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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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Gwen Lidval, the Rose Knight, walked through the ruins outside the barrier surrounding the Basil region. A young girl with black hair trailed behind her, sniffling softly.
It had been a year since the girl had arrived at Gwen’s doorstep, sent by Allen. She was Gwen’s current apprentice, her potential successor.
“Hey, Stray Cat.” Gwen called out, without turning around.
The girl’s true identity, a secret she carefully guarded, was one that demanded respect, even reverence.
She was Erciara, the third princess of the Lodraim Kingdom, a descendant of a lineage that stretched back centuries.
But to Gwen, she was just a lost kitten, a stray she had taken in, an apprentice to be trained.
“Yes?” the girl replied, her voice subdued.
Gwen didn’t like her. Not one bit.
She had almost called her a thief, but had decided against it, considering the girl’s royal lineage.
“Just checking if you’re alright,” she said, her tone gruff.
The girl was her apprentice, her potential successor.
Despite their constant bickering, Gwen couldn’t help but worry.
And to her credit, Erciara had always shown her a certain level of respect as her teacher.
“I’m fine. I’m just… angry,” Erciara replied.
“Angry?”
They had just returned from the Trial located in the Basil region.
But Erciara, instead of celebrating her success, had been pale and withdrawn, tears welling up in her eyes.
“That goddamn god… he showed me those memories again,” she mumbled, her voice trembling.
Gwen’s expression darkened.
She knew what memories Erciara was referring to.
The coup that had shattered the Lodraim Kingdom.
The coup that had undoubtedly affected the Lidval family, a family closely tied to the royal family.
“What are you angry about?”
“That I… I couldn’t do anything.”
“You did your best. You survived. That’s all that matters.”
Gwen meant it.
Escaping from the assassins sent by the kingdom and reaching Basil… it was a feat of incredible courage and resilience.
Especially for a sheltered princess who had never even left the palace walls.
“The fact that you even made that decision… to run, to escape… it’s impressive.”
Erciara stopped walking.
“It wasn’t my decision,” she said quietly, her voice filled with a quiet despair. “If it wasn’t for my patron, I… I wouldn’t have survived.”
“But patrons can’t force you to do anything. It was your choice to run.”
“That…”
Gwen stopped as well.
“You chose to come to me, to Basil, instead of going to Sak.”
Erciara could have stopped at any point during her journey.
But she hadn’t.
She had persevered, driven by sheer willpower, until she reached Gwen.
“Your decisions matter, Erciara. They always have. So tell me… what do you want?”
“I want to get revenge on the knights who betrayed my family. That’s why I’m learning swordsmanship from you.”
Erciara started walking again.
Gwen smiled.
Erciara was a quick learner, her swordsmanship improving at an impressive rate. She was like a sponge, absorbing everything Gwen taught her.
It was a completely different experience from teaching Allen.
While Allen had also been a fast learner, there had been something… off about his swordsmanship, a certain… unnaturalness to it.
Erciara, on the other hand, had a natural talent, and combined with her determination, her drive, she was flourishing.
‘I wonder what that kid is up to now?’
“My patron… he agreed that I should come to you.”
She hadn’t known that.
It seemed the boy had managed to charm his patron as well.
She smiled as she thought back to the boy’s goofy grin, his disarmingly innocent demeanor.
‘He’s an interesting one.’
He had been so… unpredictable, his motives unclear.
He had claimed that his goal was to become a hero, but she had no idea why.
She had even asked the innkeepers he had worked for, but they hadn’t known either.
‘Wise, was it?’
The woman with translucent hair, who hadn’t been there when she first visited the inn… she had told her that the boy wanted to prove something.
Had he been referring to becoming a high-ranking hero?
If so, he might have already achieved his goal.
‘What is he doing now, I wonder?’
She had heard the news recently.
A boy named Allen Blake, a Pathfinder, had slain three Demon Kings. It was a shocking feat.
It had been him, as she had suspected, who had slain the 71st Demon King.
And he hadn’t stopped there. He had also defeated the 13th and 67th Demon Kings in Sak.
In recognition of his achievements, he had been granted an unprecedented promotion, skipping the hero candidate rank entirely and becoming a hero.
And not just any hero, a high-ranking hero, ranked 100th.
While the 100th rank might seem low, considering that few high-ranking heroes had ever slain a Demon King… it was an extraordinary achievement for a former Pathfinder.
People speculated about his true strength, his potential. He had become a global sensation overnight.
Many expected him to quickly rise through the ranks, but then… he disappeared.
Vanished without a trace.
There were various theories.
Some claimed that he had retired, content with his current rank.
Others believed that he wasn’t actually strong enough to be a high-ranking hero and was now under the Order’s protection.
And there were whispers of a secret mission, an assignment given to him by the Order.
But no one knew the truth.
Except for Allen himself.
‘He must have a plan.’
She couldn’t imagine him simply… disappearing, doing nothing.
He was up to something, she was sure of it.
The theory about a secret mission seemed the most plausible.
‘I just hope he’s safe.’
She didn’t know how strong he had become.
But she knew how much scrutiny high-ranking heroes faced.
And he had killed three Demon Kings. The Demon King Council would be after him.
‘Well, disappearing was a good call.’
Whatever he was doing… he could handle it. She had faith in him.
She had other matters to attend to.
Training her successor.
And eventually… finding her relic.
‘First things first…’
She turned to Erciara.
Her black hair was starting to grow out, revealing streaks of her natural blonde.
And her eyes… they were still the same shade of blue that was a hallmark of the Lodraim royal lineage.
“Stray Cat.”
“Yes?”
“I’m thinking of sending you to the Hero Academy this year.”
It had been a year since Erciara arrived.
Her determination, her dedication to her training… it had impressed Gwen. She had taught her everything she could.
Keeping her around for another year wouldn’t be productive.
“The Hero Academy?”
“It’s the Order’s training institution for heroes.”
“But… I don’t need to become a hero.”
“You need strength to get your revenge. At the Academy, you’ll learn more about combat, about strategy, about teamwork. You’ll make connections. And upon graduating, they’ll assign you a relic based on your performance. That will be a huge help.”
Finding a 1-star relic wasn’t that difficult. They were scattered throughout the Chaos Realm.
But acquiring a 2-star relic, or higher… that was a different story.
And even if you did find one, there was no guarantee it would suit you, that its effects would align with your abilities and fighting style.
The Order, however, had a vast collection of relics.
And they assigned suitable relics to their graduates.
Gwen’s 3-star relic, [Ignis], had been assigned to her upon graduating.
“Then… I’ll go.”
Erciara had made up her mind.
But there was one problem they had to solve.
“Are you planning on dyeing your hair every few weeks?”
The Hero Academy attracted attention.
Young, talented hero candidates from all over the world would be gathered there.
Erciara’s features might have changed as she grew older, but her bright blonde hair would make her stand out.
But constantly dyeing her hair would be a waste of time and effort, not to mention the potential damage to her hair.
Even now, after just a few days without dyeing, streaks of blonde were starting to show through.
Gwen considered suggesting she shave her head.
“Erciara, I think…”
“I don’t think I’ll need to dye my hair anymore.”
“What?”
Her hair shimmered, its color shifting, as her features… they began to change, morphing into a familiar face.
“What do you think? Pretty good, right? I learned this new trick during my last trip to the Trial.”
She had transformed her face into… Gwen’s face.
“Not bad,” Gwen said begrudgingly.
She couldn’t deny the resemblance.
But that didn’t mean she wasn’t annoyed.
She glared at Erciara, who was now making faces, testing out her new ability.
“Hey, a stray cat.”
Now she had a legitimate reason to call her that.
“Are you calling yourself a stray cat?”
It seemed like it had been a while since she had last reprimanded her apprentice.
She had scolded her right before entering the Trial. Four days ago, at least.
That day, Erciara had almost died, forced to relive the traumatic memories of her past, the day she had met Allen in that dingy bar in Basil.
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