“Ouch… … !”
after about 20 minutes. Beric, who had turned into rice cake, groaned as he crawled on the floor. His body was filled with magic tools that Luke and Max had released.
Luke clicked his tongue and laid down Beric.
“Let’s have a little talk.”
“Kkeuugh, what kind of conversation did you have after putting people to this point?”
“You’re lucky I didn’t kill you. On the subject of breaking the customs of entertainment.”
When he hit the point, Beric flinched. The custom of hospitality is not just about words.
Whether the host or the guest, if this is intentionally violated, the other party may kill the other party.
In this case, even the relatives of the great nobility cannot protest. It’s because anyone can see that it’s self-employed.
“If you understand, raise your head and look this way.”
“I am watching.”
“Look at me, where are you looking? Are there any birds on my head?”
“My eyes are swollen, so I can hardly see anything. oops!”
“… … .”
Seeing Beric cringe in pain, Luke licked his lips. Bruno had a bad feeling, but he defeated him properly.
When I glanced to the side, Bruno was shaking his hands with a refreshing face.
“Hmm, anyway, I need to ask you a few questions. What’s your relationship with Ray?”
“My cousin. The child’s father is my uncle.”
“cousin?”
Luke ran a hand through Beric’s hair. Far from being red, it was brown, the most common color.
“I know what you are thinking, but red hair is rather rare in our family. My ancestors said it was red hair, but as generations passed, the blood must have thinned.”
“Well, let’s say that. Then why did you try to catch us?”
“It was to prevent you from meeting Ray.”
“You know that when you see it. What I’m asking is why did you try to stop it?”
Beric paused for a moment, then sighed deeply. The darkened face was like a person trying to reveal his shame to others.
“Do you know anything about the West?”
“A land full of dirty monsters.”
“You are not wrong.”
Beric smiled bitterly at Luke’s words.
“But the summary is too harsh. It’s not that much if you live it yourself. This is the Wild West, a battleground where the wild and the civilized are half mixed.”
There is a proverb like this in the West. Unconditionally give birth to a lot of children, there are many adults anyway, so there are only two.
As such, the West is a land frequented by monster raids. People always prepare for a fight, and the number of knights and soldiers consumed is enormous.
Of course, Western families are always in dire need of arms. Not to mention a powerful knight like Ray.
“So when the child returned to the family after three years, everyone was happy. It was because he was a strong kid from the beginning, and the frequency of monsters appearing has increased a lot recently. I thought it would be of great help to the family.”
However, the Winslow family’s expectations were quickly betrayed. Returning to the family, Ray coldly refused despite the requests of the people around him.
The reason was simple.
-I have a lord to whom I have been loyal.
From the point of view of the adults in the family, it was like a thunderclap. Even with that sword, would you follow the new lord without using it for your family?
Everyone, including the family head, desperately detained Ray. Then he summoned Beric and gave orders.
Find out what kind of guy the master of Ray is.
“… So you were on your way east?”
“No, I didn’t intend to go that far. I was thinking of going all the way to the central region and submitting an information collection request. I never expected to see you three days after leaving the family.”
Beric lowered his head, saying that he was quite unlucky. Luke rubbed his chin and thought.
“So that’s what you mean. If I, the lord of Ray, go to the family and meet them, I will not be able to detain them anymore, so they tried to prevent me from meeting them at all.”
“exactly. Anyway, as time goes on, the love for hometown will come back, and I am not a child who can pretend not to see a dying person… … .”
“It’s cracking.”
Beric’s body trembled at the icy voice. Luke said, glaring at Beric the most bleakly.
“Don’t cut back and forth and talk about everything. What happened?”
“What are you talking about?”
“There are too many things left out. From the reason Ray left the family to the fact that you guys let him go without stopping it.”
The West wants strong knights so much. If he really needed Ray’s power, he had to stop him from leaving.
If it was a family that worked hard in the west, it would not have been difficult to catch a 16-year-old running away.
But now, you say you desperately need Ray’s power?
“Tell me honestly. What are you hiding?”
“… … .”
Beric shut his mouth and lowered his head. Unwilling to speak, Luke drew his sword.
“Okay, if you can’t tell me, that’s fine. Good luck.”
“Wait a minute! Do you really intend to kill me!?”
“I hate those bastards who say ‘I didn’t lie’ the most after saying things in their own favor. It’s far better to be determined and lie.”
Beric trembled at Luke’s words. It was a very sincere voice. The moment Luke’s sword is about to swing.
“I knew you would be right back!”
Beric’s mouth, which was dripping with cold sweat, opened. Luke stopped the hand that was about to cut his throat.
“Keep talking.”
“We knew we would be back soon. Of course, that child’s mother is in the family.”
“Are you the child’s mother? If it’s Ray’s mother, isn’t it an aunt to you?”
“no.”
Beric murmured, sighing deeply.
“That child is the youngest daughter.”
* * *
Ray reached out and stroked his mother’s cheek. Dry, pitted cheeks. But Ray was very happy with this little flesh.
Before, her appearance was like a living skeleton.
“Stop it, my cheeks will wear out.”
“mother.”
Rei shed tears at the words of her smiling mother. How long has it been since I saw a mother moving with such an expression on her face?
After I was thirteen, I spent most of my time lying in bed.
“This mother is all well. Even if you don’t, you’ll stay awake from now on.”
“I know.”
“I know. The subject that shakes me in surprise every time I sleep.”
Ray’s face turned red at his mother’s scolding. Can’t you help it? Because I myself doubt that this is not a dream.
If I didn’t check properly, I couldn’t do anything because I was anxious.
“Anyway, an elixir. I never imagined that I would be able to put that precious thing in my mouth while I was alive.”
“My lord gave it to me.”
“You are a merciful person. I wish I could meet you in person and bow to you.”
Ray’s complexion darkened at his mother’s words. In fact, the person who had to meet the lord was not his mother, but Ray himself.
From noble mtl dot com
I couldn’t even say thank you properly, and I only swore allegiance and escaped in a hurry. But I’m stuck here and I can’t get out.
“miss.”
Just then, a middle-aged maid came in from outside. The maid bowed her head with a very nervous posture.
“The Viscount is calling.”
“… I’ll be back.”
“Yes, mother is here, so don’t rush.”
“yes.”
With a greeting, Ray came out. The smiling face instantly cooled.
“Is your mother taking good care of you?”
“I am doing my best.”
“I hope so. The day your mother feels uncomfortable is the day you die.”
The middle-aged maid trembled and lowered her head. If it was Ray now, he could have killed the maid by breaking her neck right away.
‘Why did I do that? I wasn’t ignoring her as a young girl… … !’
The maid bowed her head, regretting the past. Ray passed the maid down the hallway.
The people around them looked at Ray and flinched and backed away. It was clear that everyone was afraid.
When Ray arrived at the office, the servant stuttered and opened his mouth.
“Come on, Viscount. Miss you… … .”
rattle.
“… … !”
The servant opened his mouth in surprise. It was because he opened the door without hesitation before the delivery was finished.
Ray closed the door casually and looked at the man in the office. An aristocrat with gray hair, a beard and chained sideburns.
It was Caden Winslow, the current head of Viscount Winslow.
“I heard you called.”
“You have no manners. Couldn’t you wait for the servant to speak?”
“Tell me your business.”
“Do you still resent me?”
Ray did not respond to Viscount Cayden’s words. Clicking his tongue, Viscount Cayden turned his back.
“The priest said that your mother’s condition is getting much better.”
“yes.”
“I try to eat as much healthy food as possible. In about three months, he should be healthy enough to run.”
“It’s all thanks to the Elixir given by the lord.”
“… It is also thanks to us for taking care of your mother until now!”
The suppressed anger exploded and Viscount Cayden glared at Ray.
“You are a child of the West! Where are you going to leave this suffering land behind!?”
“To the side of the lord I swore allegiance to.”
“Your lord is not there yet! If there is, it will be in this family!”
The gazes of Viscount Cayden and Ray collided. Ray didn’t back down an inch from the eyes of the viscount who opened his hatchet eyes and glared at him.
Then, someone came in from outside.
“Calm down, both of you.”
“Rion.”
Cayden looked at the son he had spoken to. Leon Winslow, the heir and legitimate son of the family, and Rey’s half-brother.
Leon smiled and stopped the two of them.
“What are you so worried about? My sister will remain in the family.”
“I never said a word like that.”
“It can’t be. Your wife is still not well, so where are you going? I have to recover it soon. With the wealth of the Winslow family.”
A groan escaped Ray’s mouth. He’s a half-brother that he’s hated since the old days, but as time goes on, he’s become more like a snake.
To the point where I thought that if I didn’t suppress myself with all my might, I might inadvertently cut myself off.
“Now, sister, go and get some rest. Don’t you have a lot to talk about with your wife?”
“… Then excuse me first.”
At Leon’s words, Ray immediately stormed out of the office. Rion, who was looking at that figure, immediately turned her gaze to her father, Viscount Cayden.
“You were too hasty. Don’t you know that even if heaven and earth are turned upside down, sister won’t open her heart first?”
“Still, at least I knew I would feel the burden. Didn’t you take good care of my mother?”
“It was like that when I woke up. Doesn’t your sister have that kind of notice?”
“Kuhm.”
Viscount Cayden averted his gaze at his son’s scolding. It was not wrong. As long as you’re asleep with sleeping sickness, you’re like a corpse anyway.
It was all about periodically checking to make sure he wasn’t dead and turning his body over every hour to prevent it from rotting.
“Anyway, don’t worry. You have no choice but to settle down here. Will we or who will take care of your wife?”
“But you swore, didn’t you? And to the children of the Bernstein family.”
“This is the West, not the East.”
No matter how high the prestige of the Bernstein family is, it is the story of the East. In the Far West, no one fears its name.
Wouldn’t it be obvious that if they went on a grand expedition with the knights or the army, they would be defeated first?
“So watch carefully. Anyway, your sister will soon realize the reality.”
“Whoa, I get it.”
When Viscount Cayden nodded, Leone turned his gaze and stared coolly at the door Ray had just left.
‘You have to use that power for the family, sister. I’m not the lord you arbitrarily chose.’
Greed glistened in Leon’s eyes. It was not the family, but the eyes looking at the mighty weapon.
* * *
“So you had a sleeping mother, and because of that, you thought you would come back to the family someday?”
“exactly.”
Beric nodded at Luke’s words.
“But I was wrong. The child hasn’t been looking for a family for three years. Even from a year ago, life-sustaining medicine for sleeping sickness was sent to the family.”
There was an uproar in the family. Until now, I thought it was in my hands, but when I saw it, it was at the level of independence.
At least, the last hope was to send ‘life-sustaining medicine’ rather than ‘cure medicine’. If the life-sustaining drug is cut off, I will definitely rely on my family.
Everyone thought that this was their chance to get their hands on Ray again.
“But when I visited, the child cured my mother. It was only later that I found out that it was a legendary elixir.”
“Then isn’t it over? Did your mother treat you? There would be no reason to hold on to it any longer.”
“It’s already been five years since Ray’s mother fell ill with sleeping sickness. I’m healed, but I’m weak enough to break if I touch it, so where will I go? It was a situation that needed recuperation.”
“That must have been the Winslow family.”
“Right. It was the last rope left for the family.”
Having said that, Beric lowered his head. It was as I said before.
He detained Ray under the pretext of his mother’s health, and at the same time, made him find out who the lord he was loyal to was.
“under.”
Luke laughed in vain. Yulihi and these guys were all the same.
The opponent takes advantage of the hopeless situation and rolls it out of his hands, and when the situation changes rapidly, he panics and tries to fix the barn.
Bruno was also dumbfounded and spat out a word from the side.
“You look sick. I’d rather do it right from the start.”
“… … .”
Beric’s face turned red. This time, I had no excuses for myself. Luke looked down at Beric for a moment, then smiled.
“Anyway, I was lucky. I was able to hear prior information from him here.”
“What are you going to do? Do you want to visit the Winslow family like this?”
“No, I should do some activities as an ascetic for a while before I go.”
“yes?”
Bruno and Max looked at each other bewildered. Didn’t he say that he would avoid Ray as much as possible until he found him?
“If you’re going to go, you should make it come from the Winslow family.”
* * *
A fortnight after that, Viscount Cayden burst into anger in the office.
“What the hell are you talking about!? An ascetic knight!”
Old fashioned customs that are now already musty. However, for westerners, it was the training article that was more desperate than anyone else.
How could I not cheer because they chased the monsters without receiving a big price. If that was the case, it was good for the viscount as well.
Anyway, the training knights are helpful for the stability of the territory. The problem was then.
“By the way, what is this title! The lord of the flame mirror!?”
Some titles are attached to nobles like modifiers. Some are made by others, while others are self-adhesive.
But this damn ascetic knight called himself and shouted like this every time.
-I am Luke Bernstein, the blood of the dragon and the lord of Ray Winslow!
“Such a madman… … !”