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–––Diaria’s viewpoint

I left Surfour and headed north, avoiding the capital but going to another area of Bordaule under Stied’s control. I probably would be able to capture some high ranking nobles, or maybe even Stied himself if I went to the capital, but Karin and Ciel were already covering that location. I felt like it was better to spread out and cover more land, rather than focusing on a smaller region. So I put my traveling budget into good use to hire horses and quickly moved north past the capital.

“Riding for a long time really is a pain in the a̲s̲s̲, literally.”

Back in my country I had been in the army, so I was used to riding horses. But that was always just a short gallop to go to a nearby location, or a more gentle stride when marching as a platoon. I had never galloped for a long time like now. On top of that, we had always been moving around with magic lately, so my rear had gotten soft, making this even more painful.

But the way I kept complaining and grumbling to myself probably just made me look like a weirdo. I had no option though, unlike everyone else, I had to act alone, and if I did not talk to myself I would feel lonely.

“I’m pretty sure I’m past the capital now…”

There were plenty of roads going north, even if I did not go through the capital, so I was sure I had made a considerable distance in a short time. The farther I got from large cities, the less people I would pass by, making encounters rare even on the highways. I only stopped from time to time when I saw a merchant with a carriage of supplies, to replenish my own. Other than that I traveled at full speed, so I could roughly estimate my current location.

“…Again?”

But as less people appeared, monsters took their place. From smaller ones that were no threat, to goblins that could be a menace when enough were gathered, they all walked leisurely on the country’s roads like they were theirs. My head hurt thinking just how unsafe the country had gotten in just one month after the coup, Bordaule had never been like this. I could not ignore them in good conscience, so I killed whichever monster I ran into, but there did not seem to be an end to them. I sighed as I reached into my quiver, but a high pitched scream stopped me.

“Kyaahh!!”
“Get away from her you monsters!”

The voices came from further ahead, where a group of monsters was gathered. I knew that meant someone was under attack, so I dug my heels into the sides of my horse and sped that way. My horse neighed loudly and ran faster, quickly reaching the monsters. The situation became clear when I got there. There was a group of kobolds, probably less than ten. Kobolds were usually weaker than goblins, and even a beginner adventurer could take them down with ease, but they still posed a threat to regular people. And a group of them made that even more dangerous, not to mention they were hard to outrun.

There was one knight waving his sword in front of those monsters. He appeared to be in his late teens, and behind her was a girl of around the same age, cowering down, her face overtaken by fear.

(Just some rich girl…probably not. She’s probably a noble’s daughter if a knight is guarding her though. Anyway, I should leave the thinking for later.)

I let go of the reins and ready my bow, shooting four arrows at the same time. The arrows flew straight towards their targets, each impaling a different monster after whistling through the air. The monsters raised wary growls seeing half their group fall, but I had already shot a second round by then. The knight looked startled, seeing the monsters that surrounded him all die instantly. Eventually he noticed me and my horse, and for some reason pointed his sword at me.

“Oh come on now! Is that how you treat the person who just saved you?”

Either he was still high on adrenaline, or too scared to think straight, but the knight did not seem calm at all. I could guess his skills were just barely above a beginner’s. I had to take a more calm and collected approach here. I climbed down from my horse and raised my hands to show I meant no harm, and the girl behind the knight also desperately stopped him.

“Simon, stop that! Lower your sword!”
“But milady-”
“Why would you point your sword at the person that rescued us? Do you realize how rudely you’re behaving? Put it away already!”

The knight looked like he still wanted to say more, but he reluctantly nodded and sheathed his sword while stepping back. The girl that had been trembling in fear stepped forward in his place. Once she had recovered from the shock, she bowed deeply to me.

“I don’t know who you are or where you came from, but thank you for helping us. I’m the daughter of the Cristopher family, Verna. May I inquire as to what your name is?”

The girl, Verna, spoke with a composed and well-enunciated voice, a large disconnect from her earlier frightened state. Her manners were refined, showing she had been raised in a good family. Considering she mentioned her family name first, she was most definitely a nobility. Probably from a well-recognized family.

“Err, I’m Diaria. An elf visiting from Zelvis. A lot happened so I’m currently going north. I’m glad I was able to help though.”
“From Zelvis? That was a magnificent display of archery, I must say. I’m quite impressed.”

Huh? She did not react to my name at all… So she had not noticed that I was a member of the hero’s party then? I had no need to herald that fact though, so I decided to remain silent.

“Can I ask what you are doing out here in the wilderness though? From what I can see you have only one guard with you, traveling in secret perhaps?”
“I don’t mind telling you. Though I may put my family to shame, so it’s a bit hard to explain, things changed a lot…”

Verna struggled to get the words out, but in the end it was obviously related to Stied’s insurrection. Her family, the house of Cristopher, had a long history as counts of Bordaule. While there had been some small incidents in the past, her family had always been tasked with maintaining their territory. But things took a great turn during her father Ralph’s time. Their family had always remained somewhat distanced from the royal family, only focused on keeping the family afloat, but for some reason Ralph decided to lean towards one side of the conflict, Stied’s side no less.