Chapter 101 : Farewell (1)
Ratel, Jing, and Ria's eating spree only began to show an end at dawn.
Probably so.
Considering Ria's excited shout of 'I'll treat everyone this morning!' that rang out from downstairs right before falling asleep, probably.
When I went down to the first floor, the first thing that caught my eye was Jing lying face down on the desk, snoring.
Perhaps the victory last night felt quite good, as the beer mugs he had emptied were piled up like a mountain.
Next to catch my eye was Ria, who had frozen standing just as she was covering him with a blanket.
“Ran, are you awake?”
Ria greeted awkwardly, lowering her voice.
And with a sowhat nervous look, at that.
It is not like she is taking away a blanket that was there, but why does she have that expression while covering him?
As I narrowed my eyes at her highly suspicious appearance, Ria soon shut her eyes tight.
“Since it has co to this, Ran is the witness.”
Spitting out the words grimly, she carefully extended her fist and struck Jing's shoulder.
Ria, having grazed her fist on his shoulder with a strength weaker than a fluttering leaf, quickly backed away and checked Jing's condition.
Fortunately, Jing did not move a muscle and snored low.
Ria, having stroked her chest in relief, crept up to , who had been watching her bizarre behavior, and whispered.
“Anyway, I did hit him once, right?”
While looking back to see if she usually had enough of a grudge to want to land a blow on Jing, I belatedly recalled a promise Jing had made to her and .
-Until the Lucha Competition ends, I will grant a wish to whichever person, between Ran and Miss Ria, succeeds in attacking .
“No matter what, shouldn’t the opponent at least be conscious? Besides, the period has passed too.”
As I pointed out her petty trick, Ria mumbled.
“The competition isn’t completely finished yet, you know. As for consciousness…… Jing never set such a condition either. Still, if Jing says sothing, Ran, please take my side later.”
“Seeing that there is a later, it seems you have made up your mind to leave the village.”
“……Yes, because I have to leave for Rimis village, if only for the blessing.”
Ria thought about sothing for a mont, then soon moved her steps outside the store.
“You are going to buy what you need before leaving, right? Let’s go together. Since I will treat you to breakfast.”
I followed behind her obediently.
Because it was true that I had co out to buy necessary items before departing, just as Ria said.
Because nothing was more suitable for avoiding being ripped off at a travel destination than going with a local.
***
“Ria! Congratulations on the win!”
At the voice of the owner mister who greeted her warmly as soon as we entered the herb shop, Ria bowed her head awkwardly.
This was the fifth ti.
That Ria had received such a welco in the village.
Ria, who didn't know what to do with herself at first, had now found enough composure to answer by nodding her head, albeit awkwardly.
“Ayu, my goodness. For all the family mbers to be Lucha Competition winners, what kind of event is this! Father, Idan, and now even Ria!”
He spoke quite cheerfully and approached Ria.
Ria scratched her elbow awkwardly, as if the excessive hospitality was still uncomfortable.
I was uncomfortable too.
There is no ti, so when in the world would we listen to all the stories about Ria's father and Idan?
“When did you practice like that without anyone knowing? As expected, your older brother……”
“I need Oaks grass and peppermint.”
I cut off his chatter, which was about to get longer, and intervened.
“Yes?”
The herb shop owner, who had loaded up a round of chatter, could not accept my words imdiately and asked back.
“I said give Oaks grass and peppermint. Are my words difficult?”
“N, no. It’s not that, I was just trying to talk to Ria for a mont…….”
He, who was trailing off his sentence, reluctantly turned his body toward the storage room at my gaze staring blankly at him without a word.
“Oaks grass has a bit of a strong sll compared to its effect. If it’s for wound treatnt, even if it costs a bit more, Olive leaves are…….”
Even while feeling displeasure at for cutting off his words, he sincerely recomnded herbs to .
“Then please seal them ticulously. Divided into several packages.”
I spoke again. But he was a rchant overflowing with useless consideration.
“No, still…… It would be better to buy olive leaves instead…….”
“You do not need to worry about my nostrils, so just give it to .”
“…….”
“Quickly.”
Perhaps having read the will that I would not engage in any conversation other than what was necessary to buy and sell goods from my appearance of saying only what I had to say, the shop owner silently chopped the dried Oaks grass finely and divided it into small pouches.
Having finally handed the items, he quickly turned his body to Ria.
“Right, Ria. So…….”
However, his words could not continue to the end this ti either.
“Oaks grass for too, mister.”
Because Ria placed an order, cutting off his words just like .
“Huh?”
“Please wrap mine together with what Ran ordered quickly, mister. I am busy.”
Flustered by Ria's attitude that was rarely seen, he took the order with a bewildered expression when Ria urged him.
Even after we left the shop receiving the herb shop owner's cold gaze, Ria was caught by the villagers a few more tis.
Ria's face looked noticeably fatigued as she escaped the shopping district after shaking off the leather shop mister, who tried to force a bag made of orc leather into her hands, with my help.
Thanks to that, Ria's pace returning to the lodging was not as fast as when we went.
“I feel strange.”
“What do you an?”
I, who was replying while organizing the luggage, noticed Ria who had fallen behind before I knew it and turned around.
Ria was looking at the village shopping district that had grown a bit distant.
“For 3 years, I was anxious because I couldn't fit in there. But now that people are approaching like this, I feel strange.”
“You do not look very happy.”
“……Yes. I just feel so-so. No, it seems rather bad.”
She said while tilting her head as if she did not know her own feelings either.
“I guess you have lost affection for the village.”
Ria's eyes grew wide at my answer.
“I still like the village. It is my hotown where I was born. Before the incident 3 years ago, it was no different than the villagers having raised and my older brother.”
“And didn’t they change their attitude like flipping a palm overnight?”
I didn't know the details, but seeing today's attitude change, it seed the day 3 years ago wouldn't have been much different.
Their treatnt probably beca bad like flipping a palm overnight.
Ria neither affird nor denied my words with a bitter expression.
It seed she did not really want to talk about this topic.
I also had no desire to forcefully hear soone else's inner thoughts.
“Or then, it could be that Ria is now ready to move forward.”
“Are you saying I am ready to leave the village?”
When I changed the subject, she stopped her steps and stood next to .
I also took a step after having stopped.
“The preparation must have been done a long ti ago.”
Ria looked at with a face asking what I was talking about.
“Didn’t you always want to leave the village? That is why you were browsing travel books stopping by the bookstore run by the eccentric bookstore owner.”
While enduring insults you didn't have to hear from the eccentric owner.
“How did you know that?!”
Ria raised her voice as if screaming, her face turning red.
It seed the secret she had hidden was quite embarrassing.
“You were holding it the day we first t too. Jen Cooper’s ‘Traveler's Useful Common Sense’.”
When I ntioned the book she had torn hugely while rolling on the floor, Ria's face flushed even more red.
“Y, you saw that? Ran has really good eyesight.”
I had no intention of turning the direction of the conversation as she intended by changing the subject with out-of-the-blue praise.
“Wasn’t wanting to win the competition with Idan not simply because you wanted to leave the village, but because you wanted to go on an adventure? What are you hesitating for again in a situation where all preparations are done.”
Ria, who was making a groaning sound, opened her mouth.
“Ran seems like a person anxious to send out of the village.”
“I am indeed anxious.”
“Why?”
As I admitted it too easily, the flustered Ria asked.
“That is, of course, because I want to live together with Ria.”
“……Why do you want to leave with , of all people?”
Ria asked back with a face that she still could not understand.
She was a human with truly a lot of suspicion.
“Because Ria will certainly be helpful to us. You are strong, persistent, and also…….”
I paused for a mont and looked at her face waiting for my next words with a serious expression.
“Because you also have a an side that can attack a sleeping person. It is the best condition for an adventurer.”
I just glossed over it roughly because I couldn't say that Ratel receives a lot of help from her in the original work, but it seed Ria did not dislike this answer that much.
Seeing how the corners of her mouth went up slightly even while crumpling her face as if the wind was taken out of her sails.
“……By the ti I co back after finishing the adventure, I should try talking to Idan again.”
Ria said as if muttering.
It seed she was still thinking of returning to the village.
That is a bit troubling.
I looked at Ria's profile, which looked sowhat relieved.
Unlike the original work where she left the village for Idan, the current Ria was in a situation where the family called Idan remained.
And the option of Idan joining us is as good as gone now.
If Ria, who received the blessing, says she will return to Lucha at any ti, that was another troubleso problem.
Because I had to verify once again if the secret of the first holy object would be sothing that could hold her back.
If it really doesn't work, I would have to use her guilt again.
The conversation did not continue further.
While I was racking my brain, Ria and I had arrived in front of the small inn where Jing and Ratel would be waiting before I knew it.
Ria opened the door quickly and went in, announcing the end of the conversation.
***
Two days later in the morning, the village was noisy again with the conclusion of the Lucha Competition.
The task of sweeping, wiping, and decorating the road leading from the temple to the village exit remained.
According to tradition, we had to ride horses along the path made by the villagers.
Ria, who had never ridden a horse, succeeded in getting on the horse and walking using her innate athletic reflexes, but because her form was quite unstable, Ratel had to lead from the very front.
People standing on both sides of the procession sent cheers to us.
It was a strange procession.
Jing, who did not welco people's attention, led his horse with his robe pulled down low.
Ratel was not the owner of a personality that would wave his hand in this place, and that was the sa for .
And Ria didn't need to smile when she didn't want to smile anymore.
At the appearance of the winners who looked like they were being dragged to an execution ground, the sound of people's cheers also subsided a little.
The procession, with only the sound of applause remaining, ended up becoming solemn, unbefitting the situation.
It is rather comfortable since I don't have to put on a useless show.
While watching her constantly glancing through the crowd from behind Ria, I moved my horse slowly.
She must be looking for Idan.
Because no matter how much she detaches herself from the village, she wouldn't have wished to part without even exchanging greetings with her only family.
As long as she knows that all of it was based on affection, no matter how dirty the deeds and how ssy the obsession, it is not an easy task to throw away the one remaining root.
The relationship between Ria and Idan was too sweet to throw away, and too painful to be together.
Ria in the original work thinks of her only family several tis even during her journey.
It seems this hasn't changed in the original work or now.
“It seems Idan did not co.”
Jing, who was riding his horse next to , whispered quietly.
“I guess he did not want to confirm with his own eyes the sight of his younger sister leaving him behind.”
As I answered calmly, Jing let out a small sigh from beyond his robe.
“Still, I thought he would co to at least see her face since it might be the last ti.”
His inferiority complex might have made him unable to endure even seeing Ria's face.
Well, I don't know for sure.
Because Idan is not a character who appears directly in the original work to begin with.
The Idan I know was only the an Idan and his appearance heard through Ria's mouth in the original work.
What stopped , who was riding the horse while recalling his stubborn face, was Jing who suddenly took off his robe and raised his head.
With a hardened face, he gripped the horse's reins and increased the speed a little.
“What is it?”
“Sothing is strange.”
When I asked about his unusual expression, his gaze headed toward a direction in the crowd along with his answer.
Jing's words went ahead of .
I, who was following his gaze, also noticed the strange movent Jing had discovered a step late.
And I easily figured out who the target was that he, who was tall and bulky, was rushing toward without hesitation.
“Ria! Turn to the right!”
Jing's shout tore through the sound of people's applause and spread out.
At the sa ti, a man pushed people aside and sprang forward.
The sword held in his hand flashed.
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