Transmigrated Into A Tragic Romance Fantasy-Chapter 71: Lugan Village (2)

“You... may enter the village.”

“Thank you.”

Elden Raphelion, the last scion of Raphelion County.

A wastrel, rake, and a battle maniac.

Who now had more epitaphs attached to his person.

Like the Vampire Lord.

But thanks to those bizarre titles, he could enter the village without much trouble.

His name alone was akin to a free pass.

The fact that it was extremely rare for nobility to visit a border village of the Grand Duchy also played a significant role.

While one would think that it would be reasonable for the guards to verify the authenticity of the name, the moment they heard Elden’s name, they all paled and stuttered.

Those poor guards weren’t in any condition to perform the security checks.

However, that worked in our favor.

While Lumia was hidden by a cloak as she rested on my back,

Her unveiling ceremony had created a roar that had reached well past the Grand Duchy’s borders, causing rumors about her appearance to pop up even in the neighboring Empires.

As such, even in a remote village like this one, people might recognize Lumia’s appearance.

Until we have a clear understanding of the current situation,

Of what Logan Winterfell was plotting,

Or what Lumia herself in thinking,

It wouldn’t hurt to remain inconspicuous until then.

“Looks like this is just an ordinary village.”

As we entered Lugan Village, our first stop was the general store where we could sell the monster’s by-products.

The store, marked with the emblem of the Monster Hunters’ Guild, was the perfect place to trade such items.

Sadly, they didn’t deal with the edible parts of monsters.

Places like this one sought mainly the parts that wouldn’t decompose, or that would do so at a very slow pace.

Mainly parts like the monster’s teeth, hide, bones, and claws.

“Here’s our membership badge.”

Showing the membership badge that only those affiliated with the Monster Hunters’ Guild could possess, Rendler laid out the bundles.

Showing the stuff we had collected during our journey from the Slode Village.

“Aha, let’s see~”

Then, the shopkeeper with a crooked nose, began verifying the items while humming a tune.

“Oho~ Two Red Longers hides, sixteen goblins fangs, three tusks of a Mountain Orc, two rattles of a Giant Snake~ Hm~ Hm~”

Chink, Chink-.

The shopkeeper finished tallying the items and opened the cash drawer, taking out 22 silver coins and 5 copper coins.

This amount would easily last a fortnight in most villages.

However, we didn’t sell some of the petrified goblins’ eyeballs, which were a rare drop.

After all, such things would fetch a better price at the large city stores.

“Do visit us again~”

Stepping out of the General Store, we rented some rooms - An entire two-story building - for three silver coins.

It was all for Lumia.

With this, while we still weren’t completely free from the public eye, this would give us a little bit of freedom.

That’s why we also decided to handle our meals in-house.

We had a budding Chef with us after all!

“I’ll get started on dinner then!”

As the excited bookworm rushed towards the kitchen, Rachel and I headed to the second floor.

Where we had set Lumia on the bed.

I also removed the cloak that had been covering her.

Perhaps because she had recovered enough, Lumia sat gingerly at the edge of the bed with a baffled look on her face.

A stark contrast to before when she couldn’t even sit up without something to rely on.

After placing some items beside her, I handed her something I had bought from the market.

“If you need help or want to say something, just ring this bell.”

A small bell with a wooden handle was purchased especially for Lumia who could barely make a sound.

She held it, her face still bewildered as she looked at me.

“Now, please rest some more.”

After saying this with a gentle smile on my face, we were about to leave the bedroom when the bell tinkled softly.

Tinkle-tinkle.

As the sound of the bell echoed in the room, I turned around.

And there, I saw it,

Lumia hastily writing something.

Swish, swoosh-.

A moment later, Lumia held out a piece of paper to me, containing what she had so hurriedly written.

[Why are you helping me? You said it could be dangerous.]

When people see others in danger, they often feel compelled to help.

People who dive into accident scenes to save the injured.

Those who risk their own lives to catch a falling child.

Those who guide lost elders to their destinations.

People who scream for help, realizing they cannot save someone by themselves.

Even those who willingly offer their valuables in their homes during a national crisis.

Most people do not ignore those in danger.

Understanding that was part of being human.

Back in my old world, some would exploit this while others would ignore the cries for help, leading to the degradation of human society.

However, helping someone in peril is part of our instinct as a social species.

That’s why.

“I’m helping because it’s dangerous.”

I gave her my honest answer.

With the same feeling as the day I handed her Rachel’s ointment.

During the Grand Ducal Betrothal, I couldn’t help her more than that.

As a withdrawer, there wasn’t much I could do.

I had neither the power nor the right to change anything.

But now, I have the ability to offer help and the means to make a change.

So, I just helped.

“......”

After giving Lumia a slight nod, I left the bedroom.

**

You’re helping me......Because this could be dangerous...?

Elden and his Knight had left a long time ago, yet, Lumia continued to sit there, dazed as she mulled over his words.

When she had asked why Elden was helping her, when it would put him and his group in danger, he had answered her as if such a thing was obvious.

There was an entry she once wrote in her diary.

When Elden knocked down a large man who was brutally assaulting a woman and a child during the Festival.

Lumia had asked several people about that incident, and even after hearing their reports, she couldn’t imagine it.

The only thing she could picture was the scene where she was being mercilessly beaten by Deron Caelid and his band, while Elden just watched indifferently.

No matter how many times she tried, she couldn’t imagine Elden Raphelion swinging his fist for a stranger he didn’t even know.

All she had seen was Elden looking at her with contempt as she suffered.

That must be why,

The sight of Elden smiling as he said those words seemed utterly alien to her.

Even though that was a reasonable answer, coming from Elden, it felt out of place.

Moreover, it was truly strange.

The way Elden Raphelion delivered that answer was so natural and fitting.

That’s probably why she couldn’t imagine it. She had not expected it to suit him so well.

“......”

Lumia looked at the bed in which she lay.

It was rough and uncomfortable when compared to the luxurious beds she grew used to lying on back in the Grand Duchy.

Yet, such a bed now felt almost too opulent for her current state.

As Lumia stroked the bedsheet, she placed her feet on the floor.

Immediately after, she could feel the chill permeating the cold, hard floor.

But after ten days of being on the run, this chill felt almost comforting.

For the current Lumia, this cold floor was more desirable than the bed she had been provided.

As such, Lumia left the bed and crawled towards a wall.

Then, she wrapped her arms around her legs and buried her head in her knees.

It felt like she had returned to where she belonged.

It was comfortable,

It was what she deserved.

So, Lumia closed her eyes.

However, in her right hand, she tightly clutched the notepad that Elden had gifted her.

**

The next morning,

After asking Rachel to stay with Lumia and keep an eye on her, I headed into the village with Ariel and Rendler.

Ariel wanted to buy some medicinal herbs and I needed to repair my dulled sword.

While Rendler was looking around for a small carriage.

“That’s the central plaza over there.”

Leaving the building we rented, we decided to move together for now.

In case some trouble appears.

With the threat of Deron Caelid hanging over our shoulders, we needed to be careful, since he might stoop low enough to use hostages against us.

If he was still the same mastermind as he had been at the Academy, then he would resort to any kind of underhanded tactics.

He would aim to obtain what he wanted in the easiest, most efficient way possible.

While such a thing may never come to pass, it was better to be on the lookout.

“Ah! Look! I think that’s the sign of an Herbalist!”

As Ariel spotted the sign, we started to walk towards it when...

“Thief! Someone catch that bread-thief!”

Had it not been for that sudden cry.

And had it not been for something crashing into me.

Thunk!

I staggered a little from the sudden impact, but my well-trained body allowed me to regain my balance quickly enough.

“What was that?”

When I turned around to see what had collided with me...

“NomNomNom! Kukukuku-. B-Bread....So, Ta-tasty! M-My precious, Yes! Mine! Kukukuku-!”

A man clutching a loaf of bread in both hands, eating it without a care in the world.

His hair, which should have been a vibrant shade of red, was now filled with filth and disheveled.

His face was smeared with dirt, with some dark patches of grime on his cheeks.

His eyes were so unfocused that it was impossible to tell where he was looking.

“Hey! Catch that man!!”

Clutching a club, the bakery owner screamed as he chased the ‘beggar’.

I should have caught the scoundrel but couldn’t bring myself to do it.

Because he was eating that bread like it was the most precious thing in the world.

His cheeks puffed up like a squirrel.

“YumYumYumYum! Kekekeke! B-Bread! Delicious bread! It...It melts! Melts in the M-mouth! Kekekeke!”

Then, he dashed past us, his disheveled red hair fluttering in the wind.

His rags, torn enough to be ripped apart by a mere breeze shook,

As bread crumbs were scattered everywhere.

“Kekekeke-! Ahhhh, B-bread...Bread! The best! NomNomNom! T-tasty!”

He fled in such a miserable manner.

Though it was hard to recognize him in such a shabby condition, I couldn’t help but mutter his name as I watched his retreating figure.

“B-Blund...?”

Blund Rosfell, who didn’t show up at the Parade leading to the climax of the Betrothal, was now in this village, not far from the Grand Duchy as an insane wretch stealing bread.

“C-Come again...? Did you just say, Blund....?”

“W-what? T-that’s....That’s Blund...?”

We could only stare blankly at the sight of Blund, running away while crackling madly as if he owned the world after stealing a single loaf of bread.

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This encounter was simply too shocking.

Moments later.

Thump! Thud!

“T-This goddamed bastard! When will you learn-!! This Wretch only steals from my bakery-!”

In the end, Blund was caught by the bakery owner.

Even as he was mercilessly beaten up with a club, and despite curling on the ground like a shrimp, he greedily devoured the bread he clung to.

Watching this was unbelievable – a pathetic downfall of a young lord from the House of Rosfell.

“Kekekekekeke! T-Tasty!! B-Bread is p-precious! YumYumYum!”

Of course,

To those who didn’t know his identity, he was just an insane bread thief.

“You bastard! You’re still stuffing yourself with my bread even now? T-This guy! He’s insane!”

Thump! Thud!