Chapter 93
Chapter 93
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 93
Chapter Title: Chapter 19: Interest Should Compound (3)
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In Bihar, it was customary for the captain to lead the knights from the main family, while the vice-captains oversaw those dispatched to branch families.
Accordingly, Third Vice-Captain Silvia Perrota had been in charge of the knights dispatched to Habon under Rashar for the past two years or so.
Today, after finishing her routine duties no different from usual, Silvia was heading to the mansion to meet Rashar when she suddenly stopped in her tracks.
It was because she spotted Kay approaching from the opposite direction, against the backdrop of the darkening sky.
Upon closer inspection, his gear and clothes were stained with black blood, as if he'd just returned from the contaminated zone.
"He's really diligent."
Kay, whom she'd been observing for nearly a month now, was a foreigner who lived an extraordinarily industrious life.
He seemed to divide his 24 hours into minute-by-minute segments.
Silvia had never seen him waste time.
"Even his rest is scheduled. First time I've seen someone like that."
That diligence extended to ironclad self-discipline.
Watching his daily routine made even Silvia, who had lived diligently her whole life training tirelessly, click her tongue in admiration.
Today, too, it looked like he'd been out hunting diligently in the contaminated zone.
She stood still for a moment, observing him.
"Hm?"
Just then, Kay, who had been massaging his tired neck and trapezius muscles as he approached the mansion, noticed Silvia.
"Oh, hello."
"...Hello, Kay."
"Are you on your way to see Rashar?"
"Yes, I have a report to make."
"Perfect timing. I was heading up myself, so we could go toge..."
As usual, Kay started off smoothly, greeting her first, but then trailed off.
"Ah, looks like I can't go with you after all."
She nearly sighed when she saw where his gaze landed, one corner of his mouth curling up slyly.
That familiar back of the head, with a couple of knights beside him.
"Allens Hogel."
He was the very person Kay had been heatedly pursuing these past few days.
Perhaps sensing Kay's persistent stare, Allens suddenly turned around, spotted Kay and Silvia, and flinched, his shoulders trembling.
He looked noticeably haggard these past few days, tormented as he was.
Silvia felt a pang of complicated emotions watching him, but she turned her head without showing any reaction.
Instead of getting involved, she decided to leave the scene as quickly as possible.
"Then I'll head in first."
"Yes, see you tomorrow."
No sooner had she finished her hurried farewell and turned her back on Kay than...
"Uwaaah!"
Allens's scream was followed by a now-familiar laugh.
She wanted to ignore it, but couldn't help glancing back.
Finally turning around, Silvia confirmed Allens drenched head to toe in black ink.
"...Ink today, huh."
Mud the day before yesterday, rotten eggs yesterday—today it was a different kind again.
"When did he even prepare that?"
Truly diligent in the most pointless ways.
Silvia shook her head in dismay.
Over the past few days, Kay had been doggedly tailing Allens.
Not just throwing horse dung, but even sneaking into the knights' quarters to dump filth in his room.
"Uwaaaah! Just stop already, for real!"
"Come on, what did I even do?"
Of course, Silvia had merely observed it all.
Rashar had ordered her not to intervene in their affairs.
From what she'd heard, Allens had picked a fight with Kay first.
When she heard that, Silvia had intended to formally punish Allens.
Kay had stopped her.
-They're not trying to undermine order or anything. I'm just venting because I'm pissed.
-I'm not saying overlook it entirely, just for about a month?
-Wait until New Year's? I'll let it go after I've vented enough.
At the time, those words had given her a slight dislike for this Kay fellow.
But now that she understood the meaning of that month, it was different.
'Walter is a fine talent.'
Being punished as a squire versus after being knighted.
Obviously, the latter was better.
'If he's expelled as a squire, he'll never get knighted for life.'
Now that she knew Kay's "month" was buying time to protect Walter.
Silvia felt considerable fondness for Kay.
But what was right in front of her eyes...
"Come on, let's go together, yeah?"
Was Kay, casually pursuing Allens and squirting ink at the back of his head.
Silvia turned away with a complicated expression.
Over the past few days, she'd glimpsed Kay's petty and obsessive side.
It wasn't a great look, yet her opinion of him hadn't soured much.
One reason was the young apprentice servant squatting in the corner of the hall, in the passage where servants passed through.
"That's weird... He should be back by now."
Spotting the child on her way up the stairs, Silvia approached.
"Waiting for Sir Kay?"
When she spoke, the child, who had been fiddling with his fingers on the floor, jumped to his feet.
He looked flustered, but pretending not to notice, she got the info on who he was waiting for.
"He went toward the knights' quarters."
For a moment, the boy eyed her warily, as if she were intimidating.
"Th-thank you!"
Clutching a paper bag nearly as big as his head, he dashed off in the direction she'd indicated.
That bag surely held cookies or bread—some snack for Kay.
She didn't know the exact details, but none of the children in the mansion disliked Kay.
'Just from that, you can tell he's not a bad person at heart.'
If he were truly rotten, the kids wouldn't go out of their way to look after him.
Silvia gazed after the apprentice servant for a while before resuming her steps.
She'd been heading to report to Rashar in the first place.
She couldn't keep delaying for other matters.
'With the resistance disbanded, things are chaotic.'
Thanks to Rashar granting autonomy, some Bennett family knights had been assigned to support the forces reorganizing around the church.
Silvia was on her way to Rashar's office to submit the related roster.
But today seemed like an unlucky day.
Before reaching the office, she ran into Centler hurrying down.
"Ah, Lady Perrota."
"Butler, is something urgent?"
"Since Sir Kay has returned, I'm on my way to greet him."
Silvia's gaze instinctively turned backward.
She was struck again by how many people sought Kay out.
"He might be at the training grounds or the quarters."
She omitted that he was relentlessly tormenting Allens there.
His actions over the past few days had been consistent; he'd figure it out without her saying.
"Ah, do you know where he is?"
"Yes, I just saw him."
"Good, thank you. A guest is arriving soon, so I must go."
"Yes, take care."
Centler brushed past her before she even finished speaking.
Left alone, Silvia watched his back and tilted her head.
'A guest?'
Who would visit him at this late hour, with the sun long set?
* * *
Today, as usual, while paying Allens his compound interest, Centler came looking for me.
"A guest?"
He informed me that a guest was coming to meet me.
Before I could ask who, a booming voice rang out.
"Foreigner!"
For a moment, it felt like the ground was shaking.
It wasn't actually, but I couldn't keep my balance.
Not just me—most people on the training grounds staggered.
It was like the foundation of my body was quaking.
Wondering what was happening, I looked around and froze.
"Indeed, what a peculiar scent."
The first thing that caught my eye was a black nose, followed by brilliant blue eyes.
They were clearly blue, yet an eerie heat flickered within.
It felt like staring into the eyes of a beast eyeing its prey.
I couldn't twitch a finger in front of him.
Fortunately, it didn't last long.
"Lord Horpe, you've arrived."
Centler inserted himself between me and the blue eyes.
That let me learn the identity of this sudden intruder.
'The king of the beastmen, Horpe?'
Certainly, his appearance resembled the two beastmen I'd seen.
Aside from slight differences in stripe patterns and hair color, he had all the features of a tiger tribe beastman.
If it wasn't a namesake, this man really was their king.
'Why is the leader of an entire race here?'
No sooner had the question arisen than Horpe shoved Centler aside and spoke.
"Step aside. I only have business with the foreigner."
Clearing the obstacle of Centler, he thrust his hand straight toward me.
"I'll take some too."
Even without an object stated, his firmly extended hand made it clear.
Something worth this person—who surely hadn't known I existed—coming personally to demand.
'Catnip.'
What else would a tiger tribe beastman want from me?
Seeing him demand it so openly, the rumor must have spread among them.
No need to wonder where it started.
"Over there! That's him! Kay!"
"Yeah, yeah, Kay."
Belta, approaching while cradling Velta, was likely ground zero for that rumor.
'Probably Horpe caught a whiff of the catnip he had.'
I glanced over the three tiger beastmen and clicked my tongue inwardly.
'Not a single one shows up on mana detection.'
It wasn't just the tiger beastmen.
Most people on the training grounds registered as faintly misty mana.
'It wasn't like this the first day...'
Had something gone wrong with my mana detection spell?
Mulling it over, I scanned Horpe.
He still had his hand stuck out firmly.
'Is this what they call marching to his own beat...'
Every time I met tiger beastmen, we never had a normal introduction.
I'd met three, and all three times, I'd learned their names through others.
It was absurd at first, but then it made sense.
They didn't need introductions.
'They identify by scent first.'
Belta, Breche, and now Horpe.
All had confirmed me through smell.
They could distinguish each other without names.
Unlike humans, who affirm existence by exchanging names, their way of interacting with others was different.
'The concept of introduction probably doesn't exist for them.'
I felt like I understood tiger beastmen a tiny bit.
"Got any?"
Just then, Horpe urged for the catnip, hand still out.
Instead of giving him what he wanted, I extended my empty hand and said.
Damn system