Chapter 51
Chapter 51
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: Even a Treacherous Subject Has His Uses
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Alright, Heidi, keep a good watch. Each one of them is a valuable hostage, so don't let your guard down for a second. As I said earlier, if they resist or try to escape, just kill them."
"Yes! Young Master."
After Beonald gave his final instructions and left, Heidi, now alone, kept watch over the bound captives and took time to reflect on the battle that had taken place that day.
p>Despite starting with the advantage of a surprise attack, she was disappointed in her own skill, which hadn't been enough to properly subdue even a single intermediate knight. Even though she had learned a mana breathing method and spear techniques far beyond what she had imagined, she still couldn't win. It was pathetic even to her own mind.
'...I never imagined the gap in experience would be this vast. Then what about Young Master? He should be sixteen this year, right? What is Young Master... could he be something beyond the standard?'
Even while recognizing the huge difference in experience, she couldn't help but feel admiration for Beonald, who was actually younger than her.
Just take the fight earlier. While she was struggling one-on-one, he not only subdued the other knights but also effortlessly took down Sir Vent, who was trying to escape, with his swordsmanship. His overwhelming strength and composure only fueled her growing admiration and her desire to become a warrior like him.
'On top of that, Young Master excels not only in martial prowess but also in knowledge and culture, and he's a perfect noble... Yet he recognized my talent, doesn't rush me... And he even shows consideration for someone like me, who isn't very ladylike... And... he even confessed to me.'
'Truly radiant and beautiful Heidi, if only you would allow it, I wish to become family with you and share all glory and happiness.'
The perfect image of a man that girls Heidi's age would adore.
He even made a direct confession first, so if she just said the word, their relationship could move beyond just that of a retainer and lord.
'But not yet. I'm... not worthy of him.'
It was a situation where he, out of great affection and grace, could accept her, but Heidi felt she wasn't yet sufficient to stand by his side.
She didn't want to just receive his grace while basking in his light; she wanted to be someone who could walk alongside him, sharing hardships and adversity.
'So even though I'm supposed to be on watch, I can't just sit still.'
Clang!
Standing up still in her armor, she gritted her teeth as if regretting even this brief moment of idleness and began swinging her spear.
Recalling the scene of the earlier fight vividly, she resolved to keep striving until the day she could become someone worthy of Beonald's acknowledgment.
Mounted on Alterio, Beonald hurried towards the territory of the Royen Viscountcy and managed to arrive faster than expected.
Perhaps because its body structure was that of a feline predator, running long distances on peaceful roads was slightly slower than a horse, but being originally a griffin that flew and hunted prey, its stamina was exceptional.
Thanks to its endurance, which allowed it to run all through the night without rest, and its mobility, which allowed it to nimbly traverse rugged terrain overgrown with bushes and trees, Beonald didn't have to take a detour and was able to reach the vicinity of the Royen Viscountcy's territory faster than a horse.
Having arrived near the territory in just a single day, he left Alterio to wait in the forest and entered the territory of Viscount Royen alone.
"I've come with a message on Sir Vent's orders."
"This is... Sir Vent's seal? Please come in."
"Thank you."
He easily passed the territory's guards by showing them the seal he had taken from the knights and a forged letter.
Passing straight through the city within the castle walls, he reached the mansion of the Royen Viscountcy, Lady Meira's family home. Similarly, he showed Sir Vent's seal and letter to the guards at the entrance and passed through easily.
'That was easy enough. The problem is the location of Saine's mother...'
'Mother is probably staying in the servants' quarters. The mansion's structure is roughly...'
Saine had told him the likely location of her mother, but as he was disguised as a messenger, he couldn't wander the mansion freely, so Beonald decided to wait for the right timing.
First, to avoid being treated as suspicious, he entered the mansion interior and waited until the Viscount summoned him.
"The Viscount is busy with work right now. If you give me the letter, I'll deliver it."
"Thank you for the offer, but, um... Sir Vent insisted it must be delivered directly. I have a duty to follow that. So I'll wait."
"If that's the case, then so be it. Understood."
"By the way... Excuse me, where is the restroom? The one the servants use, of course... as a matter of course."
Having skillfully conversed with the head butler, Beonald obtained a pretext to finally wander inside the mansion by using the restroom as an excuse.
Then, pretending to look for the servants' restroom, he wandered around. When he spotted a maid around Saine's age, he approached her and cautiously inquired about Saine's mother.
Explaining that he was a messenger from the Callermain territory and had been asked to relay regards to Saine, who worked there, the maid clapped her hands and spoke up.
"Ah~ I see. But Saine's mother isn't here right now."
"Not... here? Then where is she?"
"Well... it's about money and using people. Since it's a matter of using manpower within the mansion, she was entrusted to the temple. The Viscount's wife wasn't too fond of her either."
"...I see. Understood. Then the temple is the temple in this Viscount's territory, right?"
"Yes. She probably wasn't sent somewhere far, right?"
Based on the maid's information, Beonald told the Viscount's butler he would step out for a moment and immediately headed for the temple.
As always, the temple was more like a small house, much smaller than what he usually saw or imagined. Looking at the pure white stone and modest goddess statue, he entered the temple, offered an appropriate amount of donation, said a prayer, and then met with a priest to ask about Saine's mother's whereabouts.
"You're looking for someone entrusted by the Viscount's family?"
"Yes. I came from the Callermain Earldom... I heard an acquaintance's mother was entrusted here."
"Ah, I think I know who you mean. Please wait a moment."
Hearing Beonald's story, the priest hurriedly ran off somewhere.
A long time passed without him returning. Only after about an hour did a younger priestess, wearing a dark expression, approach.
'Don't tell me...?'
"Sorry to keep you waiting. We were checking here and there... Regarding the person you mentioned, the one entrusted by the Viscount's family... she has already passed away. The head priest is currently checking the circumstances and told me to inform you first... Ah! I'll guide you to the grave."
'...Hmm, unfortunate, but from my perspective, this is actually more convenient.'
It was news that would shock Saine to hear, but from Beonald's standpoint, it was more convenient that things turned out this way rather than her potentially being a hostage.
Of course, he could never say that in front of her.
Anyway, following the priestess to the communal cemetery behind the temple, Beonald stood before a small grave located in a corner.
"Here it is."
"Hoo~ Well, this is..."
However, while it was convenient for him, it wasn't that he felt no human regret. Beonald simply gazed at Saine's mother's grave with a sense of pity.
It wasn't even that far away, just a 2-3 day ride on horseback. He wondered if things might have been different if she had at least sent a message through a merchant.
Of course, being a high noble himself, he also thought it was actually normal for nobles not to consider that level of consideration for a mere servant or illegitimate child.
'It was my family that was abnormal. Because of that madman Felix's policies.'
He knew the common sense, but because of Felix's unconventional policies, his family had merely been distant from it. He was well aware of what noble families were truly like.
Anyway, after paying his respects at the grave as a courtesy, while Beonald was pondering what to do next, the male priest he had met earlier approached and handed him something.
"Sorry for the delay. It took time to find the records of the cause of death and the sorted belongings. Here is the necklace she was wearing. And this is her will. She said to give it to her daughter if she ever came... I hope you can deliver it."
"Understood. I'll deliver it."
Having given a generous donation, he received Saine's mother's belongings and will from the priest, who provided good service, and immediately left the temple and the territory.
He felt a complicated mood about this territory, but it was just the typical noble standard, so there was nothing to say about it. He had priorities now, and deciding how to deal with it wasn't his job.
'I'll have to tell Saine honestly. Then I need to prepare to return...'
Returning to Alterio, he first hunted some animals in the vicinity to feed it until it was full, took a short nap, and then returned to the base.
Upon arrival, he checked the condition of the captured knights. It seemed they hadn't been untied from the state he had left them in at all. Blood and excrement they had spilled were left as they were.
And from afar, like a large dog greeting its owner, Heidi came running, kicking up a cloud of dust, her abundant blonde hair flowing.
"You're back! Young Master."
"Yes, you guarded them well."
"Yes! Just as you instructed, I ignored whatever nonsense they said! And left them as they were."
"Good, very well done. They're knights anyway, so they won't die from this, but many people mistakenly think they're ordinary humans, treat them humanely, and end up showing a gap. Anyway, I'm glad you're safe."
At Beonald's praise, Heidi blushed like a girl her age and beamed with joy.
She seemed to be looking for something, and Beonald, quick on the uptake, quickly realized what this type wanted and gently raised his hand to pat her head.
As expected, she seemed very satisfied with Beonald's touch.
"Th-thank you... really."
'The faster a child grows, the more severe their lack of affection tends to be. Their mind matures regardless of their appearance, but their parents let go too quickly...'
Beonald knew well that this often happened with children like Heidi, who suddenly grew rapidly beyond their age, even if they received the same love when they were younger.
Having had extensive experience with women, enough to keep numerous wives and concubines by his side, and having fathered an enormous number of children, he was also rich in experience as a father.
Especially since he suffered under a father like Felix, who only saw his children as candidates for succession, his love for his children was quite deep.
'But that... Alterio ruined it all. Speaking of which, what happened to my other children? Hoo~ Betia... Charlen, Delcross, Epsol, Jered... Erant, Seyon, Yorkran... and......'
"Young Master? Is something wrong? Your expression..."
"Ah! It's nothing. Anyway, now we need to proceed with the proper transaction, so let's first do something about the state of those knights. Being covered in filth is a bit much. I'll help too."
Snapping out of his thoughts about his children from long ago at Heidi's words, Beonald quickly composed his emotions and decided to do what needed to be done with her.
First, since they had been left for about a day and a night and were in a terrible state, he roughly washed the knights by dunking them in the river like a form of water torture, then pulled them out, letting them only drink some water.
After treating their wounds and restraining them again, he left them with Heidi and Alterio and returned alone to the Callermain Earldom to find Saine.