Collapse, the Ordinary Daily Life of the Valkyries

After she finished speaking, the daughter bowed respectfully. A slight smile appeared on her mother's face, and then a hint of sadness appeared on her face.

[…I still feel uneasy. Kiana, are you really okay?]

Hearing her mother say this, Kiana pouted in dissatisfaction.

[Please rest assured, this mission...I have the responsibility to complete it.]

【You are right, this is something only you can do.】

But that's not what I'm worried about, Cecilia shook her head and looked down at her daughter who tilted her head slightly.

[This is your first time at the academy, and I'm worried you might get scammed by a bad guy.]

[Mother~~]

Kiana drooped her shoulders weakly, her azure eyes half-closed.

Please believe me, I am not that stupid.

[…Such a lack of self-awareness really makes me uneasy.]

She groaned softly and looked at her daughter who shrugged.

——My daughter is indeed very smart, but she has never seen the world and has a very honest personality. I am afraid that she will be regarded as an ideal prey by the villains in the border town. After all, she is such a lovely girl.

In the end, her subjective judgment dominated her thoughts, making her feel uneasy. Kiana burst out laughing.

"Mother, you're acting very different than usual. I haven't seen you look so uneasy in years."

"Ah, are you blaming me for being such a nuisance? It's only natural for a mother to worry about her daughter's safety."

"I don't think you're a bother. Thank you, Mother."

The mother turned her head away as if in a tantrum, and the daughter said with a smile.

The scene sounds like a conversation between a close mother and daughter.

However, in the eyes of others, they would probably think that they were dazzled, right?

Because the place where the mother and daughter were talking was a snowy field with strong winds and blizzards.

"But mother, this is... a mission that must be completed by me."

Kiana declared resolutely. She wore a crimson scarf around her neck, a white dress barely resembling a dishrag. No belt or metal buckle around her waist, just a simple belt that seemed to offer no warmth at all… Amidst the icy snow, her expression never faltered. The two of them stood in the blizzard with a perfectly natural air, as if they were chatting in front of a fireplace.

And the strangeness of the scene doesn’t stop there.

[…That’s true. Since you said so, it must be true.]

The words they used—no, they couldn't really be called "language."

A year and a half is about 550 days.

Whether this period is long or short is a matter of opinion. Ben Freeland believes that a year and a half is an extremely long period of time to work in the same place.

"...So you just ran away from town all night?"

"It's not that simple."

Ben slumped his chin on the wooden bar, looking up at the woman wiping her glass in front of him, without even touching the rum he had ordered.

"Until just now, I was hiding in the trash can with Cabbage Heart, holding my breath and not saying a word. If she had told me they were sisters, I wouldn't have done anything."

"No wonder I felt a bad smell...Ahh, you're still covered in vegetable scraps, huh?"

The stench of garbage made the woman pinch her nose, but she still put down the unwiped glass and helped the pitiful-looking man wipe the carrot peel off his head.

"Isn't it time for you to stop doing this illegal business?"

"Galoria, Mi's thoughts are called prejudice and misunderstanding."

"Oh, really?"

She— Gloria Alba—smiled mischievously at Ben who was slowly standing up. Her hair, the same color as Ben's but finer in texture, swayed gently on her shoulders.

Ben straightened his wrinkled coat and waved his hands vigorously.

"I'm running a legitimate business. At least here in the frontier, there's no law that says you'll be fined for having sex with girls."

Carolia couldn't help but giggle at his exaggerated theatrical movements.

"What kind of lies did you tell a girl this time?"

"...I'm a laborer who left my hometown to work to support my family. Actually, my dream is to become a painter."

When asked this, Ben suddenly turned his head away in frustration.

After returning the glass to the shelf, Carolia wiped her hands on her waist with a look of surprise. Perhaps it was because she was wearing jeans and a cotton shirt, a casual outfit that was perfect for such a rough gesture.

"Won't such a casual lie tarnish your reputation as a 'bullshit class'?"

"Not at all. The harder life gets, the easier it is to believe such lies."

Ben said nonchalantly, picking up his glass.

In fact, he was neither a migrant worker nor a painter.

He doesn't make money by working hard with his hands and feet. His handsome appearance and eloquence are his means of making money.

"No matter how you try to justify it, only scoundrels call fraud a business."

"The word 'fraud' is so offensive! Listen carefully, this world is full of women chasing romance, and those who work so hard to make ends meet that they have no time to dream. I, however, transcend reality and offer these women the opportunity to realize their dreams."

Although it only lasted a brief moment, like a matchstick. He smiled brightly after saying this. His eloquent explanation was quite appealing, but it certainly wasn't entirely true that his words could be classified as lies.

In simple terms, Ben Freeland does this kind of work——

He first lies about his background to suit the woman's preferences, getting close to the woman he has targeted as his "client." While maintaining an intimate relationship, he is supported by the woman. If he notices something is amiss with Miao Dian, he leaves a letter and disappears as if awakening from a dream.

He lived a life that was more like a lover or a gigolo than a fraud, but these terms of address had not yet fully penetrated this small frontier town far from the center... Let's put it aside for now.

"No kidding, I seriously suggest you change your ways as soon as possible, otherwise you'll be hanged by the girls in this town sooner or later. Besides, there will always be girls from other shops coming here."

Carolia shrugged in response to his smile, then glanced around the bar. He casually followed her gaze and turned his head.

The tavern "Lost Man" was quite spacious, and there was no one else in the store except the two of them.

"...Think about it carefully. I have good news for you."

Carolia's lips curled into a seductive smile, and her eyes narrowed unexpectedly. She rested her elbows on the bar, twitching her fingers slightly, asking Ben to move his face closer.

"Listen carefully, I have a job for you."

"How could such a rude person interrupt our lovemaking?"

"Now is not the time to joke around. Listen to me carefully."

Ben sighed softly, and Carolia pulled his ear close to her lips and whispered quickly:

"There's a party at the mansion tonight. All you have to do is dress sexy and charmingly and spend the night with the lady. What do you think? Do you want to take it?"

"Okay. Okay, Carolia, you pulled a little too hard. I'm sorry, but you're hurting my ears."

He muttered a rapid-fire barrage of protests, and Carolia grinned, finally releasing his ear.

"That's right. The client is Yernest Balboni. He seems to want you to distract that fierce lady while he's messing around with his mistress."

"...It may not be appropriate for me to say this, but this client is quite inferior."

"I heard he's the son-in-law of a wealthy family, so he has to consider how others perceive him."

Gloria crossed her arms, not caring at all that Ben was moaning, covering his ears with his hands, tears welling up in his eyes.

There were all kinds of people gathered in the pub.

Among them were workers who had just finished their shifts, small-time thugs like Ben, and travelers crossing the border. Of course, there were also many shady types, and the tavern played a crucial role in introducing these people to illegal work, but...

"...I want to do something more spectacular... I don't expect to leave my name in history, but I want to at least make it to the news."

"Stop talking nonsense. This is the best-paying job right now."

"I know, Carolia, thank you."

The woman pouted in anger, and Ben blinked deftly.

"The only way to forget the old love is to start a new one... and I'm almost broke."

With a grimace, he pulled out a copper coin from his pocket, placed it on the bar, and stood up from his high stool. Carolia neatly accepted his remaining possessions, her lips curled slightly.

"The party is scheduled to start at nine o'clock. Come back later and I'll give you the invitation."

"Okay... ah, one more thing. Please let me use the bathroom to shower. I have a lunch date with Kerberis, and after lunch, I have dates with Charlotte and Rita."

"You really don't know what self-reflection is."

Ben frowned at the stench of garbage clinging to his shirt, and Carolia sighed and tilted her chin towards the store.

◆□□◆

The state of Igner Agres, located in a corner of the continent, has been independent for over a hundred years. This century of history can be described as a history of pioneering and development.

"Individuals and groups registered as pioneers can enjoy semi-autonomy and ownership of reclaimed land based on their contributions to the state."

In the early days of the nation, the legislature, taking into account the difficulty in capital turnover, hoped that such an approach could "bring a certain degree of help to the development of the country," and thus formulated and implemented the first state law in the third year of the Xili calendar... The results were unexpectedly amazing.

Someone built a central town for trading.

Someone discovered enough fertile land to serve as the granary of the entire country.

Some people have also dug up huge gold mines in a simple way.

All it took was a hoe to succeed on the frontier—the frontier had an irresistible charm that drew people in.

Fierce beasts, harsh environments, and the most dangerous elements... The wilderness often presents obstacles that block the pioneers' way, leaving them frustrated, but they never give up. They open up the wasteland with their greedy hands and clear the blanks on the map with their unyielding steps.

The pioneer town of Apispas is also a bonfire lit by pioneers in the wilderness.

This town, developed under the leadership of the conglomerate "Apispas," boasts one of the strongest economies on the frontier. Unlike other pioneer towns, it boasts gas and water supplies, and even a small area has electricity. These features clearly demonstrate the greatness of the men who pioneered here... but—

"You, you're here. You're really here. Welcome."

It is really hard to feel the majesty of this skinny man in front of you with his big eyes rolling around and peering around.

The man held out a trembling hand, his face stiff as if he were having a neuralgia attack—it took Ben a moment to finally understand that there was a suspected smile on his face.

"You, you are Ben Frotrod, right? I heard from the introducer that you are very good at deceiving women."

"...Yes, Mr. Balboni, I, Ben Freeland, am here to serve you for this purpose."

Ben subtly emphasized the man's mispronounced last name and shook the hand of his client, pioneer Ernest Balboni, whose hand felt like paper clay.

The band played music, the gentlemen and ladies laughed in unison, and all sorts of sounds filled the atrium of tonight's party venue, where they were currently standing. The meticulously maintained courtyard was filled with chilled champagne and red wine, as well as a series of extremely luxurious dishes, making people almost forget that they were in a pioneer town in the wilderness.

"I-I see. I feel relieved when you say that."

Yernest seemed not to notice the hidden sarcasm in Ben's tone. He just nodded repeatedly and then turned his thin body with unexpected agility.

"Sorry for the wait, Sharon. He's our new subordinate—Ben Flatsandr."

"Oh, this kid?... He's quite young."

The man who kept calling the wrong name was pushed away, and a woman looked towards Ban with a disdainful look.

The woman was about thirty, with narrow eyes and harsh features, which contrasted beautifully with her brown hair, which was piled high to highlight her corsage. Her evening gown, adorned with tiny gemstones, shone with a dazzling brilliance, and her bust was wide open, revealing a pleasing, supple skin.

(She has a nice figure and looks pretty good... but she's not my type.)

Sharodi looked down at Ben with a charming look as he deliberately puffed out his chest. He originally thought that she was extremely tall, but when he took a closer look, he discovered that the woman was wearing a pair of frighteningly high heels.

"Haha, you look really nervous... How cute! I like you."

A wanton smile appeared on the lady's face, and Yernest's expression was obviously much more relaxed when he saw it.

Miscellaneous: Random Thoughts

"Eh! At least once a month?"

Misao looked up at me, her eyes suddenly showing that she was about to cry, and she bit her lip.

I always feel like I don’t know when it will collapse.

More than ten days ago during the Lunar New Year holiday, we returned to my hometown in Tengu Village and announced our engagement. Everything is very peaceful now... However, the uneasiness has not been completely eliminated - even though my victory has been blessed by my companions.

"...It's getting dark. Curfew is almost here, so I should go home. I went on a lot of dates today. I went to the 'History of European Jewelry' exhibition at the Ueno Museum of Art, had dinner and saw a live comedy show in Shinjuku, and went shopping in Shibuya and Harajuku."

Misao muttered as she reviewed today's itinerary and let out a small breath. She'd thought it was just a date.