Chapter 4 – Her Circumstances
When we reached a quiet alley with few onlookers, I immediately decided to ask Luna about it.
“Luna. There’s something going on, isn’t there? The reason you came to that forest — is it related to this current situation?”
“……Yes,”
She replied, bowing her head slightly in affirmation.
It seems the situation might be more serious than I thought.
“Can I hear the details? If I can help, I want to cooperate.”
“Why are you going so far to help me?” S
he asked, raising her face and meeting my gaze.
I looked directly into her slightly moist eyes.
“Luna, you’ve been kind to me, haven’t you?”
“That’s… I’ve only been helping myself… And what I did wasn’t anything special…”
“You taught me about this country. You brewed me delicious tea. It might be trivial to you, Luna, but to me, it’s a big thing.”
Honestly, the attitude towards swordsmen has been rather harsh, and even the magicians looked at my sword with contempt before we came here.
It’s natural for magicians to look down on swordsmen.
But in that world, Luna genuinely helped me out of kindness.
Just that reason alone is enough for me to want to help her.
“I come from a small village a little outside this kingdom,”
Luna began softly, as if spilling her story from her mouth.
“I was raised in a very good family. Fortunately, I had a talent for magic, so I grew up being praised throughout the village. During that time, my father left to start a new business in the kingdom.”
“Is your father a great merchant?”
“Not exactly that grand, but he was trying to sell local specialties in the kingdom.”
“I see,.”
Luna’s story continued.
“Then my father returned happily, having signed a contract with a noble family in the kingdom. That was the beginning of everything. We signed the contract, but later, it was secretly altered without our consent. They demanded enormous sums for land, and all our earnings disappeared into that. Actually, our debt has been gradually increasing.”
“That’s clearly illegal. Can they change the contract without mutual agreement?”.
“Of course, my father protested. But the other party was the Count’s family. Opposing the upper nobility was forbidden. My father worked tirelessly day and night… and eventually he collapsed,”
“……”
The story came to be. And I began to understand her situation.
“My mother and I managed to work, but it was only a matter of time. That’s when Lord Eric Carter, the heir of the Carter family, the Counts, proposed something. If I became a maid at the Freya household, he said he’d lighten our debt.”
“You shouldn’t accept that condition,.”
“Yes, I understand that now…,”
I could tell that Eric was watching Luna’s face and chest intently, and I could easily imagine what kind of disgusting schemes that scum would come up with.
“I tried to become an adventurer to escape this situation. Luckily, I could use magic. But forming a party didn’t go smoothly… I suspect Lord Eric was involved in manipulating things. When I decided to try my luck in the Great Forest, I met Ayame-san.”
“I understand the general story. It must have been tough,”
I said gently, placing my hand on Luna’s head.
At that moment, perhaps overwhelmed by her emotions, Luna suddenly broke down in tears.
“U… Ugh! My father was the hardest working person I know! And now, this…! Are nobles really that great?! Do they think they can do anything they want to commoners?!”
It was a desperate cry.
A victim of this twisted world. Surely, this society that’s caught up in magical supremacy keeps producing such tragedies.
“Power isn’t meant to oppress others. I believe power should be used to protect,”
“Ayame-san…,”
“I’ve fought in many wars. But that was because I had something worth protecting. Honestly, I love swords. I like fighting. I pursue my swordsmanship to the extreme, following my samurai way. But samurai way also means emphasizing righteousness,”
I admitted honestly.
“Righteousness?”
“Yes. To be sincere and honest, and to condemn cowardly actions, corruption, or deceit—that is the way of a samurai. I will follow righteousness and help Luna. First, why don’t the two of us aim to strike it rich as adventurers? I don’t know all the details, but I believe we can pull it off if we work together,.”
Luna wiped her tears and looked straight into my eyes.
“When you say that, I start to feel confident.”
“I’m glad. Luna, you look best when you’re smiling. Let’s leave sad faces behind from today onward.”
Hearing that, she blushed but seemed somewhat pleased.
That’s right. Such a delicate maiden shouldn’t wear a sad face.
And I officially decided to help Lina.
†
“Mm… The bathing customs in this world are quite complex…”
Starting tomorrow, it seems we will form a party and explore dungeons.
Luna explained this to me. Apparently, there are treasures hidden inside the dungeons.
“Is this how it works? Whoa! The hot water came out… How strange.”
Regarding how to handle the bath, Luna explained some basics. It seems that if you turn the faucet on this shower, hot water will come out automatically.
This is also thanks to magic, and I can’t help but marvel at such an incredible technology.
“I received a pretty thorough explanation, but given how different the level of civilization is here, it’s definitely a challenge.”
While I was feeling hopeless alone, for some reason, I heard the sound of the bathroom door opening.
“Excuse me…!”
“Luna. What’s the matter?”
“I will wash your back!”
Luna was not naked, but had a stark white cloth wrapped around her body.
Her appearance, with her large chest unabashedly emphasized, was overflowing with feminine charm.
“Ah. Sorry about that. Actually, I don’t quite understand this shampoo thing.”
“Leave it to me! Ayame-san, please sit down.”
“That would be helpful.”
Saying that, Luna washed my hair.
“How are you feeling?”
“It smells wonderful.”
“Did they not have anything like that in your country, Ayame-san?”
“They had scented products, but nothing of this high quality.”
“Really? So, I guess there are quite a few differences between the East and the West.”
Luna not only washed my hair but also thoroughly cleaned my back.
“Wow… Your body is like a sculpture.”
“Of course. Building my body is essential for swinging a sword.”
“zzzzz…” [TN: She’s staring]
“What’s wrong?”
“N-no! It’s nothing!”
For some reason, I felt like a piercing stare on my body.
“Well, I’ll take my leave now!”
“Thank you. You’ve been really helpful.”
“Y-Yeah!”
Luna hurriedly left the bath, looking flustered.
On her way out, she said, “Mama. I understand what you said now…!” but I wondered if she had learned something from her mother.
“Fuu.”
I slowly soaked in the hot water and let my thoughts wander.
I need to earn money for Luna’s sake. The dangers of the dungeon are unknown, but I believe I can still fight.
I look forward to fighting. Magic might lead my sword to even greater heights.
“However, I don’t think things will go smoothly as planned.”
From listening to Luna, it’s clear that the enemy’s purpose isn’t just about money.
“That’s why I think they were interfering with Luna’s activities as an adventurer.”
If they just wanted money, there’s no need to obstruct Luna.
In the end, Erik probably wants to make Luna his own.
“There’s no reason for such an arrogant person not to make a move. It’ll likely become a fight.”
Magician and swordsman. In this world, there is a clear dominance between the two, but I was looking forward to it.
Just how much would the talented magic excite me?
“Alright. I’ll prepare thoroughly then.”
With anticipation, I decided to start getting ready for tomorrow’s dungeon exploration.