Escort (1)
The Second Prince leaned against the window of the carriage heading back to the Imperial Palace. He cast one last glance at the receding ducal estate before settling back into his seat. Ditto Abaran recalled the face of the young Duke of Fides, who had been desperately trying to feign composure while his eyes rolled in sheer terror.
He had found the boy grating from the very first moment he saw him. Trembling in fear was nothing special. Anyone who looked upon the Imperial Family felt dread. It was the natural reaction of a mortal standing before a god. Every human had reacted that way, and they always would.
But that little Duke was different. There was no reverence in the boy's eyes. After staring at him for a moment as if entranced, the child had blinked, as if waking from a spell, and then bent his knee to pay his respects.
"I see why he's so bothersome," Ditto Abaran murmured, resting his elbow on the window frame and propping his chin in his hand.
The Fidus family would soon vanish anyway. Even if its people disappeared, the name of the duchy would remain, and others would be chosen to serve as the sword and shield of Abaran. By then, the young Duke would be nothing but an orphaned boy with nothing left to his name.
The Second Prince raised his hand and tapped lightly on the carriage window.
What kind of face would he make if I snatched the boy away?
Jing rubbed the back of his neck as a sudden, chilling shiver ran down his spine. It was an incredibly unpleasant sensation. His only desire was to return to his son as quickly as possible, but it galled him to know that he needed a bit more cooperation from the young man sitting across from him to achieve that.
Steeling his resolve, Jing shook the map of the town labeled 'Komiel' in front of him.
"Look, you understand that this town is quite close to the capital, right? As I have repeatedly and clearly stated before, I must go to where my son is waiting. So... are you actually listening to me right now?"
"Yes, I'm listening."
Jing frowned at the dry response. "Then at least lift your face from your plate when you speak."
"Understood."
Another polite reply came back, but his face remained firmly glued to the bowl. Jing felt a spark of irritation, but it wasn't entirely incomprehensible. He recalled the dreadful food they had eaten back in Amica's Space. Since the boy had eaten that sandpaper-like bread without a single complaint, Jing had wondered if he had lost his sense of taste, but apparently that wasn't the case—not judging by the way he was devouring this ordinary stew.
Feeling a mix of pity and annoyance, Jing left Ratel to his meal and picked up his own spoon.
Having safely escaped the forest, they were currently having a late meal at a fairly large pub in the nearest sizable town. Ratel seemed to highly approve of the stew, which was packed with meat and hearty chunks of vegetables. His eyes gleamed as he focused entirely on the contents of his bowl, never once raising his head no matter what the old man across from him said.
Actually, this was for the best. Jing, who had been planning to part ways with Ratel around this point anyway, glanced at the boy—who still hadn't lifted his face from his plate—and spoke.
"Fine, then just listen to what I have to say." Jing let out a deep sigh. "Once we finish eating, I plan to head to the Temple. I haven't been able to offer my prayers lately, so it will probably take about a day. Let's part ways for a bit once we leave this tavern."
It was a calculated move. Surely, a follower of Amica wouldn't want to set foot in such a place. If Ratel agreed, Jing planned to slip away from the Temple and naturally part ways with him. If Ratel refused, Jing intended to insist that the religious rituals of those who served Abaran were just as important as serving Amica. If the boy resorted to force, well, that was a problem he would have to figure out then.
"Why are we parting ways?"
Ratel, who had completely emptied his bowl before anyone realized, looked up with a puzzled expression. It was the first time Jing had looked him in the eye since they started eating, but he was in no mood to appreciate it.
"What do you mean, why? I told you, I'm going to the Temple of Abaran and staying there for a day."
"Perfect. I'll just go with you and ask them to let me stay the night. It'll save money."
What on earth is this brat talking about?
"No, you can't do that," Jing said, utterly appalled.
Ratel tilted his head. "What do you mean?"
No, what do YOU mean?
"Do you have absolutely no knowledge of religion? Followers of Amica cannot enter the Temple of Abaran. Surely you wouldn't want to go in there either, would you?"
At Jing's exasperated explanation, Ratel finally nodded as if he understood.
"Don't worry about that. I don't worship Amica."
Jing felt a sudden, overwhelming sensation of having been thoroughly scammed. He was so dumbfounded he couldn't even speak.
"Wait, you...!"
Jing opened his mouth to demand why he had lied, but quickly shut it. Come to think of it, Ratel had never once claimed to be a follower of Amica.
A sense of baseless grievance, coupled with the grim reality that he was now forced to go to the Temple with Ratel, washed over Jing. On top of that, a creeping anxiety set in—he might have saddled himself with someone far more hopeless than he had initially thought.
While Jing stood there, speechless and overwhelmed, Ratel casually ordered a honey-glazed pie, completely unbothered.
"Aren't we going to the Temple?" Ratel asked as Jing walked in a direction completely opposite to the towering, castle-like building in the distance.
Jing glanced at him before looking straight ahead again. "I have a quick stop to make."
Judging by Ratel's calm, expressionless face, his claim about following him to the Temple hadn't been an empty threat. Since Ratel had been raised by that Elder, Jing had naturally assumed he would worship Amica. Just as all citizens of the Abaran Empire naturally sought the protection of Abaran, he had thought the boy would be the same.
Now, however, it was doubtful whether the boy believed in any god at all, let alone Amica.
If he were still the Duke of Fides, he would have had to draw his sword against Ratel immediately. But Jing, the wandering merchant, had no such obligation. Jing frowned, finding this drastic internal shift strange.
Ratel walked silently beside him, and since neither of them was particularly talkative, a quiet stillness settled between them.
Eventually, Jing stopped in front of a large, weathered building.
"What is this place?" Ratel asked, finding the lack of any signage on the building odd.
"You'll see when we go in."
Jing opened the door without hesitation. The interior was dimly lit and much more spacious than it appeared from the outside. Ratel scanned the crowd of people gathered in small groups, chatting boisterously.
"Is this a bandit hideout?"
"They don't look like the friendliest bunch, but no, it's not that."
In response to Ratel's questioning look, Jing pointed to the wall on their right. Several messy slips of paper were pinned to it.
"...Giant Bear Extermination Recruitment," Ratel read one of them slowly, then looked back at Jing. "Are we taking a request?"
"Exactly," Jing nodded. "In a city, this would be called a guild."
Jing gestured to the interior, which was structured similarly to a pub. "In smaller rural villages, guilds aren't profitable, so they don't exist at all, but..." Jing scanned the sizable room before continuing. "In places like this—not quite a city, but large enough to have a thriving commercial district—you can find them easily."
Ratel nodded slightly at Jing's explanation, his eyes scanning the request boards. Jing let out a silent sigh of relief, having worried he would have to explain what a guild was. Fortunately, the boy didn't seem entirely ignorant of the world's common knowledge.
After checking a few of the notes, Ratel quickly lost interest and turned his gaze back to Jing.
"But why did we come here?"
"Why do you think? We need to earn money," Jing replied absentmindedly, carefully examining the requests.
"We don't have to do this kind of—"
"Don't you dare say you're going to rob someone again."
Ratel scowled at Jing's firm warning. "Doing things this way pays less and takes too much time, doesn't it?"
That's true, Jing acknowledged silently, nodding. "But it also reduces the chances of getting stabbed in the back."
Ratel still didn't seem convinced, clearly disagreeing with Jing's logic. Having anticipated this reaction, Jing wasn't particularly disappointed and spoke up.
"Aren't we traveling together from now on? I don't want to spend my days being hunted. An old man's heart can't take it if someone suddenly ambushes us. One wrong move and I'm dead."
"Anyone who worries about a heart attack first when suddenly attacked isn't the type to die from an assassination anyway," Ratel muttered. Jing felt the boy's eyes lingering on his thick, muscular arms, but he chose to ignore it.
"In any case, if we're going to travel together, I'd like you to respect this much at least."
It was a half-truth. He fully intended to shake Ratel off before they reached the capital. Even so, the reason he was teaching these things to this young man—who knew nothing of respecting his elders beyond using polite speech—was... well, for one, the other half of the truth was that he had to travel with him for at least a few days.
The former Duke, Agoni Fidus, was officially dead. Since he had to return to the capital as discreetly as possible, he didn't want to attract any pursuers. To do that, he needed to find work that didn't require proof of identity but still offered decent pay.
"Guilds in the cities require all sorts of identification documents, but places like this aren't usually that strict. It makes posting and accepting requests simple. Ah, here's a suitable one."
Jing pulled down the most high-quality piece of paper among those pinned to the board.
[Tinas Ritual: Temple Escort]
📍 Location: The Temple
🎁 Reward: [Generous Compensation]
"The pay isn't bad compared to the work..." Jing handed the paper to Ratel. "Temple escorts are usually handled by the Temple Knights, but this seems to be on a larger scale. Nothing major ever happens during the Tinas Ritual, and since it's the Temple, we don't have to worry about getting cheated out of our money. It's perfect for a first job. What do you think?"
"..."
"Ratel?"
Jing had to call his name once more, finding his silence strange.
"...Yes, it seems suitable."
Because Ratel's face remained as expressionless as ever when he answered after a brief pause, Jing dismissed the slight sense of unease he felt. Clutching the paper in one hand, he approached the counter.
"Then I'll take that as your agreement. We earn our money quietly, and we leave this town quietly. Got it?"
"Understood."
Jing nodded in satisfaction at the docile reply. He wouldn't have been so pleased had he caught even a glimpse of Ratel's cold expression as the boy stroked the hilt of his sword.
"What did you just say?"
A short man with a curly beard leaned forward, his low, threatening voice cutting through the noisy chatter of the crowd.
A minor commotion had broken out in the middle of the line, drawing the attention of several applicants who had gathered to sign up for the temple escort.
"I told you not to cut in line. Did you not hear me?"
The person in question didn't seem to care in the slightest, though.
"Impressive how you managed to squeeze in with those short legs."
"Wh-Why, you...!"
Perhaps he was already self-conscious about his legs, which were short even for his small stature, because the man's face flushed red as he stammered.
"If you understand, then get lost, shorty."
At the childish yet scathing remark, Jing, who had been watching the situation unfold, buried his face in his hands in utter despair.