Episode 113: The Adventurer

At the same time Siegfried and Garfilia were exchanging words in the castle.

The Eastern Army, having entered the Pastrier Fortress City, was buzzing with the lingering thrill of victory.

“Incredible… we won again!”

“Well, who would’ve thought we’d have His Highness, First Prince Garfilia, on our side…”

Such a conversation was shared between Robert, a young soldier, and Douglas, a middle-aged knight.

After a burst of joyful words, Douglas’s face turned grim.

“Still, for a worrywart old man like me… I’m feeling a bit uneasy.”

“Uneasy… you say?”

“Think about it. When we first joined the Eastern Army, Count Kreving was just leading a few hundred men. In no time at all, he took command of fifteen thousand troops and even defeated the enemy’s second prince.”

“Yeah, with this achievement, Count Kreving will surely be rewarded by His Majesty King Luverios. He’ll probably get more land… maybe even a marquis title! That’s amazing…!”

After saying this much, Robert tilted his head and asked.

“…But why does that make you uneasy?”

“Rising through the ranks isn’t always a bed of roses… that’s what I mean. The higher you climb, the more feats you accomplish, the easier it is to get tangled up in trouble. The world’s a messy place, after all. I wonder what’ll happen next…”

A man passing by overheard their conversation.

A tall youth with tanned skin—Leon.

“…That’s not it.”

He muttered to himself, as if speaking to no one in particular.

“That guy doesn’t get caught in trouble. He’s the type to charge straight into the heart of it.”

 

◇

 

Following the meeting between Garfilia and Siegfried, the path forward for the Eastern Army was set.

Siegfried would lead a select group of ten subordinates to the Serodonia capital, San Serodia.

The rest of the soldiers were to return to the Eastern Army’s encampment.

Once the plan was decided, the Eastern Army was granted a night’s rest in the Pastrier Fortress City.

Siegfried, too, took up temporary lodging in a room of a building once used as an administrative office, passing the time until departure.

That night.

Knock knock

The door to his bedroom was lightly tapped.

“It’s me.”

The familiar voice of one of his subordinates came from beyond the door.

“Come in.”

At those words, a girl entered the room, her lithe frame reminiscent of a beast, with wolf ears, gray hair, and matching eyes. It was Fen.

Siegfried, seated in a chair, glanced at her and gave a faint smile.

“What’s this? Come to take my head?”

“Huh? N-No way that’s why I’m here!”

“Is that so? Pity. Being targeted by my own subordinate would have a certain villainous charm.”

“…You’re saying weird stuff again. Look, I’m a wolf beastman, okay? And wolves don’t bite at someone overwhelmingly stronger than them.”

Fen knew her own strength. In the Eastern Army, only a handful could match her in a straight fight.

Beatrice and Leon were her equals, or perhaps even stronger. Dominik might be able to hold his own… maybe.

But the man before her—Siegfried—was in a league of his own. If she tried to take his life, she’d be cut down in an instant.

(Not to mention, I don’t even have a reason to kill him.)

At first, she’d been ready to bare her fangs if he treated her gray wolf kin poorly.

But now, thanks to him, her comrades were living comfortably.

She no longer had any reason to oppose Siegfried.

“I came to tell you about a visitor. One of the adventurers escorting the food transport wants to meet you. She’s kinda cute, by the way.”

“I see.”

Siegfried’s reply was curt. Unless it involved villainy or something deeply tied to his role as one, his attitude was always like this.

“Same old, same old, huh? So, uh… I’ve been meaning to ask for a while, but… are you, like, not interested in marriage or stuff like that?”

“Hmm. I do think it’d be nice if a marriage proposal came my way.”

“W-What… really?”

To Fen, Siegfried’s answer was unexpected. She’d assumed he’d say something like, “Marriage is unnecessary for me.”

“But I’m not interested in marriage itself.”

“Oh… you mean a political marriage, right?”

“No.”

Siegfried shook his head.

“My aim isn’t a political marriage. It’s what comes after. Or perhaps… what comes before?”

“After? Before? What are you even talking about…?”

“What’s that? So curious about my marriage plans?”

“N-No, not really…!”

“Then this idle chatter is over. Show the visitor in.”

“G-Got it…!”

Fen puffed out her cheeks and quickly left the room.

 

◇

 

Martina Hyatt. Amber hair, amber eyes. At first glance, she looked like a charming village girl—but she was a bona fide adventurer.

And not just any adventurer—she was B-rank, a top-tier professional respected by those around her.

Guided by the beastman girl named Fen, she was heading toward a certain person’s room.

(Count Kreving… what kind of person is he? Some say he’s a beloved lord, while others whisper he’s cold-blooded and terrifying…)

Feeling a slight unease, she made her way through the building toward Siegfried’s room.

(But no matter what kind of person he is… I have to thank him properly.)

Her mind drifted back to an event from about a month ago.

At that time, she’d been in one of the worst predicaments of her life—her second-worst, to be precise.

To conquer a labyrinth dungeon she’d discovered, she’d gathered a large group of adventurers and formed a massive party.

But when they ventured into the labyrinth dungeon, they found nothing left.

Not only were there no monsters, but even the magical ores inside had been completely mined out.

“What’s going on here, Martina!?”

“We heard there’d be treasure, but there’s nothing!”

“We don’t exactly have endless funds or time, you know. We could’ve been taking local quests instead of this…!”

The adventurers’ complaints were understandable.

They’d traveled far to this place because they’d heard there was profit to be made in conquering the labyrinth dungeon.

The Kirchhen Kingdom had few monsters worth hunting and even fewer dungeons worth exploring.

It wasn’t an appealing place for adventurers.

To come all this way and gain nothing—naturally, they were furious.

Martina faced the risk of having her adventurer rank demoted for causing losses to so many others… or worse, being expelled from the Adventurers’ Guild entirely.

(No way… is my adventuring career going to end like this!?)

In the depths of her despair, a request came through the Adventurers’ Guild from Count Kreving—a mission to escort a food transport.

Martina decided to take on the job, along with the adventurers she’d brought with her.

The request from Count Kreving came with an exceptionally generous reward.

As a result, the trip to the Kirchhen Kingdom turned out to be highly profitable for them.

And so, the anger directed at Martina naturally subsided.

(In the end, Count Kreving’s request saved me from that crisis… I need to meet him and thank him properly.)

After all, he was the one who’d saved her from the second-worst crisis of her life.

As for the one who’d saved her from her greatest crisis? That, of course, was the silver-haired, handsome man who’d (or so she believed) rescued her from a hopeless situation in the labyrinth dungeon.

“This is Sieg—er, I mean, Count Kreving’s room.”

Fen, her guide, stopped in front of the door. After a light knock, she opened it.

“Excuse me!”

Martina stepped inside, her face tense with nerves.

“My name is Martina Hyatt! I came here today because I absolutely wanted to thank you in person!”

After bowing, Martina raised her head. And the moment her eyes locked onto the person in front of her—

“H-Huh!?”

She let out a startled yelp and stumbled backward.

(N-No way!? Count Kreving is… that…!)

Standing there was the very person she’d been longing to reunite with.

“Th-The silver-haired hottie…!”