Chapter 26

Chapter 26

26. Lucian Belmore (3)

“Great elder. Is it enough now?”

At Baan’s words Leliont turned to the tribe members who were kneeling.

“Yes, this much is sufficient.”

When he nodded toward those who were kneeling, the fairies who stood up one by one slightly bowed their heads to Benrik and left their places.

When Benrik made an expression as if not knowing the reason, Baan sighed deeply in a way that did not suit her and said.

“Understand. They are old-fashioned fellows who think that whatever it is must be done grandly for there to be sincerity.” “Always saying but the form that contains sincerity is also important as much as sincerity. So in the same context the princess should also always tidy your appearance and fully establish authority─” “Ah- great elder, your nagging really does not distinguish time and place. Didn’t this body also always say, if one must do so how solid the authority would be is questionable.”

Sparks flew between the old fairy and the young fairy. Benrik somehow seemed to know the reason Baan ran away.

“Hmm.”

At the groan containing awkwardness the two fairies’ gazes flew at the same time.

“···However you must not distort our sincerity.” “It is as the princess said. The Tear of the Mother Tree given to you just now is a precious thing that can be obtained only once in a hundred years. It is something that cannot be obtained no matter how much gold there is. You must not think that we neglected sincerity while only caring about form.”

Benrik nodded his head. There was no way the thing that allows even those who did not receive the blessing of mana to use mana would not be precious.

“Thank you.” “What thanks, if there is something else needed say. I will obtain anything.”

After a round of ceremony the meal continued.

He had guessed from the words the great elder let slip in passing a little while ago and Baan’s attire.

‘It is really a banquet.’

But the place had no sense of reality as much as the appearance of the world tree.

On the stump table of a tree that could be embraced with arms various delicious foods were set, and around the table early flowers were blooming abundantly, and that appearance was really mysterious as if becoming one scene from a fairy tale.

The foods were also one and all delicacies.

Even meat was obtained from somewhere and grilled.

‘It can’t be helped.’

Ignoring sincerity is also not sincerity. Benrik had no choice but to feast to his heart’s content again.

“But Baron Drenor is not seen?”

Only after finishing the meal and returning to the village did something feel empty and the fact that he did not see the pot-bellied knight’s appearance came to mind.

“He returned to Bromwood first.”

Hodge who was leaning against the bedside reading a book answered.

“Is he very busy?” “Well, yes. He has to pursue the fled Giles, and also has to finish the matter about Baron Belmore.”

Baron Belmore? Wasn’t that finished by receiving Lucian’s body?

“No, no. That was a kind of position statement. That the kidnapping attempt incident and the baron himself are not related.”

Separately from expelling Lucian from the family there remains a financial responsibility for Baron Belmore to clean up the accident his own child caused.

“I see.”

Benrik withdrew interest with that answer as the end.

Somehow there is a feeling of being privately entangled with the request target, but this matter was only a request received as a member of Jenkinson’s mercenary group.

As long as the specified reward is well received that is all.

What needs to be paid attention to more than that was the words the great elder said.

Benrik who sat on the edge of the bed shone the finger-sized glass bottle under the oil lamp. The liquid inside the bottle waved while emitting a reddish light.

‘One cannot learn the mana operation method.’

He had vaguely had a premonition.

Because even after hearing the story about the mana operation method from Jenkinson he had steadily attempted to feel mana.

But not even once had he felt the mana in the atmosphere.

Not even once.

The magical energy of magical beasts and the mana swirling around Jenkinson’s body are clearly felt, but the origin itself could not be felt even a speck no matter how many times tried.

If ordinary mana users can inhale mana like air and sense it as wind, Benrik might be similar to a feeling of only being able to recognize mana as light.

Anyway Leliont said that this ‘Tear of the World Tree’ would become its substitute.

If high-purity mana settles in the heart area it will pull the mana in the atmosphere and convert it to refined mana even without consciousness.

One becomes able to use mana without learning the process of being conscious of mana and accepting it with breath and refining, that is the mana operation method.

However, there was one problem.

The speed of accumulating mana would be incomparably slow compared to using the orthodox method.

‘It means it only plays the role of priming water.’

It was a problem time would solve. Honestly even just this seems somewhere.

With this incident Benrik became unable to trust the privilege he most believed and relied on.

‘···Crisis Sense.’

That very privilege that had saved Benrik’s life countless times over the past 2 years.

It would be good if the cause could be grasped, but currently there was not even something guessable.

The activation condition of Crisis Sense is a threat to one’s safety.

Until now he clearly thought so···.

‘Is there another condition?’

Or is there a separate factor that creates variables?

One does not know.

But just because the cause cannot be grasped does not mean the solution is also unknown.

There was a method.

Enhancement and combination.

‘The problem is how to enhance.’

To try anything one has no choice but to obtain a privilege, but the acquisition condition of the privilege was also no answer.

The death of a person with emotional exchange.

Wishing for the death of a precious person to obtain a privilege?

It is absurd.

‘Headache.’

When immersed in thoughts while looking at the flickering fire, Hodge who was sitting on the opposite bed edge closed the book with a thud and said.

“Let’s sleep. Because we have to get up early tomorrow morning.” “Yes.”

Benrik blankly looked at the finger-sized glass bottle then opened the lid and gulped it down at once.

‘Hmm.’

The refreshing fragrance smelled when first meeting Baan faintly lingered in the mouth.

Except that the mood improved a degree because of that there is no other particular feeling.

‘Does it mean it seeps in slowly.’

With the impression as the last he extinguished the candle and lay on the bed.

Like that the last night in the Great Forest passed.

***

The next day.

“When I become of age I will come find you.” “Yes, then come out after properly getting permission.” “No, this body is a princess. Permission is not needed.”

Benrik and Hodge, and Lucian left the Great Forest early in the morning.

Five rangers were attached as escort for Hodge whose injury had not yet healed and the young Benrik.

And Benrik came to know through them why the fairy-kin rangers receive such high evaluation.

─Swaaaek!

What kind of bow is shot that the sound of a cannonball falling is made.

It is not simply that the sound is noisy, the power was also enormous.

The arrow that left the string cleaved the air and even cleaved the tree.

Not stuck, literally cleaved.

As if even chopping the tree with an axe.

Even if the arrow tip to the shaft and feathers are made of solid iron one wonders if that is possible.

‘Do these people also use mana?’

When Benrik purely admired, the ranger lowered the longbow the size of his own height and scratched the back of his head as if embarrassed.

“The great warriors of the deep forest are much stronger than me.”

Saying like this it seems not fairy-kin but a barbarian tribe.

“The deep forest was the place the princess originally lives right?”

“Yes, it is a place where only those born with noble blood among the tribe can stay.”

The place Benrik was until just before was a village located on the outskirts even in the Great Forest, a different place from the deep forest where the great elders including Baan originally live.

Like that the sun set and the night deepened.

“Lucian, pick up firewood.”

At Benrik’s words the reddish-brown haired boy immediately opened axe eyes.

“Dare···.”

Rather than being conscious of something it was a reaction ahead of judgment. Seeing that he stops while speaking he himself was aware that it was a mistake.

However,

─Smack! “Ak!”

Benrik was merciless.

Benrik who had younger siblings who were stronger than himself, and scheduled to become stronger lined up below knew how to reign over them.

One just has to beat.

If one beats with question and answer useless from before strength becomes strong even if the head grows one cannot easily cross the line.

One must not give a gap to turn the head. One has to make violence react with the body not the head.

“If you make a sound like dare one more time, really die, you.” “······.”

So,

“···I understand.”

It means there must not be an interval in this answer.

The club brought from the Great Forest cleaved the air once more.

“Aak, why. Why!”

That day Lucian for the first time since birth became able to vaguely understand the feelings of criminals who said rather kill me.

***

The sun rose without fail.

That means,

‘Damn···.’

It meant that Lucian Belmore’s humiliating day started again.

Unlike the dark cloud settled on the boy’s face the dawn sky was only clear.

‘Ugh···.’

The body beaten several times over appealed with pain. But more painful than that was the crushed pride.

The memory of last night flashed through the boy’s mind like thoughts.

─Why is the expression like that in front of the meal table? ─···Are you saying to eat this with the hand? ─···? Then shall I feed with the foot?

─···Isn’t it too vulgar. ─Vulgar···? Do you think what looks vulgar now is because you eat with the hand? ─······.

That commoner guy called Benrik or whatever was really vicious. Not enough with beating only the painful places he also scratched the insides viciously well.

Lucian carefully raised his body and left the campsite. It was felt that the gaze of the ranger standing night watch followed behind the back.

“G-going to do business···.”

The boy who was scared in advance made an excuse, but the ranger’s gaze did not fall as if nails were driven.

“······.”

At the sensation as if the bow held in that hand would aim at his own back Lucian turned his back several times and confirmed his appearance.

Even just doing business is this burdensome on the strength.

“Damn···.”

Above all what makes the boy despair is the point that such days will continue without promise ahead.

Until whenever.

***

It was the day about two days left until Bromwood.

“Lucian.” “Yes.”

At the immediate answer Benrik who nodded said.

“You should earn your keep soon.” “Yes?” “I said earn your keep, is there money hidden in some city wall gap or something? Jewelry, or land or house in your name.” “There is no way there is such a thing.”

“Tsk, then tell useful knowledge or something. There are such things. Empire history or, etiquette that must be shown in front of the imperial family, the meal etiquette you said until your mouth wore out, etiquette that must be observed between nobles or such.”

Hodge who was quietly watching the two people showed a question.

“What are you going to use such things for by learning?”

Benrik shrugged his shoulders.

“One never knows, there might be a use someday.”

They are also things that one would never learn from mercenaries even if one dies and wakes. Originally Benrik was of the principle that learning anything is not bad.

But on the evening of the day they arrived at Bromwood and exchanged stories, Hodge conveyed news with an uncharacteristically tense expression.

“The count···” “Hmm?” “The count said he wants to see once···.” “What?” “You.”

It seems there was foresight.

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