The Boy Who Carried a Beast
The boy who arrived carrying the massive carcass of a beast on his back possessed an impressive presence. The corpse, several times larger than his own body, seemed to weigh nothing at all. His perfectly balanced stance carried the relaxed confidence of a seasoned knight. How could anyone claim this was still just an unsworn fledgling?
Orldette’s eyes gleamed with cunning as she looked Mathias up and down. Then she stepped directly into his path as he entered the mansion.
“Hello.”
“……”
When his indifferent, almost bored gaze met hers, she felt a shiver run through her.
“……You really do have quite the face.”
She had chosen the most modest words possible, but the truth was far beyond “quite.” He was more beautiful than her fiancé, Joslyn, whose looks were famous throughout high society.
No wonder the servants had made such a fuss. His worn plate armor and completely unkempt hair did nothing to diminish him. If anything, the disheveled appearance only highlighted his striking features. A true jewel shines no matter how hard it pretends to be a mere stone—and Mathias was exactly that.
She had heard he was a scrawny boy from the slums who had grown up half-starved, so she had imagined a pitiful frame. Instead, he was far taller and broader than she expected. His wide shoulders, narrow waist, and long legs formed a naturally excellent silhouette.
Considering he was still in his growth period, he would only get taller. Once he became a proper knight and began rigorous training, his body would grow even more solid. It was obvious he would eventually possess a magnificent physique to match that flawless face.
“Are you mute? Why don’t you speak? Where did you learn such rude manners, making someone uncomfortable right to their face?”
The boy, who had been quietly staring at Orldette, gave a small laugh. It was not a friendly smile, but a clear sneer laced with annoyance.
“What is your business?”
“Don’t you know who I am?”
“Must I?”
His arrogant and curt attitude should have been unpleasant, yet somehow it only came across as endearing thanks to his perfect appearance.
“I am Orldette. Your master’s younger sister.”
Paying no mind to his apathetic stare, Orldette gently wrapped her arm around his.
“I heard my sister brought you here. You saved her when she was in danger, didn’t you? Thank you. Since you saved my sister, you’re my benefactor too.”
“……”
“I was curious about you, but I’m glad you’re even more impressive than I imagined. It’s reassuring to know someone like you is by my sister’s side. And honestly, I’m a little jealous. What kind of luck did she have to pick up such a well-mannered boy?”
Her full breasts pressed against his arm. Under normal circumstances, this was the point where any man would lose his senses and grow tense. The younger the boy, the less experience he had with women, the more sensitive he would be to the soft touch and visual stimulus of such yielding flesh.
Yet the boy, who should have been at the peak of youthful vigor, didn’t move a muscle. Instead of blushing like other men or being unable to tear his eyes away from her pale, voluptuous chest, he simply looked thoroughly irritated.
Faced with this reaction, Orldette was the one who flushed with embarrassment.
“If you have no business with me, I’ll be going.”
With that businesslike reply that showed not the slightest interest in her, he turned away without hesitation.
Orldette stared after his retreating back with a stunned expression. Only when she realized she had been completely rejected did she slowly adjust her clothes. The cleavage she had deliberately exposed vanished completely.
The gatekeeper, who had been sneaking glances at her breasts, lowered his head with a mixture of regret and relief.
“……What an unpleasant and arrogant child. He truly takes after his master.”
“His personality is strange. They say he only follows the eldest young lady. I heard he doesn’t exchange a single word with anyone else.”
“Is that so? Should I consider that fortunate, then? At least he spoke a few words to me.”
She turned away, her face now composed into a calm mask despite the humiliation burning beneath it. Though she appeared perfectly composed, she couldn’t stop the trembling in her fingertips from the rage boiling inside her.
How dare he.
She had no immunity to rejection. Men—whether married or single—always desired her. Even men with wives, fiancées, or lovers surrendered easily before her beauty.
Therefore, there was no man in the world she could not claim if she set her mind to it. Not even if that man were the old king himself.
In her philosophy, a man’s brain was not in his head but between his legs. And the brain between a man’s legs was consistently weak to instinct. Countless experiences had proven this.
But what was that arrogant brat? Too young? No, his age was precisely when youthful vigor burned hottest. It was the age when rapid physical changes brought intense curiosity about sex.
Is he simply incapable of performing as a man, or does he prefer men? Then why does he follow Odeliana?
Whatever the reason, being treated as beneath Odeliana filled Orldette with disgust. She swallowed the rising humiliation. Both master and servant were equally unpleasant, yet for the first time in a while, her competitive spirit had been ignited. After all, fruit that was difficult to obtain always tasted sweeter. Orldette decided she would claim that appetizing boy by any means necessary.
I’ll need to prepare an aphrodisiac.
I will take that boy.
* * *
The news that Orldette had personally gone out to greet Mathias reached Odeliana through Malena. She had expected it from the moment Orldette showed interest in him, but the swiftness of her sister’s actions was impressive in more ways than one. It seemed she really intended to roll around with that child.
How could she even consider taking an underage boy who hadn’t finished growing? Her trash-like way of thinking was both shocking and appalling. A fully grown adult lusting after a boy who hadn’t even had his coming-of-age ceremony. It was clear that even in the mind of a woman revered as a saint, not the slightest trace of moral decency existed.
Still, it’s fortunate that Mathias regards women like stones.
For a brief moment, Odeliana felt refreshed by the way Mathias had ignored Orldette to her face. But her expression soon clouded over with concern.
“It seems he stopped by the kitchen. They say he brought back the carcass of a probe beast. He handed it over so the kitchen could serve you probe meat, my lady.”
“……A probe? That’s a mid-class beast, isn’t it? You’re saying he carried that huge thing all by himself?”
“Yes. The carcass hadn’t even been dismantled, so the head chef is apparently overjoyed.”
“Probe meat is an extremely high-quality ingredient, after all.”
Even byproducts from low-class beasts fetched high prices at auction. How much more valuable would a mid-class probe—one of the finest delicacies—be? Probe meat was famous for being softer than fish and more flavorful than beef.
It was an ingredient countless gourmets desperately longed to taste. Because probes were so rare, whenever one appeared at auction, each cut was priced at astronomical sums. Not only prominent nobles and wealthy merchants, but even the royal family frequently participated. The most delicious belly meat usually ended up in the king’s mouth after the royal family used both money and power to claim it.
“Probes rarely appear in summer, yet this one showed up near civilian homes and began devouring people. The death toll alone exceeded fifty.”
“Still, that’s relatively few casualties. It must have been subdued quickly.”
“Yes. But that infamous probe happened to attack a village near Laero Mountain right when the knight examination was taking place. The test was suspended so they could deal with the probe first. Everyone was gathering specialized equipment and arming themselves in preparation, but one boy left the camp on his own and returned with the probe’s carcass.”
“……And that boy was Mathias?”
“Yes. When asked why he left the camp without permission, he apparently answered that the delay in the exam was annoying. He said he wanted to finish the test quickly and go home, so he took care of the probe and came back.”
“Where did you hear all this?”
“The escort knights guarding this place were talking about it. It seems the rumor has already spread like wildfire among the knights.”
“So the rumor arrived before the person himself.”
She hadn’t told him to become famous, yet he was already making a name for himself. As expected, those destined to become heroes stood out no matter where they were placed.
“It seems the protagonist of the story has arrived. You can hear the details from him directly.”
Malena rose at the sound of approaching footsteps and discreetly left the room.
Left alone, Odeliana grew tense as she listened to the two exchanging greetings outside. Malena and Mathias exchanged an almost embarrassingly brief greeting. The footsteps that had paused drew right up to the door.
Soon the door opened. Odeliana, seated and leaning against the back of her chair, welcomed the boy who entered.
“Welcome back, Mathias.”
Her throat was dry from nervousness, making her voice hoarse.
Because he wore plate armor, every step produced a metallic clank.
“……”
Their reunion after a month should have been joyful, yet an awkward silence hung between them. The warm, affectionate disciple she remembered was gone. In his place stood a frighteningly rigid Mathias.
His cold gaze was fixed on her leg, which was wrapped tightly in bandages.