"Head Butler Hassent."
"Yes, Young Master Eugene."
Even though I hadn't called out loudly, Hassent approached and responded. It seemed he had overheard the entire conversation.
"Head Butler, please forget everything you just heard."
For now, I intended to at least verbally seal Hassent's lips. There was no immediate way to completely silence him.
"Understood."
Hassent replied calmly, as always. I wanted to trust him, but without proper grounds, I couldn't. Hassent wasn't my person. I would either slowly win him over or eliminate him at an opportune moment.
'Neither option is easy.'
The original story didn't reveal what Hassent truly desired. Killing him? He was a former master assassin, so it wouldn't be easy.
'I'll gift him a wiretap and transmitter like I did with Kyle and monitor him until the right opportunity arises.'
I headed toward the back of the treehouse where Yuria was hiding. As expected, Hassent followed me.
"Young Master Eugene."
"Yes, go ahead."
I stopped walking and turned to look at Hassent. The old butler's expression was as unreadable as ever.
"Later… could you spare some time for me?"
It was a request for a private meeting.
I was slightly surprised. I hadn't expected Hassent to initiate such a conversation. He had always been passive.
I didn't know the reason for his request. Did he want something from me? He wouldn't be foolish enough to try to kill me. Blackmail me for money? I couldn't imagine Hassent doing something so reckless.
"Understood. Let's make time later."
I replied. Soon, I would find out Hassent's intentions.
I quickened my pace and headed toward Yuria.
Behind the house. Yuria, hiding behind a pile of wood, bowed her head as soon as she saw me.
"Yuria Grace."
"Yes, your master, Eugene Pruckus."
I approached her, reintroducing myself.
Honestly, I was a bit disappointed.
In the original story, Yuria was described as a stunning beauty with exceptional charm. Her face, her figure—nothing was lacking. It was even mentioned that she had a large bust.
'…I understand. That description was of Yuria from the later parts of the novel. It's probably about 10 years from now. But… will she really transform into the breathtaking beauty described in the novel?'
Currently, Yuria was taller than me. About a head taller. It made sense since she was older than me. Additionally, my frail constitution meant I grew slower than others.
'She's so thin her bones are visible. She looks like she could starve to death any moment… but her eyes are still alive.'
She was thinner than the skinny models you'd see overseas in the real world. She looked like a patient suffering from anorexia.
Even the beggars in the city weren't this thin.
This was also understandable. The village was poor. Thinking about it, her mother, Nell Rins, had also been extremely thin.
'Since Nell Rins was a former knight… she must have practiced mana breathing.'
If she had properly mastered mana breathing, her frail appearance might not reflect her actual condition.
'Her chest is flatter than an A-cup.'
It seemed the time for secondary sexual characteristics had long passed. Feeling a sense of disbelief toward the original story, I approached her.
'Her skin is pale. She must not have worked in the fields much. She probably rarely left the house.'
It was uncommon for commoners to have pale skin. Even if children from commoner families hadn't undergone their coming-of-age ceremony, they still worked. From simple household chores to field labor.
'Aside from being too thin, she doesn't seem to have any illnesses or injuries.'
I reached out my hand toward Yuria.
Yuria didn't flinch or avoid my hand. Without changing her expression, she calmly accepted it. I liked that she knew her place.
A handful of Yuria's dry, grayish hair fell onto my hand. I twisted her hair with my fingers, and the gray ash fell away, revealing her original bluish-silver hair.
She had hidden her true hair color by covering it in ash.
'Bluish-silver hair and blue eyes. Traits of the Helbrit direct lineage. This is Yuria Grace.'
Of course, having bluish-silver hair and blue eyes didn't necessarily mean she was from the Helbrit family. In this fantasy world, people had hair of all colors. From pink to purple, it was all possible.
Even in the city of Petheris, where the Pruckus Count's estate was located, you could find at least 30 people with bluish-silver hair and blue eyes.
"Yuria."
"Yes, Master."
"I'm sorry, but you'll need to hide for a while."
"I'm used to it."
I briefly returned to reality and pulled out a large black blanket and coat from my inventory, dressing her in them.
I intended to hide Yuria's existence from the Flune Knights thoroughly. I wanted to do the same with Hassent, but there was no helping it.
"Stay here."
"Yes."
I turned around and looked at Hassent. He was silently watching me.
"Head Butler, this matter…"
"Yes. I saw nothing."
"...."
If he cooperated, it was good for me. Though I couldn't fully trust him.
'The knights should be done cleaning up the bandits by now. I should join in. It'll be easier to manipulate things that way.'
I headed toward the center of Artel Village with Hassent.
***
The 20 Flune Knights, who had captured all members of the Ferek Bandits, were enjoying a smoke, each with a cigarette in their mouths.
Hent, seeing me approach, tossed his cigarette butt to the ground and spoke to me with a confident expression.
"As you requested, all 32 bandits have been captured."
"Good work, Sir Hent. Any casualties or escapes?"
"What do you take us for? No one escaped, and none died by our hands. However, a few bandits were killed by the villagers before we arrived."
I nodded as I listened to his report.
"Any injuries among the knights?"
My casual question caused Hent's face to stiffen.
"Young Master, that's an insult. Do you think we'd get hurt by mere bandits?"
"…My apologies. That was careless of me."
"No, it's fine. It's been a while since we've seen real action… I might have overreacted."
"As an apology, let's have Korean barbecue for dinner tonight. It'll be a fun samgyeopsal party."
I needed to cash in on some otherworldly patriotism.
"Korean barbecue…? Samgyeopsal? What's that?"
"Didn't I explain Korea to you before? It's an ancient nation."
"Yes. I heard chicken and ramen are Korean foods."
"Korean samgyeopsal is no less delicious than chicken or ramen. You might even like it more, especially since you enjoy meat."
Hent swallowed hard. I could guess what he was thinking—recalling the taste of chicken and ramen.
"…Not inferior to chicken and ramen? Korea never disappoints."
"Indeed. Korea has an outstanding food culture. That's why mukbang became a thing."
"Mukbang…? What's that?"
"It's part of their food culture."
I gave a vague explanation. Since the concept of broadcasting didn't exist in this world, it was impossible to explain fully.
Afterward, I inspected the captured bandits. They were tightly bound with ropes, most with broken limbs, disarmed, and dressed in simple clothes.
Among them, I focused on a red-haired man with both arms and legs broken. He had a gag in his mouth and was missing his left ear. This was Ferek.
Ferek glared at me with intense hatred, as if he wanted to kill me.
"Such a rebellious glare. I like it."
I smirked.
I wanted to show him what an eagle's soccer kick was, but I held back. It wasn't my place to deal with him—Yuria should be the one.
"Young Master, should we execute some of them? They're already sentenced to death anyway."
Hent suggested. His opinion was valid. They were caught red-handed. Even if I executed them, no one would object. I was the son of a great lord, and they were bandits.
"No. They've pillaged Pruckus territory. We can't just kill them easily."
"…Young Master, you're unexpectedly fearsome."
"Was my decision wrong?"
"No. It's correct. As a direct descendant of the Pruckus family, you've made the right decision. No one will criticize you."
"That's good to hear. Are all the villagers dead?"
"Nine women and three men—12 survivors. It seems they planned to capture and sell them as slaves. They're gathered over there."
Hent pointed, and I looked.
There, a group of shabby-looking commoners was gathered. They weren't particularly attractive, and their emaciated bodies made me doubt they'd fetch much as slaves.
"What will you do with them?"
"Leave them be. They'll manage on their own."
I turned my attention away from them. I had no intention of taking them in. There was no reason to.
"As for the bodies in the village… let's cremate them separately. It'll be troublesome, but could you assist?"
"Of course."
In this world, commoners cremated their dead. There were rumors that monsters or beasts would come to eat the corpses, but the main reason was that corpses could turn into undead. To prevent the living from being endangered, it was customary to burn corpses immediately.
"We'll gather and cremate them."
"…No. My apologies, but cremate them with their families. We should at least show minimal respect for the dead."
"Understood. They'll be grateful for your mercy."
The knights began to move.
Of course, there was a reason I wanted the bodies cremated separately.
"Head Butler."
"Yes, Young Master. Should I prepare a suitable corpse?"
Hassent understood my unspoken intentions.
I would use a suitable corpse to fake Yuria's death. The surviving villagers and knights would serve as witnesses.
"...Please handle it."
"Understood. It's not difficult."
With the village in chaos, it would be easy to smuggle out a corpse. For the disguise, damaging the corpse and covering it with cloth would make it hard to identify.
Hassent quietly began to move.
I stepped back and stood still, watching them.
Some knights were guarding the bandits. The villagers were helping the knights with the cremation.
Soon, the sound of villagers weeping filled the air, and smoke rose from various places.
***
Before cremating the disguised corpses of Nell Rins and Yuria, I asked the surrounding villagers.
"Does anyone know this woman's name? Some bandits were killed by her. She had impressive swordsmanship."
The commoners exchanged glances. I frowned. Was it such a difficult question to answer?
Sensing the tension, a woman quickly replied.
"I heard her name was… K-Kelia, my lord."
"...You heard?"
"W-Well, our village is a bit special… We don't interact much with our neighbors, my lord."
I understood.
This village was a gathering place for fugitives. It was natural for neighbors to keep their distance.
And Nell Rins was a wise woman. She wouldn't have revealed her real name to the villagers, nor would she have easily trusted others, even if they were in similar situations.
How had the Helbrit Duke's family found traces of Nell Rins?
After a moment of thought, I spoke.
"I see. There's a dead woman in the house. Was she this woman's daughter?"
"Yes. I heard she had a daughter with leprosy. Her name was… La-La? Something like that."
"The corpse is severely damaged. Does anyone remember La-La's face?"
"She was a shut-in… I've never seen her leave the house."
I nodded.
In this world, leprosy wasn't as feared as in medieval times. The Magic Tower sold leprosy cures, though they were expensive, making them inaccessible to the poor.
Nell Rins had hidden Yuria well. She was indeed a wise woman.
'This makes things easier.'
The villagers knew nothing. Even if the Helbrit Duke's family tortured them, they wouldn't learn anything about Yuria.
As I cremated Nell Rins' body, I glanced back at where Yuria was hiding.
What was she thinking as she watched her mother's cremation from afar?
***
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