Life as an Adventurer with the Banished Marquis' Daughter - Chapter 15: The Banished Marquis' Daughter Becomes an Adventurer, Part 1

Chapter 15: The Banished Marquis’ Daughter Becomes an Adventurer, Part 1

It had been twelve days since then.

By now, I was no longer nervous about calling her Erika, and I had no hesitation in looking her straight in the face. We had been playing a board game called Shin-ro in the carriage, and our skills were becoming evenly matched.

We crossed the border.

Though calling it a border might be an overstatement, as there was no checkpoint.

Just a stone pillar standing on a noticeable hill.

It was something you could easily miss if you weren’t paying attention.

I wondered if such a simple marker was really sufficient, but our kingdom, the Kingdom of Faltar, and the Kingdom of Orcula, where we were headed, were allied nations.

The founding kings of both countries were siblings, and they maintained their blood ties through marriage alliances even now.

It was almost like they might as well merge into one country! Because of this close relationship, Orcula was the first choice for nobles banished from our kingdom.

However, only nobles who had committed minor offenses were usually sent there. 

Nobles who plotted to assassinate the Maiden of Light would never normally be accepted. But the Kingdom of Faltar had managed to work out a deal with Orcula through some impressive negotiation.

How they managed it remained a mystery to me. 

Finding a country willing to accept someone who had plotted to assassinate the Maiden of Light seemed nearly impossible.

It was almost certain that their relationship with the church would deteriorate, and the more I thought about it, the less reason there seemed to accept her. 

How much did our country offer to both the church and the Kingdom of Orcula this time? It was almost miraculous.

It wasn’t my concern, but it would likely cause various problems in the future. 

Well, not that it mattered to me.

“I’ve finally won more games than you.”

Erika, with a confident look, placed a piece onto the board.

The Shin-ro board was designed for playing in the carriage, with pegs to hold the pieces in place.

“It still looks like an even match to me at the fortieth move.”

“If that’s the case, Shin, my victory is assured.”

She responded to my move without hesitation. 

She certainly seemed confident.

“Still…”

I said while playing with a piece in my hand.

“There was only that one attack.”

“Yes,” Erika replied, still focused on the board.

Her serious gaze while playing the game, which we started as a pastime, was beautiful.

“Did they lose interest in me, or was there another reason? Perhaps they simply ran out of resources.”

Even while talking, she was seriously tracking the pieces on the board with her eyes. 

Golden magic power flowed along with them. 

Hmm, I see, that move does ensure my loss.

“I would be glad if that’s the case.”

I thought about the moves.

Where was the weak spot?

Ah, I remembered being beaten with this move several times in the adventurer’s guild tavern.

“With that kind of resolve, I doubt they’d be willing to take a shot at your life.”

Saying this, I moved a piece to her weak spot.

Erika looked surprised for a moment, then puffed her cheeks and glared at me.

“Was that conversation a strategy outside the board?”

What an adorable creature she is.

“Following the moves with your eyes is a bad habit.”

I shrugged innocently and prompted her to make the next move.

Erika glared at me for a few moments, as if wanting to complain, but ultimately said nothing and returned her gaze to the board.

“Speaking of which…”

She muttered to break the silence of her deep thinking. 

Her magic swirled rapidly as she pondered.

“Wasn’t the plan for me to become an adventurer in the border town?”

“That was the plan.”

Yes, Erika was supposed to become an adventurer.

This was part of the charade. 

Currently, the Solnzari family couldn’t openly support Erika, as she had been stripped of her noble status.

The Kingdom wouldn’t care if the Solnzari family supported their exiled daughter, but there were factions that would.

The church.

To the church, she was an unforgivable person who had attempted to assassinate the Maiden of Light.

I didn’t know exactly how things had come to this, but Erika managed to get away with exile by being stripped of her noble status through negotiations between the kingdom and the church.

The church would be highly displeased if this was merely a formality.

If things went wrong, it could turn everything upside down, something neither Erika’s father, the chancellor, nor the kingdom wanted. 

So, Erika needed to become self-sufficient in her place of exile.

At least on the surface.

“If there’s something else you want to do, that’s fine too.”

The plan was for her to become an adventurer simply because it was the easiest job to get into. 

Moreover, while being a member of the adventurer’s guild, she would essentially be a freelancer. Although she couldn’t avoid working completely, she could get away with a lot.

“I gave up the luxury of choosing my own path a long time ago.”

She placed a piece on the board. 

I see, she decided not to give up after all.

“If that’s the case, I’ve been living quite a luxurious life.”

I realized I needed to end this game soon.

“My father just told me to do whatever I wanted… or maybe he just didn’t expect much from me?”

I made my move, feeling a slight shock at suddenly doubting my parents’ affection.

“Shin, you’re an adventurer, right?” 

“Well, yes.”

I responded to Erika’s prolonged contemplation and her voice, which seemed more like confirmation than a question.

“Even so, it means I’ll be unemployed in the Kingdom of Orcula.”

“Is that so?”

“People often misunderstand because of the connections between adventurer guilds, but each country’s adventurer guild is an independent organization.”

If she places her piece there, my strategy will fall apart.

“Each guild has to handle their own country’s issues. There’s not much difference between Faltar and Orcula, but in another country, the only commonality might be the rank evaluation standards. So, if I want to be an adventurer in Orcula, I’ll have to start from scratch.”

I felt her gaze and looked up from the board. 

Erika was smiling at me. 

Please stop, it’s too much for me.

“Starting as an adventurer with you from scratch sounds kinda fun.”

She said this with a smile and placed a piece on my weak spot. 

My strategy was ruined, and I was definitely going to lose.

“By the way, isn’t it a bad move to stare at your own weak spot so intently?”

Her smile seemed to say she had outsmarted me.