Chapter 21: Sir Roland
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 21: Sir Roland
The veil of night had fallen. Visibility ebbed and flowed with the flickering of torches. The birds were silent, and the only sound was the rustling of reeds in the occasional breeze. It was then that the sound of hooves echoed along the path by the river.
“I went to the brothel and heard that you, Lord Allen, had gone on an outing with that Eastern girl. So I waited. But no matter how long I waited, you showed no sign of returning. I was truly worried something might have happened to you.”
His first stop must have been the brothel. Then he must have heard that I’d gone on an outing with a prostitute and thought it was strange. It was something I’d never done before. The fact that I hadn’t returned late into the night must have turned his curiosity into suspicion.
That must be why he’d waited indefinitely, not at the brothel, but at the castle gate I had to pass through to return to the manor.
My act as a scoundrel was on the verge of being for naught.
I cursed inwardly. I’d expected Sophia to keep him occupied for at least a week, but it had only been three days? That was far too short.
It seemed Roland was the one in control of their relationship. I should have guessed when I saw that she’d taken him as a lover despite knowing of his womanizing.
It was my mistake.
“Why? Is something wrong at the manor?”
“It’s a dangerous world, isn’t it? There have been reports of goblin tracks being found on the outskirts of the manor, in the direction of Quaran. I was worried some misfortune might have befallen you.”
Wouldn’t Sophia and Roland throw a festival in celebration if I were killed by a monster? I fought back a sneer and replayed Roland’s words in my mind.
Goblins, he said.
“So, where did you go, sneaking away from the public eye?”
Roland pulled on his reins, and his horse came to a halt. As silence fell, a harsh winter wind swept through the withered reeds, making a chilling sound. But the narrowing of Roland’s eyes as he faced me was not due to the wind alone.
I thought about Roland. An errant knight Sophia had asked Baron Rasino to find to be my swordsmanship teacher. Sophia’s lover. He might even have a connection to Baron Rasino.
Moreover, Sophia’s unchanging attitude, despite knowing of his countless affairs, told me that her love for Roland was real.
If I touched Roland, Sophia would fly into a rage. I still lacked the power and influence to deal with her. The worst-case scenario would be Baron Rasino’s intervention.
Considering all this, I couldn’t harm him rashly. The best course of action was to make him leave of his own accord, thereby avoiding any blame.
I had a method in mind.
“Do you know that before the Western Continent was divided into dozens of kingdoms, there was a great empire? That empire, its very name forgotten, achieved a brilliant civilization but vanished from history in an instant. Some say their hubris incurred the wrath of the gods, while others believe it was due to an overwhelming natural disaster.”
Roland frowned, the look on his face practically screaming, What is this nonsense? I paid him no mind and continued.
“The one thing that’s certain is that the ancient ruins occasionally discovered contain relics with mysterious powers. Treasures that can make you incredibly rich or even earn you a title if you find them.”
“That’s not the kind of rumor I was asking about.”
Ninety-nine out of a hundred rumors about ancient ruins were baseless tales embellished by gossips. It was no wonder Roland was annoyed.
But I just smiled.
“I understand your frustration. At first, I also dismissed it as a story that had nothing to do with me. But when the circumstances started to align so strangely, I couldn't help but investigate.”
“What are you—”
“Have you heard that ancient ruins are guarded by monsters?”
Was he tired of my fantastical talk? Or was he becoming interested? Roland closed his mouth and watched my lips.
“Don’t you find it strange? To put it bluntly, what is there to eat in this small manor that would make the goblins stay, and even increase in number?”
“It’s not uncommon for stragglers who’ve lost a territorial dispute to steal livestock and grain to temporarily bolster their numbers.”
“That’s what everyone must have thought. After all, goblins aren’t strong enough to guard ancient ruins.”
I gave him a meaningful smile. Only then did Roland’s annoyance fade, replaced by a look of feigned interest.
“Are you saying…”
“You ask what I was doing and where? I was carefully tracking the goblins’ trail, avoiding prying eyes. And in the end, I found it.”
I turned my gaze toward the dense forest. The woods on the border between the manor and Quaran were pitch-black, its depths completely hidden. It was so overgrown that it was just as dark in the morning.
“That’s right. There are ancient ruins on our land.”
If my memories from my past life were correct, the ancient ruins should be in there.
“And where might these great ruins be?”
His tone was far too calm for someone asking about the location of ruins hiding a treasure. Roland didn’t believe me. In fact, his suspicion only deepened, as if he thought I was just making excuses.
I realized I had to answer carefully. One small misstep, and Sophia and Roland would go to any lengths to have me confined or imprisoned.
If news of my father’s death arrived in that situation, I’d be exiled at best, and at worst, I wouldn’t escape death.
Therefore, I…
“That’s a secret.”
…chose to hide the location.
“A secret?”
Roland’s brow twitched. A strange light flickered in his eyes. He and I were closer than family. So close that he wouldn’t have found it strange even if I had handed over Lucy, whom I had cherished for three years.
Roland probably still believed I thought of him as closer than family. So why the sudden secret? Wouldn’t he think there was truly something to it? That was exactly what I wanted.
If he thought there was even a sliver of a chance, Roland wouldn’t tell Sophia about today’s strange events.
Sophia seemed sincere enough to risk breaking off her engagement, but Roland was still running around having countless affairs!
Because we had maintained a relationship closer than family, at least on the surface, I had a rough grasp of what kind of person Roland was, just as he knew me.
The problem was that, contrary to my original plan, I had aroused his suspicion. He might become even more suspicious that I was hiding something.
It had become a gamble.
And the gamble…
“Did you really discover ancient ruins?”
…was a success. He still didn’t seem one hundred percent convinced, but this was good enough.
I took my hand off the status window I had secretly opened. A cool breeze slipped under my clothes, stealing my body heat. Only then did I realize my back was drenched in a cold sweat. I didn’t let it show.
“It’s too late to go looking for it tonight anyway. Let’s leave the manor together early tomorrow morning, without anyone knowing.”
“Lord Allen—!”
Roland called out urgently, but I had already spurred my horse’s flanks. The horse neighed as its shadow stretched long behind me. Despite the late hour, it galloped like an arrow.
That night, I had a nightmare. It was a dream of Sophia, Roland, and the vassals they had won over kicking down my door.
The next day, at the crack of dawn, a cold wind that seemed to announce the start of winter pierced through my clothes. The cold sweat I’d broken into during the night made it feel even colder. My eyes snapped open.
The room was shrouded in darkness. The door was latched, and it was so quiet that even the occasional scurrying of rats was absent, as if they too were asleep. The hallway was just as silent.
Each time the candle on the wall flickered from a draft, my shadow lengthened and shrank in turn. The areas untouched by the light were pitch-black.
It was only after entering the dining hall that I sensed a presence. Were the servants preparing a meal?
“Aenya?”
Sitting at the central table in the dining hall was Aenya. Her body, once like a withered branch, had filled out, and her skin, once like parched earth, had turned milky white. She seemed a little taller, her body better proportioned, and her face was full of life.
Aenya, who was beginning to shed her girlishness, was steadily growing into the title of a fatal beauty.
However, her sullen face seemed to say, I’m not happy. I sat down next to her as she whipped her head to the side the moment our eyes met.
“Did the sun rise in the west today?”
“What nonsense are you spouting so early in the morning?”
“I’m just surprised to see you awake at this hour.”
Aenya finally faced me and glared.
“What are you talking about? I wake up early sometimes, you know.”
“True. The last time I woke up, you were already gone, weren’t you?”
“The last time… Ah.”
Aenya’s face instantly turned red. She must have remembered her outrageous behavior on the morning after we slept together.
She quickly changed the subject.
“Anyway, you seem pretty busy these days. Isn’t it a bit hard to see the face of the person who insisted we always eat together?”
It had been quite a while since I’d kept my promise to eat with Aenya. It was because I’d been going to Quaran early every morning and returning to the manor late at night.
It seemed loneliness had found Aenya again. In a way, this was no different from when we had been estranged.
“Once I take care of this one thing, I’ll have more time again.”
“When will that be?”
Shouldn’t she have asked what I was doing first? Instead, Aenya asked when our promise would resume. As I fell silent for a moment, thinking about her reason, she glanced at me from the corner of her eye.
It was a strange look.
“Why? Are you lonely eating by yourself?”
“No, it’s just…”
Aenya avoided my gaze again, squirming in her seat. Sometimes, body language was more accurate than words.
I realized that loneliness wasn’t the only reason Aenya had woken up at dawn to wait for me in the dining hall.
“Or maybe…”
I drew out my words, bringing my face close to her ear. I continued, exhaling a sweet breath.
“…did you miss our nightly games?”
For twenty years of her life, Aenya had known nothing of sexual desire. After I awakened it, she couldn’t control her explosive libido and had even tried to seduce me clumsily.
But I, the one who had put her in heat, had been too busy for her to even see my face for a while. I had unintentionally been teasing her.
“Who… Hmph!”
Aenya couldn’t finish her sentence because I had gently bitten her earlobe.
Her eyes wide, Aenya covered her mouth, from which a moan had escaped, and glanced toward the kitchen. Fortunately, the bustling activity in the kitchen showed no signs of stopping. The inner door was also firmly shut.
“Are you crazy? What if the servants see…!”
Even Aenya, ignorant as she was about sex, seemed to know that this kind of relationship with her brother was strange.
The important thing was that she didn’t refuse. In fact, with a flushed face, she licked her lips, looking almost disappointed.
It was a dizzying sight. Was this the power of a fatal beauty? To be this captivating when she wasn’t even fully grown? I was truly excited to see what she would become.
“Let them see. I’ll take responsibility.”
“Respon… sibility?”
Just as Aenya gasped, there was a click.
The door to the dining hall opened. It wasn’t the inner door connected to the kitchen. The person who opened the outer door and stepped inside was Roland, in full armor. I stood up, shielding a flustered Aenya with my body.
“Sir Roland.”
“I’m a little late.”
Roland, who had approached in the meantime, scanned Aenya up and down as she kept her head bowed low. His eyes widened slightly, and a strange smile played on his lips.
It was a familiar expression, the same one he’d had when he first saw Jin at the brothel in Quaran.
“Lady Aenya. It’s been a while.”
It seemed that Aenya, now free from Sophia’s torment and one step closer to the title of a fatal beauty, had caught Roland’s eye.
How dare a mere errant knight covet what is mine? Unbearable rage consumed me. Roland, his eyes fixed on Aenya, seemed oblivious to the way I was looking at him.
Aenya tugged on the hem of my clothes. Only then did I swallow my anger and lead Roland outside.
“Sir Roland. Let’s go.”
As we left the manor, Roland kept looking back. That lewd smile was surely for Aenya.
“When did you become so close with your sister?”
“Hmph, does it look that way?”
“Is it not?”
“She seems to think I saved her after that last incident. Isn’t it funny? I only stepped in because my own reputation was on the line.”
I was annoyed that Roland was even speaking Aenya’s name, but I didn’t let it show and led him toward the forest on the manor’s outskirts.
“Still, I should have told my mother beforehand. We’ll need more than just our own strength to explore ancient ruins, won’t we?”
The fact that Roland had come alone meant he hadn’t told Sophia about the ruins. I casually prodded to be sure.
“It’s still an uncertain matter. If you get her hopes up only for it to turn out to be nothing, it will only put you in a difficult position, Lord Allen.”
He was saying he hadn’t told her for my sake. And what about the times he watched my every move?
In any case, it seemed I wouldn’t have to worry about being locked in my room in the middle of the night. Of course, if we didn’t find the ancient ruins, it would all be for nothing. Roland’s suspicion was only temporarily deferred by this excuse.
“Hey, I’m telling you, it’s real. You can’t be so distrustful.”
After feigning complaint, I started walking. From the moment we entered the forest, my eyes had been restlessly searching for goblin tracks. My enhanced eyes were helpful once again.
“Found it.”
It was a faint footprint, small enough to belong to something only a third the size of an adult, and light enough to suggest a low weight. There were even claw marks sticking out like an awl. It was unmistakable. A goblin track.
“The ruins?”
Roland’s steps were unhurried as he approached me. His calm tone told me he didn’t have high hopes for the ruins. He might even be regretting coming along.
After all, it was just talk of ancient ruins without any clear evidence. And the words had come from me, someone notorious for being a scoundrel.
My meaningful attitude yesterday might have swayed him slightly, but he must have soon realized the probability of it being real was close to zero.
To be honest, I wouldn’t have believed it either.
“Goblin tracks. Yesterday, I followed these and found the entrance to the ruins.”
That was why I was so startled when, while following the tracks, I found a real goblin, and it magically vanished into a black knothole in the stump of a huge tree, its insides completely dark.
“…!”
The method of discovering the ancient ruins was the same as in the game. I breathed an inward sigh of relief and turned to look at Roland, who couldn’t hide his shocked expression. A grin was spread across my face.
“Heh heh. See? I was right, wasn’t I? Care to go in?”
Roland’s actions spoke louder than words. As I moved to enter the knothole, he blocked my path with his scabbard.
“It’s too dangerous.”
Of course, it wasn’t for my sake.