Boukensha Ni Naritai To Miyako Ni Deteitta Musume Ga S Rank Ni Natteta Chapter 20

He's in the middle of the quiet room. As usual, Belgriff has woken up before dawn, so he leaves the room full of sleeping people and decides to take a walk through the streets of Rodina.
The pain in his muscles hasn't gone away yet, but it's been greatly reduced. Although it can also be the aches that one feels with age. Belgriff cannot help but feel bad about the fact that those movements have restricted his body for so long.
Belgriff walks past the farmers on their way to work and sees the smoke indicating the start of breakfast preparations rising above the houses. In those areas, Rodina is just like Tornela.
The village has a slight scent of pigs. The smell is somewhat different from that of goats and sheep. Belgriff can't tell if it's the body odor or the feces of the pigs, but as he's not used to it, the odor will stay in his nose for a while. Speaking of which, the old adventurer remembers that the last time he visited Rodina, he had this same experience.
When the sun begins to rise, Belgriff returns to the inn. The early departing travelers are already up and eating.
Belgriff returns to the common room, but the man he spoke to last night is no longer there. He didn't see him in the dining room either, so the man is probably already left. The night before, Belgriff felt somewhat agitated by what the man said and fell asleep without saying another word, something somewhat pathetic. But now, he couldn't do anything about it.
Belgriff walks up the stairs and heads to the girls' room. Before reaching it, the door opens and Angeline exits the room.
“Good morning, Daddy.”
“Good morning, Angie… Did you hear my footsteps?”
“Yes… especially on the second floor.”
The wooden prosthetic leg makes noise when making contact with the floor, especially if the floor is also made of wood. And the sound seems to increase in the upper floors. Belgriff grumbles and scratches his beard.
“Then perhaps I should cover it with a rag…”
“Fufufu.”
At that moment, Angeline hugs her father and takes a deep breath. Then she lifts her face with an animated expression.
“Well…let's have breakfast!”
“Yes. Ms. Ane and Ms. Miri are…” When Belgriff says their names, they lean out the door.
“I'm awake~”
“Mr. Bel, good morning.”
“Good morning to you both. Let's have breakfast and then go on with our trip.”
In the inn, they only serve local products, and as one would expect from Rodina, it is pork. Because spring has just begun, there are no fresh products, only smoked or salted meat, but still, it's a good breakfast. The smoked-meat sandwich with watercress and mustard seeds is particularly delicious. Unlike Tornela's mild meals, this one has a fat-rich, hearty flavor. Although the price is quite something.
However, money is no problem for an S Rank adventurers party. Thanks to that, they can enjoy an abundant meal, even during the early hours of the morning.
Belgriff is a little afraid to imagine how easily he can get used to this food, even though eating something different is one of the pleasures of traveling. However, as he has had an austere and simple life so far, he has the right to indulge in some small luxuries, so he simply shrugs his shoulders and goes on eating. As for the three girls, they didn't seem to have any problems from the beginning.
After breakfast, everyone takes a break and drinks some tea.
Belgriff wants to practice with his sword, but he still remembers his talk with that man. There is a possibility that, if he starts practicing in a place like this, more problems will arise.
Actually, he doesn't mind the idea of having face-offs with other people, but he doesn't want the nickname of ‘Red Ogre' to spread any further. First and foremost, Belgriff doesn't like the idea of standing out. He has no desire to be praised and to puff up his chest. Also, he doesn't want to be in a situation where he would end up betraying other people's expectations.
Belgriff still feels sorry for deceiving that man last night, but he didn't want to attract unnecessary problems. Belgriff offers a sincere apology to the man from the bottom of his heart.
After the break, it's time to depart. The horse has eaten a lot of fodder and is overflowing with energy after a good rest. Thanks to that, the carriage advances without any problem.
The sun is s.h.i.+ning in the morning sky and the weather is good. Fortunately, the awning of the carriage generates a pleasant shade. The carriage ride from Rodina to Bordeaux takes about two days, as one must cross a mountainous area on the way and that takes some time. This is the place where Angeline rescued Selen. Although the road is technically shorter than the one from Tornela to Rodina, the large number of travellers and the difficult route make the journey somewhat slow.
It takes them all day to cross the mountain trail, so they head to a nearby village and spend the night there. The next day, they finally reach the Bordeaux territory, but by then, thick clouds already cover the sky and rain begins to fall.
The raindrops make a loud noise when hitting the awning. Rainfall is typical in early spring, and in the northern region, it is common for a lot of snow to fall during the winter and for spring rains to be scarce. A torrential rain like the one of now is quite unusual.
Although the wind is not so strong, the inside of the carriage begins to get wet. The huge raindrops collide with each other, forming a kind of mist that then floats adrift. The abrupt change in climate makes the horse's pace slower.
“Oh, boy. This got ugly.”
“Uuuh… It's very cold…” says Angeline as she sticks closer to Belgriff. Her hair is wet and damp because of the fog that the rain is creating.
The temperature drops so low that one can see steam coming out of the horse pulling the carriage. When they arrive in Bordeaux, the sun has already set and they are shaking. The rain continues to fall.
Both the Feudal Lord and the territory of Bordeaux are the largest and most powerful of the northern region. The fields extend in all directions and the bustling city is protected by huge stone walls. Although the city is not as big as Orphen, it does not seem to lose in vividness. Helvetica's plan to gather the best talents seems to be bearing fruit.
Belgriff and the girls don't want to visit the Bordeaux mansion with those wet clothes and sloppy looks. They decide it's best to take their time, rest their bodies and visit the mansion the next day. The carriage has endured quite well, but the jolts have worn it down a bit.
The inns of Bordeaux are much bigger than those of Rodina. The bar on the first floor is overflowing with customers. Apparently, the adventurers prefer this place, since one can see many people who have that appearance.
Seeing the three girls and an old man with deplorable appearances, the innkeeper can't help but grimace, but when Angeline shows him her S Rank adventurer badge, his att.i.tude changes completely.
“Please, this way.”
The innkeeper takes the luggage and quickly guides them to a room. Angeline looks back at Belgriff with a big smile. While Belgriff knows that reaction is a little inappropriate, he simply smiles wryly and follows the girls.
The room is of reasonable size and has two beds. That way, they can sleep in the same place if they split into two groups. Belgriff is somewhat surprised to find that several days have pa.s.sed since he slept in a bed. When he touches one of them, he notices their softness and fluffiness and immediately knows that he will be able to sleep without any problem.
The four adventurers leave their luggage, change their wet clothes and go down to the first floor. The place is quite noisy. A group of travelling gypsies plays music, spinning with the sounds of crockery, laughter, chatter, and shouting.
“It' s very lively.”
“Uh huh… I'm hungry.”
All the tables in the dining room are occupied, so they have to sit at the counter. As one would expect from such a large inn, its facilities are excellent. Not only do they have an expensive cooling storagefridge, but they also have several exotic dishes on their menu. They even have seafood, even though they are nowhere near the sea.
However, Belgriff feels a little overwhelmed to see the names of the dishes. There are some he thinks he recognizes, but his old memories fail him yet again. The old adventurer decides to leave the choice of dishes to the girls, and he simply orders an ale, which is supposed to be one of Bordeaux's specialties, and some anchovies, which, by the name, he can guess is a kind of fish.
Ale is a liquor obtained from barley. It tastes more bitter than grape wine or apple wine, so Belgriff drinks it slowly. Anchovies are small fish that appear to have been salted and fermented. Their peculiar taste and strong smell create a on Belgriff's face. Angeline and the girls laugh a little at his reaction.
“Anchovies aren't for beginners, Daddy.”
“You could have mentioned it earlier…”
“Jejejeje~. We wanted what kind of reaction you'd have, Mr. Bell~.”
“Sorry, Mr. Bel… Some people don't mind the taste, so I figured there wouldn't be a problem.”
Belgriff lets out a sigh and smiles wryly at the girls' answers. He certainly doesn't like the taste, but as he's already ordered it, so now he has to finish it. When he was an adventurer he was used to eating all sorts of things, but the moment he returned to Tornela his tastes became less fanciful.
While Belgriff eats the anchovies with a bitter expression, one of the customers sitting next to him says something.
“Huh, so you don't like the succulent taste of anchovies, you must be a countryman for sure.”
Belgriff looks back at the customer and is surprised to see that it's a little girl. She looks about fifteen years old and her hair is as white as snow.
“Isn't it good? This deep flavor makes anchovies a delicacy. If you say they are very salty and the smell is horrible, you'll look like a simple countryman, Byaku.”
The old adventurer is relieved to realize that the girl is talking to her partner. The boy next to the girl listens without saying anything, but has a frown. Like the girl, the boy seems to be about fifteen years old and his hair is white, but his hair is a little greasier and not so smooth, which gives an impression somewhat different from hers.
“… Who cares? I don't like the taste. Besides, you're from Lucressia, so you should be used to it.”
Lucressia is the headquarters of the Vienna Church on the southeast side of the Rhodesian Empire. The system of religious state centered on the patriarchs has continued for more than two hundred years. It is situated on a peninsula that protrudes from the continent and has a surrounding archipelago, which is why it has a deep relations.h.i.+p with the sea.
Being one of the central places of the Vienna Church, and with believers from all parts of the continent, Lucressia has a strong influence, even in the neighboring countries. But also, the rumors and political scandals are endless in that place.
There is a considerable distance between Lucressia and Bordeaux. Belgriff is sincerely surprised that such a young couple has travelled so far.
The girl continues to talk as she gnaws on bread with anchovies in it.
“Mmm, although these anchovies can't compare to the ones you can find in Lucressia. Aaah, I want to go home soon. Why did I have to come to this remote and desolate city in the north?”
“…Just shut up and eat. Sometimes you talk too much.”
“Hey, Byaku! That's no way to talk to your master!” The girl moves in her chair with an indignant expression.
At that moment, a loud cracking sound is heard and the girl's chair breaks, possibly because it was old.
“AH…!” The girl's eyes open in fear.
Belgriff stretches his arm without even thinking about it, catches the girl by the back and prevents her from falling to the ground. The girl doesn't know what happened and simply opens and closes her mouth due to the surprise.
“Are you all right?”
The girl jumps in surprise when she hears Belgriff's voice and turns to see him. Seeing the old adventurer, the girl's white cheeks blush.
“I… Tha…Than… Thank y… I… um… Don't do unnecessary things!”
Belgriff feels somewhat confused and tilts his head when he hears this answer, at first it seemed that she wanted to thank him, but in the end, she ended up getting angry. However, since the other person is just a child, Belgriff doesn't take it as an insult.
At that moment, the boy comes over and puts the girl on the floor. The boy has an expressionless face but still makes a small bow to Belgriff.
“Bad Ryna… You're always bothering others.”
“Hey, who are you calling a bother! Talk to me in that way, who do you… Mugu!”
The boy covers the girl's mouth with his hand while she looks at him with an angry expression. Seeing the boys behave like siblings, Belgriff can't help but smile.
“What's wrong, Daddy?” asks Angeline as she approaches. When he sees her, the boy's eyebrows twitch a little.
“…I'm sorry to bother you. It's time to go, Your Holiness.”
“Mmph! Mmph! Mmph! Mmph!” The boy walks out while holding the violent girl.
They really are very cheerful kids, thinks Belgriff as he scratches his beard. At that moment, an angry voice can be heard screaming loudly.
“b.a.s.t.a.r.d! You think you can get away with this! Who do you think you're talking to! I'm the Great 'Thunderclap' Goto!”
A man in adventurer's clothes is making a big fuss. And if that weren't enough, he also seems to be drunk.
“. I've seen a lot of people like you.” Says Anessa, who seems to be involved in the affair, with a tired expression as she waves her hand.
“Don't say stupid things! I won't forgive you just because you're a woman!” shouts the man as he looks for the sword in his waist.
But before he reached it, Anessa quickly stretches her arm and grabs the man's wrist and twists it. The man screams in pain.
“Do not claim victory until you know your opponent's abilities. Otherwise, you'll die a premature death, don't you agree, Mr. Thunderclap?”
In the end, Anessa wins the encounter, the adventurers at the other tables begin to cheer and raise their arms. Apparently, the adventurer has a terrible reputation here.
Goto is completely humiliated and runs out of the inn. Miriam hugs Anessa tightly as he smiles.
“That was so cool~.”
“Shut it. It's because of guys like that that the reputation of adventurers is so bad.”
“A swordsman lost in close combat against an archer like Ane… Does that guy really deserve a nickname like that?”
Hearing Angeline's question, the bartender can't help but laugh loudly.
“It's not what you think. He's just a C Rank adventurer. But he started referring to himself with that extravagant nickname. Well, to tell you the truth, he is a bit of a swordsman…”
“Hmm… How uncool…” Angeline mutters and then drinks her ale.
You're doing the same to me, my dear daughter, thinks Belgriff as he scratches his head with an embarra.s.sed expression.
The adventurers are quite impressed to see a young girl take care of a guy like that. Several of them approach the counter and make a big fuss.
“You're scary, Miss. Are you an adventure by any chance?”
“Yes, I'm from Orphen. This is my party.”
“Wow, a party of only beautiful girls!”
“If you could beat Goto so easily that means your rank is too high, right? Are you A Rank? AA?”
“My companion with the hat and I are AAA Rank. The girl with the black hair is S Rank.” says Anessa after looking sideways at Angeline and Miriam and getting their approval.
“…Is this a joke?”
“N-No, wait. An adventurer with black hair… Is it possible? Is she the ‘Black Haired Valkyrie'?”
“T-The adventurer who defeated the Demon King?”
Angeline nods with a complicated expression and at that moment, the inn explodes in cheers and screams. Not only the adventurers but also the waiters are delighted with the arrival of the best adventurers, the heroes that all people admire. Perhaps with this event, the prestige of the inn will increase considerably.
Everyone wants to hear the heroic stories of the S Rank party, and one drink after another begins to appear in front of the three adventurers.
Next to the group of noisy people surrounding the three girls, Belgriff quietly drinks his ale. The surprising bitterness that can be felt from the beginning becomes more pleasant when one gets used to the taste.
At that moment, a cheerful man sits next to the Belgriff.
“Unbelievable, my friend. I never thought I'd live long enough to see something like this. Don't you agree?”
“Hmm? Oh, yes. Yes, of course.”
Then Angeline turns around and starts talking to Belgriff.
” Daddy…could you finish this? I think I've had too much to drink.”
“All right, I'll finish it… But I also have drunk too much, Angie.”
Listening to this conversation, the man drops his jaw in surprise.
“You…are…the father of the ‘Black Haired Valkyrie?”
Angeline leans on Belgriff's shoulder and her radiant smile serves as an answer.
“That's right! He's my father, the ‘Red Ogre' Belgri…Buguh!”
Belgriff quickly covers Angeline's mouth with his hand and laughs forcefully. However, it is too late, the man opens his eyes wide and points to Belgriff.
“Your red hair… your prosthetic leg. Y-You're the ‘Red Ogre'! The man who could easily defeat the strongest in the territory, Sasha Bordeaux!”
“E-Easily…? No, no, I don't…”
“Hey, everybody! This is a big night! Not only does the ‘Black Haired Valkyrie' visit us, but also the ‘Red Ogre' is here with us!”
All attention is focused on Belgriff at that moment. The old adventurer tries to hide in his seat again, but a noisy crowd immediately surrounds him.
As Sasha talks about them on every possible occasion, everyone within the Bordeaux territory knows the names of the ‘Black Haired Valkyrie' Angeline and the ‘Red Ogre' Belgriff. Because of Sasha's actions, Belgriff feels on the verge of collapse. The stress is such that the old adventurer thinks about wearing a hat at all times.
“Angie, I asked you not to spread it too much.” He says quietly to Angeline, who has an expression of pride.
“Ah, you're right… I'm sorry.” Angeline answers, as if she had just remembered her promise.
But it's too late. In fact, from the moment they embarked on this journey together, Belgriff knew he could do nothing about it. But that doesn't make this situation any less uncomfortable.
When it becomes difficult to bear the eulogies and expectant glances of all the people around him, someone breaks into the crowd shouting “You're being rude!” and makes way for Angeline and the others. “Lady Angeline! Master! Seniors!”
When they turn their faces to the familiar voice, they can see Sasha, who is breathing heavily. Apparently, she has been running in the rain, as her clothes and hair are soaked. When the adventurers see her, they make a stir.
Sasha moves quickly and takes Angeline's hand.
“I rushed to this place when I heard the rumors of your arrival! It saddens me that you told us nothing about your visit! Had I known, I would have welcomed you personally!”
“Hmm… We were soaking wet and our clothes were dirty, so we thought we'd better announce ourselves tomorrow.”
“Something like that! The Bordeaux Family would never care if their benefactors are a little dirty or wet! Please let me escort you to the mansion! I would also like to introduce you to my sister!”
“Hmmm… What should we do?” Angeline turns to see her companions. Anessa and Miriam shrug their shoulders.
“If she says it's no problem, then it's okay, isn't it?”
“Yes~, surely the beds in the mansion are softer and fluffier than the beds here~.”
“What do you think, Daddy?”
Belgriff thinks about it for a moment but finally nods.
“From the beginning, we made this trip to deliver a letter. If the addressee is inviting us to their house, there is no reason to refuse.” But above all, Belgriff wants to get away from this place.
After that, Sasha, Belgriff and the girls go to the Bordeaux Family mansion. This raises any doubts in the minds of the rest of the adventurers about the true ident.i.ty of the party, and they begin to make a big fuss.
The innkeeper regrets missing the opportunity to increase his prestige with the stories of the S Rank party and the ‘Red Ogre', but as Sasha pays a cancellation fee, the innkeeper stops complaining. In addition, this event will end up benefiting his business.
Outside, the rain shows no sign of stopping.