144. Engagement – Graveyard

“Count Brina? Is our mercenary group tasked with guarding the count’s mansion?”

“No. Just someone wants to ask something. But the fact that he ordered two mercenaries who returned after escorting a small merchant group yesterday… seems like they’ve caused some trouble.”

Elson jabbed at the pickled Radimu with his fork and continued.

“Moreover, they quit the moment they got back. I had a feeling something was off, and when I checked the lodging earlier, they had fled. Should we go after them… I need to know what’s going on.”

“What should we do, Leo?”

Lena whispered, covering her mouth. The merchant group Elson was talking about was undoubtedly the one we had traveled with.

Leo, looking troubled, rubbed his palms together under the table.

We all agreed to take out the pursuing knight.

We had never encountered the knight and planned to play it off as just bad luck regarding his death.

However, that didn’t solve all the problems. The story of the merchant refusing to smuggle would have already reached Count Brina through the Church’s communication.

– “I will take responsibility for that. I have a duty to apologize and seek forgiveness since I carelessly accepted sponsorship,” said Vernon, the merchant.

I had considered fleeing with my family. But sooner or later, we would be caught, so going to Count Brina to apologize was our only chance of survival.

However, the fact that the count called for mercenaries…

‘He’s suspicious.’

Leo nervously bit his lip.

‘Not certain. But once he finds out the mercenaries ran away, he will be sure.’

Damn it.

It was some suspicious {event} unfolding. I had tried to avoid it, but the connections remained. I hadn’t imagined the mercenaries would run away.

Now merchants would be captured and interrogated, and if it came out there was someone else who killed the knight, things would start to get seriously tangled.

Leo took a moment to gather his thoughts before speaking.

“Uncle. I have something to say. Actually, on our way here…”

He laid everything that had happened out on the table.

Being family, his uncle was someone he could definitely trust, so Leo wrapped up his story in a tone asking for forgiveness for the trouble his nephew caused.

“… You really messed up. So what now… should we go find the merchants and kill them?”

Elson’s eyes turned cold.

Gone was the friendly smile he usually wore, replaced with a suggestion of mercilessly cutting off ties.

Leo shook his head.

“No. That would just raise the count’s suspicions. If things go wrong, it might even reflect badly on your mercenary group. I think…”

Damn it.

I didn’t want to be involved with Count Brina. I had intended to let the merchants handle it and keep my distance, but the world doesn’t work that easily.

Letting out a faint sigh, Leo calmly explained his plan, and Lena and Elson nodded quietly.

While the delicious food the lady had prepared was getting cold, Yuan’s fork clinked lightly.

*

“Late, are we? Are you the leader of the Dexter Mercenary Group?”

A portly middle-aged noble asked in a high-pitched voice. But it was less a question and more a command to “introduce yourself and lower your posture,” so Elson bowed his head.

“Yes, I’m sorry. My name is Elson. What brings you to me?”

Count Diego Brina didn’t answer the question. He had Elson stand as he plopped down on the long couch in the reception room and got to the point.

“Are those the mercenaries who were guarding the merchant group I mentioned?”

“Yes. Did those kids do something wrong…?”

“I ask the questions here.”

Count Brina waved his hand dismissively.

He silenced Elson and gestured for the two mercenaries standing nervously behind him to come closer.

However, there was a strange feeling in the air.

The count studied the pale young mercenary’s face and, in a softer tone, asked.

“… You’ve been through my territory, haven’t you? Didn’t the merchants act strangely at that time?”

“I… I’m not sure what you’re referring to. Ah, there was a bit of a puzzling incident.”

“What was it?”

A big mercenary clad in shabby leather armor tilted his head and replied.

“That Vernon guy said he suddenly had to return to the capital. I didn’t mind since it was fine for him to leave early, but the merchant had quite a heated argument with some of the other merchants at that moment.”

“And how did that argument end? Did the other merchants seem to agree?”

“Not at all.”

The mercenary shook his head boldly in front of the noble.

How rude. But it was as futile as expecting a weed to grow into a sturdy plant to demand manners from a foolish mercenary, so the count frowned.

‘However, this one is peculiar…’

Despite having his legs crossed, he stood with them appropriately apart. Even though he clasped his hands in an attempt to be polite, he stood tall with a straight back and a thrust-out chin that displayed his Adam’s apple…

While Leo analyzed the mysterious {grace} around the mercenary in front of him, he continued with the lie.

“There were raised voices. Some merchants were begging that they wouldn’t leave until they received the goods’ payment given on credit. But the merchant lord insisted he would take the carriage himself, stubbornly saying anyone who wanted to stay could do so at their discretion. I think he even said they should be grateful to him.”

Up until here, it was the same story I had heard. Count Brina nodded.

“And what happened then?”

“What could we do? It’s at the merchant lord’s discretion to manage the schedule. Ultimately, he had to leave your territory. But then, another strange thing happened.”

“Don’t ask me or shorten your words. So, what was it?”

“Sorry. On the way back, the merchant lord suggested we take the mountain path. He said it had a village where we could sell our goods. But there was no village, and he was cursed out. Eventually, the authority to manage the schedule was taken away by another merchant… after that, nothing unusual happened.”

“I see…”

Count Diego Brina was deep in thought, massaging his chin.

‘Seems just unlucky. But even if Marlong is pitiful, he is a knight… wasn’t it a foolish suspicion?’

Marlong was a demoted knight.

He had spent his days indulging in debauchery and harassing subordinates, and he had been long out of the count’s favor.

But knights were valuable.

With fewer than ten knights under Count Brina, no matter how displeased he was, the loss of one would be significant.

‘And for this to happen while Lord Zauer was in the territory. There couldn’t have been a better opportunity than during a war.’

Tsk. He clicked his tongue, recalling his “half-cousin.”

Something had happened recently regarding Brian Zauer, who was doing “big business” in the capital of the Belita Kingdom and had returned to his territory.

The borders of Zauer’s fief, Brina’s fief, and Count Oscar’s domain in the Jerome Holy Kingdom were closely adjacent, and since there was no official checkpoint for the royal families to collect taxes, if successful in smuggling, they could reap significant profits.

However, it was also a place where the royal family’s vigilance was strict, so the three noble families needed to form a solid secret agreement.

‘Still… now that I’ve confirmed the merchant’s mouth is tight, I can just send them back.’

The count had every intention of using Vernon, who had begged for anything until his dying day, and snapped out of his thoughts. Just then, Elson cautiously spoke up.

“Um… Count. Is there anything else?”

“No. You can go now… no.”

Count Diego Brina looked the mercenary over from head to toe and asked.

“What is your name?”

He didn’t need to know the mercenary’s name, but for some reason, it felt like he shouldn’t let this one slip away.

[ Quest: Traitor 10/10 – {King’s Blood} ability leveled up. ]

“… I am Leo Dexter.”

Leo hesitated for a moment but soon revealed his name.

If he told a lie that could easily be exposed to a noble, he wouldn’t be able to recover (the guts of Minseo to lie casually in front of a noble were out to lunch), and indeed, the count’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Dexter? So, you’re the famous noble butcher… cough. The son of Noel Dexter?”

“… Yes, that’s correct.”

“Hahaha! Oh my. I should have recognized you the moment I heard the name of the mercenary group. A distinguished guest has arrived. So tell me, you. What is your relationship with Noel Dexter?”

“I’m his older brother.”

“And you?”

“… I’m just a hired mercenary.”

As he withdrew his plump finger that had pointed at Elson and Lena, Count Brina finally offered a kind smile.

“Good. Good. This is wonderful. It’s a pleasure to meet you. As you may know, I am Diego Brina. Shall we sit and talk? I have many questions for you.”

He indicated the adjacent armchair and seated Leo and Elson.

However, he didn’t give Lena a thought, leaving her awkwardly standing behind the chair.

Soon, fragrant tea and sweet cookies were laid out on the table. The plump count pushed the bowls forward as if showing off.

“Your name is Leo, right? I heard you live in Abrival Castle… when did you come to the capital? Are you working as a mercenary? Since when have you been doing that?”

Leo was flustered by the sudden barrage of specific questions.

He hesitated, munching on a cookie, but the count’s gaze urged him to answer.

“… It’s been less than a year. I started helping my uncle around this time last year. But… how did you know I lived in Abrival Castle?”

“Haha. The lord of Abrival Castle is my second son. I heard that the famous knight lives there with his son. Anyway, you’ve lived there for quite a while, haven’t you? Right?”

No matter how much he tried to shake it off, something felt sticky around his ankles.

Feeling the count’s hungry gaze on him, Leo swallowed hard.

I had completely forgotten.

Last time when I went on a journey to the Holy Kingdom with Lena, or rather, back when Leo Dexter received support from Lord Dialo Brina from Abrival Castle.

Because of Noel’s request, Dialo had expressed willingness to help if I were to go on a journey to the Holy Kingdom, providing two horses, a passage permit, and a certificate to clarify that I was a knight who was going to improve my swordsmanship.

In reality, I was just an insignificant person.

Even if he had been famous in the past, as a retired knight, he was a noble who was overly polite, and at the time, I was trying to distance myself from Lena to break off the engagement, so I couldn’t afford to remember such trivial things.

‘Damn it. Should I have just listened to my uncle and killed the merchants? Or should I have just not cared about whether the knight lived or died from the start? Or maybe…’

Should I use this?

Feeling anxious, Leo fiddled with the {Bracelet of Barbatos}.

However, the count was wearing numerous enchanted trinkets, so he figured it wouldn’t work and soon shook his head.

Seeing Leo hesitate, Elson quickly chimed in.

“I haven’t lived there that long. Maybe five years… I came here last year, so you can estimate from there.”

“Five years is a long time. Yes, what’s the atmosphere there like? My second son should be governing Abrival Castle well, shouldn’t he?”

Count Brina leaned forward, rubbing his substantial belly.

But he only showed a trivial curiosity about Abrival Castle and Noel Dexter while not getting to the main point. In the end, he reached out, meaningfully stating, “I would like to assign the Dexter Mercenary Group to guard my mansion. Is that possible? Not feasible for now? Then we’ll need to coordinate schedules.”

After the one-sided reconnaissance ended, Leo stepped out of the mansion, feeling perplexed while rubbing his neck.

The count wanted something.

Though not mentioned yet, Leo could feel it. This guy was trying to use me.

Elson patted Leo on the shoulder.

“Luckily, that went well. He didn’t seem suspicious. From now on, be careful. We should say this was a good thing, after all, it gave us a connection with Count Brina. As long as we keep our mouths shut, we should be fine. Yes, first, we need to catch those guys who ran away.”

He grabbed the carriage and set off with his nephew and niece, telling the coachman their destination.

But the destination Elson requested wasn’t home or his office. As the carriage began speeding out of the Barnau inner fortress, Lena asked Elson, who was beginning to doze off.

“By the way, where are we going?”

“Hmm? Ah, you don’t know. We’re headed to Leo’s house. Since we’re out anyway…”

“Leo’s house?”

Lena asked again, but the sleep-deprived Elson had already fallen asleep.

While Lena looked perplexed and Leo struggled to calm his troubled heart, the carriage arrived in front of a run-down wall at midday.

Stretching with a yawn, Elson pushed open the broken front door and stepped inside.

A modest stone house.

Having not been lived in for a long time, various places had worn down with age, but the remnants of a once-happy home greeted them. In front of it lay a small yard…

“Sister-in-law, it’s been a while. I’ve been so busy, I couldn’t come often. But today, I brought some delightful people with me.”

– Ibera Ainar.

There stood Leo Dexter’s mother, her green grave swaying gently as if welcoming her grown son.