* * *
After work, Philip noticed a well-wrapped box lying in front of the villa’s front door.
“What is this?”
When Philip tilted his head, Roro, a Wollang tribe guarding the main gate in human form, answered.
“Some merchant left it. Judging by the stinky smell inside, it looks like there’s something like a living beast in it, but the little master told me to open it myself.”
“beast?”
‘Is there such a thing as a pet shop in this world?’
Philip smiled and unwrapped the box. When I opened the entrance, which was well blocked by a nail, the smell of sweat and an indescribably unpleasant odor spread out. Roro, who has a keen sense of smell, hurriedly backed away.
“What is this?”
Phillip frowned and checked the inside of the box. Inside was a girl with blue hair who was tied up and unconscious.
Philip had seen her hours before.
“… Eileen Denbrough?”
It was Eileen Denbrough, asleep as if dead. It was very pitiful to see her crumpled up in a box with her arms and legs tied in knots like a present, so Philip took her out of the box.
“Is this a child you know?”
“Roughly?”
Philip, who saw a card with a message written on it hanging around Aileen Denbrough’s neck, read it.
‘I’m going to catch it again in half a day.’
It was written in a peculiar handwriting. It was probably written by an assassin under Laughing Jack.
“town! town!”
Eileen Denbrough twisted her body as if she had come to her senses when the light came on. Phillip’s fingers aura undid the ribbons that bound her limbs and the gag that closed her mouth.
“Are you okay?”
She was so frightened that she couldn’t find the arrogance she had before. Apparently, after being caught, something frightening happened.
“… Please help me. please.”
“Let’s wash up first, take a rest, and then talk.”
“that… Then I will be arrested again. There are only two left!”
‘What the hell did you do to get that shape without any scars?’
Philip wondered what had happened to her, but first, he held out the message card that had been enclosed with her and showed it to Eileen to put her at ease.
“Fortunately, I got a call saying that I won’t catch you again for half a day.”
“How do you believe that?”
It seemed that he felt safe, and his personality gradually came out. Philip clicked his tongue and instructed Roro.
From noble mtl dot com
“Take him, wash him, and bring him to the study. It smells bad.”
“… Forced. little master?”
“Forcibly, of course. If you resist, it’s okay to take a few hits. Not too hard.”
“I beg your pardon?”
Philip went inside the villa first, leaving Eileen alone. Roro, who was left behind, carried Eileen in a hug and forcibly took her away in order to follow the owner’s instructions.
“Aww! Let go of this!”
Unfortunately, however, she could not overcome the power of the Wolrang tribe.
* * *
“Oh, be nice too. How nice is it to be quiet?”
Thirty minutes later, Eileen, who had been dried by Roro’s hands, sat down at the table and quietly ate the soup Roro scooped out with a spoon with a depressed expression.
‘Your strength is unbelievably strong… .’
This silver-haired woman, thought to be a nanny or maid, was by no means an ordinary person. Aileen Denbrough was also a genius recognized for her swordsmanship talent at the time, so I felt something unusual in Roro’s movements.
“Come on, oh, do it. Oh~”
Roro, who lives in the taste of raising a child these days, treated Eileen as if she did her daughter, Latia. In fact, it didn’t make much of a difference to her, who had lived for a long time.
“Isn’t it hot? Does it taste good?”
Eileen nodded her head. Since entering the academy, it was so awkward to be treated as a child that I had never been treated before.
After having her stomach full, Roro took Eileen to the study. Philip, who was reading a book, greeted Eileen and examined her complexion.
As if the shock of being kidnapped had gone away, he seemed surprisingly fine.
“I informed Count Denbrough that you are here, so he will come here soon. If you’re really uneasy, you can stay here and go back with the Count.”
Philip said that to reassure Eileen. However, Eileen did not seem to be relieved.
“When is Grandpa coming? ?”
“He said he would come soon, but I don’t know exactly when. No, no. You have just arrived.”
Feeling a strong presence beyond the closed door of the study, Philip could soon hear an urgent voice.
“Can I come in?”
It was the voice of the Earl of Denbrough. Philip stood up and answered.
“yes. You may come in. Count.”
Soon the door opened, and I saw the face of the Earl of Denbrough, who had visited about a month ago. As soon as he confirmed that Eileen was safe, he let out a deep sigh.
“What are you thinking… … no. I’m glad you’re okay.”
“Grandpa!”
Eileen jumped up and approached the Earl of Denbrough, who opened his arms and embraced his granddaughter. Philip smiled bitterly at his complex expression.
‘It must be a headache.’
After knocking her granddaughter on the back a few times, the Count pushed her away, and at that moment Eileen realized that something was seriously wrong. Truly unbelievable, her grandfather, an Auror Master and Royal Knights Commander, was very nervous right now.
“I can only say thank you for what you have done. I offered that tycoon to take care of my granddaughter.”
In response to the Earl of Denbrough’s gratitude, Philip uttered words of humility.
“Your name is an instructor at the academy, so can’t you do that much?”
“Laughing Jack. Are you familiar with him?”
“I don’t know very well.”
It was a story I knew to some extent. The Earl of Denbrough questioned Philip without hesitation.
“If I went to him now and fell on my knees, would he forgive my granddaughter?”
Philip couldn’t help but think about that question. As he pondered, a startled Eileen Denbrough looked up at her grandfather and widened her eyes.
“Your grandfather is an Aura Master, and he is also the Commander of the Royal Knights. What can a man who dares to play the boss in a back alley do?”
Seeing her granddaughter screaming nonsense, the Earl of Denbrough let out a deep sigh once again. It was something Eileen, who was still young, did not know.
“My dear. It’s very easy for me to fight them for you. The knights of the family, and if you’re lucky, with His Majesty’s permission, you can lead the royal knights to attack them. And it will probably be an endless war.”
Philip also agreed. Because the giants who dominated the underworld were shrouded in mystery, they couldn’t even figure out their exact history.
It was only known that he had people with all sorts of mysterious abilities under his command, and that several Assassins who had reached the level of masters followed their orders.
If a full-scale war broke out with the Royal Knights, the Knights had only one chance. If the leader could not be captured in a single raid, the knights or the Earl of Denbrough would have to live in fear of the assassin for the rest of their lives.
Of course, it was clear that the Earl of Denbrough would win if they went all the way to the end. However, the Earl of Denbrough was the commander of the royal knights in charge of the king’s bodyguards.
I couldn’t choose the option of declaring war.
“Jack the Laughing is probably the most communicative of the so-called ‘Godfathers,’ but Eileen is probably a little different. I won’t kill him as he’s still young, but he’ll probably be punished at an appropriate level.”
“Even if I’m looking for you myself?”
“yes. Even the king would be intimidated if necessary. In that world, there are only people who live with the mindset that they would rather die than show weakness.”
The Earl of Denbrough narrowed his eyes as he saw Philip, who was well acquainted with the suspiciously dark world.
“Then what should I do?”
“If it were me, I would ask for a bet. I bet Aileen as a stake. Laughing Jack would probably have to bet a waiver to accept it.”
At Philip’s words, the Earl of Denbrough fell into a deep sigh.
“I hope His Majesty does not know about this. Your Majesty would give the knights for me and my granddaughter, but they are the ones who have to keep the capital safe and protect the people. If you can solve it quietly, you should do it. I’m sorry, but could you arrange a contact with him? If you help me that far, I will give you a big reward.”
“… Grandpa, can you?”
Eileen, frightened at the word that she was betting on her fate, grabbed the Earl of Denbrough by the sleeve. Earl Denbrough held Eileen’s shoulders with a painful expression as if her heart was hurting.
“Eileen. I really love you, but my duty is more important. That is until someone comes along to take my place. But I guess it’s too early for that.”
“no… still… Grandpa?”
Eileen, who was in danger of losing her hand, looked at her grandfather with a pitiful gaze, but the Count turned his gaze away.
“Then will you contact me?”
When asked by Philip, who coincidentally knew how to contact Laughing Jack, the Count nodded.
* * *
“Privia-sama?”
After the Earl of Denbrough and Eileen went back, Philip called Privia right away.
“A suggestion to watch together would be great. It’s a spectacle that only comes around once in hundreds of years.”
Excited, Privia read Philip’s intentions before he could say anything and responded to the invitation. It was an event that would not have happened in the same way if it had not coincided with coincidence.
“By the way, even though I’m not your student, I’m still a young girl, so is it okay to end up in their hands?”
“Laughing Jack is neither stupid nor so cruel. I’ll harass you moderately, and when I’m angry, I’ll let you go. I won’t treat you too badly. I know him better than I thought.”
Even in the original game, there were quite a few episodes involving Laughing Jack and the godfathers of the underworld.
If you make the wrong choice when intertwining with them, the other godfathers will gruesomely murder or torture the main character’s crew, but not as much as Laughing Jack.
Basically, they were tolerant of those who weren’t criminals or who didn’t pose a threat to the underworld, so they locked them in a dungeon for a few days before releasing them, or they got into a fight with a decently viable opponent and released them if they won.
“… Then it’s no fun.”
When Privia made a sullen expression, Philip shook his head.
“The important thing is that Eileen and the Earl of Denbrough don’t know that.”
“It’s strange that you didn’t tell me about your personality.”
“Didn’t the Earl of Denbrough tell you? I mean do whatever you want. That child’s personality won’t be fixed unless it’s once severely damaged. Maybe in the future the Earl of Denbrough will thank me too.”
Thinking that it might be a blessing in disguise, Philip put a hearty smile on his lips. It had nothing to do with him anyway.
If it was really life-threatening, Philip would have helped from the bottom of his heart, but knowing the outcome, he was confident of being a thoroughly bystander, as if watching a well-organized play.