Chapter 45

"Ugh... I didn’t think he would run away. Abel, you really did it."

Zelert, Abel’s father, said this as he sat down in a chair.

When he woke up in the morning, Abel was nowhere to be found.

The whole village was in an uproar, searching for him, but he still hadn’t been found.

There wasn’t a single eyewitness report.

He hadn’t left a note, so at first, Zelert thought Abel might have been involved in some incident, but given the timing, it was clear that he had fled in protest of the arranged marriage.

Moreover, the mysterious junk that Abel called the Otem Troc had also disappeared.

There were traces of something like a cart being moved around various parts of the village, and following these traces led to the village’s entrance and exit.

Abel must have left the village during the night.

The tracks weren’t very clear.

If he had left the village, it would be difficult to find him.

Without knowing his destination, it would be impossible to chase after him.

Zelert sighed deeply and then glanced at his daughter, Giselle, through his fingers.

When he heard that Abel had fled, he had been wary that Giselle might have a violent reaction, but she didn’t.

Giselle looked sad, but she wasn’t losing it.

Zelert felt relieved, but also a bit uneasy.

Abel had fled in protest of the marriage to him.

She must have a lot on her mind.

If she bottled it up, it could explode at any time.

He was afraid to provoke her, but if she had something on her mind, it would be better to let her talk.

"Giselle, I’m sorry. I didn’t think Abel would...”

"Father, please... if Brother comes back, don’t blame him."

"Hm?"

"Brother isn’t very strong-willed. He probably got a bit of a shock. He might come back sooner than you think. When he does, please don’t ask any questions and welcome him back warmly."

"That’s not possible. Abel broke the village’s rules by leaving. Moreover, he fled just before the marriage, which was a matter of great attention. If we let this go unpunished, what will the others think? No, what do the other families already think...”

Zelert was about to continue his long speech, but he faltered under Giselle’s gaze.

Giselle was the biggest victim in this situation. If she was asking for forgiveness, it would be strange for him to deny it.

"Well... if he comes back, we’ll see. If he returns on his own, then...”

"He will definitely come back."

If Giselle was thinking positively, it would be better not to dampen her spirits.

But with such a firm declaration, he wanted to know the basis for it.

"However, Abel left of his own accord. It’s not easy for him to come back so easily."

"First, Brother doesn’t have much stamina. He doesn’t have much endurance or patience in anything other than magic. He might not be able to endure the change in environment and come back. He might even give up on the way and return. When he does, he will probably be in a terrible state, so we should welcome him warmly. I don’t want to add to his pain."

"Ugh, ugh... Indeed, that might be true..."

Zelert was momentarily speechless at the unexpectedly harsh evaluation.

He thought Giselle might have some feelings about her brother who had abandoned her, but he didn’t see anything more than concern in her expression.

"Perhaps... by the end of the month, he might come back."

It was said with a certain conviction.

Perhaps she had some basis for it.

"If he doesn’t come back by tomorrow... Ideally, I would like him to come back on his own, but we should go out to look for him. We can check the map at the chief’s house to see which map Abel used for his escape. If we know which map, we can narrow down his destination. I have a good idea of where he might want to go."

The maps aren’t very accurate.

The scale can vary greatly depending on who drew them and when.

The impression of which places are near and which are far can change depending on which map is used.

Conversely, if we know which map Abel used, it won’t be difficult to narrow down his destination. Giselle was well-versed in Abel’s preferences.

"But the village rules say not to go out recklessly..."

"It’s not reckless! If we leave him out there, who knows what might happen to Brother! He’s not very mentally strong!"

"This rule is more important than others. It’s said that if a Maaren leaves the village recklessly, they will surely regret it."

In fact, a young man from the Maaren village had left a few years ago.

But he returned within a month, acting suspiciously and trembling.

Since then, it has been rumored that those who break the rules are cursed.

"That’s just a superstition. If he might come back soon, we shouldn’t make a big fuss and add to his troubles when he returns. Even if we rush to look for him, we won’t be able to catch up without knowing the direction. But if he doesn’t return by the end of the day, we should go look for him!"

"But even if we narrow down the destination, it’s not certain. It might take dozens of days to find him. To spend so much effort...”

"But, but!"

Giselle, who hadn’t shown much distress since Abel disappeared, finally had tears in her eyes.

Zelert knew he was stubborn.

But searching for someone wasn’t something to be taken lightly.

It was a rule-breaking matter and a family issue. There was no way to ask for help from others.

If there was a good chance he would return on his own, it was best to wait.

Giselle wouldn’t be convinced.

But this was a line he couldn’t cross.

"...I understand. You’re right. I was being unreasonable."

"Hm?"

To his surprise, she gave in easily.

But why did he have a bad feeling?

Giselle stood up smoothly and tried to leave the room.

"Wait, Giselle! You’re not thinking of following him out of the village, are you!"

"No, I’m not as skilled in magic as Brother, nor do I have any other talents. I don’t know the outside world. If I go out, I’ll probably come back soon."

"...That’s true."

Indeed, Abel could probably survive outside with his magic, but Giselle couldn’t.

Since she knew this, she wouldn’t do anything reckless.

"I have something to do, so I’ll take my leave."

With that, Giselle bowed and left the room.