I continued to meet Rath occasionally after that.
Usually, he would wait for me on the street after I’d finished shopping.
Each time, he’d treat me to tea, and it became something I looked forward to.
Tea and sweets were rare treats for me, you know.
One time, I said to him,
“I wish everyone could have tea every day.”
Then
“That’s unrealistic. Tea is a luxury transported from distant places. It’s not something that can be made cheaply.”
Rath replied in a haughty manner,
“Then what about sweets?”
“Sugar used in sweets is even more expensive. It only comes from far in the south.”
“Then why not grow tea and sugar locally?”
“Those things can only grow in certain climates. It’s not that simple.”
“Then why not produce a lot there and transport it here?”
“They have their own circumstances over there. It’s not as if they’ll comply just because we ask them to.”
“The world is inconvenient, isn’t it? I wish everyone could enjoy tea and sweets.”
“A world where everyone lives like nobles? You say some outrageous things.”
We had such conversations often. When I drink tea, I sometimes recall those moments.
Who is Rath, you ask?
I don’t know. I think he’s probably a high-ranking noble. Wouldn’t a knight like you know?
A tall, arrogant blonde man?
You don’t? Hmm, well, that’s fine.
There was also a time when he accompanied me to gather herbs.
I tried to refuse, but he insisted, saying, “It’s dangerous for a girl to go alone!” and practically forced himself along.
I had no choice, so that day I left my skeleton behind.
Instead, Rath and Killian guarded me.
But you know, they helped pick herbs, which made them more useful than the skeleton.
Teaching a skeleton to distinguish herbs from poisonous plants is very difficult.
Skeletons can’t handle tasks that require knowledge. They can’t tell herbs from poisonous plants.
When I went herb gathering with Rath and Killian, Killian even prepared lunch for us. It was like a noble’s picnic, and it was fun.
Rath is surprisingly strong, too.
Once, when we were gathering herbs, we were attacked by a monster in the forest.
Usually, my skeleton would drive it away, so it wouldn’t be a problem, but with Rath and Killian?
They looked like high-ranking nobles but didn’t seem particularly strong.
I was worried, “Will they be okay?”
You think I was too calm?
I can use magic, after all. I’ve learned offensive spells, and I can defeat most monsters unless they’re very powerful. So, it wasn’t an issue.
But, since the boys were eager to protect me, it would’ve been tactless to defeat the monster myself, right? In such situations, I think it’s better to let the boys try their best.
If they couldn’t handle it, I could always step in to help.
It would feel good to save the proud Rath if he was struggling against a monster, don’t you think? I’d even gain some leverage over him.
Am I being mean?
Not at all. Luciana once did something similar.
She told me that proud men become more obedient once you break their high spirits. So, isn’t it natural for women to do such things?
You disagree?
How would you know, you’re not a woman.
Well, never mind.
But, as I said, Rath and Killian were strong.
The monster that appeared was about the size of a large wolf, but Rath defeated it with a single swing of his sword as it lunged at us.
It was impressive.
He moved quickly and cleanly cut down a fairly large monster.
I’m not an expert on swords, but even I could tell he was quite strong.
He might even be stronger than my skeleton.
By the way, when I say “skeleton,” I mean a high-level undead known as a Grim Reaper.
My master told me much later that it was quite a high-ranking undead.
If Rath is stronger than such a high-ranking undead, his swordsmanship must be exceptional.
You haven’t heard of such a swordsman?
Really? Killian seemed strong too, but there are things even knights don’t know.
There are more unknowns in the world than knowns. That’s just how it is.
So, over tea and while gathering herbs, I became friends with Rath and Killian.
Rath often offered to set me free.
Even though I told him it was fine.
He even said he’d repay the money my master paid for me.
Even for a noble, that’s not an amount easily paid.
But it made me happy to hear.
When I think about it, Rath is the only boy I’ve gotten to know.
Oh, Killian too, but he’s more like Rath’s younger brother, so it’s a bit different.
Other men I know are Mason and my master, but they’re much older and quite unique.
So, I’m glad I met Rath. Our first encounter was terrible, but he turned out to be a good guy.
His face… well, I don’t really want to admit it, but it wasn’t bad.
But we often argued over silly things.
We once argued about “who is more childish.”
Of course, Rath was the childish one, but he challenged me to prove how I was more mature.
“I’m not a child. I know a lot of things!” I declared.
“Oh? Like what?”
“When you kiss someone you love, it leaves a mark on their body. Did you know that? It’s quite an adult piece of knowledge, isn’t it?”
“…Who told you that?”
“The lady at the apothecary.”
“…You should find a new apothecary.”
Rath was exasperated.
It’s a silly story, but for some reason, I remember it well.
Such trivial moments are surprisingly important, I think.
And you know, I received my first-ever present.
I declined jewelry because my master would notice, but Rath gave me a small bracelet, saying I could wear it under my clothes.
Wearing it under my clothes defeats the purpose of jewelry,
but I still wear that meaningless bracelet. Under my clothes.
Do I think Rath likes me?
Of course.
After all, I’m beautiful. There’s no boy who wouldn’t like me.
…But I know. He’s a noble, and I’m a sold girl with an uncertain status. There’s no future in it.
But it’s fine. I’m going to live as a wizard, so such things aren’t necessary.
Forever.
So, is that the end of my story?
I didn’t talk much about my master. Sorry about that.
He’s always holed up in the mansion and rarely goes out.
So, there’s nothing to talk about. I could go on about myself, though.
Does he never go out?
He does occasionally. He’s gone for a long time when he does. Sometimes for a week. I think he goes to gather materials needed for magic.
He was away for quite a while when he came to buy me.
When did he last go out?
About a month ago? He was gone for quite some time.
He looked a bit tired when he returned, so I remember it well.
Was that helpful?
I’m glad. And thanks for the tea.
TLNOTE : As promised before, the rest of the chapters of this novel will be posted sometime next month. While waiting, I implore you dear readers to read other masterpiece novels that also written by the same author :
- When the Monster Meat I Ate Led Me to the Throne (LN)
- Who killed the Hero?
- The Wicked Princess and 12 Eyes – The Strongest Squires and the Legendary Evil Woman, the Second Time in Her Life
- The Exiled Merchant Saves the World with the Power of Gold (translated by my friend meerkat)
- The Last Magic (translated by my friend narwhal)
Also check out my friend Localizermeerkat for more LN translations!
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