Chapter 9
Chapter 9
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: The Jewel Mountains
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In my past life, the person I feared most was, without a doubt, my father, the Iron-Blooded Duke.
Of course, I had never properly exchanged more than a few words with the man I called father. In fact, I could count the number of times I had even met him on one hand.
Nevertheless, as someone who bore the Bednicker name and lived off the family’s fortune…
The Iron-Blooded Duke's influence became an invisible pressure that ensnared me.
In other words, my fear of the Iron-Blooded Duke was an unproven, uncertain kind of terror.
Arjan, on the other hand, was a proven terror.
In my past life, the mere sight of Arjan's face was enough to make my knees tremble, so I avoided her with all my might.
Of course, what scared me more than her violence was her uniquely cold gaze.
‘She looks exactly the same as I remember.’
She wore that same expression when she beat me silently, like a machine.
There was no reasoning with her, and even if I apologized for my mistakes, she would only swing her fists. It was only natural for my immature self to feel fear.
So, I was actually curious.
I wondered how I would feel when I actually saw Arjan again.
The soul and body are inseparable, and fear etched into the flesh can be surprisingly persistent.
It seemed an unexpected opportunity to answer that question had arrived.
“Hello.”
As expected, I felt nothing at all.
After all, I had been beaten a thousand times harder for ten years by someone a hundred times scarier than Arjan.
In that moment, I realized something else, though it wasn't particularly important.
I would never again be subjugated by anyone through violence.
“Yes, Young Master. It has been a while.”
“What brings you here so suddenly?”
“My apologies.”
Arjan bowed at a perfect ninety-degree angle.
“I intended to continue my period of self-reflection for at least another week, but I received a report from the staff that I could not ignore.”
“A report you couldn’t ignore?”
“I heard the Fang Knights paid a visit. And that they are taking you to the main estate.”
“That’s right.”
I nodded, though I was puzzled.
It was strange that news of something that had just happened had already reached Arjan's ears.
‘There’s no way she was eavesdropping…’
It meant there were people in this mansion who served as her eyes and ears.
Of course, it was also possible that the servants had simply run to tell her, regardless of her wishes.
If it was the former, Arjan might be a more cunning person than I thought.
“…While your return to the main estate is certainly joyous news, I heard that the journey will take you through the Jewel Mountains.”
“That’s what the knights said.”
Arjan fell silent.
It felt as if she had let out a sigh, her face that of someone dealing with a sheltered young master who knew nothing of the world.
“Do you know what kind of place the Jewel Mountains are, Young Master?”
“It’s the largest mountain range in the Empire, isn’t it?”
“And besides that?”
“The name is a bit unusual? I guess there’s a mine or something.”
Although I had scraped by as a mercenary in my past life, I actually didn't know much about the Empire's geography.
My area of operation had been completely different, for starters.
Back then, the very name Bednicker was a source of pressure, so I operated near the outskirts of the Empire, where its renown was less likely to reach me.
“It is one of the Empire's four forbidden zones. Do you happen to know what a forbidden zone signifies?”
Even I knew that much, but I deliberately kept my mouth shut.
As expected, Arjan continued her explanation.
“It is a land that, despite being within Imperial territory, the Empire has failed to conquer.”
“…”
“The Empire has sent subjugation forces to this dangerous region time and again, but has failed to achieve any meaningful results. Ultimately, it was deemed more practical to leave it be rather than attempt a forceful conquest, so entry was prohibited, and it became a forbidden zone.”
“Haha.”
“…”
“…”
I laughed, thinking it might be a joke, but seeing her expression, I realized it wasn't and wiped the smile off my face.
“But the knights said they came through the mountains to get here. They didn't make it sound particularly dangerous.”
“That was just one time, was it not?”
Arjan said, holding up her index finger.
“The number one holds no statistical significance.”
She had a point.
Listening to her, it seemed the place called the Jewel Mountains was far more dangerous than I had anticipated.
But there was one thing Arjan didn't know.
“I still have to go.”
“Do you wish to return to the main estate that badly?”
“That's not the issue. This is an order from the Family Head.”
At that, a flicker of surprise crossed Arjan's calm face for the first time.
“You worked at the main estate, Butler, so you should know better than me. This isn't the kind of thing I can refuse.”
“…I see. I understand.”
She was surprisingly quick to accept it.
Perhaps the one who couldn't be reasoned with wasn't Arjan, but my past self.
Just as I was thinking that, Arjan looked at me and said something rather shocking.
“In that case, I will accompany you.”
* * *
The next day.
The Fang Knights returned to the mansion before the sun had even risen.
After seeing me standing in front of the mansion, they looked at Arjan and asked.
“And who is this?”
“This is Arjan, my butler. The pride of our estate. Due to certain circumstances, she will be accompanying us.”
“Hmm…”
About two of the five knights stared blankly at Arjan.
Given their profession, they must have seen their fair share of noble ladies, but even to them, her appearance must have been striking.
Osel, however, narrowed his eyes.
“This is not a place for a mere butler to tag along…”
“…”
At that moment, I felt a sense of unease and looked up.
I stared at his slick face, but he didn't avert his gaze.
As we exchanged silent glances, Arjan spoke.
“I can protect myse—”
I cut Arjan off.
“So you’re telling me to travel through the mountains without a single attendant?”
Then, with a deep frown, I said.
“I don’t think so. Of course, if one of you gentlemen were to exclusively attend to my needs, I might consider it.”
Their expressions hardened when I added a smug smile. A few of them looked at Arjan with pity.
“…Very well. However, please bear in mind that in the unlikely event of an emergency, we can only protect the Young Master.”
“You state the obvious. A mere butler and the son of the Iron-Blooded Duke. It’s clear who should be prioritized.”
Those words probably made Arjan’s expression stiffen as well.
Instead of glancing at Arjan, I slowly scanned Osel’s face, as if to say, ‘If you have something to say, say it.’
In response, the man simply curled his lips slightly, just as before, and said.
“…Shall we depart, then?”
* * *
“The Jewel Mountains are located southeast of the Imperial capital. Their average elevation is 3,000 meters, which is nowhere near the continent's highest peak, but the danger of this place has little to do with its height.”
“…”
“It is because of the monsters that inhabit the Jewel Mountains. Young Master, please wake up.”
“…I’m not asleep.”
I swallowed the saliva that had pooled in my mouth and answered.
After a brief glance at me, Arjan resumed her explanation. I pretended to listen while turning my gaze out the window.
It was still peaceful.
That was to be expected, since we were spending most of the day just traveling.
On the day of our departure.
We stopped at a nearby town immediately after leaving the mansion.
There, we procured a carriage heading towards the Jewel Mountains and climbed aboard. We spent the first night camping out.
Of course, Osel paid for all the expenses.
We resumed our journey as soon as the sun rose… and according to Osel, we would reach the mountains this afternoon.
“That was surprisingly fast. Were the mountains close to our estate?”
“To be precise, it is because the Jewel Mountains are exceptionally large. From the Imperial capital, you will inevitably encounter this mountain range no matter which southeastern route you take.”
“Hmm.”
“It is said that new flora and fauna are discovered with every expedition into the Jewel Mountains. This is why some scholars interpret its name literally. The mountain's environment has a high probability of producing mutations, and generally, at the entrance—”
Listening to her, my eyelids grew heavy again.
I decided to beat the drowsiness before it could claim me.
“Butler.”
“Yes.”
“Spare me the trivial details and get to the point.”
“The point, you ask?”
*Aren’t I doing that right now?* Arjan’s expression seemed to add.
Apparently, the several hundred words she had just uttered with a serious face were all key points.
“Why is it called the Jewel Mountains in the first place? Is there a mine or something?”
I think I had asked a similar question before we left, but I never got an answer then either.
“…”
Arjan blinked.
Her face said she hadn't expected me to ask such a simple question.
Still, being a fundamentally composed person with little emotional fluctuation, she quickly regained her calm and continued her explanation.
“There is a monster in the mountains that you must never encounter.”
“A monster?”
“Yes. A particularly dangerous individual among the mutants. They have many names, but they are generally called this.”
Arjan added in a placid voice.
“Jewel Beasts.”
“…Is it really a good idea to go to a place teeming with such dangerous creatures?”
“That is why I am accompanying you. To ensure your safety, Young Master.”
Arjan said in a calm voice.
“Of course, I have heard that the chances of encountering a Jewel Beast in the mountains are about the same as being struck by lightning on a clear day. Sir Osel mentioned we will not be venturing deeper than the entrance, so the probability is lower still.”
“…Struck by lightning on a clear day, huh.”
I muttered, looking out the window.
“Those odds aren't as low as you'd think.”
Just then, the carriage crested a hill.
And in the distance, the massive shadow of the mountain range slowly began to appear.
—Two days after leaving the mansion.
We entered the Jewel Mountains.