Chapter 152: Runaways

Anne

Hugo, you idiot!

I watched him disappear into the horizon, with that necromancer in her arms, unable to do anything to stop him.

For the second time, I had lost to another girl.

She chose her over me. Over us. Us, who had traveled with him for months. And me, who had bared all my feelings towards him. Just for some woman he was far too young to be with, for some woman that practiced necromancy, for some woman who he barely knew about.

I've told him—begged him not to do anything stupid. And yet, he did it anyway. He's now a bonafide enemy of the Church, and he would be hunted down by them for the rest of his days.

The worst part was how he didn’t even bother to say goodbyes to us. He only spared a glance. A single, short glance.

I know why. He didn’t want to involve us in his crime. But still, after all we’ve been through, I just cannot accept it!

Amelie, being the girl that she is, nearly chased after him. I stopped her on her tracks, telling her that there’s nothing she can do for him, that she would only be a burden.

All of us would be a burden.

That’s right. Even though we had gotten a bit stronger thanks to his training, we’re still nowhere near his level. I saw him survive that massive light. If the spell wasn’t so obvious, having that giant magic circle on the sky before it fired, we would’ve died to it. No question about it. It was the first time I saw a magic that powerful. It erased the dungeon and everything else around it, including the camp the soldiers had set up, leaving only a massive crater behind.

And now, the woman who cast that spell was going in a rampage. After realizing Hugo had escaped, she immediately ordered us and pretty much anybody else present to search the area for him.

We complied, of course. We didn’t want to tell her the direction where he went, but there were other people who saw him as well and they had no reason to lie. To my relief, when we got there, to where the tall cliff was, he was already gone.

He got away.

Anton and I knew not to start smiling, but I had to make sure Amelie was on the same page. She would no doubt be suspicious if we had relieved grins on our faces when we reported that we couldn’t find him.

We were interrogated afterwards, being the one closest to him. We let Anton do all the talk, and to our relief, he managed to convince that woman that we had nothing to do with Hugo. In fact, he managed to assure her that we were terribly disappointed by what he did today and how it was a betrayal he didn’t see coming in the slightest. He even offered his aid on finding him, as he wanted revenge for said betrayal.

It’s painful, having to lie about your friend like that. But it wasn’t like we had any other choice, did we? Hugo didn’t say his goodbyes to us to keep us safe. We couldn’t waste his goodwill in the slightest.

We were then deployed to search for him at the nearby forest, where she suspected he had escaped to. We went there and did so, but found no tracks of him after several whole days of searching. When we returned to her, we knew that the other adventurers didn’t have any luck in finding him as well. As for the soldiers, I overheard how they didn’t even want to bother helping her anymore, after what she did to their comrades, with that grand spell of hers. So they only did the barest searches, just so they wouldn’t suffer her wrath.

In the end, the woman, and her only surviving subordinate, decided to hunt down Hugo on her own. She believed he wouldn’t stay around in the country for long, and that he would be heading somewhere else where the Church couldn’t reach him.

And, if I had to guess, she’s thinking the same thing as he does.

The Demon Continent.

I could only hope he could make it there before she reached the port town and announced for his search. That, or he decided to go west instead to the Feuding Kingdoms region. The Church had little influence there as well. And if he did, then we could—

I shook my head.

No, he would never abandon his plan to be with that Sherry girl.

Hmph, thinking about it, with him having a demon girlfriend, he might be more at home there living with the demons there compared to with us humans.

I sighed. Maybe I should make my way to the Demon Continent too one day.

Not now though. I’m still too weak for that.

We then returned back to the capital, where we received our pay for our participation in this whole mess. The prime minister kept his promise, and we were indeed paid handsomely for our reward.

And then, it’s time for us to decide what we would do from here.

----------

After we made our visit to the castle, we went to the usual tavern at town. The sun had already set already and we intended to have our dinner there, as well as to discuss where we would go next. Anton always said that he wanted us to go west to the Feuding Kingdoms region, but he hadn’t said any specifics about the matter.

The place was as busy as usual. Thankfully, we managed to procure a corner table, allowing us privacy from the rest of the patrons. Anton and I decided to order some meat soup. It was usually a pricey dish, but since we just got a lot of gold coins, we figured that we could splurge a bit for the night. Amelie didn’t say anything, only nodding when I asked her if she wanted some meat soup as well.

After a short time waiting, the waitress arrived with our bowls. Anton and I immediately partook in it, enjoying the fresh contrast between the supple meat and the spicy broth it was served in. The waitress proudly said that the spices were imported from Laudgar, and it might just be true for once.

Midway through my bowl, however, I noticed that Anne had yet to touch her bowl. Not even a single spoonful had entered her mouth.

“Hey, Amelie. Your soup is going cold, you know.”

“...”

“Amelie! You know how expensive this soup is. I’m not going to let you just waste it! If you don’t want it, then I’m going to eat it for myself!”

I took the bowl off her side of the table.

And yet, she still didn’t respond. She continued to sit there with her hands propping her head, staring into the distance.

“...I wonder where he is right now…”

…

This spoiled brat!

"...Alright, that's enough! I'm sick of you moping around like this! Do you think you’re the only one who’s worried about him?!”

The blonde airhead had been like this ever since he left. At first, it was understandable but it’s already been a week since then. She should just get over it like Anton and I had! No need to bring our moods down with her!

“If you want to be with him so bad, then just go to the Demon Continent on your own! Not that you would survive there for long, of course! The moment you stepped out from the human cities there, a demon would just snatch your pretty little head off.”

“Anne…”

“Shut up, Anton! I’m tired of this princess here pretending that she’s the only one suffering!”

"Umm, excuse me…"

Our argument was interrupted by a face we were all too familiar with.

“Is this a bad time perhaps?”

“Yes! Yes it is! No one of us is in any mood for your interviews!”

It was the elf bard—the nosy one who kept giving us questions about him a few months back. To think that tonight, she would be here of all places… my luck must be rotten or something.

“R-right,” she replied in a seemingly apologetic tone. “I-I just… I just want to ask about him. I-is it true? That he’s a heretic who helps that court mage-turned-necromancer ran away from the Church?”

“...It’s true." I sent her a glare. "Now leave us alone.”

"Wow, that's amazing! What a romantic story! The hero has fallen for the evil lady, but he never gives up her! And so, she saved her, even if it means becoming the enemy of the entire world!"

Her eyes shone and she was clasping her hands together.

...And I am seriously considering punching her in the face.

"Listen here, you delusional bard! There's nothing heroic or good about that! He's just a stupid little kid who gets seduced by a woman far too old for her!"

"O-oh, I'm sorry! I forget that you're one of his lovers!"

"What did you say, you pointy-eared bard?"

I leapt from my seat and grabbed her by the cuffs. "I never liked him, alright? I just admired him a bit! That's all there is to it! And now, after he betrayed us to be with that witch, the only feeling I have for him is hate. So don't you dare even think that I'm part of his posse or something!"

I bolted out of the room, earning confused looks from the other patrons as well as Amelie and Anton.

I ran for one reason, and one reason only.

The water trailing down my cheeks.

I never finished my soup that night. I ran back to my room and buried myself under my sheet.

And of course, he had to show up in my dream, apologizing for what he did. He the  flashed that stupid grin of his and told him that he wanted to marry me. He even knelt on his knee and gave a ring adorned with a gem of ruby. Said that it matched the color of my hair.

Before I could answer him, I woke up, with the sun already beaming through the window.

I never really got over him. Even now, I still wanted to be him.

Amelie no doubt felt the same. She simply wasn't as good as me at hiding it.

I hated it. I hated this feeling, wanting to chase after some kid who already had a girlfriend. And maybe two, if that witch ended up seducing him, which, knowing how perverted he was, would happen sooner or later. Since when I liked younger guys anyway? If it weren't for his stupid smile, and his occasional cool moments, and the awkward yet charming way he talked to me, not to mention his good looks…

Aaargghh, it's not fair! You can't expect a girl to not fall in love with a guy when he saved her twice!

…

"Haaahhh…"

I stood up, did a short stretching session before staring out the window. It was already bustling outside, with people going back and forth on their business.

Life went on. Whether we wanted to or not.

...I would get over this feeling in time. I would fall in love with another guy then I would forget about him.

But, if somehow, knowing how vast the world was, I ended up meeting him again one day, with my heart still beating rapidly for him…

…

I had no answer then.

I could only continue on with a smile, trusting in myself and the future I would walk.

----------

Hugo

We didn’t stop our stride until we escaped the forest some hours later.

I didn’t carry Felicia all the way though. My hands eventually grew too tired to lift her. So I had to drop her down once we left the forest.

"There we go."

I noticed the disappointed look on her face.

"What's the matter?" I smirked. "You still want more?"

Her cheeks colored themselves again.

"N-no! I couldn't possibly—"

"It's fine! You're not as heavy as I thought you would. And I got something out of it too."

She tilted her head, until a lightbulb lit inside it.

"Oh! You mean your hand squeezing and pinching at my butt wasn't an accident?"

"That, and me peeping at your chest." I grinned. "With no bra on, they bounced all over the place. I could even see their pink cherries from time to time."

She was brought speechless by my blatantly perverted admission.

That's right. That's how it should be.

"And that's how I truly am—a worthless, cowardly pervert. I am no hero. Nor am I some noble gentleman either. I am just Hugo Greenwood, a kid who left his family just because he was too scared to apologize."

My smile turned bitter. Hate me. Despise me. That's what I deserve.

"Milord…"

"Stop calling me that. Just call me Hugo. Or Trash. That works too."

"Please! Stop blaming your—"

"No. You should. I've let a little girl die on my watch. I had her, you know—that inquisitor. Right in my sight. I could pull the trigger before Leila died. But I couldn't. My hands—they shook. Terribly. I couldn't bring myself to do it. Not when it mattered. After I experienced first hand how strong that lady was with her holy light…"

My hands clenched themselves. I looked away from her gaze.

"...Milord…"

"Oi, ye two! What are ye' doing in mine's farm?"

I looked up. A burly, slightly overweight man jogged at our direction.

I looked down. Oh. We were really standing inside someone's field. The soil we stood on was already prepared for planting. And we might have ruined it by standing here.

Quickly, we relocated where we stood.

"Adventurers, ain't ye? Came out from the forest? Got lost? Ain't gave you the right to trample on mine property."

"A-ah, apologies. Like you've said, we are indeed lost adventurers. We didn't mean to trespass."

I took the initiative and gave a bow towards the farmer. Felicia, noticing what I was doing, followed suit.

"Heh, at least ye got some manners." He spat to the side. Seemed like he had been chewing some sort of leaf. "Closest village is that way." He gestured with his thumb. "Now go. Don't wanna see yer faces around. Damn adventurers…"

Grumbling, he turned his back and walked away.

Suddenly, an idea hit my head.

"Wait, Sir!" I yelled.

"What?" He turned.

"Do you have a carriage we can buy?"

"A carriage?" He raised his eyebrows. "I do have one. Not for sale." He resumed his walk.

"I'll play twice the usual rate!"

He stopped again.

"Make it thrice and ye have a deal."

And so it was that we got our getaway carriage.

---------

The man then told us to follow him to his house, which was located on a short five minute walk from where we were. His little farm outright bordered the forest so you could see the small building from a distance.

As we walked, with him quite a bit ahead of us, Felicia asked me a question.

"Milord, are you truly serious in taking me along with you?"

"I am. If you want to anyway, being with a perverted loser like I am."

"H-how about yourself, Milord? Why would you want to be with me—some wannabe failure of a necromancer who thought it's a bright idea to make a little girl be her apprentice?"

"Like that haughty elf said, we all have our failures." I flashed her a somber smile. "You and I—we're both failures. So we should stick together."

"B-but you're just a child, Milord! And I'm a full-grown adult! My mistake is much, much worse because of that!"

"Hey, I already got my wet dream a year ago. I might still look like this, but I'm just as perverted as your average adult man, maybe even more. And I don't have time to pretend to be a child anyways. If you're an orphan, you'd already be kicked out from your orphanage at this age, especially if you're a guy."

I learned that fact from Renee when we got to chat about orphanages, thanks to Sherry.

"Not to mention how dukes and earls would already be telling their sons to shop around for their future wife. Hell, I even heard a rumour of a certain duke who told his sons to buy female slaves on the market just so they could use them as training against women—to not fall for their charms easily, apparently."

This fact I learned from Fiora, as an example on how the Holy Empire's nobles treated their slaves.

Damn, already leaving the land of virginity at such a young age… I'm jealous…

"I actually have some noble blood in me by the way. Though it doesn't matter since my father got disowned by his father."

"What happened?" Felicia's eyes twinkled in curiosity.

"Not sure." I shrugged. "Father won't talk about it. Doesn't matter though. I don't really want to be a noble."

"Why not?"

"Because I can't be an adventurer if I become one." I smiled.

-------

We arrived at the house. It was your usual farmer house, made out of wood but with a straw ceiling. There was no floor, just straight up dirt from the land he built it on. I wonder if it was really his house, or it's just a makeshift place he built while he had an actual house in the nearby village.

Ah, that's my privileged, modern era mind talking. Back home at Father's village, there are many houses with no floors as well. They were perfectly happy with it. Father didn't see the problem either, and he's the kind of guy who would rush to help them if they ever were in need of anything.

The farmer had gone to the barn behind it, but instead of following him, we decided to just sit on the chairs at the veranda. We could use some rest after all.

"You know, you don't have to go with me all the way. I can drop you off on the Demon Continent once we get there. I assume that's the safest place to be from those guys."

"R-right…" She looked down, all dejected like a little puppy. "I would just be a burden… you already have someone after all."

"...Yeah, Sherry's not going to be happy if she sees you latching on to me." I chuckled. "She's the jealous type, you see."

"Then please!" She slammed her hands on the table. "Take me as far as you could!"

She leaned forward, tears glimmering inside her eyes. Her cleavage hung low, making my own eyes wander.

"I-I don't have anything or anyone else to live for… My life purpose… it's gone now… I can only repay the kindness you have given me, Milord!"

"Kindness?" I chuckled. "I'm not that kind. Do you know why I didn't come to your side earlier? Because I didn't want to. I saw you as a stranger who wasn't worth saving. I even thought you might deserve holy judgment from them."

I didn't bring up Anton and the others begging me not to save her, nor did I bring up the fact that Ilymhyrra persuaded me ever so slightly to see her as evil. There's no use pointing fingers and blaming others. It was all on me.

"Then… then why did you—"

"Because after they killed Leila, I knew for sure who was truly in the wrong. No good men or women would do that to a child. If I hadn't saved you, then I would feel even guiltier than I already am." I chuckled dryly. "So no. I'm not some hero of justice you think I am. I'm just a loser who wants a good night's sleep, though, after failing to rescue her, I'm sure to have nightmares for some time. Just like when I failed all those other people before."

"Other people, Milord?"

"...Ah. I haven't told you about my past, have I? You know, I tell you my past and you tell me yours. How about it?" I flashed her a grin.

Before she could answer, the farmer returned, driving the carriage along with him.

It was a simple farmer’s carriage, intended to carry produce instead of people. There was only a roofless box behind the carriage seat and only a single horse was pulling on it. As expected, its state left much to be desired. The contraption was terribly worn and rickety, not something I would even consider buying if we weren’t in such a tight spot. Even the horse looked a bit sickly. Not to mention that I had to pay thrice the ordinary amount for a carriage. I did have the gold from all the quests I had done these past months, but it didn’t mean I was all that willing to part from it.

We climbed up the carriage immediately once I paid him in full (he didn't even try to hide his greed-filled grin). We knew that if we dallied around, we still could get caught. That man would obviously tell them about us if they asked him, no doubt about it.

And Felicia naturally realized it as well.

"Milord, that man…” she whispered as she sat beside me on the carriage seat. “He's going to inform them about us for sure. Should I—"

"No. There's no need. We'll be long gone when they get here."

“I-I know you’re too nice for it, but to keep you safe, I-I’m willing to dirty my hands! So please! Allow me to—”

“You’re turning a new leaf, aren’t you? Then stop thinking like that. I want you to start thinking for yourself, for your own future. I might have saved you but I didn’t do it for you to act like this. And I’m done with people sacrificing themselves for my sake. If they’re going to come, then let them come. I’ll protect myself and you as well when that happens. That’s the least I could do to redeem myself.”

She fell silent under my glare. She looked downwards to her lap, giving me a glimpse of her watering eyes yet again.

“There’s something you can do for me though,” I added with a nervous grin. “I… never really drove a carriage before.”

She looked back up, now with a smile on her face.

“Then, let me take the reins, Milord.”

With a whip of her arms, we departed. Despite its looks, the horse could pull on our vehicle just fine.

I heard the farmer thanking us for the money once again from a distance. I didn't bother to respond though.

"I learned this from my father, if you care to know." Felicia suddenly spoke. "He told me to be a farmer. I wasn't interested though. I wanted to be an alchemist instead."

A wistful smile appeared on her face. She didn't need to say anything. Something bad must have happened to him.

"You said you wanted to hear about my past. Then, I shall tell you. Every single bit of it. When I'm finished, you would know just how rotten I really am."

"Fire away. Tell me every bad thing you did. I'll do the same. Then we'll see who is the most horrible person sitting on this seat right now."

She gave a light chuckle. “Then, I shall tell you, how the person sitting in front of you now came into being.”