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149. Engagement – Ainar Tribe (avviker)

“Take this. It should help you cross the border easily. I wish you luck.”

Elson handed over a quite hefty bundle of money along with some documents and two mercenary badges.

Receiving it, Leo bowed to his uncle who saw him off. He also nodded lightly to the stern-faced Yuan before leaving the mansion.

Leo strode away without looking back, and just then, Lena, who had been saying goodbye to Elson, Yuan, and the waiting innkeeper and lady, hurried after him.

However, the direction he was headed was not the one they had initially discussed, so Lena asked,

“Leo? Where are you going?”

“…”

Leo silently grabbed her hand. Both of them were burdened with heavy packs for what could be a long journey, but he paid it no mind and walked quickly.

As he turned back to look at the eastern gate they had just exited, Leo breathed a sigh of relief. It should be a bit safer now.

Since seeing signs of Ashin a few days prior, he had been unable to endure his anxiety.

He didn’t know when or how he might die.

Dealing with someone like Count Brina was manageable, but the Apostle of the Evil God was a different story altogether.

He wondered how Minseo would have responded to such a situation. Yet, Leo Dexter decided he would leave Barnau without further ado.

Fortunately, he had a reason to depart.

Last evening, Elson conveyed news that, for some reason, the Maunin Tournament had been canceled due to the war.

This was quite disappointing news for Lena, who had aspired to become a knight through the tournament, but for Leo, it was rather fortunate.

He initially wanted to suggest that they return to Abrival Castle. However, it was clear that Lena wouldn’t want to do so, so he urged her, “Then let’s participate in the Letii Tournament held in the Aster Kingdom. We can’t just go back like this, can we?”

Convincing her wasn’t difficult. Lena was eager to achieve something and return.

She had become a Great Warrior at such a young age. No, it wasn’t her age that was the issue, but rather her dreadful hunting skills.

According to the customs of the Ainar Tribe, a Great Warrior had to lead a hunting team.

But here she was, someone who couldn’t even set a proper trap, suddenly a Great Warrior… No matter how rare it was for Great Warriors to directly participate in hunting, they couldn’t just leave such a person in charge of a hunting team. It wouldn’t do to give nothing to a Great Warrior either.

The chief of the Ainar Tribe and the Great Warriors, after struggling with their thoughts, ultimately came up with a clever plan. They would have Lena represent the Ainar Tribe at the Maunin Tournament.

Just a flimsy delay tactic. It was something Lena would surely catch onto.

– “Hmph! I will be a fully-fledged knight when I return, you’ll see!”

Puffed up with determination, Lena declared, while her father, Dehorman, subtly hinted to Leo that at least he ought to teach her how to set traps before leaving.

“Leo! Are you going to keep ignoring me? What’s the hurry? And if you’re going to accompany the merchant group, you need to go to the market, so why are we out here?”

Lena, beginning to get a bit irritated, stopped in her tracks. She pulled her hand back, halting Leo.

Turning around, Leo hesitated briefly before responding.

“…Sorry. There’s still plenty of time before the Letii Tournament. So… um… can’t we travel slowly?”

“Travel?”

“Yeah. We can wander around, do some sightseeing, eat something delicious if we find it. What do you think?”

Lena raised an eyebrow in suspicion.

“I’d be fine with that… But then why did we say we should leave so early? If that’s the case, let’s go back. There’s more to see in the capital, and if we stay at your uncle’s place, we won’t even have to pay for lodging. I barely got to see Ran and Anne once, and it would be nice to see them again.”

That was a valid counterargument. However, returning there was not an option.

It was dangerous.

Leo inadvertently blurted out an excuse that would keep them from going back.

“I mean, it’s a bit… awkward to share a room at your uncle’s place, right? There are eyes everywhere.”

“W-what?”

Lena’s eyes went wide. Her face turned as red as a flower bud ripening in the spring sun, and she quickly avoided his gaze.

It was a decent excuse.

But seeing Lena flustered and squirming made Leo feel a bit of that embarrassment too as he held her hand.

It was something he could say due to his past experience of having been married once, but the memories were quite different from reality.

“Oh, no, um, that’s not what I meant…”

“…”

The two of them, burdened with their large packs, were unable to move for a while. It was only when Lena lowered her head and began to walk away that they could finally leave that street…

She didn’t head toward the eastern gate.

*

Lena and Leo found an inn a bit earlier than usual.

When the innkeeper asked if they wanted a double or twin room, Leo hesitated before choosing the double.

“This way, please.”

The plump innkeeper guided them. Lena, having regained her composure after sighting the outskirts of Barnau, turned red again, while Leo coughed awkwardly, trying to act nonchalant.

Finally arriving at their room, it was no surprise that there was only one bed.

However, a rather risqué canopy hung over that bed, which took up half of the narrow room, causing Lena’s face to turn even redder.

“Well then, enjoy your stay. Our ‘Ice Island’ inn always guarantees the best service. We can bring you warm bath water right away, and if you need anything else, just let us know.”

“Y-yes…”

Once the innkeeper left, an awkward silence ensued. Leo moved to the left side of the bed while Lena took the right, both keeping their distance. Not a single word was exchanged as they unpacked their things.

Once they finished unpacking, there was nothing to do. Sitting on opposite ends of the bed, they stared at the walls in silence.

“…Oh, come on!”

Eventually, Lena could no longer tolerate the atmosphere and spoke first.

“Hey! Leo, let’s grab some drinks. What’s with this awkwardness? We might as well enjoy ourselves; there’s nothing to be embarrassed about now that we’re engaged.”

She acted as if she were being bold, trying to mask her shyness. Leo too could not suppress a mischievous smile that belied his true feelings.

“Sure. But let’s eat first.”

“…!”

Lena’s face turned bright red, unable to blush any further. Realizing his slip of the tongue, Leo also turned away in distress.

“Y-yeah… uh, let’s eat first…”

Waving her right arm and leg at the same time, Lena walked ahead toward the dining area. Following her, Leo ordered dinner and some strong drinks that would serve as appetizers.

“I’m sorry. As you can see, we have many guests right now… You may have to wait a bit for your meal.”

The innkeeper bowed his head. Just as he said, the dining area was packed with people.

From their attire, most seemed to be warriors from barbarian tribes, likely gathered in the capital for the Maunin Tournament. It seemed the fact that the tournament wouldn’t be held this early summer hadn’t spread widely yet.

Leo told him it was fine to just bring the drinks. The innkeeper quickly returned with a bottle of ‘Calados’ and hurried back to the kitchen to help prepare dishes.

Waiting for the food, Lena and Leo clinked their glasses together. “That creep! I should have known he’d be like this.” – muttered Lena as she bravely(?) downed her drink. Leo also gulped his down, trying to keep pace with her.

“Oh! It seems we have some young folks who know how to drink!”

At that moment, a middle-aged warrior who was dining at the next table spoke up. Grateful for the conversation, Lena proudly raised her empty glass.

Feeling a bit pressured to sit across from Leo alone, she secretly hoped the dialogue would continue, but the warrior smiled and applauded before turning his attention back to his companions.

“Shall we have a drink too?”

“Arthur. We need to leave early tomorrow, and drinking is a bad idea.”

“Haha! You mean to say our Great Warrior of the Alvazete Tribe is worried about a hangover? Hahaha! You must be getting old.”

At his friend’s provocation, the warrior scoffed. With his hair tied back, he brushed aside the thick locks that had come loose.

“You do realize it’s your fault we haven’t even left the capital with all this drinking, right? We can’t keep throwing parties every day.”

“So what? We still have plenty of time. It should take at least four months to reach Manubiul, right? So, come on, just have one drink! Just one glass. What do you say, guys? Everyone okay with it?”

The others showed no qualms about it.

Perhaps it was their first long-distance journey, and they didn’t realize they had to allow for extra time. Their attitude blurted out that it wouldn’t matter even if they were late, so he thought, “Ah, whatever,” and went along with it.

“…Alright, just one drink then.”

However, a drink that began as just one quickly turned into two. The five warriors began to drink heartily amidst loud banter.

“Hey, innkeeper! Come join us! Looks like the guests have all wrapped up, why not have a drink with us?”

“Hohoho! That sounds good. But I won’t be decreasing the drink price for you.”

“Then! I’ll pay for the innkeeper’s share too!”

The plump innkeeper approached them with a triumphant smile. As expected, his drinking capacity was quite impressive, leaving the warriors in awe.

“Wow! We’re going to run out of drinks soon. We’ll need to order two more. I see now that this friend is quite the expert.”

“Ah~ Well, of course. Why else would I still be here? I hung around in case you’d invite me,” he sniggered.

Hahaha! The warriors’ laughter echoed through the empty dining area.

Meanwhile, Lena and Leo were still quietly sipping their drinks at the side.

Neither had the courage to suggest they stop and head back to their room. Not to mention that they didn’t want to end up seeing something embarrassing in a drunken state, so they were both trying to gauge how to handle their drinks.

Then came the moment.

“But by the way, who named this inn anyway? ‘Ice Island Inn’? Isn’t that reminiscent of that ice island up north?”

“Haha! That indeed is the ice island. That’s where I’m from.”

A hint of surprise crossed the table.

Upon hearing the familiar name “Ice Island,” both Lena and Leo turned to look at the innkeeper.

“Really? Oh… So you’re a survivor of the Ainar Tribe. I had no idea there were still people alive.”

“Oh? You know of our tribe? That’s right. I’m from the Ainar Tribe. I’m the one who escaped by walking across the frozen sea.”

Perhaps under the influence of alcohol, the innkeeper rolled up his sleeves to boast.

At his middle age, whether he was showing off his bulging arms or the tattoos etched on them, Leo’s surprise made him draw his sword.

“Whoa! Wh-what?!”

“Leo! What are you doing?!”

The drinking scene erupted into chaos.

Suddenly standing, Leo pressed the tip of his sword against the innkeeper’s neck, and the startled warriors leaped up, reaching for their weapons.

The black-feathered tattoo with a red pole and branches was the emblem of Malhas, a very old and notorious evil god.