Chapter 48 Ash Valkyrie
The next day's sky.
The quiet night ends, and the blue starts to dry in the morning dew.
Shidou, who was on patrol to keep the peace in the city, visited the main gate of Asgardam.
"This is Lord Shidou, the patrol duty. Thank you for your hard work!"
"Yes. How are you doing?"
"Yes, I'm good!"
Because of his strict personality, Shidou often gets on people's nerves and takes on extra burdens.
But he was also well-respected.
The young knight guarding the gate trusted Shidou.
"The usual spring recruitment and selection have finished, right? I heard Lord Shidou was the head instructor during the entrance exams."
"Yes. There were some surprises, but there were also some promising candidates. I wish I could have trained them during the strengthening period before the selection."
"Well, Lord Shidou is busy, so it can't be helped. But to be noticed by someone like you means this season's young recruits must be really good."
"Well, we'll see."
Shidou wasn't great at socializing, but he didn't dislike it.
In fact, he enjoyed spending time with familiar faces like this.
However, even during this casual chat, his sharp gaze showed that he was still very serious.
"Speaking of young recruits, some just left for home a little while ago."
"Oh? With only a week left until the formation period, that's a bit too relaxed."
"Well, they haven't officially become knights yet. I understand the feeling of wanting to go home. But these young ones have quite a presence. You might know these two."
"Hiiro Merifar and Eshurareze, right?"
The guard probably thought it was just a casual conversation.
But the names on the document he handed over were 2 people Shidou had already noticed as promising.
Still, if that was all, he might have been a bit surprised by their unexpected connection.
If they were both going out together, they might have a close relationship, which would have made him smile for once.
But as Shidou took the document, his expression was serious.
"I have to ask you. The document says 'going home,' is that correct?"
"Uh? Yes, they both said it was for going home."
"But it says they are leaving by carriage?"
"Yes. They said they would ride a carriage hired by someone from a village about ten miles away. They agreed to it... Is there a problem?"
"Uh... no."
At first glance, there seemed to be no problem. But it felt a bit strange.
Shidou knew Hiiro was from a village at the foot of the mountain, so he couldn't see why he needed to take a carriage.
It was easier, but still, going out this early in the morning felt off.
There might be some reason behind it.
(Going home? Eshurareze's hometown is...)
But Shura was different.
Shidou had heard some information about Shura from a certain person, so he knew at least part of the story.
Eshurareze had no "hometown to return to."
"...I hope nothing strange happens."
As he returned the document to the guard, Shidou quietly stared into the distance.
Even though the night was over, the stars were still faint in the gray sky.
The white moon, before it turned blue, was being touched by wispy clouds.
* * *
The scenery flowed by. A blue sky.
A carriage rattled along the bumpy street, surrounded by swaying flowers.
If it had started like that, it might have felt like a scene from an old literary work.
Even someone like me, who prefers food over flowers, could feel a bit of that romantic vibe.
But next to me, the beautiful girl with a pale face completely ruined that mood.
"You still look like crap. Feeling any better?"
"Can't you see?"
"Seriously. If you hated carriages this much, you could've said so. Now you're just being a pain."
"Shut up... I've never been on a carriage before, so it's not my fault. Ugh, ow..."
"Are you okay, Ms. Eshurareze? If you keep looking down, you'll feel worse. Lean back and relax."
Ms. Hauchi was taking care of Shura, who looked really pale from being sick in the carriage. Maybe she felt a bit guilty for making her ride in it.
But we still had ten miles to go to Korghi Village. Unlike today with buses and trains, we had no choice but to use the carriage, so Shura just had to tough it out.
After a while, thanks to Ms. Hauchi's care, Shura's face looked a little better.
"By the way, there's something I wanted to ask you about yesterday."
Suddenly, Shura asked Ms. Hauchi.
"Yes, what is it?"
"When you talked to me yesterday, you said I was a 'great knight.' But who told you that?"
"!"
(...Ah, come to think of it, Ms. Hauchi seemed to have known about Shura from the very beginning.)
I couldn't deny the question, though I didn't completely understand it.
Shura's excellence was undeniable. But who exactly passed on that reputation to Ms. Hauchi, who had only just visited Asgardam yesterday?
Ms. Hauchi paused for a moment, looking a bit lost, then started to speak.
"I heard about what happened in the port town of Fjikra."
"Fjikra... wait, what do you mean?"
"Yes. A year ago, there were dangerous beasts attacking the port town of Fjikra. Ms. Eshurareze, the beautiful ash valkyrie, protected the people from those monsters. I heard about your bravery from a merchant who visited the village! So, I thought you could save my village too..."
"Merchants always like to exaggerate stories, don't they? It wasn't that big of a deal."
"But you did protect them, right?"
"..."
(Ash Valkyrie? What a cool name. Even though she's my rival, it sounds a bit like a hero. Ugh, I'm not jealous or anything...)
Actually, I'm super jealous.
Hearing about her achievements while she acts all humble is something I daydreamed about during middle school nap time. If I wasn't the protagonist, I would've been biting my handkerchief in frustration.
"Wow. Turns out you're not just stubborn; you were kinda adorable back then too."
"Shut up. Don't dig into a girl's past."
"I'm not digging, just curious."
"Who knows?"
But it seemed like she didn't want to talk about her past.
With her chin resting on her hand, she quietly stared outside the carriage.
Maybe she was trying to clear her head, or maybe there was something she wanted to hide. I felt like asking, but I didn't think she would answer.
"--Nothing has changed at all."
(...?)
Her quiet words felt out of place.
That fleeting comment got lost in the sounds of the hooves and wheels.
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