　But…

“Ange!” (Celeste)

“……Brother!” (Ange)

　As soon as she saw her “Brother,” her face lit up. The tension and the ready smile disappeared, and it became a bigger and brighter smile, and then the full smile collapsed, and then the tears started to accumulate in her eyes, and then they began to spill out.

　Seeing this, Celeste rushed over. The people at the store must have some idea of what was going on. There was no one to stop her.

“Sorry, sorry for making you wait so long…” (Celeste)

“Brother… Thank you, thank you…” (Ange)

　Then the young siblings clung to each other and both started to cry.

　Only this time, Celeste was human, not an angel, and Ange was also human, not a doll…

　While the two of them calmed down, we easily completed the formalities.

　In short, we paid what they owed, signed some kind of contract, and that was it. Yeah. Much easier than with Celeste.

“But, sir. But, sir, are you sure? Angel is certainly a beautiful girl, and she is well disciplined, but she… she is a little difficult to use as a workforce, and more importantly, when you saw her yesterday, you didn’t seem to like her very much…” (Shopkeeper)

　The people at the store shrewdly go through the procedures and say such things. yes. I’ll do the procedure.

“Oh, that’s fine. I think he’ll look better with her around.” (Tougo)

　But I really don’t regret anything. I’m not hurting for money… and if I were hurting a little bit, I would have still done it anyway.

　…I think it’s a small price to pay for a family that you cherish.

“Yep. It’s a nice expression.” (Tougo)

　By the time they had both signed the contract and paid, they were both smiling at each other with tear-stained faces.

　…Ah, their faces now, they’re not human after all, they’re angels.

　Amazing, they both turned out to be angels. The doll became an angel as the angel was…

　…being an angel can spread huh?

“Well then, nice to meet you again. I’m Tougo Uezora. I live in the Redgarde Forest.” (Tougo)

　I then introduced myself, and put out my hands to the two children.

　Then I asked…

“Ah… Lian Celeste. Um, ‘ Celeste’ is my surname…” (Celest => Lian)

“I see. Then couldn’t I call you Celeste?” (Tougo)

“Ange is also Celeste, and my father is also Celeste, so it’s better to call me something different.” (Lian)

　I see. Well then, Celeste will change to Lian. Nice to meet you. I held his smaller hands with mine.

“Um… I’m Ange, pleased to meet you too…?” (Ange)

　And an even smaller hand grabbed my hand.

“Nice to meet you, Ange. Um, you’re going to spend about two months in the forest, is that okay?” (Tougo)

　It’s all done before their consent, but I’ll listen to it just in case. Then Ange nodded quietly.

“I’m just happy to spend time with brother…” (Ange)

　And then, Ange smiles, and laughs shyly. Maybe she’s a little shy, but I love how she slowly hides behind her brother while talking to me.

“Well then, nice to meet you again. Lian and Ange.” (Tougo)