CH ss - 42

[Alfine: The Pursuing Former Sword Master]

※Alfine’s POV

Having found out that Finn who I am searching for has changed his name and appearance, and been living as Frick, we continue our rushed journey from Youg Hannotes, making a non-stop round trip back to Devon village, the birthplace of Maribel.

When the carriage arrived at the village, I hurry over to the house of the village chief Eugene without unpacking the luggage.

“My… Al-dono!? And also, Maribel and Meila-dono… to have such change in expression, what happened?”

“U-uhm! Err, u-uhm! Do you know where Finn, I mean Frick-san went?”

I grab the shoulders of Eugene – who is almost bent backwards due to my momentum – and shake him, asking for Finn’s whereabouts.

“W-wait a sec, Al!? Eugene’s head will come off, so calm down!”

“Al Onii-chan, it is as Meila Onee-chan said. Eugene’s Oji-san’s head will come off.”

Meila and Maribel who chase after me restrain me together.

“M-my bad. I was too impatient. I am sorry, Eugene-san.”

After being restrained by the two, I come to myself, then I take a deep breath and let go of Eugene’s shoulders.

Finn is alive, so don’t be impatient… this is what I’ve been telling myself all along the way.

I almost lose control of my emotion and go on a rampage again.

“Judging from Al-dono’s condition, it seems that something serious happened at Youg Hannotes. Could it be, Marco and the others got caught? The pursuers of the Radcliffe family have not come here though…”

It seems that he is worried about the people – who were involved with the mine including Maribel’s father Marco – we escorted and took to Youg Hannotes.

“Y-you got it wrong. I just came for a personal reason; Marco-san and the others have got themselves settled in the safest place in Youg Hannotes.”

“Eugene Oji-san. Frontier Count-sama told Maribel that she can’t tell anyone where the place is, so Maribel can’t tell you, but it is a very nice place to live in, you know~.”

Maribel tells Eugene the situation of the people who went to Youg Hannotes, as if to supplement my words.

“I see… that means Marco and the others have arrived in a place where they can settle down. Thank goodness, thank goodness.”

“It is all thanks to Al Onii-chan and Meila Onee-chan, you know. Father said that if the foundation to live over there is ready, hopefully the people of the Devon village will be invited over as well.”

“That would be great. This land is poor and on top of that, even the mine is gone now. Let us tell the young people who is away from the village to rely on Marco in Youg Hannotes.”

“That mine is gone, huh…. Everyone said they escaped while leaving various things behind, so they were planning to go get it back later when the commotion goes down, though. I see… but for the matter about the villagers, if they bring Maribel’s letter father, he will take care of them somehow, you know.”

Eh? The mine is gone? What does that mean!?

If remember correctly, when we left the village, I heard that Finn, I mean Frick was fighting against the underlings of the Radcliffe family in the mine though…

“U-uhm. What exactly do you mean by the mine is gone?”

“Ahh, now that you mention it, Al-dono and the others doesn’t know the details of what happened after that. Things were fine until Frick-dono won the battle against the lot who resided in that fortress-like mine, but… After that, the entire mine blew up… Due to that, the connection of the lot of the mine and the Radcliffe family could not be investigated.”

The entire mine blew up, you say… It’s true that if they get caught, they might be pinned with a crimes worthy of execution, but to think that sleazy faced Gile would go to that extent…

Even so, I feel like Finn is sticking his nose into a really dangerous problem though.

Wait, the same goes for me too, huh.

“Destruction of evidence…”

“That might be the case. As we, too, don’t know what is the thing that would make them go as far as to explode the mine.”

“Eugene Oji-san, Maribel will write a letter to father about the troubles of Devon village~. Since the Frontier Count also said that he will reward Maribel if she works, Maribel will tell him about the matter of the mine. And Maribel will ask him to let the people of Devon village to live in Youg Hannotes.”

After saying that, Maribel hurries back to the wagon.

Seriously, that girl sure loves to do something for others’ sake.

She’s different from me who always seeks for too many things, I might become attractive as a woman if I can behave as she does.

I should have been able to realize it when I was living with Finn, but…

I didn’t try to realize it.

Being shown the parts I’m lacking in by Maribel, I feel like I’m about to be drown in by the feeling of self-loathing.

Perhaps because she sensed my feelings, Meila hit me on the back.

“Al, before you feel down, make sure to ask Eugene-san about the thing you want to know, m’kay. Cause that was why we rushed non-stop from Youg Hannotes.”

“Ah, un. You are right. Thank you, Meila Nee-san.”

“So, what Al-dono and the others want to know is the whereabouts of Frick-dono and his companions, is it?”

Eugene seems to remember my first question.

“Yes, that is right. Do you know to where they were heading? I have a business with them, so…”

“Frick-dono and co came back soon after Al-dono and the others departed. But the next day the mine exploded, so they said they would be returning to the Adventurer’s Guild of Inbahanes to report the matter at once. They said they would hide the name of the Radcliffe family, but they would have the matter of the mine be informed to the Adventurer’s Guild in each city.” [1]

Even though I thought he might still be here.

It turns out he is at the city of Inbahanes… huh.

I’ve never been to that city though, how long will it take to get there, I wonder.

“Is that… so.”

“If you travel from here, you would usually arrive there in about three or four days, I was told that they would stay there for a while, so I think they are still there.”

Finn is at a short distance away…

I finally found him.

I should be able to meet him this time…

Thinking up until that point, my thought stops suddenly.

Is it okay to meet Finn as I am now…?

Will I be able to apologize to him for the things I’ve done until now, say I’ll be fine on my own, and part with him, I wonder.

I’m not confident at all……

“Al-dono? Is there something wrong?”

“Ah, no. There is nothing wrong.”

“I cannot offer you much hospitality, but if you are tired, why don’t you stay in our village? It looks like you have been forcing yourself traveling non-stop as well anyway, no one will blame you even if you take a break once in a while, you know.”

The words Eugene says with a gentle smile on his face permeate my heart.

As a result of the conflict between my desire to meet Finn and my anxiety about whether I can say farewell to him properly when I meet him in my mind, the scale tilts to accepting Eugene’s offer.

“Can I accept your words and have you let me stay?”

“Yes, I think everyone will be happy too.”

“Oh my~, we’re stopping one night here? Then we have to sleep together at night, right~? Onee-chan is afraid to sleep alone, so she’ll be sleeping together with Al-kun and Maribel-chan~.”

“Meila Nee-san, everyone is going to be sleeping on their own, okay?”

Having heard that we’re going to stay in the village, Meila hugs me, so I give her a chop on the forehead,

“Au! No wayyy, I wanna sleep together~.”

After having a rushed journey and got a hold of Finn’s whereabouts, I decide to accept the goodwill of Eugene’s who is laughing bitterly and stay overnight in Devon village.

[1] Eugene’s account is different from Frick’s for some reason, I’ve rechecked chapter 91’s raw and it’s written that the fort – along with the mine – exploded before Noelia’s eyes…

And for some reason, Maribel called Eugene an Oji-san not Ojii-san