When she laid eyes on the mountain she hadn’t been to in so long, Noel’s first impression was a strange one: that of familiarity. While living there, she had spent most of her time indoors, so she had no memory of looking out at it this way. And yet, somehow, it felt nostalgic.
Dwelling on that thought, she stepped onto the mountain path. Her steps carried no hesitation. Even though it had been years, and even though she had only ever traveled this route once, she advanced without losing her way.
“It’s just as I expected, but...this mountain really has nothing, doesn’t it?” Allen remarked. “Plenty of trees growing everywhere, but that’s all.”
“Not even many signs of wild animals,” Anriette added. “Hard to believe anyone could live in a place like this.”
“Maybe that’s why she eventually left,” Mylène said quietly.
“Who knows,” Noel murmured. “As far as I know, though, merchants did come by from time to time. Thanks to that, we managed somehow.”
Vanessa, for her part, had thought of nothing but smithing. She never considered personally selling her work, but even she must have understood that they couldn’t live without outside supplies. So on occasion, she would hand over a few pieces to the merchants who passed through in return for food or daily necessities.
“Even so, she did end up leaving the mountain in the end, didn’t she?” Anriette asked. “Guess it was too inconvenient.”
“She never seemed concerned with that to me. If anything, she looked like she was enjoying the freedom of not having to deal with needless troubles.”
“So she was a misanthrope? Honestly, I didn’t get that impression,” Allen replied.
“No, it wasn’t really misanthropy. She just didn’t want to bother with things she found troublesome or tedious.”
“Interacting with people counts as troublesome, doesn’t it? In that case, isn’t that basically the same thing?”
“Well, I can’t deny that.” Noel let out a faint laugh, recalling a conversation she’d once had with Vanessa on that very topic. She remembered asking her if she didn’t get lonely living all alone. Vanessa had replied that she didn’t, leading Noel to wonder if she hated people. “What was it she told me back then?” Noel muttered to herself.
“Hm? Did you say something?” Allen asked.
“Just talking to myself. But...thinking about it now, maybe that’s connected to why she eventually left.”
“Oh?”
“She truly despised doing anything unnecessary. As time went on, I started taking care of things instead. Making meals, doing the laundry, even dealing with the merchants.”
Allen blinked. “Cooking and cleaning I can understand, but handling merchants too? That’s less like a roommate and more like a servant.”
“A maid, perhaps? Percival would be furious if he heard that,” Anriette said with a smirk.
“Maybe so. But at the time, I didn’t mind. In fact, I felt like it was my responsibility.”
“Sounds like the kind of girl who’d get strung along by a useless man. Still, weren’t you worried about being tricked? A kid negotiating with merchants is a scam waiting to happen,” said Anriette.
“That was never a concern. If they tried something and it came to light, they’d lose the trade entirely. Rare items from a first-rate blacksmith were far more valuable than any temporary profit. A merchant too foolish to realize that wouldn’t have done business in the first place.”
It was only after her time in the Elven Forest that Noel had learned to think that far ahead, but either way, she had never truly feared being deceived.
“Once I left, there was no one to handle all of that anymore. I don’t know exactly when Vanessa finally came down from there, but...” Noel trailed off.
“You’re saying she gave up because you weren’t around to take care of things?” Anriette asked. “Bit of a stretch, don’t you think?”
“Maybe. But I can’t rule it out.”
“People do tend to take the easy road. Once you get used to leaving things to someone else, it’s not surprising if you can’t manage on your own anymore.”
Noel didn’t know for sure, and even if it was true, she didn’t intend to burden herself with guilt. That was Vanessa’s decision and responsibility. Noel had no reason to carry it herself.
“It doesn’t really matter. Just a thought that crossed my mind, that’s all,” she said with a faint smile. It was, in the end, just small talk. The scenery was monotonous, and talking helped to keep her distracted, although perhaps there was more to it than that.
Percival’s question surfaced in her mind—the meaning of returning once more to the kingdom. The weight of that decision. Three days had passed since, and she still had no answer. She knew it was selfish. She knew it was for her own satisfaction and perhaps even harmful. And yet, knowing all that, she still couldn’t bring herself to choose not to go. For reasons even she couldn’t explain, she wanted to do it.
But she was a queen. She had sworn to shoulder the fate of the elves. So why...
There I go, thinking about it again.
She had tried to set it aside, knowing she would only end up going in circles. But whenever she let her guard down, the thoughts crept back in.
Of course, she would need to face them properly at some point. But for now, she could leave it until they found the sword Vanessa had supposedly buried here. Perhaps once she saw it, she would understand. Perhaps she would finally know why she felt compelled to return to the kingdom. Or maybe it was nothing but a misunderstanding. Either way, it would bring her closure.
Her musings were cut short as the trees abruptly opened up. The path led into a clearing where the sky spread wide above and the earth stretched bare below. There was nothing else, only soil and a scattering of grass. Not even a trace remained.
“I expected this once I heard Vanessa had left. But it really is all gone,” Noel said quietly.
“Huh? You mean...” said Allen.
“There’s nothing here at all,” Anriette muttered.
“Did there used to be a house or something?” Mylène asked.
“If my memory serves me correctly, yes.”
It looked like nothing but empty ground, yet she vividly remembered being led here all those years ago.
“Ah. That’s right.”
It came back to her—the answer Vanessa had given when Noel had asked if she hated people. “If I hated people, I never would have picked you up.” It wasn’t anything especially meaningful, and yet it had made Noel strangely happy.
And there was something else too. A memory of making some kind of promise. But what had it been?
I suppose it wasn’t important if I’ve forgotten until now.
Even so, she couldn’t shake the feeling that it mattered. She was still trying to recall when she felt a human presence. Reflexively she turned, her senses sharp. There should have been no one there. With Vanessa gone, there was no reason for anyone else to come. Who could it be, and why?
The question didn’t linger long, as a figure appeared before them. “Well, well. I thought I was the only fool who’d come all the way out here. But to find you here... What are the odds?”
The newcomer looked at her in surprise, but Noel felt the same. It was a familiar face. More than familiar...
“That’s my line. What are you doing here of all places...Champion?”
Akira Kazaragi. The Champion of this generation—and a person deeply entwined with Noel’s fate—stood before her.