142. Engagement – Servant

“I’m sorry. I was just being petty…”

Lena, with damp hair, apologized in front of the inn with the hot spring. Leo Dexter, silent as he sat on a small bench munching away, patted the spot beside him.

“Want some?”

As he sat down, Leo offered her a round white something he had split.

It was ‘Radimu’.

Also known as winter radish or ice radish, this northern crop could be eaten raw and didn’t spoil easily, making it a common trade item for the people of the north.

The merchant cart was loaded with Radimu. Since Leo had saved the merchants’ lives, he could eat it anytime.

Lena didn’t refuse. Grateful to Leo for accepting her apology, she took a bite…

“Yuck! Hey! This is the end part!”

“Hahaha.”

The top section, where the sprouts grow, was sweet. In contrast, the lower part was quite bitter and astringent, and unless one was an elder lamenting how today’s folks don’t know the value of food, few would eat that part raw.

Leo finished what he was holding and said, “It’s a waste to throw it away. You’re getting it for free. If you don’t want it, give it to me. I’ll eat it.”

It was taken from her.

Lena watched dejectedly as he casually snatched what she had half-munched and bit down on it.

When did he grow up so much?

Leo had changed over time. Every move he made now exuded a certain {nobility}, and he acted completely unbothered around older adults.

We had both become adults together.

‘Just when I think I’m catching up, he leaps further away…’

Leo always did that. Growing one step ahead, it was my job to chase after him.

But was it due to us becoming adults this time? It felt like Leo had jumped a good five or six steps ahead.

Especially his swordsmanship—it was astonishing. It was as if he had realized something and had grown immensely.

Honestly, this time… it’s a bit overwhelming.

So when Leo effortlessly defeated a knight, I felt a surge of jealousy. No, it wasn’t just jealousy… it was a feeling of helplessness. Could I even catch up to that?

‘…No. I can do it. Don’t act like a fool, Lena Ainar.’

With renewed determination, Lena rummaged through her pockets. She pulled out something she had secretly bought for Leo last time.

“Here, take this. It’s a birthday present.”

“……Ah, was today my birthday? I totally forgot…”

“What are you saying? It’s obviously not for today. I’m just giving it to you early, so take it.”

Leo took the gift with a puzzled expression. Anticipating what he might say, I was prepared to counter, but Leo’s response wasn’t what I expected.

“You forgot my birthday, didn’t you? Trying to gloss over it, huh? Be precise. When is my birthday?”

“Come on, am I an idiot? Forget someone’s birthday?”

“You confused your friends’ birthdays last time and mixed them up, didn’t you?”

Lena swiftly covered Leo’s mouth, her face turning red as she stammered out excuses.

“Th-that was a mistake. And no matter what, how could I forget your birthday? It’s on the same day as King Maunin’s birth. I was originally going to give it to you on the day of the Maunin tournament, but… just take it. You should be grateful when someone thoughtfully gives you a present.”

“Haha. Alright then. I’ll gratefully accept it. But… this is the same one I bought for you last time, isn’t it? You intentionally picked the same one, didn’t you? Nice.”

What she presented was a long black leather strap. She had asked the leather merchant for one more without Leo knowing.

Originally, she planned to confidently reply, “You bought this for me, so it’s mine, and giving it as a gift—what’s the issue?” when Leo asked about it.

But unexpectedly, as Leo kindly turned the situation around, Lena could only stammer out, “Um, well, it’s okay since they’re the same…”

‘Ugh. I should have bought something different. I thought it’d be fun.’

When did he grow up so much?

Next to her, Leo felt broad-shouldered. Even hunched over on the chair, his presence seemed to envelop her.

‘Sigh…’

At that moment, Leo took her hand. When she turned to him, he gently tilted her chin and met her gaze.

He was asking for a kiss.

Lena turned her head away to avoid it. Just then, someone approached, providing her with an excuse.

“Sir Leo, we have a situation! I just met with the village chief, and… war has broken out!”

War!

Lena was taken aback, but Leo responded as if it were no big deal.

“You want to say we should get back quickly? I think so too, so feel free to advance our schedule. But it’s late today, so let’s stay here for now.”

Vernon said, “Of course. We’ll leave tomorrow morning.” and turned back.

The next day, the merchant group hurriedly left the village. Until then, they acted as if they had never encountered a knight from a marquis’s family, carrying on with their business nonchalantly, but that was no longer necessary.

Now there was the excuse of war.

Also, since the marquis in the capital might take advantage of the chaos of war to harm their families, the merchants hurriedly drove their carriages, fearing the winter would pass them by. After quite the strenuous march, they arrived in Barnau when it was unmistakably spring.

*

“Make sure to visit our home! We live near the southern market of the inner city! If you mention my name to the merchants, they’ll tell you the way!”

“I’m next door to her!”

Anne and Ran shouted. Leo and Lena waved to the receding figures and turned their steps.

“Leo, where to now? I’m a bit excited to go to the house where you were born.”

When Lena asked, Leo pulled out a letter. It was a letter hastily written by their father for his brother before they left, with an address written on the envelope.

– Danika Avenue, First Alley, Iron Hinge Arched Door.

‘But why did Father write down the address expecting I wouldn’t find my hometown?’

It might be too sensitive, but it felt like an admission that he knew his son wouldn’t be able to find his way home. Did he suspect that I lacked memories of the past? — That thought crossed Lena’s mind, but she dismissed it, thinking Leo wouldn’t think that.

He had left when he was very young, so it was likely just a precaution.

“Let’s see… I think it’s this way.”

Leo checked for directions looking at the sign. As they asked people along the way for their house, the two looked around the streets of Barnau.

Barnau was not as grand as Oberg but was indeed an ancient city. The founder of the Acaian Kingdom, Toddler Akiunen, was born in what is now known as the northern region of Belita Kingdom, so the Acaian Empire invested considerable effort in northern development.

The center of that development was Barnau, which was once the capital of the ‘Asran Kingdom’ established by King Maunin and Queen Letty after gaining independence from the empire and is now the capital of the Austin Kingdom.

A city built from stacked gray, flat stones caught their eye.

The stones weren’t stacked flat but layered thinly at angles, giving it a rustic yet stylish look, full of traces of a long history.

However, there were many sad remnants as well.

“Could those all be tombstones? No way, right?”

“…I don’t think so.”

All around the city, letters were engraved on the stones serving as walls and floors. If you looked closely, you’d see inscriptions like ‘Father of three children, Bruno – Resting here at the age of thirty-five.’ commemorating the victims of the horrific ‘Nine-Day War’ that happened ten years ago.

As the Austin Kingdom and its people worked hard to wash away the scars of the past, the dead could not return.

Feeling a natural solemnity wash over them, Lena and Leo stepped onto Danika Avenue, walking down countless engraved stone slabs.

They arrived at the first alley.

Turning into a rather wide alley, they spotted an elegant stone wall. In the distance, an arched wooden door with five iron hinges could be seen.

“Oh my…”

So dense.

The walls of what they presumed to be Leo’s hometown, where his father, Noel Dexter, lived, were filled with an overwhelming number of inscriptions. However, the contents were very different from what they had seen before. Resentment and anger. Curses. Woe. Occasionally, even forgiveness…

Noel Dexter, who gained notoriety during the Nine-Day War, was the symbol of resentment for the citizens of Barnau.

Although Noel didn’t kill innocent civilians, he was a knight who contributed to the brutal war and had widely become known by the infamous title of ‘Noble Butcher,’ making him the target of public scorn in Barnau post-war.

‘Now I understand why he left…’

Leo knocked on the door. He banged the metal ring on the wooden door, and soon after, a person appeared.

“Who are you?”

Leo didn’t know what his uncle, Elson, looked like. But at the very least, the young man before him couldn’t possibly be his great-uncle, so Leo introduced himself.

“I am Leo Dexter. I’ve come to see my great-uncle.”

“…You must be the young master. But I’m very sorry for the rudeness. The master is out at the moment, and I cannot let strangers into the house.”

“Here’s a letter from my father. Is it really difficult to prove my identity with this letter and my ID?”

The young man, who looked like a servant, shook his head.

“I’m sorry. I can’t read. But I can tell by your appearance that you’re the master’s nephew…”

He paused, seeming thoughtful for a moment before continuing.

“I can’t turn you away, but I also can’t let strangers into the house. Please understand my situation. How about this? While I don’t know when the master will return, he certainly went to the office, so wouldn’t it be better to find him directly? I can’t leave you waiting outside.”

The servant’s proposal was rather audacious. But with no other choice, Leo asked for the address to his uncle’s office.

– Thud.

As he turned and left the alley, Leo felt a strange chill. Glancing back, the quiet mansion of the ancient knightly family stood there, laden with the widespread resentment of its people.

*

“My nephew has come! Come here. Let me give you a hug! It’s been so long, my goodness…”

A figure who looked unmistakably like Noel Dexter leapt up, arms wide open.

His great-uncle’s office wasn’t far away. It was located in a marketplace bustling enough for nobles or wealthy people, crossing two major avenues, and on the three-story building’s sign hung ‘Dexter Mercenary Group.’

However, no mercenaries could be seen around. They weren’t out working; it seemed this building didn’t have a lobby or living space for mercenaries to hang out and chat.

Cheap yet plush carpets decorated the floor, with similarly inexpensive but charming paintings hanging in the corridor and salon.

It seemed to be a building for welcoming guests.

“It’s really been a long time, great-uncle. How have you been?”

Though it felt like a first meeting, Leo came out with a greeting someone would say when reuniting with a long-lost relative. He was also trying to refuse the embrace.

No matter how much he resembled his father, he didn’t want to hug a man he was meeting for the first time.

Elson was slightly taller than Noel Dexter, nearly matching Leo’s height.

Compared to their father, he was more robust, had smaller eyes, and appeared somewhat rugged, likely due to the different lives they had led.

Even as a knight, Noel Dexter had an intellectual aura about him. In contrast, Elson, a mercenary captain, had a hearty presence. Even though Leo rejected the hug, Elson jovially patted Leo on the shoulder.

“Well then. I’ve been well. Wow, you’ve grown up so much I hardly recognized you. Your brother must be proud. And…”

Elson’s eyes fell on Lena. He soon broke into a broad smile and extended a handshake.

“So you’re Lena Ainar. Nice to meet you. I heard you’re engaged? Sorry I couldn’t attend the celebration. Honestly… it’s a bit far to go, isn’t it? Hahaha.”

He winked, then insisted that Lena and Leo sit on a plush Chesterfield.

Save for the sofa and the table in front of it, which weren’t cheap, the furniture for guests seemed to be quite lavish.

Well… the sofa was likely because he himself used it for sleeping purposes.

Leo noticed the desk piled high with documents (which looked quite cheap) as he handed over his father’s letter.

“Hmm, there’s nothing particularly important in here. I wonder why he wrote that he wanted to keep his nephew at home. Don’t you agree? Hahaha. Anyway, this kid has been overly rigid since old times…”

In a blink of an eye, Elson read through the two letters and personally brought out (cheap) tea while engaging in small talk.

‘…He really talks a lot.’

It might be rude to say such a thing about a great-uncle, but he truly was verbose.

His topic changed quickly,

Stating how impressive it was when Prince Anolf de Klaus and Baron Albasete led their troops out recently, and while the citizens cheered at seeing the king see them off at the southern gate, it didn’t seem quite cheerful, likely due to the aftereffects of the last civil war. He was also in trouble because many of the mercenaries under him got drafted. And at the same time, business kept coming in like a flood, causing him to be haplessly delighted, but also that some mercenaries returning from escorting a merchant group wanted to quit, which made it complicated…

At first, Leo wondered what this was all about. He listened intently, then began to realize that this man talked for fun without any purpose.

However, even listening without a care was quite entertaining, so it seemed simple Lena had already taken a liking to Elson.

“Ah, look at me. I’m so caught up in my thoughts; I’m sorry. As I mentioned, I’ve been a bit busy lately.. and I have to work through the night! Yay! Hahaha! I don’t think I’ll make it home tonight, so you two should go ahead. You know where my place is, right?”

“Yes. I stopped by before coming here. But the person who looked like a servant wouldn’t let me in. He said he needed the master’s permission.”

“…Oh, Yuan said that. He’s not a servant. You probably already heard…”

Elson’s bright demeanor dimmed slightly.

“He’s my adopted son.”