Chapter 55
Chapter 55
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: She Comes (1)
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After the assault incident in the Fairy Forest, I apologized to Damian and returned to the mansion.
I planned to stay at the mansion for a few days and observe how Nior would react.
"Young Master, you're not going to the forest today?"
"No. I have a guest coming."
Mone looked puzzled. As far as she knew, no one was scheduled to meet me for the time being.
"A guest?"
"Someone you probably know too, Mone."
At my words, Mone slowly nodded.
Then, as if her interest had waned, she changed the subject.
"But can I go play in the forest again?"
"Ah, of course, come anytime. In fact, the Queen was wondering why Mone hasn't been coming."
"Really?"
In truth, Beatrice had subtly hoped I'd bring Mone next time. Fairies like pure humans and those with great luck, and Mone fit both criteria.
It wasn't empty talk—plenty of fairies had asked why Mone wasn't coming when I visited the forest.
"Then I should go next time. I heard fairies like honey, so maybe I should bring some honey bread?"
"Fairies would love anything you give them."
"Oh, come on."
Mone waved her hand bashfully, but she didn't seem displeased deep down.
'If Mone builds trust with the fairies, it'll be helpful in many ways.'
I'd realized from this incident that fairy magic wasn't just efficient—it was highly versatile.
Even their simple stealth spells were impressive. Jack Bale, a high-level Sword Expert, hadn't noticed me approaching at all.
'My expectations for the scabbard Beatrice made just got even higher.'
It was made by the Fairy Queen herself, enchanting fairy wood.
Recalling the synopsis, I couldn't help but be excited.
Knock knock.
Just as I was swelling with anticipation, Dorian knocked and entered.
"Patriarch, the young master from the Bellun Count Family is here."
Dorian's expression wasn't great as he spoke. He'd seen Nior's temperament firsthand, after all.
I rose and headed to the mansion's entrance, where Nior waited, his face flushed red.
He was arguing with our family's knights blocking the entrance when he spotted me and pointed accusingly.
"Cr- Clay Banheart, you bastard...!"
"As I said before, I'm a count, Nior. Are you too stupid to understand with words?"
When I placed my hand on the sword at my waist, Nior finally flinched.
He glared at me and spoke.
"Urgh! Damn it, what did you do to our knights?"
"Knights?"
"Acting like you don't know! You...!"
Nior clamped his mouth shut mid-sentence.
He must have realized, upon saying it aloud, just how foolish he'd been.
With nearly thirty knights and Jack Bale missing, he'd come here in a rage.
But Nior had no grounds to confront me.
What he'd done was a grave crime: attempting to murder a count.
"Nior, are you referring to Sir Jack Bale and those unruly knights who came to see me?"
"N-No, that's..."
"The knights who tried to kill my territory's people and assassinate me—were you the one who sent them? And now you've stupidly come to confess your guilt."
"Th-That's not true! I know nothing about it!"
Instead, he brazenly shouted at me.
'Well, it was expected.'
First, I'd capture him and the knights who'd followed, then settle things with the Bellun Count.
"Sorry, but I have no intention of listening to your nonsense anymore..."
As I spoke and reached for my sword,
"Oh my."
A familiar voice interjected between us.
"This is quite an entertaining situation."
Though not loud, her utterly relaxed tone didn't fit the mood at all, drawing everyone's eyes.
"......!"
I was so shocked I couldn't speak.
'Why is Riya here?!'
There stood Riya Asktalin, princess of the Asktalin Empire.
Why was she here?
"Hoh, what a pretty little thing this is."
Nior grinned lecherously at the sudden appearance and approached her. His earlier rage had vanished.
'Does this idiot not even recognize the imperial princess?'
Of course, her outfit was simple, and with a hat hiding her horns, she wasn't easy to identify.
But to accelerate like that so suddenly...
'I knew he was clueless, but...'
Should I stop him? I hesitated.
The opponent was the empire's princess. His rudeness could escalate from noble dispute to international incident.
But Nior acted faster than my deliberation.
"First time seeing a woman with such beauty. Hey, what's your name?"
He reached for Riya as he spoke.
But his hand was caught in mid-air by hers, before it could touch her collar.
Nior's brow twitched at her action.
"Hoh. Quite the feisty one."
"Oh my."
Riya's lips curved into a soft smile.
But her eyes gleamed coldly.
"Kneel."
Crack!
"......Huh?"
Nior didn't realize what had happened. As her command echoed, his knees slammed into the ground.
Yet his right hand remained gripped by her, twisting his arm grotesquely.
"Argh, aaaagh!"
Only then did the pain make him scream, and Riya released her hold.
Clutching his broken arm, he convulsed—but terrifyingly, he couldn't move from his kneeling position.
He could only thrash his upper body and wail.
"Shut up."
"......!"
Her next word silenced his screams before they escaped.
"N-Nior, Young Master!"
The five knights who'd come with him panicked at the sudden turn, drawing their swords.
"Kill that witch now!"
They charged at Riya swords in hand, but she merely glanced their way.
"Guh!"
The knights froze mid-charge, trembling uncontrollably.
'That's...'
I instantly recognized the power she wielded.
Dragon Eye.
The absolute source of a dragon's might.
That gaze could seize control of any inferior being's body just by looking.
"Did you call me feisty?"
Having halted the knights, Riya smiled down at Nior, then slowly raised her hand and slapped his face.
Slap!
His head whipped to the side.
She swung her hand back the other way, striking with her knuckles.
Slap! Crack!
Riya's strength was beyond human norms.
When Nior's body had suddenly knelt earlier, her hand hadn't budged—that was proof.
With such power, his cheek swelled red instantly, and white teeth scattered across the ground.
"You shouldn't use rude words like that anymore. Got it?"
Riya said with a bright smile.
But Nior couldn't even twitch.
"You can move your head now."
Only then did his head bob frantically in nod.
He turned to me with desperate eyes, as if begging me to deal with the monster before him.
But Riya misinterpreted his glare.
"Who are you glaring at?"
Emotion entered her voice for the first time.
Feeling the ominous vibe, Nior hurriedly shook his head.
Her smile gone, Riya's eyes glinted menacingly.
'If this continues, he'll die.'
I didn't know about later, but for now, he needed to stay alive.
I didn't want to make enemies of the Bellun Count Family—not when there was still something to extract.
"That's enough."
"...If Clay says so."
Riya stepped back at my words.
I'd have to ask later why she was here.
First, deal with the mess in front of me.
"Nior Bellun, do you admit your crimes?"
Referring to the attack on me in Kitten Forest.
Naturally, Nior initially shook his head.
But when I glanced at Riya, his reaction changed dramatically.
"......!"
His head nodded furiously.
Still bound by Dragon Word, unable to move or speak—but that sufficed.
"Good."
The situation was odd, but I'd achieved my goal. Next: deal with the Bellun Count Family.
* * *
After confining Nior Bellun and his five knights in an empty room at the mansion, I sat with Riya in the drawing room to talk.
"So, what brings you here? You didn't say you were coming."
"Oh my, I did say we'd meet again."
Riya's beaming smile left me speechless.
'No wonder she let me go so easily.'
I realized why she'd released me simply when leaving the empire. She'd planned this from the start.
It flustered me, but Gransesia seemed to have foreseen it all.
[As I expected.]
Gransesia chuckled.
'Expected? What do you mean?'
[If she wanted to keep you by her side, she could've taken you at Rakmes Ridge when you passed out. So I figured something like this might happen.]
Her explanation made sense.
If she'd wanted to force me, taking me then would've been easiest.
'No, if you knew, you should've told me!'
[I did say she 'wouldn't hold you captive.']
'Sigh. So...'
Only now did I understand Gransesia's unsettling smile on the day we returned after the Founding Festival.
Head aching, I turned to Riya.
"Then the reason you're here is..."
"Hehe. Officially, to escort and protect Genova."
What? Assigning a princess as my escort?
Was she serious?
"Of course, that's just the pretext. I came because I wanted to. The empire is boring."
As if reading my thoughts, Riya added.
"Treat me not as a princess, but as a simple adventurer."
"...If that's what you want."
It was absurd, but having Riya around wasn't bad.
She respected my words as much as possible, and her magic was exceptional.
"But I travel a lot. Will you follow every time?"
"I’ll adapt to circumstances, but ideally, yes."
I nodded silently at her answer.
'Going to Aintban Kingdom together will be a huge help.'
I'd been uneasy about going alone, but with Riya, it'd be like gaining a thousand troops.
Even without draconic power, her skill rivaled a Sword Master. With it, no one short of the Seven Heroes could match her.
Her 'escort' claim wasn't entirely a joke.
'...Maybe she's stronger than me?'
[It's not maybe—she definitely is right now.]
'......'
[B-But just for now. Once you master Single Moon Divine Sword and reach Sword Master, you'll surpass her! With your abilities, you'll grow fast!]
As I fell silent, Gransesia hurriedly consoled me.
I couldn't help but chuckle at her words.
But Riya, seeing my smile, looked displeased for some reason.
"...I just sensed another woman's presence. Or was it my imagination?"
Her words instantly wiped the smile from my face.