Chapter 84: Side Story 7 - Letica’s Adventure
This is a side story.
What is Letica doing on her journey alone?
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GIYAAAAAA!!!
A Goblin, whose neck had been slashed with a longsword, fell to the ground while spraying blood.
“Fuu.”
Letica made sure that she was safe, then wiped the blood from her sword and sheathed it.
She was on the road to Metekal.
Letica was accompanying a caravan, which was moving slowly due to the large amount of luggage it carried, as its escort.
“It’s not so bad after all. If you don’t experience a real battle once in a while, your arms will get burnt.”
After checking the safety of the surrounding, Letica murmured.
‘This is real journey. It’s been too easy up until now. If you take that party’s fighting style for granted, you’ll be in big trouble.’
With those thoughts in mind, Letica got into the covered wagon.
“Wow. You are so amazing, Lady Letica!”
A small girl was clapping her hands on the back of the wagon.
Her name was Kate. She was the only daughter of the merchant who was leading the caravan.
The tiny and innocent girl reminded Letica of the girl she was with until recently.
Perhaps that’s why, before long, Letica began to talk with her without any hesitation.
“It’s amazing. I’ve never seen such a strong Noble before!”
“It’s no big deal.”
“You’re being modest again. I’m sure there aren’t many people in the Adventurer’s Guild in Metekal who are as good as Lady Letica. I envy you, your skills and your judgment in battle.”
“If you’re surprised by this, you’re going to lose your mind when you meet them.”
“’Them’, Lady Letica?”
“Yes. They are my best friends. We were together until recently.”
“Do they have great fighting skills, too?”
“Yes. All he has to do is swing his sword, and his target is dead.”
“… yes?”
“In long range combat, the flames will batter their enemies. At melee combat, they smash through their enemies’ armor with their bare hands. In addition, they are skilled enough to destroy the water retention ability of the enemy’s skin with their cleaning tools, you know?”
“…Lady Letica, you love to joke.”
“Yeah, yeah, of course I’m kidding.”
‘No, no, it’s supposed to be a secret.’
Letica’s bad habit was to brag about her companions. Letica began to stroke Kate’s head, laughing as she did so. Kate’s face stiffened at the thought of being patted on the head by a Noble, something she had never experienced before. Even so, Letica continued to pat Kate’s little head to cover up her mistake.
“… Oh?”
Letica continued patting Kate’ head and started exploring the bag tied around her waist with her free hand.
Something round and hard touched her fingertips.
Inside the bag was a small crystal ball. It was a Skill Crystal.
Kate didn’t believe her, but Letica had received one of cheat skill from Nagi. Nagi made it for her before she left, though he said it was just a rare skill and wasn’t very great since he made it by himself.
It was a skill that combined the [Shield Attack] technique of striking the enemy with the shield and the egg cooking technique, Letica recalled Nagi’s explanation. Nagi had listened to Letica’s request and created a defensive skill for her.
The reason Letica hadn’t installed that skill yet was because… she somehow felt that it would change her relationship with Nagi if she used it.
To Letica, Nagi made his cheat skills for his slaves. But she was Nagi’s best friend. So, she was … hesitant to install it. She wasn’t disgusted but was hesitating.
- I trust you, Nagi.
- But I am your best friend, you know. I’m not your slave or your wife.
- So, let’s just keep it aa a good luck charm for when I really need it.
“… Lady Letica, um, it’s about time.”
Kate’s face stiffened as she was subjected to the unstoppable “Viscountess Patting”.
“Oh my God, I’m sorry. Did I look so scary?”
“No. It’s my first time to be patted on the head by a Noble, so I was nervous. I’m sorry, Lady Letica.”
“I’m sorry, too. Yes, we’ll make up, Kate.”
Letica then took Kate’s small hand in hers.
“I’ve been with people who don’t care about status, and I’ve been influenced by them.”
“Yeah, what is it?”
“Yes, I would love for you to meet… them someday. They are such wonderful people. It doesn’t matter if you are a slave, a Noble, or someone from a faraway land, they are my friends. Our paths may diverge, and we may be far apart, but our… hearts will always be together.”
“What? Aren’t you free to return as soon as you finish your business in Metekal, Lady Letica?”
“There is such a thing as mood, Kate.”
Embarrassed, Letica brushed back her blue hair.
“I’m only worried about my friends. In the name of the Viscount Family, I will come to them as soon as something happens to them. They are the best friends of Letica Milfe.”
Letica declared as she gazed at the sky from the parked carriage.
“Oh, just in time. Lady Letica Milfe?”
“Yes?”
In front of Letica, a man on a appeared.
He was carrying a large sack on his back. On his bag was the official continental coat of arms and a letter mark.
It was a mail horse, carrying more urgent letters than a mail wagon.
“Among the letters I am carrying to Metekal, there is one addressed to you. It’s from Aine Kurnett, who lives in the port town of Ilgafa. Would you like to receive it here?”
“From Aine?”
Letica took out her Medallion of ‘Contract’ from her pocket.
Along with the crystal, the coat of arms of the Viscount’s Family also hung together. When she showed it to the mail horse rider, he pulled out a thick envelope from a bag tied to his saddle.
“Thank God. It would have been a problem if my father had gotten his hands on it.”
“It saved me a lot of trouble, too. So long!”
The mailman said, and ran off in a spirited manner.
“Is it from your friend?”
“Yes. It’s a letter from my best friend, Kate.”
Letica sat down next to Kate.
She patted Kate on the head, who looked down as if she was forbidden to peek at a Noble’s letter, and Letica cut the seal of the letter.
Laughing at Aine’s writing, which was as tight as ever, Letica ran her eyes over the letter.
“Letica, how are you? Na-kun already has a new slave.”
“… As usual, Nagi is adding slaves as fast as he can breathe.”
Letica sighed involuntarily.
That guy, her best friend, was totally and completely…
“The port city of Ilgafa is calm now that the Sea Dragon Festival is over.”
‘Sea Dragon Festival? Did the Shrine Maiden finish the ceremony safely?…’
“The festival was almost destroyed when something happened to Iris, the Shrine Maiden, but Na-kun solved the problem.”
“──────── huh?
“Nagi’s new slave is a tiny, very pretty girl, though I can’t tell you exactly who she is. You helped us out with that girl, didn’t you?”
‘I know who she is!’
‘The suspicious knights were terrifying, and Ilgafa nearly suffered from a civil war, but Na-kun stopped it. Na-kun and I am fine here, so don’t worry about us Letica. But, you know… I…”
Letica closed the letter, skipping the rest, which was too embarrassing to read in front of the young Kate.
“… Well, I’m glad to hear you’re doing well.”
Before she knew it, the carriage was in motion.
Letica looked up at the sky as she was rocked by the pleasant vibration.
Beyond the blue sky, Letica’s best friends were doing well. They seemed to be in some trouble, but she was sure they could handle it.
‘The new slave──Iris Hoffimier is also fine. She was troubled by her mission as the Shrine Maiden, but I’m sure she is at ease under Nagi’s care. Because Nagi, who came from afar, surely has that kind of power.’
“You look happy, Lady Letica.”
“I just read the letter from my best friend.’
“Lady Letica’s best friend must be a wonderful person.”
“Of course! I value justice and never abandon my friends. My best friends are also like that. Oh, there was one more paper in it.”
Letica unfolded the last piece of paper that was stuck to the bottom of the envelope.
There was just a short sentence in that piece of paper
“P.S. Na-kun gave us a ‘paid vacation’, so we all decided to go on a trip together to Resort Town Mishlira.”
Piki
Letica stiffened.
Her cheeks tightened. The hand that was holding the paper began to shake.
Trip, Vacation, Resort Town
Party trips, comfortable vacation, relaxing with everyone.
“What the hell is that? ──────────!?”
A scream erupted from Letica’s throat.
“Vacation?”
“Trip?”
“Resort Town?”
‘I don’t know what it means. But it seems really fun.’
“They’re all together… I’m the only one… I’m not one of them…”
‘I know.
‘If he is going on a trip with his slaves, I won’t be included.
‘Since it’s Nagi, it’s probably meant to give Aine and the others who are tired from the Ilgafa civil war a break.
‘This is something that can’t be helped.
‘I know! I understand it in my head.
‘But this feeling won’t subside. Why? Why?
‘Why can’t I go on… trips with… everyone…?
‘What would I look like when I come back from running errands in Metekal and everyone is happily talking about their trip? Will I have to just smile and listen?
‘Of course, if Aine and the others have fun, I will be happy and feel warm and fuzzy. Though it was me who decided to leave the party temporarily, but that’s another story!’
“No, no, noooooooooooo!!!”
“Lady Letica?”
Even Kate’s frightened voice next to her fell on Letica’s deaf ears.
The same thing happened to Letica in Noble’s social circles. When she was only six years old, she was not invited to a party in the countryside because she had disciplined a girl from the host Baronial Family who was bullying a girl. After that she was blacklisted by the Baron Family.
After that, whenever she met other Nobles at social gatherings, the topic of that countryside party would somehow come up, and Letica became what Nagi would call a “loner”. The trauma of that time had come back to her and was running through her mind.
‘What should I do? What should I do?’
── I can’t take it anymore!
“Horse! Lend me a horse! I’m heading for the Resort Town Mishlira right now.”
“Lady Letica, calm down! We’re almost there. We’ll be at Metekal soon!”
“I don’t care about that! I’m going to participate in their trip! Yes! Let go of me. I can’t be the only one left out!”
“Lady Letica, you have business at home, don’t you? To be free. That’s why you left the party.”
“Uh-uh.”
Letica raised her fist and dropped it without effort.
Nagi, Aine, Cecile, and Rita had all said, “It’s still fine.” but Letica had shaken them off and went back. Letica was a Noble so even though she wanted to continue her journey, she knew that the procedures and formalities were important. That’s why she returned to Metekal. But…
“Remember, Nagi!”
Letica raised her voice to the eastern sky.
“Enjoy your vacation with Aine and the others! I’ll be joining in on the fun midway through────!”
Letica Milfe’s scream echoed through the road.
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