Chapter 66
Chapter 66
“Aileen.”
As soon as the swindler left, Miron approached.
Calix Krauvel was still standing where he had been, watching me. Naturally, Anthony Greg was beside him as well.
“Are you alright?”
“As you can see.”
When I replied with a crooked grin, Miron’s slightly tense expression finally relaxed.
“That’s a relief. Still, that was far too reckless. What if that man had decided to harm you…?”
“Petty swindlers like that usually don’t have the guts to go that far, so it’s fine.”
“Even so, you never know. Be more careful next time.”
His voice was filled with concern, so I obediently said I would.
“Thank you for helping me.”
The noblewoman, who had been watching the direction the swindler fled, tightly grasped my hand and expressed her gratitude.
“If it weren’t for you, that swindler would have completely taken advantage of me. Thank you so much.”
“It’s nothing. Next time something like this happens, don’t listen to passersby. Ask at a workshop instead. That way, the chances of getting scammed are much lower.”
The noblewoman nodded.
“Let’s go look for an inn before it gets any later.”
“An inn?”
The noblewoman reacted to Miron’s words.
“You were looking for a place to stay?”
“Yes. Well, that’s true, but…”
“It’s the peak travel season right now, so finding an inn won’t be easy. If you don’t mind, how about staying at my house?”
It was an unexpected yet welcome offer. I had actually been worried we might end up sleeping outside at this rate.
“Would that really be alright? I’m worried we might be causing trouble.”
“Trouble? Not at all. Compared to what you did for me, this is nothing.”
In that case, there was no reason to refuse.
However, this wasn’t something I could decide alone, so I turned to Calix Krauvel.
He thought for a moment, then nodded.
Once I had his permission, I smiled brightly at the noblewoman.
“Then we’ll gratefully accept your hospitality for tonight, madam.”
The noblewoman not only let us stay the night but also prepared a splendid dinner.
“Ah, I’m full.”
Having eaten my fill for the first time in a while, I lay down on the bed and patted my stomach. The bed was soft and comfortable, and just lying there made me drowsy.
“I should wash before sleeping.”
I had ridden all day and was covered in dust. I knew I should wash, but I didn’t even want to move a finger, so I stayed lying there.
Just a little longer.
Just a little…
My thoughts were beginning to blur when a low, gentle sound came from outside the window.
“…A flute?”
The melody was beautiful enough to overcome my laziness, and before I knew it, I had stood up.
Following the sound, I stepped out onto the terrace. Miron was leaning against the railing of the terrace next door, playing the flute.
The sky behind him was filled with a blend of red and violet, making the scene look like a painting.
Clap, clap—clap clap—
When the song ended, I applauded enthusiastically. Only then did Miron notice me, and his eyes widened slightly.
“When did you come out?”
“Just now. I hope I didn’t interrupt your performance?”
“Not at all. But I’m a little embarrassed that you had to listen to such a low-level performance.”
Miron scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
“Low-level? It was good enough to be performed in an opera theater.”
“Thank you, even if you’re just saying that to be polite.”
“I’m serious. Actually, I’d like to hear another piece. May I request one?”
“Of course.”
Miron placed the flute to his lips again and slowly blew into it. The gentle melody seeped quietly into the cool evening air.
This is nice.
Listening to it made my fatigue melt away and my mind feel purified.
I felt like I finally understood what people meant when they said music could comfort them.
“Aileen.”
I had been completely absorbed in Miron’s performance when a familiar voice interrupted the moment.
Calix Krauvel stood in the courtyard below. He tilted his chin slightly, signaling for me to come down.
“I’ll be going now. Please play again next time.”
I didn’t know what he wanted, but ignoring him would probably bring trouble, so I hurried down to the courtyard.
“You called for me?”
Instead of answering, Calix Krauvel looked up toward the terrace where Miron had been.
Miron had already gone inside, but Calix stared at the empty terrace for quite a while as if he were still there.
“My lord?”
“…I’ve changed my mind.”
“Pardon?”
Before I could ask what he meant, he abruptly turned around and walked away.
“Huh? What was that?”
It was like being put through pointless training.
What exactly was that supposed to be?
As if to worsen my irritation, the metal ring clinked at that exact moment.
My displeasure doubled. I scowled and glared at his retreating back for quite a while.
The noblewoman told us we could stay another day, but since we still had a long journey ahead, we politely declined and left her house.
Aside from the discomfort of riding the same horse as Calix Krauvel, the journey went smoothly.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Well, I thought it was going smoothly.
The swindler we met yesterday suddenly appeared again in front of us just as we were leaving the small town.
“Because of you, I can’t do business anymore. You have to take responsibility. How can you just leave?”
Behind the swindler stood a line of thugs carrying swords, axes, and other tools in a threatening display.
There were clearly more than ten of them.
In contrast, we were only four people, and the only one holding a weapon was Calix Krauvel.
“I figured they wouldn’t withdraw quietly, but I didn’t expect them to show up in a group like this.”
“People who are weak tend to move in packs.”
Anyone could see we were at a disadvantage, but Anthony Greg and Miron didn’t look frightened at all.
Calix Krauvel even yawned as if the situation bored him.
“Hah. These bastards are looking down on us?”
The swindler’s face twisted.
“I guess we’ll have to teach you a lesson.”
One of the thugs holding a double-bladed axe stepped forward.
Slice—
With a dull sound, the handle of the axe he was holding suddenly snapped in two.
The axe blade lost its balance and fell straight onto his foot.
The blade dug deep into his flesh, and blood spurted out like a fountain.
“AAARGH!”
The thug collapsed on the spot, screaming in pain.
The horrifying sight made the others hesitate briefly, but they soon shouted about revenge for their comrade and rushed at us all at once.
“Should I—”
Before Miron could finish speaking, Calix Krauvel’s fist struck the face of the charging thug with perfect precision.
“…No need.”
Miron shrugged and raised his hand to cover my eyes.
“This isn’t something a lady should watch. Keep your eyes closed.”
I could watch gory noir films or zombie movies without a problem, but reality was different, so I obediently listened.
Once my vision was blocked, my hearing became sharper. The dull sounds of blows and the groans of people were much clearer.
But strangely, Calix’s voice couldn’t be heard at all.
He must be incredibly good at fighting.
Well, the novel did say that.
I had even seen him kill a worm monster with a single strike before.
Then was he the one who cut the axe handle just now?
He hadn’t even drawn his sword. How did he do it?
While I was thinking about it, the sounds of impact disappeared, leaving only groans.
Only then did Miron remove the hand covering my eyes.
The thugs were sprawled across the road.
They were bad people, but the sight was so miserable that I felt a moment of pity.
Meanwhile, aside from his hair being slightly disheveled and some blood on his hands, Calix Krauvel looked perfectly fine.
“Shall we hand them over to the security office?”
Anthony Greg asked while looking down at the thugs with contempt.
“Instead of the security office, how about we make them regret this another way?”
When I casually suggested it, Anthony Greg and Miron looked at me.
Even Calix Krauvel, who had been wiping his blood-stained hand on a thug’s clothes, turned to look at me.
“Another way?”
“Yes. If we hand them over like this, they’ll just spend some time in a holding cell and then get released. That’s a bit disappointing, isn’t it?”
If we revealed that they had targeted Calix Krauvel, they could be punished severely, but since we had to conceal his identity, that wasn’t possible.
“So let’s do this.”
I explained my plan.
“Pfft, that’s a great idea.”
After hearing everything, Miron burst out laughing.
“If we do that, everyone will know these men are swindlers.”
Anthony Greg also looked satisfied.
“…You’re surprisingly creative in this kind of thing.”
Calix Krauvel looked at me as if he hadn’t expected that.
A little later, beneath a large tree on the outskirts of the small town, the swindler and the thugs who had dared attack us were hanging from the branches wearing nothing but their underwear.
And on their bodies—
written in large letters for everyone passing by to see—
were the words:
[I am a swindler.]