Episode 236
: Viscounty Hans, one of the smallest fiefdoms in the empire.
A nobleman’s estate that is not very conspicuous or famous even among many nobles.
At some point, Viscount Hans, who had been diligently attending exchanges to build personal connections, began to disappear.
The nobles were used to it. Assassinations were a frequent occurrence among them, and in their opinion, Viscount Hans was not a very strong person.
However, the news that his entire domain was destroyed and that there was not a single survivor raised doubts among the nobles.
Still, I didn’t take it seriously.
If that were the case, the great nobles would have been alarmed, thinking that something big had happened, but to them, a viscount who had no power was not that big of a deal.
A possible reaction because I had no idea that was the beginning.
It would have been nice if at this time, even just a little bit, I had tried to find out the reason.
In this way, one territory disappeared and new, weak noble estates began to be eaten up one by one.
***
I returned home.
Unlike when I left there, the way back was very comfortable.
When going down south, you had to be careful about barbarian attacks.
But the way back is different.
I wasn’t worried about the threat.
The war in the South had ended, and more than anything, the two masters were together.
Rather than worrying about ourselves, we were a force that had to worry about the enemy coming to attack us.
“It’s refreshing. “It feels great.”
Bane smiled pleasantly as he relaxed the joints of his body.
The problems in the South were resolved, and there was an unexpected harvest.
Bane looks back at me.
He smiled happily with a face that seemed to be looking at a fortune.
Feeling burdened by his gaze, I unconsciously opened my mouth as if to criticize him.
“why?”
“uh? “Nothing.”
While saying that, he let out a creepy laugh and said, ‘Hehehe.’
Why on earth are you doing that?
He shook his head and turned his head to face the front.
“Then let’s part ways here.”
After moving for a while, at the crossroads between Warrug and Millennium, Bane adds that he did a good job.
And when he told the knights that he would tell them about this incident to his superiors, the faces of the knights with him brightened greatly.
Although they pretend not to do so for reasons of respect and pride, what knights generally want is power and honor.
Bane is someone who is admired and has great influence among knights.
Having someone like that speak kindly to me was like writing a letter of recommendation to the order of knights that the principal wanted to join the academy.
For the knights, this can be seen as a coincidence.
With Bain’s generous evaluation, they will have a better position and an easier chance of getting where they want to go.
“yes. Thank you for your effort Lord Vane. “I hope to see you again next time.”
“Thanks to you, my eyes were opened!”
“It was an honor to work with you, Lord Bane!”
The knights bow their heads and leave their seats, speaking more energetically and with higher voices than during the war with the barbarians.
They went through the gate and returned to their original places.
“Then, Raymond, I’ll see you next time. “I worked hard for half a year.”
“no. “Lord Bane has worked hard.”
“Haha yeah.”
He nods.
“And congratulations on your achievement. “That’s a very good thing.”
“thank you.”
“But you shouldn’t stagnate just because you’ve achieved something. “You have potential, so if you work a little harder, you will be able to achieve the results you want.”
“yes. “I will keep that in mind.”
“Say hello to Gerard too.”
“However much.”
He steps back. Selina, who was behind him, comes out and looks at Bane.
Bane saw that and raised the corners of his mouth.
“Selina, you should say hello too. “I will be there first, so please say hello and come back.”
The emotions contained in those words were strangely sharp, so I couldn’t say anything.
As I was looking at her blankly, she urged me with an expressionless face.
“What are you doing? You have to go. “The Count is waiting.”
“uh? “Uh-huh.”
I nodded vaguely and got on the gate.
I can feel the waves of mana along with the bright light.
While I was feeling strange and different from usual, the wave of mana that had surrounded me disappeared.
“Im here. “I have to go to the Count right away and report to him, so I don’t think I can guard him with him.”
“Oh yeah. “Don’t worry about me, just go and do your job.”
Ellis bowed his head and headed towards Count Millennium’s office.
Just as I was about to walk, Ellis spoke to me.
“Oh, and maybe you should sneak in.”
“...?”
Before I could ask what she meant, she was already out of sight.
I was scratching the back of my head, but there was nothing wrong with listening to what she said, so I followed her words and left the road I usually took and turned onto the shoulder.
After climbing over the fence and looking toward the main gate, I could understand why Ellis said that.
“Crazy... are you all gathered there to see something?”
From knights to family servants.
Everyone was gathered in front of the entrance leading to the gate.
It seems like everything is crowded.
If I had ignored Ellis’s words and gone, I would have been swamped by that crowd and become a complete wreck.
“When on earth will you come out?”
“Didn’t you say you would come today? Considering the departure time, it should have arrived by now...”
“There was no mention of stopping somewhere.”
“uh. There wasn’t. I probably said he would come right away today. “Young master, your condition is a bit bad, so you need to rest.”
“Then let’s wait a little longer.”
As I watched them from afar, I smiled without realizing it.
The first day I became Raymond, they looked at me with disdain.
You incompetent idiot.
That nickname continued to stick with me until I changed their minds after several incidents.
There were some benefits from that nickname, but there were also many more losses.
And I didn’t like myself either.
It’s okay to be a bitch. No, I like it.
Thanks to that, there were a lot of things I could do as I wanted.
But the word incompetent is such a dog.
No matter what I do, people keep telling me that I can’t do it because I’m incompetent, so I can’t tear that mouth off.
It was difficult to get him to change his mind.
But it doesn’t matter anymore because it’s not the case anymore.
“If you come in, you should come to me first. “Where are you snooping around like that?”
At that time, a familiar low-pitched voice was heard.
I didn’t feel any presence, but when I turned my head, Count Millennium appeared like paint in the empty air.
“Ah yes. I’m home.”
“Is that all?”
“yes.”
He frowns slightly at me calmly nodding.
He looks at me, frowning as to what he doesn’t like so much.
Then my eyes landed on Reems on my shoulder.
The sparks in his eyes, like a tiger glaring at its prey in anger, seemed to recognize Riems, even if only for a moment, and I became nervous.
But that was only for a moment. In an instant, he returned to his characteristic expression and focused his gaze on me.
“What about your body?”
“Not bad.”
“Just because it’s not bad means it’s uncomfortable.”
“Yes, what...”
I didn’t deny it.
The aftereffects of using the authority had not completely disappeared yet, and I didn’t think I could avoid his eyes even if I hid it.
He sighed and took something out of his arms and threw it to me.