Chapter 149. Engagement – Avviker
“Take this. It’ll help you cross the border easily. I wish you good luck.”
Elson handed over a hefty bundle of money, some papers, and two mercenary tokens.
Leo, who accepted them, bowed deeply to his uncle who had come to see him off, and lightly nodded to the stern-faced Yuan before leaving the mansion.
Leo walked away briskly without looking back. Lena, who had been busy saying goodbye to Elson, Yuan, and the servants who had come out to see them off, hurried to catch up with him.
But Leo was heading in a direction different from what they originally discussed, so Lena asked, “Leo? Where are you going?”
“…”
Leo silently took her hand. Although they both had heavy backpacks for the long journey, he marched ahead without any concern.
Leo took a sigh of relief only after looking back at the East Gate they had just passed. Now they should be somewhat safer.
Since spotting traces of Asin a few days ago, he couldn’t shake off a sense of unease.
He didn’t know when or how he might die.
Dealing with a schemer like Baron Bryna was one thing, but against a follower of the Evil God, that was an entirely different matter.
Leo wasn’t sure how Minseo would’ve handled such a situation. However, Leo Dexter had made up his mind to leave Bernauli.
Luckily, he had a good reason to leave.
Last evening, Elson had somehow learned and informed them that the war had caused the Maunin Tournament to be canceled.
This news was highly disappointing to Lena, who had hoped to become a knight through the Maunin Tournament, but it was truly a relief for Leo.
He initially thought of suggesting they return to Avril Castle. But knowing Lena would never agree, he instead persuaded her, “Then let’s go to the Retii Tournament held in the Kingdom of Aster. We can’t just turn back now, can we?”
Persuading her wasn’t difficult. Lena wanted to return home with some accomplishments to show.
She had become a Great Warrior at an unduly young age. Or rather, it wasn’t her age but her lousy hunting skills that were the issue.
According to the customs of the Einarr tribe, the Great Warrior must lead the hunting team.
But since she neither knew how to hunt properly nor set traps, making her a Great Warrior caused a significant dilemma. Even though Great Warriors rarely participated in hunting directly, it was still infeasible to put Lena in charge of the hunting team or to leave her with no responsibilities.
Distressed, the chief and elders of the Einarr tribe came up with a stopgap solution. They sent Lena to represent their tribe in the Maunin Tournament.
A meager attempt to buy time. Lena saw right through it.
“Hmph! When I return, I’ll be a full-fledged knight!”
Steaming with frustration, Lena made a grand declaration, and her father, Dehorman, discreetly requested Leo to at least teach her how to set traps before they returned.
“Leoo! Are you just going to keep ignoring me? Why are you in such a rush? And to meet the caravan, we should be heading to the market, not outside.”
Leo noticed the annoyance in Lena’s voice as she stopped walking. She yanked her hand back to make him stop as well.
After some hesitation, Leo replied.
“…Sorry. We have plenty of time until the Retii Tournament. So… how about we travel casually and take our time getting there?”
“Traveling?”
“Yeah. We can explore different places, try delicious food, and enjoy ourselves. What do you think?”
Lena looked puzzled.
“Well, that sounds good, but… then why did you insist on leaving so early? If that’s the plan, we should just return. There’s more to see in the capital, and if we stay at your uncle’s place, we won’t have to pay for lodging. Plus, I didn’t get enough time to spend with Lan and Ann.”
It was a reasonable argument. However, returning was not an option.
It was dangerous back there.
Leo came up with an excuse not to go back.
“We can’t share a room at my uncle’s place, right? Too many eyes on us.”
“W-what?”
Lena’s eyes went wide. Her face turned as red as a flower bud ripening in the spring sun, and she quickly averted her gaze.
It was a convenient excuse.
But seeing Lena blushing and standing still made Leo feel the same embarrassment she did.
Having been married once before allowed him to say such things, but remembering was different from experiencing it.
“N-no, that’s not what I meant. I mean…”
“…”
They stood there for a long while, weighed down by their backpacks, unable to move. It was only after Lena shyly started walking again, head lowered, that they could leave the main street…
But she didn’t head towards the East Gate.
Lena and Leo booked a room earlier than usual that day.
When the innkeeper asked if they wanted a double or twin room, Leo hesitated before choosing a double.
“This way please,” said the stout innkeeper, leading them to their room. Lena, who had regained her composure while sightseeing around the outskirts of Bernauli, blushed again, and Leo also cleared his throat nervously.
The room they arrived at had one bed, which took up nearly half of the small space, and it was adorned with a slightly provocative canopy. Lena’s face turned even redder.
“Then have a good time. Our ‘Ice Island’ inn always guarantees the best service. We can quickly bring you warm bath water, and if you need anything else, just let us know at any time.”
“Yes, yes…”
As the innkeeper disappeared, an awkward silence followed. Leo moved far to the left side of the bed, and Lena moved to the right side, distancing themselves. Not a single word was exchanged as they unpacked their luggage.
Having finished unpacking, there was nothing to do. The two, sitting quietly on either side of the bed, stared at the opposite walls.
“…Ah, seriously!”
In the end, Lena couldn’t stand the atmosphere and spoke up first.
“Hey! Leo. Let’s just drink. Look at this awkwardness. We’re engaged, there’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”
It was an act of pretending to be bold, trying to hide her embarrassment. Leo, unable to hold back his shyness, responded with a mischievous grin to mask his true feelings.
“Okay. Let’s go eat first.”
“…!”
Lena’s face turned red to an extent that she couldn’t blush any further. Realizing his slip of the tongue, Leo turned his head in confusion.
“Y-yeah… let’s eat first…”
Stretching out her right arm and leg, Lena walked ahead. Following her down to the dining hall, Leo ordered a dinner suitable as a snack and a strong alcoholic drink.
“Sorry. As you can see, we have a lot of customers right now… The food might take a while.”
The innkeeper bowed his head. Just as he said, the dining hall was filled to the brim with people.
Most of them, judging by their attire, were barbarian tribe warriors who seemed to have gathered in the capital to participate in the Maunin tournament. The fact that the annual Maunin tournament held in early summer was not happening hadn’t spread widely yet.
Leo said it was fine and requested the drink first. The innkeeper quickly brought a bottle of ‘Calados’ and then hurried back to help in the kitchen.
While waiting for the food, Lena and Leo clinked their glasses together. “You rascal. I should have known you were this kind of guy.”—Lena muttered as she drank with determination. Leo also gulped down, keeping pace with her.
“Ho! Young folks who can drink!”
At that moment, a middle-aged warrior sitting nearby for dinner spoke up. Lena boldly showed her empty glass as if thanking him for initiating the conversation.
Hoping to avoid the awkwardness of being alone with Leo, Lena wished the conversation would continue, but the warrior smiled and clapped before turning his attention back to his companions.
“Shall we have a drink too?”
“No way. We have to leave early tomorrow, drinking is not a good idea.”
“Heh. Are you worried about a hangover, even as a great warrior of the ‘Albaceete’ tribe? You’ve gotten old, my friend.”
Provoked, the middle-aged warrior scoffed and brushed back his thick hair that had come loose from his topknot.
“Isn’t it because of the frequent drinking that we haven’t left the capital yet? Drinking parties every other day, what do you expect?”
“Why not? We still have plenty of time. Isn’t four months enough to reach Manubil? Come on, just one drink. What do you say, friends? It’s fine, right?”
The other companions seemed indifferent.
Unaware of the need to allow time for a long journey, and even adopting a nonchalant attitude about being late, he reluctantly agreed.
“…Alright. Just one drink.”
However, one drink easily turned into two. The five warriors soon began drinking and chatting noisily.
“Hey innkeeper! Come on over! It looks like all the customers are settled… Why don’t you join us for a drink?”
“Ahahaha. Alright. But I won’t give you a discount on the drinks.”
“Of course! I’ll pay for your share too!”
The overweight innkeeper joined them with a satisfied grin. His drinking capacity was astonishing, causing the warriors to click their tongues.
“Whoa. The drinks are disappearing fast. We’ll need to order two more bottles. This fellow seems to be quite the drinker.”
“Oh, definitely. I’ve been lingering around, hoping you’d ask me to join.”
Hahaha! The warriors’ laughter echoed through the now empty dining hall.
Lena and Leo were still sipping their drinks on the side.
Neither of them had the courage to suggest going back to their room. They were drinking slowly, trying to avoid getting too drunk and making a fool of themselves before heading back to the room.
At that moment.
“By the way, who named this inn? ‘Ice Island Inn’ sounds like that ice island up north.”
“Hahaha. That’s correct. That ice island is my hometown.”
A mild surprise spread across the table.
Upon hearing the familiar name ‘Ice Island,’ Lena and Leo turned to look at the innkeeper.
“Really? Huh… Then you’re a survivor of the Avviker tribe. I didn’t know there were any survivors.”
“Oh? You guys know my tribe? Yes, I am from the Avvier tribe. It’s me who escaped by walking across the frozen sea.”
With a slight drunkenness, the innkeeper rolled up his sleeves proudly.
Despite being middle-aged, whether to flaunt his bumpy forearm or to show off the tattoo etched on it, Leo drew his sword with a start.
“Whoa! What, what is it?”
“Leo! What are you doing?!”
The drinking party turned chaotic.
Leo, who abruptly stood up, pointed the tip of his sword at the owner’s neck, and the startled warriors jumped up in their seats, drawing their weapons.
A tattoo of black feathers with red-tipped shafts and branches.
It was a very old, ominous symbol of Asin known as MalHas.
