Chapter 128: Karlstein (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 128: Karlstein (2)
In the past, Missha used to think that all her worries would disappear if she just made a contract with a Soul Beast. But reality didn't work out that way.
"So, it's the Ice Beast, Skadia." Her father's cold voice and cold gaze that day had still been the same. It was as if he was speaking to a stranger. Only now, he didn't speak quite as curtly as before. "Have you told anyone about this?"
"I-I haven't..."
"Good. Let's keep this between us for the time being." It was an order, not a request.
"A-All right..." Missha hadn't been able to bring herself to say anything else, instead just nodding. She felt ashamed. She hadn't formed a contract with a beast in the usual way. Using a mysterious item called the Ring of the Frost Spirit, she had successfully tricked her way into an agreement. And if her father knew that...
This treatment makes total sense.
Of course, she didn't have the courage to ask questions. Her father was someone she feared more than anyone else in the world. So, when he asked her to bring the barbarian back to the mansion, she just told him she would. But she didn't say a word about his request to Bjorn, either.
Yes, this is a problem that I have to deal with alone.
Hadn't he already done her a kindness that was nearly impossible to repay? She couldn't burden him anymore. But although she tried to rationalize it that way, deep inside, she knew the truth.
I don't want to be found out.
She didn't want to disclose her situation. Hikurod, Dwalkie, and Rotmiller... Even if they all already knew, she wanted Bjorn to think she was getting along just fine. So, she visited home more often.
"I have to go now. I have to stop by my parents' today."
She tried her best. She faced down the looks from her brothers that clearly asked why she was visiting so often, the contemptuous gazes of the servants, and the lonely dinners that felt like being on a remote island.
I can't run away anymore.
She had learned from Bjorn that you couldn't get anything out of running away. So, one month, two months, three months passed like that.
"Is that man not going to come here yet?" Her father redoubled his efforts to get her to bring Bjorn. She pretended Bjorn was reluctant, but it seemed her father knew that was a lie since he made the following offer: "Bring him here within the month. Then I will reconsider your treatment. Do you understand?"
In simple terms, that meant that he would finally let the family know that she had signed a contract with a Soul Beast and would treat her like his real child. She couldn't understand why he was going so far to meet Bjorn. However, Missha decided to invite Bjorn anyway, despite not liking the fact that she was technically using him.
I'll just work hard to pay him back.
She thought that if she handled this well, she could be more confident in front of Bjorn. Also, she figured that if she secured him the support of the Karlstein family, it would help him on his journey.
"All right."
"...What? Rrreally? You mean that? Wow! No takebacks, okay?"
"Uh huh, what time should we leave tomorrow?"
Despite her concerns, Bjorn had readily agreed. However, her happiness was short-lived and she quickly started to worry again. She wouldn't be able to hide it anymore when they got to her home. What should she do? If Bjorn went on a rampage there, things would get out of hand.
...Woah, ego! That's an overinflated ego you got there!
Missha waved off her concerns with a smile. Bjorn may have been a warm-blooded warrior, but he could be colder than anyone else at times. He wouldn't do something like that in the home of a pureblood family, in the holy land of another tribe. It wasn't like they were related by blood, either. There was no way he would choose to make an enemy of the Karlsteins when the costs of doing so were steep.
Mhm, no way. Why would he do that for me...?
Missha thus reigned in her unruly imagination. The realization had made her heart ache for some reason, but dreams and reality were two entirely different things. She knew that now.
But then, what was this?
"Behelahhh!"
Her tail stiffened at the ferocious shout, loud enough to make her ears hurt. That was only natural. The servant was asking what was happening, but having been with Bjorn for a while, Missha already knew.
"There must be something wrong with your head."
That means "I'm going to crack your head open!"
***
"A-Are you crazy?! S-Stop it! Why are you doing that all of a sudden?!" Missha jumped up and grabbed my forearm, then swiveled her head and scanned our surroundings to see if anyone heard the commotion. Seeing that, even I felt sorry for her.
It's like seeing me in elementary school.
Resigned and solitary, erasing my sense of self by prioritizing the feelings of others... at one time, I also thought that was all normal.
"Why am I doing this? I just wanted to!"
"W-What are you talking about?!"
I brushed aside Missha's flailing arm and said, "Missha, you're allowed to do what you want every once in a while."
"W-What...?"
"Why are you holding back? Putting up with stuff like this only ever benefits the other person."
"I-It's my family..."
Family, my ass. At this point, they should be called your enemies.
"So is your family more important than your life?"
Missha clamped her mouth shut. I was sure she knew in her head what the source of her efforts to periodically visit her family, the source of her longing for a harmonious relationship, truly was. It was a foolish, lingering affection that had no use whatsoever—an emotion no different from the very definition of insanity.
"Answer me. If yes, I will stop here."
I asked for her input one more time but Missha didn't say anything. That was answer enough for me.
"From now on, just watch. You will have nothing to worry about."
"B-But if you hurt him—"
Yes, there would be an uproar. A fine would be the least of my problems. I'd also have to face the wrath of the Karlstein family, who supposedly valued honor.
"Missha Karlstein, when have I ever made a promise I couldn't keep?"
"...Neverrr."
"Yes, so trust me."
I wasn't going into this without a plan. My ignorant barbarian mode, which toggled on and off while I monitored the situation, lit up again.
Step.
...Woah, ego! That's an overinflated ego you got there!
Missha waved off her concerns with a smile. Bjorn may have been a warm-blooded warrior, but he could be colder than anyone else at times. He wouldn't do something like that in the home of a pureblood family, in the holy land of another tribe. It wasn't like they were related by blood, either. There was no way he would choose to make an enemy of the Karlsteins when the costs of doing so were steep.
Mhm, no way. Why would he do that for me...?
Missha thus reigned in her unruly imagination. The realization had made her heart ache for some reason, but dreams and reality were two entirely different things. She knew that now.
But then, what was this?
"Behelahhh!"
Her tail stiffened at the ferocious shout, loud enough to make her ears hurt. That was only natural. The servant was asking what was happening, but having been with Bjorn for a while, Missha already knew.
"There must be something wrong with your head."
That means "I'm going to crack your head open!"
***
"A-Are you crazy?! S-Stop it! Why are you doing that all of a sudden?!" Missha jumped up and grabbed my forearm, then swiveled her head and scanned our surroundings to see if anyone heard the commotion. Seeing that, even I felt sorry for her.
It's like seeing me in elementary school.
Resigned and solitary, erasing my sense of self by prioritizing the feelings of others... at one time, I also thought that was all normal.
"Why am I doing this? I just wanted to!"
"W-What are you talking about?!"
I brushed aside Missha's flailing arm and said, "Missha, you're allowed to do what you want every once in a while."
"W-What...?"
"Why are you holding back? Putting up with stuff like this only ever benefits the other person."
"I-It's my family..."
Family, my ass. At this point, they should be called your enemies.
"So is your family more important than your life?"
Missha clamped her mouth shut. I was sure she knew in her head what the source of her efforts to periodically visit her family, the source of her longing for a harmonious relationship, truly was. It was a foolish, lingering affection that had no use whatsoever—an emotion no different from the very definition of insanity.
"Answer me. If yes, I will stop here."
I asked for her input one more time but Missha didn't say anything. That was answer enough for me.
"From now on, just watch. You will have nothing to worry about."
"B-But if you hurt him—"
Yes, there would be an uproar. A fine would be the least of my problems. I'd also have to face the wrath of the Karlstein family, who supposedly valued honor.
"Missha Karlstein, when have I ever made a promise I couldn't keep?"
"...Neverrr."
"Yes, so trust me."
I wasn't going into this without a plan. My ignorant barbarian mode, which toggled on and off while I monitored the situation, lit up again.
Step.
Leaving Missha behind, I took a step forward. The servant was still acting high and mighty. "What did you say to her? No matter how bad your manners– "
I grabbed and lifted the man up by his collar. "Aren't you the one being impolite? A servant of the Karlstein family, behaving so arrogantly in front of their master?"
"Th-that's...!"
The guy looked pained and wore an expression of disbelief. Well, I was sure this must have seemed surreal to him. This wasn't a dark back alley. How could he ever have imagined something like this happening in front of the mansion's gates in broad daylight?
"L-Let... Ugh!" Was he unoriginal? Even his words were similar to what those other guys with problems in their heads had said. "I-If you do this..."
What, something bad will happen to me?
Smirk.
Anyone aware of that wouldn't do something like this. So if someone was doing it anyway, it would make sense to assume that he had a plan. To think they couldn't piece together something as simple as that...
"There must be something wrong with your head." I clenched my fist tightly and applied moderate force. If I killed him, even I wouldn't be able to handle the aftermath. "Don't worry. Most of the time, you can fix it with a light beating."
"M-Mmm!"
I grabbed the guy by the neck as he tried to say something, silenced him, and gently patted the area I intended to hit. Then, I pulled back a fist like I was going to pound him, but struck him with only as much strength as it took to flick my wrist.
Whack!
The bastard passed out with one blow. Holding him by the neck, I checked over the wound like I was inspecting an object. Blood was flowing down from his broken nose, but it should still be enough to serve as an example.
"...What's your plan now? If my fatherrr finds out about this, he won't just sit back," Missha asked what my next steps were with an almost resigned expression on her face. She hadn't interfered because I told her to trust me, but I guess she was still uneasy.
"You'll see."
I lifted the unconscious man with one hand and headed toward the entrance of the mansion. As I passed by the garden, I saw servants milling around, mowing the lawn or carrying luggage.
"Eek! Hurry and call Master Karlstein!"
All eyes honed in on me. Some of the servants ran off into the mansion. I followed them through the open door.
"Stop, barbarian."
I was besieged by a dozen beastpeople, fully armed combat personnel who seemed to be in possession of ferocious spirits.
As soon as I stopped, the leader of the group (who seemed to be the captain) opened his mouth and spoke in an authoritative tone. "Miss Karlstein, can you please explain what's going on here? Who is that barbarian, and why is Brante, who is supposed to be guarding the front gate, in that state?"
So this guy's name was Brante.
"Uh, that's..."
"Missha, there is no need to explain." I tossed the useless Brante toward them. The moment they caught him in surprise, I shouted so loud that my voice rang through the mansion: "What the hell are you guys doing?!"
The beastmen all looked dazed, like they couldn't understand what was going on.
"I came here at the invitation of the head of your family. But this guy insulted me, calling me a brainless barbarian!"
Missha tilted her head at my ensuing declaration, then whispered low so that only I could hear, "Uh, did he really say that?"
She had a tendency to focus on trivial things. Luckily, I could just pretend he lost his memory from the punch.
"Don't lie! There's no way Brante would do something like that." Their bewilderment was short-lived. The bald captain dismissed my claim like it was nonsense. The way I saw it, he was digging his own grave. Braindead barbarians were immune to logic.
"A lie? Are you insulting me too?"
When I took a threatening step forward, Baldy took a step back. I didn't think it was because he was afraid of a fight, though. Maybe it was because I was a guest of the household.
"What is the meaning of this!?" While the guards were at a loss for what to do, a man vaulted over the central staircase, jumping down from the second floor. His face was one I recognized. "You're... Bjorn Yandel?"
It was Missha's older brother, whom I had met on the third floor. His name was... I didn't remember. Wait, did I even catch his name in the first place? I decided to not sweat the small stuff and instead focused on the moment.
"No way, you're my father's guest?"
"Long time no see."
"Skip the pleasantries. What's going on here?" The older brother narrowed his eyes at me. "If you can't offer up a good explanation for this, even you won't be able to get out of here unscathed."
Jeez, that's a harsh look.
I saved your life a while back, remember? Anyway, I don't like this bastard.
I repeated the same explanation—that I had been insulted by Brante the gatekeeper—and then added on to the story. "If it were just me, I would have dealt with it. But what's the deal with this lunatic? How dare he insult Missha while serving the family?" I shouted, pointing at the unconscious Brante.
Clear wrinkles appeared on the brother's forehead. "I told you all to refrain when there are visitors."
This was a completely ridiculous response.
I made that story up, but you're just going to let what I said pass? Damn, it's even worse here than I thought.
This must have been something that happened every day. I spoke, not hiding my mounting disgust. "So you all knew about this but ignored it?"
"This is a family affair. I have no reason to explain it to you. And all of you, return to your positions."
"Yes sir."
Soon Missha's brother waved away the guards and turned back around to stare at me. "Bjorn Yandel, this was clearly a mistake on our part, so we won't make an issue of it."
"And?"
"...And if it's true that this man has insulted you, he'll be punished appropriately. That should be enough to satisfy you."
"Satisfy, huh...?" I trailed off and smirked. School a spoiled bastard, and furthermore impress upon a bunch of people that I wasn't someone to mess with—that had been my original plan.
I guess I'll have to go with Plan B.
I smiled and approached the brother. "Do you also have something wrong with your head?"
Plans could always change.
Leaving Missha behind, I took a step forward. The servant was still acting high and mighty. "What did you say to her? No matter how bad your manners– "
I grabbed and lifted the man up by his collar. "Aren't you the one being impolite? A servant of the Karlstein family, behaving so arrogantly in front of their master?"
"Th-that's...!"
The guy looked pained and wore an expression of disbelief. Well, I was sure this must have seemed surreal to him. This wasn't a dark back alley. How could he ever have imagined something like this happening in front of the mansion's gates in broad daylight?
"L-Let... Ugh!" Was he unoriginal? Even his words were similar to what those other guys with problems in their heads had said. "I-If you do this..."
What, something bad will happen to me?
Smirk.
Anyone aware of that wouldn't do something like this. So if someone was doing it anyway, it would make sense to assume that he had a plan. To think they couldn't piece together something as simple as that...
"There must be something wrong with your head." I clenched my fist tightly and applied moderate force. If I killed him, even I wouldn't be able to handle the aftermath. "Don't worry. Most of the time, you can fix it with a light beating."
"M-Mmm!"
I grabbed the guy by the neck as he tried to say something, silenced him, and gently patted the area I intended to hit. Then, I pulled back a fist like I was going to pound him, but struck him with only as much strength as it took to flick my wrist.
Whack!
The bastard passed out with one blow. Holding him by the neck, I checked over the wound like I was inspecting an object. Blood was flowing down from his broken nose, but it should still be enough to serve as an example.
"...What's your plan now? If my fatherrr finds out about this, he won't just sit back," Missha asked what my next steps were with an almost resigned expression on her face. She hadn't interfered because I told her to trust me, but I guess she was still uneasy.
"You'll see."
I lifted the unconscious man with one hand and headed toward the entrance of the mansion. As I passed by the garden, I saw servants milling around, mowing the lawn or carrying luggage.
"Eek! Hurry and call Master Karlstein!"
All eyes honed in on me. Some of the servants ran off into the mansion. I followed them through the open door.
"Stop, barbarian."
I was besieged by a dozen beastpeople, fully armed combat personnel who seemed to be in possession of ferocious spirits.
As soon as I stopped, the leader of the group (who seemed to be the captain) opened his mouth and spoke in an authoritative tone. "Miss Karlstein, can you please explain what's going on here? Who is that barbarian, and why is Brante, who is supposed to be guarding the front gate, in that state?"
So this guy's name was Brante.
"Uh, that's..."
"Missha, there is no need to explain." I tossed the useless Brante toward them. The moment they caught him in surprise, I shouted so loud that my voice rang through the mansion: "What the hell are you guys doing?!"
The beastmen all looked dazed, like they couldn't understand what was going on.
"I came here at the invitation of the head of your family. But this guy insulted me, calling me a brainless barbarian!"
Missha tilted her head at my ensuing declaration, then whispered low so that only I could hear, "Uh, did he really say that?"
She had a tendency to focus on trivial things. Luckily, I could just pretend he lost his memory from the punch.
"Don't lie! There's no way Brante would do something like that." Their bewilderment was short-lived. The bald captain dismissed my claim like it was nonsense. The way I saw it, he was digging his own grave. Braindead barbarians were immune to logic.
"A lie? Are you insulting me too?"
When I took a threatening step forward, Baldy took a step back. I didn't think it was because he was afraid of a fight, though. Maybe it was because I was a guest of the household.
"What is the meaning of this!?" While the guards were at a loss for what to do, a man vaulted over the central staircase, jumping down from the second floor. His face was one I recognized. "You're... Bjorn Yandel?"
It was Missha's older brother, whom I had met on the third floor. His name was... I didn't remember. Wait, did I even catch his name in the first place? I decided to not sweat the small stuff and instead focused on the moment.
"No way, you're my father's guest?"
"Long time no see."
"Skip the pleasantries. What's going on here?" The older brother narrowed his eyes at me. "If you can't offer up a good explanation for this, even you won't be able to get out of here unscathed."
Jeez, that's a harsh look.
I saved your life a while back, remember? Anyway, I don't like this bastard.
I repeated the same explanation—that I had been insulted by Brante the gatekeeper—and then added on to the story. "If it were just me, I would have dealt with it. But what's the deal with this lunatic? How dare he insult Missha while serving the family?" I shouted, pointing at the unconscious Brante.
Clear wrinkles appeared on the brother's forehead. "I told you all to refrain when there are visitors."
This was a completely ridiculous response.
I made that story up, but you're just going to let what I said pass? Damn, it's even worse here than I thought.
This must have been something that happened every day. I spoke, not hiding my mounting disgust. "So you all knew about this but ignored it?"
"This is a family affair. I have no reason to explain it to you. And all of you, return to your positions."
"Yes sir."
Soon Missha's brother waved away the guards and turned back around to stare at me. "Bjorn Yandel, this was clearly a mistake on our part, so we won't make an issue of it."
"And?"
"...And if it's true that this man has insulted you, he'll be punished appropriately. That should be enough to satisfy you."
"Satisfy, huh...?" I trailed off and smirked. School a spoiled bastard, and furthermore impress upon a bunch of people that I wasn't someone to mess with—that had been my original plan.
I guess I'll have to go with Plan B.
I smiled and approached the brother. "Do you also have something wrong with your head?"
Plans could always change.