Published at 22nd of November 2020 10:13:40 AM
Chapter 50
The Guildmaster’s office was still stacked with miscellaneous documents and other items, but the area around the couch and table for visitors was still empty .
Belgriff and the others, who had been guided by Lionel, sat down on the sofa .
Since Belgriff was originally an adventurer, he was somewhat nervous and also afraid to enter the guild master’s room .
「…… I’m sorry for something, Lionel-dono . Thank you for your concern . 」
「Oh no! Angie-san and Belgriff-san are both great benefactors of the Orphen guild, so I’m not talking about being clever to this degree! 」
「No, no, no, I’m not doing anything . 」
「No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no . No matter how many times I say thank you, I can’t say it enough . 」
「…… No matter what I say, she’s the one who worked hard . 」
Belgriff scratched his head .
His own words had been the catalyst for Angeline to save Orphen . It might be so in theory, but in reality, it was somewhat itchy because he didn’t really feel like he had done anything himself, and it was only Angeline who had fought .
She could be proud of her daughter, but she couldn’t be proud of herself or anything else .
We left the village and Mito in Graham’s hands and split up with Duncan in Bordeaux .
He headed east from Bordeaux . He was going to follow the road along the mountain range to the Commonwealth to the east . I promised to meet him again at Tornella eventually .
Nevertheless, I hadn’t been to Orphen in a long time . Although I lived there for only a few years, it was still as dense as the twenty years that followed . The guild building and the downtown streets leading to it, in person, seemed to bring back dim memories with form when he saw them in person .
Looking around the room, Anessa tilted her head .
「Neither Mr . Dortos nor Mr . Chebolg are here today, I see . 」
「Yeah, I’m having the lords of the loan originators go say hello instead of scaring them …… . It’s more effective than me going there . 」
「…… I see . 」
Anessa nodded approvingly .
”Belgriff was a little impressed, “Dortos of ‘Shirogane’ and Cheborg of ‘Shootout’?
The two of them were already on top of a cloud as S-ranked adventurers when he was active . He said he was close with Angeline as well, and there might be an opportunity to talk to her while he was in Orphen . They seemed to be elated with joy for their age .
Charlotte, who had been squirming, said as if she had made up her mind .
「Um,」
「Hmm? What’s going on? 」
「Oh …… can I sit on your lap? 」
Belgriff blinked in amusement and stroked his beard . ‘Well,’ he said, thinking he was old enough to want to be pampered, ‘Okay,’ he said, and Charlotte sat happily, but a little shyly, on his lap .
「Ehehehe …… warm . 」
「It’s cold again today . …… What are you guys doing here? 」
「Um… ……… 」
Charlotte took the lead and explained what had happened, with Anessa and Miriam each filling in the words .
About the two of them after the commotion in Bordeaux, the organization that had Byaku and the Lucretia papal purgatory, and how Angeline had been taking custody the whole time to protect them from those attacks .
「Well, …… that was hard work . You did a great job . 」
Belgriff narrowed his eyes and twisted his beard in admiration . He was pleased with Angeline’s progress, and felt sorry for Charlotte and Byaku’s patience .
Charlotte twisted silently and nuzzled her face into Belgriff’s chest . She intended to hide her crying face .
Belgriff laughed and patted her head without a care in the world .
「You’re something of a spoiled brat, Charlotte-chan . …… 」
「Char seemed to be hungry for parental love, Miss Bell . 」
Miriam laughed mischievously and looked at Byaku .
「Is it okay for Byaku to not be spoiled?」
「Why would I be happy to indulge you, you stupid cat? 」
Miriam puffs and puffs out her cheeks . She pointed at Byaku and looked at Belgriff .
「He’s so twisted! Please discipline him, Bel, please discipline him, this guy . 」
「…… Is that what I would do? 」
Byaku grumbled back at the words he said without asking anyone .
「You don’t have to do it . It’s none of your business . 」
「Ha, I’m sure you’re right . …… Byaku, you’ve been protecting Charlotte-chan all this time all by yourself, haven’t you? A father like me has nothing to say to you now . 」
「…… tch . 」
Byaku turned away, his brow furrowed . Miriam and Anessa chuckled .
「I’m embarrassed,」
「You’re embarrassed . 」
「I’m not embarrassed! 」
Byaku yelled at him . Marguerite frowned and tapped Byaku on the shoulder .
「…… Hey, you don’t want to get in trouble for that, do you? 」
「Nah, you don’t have to go to …… to do that . 」
「Of course it has something to do with it, you idiot …… I’m dying of embarrassment like I’m looking at the old me …… please don’t do it . 」
Marguerite turned over, covering her red, upturned face with her hands . Belgriff couldn’t help but blurt out .
Come to think of it, he thought, Marguerite was trying to keep others at bay by pecking away at first .
Byaku clucked his tongue and fell silent .
Anessa looked at Marguerite and Belgriff in turn and tilted her head .
「Speaking of which, how do you think Marie and Mr . Bell have a connection?」
「Yes! How are you guys so close to each other? 」
「We’ve been living together for a while . You’re supposed to be close, right? 」
Marguerite, who had recovered from her blush, said casually . ‘The way you say it,’ said Belgriff, holding his forehead in his hand, and as expected, those present opened their mouths acutely .
「Do, do, do, live together? With the elves? 」
「Ho-ho, you can’t even put Bel in the corner . …… Marie, isn’t Bel a good person? 」
Miriam grimaced and poked Marguerite . Marguerite tilted her head back and scratched her cheek .
「Yeah, Bel’s a good guy . But what’s wrong with that?」
「…… Marie, they think me and you were living together . 」
Belgriff said, and Marguerite thought for a moment, then burst out laughing suddenly .
「Ah ha ha! No, no, no! Me and Bel aren’t like that! And then there was your great-uncle, and then there was Duncan …… and then you had Mito, right? That was a lot of fun . 」
Anessa looked dubiously at Belgriff .
「…… Mr . Bell, when did you have a big family?」
「Well, there’s a lot going on here: …… I don’t know where to start . 」
Belgriff suddenly remembered that he was about to say .
「Yes, yes, what’s this about finding a wife? Yuri did such a thing: …… 」
Anessa and Miriam looked at each other and smiled in annoyance .
「It’s, um, ……」
「…… a, I think you should ask Angie . 」
From the reactions of the two men, Belgriff could somehow guess . “It would be an oblique filial piety similar to the time of the ‘Red Ogre’ alias .
Belgriff sighed . From the way Yuri said it, he seemed to have mistakenly thought that Belgriff had asked Angeline to help him find a wife in Orphen .
Belgriff laughed bitterly, saying that even though it couldn’t be helped because he wouldn’t go around mentioning every single one of them as being his own decision, it was troubling to lose perspective when it got out of control, Belgriff said .
「You’re a troubled child . …… I should apologize to the people I’ve bothered . 」
「No, no, no, Mr . Bell didn’t do anything wrong . 」
「Yeah, yeah . And if Bel-san is actually here, there’s a chance . Bel, don’t you want a bride or something? 」
Marguerite chuckled .
「It’s no use, Bel has a woman in mind . 」
「Heh? 」
「I’ve told you many times that it’s not like that, Marie …… . 」
Belgriff sighed, but the girls came leaning forward, looking interested .
「Who-who-who! The Tornella man! Oh, maybe it’s someone from your working days or something! 」
「If so, …… Ms . Bell, you’re very single-minded: …… 」
「No, so: …… 」
Girls love stories like this, Belgriff scratched his head .
Sure, there may have been a hint of love when he was young, but that was more than twenty years ago . I don’t have this kind of intention of being a girlfriend now at all . I just wanted to meet her and apologize for leaving without saying a word .
I’m not sure if it’s a good idea, but it’s not .
The story of what happened after he returned to the village and the increased number of housemates was told with Marguerite’s words . And that he had come to Orphen to face his past, to meet his old friends .
Miriam let out a sigh of sorrow with the Hoho .
「You’ve been through a lot, Bel . 」
「So you’re going to leave as soon as you see your old buddies at ……? 」
Belgriff smiled at Anessa’s lonely words .
「No, we can’t go home until the snow melts in Tornella either way . I’ll stay here for the winter . That way Angie will be back in due course . 」
Belgriff laughed, not expecting to end up waiting for his daughter in Orphen instead of Tornella . Anessa, Miriam and Charlotte looked at each other happily .
「Well, I’ll help you find your old buddy, Bel! 」
「Yes, I do . Let me help you with that much . 」
Belgriff laughed and stroked his beard .
「Thanks …… for the help . I’m not sure if they’re still in Orphen either . 」
「Hmmm …… I wonder if you’re still an adventurer? What’s your name? 」
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「His name is …… and his leader is Percival, a good swordsman . The elf’s daughter was named Satie . She used magic and was a good swordsman . Then there was Qasim . He was a wizard, and the youngest . 」
As he said it, Belgriff thought that it had been a long time since he had mentioned Percival and Kasim’s names . It had been a while since he’d returned to Tornella after he’d reached his limit, and every time he thought of them, his heart stung and ached . It was too painful, a combination of love and hate .
That’s why I deliberately kept my mouth shut, and I didn’t dare mention the names of my companions when Angeline asked me to talk about the old days . Maybe he was afraid to face the past .
So when he asked Graham about Satie, he was surprised himself that it came so terribly naturally to him . That’s probably why he was inspired to think that he had to face the past .
He seemed to have reached some kind of closure for himself, and then he was about to move on .
Anessa crossed her arms and snorted .
「Percival, Sati, Qasim…… umm …… I’ve heard of ……」
「Yes! If you’re a Guildmaster, you know that because the generations overlap! Hey, Guildmaster? 」
And the gaze of the place gathered on Lionel .
Lionel, who had been listening to the conversation beside him, was halfway through his consciousness .
「Angie’s father, master of the sword, friend of the elven ‘paladin’ Graham, protector of the elven princess, …… and former party member to Percival and Sati . Kasim……? Mr . Belgriff, ……, who is you, is …… . 」
「La Lionel? 」
「Yes, ……, sorry . 」
Lionel hurriedly straightened his posture and coughed out a cough .
「Well, first of all, Percival-san, …… he’s an S-ranked adventurer . He’s also known as the “High King’s Sword . ” 」
Everyone except Belgriff and Marguerite were surprised . Belgriff stroked his beard happily .
「Well, …… I thought he’d be that good, but he did his best …… vivacious, dependable, and pulled us along for the ride . 」
「Belgriff, you were a party member of the ‘High King’s Sword’: …… 」
Lionel sounded as if he was beyond surprised . Belgriff chuckled .
「That was long before such a grand alias . That was when me and Percy were both E-rated . 」
Suddenly, a shudder, and the hallucinatory right leg ached . Belgriff’s expression twisted just a little bit, but it quickly returned . Charlotte on her knees excitedly tugged at Belgriff’s clothes .
「I’ve heard of the ‘High King’s Sword’, I’ve heard of it too! Like slaying the Cyclops in the Kitra Mountains, or the true ancestor of the vampires in the old castle! I heard he’s very strong! 」
「Oh, so you’re the real founder . You’re not bad at all . 」
Marguerite also folded her arms as if impressed .
I’m sure Anessa and Miriam have heard of the “High King’s Sword” even if they don’t know the name Percival . They looked at each other as if they were surprised and their eyes were black and white .
I’m sure you’ll be able to find out more about it .
「But he left Orphen about fifteen years ago already . …… He was in the Imperial City for a time, but his footsteps since then have been a bit …… 」
「Well, thank you for …… and for that . 」
Lionel bowed his head apologetically and continued .
「And Qasim is …… he is also an S-ranked adventurer . I’m sure you’ll be able to find out more about this in the future . It’s also known as the “Canopy Crusher . ” 」
Miriam looked up .
「Te, te, te, “canopy shattering”! Yeah, right! If you’ve heard of Kasim somewhere, you’ve heard of him: …… 」
「Are you famous? 」
「It’s a great magic! I’ve created a new formula for parallel magic and succeeded in increasing the efficiency of the surgical operations by at least 30%! 」
That being said, Belgriff was a chump, but I knew that he apparently accomplished something amazing .
「Well, …… yeah, that guy was a real genius, …… but he was always behind you, and he was always nostalgic …… even though he was shy and had a habit of being attentive, but he also liked to play pranks ……」
Belgriff’s eyes narrowed nostalgically . Seeing this, Lionel opened his mouth, looking more and more apologetic .
「So, that …… he left Orphen to the Imperial City about twenty years ago . I heard that he was promoted to S-rank after defeating the ‘Lord of the Void’ there . “That’s when he was also known as the ‘Canopy Crusher’ …… Only, after a certain time, his footsteps started to …… too . ” 」
「M…… Yeah, right . 」
Belgriff scratched his cheek in disappointment . He didn’t expect to see him so easily, but his good fortune was a bit flinty with this .
Belgriff looked up .
「So Satie is ……?」
「I remember Sati, too, since it was rare to find an elven adventurer of …… her generation . I’ve never spoken to her, but …… it seems she was an ranked adventurer in the end . But I’m sure …… she was gone from Orphen earlier than the previous two . I haven’t heard any rumors of her activities since then …… . 」
「…… weren’t the three of you in the same party? 」
「No, by the time I got to know them, they were each already in pieces . I’ve heard rumors that they were at a party together, but it was …… true . 」
Belgriff sighed . Apparently, none of the three of them were in Orphen . They had come out of Tornella at will, but this might have been a waste of time .
Lionel looked down with a heartfelt apology .
「Something …… sorry . 」
「What do you mean, Master Lionel? They are living people, too . They will go wherever they wish . Just as I went to Tornella . 」
Belgriff laughed a little sadly .
I can’t go to the imperial capital to look for it, it’s not a stone’s throw . Even if you have a guarantee that you will find it if you go, there is no way to guess what it is . If you do that, spring will come .
Anyway, even if we can’t meet them, it is certain that they made full use of their talents and played an active role . It’s a good thing to know that for now, Belgriff thought . The only thing that bothered him was the fact that they had fallen apart .
「I wonder what happened to …… . 」
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At any rate, we’ve only been here a day . It’s too early to give up completely . Let’s not be in a hurry to gather information and look forward to seeing Angeline again for the time being . That’s one of the main reasons why I came to Orphen .
Thinking about that, he chuckled at the idea that he couldn’t laugh at Angeline for looking forward to seeing her again so much, even though they’d only met in the spring .
Miriam put a hand to her chin and gave me a detective’s touch .
「…… alright . That elf named Satie is Bel’s thoughtful person . 」
「Your answer! 」
Marguerite said .
Immediately the topic of conversation came back to normal, and Belgriff scratched his cheeks as if he was troubled by the girls’ questions .
「Wow!」
Liselotte leaned back admiringly on the sofa . The sun had long since set outside the window, and an occasional breeze ruffled the window .
Stories about defeating demonic beasts, stories of dungeon conquests, and failures that would be funny nowadays, the conversation rolled around all over the place, and Lieselotte seemed quite satisfied .
Angeline enjoyed talking to you because of her responsiveness and curious questions .
「Angelenos are amazing …… for a girl and you’ve done so much! 」
「Yes . …… 」
「Well, that was fun, thank you! Hey, Angie . We’re friends, aren’t we? 」
With that, Lieselotte leaned forward . Angeline loosened the edges of her mouth .
「That’s right, …… friends, right?」
Angeline said, and Lieselotte happily reached out and shook Angeline’s hand .
「I needed an adventurer friend! Hmmm, I’m glad to hear that: …… Hey! I’ll show you my secret! Come! 」
She was a little sleepy, but Angeline stood up, letting Lieselotte’s momentum get the better of her . She looked at Guilmeña with a sideways glance . Guilmeña chuckled and winked at her .
Lieselotte grabbed a bottle of spirits from the room’s liquor cabinet and told Angeline to put her cloak on . Angeline obeyed in silence .
「It’s very cold! You’ll catch a cold if you’re not careful! 」
「…… Where are you going? 」
「Oh, well, it will be fun to see what happens when I get there! 」
I followed Lieselotte up and down the corridor of the large mansion and around the bend to the small garden at the back . Unlike the front garden, it wasn’t lavishly decorated or tended to by the gardeners . It seemed to be a place where the servants mainly did their work .
Outside, the wind and flowers were dancing . Angeline shuddered involuntarily because it was suddenly from inside the room where the heating magic was working .
Lieselotte crossed the yard and opened the door of the stone wall that rose like a castle wall .
Inside, it seemed to be an old armory, with dusty, unkempt old weapons packed in the back and miscellaneous cargo in the front . In short, it seems to be used as a warehouse .
At the back, the road still stretches out .
Go to the road like a small tunnel, and then into the side was a stone staircase leading down . There seemed to be no lighting and it was completely dark .
Lieselotte pulled out a necklace from her clothes and poked at it with her fingertips . A faint light came on . It seems to be a magic tool for portable lighting using yellow sparkle stone .
As they walked down the street with the two of them, a large space soon appeared and suddenly became brighter . There were torches burning on the walls, and the light from the torches made a number of iron bars glint . It seemed to be a dungeon .
Angeline was amused by the presence of the cold, dark dungeon, which was quite different from the opulent mansion .
But the place was originally built by renovating a fort . Maybe it’s no surprise that there was at least a dungeon, she thought .
「Kasim! Kasim! 」
Lieselotte called out someone’s name in a small but shouting voice .
Behind the rusted iron bars, a thin man was lying on his back . He wore his mountain-high hat on his face .
Lieselotte pouted and tapped the grate with a pebble that had been lying around . There was a dry sound .
「Already! Wake up, Qasim . I brought you a drink! 」
「…… Shut up, you . 」
The man called Qasim leaned up cumbersomely and put his mountain-high hat back on . His brown beard was blunt and his hair was long .
「I told you not to come back, didn’t I?」
「Duh! The only people who can give me orders are your father and your mother! 」
「Well, that’s a selfish girl, for sure . …… 」
The man called Kasim chuckled .
Angeline looked at the man with a blank stare . It was the beginning of winter . It’s cold outside, of course, but it’s also shivering in the dungeons . Not to mention Lieselotte and Angeline, who is wearing thermal clothing over her dress . It’s still cold .
The other man is terribly thin and wears only a long-sleeved shirt and trousers, but he doesn’t shiver at all .
Kasim stared at Angeline .
「Are your friends with you today?」
「Yes! Angeline, the Demonslayer! I’m an S-ranked adventurer! 」
Kasim twitched his eyebrows in a twitch .
「Heh …… rumored “dark-haired warrior maiden”? 」
「Yes! Angie! His name is Qasim . I heard he was a very strong adventurer! 」
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「It was a long time ago . 」
With that, Kasim lay back down again . Then he looked at Lieselotte with a sideways glance .
「Oh, leave the booze there . It’s cold, so get the hell out of here . 」
Lieselotte’s mouth twitched and she pushed the liquor bottle through the bars . Still, Kasim refused to get up .
「Oh my God, Kasim! 」
「…… Why is it here? 」
Angeline asked, and Kasim shifted his position lazily and said in an aloof tone .
「Ola? I was arrested for running away with food . I guess they thought I was dangerous because I went on a rampage, and I’ve been here ever since . 」
「Are you kidding me? Are you lying, Qasim? You’re here pretending to be a sinner on a secret grand duke’s mission, aren’t you? 」
「No way . You’re a very delusional young man, aren’t you? 」
Kasim laughed and reached for the bottle of liquor as he lay down .
Lieselotte quickly reached out and took the liquor bottle from him and stuck her tongue out at Akkanbe .
「I won’t give it to you if you’re going to be mean to me! 」
Kasim raised himself up and wagged his finger cumbersomely . Then the liquor bottle began to move on its own, slipping out of Lieselotte’s arms and into the bars .
Kasim took it in his hand, uncorked it and drank directly from the bottle .
「Hehe, this place sure does have some good booze . 」
「Shit! Mean! 」
Lieselotte puffed out her cheeks .
Angeline, on the other hand, was a little surprised . Kasim seems to be a wizard, but he’s quite skilled .
I heard from Miriam and Maria, but I heard that magic that manipulates magic in the atmosphere is quite difficult to control .
It’s not too difficult if you only launch it as a shock wave or give it mass to crush your opponent, but I heard that detailed manipulation requires quite a bit of skill .
Being able to move something as fragile as a bottle without breaking it is proof of considerable proficiency in the manipulation of magic power . I don’t understand why such a man is in prison as an adult .
Angeline regretted a little bit for not bringing her sword, but so far I can’t sense any hostility from Kasim . He is a mysterious man, but he doesn’t seem to be in any danger for now .
However, Angeline was wary for a moment and repositioned her body slightly so that she could run out with Lieselotte in her arms at any time .
Kasim gave her an amused look and said to himself .
「Don’t be so frightened . There’s no point in fighting you, you know . 」
Pic, Angeline scowled . Kasim put on an unassuming face and stoked his drink .
「Don’t you want to leave ……?」
「It doesn’t matter . There’s nothing for me to do when I get out . 」
Kasim wiped his mouth with the back of his hand . His wet mustache glowed in the torchlight .
There’s something terribly sad about this man, Angeline thought . It’s as if he doesn’t even care that he’s alive . It’s a good thing that you’re able to get a good idea of what’s going on in your life .
「It’s a good thing that you’re not a fan of …… . I don’t appreciate your sympathy, 」
Kasim said with a furrowed brow . Angeline lowered her eyes .
「I think it’s a pity, or rather a waste of …… . 」
「Heh . …… 」
Kasim took another sip of his drink .
「What a waste . ‘What?」
「……, right? But I think it’s a waste . I look at you . 」
「Heh, heh, heh . 」
Kasim smiled as he gaped . His eyes were set .
「You have a funny way of saying that,” he said . I guess I’ve lived a very disappointing life . You have friends, don’t you? Treat your friends well, okay? 」
Lieselotte looked at the two men in turn, as if puzzled, and said
「What is it? It’s a story that only adventurers can understand: ……? 」
「…… It’s not like that . Let’s go, Lizze . It’s getting cold: …… 」
「Yes, ……, Qasim won’t even talk to me today, and I’m not bored . 」
Lieselotte said and took Angeline’s hand in hers .
「Wow, Angie’s hands are very cool! 」
「Neither do you . Let’s go, I’ll catch a cold . …… 」
「Yes . Bye, Qasim . I’ll be back! 」
「Haha, I told you not to come . 」
Angeline looked back over her shoulder at Kasim as she walked . Kasim looked vaguely at the wall . The shadows created by the torches were dancing and swaying .
I’m going to take a break from updating until around the weekend, since I have a lot of work to do .
I’m also going to go in search of another novel .