Chapter 100
Chapter 100
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 100
Chapter Title: Erich's Pursuit
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As expected, Erich coldly cornered Count Dvayer.
"You're trying to act like you're doing us a favor for something that should be taken for granted."
He wasn't wrong.
To be honest, if Count Dvayer had drawn the line appropriately, the friendly polo match would have stayed just that—a friendly match.
But because the count, their superior, turned a blind eye, the knights from the Dvayer county had gone too far.
Treatment was something the Dvayer side should naturally handle, yet here he was talking like he was bestowing some great benevolence.
"What do you want me to do?"
When Erich, who was like a son to him in age, didn't back down easily, it seemed to wound the count's pride.
Even as the count's face hardened and he glared with fierce eyes, Erich didn't so much as twitch an eyebrow.
Gazing steadily at the count, he elegantly opened his mouth.
"Please ensure that everyone from the Morten Trading Company cannot leave the county during the audit period."
"What? Do you have any idea how massive the losses would be? What about the pre-arranged trade caravans?"
"The knight who just injured his knee nearly lost that same knee in the Holy War before."
Count Dvayer glanced briefly at Peter.
"If you've committed an act that could end a knight's life against a war hero, then you should bear that level of loss."
"I-It wasn't intentional; it was an accident..."
"Is that so? Then, in exchange for detaining the Morten Trading Company members in the county for a while, I'll ask for the wrists of the knight responsible for the accident."
"What?"
The spectator stands were packed with knights.
On the day of the mounted training exhibition, even the squires were crammed in tightly.
In such a place, he couldn't possibly issue an order to chop off his subordinate's wrists, so Count Dvayer bit his lip hard.
Finally suppressing his anger, he replied as if he had no choice.
"...I can't do it for the entire audit period because of important trade matters. I'll issue a separate order preventing them from leaving the county for one week."
"Understood. We will gladly accept the count's apology."
Erich accepted the count's surrender with annoyingly crisp efficiency.
It seemed he had never intended to hold them for the full audit period from the start.
Confidence emanated from Erich that just one week would be enough to uncover most of the evidence.
Peter decided to receive treatment at the temple in the Dvayer county.
The priests assigned to his care were all high-ranking ones.
The two other knights who had injured their waists in the fall from their horses were also assigned to high-ranking priests and took the rooms next to Peter's.
Gilla, whose fingers on the hand gripping the reins had broken, opted for outpatient treatment.
With four of the fifteen elite escort knights she'd brought laid up like that, her mind was deeply troubled.
Peter's knee has been through so much ordeal in so many ways.
First from the Holy War, and now this polo match.
According to the priests, it was just a hairline fracture in the bone, so with rest and proper treatment, it would heal quickly.
She'd been worried because it was the knee he always complained of pain from, but fortunately, it was in better shape than feared—a silver lining.
"Where are you headed?"
As I walked down the corridor, Lavinia sidled up behind me stealthily.
"Going to visit the knights in the hospital."
"Oh? Then I'll come too."
"You too?"
"Why are you looking at me like that? I got pretty close to your knights while they were escorting me all this way."
Seeing her utterly innocent expression finally brought a smile to my face.
She must have taken that as permission because Lavinia quickly changed into her outing clothes and hopped into the carriage with me.
The carriage we boarded headed not to the hospital, but toward the shopping district first.
"Why are we going this way?"
"We should at least bring some get-well gifts. Since they're all bone issues, no food restrictions, so I figured we'd pick up some treats."
"I overheard the maids saying the chocolates at the permanent market are amazing. And the dried, pickled jujubes that only grow in the west are supposed to be delicious too."
"Oh?"
"Especially the ones shaped like Lewishi—they stuff them full of sweet jam inside, apparently?"
Her eyes sparkled as she gazed at me, clearly entranced just imagining it.
Lewishi?
What was Lewishi again?
Lavinia, watching my face as I racked my brain, gave me a pitying look like I was the world's biggest fool and patted my head.
"Lewishi is a monster's name, little cousin."
That jogged my memory.
Lewishi were tiny magical beasts even smaller than fingernails, famous enough to be nicknamed "clowns" for their beautiful colors.
They had shiny exoskeletons mixed with green and red, or so it was said.
"But why make chocolates shaped like those monsters?"
"The area around the Dvayer county is famous for Lewishi swarms. Almost all wiped out now, only two left."
"Still, monster-shaped chocolates feel a bit off."
Lavinia laughed at my dubious expression and continued her explanation with glee.
Her face lit up with excitement, as expected from someone who knew everything about magical beasts.
"It's because of a legend passed down in the county. You don't know it?"
"What legend?"
"A devout woodcutter who desperately prayed to get married. One day, while in the mountains, he found a beautiful woman with red hair collapsed."
"And?"
"He nursed her back to health, they fell in love, and got married. But strangely, his wife would disappear every night."
Why... why is she telling it in such a creepy tone?
I scooted closer to Lavinia. Definitely not because I was scared.
"So one day, the husband secretly follows her. And there, near the lake where they first met, she turns around abruptly!"
"D-Don't shove your face in like that! You scared me!"
"The moment their eyes meet, her body scatters like a lie, turning into hundreds of Lewishi fleeing from the moonlight."
"And?"
"What 'and'? He never saw his wife again after that and just cried every day."
Classic folktale.
I vaguely remembered hearing similar stories back in Korea.
"It's called the Lewishi Beauty Legend, pretty famous. So in the Dvayer county, Lewishi symbolize beauty."
"And they make Lewishi-shaped chocolates to commemorate that?"
"Yeah. The place is famous for delicious chocolates anyway, so two birds with one stone?"
"How do you know all this?"
"My father loves chocolate. Mother nagged me several times to make sure I bring some back."
Makes sense.
Recalling her excessively lovey-dovey parents, Lavinia leaned back with a slightly weary expression.
While we chatted idly, the carriage arrived at the entrance to the permanent market.
We'd come in slightly modest attire to blend in, so the two of us got out, linked arms, and slowly wove through the crowd.
Our escort knights followed at a distance to avoid standing out.
"Look at this, Mariella! The Lewishi chocolates I was talking about!"
Spotting the monster-shaped chocolates piled high in the glass display case, Lavinia bounced excitedly and rushed over.
But she soon deflated in disappointment.
"Aw, they just borrowed the name."
"Why? What's wrong?"
"They didn't bother with the legs or antennae. Just took the pretty wings and made them all round and cute. I got my hopes up for nothing."
Of course... normal people wouldn't want to eat chocolates with detailed legs and antennae like a cockroach-lookalike monster.
Probably only Lavinia would be disappointed by the lack of those.
The chocolates, with raspberries embedded like gems to mimic the Lewishi's distinctive red patterns, looked quite appetizing.
These would make fine gifts.
Our knights all liked chocolate anyway.
As I thought that and moved to enter the large confectionery shop selling them, someone suddenly popped out from the side, blocking our path.
I barely stopped the knights from reflexively attacking, and then...
A lion costume?
"Beautiful young ladies! Hear me out before you go!"
The lion mascot blocking our way shook its body with a bouncy rhythm, speaking in an oddly catchy tone.
Was this what they called street performance advertising?