SWNOVELXO Chapter 1590: The Chief's Decision
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Recalling the memories of her adorable daughter, and everything else made Agua's mother cry more than she thought, the villagers were surprised, glancing at the scene, without really knowing what to say. Their leader, a very stoic woman, was now breaking down before her daughter… there were indeed actually quite a lot of things they wanted to say, but at the end, they decided to leave this to them, most left, deciding that they wanted some time alone.
"Mom…" Agua kept crying, as she hugged her mother. "I'm sorry too… I-I didn't really think things through that much, but… I was really happy that they considered me friends. It was different than the people here, they… they treated me more casually, it felt closer… warmer. They weren't treating me as a priestess, but just another person, a person they grew closer to, someone they relied on, an equal… it felt nice."
Agua expressed her feelings completely, opening up for the first time with her mother, expressing truly how she felt and what she thought, this made her mother both happy and also worried, engulfed by a feeling of hopelessness.
"So that's… how it is…" her mother nodded. "I never thought that you had such a problem before… Perhaps the title I imposed upon you might have ended only making things worse for you, without even realizing… I'm sorry… It was indeed all my fault in the end. While trying to be a good mother, I might have ended becoming a bad one instead."
"T-That's not the case, mom…" Agua said, desperate to tell her mother it was okay. "You have been a great mother… The best I could ever ask for. You're my family and… there's nothing to be sorry about… I know you've done these things for me… I just… I don't want to be confined here forever. Aquarina and her friends… T-They showed me that there was so much out there to explore. A whole world…"
"I understand," her mother nodded. "I've always knew you would do this one day… I kept denying it, thinking that you would stay here but… Maybe you're like your father, you have that adventurous heart within you. He always explored the desert, and one day we even went beyond the steppes into another continent for a brief trip. I might have been the one that forced him to stay here, but if it were up to him, he would've most likely traveled the whole world… I guess that was also his dream, an unfulfilled one…"
"So that's how dad was…" Agua smiled, feeling rather happy to hear more about him. "I want to explore the whole world too… for him as well! I want to… fulfill father's dream."
"Haaah…" her mother sighed, feeling very sad, but nodding. "It's all up to you now… I cannot control you, dear. So the heroine… Aquarina, right? You want to bring my daughter along with you?"
"I… we thought about it, yes, she agreed… We aren't forcing her, by the way…" Aquarina said.
"She got potential! She's an amazing wizard! Her spells can do almost anything!" Silvia said.
"I have to admit she helped us a lot, she has literally a spell for anything… I never imagined water magic could be so versatile before," Justicio said.
"I see…"
Agua's mother smiled, feeling quite proud of her daughter, if the heroine herself was praising her, then this meant that she might "recruit her into her party" a legendary event that happens to the "chosen ones", specially talented people that a hero might recruit into their party to travel the world and help those suffering. A tale as old as time.
"I suppose Agua fulfills very well the role of a Supporter, she can Heal, Protect, and has many versatile spells… as a Priestess, these are all spells she learned through her cultivation and communion with the Oasis," explained Agua's mother. "Without a doubt, she might be our most talented magicians so far, a true diamond on the rough with even more potential… potential she might never uncover if she remains here, stagnant, without being able to grow anymore."
"Mom, does that means…?" Agua muttered.
"Of course… I… as I said, have no power over you," her mother sighed. "You're free to go, Agua. It's your life… Just please, don't risk it needlessly, don't be reckless, and always prioritize your safety, okay? If the enemy is too strong, don't be afraid of running away. If you face a very dangerous problem you are not sure you can handle, run. There's no shame in that either, alright? You are not a hero, you're a priestess, and my daughter… This might come as selfish for some, but don't sacrifice yourself for others either, okay?"
"Y-Yes, mother, I understand," nodded Agua. "I'll keep this lesson in my heart. I am not someone really reckless either, or I always like to remain afar from danger. I'll do so while protecting my friends with my magic, which you taught me since I was very little."
"Hmm, good girl," her mother hugged her, and kissed her all over her face without leaving a spot without being kissed. "I love you, I'll always do. I'm sorry if I was a bad mother…"
"No, you were the best," Agua giggled.
As Aquarina nodded as she saw the beautiful and adorable scene, she realized it was getting pretty late.
"A-Ah, right, well, we aren't going to take her away from you or something either! We were thinking of coming to pick her up sometimes, to hang out, hunt, and train," said Aquarina.
"Y-Yeah! Please don't misunderstand us, we aren't going to some transcontinental adventure or something…" Silvia muttered.
"I'm even afraid of stepping out of the desert, honestly…" Justicio said.
"O-Oh!" Agua's mother realized she might have overreacted a bit too much. "I'm sorry… I might have overreacted then…"
"It's fine, it made me happy mother said all those things," Agua smiled cutely. "It made me realize I love my mother even more than before."
"Agua…" her mother hugged her again. "I'm so happy to hear that… But, well, there's a little thing I didn't told you before."
"Huh?" Agua wondered, tilting her head.
"As the Priestess, the Oasis Spirit might take away your blessing if you leave the Territory," her mother said. "If you want to keep it… You might have to ask her permission to leave."
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