Aftermath (1)
The mana crystal resting in my palm glowed brightly, sparkling like some priceless jewel. I wondered why. It wasn’t as if I’d wiped it down with a cloth because it looked gloomy or ominous.
“Rui, you……”
“Hm?”
I turned to Selena, who sat beside me. She stared straight into my eyes, then let out a small sigh.
“We should keep this a secret.”
“Keep what?”
“That your mana crystal has been purified—no, cleaned.”
“If Seli says so, then that’s what we’ll do.”
I handed her the entire pouch containing the mana crystals without hesitation. Selena’s eyes rounded for a moment before she spoke cautiously.
“You really shouldn’t give something like this away so easily to other people.”
“I know. I’m not a child. I only gave it to you without a second thought because it’s you, Seli.”
“……”
Selena’s cheeks seemed to flush just a little. When I kept staring, she averted her gaze, and the gesture was oddly cute. She tucked the pouch into her bosom as if it were a precious treasure, then pulled it out again.
“Haa. Then just keep these two largest pieces. Whatever you decide to do with them is entirely up to you, Rui.”
Two of the biggest fragments. As I looked at the pieces Selena offered, I asked curiously, “How exactly can I use these?”
“You’ll have to figure that out yourself. Mana crystals are used for smelting, alchemy, catalysts—all sorts of things.”
“I see.”
What a fascinating item. In my previous life, mana crystals had mostly been a form of currency. Of course, a lowly soldier like me had never once gotten to hold one. Still, that was that.
“Rui! Seli! If you don’t come soon there won’t be any meat left!”
Eila shouted from where she was grilling a mountain of meat over the fire. Yeah, I couldn’t resist meat. Whether it was some unidentified goblin, a monster uproar, or a pile of mana crystals—none of that mattered right now. The smart thing was to eat well and fill my stomach first; only then could I make clear-headed decisions.
“Let’s go, Seli.”
“Yeah.”
I took Selena’s hand and headed toward the bonfire, where the savory aroma of grilling meat drifted through the air. Angelica spotted us midway and came rushing over with a shriek, but the lively atmosphere that followed seemed to leave everyone pleasantly(?) entertained.
“T-this isn’t proper, Lady Angelica…!”
“What exactly isn’t proper?!”
“Are you two interfering again…?”
“Eeeeek!”
And so the monster incident was settled, at least for the time being.
Piren Village had regained its peace. Everyone returned to their daily routines. I too spent my days training as usual, determined to become a knight—.
Thud!
“This is your share.”
“Pardon…?”
A rather heavy pouch landed squarely in front of me. I simply stared at it, almost afraid to open it. Iselina smiled with her usual gentle warmth.
“Among the mana crystals we ‘happened to acquire,’ several had remarkably high purity. We distributed compensation according to everyone’s contributions, and you’ve received an additional reward, Ruines.”
“W-what is it?”
“You captured the leader, didn’t you? The monster tamer Karlak. He was apparently a nuisance even to the kingdom. The knight order was delighted and issued a bounty in your name.”
“Ooooh…!”
A reward straight from the knight order. I couldn’t stop the grin from spreading across my face. Of course, since Hilde had helped, I’d share some of it. I still had no idea what she spent her money on, so I figured I’d buy her a mountain of delicious treats.
Let’s see—one gold coin, two, three, four……
As I counted the coins with rising excitement, Iselina suddenly asked, “Would you like to meet them?”
“Meet who?”
“The knights.”
“……!”
I froze for a second. Knights were, of course, objects of admiration. But was it really appropriate for someone like me to meet them so casually? Between the matter with Hilde and the cleaned mana crystals, there were too many suspicious details. I hesitated.
Still…
“I’d like to hear it. I want to know exactly what happened in this village.”
My voice came out heavier than I’d intended. Iselina’s smile deepened.
“They said the same thing. I imagine they feel the same way. Please, come in.”
“??”
Creak!
The office door opened. Three women stepped inside wearing light armor and capes. Knights, no doubt. In a world overflowing with the Goddesses’ whims, every last one of them was female.
"""……."""
All eyes turned to me at once. Three pairs of them. The knights looked me up and down, each apparently forming her own assessment. After quiet nods, the one who seemed highest in rank spoke.
“I am Camilla of the Central Knight Order. May we speak with you for a moment?”
“Of course, Knight-nim.”
“……”
“……?”
A strange silence settled. We’d only met eyes for a second. Camilla cleared her throat.
“Ahem. My apologies. Then, first, regarding the incident that occurred in the village……”
. . .
“I see. So you’ve trained diligently to become a knight and splendidly thwarted the monster tamer Karlak’s scheme. Hmm, hmm.”
Camilla listened to my story with surprising enthusiasm. It was almost overwhelming. She was probably trying to ease my tension. I took a sip of the tea in front of me and asked, “What do you think that goblin Karlak was after?”
“We’re still investigating within the order, but incidents like this—villages being invaded—have increased sharply. They occur in unpredictable locations, so frequently that even we struggle to respond. There is undoubtedly a mastermind behind it.”
Come to think of it, he had mentioned “that person.” Just as Camilla said, there might be a clear backer.
“It must be difficult for the knights too.”
“Not at all. Protecting the kingdom is our mission. We only lament our own shortcomings…!”
“Ooh.”
Very knightly. When I gazed at her with admiration, Camilla’s dignified face reddened slightly.
“By the way, does that mean Lady Melissa is staying in the village as well?”
“Yes. She serves as tutor to the Ribein family.”
“I see. That explains Sir Ruines’s outstanding ability.”
“?”
Everyone seemed strangely convinced. So learning swordsmanship from Melissa made it plausible for a man to cut through hordes of beasts and monsters to slay a monster tamer? Well, technically Karlak’s head had been taken off by a rampaging monster, but still.
Anyway, it appeared Melissa was regarded as a monster on par with Hilde. Thanks to that, the conversation flowed naturally without me having to mention Hilde at all.
“Sir Rui. If you’re going to become a knight, you absolutely must join the Central Knight Order!”
“The food’s great and the pay is generous.”
“Ahaha… I’ll consider it carefully.”
“There’s nothing to consider! Though the royal family might try to recruit you too… This case is rather special.”
The knight with the ponytail muttered. The short-haired knight whispered something in her ear. The black-haired knight watching them cleared her throat loudly.
“We’ll conclude the discussion here. May peace remain with the Ribein family, Sir Ruines, and Piren Village.”
“Thank you, Knight-nim.”
“Ah, we’ll prepare a carriage from our merchant guild. This way, please.”
“Chief, you really don’t need to go that far……”
Clunk!
Once everyone had left, the office was empty. Feeling drained, I collapsed onto the sofa. Still, it felt pretty good to have been praised by active knights. It meant my skills weren’t bad in their eyes. Of course, Hilde had helped with the final blow.
“Whew.”
I let out a long breath—relief, maybe. Come to think of it, what was Selena up to? Angelica, who often visited the mansion under the pretext of rivalry, was nowhere to be seen today either. The mansion was quieter than usual. As I gazed out the window, something occurred to me and I hopped off the sofa.
I had a thick pouch of money now, and I’d just remembered something I needed to do.
“Sir Ruines?”
“Ah, yes. Melissa-nim.”
But ‘coincidentally,’ Melissa caught me just as I was about to leave the mansion.
“Is your body fully recovered?”
“Perfectly. I think?”
I swung my arms around to demonstrate. Melissa smiled faintly as she watched.
“I’m glad to see you’ve improved. Ah, Lady Selena is currently out on business with the chief.”
“I see. I have something to take care of while she’s gone.”
“??”
Melissa suddenly looked at me with intense interest. Well, Selena and I had always been glued together wherever we went. Not that it had been entirely voluntary.
“Ah, Melissa-nim, if you’re not busy, would you come with me?”
“???”
It had been a while. Or maybe this was practically the first time. Melissa’s eyes widened in genuine surprise.
The flames carried countless memories. A battlefield that seemed ready to burn the world itself. Soldiers writhing in agony. And yet, through it all, the beautiful flame of a single knight shining like a beacon.
I stared blankly at the flickering fire before me, lost in recollection.
“Welcome!”
How long had I been standing there? Soon a woman emerged from inside the forge, sweat pouring down her face. The moment she saw me, she let out a startled cry.
“Hup! Ruines…!?”
“Ah, right. You’re the sister from back then, aren’t you? Your name was… Liz-noona?”
“Y-yeah. That’s me.”
At least her face was familiar. She was the one who had saved me from the bear. No wonder she looked familiar—it was the village girl who had inherited the forge.
“Ahem. Um, Ruines? What brings you here with a knight?”
“……”
Her expression was slightly worried. It made sense; the village had just gone through a major incident. Besides, anyone would be flustered seeing Melissa’s perfectly blank face.
“Ah, it’s nothing like that. I wanted to look at some real swords for actual combat.”
“Swords?”
Yes. Swords. I couldn’t keep swinging a wooden practice sword forever. Especially not in this dangerous world where monsters could appear at any moment. I had realized I needed a proper weapon—one that could truly protect me.
In that sense…
“What would you recommend, noona?”
“W-wait! Just give me a second to calm down…!”
Liz was extremely flustered. Maybe I shouldn’t have brought Melissa after all. She had looked like she might get bored alone at the mansion, and something about her expression had made me think she wanted to come along. So I had.
We waited quietly until Liz composed herself. A moment later, she clenched her fists, then brought something out from inside the forge.