Chapter 2

After finishing hanging the laundry and returning home, I found my mother crying just as she was when I left the room, and my father desperately trying to comfort her.

Ever since this morning, when we heard the news of Ada’s marriage, she has been like this.

(Indeed, Uncle and Aunt’s attitude was terrible, though.)

Rane sighed as she recalled this morning.

Ever since her son Ada was chosen for the party to slay the Demon King, his parents had been acting more important than the village chief.

Every time they received a message from Ada, they would gather the villagers in the square to share news of how he had defeated ferocious monsters or faced off against dragons.

At first, the villagers were overjoyed, but as the gatherings became too frequent, fewer and fewer people would come.

Certainly, they were grateful to the group that would slay the Demon King, but they needed to work to earn a living. So this morning, only four or five people had gathered at first.

Ada’s father, insisting it was a very important announcement, forcibly gathered all the villagers in the square and said,

“My son Ada is going to marry the Holy Maiden Akki. After the marriage, he is expected to be granted a title and land.”

The villagers’ gazes turned to Rane.

Everyone in the village knew that the two had been engaged.

Even as she received pitying and curious looks, Rane did not change her expression.

(Somehow, I had a feeling he wouldn’t come back.)

For the first two or three years after he left, letters arrived frequently.

She had even received gifts. They weren’t expensive, but she was happy knowing that Ada had chosen them for her.

Of course, she had replied.

The letters she sent to the guild took a long time to reach him because he was always traveling, but they continued without interruption.

However, after he was chosen for the Demon King slaying party, the letters stopped coming.

The journey to slay the Demon King must be harsh, Rane thought.

Instead of writing letters, she prayed for his safety at the church every day.

After about a year of this, the journey finally ended with the great feat of slaying the Demon King.

Rane felt a deep sense of relief and immediately wrote a letter to congratulate him on his safe return.

However, she received no reply from Ada.

In the capital, there must be daily celebrations and festivals in honor of the Holy Maiden Akki. He must be very busy, and once things settle down, he will surely contact me.

Thinking this, another year passed.

During this time, rumors spread that Ada had been granted the title of Sword Saint and appointed as the Holy Maiden’s knight.

It was around this time that Ada’s parents, who had always been kind, suddenly became distant.

They must have been discussing the marriage to the Holy Maiden.