VII

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Arc VII Chapter 9

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1st Aqua Solar XI AAC 753

At times, sleep was a companion that did not come easy. Those fortunate were graced with the sleep of the just, without worries, without burdens. Others were less fortunate. Their thoughts stirred their hearts and minds.

The light of candles flickered in the dimly lit room. It was night outside. The wax of candles shone bright, slowly burning away as the hours passed. The inn provided her with room and lodging ever since she had arrived in Freyburg.

Angelika lay in bed, and yet her mind remained restless, distracted, her thoughts elsewhere rather than where they were supposed to be. They meandered. A gentle smile crossed her lips.

Erich, Ludolf, Edelgart ... Two boys, one girl ... Her pupils ... All three were good children, each of them cherished, each of them precious by their own right. She did not know how or why, but her heart knew it. Hardly two days had passed, and yet they had already grown on her in their own ways. Was it wrong of her to cherish them so soon? Perhaps. Was it foolish of her to trust them? Possibly. Were they right to call her overly sentimental? Probably. Did she regret her choice? Not really.

Erich. He was a bright child. Thoughtful and patient. His strength lay in his calm, but also with a keen sense of inert pride and ambition. He was the scion of the former noble house von Schwert. Through their own strength and merits, his ancestors had risen from mere adventurers to the ranks of nobility, close confidant to the late duke. These days, however, his family had fallen onto hard times. They had been stripped of their titles, their land, and their honour. Some said they had committed treason against their liege. Others said they had fallen victim to the ruinous machinations of those who begrudged them their rise. Behind closed doors, their enemies had conspired against these parvenus of common blood. In their eyes, he and his ilk were nothing but filthy vermin who had risen far above and beyond their natural station, mere peasants who had to be reminded of their proper place. Like his ancestors before him, Erich was intent to prove them wrong, all of them. Such was obvious.

Ludolf. He was many things, stubborn, headstrong, bold, albeit rash when it came to action. He still lacked good judgement, which usually came with time and experience. Nevertheless, the boy was skilled in the ways of the sword, even talented, but what distinguished him first and foremost was his loyalty. Ludolf was Erich's steadfast friend. He followed him everywhere. They were close, brothers all but in name, which was hardly surprising. His family had served the Schwert for generations, ever since their humble beginnings, and even now after their fall from grace.

Edelgart, meanwhile, ... was an odd girl, the lone girl in their little group. Cute and adorable. Quick witted and free spirited. Slightly devious with a vindictive streak, a hint of unmistakeable arrogance and pride, and an unhealthy obsession with her doll. Not to mention an uncanny talent for depleting her financial resources with her steady hot chocolate consumption. All of them made her the silly girl they all knew and loved.

And yet, there was something undeniably peculiar about Edelgart. Something puzzling, something uncanny that Angelika could not place despite her best efforts. The girl was a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. In fact, since the very beginning.

Erika and Sir Hartmann had briefed her extensively about her prospective charges. They had informed her about their personalities, their skill sets, their capabilities, their possible potential. The former in her role as their teacher. The latter in his role as their combat instructor. They made it quite clear that neither her being chosen as their tutor, nor the choice of her pupils was a coincidence. Far from it.

Upon joining the guild, Edelgart claimed that she was fourteen, which was possible. Considering her physique, though, the girl would be neither the first nor the last adventurer in history to lie about her age. Edelgart also claimed that she was an orphan and that she was born in Freyburg. The latter proved to be a patent lie.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

Following her admission, the guild had looked into her background. It was supposed to be a cursory check. Nothing more. According to Hartmann, even the most wretched orphan in existence would leave some traces along the way. He was right.

And yet, nothing. Absolutely nothing. Despite their efforts, the guild found nothing whatsoever. Her name was completely unknown, if Edelgart was even her real name. It was as if the girl never existed.

Nobody knew her. Not at the orphanages. Not at the almshouses. Not at the foundling homes. Not at the church. Nor anywhere else. Nobody seemed to remember her, which only served to confirm the guild's suspicion. The girl was lying. Someone with her kind of personality would have inevitably attracted attention. Especially, with her doll infatuation. They would not have forgotten her.

As it turned out, the guild was right. An adventurer named Lambert and his party had picked her up during a mission and brought her into the city. They found her sleeping on the road in the Schwarzwalt forest. It was the right call on Lambert's part to take her in, but it left everyone with more questions than answers.

Who was she? A street urchin? A beggar girl? A foundling? Some runaway peasant girl?

Where were her parents? Dead? Alive? Had they abandoned her? Had they sold her?

Where was she from? From the countryside? A nearby village? A nearby town? Why was she alone in the forest, sleeping on the road? How did she get there? What was she doing there? The truth was, nobody knew.

The girl was a complete mystery, without a name, without a past. And yet, she was here. And the girl knew how to fight behind that innocent mask of hers.

Hartmann had seen many faces throughout the years. He had seen classes of future adventurers come and go. The young, the ambitious, the talented, he knew them all, but Edelgart was far beyond anything that he had ever seen before, both now and during his adventurer days. The girl was nothing short of extraordinary in the truest sense of the word. A sentiment that was shared by Erika as far as academic matters were concerned. No matter how much she pretended otherwise, Edelgart was far too knowledgeable and far too adept for her age, both in terms of letters and numbers. None of it made any sense.

Hartmann had seen Edelgart train and spar during classes, against him and others. He was utterly convinced that she had to be holding back deliberately, hiding behind her cute face and faked clumsiness.

Her reflexes and instincts were exceedingly sharp for someone her age and without experience. Her ability to both anticipate and adapt were uncanny, no matter the weapon of choice. Sword, dagger, polearm, spear, they all came natural to her. As if she had wielded them before.

Her style was cold, raw, pragmatic, vicious, precise. It lacked any sense of compassion. The girl fought in a way that she neither would nor should know. Not like an adventurer, but rather like the likes of mercenaries and soldiers. Brutal and efficient.

Not to mention her flagrant use of aura. The strength, the speed, and the stamina that her frail body was to display at times defied expectations. Her use was subtle and inconspicuous, but the girl was relying on her mana to strengthen her body. It was an ability far from uncommon among experienced adventurers, but not at her age and not with her degree of mastery. No matter how innately gifted Edelgart might be, all of this went far beyond mere talent alone. Hartmann insisted that someone had trained the girl.

Angelika was forced to agree. She had found it hard to believe at first, but Hartmann was right. Her sparring match with Edelgart more than confirmed his impressions. Whoever Edelgart was, the girl had without a doubt received training. Judging by her level of proficiency, plenty of it. Her capabilities were the product of years upon years of harsh training. They were lessons that had been drilled into her from a young age.

Edelgart ... A girl without a past ... A girl without a name ... Who was she really? The child of a powerful adventurer determined to forge her own way? The talented daughter of a rich merchant, intent to prove her worth? The bastard of a noble seeking adventure? A pampered noble lady desiring to see the world?

Angelika chuckled at the thoughts, the cold night dark outside. In the end, it did not matter. Whatever Edelgart's reasons might be, the girl had been entrusted to her, and she would take care of her to the best of her abilities regardless of who she was.

Maybe Edelgart was like her? Maybe not.

Maybe she just wanted to live her own life? A life not determined by others. Maybe not.

Maybe she wanted to be free? Free of the duties and expectations placed upon her. Maybe not.

Maybe she wanted to escape the fate awaiting her? A marriage without joy or love. Maybe not.

Maybe the decision had been forced upon her? By the death of all those she ever loved and trusted. Her sister. Her brother. Her parents. Maybe not.

Maybe she was also running away? Fleeing from the ghosts of her past. Maybe not.

"... ... ..." Angelika took a deep breath, both her mind and thoughts in commotion. Remorse. Her breathing accelerated rapidly. Her heart fluttered and her hands trembled. Pain. Suffering. Fear. Grief. Sorrow. Guilt. Anxiety. Shame. Regret. They weighed on her.

Did she take the wrong decision? Was it wrong of her to run? Did she betray their memory? Should she have sought vengeance instead? Should she have stayed and fought when she lacked the strength to do so? In the end, was she not just a coward, a craven, after all? Should she have shared their fate and died that night? Would her nightmare finally end then?

"... ... ..." Angelika gazed at the vast night sky and the stars above. Empty. Devoid. Distant. Forsaken. Without hope. Without salvation. Her eyes moistened. Even her smile faltered at last. She did not know. Nor the gods. Nor the spirits. Nor anyone else.

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