Erika: My Friend Is Obsessed with Me
Chapter 4
“Well, look who it is. We meet again this year. How have you been?”
“……Happy birthday.”
“Happy birthday to you, too!”
“I just blew out the candle and made a wish. I did it right this time, before some mean man like you could come and blow it out.”
“Ahem, cough. Is it the same wish as last year, by any chance?”
“Yes.”
The little girl’s bright, smiling face looked just the same as last year.
And it wasn’t the only thing that hadn’t changed.
The countless scars.
The old, long-stained clothes, and everything else about her shabby appearance.
“I see……. But what to do? The heavens don’t grant wishes so easily. They’ve never granted mine even once.”
Pechenik spoke quite spitefully, almost as if he intended for the heavens to hear.
“Still……. I hope they grant yours.”
He gave a smile as he wished her luck, though it looked terribly bitter.
Another year passed.
Erica turned nine years old.
This year, there was no birthday party for Pechenik.
Instead, dressed in traveler’s garb, Pechenik paid a visit to Count Herace’s estate.
“Come now, since you’re here, you might as well stay for a meal.”
“The shorter the farewell, the better.”
He had personally visited the residences of his fellow knights, who were his closest friends, to say his goodbyes, and Count Herace’s estate was the last on his list.
For some time now, high society in the Imperial Capital had been in an uproar.
‘Sir Pechenik has laid down the glory of Tenearha.’
Not only the nobility, but even the storytellers in the marketplace spoke of it in astonishment.
“You look world-weary. It’s not like you, who was always so cheerful.”
“Well, all glory must come to an end.”
“What on earth has left you feeling so empty?”
“My blade has dulled. I simply thought the sword defending the Heavenly Emperor’s Castle ought to be younger.”
“I see you have no intention of telling me the truth.”
Pechenik had retired from the knights of the Heavenly Emperor’s Castle.
He was a Swordmaster who could be counted on one hand across the entire continent.
Such an absurd excuse as a dulled blade could never convince Count Herace, who had crossed swords with him every single day.
Pechenik had even surrendered his noble title without a second thought. With no family, it would only have been an obstacle to his future freedom.
“What will you do with your life now?”
“Why are you so curious about a man heading to the countryside? Step aside, I’m taking my leave now.”
“Can’t you at least tell me where you’re going?”
“I told you I’m going home. To the southern region.”
“Do you know how vast and far the Empire’s southern region is? Even to the nearest point, it takes a solid month on horseback.”
“I haven’t decided yet. Whether I’ll head to the Maritime Alliance Principality or to Dangtus. Still, I suppose I should go see the ocean first, shouldn’t I?”
Pechenik pulled down his wide-brimmed hat and fastened his long brown robe.
The clothes of commoners didn’t feel awkward at all. Knowing he would be wearing them to his heart’s content from now on, they felt as comfortable as if tailored just for him.
He would never wear the glorious uniform of Tenearha again.
“I’d offer you some travel funds, but you’re far too wealthy for me to have anything to give.”
“If it’s a farewell gift, I already stole one from your garden earlier.”
“Hm?”
“It must be something utterly insignificant and trivial to the Count’s estate, so I’ll be taking it with me.”
“……Well, fine. Do as you please. I’m glad there was something you wanted.”
Pechenik had never actually wanted a grubby little maid.
However, it was true that he had resolved to get the child out of the Count’s estate, so he did not deny it.
He climbed into the carriage.
Count Herace and his wife saw him off.
“Farewell. I’ll look forward to the day we meet again.”
“Right. If I happen upon a story so amusing while wandering the Empire that I simply can’t keep it to myself, I’ll come back to tell you.”
“Sounds like you’ll be back in no time.”
Pechenik laughed heartily, and the coachman whipped the horses.
At last, the carriage set off.
A line of wagons loaded with luggage followed behind.
Parting the piles of straw in the second wagon, a little girl peeked her eyes out.
Fair skin covered in soot.
It was Erica.
“Do you still want to leave the Count’s estate?”
“Yes.”
“Then will you come with me?”
“Yes.”
She didn’t ask where they were going.
Fearing only that Pechenik might change his mind, she quickly ran and hid in the luggage wagon his finger pointed toward.
And moments later, something truly unbelievable happened.
Clack-clack, clack-clack, clack-clack…….
They were leaving the Count’s estate. Truly.
It might have been a dream.
Erica blinked as she watched the massive estate recede into the distance.
Her body stiffened rigid.
Since this was her first time riding in a carriage, she thought crouching in the cargo hold was just one of the normal ways to ride one.
After traveling for a long while, the carriage came to a stop.
“Take my hand and come over here.”
Only after taking Pechenik’s outstretched hand and climbing out of the cargo hold did she realize that it was not a place meant for people.
A cozy carriage compartment.
The child carefully took a seat opposite Pechenik.
The seat was spacious, but she still hunched her shoulders to take up as little room as possible.
Because it was a long-distance carriage, the seat cushions were comfortable, yet she couldn’t simply relax.
Would she really no longer be beaten by the Countess or tormented by the estate’s servants?
Yet she felt completely lost about how she was supposed to live from now on.
How far was he taking her? What kind of place would he drop her off at?
As Erica fidgeted with her fingers, hesitating shyly, Pechenik spoke.
“There’s no need to be nervous. You’re no longer a maid.”
“…….”
She couldn’t very well say, Actually, I’ve never been a maid in my life.
If he found out that she was an illegitimate child carrying Count Herace’s blood, he might be shocked and cast her out.
So she did not bother speaking the truth to correct his misunderstanding.
“I may have brought you along, but I have no intention of adopting you as my foster daughter.”
“……!”
At the word daughter, Erica was actually startled and waved her hands frantically in denial.
“If you give me chores, I’ll work hard. Even menial labor is fine.”
“I told you, I didn’t bring you along to use you as a maid.”
“Th-Then what for?”
Pechenik crossed his legs and rested his chin against the window frame.
His gaze swept over Erica impassively.
She was thin, but her bone structure was sturdy. Even at a glance, her skeletal balance was extraordinary.
“I think I’ll be bored in the days ahead, so I figured I might raise a disciple.”
“Pardon……?”
Flustered, Erica craned her neck and looked around. There was no one in the carriage besides the two of them.
Then that word, disciple—
“M-M-Me?”
Pechenik was a knight.
Did he mean he was going to teach swordsmanship! To her!
Erica’s pupils trembled aimlessly before she looked down at both of her hands.
“You’re going to teach me the sword?”
Erica didn’t know it, but Pechenik was one of the most prominent figures even within Tenearha.
He was a blade who protected the imperial descendants of the great thousand-year Empire, and a Swordmaster counted on one hand across the continent.
Could there truly be anyone in the world who would kick away the glorious opportunity to be taught by him?
“Is that a face saying you don’t want to?”
“No! It’s a face saying I’d love to, I want to do it!”
Erica clenched both her fists tightly. Even so, they were as tiny as chicks.
“Good. You have nice eyes.”
Her fists were adorable, but for a powerless maid who had suffered nothing but abuse at the Count’s estate, her spirit was extraordinary.
I suppose innate nature plays a role.
Pechenik suddenly wondered what kind of people the girl’s parents were.
Still, he didn’t bother asking. If parents had sold such a young child off as a maid to a Count’s estate, the answer was obvious enough without asking.
“From now on, call me Master.”
“Master!”
“Hm, not bashful at all, are you?”
“What should I be shy about?”
“……Normally, when someone becomes my disciple, they’re supposed to be so overwhelmed with emotion that they don’t know what to do, barely managing to call me ‘Master’ with utmost bashfulness.”
“…….”
Erica twitched her fingers.
She cast her gaze down, then peeked up at Pechenik.
“M…….”
“…….”
“M…… Mas…….”
“…….”
“……Master!”
“…….”
She had tried her very best to address him bashfully, just as Pechenik had explained.
Finding Erica’s sudden acting all the more absurd, Pechenik simply burst into laughter.
