Please Do Not Abandon the Adopted Heroine

120 – Snowfield

There were many days with an unusually bright moon that year.

Until the first time I ran away from the empire and set out into the snowy field holding hands with my aunt and my father’s colleagues, I had no fear at all.

I thought that the monsters in the snowy field would not be my opponents, and more than anything, I thought that it would not be that difficult to find help in the snowy field.

As if she had seen through my young and complacent thoughts, one day my aunt held my hand and spoke to me.

“Listen to what your aunt says, Eugene. Blood relatives usually live in the east and west. So we can’t go there. “We’re going north.”

“… still… Wouldn’t it be possible to get help if you go to your blood relatives? Her mother lived in the Magic Tower… … And I think they’ll accept me if I go to Undine’s parents, Aunt… … .”

“know. Maybe so. Maybe you can get some help. Exactly, that’s why you shouldn’t go any further.”

My aunt was adamant.

“We are on the run, Eugene. It won’t be long before your brother realizes that we ran away to the snowy field. The royal family already knew that Eugene was of mixed blood. “I’m sure you also know that your mother is the moon phase of the Magic Tower.”

“It means that the first thing we will be suspected of after fleeing the empire is our blood relatives.”

“As expected, be smart. … … The reason the Empire has not been able to attack the Magic Tower carelessly even after discovering it is because your father, Neferna, did not openly support the imperial family. The royal family has always been suspicious and cautious about that. Since he was confident in the information, he would have moved and had enough strength in reserve. “Even if your father is not there, you are strong enough to not be defeated by your blood relatives.”

“… … “I heard that after what happened to my father, my blood relatives, except for the moon phase, left the magic tower and lived scattered.”

“Still, we will find the Empire somehow. Leading the way with other warriors one after another. Just like it was until now. I don’t know much about blood relatives, Eugene. Maybe if we go to the Magic Tower, everything will work out as you said. However, I doubt that even if you were the son of the woman who was the leader of the previous generation, Manwol, he would take the risk of being an empire to take care of you. The same goes for the DC family. “If we go, the Disizu family may be threatened by the Empire and the Magic Tower.”

“… … … … … ”

“So Eugene, we have to run. To avoid the eyes of the empire and blood relatives.”

“until when?”

“when… until… Ahaha… … “That’s a difficult question.”

My aunt looked at me and muttered slowly as if she was thinking about it, then swallowed her bitter expression and spoke in a half-forced cheerful tone.

“I’m not going to lie. Until it stabilizes. You too will give up on us when the time comes. When that time comes, let’s sneak into the empire. In a place where many people of different races live, surveillance will not be so severe. Forest of the fox tribe. But what about it? Let’s discuss this with other kids. now… now… Yes, let’s wait.”

***

If you want to estimate the time when you started exploring the snowy fields alone, I think it would be vaguely accurate to point out the points in time that remain when you look at the memories of the snowy fields in half.

Now, if I were to express mathematically how many years I had been wandering around the snowy plains, exactly when the lives of those who had been by my side and trusted me were all lost, and how much time I spent alone subjugating the monsters of the snowy fields, it wouldn’t be impossible to express them mathematically. Either way, it would be equally meaningless.

A barren snowy field. Endless ash. The extreme cold that makes you feel like your toes are going to fall off, and the heat wave that makes you dizzy and makes you feel dizzy come and go in a day, and not only the climate and environment, but also the unpleasant writhing underground and the rough ecology of monsters fluttering from beyond the horizon. , it was the greatest threat to me, who had to go back and forth between the nether world and this world, even if the wound was only slightly serious.

One year.

One year.

And again, another year.

I have long since given up on counting the days that have passed. The pocket watch left behind by a colleague has a broken mainspring and just repeats the same steps. I realize that forgetting the passage of time is the only realistic solution.

Before I knew it, my height, which barely reached my aunt’s chest, had grown again. Now I wonder if I can reach around her shoulder or the nape of her neck. Perhaps, without even realizing it, I may have reached the same height as her aunt.

But I knew that even this was a meaningless comparison.

My aunt was no longer by my side, and my height, as far as I could guess, would forever remain at the area around my aunt’s back.

My height means nothing. The pitiful looks at me as I was eating the monster meat, telling me I should eat well when I grow up, the voice next to me teasing me for being a little kid, as well as the simple laughs and scoldings telling me not to make fun of them have all disappeared a long time ago.

There is no meaning because they are not there.

Occasionally, when my clothes became too small, I would steal clothes from white bones lying carelessly in the snowy fields and put them on. That alone was enough.

Adapting to the ferocious monsters itself took time.

A magic that devastates the entire area and a holy sword that slaughters monsters.

The days of cutting up hundreds or thousands of monsters and swallowing the ash that was so thick and tight in the cloudy ashes were repeated over and over again.

You’re alone.

“… … … … ..”

One day, he collected the holy sword while covered in the blood of a monster. The dirt splattered from inside the intestines stains the body of the sword. When I plunged the sword body into the ashes and pulled it out, it became bearable.

I was alone.

“… … … .”

One day I looked down at the snowy field from a high cliff. It was the Holy Sword who made that suggestion. At some point, the voice of the Holy Sword rang in my head. He finally thought he was crazy. He waited there for three days and nights to get a feel for the scenery, but he felt nothing and left.

Am I alone?

“… … .”

I felt that grilling each piece of meat using magic was a bit of a hassle. She decided to eat raw meat. The Holy Sword taught me one magic. I know that mental magic that affects the senses carries some risks. In the future, I may lose my sense of taste forever. She didn’t think much of it. From the next day, the raw meat changed to a dry rag-like texture.

I guess I’m alone,

“… ”

Let’s go there today. The monster is pretty. How is the sky? That waterfall is so white that it breaks the snow. Touch it once. My bones and flesh are melting. Wow, that’s amazing. It’s noisy over there. Do you want to kill me? Looks stronger than you? You’re a coward. I’ll teach you something interesting. don’t worry. It won’t hurt that much. How much time has passed? Don’t worry about such personal things.

You are not alone.

Hold your breath and close your eyes.

I straightened my body and calmed my breathing so that I could react at any time.

Scatters magical power in all directions and absorbs all information happening around.

The presence of ash and the sound and direction of the wind blowing. A faint smell coming from the tip. That’s how you find monsters. After a while and no sign of him, I went to sleep peacefully.

I’m already used to sleeping standing up for a long time. When was the last time you lay down and tried to sleep? It may have been the night a colleague saw his head ripped off during the night.

If a monster comes looking for me like back then,

Just kill it and that’s it.

one animal. one animal. And one more.

Ripping out the spine and internal organs,

tearing flesh and muscle,

Without leaving a single lump of blood,

Just the way they want, as the Goddess wills.

That’s what a hero is, the Holy Sword told me.

***

“Is it you?”

“… … … … … … … .”

“I finally found it. The hero of the 2nd Holy Sword. “It’s hard to even say it’s a coincidence.”

“… … … … … … … .”

“Whether I found you or you found me, the fact that we met in a place like this is probably important. “To each other.”

“… … … … … … … .”

“Hmm, I’m alone.”

“… … … … … … … .”

“So that means he passed away too. That’s such a shame. He was a good person. “Anastasia must be quite sad.”

“… … … … … … … .”

“My aunt’s final moments… “Are you comfortable?”

“… … … … … … … .”

“I can’t speak.”

“… … … … … … … .”

“Hmm… I haven’t heard of anyone being mute. “It’s annoying.”

“… … … … … … … .”

“… … … … … … … “Do you plan to stay like that until the end?”

“… It’s not a monster.”

“Are you talking about me? Yes, I am not a monster.”

“… “Isn’t it a monster?”

“Have you lost your mind? “This is something I didn’t expect.”

“… … … … … … … .”

“Do you not remember me? “I met you at the Hwangseong Banquet Hall seven years ago.”

“… … … … … … … .”

“I have the First Holy Sword… No, you don’t know yet. I can’t even understand. Speak as you remember. He is the crown prince of the empire. Even if I told him his name, I don’t think he would even remember it. “I’m so sorry to meet you like this.”

“… … … … … … … .”

“I’m sorry, but you have to come with me.”