Hilda, The Dwarf Duke’s Daughter

In the port town of Northpton, Liricia and I were chasing the dwarf girl Hilda.

We had reached a side street off the busy main street, and I caught a glimpse of the girl’s back as she turned into a back alley.

We chased her further and entered the back alley as well.

Since it was only one street in, the road was still wide. It was wide enough for carriages to pass each other.

We caught sight of Hilda’s back.

Since she was small, she was buried among the crowd, but I could tell it was her because she was carrying a large load on her back.

However, while chasing her, I suddenly noticed a problem.

When I slowed down, Liricia tilted her head beside me.

“What is the matter, Master?”

“No, I was wondering how to talk to her. If I suddenly speak to her, she’ll only find me suspicious, right?”

“That is… true. Even I would be wary if a complete stranger suddenly spoke to me.”

“On the other hand, even if I honestly tell her her father asked me, she’ll probably resent it. I’m sure she ran away from home for some reason.”

“You are no longer a hero either, so it may be difficult to earn her trust.”

Liricia drew her brows together in concern.

I also nodded while stroking my chin.

“Hmm. Let’s watch her for a while. It seems it’ll be easier to negotiate after we know what Hilda is doing.”

“That is certainly true. Understood. I will be careful not to lose sight of her while using the monocle.”

“I’m counting on you.”

After that, we followed Hilda while keeping our distance.

We entered and proceeded through several side streets.

After a while, Hilda entered a shop. It was a shop selling fish.

We approached and watched from the shadow of a building.

Hilda was talking about something with the shopkeeper.

She looked desperate, but the shopkeeper would not deal with her.

She came out right away, so we hurriedly hid behind cover.

Hilda walked with her shoulders tense in irritation. She was constantly biting her nails.

After looking between the shop and Hilda, I spoke.

“Liricia, ask the shop owner what Hilda talked about.”

“Understood. Once I’ve asked, I will chase after you immediately.”

“I’m counting on you.”

Liricia entered the shop, her nun’s habit swaying.

I chased after Hilda.

With a troubled expression, Hilda entered another shop in the back alley. Dried fish was being sold there.

When I quietly looked inside the shop, she was rapidly talking about something to a bearded old man.

However, it seemed the negotiation ended in failure, and she trudged back outside.

Then she began walking through the back alley again.

—What on earth is she doing?

My doubts grew.

As I followed Hilda, Liricia returned while looking at her sub-device.

Apparently, she could tell where I was. I would have her teach me how later.

While walking, I asked in a low voice.

“How was it?”

“Hilda-san seems to be searching for a ship heading to the Luktia Holy Papal State.”

If one crossed the sea north from here, Northport, there was the peninsula where Luktia was located.

I was sure there should be regular ships.

“Why? It’s north across the sea, right? Shouldn’t there be at least regular ships?”

“Apparently, for about the next month, entry is forbidden to anyone other than church officials.”

“Oh? That is rather strange.”

“Yes… I was thinking, the Luktia Church also had a dungeon, did it not? I wonder if it has something to do with the world war.”

“Ah! I see. The church is going to participate too… Hmm. In that case, we probably won’t be welcomed if we go either.”

“It may be better to ask Edgar-san.”

“Let’s do that—All right. Let’s talk to Hilda.”

“Yes!”

I walked a little faster. Liricia followed beside me at a slight jog. Her white nun’s habit became disheveled, and her long, slender legs could be seen through the slit of her skirt.

We gradually approached Hilda, but because there were many people, we could not quite catch up.

Before long, we were walking through a deserted back alley.

We walked along the narrow, winding alley. It smelled slightly stale, like rotting fish.

At last, we were lured into a dead end.

Hilda, the dwarf girl who had reached the middle of the dead end, turned around with a sullen face.

Her shoulder-length brown hair spread softly.

Her well-tailored shirt had a leather belt slung diagonally over it, emphasizing her cleavage. The belt seemed to be holding the thing on her back in place. However, it did not seem to be a bag.

Her legs, spread shoulder-width apart, extended slenderly from her shorts.

Apparently, she had noticed we were following her.

The girl Hilda questioned us in an annoyed voice.

“What do you want? I’m in a really bad mood right now, you know?”

Her voice was cute, but I could tell she was irritated.

Depending on my answer, this could turn into a fight.

I answered while carefully choosing my words.

“Hilda, I’m Alec, a former hero. Right now, I run a potion shop called Puchi Eli in the Royal Capital of Fortis. I came to meet you at your parent’s request.”

“My parent? Who?”

“Duke Gustav.”

At my answer, Hilda narrowed her black eyes.

Then she reached for the object on her back, swiftly pulled it out, and readied it.

It was a handgun. However, the barrel was as large as a cannon.

—Handling such a heavy-looking weapon with one hand… She had strength that I could never imagine from her appearance.

“Whether it’s a lie or the truth, either way, this is the worst. If you take even one step closer, I’ll blow your body to pieces.”

“It’s my first time seeing one, but that looks like a powerful weapon. As expected of a dwarf.”

Hilda’s thin brows twitched. Her dubious expression did not change, but the corner of her mouth rose just a little.

Apparently, she was happy to have her weapon praised.

“You understand pretty well. That’s right, this is custom-made. It’s exclusively for me.”

“As expected of a duke’s daughter. You certainly seem safe even if you ran away from home alone.”

“So? What do you want? Did you come for small talk?”

She asked in an irritated voice while showing off the cannon handgun.

She looked like she might go wild at any moment.

If I dodged the cannon, the town seemed likely to suffer massive damage.

Troubled, I scratched my head and said,

“Well, I was told he was worried about his daughter, but he didn’t tell me to forcibly bring you back.”

“Hm? What are you trying to say?”

“Hmm. If you’re in some kind of trouble, I’ll help.”

“Why would I have to accept help from a stranger? I can’t trust you.”

“Even like this, I was technically a former hero…”

“That’s a lie. I saw you once, and you were much more of an old man.”

“Ugh—true.”

I was at a loss for words.

Since I had been rejuvenated, it was practically as if I had no proof.

When I glanced at Liricia, she nodded with a serious expression. She stepped forward, her white nun’s habit swaying.

“Hilda-san, my name is Liricia. You wish to go to Luktia, correct? We can take you there. We happened to have business in Luktia too.”

“I won’t borrow anyone’s help. If I have to, I can just borrow a small boat.”

“Huh!? That is too reckless. It is quite far to the peninsula on the opposite shore.”

“I’ll still do it alone, so it’s fine. I won’t accept help from anyone under my father’s influence.”

Hilda glared at us sharply.

Her wariness did not ease at all.

Liricia and I were completely troubled and could only exchange glances.

—I’m bad at this sort of thing.

Now that I thought about it carefully, back when I was a hero, I only had to show the hero’s medal to prove my status.

That alone made people trust me.

Now I had no idea what to do.

Hilda said in an irritated voice,

“Are you done? I’m leaving now.”

“Hmm, okay. Sorry. I don’t have a way to make you trust me. Then, just one thing.”

“What?”

“Do you have any message for your father? I’ll tell him while reporting that the mission failed.”

“Not really. Nothing. Just tell him I’m doing fine.”

“Then are you having money problems? I’ll at least treat you to lunch.”

Hilda let out a sigh.

“I don’t need it.”

“I see. I also have ale that’s a specialty of the Dwarf Duke Territory.”

I took one bottle from my magic bag and showed it to her.

Hilda’s eyes widened slightly.

“Why do you have that!? It can’t be produced anymore!”

“I got it from Duke Gustav… Hm? It can’t be produced anymore? So there was a dungeon in the dwarf territory after all? This ale is apparently made in a dungeon.”

Hilda exaggeratedly twisted her cute face, as if she had made a mistake.

“I don’t know. I don’t know anything.”

Hmm, I thought while placing a hand on my chin.

—I feel like an opening has appeared.

Somehow, I thought it might be related to a dungeon.

So I decided to reveal one secret of my own. After all, Edgar had also exposed his own secret to win our trust.

I took out my sub-device and showed it to Hilda.

“I hear there’s going to be a world war soon. Do you know anything about this?”

“Huh? —Th-that’s a sub-device!”

Hilda widened her eyes in surprise.

I nodded.

“I told you I’m a former hero, right? Right now, well, I’m acting for personal reasons rather than for people’s sake, so my occupation has become something I can’t tell others about.”

Hilda grimaced and hesitated for a while, but at last, she put the cannon handgun she had been holding back onto her back.

She looked up at me with a serious gaze.

“Fine. If your current occupation is dungeon master, then I can explain some of the circumstances. Neither of us can expose that thing’s secret, after all.”

“I see. That helps.”

I let out a relieved breath. With this, if I solved Hilda’s problem and brought her back home, I could get a good word put in for Liricia’s release from unconditional slavery.

Beside me, Liricia was also stroking her large chest in relief.

Hilda started walking ahead first.

“Getting irritated made me hungry. We shouldn’t just stand around talking, so let’s talk while eating—your treat, of course.”

“You’re pretty shrewd. Roger that.”

I agreed with a wry smile.

After that, Hilda guided us into a restaurant on the main street.