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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Yuziro
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The girl grew up in unfortunate circumstances.
A poor farming family in a small village.
Four children, a father, and a mother, totaling six in a large family.
That was the girl’s family.
Their small farm provided little income, barely enough to support their family of six.
Most days were filled with watery porridge.
If sprouted potatoes or stale bread graced the table, it was considered a feast.
When holes appeared in her clothes, her mother patched them with scraps of fabric.
It was common for the girl to wear her siblings’ hand-me-downs.
Their house, in disrepair, offered little protection from the elements, and insects and mice were constant companions.
That was the girl’s childhood.
Despite these hardships, the girl remained untainted, likely due to her parents’ love.
One day, her mother brought home a book.
A children’s storybook.
The protagonist was a kind adventurer, a champion of justice who traveled the world, helping those in need.
A strong and righteous adventurer.
Kind and benevolent, a figure of admiration.
The girl read the storybook until its pages were worn, escaping into its world of light and fantasy.
Like a mole in a narrow burrow, peering through a small hole at the sky above, the girl dreamt of a brighter future through the pages of the storybook.
Even a mole dwelling in the dark, damp earth could one day sprout wings and soar into the blue sky.
The girl firmly believed this.
And so, the mole began to dream.
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“Belle…”
I was speechless after hearing Belle’s story.
She held up the sword at her hip, a bright expression on her face as she continued.
“I trained diligently on my own since I was young. Whenever traveling adventurers passed through our village, I’d pester them to train me. One day, an adventurer gave me this iron sword.”
A worn, poorly crafted sword.
Barely suitable as a spare, yet the girl’s eyes sparkled as she looked at it.
“I was overjoyed… It felt like I was one step closer to becoming the adventurer I dreamt of. From that day on, I practiced with this sword every day.”
The adventurer who gave Belle the sword likely hadn’t given it much thought.
A poorly made sword, neither worth keeping nor discarding.
A convenient way to get rid of unwanted baggage and perhaps earn a bit of goodwill from a child.
I could picture Belle, bowing her head repeatedly in gratitude for such a paltry gift.
“Since my family was poor, I always knew I’d have to leave home early to ease their financial burden.”
“……”
“I decided I would leave just before my seventeenth birthday. Leave home and go to the city. That’s what I planned.”
With that thought in mind, Belle trained every day until her seventeenth birthday.
With that inadequate, cheap iron sword.
Despite being malnourished and underdeveloped, she persevered.
Finally, her seventeenth birthday arrived, and she left home.
She set off for the city.
For the bustling metropolis of Tillasden, where money and adventurers gathered.
To pursue her dream of becoming an adventurer…
“……”
I had assumed she was just another ambitious youngster.
Young people dreaming of becoming adventurers and flocking to the city were a common sight.
Every year, Tillasden saw an influx of youngsters just shy of seventeen.
But most of them, after experiencing the harsh realities of adventuring, returned home.
Unprepared, lacking resolve… Mere novices.
Children from comfortable homes, sheltered from danger, who froze when confronted with real threats.
I finally understood that Belle’s skill wasn’t solely based on talent.
It was the product of years of hard work, honed since childhood.
A foolish diligence, training tirelessly with that cheap iron sword.
The iron sword I had dismissed as worthless was Belle’s path towards her dream, and what I had perceived as talent was her blood, sweat, and tears.
“……”
“But don’t worry, Senior. I can survive for two weeks on this! In the meantime, I’ll learn from you and start working…”
…Belle. I hadn’t intended to keep you around for two weeks.
I had planned to give you a week, maybe, declare you competent enough, and pawn you off on the guild.
Yes.
That was my plan…
“……”
“Senior?”
I took a deep breath, filling my lungs until they ached, then let out a heavy sigh.
I turned my back to her.
“Belle, follow me.”
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Bang! Bang!
Ignoring the “Closed” sign, I pounded on the door with all my might.
After several more knocks, a man with an annoyed expression opened the door and peered out.
“What? Iyer? What are you doing here at this hour?”
“Are you still open?”
“What…? Look at the time. We’re closed.”
The man working in the kitchen looked at me with a puzzled expression.
He was right.
Even the pubs that stayed open late were closed by now.
It was strange for me to show up at this hour.
The madam appeared from inside, having seen me at the door.
“Iyer? What brings you here?”
“Can I get something to eat, Madam?”
“……Something to eat?”
She probably thought I was being ridiculous.
The madam tilted her head, confused.
She looked me over, trying to figure out what was going on, then her gaze shifted to Belle, standing nervously behind me.
The madam’s expression softened as she saw Belle’s anxious face.
She seemed to be thinking, “Ah, that’s why.”
“……Haven’t you finished cleaning up yet?”
“Uh, well, not quite…”
As the man nodded, the madam let out a short sigh and gestured for us to enter.
“Come in. Get something to eat.”
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Inside the empty pub.
Unlike its usual bustling atmosphere, filled with adventurers, the hall was eerily quiet.
I sat at a table, waiting, and soon the madam emerged from the kitchen with several plates.
She placed mashed potatoes, soup, and a small, perfectly cooked piece of meat on the table.
Not a special meal, but more than enough for one person.
“Just some leftovers. Let me know if you need more.”
“……Thank you, Madam.”
“I’ll be charging you, by the way.”
With that, the madam returned to the kitchen.
She acted like it was nothing, but it was a considerable favor to reopen the pub after closing hours. I could sense her kindness beneath her gruff words.
Thank you.
You’re the best, Madam.
“Um… what is this…?”
Belle stared at the food on the table, dumbfounded.
But Belle had been surviving on stale bread and the dried fruit I gave her.
Her eyes trembled as she looked at the meal.
I silently extended my hand and held up my index finger in front of Belle’s face.
“One month.”
“One month…?”
Belle looked at me with trembling eyes.
I spoke to her in as neutral a tone as I could manage.
“I’ll train you to be a competent adventurer in one month.”
“……!”
Belle’s eyes widened.
Perhaps she was surprised by my sudden declaration.
Or maybe she had already sensed it.
That despite her pleas for guidance, I hadn’t been particularly invested in her.
“Senior…”
“Listen carefully, Belle. This is an investment.”
“……Investment?”
Belle tilted her head, confused.
I deliberately adopted a cold tone as I explained.
“I’ll look after you for a month, and in return, I’ll bill you for the expenses.”
“But I don’t have any money…”
“You don’t now. That’s why you’ll earn money on requests after you become competent enough to repay me.”
Room and board, training expenses, the cost of equipment for future requests.
I would cover it all.
Every last penny.
Do you understand, Belle?
You’ve fallen into the clutches of a ruthless businessman.
I’ll train you as best I can for a month, then bleed you dry for every penny you earn.
So…
I tilted my head slightly, meeting Belle’s gaze.
Her wide, surprised eyes sparkled.
“So… stop groveling and learn properly. …Got it?”
“S-Senior…”
I quietly pushed the plates towards Belle.
The steaming dishes sat before her.
“Eat up. It’ll get cold.”
“…….”
Belle picked up a spoon with trembling hands and took a sip of the soup.
She tore off a piece of bread and put it in her mouth.
Then she took a bite of the freshly cooked meat and potatoes.
Chewing the meat, Belle smiled brightly.
“It’s delicious.”
“……Good.”
She was smiling, but the corners of her lips trembled slightly.
She took another sip of soup, then slowly lowered her head.
Her thin shoulders shook.
I quietly rested my chin on my hand and turned my gaze to the window.
“Sob… sniffle… sniffle…”
“…….”
“Sob… hiccup… hiccup…”
The quiet pub filled with the soft sobs of a young girl.
With her sniffles as background music, I stared at the moon visible through the window for a long time.
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[poor belle, just trying to be a girl in this world]
Too short, but good chapter nonetheless.