"It's going to be interesting having them at the side of our house." Laughed Chris.
"Hm… I don't know about that." Erdrich sighed. "I hope that annoying Clarice keeps herself away from us if possible."
"She's really quite the bad mouthing girl." Said Elizabeth. "Are all spoiled noble girls ?"
"Yeah, there's tons of them in the academy." Laughed Evelyn. "Don't worry, she might seem a bit… , but she's actually honest to heart. Maybe too honest. I can tell after seeing her fight. Do you remember that time I disappeared from your side after Blake fought Dylan?"
"Well, I was given the task of becoming her rival in her fighting test. She scored almost a perfect score because despite her low cultivation rank, she was very good at using skills, techniques, and magic together with her spirit. When I fight someone, I can immediately tell how they are deep within their hearts… She's a good girl, just a bit weird." Evelyn said.
"That she's strong doesn't mean she's not kind of an asshole." Chris said.
"Well, I was rough with them, I suppose it is understandable. However she'll eventually forget about it…" I shrugged.
"Hmm… N-Now I feel slightly bad." Sighed Alberta. "M-Maybe it could had been her and not me…"
"Huh? There was no way for that, you're ideal for our team, the same with Elfriedden. I don't really care about your personalities or anything, as long as you're useful and fulfill your roles." I said.
"Are you trying to imply something to me?" Elfriedden said while narrowing his eyes, but I ignored him.
In a few minutes, we finally arrived at the small cafeteria, it was almost full of people though.
"Hmm… Mom said she was going to wait outside… I wonder who of these people is?" Erika wondered, looking into the crowd. There were seats outside and inside the cafeteria.
There were students, teachers, and all kinds of other people mixed. There was over ten different tables, so I suppose it wasn't going to be easy to find Erika's mother.
However, I quickly found her faster than her own daughter.
She was the woman sitting at the left corner of the area. Her face was barely visible as she wore a big witch hat with a black semi-transparent cloth covering her face.
She wore beautiful pink and black clothes, and her pale white skin reminded me that of Erika. The woman had long nails painted black, and as I gazed into her face, she seemed to look gloomy.
Her long pink hair quickly gave it away though. Her father once told me that he didn't had pink hair because that was a trait of Erika's mother and her family.
She was very beautiful for her supposed age, which might be the same as her father. She seemed to be old, but not enough to look like a grandma, like Erika's father did.
And she had… long ears? Wait, is she a half-elf?
Maybe that explains why she's so young-looking despite being apparently over 70.
"I found her, come with me, Erika. Everyone, can you guys stay behind for now? Buy anything you want." I said.
"Sure, go ahead." Evelyn nodded. "Alright kids! Who wants some ice cream?"
Leaving Evelyn to take care of the rest of the group, we walked across the tables and then found her.
"Is your name Cattalina?" Asked Erika.
It felt as if time itself stopped.
The woman twitched the moment she heard Erika's timid voice.
She seemed paralyzed.
However, she slowly decided to move, waving the black cloths that slightly covered her face from the public.
The woman's bright, yellow eyes looked directly at us.
"That voice…" She said faintly, her voice was soft and mature at the same time. Her eyes filled with mysticism, sparkling spiritual essence coming from them. "…Erika?"
"Mom?" Erika asked, suddenly, tears began flowing from her eyes.
"I… My name is Cattalina, indeed… I… You're my daughter, right?" The woman asked in surprise, her eyes quickly beginning to flow with tears.
"I… I suppose I am…" Erika said while trying to muster her words.
Her mother remained in silence, without knowing what to say anymore.
She seemed very timid, and perhaps slightly socially awkward.
Perhaps losing her family and everything has made her this way.
Erika's father told me many times that Erika was just like her mother.
A cheerful girl filled with brightness and beautiful.
Yet the woman in front of me had changed much from Erika's father description.
Even her eyes had black shades, has this woman been sleeping well?
"Can I… Can I give you a hug?" Erika asked timidly.
"I…" Her mother doubted for a bit. "S-Sure… Yes, please… Please give me a hug."
Erika ran towards her mother, hugging her tightly, she was embraced by her arms, as she began to cry over her chest.
"I-I… I've always wanted… I've always wanted to meet you…!" Erika continued to cry.
"Me too… I can't believe you're alive." Her mother sighed. "I-I saw you die that day… Yet now, you're in front of me… All grown up… You're so warm, and your heart is beating. Blood flows through your body… you're alive."
"I am…" Erika sighed. "Papa… Papa and his friends, and Blake… They revived me."
"I… What a miracle… This is a miracle…" Her mother continued crying. "I can sense my bloodline within your body, I can sense the same soul I felt when you were born, you're… my daughter without a doubt."
Her mother seemed to have abilities that could detect her own bloodline and even her soul within those of her family, an impressive ability.
"Yeah… I am…!" Erika cried, rubbing her tears.
"Let's eat something while we talk, okay? We have… so much to talk about. I also… want to hear what your father went through, and his last words. I… I regret not having been there for him." Her mother sighed.
"Sure… Let's do that." Erika said with a smile.
"Yeah, and… Huh? Who is this boy?" Her eyes quickly changed to a very serious stare.
"He's my boyfriend, Blake!" Erika smiled back at her mother, quickly bringing me closer.
Her stare was so intense it was as if she was stabbing me with her eyes.