Abandoned Retired Warrior Decides to Return to Farming

Not a single ray of light enters the imperial dungeon.

All they could see were the guards and prisoners on the other side of the iron bars, and whenever they saw Saint Aerith, they always touched her underside and threw sticky eyes.

All the prisoners there had their wrists and ankles chained to the wall and had to pick up food with dirty hands, even when eating.

The hard pieces of bread that barely got into their mouths were not for savoring the taste, but only to fill their stomachs for living.

And that Saint Aerith was no exception.

In the agony of being pressed down by the damp air for 24 hours, she picked up a piece of bread and swallowed it.

No matter how hard I tried to have hope, this kind of life and environment made it even more difficult.

If there was a hell, would it be this place? Under the blessing of the Goddess, there was such a land full of malice.

Aerith couldn’t quite comprehend the situation.

‘Why am I stuck here? Damn, when can we get out of here?’

I’ll take it out soon. The teacher and others will clear up any misunderstandings.

At the very least, Lowe felt guilty of conscience and believed he would tell the truth.

So the first week was tolerable.

Even after two weeks had passed, I believed that this was also an ordeal, and I believed that if I waited a little longer, someone would take it out.

Whether it’s a goddess or whoever it is.

But as a month passed, her mind was quickly gnawing at her.

My patience had already run out, and my hopes began to be crushed by the fear that I would never come out of this underground again.

Unable to bear the pain, she was muttering to herself, harming herself.

“Why I, why I, why I, why, why, what did I do…”

There was no one else in the grate that looked like the saint who everyone served.

The torn hair was torn as if it had been ripped through by a rat, and traces of self-inflicted wounds remained all over the body.

It was a time when I was gradually becoming more and more like a prisoner here.

“Oh my, I was curious to see what the situation was, so I came down to see it and tried all the rare sights.”

In front of her, someone came to visit her.

It wasn’t the low-pitched laughter of the guards and prisoners I always heard, but the voice of a woman who didn’t suit this place.

Aerith slowly raised her head and looked up at the owner of the voice.

There stood Princess Aurelia, the imprisoned one and the hero of the Empire.

And in that moment, Aerith’s eyes, seeing her like that, were filled with hope and anticipation.

Seeing her like that, Aurelia secretly laughed at her.

“how about it. Do you want to live there? If you feel uncomfortable anywhere, don’t put up with it and tell the guards.”

“Hey, when can I get out of here?”

Aerith asked in a desperate voice.

The rumor that the princess came directly to you, maybe you will be able to get out of here soon.

Watching the sunlight coming through the cracks in the prison door opened after a month, I put such a longing for a moment,

“Fufu, well.”

Aurelia’s ridiculed voice quickly extinguished that hope.

Seeing the disappointed Aerith, she giggled.

“I just came to see you. It suddenly came to my mind.”

“Oh, Princess Aurelia. I haven’t really sinned. It’s a misunderstanding that I colluded with the demons…”

“Aerith.”

Aurelia interrupted her desperate protest.

“It doesn’t matter.”

“······yes?”

Then, with a small smile, he put his finger to his mouth.

“It doesn’t matter what you say. Because I don’t want to listen anyway.”

“Hey, what is that…”

“The important thing is that this country will soon be in my hands. And you who are stepping on this land are also mine. Even if it’s that good-looking saint.”

Hearing those words, Aerith’s eyes filled with despair.

oh There was no misunderstanding from the beginning.

Even so, self-helpful laughter leaked out at the fact that he was able to go out again if he proved his innocence.

It was a moment when the support of the heart that had been barely holding up collapsed in an instant.

“Or how about praying to that handsome goddess? Oh, one arm is gone, so you can’t do it anymore?”

“·······Whew.”

Contrary to her crying, Aurelia smiled brightly and got up.

She swept back the blonde hair that had rested on her shoulder and waved her hand to Aerith.

“Ah, it was good that you came to see me. If you remember, I will come to play again, so you know.”

As she went out without any regrets, the light that had come in was blocked again.

Darkness descended again. But unlike before, there was no longer any glimmer of hope.

Now I can’t get out of this place again.

Maybe, for the rest of my life…

This harsh truth was enough to ruin her.

“Keep, black… uh, uh…”

Only her weeping scream echoed somewhere deep underground.

*

When she opened her eyes, she saw an unfamiliar ceiling, Aerith rubbed her eyes with that thought.

She smiled bitterly when she saw that she was now in a soft bed.

cold floor. cold bread slices. gazes of malice. As such, there were no things that bothered him here now.

This is no longer a prison. Even though I knew for sure, the nightmare I had just had was not easily forgotten.

“Whoa….”

The Empire’s Dungeon. Hygiene and life there were the worst, but what drove her crazy was her hopeless days and betrayal of her faith.

So she still couldn’t understand. Why did he frame himself that unfairly, and why did Aurelia hate him so much?

It was the best thing he could do right now to let out the frustration with a sigh.

“By the way, a week has already passed.”

Aerith muttered as she watched the sunlight seeping through the cracks in the window.

It’s been a week since I came to this village, a long and short time in some ways, but many changes have occurred in this village during that time.

First of all, Aerith’s mind and body have noticeably improved. And the fact that the villagers accepted her as normal was the most positive change for her.

And she knew that it was all thanks to the neighbor who lived next door.

So, she tried to repay the favor in her own way.

“What kind of side dish should I bring today?”

She looked at the empty barrel and thought.

Since coming to this village, she has been giving Cael a side dish she has made every day.

At first, Kael refused, saying it was okay, but she insisted that this was not enough.

In fact, when she returned later, she was planning to repay the favor properly.

“Then will you wake up soon?”

It was still early in the morning, but the diligence she had in her days at the church woke her up.

Also, knowing that Cael’s diet focused on meat, she ignited her own motivation.

As Aerith was ready and it was time to leave the house, it was time to hear the farmers at work.

Then, the villagers who saw her came out and greeted her warmly.

“Oh, good morning. Lady.”

“Come to our store to play later. We will provide a lot of service!”

“Wow, my sister-in-law. Are you going to visit our secret base today?”

“I think this old man is also lucky to have seen St. Mary early in the morning. May God’s grace be with you today.”

From children to the elderly, people of all ages who saw her approached her first.

It had only been a week, but she was already being accepted as a villager.

Considering that even the warrior Kael took several months, it was a part where we could guess her personality.

Aerith also answered the villagers with a bright smile.

‘It’s a nice place.’

quiet village. Unlike the imperial capital, the facilities and environment were insufficient, but this peace was more than enough to fill them all.

Besides, the faces of everyone passing by were bright, so Aerith herself had forgotten the trauma of the nightmare.

“Then, is Kael still sleeping?”

Even if you’re sleeping, it’s right next door, so you can come back later.

Someone was walking in front of her as she was about to take a cheap side dish in her arms.

“ah······.”

A familiar face, but Aerith let out a sigh as she looked at her opponent.

loose hair. A white dress drenched in manure. Dark circles were deeply set in the eye pit, and a woman who had lost focus on her eyes was wandering aimlessly with limp footsteps.

The woman who could be called a mountain pine tree was none other than Serin.

An elf princess and one of the heroes recognized as a hero. There was hardly anyone on this continent who did not know her achievements and honor.

In particular, her beauty that makes any man fall in love with her was the biggest attraction and strength, but now she was nowhere to be found.

“·················ogue.”

Aerith saw her and had mixed feelings.

It is true that she tried to harm herself, but as a woman who served the goddess, it was difficult to just hate her.

Because I learned to help someone who is having a hard time in front of me. Even if that person is an enemy.

So Aerith healed her ankle that was cut off by Cael that night.

Of course, even with divine power under the protection of the goddess, it could not be completely cured.

A solid line remained at the ankle joint, and it was not possible to move properly.

Far from fighting or dancing, she was no longer able to walk properly in everyday life.

But even as she passed, there was no one to help.

Each step was a dangerous step, but everyone avoided her.

I’ve already heard everything from Cael, and there’s no reason why the villagers who are on the side of him and the saint look down on Serin.

because there was no

“I can’t forgive you. Kael, as much as you, I…”

limp. limp.

Serin, who was muttering with her head bowed, limped towards her.

After a while, she stopped in front of Aerith and slowly raised her head.

Serin’s eyes, which were as beautiful as jewels soaked in seawater, suddenly became cloudy.

“I…Se, Serin-sama. Are you feeling better?”

“·················ogue.”

I called carefully, but there was no answer.

Just silently staring at Aerith with raised eyes for tens of seconds,

hard-

Serin, recognizing the opponent in front of her, bit her lip to the point of bleeding.