Chapter 85: Sulky

“…….”

Left alone, Princess Adeline quietly empties the remaining wine. The strong liquor sliding down her throat, ironically, only serves to clear her mind.

On the contrary, the more time passed, the further Princess Adeline drifted from sleep.

Not needing any comfort… that must have been the real problem, right?

His words continued to echo in her ears. She tried to chase them away with intoxication, but no matter how much she drank, they simply wouldn’t leave.

“Comfort… isn’t necessary.”

At some point, the words that had been floating around in her head slipped off her tongue. That was how much her thoughts of him deepened in that moment.

She dealt with countless people. She recruited outstanding talents, gave them what they needed, ruled them, dominated them, and commanded their obedience.

At times, she became a benevolent goddess. At other times, she became a ruthless tyrant.

Like a farmer harvesting crops, she would seize people’s hearts and make them her own. And the sole purpose of these actions was for the kingdom’s sake.

Just as Princess Clarice was willing to sacrifice her rights, her honor, and even her power for the kingdom, Princess Adeline would do whatever it took to recruit those she deemed beneficial to the kingdom—and she would wield them as she saw fit.

If someone called her a villainess, she would accept it, as long as it made the kingdom prosper.

In other words—

When Princess Adeline comforted others or won their hearts, it held no personal emotion at all.

But then—

“Hoo.”

She felt a strange sensation. She knew exactly why she was acting this way.

When you can’t have what belongs to someone else, it always looks that much more enticing.

“Ah, truly—.”

He really was an enticing man.

****

“Baron, please take care.”

In front of Isaac’s mansion, Karen, who has loaded all the luggage onto the waiting carriage, sends him off with a smile.

“Be sure to eat the lunch I packed for the journey. I worked really hard on it.”

“Sure, Karen. Please take good care of the house while I’m away.”

“Yep! Leave it to me!”

Karen playfully salutes. Trusting her, Isaac boards the carriage—inside, the Grandmaster is stretched out across two seats with her legs fully extended.

“It feels almost like we’re going on a picnic.”

At first, Isaac thought it was a sarcastic remark. But, seeing the corners of the Grandmaster’s mouth quirk up while gazing out the window, it seemed she truly felt that way.

“Indeed, it does.”

Isaac also smiled, sat across from her, and closed the carriage door.

The two of them set off for Bolten. According to Isaac’s deductions, the mercenary group Bellingwaltz—led by the third son of a southern knightly family—was rumored to be in Bolten.

Neigh!

With the crack of the coachman’s whip, the horses whinnied and lurched forward. As she watched the scenery pass outside the window, the Grandmaster spoke quietly.

“The mercenary band is in Bolten, and Baron Bolten was at the banquet, wasn’t he?”

“That’s right.”

“Hmm, Princess Clarice seems suspicious of him. What do you think?”

“I believe it’s almost certain.”

Though Isaac spoke calmly, his tone was tinged with bitterness. Baron Bolten, whom he had met at the banquet, was someone wholly out of place in such a setting. In fact, it would make more sense if he had shown up under the guise of committing an act of terror.

Well, whatever his reasons, once the location of the mercenary band was pinpointed as Bolten, he could no longer stay beyond the reach of the investigation.

“Who exactly are these ‘patreons’?”

Patreons. Isaac had never heard of such a group in his previous life. Which meant it was likely one of two things:

Either they all died off before anyone learned of them, or they operated so secretly that their existence never came to light.

“I don’t know their true identities. I only know they’re wealthy figures who sponsor talented individuals.”

“Sponsor them, you say?”

“It’s not just money. There are various other forms of support. Take my own case, for instance….”

The Grandmaster paused for a moment, then continued as though it were nothing.

“In exchange for becoming one of them, they promised to help me find my fellow disciple.”

“…….”

“In any case, once they sided with the Transcendents, I had no choice but to break ties. I have no intention of aiding the Transcendents.”

Another question arose in Isaac’s mind. In truth, the Grandmaster was closer to a Transcendent than a human.

In the case of Jonathan, he looked human on the outside but had a Transcendent hidden within. Meanwhile, the Grandmaster was so distinctly Transcendent in appearance that one could barely call her half-human—only without the hatred for humanity that most Transcendents bore.

‘What on earth happened to her?’

A past he had never even heard of in his previous life,

and likewise, the tale of the patreons.

Two stories the Grandmaster had never shared even with her disciples.

Isaac suspected the two weren’t separate at all but rather woven together somehow.

He could only guess.

“Hey—.”

“You, too.”

The Grandmaster cut him off. Yet her gaze still faced the window, a clear sign that this was an awkward topic.

“You’re searching for your friend’s family, aren’t you?”

“…….”

“Don’t ask any more about it.”

“All right.”

If that was her wish, then so be it. Isaac bowed his head. Then, acting as though their conversation had never happened, he abruptly changed the subject.

“When we get to Bolten, please remember that you’re just an ordinary bodyguard.”

“I know that. But do pardon me if I get irritated from having to hide my ears and tail.”

“Sorry, but I can’t allow that.”

“Hmm?”

At last, the Grandmaster turned her gaze to Isaac. He drew a clear line, speaking coldly.

“I’m a baron now. You’re just my guard.”

“…Are you bragging about becoming a noble?”

“I’m just letting you know the reality. Once we’re there, you have to speak formally to me—treat me with proper respect.”

“I speak this way even to Princess Clarice.”

“That’s because Princess Clarice has a unique personality.”

“Your jokes are no fun.”

“It’s not a joke. If a mere bodyguard looks down on a baron, he’ll find it suspicious.”

In response, the Grandmaster rapped on the carriage wall.

“Coachman, pull over, please. Seems we need to sort out our pecking order before we go any farther. Don’t worry—it won’t take long.”

“…Are you planning to blow off steam with brute force because you’re annoyed?”

“Get off and grab your sword. There must be a spot for sparring somewhere around here—”

Watching her pretend not to hear anything as she gazed out the window, Isaac heaved a sigh.

****

At first glance, Bolten gave a better impression than expected. From the outskirts, it was simply a rather dirty street—just stains left over from the past. In truth, it didn’t seem like such a bad city now.

Considering Bolten’s infamy throughout the kingdom, “not bad” might even translate to “surprisingly good.”

However, as they ventured deeper into the city center, Isaac’s expression grew complex.

‘Something’s off about the atmosphere.’

He couldn’t quite put it into words, but the city looked gray. And soon he realized it stemmed from the people’s expressions.

Most of them strolled the streets without any trace of emotion on their faces.

That blankness was creating a strange, oppressive gloom over the entire city.

“I catch a very foul scent of drugs here.”

With her keen sense of smell, the Grandmaster immediately noticed one of Bolten’s dark truths. Even Baron Bolten had joked with Isaac that there was nothing else to do here but dabble in drugs, so it wasn’t unexpected.

“The kingdom prohibits drugs, right?”

“They allow a few strictly for medical use. Otherwise, they crack down much harder than other nations do.”

“Good. Drugs are not worth using.”

The Grandmaster clicked her tongue in disapproval.

Their carriage continued forward. Occasionally, Isaac noticed some people outside licking their lips as they watched the carriage—perhaps regarding outsiders as appetizing prey.

They seemed on the verge of stopping the carriage then and there, but they didn’t.

As though they had their own rules—like stray dogs on a leash, itching to run wild but held back.

Eventually, the carriage arrived in front of Baron Bolten’s mansion.

His estate was enormous. Its dark coloration lent it a grand presence, but it also felt eerie, as though warning any visitor that trespassers would not be forgiven.

“For a fellow baron, that’s quite a difference in scale.”

“My place is decent in its own right.”

“Sure it is.”

“…Are you still sulking about this?”

Perhaps she simply didn’t like that their positions would be reversed the moment they stepped outside—the guard forced to defer to the baron. And Isaac’s question seemed to provoke her further.

“Sulking? Did you say sulking? Hmph! Never in my life have I sulked. Truly!”

“…….”

“My heart is vast as an ocean, my character is firm as a mighty rock, and my mercy soars above the clouds—so I’ve been told. How dare you belittle me so carelessly!”

From Isaac’s experience, the Grandmaster actually had a rather narrow heart. She was quite prone to sulking.

He didn’t know who inflated her ego with such nonsense, but Isaac decided to let it slide.

“Right, if you say so.”

“‘If I say so?’ Say it properly! Apologize clearly!”

“The baron is coming.”

Outside the carriage window, the mansion gates opened and Baron Bolten stepped out. Upon seeing him, the Grandmaster bit her lip and muttered:

“We’ll finish this conversation later.”

‘Guess it’s not over yet.’

He sighed and reached for the door. Even that sigh seemed to annoy her, as her sharp claw tapped him pointedly on the back.

****

Three days had passed since Isaac left.

Karen, the maid, remained behind at the mansion, busily cleaning and tending to the place as she awaited the baron’s return.

‘I hope he’s safe…’

Now filled with boundless loyalty toward the Baron, she worried that he might be hurt. She was watering the flowers in the garden when—

“Hey, you there!”

At the entrance to the garden stood a girl with pigtails, calling out in a bright voice. A cute sight indeed, and her sunny smile made Karen’s heart warm. But—

The massive greatsword strapped to her back looked rather menacing. Oddly enough, though, it suited her.

The moment she saw the girl, Karen realized it could only be:

Sharen of Helmut.

“Huh? Y-Young Lady of Helmut!”

Karen ran over and bowed her head. She knew that Isaac had once been considered a son-in-law to Helmunt, but she hadn’t expected them to actually visit.

“Mm! So this is Isaac’s place? He’s really quite frugal!”

“This is the estate of Baron Logan, yes.”

Satisfied, Sharen grinned and asked:

“Where’s Isaac? It’s been a while, so tell him to come out! He’ll be so glad to see me!”

“Well, um—”

When Karen explained that he had taken a mission to Bolten, Sharen’s face grew more and more twisted.

“Eeeek! I wrote him a letter and everything!”

‘Ah?’

Karen recalled seeing a letter from Helmut. Perhaps Isaac had simply forgotten about it.

“He’s gone to Bolten, right?! That Isaac is so done for!”

Seething with rage, Sharen spun on her heels and stormed out of the mansion grounds.

“One Red aura blast—no, at least three blasts—he’s getting them all!”

That was how the tomboy of Helmut, Sharen, set off for Bolten.

– – The End of The Chapter – –

 

[TL: Join Patreon to support the translation and to read up to 5 chapters ahead of the release: https://www.patreon.com/readingpia

 

Join our Discord server for regular updates and have fun with other community members: https://discord.com/invite/SqWtJpPtm9 ]