All that could be heard in the room after were the Imperial’s wails.
In the 1997th year in the history of the continent...
Upon being relegated to little more than a nation in name only, the Dolgast Empire met an abrupt and ignominious end when its territory was split between the nations of Storydia, Nordia, and Swomia following the uprising within its borders. Once the world’s most powerful military force and the ruler of the entire northwestern continent, the Dolgast Empire was not even a shadow of its former self when its lands were finally absorbed into its three neighbors, marking the end of a nine-hundred-year-long history.
✦ ✦ ✦
A week after the adventurers and northern knight corps successfully combined forces to vanquish a legendary ice dragon, two topics were the talk of the capital of Torisval. First was the summer solstice festival, which would start the day after tomorrow and was scheduled to run for two days. Second was the birth of a new S-rank adventurer at the Tris Adventurers’ Guild.
In the annals of the Guild’s history, it was exceedingly rare to ever see two S-rank adventurers at the same branch. It was no surprise that the promotion was big news. After all, the new S-rank adventurer was none other than Alec Dia, hero in the battle against the ice dragon, and master of the mythical Fenrir (in truth just a snow wolf variant).
Nadia Felice, an adventurer who had inflicted a fatal wound that had opened the way for Alec’s finishing blow, had also been considered for S-rank promotion, but had declined the opportunity, citing a change to her living circumstances. It was her wish that she maintain the current status quo as she adapted to the new changes in her life.
Shiori, Ellen, and Joel were all promoted to A-rank, news that was cheerfully reported by every news organization in Tris. For those with deep ties to the Tris branch of the Guild, it was an ongoing topic of discussion.
“This is astounding, Alec.”
With Violid by his side, Alec stood out. Even people who didn’t know him recognized him at a glance. Passersby called out to him on the street, and Shiori looked up at him in wonder as she commented on it.
“It hasn’t been like this since I lived in the castle,” he said in a tired whisper, flashing her an equally exhausted smile.
“Oh?”
“Whenever I’d be out on official business somewhere, everybody would wave at me. I always smiled and waved back, but now, just as back then, I can’t get used to all the attention.”
“Oh...”
That was just who he was. He wasn’t particularly comfortable being the center of attention or playing the role of the amicable star.
“Still,” he added, “I’m going to have to get used to it, especially since I’ve decided to someday go back to using my real name.”
Since the battle with the dragon, a letter had arrived from Alec’s brother, Olivier, by way of the margrave. Olivier had thanked him for his valiant effort, congratulated him on his promotion, and informed him that he was the talk of the royal capital. Even then, however, it was unlikely that anybody in the royal capital would have believed that the hero of the day was actually the missing third prince who had vanished some decades ago.
“But it’s not just me—you’ve gotten very popular of late too,” said Alec. “Don’t think I haven’t seen all those guys striking up conversations with you. It’s making me nervous.”
“Ah... They’re mostly just curious, I think.”
Shiori’s A-rank promotion had been awarded to her for her efforts at Dima’s frozen lake, but a promotion to such heights was exceedingly rare among support classes. It wasn’t quite so rare among herbalists and physickers, whose work and efforts could be more easily measured, but in Shiori’s case she was an entirely new class altogether. Her promotion was about as rare as rare got.
“Your advancements have helped stop the spread of stampedes, and improved support efforts among the knight corps’ medic and supply units. What is it they call you? Holy woman, saver of dragon souls? I’ve even seen a newspaper write you up as the Holy Mother.”
“Erm... ‘Holy Mother,’ ‘holy woman’... All these strange titles are all a bit much,” said Shiori. “People in this world really love their nicknames, don’t they?”
“Strange? Shiori...”
Don’t forget “merciless witch” and “the dark magenta lone wolf,” thought Rurii and Violid as Shiori cast some illusion magic to shield them from excess attention. Any dedicated knight or mage would have seen through the spell in an instant, but here among the ordinary citizenry, the spell worked a treat. The adventurers thus continued on their way down main street and to the Aulin Dispensary.
The dispensary was run by Nils, and it seemed it was closed for lunch, because the place was deserted save for old Hailard, who was chatting with Eir. The familiar greeted Shiori and Alec with a wave of its leaves.
“What are you doing here, Hailard?” asked Alec.
“Nadia asked me to come,” he said. “She gave me a change of clothes and a book to deliver.”
Nadia was out working on a request, and she’d asked Hailard to deliver some things to Clemens on her behalf. Clemens was seeing a guest, however, and so Hailard had taken to shooting the breeze with Eir while he waited. Their respective ages perhaps made it easy for the two to chat, and both were quite engaged in their gestural conversation.
“Apparently Clemens’s younger brother is here to visit from afar,” explained Hailard. “They’ve been talking for a while now.”
Clemens’s younger brother, Paul Holewa, was the director of the Enandel Trading Company.
“Oh, he’s here too, huh?” said Alec.
“You all know each other?” Hailard asked.
“We’re acquainted, yes,” replied Shiori. “So would you like us to deliver Clemens’s things?”
Hailard deliberated for a moment. He wasn’t sure whether to stay or go. He’d come to check up on his old pupil, after all.
“All right, I’ll leave the stuff with you, then,” he said finally, saying goodbye to Eir and the adventurers and taking his leave.
Aulin Dispensary was part of a row of terrace houses, and it was designed to be both a storefront and Nils’s home. At the far end of the dispensary was the guest room, which also acted as a patient’s room. Violid realized that it wasn’t a particularly spacious room, and elected to stay by the counter with Eir. Rurii, too, wobbled by the wolf’s side—the familiars were happy to wait outside.
The two adventurers approached the guest room door, but paused in confusion when they heard the noise coming from it.
“Pretty noisy for someone visiting a patient, don’t you think?” mused Shiori.
“Yeah. Surely they haven’t broken out into an argument, have they?”
Alec hesitantly knocked at the door.
“Oh, hello,” said Nils, poking his head out. “Sorry, Clemens is a little busy at present. Family is here.”
Behind the herbalist, they saw a silver-haired gentleman clinging to Clemens and wailing loudly.
“Wow, that’s not the Paul I know,” muttered Alec. “He’s really out of sorts.”
“Oh, you’ve met, then?” asked Nils.
Clemens’s younger brother, Paul Holewa, had gotten word that his brother was seriously wounded and had immediately left to see him. According to Nils, he had burst into the dispensary still completely clad in all his traveling gear.
“I wrote you,” they heard Clemens say. “I told you it wasn’t fatal.”
“But it was in the newspapers on the way here!” cried Paul. “Imperial supporters attacked an adventurer! He lost consciousness! He was in critical condition! He was poisoned and his life hung in the balance! They said there was no telling whether or not you’d make it another day! As soon as I read the description, I knew they were talking about you! What if your condition worsened, I thought... What if I don’t make it in time, I thought... I was utterly beside myself!”
This was a far cry from the graceful, refined director they had met on their visit to the Enandel Trading Company, but that just showed how worried he was.
“The papers always go overboard with that kind of thing,” explained Clemens. “You know that, Paul.”
“Yes, I do... I do, but still!”
Paul wept as he clutched at Clemens who, sitting up in bed, simply patted his brother’s back gently.