Chapter 148 - When You Take a Step Forward

By the time the affairs within the territory had been settled to some extent, Ferda contacted Count Consilus for the first time in a while.

"How are things in your territory, Count?"

"Other than the funerals, there hasn't really been anything to deal with."

While the Grand Duchess Valdrova's territory had held a grand banquet to celebrate the victors, Count Consilus's territory held only a modest reception after a joint funeral.

Most of the casualties had come from the Far East Alliance. Although the number of deaths was low compared to the size of the army, death was still death.

"I'll contribute additional compensation for the bereaved families."

"There's no need. It's something we can still manage within our own finances..."

"Don't refuse. Make sure it reaches the families of the fallen."

"If you insist, then I shall gratefully accept. I'll make certain every bereaved family receives it without exception."

The reason Ferda was being so generous was because he understood his own position.

No matter how high Ferda stood in the Far East, he could never become its spiritual center.

Consilus, the eldest among them and the one who had protected this land for so long, was the true pillar of the people's hearts. If Ferda was going to support him, he had to do it properly.

"Come to think of it, I heard that someone else took care of that colossal monster I had planned to eliminate."

"That's right. He stood alone on the battlefield, slaughtered countless monsters, and ultimately killed the colossal one as well."

At the time, Ferda had only received a simple report saying that one person had defeated everything alone, so he hadn't learned the details.

This seemed like a good opportunity to ask.

"Was he a Mage?"

"No. He was a Knight."

"A Knight defeated a colossal monster alone?"

It was a situation that was hard to believe.

"Is he skilled with magic?"

"Not at all. We asked the mages, and they said he couldn't even use magic—nor even Aura."

He couldn't even use Aura, yet he was that strong.

That made the identity of the armored knight who had reduced the wolf monsters to pulp seem increasingly certain.

"I believe he may be the same knight you mentioned before."

"The knight I was searching for..."

"You once said you were looking for someone wearing armor so imposing it could take your breath away."

He remembered.

'The Moving Fortress, Alberdo.'

That was how he had described him.

Of course, Ferda had never expected to actually find him.

The man was a free-spirited Wandering Knight, someone who devoted himself solely to hunting monsters.

"When we asked him what he wanted to do with the credit for this achievement, he pointed toward the territory of Grand Duchess Valdrova."

"So he intends to hand the credit over to me?"

"I believe so. After saying that, he left alone. I should have informed you yesterday, but..."

"You've told me now, and that's enough. Don't worry about it."

Ferda didn't mind in the slightest.

If the very person he had been searching for was coming to him willingly, why would he refuse?

"When do you think he'll arrive?"

"Judging by his walking pace, I believe he'll reach you sometime tomorrow morning."

Tomorrow morning...

Even without riding a horse, the man would continue walking without rest, meaning his actual traveling speed would be comparable to horseback.

Ferda simply waited for his arrival.

***

Around the time stability had returned to Hestia Territory,

Valdrova put on her armor and stepped outside for the first time in a long while.

The last time she had visited Hanson, she had told him she was returning to her hometown.

So now she had to pretend to be someone who had just come back from home.

I've been away for far too long.

A wave of guilt washed over her.

In reality, she had been standing guard atop the Lonely Mountain.

But from the perspective of this armored identity, she had gone home and never returned.

The fact that she hadn't been there when everyone needed her weighed heavily on her heart.

Will people hate me because I wasn't here?

Why weren't you here when we needed you?

Do you know how many people suffered because of you?

Carrying those fears with her, she cautiously approached the walls surrounding Hestia Village.

The walls had been completed during her absence, and guards now stood watch at the gate.

"Halt! State your identi—... Huh? Aren't you the Armored Knight?"

"...?"

"I'm Hans—the one who worked on building the village. Well... I only ever watched you from afar." 2

The young man named Hans smiled brightly as he stepped aside.

"Please, come in! Everyone's been waiting for you, Sir Knight!"

Waiting... for me?

As soon as she entered, she realized the gatekeeper had been telling the truth.

People really had been waiting for Valdrova.

The moment they recognized her, cheers erupted as they rushed toward her.

"It's the Knight! The Knight has returned!"

"It's the Armored Knight!"

"Our savior!"

Far from reacting as she had expected, they welcomed her with overwhelming enthusiasm.

Surrounded by the crowd, Valdrova wondered,

Why?

She was completely dumbfounded.

She had certainly become famous after being hailed as a hero during the monster attack...

But this level of admiration was beyond anything she'd expected.

All I really did was help build some buildings...

Could that really be the reason?

Perhaps it was because she had built the walls and houses so well.

Come to think of it, people did say construction progressed much faster thanks to me.

She had built homes capable of sheltering countless people in a short time, along with sturdy walls that kept everyone safe.

Maybe they were simply grateful for that.

That must be it...!

Having reached an incredibly simple conclusion, she accepted it without another thought.

Receiving the crowd's admiration and warm welcome, she headed toward the office of the Far East Labor Union.

"Oh! Our hero has arrived!"

Hanson, who had now become the chairman of the labor union, welcomed Valdrova with a broad grin.

"I had a feeling you'd come here as soon as you returned, so I've been waiting. Come in, come in! There's someone who's been wanting to meet you. Would you mind speaking with them?"

Valdrova nodded.

Hanson immediately stepped aside as though opening a path.

Inside the chairman's office sat a young woman at the table.

She had blue hair and a refined, elegant face.

She wore an adventurer's outfit, with a platinum badge pinned to her chest.

Seeing Valdrova, she smiled warmly and extended her hand.

"Hello. I'm Eri, Branch Manager of the Far Eastern Guild."

Although she was using an alias to conceal her identity, Valdrova recognized her instantly.

She's one of Iorga's cherished children.

She was the young Dragon Spawn who was always at Iorga's side.

Just like Iorga herself, she carried a calm, intelligent air—someone Valdrova had secretly admired.

Why is she pretending to be human?

She desperately wanted to ask.

But remembering her Oath of Silence, she quietly took the offered hand instead.

Even that brief handshake somehow made her feel a little smarter.

"I've heard many stories about you. They say you've been here ever since this village was first being built."

Nod, nod.

"At first everyone thought you were simply someone blessed with incredible physical strength. Then, during the monster attack, you proved yourself."

Nod, nod.

"And this time, I heard you cut an entire colossal monster in half. I truly admire you."

"N... nod?"

Valdrova tilted her head.

A colossal monster?

Killing such creatures was part of her everyday life.

But that clearly wasn't what Erika was talking about.

The only monsters this suit of armor had ever killed were a couple of wolf monsters.

Besides... I was definitely here the whole time...

Did the armor somehow move on its own?

The Bronze Dragon was a master craftsman, certainly...

But knowing Valdrova's personality, there was no way he would have added a function like that.

Then there must be another armored knight.

Only then did she finally understand why everyone had welcomed her so warmly.

All this time, she'd been basking in someone else's fame.

Her face flushed with embarrassment, and at the same time she felt completely helpless.

She needed to explain...

But because of the Oath of Silence, her lips remained sealed.

"Thanks to your devotion to Hestia's prosperity, you've become an inspiration to countless adventurers."

It wasn't me!

She desperately wanted to say those words.

But people kept showering her with praise she would normally never hear, making it impossible to find the right moment to interrupt.

"If it's not too rude, could you at least tell me your name? If you're an adventurer, I need to confirm whether you're registered."

Her name.

There was no way she could reveal it.

Not only because of maintaining her persona...

The instant the subject came up, Luri's sharp glare flashed through her mind, making her throat tighten.

"I see... It seems it's difficult for you to tell me. I understand."

Erika didn't press the matter any further.

"Chairman."

"Y-Yes!"

"I'm sorry for borrowing your office without permission, but may I speak with this gentleman alone for a while?"

"O-Of course!"

A mere labor union chairman had no way of refusing the request of a platinum-ranked adventurer.

Thus, Hanson quietly excused himself.

Even then, Erika wasn't finished.

She cast a spell, completely sealing the room off from the outside world until only the two of them remained.

Valdrova silently waited.

She believed that one of Iorga's children would never do anything malicious.

"What I'm about to discuss is something that would only be troublesome if others overheard it, so let's keep this confidential."

Nod...

She found herself growing tense.

Erika cast another spell.

In an instant, the chairman's office seemed to warp into another location.

No...

It wasn't teleportation.

It was recreating a certain place.

Valdrova recognized the street immediately.

It was where she had stood during the monster attack.

"I reconstructed the battle against the wolf monsters. Please forgive me for doing so without your permission."

There stood the wolf monster...

And opposite it was a man clad in armor identical to her own.

Grrrr!

The wolf monster fearlessly charged.

Thrust!

The armored knight killed it with a single strike.

"It took only 0.3 seconds to eliminate one wolf monster."

Unable to hide her amazement, Erika continued.

"A Sword Master of the Empire could easily defeat a wolf monster like this alone."

"But you are fundamentally different from those Sword Masters."

"..."

"You didn't use a weapon or Aura. You killed it using nothing but pure physical strength."

The word strength made Valdrova tense up.

Erika replayed the scene over and over as she spoke.

"They say overwhelming strength renders everything else meaningless."

"But this goes beyond mere strength."

"This is refined technique."

"You are someone who has fought at least dozens of monsters before."

"Someone with tremendous experience."

Overwhelming strength.

Experience.

Inside the armor, Valdrova trembled uncontrollably.

Please... don't conclude that it's the Aspect of Strength...

Is this where I'm exposed?

To Iorga's child—the very one Luri warned me never to let discover the truth?

The lecture that would surely follow filled her with dread.

Am I going to die here...?

"Please don't worry. I have no intention of digging into your past or your identity."

"What matters to us is neither your history nor who you are."

"Only your ability."

Hearing those words, Valdrova finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"I would like to make you a proposal based on your abilities."

Erika handed her a single sheet of paper.

The title read:

"Land of Demons Exploration Plan."

"As the Branch Manager of the Far Eastern Adventurers' Guild, and as an adventurer myself, I am currently assembling a team."

Nod, nod.

"And I would like to recruit you into that team, Sir Knight."

Adventurers...

They were people who traveled across every corner of the Cerdes Continent, uncovering mysteries and defeating evil.

Naturally, that meant interacting with many people.

It also meant being unable to return to the castle for days at a time.

Shake, shake!

Valdrova instinctively shook her head.

She strongly conveyed that all she wanted to do was stay here and build buildings.

As though she had expected that response, Erika nodded.

"Of course, I anticipated that you would refuse."

If she had expected rejection from the beginning, then there had been little reason to make the offer.

She had already seen through the source of Valdrova's hesitation.

"Judging from your behavioral patterns, you're probably uneasy about teamwork and uncomfortable with having to stay in close contact with others for long periods. I'll use my authority to make accommodations for those concerns."

Even after hearing that Erika was willing to make exceptions for her, Valdrova simply shook her head again.

"So... there truly is a deeper reason."

Despite possessing overwhelming strength and refined combat skills, this knight had no desire to fight for honor.

Erika understood that well.

It was the state of someone whose heart had lost the very thing that once supported it, leaving them unable to care about anything anymore.

The greatest hero of the Twelve Expedition Force had once been the same.

Even so, Erika couldn't back down.

"However, if you truly care about the future of this village, I ask that you reconsider."

The very reason Hestia existed.

"This village of Hestia was built to conquer the Land of Demons. Its purpose is to house numerous adventurers and develop methods capable of opposing the demonic forces."

Valdrova had heard that before.

But she had always believed it had nothing to do with her.

"As always, even the noblest intentions rarely proceed smoothly."

Ferda spared no expense in supporting the territory.

Under Vernel's leadership, technology had advanced dramatically.

But changing people's hearts required more than financial support.

In the end, everything depended upon human will.

Everyone dreamed of striking it rich overnight.

But only when both the risks and the rewards were clearly defined.

The Land of Demons was different.

Its rewards were uncertain.

That was why the truly capable refused to go, while only mediocre people continued to gather there.

It was precisely to change that situation that Erika had accepted the position of Branch Manager of the Far Eastern Adventurers' Guild.

"I don't know what circumstances you've gone through, but I'm certain you want to distance yourself from anything related to violence."

"But someone with your level of ability cannot be left to waste away forever at a construction site like this."

Erika's voice was firm.

"If you truly love this village of Hestia..."

"...Then please help us accomplish what others cannot."

"..."

What others could not do.

No one could move as much material as she could.

But if enough people worked together, anyone could eventually accomplish that.

What about monsters?

That was different.

Even if dozens of people gathered together, without the strength to fight, they would be nothing more than prey.

...I like things the way they are now.

Ever since she had come down to Hestia Village, all she had done was build houses and raise walls.

Working honestly.

Getting paid.

Watching people smile.

Those simple things gave her immense fulfillment.

But if I start killing again...

Once she resorted to violence, she couldn't control herself.

If...

If she ever misused this power while trying to protect everyone...

And ended up killing them instead...

She would never be able to forgive herself again.

Watching Valdrova carefully, Erika thought,

So... she's going to refuse after all?

By now, Erika had already realized that this was someone bound by the Oath of Silence.

Like Ferda, she assumed the knight simply carried secrets that could never be spoken aloud.

She truly needed someone like this.

She desperately hoped for it.

But if the knight refused once more...

Erika had decided to give up.

Adventure was never something that could be forced.

After a long silence, Valdrova finally answered.

Nod... nod.

"So... you're refusing after all—"

"...No... are you saying you'll accept?"

Erika asked again in astonishment.

Nod, nod.

Valdrova nodded once more.

Had this been the day before the Festival of the Beginning of Spring, she would undoubtedly have thought differently.

She would have believed that this modest life as a construction worker, building houses day after day, was enough to satisfy her.

The reason she no longer could...

Was because she had seen it with her own eyes.

Those monsters beyond that land...

Even from such a great distance, they were enormous.

Meanwhile, Hestia Village beneath her castle...

Though much closer, looked so incredibly small and fragile.

Beneath her wings lived lives as fragile as floating duckweed—

Lives that would be swept away the moment even one mistake slipped through.

That realization filled her with sorrow.

It weighed heavily on her heart.

At the same time, Valdrova found herself thinking,

If only that land ceased to exist... there would be no reason to worry like this.

That child is right.

Building alone was not enough.

I have to do what others cannot.

She had to stop those disgusting creatures from being born.

She had to eradicate them.

A baby bird that had finally broken out of its shell...

Had reached the time to take one more step forward.

***

At the front gate of Hestia Village.

The gate guards lazily chatted among themselves as they enjoyed the peaceful shift.

"So what's for dinner today?"

"I heard it's mixed stew. They said they need to use up all the leftover ingredients."

"Man... cooks really have it easy. Whenever something's left over, they just throw everything into one pot."

"I've still got a bunch of sausages left. I'm tossing those in too."

"Share some with me, will you? Don't hog all the good stuff."

"Buy your own."

"You damn pig. Go ahead and eat it all."

"How much longer on our shift?"

"The sun was over there when we came on duty... so about twenty minutes left. Guess we should start getting ready for the shift change."

"Damn... feels like three hours have already passed. How do people survive this kind of boredom?"

"Bored is better. If monsters kept attacking nonstop, we'd be the ones working ourselves to death."

"True enough. Better to die of boredom."

The place they had once lived was overrun with monsters like goblins and wild beasts drawn by the smell of food.

But the forest stretching before them now...

Was as silent as a grave.

It was so peaceful that it was hard to believe the Land of Demons lay just beyond it.

Just as one of them stretched and let out a long yawn—

"Hm?"

"What is it?"

"Doesn't it feel like the ground's shaking?"

"What, can you even feel the captain tapping his foot now?"

"No, seriously. Stay still for a second. It feels like something really heavy is stomping this way."

"Oh, come on. You're just trying to mess with me ag—"

The mocking words stopped abruptly.

Just as the other guard had said...

A vibration traveled up through their boots.

It grew stronger with every passing moment.

Far too strong to dismiss as imagination.

Something...

Was approaching this place.

Read more chapters here - Apexnovelhub.com