Chapter 2
Chapter 2
The Call of Fate
A group of bandits who had fallen behind wandered into the outskirts forest of Orayon, the capital of the Betelgeuse Duchy.
They captured the lumberjacks who were on patrol inspecting the state of the forest and tied them up with ropes.
The lumberjacks were sturdy men armed with axes and clubs, but these bandits were led by a trained swordsman, and in an instant all the lumberjacks were subdued.
It was a clear display of the gap between the warrior class and the laborer class.
Bound by ropes after being defeated, the lumberjacks spoke with troubled expressions.
“Hey, you bandits. We’re just poor lumberjacks. There’s nothing to squeeze out of us.”
“Haven’t you heard the rumors about the Betelgeuse Duchy? It fell when the Demon King descended.”
“The Grand Duke and the young lady even sold their mansion in the capital and came down here, barely managing to take in refugees with great difficulty, and yet you….”
What could these bandits possibly gain from capturing such poor lumberjacks?
That was what the lumberjacks were complaining about.
“Hmph. That’s exactly why we came here. I heard the Duke’s daughter often comes by to take care of the refugees.”
“If we capture the young lady, the ransom should be quite nice.”
“A naive noble girl wandering around doing charity work without knowing the ways of the world. We’ll teach her how harsh reality can be.”
The bandits had come targeting the Duke’s daughter.
If she really wandered around without proper guards, it was only natural that kidnappers would target her.
At that, the lumberjacks looked at each other.
Surprisingly, there was pity in their eyes.
They felt sympathy for the very bandits who had beaten them down.
“You’re going to regret this….”
“I think they’re the ones about to learn how harsh the world is….”
At that moment, thud… thud… heavy footsteps echoed.
“Hm? What’s that sound?”
“Is a rockslide coming down the mountain?”
The lumberjacks, however, immediately recognized it.
“That’s the sound of the young lady’s horse, Black Tyrant.”
“What? Horse hooves? Don’t be ridiculous. It sounds like a giant walking!”
Then a tree snapped and fell as if pushed over by something.
“My, Black Tyrant. Be careful. It would be troublesome if you break trees that haven’t been logged yet.”
A young woman’s voice followed.
“Ah, a young woman’s voice… like jade beads rolling on a silver tray! She must be beautiful just from her voice! Heh heh.”
Excited at the thought of kidnapping the noble lady for ransom, the bandits stepped forward.
And then…
A giant figure riding an enormous black horse appeared before them.
It was Idnia Kache Betelgeuse, the fifteen-year-old daughter of the Betelgeuse Duke.
Behind her, massive trees lay fallen along the path she had come, and even now another tree was toppling over.
That wasn’t all.
Strapped behind her saddle was the carcass of a bear.
“…….”
“W-what… is that an ogre?!”
“My god, that’s a bear on the saddle!”
“What kind of person is that….”
At that moment, Idnia noticed them.
“Hm? You’re not Uncle Tom. Who are you?”
“Milady! Those men are bandits!”
One of the bound lumberjacks shouted loudly, and the bandits were shocked.
“Wait, that’s the Duke’s daughter?!”
“Hold on, don’t lie! Where’s the beauty of the Betelgeuse family?!”
The tied-up lumberjacks nodded.
“That part’s true. Our lady is beautiful.”
“This bandit’s got a good eye for people.”
The bandits were dumbfounded.
“Are these guys all out of their minds?”
Idnia let out a deep sigh.
“Bandits who’ve drifted into such a poor land… you are pitiable as well. It doesn’t seem anyone is hurt yet, so release the hostages and leave. Your lives are precious too, aren’t they?”
The bandits were taken aback.
“What is this overwhelming confidence…?”
“Our lives are precious?”
“I really don’t want to fight her. There’s a bear on her saddle.”
“What is the boss going to do?”
Their gazes naturally turned to their leader.
The bandit leader, a fallen knight wearing solid metal armor, did not lose his fighting spirit even in this situation.
“It’s a bluff! Don’t fall for it! We outnumber her!”
“But boss….”
“I didn’t want to fight like this….”
Idnia sighed again as they continued to resist.
“Shoot!”
The bandit leader gave the order to the crossbowman positioned at the rear.
Startled, the crossbowman raised his weapon toward Idnia, but their eyes met.
Idnia’s eyes flashed, and a sharp killing intent gripped him.
The crossbow slipped from his hands and misfired.
The bolt flew off in the wrong direction.
“I don’t want to die!”
The crossbowman collapsed to the ground, trembling.
Her killing intent alone had frozen him with fear.
“If you don’t fight now, you’ll regret it later!”
The bandit leader shouted at his frightened subordinates, but as Idnia swept her gaze across them, one by one they dropped their weapons and fell to their knees.
“I can’t move!”
“My heart…!”
“This is terrifying!”
More than their leader’s threats, Idnia’s gaze and presence were far more overwhelming.
“Then I’ll do it myself!”
The bandit leader drew his sword.
The blade gleamed, worn and stained from long use.
But the moment he drew it, his eyes met Idnia’s.
“What is this… I can’t breathe….”
Her presence was not mere intimidation, but a force that overwhelmed others.
He had heard of such things, but never experienced it.
Still, he couldn’t back down.
With a shout, he forced himself forward.
“Oh… impressive. To resist this. You must have some skill.”
Idnia seemed genuinely impressed.
“I’ll take you down!”
“An amusing joke. I had hoped not to use force against people, but it seems I have no choice.”
From atop her horse, Idnia clenched her fist.
In that instant, a powerful force surged forward.
The bandit leader swung his sword reflexively.
The blade snapped and flew into the air.
“Not bad. It would be a waste for you to remain a bandit, so I’ll spare you.”
The bandit leader felt his legs give out as he saw Idnia’s fist already in front of him.
“There’s no need to be so afraid.”
Smiling, Idnia lightly tapped his forehead.
He collapsed immediately.
Idnia rescued the lumberjacks, tied up the bandits, and brought them back to the village.
Seeing her, Aunt Augusta ran out, wailing.
“Idnia! You again! Roaming around looking like that! You threw away your engagement with the Crown Prince, and now you wander around like this—what decent marriage prospect will come your way?!”
“Aunt Augusta, what brings you all the way to the village entrance?”
“The Archbishop is calling for you. He says he’ll recommend you as a saintess candidate!”
“What? Me, a saintess candidate?”
Idnia doubted her ears.
“Yes. It’s a chance to return to the imperial capital!
Why not meet His Highness again and say the annulment was just a childish mistake? Perhaps you could reverse it?”
She looked Idnia up and down.
“I see now why this great ancestral technique isn’t passed down to girls. But it’s fine, Idnia. You can suppress it, right? Use that and try to undo the annulment.”
Even seeing Idnia as she was, her aunt did not give up.
“Undo the annulment? Is that even possible?”
“Then are you saying I have to live in this rural place forever?”
“But this is your hometown, Aunt. And where is Father?”
“He’s with the Bishop. Go to the church. And don’t tell me you’re going to meet him looking like that.”
“I understand.”
Idnia steadied her breathing and carefully restrained her aura.
As it settled, the appearance of a beautiful blonde girl with blue eyes emerged.
“Yes, that’s it! Can’t you always look like that?!”
“I’m still not used to it. It feels uncomfortable.”
“You’ve never been fat in your life.”
“Then let’s call it a memory from my past life.”
“Honestly. Anyway, please fix your past mistake this time.”
“My past mistake… how meaningful.”
The ruined Betelgeuse church had yet to be rebuilt and remained in near ruin.
The palace and castle were completely destroyed, and even now parts of the old capital remained unstable, with monsters occasionally appearing.
In what was essentially a makeshift shelter, the Archbishop of Betelgeuse and the one-armed Duke were speaking.
“Oh, you’ve come, Idnia.”
“Father. Archbishop, I heard you called for me.”
“Yes, welcome.”
“Lady Idnia of the Betelgeuse house. Recently, I received a divine oracle.”
“An oracle?”
“Yes. You must go to Dunaise Academy as a saintess candidate.”
“What?”
Idnia once again doubted her ears.
“It has been sixteen years since the Demon King was defeated and peace returned. However, that peace is ending, and soon a new threat will appear.
To prevent that future, you must go to Dunaise Academy as a saintess candidate and graduate through your own abilities.
That was the oracle.”
“That’s… oddly specific.”
“And while reporting your recent achievements, I recommended you as a candidate.”
“That’s… a problem.”
Idnia looked troubled.
In the original story, Idnia was a villainess.
After her father’s death, she was left with a fallen house and her engagement to the Crown Prince.
To protect that engagement, she used extreme methods.
She expanded her influence and committed many questionable acts.
She even cooperated with dangerous forces, becoming deeply entangled in their schemes.
Then appeared the saintess Astraea.
The Crown Prince gradually became drawn to the saintess, and Idnia, consumed by anger, acted against her.
Eventually, a shocking secret was revealed.
Idnia was not who she believed herself to be.
At the same time, her actions were exposed, and she lost everything.
In despair, she transformed and was ultimately defeated.
That was the main story of Season 1 of Awakening Girl Concert.
‘I thought I avoided the destruction flag by breaking off the engagement… so why am I being sent to the academy now? Is this fate? Is fate calling me?’
The current Idnia was completely different from the original.
And yet, she could feel something pushing her forward.
Was this fate calling her?