Chapter 25: To the Grandra Domain
After that, our journey toward the frontier resumed once more.
After driving off the bandits, we visited the village said to be deep in the mountains, and sure enough, they were in serious trouble.
When we delivered supplies, they thanked us profusely.
It seems Sir Richard returned so quickly because of the light from my healing magic.
Apparently, it was visible even from far away.
When he said that, I thought, well… that makes sense.
It can be used as a light spell too, apparently.
What exactly is my magic, anyway?
With that, the incident was somehow resolved, but…
In fact, before reaching the frontier, we ended up encountering two more similar incidents.
They were not crises as dire as that one, and since we already knew how strong Sir Richard was, the way we handled them changed.
The guards focused on support and protecting us.
I provided healing magic.
And Sir Richard cut down the enemies one after another with overwhelming force.
It seems the chaos left behind by the monster outbreaks that lasted over two years still lingers across many regions.
At this point, I even started wondering if it might be better to travel from place to place rather than stay in the frontier.
No, first, it is still urgent to confirm the situation in the Grandra frontier itself.
It is like a ceasefire after a long war.
I had been so busy preparing to leave the Carlson household that I had not sincerely faced the aftermath of that chaos.
…In the end, I really was unfit to be a noble’s wife.
Thus, traveling together with the Librow Trading Company and resolving three incidents along the way,
I began to hear rumors about us.
“Huh?
What’s that supposed to mean?”
“They’re calling you the holy knight and holy maiden on a journey to set the world right.
Haha, guess we don’t exist anymore!”
“A holy knight and…”
“…A holy maiden.”
Sir Richard and I looked at each other.
Calling Sir Richard a holy knight made sense once you saw his strength.
But being called a holy maiden, frankly speaking, was something I hated.
“…That name doesn’t sit well with me.”
“Oh?
Why’s that?”
“Well, um…
There was already someone called a holy maiden not too long ago, right?”
“Ah, the ‘Hero and Holy Maiden’ of the Grandra frontier!”
“Yes, that.
It overlaps with that holy maiden, and I don’t like it at all.”
That hero and holy maiden were my ex-husband and his affair partner.
It might not matter anymore, but being called by the same title was absolutely unbearable.
“You should be glad you’ve gained so much prestige before even reaching the frontier.
You’ll probably get hired without hesitation.”
“That might be true, but still… holy maiden is just…”
“You’re picky.
Then what would you prefer?
If you want, we can spread it for you.”
“What?
Even if you ask me that, I don’t know.
And how would you even spread it?”
“Well, rumors, of course, and that other thing.
We hire a bard to write a song.”
“A song!?”
Is that really necessary!?
“It’s pretty common, you know.
People like having bright stories.
Back when that hero and holy maiden were active, bards were singing about them everywhere.”
“I-I see…”
Still, no.
Holy maiden just has a terrible image.
More than that, I haven’t achieved anything worthy of such a title.
Most of the problems were solved by Sir Richard through sheer strength.
If anything, I was just a support role.
“If holy maiden is no good… then I think ‘goddess’ would be better.”
“Goddess!”
“Goddess!?”
That’s even worse!
“Hahaha!
Goddess sounds great!
Let’s go with that!”
“Please don’t!
That’s far too presumptuous!”
Laughing and arguing like that, we finally reached the Grandra Frontier Count’s domain.
It is a vast territory, but the first thing that caught my eye was the massive wall built in the distance.
“That is…”
“Yes.
The wall built to protect people from monsters.
It took two years to complete.”
Ah.
To protect the construction of that wall in this land…
My ex-husband and that holy maiden worked hard here.
It has been nearly a year since my divorce.
I still have many complicated feelings, but I want to honestly acknowledge that they overcame that battle.
By watching Sir Richard and the others fight,
I was able to understand, just a little, what it means to fight at the risk of one’s life.
Of course, protecting one’s territory is important, and infidelity is a completely separate issue.
But if my husband had returned and accused me of “living safely in the rear,”
I might not have had the words to properly respond.
There are bonds that can only be formed on the battlefield, by those who have overcome life-or-death crises together.
“Sister Ellen?”
“…No, I was just feeling a bit sentimental.
And this is where we part ways with everyone from the Librow Trading Company.”
“Yes.
It really was a long journey.
I’ll miss you.”
“Sir Richard, your arm is fully healed now, and you can fight again.
You no longer need to remain tied to this land as before, do you?”
“That may be true.
Then what about you, Sister Ellen?
Has your resolve to live here changed?”
“…Who knows?”
On the journey here, we encountered three incidents.
I never thought we were on some ‘journey to set the world right,’ but…
If the Grandra domain is now at peace,
Then perhaps what I should do is not here.
That thought crossed my mind.
But even if I traveled alone, it probably would not mean much.
After all, it was Sir Richard who resolved those incidents.
I must not misunderstand that.
All I can do is provide healing magic.
“…Even if we settle here, it doesn’t mean we can never leave.
We can make this land our base, at least for now.
That mindset might be enough.
There may be something this land needs from us.”
“I see.”
And so, my journey reached a temporary conclusion.
A new life was about to begin.
If I had lived my entire life as a baron’s wife, there are many things I would never have experienced.
What awaits me in this Grandra domain, I wonder?
Holding just a little anxiety in my heart…
I felt genuinely excited.