This Life Might Not Be So Bad
What became of Meriel after she fled the capital, escaping the obsessive prince and Adler?
She had simply been a noble young lady who had lived a normal, sheltered life.
A delicate flower grown in a greenhouse, with almost no knowledge of the wider world.
Yet she had set off alone with the large sum she earned from selling tulips.
On the surface, that sounded incredibly reckless.
Traveling alone in the mountains with a huge amount of money and the beauty of a young woman was practically an invitation for bandits to end her life.
And indeed, on the second day of her journey, Meriel encountered bandits in the mountains.
“Hehehehehe…”
“This is total jackpot today!”
Five starving bandits circled her, swords and spears in hand.
Meriel trembled violently as she spoke.
“If… if it’s money you want, I’ll give it to you. Take it. I have a lot of money!”
Thud—clink!
She flung the money pouch from her bag at them.
The bandits’ eyes widened at the sound of coins. >p>They could sense how much gold was inside from the jingle alone.
But their real target wasn’t just the money.
Under the flickering torchlight of the dark night, Meriel’s beauty was simply overwhelming.
The bandits licked their lips as they approached her.
“Hey there, miss… I don’t think this money is gonna be enough.”
“Yeah, we’re all kinda desperate right now… Looks like we’ll need to handle this before we can send you on your way… Hehehehe.”
Swords, spears, and axes in hand, their eyes burned with genuine hunger as they drew closer.
Was she about to meet the most horrific end imaginable?
Meriel’s mind raced with flashbacks of the worst-case scenarios she could face.
At that exact moment, a calm voice echoed from the darkness.
“That’s enough, you trash.”
The bandits and Meriel turned their heads toward the clear, ringing voice.
From the shadows emerged a slender figure wearing a brown hood.
She appeared to be a wandering knight traveling the empire for training.
The bandits frowned in annoyance.
“Who the hell are you?”
“I don’t owe explanations to the likes of you.”
Clang!
The knight drew her sword.
The silver blade shone brightly even in the darkness, reflecting moonlight.
The knight glared at the bandits from beneath her hood.
“Turn back now and I’ll spare your lives. Otherwise…”
The sharp blade sliced through the moonlight.
Despite the killing intent radiating from the knight, the bandits refused to retreat.
They had learned the hard way that retreating in situations like this only led to death.
“You’re making threats as if you know how many corpses are lying at the bottom of the river?”
“Stop bluffing and leave. We’ll spare your lives.”
The bandits gripped their weapons tighter.
The knight sighed softly.
“You foolish fools…”
Whoosh!
At that moment, a green aura exploded from the knight’s sword.
The bandits, who initially thought it was mana, felt a chill run down their spines.
“W-what is this!? Could it be…!”
“Aura!?”
It was the ultimate technique of knights: Aura.
Only knights who had reached the realm of merging with their weapon could wield it.
The appearance of Aura sent a wave of dread through the bandits—they knew they were finished.
But it was already too late.
Crack! Sslash! Tearing sounds filled the air.
“Grrrrk!!”
“Krrrk!!!”
The knight’s sword unleashed waves of green energy that sliced through the darkness.
The bandits’ weak weapons could not block the strikes infused with Aura, and they were torn cleanly in half.
“R-run!!”
“It’s a knight who knows how to use Aura!!”
“It’s already too late, you trash!”
Splat! Slash! Tearing sounds echoed once more.
“Aaaah!!”
“S-save… me… grrk…”
Just five bandits fell to the knight’s blade.
The knight sheathed her sword, not a drop of blood staining it thanks to the power of Aura.
She turned to Meriel.
“Are you alright, lady?”
“Y-yes! I-I’m fine. Thank you for saving me, knight…”
Meriel offered her thanks, but her heart still raced with unease.
The events she had experienced in the capital and the east had left her terrified of men.
With her legs giving out, she collapsed to the ground.
The knight extended a hand to help her up.
“Kyaaah!!”
“A-are you really alright?”
Meriel yelped in surprise.
Realizing she had overstepped, she quickly corrected herself.
“I-I’m sorry. When a man gets close to me, I get scared…”
The knight paused briefly, then smiled lightly.
“Then there’s no need for worry.”
“Huh?”
Whoosh!
The knight removed her hood in response.
As the hood fell away, the knight’s face was revealed.
Short red hair and a beautiful, sharp jawline.
The knight… was a woman.
“I am a woman too, lady.”
Meriel, still in shock but instinctively grabbing the knight’s hand, stood up.
The knight asked, “My name is Roland Dunel. What is yours, lady?”
“I… I’m Mary. Mary Eren.”
“So you’re Miss Mary. I’m glad you’re safe. If you’re feeling up to it, may I accompany you on your journey?”
“O-of course! Thank you!”
Meriel had escaped her danger thanks to Roland.
After that, she traveled south with Roland.
The reason Meriel headed south was simple: she wanted to see the sea.
She had lived in the capital all her life and had never seen the ocean.
So when she decided to escape her palace, the first thing she craved was the sea.
It had been difficult for a woman, but with her money and Roland’s help, she safely reached the south and finally saw the ocean of her dreams.
Shhhhoooosh—splish—splish!
“Waaah…”
The ocean of her dreams was breathtaking.
The endless blue horizon was far more beautiful than stories or crystal orbs had ever shown.
The water lapping at her feet felt refreshingly cool.
Was she even meant to be born for this moment?
Meriel found herself drawn to the sea.
“Do you like the sea, Mary?”
“Y-yes… It feels like I came at just the right time, Roland.”
Roland waited for her patiently, letting her enjoy the waves.
She didn’t ask much about Roland’s past.
But she had a good idea of the situation.
In this era, it was rare for a noble young lady with a fortune to wander alone through the mountains.
She assumed there must be a deep reason behind it and refrained from prying.
“What do you plan to do now?”
“Well… I hadn’t really thought that far ahead.”
Meriel stared at the sea, lost in thought.
What should she do next? She had plenty of money, but she couldn’t wander forever.
To Meriel, Roland spoke cautiously.
“If you have nowhere else to go… there’s a bakery run by my acquaintance here.”
“A bakery?”
“Yes… my friend’s bakery. If you’re comfortable, would you like to work there?”
“……”
Roland’s words hit Meriel like a bell ringing in her head.
As a child, she had been fascinated by baking.
But as a noble young lady, she had been pressured to act more refined and eventually set aside her dream.
Roland’s suggestion reignited that forgotten passion.
“Of course, a noble lady like you wouldn’t do something like this. But…”
“I will!”
“Mary?”
“Please! Roland!”
Roland was stunned by Meriel’s eager response, but she smiled and guided her to the bakery.
Roland introduced her to her sister’s Dunel Bakery, and Meriel quickly became part of the lively household with her cheerful personality and kind nature.
Several weeks later…
“Everyone, fresh bread is here!”
“Wow! Bread!”
“I was starving!”
She became the bustling bread-shop employee pushing a large tray of loaves.
Meriel discovered, to her surprise, that she possessed a natural talent for baking and a cheerful disposition.
The people in the bakery were kind, and the view of the sea outside was breathtaking.
The customers were varied, but most treated her with warmth.
‘This kind of life might not be so bad…’
For the first time in her life, she felt the freedom and the satisfaction of earning money through honest work.
Meriel began to enjoy the simple joys of ordinary life.
A new figure’s footsteps were now headed toward her bakery.
* * *
I had expected the southern storyline to unfold gradually in this same lighthearted vein, so I headed south.
Inside the carriage heading south, Elina sat calmly, gazing at me.
Clack—clack—clack!
“……”
“……”
“Did something get on your face, young master?”
“No, just thinking your face is pretty, Elina.”
Elina was beautiful no matter how you looked at her.
The sharp-featured idol-center beauty came to mind, and that was Elina.
My words made Elina’s face flush red.
She cleared her throat awkwardly.
“It’s dangerous to gallop through the mountains at full speed, so please wait until nightfall.”
“I’m fine, though.”
“Even if you’re fine, I’m not.”
Elina maintained her composure and changed the subject.
“More importantly, young master, why are we heading south this time?”
“Ah… south…”
I hadn’t told Elina the true purpose of the southern trip yet.
I smiled and said, “Just to sell some medicine.”
“Medicine? What kind?”
The heart of this southern journey was the medicine itself.