Volume 9 Chapter 6 A Past That Might Have Been
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Heya!! What’s up!! I’m VioVio!!!”
Her long, golden hair shimmered like Tiet’s, radiant and flowing. Her bold, carefree personality echoed Elna or Lona—unfazed, brimming with energy.
”Wow, I thought, what a cute girl, and it’s seriously Lady Sylvia?! No way, it’s an honor to meet you! Also, that light blue dress is adorable! I’m jealous. Once I head to the city, VioVio’s gonna get all stylish too!”
”Idiot! Watch your mouth!”
Rugandia fumed, her cheeks puffed out, while the girl performed a quirky dance. Viola, self-proclaimed village beauty, burst onto the scene with more energy than expected. Her sparkling, sun-like presence left eyes wide with surprise.
”Hmm, sorry! VioVio wants to be an adventurer, so being a maid or whatever isn’t really my thing.”
”Viola, what?!” Rugandia gasped. “What are you even saying?”
”Sorry, RugRug!” Viola grinned sheepishly. “Thanks for the invite, though.”
She’d arrived at the house by carriage, shaking her head in front of everyone. It was a possibility they’d anticipated—Viola had no interest in serving at the Estate. It seemed she and Sylvia were never fated to meet.
Even if she’d agreed, that Estate’s days are numbered anyway, Cianie thought. Still, I get why they’d recommend her. That flawless face—she’s bound to be a beauty someday.
Rugandia tried to persuade her, but Nelia, the maid leader, stopped her, deeming Viola’s behavior improper. Perhaps she thought Viola unfit for the role.
Viola’s bright aura left a warm impression. Yet, a shadow stirred in Cianie’s heart.
If things had been different, she might’ve been Klock’s mistress. The thought made Cianie glad Viola refused. An illegitimate child herself, Cianie couldn’t stay indifferent to other women in Klock’s life. He’d better put me first, or I won’t stand for it. A vibrant beauty like Viola, charming everyone, would make it hard for Cianie to remain Klock’s ideal, convenient woman.
”Sorry, Lady Sylvia,” Viola said, scratching her head.
”No, it’s your life,” Sylvia replied softly. “Do what you want.”
”Thanks!” Viola beamed. “I was worried you’d be mad, but you’re so kind!”
”Viola!” Rugandia snapped. “Your manners are awful, and why turn down a chance to work at the Estate?!”
If Klock had married Sylvia, he might’ve preferred Viola. The thought sparked a quiet irritation in Cianie, though she kept it hidden. Imagining what-ifs and getting jealous—what would Klock think if he knew? But it’s his fault. It’s not just Suzette or Meina—he keeps chasing women. I wish he’d consider my feelings more.
”Why do you want to be an adventurer?” Sylvia asked.
”Uh…” Viola hesitated, suddenly shy, which caught Sylvia off guard.
”Heh, well… VioVio kinda loves Hero stories…”
Hero stories—tales of the Hero from a century ago, chronicling grand adventures and epic deeds. A topic a girl might hesitate to admit.
”So, adventuring’s your dream?” Sylvia asked.
”Pretty much!” Viola nodded.
Her desire to be an adventurer wasn’t an excuse—she meant it. Cianie couldn’t resent someone inspired by Heroes, especially as the third-generation Hero herself.
”You want to be an adventurer like a Hero?” Sylvia pressed.
”Hmm, maybe? You know that prophecy—or oracle—about a Hero appearing two years ago? It hit me like, boom! If a Hero’s born in my lifetime, after a hundred years, I gotta be an adventurer! It’s like fate, you know?”
Cianie didn’t quite follow, but it seemed Viola saw the coincidence as destiny. She’s standing in front of a Hero right now. Wonder how she’d react if she knew.
The oracle… Cianie vaguely recalled hearing about it. She’d reincarnated as Sylvia two years before her death. Viola’s timeline matched her birth.
The Hero’s return after a century was global news, a spark that ignited conflicts worldwide. The Theocracy spread the word, and rumors rippled outward.
”…Could I be the Hero?” Viola asked, half-joking.
”No way!” Rugandia shot back.
Viola’s playfulness and Rugandia’s seriousness made them an odd but charming pair, like a married couple. Their banter lightened Cianie’s mood. If only I’d had friends like them growing up, equals to laugh with.
* * *
”Your horse got stolen?!” Viola exclaimed.
”Yeah,” Sylvia said. “So, I’ve got time before heading back to the Estate. Mind if I join you? For, like, life experience?”
Sylvia caught Viola as she was about to head into the forest with a basket. Viola gaped at Sylvia’s dress.
”There’s bugs, and the ground’s still muddy—you’ll ruin that dress!”
”I’m fine,” Sylvia assured.
”Really? Won’t your family be mad?”
”Who cares? It’s a chance to hang out with you.”
Viola blinked, surprised. Sylvia looked away, a bit embarrassed.
At fifteen, Sylvia was reserved, opening her heart only to Klock. He thought her bold, but she was only playful with him. Back then, I’d never have said something like that. But this was her second life. She’d learned people love those who love them. Now, she could muster the courage to speak.
”Gah!” Viola squealed. “That’s so cute! Now I have to bring you! Hang on, I’ll grab another basket. Actually, come with me—you’ll need better shoes. I’ll lend you my mom’s.”
”Thanks,” Sylvia said, letting Viola drag her to the house, her face lit with excitement.
”Who steals a horse in this village?!” Viola huffed, indignant on Sylvia’s behalf. “And from Croce’s lady, no less!”
Sylvia glanced away, guilty. She’d claimed the horse was stolen, but she’d let it go herself. If I head back now, I’ll run into tomorrow’s raid. Sorry for lying, but I need to stay in the village tonight.
They slipped into the forest without Rugandia spotting them.
* * *
”How about you pick some yew berries, Lady Sylvia? They’re on low bushes—easy.”
”Yew berries?” Sylvia asked.
”What, you don’t know them? They’re sweet and delicious!”
The two wandered the forest. When Sylvia asked if it was safe, Viola explained the area was Monster-free, a perfect safe zone.
Normally, Sylvia might’ve insisted on more company, but Viola’s confidence rang true. Monsters avoid dragons. Sand’s free of them because of the dragon’s presence nearby. Sand bordered the Theocracy’s Black Frost Forest, a realm shaped by one of the twin dragons.
”So many acorns… at this time of year?” Sylvia murmured, tilting her head at the forest floor, lush with nuts out of season.
Viola mimicked her, tilting her head too. “The Fairies threw a party, and now it’s like autumn exploded! In just a few days, it turned into this.”
Fairies. A party.
”The wind scattered stuff everywhere, so we’re gonna fill these baskets to the brim today. Oh, and watch for those spiky husks—grab ’em if you see ’em. Boil the nuts inside, and they’re pretty tasty,” Viola said, striding confidently through the damp forest.
”Fairies… in this village?” Sylvia asked, curious.
”Yeah, they moved in a while back,” Viola replied. “Rumor is they fled the Black Frost Forest up north. They were messing around, chanting ‘grow, nuts, grow!’ like some harvest prayer game, and the forest took it way too seriously.”
”Wow… Fairies are something else,” Sylvia said, awed.
The forest seemed to hum with a strange, timeless energy, as if it had misread the Fairies’ playful spell. Mushrooms sprouted in neat rows around rotting logs, and fallen nuts carpeted the ground. Sylvia spotted a spiky husk, its thorns glinting, and tossed it into her basket. Viola flashed a toothy grin and a thumbs-up.
Sylvia mirrored the gesture, feeling playful. Viola, not to be outdone, raised both thumbs, her grin widening. She’s the type to slack off if you let her, always itching to tease or goof around.
”The Fairies came from the Black Frost Forest, right? Escaping the twin dragons?” Sylvia asked.
”Whoa, you know about that?” Viola said. “The Desert Dragon and the Frost Forest Dragon. They’ve been bickering forever, apparently.”
”So the Fairies got pushed out and drifted south,” Sylvia mused.
The Desert Dragon shaped the sands, the Frost Forest Dragon carved its icy woods—twin dragons, siblings at odds. Sylvia had heard tales of their endless feud.
”But they don’t leave each other, even with all the fighting,” Viola added. “Maybe they don’t really hate each other—just can’t quit arguing.”
”If that’s true, maybe they’ll make up someday,” Sylvia said softly.
They chatted gently, tossing nuts and mushrooms into their baskets. Sylvia pretended to be engrossed, stretching their foraging until dusk. When Viola finally noticed the time—”Shouldn’t we head back?”—they turned toward the village.
Rugandia was fuming, her cheeks puffed out, while the maid leader Nelia sighed in exasperation. Sylvia couldn’t escape a scolding, but it was part of the plan.
Rugandia’s group had found a new horse, but it was too late to travel by night. They’d leave at dawn, and Sylvia would stay at Rugandia’s family home for the night.
* * *
”You’re super popular, Viola,” Sylvia said, lying on a futon under moonlight, facing her new friend.
”Nah, not that much,” Viola laughed, blushing slightly.
With Nelia’s insistence that no men share the house, Viola’s parents had moved to a neighbor’s for the night. Only Sylvia, Viola, and Rugandia remained, sprawled in a row, whispering.
”From the innkeeper’s son to the village head’s kid, even that apprentice mage who went to the capital—plenty of guys have proposed to you,” Rugandia teased. “That’s just what I know.”
”That many, huh?” Sylvia said, impressed.
Nighttime girl talk naturally turned to romance. Rugandia, despite her seriousness, sparked the topic, her eyes flicking to Sylvia, curious about her noble status and love life.
”But Viola turned them all down to become an adventurer,” Sylvia noted.
”Well, yeah,” Viola grinned. “Unless the guy’s a Hero, I’m not biting.”
Her words, unaware of the Hero’s gender, left Sylvia with a bittersweet pang. Both past Heroes were men, and the current one—Sylvia herself—couldn’t fulfill Viola’s dream.
”Idiot,” Rugandia scoffed. “Like a Hero would pick a country girl like you.”
”Come on, RugRug, don’t be so practical,” Viola shot back. “Night’s for dreaming big!”
”All you do is dream!” Rugandia retorted.
”What about you, Lady Sylvia?” Viola asked, eyes sparkling. “Got a fiancé or something?”
”Well…” Sylvia hesitated.
This is a dream. Nothing I say here changes reality. Rugandia, done securing the house against intruders, hurried back to hear Sylvia’s answer. Sylvia caught her mouthing “Nice!” to Viola but pretended not to notice.
The three lay side by side, the village girls’ gazes bright with curiosity. Noble romance was foreign to them, thrilling in its mystery. Might as well dive in, Sylvia thought, and tell them about my fiancé—and Klock, the lover who complicates it all.
* * *
”Tomorrow, we leave at first light,” Rugandia said sternly. “No more sneaking off to the forest.”
”Sorry,” Sylvia replied, sheepish.
The girls’ night ended, different from the gatherings with Brave Knights—lighter, freer. I’m supposed to be humoring kids, but I feel like one myself. What if my life had been like this?
These girls were a dream, a fleeting moment. In reality, fifteen years had passed. The real Viola and Rugandia didn’t know the reincarnated Sylvia. What lives did they lead? Is this connection just a phantom, fading when I wake?
In the dream, Sylvia drifted to sleep. The three grew quiet, their breathing soft, swallowed by the darkness.
Morning should have brought their awakening. But a deafening explosion jolted Sylvia, Viola, and Rugandia upright, hearts pounding.
Notes:
• Elna – Female. A young apprentice mage. Her appearance is that of a child with white hair reaching her shoulders. She wears a black hooded mantle with strange patterns. Her relationship is as an apprentice to Hermine, the Great Mage. Her power involves advanced magic, including spatial teleportation. Her combat style is magical, and she is described as childish and easily provoked.
• Lona – Female. A young apprentice mage. Her appearance is that of a child with black hair reaching her shoulders. She wears a black hooded mantle with strange patterns. Her relationship is as an apprentice to Hermine, the Great Mage. Her power involves advanced magic, including spatial teleportation. Her combat style is magical, and she is described as childish and easily provoked. Elna’s sister; a black cat Beastkin who’s relatively normally developed physically compared to Elna.
• Tiet – A companion and friend of Anna. A holy knight from the royal capital. She wears light armor and carries a shield adorned with a dragon holding a sword, indicating her affiliation with the National Military Police. She is concerned about Anna’s well-being and tries to support her emotionally.
• Sylvia – The hero who accuses Klock of abandoning her in her past life. She was reborn as Anna after dying in a fire and holds a grudge against Klock.
• Rugandia – Human maid from Sand Village appearing before Croce Estate’s fire, assigned by Sylvia’s father as her loyal, diligent servant.
• Cianie – A noble girl with a fluffy white and light blue dress, indicating her high status. She has a hesitant and flustered personality but is kind and courteous. Her relationship with Klock begins as an accidental encounter and develops into a romantic interest. She has a fiancé but expresses feelings for Klock, complicating their relationship.
• Nelia – Head maid appearing in Sand Village before Croce Estate’s fall, halts Rugandia from hiring Viola, judging her unfit. Calm, strict leader. A spy for the Demon Lord’s Army, responsible for the village attack and Sylvia’s capture.
• Meina – She is a golden-haired catgirl employee of the beastman (Larana the cat woman) Inn, appeared performing fellatio, desperate and tear-streaked, with an inexperienced yet earnest approach to her work.
• Suzette – The older maid from Viscount Fennec. The head maid at the Viscount Fennec’s villa. She is confident, clear-spoken, and professional.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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