18 – 5. To Hwangseong (4)
“wait a minute.”
“Shien-nim?”
Shien cautiously approaches the outskirts.
Suddenly, however, Adele follows her.
There, a man with a shabby impression was lined up in the stalls.
The items on top are crude accessories.
No matter how you look at it, it was just a common thing to see on the street.
This is not a place where many people buy and sell things.
If you go a little further, you will come to the main street, and that is the commercial district.
Customers are naturally created where there are many merchants.
I want to compare better things in more places.
In other words, this place can’t be good for business.
Even so, putting a seat means one thing.
From nob le mt l. co m
My situation is urgent and I have no business experience.
There were no available seats, so they decided to settle here.
“hey.”
Are you surprised by the beautiful woman’s voice?
A middle-aged man suddenly raised his head and said hello.
“Oh, welcome. Could you please wait a moment? I haven’t been able to get everything out yet… .”
He sighs and tells me to wait a little longer.
There aren’t that many things, but the speed doesn’t go very well.
The reason for this became clear not long after.
There was nothing on the man’s right sleeve.
Where a person’s arm should be, it’s just hanging loose.
Perhaps Shien managed to see that.
“Sorry, guest. I’m a bit late… .”
although the face is not visible.
Did he feel something from the voice or the atmosphere that came out?
The man treated Shien the way he treated a nobleman.
“no. it’s okay.”
Sien looked at the man for a moment.
Then, biting his lips slightly, he removed them.
“It looks like your hands are a little uncomfortable.”
“yes? Ahhh… It is.”
“Did you have an accident?”
The man smiled and replied no.
“Then maybe… During the Great War… .”
“yes. Well, to my shame.”
A middle-aged man who lost his hand in a battle with the Witchbeast and withdrew.
I did get a reward, but the amount wasn’t that big.
There is a limit to taking care of the family with that alone.
And I don’t want to keep despairing because I don’t have an arm.
It is said that he started this business in order to do something.
“… Ahh. I told my story line by line. sorry.”
“No. Rather, I just thought he was a great person.”
“It’s just an honor to have a noble person say that.”
“It is precious. So, did you make all of this yourself?”
“That’s right. It’s embarrassing even if it’s something that I don’t have… .”
If it’s something you made yourself even though you don’t have one arm.
It can be seen that dexterity belongs to a fairly good axis.
“You are pretty. Can you give me one of these?”
Shien picked up a butterfly-shaped brooch.
The purple wings go well with her hair color.
“Yes, guest. Just give me three fairy tales.”
A man who fetches a lower price than an ordinary accessory.
As he said, Shien placed the three in his hand.
“… uh?”
However, what she offered was a silver coin, not a copper coin.
“Me, a guest?”
“yes?”
“Sorry, I think I gave you the wrong money. Not a silver coin, but a fairy tale… .”
“I think I got it right.”
“no. cannot be received. This is a story of three fairy tales, but… .”
“Because of the hard work you put into making it. With that hand, he is the one who saved the future of the empire.”
A man who sternly refuses, and a man who gives a firm grip.
After a short scuffle, it was Cien who eventually won.
“… thank you Thank you very much.”
“I’m rooting for you. Do your best.”
After such an unexpected transaction, Shien moved on.
With the brooch I just bought attached to my clothes.
“… A little sudden, right?”
Adele nodded at Sean’s question.
“To be honest, yes.”
“sorry. However, seeing people like that makes me weak. A mother who died of injuries while fighting a witch beast, and many knights and soldiers from the fallen family. Thinking of them, thinking of me who is alive thanks to them. It was in my heart that I had to do something like this. That’s why I used to help the wounded while being in the middle.”
And now to my father and brother.
The way for those who lost their lives fighting for others.
It’s not all about simply honoring and comforting them.
To treat those who fought alongside them with respect.
Shien thought and acted like that.
“But, Shien-sama.”
“Why?”
“Hasn’t the Empire already compensated?”
Adele didn’t understand.
That man had nothing to do with Lichtenauer.
I don’t even know Shien at all.
Not even a knight, just an unknown soldier.
Even so, why do you have such a heart?
I really want to hear Cien’s answer.
“… We deserve respect for those who sacrificed willingly.”
If not, if not treat them.
Who would later sacrifice himself to protect others?
There is no end to rewards, and respect and respect must never dry up.
Shien replied in a natural tone.
“… .”
Suddenly, a scene from a while ago comes to mind.
Even though the family was in financial trouble, they did not give up money to comfort the fallen.
The only thing that honors and cares for them is the appearance of Sien, who was holding onto it.
‘You are a very strange person.’
A woman with a faint but clear light.
Adele, who watched Shien’s back for a while, quietly followed.
* * *
“hmm. Sien. Would you like to try this on instead of that?”
“… Karina. Be honest. Are you enjoying yourself?”
“no way. I’m just doing this for myself. If it seems like there aren’t enough people to go with, I’m at a loss too?”
It’s already been an hour.
Shien was caught by Karina and was wearing all sorts of dresses.
The shapes are different, the colors are different, when the hell will it end?
In the end, it took another 30 minutes to choose a dress.
“Sien became. Now it’s your escort’s turn… .”
“Can Adele accompany you?”
“huh. It is possible to have one person to look after you.”
Following Cien’s footsteps, Adele’s clothes-changing began this time.
I thought it would be over soon, but surprisingly it took up a lot of time.
It looked better no matter what she wore than I thought, so neither Shien nor Karina could decide.
“… .”
It was my first time wearing clothes like this, and it was my first time experiencing something like this.
Adele’s eyes were wide open and she was only repeating what she wanted to wear.
Finally, the decision was made to wear a black robe.
“Should we start soon?”
Karina, who got on the carriage first, held Shien’s hand.
Adele closes the carriage door and immediately departs for the imperial palace.
“I heard the news. He said he bumped into Fiore.”
“Has that already reached your ears?”
“It’s between Lichtenau and Fiore. It also happened in a city not far from here. People whispering spreads quickly. Especially if it’s such a stimulating content.”
“… .”
“You did well not to fall for the provocation. Due to Fiore’s Etrian personality, if you had reacted to the provocation, you would have tried to lead them into a duel somehow. It’s obvious if you don’t see it.”
Although Carini will always stand by Shien’s side.
If Shien and Etria fight, the winner will be Etria.
As far as that part, I was drawing a cold conclusion.
“I will tell you in advance. The Fiore family was also invited to this imperial banquet.”
“… is that so.”
“We successfully prevented a large-scale demonic spectacle from appearing a while ago. It is said that there are more than 10 if you add only four 3rd-grade demons and the lower-level demons.”
“That’s a really huge amount.”
“There was some damage, but the nobles united and eventually annihilated them all. Thanks to this, the reputation of the Fiore family increased even more. With the current Knights ability, it is said that they can win even if a 2nd grade Demonic Land appears. Well, if you look at it objectively, it’s great.”
From Cien’s point of view, it would be an uncomfortable story to hear.
However, it is easy to deal with only when you know the opponent.
Because of this, Karina told me everything she knew.
“Unless there is something special, the nobles will treat the Fiore family preferentially. That’s why I’m trying to take you. We need to stop the halo from focusing there. By all means.”
“… By all means.”
Karina nodded.
If there is no way to fix it, the story of the previous head of the family who died in battle.
Shien, who suddenly took over as head of household, uses himself.
Even sympathy is good, so I have to make a side somehow.
I wanted to say that, but I didn’t say it out loud.
“Oh, and I mean. Sien.”
Karina glanced through the window.
Did he notice something strange in her appearance?
Shien stares at her silently.
“A man called your escort attendant. Are you really trustworthy?”
“Did you do a background investigation in that short period of time?”
“It’s not a knight of Lichtenau, and it’s not like his name is known anywhere. Level 3 monsters are ‘single’, and there are few that are at the level of playing with them. Even if there is, it must be a well-known article. But I’ve never heard of the name Adele. I’ve never heard of it anywhere.”
“It has some circumstances. I can’t tell you, but… .”
“That’s why I’m even more worried. The kind of person who suddenly came to Lichtenauer at the moment of crisis. It’s strange for anyone to see By any chance, if this is someone’s ploy to infiltrate deep into Lichtenau, this is a very serious matter.”
hahahaha-.
Sean sighed quietly.
Of course, Karina’s concerns are very legitimate.
There are still many people who doubt Adele, even within the family.
But Shien shook his head.
If you decide to believe it once, I want to believe it until the end.
And when I saw Adele, I didn’t think that kind of person.
It was a feeling of certainty, not certainty.
“Don’t worry about Adele. I will vouch for it.”
“Among us merchants, it is said that the guarantee is not to be reckless. know?”
“I am not a merchant.”
“I don’t mean that… .”
Karina, who stopped talking and kept her mouth shut.
A few seconds later, a knock is heard on the carriage door.
“We will be in front of the imperial palace soon, everyone.”
“Yes, got it. Adele. thank you.”
After Shien’s answer, his presence slowly faded away again.
“… anyway. Find out more about that man.”
I know you’re saying this because you genuinely care about yourself.
Shien had no choice but to nod his head.
Of course, I never intended to investigate Adele’s background.