【 Wise Runaway Life 】
The Grand Duchy of Varandian was a vassal of the Saint-Jean Kingdom but it was also a country with recognized autonomy.
While the Saint-Jean Kingdom was seen as a land of knights, the Grand Duchy of Varandian was described with the peculiar phrase ‘ruffians with chivalry’.
Anis was born as the youngest daughter of this Varandian Duchy.
Anis, who had no sisters, especially admired her aunt, Valize de Varandian, among her family members from a young age.
Known more by her nickname ‘Valize of Repentance’ than her real name, she lived the life of a wandering warrior.
Valize would visit the castle of the Red Lion once every few months to see her nieces and nephews. Each time she met Anis, she would share tales of her adventures like fairy tales.
“So, I said, ‘After I throw this axe, I will behead the enemy commander before it hits the ground.’ And I kept my word.”
“Wow, that’s amazing.”
Valize’s stories were enough to captivate a child’s heart, and Anis naturally decided to follow in her aunt’s footsteps. The desire to live a free and wonderful life grew strongly within her.
So it wasn’t strange for Anis to dream of becoming a wandering warrior, the kind that becomes the subject of minstrels’ poetry. After all, she had learned to read from the chivalric literature that her eldest brother Resar read as a boy.
Euric, her second brother, full of emotion, had given her his life’s work, but Anis preferred books that depicted the bitter trials and tribulations of a knight’s life over stories centered on love.
“Haah, it was such a good story.”
Ten-year-old Anis hugged the book tightly with a moved expression on her face.
“Oh my, young lady. What are you reading so intently?”
The maid cleaning the room asked with a smile. Anis showed her the book she was holding.
It was Resar’s recommendation, titled, ‘How a Knight Lives as a Macho’.
It was about the adventures of a protagonist knight who lost everything except his pet cat—parents, spouse, friends, and more—as he wandered the continent in search of the meaning of life, with only his cat as a companion.
“From today, this is my favorite book.”
“Ah, so the young miss wants to become a great knight when she grows up!”
Anis, who had been lost in thought imagining the pitiful figure of an old, tired, and worn-out knight setting off on his final journey with his cat, the sunset at his back, shook her head firmly.
“No, I want to experience all the bitterness, hardships, trials, and tribulations the world has to offer.”
“…Most people wouldn’t want that.”
Anyway, Anis listened to her heart’s desire to experience the life of a wandering warrior. So, from the year she turned ten, she began persuading her mother, the Grand Duchess.
However, after Duke Astrid died at sea, Duchess Raymonde was reluctant to let her young children out into the world.
The Duchess tried to dissuade Anis from her dreams with the harsh and realistic argument that those who are not strong cannot survive outside, but Anis was not one to listen well to others.
If that was the problem, it was simple. The strongest individuals in Varandian were her older brothers, Resar and Euric. There was another half-brother, but she wasn’t close to him, so she’d skip him.
If she could defeat them, wouldn’t that be proof that she was strong enough to survive outside?
Anis decided they would be her goal and began training diligently. After all, her strength lay in finding solutions to problems, even if it took time.
“You used to show no interest in your brother, but lately, you’re clinging to me all the time. What’s going on?”
Resar laughed with a satisfied expression as he ruffled Anis’s hair, who was standing close by, looking up at him.
“Resar, did you know that snakes compare their bodies to their prey to see if they can swallow it whole?”
“Huh? No, I didn’t know that.”
“Then know it from now on.”
“Then you should know from now on.”
“Okay.”
Resar, nodding at his cute little sister, paused.
“But why are you telling me this now…?”
Anis didn’t answer.
* * *
Unlike her, who grew slowly, defeating her nearly 190 cm tall brothers was an incredibly challenging task.
But who was it that said,
“Dreams come true!”
At the age of sixteen, Anis finally succeeded in defeating them.
“Ah, Anis. Pretending to surrender and then throwing dirt in my face is going too far.”
Of course, a little…trickery was necessary.
“Where is the chivalry of Varandian in this?”
Anis shook her head vigorously as if hearing the devil’s whisper and solemnly declared.
“I don’t listen to the words of losers.”
Moreover, she ignored the voice of her conscience with the miraculous logic that since she wasn’t an official knight, she wasn’t bound by such things.
Leaving behind Resar, who was lying on the ground with his limbs spread out, Anis wiped the blood-stained corner of her mouth with her sleeve.
Valize, who happened to be at the castle, seemed impressed by this sight and helped Anis persuade the Grand Duchess.
Thus, they succeeded in a two-year legal runaway agreement, allowing her to leave with Valize while hiding her identity!
* * *
A forest somewhere in the southern part of the Kingdom of Saint-Jean.
After wandering around for half a year, another half year passed as she repaired and lived in an abandoned cabin.
The life of a wanderer was far from the luxurious life of a princess, but Anis adapted quickly.
Anis even earned the title of ‘Little Hunter Living in the Green Cabin’ from the villagers an hour away.
“I am a brave little hunter. Not little, but a very cool hunter with just a little title.”
Anis walked along the path, humming and singing with a melody she made up on the spot.
Anis, who had gone alone to the village to sell animal hides, was in a good mood after a successful bargain.
Wearing a brown hooded cloak, quality pants, sturdy leather boots, and a black vest with many pockets and silver studs giving a rough image, Anis was true to the image of a ‘hunter living in a hut.’
In addition, she carried a large sack with various household items obtained through bartering on her shoulder and a small pouch with a small amount of money securely fastened to her belt.
Anis hummed as she walked along the path, where the sounds of insects and birds created a mysterious harmony.
