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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Ruby
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Hestia’s green eyes turned towards Cloney, who was standing behind Yuma.
“…How cute.”
Hestia, her eyes wide open, stuck close to the black-haired, golden-eyed girl who had begun to look at her.
“How old are you?”
Cloney, looking at Hestia who was staring intently at her, said softly,
“I’m fifteen years old.”
“Hmm, you’re a baby! A baby! I’m nineteen!”
Yuma slowly shook his head.
It didn’t seem like there was enough of an age difference for one to call the other a baby.
“What’s your specialty? Mine is the sword! Swoosh! Swish swish!”
“I’m a magician.”
Cloney was struggling to handle Hestia’s high energy.
An instinctive struggle born from their polar opposite personalities.
But Cloney tried her best to match Hestia’s vigor.
That’s because before setting out this morning, she had heard from Yuma about what had happened last night.
Along with the message that they would likely be acting together as a group all day today.
Thump thump
Having somewhat satisfied her curiosity about Cloney, Hestia stuck close to Yuma’s side again.
“We’re almost at the guard station. What are you planning to do there?”
“Find a guide.”
Yuma judged that it would be easier to resolve matters if he brought along a guide who knew something about the count’s castle, rather than barging in with just a cat-folk claiming to have business.
‘The one who guided me to the inn should do.’
This time, Yuma intended to ask Hestia about what he was curious about.
“You said you could smell other races, is it possible to pinpoint their location to some extent?”
Hestia slowly shook her head.
“It’s possible sometimes. But right now, it’s not that clear.”
“I see.”
“Why is Yuma traveling with that child?”
“That’s none of your business.”
Hestia pouted at Yuma’s curt response.
“What’s your level as a swordsman?”
Hestia touched the sword at her waist as she spoke.
“About Sword Expert intermediate level.”
She clearly knew her own level.
Self-awareness was an essential element for a swordsman.
“We’ve arrived!”
Hestia’s energetic shout was heard.
Yuma stood in front of the gates of Count Rubelt’s guard station.
Two crossed spears blocked Yuma’s path.
“Please state your business.”
The words were quite polite.
Unlike the crossed spears.
‘Looks like orders have come down.’
It seemed like an order had been issued not to engage in deep conversation with the princess’s representative.
“I intend to meet Count Rubelt. I want the person who guided me to the inn to serve as my guide.”
The guard’s eyes immediately darkened.
“…Please wait a moment.”
Then he went inside the guard station.
The person the guard brought out was familiar to Yuma.
It was clearly the person who had taken him to the inn last night.
The middle-aged man bowed deeply to Yuma.
“It’s an honor to meet you, Yuma-nim, representative of the First Princess. I am Arsen, the captain of the guard.”
Arsen, with his neatly trimmed mustache quite noticeable, straightened up and looked directly at Yuma.
“May I ask why you wish to meet His Excellency Count Rubelt?”
Yuma slowly opened his mouth while looking at Arsen.
“Captain Arsen.”
Arsen gulped at Yuma’s call.
Yuma continued speaking.
“Do I look like I’m in a position where I need to explain my business to you?”
He had thought of a reason for the audience while coming here.
“Her Highness the First Princess had words she wanted conveyed to Count Rubelt. She insisted that I deliver them personally.”
A reason that Count Rubelt wouldn’t dare refuse.
“So, guide me.”
Arsen bowed his head deeply once more.
He had acknowledged that this was a matter he couldn’t refuse.
“Understood.”
Once he had conceded, Arsen’s actions became brisk.
He immediately procured a carriage headed for the lord’s castle.
Clop clop clop
The carriage began to move towards the lord’s castle.
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“We have arrived.”
Yuma could see the magnificent count’s castle before him.
Even from the outside, the security in front of the count’s castle felt extremely tight.
A knight wearing white armor approached, his greaves clanking.
“Captain Arsen, what business do you have at the count’s castle? And who is this?”
“Show some respect. This is Yuma-nim, representative of First Princess Brigette.”
The knight slowly bowed his head towards Yuma.
“I am Rockman, the deputy commander of Rubelt’s knights.”
“I am Yuma, representative of Her Highness the First Princess.”
“Have you come to see His Excellency Count Rubelt?”
“Yes.”
Rockman stared at Yuma with a stern face.
“Please wait in the VIP room for a moment. Captain Arsen, you guide them.”
“Yes, understood.”
Arsen guided Yuma’s group to the VIP room and then disappeared.
Yuma had already checked the information window of Rockman, the deputy knight commander of the count’s family.
He wasn’t as overwhelmingly strong as Yuma had thought.
His growth limit had already been reached.
Of course, compared to the ordinary Yuma, he was still a possessor of tremendous talent.
Yuma rummaged through his spatial pocket.
It wasn’t the spatial pocket he had received from Princess Brigette.
It was the spatial pocket that the Sword God Chronos had put in his coat’s inner pocket.
Chronos’s spatial pocket was literally a treasury of swords.
A treasury where numerous famous swords were piled up.
For Yuma, using these famous swords for ‘parrying’ was the best option, but it would be different for Hestia right next to him.
This cat-folk swordsman with the growth potential of a ‘Sword Master’.
Swish…
Yuma held out a suitable sword he had chosen from Chronos’s spatial pocket to Hestia.
Hestia stared intently at the sword Yuma had handed her, her eyes wide open.
She gazed at the sword that shone with great nobility.
“T-This is…!”
Hestia spoke as if she couldn’t believe it.
Then she looked at Yuma again.
“What kind of sword is this!”
As if she knew the value of the sword.
“…Kiseteria. It’s a famous sword specialized in slashing. If anyone openly rushes at you, cut them down with this.”
Hestia let out an “Ooh!” exclamation and examined the sword from various angles.
“Giving me such a famous sword, does this mean you’re appointing me as your subordinate?”
That wasn’t his intention.
“It means don’t be a nuisance to me. With that sword, you should be able to take down most of the people in this castle.”
If the sword’s ‘slash’ critical hit activated properly, it could even cut off Rockman’s breath.
“S-Such a famous sword…!”
Hestia began to make another huge misunderstanding.
That he had given her a famous sword because she said she was looking for her sister.
‘Indeed… such a great warrior can be this merciful to the weak!’
As Hestia was building up her misunderstanding, the voice of a knight was heard from outside.
-It’s not allowed, miss. Please go back… Sigh, alright, miss. Just for a very short moment.
Then the door opened and a girl walked in. She was a girl with noticeable blonde hair.
The girl bowed to Yuma in greeting.
“I am honored to meet you, Yuma-nim, representative of the First
Her pronunciation was clear, but her voice was obviously trembling.
“My name is Luine. Please, I beg you.”
It was a trembling that conveyed earnestness on its own.
“Please rescue my brother, Kaisen, the eldest son of Count Rubelt’s family, who is now in a strange prison. It’s strange. Even if they imprison him, they should put him somewhere we can visit. But they’ve put him in a prison that only very few in the count’s family know about. A place where no one can meet him.”
Luine pressed her tiny face close to Yuma’s ear. And she whispered.
“Dad, no, the Count has changed.”
After finishing her words, Luine quickly pulled her face away.
Yuma stared at Luine, who had bowed her head once again.
It seemed the family situation was in complete disarray.
“The Count says to come in.”
A knight’s voice was heard from outside the door.
Yuma stood up.
The knight opened the door to the count’s room.
A huge chair that looked like a throne.
Count Rubelt was sitting in that chair.
White hair was noticeable among his brown hair.
Hagail Pel Rubelt opened his mouth.
“Welcome. Yuma, representative of the First Princess.”
Yuma slowly opened his mouth.
“Greetings, Count Rubelt.”
Yuma didn’t show any outward reaction.
But his
His body is being controlled by an unknown entity.
He had already been consumed.
His mind.
That unknown entity mentioned in the caution…
‘Probably a dragon.’
If it was something that could handle magical energy, there was a high chance it was a Black Dragon.
Or perhaps even a magic dragon lineage.
‘For now.’
He’d make some vague excuses and leave the count’s quarters.
Then he’d meet the count’s eldest son in the underground prison.
The fact that they had imprisoned someone as important as the count’s eldest son.
That probably meant he knew a lot.
He might know where the main body of the entity currently controlling the count’s mind was.
There was also a chance he might know where Hestia’s sister was, whom she was desperately searching for while hiding her cat-folk ears with her robe right now.
Count Rubelt stared intently at Yuma and spoke.
“You say Her Highness the First Princess Bridgette has a message for me?”
Yuma opened his mouth smoothly.
“It’s a very simple matter. She hopes that you will lend your strength to Her Highness the First Princess Bridgette. As it’s a request from Her Highness, isn’t it appropriate to inform you face to face like this?”
It was a very simple matter for having come all the way to the count’s castle, but the fact that it was a message from Her Highness the Princess gave it validity.
Rubelt slowly nodded his head.
“That’s right. If it’s a message from Her Highness the Princess, it’s certainly necessary for her representative to deliver it personally. Is there anything else you need?”
“I might drop by once more before leaving the count’s territory.”
Rubelt smiled.
“In that case, I’ll prepare a banquet for you. Representative of the Princess, Yuma.”
“I look forward to it.”
Having finished the conversation appropriately so as not to cause the count any discomfort, Yuma intended to turn around and leave this place.
And Count Rubelt, as expected, did not stop Yuma and his group from leaving the count’s castle.
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