The Lifting of the Girl’s Curse Marks the Beginning of a New Era – Part 02
In Gerhardt’s mansion, the residence for the Leader of the Confederacy, a red-haired girl with pretty, amber-colored eyes entered a room. Her beauty arrested attention.
“Phew, I’m bushed.”
She had been in talks with Gerhardt until now. As he had been her biggest enemy up until recently, Jillarte was nervous.
“Great work, Jillarte. Would you like some tea?”
“Thanks…” Jillarte lifted her head up, and she froze. “I still can’t get used to it. Are you really Utekko?”
“Right back at you.”
Before her was a good-looking guy in his early thirties. Utekko was actually over forty years old, but he looked ten years younger, an effect of the curse being lifted.
All Dragonfolk had returned to being human. It was not clear exactly how the curse was lifted, but many of them believed it was because Jillarte defeated Kouga.
Jillarte, however, suspected that Silver Face had something to do with it.
“What did Lord Gerhardt say?” Utekko asked.
“He asked me to become Deputy Leader.”
“Oh!”
“You look happy.”
“Of course. Your becoming Deputy Leader means Lord Gerhardt will give attention to the minority races.”
“I suppose. The leader advocates for competition, but the competition must also be fair. Discrimination hinders fairness, and he wants my opinion on that.”
“That sounds great.”
“It would be if it wasn’t me carrying that heavy responsibility.”
And she meant it.
“A-Anyway, I’m heading out for a bit,” Jillarte said, fidgeting.
“I know. You’re going to see Silver Face. I’ll take care of the process of your appointment to Deputy Leader, so you can go.”
“Thanks. Wait, I have to accept the position?”
“Of course. Have a good day.”
“Uh… Okay.”
Jillarte was reluctant, but her original goal was to become leader of the Confederacy. She couldn’t complain about being the deputy.
As she stepped out of Gerhardt’s residence, she forgot about her heavy heart and started running.
I have to tell Silver Face about this.
Jillarte had not seen Silver Face since after the incident with the Undead monsters. Apparently, he was the one who caught the three members of Rising Falls and handed him to the authorities. Igru Fullblood, the leader, disappeared.
He really is amazing! Jillarte’s trust in Silver Face continued growing.
She hadn’t been able to thank him. Above all, she wanted to see him. She wanted to see him so badly. She wanted him to comfort her after losing the finals. She wanted to tell him about her appointment to Deputy Leader, and she wanted him to encourage her. Jillarte believed that his words would give her the strength to manage anything.
“Welcome back.”
“Oh, if it isn’t the runner-up Jillarte!”
“Did you shed your scales?”
Garan of the Demonkin, Chi of the Ratmen, and Lukrek of the Sinners were at the inn. There were others present as well, coming over to see what the ruckus was about.
“Have you seen Silver Face?” Jillarte asked.
“He hasn’t been here since yesterday. Same with his friends.”
“What? His friends, too? What about their stuff?”
“All gone, apparently.”
He was no longer here. Star Face and Flower Face too.
Why… Where did they go?
Jillarte turned on her heel and left.
“H-Hey, Jillarte!” Chi called. “What did Gerhardt say?! Hey!”
She was already gone.
Her next stop was the house that Silver Face prepared for them. By then, anxiety was gripping Jillarte’s heart.
Is he planning to disappear?
Thinking back, he didn’t want any payment for his services. He insisted that he was just doing what he wanted. He fought life-threatening battles even without getting paid.
It was unbearable for Jillarte. So she pressed him to think of something as payment. The memory of her suddenly taking her clothes off was so embarrassing, she wanted to just crawl into a hole. But back then she couldn’t think of anything else.
Now that the curse has been lifted, would he want me?
She shook her head wildly.
“He’s not that kind of man! I’m so stupid.”
Jillarte spotted the house where they had spent the night together. It looked empty. She was devastated, but she steeled herself and reached for the doorknob. It wasn’t locked.
“…”
The inside was quiet and dark. There was no one around.
“You made me a promise… You gave me your word!”
“I’ll tell you what I want after the tournament is over. I need time to think.”
“You haven’t told me yet… You haven’t told me what you want!”
She pounded her fist against the door. She had come this far thanks to Silver Face. There was no doubt about that. Yet he wouldn’t even accept a single token of gratitude.
Jillarte realized that she didn’t know much about him. She had been so focused on the tournament. She thanked him for helping her, but she knew nothing about his identity and background.
It felt as if the thread connecting them through their fingertips had been severed—she shed tears of sadness, frustration, misery.
“Hmm?”
Jillarte noticed a piece of paper on the table.
She dashed toward it and picked it up. It was too dark to see, so she ran outside and read the message with trembling fingertips.
“I watched the finals. You did great.”
When she saw those words, the tears did not stop falling.
“Next… I have to read the rest!”
Holding back the tears, she wiped her eyes with her sleeves.
“I want to tell you what I want. It’s for you to walk your own path in life. The curse, the future of the confederacy. Those are irrelevant. Your life is yours and yours alone. I want you to live as you wish.”
The note ended without a signature or anything.
“My life…”
Her father asked Gerhardt to tell her his final words.
Don’t choose a brutal path. Live happily with the man you love.
“Dad, I think one of them is impossible. But the other one…”
She looked at the piece of paper again and lifted her tear-stained face with determination.
She remembered the moment she entered this house.
“Whose house is this?”
“I borrowed it through a contact from the Adventurers’ Guild.”
“I will live my own life.”
Jillarte sprinted away.
The Adventurers’ Guild in Hopestadt was noisier than usual.
“I’m stronger.”
“No, me.”
“What? I’m stronger.”
Some adventurers were full of energy, inspired by the Ruler’s Rumble tournament.
“Who gave the orders?”
“Apparently someone from a different country.”
“I heard Lord Gerhardt was enraged about them making a mockery of the tournament.”
Others were talking about the incident with the Undead monsters. They had learned that a Rank A party was behind it.
“Oh, come on. Can’t the guild say something?”
“I’m really sorry, Lady Sara. The higher-ups are filing a complaint, but apparently a written agreement between the kingdom and the royal capital’s guild said that the former could terminate a commission halfway and reduce the reward.”
“Isn’t that a problem for the entire guild?”
“It is…”
Sara of the Four Eastern Stars was talking to a guild staff in the reception booth with Sophie. They were protesting the termination of their commission by Ponsonia. The guild knew that the kingdom was in the wrong, but the problem was that the royal capital branch had entered into a contract without proper consultation, so there was nothing they could do about it. The staff was doing their best to calm the anger of the Four Eastern Stars, as high-ranking adventurers were important to the guild.
Must be rough, Hikaru thought as he shot them a glance.
Hikaru was currently in his normal adventurer outfit—no hood and mask. He had just received a commission from the receptionist to deliver something to the town of Pond. Once back in Pond, he planned to check for any developments regarding the murder of Count Morgstadt and Lavia’s wanted status. He also needed to restock on his suntetsu and smoke bombs, since he was running low on them.
Their next move would depend on Lavia’s situation. Hikaru didn’t want to sever his ties with Kelbeck of the Thieves’ Guild, the dashing elf Leniwood, and the fashionable dwarf Dodorono. Above all, he didn’t want Lavia to be a wanted criminal forever. Witnessing how Jillarte lived her life had inspired him.
Freya must be worried…
Hikaru came here without telling the receptionist. He imagined a lecture coming and Gloria butting in from the side, making her presence known.
At that moment, Sophie glanced in Hikaru’s direction. The momentary widening of her eyes indicated that she recognized him. He had only met her once, when he and the Four Eastern Stars saved Paula and her friends from the bandits that ambushed them on the way to Cotton-elka.
Hikaru was surprised that she remembered him, but he pretended not to notice her gaze.
So close. That’s my cue to leave.
He had asked Lavia and Paula to go to the carriage station first, where he planned to meet them.
I doubt she’d recognize me as Silver Face, but it never hurts to be extra cautious. I’m just a newbie adventurer. Please don’t look at me.
Sophie turned her gaze back to the guild staff; perhaps Hikaru’s thoughts reached her. Just when he thought he could now leave without any worries, he felt a twinge of sadness.
I hope I’m making the right choice.
Hikaru knew from the beginning that he could not spend any more time with Jillarte. Her path was bound to Einbiest and its citizens. She wasn’t a wanderer like him.
Gerhardt was a physically strong leader, but he was more than just a musclebrain. In his twelve years of leadership, he had not only avoided problems, but he had also developed Einbiest. He wouldn’t let Jillarte go. He would keep her around him and use her to unite Einbiest—and that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing for Jillarte. It could be a means of fulfilling her wish.
Having Silver Face around would only distract Jillarte. She would become dependent on him and would want to follow him if he were to leave Einbiest. It wasn’t hubris. A calm analysis said that now was the best time to part ways.
Now that she was beautiful on the outside, Jillarte’s future was sure to be bright. Nothing good would come out of following a masked, shady man. Hikaru wore the mask because if something serious happened, he could just blame it all on Silver Face and bury the mask. He didn’t want to involve Jillarte in any of that mess.
Please find your own path in life.
That was what Hikaru’s message on the paper meant.
“Excuse me! I’m looking for someone!”
Just as Hikaru was about to leave the Adventurers’ Guild, a girl came in through the bright entrance. Hikaru had to squint.
“…”
“…”
A beautiful girl with smooth, glossy red hair and strong-willed eyes was looking at Hikaru.
She stopped, but quickly turned her gaze to the counter and walked toward it.
Hikaru walked past her.
The bright streets were filled with people coming and going. However, he knew that he would likely never meet most of them again in the future.
“Goodbye, Jillarte.”
Every encounter was a fleeting and precious one-time experience. Hikaru brushed aside the slight pang in his heart and disappeared into the streets of Hopestadt.
NEXT CHAPTER
RELEASE RATE
Rule Breaker (Light Novel)
Speed up schedule by 10 hours
Current schedule: Every 70 hours
Thank you for the release. Look forward for the next volume.