abcnovels
Chapter 28
Chapter 28
Chapter 28
“Garid.”
If the beginning of being adult is defined by leaving the care of parents and becoming independent as an individual, then I haven’t yet outgrown my childhood.
Perhaps, I never will.
Garid is everything to me, after all.
I sighed as I looked down at Crimson Aegis.
“…To be honest, I’m still not ready.”
Leaving Garid… and stepping out into the world.
“I won’t say something like ‘Garid wouldn’t want me to live like this,’ though.”
Maybe Garid truly wouldn’t have wanted that, but I don’t want to use Garid’s wishes as an excuse for my actions.
So, the fact that I’ve decided to leave Garid for a while is entirely my own will.“…There’s something I need to find out.”
Since it doesn’t seem like he’d drag his lofty self all the way here, I’ve got no choice.
The thirsty one must dig the well.
It’s a relief that thanks to the snake’s barrier, I don’t have to worry about thieves.
Since it was a life-threatening vow, I’m sure there won’t be any tampering with the barrier, so I should be safe for now.
“So….”
I hesitated for a long while, then finally opened my mouth.
“I’ll be back, Dad.”
I promise.
I’ll come back.
***
“…Late.”
If I had known it would be like this, I would’ve set a specific time.
I came down from the Forest to the usual spot where Joanie arrives, but even after expanding my Aura Perception, there was no sign of her coming yet.
Rustle, rustle.
The person I’m waiting for isn’t here, but strange things are gathering.
I looked around at the people surrounding me from a distance.
Judging by their blurry faces, they must be Apostles.
They don’t seem hostile, so I’m leaving them be, but being gawked at like this doesn’t feel great.
Hmm…
Tap, tap.
She tapped the sword hanging from her waist.
…If they’re an Apostle, wouldn’t it be okay if they die once?
“Canaria!”
As she was seriously contemplating, a familiar voice reached her ears.
“J-Just a moment! I’m coming through! W-Whoa?!”
Joanie, who had been struggling to push through the thick crowd, was suddenly shoved forward and popped out like she had been launched.
It was, in a way, a very Joanie-like entrance.
“You’re late.”
“Sorry, sorry! Well, um… I had a lot of preparations!”
“Preparations.”
“Yes, preparations!”
Joanie proudly puffed out her chest as if explaining herself, even though no one had asked.
“Trust me. I’ll make you feel right at home!”
“…Hmm.”
…Why doesn’t she seem reliable at all?
“So, where are we going?”
See? She didn’t even ask about the destination before asking me to take her along. How can anyone trust someone like that?
“To the Sedeth Kingdom.”
Grasis Kingdom is located in the western part of the Ardina Continent… or at least it used to be. Meanwhile, the Sedeth Kingdom is in the southeastern corner of the continent, so it’ll be quite a long journey.
It wouldn’t take long if I ran at full speed, but with a companion, that’s out of the question.
“If we use the Teleport Gate… Oh.”
Joanie, who had been mumbling to herself, suddenly froze as if realizing something and glanced at me, gauging my reaction.
The Teleport Gate is a service run by the Tower of Magic, which operates under the Empire. Although the Tower isn’t technically part of the Empire, they receive a massive amount of support from it. Naturally, they wouldn’t want to upset the Empire.
Plus, using the gate to reach the Sedeth Kingdom would require passing through several gates within the Empire’s territory, and that’s a bit tricky. After all, it’s one thing for the Empire not to pursue me, and another for me to walk right into their territory.
There’s also another issue.
“Do you have a lot of money?”
“Ah…”
Crossing the continent via teleport would cost a fortune.
There’s a reason people prefer the hard way of traveling by carriage or horseback rather than using the quick and convenient Teleport Gate.
The reason I was dumbfounded when I saw the knights invading last time was because of that.
They crossed over using something we wouldn’t even use during a war, unless it was a life-or-death situation, so you can imagine how I felt.
Looking at it that way, the snake’s words about “young and hot-blooded guys” seem a bit off.
“Rich and hot-blooded guys” is more accurate.
“Then, are we walking?”
“We need to get a carriage.”
Even I don’t want to walk that far.
Spending several days bouncing around inside a carriage isn’t easy, but it’s much better than walking for days on end.
Not for me, but for this frail companion of mine.
“If there’s a caravan heading to Sedeth, we can join as guards. If not, we’ll have to hire a coachman.”
There are pros and cons to both options, so I can’t say which is better.
Besides, it’s questionable whether there’s even a caravan going to Sedeth from here.
“Let’s go, for now.”
“Wh-where to?”
“To the village.”
We won’t find a caravan or a carriage here.
And to do that, we’ll need to get through those Apostles…
Fine, I get it.
Srrrng.
“Wait!”
Wham!
As I half-drew my sword, Joanie rushed over in a hurry.
“I’ll talk to them…!”
They’re going to revive even if they die, so I don’t get why she’s so worked up.
***
Garid’s hometown is a small village at the base of a rugged mountain.
According to him, he’s been freely climbing that treacherous mountain, something even adults struggle with, ever since he was a child, but believe it or not.
Whether Garid’s words are true or not isn’t important, so let’s move on. In such a small village, it was no surprise we couldn’t find a caravan or a carriage, so we naturally set our sights on the nearest larger city.
The closest large city from here would be Ordo.
When I asked Joanie if she knew about Ordo, she confidently nodded.
“Ordo? Of course, I know!”
And then she started explaining, though I couldn’t understand all of it. From what I gathered, the city of Ordo still exists.
“Well, it’s hard for a large city to collapse all at once, isn’t it?
Now that I think about it, Grasis really pulled off something difficult.
Anyway, after the fall of Grasis, it seems Ordo chose to remain an independent free city, likely due to having sufficient economic and military power to sustain itself instead of being absorbed into the Empire.
Ordo, Ordo…
I might even run into some familiar faces there.
“Oh, right! Kana, take this.”
“…A cape?”
“I mended it. How does it look? Not bad, huh?”
To be honest, when I handed over the torn cape to Joanie, who offered to fix it, I didn’t expect much.
If it worked out, great. If not, oh well.
I’d used it for a while and had grown fond of it, but it wasn’t full of memories or anything. Buying a new one would just feel slightly disappointing, nothing more.
What’s truly important is something else.
…
I fiddled with the choker around my neck.
“…Yeah, it’s fine.”
The torn hood was neatly repaired as if it had never been ripped, and all the frayed spots were carefully patched up.
If I looked closely, I could see the stitching, but from a casual glance, it was so tidy that you’d barely notice it had been mended.
I never expected Joanie to have such skill.
“They say even a rolling dung beetle has its own talents.”
Had she opened a repair shop instead of wielding a sword as a mercenary, she might have made a fortune.
“Huh? Kana, what did you say?”
“Nothing.”
As I wrapped the cape around me with practiced hands and moved to pull up the hood, Joanie suddenly stopped me.
“Kana, wait a minute.”
“…?”
“Could you, um, not wear the hood?”
Her sudden request made me tilt my head in confusion.
It’s not that I can’t, but…
“Why?”
“Your cute face will be hidden.”
“…What nonsense are you saying?”
To nonchalantly throw out a line that sounds like something straight out of a cheesy comic…
Maybe in my previous life, I’d have been a bit flustered, but after going through all kinds of turmoil, it didn’t affect me at all.
I scoffed and turned my head away.
I didn’t wear the hood.”
“…So cute.”
Joanie murmured softly.
Kana tried her best to act nonchalant, but the tips of her ears, visible through her sweet pink hair, were flushed red, and there was a slight blush barely visible on her pale cheeks.
Joanie watched Kana, who had turned her head away, with a warm smile.
Even the viewers watching through the broadcast seemed to wholeheartedly sympathize with Joanie’s feelings, as the chat room was in a frenzy.
—So cute, haha!
—I want to pet her..
—Why is it only you? Why only you? Why only you?
—I want to talk to Kana too, ???
“Ah, Kana is mine.”
—Since when did the chicks have a say???
—Isn’t it that Kana is not the host’s, but the host is Kana’s?
—Hey, can opener.
—Hey! The orders are piling up, so hurry and deliver!
“…”
Joanie’s eyes widened sharply as she saw the hyenas charging at her like they were ready to pounce.
As expected, they were eager to tease her.
Joanie let out a puff of breath and changed her expression to a victorious smile.
“Yeah~ No matter what you say, the one who’s going on a date with Kana is me. Aren’t you jealous? Isn’t your stomach hurting? Aren’t you envious? So what else can you do besides watch us?”
—This is just…
—Message deleted.
—Message deleted.
—Should I kill you, Master?
“Hey, no bad words allowed.”
Keeping it light and playful.
Joanie dealt with those trying to cross the line, subtly reminding them.
—Just wait. I’m coming to kill you.
—Checking the route to Ordo.
—I sharpened my sword for this day…
“Are you planning to fight? There’s Kana beside me. Do you think you can beat our Kana? Come at me if you can~”
—Ah, haha, I feel like slapping you.
—Using a child as a shield, aren’t you ashamed?
—Ugly young woman.
“Hehe, it’s nothing to me anyway!”
Those who have eaten meat know how to eat well; while the context is slightly different, Joanie had experienced enough teasing from the viewers to know how to get under people’s skin.
Seeing the chat blowing up with anger as she had predicted, she kept grinning.
The comment about hiding behind a child did sting a bit, but…
‘I’ve already done it once; what’s stopping me from doing it again?’
As someone who had been protected by Kana when the Imperial Army invaded Lo Arka, Joanie brushed it off lightly.
Whether it was right or wrong to take pride in that was not a thought in her mind.
As she watched the flustered Kana and teased the viewers, the well-trodden path unfolded before Joanie’s eyes.
“This path leads straight to Ordo. …But Kana probably already knows that!”
Joanie realized that Kana was from Grasis and, embarrassed, abruptly stopped her explanation intended for the viewers.
This was akin to showing off in front of a pro.
But Kana remained completely unfazed, while Joanie’s face turned red from embarrassment.
Waving her hand to cool her face, Joanie feigned indifference as she spoke.
“When we arrive, we’ll eat something delicious…”
Stomp, stomp.
— “…I found her.”
However, she couldn’t finish her sentence.
Right in front of them, a stranger appeared, pointing a sword at them.
“Gulp!”
For a moment, Joanie thought it was a knight chasing after Kana and lifted her head, only to be startled into a gulp by the sword aimed at her.
Not an article, but a player…!
Joanie, realizing the identity of the intruder, asked in a trembling voice.
“Wh-who are you…?”
— “I came because you invited me to come!”
“Gulp!”
Joanie, taken aback by the unexpected visit she had never imagined would happen, took a step back, then another.
—Hahaha
—This is hilarious!
—Hahahaha
—I won’t forget you, martyr ????
The chat was already in a festive mood. Everyone wished for her death.
As Joanie rolled her eyes to assess the situation, she suddenly smiled.
“Hmph! I have Canaria with me, you know?”
Normally, she would have tried to persuade or find a way to escape, but now she felt secure with her strong escort. Joanie turned to call for Canaria.
“Canaria?”
“Yeah?”
“Look over there! They’re blocking our way!”
We have to… take care of this, right?
Joanie’s expectation-filled gaze met Canaria’s, who tilted her head.
“…So?”
“…Huh?”
This wasn’t the reaction she expected….
Joanie, more flustered than when the intruder appeared, spoke again.
“Um, I mean, they’re blocking our path!”
“Yeah, and?”
But what Joanie didn’t know was this:
First, Canaria wouldn’t draw her sword unless it was a special situation or there was hostility.
Second, Canaria had an exceptional ability to sense hostility.
In other words, Canaria, realizing that the intruder bore no ill will towards her, had no intention of stepping up first.
“It seems like they want to talk to you, so handle it well.”
Though she didn’t fully understand everything, Joanie could grasp Canaria’s intention through her folded arms and stepping back.
“Ka, Canariaaaa!”
— “Ha, hahahaha…”
The harmony of the despairing cry of someone betrayed by the one they trusted, the mockery of the intruder, and the laughter of the viewers echoed together.