Chapter 29 : Why I Came

Towering trees, dozens of meters tall, blocked out the sky, letting only a few rays of light pierce through the dense canopy above.

The ground was thickly layered with fallen, withered leaves, giving off a faint scent of decay.

Stepping on them caused one’s feet to sink slightly—but thanks to that, there were few low shrubs to obstruct one’s vision.

Scenery like this meant they had already stepped deep into the mountains.

“Alright, let’s stop here for today.”

Anna called out to halt the five-person party.

Besides herself—the mage—there was a lightly armored female swordswoman, a tall woman burdened with many pieces of luggage, and a short-haired female priestess.

All of them wore practical and lightweight clothing and carried their own backpacks.

In contrast, Estelle, at the back of the group, carried only a small pouch—something Anna had prepared for her.

This journey into the northern mountain range could take ten to fifteen days.

For someone like Estelle, who seemed completely unprepared, even lasting a week would already suggest exceptional wilderness survival skills.

“Let’s find a place to rest for now. We won’t travel at night.”

After Anna spoke, the group moved together toward the base of a massive tree.

Just estimating, the trunk was probably seven to eight meters in diameter.

Its root system was vast, pushing up through the earth.

Clearing away the fallen leaves revealed a naturally formed hollow at its base.

While Anna and the others had already finished pitching their tents, Estelle was still secretly observing and learning.

But with just a glance, she figured it out and set up her own tent without needing Anna’s help again.

Once they had a place to rest, they lit a fire.

The glow of the campfire drove away the darkness and chill of the night, yet Estelle didn’t sit with them.

She wasn’t very comfortable with that kind of atmosphere.

Instead, she stayed near her tent, took a book out from inside her clothes, and pulled out a softly glowing stone.

She opened the book and read quietly on her own.

Anna approached.

Before she could even speak, Estelle closed the book tightly and hugged it to her chest like she was afraid someone might snatch it away.

“Estelle, won’t you come join us?”

“……”

Anna rested her arms on her knees and bent over slightly.

Originally, she just wanted a peek at what Estelle was reading.

She managed a quick glance—it looked like a handwritten notebook?

Skipping over the subject of the book, Anna continued inviting her: “From here on, we’ll be traveling together as companions. I hope we can understand each other better.”

Companions?

Estelle’s eyes lowered slightly as she silently repeated that word in her mind.

After a moment, she looked up at the woman in front of her and gave a gentle nod.

Anna let out a quiet sigh of relief.

She’d met many pampered noble girls before, but someone like Estelle—who barely spoke a few words in a whole day—was a first.

She honestly wasn’t sure how to deal with her.

The two of them moved over to the campfire.

As soon as they sat down, the priestess scooted over to Estelle, her eyes full of curiosity.

“Estelle, huh? That’s such a lovely name! Unlike me—I’m Milly. My father thought a simple name would be easier to remember, but I think names with a bit of uniqueness are what really stick, don’t you? I mean, shout ‘Milly’ on a street and five people might turn their heads.”

“Oh, right! The one with the sword is Ruby—her dad’s a city guard knight. That tall, muscle-bound one over there is Marpel—her dad’s a local hunter. Estelle, you’re not from Redpine City, are you?”

The priestess Milly spoke quickly and excitedly.

Estelle gave a small nod—answering just the last question.

That was the most she could manage—but Milly didn’t seem upset at all.

In fact, she found Estelle even more charming, thinking she was both beautiful and unique—a truly amazing girl.

Milly scooted even closer, her voice dropping to a gentle tone as she asked Estelle quietly: “I heard from Anna that you were planning to go into the northern mountains alone?”

“Milly!”

Anna shot a sharp glance at the priestess, signaling her to stop—but Milly ignored the warning and continued speaking to Estelle anyway.

“Actually, the reason we’re heading into the mountains is to collect ingredients for a magic potion I need to advance to Tier Five. You probably know that for those without a special bloodline, crossing into Tier Five requires a potion’s help.”

“Our team has always grown together through mutual support—we’re trustworthy companions through and through.”

“We’re only just at the edge of the northern mountain range now.

The reason we haven’t run into any real danger yet is because this area sees a lot of traffic from hunters and adventurers.

The scent of humans keeps the magic beasts at bay.

But once we go deeper, we might run into extremely powerful beasts—we could even die out there.”

“Estelle, what are you here for?”

Estelle clutched the book in her arms tightly.

She didn’t answer the question.

As a brief silence settled over the group, Anna steered the conversation in a new direction.

Estelle remained quietly seated by the fire, like a beautiful statue, exuding an aura that warned others to keep their distance.

Late into the night, once the night watch shifts were arranged, the others retreated to their tents to rest.

Estelle was assigned to the first watch shift, along with Anna.

Anna found Estelle and offered an apology on Milly’s behalf.

“Sorry—Milly said something she shouldn’t have. Even though she’s a priestess, she has an impatient streak. I’m apologizing on her behalf.”

Estelle looked at her, confused, not quite understanding why Anna was apologizing.

Anna smiled helplessly, then left.

After she was gone, Estelle drew the sword hidden beneath her cloak.

The hilt, guard, and blade were forged as one seamless piece.

The blade was a silvery gray, inscribed with deep gray runes, while the hilt was an even darker shade.

Magic radiated from Estelle’s body, wrapping her in a faint silver glow.

She leapt upward, landing on a tall tree trunk, and climbed swiftly to the top.

Perched at the treetop, she gazed up at the stars above.

Then she sat down, the magic fading from her body.

With her head bowed, she looked at the sword resting across her lap.

Estelle thought of her mother—the one she should rightly call Mother… The one who once looked at her with disappointment and said that she was nothing more than a poor imitation.

“Why did I come here?”

Estelle pulled out the book from her coat.

It was a handwritten notebook—copied word for word from a stack of manuscript pages left behind by another mother Estelle had never met.

It was an adventurer’s memoir, filled with tales of journeys and exploration.

Her mother had loved that woman deeply.

Estelle’s existence was merely an accident.

Her life was like a castle—vast, but empty inside.

There was nothing in it at all.

Just as her mother had said: a clumsy imitation.

Estelle herself had believed that once.

Until she read the contents of this book.

A single thought sprouted in her hollow heart.

A longing that propelled her down this path.

Estelle wanted to prove to her mother— that she was not a poor imitation.