Chapter 07
“This is absolutely outrageous! The heir of the Clasta Duchy storming off after swinging a sword just a few times, claiming it’s too hard?!”
The chairman’s voice echoed throughout the large meeting hall.
“She can’t even get through a swordsmanship lesson—how’s she supposed to fight monsters?! If she can’t fight monsters, how will she protect the territory and its people? The Clasta Duchy is finished!”
At those words, Orwell, the Duke’s aide, flushed red with anger and jumped in.
“Finished? What do you mean finished?! The Duke is still alive and well! She can learn swordsmanship later if needed!”
“There’s a time for everything—including when to start training! And talent is essential! She’s already seven. How could she possibly catch up to other nobles’ children who’ve been training since they were one? She hasn’t even completed basic training! Talent? That’s a joke! The Clasta Duchy is done for, I tell you!”
“Oh, please! You’re practically praying for our downfall! And talentless? Says the man whose grandson got beaten to a pulp and carried off by that ‘talentless’ girl without even drawing his sword!”
“What did you say?! My grandson was just caught off guard because she’s a girl! Had he been serious, that brat would’ve been down in one blow!”
“Getting caught off guard is a weakness too, you know!”
Despite the heated shouting match, Duke Clasta lounged lazily in his chair, looking thoroughly uninterested.
With no one stepping in to break up the argument, the two grew more and more agitated, nearly coming to blows.
Only then did the Duke casually tap the desk.
Thud!
Despite the light movement, the entire conference room seemed to tremble.
The chairman and Orwell, who had been about to grab each other’s collars, instantly fell silent and turned toward the Duke.
The Duke calmly looked around the now dead-silent room and spoke.
“So, Chairman. What exactly do you want me to do? Surely you don’t think I’d actually disown my daughter over this. You brought it up, so you must want something.”
When the Duke’s golden eyes turned toward him, the chairman felt a chill crawl down his spine.
‘Every time I face him, it feels less like meeting a man and more like facing a beast.’
‘Is this what it feels like to encounter a lone wolf in the mountains?’
But he hadn’t become chairman by being easily intimidated.
Meeting the Duke’s gaze, he replied firmly.
“The knights are anxious. They wonder whether the young lady can truly lead the duchy through future crises.”
“And?”
“That’s a long preamble.”
“What about taking her along on the upcoming hunt for the monster Kanro? It’s a relatively weak monster—soldiers can even handle it. If she goes with the knight captain, it should be manageable.”
“So, Swell. You’ll need to accompany our daughter on the monster hunt.”
At the Duke’s words, Swell’s face twisted in dismay.
He instantly recalled Ariel running out of training, pale-faced, supposedly to the restroom.
Had she really thrown up from swinging a sword a few times?
Her long, skinny limbs and skin so pale it looked like she never saw sunlight—there wasn’t a single thing about her that looked reliable.
And now he was being told to take her on a monster hunt?
“Are you making that disgusted face on purpose?”
The Duke chuckled at him playfully, and Swell replied with exasperation.
“Of course I am. With her current skills, she’ll only be a burden. What if she gets hit by a stray attack from the monster?”
“Still, there’s no choice. I struck a deal with the chairman. He finally agreed to build the infirmary he kept rejecting.”
“Are you saying the lady’s life is the price for that?”
“Maybe. Could be.”
The Duke laughed again.
“The chairman probably laid a trap.”
“Undoubtedly. But I trust you’ll manage.”
“I can protect myself, but I’m not confident about protecting her.”
At those words, the Duke—who had been lifting a teacup—paused.
For a moment, he recalled Ariel sitting on the floor, bruised and looking up at him with wide eyes.
He also remembered how happy she looked when he peeled fruit for her, as if he’d handed her a treasure.
But only for a moment.
He expertly pushed those images from his mind.
“I told you when I first brought her here—I don’t care if she dies. If she ends up dying out there, then that’s her fate.”
I had planned to impress Swell during swordsmanship class and win him over, but I was sent off to a monster hunt before I got the chance.
Early that morning, Swell and I set out together for a village near the territory.
“I’ll go ask the villagers about the monster. You wait in the tavern.”
“Okay.”
I nodded obediently, but Swell still gave me a doubtful look.
“Don’t go wandering off and faint somewhere.”
He really must see me as fragile.
‘Well, I guess I do look like someone who ran away after the first day of sword training. But that day, the mark of the Evil Dragon suddenly appeared—I didn’t have a choice!’
‘This is all that damn dragon’s fault. If it weren’t for that, I wouldn’t have run away like that.’
‘The heir of Clasta Duchy, collapsing after a few swings of a sword? Of course people think I’m a joke.’
I cursed the Evil Dragon—probably rotting in hell by now—and nodded again.
“I’ll be back soon. Do not leave the tavern. Just stay put.”
Swell didn’t trust me one bit. He even asked the innkeeper several times to keep a close eye on me.
‘Maybe I should just kill the monster myself? Kanro isn’t that strong, but it’s tricky to fight without magic.’
I had been training hard since possessing this body, but I still only had a sliver of magic power.
‘Anyway, these pancakes are delicious.’
They melted in my mouth the moment I took a bite—soft and fluffy, not overly sweet, with pillowy whipped cream.
Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who thought so. Every table had a plate of pancakes.
“One more pancake, please!”
“Right away! Just a moment!”
As I watched the cook happily making more, I overheard some customers arguing.
“Hey, where’s my pancake?!”
“You probably ate it and forgot.”
“No way! I had two—one was for dipping in honey. Why’s there only one left?”
Then I noticed a piece of pancake on the floor.
But it wasn’t just sitting there—it was wiggling.
“Huh?”
As I stared closer, I saw something shining underneath it.
“What the…?”
Just as I was leaning in for a better look, one of the arguing customers pointed.
“Hey! Your pancake’s over there!”
“What?! Why’s it over there on the floor?!”
“Guess you dropped it and forgot.”
“No, I didn’t!”
As everyone looked over, the glowing creature under the pancake wriggled, tossed off the pancake, and bolted out the door.
“Here’s your pancake!”
Right then, my new pancake arrived.
I stood up with the plate, and the innkeeper gave me a suspicious glance.
“The weather’s nice. I’ll eat outside.”
“Ah, okay. There’s a bench out front.”
“Thanks.”
Outside, I wandered into the bushes, searching for what I’d just seen.
“Where is it? I’m sure it went this way.”
Then I heard soft sniffles.
Sniff, sniff. I failed again.
‘That way!’
I pushed aside the bushes and found a small, white mouse-like creature crying.
‘I was right—it’s a spirit.’
A faint glow covered its entire body, confirming it.
Startled by my presence, the spirit’s eyes widened.
Wh-what?! A human?! I have to run!
“Wait! Don’t go! Just hear me out!”
No! Humans are scary!
If it ran now, I’d never catch it.
And who knows if I’d ever run into a spirit again?
I had to act.
“Hey! Pancakes! Didn’t you want pancakes?”
Pancakes?
The spirit froze and cautiously looked back at me.
“Yeah! Fresh off the griddle—still warm! Look, the sugar’s still on top!”
Its eyes sparkled.
But humans are dangerous… scary…
“Then I’ll leave the pancake here and go stand way over there. You can eat while I stay still, okay?”
But… but still…
The spirit stared at the pancake longingly but clearly didn’t want to get close to me.
“Besides, I’m just a weak little girl, remember? I can’t hurt you.”
I gently set the pancake on the ground and raised both hands in surrender.
The sweet scent drifted in the breeze, and the spirit’s nose twitched.
F-fine! But you have to stay still!
“Okay.”
Not even a finger twitch!
“Got it.”
After confirming my promise several times, the spirit finally approached the pancake, slowly and cautiously.
Then it opened its mouth wide and stuffed the pancake in, cheeks puffing out.
Its eyes sparkled and its tail perked up.
‘Must be really good.’
In under five minutes, both pancakes—each bigger than its body—were completely gone.
The spirit flopped onto the plate, rubbing its belly with a satisfied smile.
You’re a really good human!
