Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Contract (1) - Banquet
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"Ah."
When I opened my eyes, the familiar ceiling came into view. As I sat up, a pleasant aroma filled the clean room that entered my sight.
Gripping my throbbing head, I rose from the bed. A voice came from beside me.
"You're awake, sir?"
I whipped my head around in surprise. A woman was sitting in a chair. It was the maid who had guided me when I first arrived at the mansion.
"I'll prepare your meal now that you're up."
She stood and left the room. Soon after, the maid returned. But she wasn't alone.
"You're awake."
The knight had come with her. She was dressed in neat casual clothes instead of armor.
"Uh, yeah."
"You were polite yesterday, but back to informal speech already."
"Seeing you fight sparked a ton of respect. Does it bother you?"
She chuckled and naturally took a seat in the chair.
"It's fine."
"Good to hear."
Anne took a bowl from the maid and handed it straight to me.
"You must be starving, so eat first. We can talk after."
Inside was the beef stew I'd had before. I quickly scooped up a big chunk of meat.
Munch munch―
I shoveled the meat and broth into my mouth greedily. I didn't care about table manners at all, eating like a beast, but it didn't matter.
"All done?"
I scraped the bowl clean with bread down to the bottom and handed it back to the maid.
"That was delicious."
"I'm glad."
The maid bowed her head and tactfully left the room. As soon as she was gone, Anne spoke up.
"So, you've decided to side with the young lady?"
It was a bit out of the blue, but I understood immediately.
"Before I answer, can I ask one thing?"
"Depends on the question. Go ahead, and I'll decide."
"You knew I was being chased by the mercenaries, right? That's why you came to help."
She nodded lightly.
"How did you find out?"
"Didn't you say just one question?"
"Let's make it two then."
The knight shrugged.
"Not that hard. He probably thought he had the mercenary group under perfect control, but he didn't."
"A traitor?"
"Yeah. It was a group thrown together in a rush just a few days ago. A traitor popping up there? Not surprising at all."
True enough.
"So if I'd sided with them, I'd have ended up under your sword too."
She gave no reply. But her silence was affirmation. Cold sweat trickled down my back.
'That was close. Really close.'
That's why picking the right side mattered in any world.
"More importantly, I've got a question."
"What?"
"Watching you fight that guy yesterday, it looked like you knew how to handle mana."
"Yeah."
I didn't bother denying it. I'd figured it'd come out eventually. I never even thought I could fool a knight.
"Who taught you? You didn't seem all that skilled at it."
"No one taught me."
"So you awakened it on your own?"
I nodded, and her eyes widened in shock. First time seeing her flustered.
'I bought it from the shop, but technically I earned the money myself.'
"I've heard my master mention cases like that before. But seeing one in person? Fascinating."
"It's crude compared to how you handle it, though."
"True. But awakening it alone is the key. Means you've got exceptional sensitivity to mana."
I didn't get the details, but it sounded like good news.
"Hm. Got it for now. Keeping a patient around longer would just be a nuisance. You leave in three days, so focus on recovering till then."
"Suddenly?"
"We were already preparing to depart when we ran into you. If anything, you've delayed us a bit."
"Thanks for that."
She chuckled and stood.
"See you later."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ It had already been two days since I started staying at the mansion.
'Haven't done much, but time's flying by.'
Probably because this was the most luxurious and comfortable life I'd had in this other world so far. The great environment meant my body had recovered ages ago.
'Leaving tomorrow, huh.'
Leaving this nice place for the dangerous outside world? Noble thinking was beyond me. Even if they made it safely to her home, no guarantee it'd be intact.
Of course, saying that to Amelia would get my head chopped off, so I kept it to myself.
'I could live like this forever.'
As I lay in bed staring blankly at the ceiling, someone knocked.
"Come in."
A woman cracked the door open, peeking in.
"Lady Amelia invites you to dinner."
'Finally.'
I'd wondered why they'd left me alone so long. Guess it was time to talk today.
"Alright. Let's go."
I got out of bed and headed into the hall. I straightened my clothes on the way and flung open the dining room doors.
"You're here."
Same setup as before. Amelia at the head, Anne right beside her. I sat across from her, recreating the scene.
"Thanks for inviting me."
"No, thank you for inviting someone like me."
Amelia smiled brightly and spoke.
"How's your condition? Feeling better?"
"Thanks to your care, I recovered quickly. It wasn't a serious wound to begin with."
"Glad to hear it. Shall we discuss the contract then?"
"Contract... you mean?"
"Yes."
She pulled a sheet of paper from her bosom and handed it to me.
"Can you read?"
"Yes, fortunately."
"Read it over, then we'll talk."
I read through the contents one by one.
"Hm."
Destination: Amelia's family home. Term: until contract completion. Reward: her best effort within her means.
'The reward's a bit vague.'
Merchants blinded by greed might cheat, but normal nobles wouldn't for honor's sake. Though that applied to proper nobles.
There were other minor details, but nothing bad for me.
"The terms seem too generous."
"I don't know how long it'll take, but you'll be with us going forward. And honestly, no one knows Hanson’s true value yet."
"What if that value drops?"
"You don't mean that seriously, do you?"
Amelia tilted her head with a sly smile. Her words carried a subtle charisma. Nobles were nobles, alright.
"No objections then?"
"None."
"Let's proceed with the contract."
She took out a small needle, pricked her finger, and let blood drip onto the paper.
"You're doing it yourself?"
I glanced at Anne, but she just looked displeased without stopping her. They'd already discussed it.
"Yes. I know a bit of magic."
Contract magic—rare even among mages. Nobles usually had mages for that, of course.
'Didn't expect her to learn it personally.'
And with Anne right there, she was the contract partner herself. Unexpected. Usually, they'd delegate to a subordinate.
"Now do you see how much I need you, Hanson?"
"Yes. Even a fool like me gets it."
I chuckled, pricked my finger with the needle. Turning down a noble's generosity like this would be rude. Terms were great too.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Contract with Amelia has been established. As the words appeared, I felt connected to her somehow.
"Now you and I are bound by blood. The contract holds unless one of us dies, so don't forget."
"Understood."
"That covers everything. Let's eat!"
Amelia clapped to liven things up. At her signal, the doors opened, and food came out—way fancier than before.
Whole roasted duck, fine cheese. Breads, salads, wine. Pure luxury on the table.
"Circumstances are tight, so it had to be simple. Sorry."
'This is simple?'
Real nobles thought differently from the start.
"Eat and drink your fill. Tomorrow starts the hard journey."
"Thank you!"
I didn't care about decorum and reached straight for the duck.
Slice―
The knife cut smoothly through the tender flesh. Crispy brown skin revealed slightly pink meat inside. I grabbed a leg and popped it in my mouth.
Crunch―
Crispy skin, juicy and tender meat inside. Absolutely delicious.
"A drink?"
Lost in eating, Anne slid some wine over. I took the glass and clinked it.
Gulp gulp―
"Ahh―"
Nothing like the cheap beer from Karoi's party. Sweet with a slight bitterness—perfect.
'Man, this is the life...'
After the feast, I leaned back. Amelia had already finished and left.
'Not even buzzed.'
Not high proof, and my fast recovery broke down alcohol quick.
"You hold your liquor well."
"Never lost a drinking contest."
"Eating and drinking hearty—that's a knightly virtue too!"
Anne's cheeks were flushed. Tipsy after two bottles? Not a heavy drinker, huh.
"I'd love more, but gotta hold back for tomorrow."
"Not much left anyway."
The mountain of food was long gone into our stomachs.
"Shall we?"
"Yeah."
We headed to the hall, waved goodbye. It'd felt a bit distant before, but today we seemed a tad closer.
'Why did Karoi hate Anne, anyway?'
The question popped up briefly, then faded. He was gone from this world, after all.