Chapter 113
Having completed all her mentoring sessions, Alicia set off on her way home.
The memory of the day her mentoring ended was still vivid.
⎯I won’t see my little brother for a while. Take care, and we’ll meet again later.
The warrior Charlotte, with her ponytail, hugged Alicia tightly, so much so that Alicia could almost smell her scent.
For some reason, Alicia and Charlotte’s greetings had long turned into hugs.
Emily and Liam, watching from a distance, wore warm smiles and waved their hands.
They had already exchanged greetings with Emily and Liam.
Since their village was too far to stop by, Alicia decided to return directly to the Academia.
Liam’s expression changed noticeably.
His previously gloomy face seemed to regain some vitality.
Clack, clack.
Sitting in a corner of the wagon, which also served as a cargo space, she listened to the sound of the rolling wheels.
The wheels rolled repetitively over the soil.
Occasionally, the sound would change sporadically when passing over gravel or bumpy roads.
This sound made Alicia’s eyes, which had been gently closed, flutter open.
Inside the wagon, her companions included:
A child snugly sleeping in their mother’s embrace.
A young couple softly whispering to each other, leaning against one another.
An elderly man wearing a hood nodding his head repeatedly.
Their clothes and aroma, slightly dirt-stained from years of wear, exuded a sense of everyday life.
Amidst it all, Alicia was savoring the nostalgia of reuniting after a long time.
Everything in the Academia was immaculate and tidy.
Surely, there existed an even cleaner and more esteemed quality there.
Yet, she felt that she was originally destined to be far removed from such ideals.
She was just an ordinary country girl, more suited to soil than to pens and swords.
Maybe that’s why.
She felt a deep sense of nostalgia for this utterly simple and rustic scenery.
Though she hadn’t yet arrived home, her heart seemed to arrive much earlier than her body.
“Thank you. Please be careful on your way.”
The wagon reached the vicinity of Alicia’s village, and she expressed her brief gratitude to the coachman.
The coachman nodded in response, and the wagon continued on its way, leaving Alicia behind.
Alicia gazed after it for a moment before moving on.
Even though she was near the village, she still had quite a distance to cover.
If she didn’t walk briskly, she’d arrive only after sunset.
Then, the wind brushed against Alicia’s cheek, and she caught a whiff of the breeze.
The scent of home.
An unexplainable, rustic smell.
This sensation made Alicia’s heart flutter and brought a smile to her lips.
This visit to her hometown was the first since becoming a servant of the Schugenhartz family.
It had been about a year since she last returned to this place.
According to her original contract, Alicia was only allowed to visit home for one day each year.
In one day, she would spend all her time just traveling back and forth, barely getting a chance to see her mother’s face.
However, for some unknown reason, her master had considered her wishes and allowed her to stay at home as long as she wanted.
“Thanks to this, Alicia was able to meet her mother with a relaxed mind, free from the pressure of time.
‘No matter how many times I thank the Young Master, it’s never enough. How can I repay this kindness?’
As Alicia passed through the forest, thoughts of Vargan began to accumulate in her mind.
No matter how distant or excited she was by the long-awaited ambiance of her hometown, Vargan’s existence was firmly planted, like a solid pillar.
If she could show him how much she had grown during this summer vacation, would he be happy?
…She wanted to see the Young Master’s joyful face.
When summer vacation had just begun, Alicia received a few small, orb-sized disposable communication crystals from Vargan.
Unlike the massive crystals, these were primarily used for emergencies and conveyed only voice, not video.
It meant that if Alicia encountered any unforeseen situations, she could immediately report or seek advice.
However, the moments to use them had not arrived, and she couldn’t converse with Vargan for two months.
That didn’t mean she could use them unnecessarily, nor would he welcome that.
She could only continue to pray for his safety.
⎯Kyaaaaaah!
Suddenly, a scream echoed.
Alicia was not far from her current location.
Expanding her senses and checking the mana, she confirmed it belonged to Altife.
Alicia’s expression changed.
Her gentle gaze transformed, ready to hunt like a wild beast. She quickly dashed towards the source of the sound.
*
In the forest, a middle-aged man was chopping wood.
Like any other day, he was gathering timber.
But then, a chill ran down his spine, and his hairs stood on end.
【Kreeeak!】
Wasn’t that a pale red monster groaning and drooling!
This area normally wasn’t known for monster intrusions—why now?!
The thing looked furious.
It seemed hungry and desperate.
It had been injured, with thick skin pierced and bleeding, apparently in search of prey, and it had now spotted him.
“Kyaaaaaah!”
The middle-aged man flailed his arms and ran away.
He threw the timber and his axe at the creature and bolted.
He didn’t want to die at the hands of a monster.
He didn’t want to become its meal.
Then, his foot caught on a protruding rock. He fell flat on the ground.
Hastily, he turned his head to check behind him.
He had hoped the monster was still far away, but that wish shattered easily.
“Ku, hhew!”
Terrified, the man faced the creature, his eyes wide.
The drooling monster grinned widely, showing its teeth. It was clearly planning to devour him.
He was doomed!
Just as the man was about to resign to his fate and squeezed his eyes shut,
【Kreeeeeek⎯⎯!】
He heard a monster’s screech and the sound of rushing wind.
Then came the gentle voice of a lovely woman.
“Are you alright?”
Gathering courage, the middle-aged man cautiously opened his eyes and saw a woman with white hair.
Even from behind, her beauty was evident.
In contrast to her was the fierce sword she wielded, as she turned to face the man.
Then he exclaimed,
“Alicia?”
“Yaul Uncle…?”
They were not strangers.
They had spent time talking for quite a while, sharing a close bond.
“Yes, how did you….”
The man, flustered by their sudden reunion, glanced over Alicia, taking in her details.
The ominous aura radiating from the black greatsword.
Alicia wielding it effortlessly.
The monster, now two pieces on the ground.
It was strange. He had heard Alicia was sold to the Schugenhartz Family a year ago.
This was like—
“Alicia… have you become a Hero?”
After that, Alicia helped the middle-aged man retrieve the timber and axe he had dropped, and they were finally able to catch up after such a long time.”
The moment they start asking and answering each other’s recent circumstances, it hits hard that a year is no short time.
Yaul, the middle-aged man, has hardly changed from a year ago, but Alicia has transformed completely.
Yaul stares in disbelief at her change, mouth agape.
“To think the girl who couldn’t catch a rabbit has turned into such a fine hero brings me immense joy.”
“I’m still not a hero; I’m a student.”
“Right, you mentioned you got into Academia? Wow, that’s impressive. Truly impressive, Alicia! You’re the pride of the village.”
He beams as if he’s talking about his own daughter’s accomplishments.
Before Vargan took her away, he was the head of the family that lived next door to her, showing kindness to Alicia, who faced mistreatment from her foster mother.
“I was shocked when I heard you were sold off. I wanted to bring you back, even if it meant going into debt… but with the amount involved, it wasn’t easy.”
“Please don’t apologize. As I said, I’ve been living really well in Schugenhartz. Thanks to that, I can even visit my hometown and be here.”
Yaul candidly shared the burden he carried in his heart, and Alicia shook her head in a nod of affirmation.
It wouldn’t be right to express anger toward Yaul from Alicia’s perspective.
In the past, when she was scolded by her mother and went hungry, one of his family members would sneak up to her and hand her a piece of bread. If she got hurt, they’d apply herbal ointment on her wounds.
Alicia’s foster mother knew of their kindness.
Certainly, their actions played a significant role in Alicia not experiencing severe abuse.
As Alicia reminisces about the past, she quietly gazes at the man’s face.
“Uncle, you haven’t changed at all!”
“Haha, that’s the best compliment an old man like me could ask for.”
“I’m glad to see you’re healthy. Everyone in your family is doing well too, right?”
“Of course! I think our children are the healthiest around here. No, wait, it must be my wife!”
He chuckled heartily, and Alicia couldn’t help but smile as if caught by his laughter.
As they continued their warm conversation, the village entrance began to come into view.
…But something seemed off.
The closer they got to the village, the more awkward Yaul’s expression became.
It was as if he was hiding something, not wanting to be discovered.
Alicia decided not to pry deeply into it.
He said he was doing well, but it felt like something had happened, and he didn’t want to reveal it.
She turned the topic to herself instead.
“How’s my mother doing?”
Alicia’s foster mother.
The woman who sold her for 100 gold.
As soon as her name came up, Yaul could not hide his expression. He appeared flustered, like someone caught off guard.
“Ah… about that.”
Alicia looked at him with questioning eyes.
She noticed his change but remained silent, seemingly wanting to hear more.
An inexplicable sense of unease settled in.
“Alicia, please try not to be too shocked when I tell you this.”
Yaul knew he couldn’t avoid the topic.
He faced Alicia, holding one of her shoulders.
After a long sigh mixed with tension and various emotions, he parted his lips.
“Your mother is quite ill.”
He held Alicia’s shoulder out of concern that she might faint.
“It seems she won’t last more than a few days.”
*
In a bedroom of the Portlet Family Mansion.
This is the room used by the head of the Portlet family, Erica’s mother.
The cheerful matriarch, Lilian, well-known in social circles, fills her room with the light fragrance of flowers that she adores, creating a bright atmosphere.
“……”
However, at this moment.
Heavy silence looms over the room adorned with dazzling jewelry and patterns, like something out of a painting.
The room, adorned with dazzling ornaments and patterns reminiscent of a painting, was weighed down by a heavy silence.
Erica’s mother, Lilian, lay asleep on a large bed.
She repeatedly murmured something with her lips, acting as if tormented by nightmares.
Erica quietly held her mother’s hand by her side.
Her eyes were red from the tears shed over a long period, and the hand gripping Lilian trembled as if she were the one in pain.
Lilian’s mouth opened, and a faint murmuring voice was heard.
“I can’t hear the voice… the voice…”
Erica couldn’t understand what her mother was trying to say.
Since a few days ago, her mother had been showing signs of mild anxiety.
It didn’t seem serious, and she continued with her daily activities.
Just a few days ago, before the family head, her father, departed for the capital of the empire, everything seemed fine.
But then, at some point, her mother started uttering that word.
—It’s strange… I’ve never been unable to hear the voice like this before.
After saying that, her condition began to deteriorate rapidly.
Like addiction symptoms.
Her mother expressed extreme anxiety, and her breathing became labored.
They called a doctor to check for any signs of medication use or to see if it was a disease.
There were no indications of drug use, and it was said to be not an external illness.
—This is a psychological issue. The dependence on a specific thing has affected her body.
What that specific thing is, Erica couldn’t figure out.
While she kept repeating the word “voice,” it was unclear whether it referred to another object or if it was the thing itself….
Erica felt Lilian’s body temperature.
Perhaps due to her anxiety, her fingertips felt cold.
Though it wasn’t a terminal illness, she feared her mother might make an extreme choice.
Holding her mother’s hand,
Erica bowed her head deeply, trying to calm her anxious breath.
Then,
Knock knock—.
The sound of knocking broke the silence.
She had specifically told no one to come in or knock on the door, yet it was unmistakably loud.
Erica didn’t direct her gaze at the sound.
She only clung to her mother, shedding tears.
—…It’s troublesome if you come in. …Later… not now.
The disturbance outside became louder.
The noise from outside irritated Erica’s ears, which had been enveloped in silence.
Who could it be, at this moment…
“I’m coming in.”
The door swung wide open.
The darkness of the room was abruptly illuminated by the light from the hallway, reaching both Erica and her mother.
“I apologize for the intrusion, Erica.”
With an air of entitlement as if it were his own room, he only offered a half-hearted apology.
Erica glanced at the man and quickly wiped her tears before he noticed.
A weak voice escaped Erica’s lips.
“…I believe I sent a letter canceling the invitation.”
“I received it. Because of that, I’ve just returned after being ridiculed by some fool.”
“Then why are you here?”
Erica couldn’t muster the strength to be angry.
Right now, she only wanted to be with her mother, away from everyone else.
Vargan spoke to Erica, who felt that way.
“Because it was necessary.”
“What…?”
Erica couldn’t grasp his words.
“I came because it was necessary for me to be here.”
There was an omitted subject in Vargan’s statement.
Was it for himself, for Erica, or perhaps for someone else entirely?
He didn’t specify.
“A suitable place for a conversation is lacking.”
He strode over and extended his hand toward Erica.
Her head slowly turned to see it.
Just like when they went to the theater last time. He behaved nonchalantly.
“Shall we take a walk for a moment, fiancée?”
