Chapter 41

Luella regained consciousness in a small house near the outskirts of the village, which had been prepared for her, in the evening of that day. Cane had returned to his duties as the internal affairs officer, so the only person in the house besides the female pharmacist was Al.

"Thank goodness!"

Al, called by the female pharmacist, hurriedly rushed to the bed where she lay.

"Huh? Alfred? Why are you here...? Wait, where is this?"

She still seemed dazed, not quite aware of where she was. Her consciousness was still hazy.

"This is Roland in the pioneer village. Are you okay? Do you have any pain?"

"!"

She suddenly sat up, her expression startled. The sheets slipped off. She was wearing a simple, thin beige linen dress, probably changed into by the female pharmacist. She seemed flustered, checking her body as if worried about something unfamiliar.

"Don't worry. Nothing serious happened. This is medicinal tea. Please drink a little."

The female pharmacist, sensing her anxiety, spoke to her. Luella looked at her intently.

"Who are you? Why is Alfred here? What is Roland village??"

Al and the female pharmacist tried hard to calm Luella, who was on the verge of panic. Gradually, she regained her composure. Al explained how he found her and how they rescued her.

"That's what happened... Alfred, thank you. And you too... thank you."

After thinking for a while, Luella took the wooden bowl from the female pharmacist. She slowly drank the medicinal tea and then smiled, standing up.

"I'll go talk to Sir Jonas and Sir Cane."

The female pharmacist left the room. Al, confirming that she had gone, sat down in the chair next to Luella's bed.

"I tried my best to keep this story from spreading, so please don't worry."

Luella initially looked confused but then seemed to realize something and stared at Al.

"What? You said there was nothing to worry about."

She hugged herself as if to reassure herself. Al shook his head frantically.

"Ah, sorry, I meant something else. I just thought it would be troublesome if rumors started, even if nothing happened. Just to be safe..."

Hearing this, Luella sighed in relief, closed her eyes, and nodded slowly.

"Yes, that's a constant concern. Thank you very much."

Al smiled. He then mentioned that Cane had contacted the Revi Guild, and they would likely receive some news before the caravan left the village the day after tomorrow. Luella looked greatly relieved.

"You've thought of everything."

Luella handed the empty wooden bowl to Al and leaned back on the bed, looking exhausted.

"If you don't mind, could you tell me why you were stuffed in the wooden box? Just what you can remember."

"Sure..."

She began to speak hesitantly. She was attacked the day before Al and the others set out. She had gone shopping with a servant and was asked for directions by an old woman. She led the woman into a deserted alley, where she suddenly couldn't move. As she panicked, something like a cloth was thrown over her from behind, and she was stuffed into a small space. At that point, she hadn't seen the attacker's face.

She was kept in the small space for some time and then moved. When the cloth was removed, she was likely outside the city. Outdoors, she was threatened by two men and forced to drink a thick, oddly sweet liquid that made her tongue tingle. After that, she became dazed and didn't know what happened next.

"The attack happened in a residential area where many knights and well-known merchants live. It was daytime, so I let my guard down."

Luella muttered regretfully. When asked about the two men who drugged her, they seemed to be Vahn and Varden. She also noted the old woman's characteristics, just in case.

"I'm glad you're safe. If you had resisted, you might have been hurt."

Luella weakly shook her head at Al's words.

"Don't scare me."

"Sorry. You should rest a bit. Sir Jonas, who is with the caravan's guard, wants to hear your story. Is it okay if I tell him what you just said?"

"Sure, please do. I'll take a nap."

Luella fell asleep immediately. Her complexion seemed a bit better. A while later, the female pharmacist returned and informed them that Sir Jonas was busy and couldn't come right away. Al entrusted Luella to her and left the room.

-----

The next early morning, Al, who had been sleeping on the sofa in the small house where Luella was being protected, woke up to the sound of several people approaching. Although he was initially on guard, he relaxed when he recognized a familiar face through the gap in the window shutter.

"Good morning, Barbara."

She was a female adventurer employed by the Revi Guild, with whom he had previously tracked down a blood-soaked band of thieves. There were three others with her, one of whom he also recognized. They seemed trustworthy.

"Hey, Al. I received a message from Sir Cane and came as fast as I could."

She had apparently ridden through the night as a vanguard to reach the border. Al was impressed that she had arrived safely.

"That's nothing much. So, about Lady Luella..."

Al welcomed Barbara and the others into the house. She peeked into the room where Luella was sleeping and seemed relieved. They exchanged information. According to her, the Revi Guild had been in an uproar when Luella didn't return from shopping. However, because of her engagement to Narish, the second son of Viscount Lester, her disappearance couldn't be made public.

"Thank you so much. Of course, it's a great relief that Lady Luella is safe. She's at a delicate age, and there are many things to consider. The guild master will be greatly relieved to hear this story."

Barbara nodded. Al was relieved that his careful consideration had been useful.

"Al and Cane were in the same class as Luella. I'm glad. What will happen next?"

"Yes, for Lady Luella, we have brought someone who can treat her, and we will take turns guarding her, so you can rest assured. I plan to talk to Sir Jonas. There must be other accomplices besides the three you caught. We will handle that."

The Revi Guild was indeed reliable. She referred to herself as the vanguard, and a large number of people would likely follow. Even if they didn't need to rescue Luella, it was useful that they had caught the magic user.

"Those two also tried to kidnap the owner of the 'Red-Faced Sheep' inn and demand a ransom. I hope you will thoroughly investigate them. And, I almost forgot to tell Sir Jonas, but the three's destination might be Oakley village. I heard them say it was the last one."

He shared the information he knew with Barbara, which might be useful.

"Thank you for the information. We will confirm it thoroughly. I heard that Al is working as a guard for Sir Eric and joined the caravan. Is that correct?"

Al nodded. The commotion caused by the two men would likely be over now that they were caught, and he would probably return to his original job. He hoped there would be no more attacks by magical beasts like the Eagle-Owl.

"Anyway, the Revi Guild will give a very positive evaluation for this rescue. Your reward for the guard work should also be increased. And when we reach Lester, visit me. I'll negotiate with the guild master to ensure you receive a generous reward."

That was very kind. Originally, as an apprentice, he was to receive 30 silver coins, but now he might get more. If it was one gold coin, he would be very happy.

I'm sorry, I couldn't reach the end of the story.

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On July 7, 2023, I changed the reference to Jonas the knight to Sir Jonas. I also changed the reference to Baron Hawthorne to Baron Hawthorne.