Ch. 211
I suddenly realized I was having a great chat with Akia.
How long had it been since I’d giggled under the covers before bed? I thought of Mia and Iruze, who would bring their pillows to my room on stormy nights.
My small bed would become unbelievably cramped, and their fragrant hair would spill beneath the pillows, brushing against my fingertips.
We were definitely friends, because I would have been sad if they died.
When I reached the capital, I should write them a letter saying I was doing well. I hesitated over whether to mention that I’d be back soon.
I hadn’t yet decided whether to end my journey now that I’d found the Goblet of the Golden Star and return to Dmitri, or continue following Ash to the end of the Path of Trial.
If Ash reached out his hand, I was willing to take it. And while I was at it, I would pull him up and seat him proudly in the Crown Prince’s seat.
I would also do some light pruning to make sure my friend didn’t die at someone’s hands, even by some remote chance. And that was the problem.
Ash knew me too well, so he didn’t reach out easily.
He knew how effortlessly I killed those I considered enemies.
If we held hands, Ash’s enemies would become my enemies.
And Ash’s enemies were some of the most powerful people on the continent.
‘What’s with all the scruples? All he has to do is take my hand… Ash is such a pacifist.’
I just wanted Ash to be brave.
Kill all the annoyances and become the Crown Prince! My friend as the Crown Prince! If you can’t do it, I’ll do it for you! That’s what friends are for.
Mercy was too precious to waste on anyone but my own.
—
This trip was going far too smoothly.
For one, it was liberating and pleasant without Lox constantly nagging, and my shoulders felt lighter with the big problems behind us.
Everyone else seemed to feel the same, always in a good mood.
The only unusual thing was that Akia kept trying to get close to me. That said enough.
Extremely peaceful.
As befitting the land of peace, Heidrike, there were no monsters, and the bandits had already been wiped out by Rovenin, so there was no real threat along the way—almost to the point of boredom.
I couldn’t tell if this was an adventure or a stroll along some beautiful fairy-tale trail.
We rode in a carriage along an open road, humming songs, passing hills full of flowers, listening to strange birdsong, and reading books when we got bored.
When I grew tired of that, I wrote letters and spent peaceful hours for the first time in a long while.
After laughing and chatting with Akia about trivial things, night would fall before we knew it.
Then we would light a bonfire, gather delicious ingredients, and enjoy a hearty dinner… Yes! This was the trip I had imagined! Absolutely perfect!
“Gale, your cooking skills are amazing! How can it be this delicious?”
“You flatter me…”
“I need to learn a thing or two. What’s your secret?”
“I just learned from my mother… I’m embarrassed that you like it so much.”
The party’s atmosphere brightened noticeably thanks to Akia’s generous praise. I didn’t bother saying it was delicious. Instead, I simply ate everything and hummed.
I dedicated my song to the freshly grilled fish!
I was humming, savoring our hard-earned peace and the delicious dinner, gently tearing off the crispy skin of my fish, when a middle-aged man sitting diagonally across from me suddenly began speaking dramatically.
“Hey, you young folks over there! You look carefree, but have you heard the rumors?”
“Oh, are you talking about us?”
“Yeah! There’s a big story going around these days. No way you wouldn’t know.”
“Well, we know about Toomdra…”
“Ahem! Everyone passing through here knows about that. But this—this is something even more incredible!”
At a public rest area, parties naturally mingled.
You shared a bonfire, shared food, exchanged rumors, and warned each other of any dangers along the road.
Rest areas were places for rest—and for exchanging all kinds of information.
Right now, three groups were gathered.
“Something more amazing than Toomdra? Really?”
“Oh… what is it?”
“We’re coming from the outskirts, so rumors reach us slowly. Please tell us!”
The middle-aged man stroked his beard, enjoying the attention.
It was a rumor they would learn soon enough, but he acted like he was granting some great favor.
“Ahem, I knew it! If you’re coming from that way, of course you haven’t heard yet! It’s already spread all over the capital… Prepare yourselves!”
“What could be that shocking?”
“Well, it’s… it’s…”
He was building up suspense, waiting for everyone in the rest area to focus on him, so it seemed like something truly spectacular.
I was the only one who ignored him and kept eating, but he waited pointedly for me to pay attention before speaking.
I could feel a few people giving me looks through the crackling of the bonfire—our own party members, and the other travelers.
I had no choice but to pause and take the fish out of my mouth.
Damn it. Don’t interrupt my little happiness! What kind of idiot are you talking about that requires this level of fuss?
“Well now! Listen carefully! The rumor is… the Saintess is alive!”
“Huh?”
“…The Saintess… you mean Geenie Crowell?”
“That’s right! She came back alive from the dragon’s hands! How about that! Amazing, isn’t it? Even more amazing than Toomdra! How can anyone on the continent not know this rumor?”
“Oh my goodness…! I can’t believe it. Geenie Crowell is alive!”
Oh, that’s all? Cancel my earlier complaint about idiots.
I went back to tearing into my fish amid the commotion.
I was used to hearing stories about myself from others’ mouths by now. It seemed the rumor that I was alive was slowly spreading.
It was taking forever. Months had passed, and only now was I hearing it. Maybe word traveled slowly since I’d been wandering in remote areas.
I needed the news to reach my brothers and Bright soon. Only then would those idiots go home.
If the rumor reached even the island nation of Heidrike, it must already be widespread inland.
Probably spreading even faster with all the travelers heading to Toomdra.
“This is truly God’s blessing! As expected of the Saintess… Ah, what a touching story. I’m getting chills!”
“I can only admire her… To think we live in the same era as someone who was captured by a dragon and returned alive… Lately, everything feels extraordinary.”
“Right? These days, life feels exciting. And this information came from the Dmitri royal family! So it must be true! What do you young ones think? Huh? Why aren’t you surprised? Did you hear already?”
I kept eating and glanced around. All of our party members—except for Akia and Chad—wore awkward, stiff expressions.
The young people from other parties were exclaiming loudly, moved and full of awe.
Meanwhile, three men sat frozen, watching my reaction as though they didn’t know what to do: Ash, Enk, and Gale.
“Ah, no… This is the first time I’m hearing it…”
“Haha… ha…”
“Well… I was so surprised I didn’t know what to say…”
They were clearly struggling to act natural.
Chad, on the other hand, was eating without a care and giving a grilled fish to Akia—who couldn’t reach into the bonfire—completely oblivious, as though none of this involved us at all.
‘I understand Akia not knowing, since she joined recently. But Chad… where did he leave his brain? I didn’t even hide it that much.’
Ash had known from the start, and Enk and Gale seemed to have realized it recently.
Probably when I summoned Endairon. Maybe Lox hinted at it.
If you’re going to share information, at least give some to Chad. He doesn’t have a clue—not even the size of an ant’s butt.
“But… how did she come back alive from the dragon’s hands? Did she kill the dragon…?”
“Hey, how could one person kill a dragon? It’s impossible for a lone weak woman.”
“Weak? That’s rude! Geenie Crowell was a powerful Mage who blocked the dragon’s breath on her own! Haven’t you heard the rumors? Hundreds of nobles survived because of her…”
“I heard that, but blocking one attack is different from killing a dragon.”
Young travelers from the other group began debating whether I had killed Magi or not. The middle-aged man jumped back in proudly.
“Ahem! I heard the dragon liked her very much and that they formed a friendship transcending species! He even gave her a gift as a sign of friendship!”
“Wow… incredible. She survived a dragon and even became friends with it! She’s a living legend!”
“Oh? I heard something else. I heard the dragon fell in love with Crowell. They say Crowell is incredibly beautiful. Golden hair like the Milky Way, blue eyes bluer than a summer lake—anyone who sees her freezes from her beauty.”
Oh, they do freeze. Because I’m annoying.
A merchant who had been listening quietly chimed in. It seemed he also knew a version of the rumors.
Rumors cause more trouble than good. And they always get distorted the farther they spread. There were multiple versions now.
Magi and I in love… please. “Friendship” is already generous.
To be precise, it’s affection for a lacking creature?
It was unusual that Magi thought of me that way—and also unusual that I thought of Magi that way.
Even though Magi’s intelligence was low, he was still a dragon, so sometimes he treated me like a hamster.
I felt a few stares linger on me.
‘Yes, I have blonde hair and blue eyes. So what? Have you never seen a blonde with blue eyes before?’
There were plenty of blondes, so I wasn’t worried about being discovered because of that.
I ignored the gazes and went back to my task: choosing my third grilled fish. This required precision.
I had to pick the biggest, meatiest one with just my eyes. Hmm… I choose you!
“I heard this too. The sign of friendship she received from the dragon is a rare sword, and she presented it to the King without hesitation. Thanks to that, the King of Dmitri’s momentum is so strong these days that even the Emperor is backing down.”
“That makes sense. The Emperor was saved thanks to Crowell. Wasn’t he humiliated when he had to kneel to the dragon at the founding anniversary?”
“Humiliation… is there anyone alive who wouldn’t kneel in that situation?”
“There is now! Crowell. Can you imagine being friends with a dragon?”
“That surprises me. I thought she was more of a quiet scholar… I vaguely heard she trained all her life.”
“Then what is Crowell doing now?”
As the conversation grew livelier, questions and speculation poured in from all sides.
With so many people gathered, everyone was curious about something different, but the middle-aged man who started the whole thing acted like he knew every answer.
“She must be resting at home after everything she went through! Or maybe she’s being invited by nobles and enjoying parties every day!”
“That’s right. Her family became a Count family because of her achievements. She must be living elegantly, receiving praise everywhere she goes.”
“Exactly. She’s everyone’s hero, so she must be invited to all sorts of parties! How wonderful…”
“Well? I hope she’s resting. After everything, she must be soaking in warm bathwater, finishing with rose water, then relaxing under treasure-laden blankets sent from all over!”
None of that was true.
[Wrong! It’s a party, but the wrong kind!]
Exactly. Sorry to shatter everyone’s illusions, but the truth is! Not a fancy party hall, but a campsite in the great outdoors, eating grilled fish with plenty of meat left on the bones thanks to my excellent selection.
Just then, I felt something on my lips and wiped it with the back of my hand. Ash, sitting beside me, sighed softly and wiped it properly with a handkerchief.
It was soot. How long had it been there? Is that why everyone stared earlier?
On that peaceful night in Heidrike, the rest area buzzed all night with stories of the Saintess’s miraculous return. And the person least interested in it was me.
Because no one knew better than me that I was alive.