Fragmented Memories

Have you ever found the concept of a “hero” strange? People are calling her a hero, and yet she hasn’t really accomplished anything of note so far, despite being summoned from an entirely different world.

Now, I’m not saying she hasn’t done anything at all. She’s saved countless lives and stopped more than a few evil deeds. And that, without a doubt, is admirable. But still, did it have to be her? Was that something worth abandoning her home world, her entire life, for? No, I don’t think so. That can’t possibly be right. After all, the role of a hero is, by definition, to save the world. There’s no way her supposed “great deeds” would amount to just that.

And yet, it seems that’s all they’ll ever amount to. Because the truth is, that role—the one she was meant to fulfill—has already been stolen. And by someone who was never even supposed to be here.

No, saying it was stolen might be going too far. That would be a little harsh. I know he didn’t mean any harm. Even so...as the one who gave her that role to begin with, I can’t help but feel a certain way about it. And the same goes for you, Star Maiden. You were meant to stand beside the Champion and save this world together. The praise you should have received, the recognition you were owed... It never came. And for that, I’m truly devastated. Which is why I want to make you a proposal.

Why don’t we return this world to the way it should be? To the rightful future that would have come to pass, if only he had never arrived.

When Allen awoke, the first thing he saw was an unfamiliar ceiling. He blinked several times, then tilted his head in confusion.

“Uh...where am I?!”

The moment he tried to recall where he was, a sharp headache struck him. Thankfully, it passed quickly, but the discomfort made him grimace.

“Hmm... I’m not hungover, right? I don’t remember drinking. Wait. Hold on,” he mumbled half jokingly, only to freeze. Maybe this wasn’t a joke after all. Because he couldn’t remember anything about going to bed. Not even close.

“Actually, it’s worse than that... I might not remember anything before that either.”

If his memory was correct, Allen should have been in a remote Frontier town. But...

“Yeah, this definitely isn’t the Frontier...”

He sat up and looked out the window, greeted by a cityscape that was clearly nothing like the outskirts. The buildings were more developed, and the architecture was entirely different. And more than anything—if his instincts were right—he recognized this place.

“This is...the royal capital, right? Probably.”

The city of Adastera, Caldea. Allen didn’t know the capital well, but he was fairly sure that was where he was. And yet, he had no memory of traveling there.

“Did I get drunk and black out everything from yesterday? I mean...I guess it’s not impossible.”

Allen wasn’t really much of a drinker. He could drink if he wanted to, but a particularly bad hangover once after drinking with friends had put him off. As a result, he rarely drank by choice, certainly not enough to black out.

“That said, I really don’t remember anything...”

It wasn’t just the memory of going to sleep that was missing. He had absolutely no recollection of coming to the capital in the first place, and it wasn’t the sort of distance one could travel from the Frontier in just a day or two. Well, Allen could manage it if he really tried. But if he had come here, it meant he had a reason and had done so of his own will. Then, somewhere along the way, he had lost his memories.

“Yeah, there’s no point thinking about it too hard if I’m not getting anywhere.”

There were no signs of his memory coming back, and trying to force it would get him nowhere. Allen decided to stop pondering it altogether. It was almost a kind of resignation, but the reason he could make that decision so easily was because he didn’t feel any immediate danger. There was no sense of hostility around him, and aside from the missing memories, nothing seemed off.

He appeared to be in a room at an inn of some kind. Nothing seemed to have been stolen. His sword was right there, propped up next to the bed. Given the circumstances, there was no need to stress over it.

“And if I can’t figure it out myself, I just have to ask someone who knows, right?”

Somehow, he didn’t think he’d come to the capital alone, which meant someone else must have been there with him. He didn’t know who, but if this was an inn, that person might be in another room. The best thing to do was find them and ask what happened. Simple as that.

With that thought, Allen quickly gathered his things and promptly left the room.

“Hmm... This might be more of a pain than I originally thought...”

Muttering to himself with a sigh, Allen scratched his head as he stared at the inn on the screen.

It was about two hours ago that he’d confirmed he had stayed at the inn the previous night. The innkeeper had looked understandably confused at first, but after a moment, they’d confirmed it without hesitation. There was no doubt about it.

However, the biggest issue was that apparently, Allen had stayed there alone. There was no reason for the innkeeper to lie, so it had to be true. And that left only two possibilities: Either he had come with someone but, for whatever reason, they’d stayed at a different inn...or he had come to the capital entirely on his own.

The former didn’t seem likely. Which meant, by process of elimination, the latter had to be the case. Still, that didn’t sit right with him. It wasn’t as if Allen had never traveled alone before. But when it came to a visit to the royal capital, he couldn’t think of any reason he’d come by himself. If he had come along with someone like Riese, acting as her escort, that would make perfect sense.

And yet, when he’d tried asking around, all he’d gotten were answers that only reinforced that fact that he’d stayed there alone, which was a deeply unsatisfying conclusion. Even in the capital, elves and Amazons were rare enough to draw attention. Riese’s silver hair, in particular, would’ve stood out. If she’d been walking around the city, someone would’ve noticed.

But no matter who he asked, the answer was the same: No one had seen a girl like that. He’d gotten a few suspicious looks in the process, but he supposed that couldn’t be helped. After all, it hadn’t been that long since Riese had lived in the capital as a princess. Allen hadn’t mentioned her name, but for those who remembered, it wouldn’t have been hard to figure out who he was talking about. And if someone was looking for a former princess, it was only natural to be met with a bit of suspicion.

Still, the fact remained that no one had seen her, which left only one conclusion: Allen had come here alone. Even if it didn’t seem likely, all the evidence was pointing in that direction. He didn’t want to believe it. And he had his reasons.

In truth, he’d already known, ever since the moment he’d opened his eyes. He’d lost his memory. But admitting it meant facing something he wasn’t ready to accept. If he had no memories of what came before, then he already knew what that meant. He’d gotten dragged into something again.

“Those peaceful days are still a distant dream, huh?” he sighed.

Allen knew it was pointless to complain. The question now was what kind of mess he’d found himself in this time. If he really had come here alone, was it because he believed he could handle it by himself? Or had he decided it would be safer?

At the very least, aside from his missing memories, he didn’t seem to be injured or under any immediate threat. He hadn’t sensed anyone tailing him or watching him either. Maybe, just maybe, he’d already resolved whatever issue had brought him here.

That thought crossed his mind, but he quickly shook it off. Too optimistic. If someone else had been with him, he would have checked with them, pieced together what had happened. But with no one else around, he had to assume nothing was resolved. Better to move forward with caution. And if it turned out the danger had already passed? Well, then he’d just have been overly careful. That was a small price to pay.

Having reached that conclusion, Allen took a deep breath and set off to decide his next move.

The next course of action Allen took—at least in the immediate term—wasn’t much different than what he’d been doing already, which was continuing to ask people around town for information. The only difference was the nature of the questions. This time, instead of inquiring about specific individuals, he asked if anything unusual had happened recently. After all, the fact that he was in the capital at all must have meant there was something to be concerned about here, something that had drawn him in. If that were true, then asking around should reveal at least some clue, even if it wasn’t a direct answer.

Or at least, that was the idea. But, to put it plainly, he’d gotten nowhere. No matter who he asked, the only answer he ever got was that the capital was as peaceful as ever. Strictly speaking, that didn’t mean nothing had happened; however...

“All peaceful, thanks to the Champion!”

Everyone had said the same thing. Allen narrowed his eyes. They didn’t mean the Champion had literally been solving every problem themselves. More likely, they meant that the capital remained stable under her influence, that her presence alone had a calming effect on the kingdom.

Apparently, no one had seen her around lately either, and yet people still believed things were peaceful because of her, which, in a way, spoke volumes about the kind of trust her actions had earned.

“Sounds like Akira is still doing her part, as usual...”

For a moment, Allen wondered if Akira might’ve been the reason he’d come here. But if the Champion hadn’t been seen recently, that was probably not it.

“Maybe I should just give up on finding answers here and head back to one of the Frontier towns. Might get results faster that way,” Allen mused. That was starting to sound like a better use of his time.

Still, he continued asking around, thinking he’d wrap things up soon, and that was when it happened. Just as he was preparing for another round of predictable, empty responses, someone said something a little different.

“Something strange, you say? Hmm... No, nothing comes to mind. Thanks to the Champion, the capital’s been peaceful as always. Oh, though if you mean outside the capital—somewhere else in the kingdom—then yeah, I guess something did happen recently.”

“Something happened elsewhere in the kingdom?”

“Yeah, though I don’t know all the details myself. It was that one place... What was it called again? Ah, that’s right! Westfeldt.”

“Westfeldt?”

Allen’s eyes widened slightly at the unexpected name. Westfeldt was Riese’s domain—or rather, she was the reigning official in name only. From what he’d heard, someone competent was handling the day-to-day affairs. And with Beatrice also keeping an eye on the region, he’d never had reason to think anything unusual could happen there. Nothing had ever come up before. But all those thoughts were blown away by the next words that reached his ears.

“Yeah, it must be tough, becoming the duke and all. I think the name was...Brett, wasn’t it?”

Allen’s eyes flew open, far wider than before. That was a name he sure hadn’t expected to hear.

Westfeldt

Brett wasn’t dead. He should have been sentenced to death, but in order to fully uncover the truth behind the incident, someone who held key information had to be kept alive. And so, through a kind of judicial bargain, his life had been spared. That said, all it meant was that he was still breathing. His freedom was practically nonexistent.

Of course, the possibility that he could inherit the Westfeldt estate and become its duke was out of the question. Which was why, for a brief moment, Allen assumed that he must have misheard. He hadn’t been in the public eye for the past few years, so his name likely wasn’t widely known among the citizens. It wouldn’t be too surprising if someone, upon hearing that the duke had changed, simply assumed it must be Brett.

But Allen quickly dismissed that theory. Even if it was just in name, Riese had inherited the Westfeldt family title. A former princess taking on such a role was bound to draw attention. There was no way that kind of misunderstanding would persist. And if that was the case...then what did this mean?

“Oh? You’ve got a pretty serious look on your face. Hah, don’t tell me! You’ve got someone you know in Westfeldt?”

“Yeah, something like that...”

“I see, I see. Well, I can understand why that’d make you concerned. But I wouldn’t worry too much. It doesn’t sound like anything major happened. And more importantly, His Grace is said to be a wise and just ruler.”

“Is that so?”

“Oh yes. Inheriting the estate at such a young age and yet handling it with a maturity beyond his years... They say he’s doing a fine job. Doesn’t hand down unreasonable judgments, and he takes the lead himself when something happens in the territory. Everyone’s saying Westfeldt’s in good hands.”

Allen had no idea what kind of expression was on his face as he listened. But there was one thing he understood very clearly: He would have to go to Westfeldt immediately.

The journey from the royal capital to Westfeldt was over in an instant. Normally, it would have taken several days of bouncing along in a carriage. But Allen had no time to spare, so he’d transported himself there. Given the urgency of confirming what was happening, it was the only reasonable choice.

And yet, despite the rush, he came to a halt as soon as he arrived, narrowing his eyes at the sight before him. “Hmm. Honestly, I didn’t expect this,” he murmured softly, caught off guard by a sudden wave of nostalgia.

That wasn’t to say there was anything unusual about the scenery. What lay before him was a perfectly ordinary townscape—nothing strange, nothing out of place. Considering he’d just returned to his hometown after a long absence, it shouldn’t have been surprising to feel something.

But still...Allen had thought he’d feel nothing at all. It wasn’t that he had any bad memories here, but that didn’t mean he had any particularly good ones either. Even during the days when people had called him a prodigy, there wasn’t much he could truly call a fond memory.

Well, considering he’d always just wanted to live a quiet, peaceful life, maybe that was natural. Still, that was precisely why he’d assumed that returning to his hometown after so long would stir nothing in him. But apparently, he’d been wrong.

I guess it’d be a lie to say there are no memories here. Or maybe...it’s me who’s changed.

With that thought, Allen took a deep breath, trying to refocus himself. He hadn’t come here to reminisce. This wasn’t a trip for leisure. He’d come to find out what was happening in Westfeldt. There was no time to stand around.

Still, the atmosphere of the town may have been part of what had caused him to stop in his tracks. He’d arrived expecting signs of disruption, some hint of unrest, but instead, the town was peaceful, almost suspiciously so, as if nothing had ever happened. There was no trouble entering the city. The people walking the streets wore calm, cheerful smiles. The air was filled with the buzz of daily life and lively chatter.

It was so calm, in fact, that Allen would’ve found it more believable if someone told him the earlier rumors had been a lie.

“Yeah, I doubt that’s really the case, but honestly, I would believe it if someone just told me the whole thing was a mistake,” Allen said to himself.

Westfeldt was quite a distance from the capital, so delays in the flow of information were normal. Even so, the discrepancy between what he’d heard and what he was seeing now felt far too significant to ignore. Then again, spreading false rumors in the capital about something happening in Westfeldt served no real purpose. What could possibly be gained from it? Unless...the intent had been to lure him there?

No, that was probably overthinking it. He hadn’t chosen any specific people to question in the capital. It had been random. And more importantly, he hadn’t sensed anything suspicious from any of them. To suggest someone had lied just to drive him out of the capital—that was taking things a bit too far.

Well, no point thinking in circles. I’ll just have to ask someone directly.

Fortunately, there didn’t seem to be any shortage of people around he could talk to. Not that just anyone would do. Still...

Hmm... Well, I guess that guy’ll do.

His gaze landed on a man running a grilled skewer stand. He looked like the perfect choice, an approachable type, and since he had a stall set up, it was safe to assume he hadn’t just arrived in town yesterday. If Allen bought something while asking questions, the man probably wouldn’t brush him off. All in all, he seemed like an ideal source of information.

And if Allen was being honest, he was just a little drawn to the skewers themselves. It had already been several hours since he’d woken up. Having gathered intel nonstop since morning, he hadn’t eaten breakfast, and his hunger was starting to catch up to him.

Half lured by the savory smell wafting through the air, Allen made his way over. As he approached, the man behind the stall noticed him, flashing a friendly smile as he called out. “Hey, there! Welcome! How about a skewer, young man? Cheap and tasty, guaranteed!”

“Sure. I’ll take one, then.”

“Got it! One coming right up!”

With a broad grin, the man turned to begin grilling the skewer. Apparently, he didn’t serve precooked items but grilled them fresh after receiving an order. The savory aroma wafting from the flames stirred Allen’s growing hunger even more.

While pretending to make casual conversation, Allen leaned in.

“Excuse me. Mind if I ask you something while I wait?”

“Hm? Well, it’ll take a few minutes to cook, so I don’t mind. But as you can see, I’m just a humble skewer vendor. Whatever you’re curious about, I probably won’t be of much help.”

“That’s fine. It’s nothing complicated. I just heard that something a little unusual happened here in Westfeldt, but I couldn’t find out what exactly. I figured someone who lives here might know.”

“Something unusual, huh? Hmm...”

The man tilted his head, clearly not feigning ignorance; he genuinely seemed to be drawing a blank. So then, maybe nothing significant had happened after all? Allen had assumed something serious was going on, especially with the impossible claim that Brett had become the duke. That alone seemed like a sign that something major had occurred.

“Ah, well, now that you mention it, there was that little incident with the empire poking around. Maybe that’s what you’re talking about?”

“The empire?” Allen blinked. That was news to him. And frankly, it didn’t sound “little” at all. It sounded like a major event. An imperial incursion, even a small one, could spiral into open war between the kingdom and the empire. The latter shouldn’t have the resources for that right now, or at least, last Allen had heard, they were still tangled in internal conflict. Then again, he wasn’t exactly up to date on imperial affairs. He couldn’t say for sure that it was impossible, but...

“Ah, don’t worry about it. Apparently, it was nothing serious. Just a small scuffle with some soldiers poking their noses in where they shouldn’t. Duke Brett drove them off in no time.”

“Brett did that?”

“Sure did. Can’t thank His Grace enough. Thanks to him, we get to live peacefully like this every day. Craig—the previous duke—he wasn’t bad or anything, but I gotta say, Westfeldt’s never been better than it is now.”

Allen furrowed his brow at the man’s offhand comment. Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that Brett becoming Duke of Westfeldt is somehow acceptable. It wasn’t, but fine, if there had been some extraordinary circumstance, maybe it could be explained. Even so, in that case, it should’ve been Riese who was called “the previous leader.” Why was this man talking about Craig and not her?

Allen stared at him, trying to make sense of it all. The vendor, perhaps interpreting his silence as unease, gave him a reassuring smile.

“Whatever it is you’re worried about, don’t be. As you can see, this is a peaceful, happy town. Nothing to lose sleep over.”

“I see...”

There was no hint of deceit in the man’s words. At the very least, he seemed to believe what he was saying wholeheartedly. And that, more than anything, was what made it so difficult to accept. Clearly, Allen would have to hear from others as well.

Just as he was thinking that...

“Oh, speak of the devil. Hey, look over there, young man.”

“Huh? Over where? What do you mean?”

Allen turned to look in the direction the man was pointing, and the words caught in his throat. A young man was standing there. He looked to be right around the age of adulthood, perhaps a little younger, and there was still a hint of boyishness to his features. And yet, the smile he wore radiated a quiet strength that seemed to put those around him at ease.

For a moment, Allen couldn’t believe his eyes. The change was that stark. But there was no mistaking it. He knew that face. It was Brett, the current head of the Westfeldt family.

“That’s Brett, our new duke. Pretty amazing, right? He makes the rounds through town personally like that, every day, checking that everything’s in order. If something happens, he’s the first to act. Even when those imperial soldiers came sniffing around, His Grace handled it himself. Didn’t miss a beat. See? Nothing to worry about.”

Allen barely heard the man’s words. His attention was entirely consumed by the sight of Brett. He’d heard the rumors, but to see with his own eyes that Brett really was the Duke of Westfeldt—that was a shock like no other.

Even more than that, what truly stunned him was the way Brett carried himself...and how the people responded to him. The vendor’s tone had made it clear, but now Allen could see it for himself: Brett was genuinely respected as a duke. It wasn’t as if people were swarming around him, but they greeted him with warm, trusting smiles. And Brett, in turn, responded with a gentle, warm smile of his own. From time to time, a child would wave to him and he’d wave back without hesitation. He was the very picture of an ideal ruler.

Allen averted his eyes, unable to keep looking. The image of Brett before him now was completely unlike the Brett he remembered. Consumed by an emotion he couldn’t quite describe, Allen let out a slow, unsteady breath.

Déjà Vu

Allen had been watching Brett from a distance for a while. After thinking it over for a bit, he had decided to leave him be for the time being. It was clearly an unusual situation, but judging by the reactions of the townspeople, it didn’t seem like something that needed to be dealt with immediately. Still, right after what had happened to Allen earlier, it was hard to believe the two weren’t connected.

If that was the case, it was only natural to think something else might be going on too. And the best place to gather information efficiently would be a Frontier town. So even though the situation was clearly suspicious in many ways, he decided that figuring out what was really happening came first and headed toward the Frontier.

From Westfeldt to the Frontier, huh? This takes me back.

Everything was different from back then. But maybe it was because it had become rare for him to be traveling alone at all lately.

Somehow, the memories of those days came flooding back. After being exiled from his home, deciding to live life on his own terms, and setting out for the Frontier...

I ran into Riese and the others being attacked, didn’t I?

It really was nostalgic. Well, the fact that they were being attacked wasn’t something that should be treated lightly or looked back on fondly, of course. Still, the fact that he felt that way probably meant that a lot had happened since then.

Thinking back on everything that had happened, something like that felt like it was just the beginning.

Well, I guess it’s easy for me to say that because I wasn’t the one being attacked.

Allen had been involved, yes, but he hadn’t been the one under attack. Riese and the others, on the other hand, might have had a very different take on that experience.

Maybe I should ask them about it sometime, just as a conversation starter.

As he looked around, Allen came to a stop. Part of the reason he had been walking was to indulge in his nostalgia, but more importantly, he couldn’t just teleport into the middle of town. Even if he found a secluded spot, teleporting would still create enough of a disturbance to affect his surroundings.

Anyone with sharp senses would immediately notice that something had happened, and he didn’t want to cause unnecessary confusion, so he’d kept walking until he was a fair distance from town.

All right, then. I don’t know what’s going on, but I can’t afford to take my time.

Stopping by Westfeldt had been necessary, but it had still cost him time. It hadn’t taken that long in reality, but a loss of time was still a loss of time. Before it got any later, he needed to return to the Frontier. If he did, he should be able to get at least some idea of what was going on. At the very least, someone like Anriette should have picked up on something by now. If even she didn’t know what was going on, then it would mean things were really bad. Allen didn’t want to believe that was the case, but...

Hm? Wait, don’t tell me. Did I just jinx myself by saying all that nostalgic stuff?

He muttered to himself as he scanned his surroundings, just in case, and then he stumbled upon a situation that gave him an eerie sense of déjà vu. In a place just beyond visible range, someone was being attacked by something or someone. It was almost like a replay of that time.

And the person being attacked is riding in a carriage too...just like back then. I doubt the similarities go much further, though.

The coachman was wearing a hood, so Allen couldn’t see their face, but it was probably safe to say they weren’t someone he knew. Still, judging by the exterior of the carriage, the passenger seemed to be someone of high status.

About the same rank as Riese, or maybe even higher? Hah. I’ve already got one troublesome situation on my hands, though...

This clearly looked like another can of worms. He hesitated for a moment, wondering what to do, but really, it was far too late for second-guessing. What were one or two more problems on top of everything else?

Once he made that decision, he didn’t hesitate. Just like in the past, Allen narrowed his eyes and rushed toward the carriage that was under attack.

She clicked her tongue instinctively at the sudden impact of the attack. Of course, the frustration wasn’t directed at the woman sitting in the driver’s seat. She knew the woman was handling things well. If not for her, the carriage would have already toppled over or worse.

No, she’d aimed the tongue-click squarely at herself for allowing the situation to go this way. She should have known this would happen. Well, maybe not to this extent, but the ambush itself had been within the realm of possibility. And yet, she had done nothing, hadn’t even managed to fight back. All she could do was flee. That was what truly irritated her.

“Honestly, and I call myself a queen? What a joke,” she said.

“That’s not true. It can’t be helped. Thinking a queen should be able to do everything is true arrogance,” the woman in the driver’s seat said.

“Bold of you to say.”

But she was right. Being a queen didn’t mean someone could do everything. Trying to shoulder everything alone was wrong too. More than anything, the fact that she had made her driver say such a thing was proof enough that she had failed as a queen.

“Still, just acknowledging that doesn’t change our current situation.”

“It’ll be okay...” the driver said.

“Oh? And what exactly are you basing that on?” she asked.

“A hunch?” her driver replied.

“Well, that’s not the most reassuring answer I’ve ever heard.”

“It’s not just that. You’re a good person too.”

“I see. Well then, I suppose we are in luck.”

She smiled as she said it because somehow, it really did feel like it would be okay. Probably because she could tell the girl meant it from the bottom of her heart. Still, despite all that, expecting help to conveniently show up in this situation would be asking too much. There was no way such a thing would actually happen.

“Seriously. Talk about bad luck, huh? For both of us.”

Or at least, that was what she thought...until it happened. With those words, a new sound, different from the others, rang out around them.

The first thing Allen felt upon witnessing the scene was surprise. He still didn’t know much about the person being attacked, but he had realized what—no, who—the attacker was. It was something that harbored hatred toward the world, something shunned and despised by the world in return.

In other words, a demon.

But what surprised him wasn’t just the presence of a demon. It was the fact that demons were supposed to be exceedingly rare. They were, after all, a type of Transcendent. As the name implied, Transcendents were beings that had surpassed humanity. Anriette, back when she was a disciple, had fallen into this category. On the other hand, the current Anriette did not.

Strictly speaking, Allen wasn’t a Transcendent either. He could wield power beyond human limits, but physically he was still human, and more importantly, that power was ultimately borrowed.

Demons were beings on par with disciples or even gods. Allen, for some reason, had gotten tangled up with them more often than most, but the average person could go their entire life without ever encountering one. And demons were creatures born from hatred toward the world.

That was why the actions they took were, by nature, aimed at venting that hatred—in other words, revenge against the world. As a result, even if humans were harmed as a consequence, demons wouldn’t usually go out of their way to attack people directly or proactively. Or at least, that was what Anriette had claimed.

“Hmm. Well, I suppose even if we call them all ‘demons,’ they’re not all the same. Guess there are exceptions.”

As he murmured to himself, recalling the faces of demons he’d encountered before, a groaning voice rose from within the cloud of dust, the spot where Allen had just kicked away the one attacking the carriage.

“Ugh! Who the hell are you?!” Emerging from the dust cloud was a man who looked to be in his early twenties. He had a completely ordinary appearance, with nothing visually marking him as a demon. But perhaps because he carried powers akin to a Transcendent, Allen could tell what he was without needing to use his own abilities. “Who are you to interfere with our mission? What are you thinking?!”

“What am I thinking? Isn’t it normal to try and help someone when you see them getting attacked?” Allen asked.

“Normal, you say? Hmph! The ‘normal’ prattled by a fool too ignorant to understand the noble purpose of us demons is not even worth considering!”

It seemed the man had no intention of hiding the fact that he was a demon. Judging by the way he spoke, he might have even considered being a demon something to be proud of, something to boast about. Perhaps because Allen had been silently thinking that over, the man seemed to take his silence as a snub. His face twisted in anger as he glared at Allen.

“You dare mock me?! Very well! You’ll learn firsthand what happens to those who scorn me!”

That hadn’t been Allen’s intention at all—in fact, he was honestly hoping to hear a little more from the man—but clearly that wasn’t going to happen now.

“Well, I got the basics of what I wanted to know, at least,” Allen murmured.

The man had spoken of a “noble purpose.” That almost certainly meant it had something to do with revenge against the world. In other words, attacking the person inside that carriage must somehow contribute to that goal, which meant Allen could now say with certainty that this was a major problem. But honestly, he’d known that from the start. At least now he could brace himself for whatever came next.

In any case, the first order of business was dealing with this man. Sometimes demons were referred to as enemies of mankind, but Allen didn’t particularly harbor any personal hatred toward them. Frankly, if the man just backed off now, that would be ideal, but judging by his demeanor, that wasn’t going to happen. No way he’d just listen and go quietly. It looked like there was no choice but to fight.

Even so, Allen wasn’t too eager to kill him. So far, all the man had done was attack a carriage. That alone didn’t feel like enough to warrant ending his life. Allen wondered if maybe injuring him a bit would be enough to scare him off. As the man began to move, Allen also shifted his weight, bracing himself...and that was when it happened.

“Huh? Commander? Wh-What do you mean?!” The man suddenly stopped moving and shouted into thin air. To an outside observer, it might have seemed like he’d lost his mind, but Allen didn’t think that was the case. Most likely, he was using telepathy.

Allen couldn’t hear the other voice, so he didn’t know what was being said, but whatever it was, it clearly wasn’t what the man wanted to hear. All he did was protest over and over, but it seemed those protests were rejected. With a scowl, he glared at Allen and snorted.

“Hmph. You’ve been spared, it seems. Ordinarily, I would have torn you limb from limb for your insolence, but I have been ordered to stand down directly by the commander. I have no choice. Consider yourself lucky to have survived! Be grateful.”

With that, he turned and walked away without hesitation. His displeasure was obvious from the way he carried himself, but Allen averted his gaze, scanning the area instead.

The man hadn’t noticed, but the command he’d just received had clearly been given for his own sake, to protect him. There was no way that was a coincidence, which meant the person he was talking to had been watching the situation unfold in real time. And apparently, that person was called “the commander.” From the name, it seemed they were a superior, someone the demon followed. But that raised other questions.

According to what Allen had heard, demons were typically individualistic creatures. They might cooperate occasionally, but rarely did they serve under someone else. If this group was merely an outlier, then fine. But if demons were starting to gather under a single leader and act in an organized fashion, then something truly abnormal was happening. Allen wanted to gather more information, if possible, but...

No lingering presence. Looks like they’ve already pulled out.

Maybe they knew about Allen. If so, that made the situation even more complicated. But there was no point worrying about that right now. Shaking the thought off, he turned his eyes in the direction the carriage had fled in. Away from the demon attack, but not far off, it had come to a stop. The vehicle and the horses both seemed unharmed, and from the look of it, they were waiting for Allen. Honestly, they could’ve just kept going and left him behind. That might have been better, since it would’ve spared him the hassle of getting involved any further, but it was too late to complain.

With a resigned sigh, Allen started walking toward the carriage. It wasn’t far—close enough to clearly see with the naked eye, so he reached it in less than a few minutes. Perhaps out of courtesy, the person who had been sitting on the driver’s bench stepped down to greet him. Still, there was a hint of caution in their posture. They bowed their head when they saw Allen approaching but kept their hood up the entire time.

What made Allen tilt his head in puzzlement, however, was how small the figure was. Not exactly child-sized, but clearly too small to be a grown man, which could only mean the coach driver was a woman. There was nothing odd in particular about a woman acting as a coachman, but it was admittedly unusual.

Still, that small mystery was quickly resolved. Or rather, it stopped mattering entirely, because the moment that followed left no room for such trivial concerns.

“Thank you. You saved us.”

With those soft words, the girl pulled back her hood. Her face, which had been hidden until now, was revealed, and Allen let out a dumbfounded sound.

“Huh?”

It was a girl’s face. But that wasn’t what had shocked Allen. What shocked him was that he recognized it. Unless his eyes were playing tricks on him...

“Mylène?” He muttered her name under his breath, the question of Why is she here? rising in his mind, but he never got the chance to voice it. Because just then, an exasperated voice drifted out from the carriage.

“I know you’re genuinely trying to express your thanks, but the way you say it could really lead to misunderstandings, you know?” the voice remarked.

“I meant it.”

“You don’t get to be the one to decide that. Honestly, what am I going to do with you?” With a sigh, the speaker stepped out of the carriage, and the moment Allen laid eyes on her, his brows knitted together in confusion. Someone he thought he knew appeared to be a complete stranger. And yet, the face was unmistakably familiar. So was the voice.

Mylène’s presence had already given him a vague idea, but the girl stepping out was undoubtedly Noel. Or at least, she should have been. However...

“I apologize. That girl is genuinely trying to thank you, in her own way. But more importantly, I should be thanking you first. Thank you very much for coming to our aid.”

The words were utterly unlike Noel. Not just the wording; even the way she bowed her head so politely was uncharacteristic. In truth, Allen might have sensed something was off the moment he saw her, but he pushed that doubt aside, calling her name with clear hesitation.

“Noel?”

“Um, sorry. Have we met somewhere before?” Noel—or the girl who should have been Noel—replied, as if to suggest Allen was the mistaken one.

(Un) Familiar Faces

“I’ve heard it said there are three people in the world who look just like you, but I never thought it could actually be true. And to have the same name too... What are the odds?”

The girl spoke with a look of mixed surprise and wonder, and Allen suppressed a sigh as he watched her. What she had just referenced was something he had made up on the spot to explain the situation. Even though he clearly knew her name, she showed no sign of recognizing him. So he’d told her that she must resemble a friend of his. Someone named Noel, whom he had mistaken her for.

Whether that was a lie or not, even Allen wasn’t sure. After all, this girl had introduced herself as the Elven Queen. She had the same face and name as Noel and was calling herself the Elven Queen: something that, as far as Allen knew, only Noel could possibly become. And to make matters more confusing, accompanying her was a girl who not only looked like Mylène but shared her name and claimed to be her bodyguard.

It wasn’t just a case of coincidental look-alikes. That kind of thing simply wasn’t plausible. These two were unmistakably the girls Allen knew. And yet, at the same time, they might not be. The way they insisted they didn’t know him didn’t feel like a lie. Allen had initially assumed it was some kind of joke, but there was nothing in their demeanor to suggest that. If anything, they genuinely believed he was a complete stranger.

That left him with two possibilities. One was that, for some reason, they had forgotten about him. But that didn’t explain why Noel would be calling herself the Elven Queen. At least from what Allen knew of her, she had never shown any sign of wanting to claim that role. Maybe she had thought about it before, but this wasn’t the kind of thing someone suddenly became.

That left the second possibility, one that seemed far more likely.

“So it’s not them who are mistaken. It’s me,” Allen murmured.

A parallel world. He had a theory that he had somehow wandered into this world by accident. Under normal circumstances, he would have dismissed such a notion as impossible. But unfortunately, given the current situation, he couldn’t rule it out.

At the very least, he’d heard from Anriette that such parallel worlds did in fact exist. And if they existed, then the chance of accidentally slipping into one wasn’t zero. In fact, it now seemed like the most plausible explanation.

“I’d really prefer it not to be true, though,” he muttered.

“Hm? Did you say something?” Noel asked.

“No. I was just thinking how identical you are to the people I know. If you two stood side by side, I honestly wouldn’t be able to tell you apart.”

“Wow, that much?” said Noel.

“Unbelievable. Like a miracle,” mumbled Mylène.

“That’s a bit much, don’t you think? I mean, if I were going to witness a miracle, I’d rather it be something more exciting,” said Noel.

Allen watched the two girls—the so-called queen and her bodyguard—as they chatted between the driver’s seat and the carriage cabin, his eyes narrowing in quiet amusement. Despite their official roles, they seemed surprisingly casual with each other. From that alone, they didn’t feel all that different from the Noel and Mylène he knew so well.

“Maybe the miracle already happened?” Allen suggested.

“What do you mean?” asked Noel.

“Being saved.”

“Oh...true. When you put it like that, I guess you’re right. Assuming that wasn’t all part of some grand plan, of course.” Noel looked directly at him as she spoke, but it was easy to tell from her eyes that she wasn’t being serious. Besides, she and Allen were sitting in the same carriage. If she had truly believed he was behind something, they wouldn’t be sharing this space so calmly. That said, to assume she trusted him completely would be naive.

She probably thought she was hiding it well, but Allen could see the unmistakable tension and caution in her gaze, subtle, but very much there. And honestly, he couldn’t blame her. As far as she was concerned, Allen was a complete stranger. Just because he’d helped them didn’t mean they would instantly put their trust in him. They weren’t that naive. Still, if he let on that he had noticed her guardedness, it would only make her warier.

Allen simply shrugged, pretending not to notice a thing. “I mean, I have no way of proving otherwise. All I can do is ask you to believe me.”

“That’s not exactly reassuring. As I said, we’re aware that we’re being targeted, even if we don’t know by whom. Just because you helped us doesn’t mean we can trust you unconditionally,” said Noel, coolly.

“Ungrateful, much?” said Mylène.

“Excuse me? Whose side are you on?” Noel asked, shocked.

“The side that’s right?”

“So I’m in the wrong now? Is that what you’re saying?”

As they exchanged playful jabs, Allen smiled faintly, though he couldn’t shake a lingering bitterness. If he judged only by moments like these, they looked exactly like the two girls he knew.

“But hey, I get it. Trust isn’t something you gain overnight. I understand if you’re not ready to believe in me yet. I’ll just have to earn it, little by little,” he conceded.

“And then once we fully trust you, you’ll stab us in the back?” said Mylène.

“Again, whose side are you on, exactly? I know I’m the one saying this, but still...” Allen chuckled at her remark, which was likely a joke, though with her, it was always hard to be sure. He shook his head slightly. “Mm. I know saying this might make me sound self-important and probably even less trustworthy, but honestly, I really don’t have any reason to go through all that effort.”

“I know,” Noel replied. “We ran from that demon because it was obvious we didn’t stand a chance. But you... You took it down in one blow.”

“If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn’t need to earn your trust first. I wouldn’t have had to save you at all.”

“Exactly.”

Even so, Noel didn’t let down her guard. And that, Allen figured, was to be expected. Before was before, and this was this. If she were the kind of person who trusted someone just for doing that much, he’d be more worried about her. And if she really was a queen, then caution was all the more necessary.

Still, Allen noticed a faint flicker of guilt in Noel’s expression. Her eyes dipped just slightly, enough for him to see it. Strictly speaking, it wasn’t the kind of behavior expected of a ruler. But at the same time, it was very much in line with who Noel was.

Even if she didn’t know Allen, even if this really was a parallel world, there was no doubt in his mind now. She was still Noel.

“Well, like I said before, it’s only natural not to trust someone right after meeting them. I’ll just have to work at earning it, step-by-step. We’ve got plenty of time on the road, after all.”

“Is earning someone’s trust really something you do to pass the time?” she asked.

“Well, having time to spare isn’t a bad thing.”

“That’s true, I suppose, though really, we can’t be sure that thing won’t attack again at any moment.”

“You still don’t know why it attacked you in the first place, do you?” he asked.

The demon had attacked them with no warning, no provocation. It never even explained why; it just launched into violence.

“Right. Or to be more accurate, there are too many possible reasons. We can’t narrow it down.”

“Do elves really have that many enemies?”

“Not elves in general. It’s probably more my personal issue, although...there are problems among elves too.”

“Sounds complicated. That must be tough.”

“Of course it is. But what can I do? I’m the Elven Queen.”

She shrugged as she spoke, and Allen couldn’t see any sign that she was forcing herself to act strong. If anything, she seemed completely natural, fully at ease with her position, as if being the Elven Queen was a matter of course. And maybe for this Noel, it was. That certainty, that strength... It was something that the Noel he knew had never quite possessed. It was a small difference, but one that hit Allen more deeply than he expected. He let out a soft sigh.

“Well, either way, if that guy shows up again, you don’t have to worry. I’ll handle it,” he stated.

“You say that with a lot of confidence. Do you even realize what he is? That thing’s a demon.”

“Of course I do,” he replied without hesitation.

Demons were generally known for their immense combat abilities. But that was only a generalization. It didn’t make them invincible. The man they had encountered clearly had confidence in his strength. He was probably strong. But Allen hadn’t felt the slightest hint of fear. He didn’t believe for a second that he’d lose.

“Besides, that’s the whole reason you let me ride with you in the first place, right?” He had offered to serve as their escort, and that was how he had ended up in the carriage with them. It was the most natural pretext for staying close, especially if he wanted to investigate the strange phenomena affecting either them...or himself. But truth be told, he probably could’ve come along even without offering that.

“You’re our savior. Honestly, we didn’t need you to do all that.”

“Exactly. Our destination was the same anyway. I told you we’d treat you with respect as our benefactor, and then you go and say, ‘No need for all that; just treat me normally if you really want to thank me.’ Can you believe that?”

“I’m not good with all that formality. This way works better for me.”

That was why this Noel, who had treated him with polite formality at first, was now speaking to him in the same relaxed tone as the Noel he once knew. Of course, the real reason Allen had asked them to treat him casually was because it made him uncomfortable to be addressed so formally by someone who looked and sounded exactly like Noel.

Still, it seemed to have been the right decision. If things had continued as they were, Noel and Mylène likely would have remained polite but far more guarded. And if he’d managed to soften even a fraction of their wariness, that was enough.

“Well, fine,” Noel said. “To be honest, I could act all formal if I had to, but I’d really rather not.”

“Same here.” Mylène added.

“Well, that’s good to hear.” Allen smiled at their agreement, feeling that, at least for now, things were moving in the right direction.

At the moment, it was best to simply observe. Jumping to conclusions about what exactly was wrong with the situation could be dangerous. It was still entirely possible that these two had been caught up in something that had made them forget about him, leading them to believe they were the Elven Queen and her bodyguard. Just as likely, though, was the idea that Allen himself had somehow crossed into a parallel world.

Either way, the only thing he could say for sure was that there wasn’t enough reliable information yet to take meaningful action. At the very least, there didn’t appear to be any immediate danger, and there was no harm in waiting a little longer before deciding what to do next.

Fortunately, Noel and Mylène happened to be heading to the same destination Allen had been aiming for. They were, apparently, also on their way to a remote Frontier town. Once there, Allen felt confident he could get some kind of confirmation, something to make sense of what was happening. There was no rush to draw conclusions. He could wait until then.

“Well, I’ve gotten used to getting caught up in weird situations and unexpected developments by now,” he said with a shrug.

After all, even his rise to becoming a hero had started in much the same way. It was nothing new at this point. And he knew all too well that rushing things never led anywhere good. Even so, he couldn’t completely suppress the unease in his chest. He had no idea how things would turn out, but somehow, he felt like it would be all right.

Watching Noel and Mylène—familiar in appearance, yet occasionally showing sides of themselves he didn’t recognize—Allen let out a quiet breath and let his thoughts drift.

Reasons and the Past

Surprisingly (or perhaps not), the atmosphere inside the carriage had grown calm and leisurely in the days since their departure. There hadn’t been a single unusual incident, let alone a demon attack. Noel and the others had remained vigilant for the first three days, but staying on high alert indefinitely was tiring. By the fourth day, they’d seemed to realize it was pointless and had completely let their guard down. That included their caution toward Allen as well.

Of course, it wasn’t as if all suspicion had vanished, but considering he was still, from their perspective, a man they had just met, their level of trust was more than generous.

As Allen was thinking about all this, Noel muttered listlessly, “Hmm, looks like the sun’s about to set, but nothing happened again today.”

“Honestly, I’m bored.”

“Right? I’m not asking for an attack or anything, but I kind of wish something would happen.”

It wasn’t just that they’d let their guard down. They were bordering on complete laziness.

Allen gave a wry smile and shrugged. “Well, I think nothing happening is a good thing, personally. I mean, if you ignore the fact that it makes me a freeloader.”

If nothing happened, then there was nothing for a guard to do. And if someone brought that up, he really wouldn’t have a leg to stand on.

“If you put it that way, then I’m even more useless,” said Mylène. “Actually, you’ve been quite helpful in a lot of ways.”

“Yeah, I agree. Regardless of whether Mylène is useless, I never imagined we’d be able to bathe while traveling. That alone makes you worth every coin.”

“Hmm, you really think so?”

It was nice that they were happy, but all he’d done was pour water into a hole in the ground and heat it up. To be told that alone made hiring him worthwhile left him feeling a little unconvinced.

“No matter what you think, we think you’re useful, so that’s that. More importantly, like I said earlier, the sun’s about to set,” Noel said.

“Yeah, yeah, I know.”

She was insinuating it was about time for their bath. He couldn’t help but wonder just who she thought she was, some kind of noble? But then again, considering her current status, that wasn’t entirely off the mark. Maybe her behavior wasn’t so strange after all.

As Allen was entertaining these silly thoughts, the carriage slowly came to a stop. Apparently, they’d be camping here for the night.

“Come to think of it, you’re a queen, aren’t you? Yet you seem totally fine with roughing it. I mean, not that this is the first time.”

“It is a little late to bring that up. Honestly, it was rough at first, but I’ve gotten used to it. Do you know how long it took us to reach the capital?” she asked.

“The capital?”

“Oh, I didn’t mention that, did I? We were on a trip to the royal capital.”

“Yeah. We had some business there. This is basically the return trip. Or a detour, really,” Mylène added.

Allen wasn’t particularly surprised. That was what he had assumed anyway. But what did surprise him slightly was the fact that they had told him at all. Until now, neither of them had shared anything beyond the bare minimum. Maybe this meant they trusted him now, at least a little.

“A detour, huh? Mind if I ask what the business was?” he inquired.

“That depends on what you mean. But in any case, I don’t plan on telling you why we went to the capital,” Noel answered.

“Yeah, that’s obviously a secret,” Mylène agreed.

“Hmm, I see. That’s too bad.”

Clearly, he hadn’t earned that level of trust yet. Still, while he was curious, it wasn’t something he truly needed to know.

“Then how about why you’re heading to the Frontier town?” he asked.

When he asked the question he’d really wanted to ask, Noel went unexpectedly silent. Honestly, he wouldn’t have been surprised if she had immediately brushed it off, so her hesitation was strange. The silence meant she was conflicted.

After a few seconds of thought, Noel let out a sigh. “Well...if I end up feeling really good after tonight’s bath, I might let it slip.”

“I see.”

So basically, she was saying, “Let’s make the bath extra nice.” That much he could definitely handle.

“All right, then. Guess I’ll have to put in some extra effort tonight.”

As Allen pondered how to make the bath as satisfying as possible, he gazed out the slowing carriage window and allowed himself a small smile.

“Phew... This really is a lifesaver. Honestly, I wish we could hire you permanently, not just temporarily,” Noel commented.

“Agreed. Having you around is a massive help,” Mylène added.

“I’m honored you think so,” he answered.

Their praise wasn’t about his swordsmanship, but his ability to make baths. So it wasn’t that satisfying to hear. Still, judging by Noel’s expression, tonight’s bath seemed to have pleased her more than usual. He had put extra effort into it this time, just as she’d asked. That much at least was gratifying.

As he thought about that, Allen handed out the food he’d prepared for the two of them. The meal was simple. It wasn’t that Allen couldn’t cook, but he wasn’t capable of anything fancy, and more importantly, they lacked proper ingredients. Even so, the two of them smiled in a way that seemed genuinely heartfelt.

“Wow, you really think of everything, huh?” said Noel.

“You’re so helpful,” Mylène agreed.

“Honestly, it’s not the kind of meal that should make you that happy,” he answered.

“Just being able to eat something warm like this makes it a feast,” said Noel.

“I’m tired of preserved food,” said Mylène.

Maybe that was just how it was. Allen still couldn’t quite relate. “You’re the Elven Queen, right? Don’t you usually eat better stuff?”

“Not really, actually. There isn’t much ‘cooking’ for us, after all, though the food’s still tasty enough without it.”

“Elven cuisine is mostly raw ingredients,” Mylène explained.

Their words reminded Allen of something. Back in the Elven Forest, meals mostly consisted of fruits and the like. That was good in its own way, but he had felt something lacking at the time. Given that, it made sense that simply having cooked food would feel like a luxury to them.

“Besides, it’s not like I’m some pureblood royal anyway.”

“Not pureblood?” What did she mean by that?

Allen tilted his head, having never heard that before. Then he noticed Mylène glancing at Noel, probably silently asking if it was okay to say more. Noel just gave a small shrug in response. Apparently, it was fine, though whether that meant the information was insignificant or that she now trusted Allen enough was hard to say.

“Oh, I don’t mean bloodline-wise or anything. I’ve been told I have the blood of elven royalty flowing through me. I just...don’t really know much about it myself.”

“You don’t know?”

“Exactly what it sounds like. The truth is, I have no memories from before a few years ago.”

Noel stated this so plainly that Allen’s eyes instinctively widened in surprise. He had suspected as much. After all, the Noel he knew well had been the same, but he hadn’t expected her to open up this much.

“Apparently, there was an incident where the elven royal family was attacked by demons, and people think that might be the cause. Oh, and don’t feel like you have to be careful around me, okay? I’m not bothered by it.”

“If anything, maybe you should be a little bothered,” he replied.

“What good would that do? It’s not like worrying about it would change anything. In fact, it’d just be a waste of energy. Well, it is a little inconvenient that I can’t remember any of the royal knowledge I supposedly learned back then.”

“Ah. So when you said you weren’t a pure royal, that’s what you meant?”

“Exactly. Even if I have royal blood, if I don’t know anything, then I’m not even half a proper royal.”

So that was what she meant. Allen nodded. It didn’t sound like she was just putting herself down. Rather, it felt like a form of self-discipline. Having royal blood wasn’t enough. If she was going to claim the title of Elven Queen, she needed to have the proper knowledge to go with it.

Seeing Noel trying to be worthy of the title, Allen couldn’t help but soften his gaze. She may not have been the Noel that he knew, but in moments like this, she was unmistakably still Noel.

“Well, that’s not the whole story,” she continued.

“Oh? What else?”

“I was apparently attacked by demons, and before I knew it, I found myself deep in the mountains. I don’t know if I escaped or if someone got me out of there. Probably the latter. That’s my oldest memory—the first thing I remember in this life. My body was torn to shreds, my mind hazy. I remember thinking, vaguely, that I was going to die there. And that’s when I met her.”

“Her?”

“The one who saved my life. The person who took care of me for a while afterward. And the reason I’m heading to the Frontier.”

“I see.” Allen nodded, understanding why she had brought all this up. It was to explain the reason behind her journey to the Frontier. So that was how it all connected.

But now that he realized who she was talking about, a new question emerged. The person Noel was referring to had to be the woman she called her master, an eccentric and stubborn dwarven blacksmith who lived deep in the mountains. Allen knew that much. And precisely because he knew that, he couldn’t figure out what connection she might have to a Frontier town.

“No, maybe saying she took care of me isn’t quite right. It kind of felt like I was the one looking after her. She did save my life, that much is true, but beyond that, I can’t really say she did anything in particular. So why am I trying to go to the Frontier in the first place?” Noel said.

“Uh, I was about to ask you the same thing? I thought I was the one who wanted to know,” said Allen.

“Noel said she wanted to go thank her because she was her savior,” answered Mylène.

“Thank her? So that means she’s in the Frontier?” asked Allen.

“That’s what I heard, so I figured I might as well go while we’re nearby. But the more I think about it, the more it feels like maybe she should be thanking me,” said Noel.

Allen hadn’t caught the second half of that conversation. Because the person Noel called her master—the one who lived deep in the mountains—had, to his knowledge, been killed by the Fenrir. So if she was supposedly in the Frontier town now, that would change everything. Which could only mean...

“You’re going to thank her because you two parted ways before you could properly say anything?” asked Mylène.

“Hmm? Yeah, pretty much. She saved me, or rather, maybe I should say she picked me up. I think it was about six months to a year after.”

“That’s a little vague timing-wise, isn’t it?” responded Mylène.

“Oh, hush. We were living in a place where hardly any people ever came by. Time kind of blurs together when you live like that. And then the people who came to get me were elves too, so their sense of time was just as fuzzy,” Noel replied.

“Elves came for you?” asked Allen.

“Yeah. One day, completely out of the blue. Apparently, all the other members of the royal family had died off for various reasons, and they were searching for any survivors. They found me by chance and came to bring me back. But it was so sudden, everything turned into a mess, and I didn’t even get the chance to thank her properly,” said Noel.

“And you’ve been carrying that with you ever since,” said Mylène.

“It’s not like I constantly think about it. But she did save me, and the fact that I never actually thanked her always lingered in the back of my mind,” said Noel.

As the two of them continued their conversation, Allen half listened, his brows furrowed and lips pressed tightly together. If what Noel was saying was true, then it was something that should be impossible. In the world Allen knew, that event could not—should not—have happened. And if it had...then that could only mean this was a world he didn’t know.

It wasn’t certain yet, but faced with the growing likelihood of that unwelcome possibility, Allen let out a long, reluctant sigh.

A World Unknown

As the familiar town came into view, Allen let out a quiet sigh. It wasn’t a sigh of physical exhaustion, but of mental fatigue. Nothing had happened on the road since that conversation, and yet just being around Noel and the others had worn him out.

If it had been the Noel and company he knew well, it wouldn’t have been an issue. But their demeanors were different, and that made all the difference. Since everything else about them was the same, he found himself overthinking how to act around them, and that constant consideration had left him drained.

In a way, it might’ve been less tiring if something had actually happened along the way. But now, the Frontier was already within sight. There was no point in dwelling on it.

“It’s finally coming into view. So, that’s Granholm, huh?” Noel commented.

“Took long enough,” said Mylène.

“Seriously. If I knew it’d be like this, I wouldn’t have gotten involved in the first place.”

“Agreed.”

“Hey, at least try to back me up a little here.”

As he listened to their exchange, Allen’s brow twitched slightly. Strictly speaking, the Frontier town didn’t even have an official name. In fact, due to its small size and informal status, calling it a town was really just a convenient label since it wasn’t recognized as such in any official capacity.

So it wasn’t surprising that it lacked a proper name. Still, not having a name made things inconvenient. Which was why, over time, a nickname had caught on: Granholm.

It wasn’t something designated by the guild or any governing body. The name had simply spread on its own through natural usage. Its origin was unclear. But even then, that name was only ever used within the town. At the very least, it wasn’t something people unfamiliar with the Frontier should know. Yet, from the way Noel and Mylène spoke, it seemed this was their first time coming to the town. So how did they know its name?

“I guess this counts as another small difference too, doesn’t it?” Allen murmured.

“Hmm? Did you say something?” asked Noel.

“Nah. Just wondering what kind of place this is,” replied Allen.

“Is this your first time here?” asked Mylène.

“Pretty much. I’ve heard about it, so it’s not like I know nothing.”

Just like with Westfeldt, and with Noel too, even if appearances were the same, there was a good chance something would be different from what Allen knew. With that in mind, keeping his answers vague seemed like the safest course.

“Speaking of which, I never asked, but what are you going there for?” Noel asked.

“Ah, now that you mention it, I never said,” Allen answered.

Partly because no one asked, and partly because he hadn’t decided how to answer yet. But he’d had plenty of time to think on the way, and by now, he knew what to say.

“I guess it’s kind of similar to your reason? There’s someone I want to see there. Someone I’d consider...a lifesaver, in a way.”

“Hmm. That is kind of similar.”

“But in my case, it’s not really about giving thanks or anything.”

The person Allen had in mind was Anriette. It was, without a doubt, one of the reasons he was heading to the Frontier. If this really was a parallel world, then there was no guarantee Anriette even existed here. But somehow, seeing her might help him understand where he stood in this world.

“Someone important to you?”

“Hmm, yeah. I guess so.”

Thinking of Anriette, he nodded, knowing he could honestly call her important to him. Of course, Noel and the others should have been included in that category too, but...

“Is something wrong?”

“No... It’s nothing.”

Shaking his head, Allen felt a sense of certainty welling up inside him that it was time to decide how he was going to carry himself from this point on. The Frontier was, for better or worse, a place he knew well. Whatever awaited him there would undoubtedly shape the course of what came next. Hopefully, it would be something good. But somehow, he had the distinct feeling that things wouldn’t go so smoothly.

With that uneasy premonition, he let out another sigh.

“Well then, thanks for everything,” said Allen.

“Of course. You really helped us,” Noel replied.

Just like that, the moment they arrived in the Frontier, the two women casually parted ways with him. Still, that had been the plan from the start, so it wasn’t unexpected. They already had a place to stay lined up, and they seemed to know where it was too, so there was no need for further discussion. Allen had no intention of stopping them and no reason to, so he simply waved them off and watched as they walked away.

All right, then.

Once they disappeared from view, he exhaled slowly to reset his focus. There was a slight pang of loneliness, but the two of them were planning to stay in town for a while, so he’d likely see them again soon. More importantly, he didn’t have the luxury of thinking about them right now.

Hmm. I wonder... Maybe it’s just my imagination, but...

Since he’d ridden in the carriage with Noel and Mylène, it had been a while since he’d last really looked at the Frontier. Still, it hadn’t even been a full month. This place was known for changing quickly, but not that quickly. And yet, Allen couldn’t shake the feeling that the atmosphere of the town was different from the last time he’d seen it.

Well, I guess I’ll start by heading to the guild.

Honestly, Allen had debated heading to the mansion versus the guild first. But considering everything that had happened so far, he ultimately decided it would be better to go to the guild. At the end of the day, if he wanted to gather information, that was the best place to do it. Visiting the mansion could wait until after that.

With those thoughts in mind, he began to head toward the guild. Fortunately, the exterior of the town hadn’t changed from how Allen remembered it. He walked along the familiar streets, just like always. However...was it just his imagination? The faces of the townspeople passing by seemed oddly cheerful.

I see. So maybe that’s why it feels like the atmosphere is different from what I remember?

The Frontier town was, for the most part, a gathering place for people who had nowhere else to go. Many of them still lived with resilience and strength; it wasn’t as though the place had always been clouded by despair. But even so, Allen had never thought of it as a particularly cheerful place either. That contrast was likely what stirred the sense of unease in him, the feeling that the atmosphere had shifted.

Well, personally I do prefer this brighter mood, so it’s not a bad thing, but...

Still, he couldn’t help but wonder what had caused such a change. Maybe the guild would have answers to that as well.

Anyway. Enough thinking.

Before he realized it, he had reached the guild. For a moment, his feet froze in place, but only for a moment. Quickly regaining his composure, he stepped forward and opened the door.

“Ah! Welcome, sir! You’ve arrived at the Libera Branch of the Adventurer’s Guild!”

His steps stopped again, this time in pure surprise. As Allen entered the building, his eyes fell on the familiar interior. Standing there was someone who absolutely shouldn’t have been there. That unmistakable tone of voice. That familiar face. There was no doubt about it...

Lisette Belwaldt. A knight of the empire and someone who had no business being here. No, to be generous—say, giving her the benefit of the doubt—her being in this town wasn’t entirely impossible. Considering how she had been treated as a nuisance back in the empire, it wasn’t beyond the realm of possibility that she had drifted all the way out here.

But the real problem was where she was standing. She was behind the reception desk. In other words, she was the guild receptionist.

Well, I’ll be damned.

Allen managed to recover from his surprise relatively quickly, perhaps because he had already been through something similar. Compared to before, this shock was still relatively mild. After all, it didn’t hold a candle to finding out Brett had become the duke of Westfeldt.

So, basically this is the same kind of thing, huh?

Someone who shouldn’t have been there was now standing in an impossible position. In that regard, Lisette and Brett were the same. Which could only mean one thing: The abnormalities weren’t limited to the Westfeldt family.

Well, I suspected as much, to be honest.

That was probably another reason he had bounced back so fast. It had been a prediction he’d hoped wouldn’t come true, but now that it had, there was nothing to be done.

And in a way...maybe this is my chance?

Back in Westfeldt, he hadn’t been able to get much out of anyone. But if Lisette was working as a receptionist, it wouldn’t be strange to ask her questions. She might look at him funny, but so be it. Uncovering the truth took priority over appearances.

Maybe it was because he’d been thinking like that, or maybe it was just a lapse in vigilance. He had already been surprised once, so he assumed that would be the end of it. But then a voice came from very nearby.

Allen was still standing just inside the guild entrance, meaning the owner of the voice had just now walked through the door behind him. He only had to turn his head to see them. But Allen, like a statue carved from stone, couldn’t move. Because the instant he heard that voice, he already knew who it belonged to.

“Anriette...”

When the name spilled from his lips, it was half unconscious. It came out like a breath, barely a whisper, and yet, it seemed to have reached her ears.

“Huh?”

At that reaction, his body responded reflexively and he turned his gaze toward her. And he saw her, the familiar girl’s eyes looking at him like he was a complete stranger.

In that instant, Allen understood. He had to. This was not the world he knew. He was now forced to accept that undeniable truth.

A World of Possibilities

“Who the hell are you? And how do you know my name?”

As she glared sharply at him, Anriette’s question snapped Allen out of his daze. Blurting out “Anriette” in shock had clearly been a huge mistake. He scrambled to come up with an excuse, but before he could collect his thoughts, she spoke again.

“Wait a sec. Don’t tell me...you’re a stalker, aren’t you?!”

She veered wildly off course, making Allen wonder what on earth he was supposed to do now. If he didn’t say something fast, this could spiral into a far worse situation.

“Well, I mean, I am adorable, so it wouldn’t be surprising if some creep got obsessed with me, but—”

“Ah, sorry to interrupt you while you’re going off on your own tangent, but the reason I know your name is...you know, that thing. I overheard it once by coincidence. That’s all. It just stuck in my memory.”

“Hmm. I see.”

Anriette made a displeased face for a moment—maybe annoyed that he’d cut her off mid-theory—but then quickly brightened and puffed out her chest with a proud smile.

“Well, if that’s the case, I guess I can accept it. I’ve finally gotten so famous that people are gossiping about me now, huh?”

He was relieved she’d bought the excuse but also worried about just how easily she had. Wasn’t she being a little too gullible?

Still, even as Allen suppressed a sigh of disbelief, another emotion quietly gripped him. Shock. What had stunned him was Anriette referring to herself as an adventurer. In hindsight, it was obvious from the moment he first saw her. Though lightly equipped, she clearly wore armor, and most importantly, she had a sword strapped to her waist. It was the first time he had ever seen her dressed like that.

And yet, there was no mistaking it. It was undeniably the appearance of a seasoned adventurer, especially given that she had walked right into the guild in that outfit. The conclusion was unavoidable: Anriette was working as an adventurer in this world. Even though he understood that, it still hit Allen like a bolt from the blue.

“I mean, I never once imagined you as the adventurer type.”

“Hm? You say something?”

“Nah. Just wondering if I interrupted something.”

“Ah. Well, yeah, kinda. As you can see, I’m very busy. But I guess I can forgive you this time. I’ve got a big heart, you know?”

“Yeah. Thanks. That’s a big relief.”

When Allen thanked her sincerely, Anriette made a weird face, like she was caught off guard or maybe confused that his reaction didn’t match her expectations.

“Hmph. As long as you understand, that’s what matters. Anyway, like I said, I’m busy. So I’m off.”

Well, she had come to the guild for a reason, after all, so it wasn’t surprising she had things to do. Still, something about the way she said it made it feel like she was exaggerating just a little.

As Allen idly watched her walk away, he saw Anriette head toward the reception counter. She began talking to someone—Lisette, in fact. In other words, Anriette the adventurer was now speaking to Lisette the receptionist. And that sight made Allen’s brow furrow without thinking.

It was all just...wrong.

It still feels so weird, seeing Anriette here...

Every familiar person Allen had seen in this world so far had been in places they never should have been. In Noel and Mylène’s case, maybe that wasn’t completely fair to say. But if Noel was now the Elven Queen, then her rightful place should be in the Elven Forest. And if that was true, then then she didn’t belong here.

So they all fit the pattern. Everyone except Anriette. She’s the only one who actually should be here.

Still, how much that really mattered, Allen had no idea. It might not mean anything at all. In fact, it probably didn’t. But thinking through it wouldn’t be a waste of time. After all, he still had almost no grasp on what kind of world this really was. Even if you called it a parallel world, there were infinite variations. A parallel world is, at its core, a world of possibilities.

To put it another way, a parallel world can only diverge based on some kind of possibility. If he could figure out what possibility had caused this particular world to branch off, it might provide the foundation for all sorts of speculation. Like where other people he knew might be, for instance.

The first person who came to mind was Riese, partly because he was worried about her safety, but also because if anyone had the power to return him to his original world, it might be her. According to what he’d heard from Anriette, her abilities were, in theory, powerful enough to make something like that possible.

Of course, whether she’d be willing to help was another issue entirely, and who knew what state she might be in now? Regardless, she was absolutely someone worth considering. That was it. At the same moment Allen fully accepted that this world was not the one he came from, he also resolved to search for a way back. It was only natural. He didn’t know why this had happened, but he still had too many lingering attachments to that world to let it go.

Sure, this world might have people who looked and sounded just like his friends. But they weren’t them. If he allowed himself to see them as the same in any real sense, it would only be disrespectful to both sides. At the very least, he had no intention of doing that.

Hm. Well, for now, I’d like to talk more with Anriette. Might help with information gathering.

It was obvious she was an adventurer now, but how she’d ended up that way was a total mystery. If he could learn the details, maybe it would lead to some kind of clue.

And then...there’s Lisette too.

That situation was also strange, and he had no idea how it had come to be. Talking to her would be well worth the effort.

Honestly, the fastest way would be to jump in now and talk to both of them at once...but yeah, that’s definitely not gonna work.

He could already see the future where they both shot him down. In this case, efficiency wasn’t the priority—certainty was.

So, in that case, I guess Lisette should be first?

Her earlier reaction hadn’t been bad, but Anriette wasn’t the kind of person to easily open up to some random stranger asking about her life story. If anything, knowing her, it would take some time to even get to that point. Which meant it made the most sense to start with Lisette.

“Even so, this all feels so wrong,” Allen muttered under his breath as he watched Anriette and Lisette chatting across the room.

To the best of his understanding, Anriette was the daughter of a marquis of the empire, and Lisette was the captain of the imperial order of knights. Seeing the two of them casually talking as an adventurer and a guild receptionist in a Frontier town, it was not surprising that it felt completely off.

Noel and Mylène didn’t feel that strange to me...but I guess that makes sense.

Noel may have claimed to be the Elven Queen, but Allen had only seen her act in that role during their very first meeting. After that, she hadn’t seemed all that different from the Noel he knew, and the same went for Mylène.

In fact, their conversations and interactions had felt exactly like those from his original world, to the point where it had felt totally natural.

But I’m sure that won’t always be the case going forward.

There would likely be plenty of situations like this from here on.

Hm. Part of me wants to see it and part of me really doesn’t...

Truthfully, a part of him was curious. These were things he would never have seen in his original world. It would be a lie to say he wasn’t at least intrigued. Sure, the feeling was strange, but it was what it was.

Well, I guess I’ll just have to take things as they come.

As he was thinking that, Anriette stepped away from the counter. It seemed her business was done. She looked somewhat pleased with herself, but what had she been talking about? Of course, there was no way for Allen to ask her.

Anriette glanced at him briefly, then left the guild without a word. Naturally. That was to be expected. Still, a small sigh escaped his lips.

Man. I really am hopeless, huh?

Apparently, he was more bothered than he’d thought about not being acknowledged by Anriette. Recognizing that feeling in himself, Allen let out another sigh.

Anyway, I’ve got more important things to focus on right now.

With that, he shook off the melancholy and turned his gaze toward the counter. At the moment, no one else seemed to be approaching it. Lisette looked like she didn’t have anything special to do. In other words, this was a perfect opportunity.

But how exactly should I start the conversation?

It wasn’t like Lisette would just open up about herself if he asked out of the blue, and since she was working as a receptionist now, she was probably used to people trying to pull that kind of thing. He’d need to be smart about it. So...what should he do?

The problem was that even though Allen knew who Lisette was, he didn’t know her very well. To be honest, he couldn’t even think of a decent opening line.

Bringing up the empire out of nowhere would be way too abrupt...

As he watched Lisette, he sank into thought, trying to figure out his next move.

Things That Changed and Things That Stayed the Same

As Allen stood by the counter, still pondering how to approach Lisette, something suddenly occurred to him. Caught up in the shock of seeing both her and Anriette there, he had completely overlooked one important detail: The person who was supposed to be behind the reception desk wasn’t there.

When someone mentioned the Adventurer’s Guild receptionist, the first person who came to Allen’s mind—someone he was personally familiar with—was Nadia.

Maybe it was just her day off. Or maybe she was on a break. But still...

Hm...maybe I can use that.

It wasn’t a bad conversation starter. Of course, there was also the chance that in this world, Nadia didn’t work at the guild at all, but he’d deal with that if it came up. In any case, it gave him a reason to talk. With that decided, there was no need to stand around watching any longer.

“Excuse me, do you have a moment?”

“Yes! Of course, I do! The Adventurer’s Guild welcomes everyone and anyone, you know!”

The reply he got wasn’t quite what he’d expected. It was oddly cheerful and overly energetic. Not bad, per se, but something about it felt out of place in this setting. After all, adventurers were, more often than not, rough types. That went double for the kind of adventurers you’d find in a Frontier town like this. For example, Nadia always remained polite but carried herself in a way that gave no one a chance to take advantage of her. Lisette, on the other hand, had a demeanor that seemed like it might invite trouble.

But just as Allen’s thoughts reached that point, he paused. No, wait.

When he really thought about it, the only receptionist he’d ever dealt with extensively was Nadia. He didn’t know how other receptionists typically behaved. So for all he knew, maybe this was perfectly normal.

“Is something wrong, sir?”

“Ah, sorry. Actually, I heard someone I know works here, but I haven’t seen her around. I was wondering if you might know where she is?”

“Someone you know, huh?”

“Yes. Her name’s Nadia.”

At that, Lisette’s brow faintly furrowed. For a second, Allen wondered if he’d miscalculated, but as it turned out, that concern was premature.

“Nadia, huh? Well, that’s some unlucky timing, I guess.”

“Unlucky timing?”

“Yeah. Nadia is out of town on a little business trip right now.”

“I see.”

So Nadia was still working at the guild, just currently away on assignment. Allen had only meant to use her name as a way to start a conversation, but the information he’d gotten wasn’t bad at all. At least as far as he knew, it was unusual—unheard of, even—for a receptionist from the Frontier town’s guild to be dispatched to another town on business. He recalled once hearing something in passing, that such assignments didn’t happen by chance but were organized deliberately. Which meant that, despite how things might look, this world really was different from the one he knew.

Well, for now, that didn’t necessarily change anything. “Do you happen to know when she’ll be back?”

“Hmm. I’m afraid not, actually. Oh, I don’t mean I can’t tell you or anything; it’s just the truth. I wasn’t told. Maybe they didn’t think I needed to know. I’m still pretty new around here.”

The fact that Nadia wouldn’t be back for a while wasn’t great, but it wasn’t exactly bad either. The bad part was that Allen couldn’t ask her anything directly. But the good part was that there was no risk of his lies being exposed. Most likely, if someone asked Nadia whether she knew Allen, she’d say she didn’t. That saved him from a potentially awkward situation. He had prepared an excuse just in case, but avoiding the need to use it was ideal. It would’ve been nice to gather information from her, but it wasn’t absolutely necessary. All in all, this situation wasn’t too bad.

With that thought, Allen decided to ask about something else that had caught his attention. “New, huh? Are you really that new?”

“Yup, just like I look. So no need to be all formal with me, okay? Actually, when people treat me like that, it just makes me feel small.”

“If you say so, then I’ll drop the formalities. But really, are you?”

“I’m telling you, I am! Wait, hold up, do I seriously come across like that much of a big shot?!”

“No, no, that’s not what I mean...”

But the truth was, she really didn’t look like a rookie. Even though she’d referred to Nadia as her senior, Allen would’ve believed it if someone had told him Lisette had been working here longer.

“Wait...are you saying I look old or something?” she asked.

“No, it’s not like that at all. How should I put it? You’ve got this presence, you know? Like a seasoned pro. Calm and confident... That kind of vibe.”

That quality he sensed in her...maybe it could be called confidence. A quiet, unwavering belief that she could handle whatever came her way... Allen felt it radiating from Lisette.

Judging by her expression, it seemed his words had resonated. “Confident, huh? Yeah, that might be true. I may not look it, but I’ve been through my fair share of hellish situations. Not so different from most folks living in this town, really.”

“I see.”

Was that her way of saying not to ask anything else, or was there really nothing more to it? Allen considered for a moment, then decided not to push the subject for now. He was certainly curious about why Lisette, of all people, was working as a receptionist at a Frontier guild, but it wasn’t something he needed to know right away. Besides, at this point, he’d already gathered the minimum necessary information.

Lisette hadn’t shown any particular reaction when she’d seen Allen. That alone confirmed that she didn’t know him either, which meant he’d accomplished one of his goals.

Now, then. “Oh, right. It’s not exactly related to that, but can you tell me if this works?”

Allen pulled out his guild card and handed it over. It was his own, of course, but he wanted to check whether it would actually be valid here. At the moment, he hadn’t found anyone he could really rely on, and he didn’t have much money on hand either. He needed some way to earn a living, and the first option that came to mind was taking on quests as an adventurer.

Of course, there was a huge difference in the quality of quests—and thus the rewards—depending on whether someone was registered as a rookie or an experienced adventurer. Worst-case scenario, he could go hunt monsters and sell their materials. But if he could take on guild commissions, that would obviously be better. That said, there was a chance his card wouldn’t work at all.

Let’s see how this plays out.

“This looks like a normal guild card to me. But is there something special about it?”

“Ah, yeah, well...kinda. A little.”

Allen gave a vague nod as Lisette tilted her head, looking puzzled. Naturally, she’d be curious. If it was just an ordinary card, there’d be no reason to ask whether it could be used. Of course, he couldn’t tell her the truth, so he’d have to play it off.

Whether she sensed something odd about it or this sort of thing wasn’t too unusual in her experience, Lisette didn’t press any further. She simply accepted the card and began giving it a light once-over.

“Hm...doesn’t look like there’s anything unusual about it,” she stated as she began fiddling with something at her side. Allen couldn’t quite see what she was doing, but it looked like she was verifying the card. After a brief moment, she raised her head. “Yep, looks like there’s no issue at all. Allen, right?”

“Yeah, that’s me. Good to know. Thanks.”

“No problem at all!”

Taking the card back, Allen let out a quiet sigh of relief. A lot of things may have changed, but there were still things that hadn’t. It wasn’t anything worth making a big deal over, but maybe, deep down, he’d been more shaken than he’d realized.

Well, I guess that makes sense.

People he thought he knew were suddenly acting like they’d never met him. That was a hard hit to take, even for someone like Allen, who’d been through a lot. In fact, if he’d been sent to a completely unknown world, it might have been less of a shock. It was because the places and faces were so familiar that the impact had hit so deeply.

Even so, it wasn’t like everything had been taken from him. As he looked down at his guild card—proof of his identity—he found himself thinking. No...that wasn’t quite right. It wasn’t that they had forgotten him. They’d simply never known him in the first place. He’d only felt like something had been lost because the people in this world looked and acted so much like the ones he knew.

But that line of thinking was disrespectful to both the people of his world and this one. The truth was, Allen hadn’t lost anything. If anything, depending on how you looked at it, this might actually be an opportunity. If nobody here knew who he was, it meant he could truly live as he pleased. He could live the life he had always wanted.

“Thinking about it that way, maybe this isn’t such a bad situation after all.”

“Huh? Something on your mind?” Lisette asked.

“Oh, I was just thinking...now that I know my card works, maybe I’ll take on a request or two.”

“Ohhh, I see! You seem like someone who can really handle himself, so I’m looking forward to seeing what you can do!”

He laughed. “I wouldn’t go that far.”

Of course, he didn’t plan to stay here forever. But maybe, just for a while, it wouldn’t hurt to enjoy himself, take it easy, and live on his own terms. And that included interacting with the versions of his friends who lived in this world.

He’d been unsure of how to approach them, but maybe there was no need to overthink it. After all, in life, meetings and partings were always fleeting. Ships that pass in the night. There was no need to make it complicated. He just had to be himself. That didn’t mean being irresponsible. If anything, it meant the opposite. It wasn’t because he intended to leave that he’d live how he wanted, it was because he wanted to treasure the present moment. Since he knew that these relationships would eventually end, he didn’t need to hold back and could just let things happen naturally.

That thought settled warmly in his chest. And with it came another realization. He had changed. His old self never would have thought this way. If he’d known something would one day be lost, he would’ve said, “Then I’ll live freely, while still avoiding any real bonds.” That was the kind of person he had been. And he knew exactly why that had changed.

It was because of them. Thanks to them, Allen had changed. He was able to change. So even reaching out to the versions of his friends in this world wasn’t a mistake. There was something here, something valuable, waiting to be found.

Believing that, Allen turned to face the girl in front of him once more. Gathering information was important, but stopping at that would be a waste. So this time, to really start a proper conversation, he looked Lisette in the eyes and spoke.

Savior

Facing the building before her, Noel took a long, slow breath. She felt uncharacteristically nervous, but recognizing it didn’t do anything to stop it. She took a few more deep breaths and then gave up. It seemed this nervousness wasn’t going to go away so easily, so there was only one thing to do. Face it head-on.

“This really isn’t like me,” she muttered with a touch of self-derision and let out a sigh.

The one saving grace was that she was alone here. Leaving Mylène behind—despite her offer to come along—had turned out to be the right call. Not that she’d foreseen this happening, but since it had worked out, she couldn’t complain.

With those thoughts, Noel turned her gaze once more toward the building in front of her. At first glance, it didn’t look particularly unusual. Not completely ordinary, perhaps, but in this town, where so many houses had quirks and oddities, this one fell well within the bounds of “normal.”

That said, “at first glance” was the key phrase. No ordinary house would have swords strewn haphazardly across the porch.

Or at least, that’s how it should be...

And yet, the feeling Noel got from this house wasn’t one of strangeness, it was one of nostalgia. Rather than finding it odd, she felt a faint, almost melancholic familiarity stir within her. Of course, she had no memories of the past. She couldn’t say for certain whether this was nostalgia, but it probably wasn’t far off.

At the very least, back then, she had thought of this house—or rather, a place with a similar atmosphere—as her home.

Well, then.

Either way, she couldn’t stand around in front of it forever. It was time to make her move. With a firm breath to gather her courage, she started walking.

Noel reached the front door and placed her hand on it. She hesitated for a moment, just a moment, before she pushed it open. What met her eyes on the other side made them narrow slightly. This should’ve been a completely unfamiliar place to her. It was her first time visiting, her first time ever setting foot in this town. And yet, strangely, she felt like she knew it.

Because of that, she kept walking. Drawn by a sound she had heard even before entering, she walked straight toward its source. Then she saw the back of a figure she remembered.

“You haven’t changed a bit.” The words slipped out before she realized it.

The sound of hammer striking steel. The sight of someone working metal. It was a sound she used to hear constantly, a figure she used to watch every day. Back then, that was all her world had been. It was everything. She had never imagined there could be anything more beyond it, until...

Noel shook her head.

She wasn’t that same girl anymore. And she hadn’t come here today just to reminisce about the past. With that thought, she took a few calming breaths and then called out to the figure’s back.

“It’s been a while, Vanessa.”

The woman who had taken her in and saved her life. Her savior. The reason she had come to this town—to see the dwarf blacksmith she’d managed to find far more easily than expected. A woman she had once, in a way, thought of as a mother.

But she’d never quite been able to bring herself to say it. And the more she came to know who Vanessa really was, the less she could imagine saying it at all. That stubborn, hardheaded woman would never accept being called such a thing. It was obvious. So she had never actually said it out loud. But neither had she ever found the time to settle on another way to refer to her.

Before their relationship could solidify into something more defined, the elf emissaries had come for her. Maybe if that hadn’t happened, she would have ended up calling the dwarf “master.”

But that was a past that could never be, which was why she simply called her by name, and only after saying it did Noel realize it might have been the first time she had ever done so. Not that it meant anything in particular, but still...

“Oh, it’s you. Took me a second.”

Noel had braced herself, wondering what kind of reaction she would get. And those were the words that floated back to her, far more detached than she had expected.

But when she thought about it, this was exactly how Vanessa had always been. That too, then, was one of the things that hadn’t changed. She didn’t think it was a bad thing, but even so, her voice caught in her throat for just a moment.

“Yeah. It’s been a while.” So she simply repeated herself. It was true, after all. Nothing strange about saying it again.

“What are you doing here? Doesn’t seem like much of a place for the Elven Queen to be hanging around.”

The reply that came, blunt and dismissive, left Noel momentarily speechless. Of course, she knew that Vanessa had always spoken that way. It didn’t mean anything more than that. There was no malice in it.

But at the same time, it only meant that. There wasn’t even the slightest bit of warmth in her words. No hint of emotion at reuniting after years apart. It was as if she were saying, You mean nothing to me.

And Noel couldn’t say for sure that Vanessa didn’t mean it. In truth, it wouldn’t be strange if that were the case. They had only lived together for a short time. Calling her cold for this would be unfair. To Noel, Vanessa was a savior. But to Vanessa, Noel was probably just a child she’d happened to take in.

She understood that. She’d always understood that. She thought she had accepted it. But now that she was face-to-face with it, she found herself unable to say anything. Still.

Perhaps it was because she had spent the past few years as the Elven Queen. Whatever emotions welled up inside her, surfacing and fading one after another, she pressed them all down with a single quiet sigh.

“Not really. I was feeling a bit nostalgic, thinking about the old days. And I’m genuinely curious too.”

“Come to think of it, you were that strange kid who always took an interest in blacksmithing.”

“Strange? That’s rude.”

It wasn’t as if she’d had a particular passion for smithing. It was just that Vanessa had only ever done blacksmithing, so naturally, Noel’s attention had been drawn to it.

“Well, whatever. So? What did you come for? Don’t tell me you dropped by just to say hi.”

“You’re right. Honestly, you really haven’t changed at all.”

Noel let out a sigh, half exasperated. She’d thought maybe something would’ve shifted now that Vanessa had moved from her isolated mountain home into a proper town, but clearly, nothing had. Even this short exchange was more than enough to make that perfectly clear.

“Well, fine. So you’re asking why I came, right? Of course there’s a reason,” Noel continued.

“Spare me the rambling. Just get to the point. As you can see, I’m busy.”

“Busy, huh. You’re just hammering out swords no one’s going to buy again, aren’t you?”

“Tch.”

No rebuttal, which meant she was right. Truly, nothing had changed. Vanessa had always made swords, not to sell them, but simply to make them. Sure, she sold some occasionally, but that was never the goal. It just happened. She forged swords endlessly, as if the act of forging itself was the goal.

Noel had never really known why. Maybe she simply loved it. Or maybe... Maybe she didn’t know what else to do. Noel had never asked and probably never would. She knew, even if she asked, Vanessa wouldn’t answer. What Noel did know was that Vanessa would keep hammering steel no matter what. Even now, just like always.

“Honestly. You’d think since it’s been a while since we talked, you could stop for a moment.”

“If there’s something more important than forging swords, I’ll stop.”

So basically, talking to Noel didn’t qualify. Noel stifled the emotion that flared in her chest with a quiet sigh, then spoke, as if to shake it off.

“Fine. Whatever. I didn’t come for anything big. I just wanted to finally say thank you. I never got the chance back then.”

“Thanks? For what?”

“For when I left, obviously. Everything happened so fast, everything was hectic, and you... You just kept hammering away like always. I ended up leaving without even saying a proper goodbye. Then afterward, I had so much to do, I couldn’t find the time to come back and thank you.”

So much had happened since then. As the Elven Queen, there were countless things Noel had needed to do and just as many things she had to learn. Everyone had told her not to rush, to take it at her own pace, but even so, she was the one who had chosen to become queen.

When they had come to fetch her, Noel had had a choice. She could have stayed. She could have refused the crown. The people who had come for her had never tried to force anything. They’d said she was free to decide, that even if she chose not to become queen, they would find another way.

But even as a child, even with no memories of her past, Noel could tell they were only saying that to be kind. So she had chosen to become their queen. And having made that choice herself, she had no intention of turning back. No matter how hard it became, she would see it through.

It had been hard but not unbearable. Far from it. There was meaning in it. Purpose. Still, because of that, she’d had no chance to return to the mountain, and before she knew it, years had passed.

Then came the turmoil in the empire, which made her even busier. But in the end, that mess brought her to this country. By coincidence, she had learned that Vanessa was here.

“Hmph.” As if to deny everything Noel had just laid bare, Vanessa snorted. “I told you back then, didn’t I? There’s nothing worth thanking me for. I only picked you up by chance. After that, I didn’t do a damn thing. You know that better than anyone.”

“That’s...”

She was right. Vanessa had saved her life, yes. But after that, she hadn’t exactly doted on Noel. If anything, Noel had been the one looking after her. Even so...

“Is that all you came for? Then get lost. I already told you, I’m busy.” Vanessa didn’t even glance in her direction as she spoke. She said no more after that.

Shocked, Noel instinctively opened her mouth, trying to say something...but no words came. The sound of hammering steel filled the silence.

Noel turned her back to Vanessa. She knew. She knew that anything else she tried to say now would be pointless. Without so much as a goodbye, she began to walk.

Vanessa didn’t speak. Neither did Noel. She made her way to the edge of the room. And just once, just one last time, she looked back. Vanessa continued to hammer, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. As if even this final moment wasn’t worth acknowledging. As if even a single glance in Noel’s direction wasn’t worth the effort.

Still, Noel swallowed the sigh rising in her throat. Even if it was small and meaningless, that was her pride. And with that she left, with nothing resolved and nothing gained.

An Unfamiliar House

“Now then, what should I do next?” Allen muttered to himself after leaving the guild.

While he was chatting with Lisette, time had slipped by completely. The sun was still high in the sky, but it was definitely starting to lean toward evening. It likely wouldn’t be long before it set and darkness spread across the area. There weren’t many options for what he could do now.

Well, I guess the safest bet is to look for an inn...

No matter what he intended to do, the first step was to secure a base of operations. Allen had already decided to stay in this town for a while and gather information. There was no reason to believe he’d find what he was looking for right away. In fact, he wasn’t even sure what kind of information he should be looking for in the first place. Rushing around like that would only lead to trouble, he knew that much for sure.

Well, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t at least a little interested in enjoying this whole situation while I’m at it.

That much should be fine. Living in a world that was both familiar and unfamiliar...there was no harm in enjoying it a little.

Ah. Actually, I probably should’ve asked about that kind of stuff while I was at the guild.

He’d only talked about silly little things with Lisette and never even thought to bring it up. He didn’t regret that—it had been a valuable and enjoyable time—but it still felt like a missed opportunity.

Mm, but going back now would be kind of awkward...

He was sure they’d be willing to answer if he asked. It wasn’t a busy time at reception yet, so that shouldn’t be a problem. But emotionally speaking, he just didn’t feel like heading back.

Well, I guess I’ll just find something on my own.

The only inn Allen knew was the one Riese and the others had stayed at long ago, but fortunately, he was fairly confident in his knowledge of the town’s geography. He had a few ideas about where other inns might be, and he figured he’d manage somehow. With that in mind, he started walking, deciding to head toward the inn Riese and the others had used first. Given his current funds, it was unlikely he could afford to stay there, but it was worth checking anyway.

Moreover, while the path to the guild hadn’t changed, that didn’t guarantee the rest of the town was the same. It was worth confirming.

Come to think of it, there’s one place I know for sure must be different.

The house they’d all lived in. Since Noel didn’t live in this town anymore, that fact alone meant it was different, and on top of that, there was a good chance the house was now uninhabited. Back when Allen had bought it, he’d been told it had gone unsold and abandoned for a while. That had worked in his favor at the time, letting him buy it for a reasonable price, but either way, the place now had to be a complete unknown to him.

Hmm... But now that I think about it, my base doesn’t have to be an inn, right? That old mansion would work just as well.

Of course, with what Allen had on hand now, buying it was out of the question. But judging from the price he had paid for it before, renting it might still be possible.

Well, there’s always the chance someone’s already bought it, or that it doesn’t even exist here. But if that’s the case, I’ll deal with it then.

At the very least, there was no reason to cross it off the list at this point.

Thinking about it that way, it’s actually starting to sound like a pretty good idea...

He had a fair amount of attachment to that place. Making it his base here wouldn’t be bad. In fact, he was starting to get quite enthusiastic about it.

But if I remember right, the reason I even found out about it was because Nadia mentioned it to me...

And that Nadia wasn’t at the guild right now in this world. So who should he talk to about it? Maybe Lisette would know enough if he brought it up...

Well, first I guess I should check if the place even exists, or what condition it’s in.

If someone was already living there—or if it didn’t exist at all—then there’d be no point in bringing it up. And it’d probably be easier to explain his interest if he actually visited it first.

I could say it caught my eye or something like that.

Once decided, he figured the sooner he moved, the better. Even if it didn’t work out, it wouldn’t take long to check. And there’d still be time afterward to look for an inn.

Thinking that far ahead, Allen realized he was more eager about this than he’d expected, and he let out a small, amused sigh.

Guess I was more attached to that place than I thought.

Still, it didn’t feel like a bad thing. In fact, if he made his base somewhere he cared about, it might give him even more motivation to press forward. In that sense, it wasn’t a bad decision at all.

All right. If that’s the plan...

Moving his feet again after stopping for so long, Allen set off toward the familiar place he knew so well.

The moment Allen laid eyes on the familiar mansion, he came to an involuntary halt. He had more or less expected it, but there were unmistakable signs that someone was currently living there. And on top of that...

“So that’s how it is, huh?” he muttered to himself, shifting his gaze slightly away from the mansion. There wasn’t anything particularly noteworthy there. No flowers were blooming, and it really was just an unremarkable patch of land.

But as Allen continued to gaze at that spot with conviction, someone eventually appeared as if melting out of the scenery itself, perhaps realizing it was pointless to remain hidden.

A lone girl stood there. Allen wasn’t surprised in the least. Of course, he had already noticed her, and he also knew exactly who she was. After all, there was only one person he knew who could pull off that disappearing act.

It was Mylène.

“Hey. I guess it hasn’t been that long since we last saw each other?”

But even when Allen greeted her like that, Mylène didn’t return the greeting. In fact, the look she gave him was one of pure hostility, as if she were staring down an enemy. Well, considering the circumstances, that was natural.

“Why?” That question likely held two meanings. Why are you here? And why can you see me?

Given the situation, it was obvious that this mansion had become Mylène and the others’ temporary residence. But none of them had informed Allen of that fact. And yet, not long after they’d parted ways, Allen had somehow shown up at their undisclosed location, so of course she’d be wary. On top of that, Mylène had never told Allen about her ability to turn invisible, nor had she ever demonstrated it. Yet he’d seen through it immediately. Naturally, she had every right to be cautious. Of course, there was no need for concern, but telling her that outright wouldn’t convince her to let down her guard.

After a bit of thought, Allen decided to address the easier half of her question—how he had known. “Well, I guess half of it was instinct, and the other half was experience?”

Mylène’s invisibility was pretty impressive, but he’d seen it more than a few times before and even experienced it directly. Maybe that was why. Allen had started to pick up on a subtle discomfort whenever she was invisible, and that was how he’d spotted her right away.

However, Mylène, who didn’t know the full story, clearly didn’t take that explanation at face value.

“I see. So you don’t intend to answer seriously.”

“Hmm. I mean, that’s the truth, though.” He gave a helpless shrug, but her piercing gaze showed no signs of softening. Still, how else was he supposed to explain it? “Oh, and coming here really was just a coincidence, okay? I was thinking about where to stay while I’m in town, and I just happened to end up here.”

“You were looking for a place to stay?”

Even though he was being completely honest, Mylène’s stare only grew more intense. Well, in this case, it might have been understandable. There weren’t any inns around here. As a place to look for lodging, this part of town was completely unsuitable, if anything, it was more believable to say he was scoping out a place to rob.

“Well, you don’t have to be that suspicious. I already figured out there’s nowhere to stay around here, so I’ll be on my way.”

He didn’t exactly feel nothing about the fact that this place had become their base, but if someone was already using it, there was nothing he could do. It looked like he’d have to give up on it. If it were just the two of them staying here, there would probably be plenty of spare rooms, but asking to crash with them was unlikely to go over well. It was obvious from Mylène’s current level of suspicion that he hadn’t earned that kind of trust from them. Maybe he could use the fact that he had helped them as a reason, and they might accept, but...

Yeah, no.

That would just risk losing the little trust he had managed to build. He didn’t want to go that far just to stay here. It was a shame, sure, but not so much that he couldn’t let it go.

“Well, in that case—”

Just as he was about to turn and leave, Allen froze in place, sensing another presence enter the area. It was coming from a different direction than himself, and for a brief moment he was on alert, but that tension quickly faded. He realized immediately that this person was far more appropriate for the current setting than he was.

“Oh? What are you doing here?”

“Hey. Guess it hasn’t been that long.”

The wary gaze belonged to Noel. Allen gave her the same casual greeting he had given Mylène earlier. But Noel didn’t respond. Instead, she turned her gaze toward Mylène as if silently asking, What’s going on here?

Mylène seemed to pick up on Noel’s meaning, tilting her head slightly as she spoke. “He said he was looking for a place to stay and ended up here?”

“Yeah, pretty much. Turns out it was a wasted trip, though.” Allen continued as casually as possible to avoid provoking suspicion, but Noel’s response was wholly unexpected.

“Hm. I don’t see a problem with it.”

“Huh?”

What exactly did she mean by “don’t see a problem”? Mylène looked just as surprised, so it was clear Noel had spoken entirely on her own judgment.

“We’re leaving in three days. You can use the place after that if you want.”

Ah, so that was what she meant. Allen nodded in understanding. But another question soon followed. “Three days? That’s kind of soon, isn’t it?”

“Agreed. I thought we were staying longer, Noel?”

“It’s fine. We’ve already done what we came here to do.”

If they’d finished what they’d come to town for, it probably meant Noel had already met the “savior” she had mentioned. Still, she didn’t look particularly happy. Maybe something unexpected had happened. But whatever it was, it wasn’t Allen’s place to ask.

“Well, we’re not heading out just yet; we’ll still look around the city for a bit. But like I said, we’ll be gone in three days. After that, I think you can do what you want with the place.”

“Three days, huh?”

Honestly, he did have some thoughts. He’d just started hoping he might finally be able to reconnect with them. Three days wouldn’t be nearly enough time for that. But that was his problem, not theirs.

“Hmm. Well, I guess I can just stay at an inn until then. Still, even if you two leave, are you sure it’s okay for me to rent the place afterward?”

“It should be fine. The owner was having trouble finding anyone to use it. That’s why we got it so cheap.”

“I arranged it through one of Mylène’s contacts. If I let them know when we leave, I’m sure it’ll be no issue. You are our savior, after all. It’s the least we can do.”

“Well, thanks. I really appreciate that,” Allen said, adding silently, Three days is still enough time to do something...

It wasn’t too late—not yet—and letting the opportunity slip away would be a waste.

He didn’t have any concrete ideas just yet, but he had managed to reconnect with them like this. And that made him want to treasure that bond, however fleeting.

With that feeling in mind, Allen began to think about what might come next.

The Blacksmith’s Request

Uh...it should be around here, I think...

Allen tilted his head as he looked around. It was that strange time of day, too late to call early morning, yet too early to call midday. He walked through the lively streets with a note in hand. On it was a set of directions to a certain place. At least, that was supposed to be the case.

Hmm... Don’t tell me this is part of the test too...

The note had been given to him when he’d accepted a request at the Adventurer’s Guild. It was meant to show the way to the client’s location.

The guild had handed him the note, but apparently, it hadn’t been written by the guild itself. It had been prepared by the client. All it contained was one large circle, one small circle, and a few lines connecting the two.

Still, that alone wouldn’t have been much of a problem. It was easy enough to assume that the large circle represented the guild, the small one the destination, and the lines indicated the path between them.

The trouble was that in a remote Frontier town like this, while the main roads were simple enough, the side streets were a tangled mess of narrow alleys and confusing turns. And the path drawn on the note seemed completely oblivious to that complexity, depicted in the simplest, most abstract way possible.

I’d heard that she was a tricky sort, but...is this intentional?

The request had been posted at the guild that very morning. Allen had asked for the one with the highest reward and ended up choosing this one. He figured he’d need some startup capital no matter what he planned to do, so he might as well go big. But he’d been warned about a few things when he took the job. First, the request had been shelved for quite some time. Second, the reason for that was the client, who was said to be particularly difficult to deal with. Third, because of how difficult she was, there was no guarantee she’d actually let someone take the job until they met in person.

Allen had found that hard to believe at first, but since the guild only served as a mediator for requests, it was certainly possible. That said, such requests were rare enough that most people didn’t bother taking them. Which meant only one thing: This request was unusual enough to be an exception.

Of course, the exact nature of the job was still a mystery until he actually met the client. Normally, something so vague would set off all kinds of red flags, but the reward was so exorbitantly high that it practically erased them. Compared to the other jobs being offered, the reward was in an entirely different bracket. Plenty of others had tried for it because of that, but according to the guild, every last one of them had been turned down after being tested in various ways. Some hadn’t even made it to the client and had been rejected on the spot.

Just hearing about it made it clear how difficult the client was, and that was why the request had sat untouched for so long. Allen knew there was a good chance he’d be rejected too, but he wouldn’t know unless he went. And that was how he’d ended up with this strange note, trying to find his way to the client.

Apparently when other people came here, they didn’t even need the note, since she’s so well-known... Maybe I should just ask someone around here.

No one had told him it was against the rules, and if the client really was that famous, then someone nearby was bound to know the name. Unfortunately for Allen, it wasn’t one he recognized.

Well, to be fair, my social circle’s not exactly wide. If she’s only well-known among adventurers, people on the street might not be much help anyway...

Still, he figured it couldn’t hurt to ask around, and he began glancing at his surroundings. Then, he suddenly tilted his head again. There was something familiar about the place. It shouldn’t have been recognizable, and yet it was.

Wait. Now that I think about it, I haven’t been here in a while, and the area’s changed a bit since I last saw it... That’s why I didn’t notice sooner, but this place is...

Once he realized it, all the confusion vanished. He turned and walked straight. To him, this place may have held even more meaning than the Adventurer’s Guild itself, second only to the estate he’d lived in.

“Vanessa, huh?” he muttered and stood there for a moment, staring at the house. But standing there forever wasn’t going to get him anywhere. Resolving himself, he stepped forward and knocked.

No response... I think they said not to expect one and that it was fine to let myself in.

There was noise coming from inside the house, so she clearly wasn’t out. Some kind of hammering rang out at regular intervals. He knocked several more times but still got no response.

Well, if the client gave permission, I guess it’s fine to go on in.

Giving up, he opened the door and stepped inside. The sound grew louder—rhythmic strikes, metal on metal—but there was still no sign that anyone had noticed him. He walked farther in, then stopped in his tracks at the sight of someone’s back.

“Noel?”

“Huh?”

The name slipped from his lips before he’d even realized it. As though responding to the sound, the hammering stopped, and the figure turned to face him. But the person who appeared before him looked nothing like Noel. Not the shape of her face, not even the color of her hair—they weren’t just unrelated, they weren’t even the same race. They were so completely different that it would’ve been more difficult to find similarities.

And yet, the impression Allen got at first glance didn’t waver. She resembled Noel. Or...was it Noel who resembled her? She was Noel’s master. He didn’t even need to ask. He could feel it.

“Who are you? As you can see, I’m busy. If you’re here to sell something, I’m not interested—”

“Ah, no... Um, I accepted the request you posted at the guild...” Allen quickly explained, startled by the sharp glare aimed his way.

If this woman really was Noel’s master, there were certainly a lot of things he was curious about. But those were matters between them. Allen had no right to interfere. What mattered now was the request. That had to come first. Besides, according to what he’d heard at the guild, this was where the real challenge began. There was no room for carelessness.

Just as he was steeling himself, the woman narrowed her already sharp eyes even further. “Hmph? No one’s come by lately. I figured the request had been pulled, but I guess there’s still the odd fool curious enough to show up.”

“Fool, huh? But you’re the one who posted the request, aren’t you?”

“Hmph. I knew the ones who showed up would be worthless anyway. Just hoping you’re not another waste of time...”

She gave Allen a long, appraising stare from head to toe, as though weighing his worth. At the very least, she didn’t immediately throw him out. He let out a quiet sigh of relief...only for her to mutter, “Hm?” under her breath, eyes narrowing again as they fixed on something.

“That sword...”

“Huh? Oh, you mean this?”

It seemed his sword had caught her attention. She stared at it, as if trying to confirm something, and Allen felt an odd flicker of nervousness, probably because he knew who had forged the blade and who was standing before him now. That was what made his heart race, more than being evaluated himself.

“No, never mind. It’s a fine sword,” she murmured.

Those words made him unexpectedly happy. She hadn’t offered any clear praise, and yet somehow, it felt like a compliment. The sword Noel had forged had just been acknowledged by the woman she looked up to as her master, which meant Noel’s skill had been recognized. For some reason, that made Allen strangely proud.

“Well then, let’s move on. You heard that I’ll be testing whether or not you’re fit to take this request, right?”

“Ah, yes. That’s what I was told.”

“Good. In that case, do you know what a mandragora is?”

“Of course I do.”

It was a well-known plant, after all. But as far as he knew, it was typically used in alchemy. He’d never heard of a blacksmith needing one.

“I get what you’re thinking. But no, I’m not just throwing out random challenges. Mandragora can be used in blacksmithing too, though not many people know that.”

“Is that so?”

She didn’t seem like she was lying, so he assumed it was true. It was surprising, realizing the plant had uses even he hadn’t known about. Still, something else bothered him.

“What is it? Got a question?” Vanessa asked, her eyes narrowing.

“Well, yeah, sort of. Mandragoras are the ones, right? The ones that scream when you pull them out of the ground, and that scream can kill you?”

“Yeah, that’s right. There should be some growing in the forest not too far from here. All I’m asking is that you go and pick one. Oh, and don’t worry, it’s included in the job payment. Given the market rate, I’d say it’s more than fair.”

That part, at least, was true. Mandragoras were dangerous to harvest, so they fetched a high price, but given how large the reward for this job was, even the inclusion of a mandragora didn’t make it unreasonable.

What concerned Allen was whether that really was all there was to it. Sure, harvesting mandragoras could be fatal if you weren’t careful, but there were ways to avoid the scream, and the process wasn’t all that difficult. Not everyone could do it, of course, but it wasn’t impossible either. For a request that had supposedly turned away every single applicant—some without even meeting the client—this seemed almost too easy. Was this just the beginning? A warm-up for something more difficult to come?

Well, guess I won’t know until I try.

He’d known this job would come with complications, and he’d accepted that in exchange for the massive payout. This was still within his expectations. And more than that...if she was Noel’s master, then getting involved here might just be worth it, in more ways than one.

With that thought in mind, Allen leaned in, ready to listen carefully to what came next.

An Unfamiliar Girl

By the time the sun was high overhead, Allen was walking through a place where the light couldn’t reach. He was deep within a dense forest, the very one where he’d been told mandragoras could be found. But when he stopped to look around, he let out a weary sigh.

Hmm... Come to think of it, I’ve never actually seen a mandragora before...

To put it bluntly: Allen was lost. Not in terms of the path. He knew exactly where he was. What he wasn’t sure about was how to find a mandragora in the first place. They were so famous, he’d assumed he knew all about them. But once in the forest, it dawned on him that he’d never actually seen one with his own eyes.

I’m sure I’d know if I pulled one out...but honestly, I can’t tell them apart just by looking. And I can’t exactly start yanking things out at random...

There were plenty of plants that looked like they could be mandragoras. The problem was, if he happened to pull up the real thing, things could get very bad. He’d heard their scream could travel quite a distance. If someone else was within range when that happened, it could be fatal.

And the worst part is, I have no idea how far that scream actually goes...

This part of the forest was said to be isolated, rarely visited, but not completely off-limits. In fact, Allen could sense the presence of a few others nearby even now. If any of them were within range of a mandragora’s scream, it would be a disaster.

I was planning to set up a barrier to block the sound, but that’s really only for when you’re harvesting them in bulk...

The forest was vast, and putting up a barrier every time he wanted to test a plant would be too much of a hassle. He’d save that as a last resort.

Maybe I should just ask someone.

Thankfully, he could sense a few people nearby. Maybe if he asked, one of them might help point him in the right direction.

Then again, even if they describe it, I probably still wouldn’t know what I’m looking at. And it’s not like I can ask them to come help me search.

Still, it might be worth trying, or so he was thinking when something suddenly caught his attention as a loud crash rang out through the forest.

Huh? What was that?

He felt a slight tremor underfoot and instinctively turned his gaze toward the source of the sound. What his senses picked up was the presence of a monster—and someone fighting it. That, in itself, wasn’t all that unusual. If they were here, they were probably with another adventurer. Or at least Allen thought so at first, but something made him pause. He sharpened his senses, and the moment he grasped who it was, he let out a resigned sigh.

He knew them. He hesitated for just a second, then sighed again.

Can’t be helped. It’s probably not a good idea for all sorts of reasons, but...

There was no way he could just leave it be. He muttered to himself again, narrowed his eyes, and took off running toward the source of the sound.

Toward Anriette.

Allen arrived just as another thunderous crash rang out, the third or fourth since he’d first heard it. A tree-trunk-sized arm slammed into the ground, tearing up the earth with a low, rumbling quake.

If it had hit dead-on, it would’ve been fatal, but Anriette, facing it, managed to dodge just in time and let out a loud, frustrated click of her tongue.

“Seriously?! Nobody said anything about this thing being here! The guild needs to do better pre-mission scouting!”

She hurled curses as her arm swung out, seemingly on impulse. The sword she wielded struck the creature’s thick arm—which was about as wide as her entire torso—but it bounced off with a high-pitched clang.

“Ugh! What the heck?! Is that arm made of iron or something?!”

Judging by the sound alone, one could easily believe it was metal she’d hit. And yet it wasn’t a golem or a machine. It was, without a doubt, a living creature. Its massive single eye swiveled in its socket, locking on to her form as if to make that fact perfectly clear.

“A cyclops, huh?”

As if responding to Allen’s quiet murmur, the creature’s massive arm came crashing down once again, shaking the forest with a thunderous boom. The spot where Anriette had just been standing was reduced to a massive crater, but she was already gone, having dodged away just in time. Confirming that she was unharmed, Allen narrowed his eyes.

Hmm... I never heard anything about this type of monster being here either. In fact, it’s clearly out of place...

He’d already encountered a few monsters in this forest, but this thing was on a whole different level. Even if it was an apex predator around here, it was too strong—strong enough to completely disrupt the forest’s ecosystem.

Well, I guess sometimes you just get unlucky and run into something like this...

But given that the situation involved Anriette, it wasn’t too surprising. Allen didn’t know for sure, but there was something about her that gave off that kind of vibe.

“Why is this happening to me?! I’ll have you know, I’m actually a very decent person with excellent karma!” she cried.

She probably just had bad luck. Allen considered what to do. From the outside, it looked like she was holding her own—shouting and cursing as she fought—but he could tell she was just trying to psych herself up. She was managing to dodge the cyclops’s attacks, but none of her counterattacks seemed to be having any effect. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before she ran out of stamina and collapsed, and no one understood that better than she did. That was why she was doing everything she could to push through, but it clearly wasn’t working. If this kept up, she’d fall before long.

Allen, despite understanding all of this, was still doing nothing because he was hesitating. He’d come all the way here, and yet...the girl was an adventurer. She was here as an adventurer. That meant she had accepted the risks, and Allen felt that stepping in recklessly would be an insult to her determination. Of course, if he really believed that, then he should’ve just stayed out of it altogether.

I can’t just leave her.

He understood all of that. And still, he couldn’t abandon her, couldn’t turn his back on Anriette. Even if she didn’t know him. Even if she was not the Anriette he once knew. That was that. And this was this.

Well, anyway...the real problem is figuring out how to help.

Choosing not to abandon her was a given. The real dilemma was how to assist her. Should he intervene openly? Stay hidden and support her from the shadows? Try to take down the cyclops himself? Or help her escape? There were too many possibilities and no clear best option.

Is she looking for an opening to escape? Or is she determined to take it down? I can’t even tell what Anriette’s stance is right now.

Truthfully, she probably didn’t have the luxury of thinking about strategy at all. She looked entirely focused on dodging the creature’s attacks. And yet, she still counterattacked, because she understood that not fighting back would only make things worse. There’s a world of difference between an opponent who resists and one who simply runs away. Any attacker would find the latter much easier to crush.

I’d like to help in a way that lines up with Anriette’s own intentions, but...

At this rate, by the time he figured that out, it might already be too late. Which meant there was no choice but to act.

Yeah, she probably won’t thank me for this.

If anything, she might even resent him. Helping her now meant just that—stepping in uninvited. It was a gesture that said I don’t trust you to handle this and could easily be taken as an act of forcing a favor on her.

At the very least, Allen knew that was how it might come across. If he truly cared about her feelings, he would wait, jumping in only at the last possible moment. If he saved her when there was no other way out, when she was truly about to fall, Anriette wouldn’t hold it against him. She might not be happy, but she’d accept it. She’d understand it was necessary.

But that meant waiting until things got truly dire. And Allen didn’t trust himself to read that line correctly. One misstep, one moment too late, and it would all be over. He didn’t have that kind of confidence or the self-control to hold back that long. And if he couldn’t hold back, then when he stepped in didn’t matter.

So Allen made up his mind. He wasn’t doing this for Anriette’s sake. It was selfish. Purely his own ego. Fully aware of how self-indulgent it was, he kicked off the ground. In a single heartbeat, he closed the distance to the cyclops, whose arms were raised high, and swung his sword.

Sundering Slice.

“Huh?”

A stunned voice rang out behind him as the cyclops was split cleanly in two and collapsed. It crashed to the forest floor, motionless.

Confirming it was no longer a threat, Allen exhaled, slowly lowering his stance and releasing the tension in his body. Then he turned around. “Hey. You okay?”

This was a selfish decision on Allen’s part. He didn’t want to make Anriette feel like she owed him anything, so he spoke casually, as if it had been no big deal.

Maybe that approach had the desired effect. He watched as the shock on Anriette’s face slowly shifted into something more irritated. Seeing her brows beginning to furrow as her mood turned, Allen felt a mix of relief and guilt...but still, a small smile tugged at his lips.

An Unfamiliar Distance

Allen gave a strained smile as Anriette stared at him like he was the worst person alive. She hadn’t said a single word since the cyclops had fallen; she just kept glaring at him with that same intensity. Even someone like Allen, who had braced himself for the worst, couldn’t help but let out a weary chuckle under the weight of that gaze.

Judging by the silence, it was clear that nothing would move forward unless he broke it. Letting out a small sigh, Allen reluctantly spoke.

“Uh...are you okay?”

They were the same words he’d used earlier, but in the moment, nothing else came to mind. Besides, Anriette hadn’t actually answered the question the first time. So it was fair game to ask again, or so he reasoned until she sighed as well, a sound that carried the tone of someone resigned to something unpleasant.

“As you can see, not a scratch on me. I’m perfectly fine.”

“I see. That’s good.”

And he meant it, at least partially. True, nothing had happened after his arrival, but there was no guarantee she hadn’t been harmed before that. He’d assumed she was probably fine, but now that he had confirmation, he felt a genuine wave of relief.

Anriette, meanwhile, continued eyeing him suspiciously. But eventually, she seemed to decide it wasn’t worth fussing over. She averted her gaze slightly and continued speaking.

“Well, thanks to you, I guess. I’ll give you that much. Thanks.”

“Huh?”

Allen was genuinely stunned. He hadn’t expected her to thank him at all. Anriette, on the other hand, looked thoroughly annoyed by his reaction.

“What’s with that look?”

“It’s just... Honestly, I didn’t think you’d thank me. I figured you’d be mad, if anything.”

“Hah? And what do you take me for, huh? You saved my life. Of course I’m gonna thank you.”

“Right.”

It seemed Allen had underestimated her. And if anyone had reason to be scolded, it was probably him.

“Sorry. And...you’re welcome.”

“Hmph. Well, that aside, there is something I want to ask.”

“Something you want to ask?”

“Yeah. Like, why are you even here? You sure you’re not stalking me or something? ’Cause that timing was way too convenient.”

“No, no, I swear, it’s just a coincidence. In every possible way.”

It really was a coincidence that he’d come to this forest, and the timing of when he stepped in was simply the result of him agonizing over when he should do so. It wasn’t like he’d planned it...though, considering he’d recognized her before deciding to help, he supposed it wasn’t a complete coincidence.

“Hmph. Sounds shady to me, but fine. Whatever.”

“But it’s really the truth... Ah, right. Actually, that reminds me. There’s something I wanted to ask you.”

It was an obvious change of subject, but Allen had genuinely been hoping for the chance to ask her this. If anyone knew about mandragoras, it would probably be Anriette.

“Something you want to ask? Look, I could say you saved my life, sure, but that doesn’t mean I’m about to hand over my personal info or anything, got it?”

“No, no! It’s not like that. I told you, I’m not stalking you. I just wanted to ask...do you know anything about mandragoras?”

“Are you seriously mocking me right now? Like anyone wouldn’t know about something that famous.”

“Not just the name. I mean, have you actually seen one before? More specifically, can you recognize one while it’s still in the ground?”

“Recognize it while it’s in the ground?”

Anriette gave him a suspicious look, and Allen tilted his head in response. Sure, mandragoras were rare, but it wasn’t all that strange to go looking for rare ingredients. At least, that was what he thought until he caught himself and realized that no, actually, if you’re searching for it, then you should know what it looks like. He was the weird one here. Anriette’s suspicion made perfect sense.

But as it turned out, that wasn’t even the part she found odd. “And what exactly are you planning to do with a mandragora?”

“Huh? I mean...I was asked to find one. For a request.”

“Mandragoras aren’t exactly useful for most people, you know. There’s only a handful of folks who can actually use them. So the number of people who need them is just as limited. And I don’t think anyone in that town fits the bill. No way a request like that would show up.”

Even if that were true, Allen had been asked. Technically, the request hadn’t explicitly been for a mandragora, but the task had amounted to the same thing in the end. As he debated how to explain that, Anriette’s expression suddenly shifted, like she’d realized something.

“Wait. Now that I think about it, I did hear that certain blacksmiths use them. Don’t tell me—”

“Yeah. The request came from a blacksmith.”

“That blacksmith wouldn’t happen to be named Vanessa, would she?”

“Yes...?”

Come to think of it, hadn’t someone said Vanessa was pretty famous? That was the extent of what Allen had been told, but apparently it was a much bigger deal than he’d realized.

Anriette’s reaction was dramatic. “How the hell did you get a request from her?! I couldn’t even meet the woman!”

“Um...I just picked it up at the guild, like normal. Is it really that surprising?”

“Of course it’s surprising! Vanessa is a top-tier blacksmith! Any adventurer would jump at the chance to even talk to her! Taking one of her requests is the fastest way to make a connection with her!”

“Is that so? I mean, if you want to meet her, can’t you just go talk to her directly?”

“If you try that, she slams the door in your face! Didn’t you hear?! I got turned away just for trying to take her request! I never even got to see her!”

So it was possible to get in to see her. Anriette was just...unlucky? Allen had heard someone had been turned away without even meeting the client, but he hadn’t realized that someone was Anriette. Small world.

“Well, in that case, want me to put in a word for you? I mean, we’re at least kind of acquaintances now, so I could probably do that much.”

The instant he said it, Anriette’s face lit up, only for her expression to immediately darken again. It was like she was scolding herself for reacting so eagerly.

“I’m not gonna take the easy way out.”

“‘Easy way out’? I don’t think it’s that big a deal.”

To her, it apparently was. She really was stubborn, Allen thought. In a way, it was very her.

“I’m just being petty, really. Jealousy talking. Anyway, mandragora, right? Of course I know about it...and fine. I guess I’ll help you out.”

“Wait, really?”

“Yeah, whatever. This whole thing pisses me off, but you did save my life. If I can’t even do this much, it’d be a disgrace to my name.”

Allen didn’t quite agree with that logic, but if she was offering to help, he certainly wasn’t going to say no.

As Anriette scowled like the whole situation annoyed her to no end, Allen offered a sheepish smile and bowed his head gratefully.

“Thanks. I appreciate it.”

Mandragora

“By the way, if you’re planning to harvest a mandragora, you have made the proper preparations, right? You’ve considered the impact on the surroundings too, haven’t you?”

Anriette asked this just as Allen was scanning the area in search of the mandragora. Of course he’d taken that into account...but something suddenly occurred to him, and before answering, he threw a question back at her.

“Hmm... What about you, Anriette?”

“Huh? I’m here for a completely different request! I never planned on harvesting a mandragora, so obviously I didn’t prepare anything.”

“I mean, I was wondering if maybe it wouldn’t affect you. Or maybe you’d be able to endure it.”

“As if I’ve got some freak resistance like that! What do you think I am?!”

Anriette shot him a withering glare, and Allen gave her a sheepish smile in return. To be honest, he had thought she might actually be capable of handling such a danger. At least, the Anriette from the original world should have had no trouble with that sort of thing.

Physically, she was supposed to be no different from a regular human, but the scream of a mandragora was likely closer to a curse than a simple sound. Given that she had once been a holy disciple, it wouldn’t have been strange if she had developed a resistance to it.

But it seemed that wasn’t the case in this world.

“Well, are you sure you’re okay with this?” he asked.

“Okay with what?”

“Not just talking about mandragoras, but actually helping look for one.”

They were currently searching for a mandragora because Anriette herself had suggested it. Allen had no reason to refuse and had gratefully accepted her help.

“Didn’t I say this already? You can’t understand what a mandragora is just by hearing about it. If I gave you a half-baked explanation and things went horribly wrong, I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night. And more importantly, I might get dragged into it too. Considering that, I figured it’d be faster and safer if I just helped you search.”

There was no hint of a lie in her tone, and Allen believed she meant what she said. But still, that wasn’t the only reason. Even if he had saved her life once, he was still a stranger to Anriette. If he died, it wouldn’t concern her. And if anything, the blame would fall squarely on Allen himself. He had come here without properly studying mandragoras. Anriette had simply provided the information he asked for. She bore no responsibility.

More than anything, adventurers lived and died by their own choices. Whatever happened to Allen, it should have been of no consequence to her. Even if she was worried about getting caught up in something dangerous, she could have just walked away. Maybe her own request here hadn’t been completed yet, but unless it was something urgent, she could always come back later. After they’d been ambushed by an unexpected monster like a cyclops, postponing her task certainly wouldn’t be unreasonable.

Under normal circumstances, Anriette had no reason to stay involved with Allen. And yet she did. That could only be out of kindness. Or maybe that thought had shown on his face, because Anriette gave him a sharp glare.

“What’s with that smug look? I’ve still got a job to finish, so let’s wrap this up already.”

“Yeah, yeah. I get it.”

Spending time with her wasn’t unpleasant, but considering their location, it wasn’t the kind of place they wanted to linger in. There’d be time to grow closer to her later. For now, the priority was finding the mandragora.

“Of course, I couldn’t actually identify one even if I found it,” Allen muttered.

According to Anriette, a mandragora was something that could be recognized at a glance, at least by those who knew what to look for. While its mimicry made it hard to distinguish from the surrounding flora, it grew by absorbing nutrients from the area around it, which caused subtle but telltale differences. If observed closely, those differences became apparent.

But so far, Allen hadn’t spotted anything of the sort. It was possible there simply weren’t any growing in the immediate area.

“I heard that if you search around this forest, it’s not too hard to find one,” he added.

“Let me guess, that information came from Vanessa, right? Then you shouldn’t put too much faith in it. Blacksmiths tend to have a good eye for materials. A top-class blacksmith can tell just by observation alone.”

He had only meant it as a passing remark, but apparently it had struck a chord with Anriette. Allen murmured a quiet “I see” at her explanation. So in other words, this task was easy by Vanessa’s standards. Still, from the way she’d said it, it almost sounded like Vanessa herself had come to this forest to harvest mandragora before.

As that thought crossed his mind, Allen wasn’t surprised. He hadn’t observed her closely, but she likely wasn’t only skilled at forging—her combat abilities were probably considerable too. This forest was known to be somewhat dangerous, but it was easy to imagine her handling it without trouble.

So then, why had she left this task to Allen? Probably because if he couldn’t manage something of this level, he wasn’t worth relying on in the first place.

“Still, it’s all about the eyes, huh?”

Allen did possess a special eye of his own: part of his Boundless Knowledge, a power that was useful for investigating and analyzing things.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t helpful in this situation. It was primarily designed for combat, and beyond that, it only worked on things he already had knowledge of. And since he didn’t know enough about mandragoras, he couldn’t use it to find one. That wasn’t a limitation of the skill itself but rather his own ability to wield it.

It had originally been a divine authority, and as a mere human, Allen could only access a portion of its power. If he could use it to its fullest, finding a mandragora would be trivial...but there was no use wishing for what he didn’t have. He’d just have to rely on good old-fashioned manual searching. However, as he was thinking this...

“Oh. Found one faster than I expected.”

At the sound of her voice, Allen looked over to see Anriette crouched on the ground, staring intently at something. At first glance, it looked no different from any other grass in the area.

“Is this it?” Allen asked.

“No doubt about it. That’s a mandragora.” Anriette spoke with certainty.

To Allen’s eyes, it still didn’t look any different from the other plants. Or...wait.

“If I look closely, it’s faint, but I think I see a trace of magical energy.”

“Oh? So you can at least pick up on that. Technically, it’s not just magic. It’s got all sorts of stuff mixed in. And there are plenty of plants that carry a bit of magic, so that alone isn’t enough to tell it’s a mandragora. But in this forest, there shouldn’t be any other plants like that, so if you spot one here, it’s almost definitely the real thing.”

“Huh...”

A breath of admiration slipped from Allen’s lips. He was used to learning things from Anriette, so that in itself didn’t surprise him. But still, he found himself unexpectedly impressed.

“What’s with that look? You think it’s strange for me to know this kind of stuff?”

“No, it’s not that. I don’t think it’s strange or anything. I was just thinking that you’ve been teaching me a lot.”

Strictly speaking, Anriette had already done more than enough by simply locating the mandragora. There was no reason for her to go out of her way to teach Allen how to identify one. And she understood that too. Her expression stiffened slightly as she turned her gaze away.

“I’ve told you this over and over, haven’t I? You saved my life. If just helping you find a mandragora is enough to repay that, then it’s like saying that’s all my life is worth. I’m saying my life isn’t that cheap. That’s all.”

“I see. Thanks.”

Allen didn’t need to ask to know that wasn’t the whole truth. But when he thanked her anyway, Anriette simply frowned even harder. All he could do was smile wryly at the sight.

“I said I’m doing this for my own sake, didn’t I? So why the hell are you thanking me? Quit saying dumb stuff and hurry up and harvest it already.”

She had a point, so Allen turned back toward the mandragora. He had the feeling he could probably endure it on his own just fine, but with Anriette nearby and the uncertain effects it might have on the surroundings, it wasn’t worth the risk. Better to take proper precautions.

Parallel Wisdom: Magic—Distortion.

In an instant, Allen deployed a barrier, isolating the area around the mandragora. If he pulled it out under these conditions, there shouldn’t be a problem. With that in mind, he reached out and tugged.

There was no scream. He had expected it to go smoothly, but even so, he let out a breath of relief once it was over. When he looked over at Anriette, he noticed an expression of surprise on her face.

“Something wrong? Don’t tell me this isn’t actually a mandragora?”

The roots of the plant Allen had just pulled free bore eerie markings, resembling a human face. According to his knowledge, that was exactly what a mandragora was supposed to look like...but could it be something else that simply looked similar? That worry lasted only a moment, until Anriette silently shook her head.

“No, that’s definitely a mandragora. No mistake about it. I was just...surprised, is all.”

“Surprised by?”

“It’s nothing. I mean, thinking about it, based on what you did earlier, this level of skill shouldn’t be surprising either.”

Whatever it was, she seemed to have reasoned it out and come to terms with it on her own. Allen, meanwhile, just tilted his head in confusion. What exactly had surprised her? Then, it hit him.

“Ah. The barrier.”

The one he had deployed earlier was a high-level form of barrier magic that completely isolated the surrounding space. Seeing him use something like that so effortlessly had probably come as a shock to Anriette, who didn’t know much about him.

And now that Allen thought about it—no, precisely because he understood that—it struck him as unexpected and refreshing. It was the kind of reaction the Anriette from his original world would never have shown. That Anriette had known all about his power. In fact, she had likely known it better than he did. So no matter what Allen did, she was never surprised by it. Seeing Anriette react with genuine surprise to something he had done was so rare that it was practically unheard of. And because of that, it seemed strangely amusing.

“To get to see a side of her I was never supposed to. If I think of it that way, maybe this situation isn’t entirely bad after all.”

“What’re you muttering about? You got what you came for, didn’t you? So hurry up and get out of here.”

“Well, that’s true...but you haven’t finished your request yet, right? Want some help? Call it a thank-you.”

“Are you stupid or something? I already repaid you for saving my life. If you turn around and repay that, then I’m the one who owes you again. Just get out of here already.”

Allen had figured she’d react like that, and sure enough, she had. He couldn’t help but chuckle.

Well then, I should probably take her advice and head back.

Still, he had at least managed to deepen their connection, if only slightly. And surely, before long, another chance would come along to deepen it even more.

Looking forward to that, Allen offered his thanks and said goodbye to Anriette before walking away from the forest.

The Real Request

Returning to the Frontier town with the mandragora in hand, Allen headed straight for Vanessa’s forge. It had taken him some effort to locate the plant, but there was still time before sunset. Besides, if this had truly been a test to determine whether he could take on her real request, then it was best to report back as soon as possible. That was his thinking, which was why he wasted no time heading there.

Vanessa stared intently at the mandragora he handed her, and Allen swallowed nervously. He had brought what she’d asked for, just as instructed, but based on what he’d heard, it was still entirely possible she might turn him down at this point.

As he waited anxiously to see what her verdict would be, Vanessa let out a sharp exhale through her nose.

“It’s definitely a mandragora. Good condition too. And you brought it back fast. Looks like someone finally showed up who’s actually fit to take on my job.”

“So...that means I passed?”

“Yeah. This’ll do.”

Hearing that, Allen let out a quiet sigh of relief. Still, a question bubbled up in his mind. Honestly, he hadn’t done anything all that special. He’d just delivered what was requested, exactly as he’d been told. Adventurers varied widely in quality, of course, but there were still plenty of competent ones out there. Anriette was certainly one of them. So why hadn’t anyone else been able to get a job from Vanessa until now?

Come to think of it, Anriette had seemed more interested in getting to know her than in the reward. Maybe that had rubbed Vanessa the wrong way. In contrast, Allen had only cared about the reward. That might’ve been what matched her expectations. Or maybe there was some other reason. But speculating wouldn’t get him anywhere.

He could try asking, but he wasn’t all that desperate to know, and if pressing the issue ended up costing him the job, it wouldn’t be worth it. He was a little curious, but it was better to let it go. Allen decided to move on to the main topic.

“Then, about the real job...can I hear the details now?”

“I figured you’d ask. I don’t have time to waste either. Not that it’s anything complicated. All I need is for you to go to a mountain and bring something back.”

“A mountain...and a retrieval?”

Allen cocked his head at how vague the job was. It really didn’t sound like a difficult task at all. If that was the extent of it, there was no reason to test people beforehand, and above all, the reward was unusually high. That meant the task itself might seem simple, but for some reason, actually doing it would be significantly harder.

Vanessa continued. “I can guess what you’re thinking, but you’re wrong. Like I said, my request isn’t difficult. That’s exactly what I meant.”

“In that case, why the high reward?”

“Well, I’m not an idiot. Money doesn’t mean much to me, but it’s not like I don’t understand its value. That’s why I set the reward at what I believe is appropriate for this request.”

So in other words, it wasn’t some careless number she’d thrown out. There had to be a reason, a rationale behind a reward that, on the surface, seemed far too generous.

“It’s nothing complicated. It’s just that getting to the mountain is a bit of a pain.”

“A bit, you say?” Allen asked.

Considering the reward on offer, he found that hard to believe. But Vanessa merely shrugged, as if it was no big deal.

“Yeah, just a bit. I don’t know where the mountain is, and I’m not going to guide you there either. That’s all.”

“So basically, I’ll have to start by figuring out where this mountain even is?”

That certainly explained the generous reward. In fact, Allen began to wonder if he should reconsider taking the job at all. But just as he started seriously thinking about turning it down, Vanessa snorted, as if telling him not to jump to conclusions.

“Don’t just hear what you want. I said I don’t know where it is.”

“Meaning someone else does?”

“Exactly. And while we’re at it, I’m pretty sure that person’ll guide you there too.”

“Who is it?”

Allen asked the question, but he already had a pretty good idea. And sure enough, Vanessa named exactly who he was expecting. In this town—no, among elves in general—there was only one person who fit the bill. It had to be Noel.

“So, she’ll be acting as a guide too. Does that mean you asked her in advance?”

“Nope. But if you ask her, she’ll go. Definitely.”

That probably had something to do with the odd behavior Noel had shown earlier. Allen thought so, at least. But in the end, it was a matter between them. Not something he should interfere with. Still, that thought led to another question.

“Wait a second. You didn’t post this job today, did you?”

“Hm? No, I didn’t.”

“But the person who’s supposed to guide me only arrived in town today, didn’t she?”

“Heh... Well, that’s just how it worked out. Lucky you.”

“I see. No wonder the reward’s so generous.”

It seemed that, under normal circumstances, the job would have required tracking down the mountain from scratch. He was fortunate to have avoided that. And if Vanessa was right, Noel would guide him there personally. In a way, it was killing two birds with one stone.

“All right, I understand how to reach the location now. So, what exactly is it that I’m supposed to retrieve?”

“Ah, right. What I want is a sword.”

“A sword?”

Allen repeated the words, tilting his head slightly as he glanced toward the weapons displayed near Vanessa. She forged swords here, after all...or was this one different? One she hadn’t forged herself, perhaps?

Thinking that, Allen posed the question, but Vanessa shook her head.

“Nope. That sword’s definitely one I forged. But while I could make another sword here, that one’s different. It’s the greatest masterpiece of my life.”

“Your greatest masterpiece? Then why is it on a mountain?”

“Well, let’s just say a lot happened and I buried it. But now I need it.”

“I see.”

To bury your life’s greatest work on a mountain... What could have possibly happened? And why had she suddenly decided she needed it now? Allen was curious, but he had a feeling that even if he asked, she wouldn’t give him an answer. Besides, it wasn’t necessary information to accept the job. It intrigued him, sure, but that was natural.

“So? Are you taking the job or not?”

“Yes. All right, I’ll take it. I look forward to working with you.”

Based on everything he’d heard, there didn’t seem to be a good reason to decline. The reward was high, and there were plenty of questions still lingering. In fact, if anything, those questions made him more inclined to accept.

Noel might know something about it too. If she was guiding him, there’d likely be opportunities to ask along the way. Of course, she might not know anything, but if that was the case, so be it.

For now, the question was what to do next. It was still a little early in the evening, but going to visit Noel and the others might be a bit much.

That said, Noel mentioned she’d be leaving town in about three days. It might be better to talk to her as soon as possible. Actually, there’s also the question of whether she really will guide me.

Vanessa had sounded completely confident, but Allen wouldn’t know if she was right until he confirmed it himself, which meant the sooner he went, the better.

And yet, he let out a long sigh, still unsure what to do.

Discussions and Problems

After much deliberation, Allen finally decided to head over to Noel and the others for the time being. He figured it was better to let them know as soon as possible.

Leaving Vanessa’s place, he made his way straight to the familiar mansion where Noel and the others lived. The one thing that nagged at him, though, was that he had already visited once today. There was a chance they might become suspicious and turn him away at the gate. If that happened...maybe dropping Vanessa’s name would smooth things over.

But as it turned out, such worries were entirely unnecessary. When he arrived at the mansion and explained he had business there, he was let inside without question. In fact, he was admitted so easily that it almost made him worry for the opposite reason.

“Isn’t this just a little careless?” he asked Noel.

“You seem to have forgotten, but you’re the one who saved our lives. Sure, technically we’ve already repaid that debt, but that fact hasn’t changed. If you say you have business with us, there’s no reason we’d refuse to hear it,” Noel replied.

“If you were serious about forcing your way in, there’d be nothing we could do to stop you. It’s not carelessness...just cutting out the futile effort,” Mylène chimed in.

“At least try to soften your words a little.” Noel said, letting out a sigh, but the fact that she didn’t deny it meant she likely agreed.

Allen had no intention of denying it either. It was true that he could if he wanted to. Not that he’d ever actually think of doing such a thing, but words were cheap. And in any case, the women here knew full well he would never do it. Even so, this was likely their way of slipping in a mild warning.

“Anyway, fine. So? What exactly is it you came here for?” Noel asked.

“Ah, yeah. About that...”

How should he explain it? He’d have to give them some context, but there was a lot Allen himself didn’t understand, so being direct was probably the fastest route.

“You know a person named Vanessa, right?”

The moment he said the name, Noel visibly reacted. Not the sort of reaction born from shock, but more like she was unsure how she ought to respond. Certain now that something had happened between them, Allen kept going without commenting on it.

“Actually, she put in a request at the Adventurer’s Guild, and I ended up taking it.”

“Vanessa?”

A voice cut in, interrupting him. It was Mylène, tilting her head in puzzlement. Allen frowned for a moment before realizing what was going on. Mylène likely wasn’t playing dumb; she truly had no idea who that was. Which meant Noel had never told her the woman’s name. Whatever Noel’s reasoning, she must have judged there was no need to share it.

It seemed inconvenient—if Mylène didn’t know the name, she couldn’t find the person—but then Allen remembered the first time he visited this mansion. Back then, only Mylène had been home. Noel had arrived later, which suggested she alone had gone to see Vanessa. From the start, Noel probably hadn’t intended for Mylène to be involved. If the explanation she’d given Mylène was as brief as the one she’d given Allen, that would make sense. Which meant Allen couldn’t just go spilling everything.

As he was debating how to phrase things, Noel glanced at him briefly before letting out a sigh. It was probably her way of saying she realized he understood and that she couldn’t keep silent any longer. With a resigned air, she spoke.

“Vanessa is the name of the person who saved my life. She’s why I came to this place.”

“I see.” Mylène’s gaze sharpened at once as she turned to Allen. “And you took on a request from her. Just a coincidence?”

Allen gave a wry smile. That was a natural assumption. It was far too convenient to call it chance. But that was exactly what it was, so there was nothing he could do about it.

“I get why you’d be suspicious, but it really was a coincidence. If you check with the guild, you’ll see I took the request simply because it had the highest reward listed. I didn’t even know who the client was when I accepted it.”

“You didn’t know the client’s name? Is that normal?” asked Noel.

“That’s pretty careless, ” sniffed Mylène.

“Not really. The Adventurer’s Guild’s reputation depends on it, so they’re careful about those things.”

“Hmm... Fine. So? What exactly does you taking Vanessa’s request have to do with us?” asked Noel.

“That’s the thing. I’m not exactly sure myself. The request was to retrieve a sword buried in a mountain somewhere.”

“A mountain...and a specific sword?” Noel frowned, her expression unreadable. Whether she recognized it or not was unclear.

Either way, Allen figured they’d find out if he kept talking. “Yeah. She called it her life’s greatest masterpiece.”

“Sounds impressive,” said Mylène.

“Not just sounds impressive. Without a doubt, it is. Vanessa’s a master blacksmith, the sort whose skills were sought after even when she shut herself away in some remote mountain. If she’s calling something her greatest work, it might very well turn out to be a national treasure.”

“Ah, I see. That’s how valuable it is.”

Which could also explain why the reward was so high. Not only was the item itself valuable, but offering a large reward would also discourage anyone from trying to take it for themselves. While Allen was considering this, it seemed Noel was starting to piece things together too. A look of dawning realization—tinged with dread—came over her face.

“I have a bad feeling about this,” she muttered.

“I think you’re probably right. And that’s where my reason for being here comes in. Vanessa said she doesn’t actually know where the mountain is. So she told me to get a High Elf in this city to guide me there.”

“A High Elf? The only High Elf here right now is Noel. Meaning...?” Mylène asked.

“Meaning she essentially named me directly.” Noel sighed again and shot Allen a glare.

Honestly, all Allen could do was feel awkward under her stare.

“And I’m just supposed to accept this? I don’t see any benefit to me... Unless you’re offering payment?”

“I feel the same way, but no, she didn’t mention anything like that,” he answered. “She did say, though, that once you heard the details, you’d definitely accept.”

“I don’t get it,” Noel replied.

“Neither do I.”

Mylène voiced her confusion, while Noel seemed lost in thought. After a moment with her head bowed, she let out yet another sigh.

“I don’t like this situation one bit, but Vanessa’s right. If she tells me to do something, I can’t really refuse. Still, there’s one problem. One huge, critical problem.”

“A problem?” Allen asked.

“Yes. If she wants me to guide you, then that mountain must be the one where she and I lived. But it’s impossible.”

“Impossible? You mean you don’t want to go?”

“No, it’s simpler than that. I don’t actually know how to get there.”

“Huh?”

Allen had assumed Noel knew the way and could guide him, but apparently not. So why had Vanessa said what she had?

“After I left that mountain, I traveled by carriage. I even fell asleep along the way, so I never learned the route.”

“I see. That explains it.”

It was entirely possible Vanessa had simply been mistaken. She couldn’t have known those details and had likely just assumed Noel would remember.

“But that doesn’t mean we can’t go,” Noel continued.

“And what does that...? Ah, I get it,” said Allen.

“Get what? Are you planning to teleport us or something?”

“I don’t know anyone who could do that. I just mean, if I came and went by carriage before, we can do the same thing again.”

It was perfectly reasonable. Elves would know the way, but that still left one question. If that was the case, what exactly was this ‘critical problem’?

“The problem is that to do this, we have to go to the empire. And while that’s fine for us, you can’t enter, can you?”

“Can’t? Why not?”

“The empire’s restricting entry right now. People who’ve left can return easily enough, but it’s hard for outsiders to get in.”

“You’d need some pretty serious connections,” Mylène added.

“So that’s how it is...”

Indeed, that would be a critical problem. And it wasn’t as if he could just send Noel and the others in his place. He could probably sneak in if he had to, but that would be a last resort.

“Hmm... You two can enter the empire normally, right? Couldn’t you use that connection to get me in?”

“No. Like I said, you’d need serious connections.”

“Being connected to the Elven Queen sounds pretty serious to me.”

“Elves have low status in the empire. That kind of connection won’t help.”

“I see.”

Which meant they’d have to come up with some other plan. As Allen thought about what to do, he let out a long sigh.

The Way to the Empire

No matter how much Allen thought about it, there was no way he could get connections in the empire. But then, one possibility did come to mind: The Adventurer’s Guild.

The guild was used by all sorts of people, and this was a Frontier town. While it lay within the kingdom’s territory, it couldn’t really be called part of the kingdom—it was an ambiguous place. Sometimes people from other nations came here, so even if he couldn’t get a direct connection, he might at least find some kind of lead. However...

“Hmm... Ways to get into the empire, huh? Even for the Adventurer’s Guild, that’s a tall order...”

Apparently things wouldn’t be that easy. That was the answer he got when he visited the guild and asked Lisette, who was working the reception desk.

“I figured it’d be tricky, but I thought maybe you’d have imperial folks coming through here sometimes.”

“Well, if that’s all you need, sure, it’s possible. But these days, if someone from another country wants to enter the empire, they need at least a connection to a noble.”

“Ah, a noble, huh? Yeah, that’s definitely not easy.”

Plenty of people passed through this town, but it was rare for imperial nobles to do so. Not unheard of, but unusual enough, and getting their help to enter the empire would be even harder.

“Hmm... There’s no other way in?”

“Not as far as the guild knows. Sure, you could sneak in, but I wouldn’t recommend it. There’s no telling what’ll happen if you get caught.”

“Well, sneaking in is just asking for trouble.”

Even so, that might be the only option left. If he wanted Noel to guide him, he risked dragging her and the others into trouble, so that was a last resort.

“By the way, why are they being so strict? It’s not like it’s always been this way, right?”

“Hmm... Well, things have changed. The empire used to be about accepting, or more like absorbing, other nations. But now they’re completely allergic to outsiders.”

“Allergic to outsiders? Why?”

“Well...I don’t know how much you know about the current state of the empire, Allen, but you do know it’s in a bit of chaos right now, right?”

“Sort of, yeah.”

That was only because the empire he remembered had been like that, but even then, they hadn’t restricted entry this much, so things must have been even more unstable now.

“They’d been a bit unstable for a while, but the Champion made it a done deal. The outsider allergy is basically their fault.”

“The Champion’s fault?”

The empire was indeed an aggressive, expansionist nation, which made it unpopular abroad. But it hadn’t been a dictatorship or an “evil empire.” Allen couldn’t think of any reason for Akira to have gotten involved.

“You mean the Champion did something? Like assassinating the emperor?”

Of course, he was joking. As far as Allen knew, the emperor’s assassination had never been made public. He’d just been probing, but Lisette’s reply caught him off guard.

“As if the Champion would do that. No, it’s the opposite. She caught the emperor’s assassin.”

“She...caught the assassin?”

The words shocked him twice over. For one, the fact she said it so openly meant the assassination was public knowledge. For another, Akira had been the one to resolve it. Both were completely different from the knowledge of events that Allen possessed.

“I thought it was pretty famous, but I guess the Champion did something similar in this country, didn’t she? I suppose it’s not strange you’d only know about that. The empire’s still another country, after all.”

Lisette seemed satisfied with her own reasoning, but Allen found her words surprising all the same. If she meant the incident involving Craig, then yes, Akira had been involved. So it wasn’t that strange that something similar had happened elsewhere...but still, hearing it stated as an obvious fact when he’d known nothing about it felt strange.

There were more pressing matters, though. Switching gears, Allen voiced a question that her explanation had raised.

“Catching the emperor’s assassin sounds like a good thing. So why did it make the empire allergic to outsiders?”

“Normally it would be a good thing, yeah. But for the empire, it was a problem. Remember I said they were already unstable?”

“You did. So?”

“The cause was the emperor’s assassination. The empire had planned to use the capture of the assassin as a turning point to rebuild. But it was the Champion—a foreigner—who did it. Instead of stabilizing the situation, it just made things worse.”

“You mean...that’s the reason?”

“Exactly. They say that because a foreigner meddled, the empire’s still in chaos, so they decided to shut everyone out.”

It was so absurd that Allen couldn’t help but sigh. Lisette’s expression suggested she shared the sentiment.

“That’s just shifting the blame, isn’t it?” she asked.

“Pretty much. Still, I wouldn’t say it’s totally incomprehensible. If they didn’t clamp down, they’d just keep spiraling. It’s a desperate measure.”

It was understandable, but that didn’t make it any less of a nuisance.

“Speaking of nuisances...it’s bad for you, Allen, but even worse for the elves. I hear the ones living in the empire are treated like foreigners and getting the short end of the stick. No wonder they’d give up on the empire... Oops!” Lisette caught herself, clearly regretting her slip.

Allen wasn’t about to press her, but...elves giving up on the empire? That made him think of Noel, the Elven Queen, being here now, and when she’d been in the royal capital before. The word “exile” drifted through his mind.

Hmm...makes it all the more important I don’t cause any trouble.

She was probably in the capital under the pretext of other business. If someone from the kingdom stirred things up, it could draw unwanted suspicion. He’d have to act carefully.

And maybe that was why Lisette had been telling him all this. It wasn’t strictly necessary to go into such detail unless she was deliberately warning him not to act rashly. Guild jobs were an adventurer’s responsibility, but if someone caused trouble in the empire on a guild job, it could still reflect on the guild. In that, her caution made perfect sense, though he didn’t recall telling Lisette anything about Noel...

“Hmm? Something on your mind?”

“Nah...just thinking that even if you call yourself new, you really are a proper guild receptionist.”

“Of course. Even if I’m still green, standing at this desk means I’ve got to take the job seriously.”

Allen hadn’t underestimated her, but maybe he’d been a little too casual. He shrugged in surrender. Sneaking in had always been the last resort, so if it could be avoided, so much the better. The problem was that no other method had appeared.

“By the way, is this urgent?”

“No one said it was, but I’d like to get it done quickly.”

If it had just been about money, he could have taken other jobs, but this wasn’t that simple. Judging by Noel’s reaction, she wasn’t going to let it go. No matter how long it took, she’d want to head to the mountain she’d lived on. She didn’t need to stay in town for that—she could return to the empire first—but Allen was sure her personality was much the same as the Noel he knew, which meant she’d stay until the job was finished. That was clearly a problem, and while it wasn’t strictly his problem, he couldn’t just ignore it. So the sooner it was over, the better.

“Hmm...I feel like if we took our time, we could work something out, but...no, that’d just cause trouble. Guess I’ll have to use the option I was hoping to avoid.”

“You mean we’re back to sneaking in?”

“No, please don’t do that. This is to stop you from doing that. I might get chewed out, but...well, she’d have something to gain too, so hopefully that’ll make her agree.”

“She? Her?”

Maybe Lisette had someone in mind as a contact. If they’d been a safe choice, she’d have just introduced them—so the fact she was reluctant was worrying. What could this mean?

“Ah, perfect timing.”

“Eh?”

Allen followed her gaze toward the guild entrance.

Standing there, having just walked in, was someone he knew, someone he’d only seen earlier today.

“Huh? What’s with you two staring at me? Do I have something on my face?” Anriette, looking puzzled, tilted her head.

Proposals and Cooperation

“I understand,” Anriette said with a nod after hearing Allen out. “Well, I only understand what you’re saying, that’s all. So? What does any of this have to do with me?”

“It has plenty to do with you, Anriette—I mean, Miss Anriette. You could enter the empire if you accompanied Allen. There’s no way it doesn’t concern you,” Lisette replied.

He had suspected that might be the case, but hearing it outright still surprised him. Apparently, this version of Anriette was also a noble of the empire. Why she was working as an adventurer in a Frontier town was another matter, though no doubt she had her reasons. At any rate, if that was the case, things might actually work out with her help.

“True. I could probably manage it. My name should still be on the rolls over there. I’m confident I can make it work. But...honestly, it’s a pain, and above all, I’ve got no reason to do something like that.”

“I understand; I do. That’s what you mean when you say it doesn’t concern you. But...are you sure that’s true?”

“What do you mean?”

“When that request came in, you were the first to snatch it up, weren’t you? You can get involved now. Openly, without having to hold back. Are you fine letting this chance slip away?” Lisette said with a smile.

Anriette glared at her sharply, but soon enough, she gave a resigned sigh and spoke with an air of reluctant acceptance.

“You really are a skilled receptionist.”

“I am honored by your praise, truly.”

Anriette’s eyes narrowed in irritation as Lisette bowed her head. But she gave up glaring, deciding it was pointless, and turned her gaze on Allen. “Hah. Well, it is what it is.”

“Uh...so, you’ll help me?” he asked.

“I said as much, didn’t I? I don’t really want to, but...fine. This is about getting to know a top-class blacksmith. For that, I’ll swallow a little unpleasantness.”

“I see. Thanks.”

It wasn’t exactly a lie, but neither was it the full truth. That much was obvious from the smile she couldn’t quite suppress. Getting to meet a master blacksmith must have meant that much to her. As Allen thanked her, he couldn’t help but smile knowingly himself. She seemed to notice his expression, quickly tightening her lips and covering it up with a cough.

“Besides, I’ll be building up credit with the guild. Can’t say that’s a bad deal either,” she added.

“Eh... Don’t you think you’re taking too big a share here, Anriette? Just having the chance to get acquainted with Vanessa seems like more than enough.”

“They’re separate matters. You were the one who asked me for this, weren’t you? Not as a formal request either. So of course it counts as a favor owed to the guild. Unless you’d rather it be your personal debt?”

“Please make it the guild’s,” Lisette answered with a strained smile.

Anriette smirked faintly in satisfaction. Then Allen spoke up.

“Well, then...Miss Anriette?” He hesitated.

She frowned immediately. “Just Anriette is fine. We’re fellow adventurers, aren’t we? Formal titles don’t suit me. And I’ll call you Allen.”

“Got it. Then, Anriette, I want to talk about what comes next. Is there anything I should prepare before heading into the empire?”

“Hmm... If it’s just getting into the empire, I can handle that, so you won’t need anything special. Of course, you’ll need the usual supplies: carriage, provisions and so on.”

“Right, so that’s the first step.”

Allen would need to talk this over with Noel and the others too. They had a carriage, but whether he could ride with them or needed another was still unclear. At the very least, they’d need food.

“By the way, can the guild prepare that sort of thing?” he asked, unsure how best to arrange it. Relying on what he knew from the other reality’s Frontier town was risky. The details might differ. But the guild should be experienced in these matters.

“Hmm... The guild isn’t exactly a handyman service, but...fine. If you ask, we’ll handle it,” Lisette agreed. “I’d like to keep on good terms with you, after all. And thanks to you, a long-stalled request looks like it’ll finally move forward.”

It did sound a bit like he was treating the guild as a convenience shop, but Allen didn’t mind. Relationships between adventurers and the guild always began with mutual interests. From there, trust could grow.

“Then food’s settled...and the carriage too, if needed?” he asked.

“Sure, I can arrange that as well.”

“That helps a lot. Anything else we’ll need?”

“That depends on what you’ll be doing over there. Basically, you’re looking for something, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

The means of reaching the place were complicated, but the task itself was simple, although depending on how big that mountain was, searching could be difficult. Still, judging from Noel’s reaction earlier, she likely had a good idea of where to look.

“Then really, just the carriage and provisions should be fine,” said Anriette.

“Got it. Thanks.”

“It’s no problem. I’ll be going with you, so if things aren’t prepared properly that would be bad for me too.”

That was true, though she didn’t have to bother helping him think it through. The fact that she did spoke to her good nature. Allen, of course, was grateful.

“So, you’re ready to leave whenever?” he asked.

“Pretty much. I just finished a request. If you said ‘right this second,’ that’d be a problem, but tomorrow should be fine.”

“Right. It’s nearly evening already, and we’ll need time to gather food, so leaving today isn’t realistic. Tomorrow at the earliest.” He wanted to set out as soon as possible, but today was too soon. It would depend on when the supplies could be prepared.

“Yes. By the way, how many people are we talking?”

“Let’s see... Four, I think.” Allen, Anriette, Noel, and Mylène. That made four.

“And can you resupply along the way?”

“Probably. We won’t be traveling straight through without stopping.”

They would likely stop at the Elven Forest, since that was where their lead was.

“In that case, I’ll prepare extra, just in case. But yes, we can have it ready by tomorrow. Carriage too, if needed.”

“That really helps. Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

It would take time to travel, and provisions for four weren’t trivial. Carriages were also in high demand. Having it all ready on such short notice was no small favor. Which meant he could plan on a departure tomorrow.

“Then let’s consider it decided. Not final yet, but that’s the plan,” he said.

“No problem.”

The only remaining variable was Noel, but judging by her earlier attitude, she would likely agree. Allen would have to return to the mansion and confirm it with her.

Should be fine. It was still early evening. He had time. The real problems will probably come after we set out...

Thinking of the empire, Allen couldn’t shake the thought. This was an unknown land to him. He wasn’t so naive as to think nothing would go wrong. Of course, if it all went well, that would be best. But...who knew?

Sighing, Allen let out a long breath.

Toward the Empire

As expected, their departure was set for the following day. When Allen told Noel that they now had a way into the empire, she naturally accepted it without hesitation. They would be using the carriage Noel and her group had arrived in. After some discussion, it had been agreed that Allen and his companion could ride along.

And so the next day arrived. Lisette had prepared provisions as promised, and Anriette was already waiting at the guild from the morning. After they met her there and loaded the food onto the carriage, preparations were complete. With Mylène holding the reins, the four of them set off toward the empire, gently rocking in the carriage.

A few hours into the journey, Anriette let out a sigh. “Hmm... How should I put this? This is more boring than I imagined. And we’ll be traveling like this at least until we reach the empire? What are we supposed to do with ourselves?”

Allen couldn’t help but agree. Noel likely felt the same. Since leaving the Frontier town, they had exchanged the occasional word, but the conversations never lasted long. Most of the time was spent in silence. It wasn’t as though the silence was awkward; it was simply that no one had anything to say. But thinking about it, that was natural.

Unlike when Allen had traveled with Riese and the others toward the empire, he had only just met this group. Expecting conversation to flow easily was unrealistic. Perhaps, if he thought of a topic that even strangers could talk about, things would be different. And just then, an idea struck him.

“Oh, that’s right. We never actually introduced ourselves, did we? It might be a bit late, but maybe we should?”

After all, they had joined up and immediately left town, skipping formal introductions altogether. Maybe that was why their conversations hadn’t gone anywhere, or so Allen thought.

“No, there’s no need,” Anriette said flatly.

“That’s right. It isn’t necessary,” Noel agreed.

“Indeed, unnecessary,” Mylène added.

Allen hadn’t expected all three to reject the idea outright. He was fairly sure they hadn’t spoken much along the way, so had he somehow offended them already? The journey had only just begun, yet the thought of the road ahead was weighing on him.

But it seemed he had misunderstood.

“Ah, you look like you’re taking it the wrong way, so I’ll explain. What I mean is that there really isn’t any need,” Anriette clarified.

“Exactly. There’s no need for introductions when we already know each other,” Noel agreed.

“That’s why it isn’t necessary,” Mylène added.

“Ah. I see. That makes sense.” Allen finally understood. Anriette was an imperial noble, while Noel and Mylène lived in the Elven Forest within the empire. Of course they would know each other, at least by name.

“Then again, the fact is, it’s not as though we’ve met before,” Anriette admitted.

“Yes, we’ve just heard of each other,” Noel said.

“If that’s the case, maybe introductions are needed after all?” Allen suggested.

“All I’ve got to say is my name and that I’m an adventurer in town. Unless you want me to go on about topics like what I like to eat?” Anriette said dryly.

“This isn’t a matchmaking session...” Allen muttered.

“Still, when I think about it, I don’t really have much to add either. My name and the fact that I’m the Elven Queen. That’s hardly new information,” Noel said casually.

“Maybe I need to give some more information about myself?” said Mylène.

“Not really,” Anriette interrupted. “You might not realize it, but you’re quite well-known as the Elven Queen’s bodyguard. And the fact that you’re not an elf but an Amazon... Well, of course that stands out.”

Allen blinked at that. Now that it had been pointed out, it was indeed odd. He hadn’t really questioned it before, but how exactly had Mylène, an Amazon, ended up as Noel’s personal guard? It seemed natural to him now, but the more he thought about it, the more unusual it was.

“Now that you mention it, it is a strange pairing. Would you mind telling me how that came about?”

From what Allen knew, elves weren’t especially insular, but he doubted they’d casually appoint a stranger to be the monarch’s bodyguard. And from Noel’s earlier stories, he couldn’t imagine many opportunities for her to have even met Mylène.

“It’s no big deal. It’s not like there’s some great story behind it,” Mylène replied.

“You call that not a big deal? If so, then most things in this world would stop being a big deal,” Anriette said. “Frankly, I’m more surprised Allen doesn’t already know this story.”

“Well, I was surprised too at the time,” Noel admitted. “One day, out of nowhere, this Amazon girl shows up and declares she wants to be my bodyguard.”

“It was a spark. I just knew I had to,” Mylène said simply.

Anriette snorted. “So basically, love at first sight. And here I thought you were exaggerating. But you were dead serious, weren’t you?”

“No exaggeration. Just the truth,” Mylène answered.

“Which only makes it worse,” Anriette muttered.

“Wow...that really happened?” Allen asked. No wonder the story was famous. It was no small matter. “But you actually accepted her? Wouldn’t it make more sense to suspect she was an assassin or something?”

“Normally, I wouldn’t have,” Noel admitted. “But at the time, things were complicated. I did need a guard, but there was no one else suited to the role.”

“Elves generally aren’t known for their combat prowess,” Anriette explained. “Which is why this became such a well-known story. It was never supposed to happen. You’re lucky.”

“Not luck. Fate,” Mylène said firmly.

“And why exactly are you so confident about that?” Noel asked, exasperated.

“From what I’ve heard, I thought I knew what to expect...but she’s even more outrageous than I imagined,” Anriette muttered.

“You’re going to make me blush,” Mylène said.

“I don’t think she meant it as praise,” Allen commented.

There were clearly details they weren’t sharing, likely matters of elven politics. Still, one thing was clear: This version of Mylène was bold, even free-spirited. The Mylène that Allen knew had been quiet and reserved, but even she had always acted with a certain freedom. Under the right circumstances, maybe she would have done the same.

“Did you say something?” Noel asked.

“No, just talking to myself. Funny how our introductions actually turned into a decent conversation.”

“Now that you mention it, yes,” Anriette said.

“Thanks to me,” Mylène added.

“Well, technically, yes,” Noel said, “though somehow I don’t feel good admitting it.”

Allen had only meant to cover the awkward silence, but in the end, it really had helped. The carriage ride felt lighter now, and the air among them felt more relaxed. Maybe it wasn’t such a bad topic after all.

With that thought, Allen let out a small sigh of relief.

Anriette’s Past

Surprisingly—or perhaps not—the journey to the empire was proceeding rather calmly. No doubt it was thanks to Mylène’s story on the first day. Ever since then, conversations had gradually increased and at times even grew lively. Considering they had only just met, it was fair to say things were going quite well.

“Well, it makes sense. Those three were bound to get along. I guess the biggest problem is me, huh?”

Allen muttered to himself inside the carriage, staring out the window. His eyes fell on a structure like a fortress up ahead. It stood directly on the border of the kingdom and the empire—a checkpoint. There hadn’t been one in his version of the world, but he’d heard that this one had been built only recently. Apparently, the empire had hastily constructed it after growing increasingly hostile toward outsiders. Looking at it now, he could tell it was new.

Building something like this just proves the empire really does have an allergy to foreigners.

The empire had always expanded by absorbing neighboring lands. The reason they hadn’t had checkpoints before was precisely because they wanted the ability to invade at any time. The fact they’d gone out of their way to build one now showed just how deeply that aversion had taken root.

Maybe it was for the best that I didn’t try to go...

Allen was currently alone in the carriage because the others had gone to handle the formalities. He had wanted to go with them, but they had insisted his presence was likely to cause trouble and told him to stay behind. With Anriette there, they said, his paperwork could be handled without him. Judging by the situation now, that was probably the right call.

Still, if the empire hated foreigners so much, shouldn’t his attempt to enter have been impossible anyway?

Maybe Anriette’s standing is enough to smooth it over.

That would mean she wasn’t just a noble, but a high-ranking one. Noel and the others had said her name was well-known—she must have also been from a marquis family. But then how had she managed to live as an adventurer in a Frontier town? If her background was anything like the Anriette Allen knew, she had probably left home under tense circumstances. Back in his own world, she had practically been under house arrest. Surely her family wouldn’t have let her just walk away. Allen’s musings were interrupted as the others returned.

“Ah... I thought that’d go more smoothly, but it was more of a hassle than I expected,” Anriette sighed.

“Really? I thought it went quickly, considering. If it had been anyone else but you, I doubt we’d have gotten through so easily,” Noel said.

“Impressive,” Mylène added flatly.

“It’s not like I have any power or anything.” Anriette shrugged. “Still, if there’s ever a time to use it, it’s now.”

The conversation linked perfectly with Allen’s earlier thoughts. Before he realized it, he was staring at Anriette.

“Hm? What’s with the look?” she asked, tilting her head.

“Oh, sorry. I was just thinking...even though I couldn’t go, everything worked out fine. So I was wondering what kind of position you hold to make that possible.”

“Come to think of it, we never actually talked about that,” said Noel.

“You’re right. But it’s not like you were hiding it, were you?” Allen prompted Anriette.

“Not really. No one asked, and it’s not the kind of thing I go around bringing up,” she answered.

“Well, around here, the name Anriette Linkvist is famous enough that you don’t really need to explain,” Noel remarked.

So, she was from a marquis house, just like before. But if she was so well-known, what had she done to earn that reputation?

“You’re exaggerating,” Anriette said quickly. “Sure, maybe nobles and the like have heard of me, but that’s about it.”

“The only one who doesn’t realize it is you,” Noel said coolly.

“You’re one to talk,” Anriette shot back.

“Either way, since you haven’t come back since leaving, you wouldn’t know what people say about you,” Noel insisted.

“Well, that’s true but...wait, you’re saying you weren’t joking?” Anriette blinked.

“Why would I joke about something like that? Think about the guards’ reactions.”

“I figured they were just nervous because a marquis outranked them so badly.”

“They were terrified you’d lose your temper and smash them,” Mylène said.

“Huh? What did you do?” Allen asked, alarmed.

“Hey, don’t look at me like that. It wasn’t a big deal. I only beat up my uncles who tried to get in my way.”

“That sounds like a very big deal!” Allen exclaimed.

“They tried to seize the house and lock her up,” Noel clarified. “She didn’t like that, so she flattened them.”

“You mean physically?”

“Physically,” Mylène nodded. “They didn’t show their faces in society for quite a while after that.”

“That’s news to me. It must’ve been after I left. Still, that story’s exaggerated,” Anriette replied.

“In what way?” Noel asked.

“Yes, they did try to seize the house, and yes, they tried to confine me. But the way you put it makes it sound like I had it out for them. The only thing I hated was them trying to cage me.”

“That doesn’t sound very different,” Allen muttered.

“I agree,” Noel said.

“It’s completely different! I didn’t care about the title. Once my parents were gone, I had no attachment to that house. I was ready to let them have it and walk away. But they started ranting about legitimacy and tried to lock me up. That’s when I fought back.”

“So...you beat them up?” Allen asked.

“Exactly.”

“Yeah, it still doesn’t sound too different.” He sighed.

“My thoughts exactly,” Noel agreed.

“You two don’t get it. To noble society, there’s a huge difference,” Anriette insisted.

Noel shrugged. “Regardless, we’re not nobles.”

“Wait, aren’t you? You’re the Elven Queen, right?” Allen asked.

“Ah...how to explain this...” Noel murmured. “It’s not that I’m not recognized as queen, exactly...”

“Didn’t you say elves have low standing in the empire? Is that related?”

“Not quite,” Anriette said. “It’s not just elves. The empire treats all annexed peoples that way.”

“In the empire, the only ones truly recognized as nobles are those who were nobles before annexation or those the empire chooses to acknowledge,” Mylène added.

“Right. If they denied every conquered noble, they wouldn’t have enough manpower to run things. So usually, annexed nobles keep their titles. But they’re still treated as conquered nobles, clearly separate from true imperials,” Anriette explained.

“Which makes elves a special case,” Noel said.

“Exactly. Normally, royal families are wiped out. But the elves were left intact. It’s a special exception, but not one that grants them any higher privileges,” Anriette said.

“That’s why I don’t really know how I’d be judged in imperial noble society,” Noel admitted.

“And I’m just a commoner,” Mylène added.

“The queen’s bodyguard isn’t a commoner,” Anriette said dryly. “Normally that’s a knight’s duty, and knights are at least counted as nobles.”

“Elves aren’t normal,” Mylène said.

“That wording sounds misleading, but...she’s right. Elves don’t have such systems,” Noel admitted.

Which, Allen realized, was probably why Mylène could serve as guard at all. Either way, one thing was clear: Living under the empire seemed difficult. That much was true both here and in the world Allen had come from.

“In any case,” Noel continued, “whatever the nobles might say, to us you were exactly what the rumors described: the runaway marquis’s daughter. That’s why we were so surprised to find you working as an adventurer in some backwater town.”

“Really? I thought it was perfect. That town’s full of misfits. No one pried into my past. I could breathe easy there,” Anriette said.

“Of course, rumor had it you were traveling the world to gain power to reclaim your house,” Noel said with a wry smile.

“People really do talk nonsense. As I said, I don’t care about the marquisate.”

She likely meant it. The Anriette Allen knew had probably felt the same. The only difference was that the other Anriette had been trapped by family obligations. If she hadn’t been, maybe she would have walked the same path as this one—although Allen couldn’t quite imagine her literally punching out her uncles. That thought led him to another question.

“By the way, what’s the elves’ status in the empire, exactly?”

“What do you mean?” Noel asked.

“As we said before, it’s poor,” Mylène answered.

“Sorry, I phrased that badly. I mean...the way you describe it, it sounds the same as the other annexed nations.”

“You’re not wrong, but you’re not exactly right either,” Anriette said. “Other annexed lands are nominally incorporated, but the elves’ territory is treated as a direct imperial domain.”

“I don’t really get the difference,” Allen admitted.

“Neither do I, completely. But I think it means they have more direct control over us,” Noel said.

“Pretty much. Normally, annexed lands get some autonomy. But elves are ruled directly, which is why you feel so suffocated. And with the empire in turmoil, you’re catching the brunt of it,” Anriette said.

“I see... So that’s how it is,” Allen murmured.

That confirmed it: This Anriette had no authority over the Elven Forest. It made sense. His world’s Anriette had only gained that role because she was Anriette. If she held the same power here, everything would be different. But such thoughts were pointless.

“Anyway, getting back to the main issue: There was no problem at the checkpoint?” Allen asked.

“Oh, right. We never actually said,” Noel replied.

“There wasn’t much to tell. With me there, it was obvious we’d get through,” Anriette said confidently.

“True enough. The officer was clearly terrified, though,” Mylène added.

“Now that I know the background, I’d say that’s just bad rumors. I’m not some wild dog snapping at everything,” Anriette protested.

“More like you’ll bite anyone if necessary, which is scarier in its own way,” Noel said.

They could joke like this now only because they’d grown used to each other. Allen cast another glance at the checkpoint as the carriage rolled forward. So far, nothing had gone wrong. But from here on, they were inside the empire.

“Well then...I wonder what’s waiting for us,” Allen murmured under his breath, exhaling slowly.

Laurus

The city of Laurus, ruled by the Marquis of Linkvist in the Viktor Empire. Looking out at the town they had arrived in, Allen couldn’t help letting out a sigh of relief. He had heard the empire was in turmoil, but at least from what he could see, it didn’t look that way.

Of course, this was only the first town past the checkpoint; it could just be coincidence. Still, it didn’t seem like the entire empire was drowning in chaos. He had half expected to be caught up in trouble the moment they entered, but for now, he could relax a little.

“Well, if the whole country was falling apart, it wouldn’t even be able to function as a nation, would it? The empire’s already got enemies on every side as it is,” said Anriette.

“That’s true. I imagine the higher-ups in the capital are dealing with all sorts of messes, though,” said Noel.

“At least from what we can see, things look fine,” said Mylène.

“For now, yes. But if this situation drags on, the effects will reach here eventually,” replied Anriette.

“Right. And anyway, this is just one place, nothing more,” Mylène replied.

From the way they spoke, perhaps the Elven Forest was already feeling some of those effects. And maybe that was connected to the reason they had gone to the kingdom in the first place. He wasn’t about to pry, but he thought it might be best to keep his guard up.

“Speaking of which, now that we’ve safely made it into the empire, what’s the plan from here?” he asked as that thought went through his mind. He had a rough idea, but he hadn’t heard Noel state it outright. It was possible she had something different in mind. But in the end, his concern turned out to be needless.

“For now, I plan to head to the Elven Forest,” Noel said. “But first, we should stock up on food here. I considered doing it once we reached the forest, but whatever we find there probably won’t last long. Better to sort out provisions here first.”

“The Elven Forest, huh? I know it’s somewhere in the empire, but I’ve got no clue where exactly. From what you’re saying, it must be nearby?” said Anriette.

“Close. Actually, very close,” Noel replied. “Even if we don’t head there until we finish buying supplies, we should arrive before sunset.”

“That close? Then it’s definitely inside the Linkvist marquisate,” Anriette remarked.

“Yes, in fact, that’s why there was talk of entrusting the forest’s management to House Linkvist. But in the end, it was made a direct territory of the empire because they were too ambitious,” said Noel.

“Aah... Yeah, I can believe that. Which explains why I grew up in Linkvist territory without ever knowing a thing about it,” Anriette replied.

“They say it was kept secret because no one knew what you might do with the information or something like that,” said Noel, tilting her head slightly.

“Fair enough. Then it makes sense that Anriette wouldn’t know either. There’d be no reason to tell her alone,” Allen chimed in.

“Not like it would’ve mattered even if I’d known,” Anriette muttered. “More likely I’d have been dragged into some hassle. Honestly, better this way.”

“From an elven perspective, it may have been the better choice,” Allen said.

“Maybe so,” said Noel.

“Give me a break. I’ve got enough on my plate as it is,” Anriette whined.

Chattering away, they started walking through town to buy provisions. They’d had their fill of preserved rations, so Allen considered picking up fresh food, but then he remembered they were headed to the Elven Forest next. That meant at least one night there. And with the queen’s return, there would probably be a warm welcome. So really, preserved food was all they needed.

“Maybe I should also prepare a gift, since we’re visiting the Elven Forest?” he asked.

“Aah... We’ll definitely be imposing on them for a night, so yeah, that’s probably safest,” Anriette said, nodding her head.

“There’s no need. Elves aren’t very materialistic. Giving them something would only cause trouble,” said Noel, shutting them down.

“Basically, whatever elves want, they can get in the forest itself,” Mylène added.

“I see. If it’d just be a nuisance, then better not,” said Allen, deflating a bit.

“Then that means we really only need to stock up on food,” said Anriette.

“Right. We might need something extra for the mountain afterward, but we won’t know until we hear what they have to say,” Noel answered.

“If we need anything, we can always come back here,” Mylène murmured.

“All right,” Allen agreed.

It might have been more efficient to hear them out first and then go back to shop, but there was no guarantee the elves would need anything, in which case it would end up being an inefficient choice. Either way, it wouldn’t make much difference, so there was no need to overthink it.

As Allen mulled this over, another thought struck him. “Come to think of it, this is Linkvist territory, right? Anriette, is there anything you want to do while we’re here?”

Their journey was urgent, but not so urgent they couldn’t spare a little detour. Noel was, in a way, returning to her homeland. Perhaps Anriette had matters to attend to as well. But she only shrugged, brushing the thought aside.

“Not a thing. I grew up a fair distance from here. And I left home behind, remember? I’m not shameless enough to still cling to it.”

“Yet you’ll use your family’s influence?” Noel asked.

“That’s different. I gave plenty to that house before I left. I’m just taking back what I’m owed.”

“That’s...resourceful?”

“I am an adventurer, you know. Resourcefulness is a requirement.”

“True.”

In that sense, this Anriette might be even stronger than the one Allen had known before. Both were reliable but in different ways. From her stories, this one seemed bolder. Of course, that didn’t mean one was better than the other.

“By the way, something’s just occurred to me. At the checkpoint, you dropped your family’s name, didn’t you?” Allen asked.

“I did, but only that. Just mentioned the name.”

“Still, doesn’t that mean word will get back to your family?”

“Yeah. From what I’ve heard, that could be a pain,” she answered.

“You mean they might drag you back?”

“Not that kind of pain. I’ve thought this through. I made sure to keep them quiet.”

“Keep them quiet? I doubt that’s a foolproof method,” Noel chimed in.

“That checkpoint is in Linkvist territory. It is foolproof. Besides, the marquis’s estate is far from here. Even if a message were sent, it wouldn’t arrive for a long while, and by then, it wouldn’t be able to affect our movements.”

“So it’s safe?”

“Safe enough that you don’t need to worry.”

She spoke with so much confidence that Allen decided to trust her. If she said not to worry, then it was settled. The rest would only be clear once they reached the forest.

“The Elven Forest...” he murmured. There had already been countless differences in this world compared to what Allen remembered. And without doubt, the forest of the elves would have differences too. What would they be?

As that question turned in his mind, Allen lifted his gaze toward their destination.

The Elven Forest

They reached the Elven Forest just as the sun was about to set. Strictly speaking, they had only reached the neighboring town at that hour, but that hardly mattered. From there, they made their way straight into the forest.

Like before, they turned into a back alley, but this time, it was Noel who opened the path to the elves. Yet for some reason, she looked at Allen with a dissatisfied expression.

“Why aren’t you surprised?”

“Huh? Well...”

Of course, the reason was that he had already seen it once before. But saying it outright was impossible. So how to play it off?

“Ah... Well, Anriette didn’t know about the forest even though it’s inside Linkvist territory. That already told me it had to be hidden somehow. So I figured you’d need some kind of teleportation or space magic to get in and out.”

That was, in fact, what he had thought back when he’d first gone there. It wasn’t even a lie. Still, Noel looked dissatisfied.

“So you’d already guessed. How boring. I was hoping I’d get to surprise you.”

“Well, I get how you feel. Honestly, I was pretty shocked myself the first time. But you don’t look surprised at all,” said Anriette, turning to Allen, her eyes narrowing.

“I was surprised the first time I saw it too,” said Mylène.

“See?” said Noel.

“Even so...” muttered Allen.

What was he supposed to do about it? At least Noel seemed aware that she was being unreasonable. Though she looked displeased, she didn’t press further.

“Hah. Fine. Anyway, just ahead is the Elven Forest.”

“I can’t help feeling a little tense,” said Anriette, suddenly fidgeting. “They’re not going to suddenly capture us, are they?”

“Of course not,” said Noel, her eyes widening. “What do you think elves are?”

“I may be a runaway, but on paper I’m still a noble of the empire. And I know well enough what elves think of imperial nobles.”

“If you were alone, maybe. But with us, that won’t happen...probably.” Noel said nonchalantly.

“Not exactly the reassurance I was hoping for,” Allen muttered. He wasn’t a noble, but he was still a foreigner being brought there by one. He could imagine how elves might feel about the nobility and, by extension, Allen himself. Noel and the others were with him, so it should be fine...he hoped.

“Well, no point overthinking it.”

“Right. Sometimes you’ve just got to charge in and hope for the best,” said Anriette.

“No, charging in is the worst option,” Noel cut in sternly. “I told you, we’ll be fine.”

“If something does happen, I’ll make sure to explain,” Allen assured her.

“I’ll hold you to that,” said Noel.

With those words, they stepped through the path Noel had opened. As expected, the sensation was the same as when they had gone through one that Anriette had created. The alley around them warped, the scenery twisting out of shape, and in an instant the back street vanished, replaced by a lush green forest.

“And you’re still not surprised,” said Noel, looking somewhat disappointed.

“Well, I sort of expected this too,” said Allen.

“I had an inkling as well, but it still startled me,” said Anriette.

“Should I come up with something flashier next time?” Noel asked.

“Isn’t that kind of missing the point?” Allen joked. He gave Noel a smile, and she sighed in frustration.

She seemed genuinely irritated, but then—true to her title as queen—she quickly composed herself again. “Well, fine. I’ll just have to think of another way to shock you later.”

“You really have your priorities twisted.”

Allen’s protest went ignored. Noel cleared her throat, put on a smile, and declared:

“Welcome to the Elven Forest.”

Truthfully, Allen had half expected a group of elves waiting in ambush just like last time. But no such thing happened. The forest wasn’t empty either. A little farther in, a familiar man was waiting for them: Percival.

“Welcome home, Your Majesty. Your return was swifter than I had imagined.”

“Yes, I’m back. But this isn’t a formal return. I’m just stopping by. There’s something I want to ask.”

“Something you wish to ask?” Percival tilted his head curiously, then glanced at Allen and the others. His eyes narrowed with suspicion. A natural reaction, really. “So, it involves these outsiders?”

“That’s right, though it’s not unrelated to me. In fact, I’d say half of it concerns me directly.”

“It concerns Your Majesty? Hm. I see. Then there must be special circumstances here. I would like to hear them in detail, but...”

“These people are safe. You can guide them,” said Mylène bluntly.

“If Lady Mylène says so, then I will trust you.”

“Safe” wasn’t the word Allen would have chosen, but he wisely kept quiet. Percival seemed satisfied, so it was the right call.

“In that case, shall we go to my house?” he asked.

“Mine will do. There’s no reason to trouble you,” Noel replied.

“As you wish.”

He seemed reluctant at first, but in the end, he accepted her decision. Perhaps it was too much to expect him to trust strangers on Mylène’s word alone. Still, Allen couldn’t help thinking he was being a little too cautious.

“I think they’ve figured out who I am,” Anriette whispered.

“Figured out...that you’re an imperial noble?” he asked.

“I’ve heard elves are isolationist to begin with. And sure, we’re guests of the queen right now, but their wariness feels too sharp, and I’m betting it’s because of me.”

“I see.”

If that was true, then the elves’ hatred of imperial nobles was stronger than Allen had expected. Perhaps that was why only Percival had come to greet them. Still, as long as there was no danger, there was no problem. With those thoughts in mind, he followed Noel as she led them deeper into the forest.

“By the way, Your Majesty, you said you would only be staying briefly. Does that mean you will continue your journey afterward?”

“Yes. We’ll rest here tonight, but we’ll depart tomorrow.”

“I see. And your destination will be...the kingdom?”

“Who knows? Eventually, yes, I suppose so.”

“Depending on my answer?”

“Oh, so that’s what this question of yours relates to.”

From their exchange, it seemed Percival knew their next destination, which meant he must have been the one who had gone to meet Noel before. Considering what had happened in the other world, he had likely served as her proxy in her absence. Perhaps that was precisely why he had gone. Whatever that role entailed, surely nothing could have been more important than bringing back the last living heir.

“Then I’ll make sure the carriage is properly prepared, wherever you may go. The horses, too, will be well rested.”

“Thank you. That would be appreciated.”

The carriage had come with them to the Elven Forest and could apparently be served there. Allen hadn’t pictured elves doing such work, but clearly they did what was necessary.

As he thought that, his eyes roamed over their surroundings. It had been some time since he had visited the forest in the other world. And strangely, the atmosphere here felt a little different. Not in any obvious way, but...

“The elves are moving more briskly than I expected.”

“Briskly? What do you mean?”

He had meant to mutter it to himself, but Anriette heard him. She tilted her head as she, too, watched the elves.

“Well, it’s just...I thought elves would be more relaxed. Lazing about, you know.”

It wasn’t just his own impression, but rather what he remembered from before. For him, that was what elves were supposed to be like. Yet now, none of them were lounging idly.

“Hm... Your impression isn’t entirely wrong. In fact, there was a time when we were like that,” Percival said, having overheard. Or perhaps he was keeping an ear on them.

“If it’s different now, does that mean something happened?”

“Hm. One could say something did, and one could also say nothing did.”

“That’s not very clear...” said Allen flatly.

“Stop being so cryptic,” Anriette cut in. “It’s rude.”

“That isn’t my intention. But this does relate to the nature of our people. It is not something to be spoken of lightly.”

“In that case, don’t worry about it. I was just curious, not desperate to know,” Anriette replied.

“Same here,” Allen agreed.

But in truth, he already had a guess. He had once heard that elves developed in accordance with the nature of their monarch. And here, unlike in the other world, Noel stood as their queen. That explained the difference in how they carried themselves.

Still, he hadn’t expected the change to be this noticeable—enough to feel a real dissonance. Seeing it firsthand drove home how vital a queen was to the elves as a race. Of course, he had only learned that in the other world. In this world, it wouldn’t make sense for him to know such things, so he said nothing more.

Quietly, Allen followed Noel and the others, gazing at an Elven Forest that was just a bit different from the one he remembered.

Circumstances and Crisis

The house they were led to was, in fact, a place Allen already knew. It was the same house he and his companions had been assigned to stay in when they visited the Elven Forest. To think that this would be used as Noel’s residence now gave him a strangely surreal feeling.

That said, they hadn’t come here simply to hang out at Noel’s house. As soon as they arrived and had a moment to breathe, Noel wasted no time in questioning Percival.

“Now then, there’s something I want to ask you, Percival. You remember the mountain where you came to fetch me, don’t you? Could you tell me the way there?”

“Ah, so that’s what you wished to ask me. Of course, if you want to know, I have no reason to refuse. But first, may I ask one thing? Why do you wish to know the way? At this point, it seems rather...curious.”

“Well, you’re not wrong. Truthfully, if nothing had come up, I probably wouldn’t have asked either. But...I’ve got a reason to go there now.”

As Noel said this and glanced at him, Percival seemed to realize what—or who—that reason was. He turned his probing eyes on Allen before speaking again.

“I see. Am I to understand that you are the reason for this?”

“Well, yes. I asked Noel to take me, to guide me to the mountain she once lived on.”

“May I ask why?”

“To fulfill a request I accepted from the Adventurer’s Guild, although truth be told, asking her to guide me was the client’s intention from the start.”

“The client asked our queen to guide you to that mountain? Your Majesty, could this client be...?”

“I didn’t hear it directly, but...yes. It’s just as you suspect,” Noel confirmed.

“Hmph.”

Allen tilted his head at Percival’s dissatisfied expression. Revealing the location of her old home hardly seemed like a problem to Allen, but Percival didn’t look particularly eager.

“Is this truly something Your Majesty must do personally? If you would only wait here, I could guide you in her place.”

“No doubt that would be more efficient, yes. But you know, don’t you? I owe him a debt. And I’m not shameless enough to leave a debt unpaid.”

“I do understand that, but...”

“Um...is there some kind of danger involved?” asked Allen. That, at least, would explain why he didn’t want Noel to go.

But Percival shook his head. “No, not exactly...”

“Ugh. Don’t tell me you’re still hung up on that. She said herself that’s just how she is,” said Noel curtly.

“Still, it was a farewell to our queen. It could well have been a final farewell, and yet she didn’t even see Your Majesty off. That borders on disrespect.”

“Disrespect? I owe her, but she owes me nothing. Besides, she’s not even an elf,” retorted Noel.

“As overprotective as ever.”

“This counts as overprotective?”

“Well, at least it’s clear you’re only thinking of her.”

Noel, however, wasn’t about to back down. And in the end, it was Percival who yielded.

His eyes darted around as he searched for a response. “Very well. I will tell you. But allow me to ask one more thing.”

“What now?” she asked.

“You said you intended to return to the kingdom afterward. Is that truly necessary? From what I can see, you’ve already finished what you went there to do.”

“Well...” The words struck a nerve with Noel, and she faltered, unable to answer immediately. Her eyes wavered as if caught between answers.

“Of course, I wish to grant Your Majesty’s every wish, as I swore when I came to your side. But that is why I must ask, is returning to the kingdom truly so important? Important enough to risk damaging your position?”

“Damaging my position?”

It was clear even to Allen, just listening from the side, that Percival spoke out of genuine concern. And precisely because of that, his words could not be ignored. How would returning to the kingdom harm Noel’s standing? What exactly did he mean?

“Hm... Do you know why our queen went to the Kingdom of Adastera?” he asked Allen.

“She never told me.”

“Then you must have heard from someone else, or perhaps guessed? In any case, your guess is likely correct.”

“Percival, that’s enough,” Noel said, cutting him off.

“You wouldn’t have brought them here if you didn’t trust them enough to hear this. Otherwise, there would be no need to guide them at all.”

“I won’t deny that, but is it really necessary to say it aloud?”

“I believe it is. Which is why I will.”

Allen had no idea what Percival was about to say, but Noel and her fellow elf locked eyes for a tense moment. This time, it was Noel who relented.

“Fine. Do as you like.”

“My thanks. Forgive me.”

When Percival turned back to Allen, his eyes were far more serious than expected. Allen instinctively straightened his back to listen.

“Let me say it plainly: Our queen visited the Kingdom of Adastera in order to announce our defection. We elves have decided we will no longer serve the empire.”

It wasn’t a shocking statement, as Allen had suspected as much already. But Anriette, listening with them, was startled, though not by the explanation itself.

“Hold on. Wait just a second. Are you sure I should be hearing this?”

“Yes. As I said, the fact that our queen allowed you here at all means that she trusts you enough to hear it.”

“I don’t need to remind you I’m an imperial noble, do I? Does that apply even so?”

“Of course. That’s already been taken into account. And I also know you’ve all but severed ties with the nobility. Still, I’d be lying if I said I felt nothing about it. That’s my own weakness to bear.”

“Well, I don’t know the whole story, but I can guess well enough how you lot have been treated. I’m not so narrow-minded as to take issue with your feelings toward the nobility. If you’re fine with this arrangement, then so am I.”

“Thank you.” Bowing his head to Anriette, Percival composed himself again and continued. “Of course, that is the hidden purpose. The empire is in turmoil now, and if our plans to defect were exposed, the consequences would be dire. So our queen’s visit to the kingdom had to include an official pretext.”

“Well, naturally. Without one, it’d be the same as openly declaring you had an ulterior motive,” Anriette commented.

“So, what pretext did you use?” asked Allen.

“Scouting the kingdom.”

“Scouting...?” The words alone carried an ominous weight. And sure enough, Allen’s unease was justified.

“Yes. To prepare for war.”

“Still as incorrigible as ever. I suppose the sentiment isn’t exactly new, though,” said Anriette.

Allen nodded. “Right. The empire has wanted to move against the kingdom for ages.”

“Indeed, it’s hardly new. But it depends on how it’s framed. Imagine this: If the Elven Queen were to declare that demons were lurking in the kingdom, what then?”

“You can’t be serious,” said Anriette, mouth agape.

“I know it sounds absurd, but unfortunately, they mean it. At least, I was strongly encouraged to endorse such a lie. Not outright, but enough to make their intentions clear.”

“That was the last straw that drove the elves to defect.”

“Well, that’s understandable.”

Demons were regarded as humanity’s sworn enemy, which was precisely why invoking them in international disputes was forbidden. To accuse another nation of harboring demons was to brand them an enemy of all mankind. Any country that failed to act against them would itself be seen as betraying humanity.

And it didn’t stop there. A nation reckless enough to make such a declaration would itself be branded dangerous, a threat to all. It would be crushed before it could make another such claim. Thus, invoking demons was a forbidden weapon in diplomacy, a double-edged sword that could destroy both sides. Yet the empire was prepared to wield it.

“So the empire is that desperate?” Allen asked.

“Creating an enemy outside is the quickest way to unite what’s inside, but if the empire has reached the point where it can’t hold itself together without doing that... Well, of course you’d want to get away fast,” Anriette explained.

“But for us, it’s not something we can brush off as somebody else’s problem. The empire intends to use our queen’s name in that declaration,” Percival added.

“Not just the empire. If it’s spoken as the words of a single race’s ruler, then there’s no way anyone could ignore it, right?” said Noel.

“How selfish,” said Mylène.

“And if it comes to that, our own position will be lost. Not only will exile be impossible, we might even be deemed a threat and wiped out. The empire already plans to absorb every other nation anyway, so they’re saying it doesn’t matter if they make more enemies now,” said Percival.

“If they really believed that, they wouldn’t need to talk about demons in the first place,” said Anriette.

“Or maybe there are those who truly think it’s possible as long as they can unify everyone,” said Allen.

Either way, it was a nuisance.

“So, why are you telling us all this? Don’t tell me you expect us to stop the empire for you?” said Allen.

“Besides, that wouldn’t even make sense with the rest of what you’re saying,” Anriette chimed in.

“Indeed. This is only to set the premise. It’s to show just how precarious our queen’s position has become,” said Percival.

“Dramatic much? Given how we’ve been treated, it’s a bit late to start worrying about my position, don’t you think?” Noel retorted.

“That’s why I’m here too,” said Mylène.

“Of course, our queen’s position has always been precarious. But this is about more than that. It means she could become hated and targeted by the entire world. To make such a declaration using her name...this is what we risk.”

That, indeed, was undeniable. Perhaps if it were only the elves, others might overlook it as them being manipulated by the empire. But Noel, who was responsible for leading the defection, would never be forgiven, even if everyone knew that she, too, had only been used.

“And if, in such a situation, you were to go back to the kingdom? The empire would seize on it at once. They’d claim you returned in order to confirm the traces of demons nesting in the kingdom, turning it into definitive proof,” said Percival.

It sounded paranoid, but it wasn’t something that could be dismissed outright. That was certainly a way the empire might exploit the situation, and if they did, it could speed up the outbreak of war with the kingdom. That was why Percival insisted that a second trip to the kingdom would only endanger Noel’s standing.

“The first time was unavoidable. To disobey at the time would have meant the empire might have done who knows what to us, and visiting the kingdom was necessary for exile anyway. But this second time...is it truly necessary? Is it something that must be done, despite the danger to your own position? I beg you, please reconsider.”

His words were indeed out of concern for Noel—the admonishment of a loyal retainer. And most likely, Noel herself understood he was right.

As Percival bowed his head, Noel gazed at him with a troubled expression.

To the Mountain

After spending the night in the Elven Forest, they set off as planned for their destination: the mountain. Since Percival had given them directions, they would probably arrive within two or three days.

Allen had stayed in Noel’s guest room. He had half expected Percival to say something about it, but it seemed there was no problem, perhaps because he had come as Noel’s guest, or perhaps Percival trusted him just enough. In any case, for Allen, who had already spent countless nights sharing lodgings with Noel on their journey, it wasn’t anything new.

“Safe travels. I look forward to your swift return.” As when they had been welcomed, Percival alone came to see them off. Still, Allen sensed the presence of others nearby, so it was likely that Percival’s fellow elves were merely keeping their distance.

As Noel and Percival exchanged their parting words, Allen watched them absentmindedly.

“Yes, I’ll be off. I’m leaving things in your hands,” said Noel.

“Of course. Leave it to me. I will see to everything without issue.” Percival maintained a calm demeanor, as though nothing had happened the day before. If anything, it was Noel who couldn’t keep her composure. She had been that way ever since their prior conversation, and even now, her expression remained clouded with doubt.

“In truth, what Percival said is totally valid,” Anriette murmured as she watched them.

Allen could not deny her point and could only shrug. “Well, yeah. Even Noel insisting on coming along to guide us to the mountain where she used to live is just her selfishness in the end. The only reason it’s being allowed is because, in practice, it doesn’t cause much trouble.”

“Noel already finished everything she had to do in that town,” Mylène added. “Staying three extra days was incidental. From my perspective too, there’s honestly no point in going back.”

If Mylène, who was closest to Noel, said it, then it must have been true. And yet Noel remained conflicted, even knowing that.

“Come to think of it, she only stayed for about a year, right?” Allen said. “Even if Vanessa did save her life, guiding us to the mountain and finding what we’re looking for should be enough to repay the debt.”

“I agree. In fact, I heard she already tried to thank her directly and was refused, so even that really wasn’t necessary,” Mylène replied.

“Ah, I thought as much. I get it now.”

That only underscored that Noel’s actions were based on nothing more than her own whims. Or perhaps even she didn’t truly understand why she felt compelled to do this. Why go to such lengths for Vanessa? Why did she feel obligated? Allen couldn’t shake that question.

“Well, in the end, it’s up to her, isn’t it?” he said.

“Pretty much. It’s not a matter for us to interfere in,” Anriette agreed.

“Whatever choice Noel makes, I’ll just protect her,” Mylène said quietly. “But if possible, I don’t want her to do anything reckless.”

That was surely how Percival felt, and Allen agreed. In any case, it would take time to reach the mountain, and even if they found their goal right away, the return trip would take just as long. There was no need to rush. Noel only had to think it over carefully and reach her conclusion in the meantime.

“Well...I wonder how this will turn out.” Muttering to himself, Allen narrowed his eyes as he gazed at Noel.

Their destination technically lay within the empire’s territory but so far on the outskirts as to barely count. The Elven Forest was already near the empire’s easternmost border, but the mountain lay even farther south. The place was treated like a remote frontier, where hermits or at times criminals might hole up.

“The empire’s huge. Too huge, really,” Allen remarked. “Even if they leave local lords to handle things, there’s a limit. It’s no wonder such places exist here and there.”

“Speaking of which, it’s strange that Anriette went all the way to the kingdom when such places exist here too,” Mylène said.

“Not strange at all once you know the circumstances, you know?” Anriette shrugged. “The kingdom’s Frontier really is free, and that’s all there is to it.”

“So that means the empire’s version...isn’t?” Allen asked.

“How can I say this? In the empire’s case, it’s supposed to be lawless, but one’s old status still ends up mattering,” Anriette explained.

“So if a former marquis’s daughter like you showed up, you’d be ranked super high?”

“More like treated as the top outright.”

Allen had heard that in prison, the hierarchy among inmates was based on the gravity of their crimes. Perhaps this was similar. Still, if Anriette was respected rather than treated lightly, it didn’t seem like such a problem for her.

“Give me a break. I ran away because I wanted to cast off everything about being a marquis’s daughter. If that still followed me, it’d be meaningless. And if order is being kept, that means someone’s enforcing it, right?” Anriette retorted.

“I see. Which means, in the worst case, your family’s influence could still reach here.”

“In which case, it really would be pointless.”

Even in the Frontier, there was order, but it was maintained by the guild. And the guild was neutral and impartial, which defined the character of the towns themselves. So yes, the empire’s “outskirts” might resemble those towns on the surface, but in truth there was a significant difference.

“In the worst case, at least in the kingdom, status from the empire doesn’t matter. And it was relatively nearby too. In every sense, the kingdom was just more convenient.”

“Got it. By the way, I was wondering: How long were you actually working as an adventurer there, Anriette?”

Given her knowledge and experience, she must have matured early. That was common among noble children with extensive schooling, but when had that awareness taken root? Allen was genuinely curious.

“Ah... How long was it, I wonder. I think quite a bit of time has passed, but...”

“Wait. Don’t tell me you genuinely don’t remember?”

Allen thought that was impossible, but it wasn’t a joke. Anriette averted her eyes awkwardly.

“That... That can’t be helped, okay?! Back then, I had so much to deal with, and even once I finally made it to the Frontier and became an adventurer, I had to struggle just to live properly. So I don’t remember those days clearly.”

“I understand,” Mylène said with a faint smile. “When I first became Noel’s guard, things were so hectic, I don’t remember much from that time either.”

“Hm... I guess that’s how it goes, then...” Allen wanted to deny it, but against the majority, he had no chance. The only one left to weigh in was Noel, but since boarding the carriage, she had been deep in thought, showing no reaction to their chatter. That was how seriously she was troubled, and none of them wished to intrude.

“Maybe Noel herself doesn’t clearly remember the past either, and that’s why she’s been agonizing over it all this time?” Anriette suggested.

“It’s possible,” Mylène admitted.

“Judging from her behavior, I think she remembers just fine,” Allen said.

Not every detail, of course, but likely most of it. At least, that was how he saw it. Of course, Anriette and Mylène probably weren’t entirely serious anyway, and dragging the topic out any further would only risk disturbing Noel. It was better to switch to another subject, although Allen couldn’t think of one right away.

Glancing at Noel’s troubled face from the corner of his eye, he began pondering what to do next.

A Familiar Place

When she laid eyes on the mountain she hadn’t been to in so long, Noel’s first impression was a strange one: that of familiarity. While living there, she had spent most of her time indoors, so she had no memory of looking out at it this way. And yet, somehow, it felt nostalgic.

Dwelling on that thought, she stepped onto the mountain path. Her steps carried no hesitation. Even though it had been years, and even though she had only ever traveled this route once, she advanced without losing her way.

“It’s just as I expected, but...this mountain really has nothing, doesn’t it?” Allen remarked. “Plenty of trees growing everywhere, but that’s all.”

“Not even many signs of wild animals,” Anriette added. “Hard to believe anyone could live in a place like this.”

“Maybe that’s why she eventually left,” Mylène said quietly.

“Who knows,” Noel murmured. “As far as I know, though, merchants did come by from time to time. Thanks to that, we managed somehow.”

Vanessa, for her part, had thought of nothing but smithing. She never considered personally selling her work, but even she must have understood that they couldn’t live without outside supplies. So on occasion, she would hand over a few pieces to the merchants who passed through in return for food or daily necessities.

“Even so, she did end up leaving the mountain in the end, didn’t she?” Anriette asked. “Guess it was too inconvenient.”

“She never seemed concerned with that to me. If anything, she looked like she was enjoying the freedom of not having to deal with needless troubles.”

“So she was a misanthrope? Honestly, I didn’t get that impression,” Allen replied.

“No, it wasn’t really misanthropy. She just didn’t want to bother with things she found troublesome or tedious.”

“Interacting with people counts as troublesome, doesn’t it? In that case, isn’t that basically the same thing?”

“Well, I can’t deny that.” Noel let out a faint laugh, recalling a conversation she’d once had with Vanessa on that very topic. She remembered asking her if she didn’t get lonely living all alone. Vanessa had replied that she didn’t, leading Noel to wonder if she hated people. “What was it she told me back then?” Noel muttered to herself.

“Hm? Did you say something?” Allen asked.

“Just talking to myself. But...thinking about it now, maybe that’s connected to why she eventually left.”

“Oh?”

“She truly despised doing anything unnecessary. As time went on, I started taking care of things instead. Making meals, doing the laundry, even dealing with the merchants.”

Allen blinked. “Cooking and cleaning I can understand, but handling merchants too? That’s less like a roommate and more like a servant.”

“A maid, perhaps? Percival would be furious if he heard that,” Anriette said with a smirk.

“Maybe so. But at the time, I didn’t mind. In fact, I felt like it was my responsibility.”

“Sounds like the kind of girl who’d get strung along by a useless man. Still, weren’t you worried about being tricked? A kid negotiating with merchants is a scam waiting to happen,” said Anriette.

“That was never a concern. If they tried something and it came to light, they’d lose the trade entirely. Rare items from a first-rate blacksmith were far more valuable than any temporary profit. A merchant too foolish to realize that wouldn’t have done business in the first place.”

It was only after her time in the Elven Forest that Noel had learned to think that far ahead, but either way, she had never truly feared being deceived.

“Once I left, there was no one to handle all of that anymore. I don’t know exactly when Vanessa finally came down from there, but...” Noel trailed off.

“You’re saying she gave up because you weren’t around to take care of things?” Anriette asked. “Bit of a stretch, don’t you think?”

“Maybe. But I can’t rule it out.”

“People do tend to take the easy road. Once you get used to leaving things to someone else, it’s not surprising if you can’t manage on your own anymore.”

Noel didn’t know for sure, and even if it was true, she didn’t intend to burden herself with guilt. That was Vanessa’s decision and responsibility. Noel had no reason to carry it herself.

“It doesn’t really matter. Just a thought that crossed my mind, that’s all,” she said with a faint smile. It was, in the end, just small talk. The scenery was monotonous, and talking helped to keep her distracted, although perhaps there was more to it than that.

Percival’s question surfaced in her mind—the meaning of returning once more to the kingdom. The weight of that decision. Three days had passed since, and she still had no answer. She knew it was selfish. She knew it was for her own satisfaction and perhaps even harmful. And yet, knowing all that, she still couldn’t bring herself to choose not to go. For reasons even she couldn’t explain, she wanted to do it.

But she was a queen. She had sworn to shoulder the fate of the elves. So why...

There I go, thinking about it again.

She had tried to set it aside, knowing she would only end up going in circles. But whenever she let her guard down, the thoughts crept back in.

Of course, she would need to face them properly at some point. But for now, she could leave it until they found the sword Vanessa had supposedly buried here. Perhaps once she saw it, she would understand. Perhaps she would finally know why she felt compelled to return to the kingdom. Or maybe it was nothing but a misunderstanding. Either way, it would bring her closure.

Her musings were cut short as the trees abruptly opened up. The path led into a clearing where the sky spread wide above and the earth stretched bare below. There was nothing else, only soil and a scattering of grass. Not even a trace remained.

“I expected this once I heard Vanessa had left. But it really is all gone,” Noel said quietly.

“Huh? You mean...” said Allen.

“There’s nothing here at all,” Anriette muttered.

“Did there used to be a house or something?” Mylène asked.

“If my memory serves me correctly, yes.”

It looked like nothing but empty ground, yet she vividly remembered being led here all those years ago.

“Ah. That’s right.”

It came back to her—the answer Vanessa had given when Noel had asked if she hated people. “If I hated people, I never would have picked you up.” It wasn’t anything especially meaningful, and yet it had made Noel strangely happy.

And there was something else too. A memory of making some kind of promise. But what had it been?

I suppose it wasn’t important if I’ve forgotten until now.

Even so, she couldn’t shake the feeling that it mattered. She was still trying to recall when she felt a human presence. Reflexively she turned, her senses sharp. There should have been no one there. With Vanessa gone, there was no reason for anyone else to come. Who could it be, and why?

The question didn’t linger long, as a figure appeared before them. “Well, well. I thought I was the only fool who’d come all the way out here. But to find you here... What are the odds?”

The newcomer looked at her in surprise, but Noel felt the same. It was a familiar face. More than familiar...

“That’s my line. What are you doing here of all places...Champion?”

Akira Kazaragi. The Champion of this generation—and a person deeply entwined with Noel’s fate—stood before her.

An Unexpected Encounter

Running into Akira here was a completely unforeseen development. Allen had thought they might cross paths someday, but meeting her here of all places was a shock. And on top of that...

“Um...do you two know each other?”

Tilting his head, Allen glanced back and forth between Noel and Akira. From their words, that seemed to be the case...but it was definitely surprising. If it had been the other Noel, he could understand. But this one was the ruler of the Elven Forest, which meant she would hardly ever leave, while Akira, from what Allen had heard, wandered from place to place. Where in the world could the two of them have met? Maybe Akira had gone to the Elven Forest for some reason...

As Allen mulled this over, he suddenly felt someone’s gaze. Turning, he found Anriette staring at him in surprise. Not understanding why she would look at him like that, he tilted his head again.

“Um, what’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong? Are you seriously asking if those two know each other?”

“It’s common knowledge that the Elven Queen and the Saint support and aid the Champion. Of course they know each other. Morethan know each other,” said Mylène softly.

“It feels a little odd to call myself famous, but...yeah, it’s something most people know. Actually, I’ve been thinking it for a while, but you really don’t know a lot of things most people take for granted, do you?” said Noel skeptically.

“Ah, well...my background’s a little unusual.”

“Not prying or anything, but...did you grow up in a cave?” Anriette said teasingly.

“Something like that, yeah.” Allen gave a vague reply, accepting that this was simply how things were in this world. At the same time, one word stuck in his mind.

Saint.

In his own world, that had referred to Riese. Could it be the same here? If so, he might be able to learn something about her whereabouts. But how could he even ask without giving himself away? While he pondered, he again felt a strong gaze on him. This time it wasn’t Anriette, but Akira, staring at him sharply.

“Uh...is something wrong?”

“Did you make her mad when you said you didn’t know?” Mylène postured.

“Is the Champion really that petty?” asked Anriette.

“Of course not. I’m just being cautious. A Champion makes a lot of allies but just as many enemies.”

“Even after I said I didn’t know?”

“Feigning ignorance to lower another’s guard is a pretty standard trick. Makes sense to be wary. And a guy traveling with three girls? Looks suspicious enough to me.”

“Being doubted for that is a little unfair, don’t you think?”

It was probably Anriette’s way of joking, but Akira kept staring at Allen nonetheless. This might be genuine suspicion. Allen thought about how to dispel it, only for Akira to sigh first. When she looked back again, the wariness in her eyes was gone.

“Sorry. My guard just goes up when I see someone I don’t know.”

“No, it’s fine. It’s not like you harmed me or anything. Honestly, it’s natural.”

“Being a Champion’s rough, you know?”

“Well, of course. Some people see you as an enemy; others place expectations on you.”

“Both sound exhausting.”

“Yeah, it really is. It’s not like I’ve done anything in particular.” Akira shrugged, sounding genuinely tired.

But even Allen, who had only just spoken to her, doubted that was the whole truth.

Noel, who had seen Akira up close, gazed at her with clear exasperation. “‘Not like you’ve done anything? You can’t be serious.”

“Let’s see... The demons’ plots in Adastera’s capital, the assassination of the emperor, even thwarting the Hierophant’s schemes. Just the things I know of are huge incidents the Champion’s resolved. Saying you’ve done nothing isn’t humility, it’s insulting.”

“Even with help from the Saint and Noel, to say ‘nothing’ is going way too far.”

The three girls quickly shot down Akira’s claim, but she still shook her head stubbornly.

“It’s just the truth. If I went bragging about it, I’d be nothing but a fool. Don’t you agree?”

Allen didn’t know enough about this Akira to take sides. He only had scraps of rumor to go on. “Well...I guess it depends on how you look at it?”

He shrugged evasively. Both Akira and the others gave him dissatisfied looks, but there was no helping it. Better to stay vague than speak irresponsibly about what he didn’t know.

“Fine. That’s just like you, I suppose. More importantly, why are you here?”

“Yeah. If you’re the Champion, how’d you even get into the empire? They’re the reason everyone else hates foreigners. You shouldn’t even be able to.”

“Good point. Did you sneak in?”

“No way...” Allen thought that was impossible, but then Akira herself spoke up.

“Hm? No, Mylène’s right. The checkpoints aren’t perfect. I just slipped through.”

“Slipped through? What the hell?”

“Was that really necessary?”

“Which means...there’s something here worth risking that much for...?”

“I don’t sense anything right now, though...”

If Akira had gone so far as to sneak into the empire, maybe she knew something they didn’t. Or so Allen thought.

“You’re overthinking it. I came here for...personal reasons, that’s all.” Akira replied.

“Personal reasons? A place like this?” Noel’s skeptical look was unsurprising. Even Allen would have believed she was here on a top secret mission more readily.

“Sorry to disappoint, but it’s true. I came here to remember where I started,” Akira answered.

“To remember...? You’ve been here before?”

“This was the first place I ever came as a Champion. Not that I can say I fulfilled my role all that well.”

“I see...”

“So that’s what you meant by ‘remembering.’ And to think you came here too... Guess the world really is small.”

“Then maybe we interrupted you?”

“If anything, I interrupted you. Besides, my business here is done.”

“Huh?”

Before Allen could ask, Akira turned her back, as though ready to leave.

“You’re leaving already?”

“Yeah. I’ve finished what I came for. No reason to stay. Oh, right.”

She stopped mid-step, turned just her head, and looked at Noel.

“By the way, be careful. The demons seem to be scheming something.”

“The demons...?”

“Maybe too late?”

“Yes. They’ve already attacked once.”

“Well, demons see the Champion as their mortal enemy. And if you’re helping her, you’re targets too.”

“I see. Still, don’t think that’ll be the last of it. Be careful.”

“Of course. But thank you for the warning. It helps.”

“No need to thank me.”

With that, Akira finally left. She didn’t stop or look back, just kept walking until she vanished from sight.

“Seriously, what did she even come here for?” said Anriette.

“Does it matter? She said her part’s done,” said Noel.

“That’s true. And we’ve got our own mission to focus on,” Allen agreed.

“We should keep moving,” said Mylène.

“Right,” Noel nodded.

Though Allen was curious about Akira, they had work of their own. Turning their attention back to their purpose there, they set off once more.

A Single Sword

Can we really find the sword in a place with no trace of it left at all? Allen wondered, but in the end, his concern proved unwarranted.

Without the slightest hesitation, Noel walked a short distance ahead, stopped, and said, “I think it’s here.”

She spoke with an air of certainty despite her words. Her face, fixed on the ground, left no room for doubt.

“Here? I don’t see any markers, and it looks no different from anywhere else. Why do you think so?” asked Anriette.

“Because there used to be a forge here. If she buried a sword, I’m sure it would be where the forge once stood.”

“There was a forge here? You can tell?”

“As expected, huh?”

As Anriette had pointed out, there was nothing about this spot that set it apart from the rest. Anyone could guess the sword might be hidden at the forge, but how Noel had even identified the location was another matter entirely.

“It’s nothing to praise. I may have only lived here for less than a year, but it was still home,” Noel explained.

“That may be so, but honestly, if you asked me to do the same, I couldn’t,” said Anriette.

“Same here,” Allen agreed, but Noel wore an unreadable expression, so he kept quiet beyond that. Instead, he narrowed his eyes at the spot she’d indicated. “Yeah, there’s something here.”

“You can tell?” Anriette asked.

“I don’t see anything.”

“I didn’t see anything either. That’s not why I said it...”

“Well, it’s just a hunch.” He hadn’t used his skills, so there was no certainty. Still, there was something—something he could feel. If he did use his skills, it would become clear, but Allen wasn’t about to expose himself like that yet. “Anyway, if we dig, we’ll know for sure.”

“True. But how?”

“Now that you mention it, we don’t have tools to dig... Don’t tell me, we have to dig with our bare hands?” Anriette said, shocked.

“What else? Don’t worry. I’ll do the digging,” said Noel.

“No, I accepted this request. I should be the one to do it,” Allen protested.

Noel had only come along as a guide. Logically, he should be the one to dig.

“It’s fine. Let me do it.” She stared straight at him. Clearly, she had her reasons. Allen felt it was his responsibility, but he wasn’t particularly attached to the task. If she wanted to, there was no harm in letting her.

“If you insist. But what about tools?” he replied.

“No need. I told you. My hands will do.”

“The ground doesn’t look too hard, but not that soft either,” said Anriette.

“Looks diggable, but tough.” Mylène tested it with her toe.

But Noel wasn’t backing down. With a shrug, she sat down right at the spot she had indicated. “It’s fine. Dwarves are good at digging, you know. I watched them often.”

With that, she drove her fingers into the ground and began. She wasn’t bluffing. The motion was smooth, and the hole widened quickly. Her eyes glimmered faintly, as if she could already see what lay below.

Before long, the hole was deep enough for her whole arm, and Allen was thinking Noel would need to widen it when she suddenly froze. Her brow furrowed, as if she was hesitating, but only for a moment. The next instant, her arm thrust deeper, her grip tightened, and when she drew it back, she was holding something.

“Is that...?” asked Allen.

“I think so. It’s not like she’d bury two of them,” said Anriette.

“That would be annoying for sure,” muttered Mylène.

“And if there were, could you tell which one was the real one?” Anriette gestured at what Noel held. It was wrapped in cloth, so they couldn’t see the sword. But surely nothing else would have been buried there, and from its silhouette, it could only be a blade. Still, was it truly the sword they sought?

Noel shook her head. “I can’t say for certain. Even when I compared her pieces before, I couldn’t tell them apart.”

“They all looked the same?”

“Yes and no. I had no memory and was nothing more than a rookie, but even so, I knew every single one was extraordinary.”

“That’s what you’d expect of a master smith.”

“And besides, it might not mean ‘masterpiece’ in the literal sense.”

“Ah...I see.”

Noel had once explained that for a smith, there was no such thing as a final masterpiece. Every blade was an attempt at the best, and as soon as it was complete, they were already thinking of making something greater. So, in truth, “masterpiece” was an unattainable ideal.

“But still, if she was a true master, isn’t it possible she had a genuine magnum opus?” asked Allen.

“Yes, I suppose so, which is why I can’t say for sure,” replied Noel.

“Something forged by a smith of that level... You’d think you’d recognize it at a glance. But maybe what looks like the greatest to us actually isn’t,” Anriette chimed in.

“That’s tricky,” murmured Mylène.

“Very. But honestly, Noel, you don’t really believe that,” Allen said.

“What do you mean? I’m not lying.”

“I know you’re not.”

Allen had noticed something. Her words were true, but at the same time, he was sure they were superficial. “You do believe this is the one. Don’t you?”

“I have no proof. Just a hunch,” she admitted.

“Then that’s enough. You found it in one try. I see no reason to doubt you.”

“Agreed. Whatever Noel believes, I’ll believe too,” added Mylène.

Allen had no objection either. Noel knew more about Vanessa than any of them. If she was convinced, that was enough.

“Maybe we should check what’s inside,” he suggested.

“No need.”

“If it turns out it’s not even a sword, that’d be embarrassing. But you can tell it’s a blade, at least, right?” said Anriette.

“Of course. So it’s fine.”

“All right, then. If you all say so, I’ll stop,” Allen conceded.

Noel averted her eyes, as if embarrassed. Allen and the others exchanged a smile. Noticing, Noel shot them a glare, then thrust the bundle at Allen to hide her flustered state.

“Here. This is what you came for, isn’t it?” she asked.

“Yeah. Thanks.” Allen accepted it. Even wrapped, he could tell it was a sword. He narrowed his eyes, but without unwrapping it, he couldn’t be sure it was the one. Still, if Noel was certain, there was no need. All that was left was to bring it back.

But first, there was one question.

“So, now that we’ve got it...what will you do?” he asked.

Would Noel return to the Elven Forest or go to the kingdom? She lowered her eyes briefly, then looked back at him with determination.

“I’ve decided. I’ll go to the kingdom again.”

“Are you sure about that?” asked Mylène.

“Yes. I know it may not be wise, but I feel I have to. No, I want to. It’s selfish, and I’ll cause trouble, but I’ve chosen. I will go.”

“Well, if you’re prepared, that’s fine. Doesn’t concern me,” said Anriette offhandedly.

“If that’s your choice, I’ll support it. I’ll go with you,” said Mylène.

Noel’s determination was clear. Allen had nothing more to say.

“I see. Then that settles it. Honestly, even though you’re worried...we’ll manage somehow.”

The Return

Allen narrowed his eyes as he gazed at the scene before him. What lay ahead was the Frontier. It felt like it had been a long time since he had last seen it, and in truth, it had been a while. The fact that it didn’t feel so long was probably proof that the journey itself had been fulfilling.

As he pondered this, he felt someone’s eye on him from the side. Turning his head, he found Noel, not even trying to hide her discontent.

“You look...kind of displeased,” he said.

“Of course I am. After all that thinking, after finally making up my mind...” Noel replied.

“This feels like cheating,” said Mylène bluntly.

“I’d have to agree with her. Traveling back by teleportation, is that even fair?” said Anriette.

Allen had returned them to the Frontier town by teleportation. That way, Noel’s reappearance in the kingdom would not be detected by the empire, since she wouldn’t have passed through a checkpoint. It should have been a great solution.

“Sure, no problem. But that doesn’t mean it feels right,” said Anriette.

“It’s only natural to wonder what all that agonizing was for. Not a waste of time, but...” Noel trailed off.

“And you didn’t say a word until right before,” murmured Mylène.

“I thought it would be better not to,” Allen answered.

Noel had been genuinely troubled. Allen didn’t know exactly what had been weighing on her mind, but he’d thought it best not to interfere. And since she wasn’t truly angry now, just complaining, it seemed he had been right.

“Well, anyway, we’ve made it back. What are you planning to do now?” All Allen had heard was that she’d decided to return to the kingdom. He hadn’t asked what she intended once she got there. After all her agonizing, surely she had some plan in mind.

“What I’m planning now, huh? Well, let’s see...” said Noel.

“Wait. You don’t mean to say you haven’t thought that far, do you?” said Anriette, incredulous.

“After all that worrying?” Allen added.

“What I struggled with was only whether to come back here at all.”

“So you weren’t weighing any particular reason, just whether or not to return in the first place?” he asked.

“That’s right.”

Her unexpected answer made the others exchange glances. So, she had decided to return but with no plan beyond that.

“Should we just go back over there, then?” asked Allen.

“If anyone’s going back, it should be her. My part’s done, and I’ve got no reason to return,” said Anriette.

“Maybe the Elven Forest would be a better place to return to?”

“Yes, perhaps. It might be worth reporting back, just in case.”

Though they had gone straight to town without stopping by the forest to avoid dragging the elves into trouble, perhaps a quick visit back would be best if Noel really had no plans.

“Hold on. I’m not going back. All I’d get is a scolding, and it’d just be a hassle,” Noel said.

“Still...if you don’t know when you’ll return, isn’t that a problem? I figured this was just a short stay, which would be easy enough to explain away. But if it’s indefinite...”

“It’s fine. My visit won’t take that long.”

Allen wasn’t sure what she meant, but at least she didn’t seem as aimless as she’d sounded at first. Either way, if she had a reason for keeping her goals to herself (or perhaps she didn’t even know her goals yet) there was no need to push it.

“All right, that’s fine. Just...when you do go back, tell me ahead of time. If you pass through a checkpoint, things could get...difficult,” Allen warned her.

“That could cause more problems than just returning here,” Noel murmured.

“Exactly. You’d have no record of leaving, yet you’d suddenly be back. They’d demand to know how you got out undetected. Definitely a mess.”

“You’re right. When the time comes, I’ll let you know. Sorry to trouble you.”

“No, this is more than half my responsibility. I’ll see it through.” Since Allen had been the one to teleport her there, it was only right he took responsibility for it. “One thing, though. Please tell me at least a day in advance. If you get in touch on the same day, I might not even be around.”

“Reasonable. You’re likely to be off on jobs, maybe away for days at a time.”

“I wouldn’t take anything that lengthy, but there’s always a possibility that I might be delayed. Even if you leave a message at the guild, I might not see it in time. So the day before would be best.” As Allen thought this over, he noticed Noel looking thoughtful. “What is it?”

“Well...it just occurred to me. You’re staying at some random inn right now, aren’t you?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“And when we left, you intended to keep using our old place, didn’t you?”

“Noel...you’re not planning something strange, are you?” asked Mylène.

“It’s not strange. I was just thinking, why not move in a little earlier?”

“Excuse me?”

Her meaning was clear enough. She was suggesting that Allen stay with them.

“That’s more than a little strange. What are you even saying?” said Anriette.

“I’m suggesting the most efficient option. That way, you’ll know right away when I decide to go back. You’d only be shifting your base a bit sooner.”

“That may be true, but...” said Allen.

“This feels reckless,” said Mylène.

“Does it? Do we really need that kind of caution anymore?” asked Noel.

“Maybe not,” Mylène conceded.

She had a point. They’d already shared a house in the Elven Forest, and on the road they’d often slept even closer together. In that sense, it really was too late to start being cautious now.

“Still...” said Anriette.

“If it bothers you, you can stay too,” Noel said, turning to Anriette.

“Huh? Me?”

“Yes. We’ve rented more space than we need, so there are spare rooms. You don’t have an inn tonight anyway, do you?”

“True, I left my last one.”

“Noel?” Mylène gave her a questioning look, head tilted.

Noel only shrugged. Whether there was some deeper thought behind it or not, she didn’t elaborate.

Anriette, too, studied her suspiciously for a while before sighing in resignation. “Well, it’s not a bad offer for me. I’ll take it. What’s the rent?”

“No charge...though I know if I say that, you’ll refuse, so let’s decide after we get there. I don’t really know the market rates.”

“Same here. I’d like to know,” Allen added.

“What are you two doing, asking your host for rates?” said Mylène.

Anriette sighed in exasperation, then turned to Allen. It was clear she was silently asking what he would do.

He thought only for a moment. As Anriette said, it wasn’t a bad deal. For him, it was nothing but an advantage. So the answer was obvious. “All right. I’ll take you up on it.”

“Good. All I’m offering is the room, though. Nothing else.” Noel smiled.

“I’ll take care of myself,” Anriette said.

“We’ve managed fine so far. Nothing’s changing,” said Allen.

Allen hadn’t expected anything else anyway, and Noel surely knew that too.

“Oh, before that, I should deliver the sword,” he told them.

“That’s fine. You already know the place,” said Noel.

“Right. We got what she wanted. I understand wanting to hand it in quickly,” said Anriette.

“By ‘deliver,’ you mean...to the guild?” asked Mylène.

“No, directly to the client,” Allen clarified.

At that, Noel reacted, subtly but clearly. She tried to hide it, but it was obvious that she was curious.

“Want to come with me? If I say you helped, they won’t turn you away,” Allen suggested, even though he had already guessed her answer.

“No. I’m not going. I’ve no business there, and I’m tired. I just want to go home and rest.”

“Same here. Even with that one night in the forest, all the camping’s left me worn out. I want a real bed,” said Anriette, yawning.

“I could manage a short stop, but if you’re resting, I will too,” Mylène said.

“I see...” Allen replied. There was no point forcing them. He would just go alone. “Then I’ll be off.”

“All right. See you later.”

“Until then.”

“I’ll stay, but I want to hear about it after.”

He almost pointed out that Anriette might as well come along, but she was being considerate in her own way. So he just chuckled and nodded, then set off for Vanessa’s forge.

Once there, he found it completely empty.

The Empty Forge

Vanessa’s forge was eerily silent, as if the previous visit had been some kind of illusion. Allen had expected to be greeted, as always, by the clamor of hammer and anvil, so the silence was a surprise.

Normally, the simplest explanation would have been that she was away for some reason.

Well, it’s not like I’ll figure it out by standing here thinking about it.

All he knew for sure was that Vanessa wasn’t there. For a moment, he considered just leaving the requested item behind, but he quickly dismissed the idea. For one, he couldn’t be certain it was truly the right sword. He was almost sure, but there was always a chance he was mistaken. No, he would have to hand it over to her directly.

“Still...waiting around in an empty forge doesn’t sound right either. Guess I’ll have to come back later,” he muttered, about to turn on his heel, when he suddenly tilted his head. Something felt off. Scanning the forge, he had a realization.

Ah, I see.

It was a simple thing once he noticed. The furnace fire was out. Of course, with no one present, perhaps that was a given, but Allen recalled something Noel had once told him. Once extinguished, a furnace took a long time before it was ready for use again. Unless the blacksmith planned to be away for an extended period, they wouldn’t snuff it out. Sleeping, running errands...whatever the case, the fire was usually left burning. Noel had said that was how she did it, and it was how her master had taught her as well.

Hm. I don’t like the feel of this. Perhaps I should check with the guild. They might know something.

He doubted it would help, but the bad feeling wouldn’t go away. Not that bad omens were anything new—they had been dogging him ever since he’d ended up in this situation.

In the end, though, it was a waste of time. When Allen asked the guild about Vanessa, they told him they knew nothing. It made sense. The guild didn’t keep track of everything in town, and residents weren’t obliged to report their whereabouts. The answer was predictable in hindsight.

If the guild knew nothing, wandering around wouldn’t help either. He’d simply revisit her forge tomorrow. For now, he turned toward the mansion where Noel and the others were staying.

Still, things have turned out oddly, haven’t they?

Who would have thought he’d end up living there with them as well?

Of course, Noel and Mylène would likely leave in a few days, and Anriette would go with them. But even so, he couldn’t help but feel glad. He didn’t know why Noel had made such a suggestion, but the fact that she was fine with them living together, even briefly, was proof she trusted him at least that much.

If only Riese were here too, it’d be perfect...but I haven’t even met her yet.

He hadn’t even heard her name, only the word “Saint.”

Ah, but wait. Maybe Noel knows something?

After all, Noel had helped Akira alongside the Saint, and that was widely known. It wouldn’t be strange if they had met. And considering how casually people referred to the Saint, others might know as well. Would asking reveal her whereabouts? Not that he planned to do anything even if it did.

Unless it’s by chance, it doesn’t feel right to go looking for her.

Besides, Allen was well aware that he was something of a trouble magnet. It wasn’t that he caused incidents so much as that they had a way of finding him and dragging everyone around him along for the ride. He didn’t want Riese caught up in that.

Not that it was any better for Noel, Mylène, or Anriette, but those three were the type to plunge into trouble themselves. Riese wasn’t. True, she was already aiding the Champion as the Saint, but that only made him more reluctant to involve her in anything unnecessary.

I’m starting to sound like I’m making excuses.

To whom, though, he couldn’t say. Smiling wryly at the thought, Allen reached the mansion. The familiar sight made his eyes narrow.

So I’ll be living here again from today...

It hadn’t been all that long since he’d last stayed there, but perhaps that was why it felt strangely moving. Still, reminiscing wouldn’t get him anywhere. He sorted out his thoughts and stepped toward the door.

Upon arriving, Allen almost said “I’m home” but hurriedly corrected himself with “Excuse me.” Even if he planned to stay from today, it was his first time there. Announcing that he was home would have been strange.

Looking around inside, he found the familiar scenery he’d expected. There was almost no difference from what he remembered, and that was natural enough. When he had bought the mansion on “the other side,” he had barely touched the interior. Noel and the others weren’t the type to fuss over such things either, so it made sense that this place was almost identical.

As he searched for small differences, like a spot-the-difference puzzle, a voice called out, “Oh, you’re back. Welcome home, I suppose?”

It was Noel. She looked refreshed, having changed and likely bathed. She didn’t seem to mind Allen’s gaze, probably because she was used to it by now. After traveling together for so long, one couldn’t help but grow accustomed to others.

“I think that’s fine to say. At least, there’s no need to be formal anymore,” he replied.

“You’re right. By the way, why have you still got that?” She was looking at the item still in his hands, the requested sword. He had gone to deliver it, yet still carried it. Her curiosity was expected.

“Yeah, I went, but she wasn’t there. I even asked around at the guild, but they don’t know where she went.”

“So you brought it back. Hmm... I wondered why you were a little late. So you went to the guild.”

“Exactly. By the way, where are the others?”

“Mylène and Anriette? No idea. Haven’t seen them since we got back. Mylène’s probably resting. She doesn’t show it much, but she must be tired.”

“No doubt.”

For the whole journey, Mylène had driven the carriage. It had been her own choice but exhausting all the same. Her needing to rest was perfectly understandable.

“And Anriette?”

“Maybe arranging her room? Speaking of rooms, this is convenient. I should show you the one I’m lending you. Is that okay?”

“That’d be great. Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

Noel led him to a familiar room. Of course, every room here was familiar. But this was the very one he had used in the alternate mansion.

“Looks cleaner than I expected. And furnished too,” he commented.

“The landlord cleaned it before we moved in. The furniture was left behind by the previous occupant. We were told not to worry about it when we rented the place.”

“I see.”

It was the same as when Allen had bought the other building. And since he had been content with what was there, he hadn’t bothered changing the interior then either. So once again, the room felt familiar, enough to make him narrow his eyes.

“Something wrong? Don’t tell me you don’t like it? If so, there are other rooms.”

“No, not at all. It’s more than enough. If anything, it’s too spacious.”

“Is that so? Then good.”

“Yeah. Really, it’s more than I need.”

As he said that, memories of his days in the other version of the mansion welled up. He realized he had liked that life more than he cared to admit. And once again, he thought that he wanted to go back there someday. Not that he intended to neglect his life here, of course.

“Thanks for showing me.”

“Think nothing of it. I invited you, after all. It wouldn’t do to leave you hanging, even though running into you just now really was a coincidence.”

“Either way, it was still a big help.”

“I see. In that case, may I ask you for something in return?” Noel asked.

“A favor?”

Noel’s eyes shifted to his hands. The sword he had brought back.

“This?” he asked.

“Yes. Would you lend it to me for a while? I’ll return it tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow, huh? Well, I don’t really have any use for it myself, so sure.”

He was only holding on to it until he could return it to Vanessa anyway. If Noel wanted to borrow it, he saw no reason to refuse. He did wonder what she intended, but she wasn’t the type to misuse it, so he handed it over without question.

“Here you go.”

“You gave it up rather easily. Didn’t even ask what for,” she remarked.

“I trust you.”

“I see. Thanks. I’ll make good use of it, then.”

Noel accepted it with a solemn air, as though it were a precious treasure, but perhaps that was natural. It was a masterpiece, forged by a first-rate blacksmith at the height of her craft. Maybe it was beyond price.

But Allen sensed there was something more to Noel’s demeanor. Perhaps it was simply her interest as a blacksmith—at least, she had been one in the other world. Whatever the case, she had her reasons. He would not pry.

Instead, he turned his thoughts to what he should do next. His luggage was meager, and he had no intention of redecorating, so unpacking wouldn’t take long. After that...he would see.

Glancing at Noel, who was gazing intently at the item with an uncharacteristically serious face, Allen let his mind wander to what to do next.

Resolve and Determination

Noel narrowed her eyes as she studied the sword she had borrowed from Allen. Night had deepened. The mansion was quiet. Sitting there without so much as a lamp and staring at it in the dark would probably look dangerous to anyone passing by. She understood that yet made no move to stop. She simply gazed at it, then slowly reached for its wrapping.

It looked like cloth, but the feel beneath her fingers said otherwise. It was far tougher than fabric. The wrapping alone was probably worth a fair sum. Noel didn’t know much about the world beyond the Elven Forest, but even she could tell that much.

That wasn’t why her hands slowed. The moment she held it, the sheer presence of what lay inside pressed down on her. She peeled the covering back a little at a time, thinking how remarkable it was that Allen could carry something like this with such a calm face.

What emerged was exactly what she had expected. No, it exceeded every expectation.

“This is the masterpiece.”

Saying it out loud felt natural. Denying it would be beyond anyone. Perhaps someone of even greater skill than its maker could find fault, but Noel doubted such a person even existed.

That’s why she buried it, isn’t it?

If this saw the light of day, the world would be thrown into complete chaos.

She thought that people would trample each other to claim it, then shook her head. Not because she was joking.

She would never worry about something so small.

If Vanessa had cared about ordinary sensibilities, life on that mountain would have been very different. And this blade would never have been completed. It was precisely because Vanessa lacked ordinary sensibilities that this blade could be born. Noel didn’t reason it out; she felt it, bone-deep.

And that’s exactly why I can’t reach her level. I knew that already.

She smiled. Anyone who had seen Vanessa’s prowess would understand without thinking. Maybe that was why Noel had decided to become the Elven Queen. If she couldn’t reach the same level as the person she most admired, she wouldn’t call it a compromise exactly, but claiming there was no compromise at all would be a lie. And for that very reason, she realized she would never catch up to her. If, by some chance...

How would that even happen? No matter what, I don’t see it.

She didn’t see it, yet strangely enough she could picture it clearly in her mind. Herself at that seat where Vanessa had sat, swinging the hammer. She thought it impossible. So what was it inside her that made the image feel so vivid?

Well, it can’t be helped.

Noel didn’t know how ordinary people discovered what they wanted to become or how they decided on it. She imagined it sprang from childhood admiration. She had no such memories. What she did have was the memory of Vanessa’s sheer skill, and she had not been permitted to reach for it.

Noel felt Vanessa herself had refused her that path, and Noel understood that her own talent fell short. If there had been more time, perhaps she would have persisted anyway. But there wasn’t. No what if and no extra time had been granted to her. Before any of that, someone had come to fetch her and shown her something far better suited to her, something only she could be.

So the path she chose had been the only option from the start. She blamed no one. That would have been absurdly misplaced, and above all, the choice had been hers. To deny it was to deny herself. She had no intention of being that foolish.

Maybe the reason I wanted to see this blade was to confirm that.

Truthfully, she had wanted to look at it on a whim. There had been no concrete reason. She simply felt like she wanted to see it, like she ought to see it. That was why she’d borrowed it. There was no other reason.

No. I don’t think that’s it.

The thought came to her unbidden. She had no proof. She simply felt it was so. Just like when she had invited them to this mansion. Just like when she decided to aid the Champion. Or to become the Elven Queen. This was, most likely, Noel’s fate.

Well then. In that case, let’s go.

If so, what she had to do next was already decided. The idea had been in her head all along. She just hadn’t known why.

Yes. That must be it. The reason I came here...the reason I felt I had to return...all of it.

It had been for this moment. Satisfied with that answer, Noel wrapped the sword as it had been and rose to her feet.

The air outside was colder than she’d expected. Or perhaps she was simply nervous. There was little light, yet her steps didn’t falter. The moon helped, but more than that, she felt that this too had been decided for her.

She reached a forest some distance from town. A forest at night was dangerous, yet Noel walked on without hesitation. Her steps were even lighter than before. Of course they were. Since she was a high elf, the forest was as familiar as her own garden. She had a sense—vague but sure—of where everything lay. She knew precisely where she had to go.

It was a clearing, a place where the trees opened up. For an instant she felt a prickle of aversion at crossing its edge. That was probably because she already knew who was there. She steadied herself and moved on, her eyes finding the figure ahead. And then...

A sigh reached her ears first. Their eyes didn’t meet, but the exasperation was plain.

“Never thought you’d actually come,” the figure said. The look that followed made her flinch. There was no mistaking the killing intent in those eyes. “Honestly. You fool.”

“Huh?”

For a heartbeat, she didn’t understand what had happened. Her view spun, and the sky filled her vision. Then she realized it wasn’t the view that had changed. Her body had. She was on the ground. There was no need to wonder who had done it, especially when that person’s face hovered in her field of view.

“I can’t believe you’re this stupid. It’s exasperating.”

The eyes staring down at her were ice-cold. No one had ever looked at her like that. Perhaps that was why she wasn’t as shaken as she might have been; some part of her had expected this. What she heard next, however, was a little unexpected.

“I didn’t think a high elf could be this foolish...but I suppose a would-be Elven Queen is just another fool. Or perhaps my power is simply too far beyond yours.”

Noel turned toward the voice and saw two familiar figures. She understood at once. Suddenly, many things made sense.

“So that’s how it’s going to be...demon.”

Standing beside Vanessa was the demon who had attacked them on the road from the capital to the Frontier town. Nothing had happened since, and she had almost forgotten about it.

“I thought you ran because you couldn’t beat Allen. Seems I was wrong,” Noel said.

“Hmph. Such insolence. I did not run. I merely avoided needless expenditure. We have much to do. Wasting strength is the act of an imbecile. One must be efficient.” The demon smirked.

“For someone so devoted to efficiency, you do like to talk. Isn’t running your mouth inefficient?” Noel retorted.

“You!” Its prior words had sounded like an excuse, and judging by the demon’s twisted expression, she had hit home. The sneer that followed was pure triumph. “Hmph. No matter. It is only natural that a dullard like you cannot grasp the grandeur of my designs. To be angered by trifles would itself be wasteful. You are fools by definition,” the demon snapped.

Wise words delivered like a posturing child. It still sounded like an excuse. But pointless bickering would lead nowhere. While the demon was feeling talkative, Noel took the chance to ask what she really wanted to know.

“In that case, tell this fool...was it your doing that I came here?”

“But of course. You wouldn’t notice, but that thing you carry holds a fragment of my power. A small amount, yet enough to guide your actions. Had you been more circumspect, perhaps it wouldn’t have worked.”

“Sorry about that. So you made me go fetch this too?” she asked.

“Naturally. My scheme. My other plan—the war between the empire and the kingdom—seems to be stalling...but no matter. I don’t know how you slipped past the checkpoint, yet the fact remains you are here. Present that fact and any pretext can be fashioned. In truth, bypassing the checkpoint may make things even easier.”

“I see.”

She had wondered if the empire could really be that foolish. Apparently the demon had been pulling strings...which didn’t change the fact that they’d fallen for it.

“No. I’m no different...” she murmured. She looked at Vanessa, who was staring down at her with those cold eyes and had been silent this entire time. It was indefensible. Noel had been utterly, stupidly careless.

“Anything else you want to ask? It’s a rare opportunity. I’ll answer anything,” the demon said.

“You’re in a good mood,” Noel said hesitantly.

“Of course. I finally get to erase one of those irksome puppets of the gods. You cannot fathom how your kind has hindered us.”

“There’s nothing to fathom,” Noel replied.

Whatever the demon had been trying to do, it would have harmed someone. If it had been stopped, that was its own problem.

“Hmph. No matter. That ends now. Every time we tried to end you, a stubborn twist of fate shielded you...but this sword won’t be interfered with.”

Noel’s eyes followed the demon’s, drawn to the sword Vanessa was now holding in her hand. Anyone would recognize at a glance that it wasn’t ordinary, and not just in terms of craftsmanship. Even taken purely as a blade it was surely a masterpiece, but more than that, it reeked of death. If it pierced her, Noel would not survive. Not that something so extravagant was necessary just to kill her.

“Going to all that trouble for little old me,” she said, teasing yet nervous.

“Indeed. I would gladly recite our every hardship, but give you too much time and who knows what might happen? Do it!” the demon called.

At its command, the woman raised her arm. Noel understood that death was certain, yet she didn’t move. She couldn’t even muster the will to try. Maybe she wanted this. If she were to die by her hand, then—

“You really are a stupid, foolish girl. But...” the demon said.

“Huh?” The dazed sound escaped Noel when she saw Vanessa’s face: a wry smile. The eyes you gave a hopeless child.

“Looks like there’s someone who knows you well,” it continued.

There was a thunderous crash, and Vanessa was blown backward. Noel didn’t even see it happen. She only clocked what had happened because now, a familiar figure stood at her side. One moment he hadn’t been there; the next, he was.

“I don’t think you’re stupid or foolish. But I’d like you to value your life a little more,” Allen said nonchalantly, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Beast Cleaver

The first thing Allen sensed was astonishment. Then, almost instantly, it turned into hatred.

Even so, his opponent didn’t act right away. Instead, the figure glared at him as though trying to kill him with sheer looks alone.

Allen met its gaze calmly.

“You again, meddling in our affairs! No! What are you doing? God, fate... They shouldn’t be able to interfere with us here and now!” the demon cried, panicked.

“Who knows? I didn’t save her for any reason like that. She’s my friend... No, maybe just an acquaintance,” Allen stammered.

“Why am I getting downgraded to a mere acquaintance?” Noel asked. She had seemed almost drained of the will to live moments before but had regained a flicker of spirit at Allen’s words. She gave him a look of exasperation, but he merely shrugged.

“If I went around declaring we were friends when it’s one-sided, that’d be awkward, right? ‘Acquaintance’ feels safer,” he said awkwardly.

“Honestly...you should be worrying about more pressing matters,” Noel cautioned him.

“Hmm?” At her words, Allen looked around. His eyes passed from Vanessa, who had landed far away after being blasted back, to the familiar demon standing nearby. He tilted his head. “I don’t see anything worth worrying about.”

“You!”

He hadn’t meant to provoke, but the demon reacted as though he had. The truth was simple: Nothing there posed a threat to Allen. There was no need for concern.

“I see...so you’re confident in your strength.” The demon sneered. “And it’s true, your ability is remarkable. But there are things in this world beyond the reach of mere strength. Things I—”

Allen felt the demon trying something. From Noel’s faint reaction, he guessed it was aimed at the sword in her hands.

Sword of Cataclysm: Beast Cleaver.

Allen’s sword swung down, severing the faint trace of power the demon had extended. The demon’s eyes widened in shock.

“Impossible! What did you do?!”

“What? You saw it yourself.”

It had been nothing more than cutting away a whisper of power Allen hadn’t even noticed when he’d held the weapon earlier. The demon’s panic made it clear he’d guessed right. It had probably intended to use Noel as a hostage. To think Allen would allow that so easily...how insulting. Allen sighed, and the demon glared daggers at him.

“Why? Why would you use such power to protect them? You are no puppet of the gods. Then why?”

“Why? You don’t need a reason to save someone.” Allen wasn’t condemning it for being a demon. If it hurt no one, that was fine. But the moment it attacked, the moment it tried to harm someone—even if it hadn’t been Noel—Allen would stop it. That was all there was to it.

“Fool! You don’t understand! You don’t know how much folly the gods commit in this world, how their puppets serve as the vanguard of that folly, how much they aid it without even realizing!”

“Maybe. I don’t fully understand. But trying to kill her over it...that’s the real folly, isn’t it?”

Even if the demon’s story were true, the guilty party would be the gods. If Noel and the others acted without knowing, then punishing them was senseless.

“Honestly, it just looks like you’re taking your frustrations out on a convenient target,” said Allen.

“You dare! You spout such nonsense only because you don’t know how worthless gods and fate truly are!” the demon spat.

“Gods and fate, huh?”

Allen knew them well. He knew gods weren’t beings to blindly praise. He knew fate wasn’t always benevolent and was sometimes cruel. He knew all of that. But that didn’t mean they deserved blanket denial. It didn’t mean you could blame them for everything.

In his previous life, some might have said Allen’s path had followed fate. He had been guided, aided, granted a power outside all reason. Even so, he had never thought of it as fate. He had never blamed the gods. That ending had been his own. His mistakes, his choices, had led him there. To put everything down to fate or the gods was to say that he had no will of his own. That his choices and his feelings had never existed.

Once, he had been called a hero. He had died wretchedly. But because he had been called a hero, he could never accept such weak excuses.

“Sure, sometimes life throws you something senseless. And sure, you want to blame someone for it. But hurting others and calling that a reason...that’s where you’re wrong.”

“What could you possibly know?!” the demon yelled.

“You’re right. I probably don’t know anything.”

Allen wouldn’t pretend to understand. That would only be arrogance. He knew demons weren’t born from nothing. They came from hatred and grief so deep that it twisted them beyond humanity. He couldn’t imagine what that weight felt like. He only knew it had to be unimaginable.

But that didn’t make it right to hurt others. That only made it sad. Which was why he had to stop them. He raised his sword and brought it down, cutting through both the swelling power and its source.

Sword of Cataclysm: Sundering Slice.

The energy burst apart. The demon was split cleanly down the middle, its eyes wide with disbelief. Allen watched as emotions flickered and died within them. He wondered if there had been another way but thought not, which was why he burned the image into his mind until the end—his choice, his decision, without regret.

The body fell, crumbled to ash, and was scattered on the wind as though it had never existed. Allen let out a breath. He felt eyes on him and raised his own.

Over there...

High above, far away, he glimpsed a figure and frowned. If it wasn’t his imagination, it was someone he knew.

“Sophie?”

She vanished an instant later, whether or not she had heard him. She had done nothing, only watched. Observing? Studying? He couldn’t say.

The reason didn’t matter now. There were other things to do. As if to affirm that thought, Vanessa’s body collapsed to the ground in the distance.

Proof of Adulthood

“Are you all right? I suppose it’s a strange thing to ask, isn’t it?” said Allen.

As he approached, Noel listened, half dazed, to his words. Truthfully, she could hardly keep up with what was happening. She had thought she was about to die, only to be saved. The demon had been sent away with absurd levels of ease, and then suddenly, Vanessa had collapsed.

Just trying to make sense of it was difficult enough, and even then she wasn’t sure she was succeeding. But whether she could process it or not didn’t matter in the slightest, as the situation pressed relentlessly forward.

“Yeah. All right my ass. There’s no point asking if I’m all right. The truth is, I’ve been gone for a long time now,” Vanessa said.

Allen didn’t ask what she meant. He only let out a quiet sigh, and that was answer enough. Seeing that, Vanessa gave him a crooked smile.

“That face... You already know. Otherwise you wouldn’t have said that.”

It wasn’t the tone of someone who was joking, and Noel knew it was true. She had realized it from the moment she’d laid eyes on Vanessa. No matter how alive the woman looked, she was already dead.

“Was it the demon’s doing?” Noel asked.

“Who knows. When I woke up, there was one nearby, but whether it was their doing, I can’t say, and I don’t care. Still, there is one thing I do know.”

“And that is?”

“In this state, I probably can’t die.”

“Can’t die?”

The words slipped out before Noel realized it. She still couldn’t follow everything that was happening, but she could tell that Vanessa was saying something strange. After all, the woman had just collapsed to the ground, motionless. It wouldn’t have been surprising if she had died right then, and yet she claimed she couldn’t.

Vanessa turned her head lazily and fixed her gaze on Noel. “What, you don’t get it? You really haven’t changed. It looks like he gets it, though.”

“Yes. Well, only after hearing what you just said,” Allen replied.

Vanessa gave a snort of exasperation. “I should be dead, yet somehow I’ve been reanimated.”

“Then even if you die now, you might be reanimated yet again, is that it?” Noel asked.

“Not ‘might.’ I know I will be. I’m certain of it.”

“Even without knowing why?” Noel pressed.

“There’s no need. It’s like forging a blade. You don’t need to reason it out; you just know. This is the same.”

Noel had never forged a blade, but for some reason, she understood. “I see. If that’s how it is, then that’s how it is.”

Allen gave a wry smile. “Don’t just agree among yourselves. But if you both say so, I suppose it must be true.”

Noel found it faintly amusing. A moment ago Allen had looked as though he understood everything, and now he was the one looking bewildered. But before she could dwell on that, the moment passed.

Allen steadied himself and turned back to Vanessa. “You wouldn’t tell us all this unless you had some plan, would you?”

“Hmph. You’re sharp. It’s nothing complicated, though. All I want is for you to kill me.”

The breath caught in Noel’s throat. She had half expected the conversation to turn that way, but hearing the words aloud was something else entirely.

“Well, strictly speaking I’m kind of already supposed to be dead, so maybe ‘kill’ isn’t the right word,” Vanessa went on.

“Even so, given that we can talk to you like this, I’d say it’s the same. But doesn’t that just lead back to the main problem? You’d come back to life afterward...”

“Not if we take measures. What do you think I forged this for?” She lifted up a sword of her own. “That bastard thought it was for his scheme, but I only used him. This blade was my real purpose.”

The weapon radiated menace, but Allen seemed to sense something more in it. He narrowed his eyes, studied it, then nodded.

“I see. So that’s it.”

“Exactly. Mandrake has many uses, but its essence is death. Its scream brings death, after all. I condensed that essence into the sword.”

“If you were stabbed with that, it’d certainly be the ultimate end,” Noel murmured, recalling her own experience. It would surely work on Vanessa too.

“I don’t know why I can move again, but if I’m filled with death itself, that’ll put an end to it.”

“Yes. With that, nothing like this would ever happen again,” Allen said, though his face betrayed his reluctance. And of course he was hesitant. Call it what you will—even if she was already dead, it was still killing Vanessa.

“I’ll do it,” Noel said suddenly.

“What?!” Allen replied.

“Hah. What are you talking about? Who said I’d let you?” Vanessa snorted.

“You didn’t. But it doesn’t matter. I’ll do it,” Noel insisted.

Allen had only been dragged into the situation by accident. Noel accepting his help and then pushing such a burden on him without giving anything back felt wrong to her. She took a step toward Vanessa, but Allen stopped her.

“No, I’ll do it. I may not like it, but if I leave it to you, I’ll regret it.”

“Sorry,” Vanessa said.

“What?” Noel blinked at the apology.

“What do you take me for? If I feel sorry, I’ll say it. You two already got dragged into enough trouble because of me.”

“Well, no... Half of it was because we stuck our noses in,” Allen said.

“Even so. Anyway, since you’ve decided, get on with it before this fool does something stupid.”

“Understood.”

In an instant, Allen took the sword from her and drove it straight through her chest.

“Ahh... Truly, I’m sorry. And...thank you,” Vanessa spluttered.

Noel opened her mouth to speak, but no words came. She wasn’t even sure what she wanted to say. Vanessa was her benefactor, yes, but they had barely spoken in the short time they’d lived together. She shouldn’t have had reason to feel so shaken. And yet, she couldn’t look away as the woman’s body began to crumble.

“Well, now I can finally rest. I hope they let me forge in the afterlife... Oh, that reminds me.” She turned to Noel. Startled, Noel stiffened, but Vanessa ignored it. “About that sword...”

Noel looked down at Vanessa’s masterpiece, which she had been holding on to throughout their interaction. Whatever its original purpose, Vanessa had buried it herself. Surely it should be returned.

“Should I give this back to you? Or return it to where it was?” Noel asked.

“What are you, an idiot?” Vanessa retorted.

“What? But...”

“I’m giving it to you.”

“What?”

It didn’t make sense. This was Vanessa’s masterpiece. Why give it away? Noel couldn’t remember ever receiving anything from her before.

“Well, it was our deal. Whether you deserve it is questionable, but you scraped by with a passing grade.”

Her gaze shifted, not to Noel but to the sword Allen carried, the blade he had always borne.

Noel didn’t understand. She couldn’t recall any promises, though she thought she distantly remembered one conversation...

“Hey... I want a sword.”

“A sword? What, are you planning to be an adventurer?”

“No, I just...watching you, I wanted one.”

“I see. Do as you like, but you’re not getting one of mine.”

“What?! Why not?!”

“Hmph. Obviously you’re not ready.”

“Then what am I supposed to do?”

“Well...when you’ve grown, I’ll give you my greatest work as a parting gift.”

Was the memory real? She wasn’t sure. So much had happened since then. And yet it felt too vivid to be a dream. Through the haze, she clutched the sword tighter.

Vanessa gave her a faint smile. “Well then, stupid girl. Living with you...wasn’t half bad.”

With those words, she vanished without a trace. A breeze swept away even the remnants, as if she had never existed at all. Only the death-soaked sword remained, its weight in Noel’s hands the sole proof that any of it had happened. She didn’t know what to think or what to feel, but one phrase rose unbidden.

“What is that supposed to mean? You should’ve said it sooner,” she murmured.

If Vanessa had, maybe Noel could have done more. But at the same time, she couldn’t help but think it was just like her. So very like her.

And with that thought, inexplicably, Noel laughed. A smile spread across her face, and a chuckle escaped her lips. Because of course, Vanessa had been herself right until the very end.

Her vision blurred, her voice caught in her throat. To hold back the laughter, Noel sank to the ground, burying her face against it. But the sound still broke free, shaking her shoulders. And it occurred to her, dimly, that it sounded a lot like sobbing.

Truth

Pulled along by the pleasant weather outside, Allen let out a yawn. The light streaming through the window was gentle, and he squinted as he gazed at it. At that moment, he felt a sense of peace drifting by.

Things had been hectic until just the other day. A calm spell like this wasn’t so bad once in a while. With that thought, he found himself sighing, thinking back to what he’d just been considering: the events of a few days ago. It had already been three days since that day with the demon and Vanessa.

A lot had happened in the meantime. First came the report to the guild. It was hard to say whether the request had technically been fulfilled, but failing to report wasn’t an option. At the very least, they needed to be told that the client had died.

Yet when he went to the guild, things took an unexpected turn: He was told that a report of completion had already been received, and the reward was paid out on the spot. Apparently, after Allen had heard about Vanessa, she had gone to the guild and said as much. She must have seen what was coming and tied up the loose ends so they wouldn’t be left in a bind later.

Speaking of loose ends, Vanessa’s forge had ended up in Allen’s hands. It had supposedly been tacked on as part of the reward, but it felt a bit like it had been foisted on him. It wasn’t exactly the sort of thing one complained about, though. He could figure out what to do with it later. There were weapons and armor she’d left behind in the workshop too, and those could be dealt with the same way.

Oh, and about that blade—the one Vanessa had forged to give herself the ultimate death—he’d taken proper care of that. Truthfully, he’d wavered. Leaving it lying around was too dangerous, but smashing it felt wrong. After long talks with Noel and the others, they had settled on burying it where Vanessa’s masterpiece had once been interred. Not as a replacement, exactly, but it wasn’t a spot people were likely to visit. They placed solid seals on it as well, so even if someone did dig it up by chance, it shouldn’t turn into a real disaster.

While they were at it, they also visited the Elven Forest. Since they’d traveled as far as the empire, there was no reason not to stop by. They couldn’t return right away, though, and had only made it back yesterday.

“And to think you’re yawning! Have you let your guard down?” Noel teased.

“It’s quiet and peaceful right now. That’s not a problem, is it?” Allen replied.

“I’d say an adventurer with too much peace and free time is a problem...but I guess it’s fine for the moment. Your purse looks pleasantly plump too,” said Anriette.

“Hm... But why are you two even still here?” muttered Mylène.

Listening to the three of them talking, Allen sighed again. Yes, the three of them: Noel, Mylène, and Anriette were somehow still living in that manor in the Frontier town. They had detoured to the Elven Forest, yet Noel had come right back here. She’d said there was something she wanted to try in this town, and the trouble was that Percival had agreed to it. He had said something along the lines of Well, a hundred years or so would be fine...

I completely forgot about elves and their wacky sense of time.

By the time he’d remembered, it was too late. The plan had been for Allen to rent the manor after they moved out. But if they weren’t moving out, then the house remained theirs. He had no grounds to complain. And if Noel wasn’t leaving, Anriette had no reason to leave either. Hence their current situation. If it really bothered him, he could be the one to move out...but that he didn’t actually dislike it was a problem in its own way.

“If Noel’s here, it’s practically guaranteed that some new hassle will crop up, and if I’m around, I’ll get pulled into it...but I know why I’m okay with that,” he muttered.

“Hey, what are you mumbling about? Allen?”

That was the reason, in the end. Noel had never called him by his name before. He didn’t know if it had been deliberate or not, but either way, it meant she hadn’t trusted him that much before. Now things were different. And with that, he found he didn’t mind getting dragged into a few hassles.

“No, just talking to myself. It’s so nice out, and here we are bored. I’m not sure that’s much better. Still, I’m not in the mood to go and pick up a job right this minute,” he replied.

“That’s a pretty privileged problem. I get what you mean, though. In that case, how about we step outside? Right now we might get to see something special,” chimed in Anriette.

“Oh? Is something special happening?” asked Mylène.

“It’s not like there’s a festival or anything. There’s no buzz in the air, and I haven’t heard anything,” said Noel.

“Calling it a festival wouldn’t be out of the question, though,” said Anriette.

“What are you talking about?” asked Noel.

“I don’t know the details myself...but apparently the new Hierophant is coming to town today.”

“The new Hierophant?” Allen asked, confused. It wasn’t that he didn’t know what it meant. They’d had a Hierophant in his old reality, and judging by the rumors he’d picked up, that had stirred up plenty of trouble here. It wouldn’t be strange if, just like back home, a new Hierophant had been chosen. Of course, Allen hadn’t met the new one in his former world.

No, wait. Something felt off. Hadn’t he had a similar conversation with someone before?

“The new Hierophant will be visiting the capital soon. I’ve been told to make an appearance as well.”

For a split second, it was like an image flashed through his head. But it wasn’t a memory he recognized.

“Allen? You look out of it.”

“Ah. No, I was just wondering...would a new Hierophant really come to a place like this?”

He said it to deflect her question, but it was a genuine response. Their location might be called a town, but it wasn’t officially recognized as one. Even if a newly elected Hierophant wanted to show their face, this hardly seemed like the appropriate venue.

“It is a little odd, I’ll grant you that. But given what the previous Hierophant pulled, it could be an appeal to show they’re different,” Anriette mused.

“What a worldly Hierophant. Not that it matters to me,” said Noel.

“True. Doesn’t have much to do with elves. I’m a little curious, though,” said Mylène.

“Well, I won’t say I have no interest at all...” Noel agreed.

As they talked, the feeling Allen had had a moment ago evaporated. He wondered what it had been, but no matter how much he thought about it, the image didn’t return. Maybe seeing the new Hierophant would jog something loose.

“If that’s the case, shall we go?” he asked.

Fortunately, Noel and the others seemed at least mildly interested. It would be a fine way to pass the time, and there was no harm in taking a look.

“Let’s. We might as well,” Noel said.

“I’m in,” agreed Mylène.

“Who knows! Maybe something fun will happen,” said Anriette.

“If anything happens, it’s more likely to be trouble than fun...” he answered.

If the new Hierophant really had come to a town like this, anything could happen. Hopefully nothing would. But they’d see soon enough.

With that in mind, the group left the manor to go catch a glimpse of the new pontiff.

They didn’t even have to search. All they had to do was follow the flow of people and they arrived naturally. The person in question seemed to be speaking, but from this distance, their words didn’t carry well.

“So? Do we move in closer?” Allen asked.

“I’m fine here. I’m not that interested in the speech,” said Noel.

“Same,” said Mylène.

“Me too. Or...maybe we should get a bit closer? Something’s bugging me. I feel like I’ve seen them somewhere...or no, that I’ve met them...” said Anriette.

“Before they became Hierophant?” asked Allen.

Maybe back during their time in the empire? With that in mind, he stared at the new Hierophant and frowned. Why? He also felt like he’d seen—no, met—this person before. It was an unfamiliar face, as it should have been. And yet their presence...

“Oh.”

At that moment, Noel let out a small sound of surprise. It sounded like the kind of noise you make when you see something you didn’t expect, but it wasn’t the new Hierophant she was looking at. Allen followed her gaze and his eyes flew wide open.

“What is that girl doing there?” Noel’s words barely reached him. He had no space for them.

Standing there was a face he knew—someone among those dearest to him, one he’d wondered whether to search for here.

Riese was standing at the new Hierophant’s side.

“The Saint? Assisting the new Hierophant?” said Mylène curiously.

“Come to think of it, I feel like she mentioned helping out at the Church. Did she become the new Hierophant’s attendant?” Noel asked.

Whether she’d heard Noel or not, Riese was addressed by the new Hierophant at that exact moment. Reflexively, Allen strained to listen, focusing on her voice. She didn’t say much, but it was more than enough. She was currently serving the new Hierophant as the Saint. It was for the sake of this world, because this world was no longer walking the right path. It was her role to set it straight and—

“For that end, I’m prepared to do whatever it takes.”

Their eyes met, or at least he thought so. And it probably wasn’t his imagination. Riese had seen Allen, and she was looking straight at him.

An Ordinary Day

A sudden wave of drowsiness hit Noel, and a yawn slipped out before she could stop it. She turned her gaze toward the window, squinting against the sunlight streaming in.

I’m so tired...

She had gone through the entire night without sleeping, and now it was nearly noon. Of course she was exhausted. But even knowing that, she didn’t feel like sleeping. It wasn’t that she couldn’t; she just didn’t feel the urge. And there wasn’t any clear reason for it. It was just...one of those things.

Well...I guess it’s more that there’s something I want to do before sleeping.

Strictly speaking, that wasn’t quite right either, but it wasn’t far off. Perhaps it was because her mind was still lingering on where she had been just moments ago. When she opened the door in front of her, she blinked several times at the scene in front of her.

“Hm? Noel? What’re you doing, just standing there?” Anriette asked.

“Good morning...” said Mylène.

“It’s a bit late to be saying ‘good morning,’ don’t you think? Feels more like ‘welcome back,’ really.”

“Maybe?”

As Anriette and Mylène exchanged words, Noel blinked a few more times, then let out a steadying breath.

“This is an unusual sight,” she commented.

“Huh? Do you think so? Well, maybe. But we live in the same house, don’t we? Nothing strange about it,” said Anriette offhandedly.

“Yeah,” Mylène added.

“I suppose...” said Noel. Even so, something about it didn’t sit right with her.

Sure, they lived under the same roof, but she hadn’t spent that much time with Anriette. In fact, the whole arrangement had been more than half happenstance. And Mylène...well, despite how she looked, she had a shy streak and wasn’t the type to go out of her way to engage with others. So to see her relaxing on the sofa with Anriette in the living room felt...odd.

“You’re one to talk about being weird, though,” said Anriette.

“Me? What’s that supposed to mean?” asked Noel. She tilted her head in genuine puzzlement.

Surprisingly, Mylène nodded in agreement. “True,” she said.

“You think so too, Mylène?” Noel asked.

“Ah, you’re serious. Well, guess I shouldn’t be surprised,” said Anriette.

“What are you even talking about?” said Noel, getting progressively more frustrated.

“We’re talking about where you’ve been ’til this hour,” said Anriette.

“Ah. That,” said Noel.

When they put it that way, she couldn’t exactly deny it. But to not even realize it until someone pointed it out clearly...maybe the sleepiness was getting to her more than she thought.

“It’s fine. I got permission from the current owner,” said Noel.

“Never said it wasn’t. Just that maybe you should take a look at yourself before you go judging others,” Anriette shot back.

“Fair point,” muttered Mylène.

“I mean, it’s not like I was doing anything that weird in the first place,” said Noel.

In truth, she hadn’t done anything at all. She had simply gone to Vanessa’s old forge, stood there without doing a thing, and stared into space. Before she knew it, time had slipped away. There was no meaning to it; she had just felt like being there.

“You’ve no room to talk here, though,” said Noel.

“Huh? Me? I haven’t done anything odd,” said Anriette.

That much was true. She hadn’t done anything odd, but... “Your whole vibe is weird,” said Noel.

“Are you trying to insult me?” asked Anriette, shocked.

“Nope. Ask Mylène, she’ll say the same.”

“True. Can’t deny it,” Mylène agreed.

“You two are cruel, you know that? Look at me! I’m the picture of a normal, beautiful girl,” Anriette whined.

“Oh, please,” Noel scoffed. She shrugged flippantly, but the thought remained. Anriette was acting strange. More precisely, she had been acting strange the past few days, ever since the day they had gone to see the so-called Hierophant.

Nothing particular had happened that day—or so Noel thought—but from then on Anriette’s attitude had changed. Not in a bad way, exactly. Just...enough to be noticeable.

“They exchanged a word or two at most, but there’s no way she was actually moved by that, right?” Noel muttered to herself.

“Did you say something?” asked Anriette.

“Nothing. Just talking to myself.”

If she had to say exactly what had changed, it was her attitude and the atmosphere she gave off toward them.

Not that it was a bad thing. But the change had been so sudden, the only way to describe it was “strange.” Still, as far as their own group was concerned, it was the lesser issue. Her change toward Allen was on another level altogether, so much so that it bordered on incomprehensible.

On the surface, there wasn’t much difference. But living together made it obvious. It was easy enough to see that something had shifted. If something really had happened, they could have understood it. But there hadn’t been any sign of that either. Allen and Anriette had talked about something that day, but that alone wouldn’t explain the extent of the change.

“Actually...when I think about it, we could just ask directly,” Noel pondered aloud.

“Huh? Ask what?” asked Anriette.

“Whether something happened between you and Allen.”

“Now that you mention it, I’d like to know too,” said Mylène, nodding in agreement.

They both stared at Anriette, who eventually gave a wry smile, as though resigning herself.

“Ah... I wasn’t trying to hide it, but is it really that obvious?” she grinned.

“Wait...so something did happen?” asked Noel.

“Did it?” added Mylène.

“Well, I can’t say nothing happened. But don’t worry, you’ll find out soon enough,” said Anriette mischievously.

At that, several thoughts flashed through Noel’s mind. Surely not? But Anriette didn’t look like she was lying.

“Seriously?” said Noel.

“‘We’ll ‘find out soon enough’? Are you pregnant?” asked Mylène.

The idea was absurd, but it had crossed Noel’s mind. Anriette didn’t deny it—at least, not immediately. But then her shoulders started to shake before she burst out laughing.

“Excuse me?” said Noel.

“Were you lying just now?” asked Mylène.

“Hey now, that’s unfair. I never lied. You two just jumped to conclusions.”

That might be true, but she had said it in a way that begged for misinterpretation. They glared, but Anriette only shrugged it off.

“Even if it were true, it wouldn’t concern you,” she said dismissively.

“It would,” said Mylène.

“Of course it would. We live in the same house,” said Noel.

If Allen and Anriette really were in that kind of relationship, of course it was relevant.

“Fine, fine. Think whatever you want,” said Anriette.

Noel realized she wasn’t getting anywhere and sighed. Still...whatever it was, Anriette had changed. That much was undeniable. And then, the door opened, and a familiar face appeared.

“Oh? The gang’s all here. What’s going on?”

It was Allen. He tilted his head in mild confusion, completely unchanged. Noel couldn’t help letting out another sigh. It suddenly all felt silly.

“Nothing. I just happened to come here and found these two already around. Whatever they were doing, I don’t know,” Noel said.

“Same for me. I was relaxing, and Anriette showed up,” said Mylène.

“Yeah, same here. Walked in, found Mylène, stuck around. That’s all,” said Anriette.

“Huh...” Allen looked curious, but Noel said nothing.

When she thought about it, it was true. Having the three of them together like this was rare. And yet, the fact that they could talk so normally now... Noel had the vague feeling it might be because Anriette had changed. If it had been the Anriette of before, such a conversation never would have happened. She wouldn’t go so far as to call it a wall, but they certainly hadn’t trusted one another enough to open up.

Even though they’d shared intense experiences together in a short time, no one expected things to change overnight. The same was true for Noel’s comfort with Anriette. But even if it was natural, that didn’t mean it was something she liked. And thinking about it that way...perhaps this really was a good thing.

“Anyway, that’s life when you live together,” said Anriette.

“True. By the way, what were you three talking about?” Allen asked.

He had probably only asked out of idle curiosity. Judging by his expression, he hadn’t been listening to their earlier conversation. But Noel faltered. It wasn’t anything serious; Anriette had just teased them and led them on. Still, she hesitated to tell Allen.

Before she could decide, Anriette spoke up. “Nothing important. But I’m not telling!” she teased.

“Nothing important, but you won’t tell me?”

“Exactly. Girl talk. Not for your ears. If you wanna know, go turn yourself into a girl,” she retorted.

“I think Allen could pull off being a girl,” murmured Mylène.

“No. Definitely not, okay? And Mylène, what exactly am I in your mind?”

“You’re Allen. That’s why.”

“Yeah, you can pull off being a girl simply because you’re Allen. I get what she means,” Anriette chimed in.

“Anriette, you too?!” Allen turned to her, shocked. He made a face that was hard to describe, and Anriette and Mylène smiled.

Noel watched the three of them, narrowing her eyes slightly. It was nothing. Just a trivial exchange. The kind of silly moment that could easily be forgotten by tomorrow. Something that wasn’t important at all. And yet, in the middle of all that, Anriette suddenly turned her gaze on her, as if to say that what had just happened was their little secret. Not that it was something that needed to be hidden. Truly, it was nothing. And Anriette surely knew that too. She knew, but she gave Noel a look anyway.

It was another moment that could just as easily be forgotten tomorrow. But something being trivial didn’t mean it was meaningless. At the very least, Noel didn’t dislike their new dynamic. No, if she was being honest, she actually enjoyed it a little. She liked their exchange just now—and the fact that it had become a fun little secret. It was something that never would have happened back when it was just her and Mylène living together.

Their life as a group of four had started in a haphazard way, and she still wondered why Anriette had changed. But even so, if moments like this, meaningless but a little fun, could become part of their daily lives, then Noel thought that her choice hadn’t been wrong after all. And with that thought, her lips softened into a faint smile.

Afterword

Hey, Shin Kouduki here. It’s been quite some time since the last volume was released. Thanks so much for sticking with the series and picking up this volume.

I have some big news! Banished Former Hero is going to be adapted into an anime! It’s entirely thanks to your support. I’m truly grateful.

The series will also be published as part of the Junior Bunko label, which will be released on the same day as volume 8 of the manga. If you have the chance, I’d be delighted if you could pick up those copies as well. The manga in particular continues to be wonderfully adapted by Karasumaru so if you haven’t read it yet, definitely give it a go!

As you may have guessed from the way this volume ends, the next one is already in the works. The exact release date hasn’t been set yet, but I’m doing my very best on it, so please wish me luck!

Once again, I’ve had the help of many people with this book.

To my editor, F: Thank you again for all your guidance once more.

To my illustrator, Chocoan: Thank you for the wonderful illustrations as always. Even after the long gap, or perhaps because of it, they feel more stunning than ever. To be honest, what made me happiest about being able to publish volume 6 was the chance to have you illustrate for me again.

And of course, my thanks as well to everyone involved in bringing this book to print, from proofreading to sales to design. I’m so grateful to you all.

But above all, to all of you readers who continue to support this series, and to everyone who has picked up this book, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I look forward to the day we meet again. Until next time!