Boukensha ni Naritai to Miyako ni Deteitta Musume ga S Rank ni Natteta Chapter 13

Hello everyone, just wanted to let you know I compiled the first volume of the web novel in a PDF file, you can find it in . Enjoy!

A new Volume begins! Hope you like it as much as the first one!

The crackling sound of the lit candles can be heard. Their wicks, lit by magic, glow with blue flames. The room is quite small. If four people come in, it'll fill up immediately.

On one of the stone walls, there are lighted chandeliers. There are no windows anywhere. A thick wooden door protects the entrance. There's not much around the room. As for furniture, there is only one wooden table and chair, right in the center of the room.

A man wrapped in a white robe sits on the chair, and a Crystal Ball rests on the table. Inside the ball, a silhouette of a person can be seen.

Although the most common means of communication are ordinary letters, there also exists the Crystal Communication. A Dark Crystal is purified and molded into a spherical shape, and by pouring magical power into the newly formed Crystal Ball, it can communicate with another Crystal Ball, regardless of the distance.

However, it is difficult to purify the Dark Crystal, and activating the communication channel consumes an enormous amount of magical power. For that reason, Crystal Calls can cost several gold coins per minute, and usually, the duration is relatively short.

However, the man in the robe has been talking to the silhouette for quite some time.

“…it's certainly my mistake, but that also means that your prediction was wrong.”

“You should have used more decoys. But it was a little surprising to discover that there are individuals capable of defeating Baal. I didn't think there were such powerful adventurers. I thought everything would be all right since Graham's servant secluded himself in the Elf Territory.“

“Huh… In any case, it wasn't completely destroyed. Although its power has diminished considerably, I think it can still recover. What about you? Did you get the ‘Key'?”

“No, I didn't. The one we got turned out to be made of fake material.”

“Damn it. It was harder than I thought. I can't make the same mistakes as that man.”

“You have to be careful. The agents of the Vienna church are after us. “

“Wait! …Someone's here.”

As soon as the man gets up from the chair, someone rushes over the door and kicks it open.  A shimmering white blade heads toward the man in the robe. The man drops the Dark Crystal Ball and dodges the sword that points directly at his chest.

There are five attackers in front of the man. All wearing the same masks and clothes. Two of them enter the room and the rest block the entrance. In that narrow room, it seems that the man will be quickly subdued.

“This seems a bit exaggerated to catch just one person…”

When the man snaps his fingers, the candles are quickly extinguished.

As the light suddenly goes out, the assailants stop moving for a moment. From the darkness, the man in the white robe begins to shine. A pale beam of light is discharged, and the attacker in the frontline coughs up some blood and falls to the ground without even reacting.

But the assailants don't hesitate or stop. In the blink of an eye, they reorganize their formation, covering the space left by their fallen companion, and rush forward once again.

The man in the robe moves his body slightly and dodges a sword.

“What a pity, but I don't have enough mercy to leave you alive!”

The man quickly begins a chant. The pale beam of light now shines in both your hands.

At that moment, one of the assailants throws his sword. The man twists his body again, but this time, the sword reaches the robe and tears it. From the torn place, a dark gem falls to the ground.

“Damn it! So that's your target!”

The man raises his hands and tries to release the magic. But before he did, one of the assailants wields his sword and breaks the gem a thousand pieces. Black smoke rises rapidly and completely covers the room. A little even overflows from the room. Simultaneously, the man in the robe releases his magic. Pale beams of light run through the room like the edge of a sword.

When the light fades, o one remains standing except the man in the robe. The candles light up again. Everything's awfully quiet. The cold silence of death gradually extinguishes the hustle and bustle of a few moments ago.

“It was a mistake to mess with me…”

The man kicks one of the corpses with frustration. Then he raises his hand and begins to murmur a chant. The black smoke that filled the room gradually gathers in the man's hand and turns back into a black gem. The man takes it with his fingertips and watches it carefully. The glow has become more opaque.

“We almost lost you, didn't we? To think they've already gathered so much information… we have to think about our next move. “

The man holds the gem, shakes his robe and leaves the room quickly.

○

The children gather around the carriage waiting for the souvenirs. They especially love the sugar candies, a confectionery that cannot be found in Tornela. Then Angeline places the rest of her luggage right in front of Belgriff.

“This is my favorite mulled wine! They put some spices and honey on it. It's delicious.”

“Hmmm… So you've been drinking alcohol, Angie?”

“Yes!”

Belgriff can't help but smile sadly as he realizes how much his daughter has grown. The young woman in front of him displaying all those souvenirs is definitely Angeline. However, when she left the village, the girl was barely able to reach his waist, but now, she reached his chest; her previously short hair was now quite long and although her face is still youthful, she already has some mature traits.

“…Being a father is very difficult.”

“What's wrong, Daddy?”

“Nothing, I'm talking to myself.”

Angeline slightly puffs her cheeks at Belgriff's vague response. And, without warning, she jumped into his arms and plunged her face into his chest.

“The smell of fireplace and straw… my daddy's smell is the best…”

“Haha, what are you talking about? Even though you've grown up, you still act spoiled.”

“I'll always be Daddy's daughter, no matter how much I grow up.”

“That's true…”

Belgriff caresses Angeline's head while letting out a nervous laugh. It may look a little different, but it's the same shiny, beautiful hair he remembers. It's completely different from her red hair. Something natural, as Angeline is not his real daughter.

Belgriff puts these thoughts aside and looks at Anessa and Miriam.

“Thank you for coming all the way here, you must be tired from the long journey.”

They both look at Belgriff and shake their hands in panic.

“No, no, it was nice to travel and relax after so long.”

“But, it's the first time I've seen Angie like that~. She really loves her dad, doesn't she~?”

Belgriff scratches his cheek bitterly.

“I don't remember being like this before, but it's also true that we haven't seen each other in a long time.”

“Five years! It's been five years! No…! In fact, it's been almost six years! I always worked hard! I got praised a lot!”

Angeline walks to Belgriff's back and, without saying anything, jumps to his back. Then she places her chin on Belgriff's head and musses his hair. That behavior is definitely that of a spoiled child.

An awkward smile appears on Anessa's face, as she wonders if that girl is really Angeline. As for Miriam, she's smiling broadly.

Even when she was little, her daughter has always behaved that way, Belgriff smiles resignedly, but he finally raises his hand and pats Angeline's head. Feeling her father's hand, Angeline lets out a small cry of joy.

“Angie, I loved the souvenirs, but please take your luggage inside.”

“Oh, right. Haha… Ane, Miri, let's take the stuff inside.”

“All right.”

“Okay~!” The girls pick up the luggage they had unloaded from the carriage and take it inside the house.

Since he didn't know of their arrival, Belgriff didn't have time to clean up, and that makes him a little nervous. But he can't do anything about it anymore. And since he can't continue his training with the sword, he decides to give some candy to the children and return home. When he sees the mountain of souvenirs, he can't help but wonder what to do with all of them. The best thing will be to share them with the other villagers at the meeting they have that night.

Unlike Belgriff's quiet expression, Angeline is extremely enthusiastic, which makes the former adventurer feel somewhat confused by the situation.

His daughter has just returned home, and Belgriff wants to prepare a luxurious dinner. However, he has to attend the town meeting a little later. The house doesn't have a bathtub, so he can't offer her a hot bath, but at least she can boil some water so she can clean her body. Besides, he didn't expect her to arrive with her friends, so he has to prepare more beds. Belgirff leaves the house to get some straw… and maybe go to Kerry's house to borrow a few blankets. But at that moment, Kerry and Burnes arrive at his house, breathing heavily.

“Hey, Bel! It's true Angie's back!”

“Yes, it's true. Some of her friends she works with also came.”

“Haha, that's good, Bel! You must be very happy!”

Kerry seems almost more cheerful than Belgriff. Seeing the good friend he has, Belgriff can't help but laugh. Right then, Angeline comes out of the house.

“Daddy! Ane and Miri… Oh, Kerry!”

When he sees how much Angeline has grown, Kerry widens his eyes in surprise.

“Oh… Angie! You've grown quite a bit! Have you been well?”

“Yes, as energetic as ever. Mr. Kerry, you… have put on weight?”

“Wahahahahahaha! Well… It's just a sign of happiness!”

Kerry laughs and hits his belly with his hand. Burnes looks at Angeline from the top down with his mouth open. His expression reflects the surprise he feels at that moment.

“You, are you really little Angie…?”

“Mmm? Who are you?” asks Angeline tilting her head.

“Don't you remember me?! I'm Burnes, Kerry's son!” he says surprised.

Seeing the indignation on Burnes' face, Angeline smiles maliciously.

“It's a joke, I remember you well. You are the same Burnes who always lost against me when we practiced with swords, even though you were my senior. Fufufu…”

“How cruel! Haha! You're definitely Angeline. “

Despite the little joke, Burnes smiles cheerfully, accepting his defeat in the conversation. At that point, Belgriff talks to Angeline.

“What about Miss Ane and Miss Miri?”

“Oh, yes. What do we do about the beds? Do we bring more straw inside?”

“Yeah. I was thinking about that right now. Hey, Kerri. Do you have any blankets you can lend me? You'd be doing me a big favor if you had three…”

“Of course. I have a few… Burnes, go get them.” Burnes nods and runs off.

“Mr. Kerry, these souvenirs are for you.”

“Oh, thank you, Angie!”

“Fufufu… This is an unusual spice. And these are vegetable seeds, and these are sugar candies…” Angeline gives Kerry souvenirs one after the other as she describes each of the objects. Kerry happily receives everything and listens attentively to the girl's words. Belgriff laughs soundly, then he takes some straw from the stable and enters the house.

The house isn't really that big. The rooms are not divided and the only thing that separates the bedroom is a large shelf and a dresser. A fireplace, which smells of burning coal, adorns the back. On the right side of the fireplace, there is a straw cushion with a blanket on top, which doubles as a bed.

Anessa and Miriam look around curiously. For those who were born and raised in Orphen, these farmhouses are quite unusual.

“Sorry about the mess, I didn't know I'd have guests.” Says Belgriff and the girls immediately turn to see him.

“No, no… Everything was so sudden… and frankly, even though it's smaller, it's also cleaner than our house. On the contrary, this makes us look a little bad…”

“Well, Ane always throws her clothes to the floor~.”

“You are the one who does that, Miri!”

“No~, I don't do that sort of thing~.”

Seeing the two girls arguing, Belgriff smiles tenderly and places the straw in a nearby space, shaping something resembling a mattress.

“… You two get along well.”

Anessa is surprised to hear this and blushes.

“Sorry, that was inappropriate…”

“No, don't worry… I know Miss Ane is a very serious young woman.”

“Huh?!”

“Angie wrote it in her letters. Miss Miri, on the other hand, is a little weird and funny.”

“What~? I'm not weird. In my opinion, Angie is weirder than me~.”

“Well, you may be right. I wanna thank you both for being friends with that girl… Thanks to that, she doesn't feel so lonely in Orphen. I really appreciate it.

Belgriff smiles as he says this, his words are so honest that Anessa and Miriam cannot help but feel embarrassed and blush. Belgriff brings a couple of chairs near the fireplace. He has lived alone all his life, but for some reason, he's got four chairs. He doesn't get many visitors. But Belgriff always thought it was convenient to have a few extra things for situations like this one.

He invited the two girls to use the chairs. The conversation between Angeline and Kerry will take a while, so they can take their time.

“Please sit down, I'll brew some tea.”

“I will help you!”

“It's fine. You've made a long trip, so please rest for today.”

“I-If you insist…”

“I'm okay with that~.”

“You should refrain a little… “

They sit next to each other, watching Belgriff's back as he brews tea by the fireplace. It moves slowly but skillfully. He moves slowly but dexterously. In reality, many adventurers and former adventurers do not have domestic skills. They usually buy food outside and simply take it home.

As for Anessa and Miriam, they have decent domestic skills, which they learned at the orphanage. But Belgriff surpasses them in such a manner, that it doesn't feel like he was once an adventurer. However, every time Belgriff moves, he does so without making the slightest noise.

“Mmm… you were an adventurer, weren't you?” Anessa asks.

“Yes. But when I was young, well…” Belgriff lifts his right leg instead of finishing the sentence. The part below the knee has been replaced by a wooden prosthetic leg. It's pretty sturdy and appears to be made of oak. It has a nice gloss, probably because it has been polished recently. And despite having a few scratches, it is well-kept.

Belgriff walks up with the teacups on a tray and sits in front of the girls.

“I was an adventurer for only three years. And I only reached the E Rank. So we could say that you are my seniors, haha!” says Belgriff as he innocently laughs and encourages the two girls to have a cup of tea. “It is prepared with some leaves that can be found in the village. I hope it's to your liking…”

A fresh scent rises from the wooden cups. They both blow the steam from their cups and slowly drink the tea. Despite being a little hot, you can feel the sweetness of the drink, accompanied by a slight hint of sourness.

“Delicious…”

“It's the first time I've had a drink like this~. It's a little sour, but it's also sweet~.”

“Haha, I'm glad. We don't have many brews of tea because of the season, but…”

“No, this is more than enough.”

“Angie's dad turned out to be very nice, though, didn't he~? As people call him the ‘Red Ogre' I thought it would be scarier~.”

Listening to Miriam's words, Belgriff's eyebrows twitch a little. Again with that 'Red Ogre'. He's heard that name several times, but he still doesn't understand what it's all about. It was thanks to Sasha and Helvetica that the villagers began to call him that as they held their laughter.

“Ummm… from whom did you hear the name ‘Red Ogre'?”

“Huh? Angie was the one who said it…”

“What…?”

At that moment, Angeline enters the room.

“Ha! I won't let you talk to my dad alone without my permission!”

“Angie… Come.” Belgriff calls his daughter. Angeline happily approaches and sits in a chair next to Belgriff.

“What's up, Daddy?”

“What's…? What's a 'Red Ogre'?”

Angeline draws a proud smile on her face.

“That's the amazing nickname I came up with for you, Daddy! Isn't it cool?”

“Haaa… You're the one spreading that nickname?”

Belgriff looks back at Miriam and Anessa with an expression of surprise. Anessa simply nods with a wry smile.

“Angie mentioned that name to a lot of people. Didn't you know that?”

Belgriff fervently denies with his head. Miriam can't help but let out a small giggle.

“Everyone in Orphen knows that name. The ‘Red Ogre', a powerful former adventurer and father of the Black-Haired Valkyrie, the famous Belgriff. Isn't that right, Ane?

“Yes. The former S Rank adventurers and the Guild Master were impressed to hear that.”

“Angie?”

“Yes!”

For the joyful expression and the big smile that Angeline has on her face, it is certain that she hopes to be praised.

“What should I do now?” murmurs Belgriff as he puts his face on his hands

Chapter end