Chapter II: The Mage Liselotte
“Volka, are you okay?! Wh-what happened?!”
“Wait, calm down, listen to me…”
“You tried to push yourself again, didn’t you?! Please, stop doing this…!!”
She wasn’t listening at all. My master, her face pale, focused solely on picking me up off the floor and holding me tightly in her arms. Hmm, still as firm as everâbanish those impure thoughts.
“You foolish disciple! How many times have I told you that you need to rest?! Ah, I knew I couldn’t leave you alone…!”
“Master.”
“Your wound hasn’t reopened, has it?! Wait here, I’ll call the sister right awayâ”
“Master…!”
My master trembled slightly, and finally met my gaze. No, her eyes were on me from the beginning, but they seemed vacant, or perhaps unfocusedâ
I felt a knot forming in my stomach.
“Sorry. I’m fine. Let’s just get back to bed…”
“Ah… y-yes, sorry…”
With my master’s support, I stood up and sat back on the bed. I only needed her to lend me a shoulder, but with her petite body, it probably looked to others like she was desperately helping me at an extremely close distance, practically embracing me. She looked like she was about to burst into tears again. My poor stomach.
About my master, the great and proud mage Liselotte.
I don’t remember much about the original work’s Liselotte.
Because she was a character who appeared and exited along with the entire party, the manga didn’t depict much about her to begin with. As the leader of the Silver Gray Journey, she had a brief interaction with the original protagonist… but that’s about it.
On the other hand, not just her, but the other three girls of the Silver Gray Journey were drawn with such care that one might mistake them for main characters. Many readers hoped they would continue to be active alongside the protagonist, perhaps even becoming heroines.
But the party’s complete annihilation and humiliating death served as a harsh blow to those excited readers. Damn that twisted dark fantasy manga…
So, leaving the original aside, let me describe my understanding of her.
Her nickname is Lisel. Just as her impressive name Liselotte suggests, she is a first-class mage and my master who taught me the basics of magic.
Standing just over 130 centimeters tall, at first glance, she looks like a young girl.
She claims to be older than me, but out of a maiden’s sensibility, her exact age is unknown. Her most distinctive feature is a huge witch’s hat adorned with petal-like decorations, with a lining that resembles a starry sky. Her deep blue robe, inspired by the night sky, has an off-the-shoulder design. Under her violet short skirt, she unabashedly shows her bare feet, making it hard to shake the impression of a “child dressing up as a witch.” Her eyes are clear, flawless gold, and her silver hair reaches down to her feet, tied into two large bundles adorned with butterfly-like ribbons, making her even more adorable.
Her personality is what you’d call a “loli granny.”
She likes to use archaic expressions, referring to herself as the “great and proud mage,” easily gets carried away, and is very confident. She’s fixated on being the oldest in the party, often putting on a mature front and acting like a master. She hates people who don’t show respect to their elders, those who judge by appearance, green peppers, onions, and bitter things.
…That’s the surface of my master.
In reality, as far as I know, she’s just an ordinary girl. She uses an old-fashioned way of speaking to fit the image of the “great and proud mage,” striving hard so that people around her won’t underestimate herâa bittersweet effort. The real master speaks like a normal girl, uses “watashi” as her first-person pronoun, isn’t particularly strong mentally, and her expressions change frequently as she laughs and gets angry. When I was struck by the Life-Taker, she also broke down and cried uncontrollably.
She acts mature on the surface, but inside, she’s a delicate girl just like her appearance suggests.
âSo, how does my delicate master perceive the reality of me nearly dying and losing an eye and a leg?
Seeing her face drained of color, her petite fingers trembling incessantly, the answer was obvious.
“Are… are you really okay…? Does it hurt anywhere? If you feel even a little unwell, don’t hold it in; please tell me… If anything happens to you again, I… I…”
My stomach was twisting in knots.
“Really, I’m fine. Sorry to make you worry.”
It would be great if I could comfort her cleverly at times like this, but unfortunately, I lack such social skills. Since reincarnating as Volka, my inability to speak smoothly has only worsened. With my perpetually aloof expression, talking to girls is something I utterly fail at.
I’m such a hopeless loser…
“What’s wrong? Do you want some water? Or are you hungry? Whatever you need, I’ll get it for you…”
“No, that’s not it…”
I hesitated whether to answer. I just wanted to go for a walkâif I confessed that honestly, she’d probably scold me, saying, “You foolish disciple, get some proper rest!!” But using the excuse that I was sleepy and fell off the bed doesn’t seem acceptable at my age.
Judging that I couldn’t dodge the issue, I decided to tell the truth.
“…I feel like my left leg is still there.”
“ââ…”
“So I accidentally tried to stand up like I usually do. That’s all.”
What the heck is this guy saying…? She might give me a cold look, but I didn’t care anymore. I needed to prioritize easing the burden on my stomach that’s about to develop an ulcer. Rather than adding to her emotional strain, it’d be better if she were exasperated with me.
That’s what I thought.
“âI… I see. It’s hard to accept that your left leg is gone…”
“Huh?”
“And your right eye too…! I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, Volka…!”
My stomach might be beyond saving.
“Master, you have nothing to apologize for.”
“Why…?! Aren’t you upset, Volka?! With these injuries, even your sword…”
As she looked at me with tear-filled eyes, I began to reflect on my own feelings. Losing an eye and a leg at this age is indeed harsh, but strangely, I felt inexplicably calm.
It must be becauseâ
“I didn’t think I’d survive at all.”
“ââââEh?”
“I protected my companions and even saved my own life. Right now, I’m just relieved by my luck…”
Because I had some knowledge of the original plot and knew that we were supposed to die there, I felt satisfied just by surviving and winning. Perhaps now I’m in a dreamlike state after escaping death.
So, there’s no need to take it so seriously.
“…Eh? Eh? Ahâri-right… I’m sorry…! I’m so sorry…!! It’s… it’s all because I accepted that request…!! I couldn’t do anything; I was useless, and made you, made you handle everything alone, Volka…!!”
“Hey, hey…”
Why?! Don’t cry! Isn’t it great that everyone survived? Losing just my eye and leg is much better than total annihilation! The ending that awaited us was an extremely tragic total wipeout!
“I’m sorry…!! I’m so sorry…!!”
“M-Master? Master…”
There’s no way I could gently comfort a crying young girl.
In the end, I could only endure my stomachache and wait for her to finish crying.
Oh, my poor stomachâ
Liselotteâto talk about how Liselotte and Volka met, we have to turn back time to about six years ago.
Back then, Liselotte was traveling alone and happened to pass by a small town. In the nearby forest, she found a boy surrounded by four demon wolvesâthat was the beginning of everything.
Demon wolvesâalongside goblins and slimes, they are low-level monsters; in other words, cannon fodder. They are characterized by bodies slightly larger than local wild dogs and purplish fur. Aside from agile movement and sharp fangs, they have no special traits. But their fundamentally different beastly movements compared to humans are unexpectedly tricky, and even seasoned adventurers can sometimes get injured.
Naturally, Liselotte thought the child was being attacked by monsters. Although the boy wore light adventurer armor, he stood motionless with his hand on the sword at his left waist. He couldn’t move. It’s a common tale: young rookie adventurers freezing in fear when they first encounter monsters.
âCan’t be helped; I’ll help him.
Liselotte is a great and proud mage. She’s not so good-hearted as to help just anyone, but at the very least, ignoring a child under attack would tarnish the name of a great mage.
It wouldn’t be bad to dashingly repel the demon wolves and receive the boy’s admiring and respectful gaze. Let me show him the power of a great mageâshe thought smugly.
“ââ?”
âCrackle.
Feeling a tingling sensation on her skin, Liselotte halted. She noticed that the boy with his hand on his sword was emitting some unknown aura.
It wasn’t killing intent, but it instinctively made her hesitate to approach further.
(Could it beâ)
That boy wasn’t frozen in fearâ
In the moment Liselotte thought that, the demon wolves all leaped at the boy.
Clicking her tongue at her hesitation, Liselotte immediately channeled her magic and constructed a spell. For now, she had to protect the boy. Even though the enemies were fodder monsters, the demon wolves were known for their speed; normal chanting wouldn’t make it in time. Liselotte quickly decided to forgo spell power and prepare a fast-activating magic.
A flash of silver light.
Three of the four demon wolves were sliced in half and fell to the ground in an instant.
“…?!”
It took a few seconds to comprehend that it was the boy who had slain them.
For the remaining demon wolf that escaped the slaughter, nothing could be more terrifying. What it thought was an easy hunt to tear apart a child turned into a nightmare where all its companions were killed in an instant without it even realizing.
That was enough for its instincts to choose flight. The boy didn’t pursue the fleeing demon wolf, and the forest returned to the quiet rustling of leaves.
“…Huh? Oh, oh?”
Liselotte was dumbfounded. This must be what they call being stunned. The magic she was preparing to cast was interrupted halfway, dissipating into faint particles of magical energy.
She snapped back to reality and, for the time being, hid behind a tree to observe the boy.
He looked like a genuine child, probably around ten years old. At that age, fighting monsters was audacious enough to warrant a scolding from adults. She couldn’t reconcile the incongruity between his youthful appearance and the artistic swordsmanship that had just dispatched the demon wolves.
The boy was checking the state of his bladeâa black, single-edged curved sword rarely seen in this country. A drop of dark red blood, likely from the demon wolves, dripped from near the tip.
To cut down three demon wolves simultaneously with a single stroke, yet so little blood stained the sword.
Even the blood of the slain monsters hardly clung to the bladeâthat’s how masterful his technique was.
(No, but, that just now wasâ)
Perhaps due to a mage’s professional habit, Liselotte began to ponder. When she got lost in thought, she often ignored her surroundings, so she failed to notice that her large witch’s hat and staff were sticking out from behind the tree, plainly visible.
“âWho are you?”
“Whoa?!”
The boy had somehow appeared beside her. Startled, she accidentally stepped on her robe, causing Liselotte to tumble forward.
“Ouch.”
“……”
“……Um…”
She’d been completely seen. Internally on the verge of tears, Liselotte stood up with an iron will, pretending nothing had happened. She let out a dignified cough to regain the majesty of a great mage.
Seeing Liselotte’s attire, the boy tilted his head slightly and muttered softly.
“…A child?”
“Haââ?!”
Liselotte was enraged. She strode up to the boy.
“I’m not! Not at all! I’m absolutely not a child?! Despite my appearance, I’m older than you! Don’t judge by appearances, you rude brat.”
“Uh, um…?”
Overwhelmed by her furious energy, the boy replied in surprise:
“I-I see… I’m sorry.”
“Hmph… Well, it’s good that you can apologize honestly. I might have overreacted a bit; sorry about that.”
Having vented her displeasure, Liselotte smiled, appreciating that he was quite an understanding boy.
“Seeing you surrounded by demon wolves, I thought I’d come to your rescue… Seems my worries were unnecessary; you’re quite capable.”
“Mm…”
Hearing Liselotte’s sincere praise, the boy didn’t show any joy but rather frowned. Embarrassed, he sheathed his sword.
“…Forget what you just saw.”
“? Why?”
“I intended to slay them all… Missing one means my training is far from sufficient.”
Liselotte’s eyes widened. Both his statement of “I intended to slay them all” and his humility in being ashamed rather than proud of such skill were astonishing.
At that moment, Liselotte became deeply interested in the boy before her.
“You… are an adventurer, right?”
He nodded.
“Where are your companions? Are you alone?”
He nodded again.
“The available quests aren’t anything significant…”
He seemed a bit dissatisfied. But to Liselotte, allowing a human child just over ten years old to operate alone without senior adventurers was abnormal. Had she not witnessed his swordsmanship, she might have been angry at the guild’s poor supervision.
An intriguing child indeed. A smile formed at the corner of Liselotte’s mouth.
“…Hey, boy, could you show me that ‘Body Enhancement’ again?”
‘Body Enhancement’âas the name suggests, is magic that enhances various physical abilities of the caster. It’s the basics of basics and is vital for adventurers and knights who battle strong monstersâpractically a lifeline.
The boy looked puzzled, as if asking why she wanted to see ‘Body Enhancement.’
“Nothing much. As you can see, I’m a mage. I feel that there’s something a bit off about your ‘Body Enhancement.'”
“Mm…”
“If you improve it, your sword skills might reach new heights.”
The boy responded quickly. Upon hearing “your sword skills might reach new heights,” he immediately bowed his head deeply.
“Please, I beg of you…!”
“Hmm-hmm, it’s the duty of a senior to teach and guide the young.”
Liselotte was in a great mood. It had been a while since she’d talked to someone so receptive. If it were some dull-witted human, they wouldn’t believe Liselotte and would just smirk, treating her like a child. She was tired of blasting such people away with magic.
The boy immediately channeled his magic and activated ‘Body Enhancement.’ His spell construction speed was above average, and his proficiency wasn’t bad. It was evident that despite his young age, he had diligently studied.
However.
“How should I put it… it’s quite messy.”
“Messy…”
The spell was a tangled mess, highly inefficient. It was like trying to carry goods through dark, narrow, winding alleys when you could easily go straight on a well-built main road.
The enhancement itself activated properly, but the magic consumption was severe, likely unsustainable for long. Liselotte was astounded.
“I can’t believe you can use such a sloppy spell… Who taught you magic, anyway?”
“…Ahâ”
The boy was at a loss for words and, after some hesitation, said:
“…Well, I more or less taught myself.”
“…What did you say?”
“I realized I could use it before I knew it. I don’t really understand things like spell structures…”
Ah, I see, Liselotte understood. Occasionally, there are people who, without studying, find themselves naturally able to use magic. But since they don’t understand the principles, while they can cast spells, their structures are a tangled mess like a child’s scribbles.
“Your ‘Body Enhancement’ doesn’t last very long, does it?”
He nodded.
“Using it for four hours nearly knocks me out…”
“What? Th-this kind of spell can last four hours… Your magical capacity is incredible.”
“At first, I couldn’t even use it for five minutes.”
“Hmm? …No, wait, could it beâ”
“After collapsing multiple times, the duration gradually increased.”
Liselotte gave the boy a karate chop.
“Ow…”
“You idiot! Who uses such training methods nowadays?!”
It’s true that magic, like physical strength, can increase in capacity through training. But just as no fool would run until they pass out every day to build stamina, training by continuously using magic until collapsing has long been abandoned.
Such over-the-top training can literally be fatal.
Yet the boy spoke of it with inexplicable pride.
“You… you know! You could have died long ago! How long have you been training like this?! Half a month?! A month?!”
“…Seven years?”
“S-s-seven years?! Seven?! Using such an inefficient spell for seven years?! Collapsing countless times?! Wait, no, wait… Ugh, forget it!! Fool! You fool!! What on earth are you doing?! Training for seven years! Why are you pushing yourself so hard?! I’ve never seen someone as foolish as you!”
Liselotte is a great and proud mage. Because she’s great and proud, when she sees inefficient and irrational uses of magic that don’t align with her values, she gets utterly irritated, goosebumps all over.
Unable to stand it, Liselotte started waving her small fists around.
“Stop this kind of training! You can’t do it anymore! You might really die one day!”
“Okay…”
It was unclear whether the boy was listening, but he looked at Liselotte with eyes that seemed to have something to say. Liselotte glared back.
“What?! What’s with that look?! Do you have something to say?!”
“N-no… It’s just that your way of speaking suddenly changed…”
“………Um…”
Returning to her usual self, Liselotte coughed and lowered her voice with great pride.
“…Anyway, no one taught you magic, right? Since we’ve met here by fate, I’ll be staying leisurely in this town for a while. During that time, I’ll teach you.”
“Eh? Butâ”
“Rather, please let me teach you. I’m begging you; I absolutely can’t stand someone using magic like this.”
“Speaking of which, your way of speaking just nowâ”
“Shut up! Forget about it! That’s enough; listen to me!! I’m older than you, you know?!”
“Uh, um…”
Looking back now, it was a strange encounter.
Thus, Liselotte began teaching Volka magic without giving him a chance to refuse. Volka lived in a room at a small inn in town. His parents had passed away, and he wandered alone to this town. When he was sleeping outside, the inn’s proprietress took pity on him and let him stay almost for free.
Liselotte took the opportunity to rent the adjacent room.
“Alright, let’s get started.”
“…?”
Volka looked at the mountain of books and stacks of papers on the table and tilted his head.
“What’s all this?”
“Magic textbooks, of course. You’ll use them to build a solid foundation.”
Volka made a very displeased face. Specifically, the same extremely displeased face Liselotte would make when green peppers were served at dinner.
“Hey, what’s with that face? Don’t tell me you can’t read?”
“…I hate studying theory.”
“What?”
“Just teach me through practice; that suits me better.”
Liselotte gave Volka a karate chop.
“Ow…”
“You fool, don’t underestimate magic. Understanding the power you’re about to wield is very important! Does anyone swing a sword without knowing it’s a sword? Magic is the same!”
“Mm…”
And so, Teacher Liselotte’s special class beganâ
“âAnd thus, we have the theoretical foundation of what we now commonly call ‘magic.’ Later, the magic used by the elves was broadly classified as ‘Spirit Magic’âHey, don’t doze off! Don’t sleep! Don’tâyouâsleep! We’ve only covered five pages! Do you really hate theory that much?!”
With face-to-face teaching, Volka would seize any opportunity to drift off into dreamland, so Liselotte quickly gave up. She pulled her chair next to him, sitting shoulder to shoulder.
“Alright, I’ll read with you. Once we finish this chapter, we’ll do some practice. Let’s give it our best.”
“I understand…”
“You’re hopeless…”
Even the great and proud mage Liselotte found Volka, who disliked studying even more than she imagined, to be a handful. If this were a magic school, he’d definitely be the problem child always standing in the hallway.
But once they moved to practical training, his lack of enthusiasm vanished instantly.
“Why… whyâwhyâ?! Zero points! You just got zero on the quiz! So how can you cast magic so easily?! Don’t waste your talent!”
“I told you, practical learning is quicker and simpler.”
“…I see you’re the type who learns with your body. Sigh…”
“Anyway, forget that. Teach me ‘Body Enhancement’ quickly.”
“Don’t you dare take my goodwill for granted, you big foolââ!!”
Though he was troublesome, Liselotte was quite happy. Initially, she just wanted to correct his childlike, scribble-like magic, but before she knew it, she was spending any free time, day or night, teaching him magic like family. She felt like she’d gained a little brother she couldn’t abandon.
A week later, using the proper ‘Body Enhancement,’ his sword flash obliterated five demon wolves in an instant.
Liselotte still vividly remembers the expression on Volka’s face at that time.
He rarely smiled, but then, wearing an expression befitting his age, he said:
“âMaster! Please teach me more magic!”
“…!”
âMaster! He just called me Master!
Master, master, master, masterâthe sweet sound echoed repeatedly in Liselotte’s mind.
Liselotte is a great and proud mage. In the mage community, all first-class mages naturally have disciples. In other words, someone who doesn’t have a single disciple yet dares to call themselves first-class is laughable. Only those second-class or below are allowed to have no disciplesâhahahaâthat’s the common understanding.
However, Liselotte had no disciples and never had any.
With her petite body, she looked like a little kid. Regardless of her actual age and ability, no one would want to be the disciple of a girl who appeared to be around ten years oldâor so it seemed.
In other words, Liselotte was a loner.
She was on the side being laughed at in the saying, “Only those second-class or below are allowed to have no disciplesâhahaha.”
It was a matter of life and death for the great and proud mageâa massive inferiority complex, just like her petite stature, that she couldn’t let anyone touch.
So, how would she react when someone looked at her with passionate eyes, calling her ‘Master’ and asking for guidance?
“Heh, hehe, hehehehehehehe… Hmm~ So that’s how it is, that’s how it isâyou want me to continue teaching you magic from now on~ Well, since I’m an incredibly powerful mage, it’s only natural you’d want to be my disciple, right? Oh dear, what a problem. Don’t be fooled by my appearance; I’m actually very busy.”
“Ah… Well, if you’re busy, then never mind.”
“Don’t give up so easily!! Insist a little more!! Don’t you want me to teach you magic?!”
“Eh…? I do want that, but if you don’t like it, I won’t force you.”
“Don’t say ‘I won’t force you,’ you idiot!! Come on, say it again! You! Want me! What?!”
“…I want to learn magic. Please take me as your disciple, Master?”
“………Mm, mm-hmm. Alright, alright. Honestly, I can’t help it with you. Then I’ll take you as my disciple. Ehehe.”
And that’s how it happened.
Liselotte, who had been all alone, was super easy to persuade.
So many memories came flooding back.
The time I first met Volka. The first time I ever took a disciple. Since then, I couldn’t leave Volka alone and worried a lot as his master. Perhaps because Volka’s strength didn’t match that of a child, he didn’t fit in well at the guild, which was convenient for Liselotte.
Because of that, Liselotte could have Volka all to herself.
Thinking of him as my first disciple ever, he became unbearably adorable.
“ââ…?”
“âHuaaah… Good morning… Practicing swordsmanship again…?”
“Yes, it’s something I do every day.”
While learning magic, Volka never skipped his sword training. Liselotte’s inability to wake up early was partly the reason, but usually, by the time she woke up, he had already finished his morning practice, and even the sweat had dried. Besides eating, sleeping, and attending Liselotte’s lessons, he would swing his sword whenever he had free time.
“You really love the sword, don’t you?”
“Well, I suppose so. It’s how I’ve always lived.”
Is he born from the sword or something? Just by watching his swordsmanship, one could easily see how seriously he took itâso serious that making such a joke wouldn’t even elicit a laugh. Even though he was just a ten-year-old child, he possessed sword skills that would make veteran swordsmen break into a cold sweat. He called it ‘Iaido,’ a lightning-fast sword art that was unheard of. He must have put in extraordinary effort beyond ordinary people.
There was no doubt that Volka would become a renowned swordsman in the future. Liselotte once asked him if he wanted to become a knight, but his answer was vague. He seemed solely focused on mastering the sword techniques before him and hadn’t given much thought to future dreams.
So, when his swordsmanship and magic had fully integrated, Liselotte made up her mind to invite him.
“Um, Vo-Volka, uh… if you’re interested… would you like to form a party with me?”
Considering Volka’s age, it wasn’t surprising that he didn’t have a clear idea about his future. However, on the other hand, he was at the age where he should start harboring vague dreams and ideals, preparing to become an adult.
He could be scouted by knights or other adventurers at any time.
She couldn’t allow her precious first disciple to be taken away by others. So if Liselotte formed a party with him, at least he wouldn’t be easily taken away, and she could be with him as his master anytime, anywhere.
Liselotte’s love for her disciple was quite heavy.
That said, if Volka didn’t agree, there was nothing she could do. It would be fine if he just declined the invitation, but if he was disgusted and said, “Eh? I don’t really want to… Did I give you the wrong idea…?” Liselotte might just throw herself into a river.
“Is that okay? Thank you; that helps a lot.”
“…!”
Volka readily agreed, so readily that she felt she had overthought it. Liselotte grabbed his shoulders excitedly.
“Re-Really?! Is that really okay?!”
“Uh, yes. I’m already your disciple, so forming a party is only natural…?”
“I-Is that so? Is that so, is that so…”
By the way, after returning to her room, she was so relieved that her legs gave out, and she was so happy that she even cried a little. Some might think she was exaggerating, but just as Volka, with his strength beyond his years, didn’t quite fit in at the guild, Liselotte, the ‘great and proud mage’ who looked like a little kid, had countless lonely troubles in her relationships.
Especially since Liselotte wasn’t purely human; she was over a hundred years old and had spent most of her life living on the borders away from human domains, without any friends. She had a period when she used her magical knowledge to work as a scholar in the royal capital, but differences in magical values made it difficult to get along with those around her, so she ended up doing adventurer-like work now. And wherever she went, the adventurers were always people who treated her like a child.
In short, she was lonelier than she realized.
She desperately wanted someone who would accept her regardless of appearance, who would accept ‘Liselotte’ as she truly was, someone who would stay with her without overthinking.
So finally getting Volka as her disciple, it was inevitable that her love would overflow.
For their commemorative party name, she thought for three days and nights before deciding on Silver Gray Journey.
“…’Silver Gray Journey’?”
“Uh, yes. What do you think?”
“Does the name have any special meaning?”
“Uh, um…”
She couldn’t say it. ‘Silver’ and ‘Gray.’ Silver was Liselotte’s hair color; gray was Volka’s hair color. In other words, Silver Gray Journey was the place where Liselotte and Volka were together, a name infused with Liselotte’s possessiveness that Volka was hers aloneâ
“J-Just that it sounds nice and rolls off the tongue. Not bad, right?”
Is it okay? He hasn’t noticed, has he? If he found out and was disgusted, saying, “Sorry, this is a bit much… Let’s just forget about forming a party…” Liselotte might go hang herself.
“…I think it’s great, very cool.”
“I-Is that so? Is that so, is that so…”
Fortunately, Volka didn’t notice, and thus Silver Gray Journey was smoothly established.
There was no particular creed or dream; it was just a party that traveled freely and lived as they pleased. They accepted requests to help people, defeated monsters to earn money, and sometimes left towns to embark on real journeysâthat was all. But just being with Volka made Liselotte happier than any experience she’d ever had.
And continuous travel meant numerous encounters.
“Mr. Volka! Please take me as your disciple! I really ad-ad-admire your sword skills!!”
“Huh?”
While touring cities around the royal capital, they met a petite swordswomanâYulithiaâwho became enamored with Volka’s Iaido and volunteered to be his disciple.
“Hey, take me with you. Volkaâlet’s, together, feel even better?”
“Whatâ?!”
Unbeknownst to Liselotte, a tanned maid heavy warriorâAtoriâwho teamed up with Volka temporarily and hit it off.
With these two companions added, the current party was formed.
At first, Liselotte felt jealous that she couldn’t have Volka all to herself… but Yulithia and Atori were really good kids, and before she knew it, they all became like important family.
She thought the four of them would continue to have happy days in the future.
“âWe’ve saved his life. However… his left leg is severed, and his right eye may never see again.”
But reality was not so kind.
After moving the exhausted Volka, who had defeated the Life-Taker, to the nearest city’s Holy Guidance Church, half a day had passed. The church’s holy magic would surely heal Volka’s woundsâLiselotte hadn’t drunk a drop of water or slept a second, praying desperately until she felt like vomiting. But with the arrival of the beautiful dawn came a conclusion that pushed Liselotte into the abyss.
“…Severed?”
“…Yes, unfortunately.”
“â”
Hearing the words of the elderly sister from the church, Liselotte couldn’t comprehend what was in front of her. A sense of loss as if her entire body had been hollowed out. Her vision blurred, and before she knew it, she was collapsed on the ground, hands supporting herself.
“How… could this be?”
Yulithia’s voice trembled as if she were about to break.
“Why… couldn’t it be healed?”
“Everything was handled as best as possible… This is the best possible outcome.”
The old sister’s face was filled with helpless sorrow.
“We did everything we could just to save his life… He really pushed himself.”
The sister said.
“That child’s left leg… Even after it was shattered, he probably forced himself to move using magic. I don’t know how he did it, but magic shouldn’t be used that way. The wound festered, and the bone was… in a severe condition.”
“â”
“Holy magic can indeed reattach severed limbsâbut only if the damage to the wound is minimal. His injuries don’t fall into that category.”
The sister’s words echoed meaninglessly in Liselotte’s empty mind.
“His right eye… the wound is too deep. It was probably cut by a rather large blade; it’s a miracle that his brain is unharmed… Whether he can really see or not, we’ll have to wait until he wakes up to know…”
The sister swallowed her next words. Even if she gave them hope, it would only cause more painâthey didn’t need to be spoken for Liselotte to understand their meaning.
“I’ve been a sister for a long time, at this age, and I can roughly tell whether treatment will be effective at a glance… Now that we’ve barely saved his life, I can say that at first, that childâI thought he was beyond saving. That’s how severe his injuries were.”
“…”
“Being able to save his life is like being blessed by the gods… For now, let’s be happy about that.”
Impossible. There’s no way to be happy. Only someone insane would feel happy after hearing what was just said.
She understood how desperate Volka’s injuries were. The fact that her one and only important disciple had suffered such grievous wounds that even the church’s sisters nearly gave up was about to destroy Liselotte’s spirit.
Because Volka was someone who had lived with the sword since childhood. Ever since Liselotte became his master and taught him magic, he never neglected his sword training, not even for a day. He was someone born to wield the swordâa swordsmanship fanatic, by his own admission.
And now, heaven had taken his left leg and right eye from him.
Even if his life was savedâeven thenâ
“ââ!!”
The first to break down was Atori. Unable to comprehend the reality before her, she turned her back on everything and ran out of the church like a child running wild.
In fact, that was an escape. Being from a foreign country with a special background, she held an unusual pride and obsession with fighting to protect her companions. It was her ‘belief.’ For her, not only failing to protect her companion but being protected instead, and ultimately having her companion suffer near-fatal injuries losing an eye and a legâthe despair that struck her must have been extraordinary.
“Ah…! Ms. Liselotte, Ms. Atori, she…!”
Yulithia hesitated whether to chase after her. From her role in the party, Liselotte should be the one to step up now. No matter how painful it was, she had to act strong and support her companions as the leader.
But Liselotte couldn’t move. Her body lacked strength.
“…Leave her to me. If you’re going to chase her, go ahead.”
“…Understood. P-Please.”
In the end, Yulithia went after Atori at the urging of the old sister.
Liselotte couldn’t lift her head until the end. The sister’s slightly stern voice sounded from above.
“Good grief… You’re not purely human, are you? You look like a child, but you’re actually the oldest in the party, aren’t you? Then how can you not pull yourself together? Isn’t that child stronger than you?”
Indeed. From the moment they rushed into the church until now, Liselotte and Atori hadn’t been able to speak properly. Most of the communication with the sister was handled by Yulithia. Despite being the youngest girl in the party, she was so competent that Liselotte felt ashamed.
How embarrassing. Yulithia must be feeling so distressed that she wanted to cry.
“Shall I take you to the infirmary? It’s okay if you go tomorrow.”
“…”
Liselotte wiped away her tears and finally lifted her head.
She hadn’t prepared herself; she hadn’t accepted this reality. If she saw Volka now, Liselotte would surely break down in tears.
But she didn’t want to leave Volka alone.
If she wasn’t by his side, she felt like he would disappear somewhere else; Liselotte was terrified.
Every adventurer, no matter how inexperienced, knows the dangers of labyrinths.
If you don’t defeat the labyrinth master, the labyrinth is a dangerous place that will endlessly spawn monstersâa fortress of evil that humans must thoroughly conquer. The treasures sleeping within give many adventurers dreams, but precisely because of this, countless warriors have perished, never to see the sun of the next day.
But labyrinths that have been conquered are different. A labyrinth whose boss monster has been defeated loses the power to spawn monsters and eventually weathers away as ‘ruins.’ However, such places may sometimes be occupied by monsters from elsewhere or villains using them as a base. Especially labyrinths close to human domains like cities or villages require continued investigation as part of maintaining public order after being conqueredâthus, the guild regularly issues requests, and many adventurers utilize such labyrinths to find undiscovered treasures, earn rewards to cover travel expenses, or use them as training for labyrinth exploration.
That’s normal.
Who could have predicted such an unreasonable situation where the labyrinth wasn’t actually conquered, and even S-rank parties would need to be prepared to face monsters lurking within?
“…Volka…”
Volka slept soundly in the church infirmary where the sister led her.
No matter who looked, he was not unharmed. The wounds had been healed with holy magic, but his right eye was blind, his left leg was severed below the knee, and even the skin visible through the gaps in his patient gown bore indelible scars. Liselotte had never seen a human so deeply wounded.
His breathing was quiet. So quiet that one might doubt whether he was really alive, whether his heart hadn’t already stopped beating. Liselotte was terrifiedâ
“…”
She approached the sleeping Volka and pressed her ear to his left chest to confirm his heartbeat. After hearing it, she didn’t feel relieved and shakily sat back in her chair.
She didn’t know how many times she repeated this action.
An hour had passed since the sister left, and Liselotte had become an existence crushed by reality, feeling only fear toward the reality before her.
‘For now, be glad that his life was saved,’ the sister had said in her mind.
Impossible. That would be self-serving. Even if his life was saved, only someone with a problem in their head could feel happy seeing Volka in this state.
Losing an eye and a leg is synonymous with death as an adventurer. Moreover, it’s uncertain whether he’ll even be able to live a normal life in the future.
Volka, who possessed genius-level sword talent and undoubtedly had a bright future ahead, had that future completely shattered.
And this was entirely Liselotte’s fault.
Because it was Liselotte, as the party leader, who decided to accept that request.
“…I’m sorry…”
Thinking it might be nice to occasionally take on such a request with a bit of a tourist mindsetâif only she hadn’t thought so lightly, if only she, as the leader, had noticed the abnormality in the labyrinth in advance. No, at the very least, if she had power befitting the ‘great and proud mage.’
The reality before her would surely have been different.
It was all Liselotte’s fault.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”
Liselotte was Volka’s master in magic.
To Liselotte, Volka was her one and only important disciple in this world.
Truly, a beloved disciple she cherished as if afraid he would melt in her mouth.
âAnd the one who destroyed her proud disciple’s life was herself.
If only I hadn’t had foolish thoughts,
If only I had been stronger,
Because I couldn’t do anything,
Because I was too weak,
It’s all my fault, all my fault, all my fault, all my fault, all my fault,
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”
If the sister had been present, she might have scolded or admonished Liselotte.
However, reality wasn’t so kind. Having completed her all-night important work, she had already left the room. Yulithia and Atori hadn’t returned either. As a result, Liselotte had unilaterally concluded that she was the one who destroyed Volka’s life, a ‘sin’ for which she could never be forgiven no matter what she gave up.
Liselotte’s pupils lost their light, merely repeating the same words.
If someone could see into people’s hearts.
At this moment, Liselotte’s heart would surely be gradually rotting, taking on the form of an exceedingly abnormal shadow.
She was unaware of the threat behind her, puzzled.
Delighted to have found the perfect prey, the goblins lunged at her.
âAnd in an instant, three goblin heads were severed, marking the moment of their deaths.
“âââHuh?”
The goblins, at firstâor perhaps even until the very endâdidn’t realize what had happened to them. Their corpses still wore expressions of licking their lips with their tongues out, but all life had ceased. Their heads and bodies tumbled to the ground, and only then did blood spurt from their wounds, as if finally understanding the situation.
In the blink of an eye. The monsters’ bodies quickly turned to ashes, leaving behind only some loot.
“……Huh?”
The boy didn’t understand what had just transpired either.
The girl had drawn her sword. With a graceful motion, she flicked off the bits of dark red blood clinging to the tip of her blade and smoothly sheathed it. “Ah,” she murmured softly,
“S-sorry. Were those goblins your prey? Um, well, they suddenly jumped out, and I accidentally…”
Accidentally.
Killed them?
This girl killed them?
When did she kill them?
Just now, in that instant?
How did she do it?
“Uh, um…”
“âAh, oh, sorry. …I was spacing out.”
The boy wobbled as he stood up, looking at the girl.
Though he wasn’t really in a position to judge, she truly was just a child. No matter how you looked at her, she didn’t seem his age. She was shorter than the boy, who was already below average height, and her figure was slender and delicate, as if she might break at a touchânot very reassuring. Her soft, cherry blossomâcolored hair fell neatly over her shoulders, and a cute floral hairpin adorned her left temple. Combined with her quiet and polite way of speaking, she gave the boy the impression of a girl as lovely as a flower.
But near her left waist hung a slender, single-edged curved sword, rare in this country. In other words, she was an adventurer like him. Yet with her clean and elegant attire based on white, describing her as a well-bred young lady seemed more fitting. Her ability to slay goblins in an instant didn’t quite match the impression her appearance gave.
But he did understand one thing: before him stood a dazzlingly cute girl.
The boy couldn’t help but stare in a daze for a moment.
“Um, you seem a bit flustered…”
“Eh?âAh, no, um…”
He snapped back to reality, hastily trying to think of how to reply. Admitting that he’d been chased by the goblins she had just defeatedâsome lingering male pride prevented him from confessing that honestly.
“N-no, it’s nothing. By the way, I’m really sorry; I didn’t notice you at all.”
“No, it’s okay. I was lost in thought too; sorry.”
The girl bowed her head politely, almost exaggeratedly so. Her voice was as pleasant as the clear morning sunlight. Her graceful demeanor, befitting a flower, made the boy once again lose himself in admiration.
Questions flooded his mind. Who are you? What’s your name? Why are you here? Are you from the same town as me? Are you an adventurer? Are you alone right now? That sword technique just nowâ
But he couldn’t speak. Whenever he tried to open his mouth, he became extremely nervous, instinctively hesitatingâeven he found it puzzling. In his fifteen years of life, the boy had never experienced anything like this.
Of course, the girl couldn’t know the boy’s internal turmoil.
“Well then, um, I’m looking for someone, so I’ll be going. You can have the loot; be careful on your way back.”
“Ah…”
The boy immediately wanted to call out to the girl who was about to leave. At least ask for her nameâ
“âNo, no, no, no, no, no, no, this isn’t enough. Completely not enough; nothing is enough. Senpai would be faster, sharper, wouldn’t let his sword get stained with blood. Why? Why am I so weak? Like this, I can’t protect Senpai at all, not worthy of being entrusted with anything. I have to become stronger, must become stronger to protect Senpai. Senpai absolutely, absolutely must be mineâ”
âThe boy didn’t hear the girl’s unsettling muttering. He only sensed an unusual aura from her departing figure, like a drawn blade, and couldn’t help but withdraw his hand.
She… she seems really busy; maybe I should leave it. I’ll ask at the guild when I get back to town. Since she’s such a young girl, if she’s an adventurer like me, they should definitely know her nameâhe thought.
Of course, he didn’t notice that at that moment, the girl’s eyes were completely devoid of light.
“âAh, that’s little Yulithia. She just took the same quest as you earlier.”
“Yulithia…”
What a beautiful name, the boy thought. It suits her, like a lovely flower.
After the boy returned to the town’s guild and reported what had happenedâskillfully glossing over his defeat by the goblinsâthe receptionist woman answered promptly.
“Yes. She’s shorter than you, has cherry blossomâcolored hair, and carries a single-edged curved sword with a red hilt. There’s no one else like her.”
“Are there adventurers like her in this town?”
“No, she came from the Holy Capital.”
The boy was surprised but also understood.
The Southern Holy Capital, Granfrodjeâabout a three-day carriage ride from this townâis the city of faith where the Grand Cathedral of the Holy Guidance Church is located. It’s renowned as the safest city in this country, standing alongside the Northern Holy Capital, Eizevista, as twin pillars of the nation.
Simply put, she’s an adventurer of distinguished background.
“I saw her alone; is she a solo adventurer?”
“No, she of course came with her party. How could such a young girl travel alone?”
That’s true. But why was she alone at that time? The receptionist seemed to have the same question.
“Eh, she was alone? She should have gone out with her teammate…”
“Now that you mention it, she did say she was looking for someone.”
Oh no. The boy bit his lip. Yulithia was looking for her party member at that time, meaning she had gotten separated for some reason and was wandering alone in the forest. I shouldn’t have let her go off alone, he thought.
However, the receptionist’s reaction was rather indifferent.
“Well, it’s probably fine. Little Yulithia’s party is A-ranked; the monsters around this town can’t do anything to her.”
“A?!”
The boy was shocked. A-rank is, simply put, a title given to top-tier adventurers who could be considered professionals. There might not even be ten A-ranked adventurer parties in this town’s guild.
“But she’s about the same age as me…”
“Yes, I think she’s even younger than you. She’s about thirteen, I believe?”
Is that possible? the boy wondered. Though he was a newcomer who hadn’t been an adventurer for long, at two years older than her, he was only D-rank.
Something doesn’t add up.
“Just to ask, is there any problem with that party?”
His first suspicion was whether that girl was truly a ‘companion’ in the party. Simply put, he wondered if Yulithia had been pulled into a high-ranking party because of her cute appearance and was being treated like a mascot.
In terms of ratios, there are far fewer female adventurers than male ones. He’s heard that many people target young women to add appeal to their parties. According to veteran adventurers he’d previously teamed up with, there seemed to have been countless disputes between men and women in this regardâhe was tired of hearing about them.
If that’s really the case, I have to help herâjust as he was getting carried away with his imagination, the receptionist suddenly smirked.
“Oh my, you’re quite interested in her, aren’t you? Do you care about little Yulithia?”
“Whaâ”
He probably blushed.
“N-no, it’s not like that! And that party isn’t just two people, right?! I was just wondering what the others are doing, pushing quests onto such a young girl!”
“No, no, they’re not pushing quests onto her.”
The receptionist sighed.
“Ahâboy, oh very young boy, I understand you’re concerned about her, but that’s unnecessary righteous indignation. What you’re imagining isn’t happening at all.”
Scolded, the boy pouted.
“…So what’s going on then?”
“Honestly… Since it’s about another party, I shouldn’t say too much.”
The receptionist lowered her voice.
“In their party… someone was seriously injured and can’t move right now, but you still need money for living expenses, medical treatment, offerings to the church, and so on, right? So those who can act have to earn the minimum amount. And the one who can act is little Yulithia; it’s as simple as that.”
“…I see.”
He accepted it for the time being. Being an adventurer himself, he knew that money was necessary for survival, and the church wasn’t a charity that healed people for free. He could understand the idea of teammates supporting each other when someone couldn’t act.
Since she wasn’t being forced into tasks, Yulithia was a very kind girl who cared deeply for her companions. As expected of her.
“She’s truly a kind child.âEven though most of the responsibility lies with the guild, she hasn’t voiced any complaintsâ”
“Eh?”
The receptionist lowered her head, as if suppressing something. When the boy wanted to ask further, her expression had already returned to normal.
“Well… that’s all I can say. Don’t pry too much; it’s impolite.”
“I get it. I’ve been in parties before, after all.”
“Also, don’t get carried away just because she’s gentle. If you push your luck, you’ll be shut down immediately.”
“Alright, alright.”
The boy waved off the nagging, meddlesome older sister and turned to leave. He didn’t need her to tell him; he wouldn’t do anything to trouble Yulithia. But, well, if her companion was injured and she was in a tough spot, maybe trying to invite her to team up for a while wouldn’t be a problem.
He’d just had some trouble because it was his first time acting alone; he had plenty of experience with party coordination. He’d completed quests with B-rank veteran adventurers more than once or twice. Even if Yulithia was A-rank, he shouldn’t hold her back.
Thinking about these things, he finished lunch, restocked supplies in town, and prepared to invite her to team up at any time, butâ
“âSenpai, is there anywhere else you’d like to go? Please don’t hesitate; I’ll accompany you wherever you want!”
“Ah, okay.”
“Hmm… The weather is nice; resting in the plaza for a bit sounds good. With a gentle breeze, taking a nap would be really comfortable…
…………Um, by the way, Senpai, there’s something I’ve always wanted to try. Um, that is… l-lap pâuh, uh…”
“……………………………………………………..”
A young man, a stranger, sat in a wheelchair, and Yulithia was eagerly pushing him along.
She wore a smile as rosy as a budding flower.
In the afternoon, after Yulithia returned from completing her quest, she once again entered the “Is there anything you need me to do?” loop. So I surrendered and let her take me out for a stroll and some sun.
In this world, wheelchairs seem to be the type that caregivers push from behind. At least in the city’s church, they don’t have self-propelled wheelchairs where the person moves themselves. In a world where barrier-free design is rare, perhaps such wheelchairs haven’t become widespread due to safety concerns.
That said, the wheelchair’s frame and wheels are made from monster materials, making them quite sturdy. Aside from lacking suspension and shaking badly on the uneven roadsâwhich makes your body ache after sitting for a long timeâit doesn’t feel too inferior to wheelchairs from Earth. I was originally worried it might be some wooden contraption, so this was a pleasant surprise.
Come to think of it, perhaps because this world is a pseudo-fantasy imagined by Japanese people, Earth’sâor more accurately, Japan’sâcustoms and concepts often appear in various situations.
For example, Yulithia’s hair is a pale cherry blossom color, and people here recognize it as sakura-colored. Passerby ladies might say, “What beautiful sakura-colored hair.” Does this world also have cherry blossoms?
Also, traditional Japanese gestures like dogeza exist. Ungrateful knights might say lines like “I will commit seppuku to apologize.” On a lighter note, phrases like “Itadakimasu” and “Gochisousama” are used. Thinking that this is another world might feel a bit strange, but as someone actually living here, I’m grateful that the Japanese touch somewhat applies. If none of the common sense from my previous life applied here, just adapting would be quite tough.
But I digress.
Anyway, I was being pushed by Yulithia for a stroll around town.
“Senpai, is there anywhere else you’d like to go? Please don’t hesitate; I’ll accompany you wherever you want!”
“Ah, okay.”
From behind me came Yulithia’s energetic voice. Perhaps it was just my imagination, but it felt like she emphasized “wherever you want.” The youngest “mom” in our party seems to enjoy pushing the wheelchair and taking care of me.
“~⪠~⪔
Beside me, the oldest member of our partyâa little girlâwas eating a candied apple. She seemed happy too, skipping lightly. Well, Master does love sweets…
As for me, I was wearing plain clothes, covering the scar on my right eye with a black eyepatch. Not the medical kind that hooks over the ear, but one that wraps around the head, covering from the eye to the cheekâthe kind you see in manga or games that makes you look strong. It’s a bit embarrassing to admit, but it looks quite cool; my old chĹŤnibyĹ heart is about to awaken. Heh, my right eye hurts… Just kidding.
We moved slowly along the bustling main street lined with many stalls, careful not to get in anyone’s way.
“Hmm… The weather is nice; resting in the plaza for a bit sounds good. With a gentle breeze, taking a nap would be really comfortable…”
Oh, that’s a good idea. It’s that sleepy time of day; taking a nap among flowers and grass with a gentle breeze would be pleasant.
“…………Um, by the way, Senpai, there’s something I’ve always wanted to try. Um, that is… l-lap pâuh, uh…”
Oh, that’s also a good idea. Please give Master a lap pillow. Seeing a girl who met a tragic end in the original work now alive and well, enjoying a peaceful lap pillow momentâI should take a photo and frame it.
“Then let’s go to the plaza.”
“Ehh?! E-eh, um, Senpai, you mean, um… c-can I do it…?”
You can do it for Master. I won’t deny that, as a man, I’m attracted to Yulithia, but having a thirteen-year-old give me a lap pillow… I feel like the guards would come running…
Just as the somewhat unsteady wheelchair was about to turn toward the plaza.
“…Hmm?”
There was a boy standing blankly next to the item shop across the street, staring at us. Yulithia quickly noticed him too and let out a small “Ah.”
“Do you know him?”
“Uh, I don’t know if you’d call it knowing… This morning, when I was out hunting monsters, I ran into him briefly outside…”
I see. The boy’s attire does look like that of a novice adventurer. Wearing a forehead protector with the adventurer’s emblemâa crossed sword and staffâhe certainly looks green.
“Have you teamed up with him before?”
“…I don’t team up with unrelated people.”
I felt a bit rebuffed. Did my question upset her somehow…?
Master, who was halfway through eating her candied apple, also noticed. At times like this, Master doesn’t show any timidity or reservation at all. Even though there’s no need for us to be particularly wary, she walked ahead of me with sharp eyes.
“Hey, you over there, boy. Do you need something from us?”
“…Huh!”
The boy snapped back to reality. Come to think of it, I didn’t know why he was standing there dazed. In any case, he hurriedly tried to catch up with the situation.
“H-hi, we meet again.”
“Eh? Ah, hello…”
For some reason, he didn’t respond to Master, who had addressed him, but rather nervously replied to Yulithia.
Hey, boy, if you do that, our Master willâ
“Hey, don’t ignore me! You rude brat!”
“Huh? What’s with you? You’re the shorty here.”
Stepping on two landmines in a row, Master quickly flew into a rage. The person Master hates most in this world is someone who insults her as a child based solely on her youthful appearance, ignores her, mocks her, or takes a sarcastic attitudeâ
Turning toward me, Master flashed a sweet smile, veins bulging on her forehead.
“Volka, I’m gonna go teach that guy a lesson.”
You fool…! Boy, you fool…! Why would you do something like bungee jumping into a pit of needles in hell…!
But, well, this can’t be helped; after all, Master is really petite. When I first met her, I also mistook her for a child and made her angry.
Anyway, I had to calm Master down first. Her remark about “teaching him a lesson” was not a joke. I’ve seen many people become victims, getting blown away by her face-blasting magic for treating her rudely.
“Come on, Master, there’s still half your candied apple left. If you don’t eat it, I’ll have to eat it.”
“Eh? Ah, so you’ll share it with me, Volka?”
“…Huh?”
Wait, her reaction is different from what I expected. I thought the gluttonous Master would get angry and say, “No way I’m giving it to you!” and then eat the candied apple, ignoring the boy…
But anyway, as long as she’s calmed down, it’s all good. Let’s have Yulithia handle this quickly.
Yulithia didn’t seem very enthusiastic, looking as if she had to respond because she’d been spoken to.
“Um… do you need something?”
“N-no, not that I need anything. I just happened to see you…”
The boy answered somewhat shyly, still quite inexperienced. As for me, off to the side,
“Really, Volka, if you wanted one, you should have bought it yourself. Here, say ‘ahh’â”
“Ah, ah…?”
For some reason, Master had completely abandoned her responsibilities, and I was being publicly humiliated by being fed by a little girl in broad daylight. Guards, please just take me away and put me out of my misery…
“Um, since I hadn’t seen an adventurer like you in this town before, I was curious, so I asked at the guild. I heard your companion was injured… uh, is that him over there…?”
“Y-yes…”
“Hehe, is it tasty?”
“Uh, yeah.”
Stop it, boy, don’t look at me with that indescribable gaze.
In the end, he seemed to decide not to think too much about me and turned to face Yulithia.
“A-and, well, you’re taking on quests to earn money now, right? If you don’t mind…”
At this point, I vaguely sensed what the boy wanted to say.
Even I could sense it, so Yulithia must have seen through it perfectly. The boy mustered his courage to speak, and almost at the same moment, Yulithia lowered her gaze coldly.
“Would you like toâ”
“I don’t need an invitation to team up.”
“Urgh…”
Boy…! Hang in there, boy…! It’s just a little gut punch…!
But I see now; this boy seems to want to team up with Yulithia. Since he asked at the guild, he should know that Silver Gray Journey is A-rank.
However, the boy is probably D-rank, maybe C-rank at best. Inviting her to team up despite such a big difference in rank means… The boy, decisively rejected, seemed quite hurt.
Ah, so that’s how it isâI suddenly understood.
Come to think of it, this is a brand-new encounter that didn’t exist in the ‘original story.’
In the original, we were a one-off side character party where everyone died in that battle. So there was no future where Yulithia and this boy would meet.
Yes. Since I overturned the original’s tragic ending, Master and the others will meet many people in the future and form various connections that didn’t exist in the original.
Thinking about it that way, I felt quite emotional. Especially since Yulithia had jumped into the world of adventurers from a young age, she had almost no friends her own age. If she could meet others, form good relationships, and enjoy a richly colorful youth with sweet and sour experiences, how wonderful that would be.
Because in the original, she died without even experiencing a normal adolescence.
Therefore, I wanted to actively welcome such encounters. Well done, boy; I’m glad to have met you.
However, I’m sorry to say that your proposal is very difficult to realize. That’s because Yulithia is extremely cautious about such invitations.
There are roughly two reasons. First, before becoming an adventurer, she was mistreated by her two older brothers at home. Yulithia’s family had been a distinguished lineage of knights for generations, and her brothers seemed very jealous of her genius-level swordsmanship talent. This was also the catalyst for her abandoning her home and choosing the path of an adventurer.
The other reason is that after becoming an adventurer and meeting us, she was harassed several times by strange men because of her delicate appearance. For example, they persistently invited her to team up, trying to take her to secluded places and so on. Seriously, are the scumbags in this world trying to lay hands on a thirteen-year-old girl? Someone call the guards.
In short, she has many bad memories regarding the opposite sex, so Yulithia doesn’t get involved with unknown men proactively. Suddenly inviting her to team up when they’re not familiar is a fatal misstep.
As expected, Yulithia’s gaze toward the boy gradually turned icy.
“W-wait! It’s true that I’m not high-ranked, but I understand party tactics.”
“…Are you going to pester me like this too? You’re really bothersome.”
“Ugh…”
