235. Childhood Friend – Baron Agnak Family

“Oh, I misjudged you. My apologies.”

Rev, already a little tipsy, bypassed Brian and sat at a table in the corner. As he leaned back against the creaking chair, the innkeeper, resembling a scruffy sewer rat, approached. Rev immediately ordered him to bring some drinks and simple snacks.

“It’s prepaid…”

– Ping!

A silver coin flicked with his thumb landed in the innkeeper’s hand. Rev spoke with a swagger that suggested he was a Swordmaster with secret, unsavory hobbies. He did this for Brian’s sake.

“Also, bring a woman.”

“Uh… we don’t serve women here.”

“Then bring your wife or something.”

– Ping!

A coin flicked with his middle finger struck the innkeeper’s chest. The rat-like innkeeper bowed and scurried off to fetch the drinks and snacks, disappearing in a flash.

Could he be serious about bringing his wife?

Rev hummed with a sense of anticipation, sipping the lukewarm drink while eyeing Brian’s reaction.

Brian was stealing glances at him, trying to gauge what a great Swordmaster was doing here and what kind of person he really was.

Maybe he should appear a bit more approachable.

Just as the innkeeper returned with a heavily made-up woman, Rev threw his arm over her shoulder and asked,

“I asked for a wife, and you brought her… right?”

The woman tugged one of her shoulder straps, as if inviting him to grab more.

“Do you like that sort of thing?”

“No. I think someone following me does, though.”

“Good to hear. I’m not into that at all. I work next door. What do you do?”

Rev engaged in trivial chatter with the woman, who, despite her bold demeanor, spoke nicely as she tightened her strap.

Brian, sensing that this guy wasn’t completely crazy, got up and approached. Just then, the woman asked, “Hey… should we talk a bit more?”

“Excuse me. I have something to say.”

“What is it?”

“It’s a bit delicate to discuss here…”

Rev handed a coin to both his conversational partner and the innkeeper. Since the neighboring establishment was a restaurant, they moved their discussion there, and the woman followed.

When Rev looked at her as if to ask why, she replied, “I told you I work here.”

She wiped off her makeup and returned to take orders. Somehow, her makeup skills seemed lacking.

“So, what can I do for you?”

Rev sipped the aperitif the woman brought and asked. Brian cautiously inquired about Rev’s relationship with Count Simon.

“Do you know me?”

That was a question Rev should have answered. Reversing it, he engaged in conversation with a degree of composure. The awkward one was clearly on the other side.

“I saw you at the city gate earlier today. Ah, I won’t speak of what I saw today to anyone. It wasn’t anything much, but a man could act like that.”

“Yes. Keeping it to yourself is probably wise for your safety.”

He had just gained an advantage.

Rev leaned in, eager to hear what Brian would say next, and then Brian spoke up.

“Please help me. Count Simon is the enemy of me and the Baron Agnak I served.”

Not Baron ‘Agatha’?

So, there were indeed complications. As Rev thought this, Brian began unraveling his past.

+ + +

In front of a haphazardly built mansion, two young boys clashed wooden swords.

They were prodigies.

Although their hands were small, their stances were impressive.

One was a very delicate-looking boy with blue eyes, clearly of noble descent. He swung his sword angrily, while the other boy, with shorter eyebrows, awkwardly defended against the young master’s temper tantrum.

– Thwack!

Dead crops.

Despite many efforts like turning the soil and weeding, nothing could sprout from the patch of wasteland, and only the sound of wooden swords echoed. The boy with blue eyes soon turned away, pouting.

“Lord Lloyd… I’m sorry.”

The young boy, Brian, offered an apology.

However, this didn’t change Lloyd’s decision, who huffed in annoyance.

“Why can’t you just become a knight? What’s so special about being a Holy Knight… Is it because our family is poor?”

“…Yes. But don’t misunderstand. I will definitely come back.”

His words were sincere. Brian cherished his young master, who was more like a friend, and had fondness for the Agnak family.

They were a poor barony often overshadowed by the clouds of the Bomere Volcano blown in by the northwestern winds of summer. Still, it was his hometown, and Baron Agnak was a hands-on leader who would farm himself.

Brian resolved to dedicate himself to this family. However, he did not want to burden the impoverished barony.

Although the pay for knights was meager, the Agnak family couldn’t bear it. But if he returned as a Holy Knight, if he could build a church even in a territory with none…

Brian made a promise with his young master. He would definitely return as a Holy Knight. Surely, it would be the better choice over becoming a mere knight.

And so, Brian left.

Baron Agnak understood his heart well and suggested that his younger sister, ‘Agnes Agnak,’ who was in Lutetia, could assist him.

Although the barony possessed very little, his sister was thriving in her social activities in the capital, so it was assumed she would be able to help…

In the end, none of those assumptions held true. Neither the promise to Prince Lloyd, nor Brian’s vow, nor Baron Agnak’s offer remained intact.

– “You must come back!”

The last sight of the young master, who had shouted such words as he saw them off, was a memory.

He couldn’t even meet his young master’s aunt, Agnes Agnak.

Brian failed to become a Holy Knight.

Here’s how that happened.

The beautiful lady, Agnes Agnak, stirred up a storm in the social scene of Lutetia. Though she was poor, her character captivated many men, and her keen sense enabled her to embellish herself with even cheap fabric.

Agnes’s status transcended the backdrop of the Agnak family. She had suitors from prominent families, and her future was promising, filled with bright prospects.

Particularly, when the heir of ‘Count Oscar’ made a public proposal to her, it sent ripples through the air.

People’s interest narrowed down to whether Agnes could fit into the glass slipper.

Count Oscar belonged to the foremost family in the Jerome Holy Kingdom, recognized throughout the continent, while the Agnak family was quite the shabby one.

Could a noble lady manage to rise above her family’s status based purely on her virtues and beauty? Public opinion was divided.

Romantics said,

“It’s absolutely possible. Nowadays, it’s fairly common for heirs to marry each other over love.” – Enabling Agnes Agnak to shine in her glass slipper.

Realists said,

“It’s impossible. No matter how much the world changes, Count Oscar is on a different level. Moreover, the proposal she received was a spontaneous act by a hot-headed heir, lacking family approval, making its chances of success slim.” – Pointing out the flaws of the glass slipper.

The truth was, Agnes’s naturally small feet made wearing the glass slipper impossible.

Amid the debates among the nobles in Lutetia, someone devised a clever plan.

The head of Count Simon, ‘Grunbaum Simon.’

He paid a large sum to the Agnak family to adopt Agnes Agnak.

The plan was that arranged marriages would align the ranks of families; both Oscar and Simon would benefit from this union, while the crumbling Agnak family would gain some resources for business.

However, this hopeful scheme collapsed miserably when Agnes, who was unwittingly adopted and had her surname changed to ‘Agnes Simon,’ confessed in a desolate state.

She had been secretly in love with the heir of Baron Berger Agatha and was pregnant.

Furious, Count Simon summoned Agnes to the Simon family immediately. And it was around this time that Brian arrived in Lutetia after a long journey.

It was only later that he learned the reason. The boy searching for her could only knock on the door of the Monastery Church alone.

It was an inauspicious start.

Becoming a Holy Knight, a knight devoted to God, was a highly honorable endeavor. Not just for the individual, but it brought glory to the supporter or family as well.

Thus, among those seeking to become Holy Knights, many came from illegitimate backgrounds. They received aristocratic sponsorships and sometimes even personal instruction from royal knights, giving them a significant advantage.

Brian, however, was not afforded any of that quality educational environment. To put it bluntly.

He had to compete solely with his innate talents and the education provided by the monastery, and although he passed the first round of examinations through hard work, he failed the final second round.

Defeated, Brian was disheartened. He was on the verge of being expelled from the educational facility, sulking as he drank the little liquor he had learned to consume poorly when someone rejuvenated him.

It was Sir Corin.

+ + +

“What? Did you say Sir Corin?”

Rev, who was sipping the broth, unintentionally interrupted. Brian, who had been narrating his past calmly, widened his eyes in surprise.

“Do you know my teacher?”

“…I have met him.”

“Ah, you’ve been to the Bidorin Castle, then. Is he doing well?”

Rev quickly confirmed Sir Corin’s well-being with {Tracking Skill} and nodded. However, his mind was tangled.

[ Quest: Help Dop Bijan – Help Dop Bijan escape from his shackles. ]

When Rev was the Apostle of Barbatos, Sir Corin had thrown himself before the dread Apostle of Ashin.

– “Oh, God! Do not forgive my sins. I have… no regrets!”

He spouted incomprehensible words as he clashed with the enormous black horse, Bante, which had grown massive. At that moment, his body had burned bright white.

That meant one thing.

‘Sir Corin has also been freed from his shackles.’

Through numerous tumultuous turns, the childhood friend scenario had indeed changed significantly.

With Brian’s father freed from his shackles, the deceased mother returned to life, while the Bijan tribe, which should have been wiped out with Barbatos’s disappearance, continued to thrive. Unlike other Leos, Rev also started remembering his past, realizing the vast contrast in the village atmosphere.

However, as he only recalled his childhood when ‘his father’s shackles were undone,’ he had no way of knowing what had happened to his mother before that. There were often inexplicable changes, and one of those was…

{Priest} event.

This time, it wasn’t Sir Corin who escorted the priest taking Leah to the monastery.

So many things had changed that he overlooked it (since Leah was about to leave, there was no time to think about it), and then Sir Corin suddenly appeared here.

Rev, feeling guilty for interrupting, apologized. Brian, who had finished his meal and was now awkwardly breaking bread with his inconvenient hand, began disclosing his past once more.

+ + +

“Don’t be too discouraged. Not becoming a Holy Knight isn’t something worthy of self-reproach.”

“…That’s easy for you to say, teacher.”

Brian stammered, choking on his words. He was caught sneaking in drinks that he had rarely had to enjoy, being lectured by his teacher, Sir Corin, who was teaching apprentices.

Brian was now at a point of surrender, thinking whatever would happen next would happen anyway, as he was set to be expelled next week. He rudely brushed aside the teacher’s advice, equating it to the teacher’s circumstances.

In reality, Sir Corin was no longer a Holy Knight. He once was, but when the church’s policy dictated expelling the barbarian worshipping a different god, he had said, “I can’t do that!” and voluntarily quit.

However, leaving the position of a Holy Knight was not a simple matter of wanting to quit.

Like a priest, a Holy Knight had to transfer their divine power to another cleric upon resigning. Since he had to repay for the education he received at the monastery when young, Sir Corin was serving as a teacher at the educational facility.

This would also be the final batch he taught. Now planning to resign from teaching, Sir Corin tossed aside his rigid authority and said.

“I won’t say it’s a useless endeavor. It’s an honorable duty. However, that isn’t everything in life.”

Sir Corin sat next to the inebriated youth. He snatched the liquor bottle from Brian’s hand, pinpointing the cause of his distress.

“Surely you must want something of your own. Why did you want to become a Holy Knight? Was it just out of a desire to be one?”

“…No.”

“Good to hear. There are far too many who are only in it for that. So what is it you wish to do now? Is what you want only achievable as a Holy Knight?”

“…Yes. I wanted to build a church in my hometown. The Agnak family has land near the Bomere Volcano…”

The young Brian poured out his heart. He shared that he had promised to his friend, who was more like a brother, and that he wished to help the Agnak family.

“I suppose building a church will have to be abandoned. Reality must be acknowledged. But,”

Sir Corin decisively stated.

“Realize that building a church and aiming to become a Holy Knight are just means to an end. Your desire is to help the Agnak family and your young master, isn’t it? Then this isn’t the time to be moping about.”

“…!”

“Go wash your face. There’s no need to stay here; pack your things. I’ve been pondering where and how I should live next, and this works out nicely. Let’s go together.”

In life, there are times you don’t acquire what you deeply desire. However, that should not be a reason to stay down, and often there are other paths to take.

Having gained that enlightenment, Brian dashed off to wash his face with cold water. He hurriedly packed his things and set off with Sir Corin towards the Agnak family…

Oh God. How can this be?

The Agnak family had been wiped out. There were no survivors from Count Simon’s attack, and the Agnak territory fell under the Count’s rule.

Brian desolately surveyed the burnt-down mansion. A chilling wind swept through the yard where he had once sparred with his young master, planting despair in his heart.

In life, there are things beyond human power.

There are tragedies that cannot be managed by a steadfast heart and will, leaving even Sir Corin at a loss for words.

And through inquiries with the lord’s subjects, he learned about the events surrounding Agnes. Count Simon had angrily heard news of her pregnancy after adopting her.

Hoping for some opportunity, he forced Agnes to take medication, leading to a coerced abortion, but Count Oscar had drawn the line, deeming the heir’s proposal a spontaneous act without family permission.

Count Simon’s fury peaked. He held the Agnak family accountable for raising a daughter so poorly.

However, the Agnak family, undeserving of any resources to brush the situation aside, faced complete erasure from the Count’s plans.

Brian yearned for revenge.

While Count Simon was a source of resentment, Agnes, who had kicked off this chain of events, was indescribably detestable.

However, as time passed, he learned of Agnes’s own miserable situation.

Her biological family lay in ruins, her child lost, and imprisoned within the Count’s household, Agnes had attempted suicide several times. But,

“You must live, or we can’t legally possess that land! You foolish and useless girl.”

Count Grunbaum Simon offered her no chance for death, for even adopted, she was the last remaining bloodline of the Agnak family.

Agnes spent her days in despair. But there was someone who saved her from her decaying state,

Baron Berger Agatha.

Having persuaded her parents to rapidly inherit the family title, Baron Agatha did not abandon his beloved.

He sold most of the Baroness’s lands to pay the bride price for the Count Simon family, marrying Agnes under the condition that he wouldn’t intervene with the Agnak family’s territory.

‘Agnes Agatha’ could no longer have children, possibly due to the medication she had been forced to take, but Baron Agatha’s heart remained steadfast.

The two lived quietly in the only remaining estate of the Agatha family, Bidorin Castle.

“…So what now? Should I go see Baron Agatha? I’ve heard he’s a decent person; it wouldn’t be bad to go together.”

Sir Corin asked. Brian thought it might be a good idea, but what came out of his mouth was different.

“If you’re heading in that direction, then I’ll pass. I… have things I need to do.”

I can’t forgive Count Simon.

Parting ways with Sir Corin, Brian set off alone towards Count Simon’s domain. Though just an ordinary swordsman without a title, it might enhance his chances. If he concealed his intentions, even a count might not escape with his life.

…Or so he thought.

+ + +

Brian fiddled with his broken hand.

Not able to achieve revenge with his own hands, he was left pleading to a young Swordmaster, just as vulnerable as he had been. If only I had been that strong at his age… or even just half of his strength, would the outcome have been different?

Sighing, Brian continued with his tale, his index and thumb weakly dangling as his ligaments had torn.