110
My Villains Chapter 110
28. Longville (2)
A young and beautiful woman appeared out of nowhere.
She wore a white headscarf and a wide-sleeved white kirtle, with a pale green tunic, all seemingly made of high-quality fabric.
Her small stature, slender waist, drooping eyes, and the dot beneath them created a delicate and melancholic impression. Her white, slender neck stirred an inexplicable protective instinct.
The hesitant gatekeeper bowed when he saw the woman.
"My lady, what brings you here?"
"I came because the commotion was noisy, and I was curious."
Seeing the maid and guards following her, it was clear she was a noblewoman.
Perhaps she was the lord's wife?
"Who might this be?"
When the woman looked at me and asked, I slightly bowed in greeting. At the same time, fortunately, an appropriate response came to mind.
"It's an honor to meet you, my lady. I am Phoenix, a knight of Prince Ulkar."
"Prince Ulkar's?"
The woman paused for a moment, then looked at me with a strange expression.
"Oh my. It's an honor to meet you, Sir Phoenix. I am Dionea, wife of Lord Malory, the lord of Longville."
Dionea. A name I've heard before.
The name of someone who was captured and killed by the Bandits Baron and his subordinates.
The woman naturally extended the back of her hand.
...What's this? What am I supposed to do?
"Sir?"
"Oh."
I belatedly realized and took the lady's, or rather the Baroness's hand, and kissed her hand.
The Baroness gently stroked the spot where I had kissed and spoke.
"It seems Ros has committed a discourtesy. I will apologize on his behalf, sir."
"Ah, there's no need for you to do so, my lady."
"I am the mistress of this estate. It is only right that I apologize."
The gatekeeper's face contorts at the Baroness's words. Not very pleasant for him.
"Would you like to be invited to the lord's manor, Sir Phoenix?"
...Refusing would be impolite, I suppose. Well, it can't hurt to become acquainted with the lord.
"Yes, of course. Thank you for the invitation."
"Thank you for accepting the invitation."
The Baroness said this, assigned a soldier as a guide, and then disappeared quickly. She said she has a brief stop to make.
After passing through the gate, Perso the porter handed me a money pouch.
"You've worked hard, Sir Phoenix."
"You've worked harder, porter."
The pouch is heavier than I expected. That feels good.
"Haha. We plan to stay here for a few days. What are your plans, sir?"
"...Well, I plan to observe the situation first."
"By situation, do you mean the monsters?"
While we were focusing on bathing, eating, and resting at the mountain lodge, Perso had been gathering information. According to him, the northern road over Graduel Mountain is blocked by monsters.
The numerous mercenaries at the mountain lodge were due to rumors that the lord of Longville was spending money to exterminate the monsters.
"You needn't worry too much. We should resolve this in about a week."
...Well, maybe. I nodded appropriately and added
"And porter, please keep people's mouths shut."
What I meant by keeping mouths shut wasn't anything extraordinary. Just don't spread nicknames like ‘bloody swordsman’, ‘witch of fire’, or ‘red bear’.
"Of course. It seems rumors haven't spread here yet, so we'll be careful."
"Thank you for your consideration."
After finishing the conversation with Perso the porter, I said goodbye to the mercenaries and merchants I had become acquainted with during the journey. We'll likely meet several times in Longville in the coming days, but if luck is bad, we might not, so I said farewell in advance.
After that, I did a bit of non-disguised disguise.
“I don't want to ride a horse.”
“Stop whining and get on quickly.”
I put Ellen, who was pouting her lips, on spotty and had Utequais, who had his stone knife confiscated, hold the reins. Even just like that, the Mage and the Barbarian looked like a lady and her horse attendant.
In that state, we followed the guide to the lord's mansion.
But disguise or not, Utequais's appearance was so distinctive that people couldn't help but stare. Moreover, the lady on the horse was now wearing a Mage’s robe, and the man leading the way was wearing plate armor, making it impossible not to attract attention.
...Ah, it's not even that far from South Harbor. There probably aren't that many people who would recognize us.
"Welcome, Lord Phoenix. It's an honor to see the lord with a reputation as a blood-soaked knight."
"....Huh?"
"This barbarian must be the Red Bear. The lady behind is the Fire Woman. It's a joy to meet those I've only heard rumors about."
Damn, they recognized us right away.
In a world without the internet, how are rumors spreading so quickly?
Whether he knew my thoughts or not, the 50-something knight in a chain mail smiled cheerfully and extended his hand.
"Hmm, look at my state. I'm late with introductions. I am Killian Jennings, the only knight of Baron Malory."
"It's an honor to meet you, Sir Killian."
The handshake was quite rough. Looking at his build and eyes, he seems to be a quite skilled knight.
"However, I heard you became a knight of Prince Ulkar? I haven't heard such a story."
"...I was knighted just two days ago and immediately set out on this journey, so it's natural that you wouldn't know."
"Hmm, I see."
Because we left the horses at the stable, Ellen eventually had to sit on my arm. Sir Killian continued chatting without paying any attention.
"I've heard tales of your exploits. The story of breaking through a siege alone to deliver a message reminds me of the One-Eyed King and the Knight of the Lake."
"Oh, is that so?"
One-Eyed King?
I've heard the name. Was he the third or fourth king of Milanol...
"Not only did you take down the Witch of Veil and the Bandit Baron in one strike, but I heard you also cut the neck of a dragon."
"...I didn't cut it precisely. To be exact, I was hanging on its neck."
"Ha, how modest."
He soon said food was being prepared and led us to tour the fortress beforehand.
"You don't need to be so humble before me. Such humility isn't a virtue among knights. Of course, you should do so before the Baron."
"Thank you for the advice."
"Haha, if you can call it advice."
The knight shook his head, his black eyes with a hint of green gleaming.
"After all, rumors can't be trusted."
"What do you mean?"
"Longville is a territory with many travelers. So various news and stories continuously flow in. Strange rumors get mixed in as well."
"I see."
"You yourself are different from the rumors. Gossip-mongers love to exaggerate, so people who can't discern truth from fiction are easily deceived. We knights wouldn't be swayed by such things."
"Ah, yes."
The following conversation was similar.
Sir Killian seemed to have a strong pride in his status as a knight. It was not strange that the only knight of the territory would become talkative upon meeting another knight.
Was the time with Sir Killian tedious? No, it wasn't.
Stories about Graduel Mountain having many bees, producing lots of honey and beeswax, or farmers cutting trees indiscriminately so good timber was scarce - were just so-so.
But looking down at the territory from the fortress was a truly special experience.
"Wow."
Though more than three months had passed since falling into this world, the scenery of the territory at dusk stirred new emotions.
Soldiers patrolling the wooden walls simultaneously raised their torches. Around the residential area darkening, scattered lights danced like juggling tails.
Farmhands who finished work late hurriedly gathered at the gates. Dogs barking vigorously drove sheep herds into sturdy fences.
A pair of drunken mercenaries grope each other on the street, and naive maidens scream while unable to look away from the bold display of affection.
From the distant tavern with lights on, a somehow familiar rhythm is faintly heard...
And the cool evening breeze.
Ellen, leaning her back against my chest, mutters softly.
"...It's incredibly peaceful."
"Indeed."
It was quite different from what we saw on the mountain ridge. The territory, which had seemed like a mere picture or landscape, was now vividly alive and breathing.
"Ellen."
"Yes?"
"Shall we rest for a few days?"
"Okay. Sounds good."
Suddenly, the thought that we might stay here for quite a while made me feel strangely good.
But that thought was interrupted when we entered the hall of the lord's mansion.
There were seven people sitting at the table. The old lord, his young wife, Sir Killian, the training commander, and us.
"A knight of the Silver Prince."
The old lord twisted his lips as he received my greeting. Sitting on a chair decorated with a cross-shaped ornament, the lord tapped the armrest.
Tap, tap.
"I don't know what face you have to come to see me."
"...Pardon?"
"Still, as the lord of this territory, I should offer hospitality. Just don't think about staying in the lord's mansion. There are many inns near the gate, so you can use those."
At Baron Malory's words, the Baroness hardened her expression.
"But my lord, he is a knight of a prince. How could you..."
"He's a knight of a prince, not a knight of the king."
"We have plenty of empty rooms. Accommodating three people..."
"Stop talking nonsense and just eat."
"My lord, please..."
Squeak!
The Baroness's face suddenly turned as her husband slapped her.
"This isn't something a woman should interfere with. Shut up. If you can't shut up, go to your room."
"...Yes."
The Baroness, with her split lip, looked slightly dazed as she left the hall.
...Damn, I'm speechless.
He couldn't even cherish a wife who looked at least forty years younger and resorted to physical violence.
While watching the lord and his wife sit side by side, I was inwardly cursing him like a thief, and now he seemed like a truly bad guy.
"Oh my."
Sir Killian, sitting next to me, leaned towards me as if picking up a fork.
"I forgot to mention this. The baron deeply hates the Silver Prince. He almost considers him an enemy."
You've omitted something incredibly important, sir.
The dishes laid out on the large hall table were excellent, contrary to the baron's attitude.
A salad mixed with herbs and young leaves, a thick chicken broth sprinkled with green onions and pepper, chicken stew with chickpeas, raw ham made from lamb's hind leg, and white bread...
But just because the menu was excellent didn't mean it was a good meal.
The lord, who had moistened his lips with grape wine, suddenly spoke.
"Ah. Still, I heard some quite enjoyable news."
When I didn't respond, the lord pointed at me with his wrinkled hand.
"Regarding Prince Ulkar."
"What news are you talking about?"
"I heard he had his left arm torn off by a monster. Is it true?"
"...Yes, that's correct."
As soon as I finished speaking, the lord burst into laughter, tapping the table.
"Ha, haha! The prince considered a hero of the age, losing his arm to a mere monster! How amusing!"
...Hmm. I'm supposedly acting as the prince's knight, can I just sit here? How would Lords Langbolt or Ankir have handled this? Would they have thrown a glove?
While I was lost in thought, Utequais, who had been greedily eating bread and ham, swallowed his food and spoke.
"That's right. Prince Ulkar is the most handsome man I've ever seen. Merciful yet strong, and takes good care of his subordinates. He's a true hero."
...Is this guy doing this on purpose?
As Utequais unexpectedly began praising the prince, the lord who had been laughing uproariously suddenly stopped.
"Ulkar is just a lucky young man born a prince, riding the current. And such a person is a hero? Nonsense."
The lord glared at Utequais with a sharp light beneath his wrinkled eyelids.
"And how dare you say such things in front of me? Your liver must have grown too big."
When the lord growled fiercely, Utequais straightened his back as if startled.