Villainess and Grimoire - Chapter 91 – General Aurora Arc

Year 5009 after the system day 1 of the sun season in the adventurers guild of Astia village.

“To think that rookie would rank up as much as to lead an entire army, my hand still itches whenever I remember about messing Aurora’s sister!” Tony shouted while laughing as he was celebrating his rank up with the usual party.

“Haven’t seen either of them in quite a long time…” Leonor joined the conversation as today was a calm day missing both of them.

“Come here and drink with us, it’s on me today!” Tony laughed happily while extending a cup of alcohol to her.

Leonor takes it and sits along with them.

“So receptionist what happened to the other twin? Iris that girl who uses ice.”

She sips a bit and then replies, “some days ago out of worry I went to the potion shop where her parents Luke and Rosaline work and I asked for both of them, that’s when they told me one was the general of the army of his highness Julius and Iris was training under one of the few swordmasters.”

“With such an outstanding talent for ice, she’s learning swordsmanship?” Tony asked confused as he wasn’t expecting that information.

“It is a secret not like it matters anymore since the war started, but she actually participated in the annual tournament and ended up reaching the quarter-finals while using swordsmanship and of course ice magic.”

“Whoa… I wish I was there to see that, but at the time I was questing…” Tony had a little sad look at him.

“Drink up and celebrate on Iris’s behalf for reaching that far in the tournament she’s only 9 years old after all!” Upon hearing that he drunk the whole cup and went back to being merry.

A little girl and a boy walked closer to them upon hearing the name and she says,” I’m sorry to bother, but where can I find this girl you’re talking about? I have a very important matter to discuss with her.”

‘I don’t remember ever seeing the boy before, he’s so tanned and muscular yet he looks young, the brown hair and eyes do fit his skin greatly, and why are they looking for Iris? Why is the girl all covered up? At least from the voice, it sounded like one,’ Leonor thinks as she gets up from the table.

“Follow me, let’s talk inside that room over there,” she points at the place where Iris once went to register as an adventurer.

After a while passes and they sit on the couches inside the room with a rectangular brown table in the middle.

“I’m Leonor a friend of Iris and a receptionist in this guild, who are the two of you and why are you looking for her?”

The small girl removes the hood making Leonor freeze temporarily in fear.

“De-de-mon?” Leonor starts sweating trying to scream but is unable to.

“I’m Ming, and this is my sister Momo a cursed human, she hides her appearance to not scare anyone,” upon hearing Ming words Leonor slowly calms down as she starts understanding that it is a curse that changed her appearance making her hair and eyebrows white, her eyes red and having a tanned skin like her brother.

“We’re from the northeast a village near to the sea, it’s not a widely known one, in fact, it is a pretty secret one, so you wouldn’t have heard of it even if we told you about it.

The sister then added,” the two of us seek to speak with Iris before helping her sister in the war to the south since you know her, it means my curse did lead me to the right place,” she smiles as kindly as possible towards Leonor while feeling bad inside for scaring her.

Leonor grips her leg with the fingers and then questions, “if I tell you where she is, what will happen to her?”

“I just wish to meet her even though my curse says she’s extremely dangerous, but… even then… I want to see for myself who she truly is,” Momo opens her eyes wide open showing the brilliant red irises of hers that remind Leonor of one day where she was sitting around a bonfire surrounded by snow.

“Your curse is wrong, Iris is very sweet and kind, she’s not a threat or anything like that, Iris is… a good girl,” upon hearing those words Momo exhales softly ending up with a kind smile.

“We just wish to talk with her nothing else, can you please tell us where we can find her? We’ve come from very far to meet her,” Ming declared in an attempt to pressure Leonor.

“If talking is all you’ll do then I suppose that’s fine though I do not know if she’ll have time to talk with either of you as she’s currently training with the beggar swordmaster or the drunken swordmaster as he’s known,” the brother’s expression grows in confusion with the two titles mentioned.

“She’s currently in Tonne village a little trip from here, but do not tell anyone about this and don’t force your way through, her master will cut you both down in a blink otherwise.”

They look at each other and Ming says,” let’s go the war started some time ago, time is running out.”

“Thank you for helping us out Leonor,” she smiles and then hides inside the clothes once again.

A while passes and upon leaving the guild through the exit, Momo passes by a young lady in a pure white dress with white roses scattered through it, captivating her to which her curse whispers the word hero as their eyes meet with one another.

‘Red eyes?’ Momo doesn’t stop looking forward while lowering her head going unnoticed by Robert who was accompanying her here.

“What’s wrong Alicia? Why have you stopped?”

“Ah… never mind let’s go.”

A while later she heads towards the potion shop to greet Iris’s parents and then further south towards her father Alfred and Aurora.

Momo and Ming head to Tonne village after talking to a villager who was willing to take them there for some coins.

Year 5009 after the system day 3 of the sun season in the entrance to the southern outpost.

“Not even on my way here have I seen such large fields and so many farmers at that, just what in the hell is happening here?” The man in his 30’s looked around at the very vast fields noticing as he walked south a large outpost with tents and small houses filled with troops, and then noticing that the men who were working weren’t just your casual peasants, from their expensive attires and even using ornaments, he figured they’d be part of the army.

‘Did I come to the right place? Soldiers and possibly nobles working on fields? Am I in a different world?’

While yielding a big hammer the man kept walking closer to the outpost noticing different uniforms, even white robes which he knew belonged to the church and also some black robes that he wasn’t so sure what force they’d belong to, but nonetheless, he walked closer to them eventually talking with one of the soldiers.

“Hey man, I’ve come to enlist in Aurora’s army is this the one?”

“Ah, yeah, you’ve come to the right place, even though we’re currently preparing for the next strike in 18 days, come I’m heading towards the general Aurora.”

“Oh seriously? Alright, take me to her!”

“That’s quite the weapon you have there, it looks pretty interesting.”

“I like you already,” Harmin started laughing and then said,” you have good taste, it is one of the unique weapons the goddess Aria blessed us with.”

“Really? There was someone else with a similar weapon, but she’s a noble successor of the white rose family, the hero Alicia, daughter of the swordmaster Alfred, who wields the blue sword of the first hero Rizia.”

“Oh? Now that’s some interesting information, I supposed that’s why my weapon has been tingling ever since I arrived here,” Harmin smirks while looking around as they walked.

‘Tingling? The weapon?’ The soldier thought to himself confused.

A bit later they arrive near a blonde girl who’s under the sun in an expensive blue uniform with a sword symbol on her back sitting outside of her tent writing on a table.

“That lad doesn’t feel the horrible heat? How long is such a young girl under the sun writing? Don’t you guys treat the kids better!? Harmin shouted angrily grabbing the attention of those around.

Upon hearing that the girl turns around noticing the voice source.

The cold blue eyes gaze of her meet Harmin’s piercing him coldly as he’s making too much noise making him go quiet.

“Ah, Harmin this is our general, the hardcore workaholic lady Aurora, be it raining, snowing, or as you can see today under such heat, she’ll be doing her best for the army survival and progression.”

The man yells satisfied with the presentation of the soldier,” general, I am Harmin the hero of the north, the wielder of the bloodsucking hammer one of the summoned weapons from the goddess Aria.”

With an extremely dissatisfied cold tone, Aurora replies, “you don’t have to yell, I can hear you just fine Harmin, in here you’ll be a normal soldier like everyone else, depending on your achievements you may become higher than that, as for heroes… we have a couple, but to truly succeed you’ll need essentially to follow my orders without fail, do that and you won’t be murdered easily in the battlefield.”

Once more with a loud natural happy voice, the man answers,” I’m grateful for accepting me, and don’t worry I’ll easily become number one of your army, after all, I’m the strongest hero,” the man started laughing once again, in front of very people who took such a statement to heart.

“Father,” a young girl looks at the man next to her to what he says,” yes Alicia?”

“Is there a rule that forbids a duel in this army? Since my sword is itching for some reason, it ends up filling me with the will to fight, probably an effect due to being crafted by the goddess Aria.”

“You sound very much like your mother but the one who you must request is the little lady over there,” Aurora upon hearing the conversation simply says,” do as you wish but far from here, I’m trying to work.”

Alfred, Alicia, and Harmin walked a tad further away to the training grounds where men would often dispute among each other, similar to the space used in the coliseum but nowhere near as big, just a simple field made of dirt and sand to reflect the possible scenario in the forest, so the men would get used to fighting in such a terrain.

Once they stand against each other, the girl says,” I have a bad history against hammer wielders so I won’t go easy on you.”

Harmin starts laughing and then says,” if you think you have what it takes to beat me you’re absolutely mistaken!”

Alicia unsheathes her beautiful blue sword with golden letters and takes a stance against her opponent holding it with both hands.

‘Show me how much you’ve grown daughter, I’m sure Sylvia didn’t go easy on you.’