Interlude 30
◇◇◇
「Are Lady Laura and the young lady really coming along?」
Despite implying 『I’ll be fine on my own. Or rather, you’d be a hindrance, so don’t come,』 the two girls nod enthusiastically multiple times, their eyes sparkling.
The girl responsible for guarding the two sighs, resigned to the situation.
◇◇◇
The young lady is Sofia Goa.
She is the daughter of Heinz Goa, the head of the Goa Trading Company, known to everyone in Arcana—especially in Boldaf.
While she occasionally surprises those around her by showing glimpses of business acumen rivaling her father’s, she is still in training, with traces of naivety evident in various aspects.
And Lady Laura, that is, Laura Boldaf.
She is the youngest of three daughters of the lord of the frontier town of Boldaf. Due to her two older sisters living as they pleased, her parents, hoping 「at least this daughter,」 raised her with excessive love and care, to the point where she is mockingly called not just a sheltered daughter, but a treasure-chest-sheltered daughter.
There’s an episode that reflects the personalities of these two girls. This happened a little while ago.
Sofia was asked by her brother to handle 「a business negotiation that requires someone trustworthy to go in person,」 and without a second thought, she exclaimed, 「Leave it to me!」 and set off!
Somehow, all her guards abandoned her along the way, and at an inopportune moment, she found herself surrounded by a horde of goblins.
Just as she thought she was done for, she was fortunately saved by a humble (?) and somewhat shady young man who happened to pass by, and somehow managed to survive.
As for Laura, fed up with her overprotective lifestyle, she followed the advice of a close maid and made a 「grand escape」 from the manor without a single guard, declaring, 「I’m going!」
As one might expect, unsavory men were naturally waiting for her, and she was kidnapped with practiced ease.
Just when it seemed she might become 「damaged goods」 or worse, have her body, heart, and life completely ruined, she was fortunately saved by a handsome young man (in her imagination) who happened to pass by, narrowly escaping danger.
Hearing these stories, it becomes clear that both Sofia, who is over twenty, and Laura, who is still in her teens but a nobleman’s daughter, are the type to live somewhat recklessly, acting on impulse regardless of their age.
To the teenage girl guarding them, the two seemed like spoiled children throwing tantrums.
Well, having faced crises at almost the same time and being saved by the same person in nearly the same period, it didn’t take long for them to become close due to this strange connection.
Now they have become best friends, gathering whenever they have time to chat over tea about various topics.
…If that were all, it would have been peaceful.
But it’s not that simple.
As these already active girls came together and became friends, their individual activeness synergized, evolving them into a duo with unparalleled activeness.
As a result, the naturally mischievous Laura and the 「intellectual glasses character」 (laughs) Sofia began to devise and execute all sorts of questionable plans.
Unfortunately, until now, their plans have been thwarted by Papa Goa and Papa Boldaf, but the relentless duo continues their struggle.
When the guard girl heard about this, she felt like asking, 「What on earth are these two doing?」 and let out a sigh for what must have been the umpteenth time.
In essence, the guard girl being hired by Sofia was a compromise by Papa Goa.
It was his next-best strategy, having half-given up on preventing his daughter’s reckless behavior—by providing a guard with proven skills and trustworthiness, he hoped to ensure at least a minimum level of safety even if his mischievous daughter went on a rampage and, by some chance, succeeded.
Now, the crucial point here is the guard girl’s capability.
It wouldn’t do if her skills were merely average.
In fact, even being reasonably skilled wouldn’t be enough to protect these two super VIPs.
So, her skill level is—
「It’s fine to go to the foot of Hidden Mountain, but…」
The guard girl turns to face the two behind her as they leave the town.
「Promise me you won’t leave my side, okay? If you can’t promise that here, I won’t take you with me.」
「Yes, it’s fine. Right, Laura?」
「Of course!」
In response to the girl’s insistence, Sofia, the intellectual bespectacled beauty, nods gracefully, while Laura, who looks every bit the 100% natural young lady, snaps her fingers.
The guard girl feels nothing but anxiety. For one thing, a proper young lady doesn’t snap her fingers when agreeing.
Laura’s behavior is enough to make one predict that when she grows up, she might live freely like her sisters she’s heard about.
「Sigh, my promise isn’t to be taken lightly. If you break it, our guard contract ends right there. Keep that in mind.」
「Yes!」 they both reply.
The guard girl frowns.
◇◇◇
A short distance from the foot of the mountain, closer to town than the guild-built structure, there was a building.
It served as a residence for various parties who took turns living there to defeat monsters that came down from the mountain.
The high-purity magic stones and materials obtained from the powerful monsters unique to Hidden Mountain were valuable, making it a job that every clan and party was eager to take on.
However, if a party with half-baked skills took on the job, not only would the party suffer damage, but the damage would also spread to the areas where the monsters descended. Therefore, the guild assigned the work to skilled and reliable adventurers on a rotational basis for a set period, to avoid complaints of favoritism or unfairness.
The girls stop their carriage just before the entrance to the mountain, even further ahead than that building, and discuss their next steps.
「It’s a bit late to ask this now that we’ve come this far, but is it really true that the person we’re looking for lives in Hidden Mountain?」
「Before hiring you, I had my subordinates follow him several times. They say he entered Hidden Mountain after leaving town.」
Sofia answers the girl’s question while preparing tea in the carriage. How elegant.
「So if he’s not in town, you think we might meet him if we wait here?」
But finding a person you’re searching for is no easy task.
I wonder if it will really go that smoothly.
Even I—
「Something’s coming.」
「Is it him!?」 the two exclaim in unison.
Alerted by the girl’s warning, the two burst into joyful expressions, thinking their awaited person had arrived.
「No. What’s coming are monsters.」
With the two visibly disappointed behind her,
「Wait inside.」
The girl starts running.
◇◇◇
Large Mirage Almirage. (The Fog-Calling Horned Rabbit)
In form, it’s a giant horned rabbit about half the height of a person, considered an A-rank equivalent monster.
They appear in groups, create fog, and hide their presence to assassinate their targets with high-speed attacks from blind spots. If caught off guard and falling into their trap, even advanced parties face certain annihilation.
「Three of them… I’ll finish this quickly.」
A dense fog envelops the area.
But that doesn’t matter.
There’s no problem if she can read their presence.
The girl smoothly draws swords from the sheaths on both her hips.
As one rabbit attempts a high-speed charge to impale her with its horn, she bends her body to the extreme to dodge.
「《Bowing》」
From that posture, she swings her sword like a whip from below.
「That’s one down.」
As she mutters, the intersecting rabbit is vertically split and tumbles down with a thud.
「《Slitter》」
Next, her lightly swung dual swords leave a parting gift. As the two in her blind spot leap at her, their feet are caught by the blades, severing both hind legs.
She beheads one that gave up without resistance, and as the last one, despite its injuries, shows persistence and lunges at her baring its fangs,
「《Acubens》」
Her dual swords, mimicking crab pincers, slice the monster’s body in half from the torso without giving it a chance to resist.
She takes down the ferocious monsters in a matter of moments, without the slightest hint of danger.
As the fog clears, the two poke their heads out of the carriage. 「Are you alright?」 Sofia asks, to which
The guard girl—Orphelia Verite—sheathes her dual swords and responds, 「Of course. Who do you think I am?」
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