The Villain Bought the Heroine - The Villain Bought the Heroine chapter 85
Chapter 85
After a long time, Erika returned to the Portrait estate.
The person who welcomed her the most was her mother. As soon as she saw Erika, she looked around here and there, asking about her recent circumstances without a pause.
If she had really been hurt by the Bishop Calicula.
How much she had grown.
If there were any difficulties these days.
And how things were with Bargan, and so on.
Erika answered each question in detail, reassuring her mother.
Sometimes, her mother’s excessive care could be a bit annoying, but Erika did not want her to worry, feeling grateful instead.
After greeting her father, Erika finished a few tasks before finally entering her room.
Entering the house felt more chaotic than leaving the Academia with her belongings.
The most noticeable thing as she entered the room was the large bed.
The items in the Academia were luxurious and not lacking, but they did not evoke the nostalgia and sense of security that the scent of home did.
Furniture with a reddish-brown pattern and light bulbs that subtly illuminated the room.
In many ways, familiarity was readily apparent, but the spacious white bed stood out. The stuffed dolls that had protected her since childhood were particularly welcoming.
Though Erika thought she had outgrown playing with or hugging them, she had not taken any of those dolls to the Academia.
Every time she saw the empty bed in the Academia, she thought of those dolls.
“….”
Erika glanced around softly.
She checked if the door was completely closed and there was no gap for sound to escape.
“…How have you been?”
Even though she knew no one was there, her voice was cautious.
Then, she slowly crawled onto the bed, her small body sprawling.
As the soft mattress recoiled, the comforting smell of the blanket rose. Enjoying the sensation and scent for a moment, Erika raised her head to face the dolls.
She took each one in with her eyes.
Although she kept them carefully, some of the dolls had slightly dirty hands. She had heard countless times to discard them, but these resilient dolls had overcome many hardships.
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“….”
A bit further away from them.
There was a black cat doll, seemingly in a separate space.
The cat was dressed, with a pocket on its belly to hold small items.
Looking at that doll, Erica’s eyes, which had been feeling a small happiness, turned cold. It almost felt like looking at her fiancé, a faint discomfort creeping in.
That doll was a gift from Shugenhardt on Erica’s 11th birthday. It was made by a famous craftsman on a special order, and it was more expensive than most jewelry.
…She didn’t realize it when she was young, but now, its expression seemed somewhat unfortunate.
Why had she been so fond of receiving such a thing?
After receiving the gift, she couldn’t sleep for about three days. She was anxious that the doll might disappear. …It was hard to accept, but it was the truth.
“Shugenhardt….”
Erica’s eyes narrowed as she called out to her fiancé.
It wasn’t a voice of longing. It was a tone filled with suspicion and doubt. Looking at the doll, recent thoughts about him surfaced.
Erica was feeling doubtful.
There were some points where his personality seemed to suddenly change, but there was another reason that was the main cause.
“It fits perfectly.”
Erica had heard and seen it for herself.
The fact that Alicia, who had no connection to heroes, had been brought from the countryside.
The fact that, like someone who knew the power of the exorcist would be activated during this final exam, she had preemptively activated a ring that amplified her magic.
No matter how she thought and prepared in various ways, was it really possible for everything to fit together perfectly like a puzzle?
“Who exactly are you?”
Erica, holding a cat doll in her hand, asked the doll.
No answer came. The doll’s expression remained unfortunate.
Erica gripped the doll’s head.
One hit was not enough. She struck it three times more.
It was a sinister item she wanted to get rid of immediately, but she had left it there, considering the household’s mood.
After staring at the doll in silence for a while, Erica put her hand into the doll’s pocket and pulled out a piece of paper.
It was a paper torn into several pieces and severely crumpled, which she had pieced back together.
Erica unfolded the paper after a long time and read the writing on it. As her eyes moved, the ink gradually faded like clothes getting wet in drizzle.
The paper inside the doll she reluctantly kept was a letter exchanged with Bargan before the engagement, torn to shreds by him.
She kept it because she couldn’t just throw it away as it was. There was no other reason. Not even a speck of dust. …Nothing. Nothing.
Truly nothing.
She engraved that in her mind.
***
“Bargan, why do you value that item so much?”
“…Pin, stop worrying and sit quietly to continue your training.”
Bargan put the blue gem that emitted a radiant light into the white cloth-like servant named Hayn.
It was the last gift Erica had given him in his childhood.
“Well… I’d like to do the same, but we’re arriving soon. You should start getting ready to disembark.”
Bargan and Pin were inside the carriage.
They were about to reach the point where they would meet the members of the Helion team.
Bargan took in the scenery visible through the window.
As he had said, the figures of two people outside the window could be seen. One of them was waving and smiling.
“You arrived early.”
“Because Bargan’s carriage is so luxurious.”
“….”
Bargan gazed at Pin intently.
Although it wasn’t to pick a fight, Pin misunderstood. Scratching the back of his head and nervously biting his dry lips, he showed courtesy.
“What have I done wrong again? I apologize if so.”
“Pin, it’s you.”
“Yes.”
“You seem quite composed.”
The words that came out of Bargan’s mouth were unexpected. Pin, who thought he was going to be reprimanded, chuckled and reflected on his recent behavior.
“Uh… is that so?”
“Ah, now it seems like we can communicate.”
“Well, that’s fortunate.”
Clatter—.
As if everything was settled, their conversation ended, and at the same time, the carriage came to a stop. The coachman rose first, opened the door, and Bairgan and Fin stepped outside.
Bairgan continued speaking as he moved casually.
“During this mentoring period, you’ll gain a lot.”
There might have been no particular intention, but Fin engraved his words in his mind. It felt like advice directed at him.
“I must gain.”
***
At the rendezvous point, two figures were waiting for us.
Haellion was nowhere to be seen. The rest of the group was out gathering information around the city.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Gaon.”
The first to introduce himself was a young man, the youngest member of Haellion’s team.
I shook his outstretched hand. Despite his young age or the fact that he was not yet a full-fledged warrior, he was someone not to be underestimated.
“I’m Canilla. The prime member of Haellion’s team.”
The woman with a necklace adorned with gems spoke in a cheerful tone. She pointed at the person in front of her, squinting.
“Oh… So, you’re Fin?”
“Yes, nice to meet you. I’m Fin from the Troa lineage.”
“And this is Bairgan.”
After my brief introduction, Canilla nodded approvingly and took the lead, guiding us forward.
As she walked, she explained each of the Haellion team members one by one.
“You probably know Haellion already, so moving on… There’s ‘Kreshanol’ and an older gentleman called ‘Kanturman.’ They’re not bad people, but they’re unique compared to us, so be aware.”
Since they were both familiar characters, Canilla’s information was absorbed without much comparison. There was no change. Their personalities seemed to match when heard in passing.
They would meet face to face soon anyway. It was more efficient to confirm things directly later.
“Both of them are Academy students, so you probably already know, but the age range of the warrior team members isn’t the same, right? It ranges from people in their 20s to those in their 50s. Don’t be surprised if you see a muscular older man instead of a young warrior when you go.”
Canilla chuckled, thinking of one of the team members.
It was easy to imagine young individuals when thinking of warriors fighting against evil in comics or novels, but the situation here was a bit different.
The age range of individuals holding rankings above 10 in the warrior rankings averaged over 50 and showed no signs of weakness.
They were individuals who had trained their bodies to the extreme. Aging would be a concern for them in the far future.
Pointing at Gaon, the only member in her team in her 20s, Canilla said, “She’s the youngest at 23. Not much of a difference in age with you guys, right? She doesn’t look that young at first glance, does she?”
“Canilla… First impressions are crucial, why are you creating such a casual image? You’re in your late 20s just like me.”
“Stop it. Already trying to cozy up to me.”
After a playful scuffle with Gaon, Canilla shrugged her shoulders. Her message was clear.
“In the end, age is just a number for a warrior.”
For a warrior, race, status, age, education, none of these matter.
Whether they graduated from the Warrior Officer Academy or took a special course to become a warrior, there was no discrimination.
Of course, some showed camaraderie based on being alumni, but they did not form factions.
It was strictly prohibited and the atmosphere was one that avoided discrimination by default.
“If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I may not have much experience yet, but I can guide you on the basics.”
Gaon sent a gaze that seemed to seek questions instead.
To express this appearance, it was similar to a senior or superior who, when someone came under their wing for the first time, rejoiced and tried to treat them well.
Perfect timing.
Cannila hadn’t been particularly curious, too preoccupied with recounting stories she already knew, and hadn’t had a chance to confirm, so giving me this appropriate opportunity was something I was grateful for.
Without hesitation, I immediately asked, “What is the mission this time?”
With the central church, which can be considered the hub of all churches, as the base, each region has its own church responsible, under which warriors are stationed.
Haellion’s team was dispatched this time as part of the central church located in the heart of the continent.
A mission handed down from the central church.
An order from the church to alert of the signal of this incident.
Normally, it would be a crusade against the bishop-level Altif, but this time, it’s different.
No, it has to be different.
“I was going to tell you after we arrived. Well… you see… what you guys might be thinking could be a bit different.”
Cannila scratched her cheek as if nonchalantly, a cool response.
“Do you know of ‘Frickanrisk’?”
“When you say Frickanrisk… are you referring to the supernatural being belonging to the dragon race?”
Fin showed a somewhat flustered reaction. It was because an unexpected name had come up.
That creature is not Altif.
A being similar to the ancient dragons that remain in the Academia’s memory. Although the specific species is different, it is one of the names of dragons belonging to its descendants.
A predator located at the peak of the pyramid of monsters.
“The task we’ve been assigned this time is the subjugation of Frickanrisk. I’m sorry for you guys, but it’s quite unfortunate that we’ve been given such a dangerous task at this timing. It’s even more pointless since it’s unrelated to Altif.”
Generally, when referring to dragons, they are beings with strength far surpassing that of bishops.
In other words, it’s not a mission of ordinary difficulty.
Cannila is concerned about this more than Altif.
I chuckled to ease her worries.
“It’s okay. The work of a warrior isn’t just about hunting Altifs.”
“In that case, I’m relieved…”
It’s not related to Altif. The mission is not about hunting bishops or archbishops.
That’s right. In this episode, the mission handed down from a church unrelated to the Archbishop ‘Ami’ I am targeting is the subjugation of the dragon Frickanrisk.
“I was prepared to endure this level of danger from the moment I decided to follow Haellion.”
It’s not related to Altif.
Only to a certain extent.
It’s about the ‘mission.’