Ch.224Interlude, A Story (5)

Roseline Askarlo likes to drink.

No, more precisely, she liked drinking gatherings. The alcohol-soaked voices of drunkards, meaningless laughter, and casual conversations. Roseline liked those things.

“Hahaha! Sister, today this guy!”

“Well, well, Brother Wellet, didn’t you promise not to tell that story!”

“Hey, you. What secrets are there among us Red-Eyes? If I know something, Brother Barger knows it, and if Brother Barger knows it, of course Sister Roseline should know too!”

While the youngest member of the mercenary group was wiping his face, the veterans burst into laughter and emptied their glasses, using the youngster’s story as a drinking snack. Roseline tilted her chin with a “hmm” sound, encouraging them to continue.

The youngest member’s scream of embarrassment, the louder laughter of the members—Roseline used these as her drinking snacks as she tilted her glass.

What filled her glass was cheap beer.

What was spread on the table were also cheap snacks that could be found in any restaurant.

But Roseline preferred this kind of drinking to drinking with nobles. She smiled as she watched the members tilting their glasses. They didn’t flinch or feel uncomfortable when they met her red eyes; they just drank their glasses without a care.

A mercenary group made up of only such people.

Her family that she had built.

In these drinking gatherings with them, Roseline could be something other than “Red-Eyes.” She could blend into everyday life like ordinary people. Although this had been going on for several years now, Roseline still sometimes felt this strangeness.

Because just ten years ago, she couldn’t even dream of this. When she closed her eyes, her daily life from ten years ago came to mind. The past where she was pointed at and insulted flickered in her mind.

“Hmm.”

Looking at the past with one eye half-closed and the present with the other eye wide open, Roseline exhaled deeply. Just as she was about to take what might have been her umpteenth drink.

Flinch.

Roseline’s body stiffened. She frowned as she was raising her glass.

Roseline Askarlo has good senses.

Her keen senses often read the unique flow created by the strong. And now, those senses were ringing alarm bells. Roseline put down her glass with a thud. At that moment, silence fell over the tavern.

“……”

Not everyone in the Red-Eyes had senses as keen as Roseline’s. But those who had eaten enough sword meals had enough sense to prepare for battle at their leader’s signal.

Silence descended upon the once noisy drinking gathering.

Roseline narrowed her eyes as she naturally placed her hand on her masterpiece, Echo, tied at her waist.

Tap, the sound echoed.

A footstep rang loudly from outside the tavern. As the door of the tavern opened, Roseline gasped.

‘Shit, we’re fucked.’

The one who opened the door and entered was an unidentifiable young man wearing a hat pulled down low. Roseline swallowed hard at the flow she felt from him.

He was strong. Much stronger than her.

A young man emanating an aura that should only be felt from transcendents. At the very least, there was no one in Cambria who made her feel this way. Roseline hid her bewilderment and spoke naturally.

“What brings you here? We’ve rented this place for our mercenary group today.”

Even as she spoke, Roseline remained tense. It was common knowledge that the Red-Eyes were regulars at this tavern, and it was also famous in Cambria that they rented the place every night.

If someone came knowing that, it meant they had business with her.

Coming with their face hidden like that? It wasn’t a good sign. In the worst-case scenario, she might have to fight this person… but Roseline wanted to avoid that.

‘I can’t win.’

You could add the word ‘absolutely’ in front of that. As Roseline signaled to an executive to open the back door, the young man’s hand went up. Then he took off the hat he had been wearing low.

Rustle.

The gray hair that had been pressed under the hat flowed down. And the sunset-colored eyes as well.

“This place has the best-tasting alcohol in Cambria, doesn’t it? I came to have a drink since I’m in the city after a long time.”

Najin shrugged.

After a moment of silence, Roseline finally exclaimed.

“Wow, shit!”

2.

“Hey, I really thought we were screwed. Why did you come in with your face hidden like that? Can’t you see this? My cold sweat?”

Roseline pointed to her nape, which was drenched in cold sweat, making a fuss. Actually, it wasn’t just a fuss; she had really been tense… but anyway.

“If I show my face while walking around, it gets noisy. A lot of people recognize me.”

“Ha, look at this guy. A celebrity, huh?”

“I am quite famous.”

“Annoying, but it’s true. There’s no one as famous as you on the continent. Hey, newbie!”

Roseline called the new recruit.

Then she put her arm around Najin’s neck, and with their shoulders touching, she pointed at Najin’s face to the new recruit.

“Didn’t I tell you? The rising star, the unparalleled genius, I’m drinking buddies with the Empire’s youngest free knight! I told you it was true, damn it!”

“Huh……”

The new recruit who met Najin’s eyes gasped, then saluted Najin with an awkward posture.

“I-I’m honored to meet Free Knight Najin!”

Then he took out a piece of paper from his chest and handed it to Najin with trembling hands.

“If-if it’s not too much trouble, could I ask for your autograph?”

“Of course. Your name is?”

“Doris!”

After signing the paper and handing it back, Doris looked at it as if it were some kind of holy scripture. Muttering that he was glad he joined the Red-Eyes, he returned to his seat. Watching Doris, Najin laughed in disbelief.

“I must be quite famous in this city?”

“Famous? Thanks to you, the number of new adventurers coming to Cambria has almost doubled.”

“That much?”

“That much. Your status in Cambria is about that of a living legend? Cambria’s success story, Najin! Truly great……”

Roseline, who had been exaggerating, trailed off. Then she whispered in Najin’s ear.

“…but, should I be using formal speech? Sir Najin.”

“Huh?”

“Well, Sir Najin is a free knight, right? And you’re sponsored by the Empire’s First Pillar. That means your status is at least several levels above mine……”

Roseline glanced at Najin.

“I, I’ve been speaking casually out of habit, but is that uncomfortable for you? If it’s uncomfortable, please say so. I’ll speak formally.”

Free knight—though not belonging to any specific place, if one were to rank administrative status, it would be ‘just below the Empire’s pillars.’ It meant a status where one wouldn’t need to bow their head even in front of high-flying nobles.

Equal to or one level above high nobility.

Even in ‘Cambria, the free city’ where status wasn’t much of a concern, there were still ranks. As Roseline was looking around, not knowing what to do, Najin burst into laughter.

“What should I do?”

“……”

As Roseline’s eyes wavered, Najin swirled his glass and said briefly.

“I’m joking. Be comfortable. It’s more uncomfortable if you speak formally.”

“R-right?”

Seeing Roseline stroke her chest as if relieved, Najin felt the urge to joke, ‘When I said be comfortable, you’re really being comfortable?’ but held back.

“You seem to have changed a lot since I last saw you?”

“Do I?”

“You didn’t use to speak so comfortably or laugh much. You didn’t joke much either. Didn’t you always have this stiff expression? You were almost expressionless.”

Roseline imitated Najin’s old expression.

Indeed, there was a time when he wore such an expression.

“I had a lot on my mind back then.”

“A lot?”

“I lived with this compulsion that I had to do something, had to become something. I think I was wearing a mask that didn’t suit me. This is actually more like my original personality.”

“Really? This is more fun though.”

Roseline chuckled.

“How did you change so much? Man, I was really shocked when you came in. I knew you were doing incredible things, but seeing it with my own eyes makes it real.”

Just a year ago, there was a big gap between Najin and Roseline. But now, that gap had been reversed. Roseline was feeling bewildered by Najin’s aura, which was almost approaching that of a transcendent.

“Are you already a Sword Master? Though I don’t think I’ve heard such news yet……”

“I’m still far from it. I’m just barely touching the threshold of awakening.”

“Barely? You call that ‘barely’? Haha!”

Roseline clicked her tongue at the thought that it was just like him to describe as “barely” a level that some people dedicate their entire lives to reach.

“You’re going to get stabbed somewhere for talking like that… no, who in the world could stab you in the belly?”

They would need to bring a real Sword Master to do that. As Roseline let out a hollow laugh, Najin emptied his glass and got to the point.

“Do you have some time?”

“Why wouldn’t I? Even if I didn’t, I’d have to make time. When no less than a free knight is calling.”

Najin tapped his messenger bag.

“I have a letter for you.”

“A letter? For me? From whom?”

Who would send a letter using you, a free knight, as a courier? That’s quite a luxurious and extravagant letter, Roseline was joking, but she could only fall silent at Najin’s next answer.

“From your mother.”

Roseline’s expression hardened.

3.

Leaving her members at the tavern, Roseline met with Najin alone at her residence. She liked the moderate buzz of alcohol, but there was no room for intoxication in the conversation they were about to have.

“Hoo……”

She cleared her intoxication by circulating her mana. Catching her breath, Roseline stared at Najin.

“You said you brought a letter.”

“Yes.”

“Sent by someone claiming to be my mother?”

Najin nodded, and Roseline Askarlo laughed bitterly.

“Who was this person claiming to be my mother? A magician from some magic tower? Or a demon? Maybe even a black magician.”

It wasn’t a welcoming response, nor was it a friendly one. Roseline clicked her tongue sharply.

“The word ‘mother’ might also be your euphemism. ‘Creator’ might be more fitting. Isn’t that right?”

“……”

“A letter now, of all times. How ironic. It’s been at least 40 years, hasn’t it?”

Najin silently listened to Roseline’s words.

It seemed necessary to just listen for now.

“What did that person say? That I’m a failure? Or a success? Now that I’ve made a name for myself, does she regret abandoning me? Seeing as she’s hiring someone of your caliber to send me a letter.”

Self-deprecating laughter. Or irritation.

Roseline’s reaction was perhaps natural. Though no one speaks to her like that now, until just 10 years ago, she had to live hearing all sorts of insults related to her birth.

Red eyes. Half-witch. Artificially created life. Magic tower experiment. Disgusting homunculus, and so on.

Since it’s common sense that a hybrid between a human and a witch is impossible, and the timing of Roseline’s birth doesn’t match with the fools who claimed to have made love with a witch, such insults were essentially considered the established theory.

“Hoo.”

Roseline put a cigarette in her mouth and lit it.

Taking a deep drag of smoke, Roseline pressed her forehead with her finger. She hadn’t forgotten all the incidents that had stained her childhood.

The fact that she appears normal now is not because she has overcome those wounds. It’s just that she’s buried them and gotten used to them. Some wounds remain wounds even after decades have passed.

“Disgusting bitch.”

“You are not something noble like the fruit of love. You are a disgusting homunculus, forcibly, unnaturally, artificially created against the laws of nature. Don’t raise your head.”

“It feels like my eyes will rot.”

Faced with numerous insults and discrimination, Roseline did not refute the stories thrown at her. Perhaps she couldn’t refute them. Even she herself believed that she was an artificially created life form.

Therefore, instead of refuting, Roseline chose a different path. Making it so that no one would dare insult her like that. Training herself to rise to a high position. Over decades, Roseline achieved her goal.

Cambria’s White Star adventurer.

Leader of the Red-Eyes.

She might not have reached the pinnacle of the world, but within the confines of Cambria, she had reached the pinnacle. At least, within this city, no one could disrespect Roseline. The years she had endured to reach this position flashed before her eyes.

“Ha.”

Roseline burst into a sneer.

Mockery mixed with the smoke she exhaled.

“And now, of all times?”

So.

“Go fuck yourself.”

Roseline felt nothing but irritation at this situation where the being who had created and abandoned her was now claiming to be her ‘mother.’ Chewing on the end of her cigarette, Roseline looked down at the letter.

Thud, the cigarette ash fell onto the letter.

No, it was about to fall.

Before the ash could touch the letter, Najin’s hand blocked it. Najin dusted off the ash on the back of his hand and picked up the letter.

“How about reading it once?”

“…I don’t want to.”

“Can’t you do it for my sake?”

Roseline wiped the corner of her eye.

“Fine, whatever. What sin do you have in this? Must be quite a big shot, huh? Seeing you go this far.”

Sighing, Roseline took the letter.

As if to say she would pretend to read it for his sake.

“Alright. Let’s see. Just how shameless a letter she’s written……”

Muttering thus, Roseline opened the letter.

The first sentence of the letter began like this:

To my beloved child, Roseline.

From your mother, Lena.