Chapter 103
Chapter 103
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 103
Chapter Title: Somewhere Between the Black Flame Dragon and the Blackened One
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“...”
“...”
“...”
“Jimmy.”
“J-Jimmy Faker!”
At the automatic response, Sion had to emphasize once more that this wasn’t the army.
He’d visited so often because the kid was so intimidated by him, narrowing the distance between them little by little. The guy who used to reply with “Yes, that’s right!” or “Is that so!” to Sion’s jokes had even started laughing lately, so Sion thought they’d grown close.
But now, riding in this ridiculously luxurious carriage, surrounded by knights who were intimidating just to approach, Jimmy seemed to have suddenly remembered that the man sitting across from him was the heir to the Claussen Margrave Territory and the next Claussen Margrave.
“Why are you so tense?”
“I-I’m not tense!”
“...”
He claims he’s not tense.
Fine, whatever.
If he says he’s not, Sion couldn’t exactly pry. He decided to let it go there.
Shrugging his shoulders, Sion glanced to his side.
There sat Lilite, hood pulled over her head, eavesdropping on the situation and snickering away. She was half-reclined, half-sitting in her spot.
Lilite had warned that a fledgling like Jimmy might keel over if he saw her true form—knights might handle it, but not him—so Sion had yanked the hood over her head.
‘Ah, why!
Don’t you want that guy falling for me?’
‘There are good reasons for it.
If you don’t behave and keep the hood on, I’ll lavish affection on Rishi next.’
‘Wow.
Now you’re blackmailing me with nighttime fun?
I never thought you’d stoop so low.’
‘So, you won’t wear it?’
‘Of course I will!
Hand it over!
It’s only natural!’
Lilite had apparently tossed aside any pride and was now focused solely on satisfying her immediate cravings.
With rivals multiplying and Sion still just an utterly ordinary human guy, she was anxious about when she’d next get her fill.
“Rishi.”
Sion called out to the female knight riding alongside the carriage window.
At that, Rishida tilted her horse’s head slightly sideways and drew up beside the carriage.
“Yes, Master.”
“How much farther to the village?”
“...We’re almost there.
Has anything been inconvenient for you?”
“As if.”
For reference, it took about an hour from the lord’s castle to the village where Jimmy lived.
They could’ve shortened it by galloping full speed, but there was no need, so everyone was moving as slowly as possible.
“Tell me before we arrive.
We don’t want to scare the villagers.”
It wasn’t full armor, but armed men on horseback approaching the village would naturally stir fear among them.
Rishida nodded admiringly, as if to say, ‘As expected of Master. He thinks of all the territory’s people.’
In truth, it was a precaution to minimize damage in case Trisha had already gone rotten.
‘Alright, time to scope out the mark?’
It was a bit late, but this was the best Sion could do.
When Jimmy was nearby, the guy was in such rough shape that Sion couldn’t exactly ask, ‘How many in your family?
Oh, parents are gone, just a little sister?
How’s she doing?
Pretty?
Cute?’
And whenever Jimmy’s condition improved, Sion himself was off gallivanting—king’s castle this, Konean Viscount that—dragging incidents everywhere.
“Hm.
Jimmy Faker.
I’m asking this out of pure curiosity, so don’t feel burdened or anything like that. No need for any of those emotions.”
“Yes, Young Lord.”
“I’ve got a few questions.”
“I’ll answer with all my heart!”
No, damn it.
You don’t have to react like that.
Sion scratched his cheek in complaint.
“How’ve you been?
What about your family?”
“Yes!
Both my parents passed away when I was young, and I have one little sister!”
“...”
Hearing such a depressing story shouted with such vigor made Sion feel like the world’s biggest scum for asking.
Well, actually, saving Jimmy and all the kindness so far had been for Trisha’s sake, so maybe he really was scum.
“Ahem!
Sorry.
Shouldn’t have asked.”
“No!
My parents died when I was little, so it doesn’t bother me anymore. The village elders took great care of my sister and me, so I’m fine!”
“I get it, so tone it down.”
Clutching his face, Sion muttered that, and Jimmy yelled “Yes!” before realizing his mistake and whispering sheepishly, “Yes, Young Lord.”
Jimmy hadn’t noticed yet, but Sion had picked up on Lilite stifling her giggles.
“...Right.
So you’ve been living just the two of you.
Must’ve been tough.”
“Not at all.
Really.”
“Has your sister ever caused trouble or gone astray?”
“No.
She’s really good and always listens well.”
“...”
Hm, a bit different from the Trisha described in the novel.
She blackens drastically after her brother dies, so she’s still holding onto that innocent girlhood purity?
If so, this might be way easier than expected.
“Master.
The village is in sight.”
At Rishida’s words, Sion ordered everyone to slow down and dismount.
A few knights grumbled about the necessity, but not one questioned or objected to Sion’s decision.
Watching them, Sion felt a surge of triumphant emotion swell in his chest.
‘Kya...
Effort never betrays, huh.
If it were the old Sion Claussen, the knights would’ve ignored him no matter what he said.
Ah, right—at this point, he was the trash who’d already ruined the territory and was just looking out for himself?’
Truly, a person needs ability to attract people, women, everything around them.
Of course, the most important thing is the face, Sion reminded himself as he stepped down from the carriage.
Jimmy Faker followed behind, stumbling dazedly.
Even after fully dismounting, Jimmy still looked out of it.
He’d taken some injuries, but returning to his village in one piece made his chest swell unwittingly, and reality felt unreal.
Sion watched him quietly for a moment, then slapped his back hard.
“Gak?”
“What’re you doing.
This isn’t my house, it’s yours.
Your hometown.”
“Ah, a-ah...”
“What’s with the ‘ah-ah’.
Hurry up and run.
Run and yell that you’re back!”
“...Yes.
Understood.
And... thank you so much, Young Lord.”
With that, Jimmy grabbed his bag, took a deep breath, and charged toward the villagers who had gathered, noticing the guests.
“Uwaaaah!
Village chief!
Grandma!
I’m back!
Jimmy’s home!”
Sion smiled watching him, when someone peeked out from the carriage and spoke.
“He’s over the moon. Pathetic.”
“Wouldn’t you be.
He came back from the brink of death.”
“...Sion.
Can I ask you something?”
“Obvious, right.
You’re wondering why I went through the trouble of saving a guy like that.”
Lilite nodded, pushing her hood back slightly at Sion’s question.
Rishida, Lucia, Kim Yuhyun, and even Ria.
Even Lilite, the Succubus Queen, nodded—they were all already excellent or raw gems with huge potential.
But Jimmy Faker was far from that.
Frankly, way too far.
Like a billion light-years away.
He was only that decent because he toiled endlessly for his sister; if he’d been crooked and lazy at heart, he’d have been Sion Claussen’s commoner twin.
“No real reason.
Just keeping the promises I made.”
“...The one about leaving no one behind, and going home together?”
“Yeah.”
He couldn’t say, ‘Because his sister wrecks everything later.’
So Sion referenced his pre-Nudia battle speech to convince Lilite.
Fortunately, she gazed at him admiringly and smiled.
“Sometimes you’re worse than demons, but other times, you seem like a true angel.
Caring for others, sacrificing for them.”
“I’m not that good.”
“Humans’ specialty, right?
Denying it when it’s true, refusing when they want it.
Anyway—Sion’s such a shy guy.
Too embarrassed to be honest?”
Saying that, Lilite reached out and tugged his cheek.
Sion let out an exaggerated “Graaak!” and she licked her red lips as if even more smitten, gazing at her man with eyes full of desire.
“Ahh, I want to eat you.
Auuuh!
I want Sion to devour me!”
“...Please save those dangerous words for when no one’s around.”
“It’s fine.
None of the knights can hear anyway.”
True, ordinary knights couldn’t.
But not everyone around here was an ordinary knight.
“Li-Lilite.
Even for you, trying to steal Master like this...”
“Oh my.
Rishi, are you jealous?
So cute!”
“I-I’m not jealous!
Absolutely not!”
“That’s what jealousy is.”
From Rishida, the elite knight who turned utterly ordinary about Sion-related matters.
“Nyaong.
Even if you’re my sister, this carriage is my territory.
No yielding.”
“What’s that supposed to mean, Ria?”
“I spent my heat here with Sion.
So now it’s my territory—only I can mate with Sion here again.”
Even Ria, suddenly claiming ownership of the carriage.
‘...This is Claussen property, though?’
Sion held back the retort, figuring an enraged Ria’s nya-punches would fly otherwise.
“...”
And finally, Kim Yuhyun, still on the driver’s seat, finding it deeply uncomfortable to overhear and feeling his male pride slightly bruised.
“Enough nonsense. Let’s just head to the village.”
“Yeah, that’s weird too.
If it was just about keeping a promise, saving him should’ve been enough, right?
Why escort him home and enter the village?”
“That part puzzles me too.
It’s Claussen territory, so risks are low, but we have guard duty for contingencies, and villages like this are pretty dangerous.”
“Nyaong, I’ll keep watch on the roofs.”
Sion shrugged at the women’s words, as if to say handle it yourselves.
Now was the time to focus on something else.
Even Kim Yuhyun had to go meet Saik—the nightmare he never wanted to recall—Trisha Faker.
―
“Jimmy!
We were worried with no word!”
“Village chief.
Hehe.”
“The first ones back told us you were injured and in the infirmary.
But after that, you didn’t return to the village at all, so we worried a lot.”
“Sorry.
I stayed in the infirmary until my wounds fully healed.”
The village elders nodded in relief at Jimmy’s words.
The one called the village chief, an old man, cautiously spoke up.
“Uh, Jimmy.
That person getting out of the carriage over there... who might that be?”
“It’s Sion Claussen, Young Lord.
You all heard from the uncles and brothers who returned first, right?”
“Of course.
But what brings such a noble person to our humble village?”
“Ah... w-well.
He saved my life and said he’d take responsibility to the end.
Even gave me a ride here in the carriage.”
At that, the elders all nearly fainted in shock.
Lichten Margrave was undoubtedly benevolent to Claussen’s people, but an unbridgeable gulf still existed between lord and commoners.
Sion Claussen was all but confirmed as the next Claussen Margrave.
The youth who was now effectively the territory’s number two had moved personally for one commoner.
“If we’d known such an esteemed guest was coming, we’d have tidied the village.”
“Exactly.
Should’ve at least fetched water and swept the paths.”
“The Young Lord doesn’t care about that, so don’t worry.
More importantly, where’s Trisha?”
“She should be home.
Go check.”
At the chief’s words, Jimmy bowed and dashed home.
Approaching the nest he’d thought he might never see again made his chest swell.
“Trisha!”
He called his sister’s name and flung open the door, but despite broad daylight, the inside was pitch black.
Jimmy tilted his head, stepping in, when suddenly fierce eyes gleamed from the darkness, followed by an eerie voice.
“You’re finally here.
Jimmy Faker.
I’ve been waiting.”
A low, cold, rasping sound scraped across the floor.