Chapter 107

107. Family Circumstances

Name: Aien de Yustria.

The youngest daughter of the Yustria family.

Among everyone from her class at the training institute, she became a knight the fastest. She was currently one of the Imperial Knights assigned to accompany and monitor the person the Empire was closely watching.

Or—

She was the daughter of a fallen noble family who had awakened Mind Power through desperate effort, all so she could escape parents who wanted to use her to build connections with nobles and restore their family.

...Haa...

When I entered the training institute, I thought I would finally be free from my parents interfering with my life.

I never imagined things would turn out like this.

...Maybe they had come looking for me because Uncle had finally become a Hero, and people were beginning to say that I no longer needed to act as his observer?

Otherwise, there was no reason for the same people who had sent me to the training institute the instant I awakened Mind Power—and constantly pressured me to complete my mission properly so I could become a noble again—to suddenly summon me.

They must have decided that there was nothing more I could gain from my current position.

Or rather, nothing more they could gain from me.

“Please fix your expression. We will arrive at the residence soon.”

“...”

And they had even hired someone to come get me.

Where did they even get the money?

They barely had any proper income.

Actually, forget that.

They even wasted the small amount of money I occasionally sent them.

There was no way people who proudly lived extravagantly while saying, ‘A noble must always maintain dignity,’ had carefully saved every monthly salary I sent them.

I worked hard to earn that money with Uncle giving me spending money and the village chief helping me whenever he could.

And those so-called parents saved the money I sent so they could drag their daughter back home?

At least Uncle is more...

Yeah.

At least Uncle takes better care of me.

The clothes I wore.

The weapons I used.

The experience I had gained.

The relationships I had built.

Every single one of those things had come from traveling with Uncle.

If I thought about them one by one, the burden was so heavy that I probably wouldn't even be able to sleep.

Considering what kind of person he was, I couldn't exactly call him completely reliable.

Still, at least during battle, I trusted that he would definitely become my shield.

Of course, another way of saying that was that he hardly acted like a Hero at any other time.

But that was still better than people who had never once behaved like proper parents throughout my entire life.

Rattle, rattle.

And honestly, I wasn't sitting here right now because my parents had called for me.

I had followed because this man threatened to spread bad rumors about Uncle if I refused.

He even mentioned that he had seen Uncle entering the black market.

Those things had been fine because I had personally reported them to the Great Hero of Jeonggyeon, who was somewhat understanding of Uncle's circumstances.

But if they were directly spread to other people's ears, things could become troublesome.

Uncle was currently going through a transition.

He had become a Hero.

And if he continued growing closer to the level of a Great Hero, perhaps he could become a slightly more decent person.

But if someone ruined that process...

Knowing Uncle, he would probably start walking down a path that was the complete opposite of a Hero.

Do they have any idea how hard I worked to drag along a man whose solution to every problem is to destroy everything?!

Even when we first entered the bamboo forest, I had to stop him from suggesting that we build a fence around the forest and release gas that wouldn't kill the bamboo but would be poisonous to pandas, thereby creating a stable bamboo supply.

And when we first entered the Forest of Labyrinths with the help of the Great Hero of Salvation, he had said something like,

‘Going inside will cause problems, so why don't we just burn down the entire forest from outside?’

Even most recently, when we went to Karantlia with Heroson, Uncle kept complaining that he was annoyed and started looking at Heroson with a strange expression.

I had to hit him and tell him to come to his senses.

“Haa...”

“Do you dislike this that much?”

He didn't know how much trouble I had gone through while dragging Uncle along.

Nobody knew how many dangerous ideas were sitting inside Uncle's head...!

If nobody stayed beside him and stopped him, even for a little while, he would become like a boulder rolling downhill.

He would keep gaining speed until eventually crashing into the village at the bottom.

And nobody knew whether that village would be a single person...

Or an entire country.

So what exactly were these people thinking?!

...Come to think of it, I left without saying anything to the others.

I suddenly felt like I had made a mistake.

From the children's perspective, they had probably seen me get threatened by this man and then leave without saying a single word.

Who knew what they would tell Uncle later...?

Still, Mallangi was there.

Uncle probably wouldn't do anything too reckless.

And if things became serious, Lucy would stop him.

...No.

As long as Uncle didn't think of me the same way he thought of Mallangi, there probably wouldn't be a major problem.

His attitude toward me had definitely changed since we first met.

Back then, he treated me like an expensive ornament.

That was gone now.

Sometimes he even joked with me.

But who could ever know what was really going through Uncle's mind?

Besides, my role was to monitor Uncle.

My job wasn't to become close to him or become his friend.

All I needed to do was watch him and report what he did.

Uncle knew that too.

Perhaps all the kindness he had shown me came from that understanding.

I knew that possibility existed.

And I wasn't going to call it wrong.

So even if Uncle didn't come looking for me...

I would simply think,

I knew it.

Maybe I would feel bitter for a moment.

Then I would forget it.

There was nothing strange about that.

It was the perfectly normal outcome.

“Why do you dislike parents who spent so much money just because they wanted to see their child—”

...BOOM...!

Something vibrated.

A distant impact.

A huge, rhythmic vibration was approaching us from far away.

If Uncle were sitting here, he would have noticed it even faster than I had and immediately started moving.

But the man in front of me seemed to notice absolutely nothing.

He just kept rambling about something he knew nothing about.

I spoke with irritation.

“Don't interfere in someone else's family matters...”

Then I paused.

“Don't you hear something?”

“Pardon? What sound are you talking about?”

I opened the carriage door and leaned outside, focusing on the noise.

An ominous feeling ran across my entire body as the sound grew louder.

I couldn't remain sitting still.

The man hired to bring me here panicked at my movement and told me to come back inside because it was dangerous.

But staying here without knowing what was charging toward us was even more dangerous.

“It's dangerous! An Imperial noble shouldn't behave in such an undignified manner!”

“Be quiet.”

...BOOM! BOOM!

“Wait... there really is some kind of sound...”

“Stop the carriage.”

“W-What?! I can't! My mission is to escort you safely, Young Lady! I cannot allow you to leave the carriage when we don't even know what's chasing us!”

Young Lady?

Just hearing that gave me goosebumps.

He was someone hired by my father, a fallen noble.

So why was he calling me Young Lady?

Just how much money had they paid him for him to act like this?

Well, whatever.

If he wouldn't let me down, I could simply get off by myself.

I had gotten somewhat used to controlling the Sea Dragon Armor I received in Karantlia.

Just like Uncle had told me, I could even fly through the air a little now.

Clank!

I transformed the Sea Dragon Armor into its heavy-armored form—the one that always made Uncle's eyes sparkle whenever he saw it.

Using the staff that could remain fixed in midair, I safely jumped down from the carriage.

To that clueless man who kept calling me Young Lady, the sight was probably rather shocking.

Even Heroson had looked at this form and said that the dragon armor looked like something out of a legend.

“A-Ah, Young Lady! Hey! Stop the carriage immediately!”

There was some unknown creature following us, yet his first thought really was to stop the carriage.

He was braver than I expected.

Then again, someone with that kind of nerve was probably capable of threatening me in the middle of a crowded street.

It would've been nice if he used that impressive courage for something better instead of threatening a child like me.

Uncle was the same way.

Seriously.

Something was wrong with all the adults around me.

I needed to be careful.

Very, very careful.

I refused to grow up like that.

BOOM...!

BOOM...!

“Huff, huff...! M-My goodness... that's...!”

“...The Flame Wolf that Burns Mountains.”

Something I thought was still far away closed the distance every time I blinked.

It was the giant wolf of fire that had suddenly appeared twenty years ago and caused an uproar throughout the entire world.

A wolf of such enormous size and overwhelming presence was a piece of living legend.

For children my age, it was something we had only heard about in stories from adults.

For older people, it was a vivid memory they had personally experienced.

And yet Modaki, who normally did nothing except follow Uncle around crying, Dad, Dad, was part of that legend.

Thinking about it created a strange sense of disconnect.

BOOM!!!

The massive wolf growled as flames escaped with every breath.

Standing in front of it, the child wearing armor that looked like something out of a fairy tale suddenly seemed incredibly small.

I let out a quiet sigh.

I was somewhat thankful that they had come looking for me...

But if they came this loudly, the first thing I wanted to say wasn't thank you.

It was please calm down.

But if I said that openly, either Modaki or Uncle would probably get hurt.

...I should just put my helmet on and stay quiet.

“Ohhh, Daughter. Did you come out to welcome me?”

To everyone else, it probably sounded like Uncle's usual carefree joke.

But I had been traveling with Uncle for a long time.

I had watched him closely.

There was no way the current Uncle was actually calm.

The fact that a man who hated wolves had immediately ridden here on Modaki after she transformed into one proved how badly what happened to me had shaken him.

Looks like he's finally started caring about me a little.

Ever since the battle against the Great Demon, I had felt like Uncle was paying more attention to me.

But this was the first time I had seen clear proof of it with my own eyes.

...I cleared my throat and unnecessarily adjusted my helmet even though it hadn't moved at all.

Then I answered Uncle in my usual blunt tone.

He already called Heroson Son, Son.

Then there was Modaki and Jayeon.

And now this shameless Uncle was jokingly calling me his daughter too.

I should say something.

“Uncle, have you gotten addicted to calling everyone your sons and daughters lately?”

“What's with you? Why does your voice sound so excited? Did something happen? Did that guy do something? Did you cry?”

“N-No!”

“Really? Well, if you say so. Are you busy?”

Tap.

Slowly revealing the anger hidden beneath his casual tone, Uncle quietly said something to the companions I couldn't currently see, then came down to the ground alone.

Modaki was still in wolf form.

Only Uncle had descended.

He was ready to fight at any moment if something went wrong.

If the conversation went badly and Uncle started arguing with that hired man, both Uncle's position and mine within the Empire could become dangerous.

Part of me wondered if the village chief might quietly disguise the man's death as an accident without anyone knowing.

But if that happened, it would only add another unnecessary line to Uncle's criminal record.

A peaceful solution was always better.

Besides, I needed to see my parents at least once after they had gone this far.

“I'm busy. I'm on my way to see my parents.”

“Hm? Suddenly? They haven't contacted you once until now, so why are they looking for you now? Did something urgent happen?”

Once I mentioned my parents, Uncle seemed to roughly understand the situation.

He gestured toward Modaki, making her return to the form of a small child.

And once she did, I could clearly see the hostility on everyone's faces.

I was unexpectedly touched.

Apparently, I was more loved than I thought.

Since I was always snapping at Uncle, part of me had wondered if I was the only one drifting away from the group.

“Y-You are... Ahem! Are you the Indomitable Hero, Kim Ingwang?”

“Yes. And you are?”

“I am an employee of the Yustria family. Indomitable Hero, are you aware that you are currently interfering with the return home of the young lady of the Yustria family?”

“I'm her guardian. Why are you taking our kid somewhere without even telling me?”

Was that true?

I wasn't the child of some powerful noble family.

And I didn't remember becoming a child under Uncle's guardianship either.

For now, I changed the Sea Dragon Armor back into its lighter armor form and let out a short sigh.

I decided to watch the situation.

Despite appearances, Uncle's brain actually worked surprisingly well when he decided to use it.

He probably wouldn't cause a huge problem.

“This is strictly a private family matter. Even if the Indomitable Hero is Lady Aien's guardian, must we inform you about matters this personal?”

“You didn't have to explain everything. But you should've at least told me the basics. How is this any different from kidnapping?”

“Kidnapping?! I would never commit such an act!”

Instead, you threatened me.

He was probably saying that because he didn't want to make a bad impression on Uncle, the master of the legendary Flame Wolf.

But the actual person he had threatened was standing right here, eyes wide open and ears listening carefully.

How dare he?

The moment I said I was going to meet my parents, he immediately jumped onto that statement and tried to use it to justify his actions.

Still, Uncle probably found the situation difficult.

After all, both that man and I were saying the same thing.

“Hmmm.”

Uncle usually didn't seem particularly large.

But now, as he stood slightly crooked and looked down at both me and the man, I slowly felt a chill crawl up my spine.

The sun was beginning to set.

With the light of the setting sun behind him, Uncle's sharp eyes looked unusually dark.

For a moment, he silently stared at the man like a predator watching its prey from the darkness.

“Uncle.”

I had planned to keep watching.

But I had a feeling something would happen if I left him alone.

So I quietly called him.

Uncle clicked his tongue with an irritated expression and nodded.

At least he listened when people talked to him.

If he had been the kind of stubborn idiot who refused to listen to anyone and constantly forced his own way through everything...

Well, he probably wouldn't even be standing here right now.

He would likely be locked away somewhere deep underground in a dungeon.

“Fine. Then I'll join you.”

“...Pardon?”

“Yes, you heard me correctly. Let's go see our kid's parents. I'm supposedly her guardian, so I should meet them at least once.”

...I didn't like that idea.

I didn't want Uncle to see what my family was like.

I didn't want the others to know about the shameful parts of my life.

But...

Maybe if Uncle learned about it, he could find some kind of solution.

He had solved problems that once seemed so hopeless that I couldn't even see a path forward.

He had even managed to earn recognition from the Empire.

Maybe Uncle could really do something.

If I could, I wanted to abandon my family and leave just like my older sisters and brothers had.

But whenever I thought about doing that, I imagined those pitiful people instantly ending up homeless on the streets.

Because of that, I had never been able to choose either option.

If Uncle could find some kind of solution...

I would be grateful.

“Okay.”

“Y-Young Lady?!”

“Why? Did my father say he has no interest in an Imperial Hero? You should know that the Indomitable Hero is someone the Great Hero of Jeonggyeon has taken an interest in.”

“T-That's...!”

“Yeah, yeah. If I like what I see, maybe I'll even introduce you guys to Grandpa Alo.”

A man who casually called a Great Hero Grandpa Alo.

After Uncle became a Hero, a Great Hero had unusually joined his parade personally.

Even the Great Hero of Salvation had sent him a congratulatory letter.

Uncle had torn it apart the moment he received it and said they should pretend it never happened, but that wasn't something outsiders knew.

The fact that Uncle hated the Empire and disliked the Great Heroes of the Alliance wasn't publicly known either.

So there was no way his words sounded casual to this man.

Judging from the way the man spoke, he didn't seem like someone hired only for this particular job.

If he truly had loyalty toward the Yustria family, there was no way he wouldn't be tempted.

“I-I'm sorry, but something like that isn't a decision I can make by myself...”

“Come on. You really don't know how to grab an opportunity, do you? Do you think it's easy to meet a Great Hero? Forget the Great Hero—do you think it's easy to even meet someone who personally knows one?”

“That's...”

“Think about it carefully.”

Hehehehe.

Uncle laughed like a genuine villain.

But...

Wasn't that actually supposed to be his version of a friendly smile?

Lately, I had started wondering if that might really be the case.