Imelia Elsine Lawrence and Irina Winter.
Suddenly, oh so suddenly, faced with Brunhilde’s old comrades, I could only suppress shaking fingertips and sweat pouring down my forehead with clenched teeth.
Why are these women here?
A situation I never anticipated. My heart raced and trembled with soaring tension.
I could have at least anticipated running into Heid, but meeting these women again was something I truly couldn’t have imagined.
Imelia and Irina should be active back in Burgund.
Who would have predicted that I would reunite with them on the streets of the secluded city of Hervor, in Vespians?
And to top it off, did they sneak in wearing hoods obscuring their faces?
What in the world is going on? I really couldn’t fathom it.
Could it be that they came to chase after me… Brunhilde?
…No, that can’t be it.
Irina seemed equally surprised that she would bump into me here.
I don’t know what their purpose for hiding in Vespians could be, but… at least I could assume they didn’t track me down to find my location.
“Well, this is perfect. Gunther will be pleased.”
“Right, it seems that way.”
…But now that I’m exposed, it doesn’t really make a difference.
◆◆
With an attitude that clearly assumed I was Brunhilde, the two women talked nonsense about how pleased Gunther would be.
I had a bad feeling about this; rather than being happy about our long-awaited reunion, it felt like they were here for something else entirely.
For them to say Gunther would be happy means they are planning to deliver me to him as his joy toy.
Are they miffed that they have been stuck here? Or, now that they actually enjoy it, do they want to share that joy with me, their old comrade?
Either way, it was a terrible story for me. Like receiving an unsolicited breakup notice along with numerous unedited adulterous videos on Christmas Eve.
Of course, it doesn’t mean I went through that breakup, but that’s how horrible it felt.
“Ah, you’re mistaken. What nonsense are you saying to a busy person? Are you trying to pick a fight?”
Thus, I put on my best poker face and began an utterly desperate act.
I didn’t know any woman named ‘Brunhilde.’ I didn’t even know who they were in the first place.
That was the best choice I could make.
Based on their words, the moment I acknowledge I’m ‘Brunhilde,’ the two women would try to capture me and rocket deliver me to Gunther.
If things escalated to that point, we’d have no choice but to fight… Honestly, my chances of winning didn’t look high at all.
Imelia is a priest, so I might manage somehow against her, but I doubt I could fare well against Irina.
Unlike the woefully incompetent Friet, who was so weak it was a pity to call him a hero, Irina Winter was an elf who already possessed skills on par with Brunhilde back in the party days.
Considering it had been a few months, it was quite likely she was even stronger now than back then.
As for me, who had become significantly weaker when my soul was switched, I was slowly recovering my old strength – but I couldn’t possibly defeat her.
Moreover, even if I could win any fight, it wouldn’t solve the root of the problem.
I had been hiding well, but the moment my identity was revealed, I would immediately become someone else’s prey.
If she shouted that the internationally wanted Brunhilde was in the area, people targeting my bounty would swarm here like bees.
Like Gerda, that ungrateful wench, who dealt me a perfect blow to the back of my head.
In short, I was in a situation I couldn’t break through with pathetic power.
“Whether I’m Brunhilde or not, you should find that out somewhere else. Don’t go randomly snatching innocent people.”
So, I had only one option.
To feign calm with all my might and insist that they must be mistaking something.
“Look at that. Trying to act like someone else, and now lowering your voice. How cute. Why didn’t you act this cute before?”
…Honestly, I didn’t think this would work either.
Maybe it was some sort of fairy sense? Unlike Imelia, who tilted her head in confusion, Irina’s words and actions were filled with an unwavering certainty.
Her certainty that the masked adventurer faced her was undeniably Brunhilde.
Come to think of it, didn’t she mention the smell was the same earlier?
What a silly eared brat. Her senses are as sharp as a dog’s.
“No, I’m not, you crazy woman.”
Of course, I couldn’t just claim, “You’re right~” and admit it so easily.
“Seriously, I’m so busy; why do such weird people have to cling to me? Damn it.”
I raised my voice in irritation, turning abruptly.
Like a female adventurer trying to escape from an unnecessary quarrel, I mixed my complaints with blatant insults.
“M-madwoman…?”
Imelia seemed surprised, covering her mouth slightly in shock. It was as if she couldn’t imagine such vulgarities coming from Brunhilde.
If it were just her alone, this might have been enough to eliminate all her doubts.
She might have just passed by without ever guessing at my identity from the start.
The problem was with Irina…
“I didn’t say to swear; I meant to be cute… but unexpectedly, it seems adventuring suits you well. Should I congratulate you?”
As expected, Irina still showed no signs of reconsidering her assumption.
It felt as though to throw her certainty out of the window, I’d have to dance naked right there in the middle of the street.
That would surely make Irina think she’s got something wrong and go on her way.
Leaving me, who chose social suicide to escape a dreadful future.
In any case, even if Irina spoke like that, she didn’t try to stop me from leaving, so I calmly moved to distance myself from the two women.
“If talking won’t work, you’re trying to run away now? …Well, do as you wish. I wasn’t planning to cause a commotion in the middle of the street either. However, you won’t be able to escape.”
I heard Irina’s laughter behind me.
“Come out tonight, outside the west gate. Let’s talk sincerely for a bit.”
I forced myself to ignore her and continued walking, adopting a natural pace that wasn’t too fast or too slow.
“If you don’t come out… everyone in this country will know you’re here.”
…Now she’s openly threatening.
“Well, that could be entertaining in its own right. As I said before, elves love the hunt.”
A threat that if I don’t come out, she’d thrust me back into a fugitive’s life. Truly a malicious threat.
◆◆
What should I do? As I walked towards the inn, Snowbear’s Rest, where I was indebted, that was all I could think about.
I had plenty of time to think. I deliberately took longer routes, constantly checking my surroundings, worried about being followed.
Thanks to that, by the time I finally arrived at the inn, I had already thought things through and reached a conclusion.
“Oh, lady, you’re here? You came back rather quickly this time. Seems that you had an easy task?”
As I eased the inn door open, the innkeeper, who was sitting at the counter polishing a cup, welcomed me.
“Well, something like that.”
I nodded vaguely in reply. The task was simple enough.
“What about my party members?”
“That little one and the lizardman, and the magic lady? They haven’t arrived yet.”
They still haven’t come? That worked out just fine considering what I was about to do.
I dashed up to my room, took out a piece of paper and a quill, and quickly drafted a letter.
/ This is sudden, but I think I have to leave the party for certain reasons. I’m sorry, everyone. /
A farewell letter for my comrades.
Yes. After much deliberation, my conclusion was surprisingly simple.
Run.
Forget being a nameless adventurer, my old comrades, and everything, and just get away from this city, from this country as far as I could.
As quickly as possible, as far away as possible.
That was the conclusion I reached.
It was a conclusion similar to when I ran away from Gunther in the past. However, there was one big difference this time.
Back then, I thought I’d just live quietly after getting citizenship by being a nameless adventurer, but this time, I’d thrown away such optimistic hopes.
‘That won’t cut it. Just being a nameless level adventurer won’t save me.’
Look at how I am right now. Because of Irina, I’m about to throw away everything I’ve barely gained.
I couldn’t beat her.
Just because I’m weak. Just that one reason.
So, I finally realized.
I had to get stronger.
Not just settle for being a nameless level adventurer or even a pretty decent knight, but become something much stronger.
Strong enough that when someone recognizes my identity, I wouldn’t run away like this, but could actually wipe them out instead.
To overcome the karma of Brunhilde, the karma I’ve built, and the bizarre misfortune that constantly targets me.
That was the only way for me to gain freedom and peace in this world I fell into.
◆◆
I didn’t write much in the farewell letter. I didn’t have time for that.
An apology for suddenly leaving the party. A confession that I was actually that ‘Brunhilde’, and an explanation that pursuers had come after me, forcing me to flee.
A warning that they might be in danger too, so they should refrain from going out of the city for a while, along with an emotional confession that I had a great time together.
I quickly jotted all that down and, gathering all my belongings, headed back down to the inn’s first floor.
“Excuse me, can I ask for a favor? If my party members come by, could you hand them this? I have urgent business to attend to.”
I handed over the letter and pouch of coins to the innkeeper. The amount was what I had set aside from the reward for this commission.
“A letter…? Hmm, well, I see. It must be quite urgent.”
The innkeeper tilted his head slightly, but didn’t ask further as he took the letter and pouch I handed over.
At least he seemed to be an ethical human who wouldn’t sneakily pocket the money.
Just in case, I noted the exact amount they were supposed to receive at the end of the letter, so even if he tried, he’d get caught immediately.
With that, I had wrapped up everything I had to do here.
“Thank you. Well then, I’m off.”
“Sure. Whatever it is, take care.”
Bowing my thanks to the innkeeper, I pulled my hood down and dashed out of the inn, making my way swiftly toward the city gates.
Not the west gate where Irina had threatened me, but in the direction of the south gate.
I wasn’t crazy enough to head toward the west gate. If I went that way, I’d be delivered right back to Gunther.
Yet it would be equally foolish to head straight for the east gate, as Irina might have mentioned the west gate to lure me there.
So if I were to escape, I had to make my way through the south gate, which felt a bit balanced. That was what I thought.
Thirty minutes after that.
“—Your indecisive thinking hasn’t changed at all.”
I realized that my judgment had been wrong only after it was too late.
“Didn’t I say before? You have no talent for thinking.”
The elf woman, Irina, stood blocking my path as I ran for dear life.
Irina smirked slyly, as if to say I really thought I could escape. It was clear that no matter where I tried to run, it was all within her palm.
“……Damn it.”
I gritted my teeth and glared at her.
There was nowhere left to run.
Nowhere at all.
