Ultra-Fast Promotion (2)
The atmosphere was decidedly serious.
When Karen rose from her chair and settled onto the reception sofa, Orion had no choice but to plop down across from her. She rang the bell set into the table, and presently the maids came in to lay out warm tea and refreshments.
Were all nobles like her? Every single one of her actions struck him as suspicious beyond measure. Orion asked with a wary look.
"What is it this time?"
Then a plausible thought occurred to him. Living in the world, there were times when you hadn't done anything wrong, yet your actions were still judged wrong. Even if it felt unfair, the law was the law sometimes. Since this was an unfamiliar world, Orion figured that could easily be the case — for instance, that the duel just now might not count as self-defense but simply as causing a disturbance on the premises.
The corner of his mouth naturally curled up. Stopping her just as she was about to speak, Orion said,
"Ah, I understand. Honestly, it feels pretty unfair, but I suppose life doesn't always go the way you want it to."
He held out his hand with solemn gravity — the pose of someone demanding something be handed over at once.
"I'll humbly accept my fault. So let's just get this over with."
"What on earth are you talking about?"
Karen wore an expression that said, What kind of nonsense is this?
"Hmm? Didn't you call me here to cancel the contract?"
"What kind of absurd nonsense is that?"
Ah. So that wasn't it. He'd thought he was about to regain his freedom by pure chance.
"Dang."
"Enough with the nonsense and look at this."
She held out something that looked like a thin booklet — elegant and refined. Just from the feel of it, you could tell it was a finely bound hardcover. Opening it with half curiosity and half wariness, Orion's face twisted.
What was tucked inside was a single sheet of paper. It glittered as if dusted with gold powder — awfully flashy for a mere piece of paper — but that hardly mattered. It was none other than a contract, the very thing Orion despised most.
"Would you perhaps consider becoming a guard knight?" she asked, looking entirely unbothered even though Orion's feelings were written plain across his face.
Without a shred of hesitation, Orion said,
"No."
"Why not?"
"Why not? I just don't want to. I'm never signing another contract as long as I live."
Whether it was a guard knight or a hotteok knight, he didn't even care what it was. He'd already been coerced into signing some bizarre contract. That alone was enough to sour his mood, and then some random thug had picked a fight with him on top of it — his dissatisfaction had blown past the maximum. Orion was full of distrust toward her.
"Is that so."
However, he hadn't expected that reaction. Did even she think this was going too far? Karen's eyes drooped at the corners, and Orion's heart softened for no good reason. Honestly, if it had been anyone else, he wouldn't have cared either way. The reason he hesitated was none other than her striking beauty.
Orion smacked his own forehead.
...Come on.
Hair black as pitch-dark night, and eyes a blood-tinged scarlet. Her skin was white as fresh snow, and every single movement was noble and elegant. Looking at the territory's common folk, most had ordinary looks just like in his original world. So why did she look like she'd been ripped straight out of a comic? Everything about her was perfect.
If there was just one problem—
"That's a shame. I suppose I'll have no choice but to put a bounty on you."
Yeah. As long as she didn't open her mouth.
Orion nearly sprayed the tea he was drinking in sheer disbelief.
"W-What!? Give me back my romantic feelings!!"
"Hmm? I don't know what you were thinking, but why are you blaming me for something you came up with on your own?"
"No, every conversation ends with a threat! Is that my fault?"
"Well, if you'd just accepted my goodwill when I asked nicely, we wouldn't be here. You're the one who keeps rejecting my kindness, aren't you?"
Faced with the same old repertoire, he was left speechless. All the energy drained from his body, and Orion slumped back against the sofa with a groan.
"Hmm, it was just a little joke. Why are you making such a fuss?"
Wow. Hearing those words, Orion was certain. This person was definitely a con artist. Pretty face, and that was the end of it. He decided that getting out of this place as soon as possible would be better for his mental health.
He gradually edged toward the end of the sofa. Then, faster than light, he bolted for the doorknob—
Click.
"Oh my. What impeccable timing."
...Someone beat him to it before he could even open the door. It was her secretary, the woman named Heily.
"Lord Orion? Is something the matter?"
"Ah, well......"
Orion froze right there in front of the door. From his perspective, she was an even more difficult person to deal with than the great noble Karen — a wooden block of a person who never showed a shred of emotion. On top of that, she had looks that rivaled Karen's striking beauty, and that pure white hair and blue eyes made her look like an angel. It was the kind of feeling that said he shouldn't treat her more casually than his boss, Karen.
"......It's nothing."
Having failed to escape, Orion shuffled awkwardly back and sat down on the sofa again. He glanced at Karen sitting across from him — legs crossed, a leisurely smile on her face. Infuriating. He wanted to flick that pale forehead of hers.
Hold it together.
Do that and a bounty would go up immediately. As he was calming himself down, Karen spoke.
"Even if you do that, I have no intention of letting you go. So wouldn't it be fine to at least hear me out?"
He threw up his hands in surrender. Orion crossed his arms as if to say, Go on, then. Let's hear it.
"Fine. I'll listen."
Even so, Orion had no real intention of hearing her out. But one word from her made him prick up his ears. Karen held up three fingers and said,
"Triple."
"Excuse me?"
"I will pay you three times the salary from your previous contract."
Triple the salary......
Sixty years!?
If he worked just two years, he'd get enough money to loaf around for twenty. And three times that would be sixty years. That was a lifetime. Close your eyes once, do another stint in the military, and you'd never have to work again for the rest of your life. That alone tilted his willingness to accept to ninety-nine percent — and it wasn't even over yet.
"Furthermore, you need not perform any of the knight order duties previously assigned to you. Simply answer when I call for you. Beyond that, you may act as freely as you please."
"Uh... so when there's nothing going on, I can just lie around in my room?"
"Hmm. Stating the obvious, I see."
"You're not going to make me stand guard outside your bedroom at night, right?"
"I'm not quite that inflexible."
"Hmm, you said guard knight? So what does that typically involve?"
"When I have occasion to go out, you accompany me. And when there is no such occasion, you simply help me with a few miscellaneous tasks."
"Do you go out often, by any chance?"
"I went out exactly once this year."
Orion's eyes changed. From the sound of it alone, this was a job heaven-sent. But a man shouldn't talk out of both sides of his mouth, should he? Orion cleared his throat and said,
"Ahem, ahem. Still, according to what you're saying, Boss, won't people look at me and say, 'What's that guy even doing? He doesn't work'?"
"Anyone with common sense wouldn't. Speaking that way to my guard knight would be tantamount to opposing me."
"That much?"
"In the Ruthenia Empire, serving as a house's guard knight is an honorable position. The prestige that comes with it is considerable. You'll come to understand that in time, once you become my guard knight."
"So does that mean I can drop your name when I need to, Boss?"
"...That sounds rather unscrupulous, but so long as it isn't something utterly outrageous, I shall permit it."
Wow! Orion's face lit up. So if some jerk he didn't like got on his nerves, he could thrash them and shut them up with a single Do you know who I am? It felt like Chairman Jae Dragon himself had become his backer.
Why shouldn't a man talk out of both sides of his mouth? Pride didn't put food on the table. Orion composed himself and asked with a serious expression,
"May I dare to sign this contract?"
"How quickly you change your tune."
In just two days, it was an ultra-fast promotion.
Having finished the contract, Karen sent Orion out and gazed out the window. Depending on the season it could take on a green cast, but in the dead of winter like now, more than half of it was a field of snow. A quiet, desolate place. There had been a time when she'd wanted to escape this stifling place. But now, living here felt more comfortable and endearing than anywhere else.
"Haa. What a troublesome man."
Having gotten through the whole affair, Karen stretched to rouse her languid body. She had no idea that she made a prim little catlike mewl when she stretched.
"If only he wouldn't cause trouble."
Hiring him as the house's guard knight had been rather abrupt, but there was good reason for it. The reason she'd hired that wild, mischievous fellow could be explained in a single phrase.
Overwhelming martial power.
Honestly speaking, that was all there was to it. But that single reason was enough to persuade anyone. The Northern Continent, where martial strength mattered more than anywhere else in the empire. In the Northern Continent, crawling with magical beasts, martial power was the very source of vitality. But who would want to come to this barren place? Only recently had perceptions improved somewhat.
Strictly speaking, even the grand ducal title Karen held was something of a hollow shell, granted because she served as a shield for the Northern Continent. The high-and-mighty noble houses would spend their peaceful days in safe, abundant lands. And it was no different for the strong. Most of the renowned powerhouses of the world nestled into some suitable noble house and lived comfortable lives.
The reason Karen hadn't easily let go of Albert, who had committed a crime, was for that very reason. Simply put, there was a shortage of talent. And then, like an oasis appearing in the desert—
"I suppose I can't afford to be picky either."
After all, competence and trustworthiness existing together was vanishingly rare.
Bang—
"Nothing to do right now, right? I'll be in my room, so call me if you need me."
Slam—
"...If only his manners were proper."
A slight sense of regret washed over Karen.