volume 1 - Chapter 19 (1/2)
TL: I should have pointed out one thing earlier.
The mixed series sponsored donation (your donation did not specify which series you want TLed) are combined together with specific series donations to make one sponsored chapter, i.e $13/25 Mixed sponsored Amber sword + $12/25 Amber swords specific donation = 1 chapter, just in case anyone got confused. I wish I had plugins for this sort of thing to make it clearer and easier, but I’m using the free online wordpress domain.
I’ll also be rounding up the donations in the Mixed pool donations to add in more chapters, since my donation goals are close enough. I’ll be ordering the first two books of the Amber Sword and book 2 of The Strategy to be Good At Magic. Thanks, everyone.
Of course, extra money doesn’t hurt if anyone else wants to donate beyond my donation goals, cough cough.
Chapter 19 – The one who opposes
Brendel and the militia followed alongside with Bretton and his riders. They transported the food and medicine to the Guards’ camp located in the Beldor’s forest region and traveled across the mountainous forest, and finally stopped at a camp in the valley. There was an uproar in the camp when they discovered the youths of the third militia squadron approaching towards them.
They thought the entire third militia squadron had perished in the battle of that fateful night and were prepared to accept that reality, only to find that they had returned alive.
The refugees were overjoyed. Even though they were not entirely comprised of Bucce’s natives, and some of them came from either Verbin or the Green village, the heartwarming scene affected everyone. This was the first piece of good news they have for the past two days.
A good omen like this signified that the future might be favorable. Along with the food and medicine they brought back, the people who were plagued by the cold and hunger were able to eat something warm, and the injured was treated. Everyone seemed to think that hope was not too far away, and they even forgot a little of the tragic battle they encountered in the afternoon.
Marden had given a command to light the campfires. The veteran soldier that survived the November War was brave and resilient, and would never submit to the Madara undead. He was not afraid of the undead forces discovering them, and he even said they were free to bring the battle before them as there were no cowards in Aouine.
There was simply no way to hide so many people who had no militia training, and he decided to make themselves comfortable.
Freya who had lost her relatives found herself treated like a hero. At first Brendel was worried that she might be depressed instead, but found that it was an unnecessary worry.
“Freya, it’s all thanks to you and your militia!”
“Freya, don’t be sad. You still have us, don’t you? Everyone in the village will support you. You’re a strong girl, everyone knows that!”
“Freya, are you alright? Come over here and let Aunt Aakash take a look at you. You need to be more careful!” A plump middle-aged woman parted the sea of people around her. She might have the quality of a having a loud voice and rough handling like a countryside villager, but her concern was genuine.
She parted Freya’s fringe and wiped her face and took a long hard look at the girl.
“Aunt Aakash, I’m fine.”
“Are you sure? Don’t hide everything in your heart, understand?”
“Really, I’m fine. Thanks, everyone.” Freya looked at everyone gathering around her. Her eyes were getting misty and interfered with her vision. They had a terrible time for the past two days. Their eyes were bloodshot and jumped at shadows, but she saw that they had genuine concern for her.
Brendel stood far away and watched this scene. A warmth spread in his heart.
The warm campfire and heartwarming affection permeated the air with the aroma from the food, seemed to have dispersed the gloomy darkness in their hearts. Even if it was just for a single moment, he could not help but feel touched by it.
It was a beautiful moment.
[The relations.h.i.+p between people should just be like what they are right now.]
Brendel walked over and leaned onto a white craggy boulder, and looked at the stars in the sky. They s.h.i.+mmered from time to time, and they looked like diamonds strewn across a dark purple curtain.
“Why aren’t you going over?”
He suddenly spotted Romaine sitting at a higher place and asked. She was hugging a bag that was placed on top on her legs. Her feet dangled back and forth in the air.
“They don’t like me.”
“Why?”
“In their eyes, my aunt and I are weird people. Besides, which girl in a normal family would want to be a merchant? It’s normal that I don’t get treated well.”
[You actually know what’s wrong with yourself?] Brendel said inside his mind.
He then realized that he did not have much of an impression of her aunt. She always traveled and was hardly home, and she only came back once in a while to bring some strange items that Romaine might like.
Romaine might have adopted her unique personality because she was always by herself.
“Tell me about your parents. I don’t think we ever talked about them before right?”
“I have never saw them before. My aunt was already with me by the time I started to remember things. She even told me, little Romaine, remember to repay my kindness!”
The young merchant girl giggled and looked at the moon with bright lights.
Brendel looked vacantly at her.
“… So that’s why you want to become a merchant?”
“Yup.”
“That’s a strange thought.”