Chapter 33
Chapter 33
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: 3 Weeks of Vacation-3
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The train began to shake much more violently than when it had departed.
The vibration felt like the train itself was complaining and grumbling as it headed toward the deep countryside.
"...Ugh... Hmm...?"
At the cranky locomotive's grumbling, Leo's head trembled, and his eyelids fluttered along with it.
Soon, the shaking grew even stronger, and his previously twitching eyelids snapped wide open.
"You're awake? Leo?"
"...Y-Yeah...?"
Leo, who had been in a hazy daze, looked at Aria with a hint of panic.
"Ah... Sorry about that. I fell asleep leaning on you."
"N-No! That's fine!! You must be tired too, Leo...!! You can lean on me anytime from now on!!"
It was a kind offer, but he couldn't possibly do that.
A knight causing trouble for his lady? No way.
"What station is this? Are we still far?"
"They said it's Davins Station now, so until Doron..."
"What? Davins?"
Upon hearing the station name, Leo quickly asked again. Startled by his urgent reaction, Aria replied in a puzzled tone.
"Yeah. Davins Station... Is there a problem...?"
Once confirmed, Leo hurriedly gathered his bag and luggage.
"We need to get off right now!"
"Huh...? Why...?"
"To get to Doron, we have to get off at Davins Station. There's no direct train to Doron at all!"
Doron was the deepest backwater in the countryside. If there weren't a few crudely built houses and structures, it wouldn't be strange to call it a forest hideaway.
Was there really something important to watch inside the train? It was a reminder of just what kind of person the Sage was.
After explaining what he'd said earlier in under two seconds, even the Sage could follow along and get off.
Thinking back to how the train had nearly departed midway, and how he'd barely grabbed the station attendant and begged, making things awkward, Leo still felt apologetic.
"We... barely made it off..."
Finally stepping onto the platform, Leo let out a sigh of relief. If they'd been even a little late, they'd have had to backtrack over three kilometers of track.
This was something neither Aria nor even the Sage could blame him for. Only Leo himself knew there was no direct station to Doron.
Was he really finding something worth patenting or copyrighting?
No matter how much mental fortitude he had from the Sage's Stone, Leo was infinitely weak to romantic dramas.
"So... which way do we go?"
Aria's eyes sparkled with excitement, her face showing the expression of a girl her age. Well, this remote countryside must be a novel sight for her, so it was natural she'd be deeply intrigued.
"No carriages. We have to walk."
Leo explained as he pointed with his index finger toward the mountain connected to the blue greenery.
"No carriages?"
Aria, following behind Leo, looked around and asked. It was countryside, but Davins Station had dozens of carriages running.
So her question wasn't all that strange.
"The roads are too rough for carriages. Even if you offer double the pay, the drivers refuse to go."
Unpaved bumpy dirt paths, scattered rocks and tree roots, plus potholes and mud pits everywhere—fixing the carriage wheels would cost more than the fare.
"Then let's head out."
Leo smiled faintly and set off toward the village. It had been a year since he'd returned to his hometown, so it was only natural.
This guy always talked like this no matter what.
He'd heard of smirking, but cackling? First time.
The village chief had stayed hale and hearty until Leo became an adult. Sure, he wasn't completely illness-free, but half the letters were about minor colds.
In his previous life, he hardly ever returned home. After Aria's fighting spirit ignited, he even cut back on grave visits.
To defeat Aria, Leo had spared no means. The only ones he avoided were things like black magic or becoming a demon.
He'd reduced parental grave visits and cut off contact with his hometown. The last time he'd visited in his previous life, the townsfolk thought he was dead.
So now, regressed, he was reflecting to erase those regrets.
Shocked by the extreme verbal assault, the Sage went completely silent.
"How much farther do we have to go? Leo?"
Aria climbed the hill without a drop of sweat, asking curiously. It probably wasn't fatigue; the repetitive scenery was likely boring her.
"The village should be around here. So..."
Rustle
The sound of bushes shaking.
Similar to wind rustling, but distinctly different timbre.
At the noise, Leo drew his sword. The stone bracelet transformed into a blade.
"Leo...!?"
Clang!
A flying dagger bounced off Leo's sword.
"Ambush...!?"
Before Aria could cry out in shock, a black shadow burst from the bushes. A body like a forest beast, a hunter covered in black fur leaped and charged.
Bang!!
Blade and claws clashed.
Not the earlier dagger, but true beast claws collided head-on with the sword.
"...A person... wolf...?"
The hunter was a human in wolf form.
"Well, if it isn't... the bastard who abandoned the village and ran off to the capital!"
It was a werewolf.
"You dare call me a bastard with that mug of yours?!"
Blocking the werewolf's onslaught, Leo shouted back.
White claws and black blade trembled, pushing and pulling repeatedly. Any more force, and one would get hurt.
Bam!!
"Get away from Leo...!"
At that moment, Aria charged in, unleashing a mighty kick. It was enough to send the black beast hunter flying into a rock.
"You okay? Le...!"
"Din, bro!!"
As Aria looked on with relief, Leo stared at his comrade—his brother figure—in horror.
"Bro...?"
Leo rushed to Din.
Werewolf Din Hounds.
He was the village watchman,
and at the same time, Leo's close brother.
"Sorry! I'm really sorry!! I kicked you without thinking...!"
"It's fine... miss... My jaw's a bit dislocated... but no other issues..."
From what Din said, it didn't sound "a bit," but Leo didn't correct him.
A werewolf's vitality would heal the bone quickly anyway.
"From your reaction... first time seeing a beastkin, miss?"
Aria had been bowing her head since earlier, sneaking glances at Din's body. His distinctly striking appearance naturally drew attention.
"...Y-Yes... Sorry."
"No worries. That's a pretty good reaction. I started the fight anyway, so no need to be so humble."
"Yeah, if anything, bro and I started it on our own."
Smack!
"Ow! Why'd you hit me?!"
Din clutched his broken jaw and smacked Leo's head.
"Reflect on it! If you'd explained ahead, would my face be like this?"
"Doesn't matter. From a distance, we look the same anyway."
Thud!
The fist came down again. Consecutive hits to the same spot made his brain rattle.
"The hell kinda excuse is that!"
Din and Leo always sparred—fists or blades—every time Leo entered the village.
Think of it as a sort of greeting ritual.
His head ringing, Leo had no room to retort. After rubbing it a few times, he regained his speech.
"Anyway, welcome to Doron. Your name was... uh..."
Aria greeted politely and demurely. Her beauty shone even brighter centered on etiquette.
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Ariasfil Reinhardt."
"Ah, right. Nice to meet you too. Aria... sil... Rein...?"
Din, about to shake hands, felt his palm drenched in sweat.
"...Reinhardt?"
His thick fur grew damp and sagged from the extreme moisture.
"...That Hero Family...?"
"...Ah, yes."
"The ones who slew the Demon King?"
Aria nodded.
"Yes, the founding hero, Ruben Reinhardt, vanquished the Demon King."
"...Oh..."
Din withdrew his hand and stepped back from Aria.
"I'M SORRYAAAAAAAH!!"
Then he bent at a 90-degree bow in apology.
About 90 degrees, 90 times at high speed. If Aria hadn't stopped him midway, they might've witnessed a 180-degree 180-bow spectacle.
A bit disappointing.
"Why didn't you say anything!? The letter clearly said knight family lady!!"
"It is a knight family."
"Is the Hero Family just some knights?!"
He had indeed written to Din and the villagers about a knight family lady, without mentioning Reinhardt or Hero Family at all.
"We could've done it right, hung banners, thrown a feast...!"
"Think you could top a Hero Family welcome?"
"...Dude, that's not the point... It's the heart that matters! The heart!"
True, but recalling the 90-degree 90-bow made Leo snicker.
"I... I'm fine. I've always found that kind of thing burdensome."
"...You're kinder than Leo. Makes sense you'd date him."
"Hey, skip the first part? I'm nice too, that's why she da—wait...?"
Something was off.
Dating? Him and Aria?
Ah, probably means they got along as friends...
"You two aren't lovers? The letter made it sound that way, so everyone in the village thinks so."
Confirming kill.
None of the letters had the word "lover," or anything similar.
"Wh-What kinda nonsense is that?!"
His breath caught in outrage, and he yelled.
"No, you wrote it like that! What're you on about?!"
"When did I?!"
Din pulled letters from his knife pouch and read excerpts aloud.
"'Someone I can entrust my life to.'"
As a worthy rival.
"'A knight worth giving everything for.'"
Because she was his liege.
"'She gave my life a new purpose!!' You wrote that!!"
...That was true, but not in that sense.
The wording had some ambiguity, but that wasn't the meaning at all!
"Aria, miss! You know that's not it! Say something to clear it up...!"
"...Heh..."
"Aria...?"
Aria's expression was strange.
"...Heehee... Hn... Heh..."
No.
Everything about it was weird.