Raised in Dungeon

"Wait, Master. You still haven't explained one thing."

"What else? Do you still have questions? All those stories should have answered your questions."

"Your hair. You haven't explained your hair to me yet."

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that. I was actually planning to tell everything when Iva gave birth so that Peter could believe in my existence. But he was too nice; he never asked, and you never asked either.

You should be looking into the past of your acquaintances, but you don't even care about it."

"Peter and Iva won't care about your past anymore. They're already convinced that you're not a bad person."

Rodion didn't respond. He went to the kitchen to clean up the remains of his work; Allen also came back to help, and Rodion began to tell the story there.

"This story shouldn't be too important, but I feel it will be useful to you. As someone who has unnatural hair, you should know this."

Rodion paused, then continued, "I came to this world because someone summoned me. A girl who has white and slightly black hair."

"Two colors!"

"Yes, she's just like you, but she has a predominantly white color. Rather than being summoned, it's more like being forced. You see, she's smiling very closely. My body somehow tried to get closer to her. But suddenly I fell straight down, like going into a hole, and suddenly I had fallen in the wilderness."

"I see... That's how people from other worlds come to this world."

"I don't think so. There are various ways for people from other worlds to get here. And it seems that the way I came to this world is a little different from the average person's.

Allen, what about you? I've heard it's a lie that you're from another world. But is it really true that you're not from another world?"

"I honestly don't know; the last memory I can recall is when I was five years old."

"Yes, normally humans also only remember themselves at that age. But your black hair should have something to do with people from another world."

"Why is that, Master?"

Rodion explained, "As soon as I arrived in this world, I considered it a blessing because this way I could start my new life without the shadow of the government chasing me.

Even so, I still searched for information about the other world.

What I got was,

The hair of humans in this world is affected by mana, although I don't understand what their color is based on. To be sure, black hair means that the person has never touched mana in their life.

Simply put, there is no mana in other worlds, which is why the hair of people from other worlds is black. But this is not entirely true because in other worlds, although most people have black hair, there are also people with blonde, brown, and even white hair."

"Does that mean that those with hair colors other than black have mana even in your world, Master?"

"No, hair color in our world has nothing to do with mana. It has to do with something called pigment."

"Pigment..."

"It's one of the things that determines hair color. The pigment in hair suddenly becomes lost once someone from another world enters this world.

And those other-worlders, even if they were blonde before, their hair will automatically turn black once they get to this world."

"Then what about your white hair, master?"

"It's actually not my original hair. I originally had blonde hair. But as I got older, the pigment in my hair started to die, which made my hair color disappear, turning into a white color.

And I think that's why my hair didn't turn black. Because my black hair was damaged from the start, turning into white.

I was transferred to this world when I was already 60 years old."

"Then with your god's blessing, you turned your hair brown."

"I only realized that this white hair was very rare and very forbidden when I got to the city. I was chased by the soldiers back then. I ran and hid for a month until I finally realized I had god's blessing.

God's blessing, the strangest thing in this world besides mana. This power seems to be based on one's emotions and determination. Since I used to be a KGB agent, I greatly needed an instant disguise. It seems this ability was acquired when I was young and materialized inside me once I got mana in this world."

Hearing that, Allen thought, 'I see, then I got such a godly blessing because mana granted my wish by giving me the power to kill everything I hate, including myself. What a fool, if I had lived without hatred, I would have gotten a better god's blessing, such as Felicia has. A god's blessing that benefits others.'

Rodion looked at Allen with a serious face, then he said

"What about you, Allen? Why do you have such an unnatural hair color? Do you really not know anything about this?"

Allen shook his head.

"I don't know. I don't know anything about myself; I only know that I grew up in a dungeon with my mother, and she was not my real mother."

"You should know about yourself, although I'm sure you might not have a good past."

'That priestess once told me that the reason for the arrival of the Satan worshipers was because of this child. But there's no way I would tell him that,' Rodion thought.

"I know that my existence might not be a good thing; from the Satan cult's attack three years ago, I realized a couple of things, and I am sure it is bad. That's why, if I know it's a bad thing, I feel I shouldn't find out.

I just want to be quiet and hide without showing my white hair forever. In fact, I want you to change my hair permanently."

Rodion replied, "Unfortunately, my god's blessing can only last for a week at most. But there is actually another way to change hair color without using mana. By using herbs and blending them into hair dye."

"Really?! Can you teach it to me?"

"No problem."

...

The next day, early in the morning, Allen and Bedell were ready to leave. They gathered at Peter's house because that's where Bedell kept his carriage and horses.

There were Peter's family, Rodion, Susan, and Vash, who saw them off.

"Are you sure we're leaving this early? Do you know why I chose to leave on this day?" asked Bedell.

"It's fine; we'll meet the merchants in the end. Besides, I'm pretty confident that I can defeat the bandits," replied Allen.

Peter and Iva looked at Allen with emotion, with Hamnet and Judith half asleep in Iva and Peter's arms.

"Allen, do you want to hold them one last time?" asked Iva.

"Umm, no need. They are asleep."

"It's okay; this is the last time you'll be carrying them. It's so they won't be sad because tomorrow you won't be able to carry them to the tavern as usual."

Allen looked at Hamnet and Judith, then approached them and carried them both at once.

"Allen?" murmured Judith in his arms.

"Hmm?" Allen rubbed his cheek against both of their heads. He imagined that the child who used to be so small had changed so much in just three years. Those two children were the ones he had seen grow since they were still in Iva's belly.

"Are you leaving?"

"Yes..."

"When will you be back?" asked Hamnet.

"I don't know, but I will definitely be back. When I am away, you will have to take my place helping Peter and Iva, okay?"

"Okay..." then they both fell asleep in Allen's warm embrace.

Allen gave them both to Peter and Iva.

"Then I'll go then, Peter, Iva, Susan, and..."

Allen looked at Rodion.

"Master, I'll leave," he approached Rodion and hugged him tightly with teary eyes.

"Take good care of yourself, Allen." Iva said.

"I'm sure everything you'll do later will end well," Peter said.

"Don't forget to send a letter to the church," said Vash.

"I have memorized all your recipes, so you don't need to worry about the tavern. Instead, my cooking skills will surpass yours someday," said Susan.

Then Rodion,

"Everything I know, I have taught you. From now on, you must learn for yourself, about yourself, about human beings, and about this world.

But you can't walk alone with the sin still on your shoulders. You have to build good relationships with people so they open their arms to you. But don't be too kind because people can use your kindness for their own good."

That time, Rodion held his teary eyes and said, "I will miss you, my son. I'm really proud of what you've been doing so far."

Allen once again hugged Rodion.

"Master, thank you again for picking me up that day.

Thank you for kicking me when I was about to kill those pedestrians.

And thank you for teaching me to cook.

I won't forget everything you taught me, and I won't forget all the kindness you gave me."

Allen then left with Bedell, looking back as he waved with a smile.