Road To Ruins (1)

As I watched my mother, with only one arm left, gradually being covered by dirt, I made a vow.

I would protect my little sister, no matter what.

"I'll protect you, No matter what."

Even as our mother decayed in the ground, time moved on.

My sister and I needed money.

"We have no money. I'll do anything! Please, if I can just feed my sister something... I beg you, please."

I threw away my pride.

I emphasized how pitiful we were, orphaned sisters with no parents.

Maybe it worked because it was a small village. I was able to take on various jobs that earned money.

I could feed my sister warm soup.

"I'm sorry... I have to go to work now. Let's play together next time! I promise!"

I abandoned my friends.

I worried about my sister being alone while I worked.

Would she cry by herself? Would she sink into despair with strange thoughts? Would someone hurt her, saying we were just girls without parents?

So, I distanced myself from my friends.

The ones I used to walk with and enjoy time with drifted away.

"How much is this... altogether...? I'm planning to sell the house and move to a smaller place."

I sold my mother's belongings.

I sold the house where we lived with her.

I sold my memories, my past with my mother.

I couldn't go, but I wanted my sister to go to the academy.

Even though my sister resented me, she didn't hate me for it.

She said she'd follow my wishes and go to the academy.

She nodded, saying that if she succeeded there, our mother in heaven would be proud of us.

"And my money... what about the money for my sister to go to the academy?! At least give me half, no, just half back!!"

I was scammed.

I didn't have enough money, so the villagers and I invested in someone who promised to expand the village's water system.

We didn't get a single coin back.

They said they couldn't get approval from the Empire.

But they claimed they had already spent a lot on materials, and despite our payments, they said they couldn't return the money.

The villagers were silent.

They had no choice but to remain silent.

They swallowed their resentment because they were up against the Empire.

This village, and its people, had no power, no abilities, no means to fight back. They were utterly crushed.

"I'll handle it, so don't worry and just focus on your work. Oh, and... thanks for the gifts you gave me before."

I grew thorns to protect myself from getting hurt again.

I sharpened my wits to survive.

I used what I had—my looks, my body, and my pitiful circumstances.

I took advantage of people's sympathy, interest, affection, and love.

It didn't matter if they cursed me or hit me.

I could do anything to protect my sister.

Even so, I couldn't bring myself to sell my body.

"Look, Rubia! It's already autumn!"

Even though my sister couldn't go to the academy, she still believed in me.

She matured. She stopped complaining about how hard things were.

She didn't talk about our mother anymore. She wanted to forget the past.

"What should we buy for this winter? I want to wear matching clothes with you! How about you?"

She focused on things that made her happy right now.

She painted pictures of a happy future.

I, too, buried the past and began painting a future to match her.

I was happy.

I had to be happy.

How else could I have survived?

How else could I have kept going, sacrificing everything to protect what I had left?

That's right.

I had to be happy.

If my sister was happy, then I should be happy too.

I'm happy.

Really.

* * * *

"Haa…"

The stiflingly hot air inside the makeshift tent greeted me as I woke up.

I'd had a particularly shitty dream, but somehow, despite the heat, I felt well-rested.

I got up and looked around the tent.

Noah was nowhere to be seen.

I fixed my rumpled clothes and stepped outside.

"Hmm… Did she shut the door to try and kill me?"

She probably closed it to keep the bugs out.

The cool breeze felt refreshing against my sweat-drenched body.

As I stretched, I noticed the camp looked quite different from last night.

"She cleaned up after herself."

The traces of last night's barbecue had been cleaned up, and in their place were sliced bread and what looked like salad greens.

Crooked.

"What is this... Pfft…"

The bread was cut unevenly, and the vegetables were roughly chopped. There was also a cold cup of coffee next to it.

If she were here, I would've teased her again. A bit of regret washed over me as I looked around.

In the corner, I noticed some crushed grass and a trail of footprints leading away from it.

Did she go back to stomp on the grass again?

I recalled the image of Noah cheerfully stomping on the grass.

After a brief moment of contemplation, I closed my eyes and stepped on the grass myself.

Rustle, rustle.

"Hmm…"

I shook my head and sat down to eat the bread and salad.

"Wow… this is awful."

The salad, with barely any dressing, was the worst.

And this isn't even salad dressing. What sauce is this…?

I washed it down with some coffee.

"Well, it's slightly better than last time, at least."

Still, it tasted terrible.

As I chewed through the dry bread and horrible salad, I thought about how to break the ice between us.

We were going to be together for a week. Even though it was short, staying in such an awkward atmosphere would be uncomfortable for both of us.

I hadn't planned on letting her go so easily, even after we reached Cartia Village.

I thought back to the playful teasing I used to do with my sister, trying to lighten the mood.

But Noah just kept bowing her head instead of getting angry.

Her meek and adorable reactions made me wonder if I'd gone a bit too far...

Still, I was curious about who she really was.

From my investigation, Noah was a talented adventurer who had risen to Silver rank in record time.

That's what the rumors said.

What? Her hair's always stained red with monster blood, and her red eyes during battle are so terrifying they appear in your nightmares?

"Clearly, rumors are just rumors…"

The Noah I met… was a helpless village idiot who couldn't do anything on her own.

Constantly belittled, she had no self-confidence or self-esteem and could barely talk to people.

When I asked her to lead me to a quiet place, she took me to a blacksmith. Well, it was quiet.

She didn't even read the list properly and packed an absurd amount of supplies.

She couldn't ride a horse, start a fire, or even cook.

At this point, she was worse than the average person—likely to starve to death anywhere.

And yet, they called her the Red Beast that slays monsters?

The image of Noah cheerfully stomping on the grass popped back into my mind.

"Pfft... It's so ridiculous."

No matter how you look at her, she's just an ordinary, innocent girl.

Sure, I can understand her behavior given that she's blind.

But she wasn't an ordinary blind person.

She had achieved Silver rank faster than most adventurers, a rank that even those without talent struggle to attain despite their efforts.

That's why I couldn't understand it.

The adventurer world was harsh, according to my research.

How did someone like Noah survive in that world, alone, without a group, and rise to Silver rank?

And on top of that, how did she manage despite the condition that caused her… odd behavior when she didn't have her greatsword?

I was curious and wanted to know more.

I had to be prepared for any situation.

In case she became an enemy.

And maybe, though unlikely, just in case—

If, by chance, she became a true ally.

I needed to know everything—her strengths, her weaknesses, whatever they might be.

I forced down the dry bread and awful salad, then stood up to follow Noah's trail of footprints.

* * * *

Clang—

With a sharp sound, my greatsword deflected the Black Bear's claw in a parry.

At the same time, the greatsword ricocheted to the right. I used the rebound to spin my body.

From left to right.

The greatsword cut into the Black Bear's flesh, but stopped as it hit the ribs. I kicked the blade upwards with all my strength.

With my strength stat maxed, the kick sent the greatsword cleaving through the Black Bear's right arm.

Grrrr...

I heard its pained growls.

Without stopping, I charged forward.

I drove the greatsword into the already severed right shoulder. Without its tough hide, the greatsword easily pierced deeper.

I twisted my body, pulling the blade upwards as I spun.

The greatsword shattered the Black Bear's shoulder bone as it came free, spraying blood everywhere.

Now, the bear made no sound except for its shallow breathing.

I swung the greatsword with all my might, slamming it into the bear's skull.

The sensation of a watermelon splitting, and the disgusting splash of liquid hitting my entire body.

The bear's faint breathing stopped completely.

I pulled my sword free.

With a kick, I shoved the bear's corpse away.

"Whew! That was refreshing."

I looked around.

Trees were felled here and there. The ground was slick with mud and blood.

Quite a chaotic scene for just one bear.

I had been a bit aggressive on purpose.

Maybe it was because I'd slept in a new place.

Or perhaps it was the talk of the Eastern Ruins that brought back old memories.

Whatever the reason, today I felt especially strong.

As I turned to head back to the tent—

"Noah?"

Aileen's voice came from ahead.

"Ah... g-good morning...!"

I awkwardly waved my hand as I walked toward her.

But Aileen kept glancing between me and the bear I'd just killed.

Uh... why is she looking at me like that?

Did she not like that I took down the bear by myself?

Maybe, even though this is a job, we're still part of a team, and I should've fought it with her...

I quickened my pace, intending to apologize to her.

But the closer I got, the more Aileen seemed to back away.

Wait... is she really that upset?

Okay, fine, let's go hunt another one together...

"I-I'm sorry..."

"Wait, no. Stop right there."

Aileen raised her hands, motioning for me to keep my distance.

Was killing one bear that big of a mistake?

I hung my head in defeat.

"No, that's not it... I just don't think you realize what you look like right now…"

"Huh?"

I tilted my head in confusion and looked down at myself.

Aside from a little bit of blood on my clothes...

Wait, what's this?

I pulled out something dangling from my pocket.

Oh, it's the Black Bear's eyeball. It must've gotten stuck there when I was fighting.

Holding the bear's eye by the optic nerve, I looked at Aileen.

Is this what's bothering her?

"Yeah... um... let's go to the river for a bit. And don't come too close..."

Aileen quickly turned and hurried toward the tent.

Maybe she's not used to this kind of stuff since she's more of a rear guard. Maybe she's a little squeamish.

Well, I guess that makes sense. I mean, she's probably younger than me.

Heh, yeah. I guess I'm more experienced.

Smiling to myself, feeling victorious, I followed Aileen back to the tent.

"The Red Beast that slays monsters…"

I heard her mutter something under her breath, but it didn't sound like she was talking to me, so I ignored it and kept walking.

Still, I wondered if she had eaten the breakfast I prepared. Eating a good breakfast is the most important part of the day, after all.