Sylvia Of The Fortress: Using Unknown Skills and Magic to Prosper an Abandoned Town Chapter 3, A Gentle Man, Taking Care Of A Little Girl

Translator: Lizz

Sylvia looked at the man who approached.

He was tall, wore glasses, and had a stooped posture. He had the air of a ‘gentle man.’

He raised one hand in greeting.

“Hey. What are you doing, little girl?”

Sylvia stared at the man with emotionless eyes, causing him to flinch.

“…I’m hungry, so I’m cooking.”

The man seemed surprised by her words.

“Cooking? —Wait, when did you put the pot over the fire? Aren’t you too fast?”

The man was surprised to see Sylvia stirring the pot.

“—Well, that’s fine. Can I have some? I’ll pay for it.”

‘Look’, he showed her a copper coin.

Sylvia stared at the coin for a while.

When the man, looking uneasy, was about to say, ‘Never mind—’

“Alright”, she replied.

‘—Yeah, this kid isn’t alright,’ the man concluded to himself.

Edward asked Sylvia, who was silently stirring the pot.

“I’m Edward, a traveling merchant. What’s your name— Wait, where are you heading? It looks like you have livestock with you— Aren’t you worried they’ll wander off?”

The man – Edward – fidgeted and looked around.

“I am Sylvia Hughes. I’m on my way to the fortress I received. The livestock listen to me, so they won’t wander off, and they’ll e when I call them, so it’s fine.”

Edward blinked several times.

“Hughes? …Isn’t that the ducal house here?”

Sylvia nodded in response to Edward’s question.

“No, no, no. It’s not ‘yeah.’ You shouldn’t joke like that. If you’re found out, you’ll be arrested.”

Edward denied in a flustered tone, and Sylvia once again directed her emotionless eyes at Edward.

“I don’t know any jokes. I am Sylvia Hughes.”

And then, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of paper.

Edward took and read it…

“‘…Seriously?”

“Seriously.”

Indeed, it was written that all the rights to the fortress and related properties were transferred to Sylvia Hughes, signed by the Lord.

Edward slowly began to realize that he might have inadvertently poked his nose into an unthinkable situation.

He initially thought he could teach the naive young lady a lesson about the world by stealing one of her livestock, but upon hearing that her destination was not the next town but a fortress, he started to feel uneasy.

After all, this young lady had traveled all the way from the Lord’s mansion, not from a nearby village.

Edward couldn’t help but look around, wondering if there were any hidden guards.

“What’s wrong?”

“N-nothing? Did you e here all by yourself, young lady?”

“Yes. I was told I was unwanted and given an unwanted fortress to live in for the rest of my life. So, I’m going to live in the fortress.”

Edward listened to Sylvia’s reply and blinked silently. Sylvia turned her attention back to the pot and continued stirring.

“It’s ready.”

Sylvia said, serving the food into a bowl she had prepared at some point and handed it to Edward.

Edward mechanically took it and sipped—

“Pffft!”

He spat it out.

“Hey! What is this!?”

“It’s food.”

“No way!? …Well, it certainly is something a little girl can cook…”

Edward trembled at the sheer lack of taste— No, the absence of flavor.

“It should be nutritious.”

“Don’t worry about nutrition, little girl! Focus on the taste! …Ah, just give it to me!”

Edward took out dried meat from his magic bag, shredded it, and began to season it with some spices and herbs.

“I can certainly eat bad food. But I’ve never had anything this bad. Maybe I’m actually good at cooking?”

Edward muttered to himself as he seasoned the food, then tasted it and nodded in approval.

“Yeah. Some adjustment and it’s edible. I guess I’m a genius after all.”

Satisfied with his work, he served it into a bowl and handed it to Sylvia.

“This is the result of focusing on taste over nutrition. Try it.”

Sylvia tilted her head, not understanding what he meant, and took a sip. Her eyes widened as she looked at Edward.

“Edward, you’re a genius.”

“Right!”

In high spirits, Edward also ate.

–While eating, Edward scanned the surroundings. Using his Heightened Sensory skill and wind magic, he searched for any hidden guards.

The result of his search revealed that there was no one – no one at all.

The only beings present were horses, cows, pigs, goats, sheep, and chickens. The livestock were leisurely grazing on grass and drinking water.

‘How did she manage to get here safely…?’, he wondered. But if she continued like this, she would definitely encounter bandits or kidnappers. No, even ordinary people would not overlook her. All the livestock would be taken, and she herself would be sold off.

But it didn’t matter. It had nothing to do with him.

Edward had deceived many people in the past. Although he had never engaged in human trafficking, he had mitted numerous acts of fraud. Despite having deceived so many people, he now found himself in a situation where he had to help a little girl, a high-ranking noble from a ducal house no less. Even though she had been cast out and made to walk alone, she was a wealthy girl who had been given a fortress, though being told to go to the fortress alone was probably synonymous with being told to die along the way. He had no obligation to help her.

But,

“–I’m planning to go to the next town, so how about I acpany you there?”

Edward said to Sylvia.