Chapter 43
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: The Man Who Returned and the Woman Who Wants to Go Back
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Rike, living alone at home, was struggling hard to push away her loneliness.
After having a simple dinner with Seria in the evening, she would come back to the yard to experiment with blood magic, swing Vanitas around, or practice her breathing technique inside the house.
Whirrr-!
Thud.
The thrown scythe spun back around and naturally settled into Rike's hand.
Whoosh! Ssshh-
This sturdy weapon that cut through the air felt almost like a living creature.
It shared its own information with her and provided the basic foundation for how to wield it.
"Haa-!"
With her whole body soaked in sweat and her mana completely depleted, her body shivered slightly in the night breeze.
Rike quickly showered with hot water after entering the house, then clutched Roman's clothes to her chest and buried herself in the bed.
"Oppa..."
Two days ago, she had realized that if she lay in Roman's spot—where she herself used to sleep every day—and used his pillow, she could fall asleep comfortably.
-
She stretched as she woke up.
"Mmm-!"
It was still the very early hours of dawn, far too soon to head to the academy.
Rike got up while darkness still lingered, finished washing up, and changed into her outing clothes.
She strapped a sword to her waist for show and left the house, heading toward the commercial district next to the plaza.
Even as the former daughter of a marquis, would any ordinary imperial citizen even recognize her face?
No, most didn't have the luxury to pay attention to nobles' faces in the first place.
Rike, whose face was barely known even among nobles, felt infinitely free here.
People who might recognize her face would never set foot in a grocery store or bakery on their own two feet.
Reminding herself that she was no longer nobility, Rike was making an effort to blend in among the people.
Clink-
As she walked, her sword swayed with her steps, drawing eyes for a moment before they quickly scattered.
The first time she went out with a hood, some men had caught a glimpse of her face and thrown flirty remarks or bothered her.
But if she ignored them consistently or drew her sword and shoved it in their faces, they backed off on their own.
Realizing that covering her face had the opposite effect, she now wore comfortable clothes and showed her face openly.
This was also a spot where guards patrolled frequently, so no one had crossed the line to bother her yet.
'Smells so good...'
Rike always headed to the same first shop.
When she arrived at the familiar bakery, a warm-looking couple was bustling about.
The woman wiping trays met her eyes, and Rike bowed her head first in greeting.
The woman smiled as if Rike were a regular and returned the greeting.
"Welcome! We're still prepping, so could you wait just a moment?"
"Yes."
"You can grab the milk now. We can settle up all at once."
"...Thank you."
Rike sipped her milk while standing at the entrance, waiting for the freshly baked bread to come out.
The owner couple, now used to her, focused on their tasks without paying her much mind.
'If Oppa comes today, I wonder what he'd want to eat...'
Gazing at the loaves wafting their steamy aroma, Rike began pondering seriously.
The men led by Gruber began gathering the mutilated corpses with expressionless faces.
He picked up Liljo's face, more than half of which had been blown away, examined it from various angles, and nodded as if now certain.
"It's definitely Liljo. Thank you for your hard work."
"No trouble at all... We've roughly cleared the traps, but there might be some left."
"Appreciated. We'll be careful."
"Then I'll head back."
After the mercenary band led by Liljo finished cleanup and handed everything over to the arriving Gruber, they returned to Dobart without lingering.
The damp marshland, where feet sank with every step, was nothing but unpleasant.
-
'First things first...'
The stench coming from his body, which had been inside a swamp whale's maw, was too foul to head straight back to the capital.
He bought new shoes, underwear, and a clean set of clothes top and bottom, then rented a room at an inn to wash up.
Normally, he'd just crash at home, sprawl out sleeping, then head to the guild tavern for a drink.
But he couldn't live like a total wastrel anymore.
Shhhh-
Arms crossed under the hot water, he pondered.
What should he buy as a souvenir for Rike in Dobart?
It was a shame the city of arts didn't specialize in jewelry.
At best, paintings or sculptures...
'There must be something for travelers.'
For starters, he bought a sculpture made of the famous local chocolate.
It came with the usual tourist markup, so even the pretty chocolate shape was pricey.
But what of it? He bought whatever caught his eye.
'Once I'm back, I'll take a break from adventuring... On days off, travel with Rike and focus on unlocking the second form.'
Before, he'd obsessively prep his body for a few days then rush off to the next mission.
But why bother?
The worry that he'd get rusty without requests could be covered by practical combat for his form, he thought lightly.
His mind, taut with tension, felt a bit looser now.
-Place it in the living room to gather luck, the goddess...
-Just one silver coin! Dobart's mage will show you your future!
-A sculpture by a sculptor who'll become a master in the future, if you come now...
...
...
'Among the hidden pieces, the ones I need to hit first...'
Hidden pieces he couldn't handle properly were just shiny paperweights; he only needed ones that fit his style and tendencies.
As he mentally sorted a few, he walked the bustling streets of Dobart.
-
Bang-!
Roman, back in the capital, hurried home with steps so quick it felt like he was flying.
The academy would be in the middle of classes right now, but he couldn't help hoping maybe, just maybe, Rike would be there.
'Am I really crazy?'
He'd told Rike to attend the academy diligently, yet here he was, hoping she'd skipped.
Of course, the house was empty.
While he was gone, Rike must have taken good care of things; the furniture arrangement had shifted slightly, and there were new items he'd never seen.
The neatly folded maid outfit, probably fresh from laundry, caught his eye...
'A cookbook?'
She seemed serious; a thick notebook and writing tools sat beside it.
Rike's cooking was genuinely delicious.
It might be talent from her mother's side.
Given Rike's personality, she stuck to the basics without experimental twists, so the taste was guaranteed.
He'd give it 100 points, but she herself couldn't accept her own cooking to the point of studying it.
'So cute, so adorable~'
He slowly toured the house, taking in the big and small changes, savoring the traces Rike had left behind.
"Hm?"
He'd caught a delicious smell somewhere; on the dining table sat a focaccia topped with tomatoes.
And a memo with cute round letters scribbled on it.
[For Oppa!]
She prepared it every day when heading to the academy, not knowing when he'd return?
His mouth curved into a grin from the heartwarming feeling.
Sitting down, he tore into the focaccia and made a vow.
"I can't hold back anymore..."
Tonight, he wouldn't let Rike off easy.
Holidays weren't for lounging in bed; they should be used where needed.
That was her thinking.
Eclair Dreitna had returned to the mansion to check on her parents now that she had some rare free time.
She couldn't hide her anger at the news she heard right away.
Even as her mother spoke, she kept glancing at Eclair's expression.
"Absolutely not."
"Still... I think this is the path for Chloe."
"Did you ask her?"
"That child..."
Eclair felt a throbbing headache watching her mother omit the rest—that since Chloe had no strong opinions, she'd follow anyway.
A sudden marriage proposal for her sister, who was deep in her studies.
"At the very least, talk about it after she graduates the academy. Wasn't it Father and Mother who told her to become a knight if she hated bride lessons?"
"...Marriage talks get late if you wait that long. Do you really think Chloe wants to be a knight? Missing a key time in life over youthful rebellion is foolish."
That was something even Eclair didn't know.
She knew her sister wasn't thrilled but was making at least minimal effort on her own.
But was that effort truly from wanting to be a knight?
Was she in a position to speak for Chloe?
"..."
Seeing Eclair's uncertainty, the matriarch of House Dreitna relaxed and continued.
"If Chloe truly wanted to be a knight, she would've skipped the academy to become your squire or learn the sword directly."
"...The academy has excellent instructors too."
"Even so, their level is..."
Scrape-!
Eclair shot up from her chair and headed for the door.
"I'll discuss this directly with Chloe. Never... absolutely never force her... Since when did House Dreitna thirst for power like this?"
Bam-!
The door slammed shut with emotional force.
Eclair knew it was rude, but she cut her mother off and ended the conversation abruptly.
A bit more, and she would've exploded.
"Ha..."
Leaving the room, she closed her eyes and pressed her forehead.
The family atmosphere hadn't been like this before.
The house had grown wealthier, so why did it feel increasingly stifling?
Or was it not an illusion to begin with?
Gazing at the lavish artworks lining the corridor, a sense of emptiness filled her chest instead.
'Since when did the mansion have so many luxuries...'
Wasn't she the one sickening and crumbling the once-loyal House Dreitna?
Eclair began doubting if she'd chosen the wrong path entirely with her sword.
What if she'd joined the Swordsmanship Department and become a guild instructor or city guard?
She couldn't recall the last day she'd relaxed without imperial duties.
Among the Five Knights, excluding Eclair, the rest all served as heads of their houses, making their roles as imperial representatives almost honorary—they were hard to even see.
Volunteering for imperial work at times like this was certainly a chance to elevate the family name.
Since becoming one of the Empire's Five Knights, Eclair hadn't rested.
The rewards matching her loyalty were real; House Dreitna gained connections and power incomparable to before.
And was this the result Eclair had hoped for?
She didn't know.
'A little...'
She was tired.
Not even wearing armor, yet her neck felt constricted, suffocating her breath.
She'd grown uncomfortable in the very mansion where she'd been raised.
She'd rather go out and stay too busy to even think.