Chapter 70
“See? From afar, I wondered why a man would grow his hair so long. And what’s with that outfit?”
Hearing their conversation, Ellen frowned.
“Must be a mercenary. He even has a bow on his back.”
“Never seen a female mercenary before either.”
The more the guards looked at Ellen with curious eyes, the more Roil felt her scrutiny. To defuse the situation, he quickly presented his identification badge.
“Roil. From Karzel.”
One of the guards, seeing Roil’s badge, reached out toward Ellen—signaling that she too should show her identification.
“Ellen. From Quinter. What brings you two here?”
After confirming Ellen’s badge, the guard asked.
“Just passing through. We’re on our way to Roanoke.”
Roil answered for Ellen, who didn’t seem in the mood to respond.
“To Roanoke? For what purpose?”
“Going to get assessed as a mercenary. Do we really have to explain everything even though our destination isn’t Esten territory?”
Ellen snapped at him in a dissatisfied tone. The guard, looking embarrassed, smiled and returned the badges.
“No need. You may enter.”
Ellen snatched both badges and led her horse through the gate.
“Seems the group was offended by what we said,” the guard said apologetically to Roil. Roil merely nodded and followed Ellen into the gate. Another guard, cheerful as ever, shouted after them.
“Good luck with your assessment―!”
✿ ✿ ✿
After bathing at the inn and lying down on the bed, Ellen felt immensely relieved.
‘Now I understand why Roil opposed camping at first.’
Sleeping in a place with no walls all around was far more unsettling than she expected, especially in a world like this where wild beasts could appear anywhere.
Although she had thrown some ball-shaped objects into the campfire, she wasn’t entirely sure they would actually keep animals away, which made her even more uneasy.
Since arriving at the inn, Ellen and Roil decided to sleep in the next day. After tossing and turning the night before, and riding without enough sleep, they were both low on stamina.
‘Although Roil doesn’t seem to be struggling as much.’
While Ellen’s posture on the horse was slowly collapsing, Roil appeared just as composed as when they had set out.
‘We arrived a day earlier than planned, so tomorrow we’ll sleep in and depart slowly.’
Ellen guessed that Roil’s earlier comment was meant to consider her well-being.
“Nezhu, it feels like it’s been a week even though we’ve only been away for two days.”
With a sigh, Ellen turned onto her side. Nezhu pressed its paws against her side. Feeling the pleasant pressure, Ellen closed her eyes softly.
Playing with Nezhu’s back legs, Ellen suddenly opened her eyes and pressed her own side. Startled, Nezhu leapt away.
Ellen patted Nezhu’s back with one hand while pressing her side with the other, recalling how Roil had held her the previous night in the valley.
Back then, she hadn’t realized it because she had been startled by a water snake monster she didn’t even know the name of, but now she remembered the sensation clearly. He had lifted her effortlessly…
Wait, he had one hand on the monster and still lifted me with one arm?
Ellen looked down at her body. She wasn’t small, and her training meant she wasn’t light or weak.
She recalled the day Roil returned from the frontlines and greeted the Quinter household. She had tried to pinch his arm once and was surprised to feel rock-hard muscles under his skin.
Then she remembered the sensation of touching his bare skin when he had lifted her.
‘Ugh. What am I thinking?’
Ellen hugged Nezhu tightly. Perhaps she misjudged her strength, because Nezhu struggled to get free.
‘It was Roil… but it wasn’t Roil.’
Ellen, confused by her own thoughts, suddenly realized:
‘That’s why I said “Roil.”’
Without realizing it, Roil had become slightly unfamiliar to her. The boyish noble she had grown up with had returned as a strong man, which felt strange.
‘And honestly, “Roil” fits better than the cute nickname “Roi.”’
But Ellen planned to keep calling him “Roi.” She had read the slight disappointment in his face when she suddenly used “Roil.”
If it had been Adrian, she would have let it go, and if it were Santuke, he likely wouldn’t even notice the change in address.
‘He’s so attentive. Notices everything.’
Yet she didn’t mind Roil’s thoughtfulness—it felt warm that he paid attention to even her small gestures.
Ellen twisted her fingers and toes and, realizing she was smiling, rubbed her mouth.
‘Stop being silly and sleep.’
Ellen called Nezhu a few times before giving up and hugging the blanket.
‘Tomorrow I’ll really sleep in. Wake up, eat, and since it’s market day, maybe check it out before we leave.’
Even here, market days weren’t much different from those in Quinter territory, but you could sometimes stumble across unexpected finds while browsing.
Thinking about tomorrow, Ellen’s heavy eyelids finally gave in, and she fell asleep.
✿ ✿ ✿
Ellen woke almost at noon the next day. After a few stretches, she drew back the curtains and had to tilt her head to see the sun.
“Gasp, when did the sun get that high?”
Looking back at where she had slept, Nezhu was gone. It had probably gone hunting, leaving her behind.
Ellen grabbed a towel from the basket and went to wash up. While heading to the washroom on the first floor, she spotted Roil sparring with another man in the backyard.
The man looked similar in build and hair color to Roil, making him seem vaguely familiar.
‘Haven’t I seen him somewhere…?’
Ellen studied him closely, but she didn’t recognize him. Perhaps it was just because he reminded her of Roil at first glance.
The sparring didn’t seem deadly, but the swords were serious enough that Ellen could tell the men weren’t playing around.
Next to them, an inn employee watched with her mouth agape, cheering Roil on whenever he left an opening.
Before long, the sparring ended. Roil, after politely thanking his opponent, noticed Ellen watching from a crouched position with a towel around his neck.
“Just woke up? I suggested sleeping in, but I didn’t think you’d rest until noon.”
Wiping his sweat with the towel on the chair, Roil smiled, looking far more refreshed than yesterday.
“I could have slept longer, but it’s market day. Shall we go watch a bit before we leave?”
“Good. Let me wash up first.”
“Yeah, I’ll wash too. See you in the first-floor dining room.”
Ellen and Roil went in separate directions. The inn employee, still lingering, looked disappointed as she left.
The man who had sparred with Roil earlier smiled slyly as he watched their backs.
✿ ✿ ✿
Before leaving the inn, Ellen and Roil ordered boxed lunches in advance. They could only sleep in beds for one night; from tonight, they would camp for two consecutive nights.
Esten territory was sparsely populated compared to its size. Since they intended to stop at each village, it would have been too time-consuming without camping, so it had been planned from the start.
“Maybe we can hunt something to eat for one meal?”
Passing the market, Ellen spotted a stall with quail and chickens hanging whole. She wasn’t worried—she had caught flying birds with a bow before.
“That’s fine. What do you want to eat?”
“Nothing specific. I just want to try something I’ve seen in picture books.”
“Then you’d have to hang a whole pig over a fire and roast it, right?”
Roil laughed, recalling a childhood storybook. He had his own childhood fantasies and even experienced them all during the war. Now, seeing Ellen’s curiosity, it seemed fun to try once.
Walking side by side, Roil wondered what meat would be appropriate. Jokingly suggesting a pig, he realized actually hunting, preparing, and roasting one would be a lot of work. Maybe a rabbit or bird would be better.
While Roil pondered, Ellen stopped at a stall and looked at the daggers laid out. She picked one up and paid.
“This young lady has an eye for quality! Do you want a whetstone too?”
“One, please. Actually, could I get two?”
“You’re ambitious. Should I give one to your partner too?”
Seeing Roil’s sword, the merchant smiled and handed another whetstone.
Ellen received a dagger and two whetstones, but had dropped one whetstone because someone had bumped into her. That person walked off without apologizing.
“So rude,” Ellen muttered, bending to pick it up. Roil was faster, picking it up first and handing it back awkwardly.
Ellen placed the dagger at her waist and noticed one of her pouches was missing.
Luckily, it wasn’t the one connected to their “storage,” just a regular pouch.
They had bought pouches at the market entrance, putting some money inside to make withdrawing funds less awkward.
“My pouch is gone,” Ellen said, panicking as she felt her body.
Where could I have dropped it? Nothing happened after buying it…
Roil noticed first.
“A pickpocket, just now.”
Hearing this, Ellen muttered something and started running. Roil immediately followed.
