Book 3: Chapter 11

Book 3: Chapter 11

Nostalgic Place

Ariayouuu, you went back by yourself leaving behind your teacher. After that a scout came back with fast horse bringing information, so I managed to slip in the commotion and escaped but, itll be better if you dont show our face in this towns guild for a while. Aa, also I got the payment for the magic stone with me.

Right, sorry. Thank you.

As I thought it really became troublesome. Even so I couldnt possibly just stay silent without reporting, so I only handed the information while pushing off everything else to others, but it looked like the scout in that town was capable and immediately came here to notify the guild about the extermination of the orcs.

It will be hectic for the lord and the adventurer guild after this.

Oi, dont act like its someone elses problem. But well, guess this is still better compared to having to face the orcs head on.

Baron Horace wouldnt be able to cancel his reinforcement request to his caregiver and other noble houses based on only report from adventurer. He would have to send his soldiers in great hurry to verify the information.

If the information was correct than the soldiers dispatch had to be stopped, but he would still need to pay some reparation even if he stopped it at this point. Well, even so it was just as Viro said, it should still be better compared to having his town getting attacked by a group of orc and his people and soldiers got exposed to mortal danger.

Anyway lets confirm our plan going forward.

Roger.

I was waiting in Galbass workshop and Viro also returned there. We coordinated our schedule in there.

Viro was supposed to take command for the orc subjugation that suddenly got requested, but that problem had been solved. It seemed that he was told to stay here for the time being until the barons soldiers had verified the truth, but even that would be finished in around one week.

I was also not in my best condition, and Viro too wanted to go to pick up one more comrade, so we arranged to meet three months later in the territory of Duke Helton at the west part of Claydale Kingdom.

It should also be possible for Grave to move on to another place if we took that much time but, in that case Viro said that he would leave behind message to me in the adventurer guild of big cities like at Dandall.

With this I got time to stop by at masters place but.

This request, is it from that organization as expected?

When I confirmed just in case, Viro lightly crossed his arms and made an unusually serious face.

Are you still doubting that organization? I dont know the reason why Grave turned traitor but, at the very least that organization didnt give any order to kill you. There isnt even any reason for that, or rather, in the first place even the reason why Grave attacked you is unclear.

At that time Grave said it was because a noble got interested to me. He also said about me getting too close to royalty. What does he mean?

By royalty he must meant about me getting too close to Elena. As for the matter of noblewas there still any biological family who was looking for me?

ThatsI dont know. Perhaps someone like Sera will know but, should I try asking her?

No need. Ill lower my wariness but, Ill continue keeping distance to that organization for a while. Is that alright?

Its not like Im a member of that organization, so I cant tell you whats alright or not. After all itll also be dangerous if you completely believe them. But, is it alright if I at least tell Sera and her son that youre alive?

Hmmthats fine.

Viro made a slightly relieved look when I nodded. As I thought, it seemed he was also requested by Sera or someone else to investigate about my wellbeing.

Also, if youre still planning to get involved with the princess from here on, you better prepare yourself to get involved with that organization too. I can tell you now that organization is this countrys black ops. Even if youre planning to live as adventurer, youll definitely get involved with them one day when youre this strong.

Got it.

I had assumed that to some degree by the time Elena was involved but, as expected, they were a black ops organization, this countrys intelligence agency huh.

A black ops that had intelligence network spreading throughout the whole country and also have influence in the open. Making them enemy would be even more troublesome than with the assassin guild. I would have no other option except running away to other country the moment I made them into enemy.

(So itll soon be the time for me to resolve myself huh.)

I whispered inside my heart and let out a deep sigh as though to let out the thing accumulating inside me.

I had simply been running away until now but, I decided that I wouldnt run away anymore. If there the people who were involved with the so called Otome game and the family looking for me tried to drag me into destiny again, I would remove them forcefully.

If my strength was insufficientat that time, lets also held the resolve to throw away my life rather than living as controlled puppet.

I killed enemy because that was the most logical way to solve a problem.

That was why when killing enemy, I didnt feel anything. I didnt kill other based on emotion and I also had no reason to show mercy to them.

That was why I didnt feel hesitation with living.

.

I became shadow and ran through the forest. I only ate fruits that I found and the preserved food I brought with me. When I got tired I would take a short nap on a tree. I didnt know the precise location of the national border but, I was able to find traces of people on large rock or cliff while moving through the forest.

Barrier?

I noticed that inside the forest there would be spaces that purified magic particles that were laced with negative attributemiasma in each interval.

Human could live in this world that was filled with monster because the higher ranked a monster was, the smarter they would be. That kind of being knew just how threatening humans were in group.

That was why stronger monster had the tendency to avoid human settlement. Most likely these purified spaces were from magic stones filled with light magic particles that were buried into the ground, just like in the surrounding of village or city where humans lived.

That was a warning to monster that the place was where human lived. This was a trace that human had visited this place which formed a path. And this path was definitely leading to a place where human lived.

Even so, as expected from this location. I had caught sight of several powerful monsters, perhaps because of the proximity of this place to the monster habitat.

Beast demihuman race Ogre that was a monster with strength of upper end rank 3. A rank 4 tree monster Treant. Rank 5 mythical beasts Griffon and Troll.

I managed to avoid the Griffon because I noticed it first but, the chance I died would be higher if it found me first.

There.

I passed through that forest where death was always lurking around closely and after ten days, I was able to see a big lake through the gaps of the forest from a rocky place where I was standing.

That was the lake at the border between the territory of Count Basshu and Baron Seylace that I passed before this too. The only big lake around here was there so there was no doubt.

I headed straight to the lake from the rocky place and then I headed north from there. I finally arrived at human settlement there and stayed for a night in a nearby town, and then I spent four nights travelling before I finally arrived at the territory of Baron Seylace for the third time.

.

The brother and sister of Seylace House might be at the age to enroll into the academy around now. Were the two of them in the royal capital? Perhaps the big sister had come of age and returned here, but either way I had no plan to go meet them.

The problem of mysterious person who attacked the people here had been resolved, so I had no more reason to meet the two of them.

Even so this was the place where I fought Grave and lost. This place left a deep impression to me.

Graveyou tried to kill me after considering me a danger from getting too close to a royalty. But this time Id be the one hunting you as an existence that might harm Elena.

Regardless of what kind of reason you had, Id deal with you as my enemy.

It had been nearly a year since the last time I showed my face at masters place to report about the destruction of the assassin guild. I arrived at masters hermitage bringing a lot of salt and spices as souvenir. There I found that field of medicinal herb had grown a bit bigger with the addition of some grasses I didnt know.

Im back, master.

I entered inside the hermitage that was filled with nostalgic medicinal smell and put down my luggage. Master came out from the alchemy room in the back. She smiled suggestively while lifting up her face that had the characteristic glossy black skin of dark elf.

Youre late, surly disciple. Even though I had been making preparation because I thought its about time you come back, all my efforts would get wasted if you take any longer.

Preparation?

It was as though master had predicted my return. She put the potion bottles she was holding into a box without any hurry in her movement. Then she approached me and hugged me inside her arms.

You have grown a bit bigger again. But arent you getting a bit thinner? Welcome homeAria.

Like this I returned home to where the only person in this world who I could call family was living.

YesIm home, master.