Chapter 33
Chapter 33
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: They Say the Escort Knight in That House Wears a Ribbon on His Head (1)
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To my bombshell declaration, Pippin tensed up and stiffened his body.
“Yes? Yes!”
“My little sister is incredibly cute, you know? She’s still young, but when she comes of age, if you so much as look her way, you’re dead.”
Dandel, who had been packing up the luggage beside me, glanced at me before quietly adding,
“Um... Duke. Isn’t that a bit premature to worry about? The young lady is only five years old.”
Pippin’s eyes glazed over.
“Fifteen?”
“No. Five.”
“I’m already sixteen, though...”
The faces of the game’s male leads overlapped with Pippin’s dazed expression. I couldn’t help but get worked up.
“That’s exactly why it’s a no-go! Those filthy thieves. They’re way older, loaded with money, handsome, and after Dalia who’s got that personality too. Pippin, ten years from now, if you even glance at my little sister, it’s the death penalty. Got it?”
“Yes?”
Pippin tilted his head, then nodded solemnly.
“Yes! Should I prepare in advance then? If Master is alright with it... Though it’s a shame I won’t get to see the monster compendium.”
Pippin fidgeted before pulling something from his pocket. It was the ugly wooden trinket I’d made. It looked like a sharp stake, and this madman was bringing it toward his own eye, as if to stab it.
You lunatic!
“Hey, hey, hey!”
“Hold on!”
Dandel and I rushed over to stop Pippin.
“But to avoid looking at the young lady...”
He was properly insane. I had no choice but to back off.
“Just... I’ll find her a match later, so don’t go after my sister. Let’s leave it at that.”
“Yes. I’ll keep it in mind.”
After throwing everyone into confusion, Pippin immersed himself in the monster compendium. The carriage departed the village amid a warm send-off.
Finally, time to head home.
***
Doze off, wake up—rinse and repeat inside the carriage, until suddenly I got curious.
“Pippin. Why’d you decide to follow me? You don’t even know if I’m a good person or a bad one, or if I’ll be good or bad for you.”
Pippin, who had been carefully flipping through the monster compendium, answered without even looking at me.
“Master is a good person. You pretended not to know about Master Kaku’s crimes. Though you did use me as leverage for it.”
“Kaku’s crimes?”
“I don’t really want to say it myself. Just that Master Kaku isn’t the kind of person others see him as. I knew that already.”
“...You knew all along?”
Pippin continued with his usual dazed, impassive expression.
“I want to see monsters. Now that this incident’s resolved, if I stay cooped up in the village, I won’t get to see any more.”
“You...”
“Sometimes it’s good to keep things simple. The Duke is a good person, and I want to see monsters. If I stick by the Duke’s side, I won’t have to live in hiding anymore. That’s enough for me.”
Pippin glanced up to meet my eyes, then grinned mischievously.
“The Duke likes me because I’m simple, right?”
He hit the nail on the head.
Stabbed right in the gut, I chuckled and sprawled out on the sofa, swinging my legs.
“You could change your trait to Penetration. My affinity for you just went up because you nailed it.”
“Yes? What does that mean?”
“No need to know. Forget it.”
“Yes. I’ll forget it.”
Pippin dove back into his monster compendium trance.
***
How long had we been traveling? We pulled all-nighters along the way, I got carsick, had stomach trouble—but I could forget all that pain now. I could finally forget it.
“Home!”
We’d finally arrived at the Duke’s Castle! I nearly teared up when the city came into view.
Of course, at some point I’d passed out from the motion sickness and just slept, so it felt like we got here faster than expected.
Every time I snapped briefly awake, I’d see Pippin’s blank face. He always had his nose buried in the monster compendium. Couldn’t tell if he was sleeping or reading, but I didn’t want to disturb him, so I left him be.
“Duke! We’ve finally arrived. I’ll fetch the servants, so please wait just a moment!”
Dandel shot into the castle like an arrow. Standing there blankly, receiving the gatekeeper’s greetings for about a minute. Soon, lights flickered on in every window of the Duke’s Castle, turning the scene as bright as morning in an instant.
“Wow...”
Pippin, who’d been in silent meditation while reading the compendium, finally spoke after ages. I’d thought he was still asleep. He bolted upright like a zombie and let out a sleepy cheer.
“Whoooaaa...”
Then he dropped his head again, still inside the carriage.
“What the—? Going back to sleep?”
Looked like he really was asleep. He deserved some rest. His injuries had been severe.
“The Duke has returned!”
“Bring the carriage inside!”
“Prepare to greet the Duke!”
Soon, people from the Duke’s Castle began gathering at the main gate one by one. The whole place buzzed. Their footsteps were so loud it felt like an earthquake.
“Tired. I’d rather skip the fuss and welcome ceremony.”
I muttered like a sigh. I just wanted to go inside, wash up, and crash comfortably, but I couldn’t lose face as the Duke. No helping it. With great power comes great responsibility.
“Duke! Have you returned?”
“Have you returned!”
Servants began lining up along the wide-open path like chess pieces. Not many could run straight through the middle to greet me directly. My guess was two or three people would come talk to me.
“Duke!”
“Young master—no, Duke!”
Right on cue. Rushing over first to greet me were Head Butler Alberto and Nanny Muriel.
I approached them, waving my hand—or cotton swab lump, whatever. Anyway, I waved the white blob amiably. Seeing them after so long felt strangely heartwarming, even if they still looked unfamiliar.
“I’m back. I was wondering how all you folks at the Duke’s Castle have been holding up?”
The petite nanny shoved past Alberto to reach me first. She must’ve run hard—her plump, aged face was flushed red. But her expression soon paled.
“Oh? Ohhh, our baby young master’s clothes, his hands... Ohhh...”
After scanning me over, the nanny clutched her forehead and collapsed backward. The maids behind her screamed and supported her.
“Lady Muriel! Lady Muriel!”
“Get some cold water, quick!”
Was it that shocking?
Fortunately, Head Butler Alberto approached neatly, hugged me, and brushed off my shoulders. His white, bushy mustache twitched.
“Duke. How much hardship you must have endured... Still, you seem stronger now. This makes Alberto’s heart feel secure.”
Just then, the back of the carriage creaked. I remembered the forgotten luggage and introduced him casually.
“Oh, right. The escort knight. Brought him along.”
I gestured behind me, and Alberto’s gaze creaked over.
“Hello.”
Pippin, freshly woken, crawled out of the carriage to greet him. His hair was a bird’s nest, eyes puffy from sleep. Bandages and plasters covered his body, with a nasty bruise on his face too—definitely not a pretty sight.
Still, knowing to greet Alberto was commendable. I’d worried he’d stay buried in his compendium like he owned the place after arriving. Pippin the country bumpkin knew nothing of formalities or etiquette.
Contrary to my admiration, Alberto’s face turned as blue as the night sky.
“Ah, ahh, the escort knight... Escort knight? Knight, knight...”
Following the nanny, Alberto began to wobble. This time, the footmen gathered to support him.
“Lord Alberto!”
“Head Butler!”
“Fetch his cane, quick!”
Fed up with it all, I just trudged into the castle. Didn’t care who followed. I was exhausted and wanted to wash up and rest ASAP.
But another welcome awaited me.
“Big brother.”
Dalia appeared with the maids.
Pajamas again, as usual. Sorry for always interrupting a child’s sleep.
“Dalia!”
I ran over, genuinely pleased, but Dalia was nonchalant. Clutching her dragon doll tight, she held out her hand to me.
“Big brother.”
She called me again, so I picked her up despite my sore hands, but Dalia twisted away like a cat hating kisses.
“Not a hug.”
“Huh?”
“Present. Give me a present.”
Already grasping the importance of gifts. As expected—born different. A duke’s lady has to show this level of materialism from the start.
But...
“The present...”
A flurry of scenes flashed through my mind.
“Lizard, huh...”
Dalia’s dream lizard, the necromancer Rekropadas, the ghost he summoned, Teneriffe who snatched that ghost, the garden keeper Teide and Canary...
How do I explain this?
Some weirdo showed up, killed your favorite dream lizard, stole its ghost. Big brother’s a necromancer too, but that guy was stronger, so I even took him as a master.
You get it, right? You’re a good five-year-old.
“Haha... Ha...”
No way she’d get it. She’s five.
Pippin, sensing my dilemma, rummaged in his pocket again. Wary of what stunt he’d pull, I held Dalia and stepped back.
“Young lady. A present for you.”
Dalia squirmed in protest to be put down. No choice—I set her down, and she toddled over, snatching the item from Pippin’s hand.
“What’s this?”
“A flower I carved.”
What Pippin offered as a gift was a smoothly polished wooden piece. It didn’t look like any flower—more like a lumpy log buffed to a shine.
“...”
Dalia stared intently at the wooden lump.
No way she likes it? If so, I’m snatching it.
No, Dalia! Pippin’s one of those no-good male leads! Fall for him now, and you’ll get hurt later!
Big brother won’t allow it! First love’s too early at five!
“Eeeeng...”
The wooden lump slipped limply from Dalia’s hand. Ignoring us, she ran to the nanny. I, who brought no gift, and Pippin, with his un-gift-like offering, were now beneath notice.
That’s the attention span of a five-year-old duke’s lady. Pippin stared blankly at his discarded “artwork.” He was sixteen—older than Dalia, but honestly, still a kid.
“Hmm.”
Pitifully abandoned on the floor. I picked up the metaphysical masterpiece and returned it to the artist. The once-in-a-generation genius took it, tucked it away, and grumbled sulkily.
“Even when the young lady grows up, I doubt I’ll like her.”
Music to my ears.
Patting Pippin’s shoulder, I shrugged mine.
“Let’s go catch a lizard sometime later.”