Chapter 29

Chapter 29

29. Lucian Belmore (6)

“···I won’t go.”

Lucian firmly revealed his own intention as if he cannot yield only this time.

Even if Benrik blankly looked he did not change the opinion.

“Rather kill me here! I absolutely won’t go to the lord’s castle!”

It doesn’t seem he treated that comfortably. The subjectivity is still alive.

“Anyway even if I go there dying is the same! Rather, the outside where one can wander freely is better.”

Surely, trying to kill a minor.

‘If it is imprisonment one does not know. Still he was a noble.’

On one hand it seems it might be so.

Because there is something felt while staying in this city until now.

The person in charge of the eastern checkpoint, Logics. The escort team the count attached for the princess. The expressions of the passersby going on the street. The vitality the merchants show, such things.

According to Benrik’s guess

The count was a person generous to people within his own fence at the same time without flexibility, and valuing principles.

It was what he had thought from the time of first arriving at Bromwood until now.

Because of that the heart of whether he would really kill and the thought that he might kill arose at the same time.

‘Well.’

This guy also has something catching so he is coming out like this.

If he himself does not like he had no thought of forcing.

Benrik continued the words while looking at Lucian beyond the mirror.

“I pondered a bit about your disposition.”

At the words disposition. Lucian’s pupils shook finely.

“One cannot kill, the head hurts, what to do about this. It is annoying shall I just throw somewhere and leave to die.”

The choice of killing was not considered after knowing the inside even if not because of Drenor’s intention.

Even so one cannot keep continuously either.

“······.” “You also know, what almost happened because of your short thought.”

The guy he thought would flare up unexpectedly only nodded his head with a slightly gloomy expression.

“The reason you became like this now is because of that. Form the habit of thinking long before acting.”

Benrik said so while counting the number of silver coins received from the guy last evening.

“I will ask last. Really not going? Meeting the count and asking for forgiveness might be the only method for you to return to the previous life.”

Lucian who thought for a long time finally refused.

“The count is a person with clear distinction. He will not show leniency to me who is no longer a member of the Belmore family.” “Well, it might be so, or it might not. It is your choice. If you do not like I have no thought of forcing.”

He handed the taken out silver coins to the guy’s hand.

He said to Lucian who receives with an expression of not knowing the reason.

“Go, whether beg for forgiveness at your house or beg somewhere live as you please. Keep in mind that there is nothing protecting you anymore.” “Ha, but if I go out dying is···.”

That was words said to scare.

Now Lucian’s appearance was a level a bit cleaner than a beggar. Thinking of the time when first brought by Drenor’s hand it is a level difficult to recall that it is the same person.

“As long as you don’t go around spreading the rumor ‘I am Lucian Belmore!’ it is fine. Whatever hitch a ride and go to another village and live as you know. Don’t do useless things like alms.” “······Is it not okay to stay here?” “Do you want to die that much?”

Flinch, at the surprised guy he shook his head.

“It is not that I will kill but are you saying because you don’t know how unfavorably our mercenary group people look at you.” “···Ah.” “It is not that I am telling you to go out immediately, so ponder how to do. If there is really no place to go I can look into the means of going to another village.”

Then the guy who was chewing the thoughts shone his eyes and shook his head.

“Thinking about it, there seems to be a person who will help. Because I also did not only incur resentment and go around···.”

Well he is not a guy with bad nature, that is also so.

When Benrik readily nodded, the guy who was hesitating said.

“······Thank you.” “Yes.”

Leaving Lucian behind he boarded the carriage heading to the count’s lord’s castle.

The time Benrik saw Lucian was the last.

***

The Bromwood family has protected the west of the empire from the Grendel Duchy and the fairies of the Great Forest from hundreds of years ago.

Now it is as peaceful as a season with not large temperature difference but going back four or five generations the story changes.

There was a past where the lush trees and blue greenery fully absorbed blood that did not distinguish ‘fairy and human’, ‘empire and duchy’, ‘race and country’.

The Great Forest and the duchy, and the empire.

The one who put an end to the entangled war of the three forces was the Bromwood family.

They suppressed the deep conflict between the Great Forest and the Grendel Duchy with skilled politics and powerful strength.

The blue eagle hawk drawn on the family crest symbolized the guardian watching over the border.

The traces of the miserable war at that time remained in the lord’s castle even until now when even the record of the last dispute became hard to find.

Among them the most enormous was the family tradition and people passed down generation by generation as bloodline.

Silvan Bromwood.

The master of the current Bromwood family, and the guardian of the western border of the empire.

The nobles of the capital treat him as a sheepdog of a ranch without wolves, but what is hidden under that good-person face is the skill and authority of the family that ended the war of two countries.

─said.

He heard from Lucian···.

“Oho.”

The old man who was shining his eyes while wearing a gentle smile and examining Benrik said.

“It is you.”

The Count of Bromwood was not the middle-aged man of a sharp and restrained impression vaguely guessed, but an old man exuding an atmosphere like a weak scholar.

‘Certainly looking only at the impression he does not look like such an amazing person.’

Not a guardian protecting an old castle but an old man who would suit reading books in a library piled with dust more.

That was Benrik’s impression of first seeing the Margrave Silvan Bromwood.

How faint the characteristics are if seen without knowing one would clearly have thought that the real count sent a proxy.

Benrik wiped the sweat seeping with tension on the pants crotch then deeply bowed his waist toward the count.

“···Thank you for inviting. It is an honor to meet. I am Benrik.”

Thinking it is fortunate that he learned etiquette a bit from Lucian.

The count only looked at such Benrik as if praiseworthy throughout.

“Haha, don’t be so tense and sit.” “···Yes, count.”

When the count gestured, the servant who was standing like a statue politely gestured and pulled out the chair and recommended.

Following a table full of abundant dishes was set on the large table.

Turkey dish stuffed with various vegetables and fruits and ham grilled with honey applied, olives pickled with herbs, large mushrooms and milk, and soup boiled with spices and soft white bread.

The dishes that make the eyes turn were appetizing enough to make one forget the situation.

The food treated in the Great Forest was of course delicious, but actually most were things hard to call dishes.

The meat was just grilled without spices, the fruits were all just well washed or peeled, and only some plants that have toxicity if eaten raw were boiled or steamed and brought out to that extent.

On the other hand the dishes in front were different.

All were proper dishes of a level Benrik had never seen even once since being born in this world.

But,

“There is no need to observe etiquette, eat comfortably.”

Even at the count’s recommendation Benrik could not enjoy all of that with peace of mind.

Not to mention enjoying he had to suppress the impulse to jump up from the place and run out right now.

As expected, from the moment first meeting until now not even once,

“······.”

Because the black heat haze around the count has never disappeared.

It was a black heat haze of a much darker color than the gray heat haze seen from the beggar girl.

Whether Benrik who was in a motionless posture was strange, the count opened his mouth.

“Is the food not to your liking? Strange, I thought you would enjoy eating a lot.”

“No, it is not. Count, it is very appetizing.”

Benrik who said so while swallowing curses made a slightly troubled expression and raised both hands on the table. Then the question disappeared from the count’s face who grasped the meaning.

“Ah, I didn’t know you were a devout believer.”

No. Not devout and not a believer.

It is just that there is nothing to find but god now.

‘How do I know and eat if poison was put in the food, damn.’

Benrik expressed thanks to the count who gestured as if to continue the pre-meal prayer and closed his eyes.

Even though he clearly closed them the gaze was felt.

What is contained in the gaze is not malice. It was not killing intent either.

Curiosity.

Just that but why did Crisis Sense activate.

‘Surely is it malfunctioning this time too?’

When the count tilted his head the black heat haze swayed, following that movement.

‘Why did Crisis Sense activate? It is not that the count is trying to kill me right? Why?’

Benrik who was thinking suddenly realized.

That the hairs on the nape of the neck did not stand.

That means it is not an immediate threat right now.

‘···Does it mean it can change according to my choices or actions. No, let’s not jump to conclusions.’

Even the steal that was the same B-grade as Crisis Sense failed once in ten times.

Keep in mind, but do not let one’s guard down.

Benrik who finished organizing once more recited the meal etiquette learned halfway from Lucian last then opened his eyes.

“···Thank you for the count’s consideration like the sea.” “Haha what, eat.”

Benrik carefully picked up the knife and fork after confirming that the count first chewed and swallowed the food.

The meal continued in silence. A meal in silence where only the sound of utensils colliding is made very occasionally.

The absurd thing is the fact that even in the midst of that the taste was as if the tongue would melt.

“Does it suit the mouth? I told the chef to pay attention.” “It is delicious.”

Only after spitting the words did Benrik oops-. He should have expressed thanks for the count’s consideration while adding all sorts of rhetoric.

At Benrik who is checking the reaction the count laughed while making a deflating sound.

“Certainly you have a lot of thoughts unlike that age. Didn’t I keep saying, stay comfortably. Even if a commoner does not observe a noble’s etiquette one does not ask for responsibility.”

If one continues here it might rather look like ignoring the count’s words? Real nobles are too difficult.

“I understand.”

Crisis Sense is also sensing but actually, the reason Benrik is this tense was one more.

Because the count’s gaze as if observing gave a feeling as if seeing through a person’s insides.

For a while the two people exchanged stories.

“Come to think of it I heard the story that you came from the Golden Mountains is it true?” “Yes, I came from a village called Logon in the center of the Golden Mountains.”

It was a question and answer style mainly of the count asking and Benrik answering.

After the meal praise time continued together with simple refreshments the maid brought.

I heard your merit was great in this matter, admirable at a young age, I am glad that a talent like you entered our city etc.

At the end of all stories the count handed one small pouch to Benrik along with the words additional reward.

“I told to pay the promised reward directly to the mercenary group.”

Benrik thought while expressing thanks once more whose number he does not know.

‘Then will he send me soon?’

It seems both sides have seen all the markets.

The heat haze flickering around the count also changed from black light to gray at some moment, and the gaze as if exploring also disappeared during the conversation.

It was then that the count opened his mouth.

“I guessed seeing the amount of food entering that small stomach. Certainly it seems correct that you are Gerik’s child.” “···?”

At the unexpected mention cognition momentarily went out of place.

‘Just now, who?’

Slurp, the count who calmly drank tea continued and asked.

“Is he doing well?”

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