The Daughter of Evil - Volume 4 - Chapter 4.11

chapter 4, section 1-the monastery on the seashore; scene 1
Praefacio of Blue, page 232-234

♣ Yukina ~In the Former Lucifenia Territory, “Port Town"~

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The day would be over soon.

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“U~gh, I’ve been done in.”

It appeared I had gotten completely lost on my path. I had heard the bells sounding out that it was three o'clock from somewhere to the east. The place I was headed for should have been there, but I hadn’t found the road that led there yet. I was positively stumped.

It seemed the worst had come to pass–I would have to find a place to stay in the port town. I gazed at the ocean from the beach, feeling half ready to admit defeat.

The water’s surface, steeped in scarlet, was quite beautiful. At a glance it was a very calm ocean, merely sending the waves out and then pulling them back in. But nevertheless I just loved to gaze at it.

I heard a voice from just behind me.

“Are you lost, young miss?”

When I turned around I saw a woman standing there in a red dress.

“Miss Germaine! What are you doing here!?”

“Well that’s a fine greeting. I’m originally from here, you know.”

Today, Germaine wasn’t armed with her rapier or wearing her trademark red armor. She told me that she had come to the Lucifenian territory by a slightly earlier ship than the one I had come over on.

“…Does that mean your responsibilities as Gumillia’s bodyguard are up?”

“Yep. I got notice from the lady herself.”

When Elluka had the “Vessels of Deadly Sin” stolen from her, she’d been furious. Right now she and Gumillia were apparently going all over Marlon to look for their foe.

“Now that she’s reunited with her incredibly powerful mentor, I’ve been relieved of my position.”

“…Well that’s a kind of sad way to put it.”

“It’s not at all. Rather, I think that she was looking out for me, in her own way.”

I knew that the criminal who had stolen the “Vessels of Deadly Sin” was not in Marlon. I felt a little ashamed in my mind for having come here without telling them about it.

“Anyway, what are you doing here?”

For a moment I puzzled over what to answer Germaine’s question, before finally replying that I was “traveling”.

“I’m here to see an old acquaintance.”

That in itself wasn’t really a lie. But Germaine looked at me a little doubtfully.

“Really~? You sure you haven’t run away from home again~?”

“I haven’t! I plan to go home right away this time…once my task is finished.”

“Oh alright. Well then, where were you headed?”

I told her my destination, and also the fact that I couldn’t find the path that led there.

It sounded like Germaine knew the place I was talking about.

“Ah, the one above the hill…In that case, I know it. Though I’ve never actually been inside.”

I suppose that was her knowledge as someone from here. I asked her the route there. But Germaine started to walk towards the east, gesturing for me to come along.

“I’m not good at giving directions. I’ll just take you there myself. It’s not far from here.”

I was against going with Germaine in tow. But once I thought it over I realized that she was a friendly face to her as well. She’d surely be happy to see Germaine.

I followed after her, and we headed for my destination–the Held Monastery.