Along the way, Holly turned the complaints in her heart into what sounded like self-talk… and spoke them aloud to Ruilier.
Silently listening from behind, Ruilier began to understand the girl before her a little better.
At her core… this young girl was still kind-hearted, wanting to share some of the burdens at home, but was always seen by her sister as causing trouble.
Her sister wasn’t truly domineering, nor did she disregard her feelings.
On the contrary, having grown up without parents, she was more worried about her current family, trying to shoulder everything on her own shoulders to give them a better life.
Seen this way, it was just an ordinary family quarrel, nothing strange. Only…
There was something off about the girl’s personality.
How to put it? There was a slight sense of disconnection.
It seemed as if the girl telling the story and the girl taking action were two different people.
Normally, even if she felt her sister didn’t care about her feelings, she would only lock herself in her room and cry.
She wouldn’t choose to completely fall out with her sister or storm out of the house in a fit of anger.
A girl who had always been protected by her sister shouldn’t have such boldness…
Because of this thought, Ruilier instinctively glanced back at the girl walking ahead a few more times.
What a strange person.
But this had little to do with her.
In fact, after this, it was likely the girl wouldn’t be able to join the Mercenary Company.
“Phew… thank you, Sister Ruilier, for listening to me so much. Well… see you tomorrow!”
At the door, Holly waved toward the silent girl. After pouring out her troubles, she seemed much better.
Tomorrow… it seemed she hadn’t given up on joining the Mercenary Company yet~
Ruilier said nothing and watched as Holly turned and entered her home, then prepared to leave.
But… just a few hundred meters away, that girl’s voice called out behind her!
“Sister Ruilier! Please… wait!!”
Hmm? The quiet girl turned back and saw Holly slipping on a cloth coat and running out again.
“Um… I… I want to ask you for a favor!” Compared to before, her mood seemed better, but now she looked a little anxious over something.
Ruilier tilted her head slowly, her indifferent eyes fixed on Holly.
“Um… my grandmother said you went out to get medicine for me… but you still haven’t returned. I’m afraid something happened… so… could I ask you to come with me to the Herbal Shop?”
The Herbal Shop…
In an instant, Ruilier’s mind unfolded the map of Stream Town she had seen before.
That area was also within her patrol range.
Thinking this over, she nodded slowly at Holly.
“Thank you! Thank you so much!” The girl said, then, without waiting for a reply, hurried toward the Herbal Shop.
Still really worried, huh?
Even though before she’d said something like “My sister doesn’t care about me, so I don’t care about her either”…
Ruilier shook her head helplessly and quickened her pace to follow the girl.
However… when they arrived at the Herbal Shop, they found…
“Eilu came by just now and said you were injured and came for some medicine… but she already left, about ten minutes ago, I guess?” The elderly herbalist looked at Holly with some puzzlement.
“Are you alright?”
Holly froze in place.
She had run here at top speed… it had only taken five minutes.
Ten minutes ago, she was still complaining to Ruilier about her family…
So… if her sister didn’t come home, where else could she have gone?
In that moment, Holly’s face turned paler than ever.
Imagining that her sister might have encountered danger while fetching medicine for her, and thinking about the consequences her own recklessness tonight could bring…
Her body trembled uncontrollably.
She wanted to turn around and search for her sister, but… where could she go to find her?
Wuuu—!!!
As she stood there lost, Ruilier blew a short whistle hanging from her waist!
Within minutes, members of the Hunter Blade Mercenary Group scattered across the town rushed over…
…
The next day, around noon…
A noticeably modified long-distance carriage arrived at the town gate.
“Miss, we must have arrived at Stream Town. Should we stop and rest for a bit?”
Amisa, wearing crystal-rimmed glasses, looked back and through the small window at the carriage interior.
This time, only four people accompanied the Miss on her journey.
Besides Amisa and Veil, both maids, there was Insmouth of course, and the other—the only male on this trip—Mr. Arthur.
Though Mr. Arthur still had white hair and beard, after some grooming and donning a white robe trimmed in silver, he looked quite dashing and carefree.
As for the Great Priest, since he was a follower of the Crystal Giant Tree, this journey, though officially unrelated to the Crystal Giant Tree, was in fact intricately connected.
So after consideration, the Miss had sent him back to the Thirteenth Mine to organize the Six Residents’ expansion outside the Crystal Capital.
“No need… we…”
Rumbling…
Ileya was about to pass straight through the town when Veil’s stomach suddenly protested loudly.
Phew…
Everyone’s gaze instantly turned to the Goddess Young Lady, even Insmouth tilted her head (the bad woman’s control).
“Ugh! I… I’m hungry!”
Veil said righteously, somewhat embarrassed but not seeing it as something shameful.
“Ahem… hehe, after all that travel, getting hungry quickly is only natural~” Arthur stifled a laugh and said with gentlemanly courtesy.
“That’s right~” Someone spoke to her, and the Goddess Young Lady straightened her waist even more.
Seeing Veil’s silly look, Ileya sighed and reached out to pinch the little bit of soft flesh on Veil’s belly.
“Honestly~ why can’t your fat be in the right places~” she teased, her eyes flicking to an unremarkable spot on Veil.
Ugh… damn it!
She had seen herself grow up plenty of times!
Now here she was mocking herself…
The Goddess Young Lady gritted her teeth and in her mind blasted that bad woman with divine power a hundred times!
“Well then, Miss…” Amisa, holding the reins, spoke again…
“Hmm, let’s go eat in town~” Veil said as she leaned sideways against her, looking tired.
“Yes.”
“Miss really spoils her~” Arthur sitting opposite shook his head with a light laugh.
Though he teased her, everyone could tell she felt something different about this little maid.
“Is that so~” Ileya raised an eyebrow, flipping from a side lie to lying flat, her red eyes staring at the Goddess Young Lady’s slightly flushed cheeks.
“Because… we’re very important to each other~”
She said this while asking the Goddess Young Lady:
“So~ Veil, what do you think our relationship is?”
“Ah? Um…” Veil’s eyes instinctively avoided the Miss’s gaze…
After a few seconds, she answered very quietly…
“Probably… just very important… people…”
No sooner had she spoken, the bad woman’s voice rang through everyone’s ears…
“Of course, it’s the master and pet relationship~”
Waaah… as expected… I really should blow you up!!
Damn bad person! Idiot! Despicable! Shameless!!