Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Seven: The Day of Departure
“Harald, Tim, thank you for helping carry my luggage.”
“No, it’s nothing…”
The day of the dungeon investigation team’s departure.
Crowds of people had gathered around the temple plaza where the dungeon entrance was located.
The Royal Knights, nobles, and high-ranking adventurers each formed their own groups and occupied the center, so Karen’s group overflowed from the plaza and spilled out onto the main street.
Incidentally, Waltride and her entourage had also spilled out onto the main street—despite being royalty. Karen was scheduled to join that group later.
In any case, it was an awkward departure.
Harald seemed to cry every night and had swollen eyes, and if she gave him potions to heal that, Harald would worry about it in turn, so Karen and Tim decided to pretend they hadn’t noticed. Still, since she was about to dive into a dangerous dungeon, Karen decided to say something final to Harald.
“Harald, cheer up. Even if you can’t make potions, I’ll keep employing you forever. And if you still want to learn how to make them, I’ll support you.”
“…Thank you, Lady Karen. You won’t abandon me, will you?”
“I don’t think Master abandoned you either.”
Worse still, Harald had almost completely vanished from Yuluyana’s field of vision. Yuluyana himself didn’t seem entirely uninterested in the fact that Harald’s alchemical power had vanished. Yet his interest and attention didn’t last long.
“Maybe elves have trouble seeing things with little magical power…”
It was like thermography—except with magical power.
After all, he had noticed when the magician Isaac once hired carried a World Tree leaf. He seemed to perceive the world not just with eyesight, but through magical power as well—so it was very likely. Perhaps Yuluyana showing even the slightest interest in Harald up until now had been the abnormal situation.
That same Yuluyana should have come to see Karen off, but being a celebrity, he was surrounded by people until his figure could no longer be seen.
“You don’t need to search for words on my behalf. I am… an ungrateful person…!”
“Ungrateful?”
“Presumptuous as I was, I greedily hoped that if I worked hard, perhaps I too could become Lord Yuluyana’s disciple…! Even though you, Lady Karen, have been so good to me, even though I should devote myself to you… I was ready to abandon that duty for my own sake, wanting to receive Lord Yuluyana’s teachings…!”
Seeing Harald cover his face, Karen gave a wry smile and gently patted his back.
It was only natural for him to have expectations, and if Harald had started producing potions from non-magical materials one after another from here, it really might have been a possible future.
“I think it’s only natural to want to switch over when you’re blessed with a bigger opportunity.”
“Like that bastard Lyos who dumped you before, Karen?”
Harald sank even deeper at Tim’s remark.
Living in the same house and working together every day, they naturally shared their personal stories with each other. Since Harald knew all of Karen’s circumstances, his face turned deathly pale.
Karen scolded Tim with "Don’t use such crude language," while her wry smile deepened as she realized that was indeed the same kind of story.
“Karen, Ms. Sara is calling for you.”
“Natalia! Got it! …Anyway, Harald, don’t worry about it too much, okay?”
“No, he should worry about that.”
“Tim?”
“Ow-ow.”
Harald was already sunk to rock bottom, so she didn’t want Tim saying things that would agitate him further. Karen lightly pulled Tim’s large ear and said that.
“Well then, I’ll be going.”
“Yeah, take care!”
“…Please take care, Lady Karen.”
After bidding farewell to the cheerful Tim and the gloomy Harald, Karen headed toward Natalia.
Natalia had also come to see Karen off.
Since Karen wasn’t the only alchemist accompanying the expedition, she could see other guild members as well.
Sara stood near the center as part of the Ehlertt household, seeing Julius off. Karen nervously weaved through the high-ranking people and approached. Julius wasn’t there. Karen looked around and, for the moment, breathed a sigh of relief.
“Lady Karen, please be careful. If I could accompany you, I would risk my life to protect you…”
“No, no, I’d rather you didn’t risk your life.”
“Ms. Karen, our house is also sending people, so please rely on us if you encounter any trouble or need supplies.”
“Thank you, Lady Alise.”
“Still, where could Julius have gone…?”
“Father, I saw him walking in that direction.”
“What is he doing…”
Karen was startled by Helfried’s words and hid behind Helfried’s shadow to conceal herself from the direction Sieg had pointed.
“Karen, you’re quite bold. Of all places to hide, you chose behind the earl’s shadow.”
“Why are you hiding? Are you hiding from Julius?”
Helfried seemed to notice Karen was hiding due to Natalia’s words. He didn’t seem to particularly think Karen’s behavior was rude, just puzzled. Just as Karen wondered if he didn’t know what had happened between her and Julius, Alise chuckled and said:
“Ms. Karen is probably embarrassed to face Julius.”
“Is it because you kissed Uncle Julius?”
“Ah, that incident. True, it’s not something to be done in public, but Karen, there’s testimony that you initiated it. Julius’s behavior may not have been entirely gentlemanly, but I judged it within acceptable bounds. Unless… did he harm you somehow?”
“So everyone knows, and now misunderstandings are spreading!?”
Though trembling with shame, Karen cleared her throat and denied Helfried’s words with a red face.
“Mr. Julius did nothing wrong. It’s just that I cannot bear the shame…”
Julius wasn’t wrong, supposedly. But she did want to confirm the intent behind him extending the kiss when she was clearly flustered and confused. However, to do such a thing, she would have to face him directly and have a conversation. In this situation, where she was too embarrassed to even meet his eyes, there was no way she could confirm the intent behind the kiss.
“I’m looking forward to the day when you truly become my sister, Sister Karen.”
“Master Sieg, do you even have an older brother?”
Karen played dumb despite fully understanding Sieg’s intent.
Sieg cutely puffed out his cheeks.
“Geez, I can’t upset you when you’re about to head into a dungeon, so I’ll let you off easy today.”
“That’s a relief.”
“When you come back, I’m going to throw a grand party. With you as the star, of course.”
“Eeeh—”
“Don’t ‘eeh’ me. Sister, you’re advancing in rank so fast that the celebrations can’t keep up at all!”
Now that she thought of it, Sieg had given her gloves to celebrate her promotion to E-rank, and the Ehlertt household had gifted her an alchemy workshop.
Behind Sieg, Helfried and Alise were also beaming.
“A celebration for your D-rank advancement, a celebration for your C-rank advancement, and a celebration for your triumphant return! We have to celebrate your climbing the ranks too!”
“Well, that certainly sounds like a lot to look forward to.”
“You should! I’ll be here preparing everything, so make sure you come back safe.”
“Understood.”
Karen nodded with a smile.
If Sieg would be waiting with a grand celebration party prepared for her return, then she absolutely had to come back safely no matter what.
No comments:
Post a Comment