Episode 1-b. The One Who Follows the Anger.
Hello!
I am Eileen from the Kingdom of Haven…?
To put it simply, I’ve had a dream since I was a child to wander the world!
The vast green pastures, the long rivers, and the emerald glimmering beaches!
I wanted to see them not just through pictures in newspapers or scribbles in books, but face-to-face and marvel at them!
However, I am just a weak girl….
While I am embarrassed to say it, I’m just a slightly pretty and delicate girl, and in fact, my parents crushed, stomped, and invaded such dreams of mine, preventing me from even imagining them.
They said it was right for a person to live according to their means, and since I had piles of things I needed to do, they could not allow it.
I felt a bit sad about that.
What I desperately longed for was traveling, but the reality that I couldn’t be granted permission to do so was truly heartbreaking.
So.
I remember spending days crying and pleading with my parents.
And despite all my efforts, I couldn’t persuade them, leading to my foolish decision to run away alone in the middle of the night.
Everyone would surely say that was a foolish and stupid choice, undoubtedly an ignorant and silly choice.
But to me, there was nothing I wanted more than this, and I thought I should experience it while I was still young.
So, I gathered the little money I had saved, put on the robes and clothes I had bought, and arranged for a carriage to leave the kingdom.
I was heading to the duchy to become an adventurer.
Hmm.
At first, it was very exciting!
The sky was blue, and the forest path swayed with the wind, giving off a pleasant fragrance!
Days passed, and I learned that a carriage is more painful for your back than I had thought, but by that time, my heart was racing with all sorts of imaginations and fantasies!
I was running toward my dream.
However.
It didn’t take long for me to realize the reason I had to disregard my parents’ worries and the anger that trampled my dreams.
The dark night with no light was terrifying.
The chilly wind blowing in from the forest gave me goosebumps.
The pieces of jerky and dried rations I had been eating for days were starting to make me sick.
And then.
The sudden appearance of the Impers was extremely disgusting and filled me with fear….
To someone like me, with no strength, they were truly dangerous and extremely perilous creatures.
Along with the terrified coachman, I had to jump into the carriage and hastily drive the horses away.
How much of the journey had I endured?
A week? Or maybe just a little more?
The hope-filled dream of mine was trampled and ignored to pieces, even without my parents’ interference.
When the carriage wheel broke along the road through the mountains, and when strange cries echoed,
the coachman who was guiding the horses fled, leaving me behind in fright.
As the scenery in the forest gradually colored with the setting sun, it started to rain, and I realized it was terrifying.
And I had a gut feeling.
Staying in the broken carriage while the rain intensified meant I could simply avoid getting wet, but it also made me prey for beasts or Impers.
So, I packed my meager belongings, wrapped my robe around me, and jumped out of the carriage.
Before I knew it, the muck had formed and grabbed at my legs, and the darkening sky menaced me.
I had to run along the path, stumbling multiple times and getting dirty.
Because I was terrified.
I had felt firsthand the consequences of ignoring my parents’ words.
So.
By the time I heard an unidentified cry that sent chills down my spine,
I was able to see a small smoke rising into the sky.
Even though the village was not in sight yet, I could see the smoke from a fire quietly rising.
People.
A traveler or perhaps an adventurer.
It was definitely a sign that someone had started a fire.
So, despite falling down numerous times, I made my way toward the smoke.
Fortunately, I found a campfire and a pot, along with a person sitting in front of it.
Growl—
Having barely held back hunger, seeing a person relaxed me enough to make such an embarrassing sound.
I stepped forward toward that scene.
Cautiously, I spoke to the person sitting in front of the campfire.
“Um….”
“Ah.”
In an instant, I was overwhelmed by the brilliant light of mana directed at me, causing me to collapse.
“Eeek! I-I surrender…! I just wanted to mention that the pot is burning…!”
“….”
Terrified to face those chillingly glowing eyes, I disgracefully marked the start of our first meeting.
My bottom was damp.
The prickling of my palm was painful.
But.
What made me the saddest was that I had involuntarily soiled myself.
I ended up with a face full of tears as I faced a beautiful woman.
Yes.
That was my first meeting with the beautiful mage.
She was kind!
She was a good person.
She took me, who had nothing, into her carriage and promised to take me to the duchy.
She was such an incredible mage that she was capable of dispatching dozens of Impers that had terrified me the previous night in an instant.
So.
I might have trusted her immensely while also treating her comfortably.
As an essentially worthless stowaway, all I had to do was listen and follow her commands.
But, mesmerized by her beauty and grace, I ended up stepping out of line without realizing it.
When she said to sleep, I only needed to close my eyes.
But why was I worried when I woke up to find the mage not around?
As I walked through the forest, shivering with worry, I stumbled upon the true identity of the mage.
“M-Mage…?”
“… Eileen.”
Ashen.
Gray.
“The, the, that… hair… is ash….”
That was something I only saw in newspapers.
It was something that could not even be compared to mere Impers or beasts, dark nights, and chill winds.
“I definitely told you to grow up, didn’t I?”
“P-Please… save me…!”
“…”
I realized that was a rude remark.
I understood it was a clearly rude thing to say to someone who has provided me with food, shelter, and a ride to the duchy.
I may be foolish, ignorant, and stupid.
“Ah… P-Please… save me…!”
“…”
I understood that my stuttering words could hurt her.
But.
Have you ever felt extreme fear?
Have you ever thought that your existence might be suddenly erased and vanish from this world?
I was feeling it unknowingly.
Before long, my mouth was uttering words without going through my head, and my senses were malfunctioning, leaving me to simply weep.
I was being rude.
Those words would surely hurt the beautiful mage.
So I had to stop.
I had to speak normally and act normally.
“I-I swear I won’t tell anyone…!”
Not.
“You can run away. I won’t chase you down or kill you. You may not believe the ash gray words, but take some food and your belongings from the carriage and leave first.”
“Uh… I-I….”
“I will stay here for another day and depart afterward, so go ahead.”
Ah….
I’m so sorry.
I truly apologize, Mage.
I don’t mean it.
So I wanted to say that.
But my entire body was crawling with drool, and I was desperately trying to crawl away from her.
I am.
I am a wretched girl without gratitude.
I was the wretched girl running away with my belongings even in the midst of this.
Thus.
After about two days, I arrived at a small village, where I paid for a new carriage and set off on my way again.
I was blank.
I felt dazed and could not tell what I should do.
Nodding at the coachman’s words that it would take two days to reach the duchy, I was staring blankly up at the sky.
But.
Who are they?
Those people suddenly appearing from the forest and charging toward the carriage, who could they possibly be….
Crash—
The carriage toppled onto its side.
As the door opened, a large hand pulled me out roughly, and I was dragged out entirely.
“Ugh….”
“Hey! Grab that girl! We can sell her in the black market!”
Ah.
The price of my rude and hurtful behavior quickly returned to me.
In the end, I had to pay the price for my sins.
People who do not know I am ash gray are very kind.
As I drove the carriage slowly past the village, the guard stationed in front greeted me first.
“Hmm? Miss, are you an adventurer?”
“I’m a traveler. I haven’t registered as an adventurer yet.”
“Hmm, you’re traveling alone, are you?”
“Yes, I have to go to a specific place.”
The guard looked at me, fully worried despite our first meeting.
“That’s quite reckless…. Just in case, be careful on the mountain roads. I’ve heard that bandits have settled around here lately and are targeting lone travelers or adventurers. Especially pretty young ladies like you will be targeted more often.”
Bandits.
Now I understand the reason for their worries.
“Thank you for the advice. I will be careful.”
“Okay, have a good trip.”
“Yes, then.”
I was doubtful whether I was indeed the one to be careful, but I thanked the guard for their advice.
However.
To put it simply, bandits are bad people. They are definitely criminals.
So I wish they wouldn’t notice me. I hope they won’t approach me and create another crime.
I wasn’t feeling too great right now.
Thus, my journey continued smoothly, contrary to the guard’s concerns.
Perhaps I would arrive at the duchy in a day or two, as I merely progressed along the green forest path occasionally glancing around.
It was peaceful.
On such forest paths, nothing threatening would pop out, and before long, my heart calmed down, centered solely on thoughts of Ain.
What kind of reaction will Ain have when I go to greet him?
Will he be happy? Or will he be flustered?
If he has already received the letter I sent, he might have some expectations.
I wish he would be pleasantly surprised and greet me with a bright smile.
I would love it if, when I hugged him, he gently stroked my head with his kind hands, and then gradually lowered his hand to rest on my waist.
I want him to whisper how much he missed me, hugging me tightly until I am filled with a ticklish feeling.
Ain.
I hope his traces are all over the duchy.
I want to follow in his footsteps, tracing and caressing each one.
So.
– Ugh…! Ugh!
– Ah, you little brat. You’re really resisting. Should I kill you and eat you, or what?
– We need to keep her alive if we’re going to sell her, you little brat.
“…”
My imaginations and fantasies were cut short by someone’s—no, the familiar screams coming from the forest.
The voices of men following made my brows furrow.
– Ugh…!
– Ah, oh, yeah. It’s fine to hit, right? Let’s give her a beating, for now.
It’s not my affair, and it would be alright if I just passed on without worrying, and since they weren’t Ain or anyone helping me, I didn’t need to pay any attention to it.
Thinking so, I gripped the reins.
And now, all I had to do was whip the reins to urge the horses forward.
– Ugh….
– Ah, you little brat. Finally quiet.
However.
All my thoughts connected to Ain made me conclude.
What would Ain do?
Would Ain have just passed by? Or would he have rushed in to save her?
Such questions would only fleetingly pass through my mind.
If I were to recall the scene from my childhood, Ain stood in front of the Hero and thrashed the kids who threw stones at me.
He was someone who stood up for the weak.
And.
Certainly, Ain wouldn’t want me to ignore those screams and pass by.
Knowing he would hope I would be a good person and perform good deeds, knowing the hardships he faces as he moves forward for my sake.
“Birds floating in the sky.”
“Rats ruling the night.”
“I look up to that world.”
I sprinkled ash gray.
My vision expanded.
The things that flew in the sky became mine, and the creatures wandering in the woods became mine, too.
With a wider perspective and senses, I pinpointed where the screams had come from.
I discovered it.
It became clearer and easier to see and hear.
I chanted the incantation again.
“Stars of the sky.”
“They pour down on me.”
She fears the ash gray, so I summoned the brilliant stream of light in place of it.
– W-What the hell…! Hey, what is that…!
– AAAH! My arm…! My arm, damn it…!
I do not harm innocent people.
So conversely, it’s fine to hurt guilty people.
And.
Those bandits who kidnap, rape, and sell people are undoubtedly criminals.
As I call forth the stream of light from the sky, I make my way there.
Even while stepping forward, the sounds of screams continue to echo.
The landscape viewed from above has turned red and, while still beautiful, has become rather brutal.
In the midst of it, a trembling woman.
Eileen was weeping, her clothes completely torn.
I wasn’t certain whether it was okay to approach such a woman.
However, I pushed aside my hesitation, set my foot upon that scene.
I walked through the bandits, who weren’t dead yet, and approached her.
“… Ah.”
“I will take you to the duchy.”
“Ah, ugh….”
Her eyes, looking at me, were round, and she raised her tear-streaked face soon, just as back then.
I thought she would tremble and beg for her life upon seeing me, colored in ash gray the previous night.
Should I have left her alone?
Or should I have dealt with the bandits and not approached her at all?
I.
Human relationships are difficult.
They indeed feel very hard and complicated for me even now.
The sight of a woman crying while looking at me in the landscape of flowing blood felt very much that way.
So.
“I’m sorry for hurting you, my words…”
“…”
I know she is afraid and wants to keep her distance.
Or thanking me for saving her.
Or perhaps that she doesn’t like ash gray.
But those were words I left unsaid as I first uttered my apologies.
“I’m sorry… I apologize, Mage… ugh, sniff… I acted rudely and spoke harshly… I’m sorry….”
“…”
Why is she apologizing?
It seems her response was quite normal for a regular person.
Even though the fear that I might kill her with ash gray was somewhat reasonable.
She just kept apologizing to me.
“I’m sorry… I’m sorry…. For speaking rudely… sniff, I’m sorry, Mage….”
“…”
The tension that had built up dissipates.
The fear that she might look at me in horror fades away effortlessly.
So I approached the woman who was crying in her nakedness and draped my robe over her.
“Mage… sniff, I’m sorry… I’m sorry….”
And.
I spoke up.
“You can call me Asha, not Mage. My name is Asha.”
Just like that, my name is Asha.
Not some weird title like Mage, but a nice name called Asha.
“Sniff… Asha….”
“I’ll take you to the duchy, so please follow me.”
So, I extended my hand toward her.
“I-I… my legs won’t move.”
“Then let’s continue to hug.”
At the words that her legs were too weak to move, I sighed deeply and opened my arms wide.
“But… I’m embarrassed….”
“… You are really something else.”
Expelling the words that followed, I simply found it absurd and touched my forehead.
