Mary was left shocked, so much that she fainted on the spot. We were left rather surprised by the event, but she had genuinely fainted out of disbelief about what was happening. Everyone in this orphanage and been hanging on a thin thread all this time, with years of nobody donating single coin nor food, the two nuns in here had been working hard to feed the children alongside Celeste.
"Mother Mary! Are you alright?" I asked, as I flew to her side, she was smiling a bit while fainted.
"She's alright, she just fainted." Said Celeste.
"Let me help her." My mother stepped in, waving her hand, a tiny speck of light reached Mary. "Awake."
Mary's eyes suddenly began to slowly open, as she was healed of her fainting… Wow, so there's a spell that can wake up people from being fainted? Now that's something I didn't know. I should learn that in case of emergencies.
"Ah! Eh? I am… What happened?" Wondered Mary, looking around her with a confused expression.
"You just fainted…" Said Celeste. "Are you okay now?"
Lucia also seemed concerned about Mary, petting her head with the tip of her tail worriedly. She touched Mary's shoulders and patted them as well, quickly waking her up a bit more.
"I-I apologize…! I-It wasn't my intention to faint…" Mary said. "I am just… so surprised… someone would give us this much… I couldn't believe it." Mary contained her tears as she seemed to have been taken over by her emotions.
"Don't worry, if we have the ways to help you, then there's nothing wrong with trying to do so." Said my mother with a gentle smile, as Mary's eyes shone brightly. She seemed rather gloomy this entire time, but she quickly changed, getting exceedingly happy.
"T-Thank you! Thank you for your generosity! You're so nice! I am so happy…" She cried, quickly kneeling in the floor out of nowhere. Celeste and Lucia quickly tried to stop her but Mary was too ridden by emotions, crying desperately.
Everyone looked at one another as Mary poured her heart into her words. I felt the need to make her stand up, she didn't had to kneel before us or anything, we were doing something normal to be honest. If I had the money and the resources I would always try to help others in need, it is mere common sense.
"You don't really need to cry, calm down…" I said, as I petted her shoulder.
"I-It is just… We have been barely surviving with what we got… Both Lucia and I work selling products we make, barely making any money out of it, all while Celeste goes to the dungeon each day to hunt monsters, risking her life so the children can eat…" Sighed Mary. "It has been such a long time that we received the help of another person… I've begun to lose hope… To think that there wasn't anybody that would ever help us… Even now, I feel is a dream, that all of you can't possibly be real…"
"We are real, calm down." Said my father.
"We came here due to Mist, it might had been fate that Sylph found her." Said my mother.
"Mary, don't cry!" Mist said rather concerned, as Mary sighed as she slowly stood up and hugged the little goober.
"Dummy… Don't you go around alone again, okay, Mist? It was a miracle that you even found such good people… Don't be reckless, after what those people did to you… Learn to be more cautious, okay?" Sighed Mary, as she kissed Mist in the forehead.
The little Mist who was always showing to be cheerful and happy, with seemingly no sequels after such a terrible experience, nodded slowly, as tears began to flow out of her eyes at the end, being embraced by Mary, who was like her mother perhaps, she felt more comfortable about opening up.
"I-I was shcared… It hurt… I thought I wash going to die… Sniff… I'm sowy…"
The little Mist began to cry a lot, it really broke my heart. Perhaps because she didn't know us nor could she lower her guard with us, she had simply shown to be alright, but deep down, that horrendous experience left a big emotional scar in her.
"I am sorry for being weak and pathetic as well… I wish I could be stronger to protect you all anywhere you went…" Cried Mary. "I love you, Mist, please don't do stupid things again, okay?"
"Sorry mama…" Cried Mist, hugging Mary. She just called her mama…
"D-Don't call me mama while in public…" Sighed Mary, growing a bit embarrassed.
"But you're my mama!" Said Mist.
"Sigh…" Mary was perhaps Mist and the other children's adoptive mother, maybe very few of them got to see their actual parents, and Mary looked to be very close to Mist and probably all the other kids, so bonds equal to mother and daughter/son forming between her and the children seemed natural.
"Don't worry, we'll make sure to find the culprits behind what they did to her. I won't rest." Said Celeste, her eyes seemed filled with motivation. Lucia quickly stopped her from talking anymore, putting her hands over Celeste's mouth, as she waved her head and then petted Celeste with her tail.
"But Lucia…" Sighed Celeste.
"I think Lucia wants us to rest first before even thinking about revenge, Celeste…" Sighed Mary. "I also hate how reckless you are sometimes… D-Do you really have to risk your life? I don't… w-want to lose you."
"Mary…" Celeste sighed. She understood them but seemed unwavering. She quickly looked back at us, who were all in silence, we simply didn't wanted to interrupt their emotional moment, but she probably felt like they were giving us a show. "W-Well, anyways! We got visits so let's quickly sort out all the things they brought and let's cook something with the new ingredients, I am hungry. I also brought some money from my last hunt."
"R-Right, now that we got many ingredients, I can finally cook something tasty! Lucia, you too?" Asked Mary, as Lucia nodded happily.
The nuns seemed excited about finally cooking with a proper variety of ingredients.