Chapter 37
Chapter 37
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: First Blood
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Come to think of it, the county held quite a number of valuable items.
The elixir he found in the city to increase his mana before heading to Hivelo.
Vestla, and the remains of the giant and dragon, were found at the giant's ruins southwest of the county.
The five divine artifacts of the hero, which had been gathering dust in the family's repository.
The ancient relics discovered in the numerous ruins Julius had excavated.
Were there so many treasures in the world that simply went unfound, or was the Reinhardt county uniquely overflowing with precious items?
What was certain was that Julius had found many treasures on his estate before the regression.
Clatter—
“Ouch!”
And if he left them be, Julius would surely claim those items again this time.
Rattle—
“Hah!”
The reason Allen was in a carriage was related to that very fact.
To preemptively secure the items Julius once possessed. And to strengthen his party's combat power.
For that purpose, Allen had secretly left the mansion with only Inellia and Linbelle, even disguising themselves in a shabby carriage.
All to avoid leaving a trail.
Clatter—
“Agh… my butt…”
Linbelle, who kept shifting her posture in the uncomfortable carriage, turned her head at the feeling of a gaze from somewhere.
“Ah! Young Master?”
“What is it? Is it because this isn’t the carriage you’re used to?”
“Well… hehe.”
She nodded, smiling awkwardly.
Linbelle’s bottom ached terribly from the hard surface, so unlike the carriages she was used to. No, she *acted* like it ached.
Like a country girl, for whom hard and uncomfortable carriages had been the norm just a few months ago, surprised by a sensation she hadn't felt in a while.
The action came naturally.
‘If I don’t do at least this much…’
Because she didn’t know how to use prana.
The Young Master had said she had talent.
He had said prana was a noble power, that she could surely wield it.
Inellia sometimes disappeared somewhere, saying it was the Young Master’s order.
He had told her she could definitely use the noble power of prana.
He was even being overly considerate, telling her to take it slow.
Her mother sometimes left her post on the Young Master’s orders. Because her abilities were recognized.
‘I need to gain power.’
To never experience what happened before, she needed power. Sufficient power.
But a week passed, and then a month.
Even as she swung her sword until blisters burst on her hands.
Even after the female knight said she had nothing more to teach her.
She was nothing more than a handmaiden who knew how to swing a sword a little.
Perhaps that was why Linbelle found herself naturally acting cute.
It was an instinctive act to appeal to her own sense of worth, even if it was just like this.
“…I guess I’ve been living too comfortably. Hehe.”
In truth, it didn’t hurt that much.
She had trained enough that this level of pain was certainly bearable.
To prove her usefulness.
To prove that the kindness she received was not without merit.
Her pupils flickered darkly before returning to normal.
Finding her amusing, Allen chuckled and asked.
“There will be other times we have to ride a shabby carriage like this. What will you do then?”
“Then… I’ll have to adapt somehow, right? Hehe.”
Linbelle laughed awkwardly and tried to brush it off, but Allen’s reply was firm.
“Make sure you can adapt by next time.”
“…Hmph. Okay.”
Fidget, fidget.
Even after being chided once by Allen, she couldn't stay still, squirming and whining.
Allen gazed at the dense forest and the distant mountains visible through the carriage window, gauging the time.
‘Hmm… at this speed, it’ll take another thirty minutes.’
After his body was transformed into that of a giant, Allen felt no pain from most stimuli.
But he could understand her pain. Before his regression, he too had a weak, untrained body.
‘She hasn’t been training for long, so it must be tough.’
Allen pondered for a moment before speaking.
“Is it that uncomfortable?”
She immediately nodded her head, as if she had been waiting for him to ask.
“Yes!”
Allen let out a sigh.
His core stirred, and dozens of threads unspooled from it.
“Just this once.”
“Huh? Kyaa!”
Threads of mana connected to Linbelle’s body, lifting her into the air.
“Whoa…”
Her eyes sparkled. She carefully examined her floating body in awe.
“Hehe… Thank you, Young Master.”
“Try to endure it on your own next time.”
“Okay~”
Allen had become uncharacteristically lenient with Linbelle, a fact he himself noticed.
He couldn't tell if it was due to the guilt of having caused her death before the regression, or the responsibility he felt for bringing her in as a handmaiden.
Or perhaps.
‘Is it because her existence is a form of proof?’
It could be because she represented the hope that the future had changed, that it *could* change.
‘Whichever it is.’
He felt no need to correct his attitude.
She was his handmaiden. What was the problem with treating her specially?
“Hmm, hmm-”
Allen quietly watched her hum, then asked about something that came to mind.
“Linbelle. Has Lady Francisca not returned yet?”
“Lady Francisca… No. She hasn’t returned yet.”
Lady Francisca still hasn’t returned…
“Without any word?”
“No. Should I check again when we return to the mansion?”
“Yes, please do.”
“Yep!”
Allen needed to meet with her.
More precisely, he needed to learn more about the Chimera's Core he had gifted her.
‘But for there to be no news for over a month.’
Allen searched his past memories and consulted the black book, but disappointingly, all he could find was that she had been summoned by the Magic Tower and had left with Prindal.
‘I’d like to see her before I leave for the academy.’
She had left before the Harvest Festival, and there was still no word even after it had ended.
How long had he been lost in thought?
Knock, knock—
“Young Master, if we could stop for a moment…”
“Everyone out!”
“Fuck, get the hell out here, now!”
“…!!”
Hearing the gruff voices after Inellia’s, Allen sighed.
‘To think bandits would appear in such a deserted place.’
Or perhaps it was because it was such a place that bandits were here.
“Can’t you get out here faster? You all want to die? Bring what you have and get out!”
“Young Master?”
“Yes, let’s go.”
-Creeak
The rusty hinges groaned as the carriage door opened.
As he stepped out of the carriage, a cool autumn breeze greeted him. Looking around, he saw colorful maple leaves dyeing the world orange beneath the bare, skeletal trees.
When he looked up, a dozen shabbily dressed bandits were staring at him with sinister grins.
“Boss, boss. Isn’t this a huge score?”
“Wow… robbing a noble. Your foresight is truly amazing, boss.”
“That’s right, you bastards! I told you we should hide here!”
A dry laugh escaped Allen’s lips as he watched them celebrate as if they had already succeeded in their robbery.
“Young Master, I can handle this. Was it not perhaps unnecessary for you to come out?”
“No, it’s fine. The carriage wouldn’t have been able to go much further from here anyway, so I was about to get out.”
“In that case, I will finish this quickly…”
“I will!”
Just as Inellia was about to step forward, Linbelle shouted.
“I’ll do it.”
Inellia tried to stop her. It was too soon, she could do it herself.
“I want to show the results of my training, too.”
But her next words made the retort die in her throat.
“I’ll be following the Young Master, so I can’t avoid combat, can I? This battle will be good for gaining experience.”
Inellia knew how she usually spent her days and the feelings behind those words, so she remained silent.
Allen stared intently at her as she spoke, then gave his permission.
“Yes, it would be good for gaining experience.”
“Yes! So…”
“However.”
Allen met her gaze.
Her eyes swirled with nothing but desperation.
“You will be killing people. It’s not too late to start by killing things that are not human first. Do you still wish to do it?”
She answered without hesitation.
“Yes. I’ll do it.”
“In that case… I permit it. Show me what you’ve accomplished.”
As Linbelle stepped forward with her sword drawn, the bandits burst out laughing, mocking her.
“Little girl, why’d you come alone? Did that high-and-mighty master of yours abandon…”
Swish—
“Huh?”
It was over in an instant.
The head of the bandit at the front flew into the air. His body, gushing blood, began to topple sideways.
There was no hesitation in Linbelle’s sword strike. Just as she had been taught. Just as she had trained.
‘Minimal movement, as natural as possible.’
“Jake! How dare you…”
The sword moved.
“Kill… gurgle.”
She ignored the gruesome sensation of cutting through bone and flesh. She cleared her mind as much as possible.
‘Because this act is a good deed.’
This was not simple murder. The people before her were bandits. They must have made others shed tears of blood. Therefore, this was a just and necessary act.
“What are you all doing! Kill her!”
“This bitch!!”
Linbelle’s face turned expressionless as she began to murmur softly.
“Prana is a noble power…”
Therefore, this battle is.
Thrust—
“Gyaaaah!”
A noble act to wash away sin.
A crude axe came flying. She twisted her waist slightly to dodge it, ducking down and thrusting her sword upward at the same time.
The sword pierced through the chin and exited through the head.
“Four.”
A way to prove she was worthy of using a noble power.
“Die—!”
She stabbed the shoulder of an enemy who was approaching from the side in a low stance. She dodged the downward strike and simultaneously retreated.
Whoosh—
Her bangs fluttered.
She slit the throat of the bandit who had left himself open after a wide swing. The bandit collapsed, spewing bloody foam. Linbelle slashed the wrist of another bandit beside him who seemed frozen in fear, then quickly stabbed him in the chest.
“W-Wait, I surrender, I surren—”
Stab—
“Seven.”
What followed was nothing short of a slaughter.
With half their number killed in an instant, the remaining bandits didn’t even think of resisting and simply offered their necks.
“Hah, hah.”
“Linbelle, are you alright?”
Inellia, who had been watching with a nervous expression, rushed to Linbelle’s side the moment the fight was over.
‘It’s okay, it’s nothing. This is nothing. It’s just because I moved so suddenly.’
Linbelle desperately clenched her trembling hands, muttering to herself that it was no different from having lifted something heavy.
It was still not enough.
Without mana, without prana. This much was…
“Are you alright? Was it not too difficult?”
Allen pretended not to notice her trembling hands and asked. Because she was the one who had chosen this outcome.
He needed to respect that result as well.
“Yes.”
Linbelle forced her wavering expression into a smile, her lips curling upwards. Just like usual, the way she always looked.
“Hehe-, it was a little tough, but I think I’m okay.”
“…Is that so? Then let’s rest for a bit before we move on.”
“If it’s because of me…”
Linbelle quickly pulled away from Inellia’s embrace and started to speak, but Allen shook his head.
“I’m just going to check if there are any others nearby, so you don’t need to worry.”
“…Ah.”
He gave Inellia a look, and she mouthed ‘Ah-’ in thanks.
Allen spread his senses and took a short walk around the area.
A small voice came from behind him.
“…Thank you.”
Allen said nothing.
That was enough.