Chapter 230: Lainella's Fate is Decided by Lainella (23)
Chapter 230: Lainella's Fate is Decided by Lainella (23)
That night, a small festival was held at the Percus Mansion.
In truth, it felt more like a "banquet" than a festival. The event consisted of nothing more than serving food and drink to the guests who visited the estate.
Even commoners in this world knew how to treat a guest with honor.
For a noble house like the Percus family, it went without saying. Hosting a feast was hardly a rare occurrence in aristocratic society.
However, there was a specific reason why tonight’s banquet was called a "festival."
It was because of the sheer scale of the visitors.
Whenever I returned home, the people I had formed bonds with in my hometown would gather in small groups. Their numbers were enough to be called a "crowd" without exaggeration.
This was thanks to the Percus family’s tradition of interacting with commoners without pretension for generations.
From Mr. Hans of the forge and the mischievous Ned to his younger sister May, all sorts of people came to see my face.
No matter how large the Percus Mansion was, there was a limit.
When a crowd numbering in the dozens or hundreds arrived, the mansion alone couldn't accommodate them. So, every time I returned, several long dining tables were set up in the courtyard.
With so many people laughing and chatting, a boisterous clamor echoed through the yard.
It was a scene reminiscent of a festival.
Was such a grand welcoming ceremony really necessary just because a son who left home had returned?
I wondered about it every time, but I was only human.
The more people welcomed me, the more my heart swelled. Before I knew it, I was roaming every corner of the courtyard, accepting drinks offered to me.
Smoke rose continuously from a corner of the yard.
The delicious scent of roasting meat wafted through the air. Today’s menu was a whole hog barbecue; it seemed Ria, who managed the estate’s finances, had been quite generous.
Or perhaps she was just that confident in her ability to squeeze the funds out of the Princess.
I ruffled the hair of a young boy who was greedily devouring pork beside me.
He was a kid who looked like a troublemaker at a glance. His name was Ned, and a girl with a nervous expression was clinging to his side.
The girl’s name was May. She was Ned’s younger sister, but her nature was the exact opposite.
While Ned was energetic and playful, May was quiet and timid.
Because of this, Ned often said he had to protect his sister.
After their parents passed away when they were young, the siblings were left as good as orphans. My father, taking pity on them, had hired Ned as an errand boy for the mansion, which is how our bond began.
Even back then, Ned had bravely worked to feed his sister.
I had wondered how they were doing after I left, and I was relieved to see them looking healthy every time I saw them. I asked Ned in a playful voice.
"Ned, are you still training?"
"…O-Of course, Master!"
Ned gulped down the pork he was eating and jumped up, making a bold declaration.
Usually, Ned used the respectful title "Young Master." But whenever the topic of training came up, he became a different person.
He often said, like a habit, that he wanted to become a knight to protect his sister.
And since I was the person closest to being a knight in the Percus territory, it was inevitable that he would look up to me and call me "Master."
In fact, I had personally overseen his training a few times.
Fortunately, he seemed to have the persistence to keep it up.
Internally, I thought he was admirable, but outwardly, I had to put on a skeptical expression.
Once you let go of your training, it’s over.
Even if you’re exhausted, hurting, and feel like you’re dying—even if you’re so sick of it you never want to look at a sword again—the path is always found just beyond the point where you want to collapse.
I didn't hold back on advice to ensure Ned didn't slack off.
"Ned, you know, right? Aside from injury, there is no reason to skip training. And a great knight…"
"Doesn't lie?"
Since it was something I had said many times before, Ned immediately anticipated my next words.
I ruffled his hair roughly once more as a sign of praise.
Ned burst into a giggle.
"I believe you now! I heard all about what you did, Young Master!"
At that shout, the surroundings momentarily fell silent.
Dozens of pairs of eyes turned toward me all at once. May, who was clinging to Ned, flinched.
It was because too much attention had been focused on them.
However, Ned, whose lack of tact was both his strength and weakness, asked me without a care in the world.
"Are those rumors true?! Like, like… how you killed a horned monster at the Hunting Festival where the high nobles participate, and defeated a wicked Fiend who was bullying children! And you even rescued the Princess who was being threatened by the bad guys of the Dark Cult! Whoa…!"
Hearing it like that, it was no wonder Ned was so excited.
Weren't those the kind of feats only seen by knights in heroic tales?
However, behind those brilliant records remained bloodstains that no one could see.
I didn't have many chances left.
The Divine Artifact I received as a reward from the Imperial Household was my last hope.
After that, even if I sold the entire Percus territory, I wouldn't be able to save my life. I wondered how Ned would react if I told him that.
Of course, there was no way I would say such a thing.
Ned was still at an age where he should be allowed to dream a little longer.
I gave my usual ambiguous smile.
"I wonder. What do you think the truth is?"
The answer, however, came from elsewhere.
Senior Elsie, who had come running with quick steps, puffed out her chest right in front of me.
She looked incredibly proud. She probably wouldn't be this happy even if she were the one receiving the praise.
A faint sense of unease flickered in my eyes. Elsie’s mouth was more threatening to me than a time bomb.
Mainly in terms of my social reputation.
It seemed Elsie’s "Master" declaration hadn't reached this rural area yet, but it would be a disaster if a similar situation repeated itself.
I wanted to avoid being called trash in my own hometown, where my family lived, at all costs.
Whether she knew my heart or not, Elsie triumphantly placed both hands on her hips.
"Mas— I mean, Lord Ian performed magnificent feats. Why else would His Majesty the Emperor bestow a Divine Artifact upon him? Especially Guildford, that old geezer who deserves to be chewed up and spat out…"
Elsie’s voice, which was about to showcase its usual colorful vocabulary, faltered.
She had realized that the atmosphere around her had turned chilly.
It was understandable if people were hearing such foul language coming from someone with her doll-like appearance for the first time. To be honest, I had felt the same way.
However, the reason Elsie hesitated was because of my father, who was looking at her with wide, startled eyes.
She immediately coughed a few times and continued in a much more demure tone.
"That… elderly gentleman who deserves to be chewed up and spat out, when he stabbed us in the back… I mean, when he betrayed us, Ian alone took that monkey brat… I mean, he slit the throat of that baby monkey! He even crushed that pathetic skull… no, he showed the ruthlessness to dispose of the corpse entirely!"
I didn't think "ruthlessness" was a compliment no matter how I looked at it, but I decided not to point it out.
Since the audience was listening with sparkling eyes, I just had to let it go.
I let out a deep sigh and shook my head. Elsie, undeterred by my exasperated reaction, hugged my arm.
Then, like a pet showing affection to its owner, she rubbed her head against me.
The soft sensation of Elsie’s cheek felt nice.
A sweet voice leaked from her lips.
"As expected of my Mas—… you're so cool…"
The fact that I had crushed a corpse's head seemed to have been very impressive to Elsie.
Her difficult-to-understand sensibilities were still hard to grasp.
However, as Elsie clung to me, I felt a cold gaze from somewhere.
There stood a tall, middle-aged man with his arms crossed, staring at me.
It was Sir Reynold.
Only then did I remember that this was a place with dozens of spectators.
Lately, Elsie had been clinging to me so aggressively that I hadn't noticed, but the distance between us was inappropriate for a noble man and woman in their prime.
It wouldn't be strange for anyone to mistake us for lovers.
In fact, the looks from the whispering townspeople were becoming peculiar.
Just as I was about to pull Elsie away in surprise—
Thwack!
A shovel blade slammed into the ground between Elsie and me.
Elsie and I instinctively jumped apart. Elsie’s stunned gaze turned toward the woman holding the shovel handle.
There stood Ria, wearing a bright smile.
"…Lady Lainella, this is a relationship where formal marriage talks haven't even begun. No matter how close you are, please exercise restraint in a place like this."
Elsie’s eyes turned sharp.
Given her temper, it wouldn't have been strange for her to flare up and start hurling insults, but Elsie caught my eye just in time.
That was it.
After hesitating for a long moment, a dejected Elsie turned away.
"Y-Yes… okay."
Elsie’s back as she walked away lonely looked particularly pitiful.
After looking at her with a momentary sympathetic gaze, I glanced at Ria.
Ria was merely letting out a huff, looking quite prim.
I had no choice but to ask her in disbelief.
"…And why are you holding a shovel?"
"Because they said they needed a pit for the charcoal logs. Do you think roasting a pig is easy work?"
I was about to retort that she could just leave that to the laborers, but I shook my head.
I knew that shoveling was Ria’s only way of relieving mental stress.
Ria let out a deep breath and wiped her sweat with her sleeve.
Her damp hair glistened, revealing a seductive beauty. If she were presented anywhere else, there would be a wagon-load of men trying to snatch her up, but her temper was the problem.
And Ria began to showcase that temper without reservation today as well.
"Ned, don't get your hopes up too high. Rumors are bound to be exaggerated."
At Ria’s sharp remark, Ned jumped as if it couldn't be true.
In his eyes, there was even a sense of desperation, as if he didn't want to lose his childhood hero.
"…B-But that noble lady just said!"
"Do you believe that? Lady Lainella is a close friend of my brother’s, and since she’s visiting her friend’s hometown, she might just be talking him up."
With that, Ria brushed back her hair with a grumpy face.
"Logically, it doesn't make sense. My brother was only in the middle ranks of the Academy until recently. Someone like that becoming a supernova that shakes the continent in just a few months? Haha…"
Ria, who had let out a chilling laugh, suddenly erupted in a shout.
"…Don't make me laugh!"
With that, Ria’s golden eyes began to glare at me fiercely. I sighed and avoided her gaze.
The nagging was starting again.
She was probably still angry because she hadn't been able to get any time alone with me this afternoon.
"It's dangerous! Logically, Fiends, the Dark Cult… those are all monsters from myths! S-So why does my brother have to get involved in that kind of stuff?!"
However, Ned didn't seem to want to back down either.
The young boy stammered out a meager excuse.
"B-But it could be true! The Young Master has been training consistently since a long time ago…"
"…Sigh, Ned."
Her voice sounded pitying.
Ria gave a twisted smile and delivered the final blow to Ned.
"Unfortunately, there are walls that cannot be overcome with effort… and my brother’s talent isn't that great. Do you understand? He’s the type who has to work day and night just to barely reach the 'Expert' level!"
Ned, unable to find a rebuttal to those words, was shot down.
Only then did Ria, wearing a satisfied smile, glare at me and say,
"You understand too, right, Brother? From now on, don't get involved in uselessly dangerous things, and let's just live peacefully according to our station…"
However, Ria’s voice began to grow quieter toward the end.
The sound of rhythmic hoofbeats echoed through the nighttime Percus Mansion.
It was faint at first, but the sound was becoming clearer. It was obvious to anyone that a new guest had arrived.
But the banquet had already been underway for a long time.
No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn't think of anyone who hadn't come. That was why Ria’s eyes and mine turned toward the source at the same time.
There, a mysterious figure with a hood pulled low was approaching on horseback.
The sharp metallic clinking that rang out with every movement allowed me to guess their armament.
At the very least, it was a knight.
In the courtyard where a dry silence had fallen, several gazes met in mid-air.
Me, Celine, Senior Elsie, the Saintess, and even Seria.
No one had any idea who it was.
Sir Reynold was equally unresponsive. Rather, he just stared at me silently, as if waiting to see how I would react.
The horse stopped in front of the mansion.
It was clear that they had come here.
The townspeople, who rarely saw knights in their rural territory, looked somewhat uneasy. I would have felt the same if I saw a mysterious hooded knight.
The moment I took a step forward, my hand moving toward my waist—
A brilliant blue trajectory bisected the world like a galaxy.
I couldn't even react. The strike, which appeared so suddenly, vanished like a phantom. But its aftereffects were unmistakable.
A gale erupted, shaking the surroundings.
Several people screamed and collapsed. The vertical strike had blasted the ground. I gritted my teeth against the wind mixed with dust.
Is it the Dark Cult?
The opponent was at least an Expert. Otherwise, they couldn't have shown such divine power just now.
Just as I steeled my resolve and was about to draw my sword—
"…Master!"
With a cheerful voice, the hood was thrown back.
The woman who appeared from within was incredibly beautiful. It felt as if the vision that had been submerged in darkness had instantly brightened.
The beautiful female knight with impressive blue hair approached me with excitement.
"I-It happened just as you said! That technique you taught me—I don't think I have it perfectly yet, but I think I've got the feel for it!"
I was dumbfounded.
The female knight who was now holding both of my hands and repeatedly expressing her gratitude was familiar. Before long, I recalled her name.
The daughter of the Lupemion family who escorted the Princess.
Only then did she seem to realize the atmosphere had turned strange, as she flinched and took a few steps back in surprise.
Then, with a dry cough, she bowed politely.
"…I am Irene Lupemion of the Imperial Guard Knight Order. I apologize for causing a disturbance while you were enjoying yourselves."
I wasn't the only one lost for words at the series of events.
Even the high-spirited Ria was staring at Sir Irene with a dazed face.
Irene Lupemion of the Imperial Guard Knight Order.
Judging by the prowess she showed at first, she was clearly someone who had reached an extraordinary level. Not to mention she was a member of the famous Imperial Guard.
Above all, that surname, "Lupemion."
"The Blue Wolf of the East…"
That title, whispered by someone, was the very word that represented one of the Five Great Noble Families of the Empire.
Lupemion, the protectors of the Empire’s east.
A member of that house had suddenly called me "Master" and was bowing respectfully.
There weren't many people who could accept this as reality right away.
Not Ria, not Ned, and not even me.
As the atmosphere turned sour, Sir Irene looked quite flustered. After hesitating for a while, she seemed to realize something and immediately slammed her head toward the ground.
"I-I have arrived as instructed! Master!"
In a small rural territory, a moment arrived where a force beyond imagination was gathering.