episode_0284

“Are you ready?”

“Yeah, just a moment… Done.”

Eve had been so excited since the day before that she hadn’t slept well. It was no surprise she was late for their meeting, but she wasn’t too rushed thanks to having packed beforehand.

The problem wasn’t that. Eve had brought out what looked like a full combat pack.

“What… is all this stuff?”

“It’s nothing. We’ll be going quite far, so I didn’t want to run short on supplies. I prepared various things.”

“It’s good that you prepared thoroughly… but isn’t it heavy?”

“…It’s fine.”

Even though she boasted, Eve’s expression darkened the moment she put the backpack on. Just looking at its size, it was as big as Eve herself. It was definitely not light.

Eventually, she surrendered before even leaving the village.

“…Carry some of it, please.”

“Ugh… I told you. It’s better to pack only the essentials.”

“…Sorry.”

“Give it here.”

The man grumbled, but he took the backpack and repacked Eve’s belongings, sharing the load. Eve secretly smiled at his casual touch. No matter how heavy the burden, it’s manageable when shared.

Her anticipation for the adventure soared to the heavens.

However, for both of them, this was their first long-term adventure. They were clueless about so much, and their journey was constantly stumbling from the start.

“Is this the right direction?”

“Look closely, the compass is pointing this way. You… don’t know even this simple thing?”

“Excuse me, Ms. Eve… you’re holding the map upside down…”

“…Huh?”

Eve had spent most of her short life as a farmer’s daughter. Although she showed innate talent for magic, she was completely hopeless in other areas.

“L-let’s rest a little.”

“Miss Eve, we haven’t even walked for two hours yet.”

“…Don’t lie. It’s already this dark…?”

“This is a dense forest. Look at the sky properly.”

Surprisingly, her stamina was also poor. The man was quite surprised because she had told him she’d herded cattle with her parents since childhood. He thought she was a monster who never tired when hunting magical beasts with magic.

Since her physical limitations were apparent from the start, the man had no choice but to temporarily halt their travel. He sat down at the base of a broken tree trunk and taught Eve a mana breathing technique to reduce the strain on her body.

“I, I think I can manage now. Thank you…”

“It’s nothing. You learn mana-related things quickly, so your training finished fast.”

“Yeah… Let’s eat now.”

It was time for dinner, so Eve took out the food she had prepared. According to what she had learned the previous day, she put the preserved food into a mess tin and started cooking. However, as expected of Eve…

“It’s, it’s burnt…!”

“It’s burnt…”

“I, I clearly remember it said to boil for 10 minutes…”

“Wasn’t your fire too strong? The height of the mess tin and the heat affect the cooking time.”

As if she finally realized something, she widened her eyes, then quickly blushed and lowered her head.

The man chuckled and looked at her. He took the mess tin, which was blackened at the bottom, scraped off the burnt parts, and transferred the untouched portion to a bowl.

“There, that should be alright now?”

“Y-yeah… I’ll be more careful next time.”

“Good. Hmm…? This is quite delicious! Try it.”

“R-really?”

At his words, Eve’s expression brightened again.

From then on, the man clearly noticed Eve’s transformation. She wasn’t good at hiding her expressions; she had been desperately concealing them. Could she smile this beautifully?

Just when it seemed their adventure was starting to have some sunshine, their troubles weren’t over yet.

Crackle-

Eve, who had scattered mana beforehand, was the first to notice the ambush. She puts down her utensils and quietly raises her mana.

The man also stood up and stood beside Eve. Soon, numerous bandits appeared in their sight.

“Hey, look over there. They’re carrying a lot of stuff, aren’t they?”

“Just two of them? We’re lucky today.”

“Wait… that woman is pretty.”

“We can get a good price selling her… and have some fun beforehand, hehehe.”

A regular for difficult adventures: the appearance of bandits. The man drew his sword with annoyance. He glances slightly to the side.

“Eve, you fire off an area-of-effect spell first. I’ll finish them off… Eve?”

“…….”

“…Are you alright?”

Memories of the past suddenly surfaced. The agonizing trauma she had desperately tried to forget resurfaced. The image of her parents, lying dead and bleeding, overlapped with the approaching bandits.

Clang-

The man’s hand shattered the illusion. He firmly grasped Eve’s trembling hand and sent warmth flowing into her soul.

“You’re not alone.”

“…Thank you.”

Eve realized it was time to finally open the door after being confined in a cramped, dark room.

She walked out, exuding a fierce chill.

“You… are bandits? What are your names?”

“Hehehe, what does it matter to you, missy?”

“Hey! You could be a little more polite. Missy, we’re not bandits, we’re the Wangjeot Adventuring Party.”

“Kuh, what bullshit are you spouting!”

“Khahahaha!”

Clack-

Even as the bandits drew their weapons and threatened her, her steps did not falter.

“You’ve killed many people and robbed them of their money and belongings, haven’t you?”

“Yeah, that’s our specialty.”

“Don’t worry. We won’t kill the missy.”

“But we will kill your boyfriend, though? If you want him to live, take off your clothes first.”

Flicker-

Eve simply walked forward with a calm expression. From the outside, her walk was very light. But the man noticed that Eve’s anger was so intense that it was almost perfectly still and serene.

“Even if I take off my clothes… you’ll still kill me, right?”

“Hehehe, that’s right! You look like you were raised well, but you’re surprisingly smart!”

“H-hey, boss… it feels a little cold—”

Hiss-

Eve’s pace had already reached the bandit leader. She stood before him, unarmed and bare.

“What… what’s this…?! Hey, everyone…”

“You won’t be able to answer. You’re not worth explaining to.”

By the time the leader realized something was wrong, it was too late. All the bandits except the leader were frozen solid by the blizzard Eve conjured.

“I… If I take them off… will you spare me…?”

“Do I need to tell you? You look like you were raised roughly… but you’re surprisingly stupid.”

“You goddamn—”

Unlike his body, which lunged towards Eve, the leader’s mind surprisingly accepted defeat quickly. However, before that thought reached his body, Eve’s blizzard froze him to his marrow.

.

.

.

“Sorry… I let a few of them escape…”

“No. Those were bandits who specialized in hiding. It’s understandable that you couldn’t find them.”

They won the battle, but lost the war. While Eve and the man focused on the fight, a few bandits had stolen their belongings. They had lost all their food, leaving only a few silver coins and a map.

“I told you it’s fine. We all share responsibility. You don’t need to look so distraught.”

“…How can you be so calm?”

“As they say, adventure comes with trials and tribulations. Our adventure has only just begun.”

“Yeah…”

The man took the dejected Eve to the next village. Having lost their food and camping gear, they couldn’t wander the forest anymore.

They arrived at the village as the sun began to set. It had a completely different atmosphere from the usual Libris. Despite magical beasts and bandits constantly lurking around the village, the villagers were leisurely enjoying a feast.

They easily accepted Eve and the man, who were strangers. Since neither of them was particularly sociable, the villagers’ sociability made them dizzy.

“Oh, are you adventurers? Come over here and have a drink!”

“Hello, we are looking for an inn—”

“Inn? I’ll show you, let’s have a drink first~”

It seemed their blood was replaced with alcohol; they constantly offered drinks and engaged in conversations, initiating with drinks before words. Eve, unable to resist the atmosphere, tossed and turned with her facial features as villagers approached her.

“Th-this is quite a boisterous village.”

“I find this quite fun. How about you?”

“I… don’t dislike it.”

The back alleys of the Empire ravaged by storms, the guild adventurers who always picked a fight, the eternally cold atmosphere of the Imperial Palace. She’d never felt this way anywhere.

Even when she was with her parents, she never knew it. She hadn’t known that when lots of people gathered together, even in cold weather, the mind and body could be warmed.

Although they only stayed one night, the memories of that village gave Eve strength for her adventure.

The two of them headed relentlessly towards the northwest of the Naifrantz Kingdom.

Their destination was the coastal village of Flandelen, located at the far end of the kingdom, across the border. Thanks to the anti-authoritarian lord, Baron Flandelen, it was said to be a remarkably free place.

The only problem was that it was quite far, but for Eve, who was trying to escape the clutches of Duke Darius, this was good news.

They climbed mountains, crossed rivers, and traversed vast plains. With the passing of time, Eve began to harbor stronger feelings for the man right beside her.

One night, beneath a starry sky, they savored the lingering echoes of each other’s voices.

“…You never asked why I suggested we embark on this adventure.”

Eve thought it was time to tell him her true feelings.