Chapter 21 - Volume 1 (1/2)

Side Story 3 — Part 1

Under the dazzling, incessant sunlight, Yulifalet Lila Schtorenvihein wiped off the sweat from his forehead with a towel hanging on his shoulder. The weather today was all perfect again. His heart was naturally exhilarated at the blue sky, not a single cloud visible. It truly was the ideal weather for farming.

Humming, he raised the hoe overhead before ploughing the rich, fertile soil. ‘When it comes to grip, I really do prefer hoes to swords,’ Yulifalet earnestly thought, feeling the earth as he used the hoe. He might be a lesser aristocrat of the countryside, but he would rather choose the hoe over the sword that was one of the accomplishments of other noblemen.

If other people heard that, they’d sigh and call it shameful. But even so, Yulifalet had gotten much more familiar with the hoe over the sword, and his hand was very used to it. Happily receiving vegetables grown from a field he’d ploughed himself had always made him much more happier than winning a sword fight. It was just more meaningful. That’s precisely why he thought he was happy from the bottom of his heart now, to be able to relax and plough the field.

When the ground had been ploughed to a certain extent, he put the hoe aside and crouched down. He planted a vegetable seedling he’d just received from his neighbors. The still young seedling lively reached out its leaves to the sky. Yulifalet tenderly, softly caressed those leaves, smiling in content.

「All right, now you grow big.」

Yulifalet stood up after planting all of them, stretching widely. His back muscles had been rounded from crouching, and the sensation of them stretching felt pleasant. Well now, he could take a break at this point so perhaps it was time to rest.

Wiping the sweat off his forehead for the second time, he sat down in the shade of a tree that grew beside the field. He quenched his thirst with water from his bottle. It was just then that a voice called out to Yulifalet, as if cancelling out the chirping of the birds in the trees.

「Yuuuli! Yulifalet! You have mail, and presents!」

He raised his head at the familiar voice, looking over there. On a side road of the field in front of him stood a girl with chestnut-colored hair, vigorously waving one hand. In her other hand was a larger basket she carried. Yulifalet had a slight hunch this was something bad. Before he realized it he’d drank up the remaining bottle from his water, furrowing his brows and standing up at the same time.

「How come you’re bringing the mail, Marie?」

「I met the mailman earlier over there. Looked like he was just about to bring this to you, so I took it in your place for you.」

Yulifalet carefully walked to where the girl called 「Marie」 stood, making sure not to step on the young seedlings he’d just planted. She smiled sweetly, pushing the basket into Yulifalet’s gloved hands.

「Here you go. Apparently it’s all from the royal capital.」

「The capital? Not again…….」

His voice instantly turned exasperated. It felt like the basket had suddenly become heavier right as he heard 「from the capital」. As he looked inside, there were indeed things that looked like presents as Marie had said. Sandwiches and letters that were far too lavishly decorated, a parcel decorated with a big ribbon on it – there were all sorts of things packed into the basket.

The girl, Yulifalet’s childhood friend, cackled in amusement at how his previously normal face was now cramped.

「You’re so popular, as always. Right, Sir – He – ro?」

This time, Yulifalet truly grimaced with all his might at those teasing words. This was no laughing matter.

「Stop that, Marie. It feels so creepy to be called that even by you.」

「Oh, come on. What does that mean?」

「I mean what I said.」

They had played together since they were children, covered in mud, unconcerned about anything like social status. It really didn’t please him at all to be called so highly by someone like that after so long. In fact, it felt uncomfortable, if anything. Because a title like 『Sir Hero』 wasn’t something he wanted.

「Even if they say I’m the hero that defeated the demon king, it’s not like he was defeated by just me.」

「It’s not like that. You can say this and that, but that doesn’t change the fact that 『the demon king was defeated by the hero.』」

「Is that right?」

「Yep. So how about you try acting more proud?」

「No. I’m going to be more careful.」

「……You really are so……」

Marie sighed, looking like she was completely dumbfounded. Yulifalet gave her a wry smile. There was nothing he could do besides that.