Chapter 22

Chapter 22

22. Baelonian Lunagrif (4)

The sunk black eyes and blue-green eyes crossed in the air.

“···Anyway, a kid I don’t like.”

Unlike the unwelcome words, Giles wiped the sword flowing with sticky blood with his sleeve and sheathed it.

The grayish-white mana that had been rising like a heat haze also disappeared without a trace at that moment.

The intention was clear.

Benrik immediately took out hemostatic powder from the pouch at his waist and sprinkled it on Hodge’s wound.

Because he didn’t even let out a small groan the heart had dropped with a thud-, but fortunately he had only fainted with his eyes half open.

Benrik crouched and closely examined Hodge’s condition.

‘Fortunate.’

It seemed deeply cut, but seeing the amount of bleeding fortunately it did not seem to have reached the artery.

‘Even so he lost too much blood.’

The body temperature was also dropping. After hastily tearing clothes and tightly binding the thigh, he took off the hood he was wearing and laid him diagonally on top of it.

Giles stood still watching the child without leaving even until then.

“Have you known each other long?” “···About two months.” “Staking life on a relationship of only two months?”

Benrik swallowed the rising resentment tightly and answered.

“······Because Hodge did so too.”

The one holding the knife handle now was Giles, and Benrik was in a situation of begging for life entirely on his whim.

With just one word, one gesture and expression the decision could be reversed as much as wanted.

Whim was the difference between humans and magical beasts.

Pride, humiliation, sense of humiliation.

Such things are all things one can feel only after surviving.

For him he can do as much as matching the mood.

“Is it returning as received.”

He who was muttering as if absurd asked.

“How old are you?” “···Thirteen.”

Thirteen years old.

‘It is not that young to that extent.’

Because the body was small he thought he had just passed ten.

Since Giles’s young master is facing the coming-of-age ceremony next year the difference with the child in front was two years.

“I have never heard that there is a kid like you in Jenkinson’s mercenary group.”

The reason Giles has interest in Benrik was one.

Because he had never seen a child like this.

To him children of Benrik’s age were consistent.

Annoying enough to want to kill, bothersome, wanting to beat thoroughly, cheeky.

The difference between the many children who cannot distinguish heaven and earth and Benrik was the point of knowing how to suppress emotions matching people and situations.

Even if that looks cheeky it was not as unpleasant as the first time.

‘Did he live eating side-eye rice?’

The fact that a commoner kid who rolled among rough mercenaries is more human-like than a young master of a noble family who grew up seeing, hearing, and eating only good things brought a strange resonance to Giles.

It seems the reaction of staying for years under Lucian Belmore the epitome of arrogance.

“···It hasn’t been long since I entered.” “I see, the name?”

“···Benrik.” “Benrik, Benrik is it.”

The question and answer ended with that.

“Well, you are much better than the Belmore family’s kid bastard.”

With those words as the end Giles turned his back and moved away. Only his footsteps echoed throughout the quiet forest.

“······.”

Benrik stood in that place as if nails were driven for a long time.

Even after the sign of people disappeared, and the bristling fine hairs subsided, and it informed that there was nothing nearby that would threaten the four lives.

For a long time.

***

Drenor Vinter.

A figure who became a knight from a neglected mercenary with a rags-to-riches story.

If the apprentice knight Giles of the Belmore family was one who received the admiration of becoming a knight, Drenor Vinter who actually grasped the knight title was the hope of many people.

One expected to achieve and one who actually achieved it. One who did not cross the wall of status and one who actually jumped over.

Many people know that Drenor Vinter’s fame originated from such a reason, but what is known and the fact were a bit different.

Drenor Vinter’s fame started from the time he was a nameless mercenary.

Among mercenaries with a strong image of liking women, gambling, and only bright for money, there was a person who went around saving people without minding such things.

That was Drenor Vinter.

He could only stand out outstandingly.

Like that for decades, the nameless mercenary became a knight.

Fame and martial force, and power.

Even after possessing all of that the upright steps did not bend.

Rather he helped people more actively.

“The number of our children led by your hand over the past decades cannot be counted.”

Saving fairy-kin kidnapped by slave merchants was also one of the countless traces he left from his young days.

“Remember that the reason our warriors still do not aim bows toward the east is only because of you.”

The fairy great elder Leliont said to Drenor Vinter.

As those words the reason they could be peaceful without dispute for the past hundred years was because the fairy-kin did not eat the heart to fight.

If one wants to ask for responsibility one can ask as much as wanted.

Even if Drenor Vinter is strong he is not a god.

As many as the number of fairies he saved, perhaps far more fairy-kin would still be suffering somewhere.

At the warning-laden words the pot-bellied old knight who was smiling bitterly suddenly made a playful expression.

“······But I think this problem should be treated separately.” “What are you saying···.” “You are still not honest, great elder.” “······.” “Just say it, help me.”

Even at the words that stabbed the opening Leliont’s expression was calm like a lake. At least on the outside it looked so.

“······Did you hear something?” “I heard the princess left a letter and departed.” “···Who did you hear from?”

“Hehe- well. As you said the children who held my hand and came are originally many.” “···I will have to give a firm warning.”

The great elder who was silent said.

“It is true that the princess left on her own. However the fact that she almost suffered hardship being caught by those who ate evil hearts is also truth.”

The prohibition of inter-species human trafficking is before the old knight was born. However under the surface such things still ran rampant.

And very unilaterally.

The old knight made a bitter expression.

But···.

“Even if you did not necessarily bring up war, if you requested I would have cooperated···.” “Sorry but it was not a card brought out simply to obtain help. If we could not find the princess we really would have attacked Bromwood.”

Baelonian Lunagrif.

The only existence that inherited the name of the Mother Tree, Lunagrif is an existence more precious than anything to the tribe.

If compared to humans it is a position like the imperial family of the empire.

Even Drenor who only knew her as a high fairy-kin learned the fact only after arriving at the outpost and meeting the great elder.

“It is really fortunate that she is safe···.”

The old knight muttered while calming his chilly heart with tea water.

“Yes, it is really fortunate···.” “Since one worry is lessened it is good to close your eyes a bit soon.” “Let’s do so, I will get up after just drinking tea.”

The great elder thought while lifting the teacup.

‘But I don’t know why the heart is so uneasy.’

“I incurred another debt to you.” “Debt can be repaid.” “Hmm?” “Didn’t I say the first merit of this matter is separate. Of course I also have not seen the face yet.”

There was a story Jenkinson conveyed to Hodge and Hodge conveyed to him again.

“Ah you mean that human child who found the princess. Yes, what should we do for you?”

Drenor Vinter briefly explained the child’s condition.

About the peculiar constitution of high affinity to the extent of being able to see mana with the eyes, but actually not feeling it.

The old knight who raised aura with only the talent of one body was not that erudite in theory.

“You can only see mana when operating mana? Peculiar···. Hmm···.”

The great elder who heard the story nodded as if knowing.

“The details one has to see directly to know, but it does not seem related to mana affinity. If the mana affinity was high one would have seen the unrefined mana in the atmosphere not the mana of others.” “Is that so?” “I understand, when I meet the child tomorrow I will examine closely once─”

It was then.

That a thin crying sound was heard from outside the tent.

─D-Drenor···! Which guy is Drenor Vinter! “···!”

The eyes of the old knight and the old fairy became as big as fire pans at the same time.

The two people who ran out in a fluster discovered the fairy flying around the outpost places like a wild boar hit by a match and shouting and were surprised.

“P-p-p-princess···?” ─! Great elder! Bring the guy called Drenor Vinter! “I am Drenor Vinter, princess.”

─You guy···!

Even in a state mixed with tears and snot, Baan conveyed the situation without rambling.

‘···Giles of the Belmore family.’

A young man extremely skilled at handling mana. It was only early this year that he thought while crossing swords that he would reach the realm of an aura user not long after.

What is certain is that it is not a level the count’s elite soldiers can handle.

Drenor’s expression hardened stiffly.

“······Thank you for conveying, princess.”

Immediately after Drenor Vinter’s form disappeared as if evaporating.

***

─Swoosh···.

Benrik clenched his teeth and put strength in his grip.

At the end of the robe tightly rolled until the hand turned white a fainted adult man was firmly fixed.

Even during movement the hand kept slipping so he tied one hand together with the robe.

─Swoosh, swoosh···.

It was the only method a thirteen-year-old child could move an adult man whose physique is about three times.

The cold night wind occasionally brushed the child’s face, but it was insufficient to cool the sweat pouring like a waterfall.

The shoulders seemed about to fall off, and the overworked muscles convulsed. The steps were like a thousand pounds, and the jaw clenched as if to break appealed with dull pain.

But all of that was trivial compared to the powerlessness experienced just before.

One step, another step-

While stepping without stopping he repeatedly thinks.

‘What was the problem?’

He reflects on the situation.

From the moment he realized that Crisis Sense does not activate, undeniable carelessness filled the heart.

Because Demian’s warning had never been wrong until now.

Looking back it was a strange thing. Even the B-grade stealing is not 100 percent success rate.

Crisis Sense and the same D-grade, value judgment is also the same. The hit probability barely exceeded half.

─Creak···.

But why did he blindly believe? Why did he never have the doubt that it would be wrong once?

Embers flickered in the blue-green eyes.

‘Why.’

Why didn’t he think of raising the grade?

He was careless, blindly believed, and arrogant.

Decisively.

‘He was powerless.’

Literally there was no strength.

Whether magic, or aura, or privilege.

He should have at least made the effort to possess strength.

Benrik chewed and swallowed the emotions of that time tightly in order not to forget the mistake.

Until the dim dawn brightened, he did not stop movement and thought for even a moment.

Because the experience of handing the knife handle to another and begging for life is enough once in life.

Then suddenly, he realized that the shoulder was light.

“···!”

And,

He takes in in order the whitish beard and half-white hair, the epaulette embroidered with the Bromwood crest and the upright pupils.

“······.”

The old knight who had been blankly looking at Benrik opened his mouth.

“You worked hard.”

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