More than once, no complaints were made. Ray joined Bruno and headed straight to Luke’s room.
As soon as he met Luke, Ray got down on one knee with a flushed face.
“Ray Winslow sees his lord.”
“Yeah, long time no see. Did you use the Elixir well?”
“Yes, as you commanded.”
The shadow that had stayed on Ray’s face until now had disappeared. Luke smiled in satisfaction.
“It’s worth it.”
“If possible, my mother also wanted to see the lord… … .”
“I said I was still weak. There is no need to overdo it.”
Anyway, the ideal of meeting Ray is overflowing with time. It would be better to see you recovering than meeting with a body that is difficult to move.
“How did your lord come all the way here?”
“It’s a bit long to talk about.”
Luke explained how he had come this far. Becoming an acolyte and traveling west with Bruno and Max, and meeting Beric.
Being invited to the Winslow family after hearing a rough explanation. And even the fact that I couldn’t meet Ray for one reason or another.
“After a few more days, I was on the verge of leaving. That’s why I came up with a suitable trick and called you.”
Hearing the circumstances, Ray frowned. Although he expected it, it seemed that he hid information about Luke and his party from his family, Ray.
Hey, if Ray had heard of it, he would have followed it without hesitation like now. Ray bowed his head again and apologized.
“Forgive your family for their rudeness.”
“done. What your family did is different from what you did. Looking at the situation, it doesn’t seem like they’re very close.”
A child who wants to go to the lord who has given allegiance to him, and a family who tries to dissuade it and use it for the benefit of the family.
Looking at cancer, it wasn’t a friendly relationship. Ray also confirmed Luke’s words with silence.
“Anyway, what are you going to do now?”
Bruno, who was sipping cold water next to him to sober up, asked.
“Looks like Mother has been taken halfway hostage, but she can’t follow us at this rate.”
“No, I will follow you.”
“what? Are you okay?”
Bruno blinked his eyes at the firm answer. Ray nodded his head with an expression that didn’t matter at all.
“I don’t know much about politics, but I’m not stupid. If you treat my mother now, you will all know that I am turning my back on my family.”
She is the mother who managed to find the elixir after much struggle and save her life. But how did you treat Ray’s mother carelessly?
Even if there is no major harm to the body, Ray will turn his back on the family, and if he dies one day, he will aim his sword at the family.
“There is only one reason why I have remained in the family until now. It was because I was afraid that they would harbor a grudge against me for not helping me and risk being hostile to me.”
No matter how many knights Ikki is, in the end it is only one person. You can’t compete with the entire viscount family.
So I stayed with the family. If I didn’t pretend to see at all, my eyes would go round and I could take the loss and harm my mother.
“But there is no problem now.”
“Why?”
“Well, did you know my identity as Ray’s master?”
“… ah!”
Only then did Bruno nod. Luke is a descendant of the famous Bernstein family in the Empire.
To insult such a knight of Luke is to insult Luke, and furthermore, to insult the entire Bernstein family.
Unless the Viscount is crazy, he won’t be able to fight the Bernstein family.
‘I would have been dubious if it was only Ray’s testimony, but since he himself came, I can no longer doubt it.’
So even if Ray leaves, the Viscount has to take care of Ray’s mother by crying and eating mustard.
That is, unless you become enemies of the Bernstein family and Cheolcheon.
“Good for you. We can just leave like this.”
“No, that’s not okay.”
“yes? why?”
“The situation here is very strange.”
Before the return, the elves exterminated the five western families. The magic tool of the elves that Beric had. And even the numerous quantities that Leon brought.
There were too many things that bothered me to just move on.
‘It would be easy to take Ray with me like this, but if I did, the entire five families would disappear like before.’
It was a situation that Luke wanted to prevent if possible. Even in order to keep the damned emperor in check, the West had to stay relatively intact.
‘The viscount will call me tomorrow, so let’s get some information.’
Anyway, the first goal was achieved. Now that the one holding the hilt was this one, there was no need to rush.
* * *
the next morning. As expected, the Viscount found Luke right away. The viscount glared at Luke with a distorted expression.
I never thought I would meet Ray through such a trick. Thanks to that, all the plans I had made collapsed.
‘No, it’s not over yet. Even if you’re drunk, a mistake is a mistake. I have to use this as an excuse to get Ray!’
It’s forced. Excessive compensation for mistakes. However, it was necessary to assert nonsensical words confidently if only for the cause of being a nobleman.
And there was no turning back if I didn’t make this kind of insistence. If you send Ray like this, everything will be over.
“Sir Luke! yesterday… … !”
“Sorry, sir! I can’t believe my vassal got drunk and went on a rampage like that! Even if you have ten mouths, you have nothing to say!”
Before the viscount could say anything, Luke quickly opened his mouth. The viscount frowned because he was speechless, but fortunately he seemed to admit his guilt.
If so, the rest was just going ahead with the plan.
“Yes! therefore… … !”
“This is all because of my immorality! How can I feel so guilty toward His Excellency, who has treated me so far!”
“I know! So in exchange… … !”
“So I’m leaving right now! With my vassals!”
The viscount, who was about to shout, closed his mouth. what did you say now?
“Bruno, Max, and even Ray! Now that all the vassals have gathered, how can they think of staying any longer? I will take everyone and leave right now!”
“Wait a minute! Wait a minute!”
The viscount hurriedly stopped Luke, who was about to jump up and leave. However, Luke struggled recklessly to jump out.
“no! The vassal made such a mistake yesterday, so I have no face to see your Excellency!”
“You can pay the price with something else!”
“What will I pay but to leave? I’m leaving right now! Take Ray right now!”
“… … !”
The viscount’s eyebrows trembled at Luke’s words that shot like a waterfall. I finally understood what the trick was.
‘This baby, I will continue to leave until I will forgive me!’
The moment he demands another price, he will take Ray with him in the name of apology. If you forgive me, I will go on without paying anything in return.
It was a trick that turned the outfit upside down, but the problem was that there was no way to stop it. What do you mean when you don’t give me a chance to talk more than anything!
“Then I will leave! Right Now!”
“Wait a minute! I will forgive you!”
“yes!? Didn’t you hear that!?”
“I will forgive you! Your guests might! So stay longer!”
The Viscount forced a smile and shouted at Luke. Then, as if thrilled, Luke lowered his head coldly.
“Your Excellency is merciful! To forgive my vassal’s mistakes!”
“No. Anyone can do that when drunk.”
“You even show me such mercy without getting anything in return! I can’t help but admire it!”
A convulsion occurred on the viscount’s cheek as he forced a smile. Is this baby, right now to burst and die?
From noble mtl dot com
It was after such a blitz of absurd skits. The Viscount sat down with a tired face, and Luke calmed down as if the uproar from earlier had been a lie.
“I have something to tell you.”
“If it’s what Bruno did… … .”
“That’s done. Because I forgave you.”
“Tell me anything.”
The Viscount sighed when he saw Luke reassuring himself like a snake. A young boy is no ordinary bet.
If he was dealt with by his successor, Leon, he would continue to be swayed. The Viscount himself needed to talk openly about this.
“I want you to help me. Fits the purpose of an acolyte knight.”
“Ascetic knights do not use their strength for the benefit of individuals or specific families.”
“But what if it’s a fight between humans and other races? Wouldn’t it be enough to call it a fight for the world?”
Luke was taken aback. I had a guess.
“Are you an elf?”
“Yes, those dwarves. Sick bastards.”
The viscount drank the cold water placed next to him to see if his throat was burning. It was only after drinking the entire glass that the Viscount opened his mouth again.
“Whoa, now I’m going to put aside the bogey and be honest. Things aren’t going well with the West and the dwarfs these days. It’s really bad.”
“Even if they don’t get along well, aren’t the two races separated by the forest? We will not be able to attack each other, nor will we receive them.”
“Yes, there are forests full of monsters. But for some reason, they’ve started coming over here lately.”
I don’t even know why. Did they decide to expand their territory, or did they have other reasons to come over?
What is certain is that the crashes have become more frequent as they keep coming over.
“I don’t know if it’s simply causing harm, but there are also things that benefit from colliding with each other. It’s a magic tool.”
“Then, the magic tool you showed me yesterday… … .”
“It’s all booty. We didn’t take it.”
“What does it mean?”
“Do you know Count Herning?”
Luke nodded. Not just a county family, but a family appointed as a Margrave like the Bernstein family.
In the West, a prestigious aristocrat with a stature comparable to that of the Bernstein family. But at the same time, it was also the first family to perish before returning.
“In the West, geographically close families are closely connected. It’s easy to be isolated by monsters, so let’s help each other. However, there is a center in such a connection, and conflicts arise.”
“Are Count Hernings the center of it?”
“Right. And there are three other families around me. To be honest, it’s just a cooperative relationship. We don’t get along very well.”
It is an alliance forged to stand against the disaster called monsters. If there were no monsters, it wouldn’t be strange if he turned his back right now.
However, if you do that with a monster in front of you, you can get along well with each other. The one who could mediate between the snarling was Count Herning.
“By the way, Count Herning’s family recently asked for help. I’m in the middle of a fight with the dwarves, so please send reinforcements. I wanted to refuse, but the reward was very generous.”
“Is it a magic tool?”
“Yeah, I sent a lot of things I took from them. I added the word that we will continue to supply magic tools as much as we contributed to the battle.”
For the Winslow family, it was a salivating proposal. A situation in which he struggles all the way to raise his combat power.
By the way, you can hand over that expensive magic tool to this amount, and give more according to what you contribute?
The viscount agreed right on the spot. The problem was after a few days.
“The number of monsters has increased. too stretched It’s getting to the point where it’s hard to properly send even the soldiers, let alone the Knights. In this situation, if you become greedy for magic tools, the territory will collapse.”
“Can’t you break the contract?”
“Already accepted, how? I can’t dishonor Count Herning’s face, as it might be for other families. Retaliation will come many times over.”
Even so, I couldn’t just send a messy mess. That would be an insult in its own way, and more than anything else, it would be obvious that other families with whom they had a bad relationship would look down on the Winslows.
What the viscount wanted was a small elite of strong knights. A knight who provides enough help to Count Herning’s family, boasts of his family’s strength, and can earn the envy of other families.
“And there is such a knight in my castle.”
“If you’re talking about Ray, then no.”
“I gave up, so don’t worry. I was too greedy for the subject of not using a pumpkin as a medicine. I wondered if I would stay even if I saw my mother… … .”
The viscount sighed deeply at Luke’s firm reply. In just a few minutes, it seemed like an extra wrinkle had added.
“But even if I can’t get my hands on it forever, wouldn’t it be okay for a while? As long as the child is with the lord he serves.”
After a moment of silence, the viscount looked directly at Luke and said.
“Together with Ray, come forward as reinforcements on behalf of the Winslow family. In return, I’ll give you anything I can.”