episode_0002

In the ruins, there were farmers and knights, indicating a medieval setting. As I looked around, I noticed the presence of magic and wizards.

So, I couldn’t help but wonder if I was born into a clichéd medieval fantasy world when I was young.

However, as I started to engage in social life, I began to notice subtle differences from the medieval fantasy world I was familiar with.

One of the most prominent differences was the knights.

When you think of knights, there are a few characteristics that come to mind.

And when you add the adjective “medieval fantasy” in front of it, it becomes easier to imagine.

Arrogant and stubborn, yet noble characters who follow a certain code of conduct.

Often used as a measure of combat prowess, reaching a high level allows them to split the sea with their sword and stand alone against an army.

Isn’t this common knowledge about medieval fantasy knights?

So one day, I asked my mentor about it.

“Master, how do you sharpen a sword?”

“What do you mean by sharpening a sword?”

“It’s the power to make the sword sharper.”

“Sharper? Then you should go to the blacksmith and sharpen it on a grindstone.”

I was once again shocked by the lack of response when I shouted out the status window.

There were clerics who sharpened the exorcism blades for those who shouted out the status window, but there were no swordmasters who could draw their swords and face an army alone.

Naturally, there was no concept of protecting oneself by wearing armor.

Out of curiosity, I asked about that as well, and my mentor sent me a look that implied, “What else do you need for protection when you have sturdy armor?”

Armor playing the role of a fantasy shield and sword.

It was a disappointing and endless reality, but I never lost hope and asked again.

“But there are knights, right?”

“Of course, there are. They respect and help the weak, uphold honesty and loyalty, preserve honor, and fight for justice without turning their backs on the enemy. Is that what you’re talking about?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Isn’t a knight supposed to embody honor, loyalty, and the romanticism of the medieval era?

Similarly, it was a fleeting fantasy that was soon shattered.

“Those things are just settings you hear in stories or songs.”

“Settings…?”

“Well, they’re things that are never upheld in reality, just settings.”

After that, I realized the harsh reality by observing knights running shops, extorting money under the guise of protection fees in the village, and collecting tolls at the crossroads.

I knew from experience what fate awaited a girl left alone without anyone to protect her in such a world.

I had been hurt too many times to believe in the kindness and goodwill of others naively.

So, without hesitation, I picked her up and rode away, avoiding the bandits who might be lurking nearby.

And after a while, the girl, who seemed hesitant to speak, finally opened her mouth.

“…Where am I going now?”

“Hmm?”

“I mean, where am I supposed to go now?”

I glanced down, examining the girl’s condition with my eyes.

There were scratches and traces of blood all over her body. The wounds left neglected in the ruins filled with ashes and corpses were far from being okay.

She needed proper treatment as soon as possible. And in this era, the function of hospitals was performed by the church.

Except for some nobles who had the opportunity for education to walk around with knowledge, there were only clerics available.

Luckily, I knew of a church that was well-versed in healing.

“To the nearest church. You need to get proper treatment there.”

If it was just a matter of wrapping a few bandages, it could be handled at the general store in the small village.

But in a medieval fantasy world like this, magic did exist.

I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes.

However, even among magic, there were things suitable for battle, and as someone who used a sword as a tool, I had encountered such magical creations many times.

“This is a sacred holy water droplet made by our church. We are giving them out for free to the knights participating in this battle, so please take one.”

“It’s the first time I’ve seen something like this, how do you use it?”

“Pull out the top and throw it, it will explode when it counts to five.”

“Holy…!”

Every time I thought about challenging magic, a short, almost non-existent string tied around my ankle.

So, I would often soothe my desire and longing for magic by watching the familiar power of destruction and the occasional bursts of magic.

And among these types of magic, there were those with healing effects. I myself had experienced such magic a few times while working as a knight.

Even with a body wounded on the battlefield, rolling in mud puddles littered with corpses, receiving healing magic would leave everyone unscathed.

This magic seemed to have a disinfecting effect, which was exactly what the girl left abandoned in the ruins needed.

The girl, who seemed to be pondering something deeply after hearing my response, opened her mouth and asked me.

“I don’t have any money.”

“I am not without a sense of responsibility to the point where I can’t handle that.”

Of course, except for some cases aimed at charity, it’s not completely free.

The girl seemed to grasp that fact at once, but in the bleak medieval fantasy world, even I shouldn’t become bleak.

And that wasn’t the only reason.

Naturally, I couldn’t raise a child. The work I did to survive was already a battle.

Safety was not guaranteed at my workplace, and such places were not good for the mental health of children.

And the church also served as an orphanage. Wasn’t I once dependent on the church in my childhood?

It would be better to have someone to take care of her. I knew from experience how difficult it was to grow up without parents.

“Do you have any family or relatives you know? If you can manage, I can bring you later.”

“No, I don’t have any…”

So, I had no choice but to leave her in the care of the church.

While corruption was rampant in other areas, the place I was heading to seemed relatively trustworthy.

As the surroundings gradually darkened, I looked up at the sky, and the sun was already hanging on the horizon.

Since it was getting dark, it seemed like I would have to spend the night here. I stopped the horse and said to the girl.

“Let’s stop here.”

“…Okay.”

We found a place where we could avoid the wind. However, we couldn’t expect a romantic situation like setting up a tent and roasting marshmallows over a campfire.

When traveling between cities, we had to keep our bodies light. We never knew when a band of thieves might jump out of the bushes.

I took out a piece of cloth resembling a blanket from the bag that was hanging on the horse.

Having done this several times before, camp preparations were quickly completed.

Before it got completely dark, I washed the girl’s dirty dagger in the cold spring water nearby.

After removing the dirt from the ashes, a much prettier face was revealed. Emerald green hair and clear blue eyes. But they were sunken low, creating a sense of unease.

Upon closer inspection, there were more scars than I had thought. They looked like scratches from sharp, protruding wood.

If I were a cleric, I might have been able to heal them instantly.

However, I had never crossed the threshold of an educational institution, so all I could do was clean the area around the girl’s wound, apply some herbal medicine like a first aid kit, and wrap a clean bandage on top.

By the time I finished treating the girl’s wound like that, the sun had completely hidden itself beyond the horizon.

The late autumn night was chilly. Even after the rain had stopped, the biting cold lingered.

It wouldn’t have mattered if I was alone, but I had a young child with me, so I lit a fire to endure the night.

There was a risk of attracting the attention of passing thieves, but it was just for one night.

I took out two hard bread rolls from my bag and handed one to the girl.

After that, I had nothing more to say, so I just stared into the fire.

The flickering flames, radiating a gentle warmth, brought back old memories. Unintentionally, I remembered the first time I went out to the battlefield. It was also burning like this.

As my mind started to wander with unnecessary thoughts, the silent girl finally spoke up.

“…Are you a knight?”

“Huh? Yeah, that’s right.”

The girl was not looking at me but at the fire.

It seemed like she was seeing something else from where I was looking at the past, and I could read complex emotions in her slightly trembling eyes. Her voice was also slightly shaky.

“What will happen to me now?”

“From now on, you’ll stay at the church. I know from personal experience when I was young, they’ll take good care of you there.”

“Is that church safe?”

“It’s a fairly large city. There shouldn’t be any big thieves raiding that church.”

If it were a small rural village, it might have been different, but in a city of a certain size, the story was different.

At least it wouldn’t collapse as desolately as the ruins from earlier.

Come to think of it, I still didn’t know her name.

I thought about asking for her full name. She seemed less reserved than before, so I felt like I could expect an answer.

“What’s your name?”

“…It’s Licia.”

“Alright, Licia. I’m Raven.”

“……”

“If we leave early tomorrow, we should arrive around lunchtime. So, get some rest.”

Licia nodded and tried to bite into the bread. More like, she attempted a few times before admitting that it was too hard to bite into and ended up softening it in her mouth.

If it were an inn, she could have soaked the bread in stew and eaten it, but how could I expect such luxuries out in the wilderness.

I took out a bit of beer from the leather flask at my waist and drank some. I couldn’t afford anything of high quality, so a bitter aftertaste lingered.

The quiet mealtime ended like that.