Chapter 65: November in the Northern Regions (3)
After enjoying her hot soup, Ariel rubbed her belly as she entered her room.
“Huuuh....”
Thud-!
Exhausted from the strenuous march, Ariel quickly collapsed onto the bed without even changing her clothes.
《I want to write a novel with you as the protagonist!》
Five months ago, in the Lundgren Duchy, she had boldly declared this. And it had been five months since Elden had sent her a worried look while saying that this would be a challenging endeavor.
And he was right, these past months had been tough.
This Journey was unlike anything she had experienced before, pushing her to the limits.
Yet, the reason Ariel stubbornly accompanied Elden in is his difficult Journey was simple,
Joy.
The joy of traveling with a friend.
The delight of tasting exotic foods from various places.
The thrill of watching a monster hunt she had only read about in novels.
The pleasure of describing those events firsthand.
And,
The happiness of witnessing her reading buddy’s growth.
Those things made such an arduous journey bearable, and Ariel deeply cherished the time she spent with Elden.
Especially when watching Elden hunt, her heart would inexplicably race, her eyes filled with admiration witnessing his impressive demeanor.
Perhaps, this was how writers who penned stories about real people felt.
Admiration and aspiration.
When she looked at Elden, these feelings surged within her, and a desire to write his story grew.
Lost in such memories, Ariel blankly stared at the ceiling before dragging her tired body to the desk.
First, she decided to write her family a letter.
Then she pulled a thick stack of papers.
It was the novel she was writing.
With Elden as the protagonist.
[From a Wastrel To a Monster Hunter ] was the title of her novel.
The narrative revolved around some tales of Elden’s past, focusing on his transformation from a notorious Wastrel to a splendid Monster Hunter.
A novel that highlighted Elden’s journey from villainy to heroism.
A story infused with Ariel’s frustration at those who only saw him as a villain.
And now, such a tale was nearing its conclusion.
While Ariel was writing the tales about Elden’s life, she couldn’t spend her own lifetime writing a never-ending tale.
Therefore, from now onwards, Ariel wrote about a plausible future.
And that future had a happy ending.
Ariel, after all, loved happy endings.
And such an ending was filled with her personal desires.
Tehehehe~
Reading the intro for the final Chapter, she giggled contently.
In the scene, Elden was walking down a flowered path alongside another character.
Hmm, a wedding outdoors seems cooler, doesn’t it?
Ariel preferred an open space rather than a stuffy church for a marriage.
The dress should be somewhat long too!
Since the other ‘character’ had a somewhat shorter stature, a long dress seemed fitting.
What about children...? Perhaps 2...no, 3...Yes! Three should be nice~
Two boys and one girl.
Wait...To have children...one would need to...D-Do that thing...R-Right?
Eek-.
R𝑒ad lat𝒆st chapt𝒆rs at free𝑤ebnovel.com Only.
Awawa!
I-I don’t know about t-those things....
As Ariel’s cheeks reddened, she shook her head furiously.
[The Deed ]
A novice writer who had never experienced ‘that’, was now enveloped in the worry of whether she should read some adult stories for reference or not...
N-No! This is just a story about a fictional character, isn’t it...?
Yes.
Those were just fictional characters.
While deluding herself, Ariel resumed her writing, crafting a perfect happy ending till deep into the night.
*Having spent a night in the mountain village of Slode, we headed Southeast along the mountain range at the crack of dawn the next day.
Slode had nothing of interest.
Only some herbivore monsters populated the vicinity, and according to the tavern owner, they were all creatures we had already hunted before.
And while they served some monster dishes, the menus weren’t tempting enough to extend our stay.
Also,
The tavern owner’s cooking skills were worse than Ariel’s...
As the only tavern in the village, the expectations of the residents weren’t very high.
Nevertheless, the opportunity of taking a warm bath was enough to make this stop worthwhile.
Otherwise, we would’ve slept in the field again.
We walked through the mountain path till lunchtime and then set up a campfire in an unnamed basin.
Spark-!
Crackle-!
When there’s a will, there’s a way as they say.
In the absence of a fire mage, I, who could wield lighting magic, filled the gap.
When some sparks stuck the dry branches, soon a splendid campfire would be created as Ariel began cooking a few rabbits we had hunted on our way.
It was an unusually calm and clear day.
With no clouds in sight, the distant mountain peaks were visible.
The weather was so clear that I naturally began to whistle a tune as we rested comfortably.
Then, Rachel looked at me and said,
“My Lord?”
“Yes?”
“I’m curious...What will you do after this Journey ends?”
“After it ends?”
“Yes.”
Hmm-.
I’ve never put much thought into the future.
With the size of the Elpherion Kingdom, it would take about three years to journey through the land.
Even the largest territory in the north would probably only take a year to traverse.
By the time the culinary journey ends, I might be nearing my late twenties.
Though I could then start traveling across the continent, I honestly don’t wish to spend the rest of my life traveling.
That would be too exhausting.
So,
“Well, I don’t have a definitive plan yet, but perhaps I’ll settle down somewhere?”
“Settle down? Are you serious, My Lord?”
“Well, I can’t just spend my entire life alternating between campfires and inns, right?”
Fortunately, the Raphelion House didn’t own lands.
The Count’s Family resided in a mansion inside the Duchy of Trimirion, where Elden’s father served as the direct advisor to the Duke of Trimirion.
With no subjects or lands to govern, after selling the mansion and paying off Rachel’s overdue salary, I might have enough to buy a good patch of land somewhere and live comfortably for a few years while farming as a hobby.
“Is that so?”
“By that time, your contract would expire as well. Do you have any plans for the future, Teacher? With your overdue salary being paid, you’d have quite a sum of money.”
When I casually asked her this, Rachel stared at me intently and then turned her head towards the mountain peaks as she answered.
“I...I think I might settle down somewhere too.”
“Oh? That unexpected...With your skills, you could sign another contract as a Knight for a noble family you know?”
A breeze flew by as Rachel tucked her purple hair behind her ear as she said.
“I’ve fought to escape the life expected of a woman. But now, I wish to give it a try.”
“I see. Well I don’t know where you plan to settle, but it would be nice to be neighbors wouldn’t it?”
Somewhat wistfully, I broached the prospect of a ‘life as a woman’ that my steadfast Teacher was now curious about.
In response, Rachel simply smiled warmly, still gazing at the distant mountains.
“Here comes Ariel’s perfect roasted rabbit-!”
After a moment,
We were able to satisfy our hunger with the meal Ariel had prepared.
**
“Although it is now abandoned due to the prolonged war, this land was once governed by Baron Strenger.”
After walking relentlessly, we arrived at the former Barony of Strenger located northwest of the Grand Duchy.
Without Rendler’s explanation, we would not have known the reason as to why this land had been desolated.
What a reliable guide.
Well, even though his sense of direction was hopeless, he was well versed in the Kingdom’s history, providing valuable information throughout our Journey.
Scrunch-.
Scrunch-.
We walked through the ruins of the crumbled walls.
While I was somewhat concerned about monsters, the area was completely deserted.
Being vigilant, we began scouting for a place to stay for the night.
Clouds were gathering thick, dense with the threat of snow.
Sleeping without a sturdy roof or eave would mean being buried alive.
“Hm. It’s all in shambles.”
“My Lord, this land has been neglected for 20 years, so it couldn’t withstand the passage of time.”
As we surveyed the area, a mansion emerged before us.
Broken windows, fallen columns and walls, a bent flagpole, and shattered exteriors.
A mansion scarred by the horrors of war, but the collapse had created a space that seemed sufficient for camping.
“Rendler, prepare the camp with Ariel while Rachel and I will check the mansion for any dangers.”
“As you wish, My Lord.”
After setting our gear down, I drew my sword.
Such ruins could shelter not only monsters but also looters and bandits.
Though we would take turns keeping watch, the first rule of camping is to identify and eliminate any hazards beforehand.
So,
“I’ll take the left, while you cover the right, Teacher.”
“Mn.”
Rachel and I split up.
Walking through the corridor on the left, I began searching inside the mansion.
As I climbed the collapsed staircase,
......I could hear a woman sobbing.
It was an eerie sound, filled with sorrow and peril.
There shouldn’t be ghosts in this world...?
Who could be crying inside a ruined mansion?
Pointing my sword toward the direction where the sobs were coming from, I proceeded cautiously.
The sobbing, somehow, sounded eerily familiar.
As if I had heard it before.
But, at that moment, I simply chalked it up to me hearing things.
Footnotes
1. The Witcher 3 reference