Chapter 15
Celeste sat quietly in her room, her fingers resting against the armrest of her chair.
Her expression remained composed, but the frustration in her eyes was difficult to hide.
The spy she had placed within the Grimaldi household had been unable to provide any useful information.
She picked up the letter that had arrived earlier and read it once more.
With a frustrated sigh, she crumpled the letter in her hand and threw it across the room.
"Where did that witch go...?" Celeste muttered, biting her nails in frustration.
A few days after Rishima disappeared, a rumor had spread that Lady Rishima had been kicked out of the Grimaldi Estate.
At first, Celeste had been pleased to hear the news.
"If Rishima was no longer under the Duke's protection, that person could finally make a move against her."
But that had proven to be far from the truth.
More than a month had passed since Rishima disappeared, yet Celeste still had no idea where she was.
Not long after the rumor spread, Celeste had received a letter from that person demanding that she find Rishima's whereabouts immediately.
Despite the time that had passed, Celeste still had nothing to report.
Now, a second letter had arrived.
Celeste picked it up and unfolded it with trembling fingers.
Her eyes scanned the words, and her expression gradually darkened.
The message was simple.
If she failed to find Rishima, that person would no longer give her the artifact.
Celeste's fingers tightened around the letter.
"How am I supposed to find her when no one knows where she went?" she muttered bitterly.
That artifact was too important.
She couldn't afford to lose it.
"I have to find her..." Celeste whispered.
~~~
More than a month had passed since Rishima left the Grimaldi Estate.
At first, Duke Theon Grimaldi hadn't been particularly concerned.
After all, the soul that had occupied his daughter's body was unfamiliar with this world.
She had no one here.
No friends.
No relatives.
And no place to go.
Theon had assumed that, sooner or later, she would have no choice but to return to the estate.
But she never did.
Theon rubbed his temples as he looked at the documents on his desk.
"Where could she have gone?" he murmured.
Suddenly, a knock came from the door.
"Come in," Theon said.
The door opened, and Yohan stepped inside.
Theon lifted his gaze toward him.
"Any news about her?" Theon asked.
Yohan nodded.
"Yes, Your Grace," he replied. "I've shown her portrait around the place where she was dropped off. Apparently, someone saw her enter a magic shop."
"A magic shop?" Theon asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes, Your Grace," Yohan replied. "I confirmed with the shopkeeper that she purchased a teleportation scroll to Zorad."
"Zorad?" Theon asked, looking surprised. "Isn't that a small village in the northern region?"
Yohan nodded.
"Yes, Your Grace," he confirmed.
"Should we have someone follow her?" Yohan asked.
Theon shook his head.
"No," he replied calmly. "Leave her be."
Yohan stared at Theon in disbelief.
"Leave her be?" Yohan repeated, unable to hide his frustration.
"But you said it yourself, Your Grace," Yohan continued. "You can still sense Lady Rishima's soul within her body."
Theon's expression remained calm.
Yohan clenched his fists at his sides.
"I don't understand what you're thinking, Your Grace," he said, his voice growing more frustrated. "You shouldn't have let her leave."
Theon finally lifted his gaze toward him.
"You know how dangerous it is for her," Yohan continued. "What if that person comes after her?"
The Duke's expression darkened.
He knew exactly who Yohan was talking about.
Rishima had been safe under his protection for years. As long as she remained within the duchy, their enemies couldn't easily make a move against her.
But now that she had left the estate, that protection was no longer absolute.
If they discovered where she was, they might finally make their move.
~~~
The forest echoed with the clash of steel and the snarls of goblins.
I swung my sword at the goblin in front of me.
The creature barely managed to raise its crude weapon in time.
Clang!
The impact forced it backward.
I quickly stepped forward and swung again.
This time, my blade struck its shoulder.
The goblin let out a shriek and stumbled backward.
I tightened my grip.
My heart was pounding.
This was different from training.
This wasn't a wooden sword.
This wasn't a training dummy.
This was a real monster.
"Don't hesitate!" Travis called out.
I gritted my teeth.
Right.
I couldn't hesitate.
The goblin charged at me again, raising its weapon above its head.
I watched its movements carefully.
Just like Travis had taught me.
I stepped to the side as the goblin swung.
Its weapon missed me completely and struck the ground.
Now!
I quickly turned and swung my sword toward its side.
The blade struck the goblin, sending it crashing to the ground.
I froze for a moment, staring at it.
My hands trembled slightly around the sword.
I had actually done it.
My first real fight.
"Don't stop moving," Travis warned.
I immediately snapped back to attention.
Another goblin was charging toward me.
I raised my sword.
"There's more?" I asked, startled.
Travis blocked another goblin's attack nearby.
"There are always more," he replied.
I swallowed nervously.
So much for an easy first hunt.
The goblin charged toward me, raising its crude weapon above its head.
I tightened my grip around my sword.
This time, I didn't freeze.
I watched its movements carefully, waiting for the right moment.
The goblin swung.
I quickly stepped to the side, letting its weapon pass by me.
I turned and swung my sword toward its side.
The goblin blocked.
Clang!
The impact traveled through my arms, and I staggered backward.
It was stronger than I expected.
The goblin snarled and charged again.
I steadied myself.
Don't rely on strength.
I remembered Travis's words.
Instead of meeting its attack head-on, I shifted my footing and moved with its momentum.
The goblin's weapon missed me.
I immediately stepped forward and swung.
My blade struck its side.
The goblin staggered.
I followed with another strike.
This time, the goblin fell to the ground.
I stood there, breathing heavily.
I had actually managed to defeat it.
"Good," Travis said.
I looked toward him.
He had already finished fighting the other goblins.
"You kept your balance and didn't rely on brute strength," Travis explained.
I smiled.
"Maybe I'm getting better," I said.
Travis gave me a small nod.
"You are."
I couldn't help but feel proud.
After all those weeks of training, I was finally starting to see the results.
I looked around the forest.
Several goblins were scattered across the ground, their crude weapons lying beside them.
I lowered my sword and let out a long breath.
"Is that all of them?" I asked.
Travis glanced around before nodding.
"Looks like it," he replied.
He walked over to one of the fallen goblins and searched through its belongings.
"Goblins sometimes carry things they've stolen," he explained.
I crouched beside another goblin and searched its small pouch.
I found a few coins and several small stones that shimmered faintly.
I picked one up and stared at it.
"Is this what I think it is?" I asked.
Travis glanced at the stone in my hand.
"Mana stone," he replied.
I had read about them in the novel, but this was the first time I'd actually seen one.
I turned it over in my fingers, fascinated by the faint glow inside it.
"They aren't worth much if you only have a few," Travis explained. "You'd need quite a lot of them to make a decent amount of money."
I nodded and placed the mana stones into my pouch.
"Still, they're interesting," I said.
Travis chuckled.
"If you say so."
I looked at the fallen goblins one last time before standing up.
"Are we done here?" I asked.
"Yes," Travis replied. "We've cleared this area."
I nodded and sheathed my sword.
It wasn't the most exciting reward, but I was satisfied.
After all, this was only my first monster hunt.
And I had survived it.
After returning to the village, Travis and I stopped by the mercenary guild.
I looked around curiously.
"Does this mean I can become a mercenary now?" I asked.
Travis nodded.
"You've passed the basic requirements," he replied.
A smile spread across my face.
Finally.
I could officially start earning money with my sword.
Just as we were about to leave, a recruitment notice caught my attention.
I stopped.
My eyes widened as I read the name written at the top.
Cassian.
The Duke of the North.
I knew that name.
He was the second male lead in the novel.
More importantly, he was the very person who would eventually recognize Travis's talent and help him rise through the ranks until he became the captain of the Imperial Knights.
Wait...
Was this the beginning?
Was this how Travis's path to becoming the captain of the Imperial Knights had started?
I quickly read the notice again.
Duke Cassian was recruiting mercenaries for a monster subjugation mission.
My eyes lit up.
This was a great opportunity.
I had only just started learning swordsmanship, and I needed more experience.
Besides, Duke Cassian would be there.
Surely, they wouldn't send inexperienced mercenaries to face dangerous monsters without proper support, right?
"We should join," I said immediately.
Travis looked at me.
"I can't," he replied.
My eyes widened.
"The mission will take two weeks," Travis explained. "I can't leave Leon and Elia alone for that long. Besides, we already have enough money thanks to the five gold coins you gave me, so I don't need to take this job."
Oh shit, what have I done?
Is this a butterfly effect?
Is he not going to become the captain now just because I hired him?!
Oh no... this can't be happening.
I clenched my fists.
I need to convince him to join. No matter what!