Chapter : 10
At this distance, it probably didn’t look like I was having a conversation with the wolf.
The wolf stared directly at me before letting out a low growl.
[This weak male is a member of my pack. A leader protects their pack.]
“W-Wait, miss! It’s dangerous to get that close!”
The man nearly had a heart attack when he saw me casually sticking my face near the wolf’s head, and quickly pulled me back.
But I couldn’t take my eyes off the wolf.
The unwavering gaze in those eyes.
That resolute answer.
It only made me want him more.
I was confident I could raise him very well.
“This wolf isn’t an animal suitable for a noble lady to keep as a pet.”
A certain word cut through my fixation on the wolf.
Noble lady.
Frowning, I turned my gaze toward the man.
He was staring at me with a stiff expression.
“Nor is he worthy of accompanying the esteemed Resurrected One.”
Oh.
So he wasn’t just a harmless stray cat after all.
“I think you’ve misunderstood something.”
“Judging by your behavior, it doesn’t seem like you’ve been kidnapped.”
His tone was calm.
“I’ll pretend I never met you here. Let’s both go our separate ways.”
Only then did I examine his appearance again.
At first glance, he looked ordinary.
His clothes were worn and covered in dust, as though he had spent a very long time traveling.
The embroidered crest on the edge of his cloak had faded so badly that it looked ready to disappear entirely.
But even that trace was enough.
I knew exactly who he was.
More importantly, he was someone who could hardly fail to recognize me.
“You’re affiliated with the Magic Tower.”
If it was the Magic Tower, wanted notices and recording-orb images of me had likely circulated there already.
Still, the Magic Tower didn’t get along well with the Temple.
Nor did its members generally care much about political struggles.
That explained his indifferent attitude.
More importantly, this man clearly wanted nothing to do with me.
Judging by his appearance…
“You’re currently undergoing a Trial Journey, aren’t you?”
I’d heard of it before.
A period during which mages sealed away their magic and wandered the world with nothing but their own bodies, strengthening themselves through hardship.
It was training developed by the Magic Tower to compensate for the physical weaknesses common among mages.
This was my first time meeting someone actually undertaking it.
A mage with sealed magic was no different from an ordinary person.
Anyone holding a grudge against such a mage—or seeking to take advantage of them—would view the Trial Journey as a golden opportunity.
Considering the value of a mage, this man would naturally want to avoid attracting attention during his travels.
At my words, he ran a hand through his hair with a troubled look.
“There’s no point pretending otherwise, so let’s come to an agreement quickly. Neither of us benefits from causing a commotion, right? Let’s just pretend we never met.”
“It’s true that neither of us wants trouble.”
I folded my arms.
“But our circumstances are not the same.”
“Hm?”
“The people searching for me would welcome me with open arms.”
I smiled.
“That would not be the case for you.”
The man faltered.
For a moment, he looked speechless.
Yet even while frowning, he ultimately shook his head.
“…Even so, I can’t give you this wolf.”
“I’ve changed my mind.”
The man’s eyes narrowed suspiciously.
Meanwhile, I felt the hunger I’d nearly forgotten returning with a vengeance.
If the wolf refused to abandon a member of his pack…
Then all I had to do was keep that pack member with me.
Besides, I was starving.
And I desperately needed someone who could cook.
Someone accustomed to life on the road and used to handling all sorts of chores.
“I want to buy you.”
“…Me?”
“Yes.”
I nodded brightly.
“As I mentioned, I’m currently undertaking a Trial Journey. I won’t be able to serve as a mage.”
“That’s not what I need from you.”
I looked him over.
“From the looks of it, you’ve been traveling for quite a while. Which means you’re accustomed to life on the road. But you’re probably running low on travel funds.”
I couldn’t keep someone around forever.
But until I found a way forward and escaped my current predicament, he’d be useful.
“Coincidentally, you’re exactly the kind of person I need.”
Someone who wanted no involvement with me.
Someone who would keep their head down and avoid drawing attention.
“Feeding that wolf can’t be cheap either. Why don’t you earn some money by staying with me?”
The man fell silent.
But his golden eyes wavered.
Seeing that reaction, my confidence only grew.
This man was the perfect candidate.
* * *
Once I found a place to settle down, there was one thing I absolutely needed to do.
Hire a reliable assistant.
Having someone nearby who could do all the things I couldn’t was a wonderful prospect.
Especially under these miserable circumstances.
The man accepted my offer of temporary employment.
I paid him an advance immediately.
When I promised to pay him double that amount once the job was done, he could no longer find any reason to refuse.
The righteous wolf seemed quite pleased that the man had agreed to help me, even if it was only because of the arrangement.
As for me, I resolved to spend the entire duration of our partnership trying to win the wolf over.
After all, the more I saw him, the harder he became to give up.
Because of the wolf, we couldn’t stay at any inns within the village.
As a result, we ended up camping on the very first day we met.
Fortunately, that wasn’t a problem.
The man seemed highly experienced with camping.
And I had purchased every piece of camping equipment money could buy.
Food supplies included.
All our belongings were loaded onto a pack horse that the man handled.
I wished I could have bought a horse for myself, but that was impossible in such a small rural village.
Though even if I had purchased one, I doubted it would have behaved properly around the wolf.
“To think the Resurrected One who supposedly threw herself before a monster to save the citizens would turn out to be someone like this…”
“How could a mere human understand the will of God?”
Without even looking at him, I replied,
“Instead of dwelling on pointless things, focus on something productive.”
I continued studying the map as though trying to memorize every inch of it.
Particularly the forest region we planned to enter.
After seeing what I was examining, the man sighed.
“Do we really have to take that route? Wild animals appear there frequently. If we’re unlucky, we might even run into monsters.”
“It has to be a route with few people.”
I didn’t look up.
“Besides, I already told you I’d pay hazard compensation.”
“If it weren’t for that hazard compensation, I wouldn’t be standing here cooking for you.”
Dinner was already finished.
The simple stew he’d prepared as a demonstration had been excellent.
I’d already praised myself extensively for hiring him.
“Yes, I’m glad your cooking is so good.”
Then I glanced up.
“By the way, what should I call you?”
“You’re asking that now?”
The muttered complaint made me look over.
The man was staring at me with obvious dissatisfaction.
There was even a hint of hurt in his expression.
Why?
“Since you weren’t planning to tell me your real name anyway, what reason would there be for exchanging introductions?”
“Why do you assume I wouldn’t tell you my real name?”
His question made me pause.
It felt like such an obvious thing that I found the question strange.
I folded the map and answered firmly.
“Because you don’t want to get involved with me.”
That had to be the correct answer.
Even by my own assessment, I currently stood at the center of a whirlwind of chaos.
The source—or future source—of countless conflicts and incidents.
What could anyone gain from getting close to me except a ticking time bomb?
If I were him, I wouldn’t want to exchange names with someone like me either.
“You make me sound completely heartless.”
“Not really.”
I shrugged.
“I’m simply being rational.”
It wasn’t a difficult conclusion.
The man clicked his tongue as if exhausted.
“I never expected to learn so much about the Roam family’s reputation this way.”
Roam.
Yes.
These were exactly the things Roam had taught.
Quick judgment.
Efficiency.
Suppressing emotion.
Calculating gains and losses.
I couldn’t deny that my upbringing had shaped my way of thinking.
But—
“…I’m not a child of Roam anymore.”
They had abandoned me.
And I no longer wanted anything to do with them.
The man raised an eyebrow.
“You haven’t heard the news?”
“What news?”
“The Duke of Roam publicly declared that ‘the missing woman is not only the Resurrected One, but also my precious daughter who carries the blood of Roam.’ He announced that search parties would be dispatched across the entire realm.”
“Ha. Precious daughter.”
When had those words become so revolting?
Twisting my lips, I looked away.
After Mother collapsed from stress, Father had now publicly declared that he would search for me?
I could picture the discussion in his office perfectly.
Mother would have complained about the inconvenience.
My sister would have been irritated.
Father would have been displeased.
My younger sibling would have remained silent—or perhaps not attended at all.
And Lilia, the new daughter of that household…
Ah.
I shouldn’t think about it.
“It’s only been a short time since I was supposedly kidnapped, and they’ve already organized search parties?”
I muttered dismissively.
The man clicked his tongue.
“Everyone’s making public statements.”
I had expected as much.
Still, hearing it out loud was absurd.
Did they truly think I would cooperate if they found me?
Did every one of them believe I was happily and reverently accepting this resurrection?
No.
More likely, they never even considered my feelings in the first place.
That was exactly the sort of people they were.
“For someone wandering the world on a Trial Journey, you’re remarkably well informed.”
“We aren’t thrown out completely helpless.”
He chuckled.
“At the very least, we carry communication orbs.”
Apparently my gaze had sharpened unconsciously.
The man flinched and quickly looked away.
“You don’t have to look at me like that. The last thing I want is to accidentally get dragged into politics because I said the wrong thing.”
He repeatedly emphasized that he had no intention of revealing my whereabouts.
Yet my expression still didn’t soften.
Eventually, he turned toward the wolf, who was lying comfortably beside the campfire, and began complaining to him instead.
He probably wasn’t expecting a response.
He just needed something to vent his frustrations to.
However, the wolf unexpectedly took his side.
[This male is too weak to lie.]
The wolf lazily flicked his tail.
[Surprisingly, he’s the sort of male you can trust with your back.]
