The day of leaving the Barony of Volpenbüter.
Lishe took one last look at her hometown, the land where she was born and raised.
It was an ordinary countryside view that could be found anywhere in the Empire, lacking any particular features.
To be honest… there weren’t many good memories.
—”Lishe, you’re the only young person in this village. Do you know how much we’ve cared for you since your parents left you behind?”
—”Now that you’re grown up, it’s time for you to work.”
That little village was the whole world for her.
A society comprised mainly of middle-aged and elderly folks, with only a few dozen people beyond their forties. The young had long left the village. It was a small town on the brink of collapse.
The only thing that could spark her imagination about the outside world was the tax collector who occasionally rode in from the Baron’s castle.
Seeing him dressed differently from common folk, Lishe always imagined what lay beyond the vast fields and hills.
Getting up early to fetch water, weeding the fields, tending the sheep, and gathering wood.
How many times had those simple, repetitive days passed? One midnight, a pillar of light fell from the sky.
—”What’s this? Everyone, look at this on Lishe’s palm!”
—”Oh, a lightning strike flashed, and the girl collapsed!”
—”Whatever it is, isn’t it a good thing? Surely, Lishe will be the hero who revives our village!”
Even when the sign of the Hero manifested, she had no idea what it was.
Aside from being able to wield Mana, there was no significant difference, and in fact, the attention from the villagers weighed on her more.
“Ah, please leave it to me!”
“I’ll do my best!”
With a forced smile, she tried to do her best. At least that way, the village would have peace for the day. Her only living relative, her maternal grandfather, had taught her to do so.
Eventually, the strange mark on her palm lost its significance, and on one day, more outsiders appeared to fuel Lishe’s imagination.
Two doctors from the “Medical Society.” They said they were from the imperial court and even the Inner Palace, which felt like something out of a fantasy world.
With Lars Gothberg as their attending physician, they quickly treated the villagers’ various injuries and then departed in a hurry.
“I wonder what Teacher Gothberg is like.”
While she was helping a few dozen people in this small village, there were people who aimed to make a difference across the Empire.
She thought he must be someone of a different caliber than herself.
“How old could he be? Surely he’s not my age. It’s a male name… I imagine he’d be wearing a white coat like the doctors who visited.”
After toiling in the fields all day and crawling into her small bed at night, Lishe imagined Teacher Gothberg’s face under the flickering lantern.
“…Is he handsome?”
For someone like Lishe, who had never seen anyone her age, imagining what his face might look like was no easy feat.
“…Oh?”
For some reason, a vivid image of a lanky man with messy white hair and sharp eyes popped into her mind.
Afterward, a great plague struck the village.
—”Do something, Lishe!”
—”Pray to the Goddess, please!”
—”You useless thing. I knew this would happen!”
The villagers fell one by one, and they cursed Lishe.
It was only after burying her grandfather that Lishe finally stopped the forced smile she’d been holding for so long.
There was no one left to see her anymore.
A little while later, a tax collector found her, and it was several months ago that she was confined by the Baron, who had recognized the mark of the Hero.
If Lars had not come, she might have remained locked up for another year.
Or maybe she would have been sold off to another noble, treated as a tool for negotiations.
So, she had no lingering attachments to leaving this land.
“Hero, it’s time to depart.”
Even to the light call of Gothberg, she felt free to turn her steps away.
“Have you said enough goodbyes?”
“Ah, yes, yes.”
At Lars’ question, Lishe fidgeted and bowed her head.
When she first met him, intuition had led her to recognize him immediately.
Her heart raced, her breathing grew shallow, and her lips felt dry as she had to purse them.
Rather than guessing his identity, it felt like hope answered her.
She thought it must be a kind of stubborn instinct that he should be Teacher Gothberg, but it turned out to be entirely accurate.
As Lishe left with Lars, the knights waiting for them were a cavalry unit. Over a hundred mounted knights were there, and Lishe was taken aback.
The Empire’s flag waved, their disciplined presence made it clear they were no ordinary rabble.
The Commander of the Knights approached and greeted Lars.
“Reporting in, Teacher Gothberg. I am Lindeman, Commander of the 1st Cavalry of Dengliwood. I am tasked with the security and conflict intervention within the Empire. Please assign us the escort to the Inner Palace.”
“Oh, I’ve heard much of your efforts. Thank you for your service.”
“It is an honor for us to accompany the distinguished guest from the Inner Palace.”
Watching the handshake between the two, Lishe’s shoulders tensed up.
‘Teacher, you really are impressive…’
Even standing next to Lars, Lishe felt her confidence wane.
“Please, climb aboard.”
Lars reached out from the carriage. Lishe flinched.
“Is it really okay for me to sit next to you, Teacher? I could sit elsewhere…”
“It’s easier for the cavalry to focus if there is only one escort vehicle. Besides, I need to examine the Hero. Come here.”
Lars grabbed Lishe’s wrist and pulled her in. Her body stiffened.
Thud, the door closed, and the carriage set off. This was the first time Lishe had ever been in a carriage.
“Wow!”
The sudden jolt made her gasp and lean against Lars. He securely wrapped his arm around her waist as if it were nothing.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t do it on purpose…”
“Haha, we have a long way to go, so please relax. I’m monitoring your condition.”
“Y-yes.”
“Are you hungry?”
“Ah.”
Lishe swallowed without realizing it. True, amidst all the chaos, she had forgotten about her hunger, but it was time to feel it.
“I brought something from the Baron’s castle. The food there is quite good.”
Lars pulled out a large wrapped piece from his medical bag. It was a sandwich filled with high-quality steak.
“Wow, wow… Thank you.”
Taking a bite of the sandwich Lars handed her, Lishe thought.
While she was caught up in the whirlwind of events, Lars was composed, considerate, and effortlessly took care of patients without missing a single one.
…He seems so mature.
As she stared blankly at Lars’ profile, where he was diligently writing in his notebook, he noticed her gaze and asked.
“Oh dear, is it not to your taste?”
“Gah, no! It’s delicious!”
Lishe stuffed her mouth full of the sandwich, hoping he wouldn’t hear her internal thoughts.
Meanwhile, Tanya, who was sitting across from them, observed with an intense expression.
‘Looks like the Royal Princess is in trouble.’
With her arms crossed, she maintained a serious face.
*
“During the Moonlight Palace’s international activities, we’ve found the Hero… Quite an impressive feat. It’s almost not surprising.”
After finishing his report, Lars received a lukewarm response from Acella.
“Couldn’t you praise me a little more?”
“You see, Lars,”
Acella narrowed her eyes, warning Lars.
“I don’t believe in fate.”
Though Lars didn’t understand why she would say something so random, there was a reason for Acella’s words.
She already knew through her clairvoyance the relationship between Lars and Lishe.
If left alone, Lars would likely become a member of the Hero’s party and chase after Lishe.
Thus, Acella, who was not thrilled about Lishe’s existence, wanted to maintain the political weapon of the Hero while separating him from Lars.
Unaware of her intentions, Lars focused on caring for Lishe’s health.
Realizing her duty, Lishe wanted to do her part as a Hero as soon as possible and immediately began learning swordsmanship from Tanya.
“Ugh!”
Lishe fell onto the dirt as she gasped for breath. After swinging the wooden sword over a thousand times, she had reached her limit.
“Master, have I improved a bit…?”
Tanya looked down at Lishe and spoke gently.
“You still need to nail down the basic stance. It may be tedious, but please endure for a while longer.”
“Is that so… It’s tough.”
Having been a country girl all her life, Lishe wasn’t going to master swordsmanship overnight.
While she had talent, swordsmanship was a physical discipline. Only continuous effort could yield results.
“Don’t rest just yet. We’ll finish by doing stamina training as well.”
“Hieeek.”
Even as Lishe gasped for breath, she faithfully followed Tanya’s course, never muttering words of defeat or giving up.
The training only ended after she completed three laps around the training field. Lars brought a towel and a water bottle to the exhausted Lishe.
“Great job, Hero.”
“Gah, Teacher! Did you see?!”
“Yes.”
“How long have you been watching?!”
“About two hours, I think?”
“Why?!”
“Because that’s my job. Drink slowly. It’s vitamin water with electrolytes. It will help with recovery.”
She didn’t want to show a foolish side….
And wasn’t she smelling a bit sweaty right now?
Those worries vanished quickly, however, as the water bottle he offered felt refreshing. It had a slightly fizzy and sweet flavor, far better than plain water.
“I’m glad to see you enjoy it.”
“Oh, it was really good. Vi… this!”
Seeing Lishe shake the empty water bottle, Lars chuckled lightly.
“It’s always nice to see the Hero smiling like that.”
“Ah, really…?”
“Oh dear, it’s time for my appointment with the Royal Princess. Let’s meet again.”
Leaving behind a light bow, Lars walked away.
Behind him trailed the escort knights and the physicians from Moonlight Palace.
As Lishe watched his retreating figure, she pressed her fingertips against the corners of her mouth.
“Right now… I didn’t mean to smile.”
The feeling of his touch lingered from the water bottle he had handed her.
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