Opportunity
Opportunity
I mulled it over briefly, but the thing I needed to do was already set.
"Wait a moment. I'll check and come back."
"Check?"
"Whether they're nobles or not. We need to figure that out first, right?"
"That's true... but how...?"
They'd been able to charge this far without hesitation because they too thought the kids seemed like nobility, but now the madman in front of them was saying with certainty that he'd check, so they wore faces full of doubt. Sen tilted her head, but since she'd find out soon enough anyway, there was no reason for me to explain. I just crooked a finger for them to follow and walked toward the carriage.
At that, the armored man's expression shifted strangely, perhaps because I'd walked over myself even though I'd told him to bring them when I gave the signal. I decided to focus on the kids for now.
The position of exclusive butler to the young lady of the Ogatorf family wasn't some parachute job I landed through connections, you know? I'd earned it by mobilizing the excellent salesmanship and work sense that a cog in modern society possessed, and after that, thanks to the head butler's steady training, I'd even mastered the art of distinguishing genuine luxury goods that I hadn't known in my past life—so telling fakes from real stuff was nothing to me.
As the distance closed, the state of the kids' clothes came clearly into view, along with their extremely anxious bearing. Still, judging from their faces, they seemed to have been well-fed, and their health looked good.
The boy, who looked much younger than the girl, wore simple clothes, but the style was exactly what nobles wore when attending banquets. But apart from being dirty or torn, the clothes themselves were slightly worn. A noble would never buy secondhand clothes for their child, so unless this kid hadn't grown for years, it was highly likely he'd inherited hand-me-downs from siblings or others.
In contrast, the dress the girl wore was a formal dress of a design that was even fashionable in the capital. The fur coat she had on was crude, but the shawl around her neck was even made of silk. Seeing her still wearing it in decent shape, the claim that they'd been rescued just in time by luck didn't seem false.
But the dress that was supposed to match that shawl was only trendy in style—the fabric itself was utterly ordinary. They were nobles, but likely not very wealthy ones.
"Not only was my greeting delayed due to the lack of composure, but compounded misunderstandings led me to behave rudely. And I apologize for failing to show proper courtesy. I am Eldmia Ega."
When I offered a greeting as smooth as flowing water, following proper etiquette, the girl's eyes began to fill with bewilderment. But only for a moment. The girl, who had been holding the boy, patted his shoulder, set him aside for a moment, and then received my greeting with an unruffled posture.
"I-It is no matter, Sir Ega. It is a relief that the misunderstandings between us have been cleared up, albeit belatedly."
A noble in a situation where it's hard to even dress one child properly was surprisingly common. Especially now, with a war on, nobles tangled up in it could easily be in such straits. And usually, the more impoverished the noble, the stricter they were about honor and etiquette. The way she was so tense yet still produced such crisp, by-the-book manners seemed to prove it.
I didn't know what her aim was, but she was certainly a noble. Though I had no idea why she'd lied about being a noble of Ogwen. I put on the fairy-tale knight smile I'd polished in the Empire and spoke courteously.
"I heard that you are on your way to Ogwen, my lady. As it happens, I too was heading for Ogwen, so I wish to accompany you to your destination."
"Accompany us...?"
Unease crept back into the girl's eyes. If someone who had just slaughtered all the threatening people chasing her and then had been wild-eyed and ready to kill even those who'd rescued her suddenly did an about-face and offered to accompany them, of course she'd be concerned. They didn't have any choice anyway, but for now I decided to make it look like I was seeking her understanding, pretending to respect her, and gain a modicum of trust.
"Perhaps it was by the gods' design, but I have lived in Ogwen since childhood, under the protection of the lord, Baron Beneckt. He is the only noble residing in Ogwen, so you must be a member of Baron Beneckt's family. Now that I have learned a young lady like you is threatened with her life, I wish to help you with all my heart, if only to repay my debt to the Baron."
That was utter nonsense. What protection? My childhood had been entirely under Asilie's protection. Rather, the Baron had been so blinded by worry for his child that he'd turned a blind eye to the vigilantes taking bribes and committing misconduct, and I'd suffered because of it. Well, his only child had volunteered for the dangerous war front, so I could understand that feeling, but...
But by this world's common sense, even just living safe and fed nearby was thanks to the lord's excellence. In that sense, claiming I'd received Baron Beneckt's protection wasn't entirely false.
Anyway, the girl, who still hadn't even revealed who she was, seemed greatly relieved after hearing my lip service. That was a bit unexpected. She didn't seem particularly adept at acting, but she showed no fear that the lie would be exposed even though I'd directly mentioned the Baron.
"You are a truly honorable man. We should properly express our thanks and offer recompense for saving us without concern for our sudden meeting, but the situation is not conducive right now, and I am merely ashamed that I cannot give you a proper reward."
I still didn't know if she really had connections to the Baron, but among plenty of clueless people who'd try to settle things with the mere honor of having rescued a noble, she was a remarkably sensible girl.
"Think nothing of it. As one who seeks to become a knight, I have been taught to strive for honor and justice over material wealth."
"Th-that is a truly excellent teaching. If it is not too impolite, may I ask from which house you received your instruction?"
I didn't miss the color that crept into the girl's voice, which had been subdued and trembling slightly with anxiety. Yes, as expected of a kid who wasn't even twelve yet, she had a fantasy about knights and the like.
"I received brief instruction from the Ogatorf family. As I am to be invested as a wandering knight early next year, I am not yet qualified to discuss chivalry, but I strive to at least not dishonor my own mindset."
"Oh, Ogatorf!"
It was a lie loaded with soul... no, not really. Because from start to finish, it was all fact. Even the part about not being qualified to discuss chivalry was true, and separately, the fact that I tried to act consistently so that my mindset wouldn't shame me in the eyes of others was also true.
I hadn't lied!
Unlike the man in armor, who barely hid a bizarrely twisting expression, the kids completely forgot the initial awkward atmosphere and looked at me with eyes filled with surprise and admiration.
"First, it seems we'll have to travel using the horses those cultists rode. It will be a grueling journey, but are you accustomed to horseback riding?"
"Y-Yes. Riding is a lady's accomplishment, after all."
"A truly excellent attitude. Your diligence in learning has shone through in this crisis. Then, Adventurer? The other two will bring the horses shortly, so please make ready to depart."
"...Yes. Understood."
I shot a covert glare at the armored man, who answered with difficulty while wearing the expression of someone who'd seen something he shouldn't have. After finishing my polite exchange with the kids, I turned around to find Asilie keeping her distance with a strange expression and Sen completely appalled.
"What the fuck. Are you some kind of split personality, noble sir?"
"It's called social skills. Social skills. What split personality?"
If it had been anyone else, I'd have clocked them upside the head, but I kept thinking of Shadow Foot and couldn't bring myself to hit her. Still, Sen, seeing my expression, came to her senses and quickly returned to the main topic while glancing behind me.
"So? Are they nobles? They are nobles, right? Right?"
"They are nobles."
Sen heaved a sigh of relief big enough to sink the ground, but I did wonder whether those kids would have the ability to pay a reward that included the cost of the carriage and horses.
"Wait. 'They are' nobles?"
Sure enough, Sen had sharply caught a reaction that could have easily been overlooked.
"The wealthy may be nobles, but not all nobles can be wealthy. Just looking at their clothes, they probably don't have much money. If they really have ties to Baron Beneckt, that would be different, but I'm no longer sure about that part either."
"Uu, uwaaa... no..."
Of course, they might have been wearing old clothes for travel since the journey to Ogwen would dirty them, but since it was none of my business, I didn't bother mentioning that and just watched Sen despair profusely.
Asilie quietly came to my side and suddenly latched on tightly, linking her arm through mine.
"Huh? Why, big sis?"
"...Eldi, pretending to be a knight is forbidden."
"What? Why?"
"It's making me anxious, I can't stand it. That's forbidden."
Her rare look of sulking and puffing out her cheeks was truly cute, but if this hidden ace was blocked, it would cause a host of difficulties when dealing with nobles, so I couldn't help but be greatly flustered. But for some reason, Asilie's will was utterly firm, and I tried to earn her trust by citing proven cases.
"Hey, big sis? This is a perfect performance that's been proven even in the Empire. At the academy there, the kids who got hooked on my acting weren't just one or two, it was by the whole grade..."
"I think I need to hear that story in a bit more detail."
"...Huh?"
Oblivious as I was, I realized it belatedly.
That cute reaction was jealousy. And that it was by no means as lighthearted as it looked.
In the end, I had to make a vague oath—that I would put on the knight act, but only in a form that wouldn't stir a woman's heart—before I could stop Asilie's sulking.
The big problem remained that I had no idea what form that was, but it seemed I'd dodged the crisis for now, so I decided to think about it later.