The mad war was like a drunken blackout, coming to an abrupt halt.
The nations of the Central Lands, as if just waking from a dream, were suddenly awash with rumors.
Some said it was the achievement of the Hero Himmel, that he had frightened off the Ohaly army;
some said it was the doing of that figure from the Continental Magic Association; some said it was the might of the Northern Empire, that the King of War had already been defeated on the road to the North; some praised the Church of the New God, claiming that it was they who had subjugated and judged the Mad King.
In the very end, whether those who took part in the war, those persecuted by it, or the bystanders, all pushed every sin onto the ones who had instigated it—"Ohaly's King of War" Anhadī III and "the former hero" Wilhelm.
The Ohaly Kingdom admitted their wrongdoing and announced that Anhadī III and Wilhelm, the chief culprits, had both died in the war. The heavy reparations left the Ohaly Kingdom destitute, and not a few nobles were forced to live as frugally as commoners.
Perhaps, into the distant future, the places that had suffered the war and their descendants would keep passing down those two despicable names.
And the name of the Church of the New God was made famous as well; through the alms and aid given during the war, along with its participation in the subjugation of the Mad King, the new deity had gained many new believers.
The truth of that day was buried beneath the tide of rumors.
Nanoda, leading the refugees and army that had been in Aura's hands, found a nearby stronghold of the Church of the New God.
The moment Schwenk arrived, he put on a deeply emotional performance of condolences, in no way inferior to the way Aura had looked when begging for mercy.
And so Nanoda thoroughly cemented her role as the black-robed, white-haired acting bishop of the Church of the New God.
That night, Schwenk told Nanoda the intelligence he had gathered—an ambiguous piece of news: a band that had originally set out to subjugate the demons in the forest had discovered traces of a battle between the Demon Race and Mages, and that band had become the only one to enter the forest and come out alive.
After receiving the Church of the New God's help, Nanoda and her large group paused briefly before setting off on the journey back toward Gaderia.
About four months later,
"Oh~ So that's the place where Lady Aura once lived? It really is magnificent."
Hermet, the aide holding the map, had only taken a glance, yet at once he realized that the Gaderia Territory was not as large as the Kinton territory; however, its defenses were unlike Kinton's three flimsy lines—this single outer wall alone was worth the whole of Kinton's.
At this moment, several cannons and a few archers atop the city wall were all trained on them.
"You there—halt, all of you!"
The old spear-wielding guard atop the wall had a booming voice, and then a guard stationed at the gate came hurrying over.
"Um, sorry, but with this many people seeking to enter the city, we need to verify your identities first from a safe distance."
The young guard sized up the newcomers while gripping his spear tightly. That thoroughly thuggish Scar-Face man in the middle of the group kept catching his attention—and on top of that, this group had a batch of the Demon Race mixed in.
Gaderia had a Demon Special Zone, but apart from the handful of demons who had lived there from the very beginning, it had been a long time since any new demon had arrived in Gaderia.
Because she wasn't tall enough, Aura, who had been blocked from view by Hend, popped out from the back of the group. At this moment, Nanoda, who was still using Mana Perception to check the surroundings, also came to the front of the line.
"Verify identities? I, Aura, have such great prestige here—you see me and you still don't hurry to let me through?"
Aura put one hand on her hip and with the other pointed a finger at her own face, looking utterly full of confidence.
"Um, sorry, but who exactly are you?"
While remaining wary of her being a demon, the guard couldn't recall—was there even such a demon in the territory?
"Hah? Urk…"
With one hand Nanoda pulled down her hood, and with the other she pushed aside the soft little face blocking her, shifting the Aura who had bounced in front of her off to one side.
"It's me." Her voice carried a touch of cool aloofness.
"Is this… Lady Statue?! Is she the real person?"
The young guard looked as though he had met an idol, his expression somewhat excited.
"Well, did you come within the last ten years?"
"Ah, don't you remember? Eleven years ago, right when you first came to Gaderia, you saved a child who had fallen into the water, and then you asked my parents for a pheasant as a reward—I'm that child's older brother."
"Ah, that one. Don't worry—after passing through my hands, that pheasant turned out really delicious."
"Haha, you really do love to joke."
"These are the refugees and army my subordinates brought along. If there's no problem, could you let us into the city?"
"Of course, let me go report it."
The guard rushed back, then, as if remembering something, turned around again and bowed to Nanoda. "Back then—thank you so much for saving my brother!"
"Why? Why does he know you and not me?"
Aura, having failed to salvage any face, felt that over these past couple of days she had lost every last bit of her dignity.
"Lady Aura, don't be discouraged—at the very least we all deeply respect you and always remember your kindness. Although a few little mishaps have happened these past days, they've only damaged your dignity a tiny bit."
Hermet comforted her considerately from the side, which lifted Aura's mood a little. She thought to herself that even an ordinary Human could, at times, say things quite to her liking—in that respect far better than those dull low-ranking demons.
"To think that no sooner had I come back than I left again, and only now return to Gaderia after more than half a year—the transportation here really is inconvenient."
After all this time, Nanoda lamented the inconvenience of transportation and communication in this age.
In one careless instant,
the wind picked up,
the clouds that had blocked the sunlight were chased away, and the noonday rays suddenly poured down, adding a few measures of warmth.
The guard who had run back was now running over again, waving.
The ever-strengthening midday wind lifted Nanoda's robes, and as her white hair fluttered, it briefly veiled her vision somewhat.
A streak of intensely familiar color faintly came into view.
Faster than the suddenly rising midday wind, more dazzling than the noonday rays, it was a fresh green that had grown once again—vibrant and full of life.
It was also like rain falling suddenly from a clear sky, salty-sweet droplets carelessly splashing onto her cheek from across the way.
The same place, though a different time—arms spreading naturally, she once again threw herself into Nanoda's embrace.
A green braid flashing past, a cloud-like softness wrapped Nanoda's whole head; the palms clutching tightly at both her sides held on for dear life, a faint fragrance reached her breath, and at her ear was an intensely familiar voice.
"Welcome back, Lady Nanoda!" The words trembled, just as they had back then.
Enduring the nearly suffocating feeling, Nanoda held Yuna, who had descended from the sky by magic, and as always raised a hand to pat her head.
This was a reunion with her disciple, after a parting of more than ten years.
"What's this—my apprentice has come back safe and sound after all."
Searching for her a thousand, a hundred times in the crowd; then, turning suddenly, I find that person right there…
____
👻🔥Walnut-chan ;) — P@tr3on🔥👻
🔥 New history: DanMachi: But I am a Monster — live on The_Mikudayo
📚 Tired of waiting? Walnut-chan puts you 40 chapters ahead and keeps the translations coming
Help smash these goals:
🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 Bonus Chapter (for everyone)