In ‘My Little Noah’, all endings for ‘Calliphe’ resulted in death.

Except for just one – the hidden ending.

There was a spoiler from the developers that ‘no characters die in the hidden ending.’

I had forgotten about it until I saw the filial piety meter.

That’s why it was really unexpected when ‘Noah’s Filial Piety Meter’ appeared for me. I thought it had nothing to do with me at all.

‘Well, this means……’

To survive for sure, I needed to follow the quest and become Noah’s guardian.

Even if not a real guardian, but a temporary one.

‘This might be for the better.’

Rather than living in anxiety even after breaking the death flags, it’s better to definitely raise the filial piety meter.

Yes. Finally, a way to survive has appeared before me!

I pounded my fist against the wall.

“A fire-attribute filial son is still a filial son. There’s hope!”

The game starts approximately 6 months from now.

Until then, I need to raise Noah into a soft-hearted filial child.

‘It’s good for me because I’ll live, good for Noah because he won’t suffer, and good for the guardian because things will be easier.’

Heh. This was perfect. Although I don’t know how long it’ll take to make up for that minus 99.

However, the event that would drastically change my relationship with Noah came unexpectedly quickly.

I returned to the annex with several children’s books I had selected from the library.

Soon after, tap tap, heavy raindrops began hitting the window one by one.

Then a few hours later, as it became completely dark outside, the rain poured down.

“Keep the lights on up to the first floor. Turn them off before bedtime.”

“Yes, young lady.”

I hated darkness because it was uncomfortable.

‘Come to think of it, Noah hated darkness too, right?’

To be precise, he was particularly afraid of the dark. It was because of something that happened at the Viscount’s mansion.

‘Ever since getting lost in the forest on a rainy night, he became terribly afraid of being left alone in darkness….’

Speaking of forests, there was one a little distance away from the annex.

“……”

Well, of course, I wasn’t certain that incident would happen today.

“……maid.”

“Yes?”

“Go to the servants’ quarters and check if Noah is doing well.”

“R-right now? But it’s pouring rain.”

I quietly raised my fist.

“How about I make it rain fists?”

“Eek. I’m going!”

The maid deflated despite her sturdy build. It’s quite a talent to look so pitiful with a body that would probably hurt my wrist more if I hit her.

The maid returned as instructed and reported.

“Young lady, Noah left in the afternoon and hasn’t returned yet.”

My heart sank.

“What time in the afternoon?”

“Um, they said it was before the rain started… so about 4 hours ago.”

I jumped up and roughly grabbed a raincoat while shouting.

“Bring a lamp. The brightest one you’ve got!”

* * *

Swoosh―

The rain poured as if the sky had been punctured.

The thick raindrops, which even the forest trees couldn’t block, were painful to a child who hadn’t properly worn a raincoat.

“I can’t find it……”

It was now so dark that Noah couldn’t even see his feet. His heart began beating faster with fear.

“I heard you got punished to swing a wooden sword a thousand times alone in the back forest? Because you couldn’t do errands properly.”

“Since you’re going to the forest anyway, bring back plenty of wild strawberries. Then we might let you join us for dinner.”

At the servants’ words, Noah had taken the basket, seemingly entranced, and went into the forest.

Though difficult, he completed his punishment well. Until then, the forest had been a fragrant and pleasant place.

If only it hadn’t suddenly turned dark with the rain.

“I can’t see the path… ah!”

Noah slipped and rolled down the slope.

Though fortunately it was a gentle slope, the experience of flailing and tumbling down in complete darkness was a huge shock to the child.

Noah climbed back up the slope, trembling.

Then he found a spot where the rain fell less heavily and crouched down.

In darkness so thick he couldn’t even tell distance, it felt like monsters could jump out at any moment. Saa-ah, every time the wind blew, it sent chills down his spine.

Noah squeezed his eyes shut.

‘I wish someone would come find me……’

But no one would come.

Noah had known this fact well since his time at the orphanage.

That place always lacked food and clothes, so Noah, being quiet and introverted, was a target for bullying.

But there were certain days when he wasn’t bullied and felt like he was in the same situation as others.

It was on days when someone was lucky enough to be adopted.

The children who weren’t chosen would be very envious and wonder when they would get parents of their own.

So Noah became curious too. Though his curiosity wasn’t quite the same as the other children’s.

“What’s so good about having parents?”

“Mom and dad are the people who love you most! Like in this picture.”

Noah was handed a picture book so worn that most pages were nearly torn out.

A picture of a crying child who had lost their way.

The mother comes to find the crying child, and then the father appears. The picture of the three of them embracing like one body looked very warm.

‘They look happy.’

From then on, Noah also began to envy the children who got adopted.

That’s why.

“I’ll take that child.”

When the angel-like person with golden hair chose him, his heart swelled with joy.

They said she was a sponsor, not a mother, but that didn’t matter.

He couldn’t really grasp the difference between the two anyway.

But now he understood well.

Thinking of Calliphe, a feeling of resentment suddenly arose.

“……”

But then he remembered how she protected him from the pile of books, and became confused.

“I will never allow others to lay a hand on you.”

“……”

“Even if you pick up a dog, you have to take responsibility.”

Were those words true?

Noah shook his head as if answering his own question.

The weather was still terrible, but it was so cold that his body felt like it would freeze if he stayed like this.

After contemplating, Noah put strength into his trembling legs and started walking again.

If he could just see any light, he would head toward it.

Slip!

“Ah!”

Thin, creepy fingers brushed against Noah’s ankle as he fell.

It was just roadside grass, but to Noah, it felt like hands grabbing at his feet.

“Hic, uwaah!”

He frantically crawled away, kicking at whatever was tangled around his ankle with his other foot.

But the creepy sensation gripping his ankle wouldn’t easily let go.

“So-someone…!”

The cry for help got stuck in his throat the moment he looked up.

All he could see was pitch-black space where up and down had no meaning, and in it, Noah was alone. Forever alone.

Finally, the tears he had been holding back burst forth.

“Help me… save me…!”

That’s when it happened.

Rustle!

Along with the sound of moving undergrowth, a pair of small lights appeared.

They were the eyes of a beast, staring intently at Noah.

“……!”

As if sensing Noah’s terror, the beast began closing the distance toward him.

* * *

“Noah! Noah, where are you?”

I kept shouting as I advanced deep into the forest.

I was worried sick about where he could be. Even knowing he wouldn’t come to serious harm since he was the protagonist of <Marino> didn’t help.

“Noah!”

I could barely see the servants who had entered with me anymore.

Since it would be difficult to search for a child alone at night even in a small forest, I had dragged some people from the servants’ quarters.

Among them were probably those who knew perfectly well Noah had gone to the forest but were sleeping comfortably. I planned to pay them back properly later.

“Noah! Where are you?”

Could it be he’s not coming out because I’m calling?

At this reasonable doubt, my voice naturally became quieter.

As I was wiping away the rain that obscured my vision and looking around, it happened.

“Uwaah!”

A child’s scream was heard.

“Noah!”

Startled, I hurriedly ran toward where the scream came from.

The lamp light dimly revealed the scene before me.

Some strange figure was threatening Noah in a crouched position.

‘What crazy bastard…!’

My mind went blank for a moment, but I quickly came to my senses. First, to draw its attention toward me, I approached and shouted calmly.

“You XX!”

Bam!

I struck the crouching figure’s crown with my fist as hard as I could. I even dropped the lamp and beat it frantically with both hands to completely disorient it.

“How dare you touch our child? You’re dead!”

[Synchronizing with ‘Calliphe’.]

[Performing ‘Calliphe’s’ role.]

Calliphe’s body was as weak as it was frail.

But having walked the path of troublemaking for a long time, she could effectively beat others like an office worker who could type on a keyboard with their eyes closed.

‘I’m the Iron Fist of Offensa, you bastard!’

Babababam!

Squeak!

The thing I was hitting finally made a beast-like sound and staggered backward.

Only then could I properly make out its appearance.

My opponent wasn’t some crouching madman but… a wild boar.

‘Oh sh*t.’

What, what am I doing?

The wild boar glared at me like it wanted to kill me. Its breathing was rough.

My legs trembled in fear, but I forced myself to stand firm. If I backed down, I couldn’t protect Noah.

‘Ca-calm down first. It’s watching me too. Looking closely, it seems like quite a young one?’

It was quite small for a wild boar.

‘Looks like it’s wondering whether it should charge at me or not.’

Its hesitant appearance seemed somewhat intimidated. Apparently, my surprise beating had been effective.

‘If that’s the case… this, this is a gamble!’

Standing still here would only get us hurt!

I spread my arms and legs wide like a standing bear. In the urgency to survive, I didn’t even realize how embarrassing it looked.

Hup. Taking a deep breath like breathing from my stomach, I shouted loudly.

“Get lost!”

Squeak!?

The startled wild boar finally ran away in a hurry.

‘I, I survived……’

My fingertips trembled belatedly.

Even though I displayed Calliphe’s special talent, I was really lucky this time. I should never recklessly charge at something stronger than me again.

After catching my breath, I turned toward Noah.

“Are you alright?”

—

T/N: Calliphe was quite literally like, catch these fists, mf! 👊