Chapter 33: Chapter 33: Rella Has Run Away

Throughout my life, I’ve seen countless adventurers.

Some were talented, some hopeless, some learned quickly, others were just plain lucky. There were those who brought misfortune wherever they went, some terrifying, and others who were downright hilarious. And, of course, many ended up dead.

But in all that time, there’s only been one person who truly frightened me to the core.

Helga.

Her overwhelming strength, the cold decisiveness with which she split her enemies' skulls, her lightning-fast speed that made her almost invisible—everything about her was terrifying. Even her rough, almost monstrous appearance, which didn’t resemble a woman at all, added to the fear she instilled.

The moment you saw her, you’d freeze in place.

Sigh.

The old Baldy let out a small sigh as he watched the rookie, Rafa, walking ahead of him.

When he first saw him, Baldy had been utterly shocked.

“For a second, I thought Helga had come back, and my heart nearly stopped.”

But he quickly realized it wasn’t her.

The atmosphere, the expression—it was all different.

Sure, someone seeing Rafa’s face for the first time might be struck by its intensity, but with his years of experience, Baldy could tell the moment Rafa started speaking.

“If I were younger, I might’ve been fooled.”

The sheer presence of Rafa's face was nearly identical to Helga’s. If Baldy had been less seasoned, he might have mistaken him for her. They were that similar.

In fact, there wasn’t much that set them apart physically at all.

“Poor kid—he didn’t even get his looks from his father.”

Baldy’s gaze followed Rafa, who was now well ahead of the group. His large frame, easily two heads taller than most, made him impossible to miss even through the trees and winding path up the mountain.

“If only the kid was rotten or at least wasn’t so kind-hearted, maybe I could relax.”

Another sigh escaped him.

It had been twenty years since Baldy had been tasked with his current mission from the Duke’s family. The job was simple—just keep living as an adventurer, and if Helga, Klaus, or anyone who resembled them appeared, send word. He wasn’t required to change his lifestyle or engage in combat. All he had to do was stay in touch, and if no one showed up, that would be fine, too.

That job had opened his eyes to just how vast and powerful a noble family like the Duke’s could be. Year after year, for nearly two decades, they sent him substantial sums of money—just in case someone who might not even appear, actually did. And Baldy knew he wasn’t the only one on their payroll. There had to be others in this city, other towns, even the capital.

Who knew how many people were receiving secret payments like him, just keeping an eye out?

The guilds, merchants, maybe even some of the adventurers on this very expedition.

They might be getting paid as well.

No one ever spoke of it, though. Not a word, not even a whisper. That was how tight the secrecy was. And the large sums of money were the price for maintaining that silence.

Sigh.

It made him uneasy.

If Helga had appeared, that would have been fine. She kept to herself, rarely interacting with others. Maybe people were simply too afraid of her, but Baldy had never heard of her getting close to anyone.

And if Klaus had shown up, even better. Baldy might have felt proud for saving him, deep in his heart.

But Rafa?

Why is the kid so innocent?

Despite his appearance, which made him look like he could chew up bandits for breakfast, Rafa was as pure as freshly fallen snow. Too pure.

Sigh.

It was starting to give Baldy an ulcer.

He knew he had to inform the Duke’s family. He couldn’t avoid it. The money they sent him had paid for his wife’s medical treatment and his children’s education. Unlike their father, who couldn’t even read properly, his kids had been able to attend school, thanks to the Duke’s funds.

The Duke’s generosity had covered tuition, dormitory fees, books, and other costly necessities. Without it, Baldy couldn’t have provided for his family.

What is the Duke’s family planning to do? he wondered.

Were they planning to kill Helga’s son? Or would they capture him and torture him until he revealed Klaus’s whereabouts?

Ugh, my stomach hurts.

His head drooped lower as they climbed, and his pace slowed.

“Are you all right?”

The sudden voice startled him. He looked up to find Rafa gazing down at him.

Did he come back because he was worried about me?

Why is this kid so kind?

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

Forcing a smile, Baldy tried to hide his thoughts.

“I just need to take a dump.”

Rafa’s face crumpled in disgust.

So, he hates dirty things, huh?

His reaction was amusing, given his rough appearance.

Then again, I’m no different.

Patting Rafa on the arm, Baldy gave him some advice.

“Listen, kid. Don’t trust people so easily. Just because someone’s an adventurer like you doesn’t mean they won’t stab you in the back. It could get you killed.”

Rafa blinked, then smiled warmly.

“Thanks for the concern, but I’ll be fine.”

"…"

“It doesn’t matter if someone is plotting behind my back. If anyone tries to kill me, I’ll just kill them first.”

Baldy laughed softly before responding.

“What if it’s me, or One-Eye, or someone you think is a friend?”

Rafa didn’t hesitate.

“I’m sorry, but yes. I’d kill them too.”

Baldy let out a chuckle.

That’s not really something you should say with such an innocent face.

Still, from the look on Rafa’s face, Baldy could tell he was being completely sincere.

He’s not just Helga’s spitting image—he might even act like her too.

It was true what they say: “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

Who else could have raised a giant like him, except that monstrous woman?

Of course, he would take after her.

But life wasn’t as simple as that. Just as Baldy was tied down by his debt to the Duke’s family, there would always be moments when people were forced into difficult situations. Situations that wrapped around them like a web, tightening until they had no choice but to comply.

After a moment of thought, Baldy spoke again.

“I’ve got some real wisdom to share with you. Something I’ve learned from many long years as an adventurer.”

Rafa’s stern face showed that he was listening intently, unlike the usual young adventurers who would just scoff at an old man’s words.

Lowering his voice as if he were about to reveal a grand secret, Baldy continued.

“If you ever find yourself in a situation so bad that there’s no way out…”

Rafa’s fierce expression remained focused, awaiting his advice.

“…run.”

“What?”

“Just run for it. Like Helga.”

Rafa’s face twisted in confusion, as if to say, That’s it? You made me wait for that?

“What were you expecting from an old adventurer who’s spent his life rolling in the mud?” Baldy smacked Rafa’s back with a laugh.

Ow.

The kid’s skin was so thick and tough that hitting him left Baldy’s hand tingling.

There’s no getting around it. I have to contact the Duke.

His conscience stung, but there was no choice. In exchange, he’d pass on all the bits of wisdom he’d gathered over the years. That would be his way of making peace with himself. And besides, it wasn’t like Baldy was the only one reporting to the Duke. There were probably others, possibly many, who had already sent word.

If you wanted to survive long in the world of adventuring, you couldn’t afford to let guilt weigh you down for too long.

With renewed energy, Baldy picked up the pace. Rafa fell in step beside him, hesitating for a moment before speaking.

“Um…”

“What is it?”

“Do you need me to… stand guard?”

“For what?”

"…"

“Oh, for taking a dump?”

"…"

Rafa’s face scrunched up again.

He really is like some sheltered noble’s son.

“Don’t worry about it. Talking with you cleared things up.”

Baldy let out a hearty laugh as he climbed the steep path.

As they reached the back of the line, where the porters were struggling with the supplies, the sound of a commotion drifted up from below.

Probably that fire mage woman again, Baldy thought with a sigh.

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The path up the mountain was not as treacherous as I had expected. The incline was mostly gentle.

That’s how the fire mage, Rira, managed to come along.

If the climb had been any more difficult, she probably wouldn’t have made it.

Sigh.

I sighed quietly to myself.

Even though she’d changed into simpler clothing before the ascent, Rira still insisted on wearing a dress. When I asked someone if women in this world ever wore pants, they told me that female adventurers and mages often did.

So, it’s just her that’s strange.

Climbing a mountain in a dress—ridiculous.

Not that it really matters to me.

Judging from the way people treated her, it seemed like Rira was just there as decoration. She wouldn’t actually be contributing to the fight against the dragons. No one expected anything from her, not even her brother Paul.

So why had he brought her along in the first place?

There were probably reasons I didn’t know, but it wasn’t my concern. Her safety seemed to be the sole responsibility of her guards.

While the path wasn’t difficult, the mountain was vast, and it took us several days to reach the summit where the dragons were said to reside.

At night, we gathered around small campfires, sleeping in groups while keeping an eye out for wild animals. Several adventurers warned me to stay on guard, in case something attacked during the night.

I grew up in the forest, I thought. I probably know more about these things than they do.

But I appreciated their concern, so I nodded along.

Then came the problem.

On the second day of our journey into the mountains, Rella ran away.

At first, the little bird had just been flitting around nearby, but gradually, her exploration radius expanded, until eventually, she didn’t return.

She’s a phoenix chick. If something tried to eat her, she’d make it spit her back out. She’s probably not dead.

After all, Rella had survived just fine before she met me.

Yes, she would be fine. I just had to keep going. But I couldn’t help worrying that we might never cross paths again.

Where in the world did you go, Rella?

Sigh.

Is this the end?

I hadn’t realized just how attached I had become to her.

Every time I heard a bird chirp, my head would snap around.

By the time we reached the summit, where the dragons were said to live, Rella still hadn’t returned.

In such a vast mountain range, how could a tiny bird like her find me? It wasn’t as if I had the nose of a bloodhound to track her down either.

Do birds even have a sense of smell?

I wasn’t sure. Rella always seemed to sniff things when we were together, but I couldn’t say for certain.

Is this really goodbye?

The thought made my heart heavy.

As we neared the dragons’ lair, our group split into smaller teams, as planned.

“From here on out, we move separately,” Paul announced, his voice tense. “Dragons aren’t known for their sense of smell, but they’ll sense us approaching. Rub dirt and leaves on your skin to mask your scent.”

Paul moved through the crowd, instructing the adventurers on how to camouflage themselves. Everyone began smearing mud on their bodies.

Meanwhile, the equipment was distributed among the teams—iron chains, nets made of hemp rope, long spears, and shields.

I was paired with the party of nine.

They claimed to have experience fighting dragons with spears, though whether that was true or not remained to be seen.

Old Baldy thought it was a lie. He couldn’t believe any adventurer would fight dragons with spears instead of their usual weapons.

Come to think of it, that does seem odd.

Baldy, after talking with his group, approached me and, with a glance at the nine, whispered quietly.

“Be careful of them. I’ve got a bad feeling.”

“Yes.”

He frowned, then clapped me hard on the back.

“I mean it. Watch your back, understand?”

He worried too much.

I smiled.

“Don’t worry, I will.”

That was the end of our conversation.

In the distance, a loud roar echoed across the mountains.

The dragons must have started fighting among themselves.

Everyone turned in the direction of the sound, their faces tense.

Someone gulped, the noise unnaturally loud in the quiet.

One-Eye shot me a glance.

“Don’t get too excited, rookie. Adventurers fight for money, not for glory. Your life is what matters most. Don’t get any foolish ideas that you’re stronger than a dragon. Leave that kind of thinking behind.”

I am stronger than a dragon.

But I understood what One-Eye was trying to say.

I smiled and nodded.

“I’ll be careful.”

The adventurers scattered, slipping into the narrow paths that led deeper into the mountain.

Finally, it’s time to hunt a dragon.

Heart pounding, I followed the path.

Behind me, the party of nine trailed silently.

"…"

They were still following me, even now.

Sigh. Maybe there was something going on.

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Beep? Beep-beep? Beep?

Beep-beep-beep-beep-beep!

At that very moment, Rella had gotten lost.