The Banished Black Swordsman Wants a Peaceful Life with the White Saint in the Frontier ~Huh? You Want Him to Come Back with the Saint? It’s Already Too Late~ - 41

Chapter 41: Extra: The Two’s Departure and Goal

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The farm cart used for fieldwork moved along the gentle farming road, echoing with the creaking of wood that groaned and squeaked. The rapeseed flowers, still holding the remnants of morning dew, swayed in the breeze from the wheels and made their yellow petals sparkle. In the distance, the chirping of small birds lightly skipped across the still-sleepy air. Along the ridge path, a farmer bent at the waist swung his hoe, and the scent of earth mixed with the smell of fresh grass, slowly filling the air.

Elena sat down at the very back of the cart’s loading platform and deliberately cast her loosening consciousness toward the scenery, letting it dissolve with the swaying. One night had passed since the incident of their withdrawal from the party. Elena and the others had bought only the bare minimum of belongings and left the town immediately.

After such a commotion, the fatigue—including the mental strain—was tremendous. She felt as if she were dragging along a body that had lost all strength, like a puppet with its strings cut. The coolness of the morning slipped into the inside of the cloak draped over her shoulders. It brushed over the spot on her chest that had still been warm just moments ago.

What should we do from here…?

Ahead of her gaze, the ox’s tail slowly swished. The farmer on the driver’s bench lightly tugged the reins with practiced ease. Thin white clouds were torn faintly along the path of the ruts. Their thinness overlapped with the thinness of the plan ahead, and Elena quietly bit down on a breath at the back of her mouth.

They had to decide. But they lacked everything needed to make a decision. They had no purpose, no destination, no money, no connections. It was just two powerless girls, thrown out into the great ocean. Whether it was better to wander like this or to take action before Julius did something, she couldn’t find her answer yet.

A knot in the wooden planks of the loading platform pushed against the back of her knees with every jolt. Beside her, Fran kicked her legs back and forth, fingers laced atop her head, looking up leisurely at the sky as if measuring its blueness.

She’s so unnecessarily cheerful about this…

Elena almost thought that, but cleared the thought away with a small cough. No, it wasn’t unnecessary. Because Fran acted cheerful, Elena had not sunk completely into darkness.

“Hey, Elena.”

Fran’s voice sounded casual, as if she were simply making small talk. But the side of her face, fixed on the distance without looking at Elena, was not smiling, and the contrast with her tone made Elena’s chest stir uneasily.

“Hmm? What is it?”

Elena didn’t turn toward her, answering while also casting her gaze far ahead. Fran spoke.

“How about going back to the royal capital and properly reporting everything to His Majesty? About what Julius did, about his attitude, and also… The fact that Lloyd is alive. Then His Majesty would understand that he’s the one who lied, right?”

A breeze swept over the field of rapeseed, making the surface bristle. The yellow wavered and shattered the sunlight. Elena followed the fragments of light with her eyes and let out a thin breath. It was the correct argument. In terms of procedure and principle, returning to the capital and filing an official accusation was the “right” thing to do as subjects of the kingdom.

If it came out that Hero Julius had lied, His Majesty might revoke Julius’s “Hero Certification.” If that happened, the hero party would lose its very reason to exist, and Elena’s and Fran’s rebellion would be nullified. She knew this logically. And yet, deep inside her chest, the intuition carved by her past experiences warned her that it was dangerous.

“I know. It does seem like the proper procedure, but I think we should avoid that.”

“Why?”

“Because even if we go back, there’s no guarantee that His Majesty will believe what we say.”

When she said it aloud, her voice was surprisingly calm. It held no strength or attachment, like sand slipping through her fingertips. Fran blinked her large eyes rapidly.

“Huh? Why? We’re the victims.”

“I know that, but Julius has probably already sent a fast horse with a report that favors him. And despite how he acts, he’s still the son of the Maftnes family. Considering the relationship between His Majesty and the Maftnes family… between us and Julius, who do you think His Majesty would believe?”

“That’s…”

Just as Fran faltered, the farm cart stepped on a small stone, making the loading platform float for a moment. As Elena continued speaking, a gritty sensation spread in her throat.

“…In the worst case, we might be detained the moment we enter the capital.”

“No waaay…”

Fran’s voice spilled out softly, sounding almost like a laugh, yet carrying a dampness that seemed ready to burst into tears. Elena glanced at her side profile. Fran had risked herself to come save her, and then chose to follow her. Elena could not let Fran face danger. She squeezed her fingers together tightly on the edge of the loading platform.

“Then what should we do? Just wander around like this?”

Fran wrapped her arms around her knees and rested her chin lightly on top of them. The motion made her short, slightly wavy green hair fall over her shoulder.

“I’ve been thinking about it for a while… How about we look for Lloyd?”

Elena hesitated a little, then voiced her thoughts.

“Lloyd? Why?”

“I think Lloyd is probably in a position closer to His Majesty than we are. I mean, he was trusted enough to be assigned as the caretaker for the hero party. If he goes to report to His Majesty with us, we can prove Julius lied and maybe His Majesty will believe that we didn’t just run off on our own.”

It made sense. But the world was not simple enough for that alone to work. Elena let out a small sigh and continued.

“But… Only we will benefit from that. From Lloyd’s perspective, we were the ones who sided with Julius and helped kick him out. Whether he forgives us… That’s the real issue.”

The words stabbed her own chest. Of course they hurt. On that night, she hadn’t protested at all. Her own weakness jabbed her heart over and over.

“Then first, we find Lloyd and start by apologizing properly to him.”

“That’s right. That’s probably the proper course for us. Including thanking him for everything he did.”

“It’s fine! Lloyd will definitely forgive us!”

Fran leaned forward a bit and smiled at her. It was bright, but rather than childish, it held the softness of someone who understood others’ pain.

“If not…”

“If not?”

“Then we’ll seduce him together!”

“…What?”

Elena’s eyebrow shot up at Fran’s ridiculous declaration.

“We’ll tempt Lloyd using Elena’s well-raised breast meat. That’s the only way!”

Fran said this casually, miming the shape of a platter held before her chest.

“Who are you calling well-raised breast meat!? And don’t call it breast meat!”

“With boobs that big, I’m sure you can totally win him over.”

“Win him over… Seriously, Fran, you do it yourself!”

“Eeeh? But mine are tiny.”

Fran pouted and looked down at her small twin mounds. Honestly, how did the conversation end up here? Inside, Elena sighed, and the sigh turned into a soft laugh.

The wood of the cart resonated with their laughter, giving a small rhythmic tap-tap. Fran was deliberately steering the mood in a cheerful direction so they wouldn’t sink into gloom. Knowing that, Elena accepted the joke and tossed one back. A sun-browned voice called back to them from the driver’s bench.

“Young ladies, we’re almost at the next village.”

The taut reins flashed as they caught the sunlight. Ahead on the road, thatched roofs began appearing one by one. Beyond the green fields, children ran behind stone fences, and a dog dashed after them. A bell rang once in the distance. Elena quietly steadied her breath. Narrowing her eyes, she traced the outline of the village as if caressing it, and settled one word in the depths of her heart.

We don’t know where Lloyd is, but all we can do is follow the places he’s likely to go.

Once she thought that, the scenery instantly turned into a map. The rapeseed became markers along the road, the fields outlined directions. The well’s location, the tavern, the guild shed. The faces of the people they should ask. The words they should use. There were things to do. They hadn’t lost everything.

The farm cart creaked as it headed toward the village. The rhythm of the swaying carved itself slowly and steadily into their backs at the same pace. Elena gently leaned her elbow against Fran’s. Fran pretended not to notice and pushed back ever so slightly.

Their journey was beginning again. This time, it was a journey they would walk while carrying the things they needed to protect. The birdsong rose sharply, and the sun climbed just a little higher. The two girls’ new path blended seamlessly into the quiet morning of the village.

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