It looked like a dungeon. Cold and inorganic bars creaked occasionally.
There was a rattling sound as someone cowered in the dark.
There were shackles on both ankles with chains extending from them. A dim torchlight illuminated the stone walls and floor. A number of rusty chains extended from the windowless walls.
On one of them someone was lying on the floor, chained to the wall.
However, he looked exhausted and was unable to move. He was on his back with his bare legs thrown out in front of him, his arms pillowed on his back, and his Tsubagakairo Yamataka hat on his face. He looked as if he were taking a nap with several empty bottles of alcohol laying around him..
Before long, a squad of armed soldiers appears on the other side of the bars, making the sound of armor clattering against each other.
「Get up.」
A man in black armor, who looked like a captain, said. He has a neat face, a little over thirty years old. His blond hair is cropped short and his blue eyes have a sharp gleam in them.
But the person in the cell just crossed his legs and did not even try to get up. The man in the armor kicked the bars in frustration.
「How long do you plan to stay like that? 」
「Forever. It’s not like I’m not gonna die. 」
The figure in the cell said in an aloof tone. The voice was that of a man, but it was somewhat high, but faint. The man in the armor crossed his arms in dismay.
「You pathetic bastard… yet you’re still considered one of the great demons?」
「I’m not interested in what people call me, am I? 」
The man in the prison raised his upper body in a cumbersome manner. He put back on his high hat that was once on his face.
He had the appearance of a forty-year-old man.
He is dressed in a long-sleeved shirt and trousers, which are very thin and skinny. His dull brown hair, which stretches from underneath the hat, is much longer than his shoulders. A thick beard that looked like it had grown out of too much due to laziness covered the lower half of his chiseled face.
「I was dreaming,」
The man in the hat muttered to no one. His voice was a little happy.
「The old dream … Ola and those guys, they were all young … and I was the youngest. It was fun, those were the days. 」
Then the man in the hat hugged his knees and breathed. The man in armor chuckled.
「Clinging to the illusions of the past the heroes of the past have fallen. Well, to our advantage. 」
「Hero….. 」
The man in the hat huffed and giggled. It wasn’t a laugh of amusement, but a mocking laugh.
「A fool….」
The man in the armor scowled.
「Humph … well, that’s fine. Get out. Work. 」
「Fuck it. 」
「What did you say? 」
「I don’t feel good. I don’t want to do anything. 」
Then the man in the hat rested his chin on his crossed arms in his lap.
The man in the armor furrowed his brow as he grinded the ground with his toes. The soldiers behind him raised their weapons in unison, threatening the man in the prison.
「……..Don’t be silly. If you’re too arrogant. 」
「Do you want to try it? 」
The man in the hat glared at the soldiers.
「What do you propose to do if you’re going to take me? You guys think you can do what you want with me? 」
「You think you can take me? 」
「Do you guys want to try it? Dying? 」
The man in the hat chuckled and pointed his index finger upward. The magic around him swirled causing a wind that shook the cloaks of the soldiers, even though there were no windows. The soldiers gasped.
The man in black armor stared at the man in the hat for a moment with a straight face, but then he clicked his tongue and gave a small nod to the soldiers.
The soldiers sheathed their weapons and turned around and left, no longer making wild footsteps.
The man in the hat waved his outstretched index finger in a circular manner. The shackles on his ankles came off and he rolled to the floor with a jerk. He picked it up with two fingers and threw it into the distance.
He turned his eyes to the ceiling in a daze. The fire of the torch flickered as the shadows danced on the ceiling.
The man gave a wide grasping motion and sighed sadly, wiping the tears that had floated around his eyes with his fingertips.
「………Percy, Sati…….Bel I hope you’re all well…….」
He muttered and tilted his Yamataka hat towards his face.
○
The ears of the soon-to-be-harvested spring wheat were swaying in the wind, slowly bending downwards as their weight increased.
Belgriff touched a cluster of ears to check the weight and grain content. This year’s results were not bad either. We are now looking forward to the harvest.
Soon, there will be more food to come from the mountains.
Wild grapes, rock peaches, akebi, and mushrooms. If we are lucky, we will be able to get some natural honey. This is the time of year when we usually go into the mountains alone, but we often bring young people with us.
However, more and more young people seem to be going out to the mountains by themselves since Duncan is now here, as he provides us a countermeasure against magical beasts.
With the autumn festival coming up, the village has been bustling. There is a lot of work to do: harvesting the spring barley and the beans, preparing fuel and preserves, and making food for the livestock for the winter.
Belgriff and Duncan have been assisting others during this time while tending to his fields. Duncan has been doing the same.
While I was going over all the arrangements in my head, Mito plodded over and hung on to my leg. His long hair is tied up behind his head because the scissors can’t cut through it.
「Oto-san….」
「”Hm. 」
Belgriff picked up Mito.
「What’s wrong? Where’s grandfather? 」
「Grandpa, that way. 」
When I looked in the direction of Mito’s pointing, Graham was facing Marguerite and holding a wooden sword.
Even Marguerite, who usually played around with her sword, was visibly nervous against Graham, holding her sword with a serious expression and looking intently at the opportunity.
This elven master and apprentice were now completely at home in Tornella.
Although they hadn’t set up this place as a home, with Mito’s presence, it seemed that Graham had no intention of leaving here for a while.
Marguerite also seems to have realized her lack of strength after the series of disturbances, and while Graham was training her, she was going into the forest with Belgriff and others to learn the basics of exploration as well.
He grew up in the forest, and the forest he saw as a mere elf and the forest he saw as an adventurer seemed to have a different perspective, and Marguerite seemed to enjoy it as well.
While she acted as crudely and thoughtlessly as before, it was obvious she was troubled by something as she was deep in thought , and was nowadays taking walks on the plains on the outskirts by herself. (Not a great edit, so if someone can look it over, it’d be great)
The troubled look on her face at that time seemed terribly fragile, partly due to the beauty of the elven race.
Belgriff, on the other hand, had drastically reduced the sword training he used to do. He only misses the early morning and evening sword training, but now he was training more and more in meditation and breathing exercises.
At forty-three, it was clear that training the body would no longer increase one’s ability.
It’s a very good idea to know what you’re looking for. It’s a good idea to know what to expect when you are young.
The sensitivity to the sword and the efficient movement of magical power within the body, taught by Graham, made Belgriff, who had been struggling to make any progress, take a step forward.
From a dynamic sword to a more static sword, although it was hard to tell from the side, Belgriff himself felt the change for sure.
Ironic, Belgriff thought.
Ever since he had fought as an adventurer, he had felt his talents as a vanguard had come to a halt.
But the loss of his legs had forced him to wield a different sword than he had then. He didn’t expect it to blossom like this.
I’m not sure if it’s a good idea for you to be able to get your hands on a new one. Marguerite, who is that strong, looks like a beginner with a sword when compared to Graham.
Mito made a strange face and pointed at it.
「Grandfather and Marie, are you fighting?」
「Well, it’s not exactly a fight, is it? 」
「But he was… 」
「What? No, it’s just training. 」
Belgriff drew Mito closer, who was on the verge of slipping off.
「Well, we have a job to do. Mito, what do you want to do now? Are you coming with your dad? Or are you going with your grandfather? 」
「I’m with my father. 」
「Okay. 」
With Mito in his arms, Belgriff walked down the side of the field. Sowing and plowing songs could be heard from all around.
We have to dig up the potatoes for the spring planting. The potatoes are one of the most important staple foods, along with the wheat. They grow well even in Tornera, which has a cold climate.
Once dug, we have to put them in the basket. It’s a job I’m used to, but it’s work where I have to bend my back. I have to occasionally stand up and stretch my hips when I have to do it for a long time.
Next to Belgriff digging the potatoes, Mito sits down gazing into the air. There seemed to be some insects flying around, and he followed them with his eyes.
Suddenly, one of the crickets jumped up.
As soon as Mito found it, he caught it with his hand and tossed it into his mouth, munching on it.
Belgriff gave it a sidelong glance and went over to Mito with a furrowed brow.
「Hey, Mito,」
「”Hm. 」
「I told you not to pick them up and eat them. 」
「”Mm 」
「Did you think I didn’t see you? 」
「Uh….. 」
Mito hesitantly gave a small nod. Belgriff sighed.
I’m not sure if it’s because of the fact that Mito is not human.
It’s not just bugs. I’ve seen Mito while in the middle of a meal chewing on a plate with food on it, or eating leaves, branches and stones from the garden.
It’s a very good idea to have a good idea of what you’re talking about.
The villagers also think of Mito as an ordinary abandoned child and love him, but I don’t know what their reaction will be when they see such a scene. You can laugh it off as a strange child, but you don’t want to be avoided as an unknowable entity.
That’s why Belgriff was always flabbergasted by this part of Mito’s life and never let the kids play with him alone or leave him with anyone other than Graham, Duncan and others who knew what was going on.
It didn’t seem like something that could be hidden forever, and there was no end to the worries at hand, such as what to do when his identity was exposed to the light of day, but apart from this kind of bad habit, Mito was completely harmless. He is innocent, curious, and adorable. Even though he’s a bit younger in speech and behavior than he appears, the villagers also love him well.
「what will be, will be. 」
Belgriff muttered and threw the dug-out potatoes into the basket.
Mito glanced to the side, his eyes closed and swayed from side to side in a daze.
「Oi, Lord Bell」
Suddenly, Duncan appeared in front of him. Belgriff looked up from the ground.
「What’s the matter?」
「It’s almost lunchtime, you know. I’d like you to join us. 」
「Oh, is it that time already… 」
It’s true, if you look up, the sun is close to the zenith. Before I knew it, my basket was full of potatoes.
「Yeah, let’s go. Come on, Mito. 」
Belgriff called, and Mito came plodding over. Belgriff put the potato basket on the edge of the field and picked up Mito.
○
「The Tornela wedding party is going to be a failure…」
In the guild lobby, Angeline plopped down at the table and muttered to herself. The man sitting across from her shook his head in relief.
「I don’t know what you’re thinking, but I’m sorry for your loss. 」
「”…Mr. Ed, do you know of anyone who would be good candidates for being a wife? 」
「No, I don’t. What do you mean by a potential wife? Are you looking for one?」
「It’s not for me, it’s for my father…. 」
At Angeline’s words, the man called Mr. Ed nodded his head.
「Your father, doesn’t have a wife?」
「Well I’m adopted, so… 」
「I see. 」
The man who was called Mr. Ed nodded in amusement.
This man with dark brown hair cut short, almost black, and a bandana wrapped around his head was called Edgar.
He was a former member of Lionel’s party and one of those who had come from the Imperial City.
He is an active adventurer in the imperial capital and has a rank of AAA, and since returning to the Orphen’s Adventurer guild, he has been supporting Lionel by doing various jobs, whether it be on the front lines or in negotiations.
Edgar doesn’t cover much of the same ground as I do, as we both specialize in different things, so we’ve only had some small talk, but this is the first time we’ve been able to sit down and leisurely chat like this.
The search for Belgriff’s wife, which Angeline had planned, was already on the verge of failure because none of the prospective wives were willing to take the plunge on their own volition.
Angeline herself has not yet given up, but she has been rejected by all the women she thinks her father can marry, and now she is out of options.
Angeline, who had hoped that she could have a mother, has been complaining to everyone she meets these days.
Edgar sipped his flower tea and said.
「Angie’s father is a Red Orge, isn’t he? Is that the same as me in terms of generation? 」
「How old are you, Ed? 」
「I’ll be forty this year, the same as Lionel. Ah, I’m getting old … 」
Edgar said and leaned deeply into the back of the chair.
I’m sure you’ll find that the wrinkles around his eyes are becoming noticeable and that his white hair is beginning e to show.
「So, how old is your father? 」
「Forty-three… 」
「Hmm. I heard you were an adventurer. 」
「Yeah…」
Angeline sipped her floral tea. Edgar’s gaze swam as he thought.
「 I’ve never heard of it. Are you sure he was an adventurer in Orphen? 」
「Yes. 」
「…hmmm… 」
Edgar crossed his arms and snorted.
He seemed to be deep in thought, but there was no way he could remember this alias, since Angeline had created it on her own in the first place.
Angeline’s eyes fluttered.
「What kind of person is famous in Ed-san’s generation…?」
「Our Generation? Hmmm, yes. There were a lot of strong guys, but I’d have to say “High Sword King”. However, he left Orphen early. 」
「Imperial City? 」
「Yeah, I heard he left Rhodesia. Not to Lucretia or Tildis, but to the Eastern Federation, or something. It’s a rumor, so I don’t know exactly where he is. 」
「He’s stronger than father…? 」
「No, I don’t know … but is your dad that strong?」
「Stronger than me… 」
「That’s great. 」
Edgar scratched his cheek with a dry laugh.
Angeline’s ability was not unknown to the adventurers around Orphen. The slaying of the Demon King was widely known, and even when she matched her skill to others, the more capable ones understood that she was skilled. Even if you gather all the adventurers in the duchy, you can be sure that she is one of the fastest among the top adventurers. This was the man Angeline raved about. It sounds good even to some of the former S-ranked adventurers who have returned. It had piqued their interest, whether they liked it or not.
Edgar scratched his cheeks with a curious look on his face
「I wonder why such a great man is in the northern frontier…」
「 … 」
「”…Is your town at war with the elves?” 」
Just then, the receptionist called. Edgar stood up and answered, bidding Angeline goodbye. Angeline drank the remaining floral tea and leaned back into her chair.
She looked around without a care in the world. The building is crowded today, with adventurers coming to take requests and people bringing in new requests.
With so many people in the building, Angeline thought that it was no wonder she was kept waiting.
Right now, she was in the middle of applying for a vacation.
It’s not like back then when we had a large outbreak of monsters . We don’t need to be shy when asking for a vacation, but there are many systems put in place when creating an independent guild, and when it comes to vacations requests from S-ranked adventurers’, even if it’s just a formality, it seems that the Guild can’t just say yes to them, so Angeline was waiting in the lobby.
Angeline rubbed her hands together in boredom.
Charlotte and Byaku are being taken care of by Anessa and the others, and there’s nothing to do now that I finished chatting with Edgar, who came out for a break. I can’t leave though, so I sat quietly.
At times like this, I have to play with my imagination.
I will return to Tornela when I have a vacation. I will decide when I get there and whether I will return to Orphen before the winter, or whether I will return in the spring after the winter.
The vacation request calls for two months off, but I’m not going to keep it. And there shouldn’t be any problems if I don’t keep it.
When I return to Tornela, I will introduce father to Charlotte and Byaku.
Your father will be surprised, but he will welcome you warmly. With Belgriff with us, Charlotte won’t feel lonely and Byaku’s navel-gazing will be cured.
Then we went into the mountains to pick up some rock berries.
We’ll also collect wild grapes, akebi and mushrooms.
If we’re lucky, we’ll be able to catch some Shiragi birds.
I’m sure the potato harvest will be over by now.
What about the spring wheat harvest? If you’re done pruning, you can bake bread with the new flour. The kneaded dough can be torn into small pieces and boiled.
If you have lamb, you can put it between two slices of bread……..
「Haha……….fun. 」
Angeline giggled to herself. A party of young adventurers walked past her with a dubious look on their faces.
As she was playing in the imaginary forest, she eventually heard a voice from the receptionist. Angeline stood up.
Yuri smiled and put the papers out on the counter.
「Yes, please go over them and sign here if you’re satisfied. 」
「”Hm. 」
Angeline runs her pen smoothly without any particular issues and returns the documents to Yuri.
There’s no way the guild of Orphen would do something like last time and trick me after all this time, and I have enough trust in them. It’s a little annoying that you have to sign a single document only to get tricked again.
「It’s a lot more complicated than that…」
Yuri nodded as if she was troubled.
「I’m sorry, it’s not a problem for the guild at all, but the aristocrats who financed us were pestering us about how we’re going to send our strongest adventurer elsewhere, so we have compromise a little bit ,」
「Well I’m human too. I’m not a device that kills monsters. When you need to rest, you need to rest. 」
「Yeah, I think that’s fine. I’m sure Lio will take care of these issues. 」
Imagining a blue-faced Lionel, Angeline chuckled.
「Guildmasters are too feeble-minded…」
「Hmm, Lio is a coward by nature. That’s why he’s survived, you could say. 」
「Well my father also said that a certain amount of cowardice is necessary… Yuri, come and visit Tornela with me. 」
Yuri laughed in annoyance and patted Angeline on the head.
「No thank you. Have a good time, Angeline.」
「Mmm…. 」
The idea of going to visit Tornela about an arranged marriage was completely rejected.
Angeline’s mouth twitched, but there was no point in forcing her to go. She gave up and turned on her heel and went outside to head to her usual tavern.
The wind was becoming a bit chilly, but the smell of summer lingered in the sunshine.
It looked like a dungeon. Cold and inorganic bars creaked occasionally.
There was a rattling sound as someone cowered in the dark.
There were shackles on both ankles with chains extending from them. A dim torchlight illuminated the stone walls and floor. A number of rusty chains extended from the windowless walls.
On one of them someone was lying on the floor, chained to the wall.
However, he looked exhausted and was unable to move. He was on his back with his bare legs thrown out in front of him, his arms pillowed on his back, and his Tsubagakairo Yamataka hat on his face. He looked as if he were taking a nap with several empty bottles of alcohol laying around him..
Before long, a squad of armed soldiers appears on the other side of the bars, making the sound of armor clattering against each other.
「Get up.」
A man in black armor, who looked like a captain, said. He has a neat face, a little over thirty years old. His blond hair is cropped short and his blue eyes have a sharp gleam in them.
But the person in the cell just crossed his legs and did not even try to get up. The man in the armor kicked the bars in frustration.
「How long do you plan to stay like that? 」
「Forever. It’s not like I’m not gonna die. 」
The figure in the cell said in an aloof tone. The voice was that of a man, but it was somewhat high, but faint. The man in the armor crossed his arms in dismay.
「You pathetic bastard… yet you’re still considered one of the great demons?」
「I’m not interested in what people call me, am I? 」
The man in the prison raised his upper body in a cumbersome manner. He put back on his high hat that was once on his face.
He had the appearance of a forty-year-old man.
He is dressed in a long-sleeved shirt and trousers, which are very thin and skinny. His dull brown hair, which stretches from underneath the hat, is much longer than his shoulders. A thick beard that looked like it had grown out of too much due to laziness covered the lower half of his chiseled face.
「I was dreaming,」
The man in the hat muttered to no one. His voice was a little happy.
「The old dream … Ola and those guys, they were all young … and I was the youngest. It was fun, those were the days. 」
Then the man in the hat hugged his knees and breathed. The man in armor chuckled.
「Clinging to the illusions of the past the heroes of the past have fallen. Well, to our advantage. 」
「Hero….. 」
The man in the hat huffed and giggled. It wasn’t a laugh of amusement, but a mocking laugh.
「A fool….」
The man in the armor scowled.
「Humph … well, that’s fine. Get out. Work. 」
「Fuck it. 」
「What did you say? 」
「I don’t feel good. I don’t want to do anything. 」
Then the man in the hat rested his chin on his crossed arms in his lap.
The man in the armor furrowed his brow as he grinded the ground with his toes. The soldiers behind him raised their weapons in unison, threatening the man in the prison.
「……..Don’t be silly. If you’re too arrogant. 」
「Do you want to try it? 」
The man in the hat glared at the soldiers.
「What do you propose to do if you’re going to take me? You guys think you can do what you want with me? 」
「You think you can take me? 」
「Do you guys want to try it? Dying? 」
The man in the hat chuckled and pointed his index finger upward. The magic around him swirled causing a wind that shook the cloaks of the soldiers, even though there were no windows. The soldiers gasped.
The man in black armor stared at the man in the hat for a moment with a straight face, but then he clicked his tongue and gave a small nod to the soldiers.
The soldiers sheathed their weapons and turned around and left, no longer making wild footsteps.
The man in the hat waved his outstretched index finger in a circular manner. The shackles on his ankles came off and he rolled to the floor with a jerk. He picked it up with two fingers and threw it into the distance.
He turned his eyes to the ceiling in a daze. The fire of the torch flickered as the shadows danced on the ceiling.
The man gave a wide grasping motion and sighed sadly, wiping the tears that had floated around his eyes with his fingertips.
「………Percy, Sati…….Bel I hope you’re all well…….」
He muttered and tilted his Yamataka hat towards his face.
○
The ears of the soon-to-be-harvested spring wheat were swaying in the wind, slowly bending downwards as their weight increased.
Belgriff touched a cluster of ears to check the weight and grain content. This year’s results were not bad either. We are now looking forward to the harvest.
Soon, there will be more food to come from the mountains.
Wild grapes, rock peaches, akebi, and mushrooms. If we are lucky, we will be able to get some natural honey. This is the time of year when we usually go into the mountains alone, but we often bring young people with us.
However, more and more young people seem to be going out to the mountains by themselves since Duncan is now here, as he provides us a countermeasure against magical beasts.
With the autumn festival coming up, the village has been bustling. There is a lot of work to do: harvesting the spring barley and the beans, preparing fuel and preserves, and making food for the livestock for the winter.
Belgriff and Duncan have been assisting others during this time while tending to his fields. Duncan has been doing the same.
While I was going over all the arrangements in my head, Mito plodded over and hung on to my leg. His long hair is tied up behind his head because the scissors can’t cut through it.
「Oto-san….」
「”Hm. 」
Belgriff picked up Mito.
「What’s wrong? Where’s grandfather? 」
「Grandpa, that way. 」
When I looked in the direction of Mito’s pointing, Graham was facing Marguerite and holding a wooden sword.
Even Marguerite, who usually played around with her sword, was visibly nervous against Graham, holding her sword with a serious expression and looking intently at the opportunity.
This elven master and apprentice were now completely at home in Tornella.
Although they hadn’t set up this place as a home, with Mito’s presence, it seemed that Graham had no intention of leaving here for a while.
Marguerite also seems to have realized her lack of strength after the series of disturbances, and while Graham was training her, she was going into the forest with Belgriff and others to learn the basics of exploration as well.
He grew up in the forest, and the forest he saw as a mere elf and the forest he saw as an adventurer seemed to have a different perspective, and Marguerite seemed to enjoy it as well.
While she acted as crudely and thoughtlessly as before, it was obvious she was troubled by something as she was deep in thought , and was nowadays taking walks on the plains on the outskirts by herself. (Not a great edit, so if someone can look it over, it’d be great)
The troubled look on her face at that time seemed terribly fragile, partly due to the beauty of the elven race.
Belgriff, on the other hand, had drastically reduced the sword training he used to do. He only misses the early morning and evening sword training, but now he was training more and more in meditation and breathing exercises.
At forty-three, it was clear that training the body would no longer increase one’s ability.
It’s a very good idea to know what you’re looking for. It’s a good idea to know what to expect when you are young.
The sensitivity to the sword and the efficient movement of magical power within the body, taught by Graham, made Belgriff, who had been struggling to make any progress, take a step forward.
From a dynamic sword to a more static sword, although it was hard to tell from the side, Belgriff himself felt the change for sure.
Ironic, Belgriff thought.
Ever since he had fought as an adventurer, he had felt his talents as a vanguard had come to a halt.
But the loss of his legs had forced him to wield a different sword than he had then. He didn’t expect it to blossom like this.
I’m not sure if it’s a good idea for you to be able to get your hands on a new one. Marguerite, who is that strong, looks like a beginner with a sword when compared to Graham.
Mito made a strange face and pointed at it.
「Grandfather and Marie, are you fighting?」
「Well, it’s not exactly a fight, is it? 」
「But he was… 」
「What? No, it’s just training. 」
Belgriff drew Mito closer, who was on the verge of slipping off.
「Well, we have a job to do. Mito, what do you want to do now? Are you coming with your dad? Or are you going with your grandfather? 」
「I’m with my father. 」
「Okay. 」
With Mito in his arms, Belgriff walked down the side of the field. Sowing and plowing songs could be heard from all around.
We have to dig up the potatoes for the spring planting. The potatoes are one of the most important staple foods, along with the wheat. They grow well even in Tornera, which has a cold climate.
Once dug, we have to put them in the basket. It’s a job I’m used to, but it’s work where I have to bend my back. I have to occasionally stand up and stretch my hips when I have to do it for a long time.
Next to Belgriff digging the potatoes, Mito sits down gazing into the air. There seemed to be some insects flying around, and he followed them with his eyes.
Suddenly, one of the crickets jumped up.
As soon as Mito found it, he caught it with his hand and tossed it into his mouth, munching on it.
Belgriff gave it a sidelong glance and went over to Mito with a furrowed brow.
「Hey, Mito,」
「”Hm. 」
「I told you not to pick them up and eat them. 」
「”Mm 」
「Did you think I didn’t see you? 」
「Uh….. 」
Mito hesitantly gave a small nod. Belgriff sighed.
I’m not sure if it’s because of the fact that Mito is not human.
It’s not just bugs. I’ve seen Mito while in the middle of a meal chewing on a plate with food on it, or eating leaves, branches and stones from the garden.
It’s a very good idea to have a good idea of what you’re talking about.
The villagers also think of Mito as an ordinary abandoned child and love him, but I don’t know what their reaction will be when they see such a scene. You can laugh it off as a strange child, but you don’t want to be avoided as an unknowable entity.
That’s why Belgriff was always flabbergasted by this part of Mito’s life and never let the kids play with him alone or leave him with anyone other than Graham, Duncan and others who knew what was going on.
It didn’t seem like something that could be hidden forever, and there was no end to the worries at hand, such as what to do when his identity was exposed to the light of day, but apart from this kind of bad habit, Mito was completely harmless. He is innocent, curious, and adorable. Even though he’s a bit younger in speech and behavior than he appears, the villagers also love him well.
「what will be, will be. 」
Belgriff muttered and threw the dug-out potatoes into the basket.
Mito glanced to the side, his eyes closed and swayed from side to side in a daze.
「Oi, Lord Bell」
Suddenly, Duncan appeared in front of him. Belgriff looked up from the ground.
「What’s the matter?」
「It’s almost lunchtime, you know. I’d like you to join us. 」
「Oh, is it that time already… 」
It’s true, if you look up, the sun is close to the zenith. Before I knew it, my basket was full of potatoes.
「Yeah, let’s go. Come on, Mito. 」
Belgriff called, and Mito came plodding over. Belgriff put the potato basket on the edge of the field and picked up Mito.
○
「The Tornela wedding party is going to be a failure…」
In the guild lobby, Angeline plopped down at the table and muttered to herself. The man sitting across from her shook his head in relief.
「I don’t know what you’re thinking, but I’m sorry for your loss. 」
「”…Mr. Ed, do you know of anyone who would be good candidates for being a wife? 」
「No, I don’t. What do you mean by a potential wife? Are you looking for one?」
「It’s not for me, it’s for my father…. 」
At Angeline’s words, the man called Mr. Ed nodded his head.
「Your father, doesn’t have a wife?」
「Well I’m adopted, so… 」
「I see. 」
The man who was called Mr. Ed nodded in amusement.
This man with dark brown hair cut short, almost black, and a bandana wrapped around his head was called Edgar.
He was a former member of Lionel’s party and one of those who had come from the Imperial City.
He is an active adventurer in the imperial capital and has a rank of AAA, and since returning to the Orphen’s Adventurer guild, he has been supporting Lionel by doing various jobs, whether it be on the front lines or in negotiations.
Edgar doesn’t cover much of the same ground as I do, as we both specialize in different things, so we’ve only had some small talk, but this is the first time we’ve been able to sit down and leisurely chat like this.
The search for Belgriff’s wife, which Angeline had planned, was already on the verge of failure because none of the prospective wives were willing to take the plunge on their own volition.
Angeline herself has not yet given up, but she has been rejected by all the women she thinks her father can marry, and now she is out of options.
Angeline, who had hoped that she could have a mother, has been complaining to everyone she meets these days.
Edgar sipped his flower tea and said.
「Angie’s father is a Red Orge, isn’t he? Is that the same as me in terms of generation? 」
「How old are you, Ed? 」
「I’ll be forty this year, the same as Lionel. Ah, I’m getting old … 」
Edgar said and leaned deeply into the back of the chair.
I’m sure you’ll find that the wrinkles around his eyes are becoming noticeable and that his white hair is beginning e to show.
「So, how old is your father? 」
「Forty-three… 」
「Hmm. I heard you were an adventurer. 」
「Yeah…」
Angeline sipped her floral tea. Edgar’s gaze swam as he thought.
「 I’ve never heard of it. Are you sure he was an adventurer in Orphen? 」
「Yes. 」
「…hmmm… 」
Edgar crossed his arms and snorted.
He seemed to be deep in thought, but there was no way he could remember this alias, since Angeline had created it on her own in the first place.
Angeline’s eyes fluttered.
「What kind of person is famous in Ed-san’s generation…?」
「Our Generation? Hmmm, yes. There were a lot of strong guys, but I’d have to say “High Sword King”. However, he left Orphen early. 」
「Imperial City? 」
「Yeah, I heard he left Rhodesia. Not to Lucretia or Tildis, but to the Eastern Federation, or something. It’s a rumor, so I don’t know exactly where he is. 」
「He’s stronger than father…? 」
「No, I don’t know … but is your dad that strong?」
「Stronger than me… 」
「That’s great. 」
Edgar scratched his cheek with a dry laugh.
Angeline’s ability was not unknown to the adventurers around Orphen. The slaying of the Demon King was widely known, and even when she matched her skill to others, the more capable ones understood that she was skilled. Even if you gather all the adventurers in the duchy, you can be sure that she is one of the fastest among the top adventurers. This was the man Angeline raved about. It sounds good even to some of the former S-ranked adventurers who have returned. It had piqued their interest, whether they liked it or not.
Edgar scratched his cheeks with a curious look on his face
「I wonder why such a great man is in the northern frontier…」
「 … 」
「”…Is your town at war with the elves?” 」
Just then, the receptionist called. Edgar stood up and answered, bidding Angeline goodbye. Angeline drank the remaining floral tea and leaned back into her chair.
She looked around without a care in the world. The building is crowded today, with adventurers coming to take requests and people bringing in new requests.
With so many people in the building, Angeline thought that it was no wonder she was kept waiting.
Right now, she was in the middle of applying for a vacation.
It’s not like back then when we had a large outbreak of monsters . We don’t need to be shy when asking for a vacation, but there are many systems put in place when creating an independent guild, and when it comes to vacations requests from S-ranked adventurers’, even if it’s just a formality, it seems that the Guild can’t just say yes to them, so Angeline was waiting in the lobby.
Angeline rubbed her hands together in boredom.
Charlotte and Byaku are being taken care of by Anessa and the others, and there’s nothing to do now that I finished chatting with Edgar, who came out for a break. I can’t leave though, so I sat quietly.
At times like this, I have to play with my imagination.
I will return to Tornela when I have a vacation. I will decide when I get there and whether I will return to Orphen before the winter, or whether I will return in the spring after the winter.
The vacation request calls for two months off, but I’m not going to keep it. And there shouldn’t be any problems if I don’t keep it.
When I return to Tornela, I will introduce father to Charlotte and Byaku.
Your father will be surprised, but he will welcome you warmly. With Belgriff with us, Charlotte won’t feel lonely and Byaku’s navel-gazing will be cured.
Then we went into the mountains to pick up some rock berries.
We’ll also collect wild grapes, akebi and mushrooms.
If we’re lucky, we’ll be able to catch some Shiragi birds.
I’m sure the potato harvest will be over by now.
What about the spring wheat harvest? If you’re done pruning, you can bake bread with the new flour. The kneaded dough can be torn into small pieces and boiled.
If you have lamb, you can put it between two slices of bread……..
「Haha……….fun. 」
Angeline giggled to herself. A party of young adventurers walked past her with a dubious look on their faces.
As she was playing in the imaginary forest, she eventually heard a voice from the receptionist. Angeline stood up.
Yuri smiled and put the papers out on the counter.
「Yes, please go over them and sign here if you’re satisfied. 」
「”Hm. 」
Angeline runs her pen smoothly without any particular issues and returns the documents to Yuri.
There’s no way the guild of Orphen would do something like last time and trick me after all this time, and I have enough trust in them. It’s a little annoying that you have to sign a single document only to get tricked again.
「It’s a lot more complicated than that…」
Yuri nodded as if she was troubled.
「I’m sorry, it’s not a problem for the guild at all, but the aristocrats who financed us were pestering us about how we’re going to send our strongest adventurer elsewhere, so we have compromise a little bit ,」
「Well I’m human too. I’m not a device that kills monsters. When you need to rest, you need to rest. 」
「Yeah, I think that’s fine. I’m sure Lio will take care of these issues. 」
Imagining a blue-faced Lionel, Angeline chuckled.
「Guildmasters are too feeble-minded…」
「Hmm, Lio is a coward by nature. That’s why he’s survived, you could say. 」
「Well my father also said that a certain amount of cowardice is necessary… Yuri, come and visit Tornela with me. 」
Yuri laughed in annoyance and patted Angeline on the head.
「No thank you. Have a good time, Angeline.」
「Mmm…. 」
The idea of going to visit Tornela about an arranged marriage was completely rejected.
Angeline’s mouth twitched, but there was no point in forcing her to go. She gave up and turned on her heel and went outside to head to her usual tavern.
The wind was becoming a bit chilly, but the smell of summer lingered in the sunshine.
