“Y-you can go in now.”
“Thanks.”
Elden Raphelion from the Raphelion Count’s family.
Boundless troublemaker, ruffian, battle maniac.
And now, with the new title of Blood-Sucking Young Master hanging over him.
Thanks to all the strange nicknames piling up, he was able to enter Lugen Village without any security checks.
It was almost at the level of having a special pass.
The rarity of higher nobility venturing into this border village played a big role too.
One would think that at least the guards would verify the legitimacy of the name, but as soon as he mentioned it, the guards turned pale and stumbled over their words, clearly not in a state to confirm anything.
Thank goodness, really.
Naturally, Lumia, who was being carried on his back, was covered completely by his hooded cloak.
The deafening cheers that echoed after unmasking her at the engagement unveiling ceremony must’ve reached beyond the Northern Regions and into the Empire over the past six months.
Even though this was a remote village, there would surely be plenty who could recognize Lumia, so preemptive measures were absolutely necessary.
At least until he got a clearer understanding of the current situation.
What was Logan the Grand Duke thinking?
It would be wise to understand what Lumia herself was contemplating before taking any chances.
“A pretty ordinary village.”
Having entered Lugen Village, our first stop was a general store where we could sell monster by-products.
This store, marked with the emblem of the Monster Merchant Association, was a place where we could either sell or buy these materials.
They hardly dealt with food products.
The by-products available here were parts that wouldn’t rot or decomposed at an extremely slow rate, typically consisting of tough or durable items like teeth, skin, bones, and claws.
“Here’s the association certificate.”
I showed the proprietor the association certificate that only those who were part of the Monster Hunter Association could possess, and Rendler unfurled the load from his backpack.
These were the by-products collected during our journey from the mountain village of Slod to here.
“Hmm~ let’s see~”
The proprietress, with a prominent hooked nose, began checking the quantity and condition.
She accompanied her actions with that unique folksy rhythm that transcends cultural boundaries, east and west alike.
“Two pieces of Red Longuer leather, sixteen White Goblin teeth, three molars from a Mountain Ogre, and two tail rings from a Giant Snake. Heh hey~ what a protector~”
Clicking her tongue, the owner finished calculating and produced twenty-two silver coins and five copper coins.
That was enough to last more than two weeks in Lugen Village.
I decided to save the petrified goblin eyes—so rare that they wouldn’t usually even be seen after hunting twenty of them.
It would be far more beneficial to sell these precious by-products at the city’s general store.
“Well then, do come again~”
After wrapping up our calculations, we left the general store and rented an inn for three silver coins.
We booked the entire two-story inn.
It was for Lumia’s sake.
While she wouldn’t be completely free from external gazes, at least we could relieve her of excessive constraints.
Thus, we opted to arrange our own meals.
After all, we had the Count’s lady, who was currently blossoming into a chef.
“Then I’ll get started on dinner!”
The Count’s lady proceeded to the kitchen, joining Rachel as they entered the second-floor bedroom.
Then, she gently laid Lumia down on the bed.
The cloak that had been covering her all along was also pulled back.
Perhaps having regained a bit of her strength, Lumia sat on the edge of the bed with a dazed expression.
Unlike that afternoon when she couldn’t sit up without something to lean on, barely able to balance herself.
After laying on the bed, I placed what I had bought from the market beside her and handed her one of them.
“If you need help or want to say something, just shake this little bell.”
It was a small wooden bell I had prepared for Lumia, who couldn’t make any sounds.
With a wooden stick attached, she held the bell and stared blankly at me again.
“Then, please rest.”
I offered her a gentle smile and was about to exit the bedroom with Rachel when suddenly…
Ding ding.
A bell sound came from behind.
I turned around.
And there I could see…
In a hurry, Lumia was frantically writing something down.
Scribble, scribble.
Eventually, Lumia held up the paper to show me, and amid the ringing of the bell, she urgently scribbled a question about human decency.
[Why are you helping me? You said it could be dangerous.]
When people see someone in danger, they instinctively want to help.
Like those who leap into the chaos of a car accident to rescue the victims.
Or someone who sacrifices their life to catch a falling child.
The person guiding an elderly stranger to their destination, or the one who realizes they cannot save someone and cries out for assistance.
Even those who readily offer their golden treasures during national crises.
Most people do not ignore those in peril; they understand it’s part of being human.
In modern times, however, there are those who exploit this virtue, and many turn a blind eye even when offered help, undermining humanity itself. Yet, wanting to help a kin in danger to preserve the species is a natural logic and instinct.
Thus,
“I’m helping because you’re in danger.”
I provided the most straightforward answer.
With the same sentiment I had when I handed her ointment on that fateful day and received Rachel’s sharp glare.
During the engagement ceremony, I couldn’t provide much more help.
I was a withdrawer, and as such, there was little I could do.
I had neither the power to change anything nor the right.
But now, I had help I could offer and the power and authority to make a change.
So, that was all the reason I needed to assist her.
“……”
After giving Lumia a light bow as she gazed at me in silence, I left the bedroom.
“Because it’s dangerous…that’s why you’re helping?”
Even after a long time since Elden and Rachel left, Lumia sat blankly at the edge of the bed.
She replayed Elden’s last words in her mind.
Wishing that no one else would get hurt because of her, she contemplated that it was natural to help those in danger, a conclusion Elden had arrived at so easily.
There was a time she had scribbled in her diary.
How Elden had single-handedly taken down a giant man mercilessly beating a woman and child during the festival period.
Unable to believe it, she had asked him several times, curious about what the scene had looked like.
Yet, when she tried to picture that day, nothing came to mind.
All she could imagine was herself being ruthlessly beaten by Deron’s crew while Elden stood by watching, his eyes filled with disdain.
Countless times she tried to visualize it, but could never fathom Elden swinging his fists to protect a stranger he didn’t even know.
The only memory she had was of Elden’s contemptuous gaze as he watched her suffering through violence and abuse.
And so, perhaps that was why.
Seeing Elden smiling, saying it was only natural to help someone in danger felt discordant.
When stripped down, it was a simple answer, yet hearing it come from Elden surprised her.
Indeed, it was rather strange, wasn’t it?
Elden, looking completely at ease as he delivered that answer, appeared so natural and fitting.
That’s why she couldn’t envision it.
She didn’t realize he could seem so effortless and well-suited to it.
“……”
Lumia surveyed the plush bed beneath her.
Compared to her previous life in the Grand Ducal Castle, this bed felt shabby and unrefined, yet it was far too luxurious for her current self.
As she stroked the bedspread with her hand, she eventually slipped down to the floor.
Though she felt a chill, the terrible days of fleeing for dozens upon dozens of days made this cold feel surprisingly cozy.
The hard floor felt more comforting than the plush bed.
Crawling on the floor, she leaned against the wall beside the bed.
As she always did, she wrapped her arms around her curled-up legs and buried her head.
It felt soothing.
Like returning to where she belonged.
Thus, Lumia closed her eyes, burying her head in her lap.
In her hand that wrapped around her legs,
was the little bell that Elden had handed to her.
The next morning.
After requesting Rachel to stay with Lumia at the inn, I set out to the village with Ariel and Rendler.
Ariel was out to purchase medicinal herbs for Lumia, while I was on a mission to repair my dull sword.
Rendler was searching for a place to buy a small cart.
“There’s the central plaza over there.”
Thus, we decided to move together after leaving the inn. It was to prepare for any unforeseen circumstances.
Deron might act cowardly, trying to hold a hostage, considering he had just heard about the new addition to the Blood young master’s group.
If he was a nobody in terms of strength, he would likely resort to sneaky tricks instead of a fair fight.
Just like at the academy.
He would seek to gain what he wanted in the easiest, most efficient way possible.
Although danger might not strike immediately, or perhaps never at all, it was better to be cautious.
“Hey! I see a herbalist’s sign over there!”
While glancing around the village, Ariel’s eyes caught a sign, and she immediately tried to head that way.
But then, a sudden urgent shout echoed behind us, “Thief! Get that bread thief!!”
If not for that panic-stricken yell, and the rush of something colliding with me right after…
BAM!
I stumbled at the abrupt impact, regaining my balance quickly.
“What was that?”
Turning around, I wondered what had collided with me…
“Omm nom nom! Hehe. Bread is indeed delicious. Precious. It’s mine. Hehe.”
I saw a man paying no heed to our encounter, blissfully munching on a loaf he held with both hands.
His once rose-red hair had turned grimy, and it was as messy as Lumia’s when I first spotted her.
His face was smeared with all sorts of grime, a mixture of dirt and dried remnants, and his once bright blue eyes had lost focus, seeming clouded and unfocused.
“Hey! Get that guy!!”
The bakery owner shouted behind us, brandishing a club above his head.
Naturally, we should catch the thief, but I couldn’t help but feel a little sympathetic towards the loaf munching guy, who was clutching his bread with both hands like a hamster eating sunflower seeds, puffing his cheeks out as he gulped it down without a drop of water.
“Yummm! Hehe. This bread is sooo good. It’s melting. Hehe.”
Then, he started to bolt past us,
With his hair flapping in the wind.
His clothes, so ragged they looked like they might tear at the slightest breeze, flapping around him.
Crumbs scattered in his wake.
“Wahaha! Bread is the best! Om nom nom! So good!”
He made a rather comical escape.
So shabby that it was hard to tell who he was, but I automatically murmured a name as I watched his retreating figure.
“B… Blund…?”
To my astonishment, it was Blund Rosfell, who had not appeared at the grand finale parade of the engagement contest, now transformed into a bread thief, looking like a beggar in the nearby village of Rugend!
“Pardon? You mean young master Blund…?”
“What? Is that really Blund?”
Staring blankly, we watched as Blund laughed joyfully, seemingly holding the world hostage with just that single loaf of bread.
The shock of our sudden reunion was overwhelming.
Moments later…
WHACK!
“Damn it! Have you found the best restaurant in town or what? Why do you keep stealing from our bakery?!”
Blund had been caught by the bakery owner.
Even while brutally being whacked by the owner, curled up on the ground like a shrimp, Blund continued to treasure that loaf, eating greedily.
It was hard to believe I was witnessing the miserable downfall of the noble son of the Rosfell Marquisate.
“Ugh, so good! Bread is just divine! Om nom nom!”
Of course, to those who didn’t know his identity, he was just a crazy bread thief.
“Even in this predicament, he’s still munching on bread? This guy is really a piece of work!!”
WHACK! WHACK!
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