After two days of being jostled about in a shared carriage from the Royal Capital, we finally arrived at a quaint village nestled in the mountains. The landscape was dotted with fields of various vegetables, and buildings stood closely together, their chimneys rising into the sky.
This was a settlement where skilled craftsmen dedicated themselves to forging weapons and armor. While some artisans had workshops in the Royal Capital, it was said that they often worked through the night, which led them to gather in this quieter area, away from the bustling city. It seemed that the number of workshops had significantly increased since my last visit four years ago.
Perhaps it was because the creation of swords involved many artisans, from those who crafted the handles to those who made the leather sheaths.
As I approached an old building at the far end of the village and knocked on the door, a plump elderly woman in an apron peeked out.
“Oh, what a rare visitor we have!”
“Hello, um, I am—”
“Wait just a moment! I recognize that face… Give me a second to remember…”
While I was engaged in this exchange at the entrance, a sudden loud boom echoed from somewhere, accompanied by a small tremor that shook the house.
“Hey! What are you doing? You’re scaring the guest!”
The elderly woman, her expression suddenly serious, dashed out of the house and shouted toward a workshop behind the building, which had a chimney.
“Honestly! Just perfect timing! You should come too; you must have business with my husband, right?”
I hadn’t even introduced myself yet, and I felt flustered, but I hurriedly followed the elderly woman—if my memory served me right, she was Ms. Barbara, Mr. Dolf’s wife.
Ahead of me stood a man with a magnificent beard, reminiscent of a dwarf from a story, alongside a tall man. Next to them, a large axe with a long handle was embedded in the ground, nearly reaching my height.
The dwarf-like man was none other than the blacksmith, Mr. Dolf.
“Ah, Barbara! Sorry about that; this guy miscalculated his strength!”
He laughed heartily, then turned his gaze to me, stroking his impressive beard as he pondered.
“A guest, huh? I think I remember you… Just a moment, let me recall.”
He echoed Ms. Barbara’s earlier words, leaving me in a state of anticipation as I waited for him to remember.
Meanwhile, the tall man standing nearby turned to me, scratching his head with an awkward expression.
“I apologize if we startled you, ma’am! It was my fault for not keeping an eye on Dolf’s strength.”
“N-no, it’s alright. I came by unexpectedly, so please don’t worry about it…”
The tall man’s well-built physique and upright posture suggested he was a knight. If he was indeed a knight, he might know of my scandalous past. I swallowed the bitter feelings rising in my chest and tried to maintain my composure as Ms. Barbara clapped her hands together with a crisp sound.
“Oh! I remember now! You’re ‘Duck Soup Flora’!”
“Oh, ‘Duck Soup Flora’! Yes, yes, how nostalgic!”
Mr. Dolf and Ms. Barbara exchanged glances before breaking into bright smiles, reminiscent of a clear summer sky.
“What’s with that delicious-sounding nickname…?” the tall man asked, his mouth agape in surprise.
I felt a bit flustered by their unexpected recognition, but I was also relieved that the couple remembered me, which eased the tension in my shoulders.
Four years ago, when I was just starting out as a seamstress and couldn’t afford a sword, I had come to consult Mr. Dolf about what I could offer in exchange. Since it was a slow season for sewing, I spent about three months helping the Dolf couple with their farming and household chores in exchange for a sword. Duck Soup was my specialty, and the couple enjoyed it so much that I ended up making it almost every day.
“I’m getting hungry just thinking about it. Perfect timing, let’s eat!”
“Indeed! Come on, Flora and Gilbert, unfortunately, we don’t have Duck Soup today, but let’s treat you to something special!”
With that, Mr. Dolf and Ms. Barbara cheerfully headed back into their home.
“Those two are really carefree. I’m Gilbert, by the way. Nice to meet you, Duck Soup Flora.”
“Y-yes.”
The tall man, Mr. Gilbert, offered a smile that was as bright as the Dolf couple’s.
“If you’re staying in the village for a while, I hope to taste that famous Duck Soup…”
His murmured comment left me unsure of how to respond. I had only intended to greet Mr. Dolf, and if Mr. Gilbert knew of my reputation in the Royal Capital, I wondered how he would react. I struggled to find the right words and could only silently follow behind.
“By the way, isn’t your lover, the one you gifted the sword to, with you today?”
As we gathered around the lunch table and enjoyed tea afterward, Mr. Dolf suddenly asked, as if recalling something important. His voice held no malice, merely a simple curiosity, yet it caused me to falter.
“Well… we registered our marriage, and he returned safely from the recent expedition. However, um, unfortunately, we’ve since divorced…”
To summarize my situation briefly, it was Mr. Gilbert who leaned forward, intrigued.
“Wait, are you… Holy Knight Elliott’s wife?”
Ah, so he knew after all. Even if I had kept the identity of the Holy Knight a secret, news of our divorce shortly after his triumphant return from the knight’s order was likely not something that could be easily hidden.
“Not anymore,” I replied, trying to mask the atmosphere with a smile. I wondered if I had managed to smile convincingly.