671 Sarah and Sia Meet

"S-Sarah?" Sia said in a quivering voice.

"I really missed you." Sarah stepped forward and pulled her into a tight embrace.

Sia, still unsure how to react, let herself be hugged.

It was an unfamiliar sensation. Being hugged. Even though she talked to Enigma, they couldn't have any physical contact.

So, she felt weird having someone close to her after so long.

With trembling hands, Sia wrapped her arms around Sarah and said. "G-Good to see you."

Sarah broke the hug and gave a deep bow. "About my father…I didn't know. I really don't know what to say."

The joy that Sarah previously showed was now replaced by a very sober and sad voice.

Varian looked at her trembling shoulders and had to stop himself from hugging her.

Her apology was to Sia. It was up to her.

"It's not your fault," Sia said in a plain voice. "Don't worry about it…"

Sarah raised her head and wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes. She tried to nod but in the end, she turned around and started wiping away the tears that kept falling.

"…to my best friend…I still can't believe he did it."

Varian sighed.

As expected, Sarah was deeply affected by what Evander did. She cared deeply about Sia. Learning that her own father caused her so much pain was a tough blow even for her.

…It was Varian who told her everything.

Even though he knew that this would hurt her. Some things shouldn't be buried. It would be best if Sarah could accept the situation.

Sia raised her hand to pull Sarah around and say it's okay. But in the end, her hand froze and she sighed.

After a few seconds, Sarah turned around. Unlike before, she had a smile on her slightly pale face, even though it was obviously a strained smile.

"Look at me, I was trying my best to make this a good greeting but ended up ruining everything." She said in an apologizing tone.

Sia opened her mouth to say something but it was Varian who spoke.

"Alright, Sarah, if you cry again, I'll have to buy one more mansion in another city and try to start things there."

"Eh?" Sarah and Sia both looked at him in confusion.

"Haa~" Varian rolled his eyes as if he was tired and walked inside. An invisible force tugged on them and gently pulled them inside. "As I said, we're starting anew."

"W-What do you mean?" Sarah asked with a nervous expression.

Varian didn't look back as he teleported in front of his room upstairs. "Get along."

Saying those words, he entered his room.

In the end, Sarah and Sia were left awkwardly standing in the living hall.

"…"

"…"

They looked at each other in silence before Sarah said she'd brew some tea and went off to the kitchen.

"What is he thinking…" Sia muttered as she sat on the sofa.

The mansion's interior was bright and the snow walls were adorned with beautiful paintings. Every corner of the mansion was aesthetically pleasing.

The lighting wasn't too bright or dim. It was just right. They set a soothing mood.

It didn't end there.

The one big sofa in the shape of an arch, a beautiful table in front with vibrant flowers, and a very refreshing smell in the air.

"Hoo~" Sia's shoulders unconsciously relaxed and she leaned into the sofa.

It was like the stiffness in her body started to loosen. It was only a little, but she was, without a doubt, relaxed.

It had been a long, long while since she felt something like this.

"…Was this his intention?" Sia wondered.

"Probably is." Sarah returned with tea. 

"And he wanted us to have some time alone," Sia said.

Sarah nodded with a smile and after filling Sia's tea cup, she filled one for herself and sat on the sofa.

The sofa moved by itself and split into two parts. They were now facing each other.

Sia gripped the tea cup tightly and sipped the tea. She didn't register the taste as she was thinking hard about what to speak.

The fact of the matter was that Sia was socially shut off for almost a year.

"…You don't have to be careful about what you say if that's what you're worried about." Sarah noticed she was uncomfortable and gave her a friendly smile.

"Y-Yeah." Sia gave her an awkward smile but felt more relaxed.

Still, she felt a bit uncomfortable.

Even though Sarah was her best friend, she's now Varian's girlfriend…

"So," Sarah sipped her tea and said. "I'm really glad that you finally met. Varian…I saw his struggles close and it was hard for him."

"Yeah…" Sia put down her tea cup and nodded.

"But." Sarah grabbed Sia's hands and looked into her eyes. With a sad gaze, she said.

"Sia, no one knows how much you went through. Neither Varian. Nor me. It's really hurting me knowing that you went through so much pain. I…really wish I could've done something to help you."

Sia opened her mouth in surprise. She was expecting some 'interrogation' from Varian's girlfriend.

But Sarah was Sarah.

"…You're still like this." Sia shook her head with a smile.

"Sorry?"

"You always worry about others," Sia recalled their days in the academy and smiled.

"Not everyone though. Only the people close to me!" Sarah said like she was protesting Sia's statement.

"Hm…you were crying a few moments ago and now you're comforting me." Sia's eyes widened as she realized she said something bad.

Indeed, her social skills seem to have regressed.

Sarah froze for a split second but decided not to turn things awkward. So, she gave a light smile. "Yeah. I kinda grew up, I guess?"

"Hm…" Sia went silent again.

When did talking get this hard?

She felt like even Enigma could talk better than her now. Damn it!

"Did you see the cityscape on the way here? It's one of the most beautiful, I swear." Sarah initiated the conversation again.

"Yeah. It's b-beautiful." Sia curled her lips upward. Then, she tilted her head and asked. "So, what are we going to do in this city?"

"…He didn't tell me," Sarah replied, propping her chin on her hand.

Then, she said. "He asked me to come here. No, it was more like, 'You must come here at any cost!'."

Sarah imitated Varian's voice and his serious facial expression in the last part.

"Pfft-Haha." Sia let out a chuckle as her face lit up. "When he gets serious, he's really straightforward."

Sarah carefully observed her reaction and sighed in her heart. 'As expected, she…'

Shaking her thoughts away, she nodded with a pitiful face. "So, I had to stop a mission in the adventure guild and pick a spaceship here."

"Ah. Even though he said this place is to start anew, are we going to do something important?" Sia wondered with a confused expression.

"I want to know as well," Sarah said.

"Yep. A crucial thing." Varian's voice sounded as he teleported next to them.

"Important…?"

"Very, very important." Varian nodded at Sarah's question.

"What is it?" They both asked.

"Touring the city," Varian replied with a smile.

"…Wait, that's it?" Sia stood up in shock.

Sarah nodded. "I thought we'd start anew by hunting down some enemies. I recently killed a bunch of shadow order bugs and I want to kill more."

"…" Varian realized that neither of them understood his meaning.

"We're here to start a new. Like, we need to take a break! Stop thinking about violence all day long! Be like me! Make love, not war!" Varian preached things he never followed.

Sia and Sarah recalled Varian's mad smile during his fights and rolled their eyes.

Sighing lightly, Sarah shrugged. "Fine. Let's go."

"Yeah." Sia also stood up.

"Wait, wait!" Varian looked at their outfits with an intense gaze.

Combat outfit. Comaflague dress.

'Are they trying to tour the city or fight?'

"Get changed!"