Villainess and Grimoire - Chapter 116 – General Aurora Arc

Year 5009 after the system day 17 of the moon season Astia village by the fountain.

As Aurora walked through the streets of the village she notices a peculiar target whom she sneaks behind and speaks loud and clear.

“It’s been a long time Eliass!” Upon hearing such words the girl turns around startled, meeting her guild adventure rival, and friend.

“Arara? What happened to your hair?” The guard next to Aurora hearing that says in a harsh tone,” it’s lady Aurora or divine general.”

Elise feeling further surprised as this was a remote village, thus the information would take a while to arrive, she did her best to bow while feeling nervous, and then seeing the girl behavior, Aurora places the hand on the right shoulder in front softly and says,” it’s alright, this one is a friend sir Krieg,” the royal guard nodded lightly upon such words relaxing his face.

“So how you been little Elise?” Aurora smiles very kindly surprising her, as she used to be a lot more expressionlessly.

“I’ve been well, been helping your parents and grandpa while taking fewer quests from the guild, and… am I allowed to give you a hug, or is that too much for a peasant to do?”

To those words, Aurora chuckles and says,” I’m sure sir Krieg can close the eyes briefly,” upon such words the muscled man turns around and Elise takes two small steps drowning in the girl’s arms hugging her tight.

“I’ve been missing you two, a lot, we didn’t even get to party together anymore, and Iris is busy at Tonne village dropping by very rarely…”

“Sadly, we are both stuck with a lot of things, I’m currently the general of the army of his royal highness, Prince Julius as you probably know from my parents, and have been recently graced with a title by her royal highness queen Lily, so from this day onwards, I’ll be known as divine general, and will most likely be permanently at war whenever the successorship dispute ends, serving directly the successor, as for our friend Iris, I believe she’s interested in opening a shop after her training is finished, so she should have more free time than me when the time comes, you’ll just have to be a little more patient.”

“That sounds like a very arduous task, will you be okay Aurora?” Elise asks her with this innocent and cute-looking expression with a hint of worry and unease, that makes her look painfully adorable.

“Someone has to do it, and since I have the talent to wage war, might as well use it for the benefit of the crown and the human race.”

“Well said lady Aurora,” the guard turns around feeling prideful of her words.

Aurora places the back of the hand hiding the lips letting out a chuckle, and then says,” thank you, sir Krieg,” Elise finds her behavior strange but doesn’t mention it, instead, she says,” I suppose this will be a brief visit, perhaps you’re going to meet your parents next? How long haven’t you seen them?”

“Yes, I really don’t have much time left, I even had to bring this amazing dress with me to make a little bit more time… it has been too long to remember.”

“Since you’re talented enough, I suppose that in itself is pretty freedom binder.”

“Indeed, even now the goblin king could be preparing to do an assault on my troops, though I’m not too worried, I left someone equally skilled in charge, they would surely have a bad time against her, but not as much as me,” Aurora smiles with an eerie expression reminding Elise of the girl true colors that she had met before.

“Yup! Now I understand Arara better, it took a long time, but I got there, that expression you wear rarely, must have been born within you so that your enemies could learn fear, after all the quests I’ve done, the beasts and monsters I encounter never show fear for us, humans, they see us from above you know?”

“You may be right Elise, we’re probably the most limited race of them all in what comes to natural statuses, however, we are smart and we’ve learned how to be cowards, how to resist the strong and their claws, and now I’ll make the humans learn how to fight and beat the strong, fairly speaking, I’ve recently slaughtered 300 thousand goblins, so I’m already on a good path.”

The expression on Elise’s face became extremely overwhelmed, as her mouth opened wide, while she became silent and amazed at the gigantic amount of creatures that died, and then without waiting for a reply Aurora added,” where’re my parents? I’m running a bit low on time.”

The girl pointed to the left towards the potion shop where they work, and Aurora started moving that way while saying,” keep growing stronger Elise, so one day in the near future we’ll go back to quest together,” to what the girl who heard it nodded lightly, silently and happily having just spoken casually with a famous figure of the human kingdom, perhaps the most influential figure.

‘I’ll surpass you soon enough Arara, just you wait.’

As Aurora walked some meters towards the potion shop, one of the village guards noticed her from the hair color, and then looking at the long expensive dress approaches, he ran placing himself a bit further ahead than them.

“Aren’t you Rosaline’s daughter? What in the hell happened to you? How the fuck…” He looked at her from top to bottom evaluating how expensive that attire was, and the perfect manner of how it fits.

“Silence peasant! In front of you lays the hope of humanity, the divine general Aurora, belonging to the honorable army of his royal highness Prince Julius Lumen, the oldest sibling!” Sir Krieg took a longsword from the scabbard and aimed it at the man while shouting, making everyone around gather creating a long circle of people.

‘What’s up with those cold blue eyes? Weren’t they green? What in the hell happened to Rosaline’s daughter, to Iris who froze my hand back then!?’ He then spoke while kneeling on the ground,” I apologize I believe I mistook her from someone I knew named Iris, your general looks very alike, but the eyes are truly different, please forgive me, I meant no harm,” the man supplicated feeling no real remorse.

“Aren’t you…” Aurora places her finger below the cheek touching it lightly while thinking about who this person might be, to what she then says, after faking to have forgotten him,” Aren’t you Tyson the man who used to flirt and gross my mother Rosaline out all the time?”

Cold sweat passed through the back of the man as he felt confused, nervous, and fearful, not understanding who this girl was, but she had nailed his identity in the worst possible way, also upon such words sir Krieg took a few steps forward stepping between him and her, aiming the sword at the man just in case Aurora decides on a death penalty, as she has the authority to do so.

“My name is Tyson, and I didn’t know Rosaline had a second daughter, from the d-different eyes, twins I guess? I have always loved your mother, and I’ve never done anything wrong to her, if flirting is a crime then I am a culprit, but so would be a lot of other men, who have tried it too, after all, she’s very beautiful,” he said while containing the tears inside of him, firmly believing that he was rightful like any fellow men.

With a menacing and cold tone, Aurora speaks, “Is that so? Well, no matter, get out of my way, I don’t want to waste the little time I have on the likes of you.”

Tyson got up and ran leaving the ground a little wet, and then sir Krieg sheathed the sword seeing as whatever the conflict had been it was now over.

“Is your mother so beautiful that he would actually attempt to prey on her?”

Aurora looks at him with the same cold eyes she was staring at Tyson making the man regret the question of what the girl coldly said,” yes, very much so, come.”

She resumed the pacing and the crowd around made way for her to pass through.

Some meters later Aurora notices a line of people waiting for their turn to enter the shop, to which she ignores and passes in front while holding her dress a little high to avoid tripping, as the people started complaining sir Krieg punched the entrance wall causing a bang shutting them up, allowing the humans to notice the royal crest in his armor making them bow their heads, in fact, he could have just yelled, but used the wall to alleviate himself from the earlier pressure from the young lady.

As soon as Aurora entered the shop closing it behind her, she stares around from left to right finding a balcony where cash and a potion were on it, Vicent who was startled talking to a customer, next of them she saw a wooden door, and further to the side shelves with different colored potions and a window which illuminated them, making it look like they shine by themselves.

Without saying anything she lifts her dress once again walks, entering the wooden door which Vincent opened his mouth to shout but then refrained from doing so noticing the color of the hair resuming the sale, upon entering she perceives something leaving it open and takes a few more steps forward.

On the other side, she found two familiar faces who looked in awe at her, the mother not being able to hold it in spoke firstly gaining the initiative in the conversation,” you look so beautiful Aurora,” she then walked to her daughter while spreading her arms to the sides tearing up as she had not seen her since she was taken away to become a general.

The father placed the potion he was enhancing softly on the old and dirty-looking table, and approached both hugging them,” it has been a long while my little general, how did the ceremony go? We received a letter from the Prince about it, but sadly no invitation.

“I suspect that it was due to the place where the ceremony occurred.”

“Really? Where did they take you, dear?”

She looks at mother who questioned her and says,” the throne room, they made a little party there, it was an incredibly large room, from the queen words only Rizia the peasant hero was the other only lowborn that attended such a stage in a ceremonial way, and also where she received that title.”

“Does that mean you received a title too?”

“Yes, father, from this day onwards, I’m above any of the heads from the 8 rose families in what comes to war alone, and outside I only respond to the king or queen, but since we’re in the middle of a royal dispute, I still have some freedom, therefore, today’s a short visit, as I missed you both and wanted to see you before things get gruesome with the goblins.”

“Did you do something to them? What did they entitle you with? Did they force more lands or similar to you?”

“Ah, sorry father, I’m now entitled as divine general, upon the grace of queen Lily, as for lands and the like, I will get a piece from every territory I conquer here onwards, which can be sold for money if you don’t want to handle the lands.”

“I’m really not interested in a feudal lifestyle, but depending on the amount of the lands you receive that may not be so bad, what do you think Rosaline?”

“Well, we’re trying to have more children, so it would be a good way to not have to work all the time, and actually have a good future for our kids when they grow.”

“Seems like you’ll have to embrace the noble lifestyle father,” Aurora mentions while teasing Luke then starts laughing making Rosaline smile.

“Fine, fine if I must then so be it, but for that, you would still need to conquer those lands, have you progressed in the territory or in any way?”

“I recently slaughtered 300 thousand goblins, so I could have held a new line, but I don’t want a direct confrontation with them, my war style is irregular after all, which means I’ll only strike when I know I’ll win, and right now is not the precise moment to do it.”

“Was that gigantic amount the reason why you were called!?” Mother shouts as father remains with a dumbfounded expression still processing the number.

“One of them, perhaps the main motivation for the ceremony, nonetheless, the queen was extremely well informed, meaning there truly are spies on the three armies possibly from the pink rose family… probably to ascertain everyone achievements and whose humans do the job better.”

“Meaning that one of them has been keeping their eyes on you, how do you even know there’s a spy?”

‘Because one of the spies is in this room hiding, but I don’t know the reason why. Is the queen trying to prove that if I don’t act the way I want she’ll kill them? No, she already enslaved me with that title, and this spy entered the room after I did, meaning that it’s not my parents but me, to keep their eyes on me, this could indeed be troublesome, should I take the spy out? If I fake that I’m using magic only to show a new skill to them, I could lower the assassin guard and trap this strange presence…’

“I know because I’ve been trying to improve the kingdom in a lot of ways, and all of them were somehow unveiled and told to her grace, in other words, there must be someone very talented always chasing me, or at least, when I go to important events, or talk with potential supporters…”

‘Just as the queen thought this Aurora girl is incredible, to think we were a step ahead of her, but in reality, she already knew about us, time to step out for a bit, and recover my breath,’ the hidden human starts walking to the exit.

“If you ever need a break feel free to return home daughter, you know we’re always here for anything you need.”

“Thank you father, and mother here’s a little something,” she removes a folded paper from a side pocket hidden in the dress.

“This is?” She looks at it confused while grabbing the paper.

“A recipe for a strawberry cake I ate in the throne room, it looked like something you could make next time I come home, to reward your one and only daughter, at least, till a new one is born,” Aurora says a little louder while winking with the left eye as the presence feels close on the right side, Rosaline understanding her intentions says,” very well, if possible when you come for your birthday, I’ll do it, a big one even.”

“Thank you mother, you two are the best, but I must go now, send my regards to Miles and Johan, I didn’t see them around, and also Leonor.”

“Sure we will,” they hug her one more time after they spoke in unison.

Feeling the presence a bit further behind waiting for her, she whispers,” don’t get in contact with you know who, till I know for sure it’s safe, and I’m sorry for not being able to do more, nonetheless I’ll do my best to win this war.”

With a similar tone, Luke says, “don’t worry dear, we have powerful guards stationed at home from Prince Julius, so focus on what you have to do, and don’t worry about how you look in the mirror, there’s certainly a swordmaster around willing to teach you.”

Aurora smiled at the father clever words and said,” I’m thankful, but still think that magic is what suits me the best, I’m going now, I expect a baby in a year or two, so work hard my dear parents,” upon hearing those last words they blush ending up looking at one another feeling further embarrassed, making the daughter smile and leave.

‘I bet Iris would be super happy to have a younger sibling, I suppose I wouldn’t mind an extra family member either, perhaps some atonement for supporting the corruption in her mind, even though my past self deemed it necessary, Artana is a troublesome plane, but for now, still need to make this world a bit more livable first by exterminating the goblins, kind of expected the goddess Luna to become our enemy after that many deaths, if she hasn’t it means she still has a couple of aces up her sleeve, unless she didn’t notice it yet which would be weird… though maybe the gods can’t see more than one perspective at a time, some laws to limit them perhaps, well time will tell, let’s see how far I can go against this world gods with my own abilities first meanwhile my fated partner becomes stronger.’