Life as an Adventurer with the Banished Marquis' Daughter - Chapter 36

Chapter 36: The Exiled Marquis’ Daughter is Faithful, Part 3

“Still, I can’t understand why you were completely unknown at the academy.”

Erika said this about an hour after we left the town to hunt some monsters along the highway, as there were no suitable requests at the Adventurers’ Guild.

The weak monsters, which are not seen in the Faltar Kingdom, felt surprisingly fresh, making the task more of an amusement than a serious monster hunt. 

Of course, even such monsters are a significant threat to ordinary people, so we didn’t take it lightly.

“Because I’m the second son of a poor viscount.”

I said, nibbling on some dried meat while sitting in the shade of a tree during our lunch break. 

The truth was that I attended the academy just to see her face, without any serious intent to study, but I felt she’d get angry if I admitted that, so I made up a convenient excuse.

“Is that really the case?”

Erika, the daughter of a grand marquis, tilted her head. Clearly, my excuse was too convenient and aroused suspicion.

“And I’m not good at magic. Being noticed for my sword skills alone didn’t seem worth it.”

“So, you were just slacking off?”

She looked dissatisfied, which made me think that being upset over something in the past was rather unreasonable. But I kept quiet, knowing she’d get angry if I voiced that thought.

“And I was too busy with adventuring work to focus on my studies.”

“Even so, it’s troubling that the man who is to be my husband was looked down upon by others.”

At that time, you didn’t even remember my name, I thought, reminiscing about the past, even though it was quite recent.

“Well, it’s all in the past now.”

I murmured an answer that wasn’t really an answer, and Erika softened her expression, agreeing with me. 

The fact that talking about our academy days could make Erika smile made me happy.

After all, not long ago, I had seen her muttering curses inside the carriage. 

With those words, we took a silent break for a while. 

The new equipment was worth its price, and Erika was still being her usual self. 

It was a good day.

“That’s right, from now on, I just need to let the world know that my husband is no ordinary man.”

…It really is a good day.

＊

Erika Solnzari expecting her husband to be exceptional might be natural, considering she’s a bundle of talent herself. 

But that husband is me.

I’m just the second son of a poor viscount. It’s not something to brag about. 

Thanks to my excellent mentor, I might be slightly better than the other students who attended the academy, but compared to the top students, I definitely fell short.

Most importantly, Elsa, my senior under the same mentor, was more talented than me. 

In other words, my abilities weren’t anything special.

But if that’s what she wants, I’ll do my best to meet her expectations, even if this charade ends in a year.

“So, let’s aim for something big.”

I let go of the question about what exactly she meant by that.

“First, we’ll raise your rank to something more fitting for you.”

This conversation took place early in the morning at a dining hall where she had dragged me, dressed in adventurer gear. 

At first, I thought I might be overthinking it, but it seemed Erika might be overestimating my abilities.

I’m just an ordinary person who, despite my character, was fortunate enough to have a good mentor from a young age.

“Let’s start by aiming for rank 7, as that guild staff mentioned.”

Rank 7 isn’t something you can aim for “just for now.” 

To explain adventurer ranks clearly:

Ranks 1 to 4 are within human limits, ranks 5 to 6 start to exceed human capabilities, and from rank 7 onwards, one is completely beyond human limits.

By the way, rank 10 is an honorary rank, given either to the head of the Adventurers’ Guild or to high-ranking adventurers who die heroically. It’s not a rank current adventurers aspire to. 

Graduates of the academy are usually at about rank 4 or 5, which speaks to the academy’s excellent training.

After all, commoner adventurers usually take years, risking their lives, to finally reach rank 3. 

Additionally, there is a significant barrier from rank 6 onwards, making people at this level rare, regardless of whether they are nobles or commoners.

In reality, achieving a higher rank also depends on the success rate of completing quests, making it more challenging than it seems. 

In other words, aiming for such heights isn’t something you can do “just for now.”

“I prefer to avoid drawing too much attention.”

For me, it’s more crucial to avoid attention than to worry about whether I can reach rank 7.

I hold back from saying I’ll aim for anything she wants and think about it.

I can handle the attention myself, but if Erika draws too much attention, we don’t know how the church will react, and she’s already being targeted by assassins. 

Though there has only been one attack so far, I’m not optimistic enough to think that was the end of it.

To be honest, I’d prefer to hide away until we know who the organization or the client is. 

Once we know either, it will be straightforward: I’ll either destroy the organization or take the client’s head, no matter the obstacles.

If I can’t do it alone, I’ll enlist the help of the Chancellor. 

There’s no reason to forgive those who robbed her of her bright future.

Moreover, they are the kind of people who would go as far as to threaten her life. 

They deserve no mercy.

“Do you dislike it that much, to the point of making such a scary face?”

Erika’s voice snapped me back to reality. 

I realized my face was tense. 

In fact, my back teeth were hurting a bit.

“No, it’s not that. I was just thinking about something else.”

I rubbed my jaw as I spoke, and Erika sighed.

“I have a rough idea of what you were thinking.”

Erika seemed exasperated. 

Did she find me creepy?

Was she thinking I was too desperate for someone I agreed to stay with for only a year as part of this charade?

If that’s the case, I’d want to die. 

Is there any way to lighten this up and casually say, “I’ll just take the heads of those who threaten you”? 

Probably not, definitely not.

“Well, I understand why you feel that way, but haste makes waste.”

“I just…”

“I’m not saying you’re not serious about this farce. I understand that you are.”

In a small voice, Erika murmured, “And you call me your wife.”

Please, stop blushing suddenly!

I suppressed the urge to shout.

“But, it is frustrating, isn’t it? Taking a detour just because there are obstacles in our way is extremely frustrating.”

She looked at me seriously from across the table.

“The path we walk is neither one of conquest nor royalty, but the normal path. Why should we hesitate to walk it? If someone blocks our way, we simply need to push them aside.”

Is your “normal path” really that violent?

The thought made me feel oddly cheerful.

We will walk this “normal path” together, sweeping away all obstacles, on a road paved with golden magic. 

I no longer have a normal path as a noble.

So, I’ll accompany her on her normal path as much as I can. 

Oh, what a wonderful story this is.

The ordinary coward who used to steal glances at her from the corner of the classroom can now walk this path with her.

Right by her side. 

Before I knew it, I was smiling.

“Got it, Erika. Let’s walk that path.”

I don’t know how far I can go with you, but I’ll walk with you until the day you no longer need me. 

Whether she understood my feelings or something else entirely, Erika responded to my smile with a very challenging grin.

＊

And if it ended there, it would have been the perfect start to the day.

We might have even considered challenging the depths of the magical wilderness together.

Of course, Erika is not reckless, so we wouldn’t actually do that.

But the one thing that shattered my exhilarated mood in an instant was a voice we had heard for the past two days by coincidence.

“Finally, I found you, Mr. and Mrs. Longdagger!”

The person who noisily burst through the dining hall doors and shouted was Shara, the nun from the church.