FTA Ch 8

<Episode 8>

 

Dennis remained silent.

In truth, he had an explanation for his actions.

The reason he hadn’t informed Gabriel of Gloria’s departure was simple: he was following Gabriel’s orders.

Recently, rumors that Gloria was a “fake saint” had spread like wildfire throughout the capital.

Upon hearing these rumors, Gabriel was enraged.

He summoned Gloria to his office and scolded her harshly.

Afterward, he issued a strict order to all the staff: under no circumstances were they to mention Gloria for the time being.

But that day, Gloria left the estate alone and never returned.

It had been a week since then.

Dennis realized Gloria’s absence wasn’t just a casual outing and believed Gabriel needed to know.

 

* * *

 

“So, when did the saint leave?” Dennis asked.

“Well…” The butler replied.

“Don’t tell me you don’t know.”

“…”

 

Dennis lowered his head even further, deeply bowing.

Gabriel let out a disbelieving laugh.

 

“Huft…. Is this some kind of joke?” Gabriel said.

“…”

“How many staff members live here, and no one knows exactly when the saint left?”

 

Gabriel scoffed in frustration and rose from his seat.

His brisk steps brought him right in front of Dennis, who hurriedly lifted his head.

The sight of Gabriel’s furious face just inches away made Dennis tremble.

 

“The truth is…” Dennis said.

 

Dennis finally spoke, his voice strained as if he were choking.

 

“It was the day you summoned her to your office, my lord.” Dennis said.

“…”

 

Gabriel froze for a moment.

 

“After leaving your office, the saint packed her belongings and left the estate immediately.” The butler said.

 

That day.

The events of that day came rushing back to Gabriel.

The day rumors about the saint reached even his ears.

That day, he had declared his intention to disown Gloria.

But that’s all it was—a declaration.

He had no real intention of driving her out of the family.

He only wanted to scare her, to make the usually indifferent girl realize the gravity of the situation.

 

* * *

 

“…So, you’re saying it’s been over a week since the saint left?” Gabriel said.
“Yes, sir.”

 

Dennis’s answer made Gabriel feel faint.

“M-My lord!” Dennis panicked.

 

Gabriel swayed dangerously, his body on the verge of collapsing.

Dennis rushed to his side in alarm.

 

“My lord! Are you all right?” Dennis worried.
“I’m fine.”

 

Gabriel pushed Dennis away as he tried to steady him.

 

“Don’t make a fuss. I’m fine.” Gabriel said.
“But…” Dennis replied.
“I said I’m fine.”

 

Reluctantly, Dennis took a step back, though he couldn’t hide the worry in his eyes.

Seeing Dennis continuously monitor his pale complexion, Gabriel clicked his tongue in irritation.

 

“I need some rest. Leave me.” Dennis said.

“My lord…”

“I said leave.”

 

Dennis hesitated but ultimately obeyed.

“Understood, my lord.”

 

With a deep bow, Dennis exited the office.

As the door clicked shut, Gabriel collapsed weakly into his chair.

Nothing was certain yet.

The woman claiming to be the true saint was still unproven.

And yet, Gloria was gone.

 

* * *

 

It had been a week since Gloria had left the traveler’s inn and started staying at the Grand Duke’s residence with Leonard.

During that time, she had devoted herself to helping Leonard regain his health as quickly as possible.

She bought nutritious and delicious meals from well-known restaurants, encouraged him to exercise by running in the garden together, sparred with him, and more.

Thanks to her relentless efforts, Leonard, who had been sickly for a long time, was visibly improving each day.

Yet, despite this progress, Gloria was overwhelmed by a sense of crisis.

 

‘Where did all the money go?…’

 

Her once carefully saved funds had somehow dwindled to half their original amount.

Although she had tried to spend sparingly, her money bag was now alarmingly light.

She even checked her bag for holes, suspecting it might be damaged, but it was perfectly intact.

 

‘They weren’t kidding when they said money is scary.’

 

Realizing this harsh truth about life, Gloria resolved to tighten her belt and stay focused moving forward.

 

“Leonard.”

 

After setting down the bag she had been scrutinizing, Gloria approached Leonard, who was leisurely reading a book.

 

“I’m heading out. I’ll be gone for a while since I need to go somewhere far today.”

 

Leonard looked at her with visible confusion.

It was understandable. Until now, Gloria had refrained from leaving the estate, citing her concern that Leonard might collapse if left alone.

Aside from short trips to buy food at mealtimes, she hadn’t left his side. Now, her sudden announcement of an extended outing was out of character.

Leonard silently observed her, then glanced at the clock.

Normally, she would leave around noon to fetch food.

But now it was barely ten o’clock, and they had just finished breakfast.

Was she planning to bring lunch back from a distant restaurant?

Perhaps she had heard of another famous eatery.

The mention of a long trip made it seem likely.

Leonard put down his book and spoke calmly to dissuade her.

 

“There’s no need to go so far for food.”

“I’m not going to a restaurant.” Gloria replied.

“Then where?”

 

Leonard tilted his head slightly.

Gloria quickly donned a robe, pulled her hat low over her face, and grabbed the mace leaning against the wall.

 

“I’m going monster hunting.” Gloria said.

“Monster hunting?” Leonard asked.

“Yeah. I’ve spent most of the money I saved, so I need to earn some more.”

 

Monster hunting? And earning money?

As Leonard puzzled over the connection, a sudden thought struck him. He hurriedly turned to Gloria, but the spot where she had just been standing was already empty.

 

“…”

 

Leonard stared blankly at the space where Gloria had been, intending to suggest using the inheritance he had deposited in the Imperial Bank.

But before he could even speak, she had vanished like the wind.

 

* * *

 

The capital and its surrounding areas were nearly devoid of monsters.

This was a testament to the success of the monster eradication campaigns over the past five years.

And the person who had spearheaded those campaigns was none other than Gloria herself.

But now, she found herself deeply regretting their success.

 

‘I need to catch a monster quickly and get back to the Grand Duke’s residence.’

 

She had followed traces of dark energy (magic aura) all the way to the outskirts of the capital, yet there wasn’t a single monster in sight.

She needed to capture a monster, sell its remains to the guild for money, and then return to the capital.

But when would she find a monster, visit the guild office, and make it back?

She was deeply worried that she wouldn’t make it back to the Grand Duke’s residence by the end of the day—a frustrating situation for someone who felt responsible for watching over Leonard.

 

‘This should be it.’

 

Gloria arrived at a shadowy marsh and scanned her surroundings with detached eyes.

The strong magic aura in the area confirmed the presence of a monster nearby.

However, pinpointing its exact location was impossible.

Places inhabited by monsters were typically saturated with dark energy, obscuring their precise whereabouts.

Having stepped into the monster’s territory, her only option was to roam and search.

Gloria heightened her senses and moved cautiously, one deliberate step at a time.

With each step, her shoes squelched in the sticky, clinging mud, an annoyance she tolerated begrudgingly.

After some time…

 

“Graaah!”

 

A strange, guttural cry rang out, and Gloria instinctively spun around.

Even before the massive monster fully entered her field of vision, her reflexes took over

She swung her mace in a wide arc.

 

“Graargh!”

 

The monster, quick on its feet, leaped backward, evading the blow.

Short of breath, Gloria exhaled sharply and finally got a clear look at the creature.

A “Trioll”.

A monster with three heads and venomous fangs.