Chapter 68: Sorting Things Out (2)
… Pitter-patter.
Snow fell from the skies, forming a thick layer of it on the ground as they accumulated, covering her vicinity entirely in white.
… Pitter-patter.
Winter here was eternal. The snow that fell never melted either. Regardless, she waited.
Would this coldness melt away in the distant future?
If she waited and held on until the snow became water for the land, would it ever sprout?
No, she doubted it.
… It was no different from her situation.
She often found herself wondering if spring would ever come to her.
Julie’s life began with death.
She gained life at the price of her mother’s, after all.
That was the first-ever sin she committed when she was born into this world.
“Wow…”
Freyden’s resistance was always held in gelid winter. The small child stared blankly at the knights’ swordsmanship in the pure white hall.
The knights brandished their swords as they sweated, but among them, her father and brother were the best. She was proud of them. They were beautiful.
It looked like a play from a distance, and from close up, it looked like a dance.
“…”
At that moment, her older brother, finishing his match, looked back at her, sweat dripping from him suddenly freezing like jewels.
“Ah, um… er…”
Julie avoided his gaze.
Zeit never spoke to Julie first. Everyone in their family was like that. Even though there was nothing wrong with her, they always drew an invisible line.
“Julie.”
However, that day was an exception. Her elder brother looked at her with a melancholic smile for reasons she couldn’t decipher.
Young Julie faced him with wide-open eyes.
“Y-Y-Y-Yes, brother?”
“Would you like to wield a sword too?”
“… Yes?”
Her dream of being a knight was etched deep in her heart from then on.
Knights served their masters. They became the swords that cut every enemy before them. They protected their subjects and the country while staying true to their beliefs.
There was no room for her in it.
Yet, despite taking away her mother from her family, despite her existence itself being a sin, she still dreamed of it, no matter how long and distant it was.
“….”
Julie opened her eyes. The morning sky was dark, and there was a throbbing pain in her heart.
Knock, knock—
Hearing a knock on the door, Julie got up from her bed. The aching pain spread all over her body, but with a little patience, she knew it’d go away.
“Your bath is ready.” The servant outside said.
“… Okay.”
Julie entered the bathroom and looked at the mirror blankly. Staring at herself, she remembered her promise to him.
‘If you can’t become the Guardian Knight within that time, we might have to get married after all. So, don’t get stuck in one place.’
Now, there wasn’t much time left.
* * *
Dephalem Forest near Hadekain on the western part of the empire.
[Side Quest: Support for Demon Purification]
◆ Store Currency +2
These days, the concentration of mana had increased in some areas, causing demon-related monsters such as gargoyles to appear. Today, I was tasked to suppress and purify one of those locations as part of a quest requested by the cathedral and accepted by the tower.
“… Hmm.”
Initially, I smashed all the beasts and foes that got in my way and moved forward, but at some point, I found an area dotted with death variables, covering it with the most vivid red I had ever seen.
“…”
My intuition told me that if I went in there, my death would be inevitable. The danger it posed was far from ordinary.
[The Villain’s Fate] worked according to my skills.
A trap prepared by just a few goblins wouldn’t even get caught by its radar.
But this forest was far from the threat such low-class monsters could pose against me.
On the other side, an enemy that I couldn’t overcome was lurking.
“Hmmmm…”
Of course, if my opponent were a demon, I would grow stronger.
However, there was a limit to that since the concentration of mana here was too thin. This forest wasn’t as rich in mana as the Crebas Canyon or the Devil’s Barrier.
“What’s going on, Professor?” A blonde priest asked, following my lead.
“Terpe,” I stood still and searched for a suitable excuse to run away without looking scared… “Let’s go back.”
I turned around without saying a word, causing Terpe to look perplexed.
“But we haven’t even reached the source yet.”
“We’ve done enough scouting and analysis. Let’s do the rest next time. You must always prepare ahead of time for anything to avoid being in danger.” I calmly spoke as I walked. “We can finish it quickly, but I want to teach you the method of getting rid of demons cautiously.”
Terpe nodded. After about thirty minutes, we finally reached the forest entrance, where Yeriel and my vassals were waiting. Her puffed cheeks displayed her anger.
“Are you done?” Yeriel asked.
Terpe shook his head.
“We just scouted ahead today and decided to finish the task at hand later.”
She quickly turned her head and glared at me upon hearing his reply. Ignoring her, I got into the car.
Terpe bowed.
“Thank you for your hard work, Yeriel.”
“You’re welcome, priest. Thank you as well.”
Yeriel also got in quickly. As soon as she took a seat, she yelled, “Why! Why couldn’t I?!”
“Be quiet.”
“You didn’t even make it to the end! It wouldn’t have been dangerous!”
The eldest daughter of the Yukline family and the deputy lord of Hadekain wanted to accompany me for today’s purification.
However, I had no intention of putting her on the battlefield.
“You’d only be a hindrance.”
“I’m also a Yukline, you know? I’m stronger against demonic entities!”
… That wasn’t true.
Yukline blood didn’t flow in her veins.
“Don’t be stupid. The ones in charge don’t stay on the frontlines. In the future, if you ever step into any warzone, I’ll assume our ‘promise’ doesn’t exist in the first place. You’ve been warned.”
“…”
Yeriel’s expression hardened.
“… Are you serious?”
She looked at me while grinding her teeth.
“You’ve been pretending to be a great brother lately, but today, you decided to humiliate me in front of our vassals. How will I be able to look at them now?”
Yeriel was really looking forward to this day. To assert her legitimacy to our subjects, she even brought
It was also happening near the territory of Yukline, so she probably felt a sense of responsibility.
Regardless, I ignored her wishes. I didn’t allow her to follow, causing her to feel shame in front of our villeins.
“Yeriel.”
“What?”
“Yeriel.”
“… What?!”
My face hardened.
“Yeriel.”
“Gosh, what is it… sir?!”
Yeriel pouted, her voice trembling.
However, this time, I couldn’t back down.
“Stop acting like a child. Don’t be stubborn.”
Everything I was doing was for her.
“Don’t make a scene. You should know better without me having to point out your behavior.”
“…”
“How long do you plan to act like a child?”
Yeriel knew the traditions of the Yukline family.
Perhaps the reason for her current actions was to prove to the vassals that the tradition had been passed on to her.
“Act according to your position. Show the dignity our estate deserves.”
Yeriel didn’t answer, leaning silently against the window instead. Her hair obscured her face, but she looked like she was about to cry.
Her tiny shoulders were shaking, and her breathing was ragged.
“Let’s go to the Isle of Wizard’s Wealth. I have work to do today.”
I didn’t talk to Yeriel.
•••••••
Dephalem Forest.
“Did he leave? Did he leave?” Asked Gerek, sharpening his dagger while holding his breath amid the long coniferous woods.
He was a handsome man with his long black hair tied behind his back and was nicknamed “multi-personality,” which didn’t suit him.
“Did he really leave?”
“Yes. He did.” Arlos nodded.
Gerek asked again. “Did he leave? For real?”
“Yes.”
“Really?!”
“I said he did, son of a bitch.”
“Oh~ No way~!”
Only when she cursed did he seem convinced.
Like this, each of the Ashes had a screw loosened.
“Did he notice?”
“Yeah, you moron. How could he not? You radiated so much murderous aura.”
“Deculein’s a coward, huh? I did it to lure him in!”
Arlos just smiled.
She actually seemed to understand why Deculein avoided Gerek.
His voice played in her head.
‘You don’t avoid excrements because you’re afraid of it, but because they’re disgusting and dirty.’
That was what he most likely thought.
“Man~ This is annoying. Aaaah~”
Gerek groaned and slammed the back of his head against a tree.
“Do you even have any reason to aim for Deculein?”
“Huh?”
“You want to kill him just because he’s famous, right?”
Gerek naively tilted his head. He then giggled.
“Well, there’s more to it than that. I have a huge grudge against the Yukline family. They submerged our village, after all.”
He tapped his forehead with his finger.
“As you probably already know, even at this moment, there are a lot of people talking in my head. All of them are members of my family who died then.”
… The pathology of his ‘multiple personalities’ was ultimately due to the Yukline family.
If so, then he had a pretty good reason.
“What about you, Arlos?” Gerek then asked.
“I don’t. In fact, I have no intention of killing him.”
Of course, there was that incident with him, but she held no grudge against him.
Deculein was like a beehive. His destruction would cause bigger problems. Hence, she rejected the notion of turning the entire Yukline family into an enemy.
“Why? Didn’t you say your parents were also wizards, Arlos? Maybe they had a grudge against them?”
“… Shut up.”
Her parents died before she was even three years old.
She didn’t know why, and she didn’t want to know.
“Who knows? Deculein might have killed them.”
“He was just a child back then. Stop spouting nonsense and shut up.”
“I mean—”
Arlos grabbed Gerek’s collar and stared at him as if she was going to kill him.
“If you keep talking like that, I will tear up your insides and kill you.”
“Oh, I’m sorry~ Please understand~ I’m just pissed since Deculein suddenly flew off.”
“If you understand, then begin preparing ‘it.'”
She let go of his neck.
Their goal wasn’t to ambush Deculein in the first place. They just happened to have a mission to carry out around the same area.
However, accidentally hearing the news that Deculein was coming, the guys who were currently teaming up with Arlos, including Gerek and Glipper, got excited.
“Anyway, I will definitely kill Deculein.” Gerek laughed softly and leaned against a tree.
“My family is hoping for that. Right, brother?
… Yes, brother. They are. You know how painful it was when I drowned.
… Yeah. I do. Father also said…”
Ignoring the bizarre conversation he had with himself, Arlos read the newspaper.
[Symposium problem #6, will it finally be solved by Head Professor Deculein? The Place of Proof… ]
* * *
Red Garnett Adventure Team’s tertiary settlement, the Principality of Yuren.
“Now. Read it, everyone.”
Inside the house she was staying in with the children, Ganesha opened the adventurer exam pamphlet.
[Get ready for the 133rd Adventurer’s Test! The Adventurer’s Guild awaits talented challengers!]
[On page 37, a Q&A with Guild Master Go-Hol!]
[Are you curious about the ranking of adventurers these days? Check out page 47!]
Carlos, Leo, and Lia read its contents while eating ice cream.
While looking at their faces, Ganesha noticed Lia’s increase in height.
“Wow. Lia’s growing up quickly. Your skeletal structure is definitely perfect for adventurers. Not too thick, but not too fragile either. You have a very strong body.”
She touched Lia’s body all over, causing her to feel ticklish and to push her away.
“Ah, haha. Stop— hahahaha—”
“I think you’ll be taller than Reylie in three more months.”
“Damn. Why drag me into your conversation?”
Reylie, an adventurer eating chips on the couch, clicked her tongue. She turned her attention to the two other children.
“Carlos, Leo. You guys are growing a bit slower, huh? Lia is already 160cm. What are you guys doing?”
Their faces scrunched up, their pride seemingly hurt.
“Lia is two years older than us. That’s why she’s growing faster…”
“That’s true. In the end, you’ll get bigger. It’s all genes.”
“How are the Freyden these days, Reylie?” Ganesha asked.
Julie’s cousin, Reylie, was no different from an imperial informant. Almost all rumors reached her ears.
She shrugged.
“I don’t know. There’s no news about them these days. Then again, Knight Julie seems to have reconciled with her fiancé.”
“She reconciled with Professor Deculein?”
“Yes. They’re not fighting, at least.”
“What—?!” Ganesha’s eyes widened. However, as she was about to ask a pretty stupid question, Lia suddenly screamed at the top of her lungs.
“The two of them are reconciling—?!”
Ganesha and Reylie both looked at her at the same time, finding her looking as if a hammer just hit the back of her head.
Reylie chuckled. Now that she had started reading newspapers these days, she seemed to have grown interested in these rumors.
“Yeah. That’s what rumor says. Why?”
“No way!”
“… What do you mean?”
“It can’t be!”
However, her reaction was much more turbulent than expected.
It couldn’t be, how, why, no…
She mumbled those words incomprehensibly, then ran back to her room.
“What…? What’s wrong with her?”
“… Did she eat something wrong?”
The two grown-ups just smirked.
“Nice~ Then we’ll get her ice cream too—”
The moment Carlos and Leo were about to steal her dessert, Lia’s door opened.
“Put it down, you idiots! Give it to me! That’s mine!”
She charged in and headed back into her room after retrieving it.
* * *
The ‘Grand Hall’ on the 5th floor of Megiseon had been designated as the place of proof of the Symposium question number six’s resolution presented by Deculein.
The event, which would make or break his thesis, was held in such a magnificent place.
“… Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow…”
Epherene was lucky enough to be one of the few that could attend it.
There were a lot of famous wizards around her. The jury alone was composed of two Ethereal-ranked mages: Rogerio and Gindalf. There were also Louina, Becca, and Ihelm…
Even Her Majesty’s younger brother, Kreto, was present!
“Why’s he seated next to a cat?”
In the seat next to him, a peculiar red feline was lying and yawning.
“It’s cute.”
“Be quiet, Epherene. You’re embarrassing.” Sylvia said.
Epherene stared at her.
Their tickets were their reward for their contribution in solving the ‘Baron of Ashes’ case.
“Huh? Hey! You’re Epherene, right?”
At that moment, they heard a voice familiar to Epherene. The two debutantes both tracked down its source.
“Oh? Aren’t you the professor’s younger sister?”
Their eyes landed on Yeriel, whom she met by chance before.
Yeriel smiled. “Yup. Long time no see!”
“… Thanks to you, I got a penalty point.” Epherene’s cheeks puffed.
Yeriel simply shrugged.
“Really? I’m sorry. I got caught, too, you know. How about we call it even?”
“That— ugh!”
“Hello.”
Sylvia pushed Epherene away. Giving her a soft smile, she greeted Yeriel politely.
“Nice to meet you. I am Sylvia.”
A gentle yet polite introduction.
Yeriel nodded awkwardly.
“Yeah… I know. You are Sylvia of Iliade.”
“Yes.”
Sylvia’s eyes, looking at Yeriel, moved and gazed somewhere else. Epherene did the same.
“…Huh.”
She stood out above all else. Setting aside her white hair, eyes, and beautiful appearance, she was the only knight in a place filled with wizards.
Deculein’s fiancée, Julie. She received a special invitation.
Wearing a robe over her light armor, she delightfully approached Yeriel upon finding her.
“How have you been, Yeriel?”
“… Hello.” She twisted her lip upward.
Julie seemed to be preparing to say something, but Yeriel turned her head as if she didn’t want to talk to her. Hence, she just smiled bitterly and sat down.
—We will now turn off the lights.
The room dimmed not long after.
—The Place of Proof of the Symposium’s 6th question, which has remained unanswered for 15 years, shall now begin.
Although not as vast as its name suggested, the ‘Grand Hall’ was the most honorable place to discuss magical science.
The curtain fell on the podium on the other side.
“Sigh…”
Epherene looked at Sylvia, who seemed tense.
“… What are you doing?”
“…”
She was acting weird. When she didn’t answer, she followed her laser-like gaze, finding a white-haired person.
Julie.