I’ve gone back and changed past chapters to fit now but still,
sorry.
Following along the game trail in single-file, the group traverses the mountains.
The group is led by a fourteen-year-old boy, followed by around ten children of various ages.
A bearded, red-haired older man follows at their rear. It’s Belgriff.
“Yes everyone, you do need to be careful of your footing, but make sure to also pay attention to the surroundings. Pete, what can you find from the front?”
The boy at the front, Pete, looks over his shoulder to Belgriff.
“It’s all just forest.”
“Don’t just state the obvious, observe your surroundings more. And use all of your senses, not just your eyes.”
Knitting his eyebrows, Pete stares into the forest in front of the pack.
“I can hear running water. And… I can smell something. It smells refreshing.”
Satisfied with that answer, Belgriff nods.
“That’s the smell of onibamisery. It’s a type of plant that only grows near clean water. That means there’s a drinkable water source nearby.”
The children start chattering with each other in admiration.
“Okay, let’s look for it. We’ll be following that sound and smell. But remember, you can’t just focus on those things. If you were to be too focused on searching for the water when a wild or magic beast jumps out it would be no laughing matter, after all.”
Replying with an elongated “Ye~s,” the children twitch their noses and strain their ears searching for the water source.
Watching this, Belgriff reminisces on the times he went into the mountains with Angeline.
Angeline is the kind of person able to do anything after trying it once. She would remember all the types of medicinal herbs and other grasses, what kinds of plants grow and methods to find direction, how to erase her presence, how to search for the presence of others… Angeline would learn and master skills like those in no time at all.
She is a bundle of raw talent. Her becoming S Rank is evidence of this.
The daughter of a pseudo-adventurer that had to quit when he had just gotten started became an S Rank. You could barely make a boring, hackneyed novel with that kind of premise.
‘Am I jealous? Of my own daughter?’
Belgriff laughs, self-mockingly. ‘If only I had my right leg…’
He stops himself, shaking his head to dispel his thoughts. Besides, had he not lost his leg and returned to Tornela he would never have ended up finding Angeline.
“There’s no use crying over spilt milk,” Belgriff mutters, as if lecturing himself.
At that moment, Pete calls out to Belgriff.
“Uncle Bell! I found it! The water source is over there!”
“Oh, so you found it, huh?”
Returning to his senses Belgriff confirms that no children have strayed away from the group as he urges them onwards towards the water source.
A clear stream runs at their destination. Onibamiseries grow densely along the stream bank, exuding a strong smell. Torens grow from within the water, each with a single, small white flower blooming on the surface. If dried and infused, onibamiseries can be used for medicinal purposes. It can be effective medicine for illnesses affecting areas around the sinuses, chest, and trachea. Although toren isn’t very effective as a medicinal plant, their flowers’ petals taste sweet when you chew on them.
Belgriff tells the children to start gathering onibamiseries.
The children gather them as they chew on toren petals, being careful not to over-harvest them.
“Nobody wander off on your own, okay?”
“Ye~s!”
“We kno~w”
As enthusiastic in their response as ever. ‘Jeez, those kids,’ Belgriff thinks and shrugs his shoulders smiling.
The air is silent. And strangely cool as well. Is it because they’re so close to the stream?
Aside from the sound of running water, of leaves rustling in the wind, and of the children playing, Belgriff can hear nothing else.
He silently closes his eyes, when suddenly he feels a strange presence. Belgriff stands up.
“Is everyone here!?”
Hearing Belgriff’s dead-serious voice, the children turn to look at each other.
“Linus isn’t here.”
As Pete says that, a scream rings out.
“Uwaaaaaaaaah! Uncle Bell!!”
Seven-year-old Linus suddenly appears, running out from behind the thickets. A grey-pelted wolf jumps out behind him. A type of magic beast known as the grey hound. Clearly displaying its hostility and intent to kill, it is attempting to leap onto Linus.
‘I was careless!’
Clicking his tongue at his own naiveté, Belgriff dashes towards Linus.
Rapidly pushing off the ground with his left leg over and over, he bounds over at a frightening speed.
And while simultaneously grabbing Linus he draws and swings his sword in one single motion. The grey hound is split in two, right down the middle.
Belgriff immediately concentrates on his surroundings, searching for any other presences. It seems that was the only magic beast around.
He is only able to relax for a single moment as when he steps on a stone with his artificial leg to stop himself, because it is wet he slips and falls backwards in a grand manner, falling into the water.
“U-Uncle Bell!”
“Linus!”
“Are you okay!?”
The children, panicking, rush to the stream bank next to the two of them.
Since the water is shallow the two wouldn’t drown. But Belgriff ends up falling on his behind, and the two of them end up completely drenched.
Linus wailing, tears running down his face, clings on to Belgriff refusing to let go.
“You look terrible, Linus…”
Belgriff smiles wryly and pats Linus.
The covered carriage jolts.
Four days after the attack on Astrinos Town by the Giga Ants, Angeline arrived back at the capital city, Orphen, and once again packed her luggage and left for Tornela. For certain this time. She has taken a full month vacation for this trip.
The guild was very reluctant to let an S Rank adventurer go absent for an entire month, but they couldn’t outright refuse her considering her contributions until now.
While lamenting their lack of manpower and praying that no incidents appear during that month, the guild approved of Angeline’s request for a vacation. With the way she was acting it seemed like if they hadn’t approved of her vacation she would have turned them into a pile of dust together with the whole building.
Where she is now could easily be considered the country’s borderlands. The middle of the countryside.
As the wind blows, the long grass growing unmaintained by human hands sways. Though the summer sun slowly gets stronger every day, it isn’t sweltering thanks to the cool breeze.
A week has passed since leaving Orphen.
Angeline has already passed through several towns and villages. If there was a stagecoach she could take to her next destination she would take it, and if not she would negotiate with a merchant headed in the same direction to take her as a temporary escort. The carriage she is currently riding on is that of a merchant she had met in the largest town in the area, Boldor. After stopping at one more small village she would head to Tornela.
After all, since the only available methods of transport are on foot or by horse, and on top of that since Tornela is close to the border to Elf territory in the far north, it takes a long time to get there.
Factoring in the time the return trip would take, Angeline would likely only be able to stay in Tornela for around three or four days. But that doesn’t matter to her. As long as she gets to see Belgriff again.
In truth, had she taken a single horse and sped her way straight over there she would have arrived sooner, but Angeline is not very skilled at horse-riding. She would become scared as constantly being swayed around while the horse gallops at break-neck speed. Even the supposedly invincible S Rank adventurer has her weaknesses.
Within her large amount of luggage she has stuffed various souvenirs.
Plant seeds, cloth, books, and a mountain of long-life baked sweets.
As she daydreams of herself enjoying them together with her father as they talk, she smiles from ear to ear.
The short-cut blue haired female merchant speaks out to Angeline with a friendly smile.
“You seem in high spirits, miss.”
“Yes… I can finally go home…”
“I see, so you’re going back to your hometown. It’s busy being an adventurer, is it?”
“It is… I had to keep on putting it off because of sudden requests but I can finally see Daddy again… Do you know him? The “Red Ogre,” Belgriff.”
Return of Angeline’s skewed paternal idolisation.
The merchant continues smiling as she drives the carriage
“Y’see, I’m not well studied so I don’t know them but I’ll keep the name in mind. He must be quite the strong adventurer.”
“Yes… I’m proud of him. Remember him, okay? Belgriff, the “Red Ogre.””
“Mr. “Red Ogre” Belgriff, is it? I won’t forget it.”
It was not a name the merchant recognised but, a merchant she is, she refrains from saying such and continues smiling. But if it’s the name Angeline, the “Black-Haired Valkyrie,” then she’s well aware of it. ‘If such an S Rank adventurer is singing her praises about this man then he must actually be a talented person currently in hiding,’ the merchant concluded.
Eventually they exit the plains and enter a mountainous area.
Though there is a highway, because people rarely use it the road is rough and the carriage shakes. In fear of flipping the carriage over, the merchant goes slower.
The rough road makes it hurt to sit down. Thinking that it would be better to just walk, Angeline jumps off the carriage and walks alongside it. It’s only moving at a pace as fast as someone walking quickly.
“Sorry ’bout the rough road.”
“It’s fine… Not your fault…”
Suddenly feeling as if she is being watched, Angeline quickly surveys her surroundings. She senses people hiding in the shadows of the mountain’s rocks and the trees. Not magic beasts.
“…Hey, is there a village around here…?”
“No, there isn’t…?”
They are definitely highwaymen. Their gazes give off clear malice. Angeline had not heard of any bandits’ den in this area, but they may have just settled in recently. Otherwise they may be wandering bandits with no home base.
Angeline agilely jumps back onto the carriage, and whispers to the merchant.
“Robbers are watching us…”
“Huh!?”
“Shh. Calm down… I’m here so it’ll be fine. Pretend you haven’t noticed them and keep going.”
As Angeline speaks she places a hand on the hilt of her sword. The merchant, still frightened, does as she’s told and continues driving the carriage. That said the rough road makes it hard to go faster.
Suddenly the sound of something slicing through the air can be heard. Drawing her sword into a swing, Angeline knocks away the arrow that comes flying towards them. The merchant quietly screams and quickly makes the sign of the cross.
“O King of Gods Vienna, please grant unto me your protection…”
“It would have been fine if they had just silently watched us and not attacked…”
Grimacing, Angeline jumps off the carriage once more.
She has previously accepted requests to suppress criminal organisations and robber gangs so this would not be her first time killing a human, but that doesn’t mean that she enjoys it. And so she instead yells out to them.
“Hey! Are you doing this, knowing that I am the “Black Haired Valkyrie,” Angeline, daughter of the “Red Ogre,” Belgriff!? If you don’t want to die then run far away, you bastards!”
But their only response is more arrows. Knocking them all down, she yells out once more.
“That won’t work on me!”
And then, silence. It seems they have given up. With a harrumph, Angeline returns her sword to its scabbard. And then a distressed voice yells out “Help! Help!” from where the robbers lay. Surprised, Angeline looks over in that direction. Though she can’t see them, they sound like a child. Were they kidnapped?
Angeline hesitates.
She is so close to Tornela. Of course she doesn’t want to get involved with any trouble now. But there’s no way that Belgriff would be happy if she were to ignore it and continue to Tornela Village. He probably wouldn’t even praise her.
Angeline bites her lip.
She’ll quickly deal with it and get back on the road. A bit of a detour is nothing. She’ll get it all over with in a flash and head straight to Tornela.
“…Wait here.”
“Huh-? Uh. Okay.”
Leaving the merchant behind Angeline dashes forward, running towards where the bandits hide with amazing speed.
Seeing Angeline suddenly appear in front of them the bandits confusedly panic.
From the looks of things, the bandits have bound a girl around fifteen years old, and were in the middle of gagging her when Angeline arrived. The girl struggles greatly. She is wearing fine, gorgeous clothes. Likely a noble.
Angeline draws her sword at the robbers.
“If you don’t want to die… Leave the girl and run away…”
The robbers are flustered, but realising that Angeline’s aim is the girl they had captured, one of them quickly points a knife at the girl.
“Hey! I don’ get what yer’ doin’ but if you try anythin’ funny the girl–”
But his head flies mid-sentence. None of the robbers understand what happened. Where his head was there is just a fountain of blood now.
“I’m in a bad mood right now…”
Having moved in an instant next to where the robber that had taken the girl hostage stood, Angeline carries the dumbfounded girl with one arm and moves, swaying in a way that brings to mind a phantom in its otherworldliness.
“I don’t care anymore… You people who would even try the patience of Vienna, you shall regret underestimating me, Angeline…!”
You could not even call what happened from then on a battle. The only fitting term for it would be a ‘one-sided massacre’.
The twenty or so robbers were overwhelmed, not able to do anything in response. The pile of corpses left there a mere minute later speaks for itself as to how devastating her attack was.
After just succeeding in capturing a noble girl their greed got the best of them when they saw the perfect target; a merchant with only a single bodyguard. Though because they underestimated Angeline they failed. After all, their prey turned out to be a monster.
Angeline sighs, fed up, despite having just defeated the robbers easily with overwhelming power.
“Aah… I really don’t like this. I really hate… having to kill people…”
Shaking the blood off her sword, Angeline returns it to its sheath. After that she removes the hostage girl’s gag and bindings.
“Are you okay…?”
“cough… Th-thank you very much…”
The girl looks bitterly at the rope marks left on her wrists. She is quite beautiful. Her platinum-blonde hair is slightly dirty but still glossy, and her skin isn’t the least bit tanned.
“How did you get captured by them…?”
“…Well…”
The girl’s name is apparently Selen.
She says she is the daughter of the lord of Boldor and as she was going around to inspect the surrounding area she heard word that her father had fallen ill and was on death’s bed. As she was rushing on horseback back to Boldor, she was attacked by the highwaymen.
It seems the problem was the fact that she only took a few guards with her as she chose to ride on horseback instead of a slower carriage. After being ambushed her guards were wiped out and she was captured, unable to resist.
“…How disgraceful. Now that this has happened, even though I rushed back, I cannot see my Father anyway.”
Selen clenches her fists. She spills no tears, but inside she without doubt is filled with anger and sadness.
“…You wanted to see your Dad?”
“Yes… But, now I can do so no longer. I have no horse, and even if I were to rush back to Boldor on foot it would take at least four days… This is just what fate has decided for me.”
Selen smiles, trying to pretend she is fine with this. Irritated, Angeline grabs Selen’s arm and pulls her to her feet. Selen’s blue eyes widen in surprise.
“Huh-, excuse me, Lady Angeline…?”
“Are you fine with that…!? He’s your Daddy, isn’t he…!?” Don’t just give up and blame it all on fate!”
Angeline picks Selen up and quickly takes her back to where the merchant is waiting.
As she suddenly jumps onto the carriage the merchant jumps in surprise.
“Whoa, don’t scare me like that! So what happened, miss!? Where are the robbers!?”
“Eliminated. I’ll pay for all the merchandise you were planning to sell as well as labour fees. You won’t regret it, so can we please go back the way we came…?”
“W- why, what happened?”
The merchant alternates between looking at Angeline and Selen. Selen’s mouth is gaping as she is still unable to understand what is happening. Angeline, holding Selen close, speaks.
“This girl wants to see her sick father… Please…”
“…I understand. You will reimburse me in full for this, right!?”
“Yes.”
Sighing, the merchant turns the carriage around. She heads back down the path, slightly faster than she did because of the rough road before.
Angeline droops her shoulders.
If they were to head all the way back to Boldor then she wouldn’t be able to make it to Tornela. She again wouldn’t be able to see Belgriff. Though Belgriff would almost surely have not been happy had she come, abandoning Selen.
Selen is crying. The girl that acted resolute, holding back her emotions, is now crying in Angeline’s arms.
Angeline sighs.
I’m sorry, Daddy. But next time I’ll definitely see you.
The carriage continues down the mountain road.