Chapter 120 The Beginner Adventurers and Liz’s Past
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Hmm… so you two are childhood friends.”
”Yes!”
It was the perfect time, so I chatted with Garm and his group while having lunch.
”I’m from a village called Fenrisberg in the north.”
Lotta said this, and Noriss nodded in agreement.
”Fenrisberg is in the territory of Count Leynard von Foreltun, the ‘Northern Count’.”
”Yes…”
Liz replied, looking a bit down.
(Huh? Why does she seem so hesitant?)
”I met these two at the guild in the fortress city of Mundo. They were looking for members, and they let me join.”
”I’m really thankful to Mr. Garm. He taught us ‘how to fight’ so we could take on monster hunting requests, even if they were just beginner monsters…”
”Then we heard rumors about the ‘relocation policy’ in Razia Village… and Noriss and I thought, ‘It would be great if we could move there’.”
”So, I brought them along. I heard the monster situation in the ‘Goblin Forest’ isn’t as bad as right after the Dungeon Bursts.”
For some reason, Garm was puffing out his chest with pride.
”How old are you two?”
””13!””
Both of them answered my question at the same time. They really get along well.
”Then… if you get married, you can move right away. You can marry at 12, and you get a house too.”
”That’s true, but…”
”But…?”
At Liz’s words, the two looked at each other and sighed.
”These guys want to bring their parents too. To do that, they need to complete requests and earn a stable income.”
”I see, Garm… The Count Foreltun has a bad reputation.”
I heard that since the current head, Count Reinart von Foreltun, took over, he hasn’t been doing anything good, and taxes keep going up. That’s probably why Liz seemed hesitant when talking about her hometown.
”Our families are struggling too. So we want to become proper adventurers quickly…”
”We want to support our families with our income.”
…It’s really serious…
”So, I thought I’d take care of the two ofe them until they reach rank D.”
”How arrogant. You just barely reached D yourself.”
Liz poked Garm on the forehead.
”But once they reach rank D, they can take on better monster hunting requests.”
I stood up and dusted off my dirty pants.
”Okay, I’m cheering for you, Garm. If you have any problems in Razia Village, just ask for help anytime.”
”Liz… I feel so useless…”
Garm looked up at Liz with a sad face as she stood up.
”Ms. Liz, Mr. Hiroya, we’re ready!”
”Let’s go!”
Dorothy and Martina, who had been cleaning up after lunch, called us. Aluda ran over to Lotta and handed her something.
”Okay, be careful!”
I said this and said goodbye to Garm and the others, then set off with everyone.
* * *
”Aluda, what were you handing out?”
I asked Aluda as we ran side by side.
”Oh, that? It’s called ‘Meishi,’ and it has my name and the shop’s address on it. Kazumi taught me how to make it.”
Got it, a business card.
”And since in the ‘Goblin Forest’ you often face weak monsters in groups… I recommended using a Black Bow.”
”That’s a good tip.”
Liz, who had been running next to me, agreed.
”Yeah. Noriss is a Thief, so he can find enemies quickly, which is important to reduce their numbers first. That’s Big Sister Liz’s strategy!”
Martina, who was a bit ahead, turned around.
”…They also need one more member for the vanguard role.”
Dorothy chimed in from behind.
”That’s true. Since beginner adventurers are starting to gather in Razia Village, I hope they can find good teammates.”
I nodded back at Liz.
* * *
As the sun started to set, Liz decided it was time to camp since we had finished our planned route.
”Dorothy, I want you to make a treehouse like last time.”
”Got it. What about the horses?”
”They might be scared of being up high. Should we let them roam free at night?”
In the morning, they’re smart enough to come back when called.
”There haven’t been any reports of ogres or trolls like before. Well, I guess we can at least make a dome-shaped stable under the treehouse…”
Dorothy nodded at Liz’s suggestion.
”Understood.”
* * *
”Wow, Doro-Doro’s magic is still amazing…”
Martina exclaimed in surprise.
First, Dorothy used her magic to prepare some water and made feed for the horses. Vines grew from the ground and quickly formed a dome around the 5 horses.
Then, they built a stage in the tree. This time, there were ladder-like vines, so the horses could climb up by themselves.
When we got on the stage, a big dome was already finished, and we all went inside.
”I haven’t learned the magic to create protective walls like Ms. Rena, so I can’t cover the area to control the temperature… We’ll have to use ‘Flame Stone Warmer’ inside the big dome to keep warm…”
”That’s totally fine. We don’t have to worry about goblins or wild beasts, so everyone can sleep peacefully.”
I reassured Dorothy, who looked a bit guilty. Seriously, this is really helpful!
* * *
We used the Flame Stone cooking plate to eat the dinner we prepared.
”It feels a bit lonely without Kazumi’s tea after dinner…”
Instead of the usual ‘Elf’s tea leaves’, we mixed some portable powdered tea with hot water. It’s not bad, but still…
”Yeah, Kazumi’s tea is definitely tastier.”
Liz muttered, and everyone nodded. It seemed like everyone felt the same way, not just me.
”By the way… is the ‘Northern Count’ really that bad?”
I asked Liz about something I was curious about during the day.
”Yeah──the current Count Foreltun is the worst jerk ever…”
”Big Sister Liz, do you know him?”
”…It’s an old story. I’m the child of the mistress of the captain of the Count’s guard. My family has served as the captain of the Count’s guard, the Weissmans, for generations.”
Liz took a sip of tea from her kuksa.
”…It’s a bit long, but do you want to hear it?”
Everyone seemed interested in Liz’s past, so they quietly nodded.
* * *
Liz’s mother worked as a maid for the Weissman family. There, she became the captain of the Count’s guard mistress.
The Weissman family had served the Count family for generations. They didn’t have noble status, but thanks to the Count, they were treated like knights.
When Liz was born, she was left with her grandparents while her mother continued to work for the Weissman family. Even though they were poor, it was a happy time.
When Liz turned 8, her grandparents passed away, and she was taken in by the Weissman family to prepare for a marriage alliance with the Count’s family.
For 2 years, she learned manners and education, and at ten, she was told she was engaged to the Count’s eldest son, Leynard von Foreltun, who was 15 at the time.
That night, when Leynard tried to sneak into her room, her mother saved her just in time.
Since they weren’t officially engaged yet, the previous Count scolded his son, and her mother’s rudeness was forgiven… but the head of the Weissman family was furious, and her mother was imprisoned. She soon died in prison.
The Weissman family desperately wanted to connect with the Count family through marriage, but Liz got angry after her mother’s death.
Before the wedding, Leynard came to take care of Liz, but she punched him and ran away, escaping the ‘Northern Count’ territory.
* * *
”So, I went all the way to the royal capital… and worked at an inn. I worked, saved money, and then entered an adventurer training school to become an adventurer…”
As Liz finished telling her past, she stared at the glowing Flame Stone.
”I don’t really want to use the name Weissman… When I joined the training school, Mrs. Weissman secretly became my guardian. It’s the same with the inn job. I always looked sad at the mansion, but she was a really kind person.”
Liz continues talking with a nostalgic look.
”My name, Lizelda, was given to me by my mom. It’s like the only keepsake she left me.”
Liz says this and looks at me with a smile.
”Well, since that jerk took over… you can guess how things are in the territory.”
”Big Sister Liz, you had a tough time too, huh?”
”Liz… you can cry on Aluda’s shoulder, you know?”
”…Arranged marriage, huh? I had talks about that too, but my grandfather rejected them. It’s the same as treating women like tools.”
”Come on, everyone, don’t make that face. It’s all in the past. Right now, I’m super happy to be with my beloved family.”
Liz gives her usual big smile. I promised myself I have to protect this smile.
* * *
”Well, it’s early, but… let’s get some good sleep tonight. We don’t need night watch, right?”
Liz hurriedly stands up. She probably felt a bit embarrassed for making things serious with the past talk.
”Yeah, we have to run a lot again tomorrow.”
I stand up too.
We enter the green dome and everyone crawls into their sleeping bags. Aluda’s sleeping bag is oddly close to mine, but I think it’s just my imagination.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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