Page 101

(Derisha)

There is a small village located at the foot of a mountain within the territory of the Kingdom of Teigitan.

The residents of this village have strong emotional bonds, and the local culture is fierce and robust.

There is a reason for this. The village is located in an area where the concentration of magical energy in the atmosphere is high, resulting in occasional invasions by magical creatures or monsters.

Although these are not powerful beasts, driving away monsters has become the norm in this village.

Whenever the village is under attack, individuals with the abilities of Fighters or mages, as well as even the ordinary villagers with basic combat skills, will step up to fight and protect their home.

This is the village of Josephgaton, the name of this vibrant little village.

"Derisha! There are so many goblins here! I need backup!" A young man, wielding a sword in his left hand, spoke with a strong rural accent. With his right hand, he swung an axe and beheaded a green-skinned imp right in front of him.

With their large ears, long, hooked noses, rough skin resembling small cucumbers, half a meter in height, and long fangs, these creatures were goblins.

The young man was engaged in a fight with four goblins who had come to steal pumpkins.

"Here I come!"

In an instant, the goblin lunging towards the young man had its head impaled by a sharpened wooden stick, while another was sent flying high with a powerful kick, followed by being skewered.

A few seconds later, the skewered goblin barbecue was displayed at the entrance of the village, causing the goblins that had been observing from a distance to scatter in fear.

Standing beside the skewered sculpture was a girl with long silver hair, about one meter two in height, who appeared to be around nine years old.

She proudly puffed up her flat chest and watched as the goblins fled.

"Ah, every time I watch, I can't help but think how amazing Derisha is. Even though I'm seven years older than you... is this the difference between a genius Fighter and a villager?"

"Hmph, just leave the protecting to me. I will definitely become the hero who protects everyone!"

"Well, that's not the most important thing. How is Anna's condition?"

"... Well, Mom's condition is stable. I just gathered some herbs to bring back." The white-haired girl's expression became somewhat helpless and worried.

There was no father in her family. Since she could remember, it had always been just her and her mother.

The villagers said her father was a traveler.

Nine years ago, on a certain day, he arrived in the village with injuries all over his body. The people of the village took him in, and he fell in love with her mother here. He stayed for a few years with her mother.. Then, he said he had something to take care of in a distant place and left, promising that he would come back to take her mother away. Since that day, her mother has fallen ill.

After giving birth to her, her mother's health became weaker day by day. She vaguely remembered her mother being able to walk when she was five years old, but now... her mother could only lie in bed.

She relied on the support of the villagers and, now that she had been discovered to possess the exceptional abilities of a Fighter, she had some strength to support her mother. She began hunting and gathering herbs to take care of her mother.

She believed that one day, her father would return here, back to her mother's side, back to her side.

At that time... at that time... what would her father say when he saw her?

Would he smile at her? Would he hug her? Would he say "good girl" and pat her head?

With these thoughts in mind, she continued to live, working hard and looking forward to her father's return.

...

However, however.

In the end, her mother couldn't wait for her father to come back.

It was a rainy night.

High fever drained the last trace of life from her mother.

Why?

Why, in the end, did her father not come back to accompany her mother... not even to see her?

Her mother had been yearning for her father all this time, constantly, patiently, day by day...

"...Derisha... please.... Don't hate your father..."

Clasping her own hands, her mother took her last breath on that stormy night and said such words.

Her mother didn't wait for her father, but she did.

In her tenth year, what would have been an ordinary day...

"Lady Derisha Teigitan, the second princess of the Kingdom of Teigitan, we have come on behalf of the nineteenth ruler of Teigitan to bring you back to the palace!"

A person who appeared out of nowhere, dressed in extravagant attire, arrived in the village accompanied by a large group of soldiers.

Initially, they had been inquiring about her mother's whereabouts, but upon discovering her existence, they made that declaration to her.

...And then, she was more or less forced onto a carriage and taken away from her birthplace.

She arrived in a bustling city she had never seen before, in a palace she had never imagined.

When the middle-aged man wearing a glistening golden crown saw only her, he wore a very regretful expression.

And from the beginning to the end, he avoided her gaze, unable to look her in the eye.

"I am Marissa Rachel Teigitan, the Queen of this country... This guy has ignored you for ten years, fearing that I would discover his secret, but now it doesn't matter anymore. I will treat you as my own daughter..."

A woman dressed in elegant and magnificent attire showed a kind smile as she spoke to her.

But she didn't listen because she was consumed by anger.

"You coward!!!!!!!" Unable to suppress her anger any longer, she rushed towards the middle-aged man.

Her last impression was of soldiers swarming towards her, and the man probably is her father telling the guard to leave her be.

...

...

...

"..." She opened her eyes, and the afternoon sunlight pierced through the gaps in the trees, shining on her face.

It had been a long time since she had this dream.

"Princess Derisha, please don't take a nap on the tree in the garden."

"Shut up, baldy."

"My name is Sean, Princess Derisha."