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Published at 3rd of October 2020 10:18:21 AM
Chapter 47
47 . Rain

It was raining . It was hitting the ground in a flurry of splashes . There were puddles everywhere, and people were moving fast .

A red-haired boy waited in the eaves of an overhanging shop for the rain to pass by .

Wet from the sudden rain, water dripped from his bangs and he wiped it away with his hands repeatedly . It was good that it was summer, but it was uncomfortable to wear clothes that were wet and yet oddly warmed by my body heat .

The basket in his hand is filled with freshly picked herbs . The boy glanced at it and sighed in annoyance . He grabbed his staff back in his other hand .

Eventually the rain slowed down .

It hadn’t stopped completely, but it wasn’t so much raining as it was covering him with water .

The boy stepped slowly out of the eaves . Every time his unaccustomed prosthetic leg touched the ground, he wobbled and had to use his walking stick to support it .

A group of adventurers of his generation laughed at him, pointing their fingers behind their backs .

「We’ve been collecting herbs for years . 」

「You’re pathetic . I don’t wanna be that guy . 」

The boy bit his lip with a guffaw and quickened his feet . But it’s a prosthetic leg, so he can’t get much speed .

Suddenly, the boy turned around as a familiar voice called his name .

A boy with brown hair came running up to him . The red-haired boy looked a little surprised, but immediately smiled in a friendly manner .

「Long time no see . You’re looking good . 」

「Yeah … you too …」

I was about to say, and then stopped talking, stopping to look at my right prosthetic leg . The red-haired boy chuckled .

「Are you still doing well? Well, I’m sure you guys won’t have to worry about that . 」

「What about you? 」

「Me? I’m as good as I look . I’m doing it in small steps . 」

The brown haired boy turned over, his mouth squirming .

「Olea I’m glad you’re back but I’m sure they’ll be happy to have you back . 」

「Oh, come on, I don’t want to be a drag on you . 」

The red-haired boy chuckled and rang the ground with his right prosthetic leg .

「I can’t even be a decoy in this state you guys are already B-ranked, right? You’re one step closer to reaching the high rank . I’m sorry if I’m dragging you down . 」

「But … but … but that’s not …」

The red-haired boy gently stroked the brown-haired boy who looked like he was about to cry .

「Don’t look at me like that . As long as we’re both doing well, that’s all that matters . 」

「But Ila……………………………………………… . without you . 」

The red-haired boy laughed in annoyance and showed him the basket in his hand .

「I’m on my way . I’ve got to get to the guild . 」

「Uh… . . 」

The red-haired boy popped the brown-haired boy on the shoulder .

「Bye . So long . Give them my regards . 」

Before he could hear a reply, the red-haired boy turned on his heel and walked away . Every time the vibrations through his prosthetic leg reverberated through his body, he felt an ache in his right leg that shouldn’t be there .

Behind him, he could see the brown-haired boy standing there, looking at him . His hand tightened in his grip on the cane .

「Don’t be jealous . You know your limits . 」

I muttered to myself as I told him .

I was uncomfortable with the throbbing black emotions that tingled deep in my chest as I stood in front of the brown-haired boy, and as I exchanged words and pictured the faces of my former party members . I was sick of suppressing it and putting on a fake smile .

Maybe it was time .

The red-haired boy walked towards the guild, seemingly oblivious to the rain that had begun to intensify again .

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, and it drifted away, white and massive, and melted into the air with a gentle momentum, as if it didn’t want to collapse .

The morning was beginning to get completely cold .

The farm work was generally settled, and it was enough to get the remaining minutiae out of the way . The frost had begun to fall at night, and it seemed that the first spear of winter had finally come to Tornella . There might even be a bit of snow .

On the hilltop in the early morning, when the sun had not yet risen, Belgriff sat down on a stone and quieted his mind .

Without looking at anything, he glanced half-eyed into the distance and dropped his attention to his own breathing .

The cold air seemed to sting against his skin, but he didn’t care, and soon each breath seemed to be terribly long .

Then I could feel the warmth flowing through my body like a whirlpool more clearly . The boundary between body and space became blurred and my body seemed to change shape .

According to Graham, as events shifted, the magic power also increased in quality and quantity .

Dawn .

In other words, it is the moment of transition from night to morning .

The dark of night makes the magic in the atmosphere more dense, and it melts with the light of the sun . I’ve been training my body to take in that magic power through breathing techniques .

It is said that if you are a master, a single breath can be felt indefinitely .

However, Belgriff hadn’t yet reached that level of training .

Originally, when he was swinging, he was aware of the sensation of his whole body as if in half meditation, so the sensation itself was grasped fairly early on . Now I’m in the process of deepening it, but if you can master it so quickly, there’s no need to worry about it . We’re only at the starting point .

The same Marguerite and Duncan were sitting a short distance away from the meditating Belgriff, but this one seemed to be unable to concentrate and occasionally cowered .

Also walking away from the three of them was Graham . On his back, he was holding a dozing Mito . When he shook him to soothe him, Mito said something muffled .

Eventually the sun shone in, and the frost on the grass leaves glistened .

Belgriff stood up and stretched . The line between body and space, which had been blurred, returned to normal in the blink of an eye, and he shivered in the cold morning air .

「It’s cold . Let’s go back . 」

Marguerite stood up as if she couldn’t wait .

「Uh … it’s hard . Hey Bel, do you have any tips or tricks? 」

「Well don’t think it’s going to be quick . 」

「Ugh… . . 」

Marguerite tied her mouth together and her cheeks stained . Belgriff chuckled .

They walked together down the hill and back to the village .

The fields of spring sowing wheat, which had been shimmering with golden ears just a few days ago, had been ploughed up and were now brown . The potatoes and beans will be planted here next spring . In another field, fall sowing wheat was being sown .

Every house was already awake and bustling about . There was the sound of water and knives tapping on the cutting board .

In the square, peddlers and troopers were raising their tent cloths and laying out their wares .

Today was an autumn festival .

This year’s rain delayed work for a few days, so the peddlers had to wait until the festival, but that seemed to be a lot of fun . The village was also in the mood for a slightly earlier festival, and the children and youngsters welcomed it .

As Belgriff was walking along, looking around casually, Duncan came up to him .

「It’s early, isn’t it?」

「Yeah . It’s going to be quick … winter is coming . 」

On the calendar, generally around two weeks after the Fall Festival, thick clouds drifted in from the north and covered the sky, and with the snow, the Tornella winter began . Strangely enough, that didn’t change every year . That was why the people of Tornella struggled every year to finish their work before the Autumn Festival .

Duncan was silent for a while, but then he said quietly, “I’m afraid I can’t say this,” he said .

「It’s hard to say, therefore, I’m afraid it’s at this time…」

「Hmm? 」

「…a certain man is thinking of leaving the village piece by piece . 」

Belgriff tilted his head in surprise .

「That guy is all of a sudden . 」

「Well it’s just that I’m so comfortable with my new home I haven’t been able to decide how to proceed with my departure but there are still a few people I’d like to see here . 」

「Well you won’t be able to get out when winter comes . 」

「Yes . I thought a certain person, too, when Lord Marie said she was leaving, but I couldn’t bring myself to say it at the time… 」

「Ha, I can’t do it… but you’re okay with Hannah? 」

「We’ve talked about it and a man has decided that our next trip will be our last . 」

「Well did you ask me to wait for you? 」

Duncan huffed and scratched his head in a ragged way . Belgriff smiled and patted Duncan on the shoulder .

「Don’t make me wait too long, okay?」

「Yes, I’ll do my best . 」

Duncan smiled shyly . I’m going to miss you, Belgriff thought .

Back at the house, he prepared breakfast . He warmed up the rest of last night’s stew and stretched out the dough he’d kneaded before going outside to cook on the griddle .

Belgriff looked around the house .

Thinking about it, he had become accustomed to a bustling life with lots of housemates .

Marguerite and Duncan . He chuckled at the fact that the house was going to feel like a huddle if the two noisy people were gone every now and then . It’s too quiet for Graham, Mito and myself .

Mito jumped on his back and climbed up on top of me . He was lighter than a fully loaded basket of potatoes and his bare feet were cooler than a fully loaded basket of potatoes .

「Oto-san… . 」

「Oh, your feet are cold, Mito . 」

Gripping Mito’s toes in his hands, Belgriff laughed . Mito nuzzled his face into Belgriff’s hair and huffed .

「Smells like an old man…」

「I don’t know what you’re doing but here, I’m going to make you a meal . 」


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It’s the usual dinner table, but there’s something sad about having two people who are leaving .

Marguerite dipped her thin bread into the stew and bit into it, her eyes deepened with some emotion .

「I’ll have to say goodbye to this taste for a while… ah, I feel like I’ve been here for a very long time . 」

「Hha, it all goes by in a flash, Master Marie . 」

「Yeah . It feels more like home than the West Woods, doesn’t it, Bel? 」

「Hmm? 」

Belgriff, who had been wiping Mito’s mouth, looked up . Marguerite was flabbergasted .

「Thank you for … everything . If I hadn’t come here, I’d be in a lot of trouble… 」

「Ha, you should’ve known better . 」

「Is that so…? But, you know, I guess I didn’t understand the common sense of an adventurer and all that . Someone could have tricked me or something… 」

「Hmmm, that’s a good lesson for you, isn’t it? But at least I had fun having you around, Marie . 」

「Heh, heh… 」

Marguerite scratched her cheek in embarrassment . Then she popped her knee .

「Good! Then, when I find the elf named Satie, I’ll bring him to Tornella! 」

「Hey, hey… it’s okay, it’s okay . 」

「What are you so embarrassed about? 」

Marguerite laughed and poked Belgriff in the face . Belgriff chuckled .

Graham sighed in dismay .

「Don’t get carried away Marguerite it’s not like this village in the south . You’ll lose your footing if you have a buoyant mind . 」

「Yeah, I know . God, your great uncle is such a stickler for… 」

Belgriff and Duncan laughed aloud, while Marguerite’s cheeks colored and her mouth twitched .

After finishing their meal, they each wandered out of the house and headed for the square .

Already people were beginning to gather, and amidst the merry music of the gypsies, a group of young men were carrying out a statue of the Lord God Viena from the church .

Father Maurice shouted restlessly to the right and left, shouting hysterically every so often . Each time, the people watching laughed out loud .

Marguerite walked around with Mito’s hand in tow, her eyes shining as she looked at the goods the peddlers were laying out . It seems that some of the goods are not seen in the elven territory . The merchants seemed to be amazed at this young elf .

As Belgriff made his way around the square, he looked for a peddler or a squadron of merchants who could send Marguerite to him without a doubt .

None of the merchants who would come to Tornella were vicious, but still, Marguerite was an elf . Humans would be more likely to be afraid of things .

It would be nice to have someone I know, but I also wondered if it would be a specification if I only knew them .

Speaking of which, Angeline, who was making a lot of noise about her return in early autumn, didn’t come back after all .

If she doesn’t come back this time of year, she may not be coming back this year . She said she wanted to eat some rock cockles, but I wondered if she was busy with her work .

As I was walking around thinking about that, I heard “Mr . Belgriff! Someone called out to me .

I looked and saw a blue-haired female peddler I had met last year standing there . She came up to me with a smile on her face and bowed her head .

「Do you remember me? Last year, here… . 」

「Yes, I remember . As I recall, my daughter took care of me… 」

「Yes! Thanks to Angeline for the help with the…… . . heh, thank God! I’m glad you remember me! I see that Mr . Belgriff has done well in Bordeaux! 」

The blue-haired merchant laughed and took Belgriff’s hand . Belgriff chuckled, but squeezed it back in a friendly manner .

「I’m afraid you know…I’m not so much active as active…but have you heard any rumors of my daughter over there? He said he would return in the fall . 」

「Oh, is that so? Hmm, I haven’t seen you since last year…sorry . 」

「Oh, no, no, no, don’t worry about it… 」

As he said this, Belgriff suddenly had an idea .

「Where to after the Fall Festival?」

「I’m going to Orffen by way of Bordeaux . They love the processed goods here . 」

「Hmmm … I don’t mean to ask you the unthinkable, but do you think there’s enough room for a man in the wagon? 」

「Wagon? Yes, it’s okay . Either way, I often hire an escort when I’m away from home, so I try to make sure I have plenty of room . 」

The woman peddler laughed, “I mixed with the troopers when I came, though, so I was able to save that expense, too .

「Do you have plans to go out, Mr . Belgriff? If you’re as good as you are, I’d be happy to give you a ride . 」

The female peddler said . She has seen how Helvetica stands up against the SS .

Belgriff stroked his beard .

「No, not me, but there is someone who would like a ride, if you don’t mind . His sword skills stand up better than mine . 」

「Yes… . 」

The peddler rolled his eyes when he heard that he was more skilled than Belgriff .


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「That’s great … what’s he like?」

「Um… hey, Marie . 」

Belgriff looked around, found Marguerite and beckoned her over .

Marguerite came with Mito’s hand in tow . In her other hand, she held a spit-roasted meat that seemed to have been given to her by a young man from the village .

「What’s up, Bel . What’s up? 」

「What’s the matter with you? I know it’s fun, but you’ll have to find someone to give you a ride to Orphen . 」

「Oh, I’m sorry . 」

「Ha, you know, you can’t just apologize to me .  Will Graham be mad at you then? 」

「Ugh… . 」

The blue-haired female merchant looked at Belgriff and Marguerite in turn, her eyes black and white .

「E, Elf…? Huh? This guy? 」

「What? Who are you? 」

Marguerite squinted dubiously at the blue-haired woman peddler . The peddler looked at Belgriff with a horrified, shrill look . Belgriff chuckled .

「Marie, you can’t act like you’re trying to pick a fight like that . This man is a peddler . 」

「Peddling… Maybe you’re going south! A carriage! 」

「Uh, yes . 」

「Hey, you know what, why don’t you give me a ride? I’m pretty good with a sword, so I’ll be your escort .  Huh? 」

「Ha, ha… uh…」

The female merchant looked at Belgriff with a troubled smile .

「This one says he’s more skilled than Mr . Belgriff…? 」

Belgriff nodded .

「She’s a bit crude in word and deed, but she’s not a bad girl . I can assure you she’s much safer than a few of those adventurers out there . 」

「Oh, well…… . . well…… . I get it! I have to leave for two days, is that okay? 」

「Yes! Thank you! My name is Marguerite .  Nice to meet you! 」

Marguerite happily took the blue-haired female peddler’s hand and shook it in the air .

The peddler seemed to flinch a bit, perhaps because the other party was an elf, but when she saw Marguerite’s innocent smile, her expression relaxed . Mito looked up at it with a curious look on his face .

Marguerite excitedly asked her what the southern city was like and what kind of trip it would be like . The female peddler laughs, but answers her questions politely . Belgriff chuckled .

A cheer went up in the middle of the square . The statue of the Lord God seemed to have been placed safely on the platform .

The music of the gypsies got louder and people were stepping everywhere .

Hoffman, the village chief, came pulling his horse . He is wearing a richly decorated harness and the cart he is pulling is loaded with the autumn harvest .

The horses had been left behind by Angeline when she returned home, but they were too much for Belgriff, so she gave them to Hoffman . It is now working in Hoffman’s field .

With the harvest of the wagons and flowers, the children decorated around the statue of the god . The music of the gypsies grew louder, and here and there people danced happily hand in hand in a gentle circle .

Come to think of it, Helvetica came here last year . Somehow the year seems to have gone terribly fast .

The days seem to be repeating themselves, but they seem to be filled with a lot of events .

In the spring, Angeline and her friends came home, then they went to Bordeaux, then when they returned, Duncan was there, Graham and Marguerite showed up, there was something strange in the forest, Mito… Belgriff remembered many things .

「A lot of things happened…」

Belgriff kicked the ground with his prosthetic foot . The sun was rising fast, and the frost that had melted in the morning had melted and made it wet, but now it was all dry .

Taking Mito from Marguerite, who was talking, Belgriff wandered around the square . Apple wine was being served, and the sound of jovial talk echoed through the air . He looked over and saw Duncan and Hannah sitting next to each other at the edge, happily discussing something .

Belgriff chuckled . If they were that close, he thought, they wouldn’t have bothered to go on the trip again .

But he also thought that Duncan was trying to settle things within himself for the next step, in his own way, and he chided himself for not saying anything unnecessary .

It reminded me of a time when I once traveled .

As an adventurer, I traveled to many villages, towns and dungeons for requests . I talked with my companions, carried their goods, and fought the occasional monster, beast, or bandit that attacked me . There were roles, failures and successes, and each day seemed to shine brighter than the last .

Mito tugged on the hand he held .

「Otosan, Grandpa,」

「Hm . 」

Graham was sitting quietly in the corner of the square . In the shade of the trees, he was inconspicuous . Belgriff took Mito to the side . Graham looked up .

「It’s crowded . 」

「Ha, that’s what happens every year . 」

Mito jumped onto Graham and climbed up onto his shoulder .

「Grandpa, it’s expensive…」

「…hmmm . 」


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Belgriff sat down next to Graham and watched the festivities . It’s a familiar sight by now . That’s why he felt a sense of love for it .

But there was also something missing . It’s as if I had just returned to the village, when I still had a longing to be an adventurer .

Is it the longing for adventure? No, no . It’s a reminder of the past . I’ve started to think that I need to put an end to the past that I’ve given up everything . That’s why I only remember the past in this strange way now . In order to look forward, you can’t look back .

「… . Bel . 」

Graham said . Belgriff tilted his head .

「What’s up, Graham?」

「Something’s bothering you…」

Belgriff’s eyes widened with a guffaw and then stroked his beard as if he was troubled .

「……………… . . Oh dear . You saw it coming . 」

「But if I can help you, my friend . If I can help you, that is . 」

「Thank you… . 」

Belgriff thought for a moment and spoke slowly and gingerly, as if choosing his words .

The man in the hat who had been lying down slowly raised his upper body and gave a great lack of movement . Bones made a popping sound under the thin flesh . There seemed to be no day or night in the dungeon because there was no daylight . The air was cold and still . But the man’s clothes were thin and he was barefoot . But the man’s clothes were thin and he was barefoot .

The man tugged at his beard as if stroking it . He looked bored .

「It’s a nasty dream . 」

Muttering, he stretches his legs and looks at the ceiling . The flames of the torch create shadows like a tumbling creature . I turned my shoulder and it still crunched .

If I remain silent, I can hear a faint clamor that seems to come from above . A ball is to be held soon, I hear . A large number of guests are invited to the ball, and beautifully dressed people come and go in the glittering space .

I feel like I’m going to puke, the man muttered .

Even those who are dressed up in splendor are black inside, the man sneered . The adventurers were much better, he thought .

He went to sleep expecting to dream of the old days, but what came to him was a nightmare . It wasn’t supposed to be, but he felt the smell of blood stinging the back of his nose .

After days of brilliance, the position of strength he had desperately grasped after days of brilliance had only brought him more days of battle . His mind grew weary, his pessimism grew, and the man became cynical .

If only he had the strength, he thought he could get back those days he had spent with his friends .

「So this is where we’re headed… haha…」

The man hugged his knees and sighed .

He had tried many things to fill the gaping hole in his heart, but now he felt like nothing mattered . Still, I felt a terrible emptiness if I didn’t do something .

In the midst of all this, only the memories of the time when I was still in the lower ranks shone in my memory as a target . Even when I felt like dying, those memories always held me back .

「I wonder what we should have done for you, Bel…」

The man took up the bottles of spirits that had rolled around, but none of them were filled . When he tossed them, they hit the wall on the other side and broke with a crash .

The man held up a choking finger and pointed it toward the broken bottle .

Then the pieces of the broken bottle rose into the air one by one and clicked together . The bottles returned to their original shape .

However, when the man put his finger down, it broke apart in the air into its original pieces and fell to the floor again .

「Well once it’s broken . It’s no use putting them together…… . . 」

The man put his mountain-high hat back on .

Just then, he heard light, small footsteps .

A figure appeared behind the bars . It was a girl with dark brown hair, about twelve or three years old . She was dressed in a beautiful dress with not a stain on it . It was a terribly unbecoming outfit for a dungeon full of cold stones .

The man in the hat looked dumbfounded .

「You’re back here again you’ll be in trouble if you’re found out? 」

「No one comes here . We’re too busy . The house is bustling with preparations for the ball . It’s so noisy! 」

His voice was like the sound of a bell . It was elegant and unholy .

The man sighed .

「Why don’t you stay with your fiancé? It’s cold in here, eh?」

「You’re not as cold as I am! So thinly clad! 」

「I’m special . You’re gonna catch a cold, okay? 」

「I’m fine for a bit . We all need a change of scenery . Hey, tell me another story . I’d like to hear about the time you went to the dungeon with the dragon . 」

「I’ll tell you about it when I get a bottle of booze . 」

The girl stood up quickly, pinched the hem of her skirt and ran toward the stairs with a flutter, then turned around as she remembered .

「I’ll get it for you in a minute! Don’t sleep! 」

And so he went up the stairs .

The man in the hat rolled over on his back in a cumbersome manner and put his Yamataka hat on his face .

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