Chapter 5: A Mother’s New Companion

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Having concluded his prayers, Emil hastened towards his mother’s home. Throughout his time in the church, he had found it impossible to concentrate.

Useless distractions continually plagued him, forcing him to dedicate his initial prayers to banishing such intrusive thoughts.

Emil’s mind repeatedly drifted to his mother, who had raised him single-handedly. She had endured immense hardship, safeguarding their lives alone for years, and without a Guide, her health had significantly deteriorated.

Certainly, the prospect of her finally finding a Guide would be an unparalleled blessing.

Furthermore, once Emil received his priestly ordination, he would no longer be able to remain by her side. While God himself was not so petty as to begrudge a priest’s family, provided His servant pledged absolute loyalty and devotion, the Church’s doctrine presented a different reality.

The Order strongly advised against priests associating closely with ‘them,’ the superhumans. Refusing to acknowledge the existence of those with extraordinary abilities, they maintained that priests must exemplify a life of purity above all others.

“It’s fine,” he murmured to himself. “It’s just a meeting, after all…”

Emil repeated this mantra to himself, over and over.

Yet, as he drew closer to his mother’s house, his expression involuntarily hardened. In his youth, protecting Lauren had been solely Emil’s burden.

People would hurl baseless accusations at her, simultaneously making no secret of their avarice for the beautiful widow living alone with her young son after her husband’s death.

Before Lauren’s powers became widely known, some even dared to sneak into their home. Though those intruders fled in terror from the flames that erupted from Lauren’s fingertips, Emil subsequently took up a club, dozing fitfully as he stood guard all night.

He was still a mere child then, his voice yet to break.

Those memories, though agonizing and dreadful, had profoundly shaped the bond between Lauren and Emil. The mother and son, with no one else to depend on, had forged an even deeper, more resilient connection.

“Haa,” he sighed.

Now, however, the time had come to relinquish that special place to another. His mother now had someone even more precious than Emil.

This natural progression inexplicably filled him with a sense of melancholy. For Emil, whose path was set to become a priest, the Savior was paramount, yet his mother remained the single most cherished ‘person’ in his life.

As if oblivious to Emil’s tumultuous feelings, smoke gracefully curled from Lauren’s chimney, accompanied by the enticing aroma of delicious food.

That familiar scent instantly evoked a wave of nostalgia in Emil—memories of the cherished meals his mother had prepared before he left for seminary. The comforting fragrance alone was enough to soften his rigid expression.

“Mother?” he tentatively called.

“You’re here?”

Upon cautiously pushing open the door and stepping inside, the very first face Emil encountered was Jack’s. Confronted with such an unexpected figure, a flicker of surprise crossed Emil’s features.

“What are you doing here? You said you wouldn’t come.”

“Lauren asked for my help,” Jack replied. “She said she wanted to make something delicious for you, especially since it’s been so long since you visited.”

“Jack, could you come here for a moment?”

“Of course,” he readily agreed.

Jack winked playfully at Emil before turning to Lauren. A small pot sat over a lit fire, clearly intended for stew.

Lauren, who had been busily directing Jack, suddenly spotted Emil, her eyes widening in surprise as she rushed towards him.

“Emil! My proud son…”

“Mother…”

Lauren, who had been bustling about, paused, spotting Emil standing by the door. Overwhelmed with emotion, she hurried to him.

A warm smile blossomed on Emil’s face, instantly dispelling his earlier tension. The moment he felt his mother’s comforting embrace, a profound sense of emotion welled within him, bringing a prickle of warmth to his eyes.

His previous anxieties vanished, replaced by an overwhelming sense of joy and belonging.

“You are still as beautiful as ever, Mother.”

At Emil’s heartfelt compliment, Lauren offered a shy smile. Indeed, just as he said, she remained remarkably beautiful; it was difficult to believe she had such a grown son.

When they had last parted, there was hardly any height difference between them, but now Emil had grown a good hand span taller. Lost in this moment of sentiment, he heard Jack’s voice calling Lauren from behind him.

“What should I do with these carrots?”

“Ah, just a moment. Emil, please sit down and wait.”

“May I help you?”

“No, dear, you’re a guest today,” Lauren replied. “Just sit and relax. It’ll be ready in no time.”

At Lauren’s words, Emil’s face instantly clouded over. He was, undeniably, visiting his own home, yet his mother was treating him entirely as a guest.

To him, she was the same beloved presence she had always been, but Lauren’s demeanor felt subtly distant.

“Where should this go?”

“Ah, one moment—”

Lauren swiftly moved to Jack’s side. Her actions, as she took the eggs from him, were remarkably fluid and natural.

At times, Jack would intuitively wash or chop ingredients without Lauren even needing to ask. It became clear how much assistance he must have provided Lauren during Emil’s absence.

Lauren offered her thanks to Jack, who moved with an easy familiarity, as if he already knew precisely what dish they were preparing.

“Oh, it’s nothing, really,” Jack demurred. “Besides, it’s partly for Emil too.”

“I always feel as though I’m constantly relying on your help—”

“This much is only natural,” Jack insisted.

When Jack broke into a cheerful smile, Lauren’s eyes crinkled as she returned a gentle one. A subtle but undeniable bond, forged over the years Emil had been away, was palpable between them.

After their brief exchange, Jack, who had been intently observing Lauren’s bustling figure, turned his gaze back to Emil. A familiar mischievous glint returned to his otherwise affectionate eyes.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Looking at what? I was simply observing. You two seem quite close.”

“Lauren and I share a bond you couldn’t possibly understand,” Jack boasted.

Amusingly, Jack was now flaunting their exclusive bond to Emil, Lauren’s own son. While the display struck Emil as utterly preposterous, he merely nodded, choosing not to argue.

In a village where superhumans were virtually extinct, Jack was likely the only one capable of assisting Lauren, the sole Esper. Furthermore, Jack had always shown a peculiar fondness for Lauren since his childhood.

The meal preparations concluded swiftly. With every diligent movement from Lauren and Jack, the familiar, delicious aroma of food wafted through the air.

Each time a new dish was placed upon the table, Emil found himself swallowing hard. The seminary’s meals were designed merely for survival, offering only the bare minimum in both quantity and flavor.

For seminarians, who were expected to embody frugality and moderation, lavish feasts were strictly forbidden. Having subsisted for the past five years on nothing more than the bare minimum required for sustenance, Emil’s anticipation for this meal was entirely understandable.

“There we are.”

As the meal preparations neared their end, Lauren emerged, having changed her attire. His mother, adorned in an elegant, pale green dress, appeared breathtakingly beautiful.

“It truly suits you, Lauren,” Jack complimented.

“Thank you, dear,” she replied.

Jack’s gaze remained fixed on Lauren, openly admiring her for a prolonged moment. Observing his mother’s shy demeanor in response, Emil detected a peculiar undercurrent for the very first time.

“Ah.”

Suddenly, a sharp knock echoed from the door.

“Lauren.”

At the sound of a handsome, gentle voice from outside, Lauren’s cheeks flushed. Simultaneously, Jack’s expression shifted, becoming subtly unreadable.

“It seems my guest has arrived, Emil…”

“I’ll get it,” Emil quickly offered.

Emil swiftly rose and opened the door. Standing outside was someone he had, in fact, already encountered.

“Ah, Yanis?”

“So we meet again here,” Yanis responded smoothly.

Emil had known Yanis would arrive, yet seeing his face again now felt strangely unfamiliar. The man’s deep blue eyes fixed steadily on him, accompanied by a polite smile.

After a brief exchange of glances, Yanis’s gaze shifted past Emil to Lauren, who stood just behind him.

“Lauren.”

“Oh, Yanis!”

As Lauren shyly welcomed him, Yanis stepped closer. Emil’s gaze instinctively followed.

The sight of his mother and Yanis standing side-by-side felt unfamiliar, yet undeniably well-matched. Lauren instinctively placed her hand in Yanis’s, but, catching her son’s watchful eye, she swiftly pulled it back.

“Emil, this is Yanis,” Lauren introduced. “He’s a doctor who recently settled in our village and has been a great help to me.”

“And this is my son, Emil. He answered his calling, attended seminary, and has just graduated.”

“Hello, Mr. Yanis,” Emil greeted.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Father Emil,” Yanis replied.

“Ah, I haven’t… I haven’t been ordained yet, so please just call me Emil,” Emil corrected, feeling a touch awkward.

At Yanis’s address, Emil found himself flustered. He was, after all, merely a seminary graduate, and significantly younger than Yanis.

Yanis, however, simply offered a gentle smile and nodded in understanding.

“Very well, Emil,” Yanis said, his smile softening. “It’s good to see you. Are you feeling alright?”

“Oh my,” Lauren exclaimed. “Emil, have you already met Yanis?”

“Tag barked quite fiercely at him earlier, Mother, and even tried to attack,” Emil explained. “I suppose he displayed aggression because Yanis was a stranger.”

“Oh, dear,” Lauren murmured sympathetically.

Seeing Lauren’s distressed expression, Emil quickly added more context.

“I owe Mr. Yanis my life,” he continued. “It was quite a sudden incident, and I was rather taken by surprise.”

Yanis, looking genuinely regretful, offered Emil an apology.

“No, no, it’s my fault,” Yanis insisted. “I should have trained Tag more thoroughly… Please accept my apologies once more.”

“No, truly, it’s quite alright.”

“—I’ll be going now,” Jack interjected curtly, having stood silently while Emil fumbled through his explanations for Yanis’s excessive deference.

“Jack, won’t you join us for dinner?”

“It’s quite alright, Lauren. I wouldn’t want to intrude on your time with Emil. I’ll see you later.”

Jack’s voice softened instantly at Lauren’s invitation. He added his polite refusal, then sealed his farewell with a kiss to the back of her hand.

Emil watched as Jack lightly brushed his nose against Lauren’s hand during the gesture. Jack exchanged one last glance with Lauren, winked at Emil, and then exited the house.

“Do be careful on your way home. The wind is chilly.”

“Yes, yes,” Jack replied offhandedly to Yanis’s concern, closing the door behind him. With a rough *thud*, silence descended for a moment. It was Lauren who broke the quiet first.

“Shall we, um, shall we eat?”

“Ah, excellent,” Yanis agreed smoothly.

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