Chapter 45
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: Elberra (6)
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I'd heard from Lindelmann that if it was the Grime family, they were surely one of the major powers representing Elberra, tied to the Blue Rose Knights.
And now I understood why Lindelmann's face had darkened yesterday when the Grime family was mentioned.
"Hoo!"
Lindelmann, who had paused briefly at the brothers' sneers, took a slow breath and replied.
"That's right. That's Albert Grime, the eldest son of the Grime family. The one beside him is his younger brother, Darren Grime."
"I see. Anyway, we don't have the luxury to get tangled in pointless matters, so let's ignore them."
"Yeah. I've been mixed up with those bastards since I was a kid, and not once has it led to anything good."
Lindelmann shot a furious glare at the ship carrying Albert.
But he soon flinched.
It was because he'd spotted Annrose again.
However, Annrose's gaze wasn't directed at Lindelmann. Regrettably, it was fixed on Albert.
Just riding the same ship suggested they weren't ordinary acquaintances, and seeing his suspicions confirmed soured Lindelmann's mood once more.
"Hm?"
But something felt off.
The expression on her face as she looked at Albert didn't show any fondness.
Upon closer inspection, it was exactly the same disdainful look she'd worn moments ago when Albert had blabbed about him being a bastard.
"Ah!"
Lindelmann's face brightened a little.
Her contempt hadn't been aimed at him. It had clearly been directed at Albert, the one who'd said it.
'A lady as discerning as she is beautiful.'
Though she was just some girl with no connection to him, Lindelmann inexplicably felt cheered and grinned without realizing it.
"Hm?"
Albert frowned at the smile.
It had been a while since they'd last met, but something was strange.
He'd expected Lindelmann to hang his head and slink away like always after the insult—just passing by would have been the same, but the atmosphere felt different somehow?
And what was with that irritating grin?
'Oh, right! Heh heh.'
But then Albert recalled something that would definitely get a rise out of Lindelmann and flashed a sleazy smile as he spoke.
"Hey, speaking of which. You still dreaming of becoming an Imperial Knight?"
"......"
Naturally, Lindelmann made no reply.
He turned sharply on his heel, answering with his back as he strode after Blake.
But Albert's next words forced him to halt.
"Then you'd better hurry. Not sure if you heard, but the Imperial Knight exam date got changed. It's been set for Prince Tobias's birthday. Oh? And that's just two days from now. Ha ha! You'll have to rush like hell if you want to make it to the exam!"
"W-What...!"
Lindelmann's eyes went wide.
"What did you just say?"
"Ha ha! Judging by your reaction, looks like I hit the nail on the head. A bastard becoming an Imperial Knight... Still chasing that impossible dream, huh? Hey, dreams are free, sure. Sorry to burst your bubble, but it's true. This year's Imperial Knight exam was moved to the First Prince's birthday two days from now. The announcement went out a whole month ago—how could you not know? Are you really serious about becoming an Imperial Knight?"
Albert shrugged.
But Lindelmann had already lost interest in his antics.
His mind was filled with the shocking news he'd just heard.
"I-I can't believe it! You've always just mocked me! So this must be another one of your lies! Albert Grime, does humiliating me like this make you happy?!"
"Ha ha ha! Such a fitting reaction for lowborn trash. Listen, bastard—even a bastard wouldn't get lied to by family like us Grimes. If you can't trust me, ask around. Oh, Lady Annrose here can vouch for it."
Albert's gaze shifted to Annrose.
She hated getting dragged into this, but with no choice, she nodded toward Lindelmann.
"It's true. This year's Imperial Knight exam has been rescheduled to Prince Tobias's birthday."
"N-No way! That can't... It just can't be...!"
Lindelmann muttered in despair.
But Annrose, taking it as directed at her, arched a delicate eyebrow.
"How rude. Even to an enemy, no one from the Buniard family lies."
"Buniard? Then milady is...?"
"Annrose O'Nelli Buniard of the Buniard Earl Family."
"M-My apologies, Lady Buniard. I didn't mean to doubt your word. I just...!"
Lindelmann trailed off, dropping his gaze.
Pity stirred in Annrose at the sight of the young knight's genuine dejection, and she softened her expression with a light sigh.
But someone else was even happier at Lindelmann's state.
"What a tragic scene. But don't be too down. You would've just embarrassed yourself taking it anyway—might as well claim ignorance of the date change for a better excuse, right?"
Albert addressed his shipmates with a glance around.
"Oh, that makes sense. Uh ha hat!"
Darren burst into guffaws, and the other two girls covered their mouths to giggle.
But Annrose turned away from Albert with a cold look.
'Damn! What a tiresome woman.'
His eyebrow twitched for a moment, but Albert held it in and plastered on an even thicker smile.
"Well then, shall we part ways here with the unfortunate bastard knight lost in despair? I'm sure your burly bodyguard will comfort you. Hey! Head to the bow."
"Yes, Sir Albert!"
The ship, which had paused briefly, began gliding past Lindelmann—frozen like a statue—and the silently steadfast Blake beside him.
"See you later, Sir Bastard Knight!"
"Ha hat! Come on, everyone, inside."
Albert and Darren threw one last mocking glance at Lindelmann before leading the others into the cabin.
Annrose gave Lindelmann a pitying look before following them in.
At that moment, a cold gust swept in from across the river.
Whoosh!
The wind blew hard enough to ripple the waves, yanking off Blake's deeply hooded cowl and whipping his robe.
"Hm?"
Annrose, who had just turned to go, froze.
Unlike other men, this one's cold, impassive eyes—even when fixed on her—and the scar slanting across his nosebridge made for a striking appearance.
But that wasn't the only reason she was startled.
It was the faint glimpse of a long, reddish-brown wooden case nestled in his robes, stamped with a seal.
Whish...!
The wind passed as swiftly as it had come.
And the case that had caught her eye vanished from view once more.
'That... That was definitely...!'
Annrose wondered if she'd seen wrong.
She prided herself on her sharp eyes, but that seal didn't belong here—on some burly man who looked like nothing more than an ordinary mercenary.
But she hadn't been mistaken.
'Knight of Heavenly Strategy! Why does a guy like that have Prince Henrik's crest...?'
Annrose stared piercingly at the hulking figure's profile, possessor of an item sealed by the empire's second-most famous royal after the emperor himself.
But the giant with eyes colder and more indifferent than ice only receded into the distance.
* * *
"Welcome back. Did everything go...?"
Rubens, greeting the two men warmly at the inn, fell silent.
The atmosphere felt off.
Blake was his usual taciturn, heavy self, but Lindelmann's face was another story.
He slouched into the room, shoulders slumped, collapsing into a chair. He stared blankly at the ceiling for a while before his head lolled forward.
"Hey, did something happen? Did it not go well?"
Rubens approached Blake cautiously.
"We secured the ship. We can depart tomorrow."
"Oh, good. Then...?"
Blake spoke coldly to Rubens, who was eyeing Lindelmann.
"Sir Zaroph's plans fell through. The Imperial Knight exam, originally a month out, has been moved up to two days from now."
"What? Then...?"
"Even departing now, we can't make it in time."
Lindelmann's shoulders twitched with each of Blake's words.
He slowly lifted his head to look at him.
Resentment and grievance crept into his eyes unbidden.
But what could he do?
This wasn't Blake's fault.
If anything, Lindelmann was inwardly grateful to him.
Even after learning he was little better than a commoner bastard, Blake still addressed him as "sir."
The Zaroph family was decently mid-tier nobility, but a bastard was a bastard.
He couldn't inherit, and once away from home, proper noble treatment was hard to come by.
That's why he'd aimed for Imperial Knight.
Staying with the family as a bastard? He'd end up leading nothing but a ragtag crew of the family's sword corps at best.
And that position came from his status as a bastard son, not skill—how much mockery and finger-pointing would that draw behind his back?
He'd rather die than endure it.
Better to leave home than live that humiliation.
In the end, the most realistic path to real success was becoming an Imperial Knight.
That was Lindelmann's dream and goal.
Now he had to abandon it.
And after being publicly humiliated in front of a stunning beauty he'd never met before.
"Haa...!"
Annrose's face came to mind, and Lindelmann turned a hollow gaze to the window.
The beauty of the Buniard Earl Family's heir—aloof nobility even their dogs knew of in the central regions—far surpassed the rumors.
To have his bastard status exposed and be mocked in front of such a lady, only for his dream to shatter too?
All those efforts for the Imperial Knighthood...
After slacking off and failing to prepare two years ago, he'd honed himself with bone-deep resolve. Those memories flashed by like a panorama.
Especially the hardships endured coming through Northernrocks Fortress, lured by promises of extra points—they felt all too vivid.
All for naught.
No—had he not gone to Northernrocks, he could at least have taken the exam.
'Right. If I hadn't taken this job! If I hadn't gone to Northernrocks at all...!'
Yes.
All the trouble stemmed from this mission.
At that thought, one man's face floated before Lindelmann's eyes.
The one who'd urged him into this.
Earl Darlington.
'It's Darlington's fault. Sending me to Northernrocks and then changing the exam date!'
The exam date and all Imperial Knight matters fell under the five proctors' discretion.
And everyone aiming for knighthood knew Earl Darlington held the greatest sway among them.
"Kugh!"
Lindelmann was certain Darlington wasn't even thinking of him now.
Not bothering to inform him of the date change proved he'd been abandoned.
'That bastard!'
His teeth ground together.
But doubt lingered too.
Darlington had definitely sent him to Northernrocks for some purpose.
And that purpose was likely...
'Because of that.'
Lindelmann shot a resentful glare at the wooden case containing Prince Henrik's letter, which Blake had just pulled from his robes while changing into comfortable clothes.