Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: A Fond Farewell
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The next morning, after receiving word from Baron Kilburn that he would accept the proposal, Sion was a bit surprised.
“You decided this quickly.”
“Really?”
“...I must apologize. It was rude of me to test you, my lord.”
Sion returned a smile to the chuckling Baron Kilburn.
The baron flinched slightly at the sight, then stared at Sion silently for a while.
Just as Sion was tilting his head inwardly at the inexplicable reaction, Baron Kilburn spoke.
“I’ve been wondering about this for a while… Do you always look at people like that?”
“Pardon?”
What was this about now? How had he been looking?
“At first, I didn’t realize it. I just felt uncomfortable. But when I thought about it, there was no reason to feel that way. There was no hostility, and if anything, it felt like goodwill.”
“What do you…….”
“It’s about the expression and gaze Sir Sailun uses when looking at me. It’s just like how my father and my adoptive father, the previous lord, used to look at me when I was young.”
“...!”
“When I really thought about it, it was something I hadn’t experienced since I grew up. It felt so unfamiliar and disconcerting that it put me in a bad mood. Isn’t that right? No grown adult would enjoy being looked at like a child, no matter who it is.”
“Er… I had no such intention, but if that’s how you felt, I sincerely apologize.”
Sion bowed his head hastily, sweating bullets inwardly.
Perhaps because she took after her daughter, his grandson was no slouch in perceptiveness.
No, this was his own mistake.
There were other ways to give himself away, not by making the lord feel like he was looking at a grandson over fifty years his junior.
‘That was close. I need to be more careful from now on.’
He had slipped up because he’d unexpectedly encountered blood kin after so long.
“No, no, it’s fine. As I said, it came from goodwill. Besides, it seems young Piolt quite likes you, so I’ll just ask you to take good care of him.”
“No need to worry about that. I’m not sure how you’ll take this, but I’ve never broken a promise in my life. So the words I gave you will definitely come true.”
“Heh heh… I see.”
It was strange.
Though the young man before him seemed half his age, Baron Kilburn felt deep trust in his words.
Moreover, that confidence and inexplicable seasoned air were things he didn’t even sense from his eldest and second sons, both over thirty.
‘What an unusual fellow. If he were direct lineage instead of collateral, the succession issue would’ve been an even bigger headache.’
Harboring a thought he could never voice aloud, Baron Kilburn extended his hand to Sion.
“Then, stay healthy until we meet again.”
“You too, my lord… Please live long and prosper.”
Baron Kilburn smiled softly and shook hands, moved by the other’s words, strange to the end but brimming with sincerity.
* * *
“Did you say your farewells properly?”
“Yes. Since I’ll be back in a few years anyway, I kept it brief.”
Sion smacked his lips inwardly at Piolt’s words.
‘A few years… Sorry, but that might be difficult.’
But this old man will do his utmost to ensure your father’s domain runs smoothly even without you.
“By the way, you’re not married yet at your age?”
In this world, people underwent their coming-of-age ceremony at fifteen—equivalent to middle or high school first year in Korea—and usually married by twenty.
It was a bit odd that Piolt, at twenty, was still unmarried.
“I had a fiancée, but it fell apart because I couldn’t become Master Lycas’s squire.”
“Oh dear. So it was a broken engagement?”
“Not quite a breakup, but her family started looking down on me. There’s been no talk of marriage for years, so it’s basically over.”
“I see. That’s a shame.”
“It’s fine. I wasn’t that into her anyway, and she’s only just had her coming-of-age this year. She felt too childish.”
‘So the girl’s only fourteen. We nearly married him off to an elementary schooler.’
That damn early marriage culture.
He understood it given the short average lifespan, but elementary school was a bit much.
Thank goodness the Sion Dukedom had firmly decreed that, regardless of status, men and women could only marry after their coming-of-age ceremony.
“And as the youngest, I don’t need to worry about continuing the family line. This suits me just fine.”
“I see.”
I see, my foot.
Contrary to his response, Sion was smirking slyly inwardly.
Ever since learning Baron Kilburn was his grandson, Sion had revised part of his plan.
‘You’ll have plenty to do there. You’ll be staying quite a while, so this old man will introduce you to a nice girl.’
This world did allow marriages between fourth cousins occasionally, but personally, he found that iffy—sixth cousins should be fine, no genetic issues.
If it still felt awkward, pick from the grandson’s or great-grandson’s in-laws.
‘Elenora, perhaps? Her family would do nicely.’
Elenora’s house, who had been paired with his great-grandson Brian, would have a fine bride candidate.
Grandson of the first Sion Duke’s youngest daughter, who married into the previous duke’s spouse’s family.
‘Perfect legitimacy. Not enough to claim succession, but ideal for shaking things up.’
Excluding Theo, who inherited the title, and Maria, who ran off and had a child, Sion had left equal inheritance to all his children.
So if Maria’s direct descendants showed up and spoke out, he couldn’t refuse them legally or morally.
Above all, Sion had left a will instructing that if Maria’s heirs ever came, treat them well and grant them their due rights.
Ignore the will of the family head who built the dukedom from nothing?
They’d all be done for.
“Um, by the way.”
“Hm?”
Sion snapped out of his thoughts and turned to Piolt at his cautious tone.
“Who is Master Blaho of the Sion Dukedom? I might end up serving him, so I should know his personality… or at least his tendencies.”
“Er…….”
Sion flinched inwardly but smoothly rattled off his response.
“He’s a man just like his swordsmanship. You know how they say you can tell a person’s character from their sword? He’s the knight who fits that best.”
“Ah… I see.”
Piolt nodded, unsure what it meant exactly.
“Yeah. You’ll like him when you meet him. Haha.”
You’d better like him. You’ll be serving him come hell or high water, so like him you will.
‘He didn’t have to take after his grandfather… Well, it’ll work out somehow.’
Bedelion Blaho, the famed Swordmaster of the Sion Dukedom.
Naturally, Sion knew his grandfather well, but not much about the man himself.
‘If worst comes to worst, I’ll just beat him.’
Come to think of it, that old man had quite the firm hand.
A firm beating hand.
Casually entertaining the brutal notion of beating both grandfather and grandson, the old monster smiled contentedly and urged his horse onward.
* * *
“You’ve arrived.”
“Yes.”
Sion entered the information guild building, receiving the polite greeting from Jenna, the Burgos branch chief.
“You found the horse without issue. My thanks.”
Jenna didn’t say the obvious, like she’d been worried something might’ve gone wrong.
There were others to worry about—who was worrying about whom?
“Yeah, more or less. Your complexion looks poor, though. Busy?”
“Ah, yes. Just a bit…….”
Truth be told, while Sion was away, she’d only slept three or four hours a day.
His demands were that high, and there was so much work piled up.
But she couldn’t complain before a century-old monster.
“Right. Any other issues?”
“I’ve already sent couriers to each branch requesting the information you wanted. It’ll take time for them to return, but I’ve ordered them to do so as quickly as possible.”
“I see. But do the ones you sent have to come all the way back here to deliver?”
Jenna quickly caught on to the change in Sion’s plans and responded promptly.
“No. Even now, we can send new couriers to arrange delivery at your desired location. Just set the time and place, accounting for the originals’ travel to their destinations and completing their tasks.”
“Good. Then… one month from now, Oggust Domain. Can do?”
“Yes.”
Sion had originally given two months, factoring in the return trip to Burgos at the northeast edge of the Obla Kingdom.
By contrast, Oggust Domain bordered the Sion Dukedom, which sat on a small peninsula at the kingdom’s southern tip but was centrally located overall.
One month was tight, but doable.
“Then that’s settled. By the way, any word on your replacement? Nothing from headquarters?”
“Actually, headquarters contacted me yesterday.”
“Oh? Quick work.”
Information guilds were handy with their urgent dispatches.
“Yes. Faster than I expected—I was surprised. It seems they decided immediately upon receiving word.”
“Of course. It’s me, after all.”
Sion chuckled and shrugged.
Arrogant words, but Jenna nodded as if it were natural.
A request from one of the legendary Six Heroes, a being alive for nearly a century.
The few top brass who knew of Sion would’ve fainted.
“So, what’d they say?”
“They left the successor decision to me.”
“As expected.”
Like her father before her, Jenna would now serve as the bridge between him and the guild, following him.
Which meant vacating the Burgos branch—but they couldn’t just shut down a branch near the Dragon Wasteland mystery, remote or not.
Thus, Sion had told Jenna to have the guild appoint her successor, and they’d deferred to her judgment.
Rare for the guild, which gave field agents leeway but tightly controlled personnel from the center.
“I hate to meddle, but pick a suitable one for the successor.”
“I’ll heed any advice.”
Jenna bowed deeply.
Forget legendary hero—even as a mere ruler, Sion Duke had turned an ordinary domain into a great one with hundreds of thousands. His personnel advice was worth more than gold.
“First off, not too clean. Moderately corrupt is best.”
“Yes……?”
“I mean, match the level of Administrator Schwartz or the local notables here. Can a squeaky-clean guy handle those bastards properly?”
“Ah! I get it.”
“Yeah. The investment framework’s all set anyway. He should know how to skim just enough, grease palms just enough, all while earning a rep for competence. Got it?”
“Yes. There’s just the right guy.”
“Good. Of course, if he steps out of line, it’s on you. Remember that.”
“Yes, sir!”
She nearly choked but swallowed it desperately.
Then, she slyly changed the subject.
“By the way, if I may… your group gained one more member on the way back. From Logos Domain?”
“Yeah. My great-grandson.”
“...”
What in the world was this outrageous turn?
‘Report to headquarters? Better hold off for now. No—stick to Dad’s reporting format… Argh, my head’s splitting!’
“We leave in two days. Get ready by then. And there’s more work ahead, so tough it out. With grit and guts. Got it?”
Jenna snapped to and forced a grin at Sion’s smile.
“Yes. Grit and guts. Heh heh.”
It was her chosen path.
Grit and guts it was.