Chapter 2: Nordende
I continued the journey on the gently sloped road.
The grain fields and vineyards on both sides of the road paint the whole area a rich and lush green.
In the distance, there are rows of mountains under a clear, blue sky. I still have not seen a human figure yet. Maybe they are working on the fields sowhere, so I just can’t see them yet.
It’s been a month since the trip began from the kingdom of Abalonia.
I have finally arrived in Nordende.
The scenery looked identical to how it was nine years ago, with the exception of the sizes of the cultivated lands. as they looked a little bigger now. But, it’s only natural for the area to expand, as nine years have gone by.
The scent of earth and the sll of grass tickle my nostrils as the gentle wind blows.
I closed my eyes for a mont to the feeling of wind blowing towards , then I gazed at the scenery that stretched as far as the eye could see.
If I continue to head straight on this road, I should be able to find so village hos ahead. Then, behind there, should be where the flowers that I was once captivated by are at.
That was the place I even dread of during the trip. I feel a little anxious after thinking about it again.
Suddenly, sothing ca into my field of vision as I looked at the beautiful vineyards. It was a person who was walking while carrying a jute bag on her shoulders.
Then, a woman who was working in the vineyard ca out.
She has lightly tanned skin, with a barrette clipping up her red-colored hair behind her head. Her height seems to be in the 160s, in centiters, but her physique is unclear due to the thick work clothes she’s wearing.
The woman with red hair walked towards elegantly, with her red-colored eyes looking right at . Her strong will power is displayed by the sharp look of her eyes.
For the ti being, it would be awkward if I stay silent, so I should say sothing to let her know that I don’t have any hostile intentions.
「…Hello」
「….Hello. Um, and you are? I have not seen you around here before, so I couldn’t help but worry since you’ve been zoning out doing nothing while standing in front of soone’s fields」
She is glancing over with the eyes of soone who saw a suspicious person.
Seeing her as soone who returned my greetings gracefully, she doesn’t seem to be a bad person for now. Her tone was a little severe, but from her point of view, I could be seen as a suspicious person who was standing in front of her fields. Oh well, a newcor coming into a countryside village will usually be greeted like this.
「Um, my apologies. I’m soone who ca here, wanting to move into this village. I am not soone suspicious」
She muttered “Hmmm” in a light tone in return.
「…Black hair and black eyes, huh… 」
「Eh? 」
I didn’t quite catch what she said just now because of how quiet she was, so I unintentionally let out a questioning reply.
「Oh, It’s nothing. So, where did you co from? 」
「The kingdom of Abalonia」
She looks unsatisfied from my answer, but if I hesitated to answer here it would make look suspicious, so I answered her honestly.
「You ca from a place that is extrely far away, huh? Well… you didn’t look like a thief to when I first saw you anyway. I’ll guide you to the village chief’s place」
「Thanks」
When I ca here nine years ago, I never got to pay a visit to sothing like the village chief’s house. It’s reassuring to have soone to guide around.
「There’s no point in leaving a stranger wandering here by himself, because it would make the people around uneasy. Co with 」
The girl waved her hand at as if she’s saying “don’t sweat it; it’s not a big deal”. Then, she turned around and started walking.
While thinking of what a open-hearted person she is, I started to follow her while keeping quiet.
As I followed behind the woman, village hos with brown-colored rooftops that are lined up in rows very close to each other could be seen in the distance. Perhaps there, the most condensed part of the village, is the central part of the village.
Aside from that area, there are fewer houses, and they are scattered over the place.
There should be several hundred people living in this village if the population hasn’t increased explosively since the last ti I was here.
We kept on going for a while as we crunched through the road of soil and grass. Then, we encountered a man who was pushing a wagon.
「Oya, Aisha, who is this man? 」
Naturally, the man who doesn’t know stopped his feet and asked.
He called this woman, Aisha.
「I ca to move here」
「Ohh, I see. That’s sothing I don’t hear about every day. I look forward to being friends with you! 」
「Thank you, I look forward to it as well!」
I bowed my head to the man who was showing a friendly smile.
「Oya oya, you are quite a mannered person」
The man looked like he was a little taken aback, then he replied while smiling brightly.
Maybe I had awakened to the natural reactions that were ingrained in since the start of my adventurer days from the relationships I had with my senior adventurers. Back in those days, even though I was just a newbie adventurer, I displayed the sa, respectful formalities as one would have if they were trying to beco an apprentice of a strict craftsman.
「…He would like to receive permission from the village chief to move in」
Aisha-san, please, there’s no need to broadcast what we’re doing.
She seems to be the type who would say everything out loud, clearly.
「Hmm… If it’s this guy, I think it’ll be alright. Well, let know if he gets approved」
The man seems to be quite accustod to how Aisha acts, and started pulling his wagon while smiling cheerfully.
◆ ◆ ◆
After running into similar scenarios a few tis while walking with Aisha, we have reached the central part of the village, where many private hos gathered.
I can feel the gazes coming from the n who are doing various types of housework, and the won who are drying laundry. I’m already used to this, since it was like this all the ti in the adventurer’s guild after all.
It’s the sa thing no matter if you are a newcor to a village or a newbie adventurer starting out.
Although, it feels better here because being here isn’t at the sa level as being suddenly surprised by the stares of rough adventurers. However, being surrounded by eyes from the distance feels uncomfortable in its own way.
If I didn’t have Aisha accompanying here, it would have been much worse.
I would like to be able to get to a point where I can completely ignore everyone’s eyes.
Let’s just take a look at the scenery around for now.
Compared to nine years ago, the number of flowers planted seems to have increased, and this village feels like it’s even more glamorous than before.
There are flowers in warm colors like red and yellow, as well as in cold colors, like blue and purple.
I feel nothing but joy when I look at those hos.
That one household over there seems to have used different colors to showcase a skillful gradation.
How do you plant it in order to get it to be like that?
Nordende’s flowers are so beautiful, after all.
Even though flowers can’t beco food that can be eaten, I would still take my ti to carefully nurture them in my own ho.
「This village is always so beautiful when the flowers bloom」
「Always? Have you been here before? 」
Aisha, who was walking ahead of , looked back and asked in response after catching the mutters I let out while checking out the flowers from the villager hos.
「Just once, nine years ago」
「Nine years ago?! 」
Aisha shouted with a voice that’s a little loud after hearing what I said.
For a girl who seed like she could always keep her composure, it was surprising to see her surprised.
「Yeah, but is it really that surprising? 」
「No, it’s nothing. Sorry about that」
To my question, Aisha gave an answer in a brittle tone to move on with her verbal mistake.
No, wait, even if you say it’s nothing, you got really curious about this… Did I do sothing when I was here nine years ago? I can’t rember it well.
「We’re here. The village chief’s house」
I wanted to ask Aisha again what she was surprised about, but it seems we have arrived at the village chief’s place.
It’s a large house built slightly away from the central buildings of the village. Among these buildings, there is also what looks to be so type of warehouse that is used to store food.
Lush green grass is growing all around the surrounding area of the house. It looks like it would feel really comfortable to lie down on the grass.
「Here, huh… 」
「Well then, hurry and go in」
As soon as I start to prepare myself to go in… *knock* *knock*, Aisha already started knocking on the door.
…Hmm what’s happening? Why am I feeling nervous even though I’m not eting a person of high social standing? Is it because of the possibility of not being able to live here if the village chief says no? I feel like I don’t even get this nervous when fighting monsters.
Before long, I heard a female voice coming from behind the door answering “Haii”.
「I, ah, co on in-」
After hearing that reply, Aisha opens the door with no worries and enters the house. Is it okay to not wait for the person on the other side to open the door herself?
「Hurry and co in」
After Aisha said so, I entered with her together while being a little hesitant still.
「Ara, I knew it. It’s Aisha-chan 」
The person who greeted us was a beautiful woman with wavy blonde-colored hair and jade-colored eyes.
I thought this person should be quite old, but she looks like a wife who managed to keep a beautiful face that showed no signs of aging.
… I think I have seen her sowhere before. Is it just in my head?
「Fiona-san, aren’t I old enough for “-chan” to not be added behind my na anymore when you say my na?」
「I have been watching you play like my daughter ever since you were a little girl, so Aisha-chan will always be a child in my heart, you know? 」
The lady fended off Aisha’s protest with a smile.
Aisha seems unable to co up with another retort, and her body moved a little as if she’s embarrassed. Apparently, for a straight-forward person such as Aisha, Fiona is an opponent who she is no match for.
「So, you brought a guest who I have never seen before here, huh? Are you introducing to your boyfriend? 」
The lady calmly looked this way with her jade-colored eyes.
Having Aisha as my girlfriend wouldn’t be the worst idea, but she looks like soone who would hold her man under her thumb.
「That’s not it. He ca from the kingdom of Abalonia, wanting to move into this village. 」
「Oh my.ing from such a far place. Co on in and talk in detail with my husband, who is the chief of this village」
「Haii」(Aisha)
Rather than looking like my girlfriend, she looks more like soone who lives in this house. In order to have a talk with the village chief, we were guided to a room inside by the village chief’s wife.
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