Interlude 22
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Purume En Dynast.
Initially, Yamada Ichiro referred to her in his mind as 「the elf guildmaster.」 She was the person who helped him the most when he first challenged the Newly Constructed Most Challenging Dungeon.
She was also the guardian of Angelica Honest, now known as the wise.
After Angelica became known as the wise, much attention was given to Purume’s achievement in recognizing and nurturing Angelica’s talent. However, Purume herself was an excellent mage, and her name was so renowned that anyone who had even a little knowledge of magic knew of Purume En Dynast.
Her abilities were highly regarded, and she served as the Guildmaster of the adventurers’ guild in Greeneyes, a town located between the Mirror Dungeon, which was considered the closest dungeon to the royal capital, and the relatively nearby Light Dungeon.
Greeneyes served as a defense outpost for the royal capital in case of a stampede from the two dangerous dungeons. In essence, Purume was one of the key figures in this town, which was crucial for the capital’s defense.
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Purume En Dynast recalls those noisy yet happy days.
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It’s a story from the past.
Purume took in a young girl.
The story goes back to the girl’s circumstances.
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The girl was born into a prestigious magical family.
Born with an enormous amount of mana, and with crimson hair matching that of the founder who built the clan, the girl was hailed as the founder’s reincarnation and bore all the expectations of the clan.
However, when it was discovered that the girl could only use basic magic, she was labeled incompetent by her parents and the entire clan, and was cast out from the family.
When Purume received news that the girl, who had been rumored to be a prodigy and whom she had personally kept an eye on since seeing her at the age of ten, had been expelled, she was so shocked her eyes nearly popped out.
She thought it was impossible.
The girl’s mana lines were already comparable to those of adults considered excellent, and her mana quantity was beyond comparison.
And above all—
When Purume had her subordinates search for the girl’s whereabouts, they quickly found her. The girl was working as a live-in employee at an eatery in a town far from the royal capital. It wasn’t hard to imagine how difficult this life must have been for her, given her noble origins and young age.
After several sleepless nights of work, Purume immediately went to the girl.
There, she saw the girl wearing shabby clothes, working diligently from morning till night without rest.
The food must have been sufficient, as the girl wasn’t thin. However, undeniable signs of fatigue seeped through her appearance. Purume first visited the eatery as just another customer, but the expression she saw on the girl’s face was not one a girl just over ten should have.
The girl probably doesn’t remember.
That she exchanged glances with Purume that day, in that place. It’s understandable, really. Purume was wearing a hood, and it was years ago.
But even if the girl doesn’t remember, Purume will never forget.
The intense and intricate mana lines running through the girl’s entire body, achievable only by those who have undergone relentless training. And even more than that, the absolute flame of will blazing in her eyes, as if to say that no matter how exhausted she became, it didn’t matter at all.
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The girl, immersed in hardship, hadn’t given up on a single thing. In her work, her studies, her training. The girl hadn’t compromised on anything.
Perhaps it was sympathy between kindred spirits, but somehow Purume understood this.
If that was the case, things would move quickly. Purume immediately approached the couple who owned the eatery to discuss taking in the crimson-haired girl.
However, the result was unexpectedly unfavorable.
The couple who housed and employed the girl flatly refused Purume’s request to 「Let me take her in.」
According to them, 「It’s better for Angelica to work here, it’s happier for her.」
Faced with the couple’s unwavering refusal, Purume reluctantly took out a bag filled with gold coins. For a moment, their resolve seemed to waver, but after some deliberation, they said:
「From what we’ve heard, that child was born into a famous magic noble family, but was thrown out for being a dropout.」
「That’s right, being thrown out means she has no talent, doesn’t it? It’s foolish to keep trying when there’s no talent. If there’s no future in studying magic, it’s better to give up on that and lead a normal life. Just look over there. Ann is working splendidly.」
This was the gist of their conversation, and the couple stubbornly refused to accept Purume’s proposal.
I see. The couple probably did have the girl’s interests in mind. But they weren’t trying to understand her at all.
What Purume could do was—
「Ah, this has nothing to do with our earlier conversation. Consider it a tip for the delicious food.」
She handed over the bag of gold coins she had taken out, without putting it away.
「If possible, I’d like you to give that child a bit more time off, and dress her in better clothes. You can use any leftover money as you see fit.」
With a wish that it would somehow benefit the girl, Purume left the store.
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When Purume visited the store again, she was almost thrown out with shouts of 「You’re persistent! You’ve come again?! Don’t you understand that we’re taking care of Ann here?」 But when she explained that she had come as a customer, the couple grudgingly allowed her to enter on the condition that she 「doesn’t interact with that child.」
And so, Purume visited the eatery where the girl worked many times.
Every time she visited, the owners frowned and intentionally kept the red-haired girl away from Purume as much as possible. However, depending on how busy the store was, they sometimes had no choice but to let the girl serve what Purume had ordered.
Each time she visited the store and saw the girl, Purume could tell that her mana quantity was increasing and her mana lines were becoming more refined. Even without speaking to her, confirming the girl’s growth became Purume’s joy and even pleasure.
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Nearly two years passed, and the situation changed.
News came that Angelica had run away from the town.
Apparently, the cause was a financial problem that arose between the couple and the girl due to debts incurred by the couple’s only son.
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