Chapter 89
Chapter 89
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 89
Chapter Title: Tag (4)
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At that moment.
Naban was meeting his future father-in-law and the woman who would become his wife.
“I’m Naban Backus.”
“I’m Quadlak Ceres. This is my daughter, Lily Ceres. Say hello.”
“Pleased to meet you.”
Naban gave a slight nod toward Lily.
Anyone watching would have seen it as arrogant rather than a proper greeting.
In an instant, the face of the guardian knight standing behind him flushed red with rage.
If Quadlak hadn’t been there, he would have shouted right away.
But,
“Hmm.”
Rather than getting angry, Lily eyed Naban up and down as if appraising him.
“……?”
Naban tilted his head, wondering what was up with her.
It was the first time he’d gotten a reaction like this.
“Not bad-looking for a bastard. Or maybe even better because he is one? I was worried he’d be some pervert since he’s nine years older than me, but I suppose he passes for now.”
The guardian knight clenched his fists tight.
‘A lowly merchant scum like you……!’
Only fellow Backus family members had the right to discriminate against Naban for his birth.
No one else had any business commenting on it.
Especially since this felt like devaluing the marriage itself, he wanted to protest her rudeness.
“Pfft!”
But before he could speak, Naban let out a frivolous laugh that cut him off.
The guardian knight and Quadlak turned their gazes to Naban.
Lily asked with a peculiar expression.
“Why are you laughing?”
“Because I don’t have to worry about my fiancée calling me a pervert.”
“……You’re not angry?”
“Angry? Why would I be angry?”
“Even after being called a bastard?”
“Well, it’s true.”
Naban snorted lightly.
Lily found this Naban even more intriguing.
“Don’t you have any pride?”
“I’m just merchandise up for sale, aren’t I? If I get all defiant and the deal falls through, the family would be in an uproar. Think whatever you want.”
“You know your place, then.”
“You have to know your place to survive even one more day.”
It was a meaningful statement.
A smile bloomed on Lily’s lips before she knew it, while the Backus guardian knight was now trembling with fury.
‘These damn brats, both of them!’
The merchant’s idiot daughter and the family bastard putting on a show together—it couldn’t have looked more unseemly.
It almost seemed like they’d teamed up just to mess with him.
But the guardian knight knew his position and the family’s well enough.
If this marriage fell apart, the Backus name would truly be done for.
He had to endure somehow.
‘This humiliation…… I’ll pay it back someday……!’
Once the family returned to normal, no one would dare complain if he crushed the Ceres family underfoot.
Clap!
Quadlak clapped loudly to lighten the mood.
“Good thing the two who’ll become husband and wife seem to have taken a liking to each other at first sight. You’ll share a lifetime of joys and sorrows—nothing sadder than starting off with a bad impression. Haha.”
The guardian knight felt a chill run down his spine at Quadlak’s meaningful words.
‘Does he know Naban’s life is on a timer……?’
But he couldn’t pry carelessly.
Regardless,
Quadlak turned to his daughter and said.
“Lily, there are many guests outside from all over the North come to celebrate your engagement. We’re truly grateful to them.”
“Yes. Such grateful guests.”
“Before we host the main event for those fine people, do you have any words for Naban, your prospective groom? Son-in-law, mind if I call you that?”
“Sure. Call me whatever’s comfortable.”
“And you, if you have anything to say to my daughter, go ahead.”
“Nothing particular from me. Take your time thinking it over. The wedding isn’t for five years anyway, right?”
Five years.
The exact time Naban had left.
That surely meant something too.
Lily looked at the cynical, world-weary Naban and asked.
“Will you love me?”
Naban chuckled inwardly.
A girl who was barely fifteen, dolled up with heavy makeup trying to act seductive—it was downright comical.
“Well, I’ll give it my best shot. But right now, it’d be tough. It’s not easy to feel romantic toward someone so young.”
“So you might in the future.”
“For now.”
“Then I want proof of that intention. Possible?”
“Proof? How?”
Naban found his fifteen-year-old fiancée intriguing—her cynicism and calculation didn’t match her age at all.
It was rare to find someone even more jaded than him.
Suddenly, Lily gripped her unresponsive right arm with her left hand, her face twisting.
“Cut off the head of the bastard who turned my arm…… my right arm into this mess. Bring it to me.”
“The head, huh.”
Naban stroked his chin.
He’d heard about it.
The major incident at the Dragon Conference a few months back.
It had stirred up quite a commotion in the North, hadn’t it?
And he knew full well that the culprit had shone brightly at this Awakening Ceremony.
‘Torquel—that guy was interested in him too, wasn’t he?’
Naban thought of the genius from the same Awakening Ceremony class as him and smiled.
“Daughter.”
“……Not something you can brush off easily.”
Quadlak’s eyes widened in surprise—he hadn’t expected that—and the guardian knight’s face stiffened openly.
But Lily showed no sign of retracting her venomous glare.
“I hear that guy’s the most promising genius in Ragnar right now. Even a good chunk of the Nine Dragons are paying attention. I’ve got a short life as it is—want me to make it even shorter?”
“Of course not.”
“Or is this some desperate ploy to take out the main family? Something like that?”
“Can’t have my in-laws vanishing before we even get married. I promise—it won’t happen.”
“So you’ve got something to rely on.”
Lily smiled without answering.
Naban pretended to ponder for a moment, then nodded.
“Fine. I’ll prove it. If my future wife wants it, I’ll bring it as a gift.”
“Good.”
It was then, as a twisted smile spread across Lily’s lips.
“Master of the house! Big trouble!”
Bang!
The door they were behind flew open as the head butler rushed in frantically.
“What’s this reckless behavior with guests present!”
“I-it’s……!”
As the head butler urgently reported the situation outside, Quadlak’s face hardened.
But Lily’s smile only widened.
“Well! Looks like I get to see my future husband’s love after all, unexpectedly?”
* * *
Quadlak, Lily, Naban, and the others hurried outside.
Quadlak’s face was stiff.
‘A dragon’s banner……!’
The Ragnar banner fluttered in the wind—one that any Northerner had to bow to.
And standing beneath it, Theo’s group regarded them with arrogant eyes.
Their attitude was as haughty as if they were an occupying army.
The caravan guards, mercenaries, and Backus family swordsmen surrounded them, but their caution was all too apparent.
Over a hundred men were being overwhelmed in presence by just four.
Naban watched the standoff with an intrigued expression, while Lily spotted an unforgettable face among the four intruders and scowled.
Quadlak suppressed his twisting gut and spoke in a grave tone.
“A great house…… visiting such a humble place—what brings you? Ah, if you’ve come to celebrate our caravan and the Backus family’s joyous occasion, allow us to escort you somewhere nicer.”
“A humble place? Well, no real reason for us to come to a dump like this.”
At Klevi’s sneer, Quadlak and the caravan retainers’ faces stiffened.
But Klevi paid it no mind and pulled something from her bosom.
“No long talk. Evidence linking your Ceres Caravan was found among the group that blasphemously tried to assassinate the main family. We’ll be investigating you for treason—cooperate fully.”
“……!”
“……!”
“……!”
The retainers’ faces drained of color.
Even the Backus family swordsmen.
Treason!
Ragnar was as good as the king of the North.
No place could survive defying them.
Naturally, everyone glanced at Quadlak and Lily with thoughts of danger.
‘No way……!’
Quadlak bit his lip, realizing the Snake Season ploy had fallen into Ragnar’s hands without his knowledge.
Lily’s pupils shook violently too.
‘You boasted that even cutting Theo Ragnar’s head wouldn’t ruffle Ragnar feathers, and it was because of this? What an entertaining in-law family I have.’
The father and daughter quickly schooled their expressions, but Naban didn’t miss the moment and swiftly pieced together the situation.
It seemed the Ceres Caravan and Ed Troyvan had been secretly plotting behind the scenes and gotten thoroughly caught by Ragnar.
“Now that you know, clear the way.”
As Klevi stepped forward with sharp eyes, the caravan guards flinched back two steps.
But,
“……Don’t retreat.”
At Quadlak’s low voice, the retreat halted.
Klevi narrowed her eyes.
“You won’t cooperate with the investigation?”
“We deeply regret this matter. But even a great house has no right to corner a vassal like this without solid proof—it’s an outrage. Bring proper evidence first.”
“Even with the circumstantial evidence of your involvement right here?”
“That scrap of paper? Easy enough to fabricate. Sounds like some plot to frame us.”
“So the Ceres Caravan is innocent?”
“Of course. Who’s more loyal than us? We’ll investigate thoroughly and report back to the great house.”
Quadlak crossed his arms behind his back and smiled coldly.
“Still, you’ve come all this way—we’ll make sure it’s not a wasted trip. What are you lot doing? Escort them properly.”
A few guards stepped forward and bowed crisply.
Unlike the green recruits, they moved like properly trained soldiers.
But Theo didn’t miss the faint reddish glint in their eyes.
‘Blood qi.’
Similar to what he’d seen in the blood priests.
If he hadn’t faced the Nameless Sovereign directly, he might not have detected it—their auras were that well concealed.
「Klevi, these are blood priests.」
Klevi’s eyes darkened deeply in an instant.
「Evidence?」
「Same vibe as the ones from Snake Season.」
「Chance of error?」
「None.」
A firm answer.
It was said that cult priests and followers excelled at hiding their natures, blending into everyday life.
He wondered how Theo had spotted it.
But Klevi harbored no real doubt.
She believed Theo would find a way.
「Then we strike now.」
Blocking an executioner’s path under the banner alone warranted punishment for the caravan.
Proving blood priests were inside would end it all.
Klevi relayed her intent to the other three via transmission,
Click!
Shing—
In that instant, her sheathed sword split apart, a flash of blade aiming to decapitate the blood priest before her eyes.
Swordsmanship visible only to advanced swordsmen.
Aura-clad, it was like facing a dragon’s fang.
“……!”
As the blood priest desperately drew mana to counter,
Suddenly, a sword dropped straight from the sky in front of Klevi.
Clang!
The trajectory of her aura-infused strike veered wildly off.
Klevi steadied her rebounding body and glared at the interloper.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“What else? Rescuing my in-laws.”
It was Naban,
wearing an excited smile.