Chapter 37
“… Nice”
“Fufu, it looks good~ . She’s cute~ . ”
“She’s already pretty, the clothes just enhance her beauty . All right, now try this one . ”
“I-I… well…”
Charlotte moves nervously as Angeline and Miriam look for more clothes for her to wear . It’s almost like they’re dressing a doll in various outfits .
Anessa was standing behind her with an astonished expression, but she also had clothes that she thought would look good on the girl .
After refreshing themselves at the bathhouse, the group decided to visit a clothing store . It is not a high-end store, but its products are made with good materials and are of good quality .
Both Charlotte and Byaku wore dirty, frayed clothes as if they had not changed clothes since the conflict in Bordeaux territory . So in their case, a simple bath will not be enough .
Charlotte was nervous all the way, but Angeline took her by the hand and led her confidently to the clothing store despite all the glances people were directing at the girl’s worn and dirty clothes . Fortunately, the girl seems to be enjoying all of this, despite everything .
“All right, this is the next one~ . ”
“Wait a minute, the clothes I chose… “
“Oh my~, at first you didn’t seem interested but now you want to include your outfits, you’re so cunning, Ane~ . ”
“If you wanted to help us, you should have said so from the beginning… “
“Ku!… I-It’s not like I really want to do it!”
“Fufufu~, don’t be like that, it’s not a bad thing . Your fashion sense is fantastic, Ane…”
Anessa gives Charlotte a new dress and the girl quickly changes her clothes .
From the beginning, Charlotte was a shy, little girl, and despite belonging to a well-to-do family, she never liked to wear fancy or flashy dresses . But her mood changes gradually, after a while she starts to model the dresses and twirl around with a big smile on her face, Charlotte is starting to have fun . Seeing this change, Angeline and her friends smile broadly .
Byaku, on the other hand, is stunned by the scene . Why was this arrogant and incomplete idea of the world so contagious?
“It’s all the fault of that silly girl and her father, this ‘Red Ogre’… “
From Byaku’s point of view, both Angeline and Belgriff are rose-coloured people . Byaku was sure that they did not need their help and that he could even finish them off quickly if necessary .
But now, Charlotte is also being influenced by their attitude .
The caress of a warm hand, a few words, and the warmth of family . Byaku does not want to believe that this is all that is needed to change a person’s perspective . This is creating an unpleasant feeling inside him . It is as if everything he believed in is denied outright .
He was labeled a failed experiment and forced to live as a slave and murderer . All his life, Byaku has lived as an expendable tool .
And as if that weren’t enough, the boy has a Demon King inside him who tries to destroy him at every opportunity . With all he’s been through, things like warmth and love are superficial and unnecessary for him . At some point, Byaku stopped caring about everything, even his own life .
It was then that he was assigned to protect Charlotte and from the beginning, the boy thought it would be a tedious task .
But the result was something completely different than expected, Charlotte began to have an influence on him; an influence awfully different from anything he had experienced before . And even though Charlotte was being motivated by her desire for revenge, it was something that kept the two of them together .
But maybe everything that’s happening now is for Charlotte’s sake . She never really liked spilling blood or hurting others .
Byaku cannot help but feel a mixture of emotions when he sees Charlotte with a broad smile and a gleam in her eyes almost as if the dark desire of her heart had never existed . And although the boy wants to believe that he’s happy for her, it’s possible that he’s jealous of her .
You’re alone too, right? But you’ll be fine now because you have a big sister to take care of you .
“…Tsk” Byaku clicks his tongue and looks away from the girls . She can never be anyone’s big sister . She’s just like me, the boy thinks with some bitterness .
At that moment, Miriam walks up to him and looks him straight in the face . Byaku remains silent for a while, but he finally feels uncomfortable and looks back at Miriam .
“… What?”
“Hmm… I’m just thinking about what kind of clothes would look good on you~ . ”
“What?”
Byaku thinks of running away, but before he can do anything, Angeline holds him firmly by the shoulders while she smiles cheerfully .
“We’ve already picked out Lottie’s clothes . Now we only need to pick yours . ”
“You’ve got to be kidding me…”
“Fufu~ . You don’t have to feel embarrassed . Come on, we’ll start with this…”
Byaku imagines himself being dressed in different outfits as if he were a doll and immediately tries to free himself from Angeline’s grip and escape . However, the power and intimidation that the S Rank adventurer exerts over him send a chill down his spine .
“No! Damn it! Let go of me, your twig!”
“Come on, stop joking around . Miri, take his clothes off . ”
“Of course~ . ”
“No! Stop!”
Byaku looks around frantically for help and his eyes finally meet Charlotte’s .
Charlotte, dressed in a beautiful dress, makes a twirl and smiles at him happily . “What do you think, Byaku? This dress is beautiful, isn’t it?”
“You too…” All trace of hope disappeared from Byaku’s expression .
After several hours of torture for Byaku, the group leaves the clothing store . The girls had so much fun that they didn’t even notice the time, and now the sun was beginning to set on the horizon . They were so engrossed in buying clothes that they missed their lunch hour, so they decide that the best thing, for now, is to find a place to eat something .
Charlotte is in high spirits because of her beautiful new clothes, so she walks around happily holding Angeline’s hand . Charlotte finally feels again the innocent joy that every child should feel at her age and this makes Angeline feel reassured .
On the other hand, Byaku feels exhausted and walks slowly behind the group . But his fatigue was rather mental, especially after trying on so many outfits one after the other .
The group walks quietly down the street to the tavern they always visit .
On the way, they can see people chatting cordially with their neighbors . There are also some pets walking around and children playing happily under the supervision of their parents . That is a very common scene in Orphen .
There’s no problem with magical beasts or bandits in the vicinity . And even if there were, Orphen adventurers are powerful enough to handle those kinds of situations . That’s why it’s good to enjoy this peace as much as possible .
Suddenly, Charlotte starts to feel a little uncomfortable .
“I still have to pay back the people I ripped off . ”
Looking around, Angeline realizes they’re close to where Charlotte had sold the fake amulets .
“Do you remember all the people you sold the amulets to?” Angeline asks with a scowl .
“Umm…No, I don’t remember them . But I still have to give the money back . ”
Anessa smiles tenderly and strokes Charlotte’s head .
“I don’t think you have to worry too much . People really thought your amulets would work when they bought them . It doesn’t matter if they’re true or false in the end if people believe in them . I don’t think it does much harm . Besides, people here forget things rather quickly, after a while they won’t remember buying you those amulets . ”
“But… “
“If you’re still not convinced, then do what you want to do, but take your time . Although now that I see you, you’re shy with strangers . Some of the people you want to pay back may try to extort money from you or even try to beat you up . You may also run into some degenerates…”
Charlotte looks down as she listens to Angeline’s words .
“If you’re going to continue, you must be prepared for that . ”
Miriam also smiles and strokes Charlotte’s hair . The girl’s hair gives off a light floral scent .
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“Well, it’s not something you have to do right now, is it? For now, let’s eat~!”
“Yes, that sounds much better . I’m really hungry . ”
“What’s your favorite food, Lottie?” asks Miriam as she holds the girl’s hand .
Charlotte hesitates a bit, but after she summons up the courage, she answers honestly .
“Umm… I like seafood . There was always plenty of fresh fish in Lucressia!”
“Seafood? I see . Elbren’s seafood was good, but Lucressia’s always seemed better . ”
Charlotte seems happy to hear Miriam’s words .
“Heh heh! Yes, the seafood from Lucressia is better than that from Elbren! The pasta with anchovies is incredibly addictive!”
“Anchovies, you say? Well, I’ve gotten used to the taste a little bit just recently . ”
“I still remember Mr . Bel’s face when he first tried them, it was so much fun~! ” says Miriam with a big smile .
“Haha . Yeah, the taste took him by surprise . Fufufu…”
“Who is Mr . Bel?” Charlotte asks innocently .
“My dad . ”
“Your dad, big sis?”
“Yes . His name is the ‘Red Ogre’ Belgriff . He’s got red hair, he is also tall, strong and friendly . ”
Charlotte scowls as if she’s thinking about something . “He’s got red hair…”
“That’s right . And even though he has a prosthetic leg, he’s stronger than me . I’ll introduce him to you soon enough . ”
As she listens to this, Charlotte’s eyes sparkle with excitement, and she embraces Angeline with a huge smile .
“What’s wrong…?” Angeline asks as she strokes Charlotte’s hair .
“I’m just really happy! Hehehe! Thank you big sis!”
Charlotte laughs brightly and buries her face in Angeline’s chest . She doesn’t quite know what’s going on, but she still strokes Charlotte’s hair, which is soft and smooth thanks to the bath .
From behind, Byaku lets out a big sigh .
All the sheep have been shorn and are now grazing with their young in the tall grass in the meadows, the wheat has been harvested and the fields have been ploughed again, leaving them ready for new planting .
It’s been a while since Graham and Marguerite came to Tornela . The villagers had a hard time adapting to Graham’s solemn and calm attitude, but Marguerite’s rowdy and lively attitude made people get used to her much quicker, especially among the younger ones in the village .
As for the boy who is in the depths of the forest, Belgriff considered that nothing will change if he is exterminated, so none of them has gone back into the depths of the forest . However, the extermination of the magical beasts that appear near the village has become a daily routine .
Graham at first had his doubts about Belgriff’s theory, but after some consideration, he agreed with it . Moreover, thanks to Marguerite’s fight, Graham considers himself capable of defeating the child if necessary .
But in spite of everything, the days go by peacefully .
“This tastes great, Lembas! I’ve never tasted anything like this before!”
Marguerite is talking in a good mood with a wooden cup in one hand . The young men of the village are huddled around her with dreamy expressions on their faces .
Marguerite has a rough and tough demeanor, but thanks to her natural beauty and her radiant smile, the men cannot help but be attracted to her . On the other hand, the young women of Tornela cannot help but feel jealous of the newcomer .
The party being held at Kerry’s house had begun as a small dinner to thank Graham and Marguerite for their help with the village’s chores and protection . However, the news leaked out and it didn’t take long for the villagers to arrive until it finally became kind of a small festival .
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In addition to the apple liqueur, Kerry is forced to open a valuable barrel of grape wine he bought in a faraway city . However, this keeps Kerry in a good mood, as his grape wine is a cheap price to pay to see the joy of the village, its people, and the elves .
Belgriff is sitting at one of the tables, watching Marguerite and the young people of the village enjoying their youth .
Tornela was characterized by being a quiet village without much contact with the outside world . But now we are drinking and dancing in the company of a couple of elves, it’s something quite peculiar, thinks Belgriff .
“And then, the hanging bridge began to swing… Ah! Hey, Bel! Where can I find more wine?!” asks Marguerite, waving the glass in her hand .
“Don’t you think you’ve had enough, Maggie?” asks Belgriff with a bitter smile .
“What are you talking about? I don’t even feel dizzy . The liquor in this place is rather soft . ”
Marguerite turns around and starts talking to the young people again . Belgriff takes advantage of this moment and goes to where the host of the party is . “You must be unhappy, Kerry . They’ve already emptied two barrels . ”
“Hahaha! At least we can tell that Princess Elf likes our liquor . Hey, you, get another barrel from the warehouse! Hey! You don’t all have to go!”
All the young men rush to the warehouse in hopes of having the honor of serving more wine to the Elf Princess .
Unlike the cheerful and noisy Marguerite, Graham is sitting quietly on one of the tables . His arms are crossed and his eyes are closed . But upon closer inspection, Belgriff notices that Graham is swaying slightly from side to side and that the glass in front of him still has some wine in it . Apparently, the great hero of legends is weak against alcohol .
Many villagers are in the same situation as Graham . At first, they had all drunk happily, but now, they are sound asleep .
“Are you all right, Lord Graham? If you’re too tired we can go home . ” Duncan asks the sleepy elf .
“Mmmm… Yes, thank you… ” Graham opens his eyes a bit and tries to get up, but he loses his balance and sits back down again .
Seeing her uncle like that, Marguerite laughs out loud . “You’re still a lightweight, aren’t you, Honorable Uncle?”
“…Please be careful, Maggie…I don’t want you to drink too much…” But before Graham can finish talking, he shuts his eyes and falls asleep .
“I never thought the ‘Elf Paladin’ had such a weakness . Hahaha!” Says Duncan as he supports Graham . “Mr . Kerry, thank you very much for everything . But I think it’s time for us to leave . Come on, Lord Graham, I’ll help you . ”
“…I’m sorry for the trouble…I promise to help…later…with the apples…” Graham seems to be mumbling some gibberish, he’s clearly reached his limit .
Duncan drags Graham along and they leave the party . The two of them have become good friends after taking many patrols together .
Belgriff also wants to rest a bit, but he can’t leave Marguerite behind, so he sits back and quietly drinks some wine .
As for Marguerite, she continues to drink merrily as she tells her adventures with Graham and her battles with magical beasts . The party continues this way for several more hours until finally the villagers decide to return to their homes .
Little by little all the guests leave Kerry’s house and the garden becomes completely silent .
“Well . That was fun!” Kerry says with a yawn .
“Yes… How do you feel, Kerry? The young ones drank more alcohol than expected…”
“It’s okay . You don’t have to worry, Bel . Thanks to this, the villagers have realized that elves can be very friendly . But next time, it’s just us drinking, okay? . ”
“Haha, of course . I think it’s a good idea . ”
It seems that we humans can get along with the elves who have left their territory . Although it might be impossible to get along with the elves who still live in the forest . Belgriff thinks, breathing a sigh of relief .
At that moment, Marguerite approaches where Belgriff is . She drank a lot at the party, yet she doesn’t seem to be drunk .
“Wow~, everyone’s gone home . ”
“We should go back too . We have to get up early tomorrow . “
“But I still haven’t had enough to drink… Come on Bel, drink some more with me . Duncan and my Honourable Uncle are gone, after all . ” Says Marguerite with a big smile on her face .
Belgriff strokes his beard with a complicated expression . However, Kerry laughs loudly and pats him on the back .
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“Go ahead, you can have all the drinks you want! As for me, I’m going straight to bed, take care!”
“That’s the spirit! Well said, Kerry!”
Marguerite laughs happily . Belgriff smiles bitterly .
“I don’t think it’s good to stay out in the open… What do you say we take a few bottles and you continue to drink in the house, Maggie?”
Marguerite nods and, after taking two bottles of apple liqueur, they both say goodbye to Kerry and go home .
The path is quiet and beautifully lit by moonlight . Marguerite skips happily along the road with a big smile on her face . Her silver hair looks even more beautiful thanks to the reflection of the moonlight .
“You’re in a good mood . ”
“Hehehe…” Marguerite laughs tenderly and stands next to Belgriff .
“I’ve always wanted to do something like this . Drink and laugh together and talk about anything . ”
“Hmm? Don’t elves do that?”
“We do have banquets, but they’re all elegant . You can’t laugh or speak freely . The elders always end up talking about philosophy, traditions, and other complicated things . I guess they organize the banquets to deepen and share their knowledge or something like that . It’s a little too rigid for me . ”
That’s why you decided to become an adventurer, adventurers always have a very relaxed attitude, Belgriff thinks with a smile .
Marguerite crosses her hands behind her head . “Hey, we’re going back to the woods, right? I’m sure that if you suggest it, my Honourable Uncle will listen to you, Bel . I promise I won’t let my guard down next time . ”
“Hmm… yes . I’m a little intrigued . Besides, I’m worried about that kid . ”
“He’s the source, right? If we defeat him, the problem will be over . ”
“I don’t think it’s that simple . According to Graham, the magic power has become so strong that it can stand on its own . ”
Marguerite crosses her arms with a thoughtful expression . “I thought that if we defeated the source of evil, everything would be fine . I never liked the attitude of the old elves of analyzing all the problems, I just wanted to finish with the source to solve everything, but I think the world doesn’t work exactly that way . “
Suddenly, the old adventurer feels a fresh breeze and realizes that a light night dew is falling .
“… If the real cause is destroyed, it will all end, but it is quite difficult to reach that point . It is easy to understand those who are obviously evil, however, most of the time, they are not the real source of the problem . ” Says Belgriff looking up .
“Mmm… I don’t like that . I wish the world was a much simpler place . That the good guys were just good and the bad guys were just bad . Then you’d solve everything by defeating those magical beasts . “
“Hahaha… yes, that would be good . But the reality is that even the ones who have to deal with the magical beasts can be both good and bad . I believe that if someone is able to destroy everything with one swing of their sword just to feel the thrill, it is because they have left out many important things . I think that within that emotion of excitement, there’s a deep pain hidden . ”
“… So, what do you think we should do, Bel? What would your ideal world be like?
Belgriff smiles and scratches his cheek . “The only place I know is Tornela but I think it’s important for people to think and do things carefully . If I could give a simple answer, that would be great . Everything would be faster, but…” Belgriff strokes his beard . “I think there’s a deep meaning in the desire to travel . To keep life from becoming too ordinary . Life is not just about a quiet journey . You have to see, know and experience new things, that’s the real way to live . I’m sure that way there will be new discoveries and developments too . That’s the lifestyle I’d love to have . ”
“…Mmmm… I don’t think I understand . ”
“Hahaha… I guess it’s kind of an old idea, just like me . On the other hand, you’re still young, Maggie . “
Marguerite squeezes her lips and pricks Belgriff’s arm . “Don’t treat me like a child . ”
“Don’t you think it’s a bad habit to get angry just because of that?”
“I’m not angry . Dummy~ . ”
Marguerite starts walking faster and opens the house door thunderously and then screams . “Honorable Uncle! Did you fall asleep?!”
“Ah, it’s you Maggie! Please don’t shout so loud…”
Belgriff enters the house and watches as Duncan tries to get off the floor . Apparently he had fallen asleep in a chair and Marguerite’s scream caused him to fall .
Belgriff heads for the fireplace with a smile .
Whether we have to defeat the boy or not . Belgriff thinks calmly . We must return to that maze . We’ll have to do it soon… Ha… What’s Angeline doing now?