122
Kabi
‘Oh, it itches.’
Orange, who had no sense of aesthetics, said that the armor was too much and made me wear a huge cloth, which kept scratching my neck and causing itchiness.
I scratched him and looked at the vampire guide dog walking ahead.
The vampire guide dog was in the front, followed by Park Daegari, and last was Bori.
‘Vampire here.’
It wasn’t that threatening, but the vampire appearing here was quite significant.
This guide dog gave off a stronger scent than any vampire I’d ever seen before. That meant it was most likely the leader who hadn’t been caught.
‘Is your brother involved with the vampire incident?’
There was a very high possibility of that. The size of the brothers seemed larger than expected.
“Was it Frost?”
“Huh?! Oh… no. It’s a slope.”
The guy jumped up and answered my question. When I squinted my eyes at his strong reaction, he smiled broadly.
I wondered why the vampire was laughing and smelling like garlic.
“Yeah, Pros.”
“Ah… no! It’s a slope! A slope!”
I threw it again and got an even more violent reaction.
The guy hurried his steps.
‘I guess we need to have a sincere conversation.’
I followed the guy who was running away as if in a hurry, and lightly shook my wrist.
Pros wandered around, seemingly unfamiliar with the geography.
The structure of the castle was so strange that it was easy to get lost, but it was absurd that the person who came as a guide couldn’t find his way.
‘Did the other guys take care of it?’
Fortunately, another noble couple appeared in front. Pros noticed them for a moment and followed them behind.
‘We’re going down to the basement again.’
There were no windows in the castle and the banquet hall was underground… Count Behar’s obsession with avoiding sunlight was so extreme that it made you wonder if he was actually a vampire.
“You know, I think… I think you’re lost!”
Park Daegari whispered very quietly. His voice was small, as if he was worried that the vampire in front of him would get hurt if he heard it.
‘But I’m realizing that now···.’
It had already been a long time since I had wandered around.
Of course, Park Dae-gari was preoccupied with the things on display, but it still felt very late.
The nobleman in front turned around, perhaps because he heard Park Daegari’s voice.
He was a typical, fat nobleman. Next to him was a vicious woman who seemed to be his wife.
The man who saw Park’s head came over with a bright smile.
“Ah, Vivienne. Nice to meet you. I am the Viscount de Montblian.”
‘The Viscount Montblian?’
He was a guy with a reputation for having a protruding belly. A woman stood behind him and glared at him.
I bowed my head slightly to show my respect. Of course, the bastard’s eyes were fixed on Park’s head, so I slightly raised my head.
“I am Vivian. It is an honor to meet you, His Majesty the Viscount Montblian, of whom much is known.”
I was worried for a moment, but Vivian greeted me neatly, as if she had some experience living as Young-ae.
“This must be Sir Adela. Nice to meet you. Let’s go together.”
The pig greeted Barley without looking at me, then lightly touched Vivian’s arm.
Touching the body of an unmarried woman.
It was so rude that I couldn’t say anything even if I got slapped.
‘cheek?!’
I hurriedly stepped forward.
It was clear that getting slapped in the face by Park Dae-gari would not end with just a reddening face.
“Aaron. It’s so nice to meet the Viscount Montblian, whom I have always respected and never hesitated to meet… I guess the good dream I had last night had an effect. In my dream last night….”
“Ah… hmm… is that so. Ahem.”
The pig looked at me with an uncomfortable expression.
The two knights behind even held swords.
‘They’re both good.’
I habitually looked at the two and moved slightly to stand so that the pigs would be able to see them.
And then I glanced at Park’s head to check its condition.
Her face was slightly stiff, but seeing her smile brightly made me think that everything would be okay.
I bowed my head to him and took a step back.
“I’ll be late for the banquet.”
“Ahem···.”
The pig coughed loudly and turned around at the words of the woman who seemed to be his wife. However, judging by the way he winked at Park Head, it seemed like he hadn’t given up on his foolishness.
“···thank you.”
Park Daegari muttered softly.
It seemed like he was grateful that I had prevented the killing.
The banquet hall we arrived at after following him was different from the one we went to yesterday.
The huge doors were wide open, and well-dressed nobles were greeting each other in front of them.
They kept greeting the nobles who came in with bright smiles that didn’t match their fancy attire. They seemed to be low-level nobles who didn’t have any land.
A very fragrant smell wafted through the oily smell of the torch and the moldy smell of the stones. It seemed like the brothers had also attended the banquet.
As soon as the pig appeared, the nobles at the entrance came running in a hurry. As rumored, the pig seemed to be quite important.
The pig, surrounded by nobles, looked back at Park with a confident face.
“Wow! It smells delicious!”
Of course, Park Dae-gari wasn’t interested at all.
“You must not run.”
Park Da-gari passed the pigs and nobles almost as if he was running, and Bori hurriedly followed him.
“We’ll go too. Pros.”
“Yes. No… I am Slope.”
Pross corrected himself again, as if he was proud of his name. He was more stubborn than I thought.
I briefly looked at the sweat covering his forehead and then patted his shoulder. My hand flinched at the slightly cool body temperature characteristic of vampires, but I held it back.
He was the only one left to ask.
Next to the banquet hall door, there were six people who looked like knights standing in a row.
I wondered if they were doing a dress code check like at a club, but it seemed like everyone was just keeping their seats as they passed by without a second thought.
But as I was about to enter, a knight grabbed me.
“This is the banquet hall.”
“I see. Thank you for your kind explanation.”
I tried to thank him and pass by, but he wouldn’t let me go.
As I was releasing my grip on the guy’s gaze, Park Dae-gari suddenly intervened.
“Hello! I am Vivian from the Pulptu family. This is my companion.”
At Park Daegari Youngae’s memorized introduction, the bastard’s face relaxed as if he had taken some medicine.
Then he looked back and forth between me and Park Daegari and hardened his expression. The knight’s face was crumpled, and he looked as if he was looking at the enemy who killed his parents.
He tried to remember if he had ever killed anyone similar to him.
It seemed like there wasn’t any, but I wasn’t sure.
“If there’s even the slightest disturbance inside···.”
I bowed my head and went inside.
Follow me.
Sweet melodies and tables filled with meat and bread. Among them were dancing women.
The seats were quite occupied, and there were quite a few nobles with red faces, as if they had already been drinking.
There were knights on the wall, some of them with red faces.
It seemed like the vampire guide dog had gotten lost and was taking quite some time.
Fortunately, the pig entered and its gaze was drawn in that direction, so we were able to enter without much trouble.
“Aaron and Vivian, right? Come this way.”
Since it was not easy to prove higher value among people, the nobles argued a lot to assert their legitimacy.
Deliberately putting oil on one’s face and puffing up one’s stomach were part of this, and such things were more noticeable at these banquets.
The most important of these was where to sit.
How close you were to the host of the party was a measure of your power.
The place we were guided to was slightly behind the front.
Considering that all the people around her were plump and well-built, it was more than enough of a seat for the daughter of a baron from the frontier to sit in.
Of course, there was no choice.
“hello!”
Park Daegari was the youngest daughter of a baron family, but ironically, she was more popular than any other noble.
Men constantly came by to greet her and compliment her beauty.
‘It’s annoying. Moderation is best.’
At least I could understand Park Daegari’s suffering because I also know how annoying it is.
I stuffed a bunch of meat into a crusty bun and handed it to Barley behind me.
Barley, who was looking around, bit his lips tightly, then approached with an arrogant expression and roughly took the bread.
It was a natural attitude for me to have since I was the seed, but I muttered, “Thank you,” as if it was bothering me.
‘No matter how much Park Dae-gari is next to me, I’m not interested at all.’
The area around Park Daegari was bustling, but no one approached me.
Some even circled around to get to Park Daegari.
I had a feeling that some kind of rumor was going around among the nobles. Even though I was a commoner, I had a connection with Behart, so I couldn’t ignore it.
‘You’re being bullied… You’re playing childishly.’
It wasn’t so bad because I could eat without any bothersome people, but it was funny how they acted so obviously.
My brothers also pretended not to see me and quietly turned away.
‘I told you there was another brothers’ banquet.’
I heard yesterday that the five chieftains will arrive today and hold a separate banquet.
Tomorrow was my return to Cassady, so before that I had to open up a free tasting of Devil’s Candy…
‘I can’t see the angle.’
The problem was that the old man seemed stronger than expected.
Of course, no matter how strong a guy was, he would still die if he got stabbed in the back of the head, but I wondered if I would ever get a chance to hit him in the back of the head.
‘···It’s like a devil, so even if you get hit in the back of the head, it might not die right away.’
It was clear that today’s banquet would end with just small devil candies like yesterday.
The devil candies I ate yesterday were pretty good, but I wasn’t satisfied after seeing other high-quality candies.
‘I need something.’
I kept rolling my head, looking around.
In order to get even one of the high-quality devil candies, something had to happen.
At that moment, the tempo of the music increased and the dancers in the middle stepped back slightly.
“Aaron! Let’s dance! Us!”
Park Dae-gari, who ran away, reached out his hand to me.
I didn’t want to dance, but I held his desperate expression and the crumpled faces of the guys behind him.
“thank you!”
Park Dae-gari sighed in relief and took my hand and led me to the center. There were already quite a few people dancing to the music.
The dance of the nobles here was not that difficult, as it was basically just putting one’s wrists together and spinning around, then going around and around once.
As soon as Park Daegari and I came out, attention was immediately focused on us.
Amidst all that interest, I briefly considered showing off my modern-day coolness by dancing the shuffle dance, which is an advanced form of civilization, but then shook my head.
It was still an early culture for them.
When I put my head and forearm against each other, the force I felt was beyond my imagination.
‘Does this make sense?’
It was amazing to feel such brute force coming from the arms of a man whose thickness was almost a third of mine.
I also felt regretful. If I had a sword or an axe, I could have used that power better, but I was born as a young lady and was only using it to share food over a wall.
‘No, are you using it well?’
When I thought about it, it seemed like it was used more effectively than holding a sword.
I spun around, looking at Park’s head, whose lips were pursed as if in concentration.
Knock knock.
The part of Park Daegari’s head that Youngae stepped on was sunken.
Half of the face was covered with eyes as if in surprise.
‘Your strength control is lacking.’
I looked at the sunken spot for a moment, then clicked my tongue and changed seats.
I gently stepped on him with my foot and leveled him.
“There must be a lot of food left, right? I saw earlier that there were a lot of kids who didn’t seem to have eaten!”
“If we share food with other people, there will definitely be problems.”
“But you throw away all the leftover food.”
That was true. As part of the division between commoners and nobles, it was rare for food to be shared, even if it was left over.
I was about to answer but then shook my head.
My son doesn’t listen to his father, so there’s no way he’d listen if I told him to stop.
However, I couldn’t just leave it alone because if I left it to Park Daegari, it could lead to a big accident.
“Come with me.”
“Really? This is my first time. The person who asked me to go with him was···!”
This time, Park Daegari smiled with his eyes.
‘Of course it would be the first time. What kind of crazy guy would cross the castle with a noble lady to share food?’
I bit my lip and spun around again.
Warm.
The music changed slightly with a refreshing sound.
It was a signal to change partners.
“See you later!!”
Park’s head moved to the side, winking.
The guy who became Park Daegari Youngae’s partner opened his mouth wide and moved around blankly. He looked so stupid that it seemed like he had been brainwashed.
I looked at him for a moment and then turned my head.
“Is it true that the savage place is that big?”
My partner was a noble lady with a strangely reminiscent face.
‘You are the wife of the Viscount Montblian.’
Even though the woman was dancing with only her wrists touching, she kept rubbing her body together.
Even among the nobles, it was a place where the biggest entertainment was breeding, so they were truly reckless.
‘Who are you calling a savage?’
I clicked my tongue and pushed him away.
The woman who spun around three times as fast as a top looked at me with wide eyes. Then she smiled viciously and approached me again.
“When was the last time you washed?”
I clicked my tongue and turned around halfway.
“Oh my, such a question… As expected, a savage. Has it been about a year? It’s in such a concentrated state that immediately…”
I clicked my tongue and pushed away that answer.
Somehow the smell of perfume was very strong.
Warm.
Just then a sound effect was heard and the woman stepped aside after notifying him of her husband’s absence.
“···They say that the savage’s butt is really big.”
The plump noblewoman who came next also said something similar.
It was clear that strange rumors were circulating among the noble ladies.
“It’s very difficult.”
Of course, there was no need to deny the facts.
***
‘Popular people are tiring.’
By the time the aristocratic husbands had almost left their seats, the dancing time was over.
The nobles moved around for a moment and then hurriedly picked up some bread or meat to eat.
“Aaron! What’s so difficult? Can I help you?”
He shook his head and coughed in vain at the words of the pure and innocent Park Dae-gari.
The nobles who had eaten meat and alcohol quickly disappeared again, sticking to the side of the park’s head.
‘Now, slowly···.’
I looked around while sipping the water I had put in my water bottle.
The dancers who came back to the center began to dance strangely.
The dancer’s thin iron costume shook and made an odd noise.
Someone sat in the empty seat next to me.
I could tell who it was without even looking at him. There was only one guy here who exuded something profound.
My head suddenly became complicated.
I thought about several cases and made a decision.
“You came at a good time because we just ran out of meat. Bring me the meat I ate then.”
I held out my empty plate toward him without turning my head.
“You don’t have to pretend you don’t know.”
The corners of my mouth hardened at his continued reply.
‘Did you know? Since when···.’
Are you just wondering, or did you really notice?
I guessed it would be the latter.
It felt like there was a monster sitting right next to me, its mouth wide open. As I focused on the sound next to me, the surrounding noises grew distant.
The strange decorations waved by the dancer in front appeared slowly.
Knock knock. He lightly touched the sword he had placed next to him to sit down.
The distance was close, but the sword was long and it caught the table slightly. Also, the guy was on my left, so it wasn’t easy to pull it out before he could react.
‘But there are many knights around.’
If he revealed his demonic powers, it was clear that the knights would rush in immediately. If that happened, the victory would shift to this side.
After I assumed the worst, I felt a lot more at ease.
Then, the bastard opened his mouth again.
“A clever third son. I can almost see him. Are you his descendant?”
‘···Him?’
My hands were itching at the guy who spoke rudely using pronouns.
Since he said descendant, he probably meant the third eldest son who disappeared.
I stuffed a bunch of meat into my mouth as if I hadn’t heard anything. Then, as I mumbled an answer, the meat splashed and my pronunciation became dull.
That guy’s subtle gaze.
“I guess you like the meat. There’s something tastier, so go.”
The man who spoke briefly stood up from his seat.
Judging by the ending note, it didn’t seem like he had found my answer.
When I turned my head, I saw a man wearing fancy clothes, unlike before.
His unlucky appearance and flashy clothes went really well together. He looked down at me for a moment and then turned around first.
Knock knock.
I thought about it for a moment, but I had no choice.
I followed suit, fiddling with the handle of my sword.
“Aaron! Where are you going?”
As I got up, Park Dae-gari, who had been surrounded by people, poked his head out.
He looked at the sharp eyes of the people around him for a moment and then opened his mouth.
“I’m going to take a shit.”
I answered briefly.
The men surrounding Park Daegari shook their heads with disgusted expressions.
“Aha! I’ll cheer you on!! Fighting! Good luck!”
Park Dae-gari clenched his fists and laughed heartily.
***
“I was against it. I couldn’t help it because of the first and second.”
The five elders who were walking ahead spoke in a calm voice as if they were making a confession.
‘I guess this is related to the disappearance of the third eldest son.’
I measured the distance while analyzing his words.
If you step broadly, it’s about three steps.
“Of course, it may sound hypocritical to say this, but he knows that I would never do that.”
He was clever enough to gauge me.
That guy gave me the back.
It was clear that the people on the street now had decided that they would not be affected.
I thought back to the movements I had shown him and estimated the distance at that speed.
If we increase the speed a little more···.
‘It might work.’
Knock knock. Thinking about that made the hand holding the sword handle tickle even more.
Moreover, there was no one around, whether he intended to or if he was really going to a real banquet.
The distinctive smell of torch oil and rotten stone. The back of the head of the guy hidden by the torch looked truly tempting.
The shadow of a living, moving thing.
Gulp.
I swallowed and fiddled with the handle.
“Well, it’s no use telling you this.”
The man who had been walking silently suddenly turned around.
The emotion on his face was one of disgust and contempt.
I don’t know where I messed up, but he seemed to notice.
I kicked the ground right away.
Kwa-ang!
My body was thrown forward as if it was being stretched as the rock beneath my feet crumbled.
bang!
Two steps.
I focused on the guy and drew my sword.
The face of the man who saw me crumpled.
Furrowed eyebrows and shaking eyes.
The emotion that came to mind seemed like guilt or surprise.
Sreung-. I took the last step and twisted my waist with all my might. The twenty-bones revealed themselves with a refreshing sound.
A black line drawn in the air.
It seemed as if even the light from the torch was being cut down.
but.
He waved his hands as if he was brushing away bugs.
Crunch. The center of gravity was disturbed with an unpleasant sound.
I felt a strange sensation from my right shoulder to my left waist, and blood spurted out.
Funnily enough, the thick armor fell off, splitting like fragile paper.
‘···Come? No, it’s weaker than that.’
If it had been Auror, my body would have definitely been split in half.
The pain came late. It was so intense that it felt like a deep cut, making me lose my mind.
My strength drained away, but my body did not stop.
Although my mind was confused, my body, which had been swinging countless times every day, completed the movements on its own.
The brilliant light that is scattered there.
Even without saying anything, the tenant was emitting an aura.
I raised the corners of my mouth as I looked into the guy’s eyes, which had grown wide as if they were being torn apart.
However, my mind was clouded because the wound was deeper than I thought.
Aura that is momentarily disturbed.
‘Useless kid.’
– ···.
Ishigol tapped the guy’s neck, but since he had no auror, he was blocked by something intangible.
‘You’re dealing with something similar to that bastard. The difference is incomparable, though.’
I turned my body as I recalled him. If the sword didn’t work, I could strangle him. The problem with strangling him was that it would be uncomfortable to sleep in, but now was not the time to argue with him.
Again, again, again.
I couldn’t move my body as if I was tied up by the sound of footsteps coming from behind. It was like chains. It felt like a bitch. I tried to stretch my body by applying more force, but I couldn’t get free, even though I heard a small slurping sound coming from behind.
‘Surprise attacks and swindles. Cowards.’
“······Who are you?”
The man with the sword pointed at the back of his neck looked at me with a shocked expression and asked.
I pondered this, perhaps philosophical question, for a moment.
What answer should I give to overcome this situation?
“It’s the sixth.”
The guy’s face became complicated, as if it was either an unexpected answer or a plausible answer.
With the boundary slightly disturbed, I twisted my wrist and swung the twenty-goal.
Cool black blood sprayed out in a straight line from the bastard’s cheek to his nose.
The wound was deep enough to show the nose bone, but it felt inadequate.
“Kkabi.”
I raised the corners of my mouth as I looked at the guy whose face was crumpled like a demon’s.
***
“What?! Are you kidding me?”
Gillian, who ‘eats two pieces of bread for breakfast’, was startled by Razbeth’s shout.
“I am the eldest son.”
“Shut up. Stop yelling and say it again.”
‘That’s why you still can’t get married.’
Gillian clicked her tongue at Razbeth’s complete lack of humor and reread the information she had gathered.
“Vermunt, the fifth star of the Kingdom of Byzant, was revealed to be Aaron’s sex slave. He was revealed by the ninth star. Also, Joanna, the Inquisitor, declared that he was Aaron’s sworn brother, and the slander and attacks against him were directed at himself…”
“No, not that!”
“···yes?”
“Try again what I said earlier. Why can’t you understand what I’m saying?”
“No, you have to speak clearly so I can understand. If you beat around the bush like you’ve been hit in the head with a hammer, how can I… Aaaah!!”
Gillian rolled on the floor for a long time, holding onto her hit stomach.
‘You weirdo! That’s why you’re getting demoted!!’
It hurt so much that tears welled up in my eyes. I thought I had used up all my magic tools last time, but it seemed like I had gotten some new ones somewhere.
‘Why are you using that expensive magic tool on me?’
It was more absurd than painful. Moreover, I felt so miserable that I burst into tears because I was in the same situation as that woman.
They said they were opening a branch, but I guess it was a lie, there was no contact. In the end, I’m just rotting away here with that weird woman…
“Say it again.”
Razbeth was usually eccentric, but today he seemed to be in a particularly grumpy mood.
Gillian thought about it for a moment, then remembered something she had left out of her first report.
“···The ninth star was promised to marry guard Berman?”
“···.”
Seeing him stay still, it seemed like what he just said was right.
“······And recently, you two have been spending a lot of time together since you started learning swordsmanship. You seem to be getting along quite well?”
It was strange. Usually, Razbeth would have yelled at me for gathering such useless information, but he was silent.
‘···Come to think of it, Berman made a public confession to Razbeth.’
I glanced at Razbeth, who had a somewhat resentful expression on his face rather than an angry one, and guessed what the situation was.
“You rejected it yourself, right? But why are you saying this now…? You don’t want to take it, and you don’t want to give it to someone else either? You really are a bad person.”
Gillian felt a tremendous sense of urgency.
When he looked up, he saw the distorted face of Razbeth. Gillian realized that what he had been thinking inside was coming out of his mouth.
“I almost said······. Hehe.”
He added hurriedly and smiled his signature cute smile, but…
“Eww!!”
Gillian didn’t eat bread the next morning.
