The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

15 – Birthday present -2-

“Hurry up.”

With a firm command, the sound of dozens of hooves climbing the mountain could be heard.

Starting with the knights wearing heavy armor.

“Even the knights were armored.

The flag bearing the lion emblem symbolizing Histania fluttered on the mountain peak.

At their forefront, Rowen wore an anxious expression.

It wasn’t a battle against formidable foes.

Nor was it a battle against the demon king’s army.

It wasn’t even about suppressing a rebellion.

Yet, more than ever, Rowen’s lips were parched.

“Nothing will happen. Even Father knows that his youngest is timid. This scaredy-cat won’t take risks with his life.”

The first remark mixed with sarcasm and consolation.

“That’s right. Just like last time, hiding in the inn and coming back. I’m sure when he returns to the mansion, he’ll be holed up in his room, right?”

The second comment, tinged with annoyance, reached Rowen’s ears, but he didn’t hear a thing.

“Save me… I don’t want to die like this.”

The only thing filling Rowen’s mind now was one thing. The final image his youngest showed him through the blue window.

‘It must have been a hallucination.’

The sight of his youngest daughter dying horribly at the hands of orcs.

Holding a sword in her blood-soaked hand, searching for her father. The hallucination was too realistic to call it that, and his daughter’s voice searching for him was clear.

Hanna’s death was unthinkable. Histania’s noble daughter, taken by mere orcs…?

For a moment, everything went pitch black.

Rowen shook his head vigorously to dispel his delusions.

‘Perhaps the eldest said something strange, that’s why I’m having these thoughts. It’s just the stress of the situation.’

‘Am I overworked these days?’

‘As the second one said, the youngest is timid, so when I get home, she’ll definitely be there. When I return, I must make her give up the sword.’

A thousand excuses swirled in his mind, but Rowen knew. The hallucination he had witnessed wasn’t a result of mere fatigue.

Why did he see such a thing? He couldn’t tell.

Had he treated his daughter poorly all this time, or was it some prophecy the seers had dreamed up?

One thing was certain: it wasn’t a hallucination or magic but something akin to a real memory.

A peak of physical prowess, a sword master affected by spiritual magic.

There’s no way it could be affected, and there’s no way it could be affected.

If such a thing were possible, the Empire would be filled with wizards now.

‘It’s just a baseless illusion.’

Rowen berated himself.

It wasn’t that he disliked being the youngest.

It’s just that he didn’t catch as much attention as his other siblings. He thought he was doing well enough on his own.

His father was even harsher than this.

But why did he continue to feel regret? If his youngest daughter were to die, if she died while desperately searching for him until her breath ceased, like the hallucination the blue window had shown, what would happen to him?

If he were to see his daughter’s lifeless body, what would he do?

Would he blame the daughter who had caused him to lose the name Histania? Or would he sit there and cry?

Rowen didn’t even want to imagine it.

He didn’t want to imagine himself weakly holding his daughter’s lifeless body and crying, or the regret that would come later. Wasn’t it ridiculous to regret something that had already passed? If that were the case, he should have done well from the beginning.

If he were a knight.

At least if he were a knight, he would understand that death is always near….

“Stop… Stop!”

A knight standing at the forefront pointed to a dense thicket. A female knight ran towards the approaching crowd, with her palm outstretched.

“There’s a corpse.”

Between the thicket that the female knight’s gaze pointed to, there was a cold, lifeless body.

Rowen’s heart seemed to stop for a moment.

In his mind, all sorts of negative thoughts wriggled, and cold sweat formed on the reins in his hands.

A white hand visible through the thicket.

It reminded him of someone he knew, with long hair and a sword about one meter long.

Rowen quickly dismounted.

“No. This is unthinkable.”

He was certain that if his son saw him like this, he would find it amusing. The fact that the captain of the knights did not even manage his expression and dismounted from his horse. He couldn’t even think about such trivial things; his mind was too preoccupied.

Rowen ran towards the thicket.

The knight crouched down and examined the dead body.

Soon, a small nameplate appeared in his hands.

Rowen’s body stiffened.

“Please.”

“I mustn’t.”

“That’s impossible. Don’t be afraid. Rowen.”

For a moment, Rowen thought he was repulsive.

“When I eavesdropped on conversations between my older brother and father, I listened well. My father said that he improved his skills by hunting orcs in the Hamel Mountains when he was young…”

Hannah, who had picked up the stories that were told to her older brother, was depicted climbing the mountain with an expression full of anticipation.

And…

“Ah… If it’s my father, he wouldn’t be afraid and would have fought to this extent. He might even praise me if I catch one.”

She was trembling with a sword in her hand, facing an orc four times her size.

Rowen tightly closed his eyes.

“Oh God, please….”

He never expected the day would come when he would search for a god.

When the Pope sees him, he would smile.

The knight, who was examining his battered body, said with the Adventurer Badge in his hand.

“I am 51 years old. A-class adventurer.”

Rowen’s pale complexion gradually regained warmth.

“From now on, I will move alone. The knights will split into groups of five and proceed with an exploration focused on the orc strongholds.”

“Yes!”

With the roaring response from the knights, Rowen spoke coldly.

“Hurry up.”

***

“You can do it like this.”

The orc stronghold at the top of the Hamel Mountains. There, pink blankets were neatly laid out.

Hannah, who was setting up sandwiches and potato salad as if on a picnic and pouring green tea, looked at me with a perplexed expression.

“How can I do that?”

“It’s simple. Swiftly swing your sword towards the carotid artery and it will collapse with a thud. Easy, right?”

“But that’s because you’re a butler.”

“No. Hannah, you can do it too, right?”

I asked Hannah with a puzzled look.

“Maybe?”

The corpses of orcs were scattered messily around the blanket. Not only the notorious Red Orcs, who were difficult to deal with, but also the bodies of orc warriors were lying there, cordially separated from their heads as they bid farewell to the world.

Now it was Hannah’s turn to show.

I looked at Hannah with high expectations.

“You can do this much, right?”

“How is this possible!”

We had settled in the place closest to the summit of the mountain.

The monsters with the adjective “Elite” are rare and boast a high price.

Even if it’s the same monster with the same name, when the adjective “Elite” is attached, it has about three to four times the power.

In the original work, Mikhail often got beaten by elite monsters, so he vaguely remembered the characteristics of their habitat.

First, elite monsters should not be touched by human hands.

Because the parts of elite monsters are expensive and they are rare species, they mainly form groups and habitat in isolated areas.

Therefore, Hanna and I settled on the summit of the mountain where people wouldn’t normally go, and we were able to find quite a few elite orcs’ habitats.

Of course, there were more elite orcs than I had anticipated, which posed a problem.

“There are too many corpses.”

Around us, the corpses of adventurers were piled up to form a tower. The corpses of veteran adventurers, who had worn good equipment and aged, were abnormally scattered around.

Occasionally, it wasn’t just the deeds of the orcs, but it wasn’t a major concern.

Right now, Hanna’s growth is what matters.

As we attacked a decent orc and demonstrated our tactics, Hanna meticulously examined my posture with a sigh.

It was a good posture.

“I’ve cut down several regular orc heads before, do you think I’m scared? Don’t worry too much.”

“But those were regular orcs… This is my first time trying to catch an elite orc.”

“It’s fine.”

I trust Hanna.

I think it’s possible if I’m there to support her, and with Hanna’s skills.

Orcs are slow.

They are fellows who wield heavy greatswords and aim for a single powerful strike. In contrast, Hanna is agile and swift.

When they swing their greatswords, Hanna has enough agility to dodge and counterattack.

She might not be aware of her own talent, but I am confident that Hanna’s talent lies in agility.

In the original work, she probably failed because she lacked the strength to deal a fatal blow to the orcs, but now it’s different.

Hanna stood up, supporting her knees.

“Alright. Let’s give it a try. If anything happens, Master will help, right?”

“Of course.”

Yes, if anything happens, I’ll help.

With that in mind, I raised a rock towards the huge orc at the edge of the mountain slope.

“Hey, why are you reaching your hand that way? There’s a small orc over there.”

As I reached out towards the massive orc, Hannah awkwardly smiled, and our eyes met. I flashed her a seductive grin I had learned from a lady.

Might as well do it as a tough guy.

“There. Get ready.”

“No. Wait, sir?”

“Fire!”

-Thud!

A dull sound echoed with the orc’s scream.

-Woahhh!!!

I quickly hid behind Hannah.

“Go for it!”

I didn’t forget to cheer her on.

“This damn…!”

It was the first time I realized how well Hannah could curse.

***

Hannah successfully defeated the orc.

Without suffering any fatal injuries.

She finished the fight superbly, only with minor scratches.

“You did well.”

“I know. I did my best.”

She was becoming shameless, which suited me just fine. After all, nobody notices you if you’re humble.

I handed her a water bottle.

“You were perfect. Especially the way you aimed for the orc’s neck by slipping through its side was really impressive.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Of course, if you had been just a little slower, you would’ve almost had a date with the goddess.”

“Ugh… and?”

“Yes?”

Hannah blushed.

The way she blushed and then quickly turned her head as if embarrassed reminded me of a young girl her age.

“Is there anything else? I mean… I think there’s a lot to praise today…”

“Hoom.”

“Why are you laughing?”

“Just because.”

It seems that compliments are still lacking.

────────────────

[Q. The unfortunate extra ‘Hannah’]

1. Give compliments to boost self-esteem.

(9/10)

2. Increase fondness to ’40’ or higher.

[Fondness: 51]

3. Defeat the ‘Elite Orc Inspector’.

(1/1)

────────────────

I thought the quest would end if I caught the orc and complimented it, but it seems that it has developed immunity to the compliments I have been giving.

It’s not difficult to give compliments, and I did really well today, so I shouldn’t be stingy with them.

However,

It would have been better if there were no intruders.

“Oh, we have a guest here?”

A man who looked like a raven quietly came out from behind a tree. He had been observing us while hiding his presence and seemed to have revealed himself after confirming that Hannah had retired.

He was staring at Hannah and me, his eyes filled with disdain.

A small dagger was on his waist.

From Noble mtl dot com

His appearance seemed suitable for a martial artist.

A man who gathered three unpleasant traits that seemed like he would strike you on the back of the head once you became close.

He was just your average bandit that you could see anywhere.

However,

He was quite a bad bandit.

The bandit’s clothes were covered in adventurer patches. It looked quite ridiculous how he had attached them all over the armor he was wearing, as if they were collectibles.

I know him well.

He may not know me.

There was only one person in the novel who would dress so strangely and have such a disagreeable impression.

“The Adventurer Hunter.

In the middle of the novel, there was an antagonist who hunted numerous adventurers and then joined a heretical cult to become the mad Archbishop.

With intricate magic and using special dark arts, he was considered a formidable force that inflicted significant damage on Ruin.

“So, that’s why there were unusually high numbers of adventurer corpses. They seemed like individuals capable of taking down elite orcs easily, didn’t they?”

The black magic circles intermittently visible on the ground, and the cackling crows only added to the discomfort. It was quite unsettling.

I remarked while observing him, “Wow. That’s a villain.”

The cackling crow chuckled.

I continued my introduction, “I’m a villain too.”