How to Live as a Guest
Rood found it difficult to understand. One moment they wanted to hire him as a bodyguard knight, and the next they were forbidding it? Rood spoke up.
"Why not? Weren't you the one who called me all the way here?"
"I'll explain the reasons later. For now, focus on your treatment."
"No. I want an explanation first. Right now. Immediately."
It wasn't Isabelle who reacted first to Rood's sharp words.
"I can overlook many things, but this I cannot tolerate. To speak to someone with such insolent language—it's true what they say about the barbaric customs of the North."
The man with the bushy mustache and a muscular build that belied his introduction as the family physician was Moneck.
"This isn't something for a mere pill-pusher like you to judge."
"I'm not a pill-pusher, I'm a doctor. Ah, but since you come from a place that doesn't know the difference, I suppose that's only natural?"
When the atmosphere between Rood and Moneck grew dangerous, Isabelle stepped in.
"Enough. Both of you, restrain yourselves."
When the tense mood refused to dissipate, Isabelle pressed a hand to her forehead and let out a sigh.
"I would be grateful if you took on the role of my guard, but aren't you currently in no condition to take on any duties?"
Rood nodded.
"That is the biggest reason. Once your body is fully healed, I will respect your wishes. So let us not rush into any decisions. That is why I said it was forbidden—for now. Can you understand?"
"I understand."
Isabelle continued.
"Judging from your personality, I imagine you must feel some distrust toward our soldiers who allowed assassins to infiltrate so easily."
"That's correct."
"Therefore, I cannot appoint you as a guard knight in your current state."
Isabelle went on.
"If I were to place you as my guard while you look upon the soldiers and knights of the Voenac family with such eyes, two problems would arise. First."
Isabelle raised a single index finger.
"If you take on guard duties while holding the soldiers in contempt, conflict will inevitably break out and cause a major disturbance. Second."
She raised her middle finger as well.
"In that case, the one whose life would be in danger would likely be you, Rood."
"Me?"
When Rood stared directly at Isabelle's face, Moneck roughly yanked out one of the needles embedded in Rood's back.
"Ugh! Is this bastard picking a fight?"
"Oh dear, it just so happens that the time to remove them has arrived."
"Moneck. I know your loyalty well, so cease your rudeness at once."
"My apologies. This one, Moneck, shall uphold the solemn will of the Voenac family."
Rood asked Isabelle,
"Why is that doctor acting so cocky?"
"Rood, watch your tongue as well. You are clearly a guest, while Moneck is a man of the Voenac family. If you wish to insult someone, direct it at me."
Naturally, Rood had nothing in particular to say to Isabelle, so he remained silent. But the sight of Moneck sneering mockingly beside her made his blood boil.
"Besides, he has no lack of backing. He is one of the few powerful Aura users in the Kingdom Alliance."
Rood looked at Moneck in genuine surprise.
That mustache is an Aura user?
"Why would someone like that be working as a family physician?"
"Moneck is exceptionally skilled with medicine, so he is temporarily filling the role. His true profession is Thousand-man Commander of the Alliance Army."
Thousand-man Commander. Aura. And the name Moneck.
The moment Rood heard those words, it came to him.
The Light Bearer, Moneck.
He was one of the knights said to have handled the monsters and demonic beasts that infested the southwest while the Kingdom Alliance waged war in the northeast. His comrades who had fought alongside him on the battlefield claimed that the way he wielded his rapier looked like stabbing with light itself—hence the nickname The Light Bearer.
Since he was a powerhouse whose name had spread even to the northeastern battlefields on the opposite side of the continent, Rood's eyes changed.
I want to fight him right now.
It was the first time Rood had ever seen a real knight in person. He was curious whether the man truly possessed the strength of a thousand soldiers and what it would feel like to clash swords and Aura with him.
Isabelle added more explanation.
"Moreover, Moneck also serves as the Knight Commander of the Voenac family."
"Then why didn't someone like him appear during that incident?"
"Because Moneck was on the battlefield. It has already been a full week since you collapsed and woke up, Rood."
"Wait, a week?"
For Rood, who had never slept more than six hours even on the battlefield, losing consciousness for an entire week was shocking.
"Yes. Thanks to Moneck's treatment, you were able to stabilize greatly. So please, do not fight each other. Understood?"
At the worried look in Isabelle's eyes, Rood reluctantly nodded.
Even after hearing me criticize the soldiers he himself trained, he let it slide?
Compared to Moneck's generosity, Rood felt ashamed of himself.
He had lived by the principle of never avoiding a fight that came his way. It had been effective at driving back many enemies on the battlefield, but he also knew it wasn't a good way to treat people. He knew it, yet a person's nature was difficult to change.
Rood considered apologizing, but stopped himself.
It would look like I'm apologizing only after seeing the difference in rank and power. That wouldn't be appropriate right now.
After organizing his thoughts, Rood opened his mouth.
"The Light Bearer, Moneck. Once the treatment is finished, how about we have a spar?"
Isabelle looked like she wanted to say something, but she simply shook her head and lowered her outstretched hand.
Moneck gave a benevolent smile.
"Certainly. Though I doubt it will end with light injuries like this time. Will that be all right with you?"
As a subtle tension flowed between the two, Isabelle clapped her hands twice to draw their attention.
"Now then! In any case, this incident is my fault as the acting head of the family for failing to prepare adequately."
"With all due respect, that is not the case at all."
Moneck refuted Isabelle's words.
"As Sir Rood said, this is my fault as Knight Commander for failing to properly train our troops."
Moneck clenched his fist so tightly that the blood drained from it.
"I will educate them thoroughly so that such a thing never happens again. Never again."
"Moneck, do not take all the blame upon yourself. This is a problem we must solve together, is it not?"
At Isabelle's words, the frozen atmosphere melted away at once.
The girl who must have felt the greatest threat from this assassination attempt—and who served as the acting head of the territory—blamed no one. She simply pointed out clearly the responsibility each person had to bear.
A lord in a manner befitting a lord. A knight commander in a manner befitting a knight commander.
Moneck bowed his head silently, and Rood gazed at her eyes for a long time.
Rood relaxed the tension that had entered his eyes.
"In the end, you're saying that because my body is still injured and I misunderstood the Voenac soldiers, you cannot accept me as a guard yet?"
"A clean summary. But there is also a slightly different reason."
Isabelle smiled brightly as she spoke.
"As the acting head of the Voenac family, I could not show my face if I failed to repay the favor of someone who saved my life not once but twice."
Isabelle declared,
"Once you are fully healed, you may take one item of your choice from the family treasury."
Moneck and Pete widened their eyes and looked at each other.
The Voenac family treasury was so vast and contained items of such quality that even a million gold would not be enough to purchase its contents. Among them were heavenly treasures known as Muject, artifacts engraved with circuits of mana that could each manifest mysterious powers.
"According to family law, such gifts can only be given while you are still a guest. So please accept it first, and then consider the position of bodyguard knight afterward."
Isabelle stepped closer to Rood and whispered in his ear.
"And there is a dessert served only to honored guests, so shall we have tea time together often?"
Pfft.
Rood let out a short laugh.
In the end, it sounded like she was treating him as a guest because she wanted to eat dessert.
When he looked around, all three of them were staring at him with dumbfounded expressions.
"D-did you just laugh? Do it again!"
"Why are you looking at me like it's such a miracle?"
Rood wondered if his laughter was really that surprising. He knew he had a blunt personality, but he wasn't so grim that he never smiled.
He laughed when mocking the weak, or when there was a pleasant moment in battle… Hmm.
Only then did Rood realize why Isabelle and the others were looking at him so strangely.
I haven't laughed because something was funny… not since Dale died.
"Come now, smile for me! It was so, so adorable!"
"Ah, no thank you."
Isabelle cupped Rood's cheeks with both hands.
"Just once, smile for me~ Hmm? I'm asking you nicely~."
"I-it doesn't work like that. Please stop."
Moneck said,
"I'm starting to think I don't want to postpone our duel until you're fully healed."
Pete replied,
"I am in full agreement, Knight Commander."
When Rood turned his head to avoid Isabelle's hands, Moneck pulled out several needles at once.
"Guh! Hey, take it easy!"
"Oh, if I'm even a little late the muscles will cramp, so I must commit this rudeness. Please forgive me, hoho."
Pete secretly raised a thumb toward Moneck where only he could see.
"Anyway, you will need complete rest for a while, so keep that in mind. Goodness, I have a mountain of work, so I must take my leave. I shall visit during tea time."
With those words, Isabelle and Pete left.
"Then, since the treatment is roughly finished, I shall take my leave as well, Sir Rood."
As Moneck was organizing the needles, Rood finally spoke the words he had been hesitating over.
"Earlier… my remarks were thoughtless."
"Sir Rood. Your words may have been thoughtless, but they were not false. And a swordsman apologizes and forgives with his sword."
Rood nodded at Moneck's words.
"I look forward to seeing you next time."
"Good. It's been a long time since I've dueled with a confident young man. I'll be going now."
After Moneck left the room, Rood felt his heart beating rapidly.
I protected her.
The fact that he had protected Isabelle made Rood smile without realizing it. His entire body was still aching and exhausted, yet even the fatigue felt strangely pleasant.
I want to keep protecting her from now on.
Rood had seen Isabelle's character. She cherished those beneath her, was strict about public and private matters, and showed consideration for others without excess or deficiency.
"At this rate, I might end up getting fat and oinking like a pig."
Rood fell into a deep sleep once more.
It was the day he had a nightmare in which his former comrades teased him for being a pig.