Chapter 14

# Chapter 14: < Outside >

"You don't seem nervous."

In response to Duke Dert's words, Kai just smirked. Kai's complexion had clearly improved over the past few days. It couldn't be helped.

'After all, I didn't get beaten up.'

It had rained in the Hennitus territory until yesterday. If the story had unfolded as written in the book, Kai would have been beaten up so badly that dust would have flown on a rainy day. Of course, Kai wasn't beaten up yesterday.

And now he sleeps soundly. Because he always felt the unbreakable shield protecting his heart, he knew he could survive even if something went wrong with the black dragon. This made Kai's mind much clearer.

"Father."

Kai looked at the lavish breakfast table and asked.

"The number of attendants has increased again. I asked you to reduce them."

He had asked his father to reduce the number of attendants and servants who would attend to him. He said that Hans and Ron would be enough. Of course, Hans had paled, but he packed his bags immediately when he heard that he would be going with the cat.

"Ah, about that."

For some reason, Dert hesitated. Then another voice intruded on their conversation.

"I did that."

Lady Dert, Violan. She had her usual neat updo and was looking at her plate. She looked so much like her second son, Bassan, with her indifferent face and refusal to meet Kai's eyes.

"It wouldn't do for our family to look inadequate with so few attendants."

Her voice was indifferent, without a hint of emotion. But Violan looked up at Kai and added indifferently.

"...I'm not saying you're inadequate."

"I understand."

Indeed, if he stayed within this territory, Kai thought he could live quite comfortably. How nice it would be to return from the capital and enjoy a leisurely life.

The breakfast for Kai's departure to the capital was over. After receiving the Duke and Duchess's greetings, who said they were too busy to see him off, Kai's eyes met those of his awkwardly standing siblings.

"Why?"

To Kai's indifferent question, Bassan just nodded. His younger sister, Lily, approached hesitantly. She was seven, the youngest, with an eleven-year age gap between her and Kai.

"Have a good trip."

"Sure. You take care too."

Lily's shoulders visibly trembled, and she nodded.

"Yes!"

Then she stared at Kai. Under her gaze, Kai asked indifferently.

"What gift should I bring you?"

"Really?"

Of course, she wanted a gift. Seeing Lily's face, which showed surprise, curiosity, and joy, Kai nodded.

"Sure. What do you want?"

"A sword."

"...What?"

"A sword, please."

A sword for a seven-year-old? When Kai's face showed confusion, Bassan explained.

"Lily's dream is to be a knight, brother."

"Is that so?"

Kai looked at Lily seriously. After all, the people in this family had long limbs and good balance. Although Lily was only seven, she was taller than her peers, and with effort, she could certainly become a competent knight.

"Well, being a knight suits you."

Lily's eyes sparkled.

"I'll get you an expensive one."

Instead of answering, Lily smiled and bowed her head shyly. Unaware of this, Kai turned to his 15-year-old brother, who was staring at him intently.

"...Do you want one too?"

"A fountain pen."

"Got it."

Only after deciding on the gifts did the breakfast time truly end.

* * *

Leaving the main hall, Kai's expression was subtle as he approached the carriage he would take to the capital.

'Strange.'

He looked at the person standing beside him with a subtle expression.

"Why are their seats better than mine?"

Kai looked at the expensive and plush cushions next to his seat and the two cats waiting for him on them.

"Master, shouldn't our cats travel comfortably? They are such small and delicate creatures."

Hans, who had even put specially made meat jerky for the cats in the carriage, said this. Kai, of course, and even Ron, who was rarely around, looked displeased.

'He can't see the fog and the poison being spread.'

Three days ago, Kai took the Miao people, On and Hong, to an empty corner of the garden and asked them.

'What can you do?'

In response, On, in cat form, created a fog, and Hong spread poison in the air by sprinkling a bit of his blood. Of course, On knew how to control the poison fog so that Kai wouldn't die. And the poison he spread was only a paralyzing agent.

'You guys are pretty good.'

Pleased with Kai's praise, On and Hong said.

'Thanks to the poison fog, we could escape!'

'We're pretty good, right!'

From then on, On and Hong were allowed to eat delicious food all day. Naturally, Hans welcomed this.

"Master. I'll sit with the driver on the driver's seat."

"Sure."

Ron climbed onto the driver's seat, and Kai was about to board his carriage when Juihan approached.

"Master Kai."

Juihan insisted on calling him "Master Kai" instead of "Young Master" or "Lord."

"Why?"

"Can I not guard you in the same carriage?"

Kai's expression turned sour, as if he had bitten into a bitter persimmon.

"...If you insist."

Was it really necessary to go that far?

Kai's expression said it all, and Juihan nodded without further comment. Watching this, Kai's gaze became peculiar.

'Strange.'

Clearly, Juihan's eyes were not yet clear. His heart was still filled with anger and a desire for revenge. When Kai told him yesterday that he had sent someone from the castle to Harris Village, Juihan had shown clear hatred.

But the atmosphere was different. It wasn't the usual frustration of 'The world doesn't care about my happiness! How could they kill all my precious people!'

'So quick to recover?'

Juihan seemed calm, as if he had a knife in his heart, much like when he had traveled with Bikross, Rozalin, and Rak in the early days. It wasn't necessarily bad, but Kai felt uneasy. Then,

"Your place isn't here, it seems."

The deputy commander of the territory's knight corps, who was leading this journey, approached and glared at Juihan. The deputy commander looked at Juihan from head to toe and laughed mockingly.

'Of course, such a person wouldn't be missing from our territory.'

Kai clicked his tongue.

Juihan had hidden his sword skills at an ordinary level.

However, the problem was that he was the first guest Kai had brought to the Duke's house, and Duke Dert had treated him as an important guest.

Now that Juihan was going as Kai's guard, people who disliked and were wary of him seemed to have appeared.

While no one openly harassed him because of his status as a guest, there were countless ways to harass him secretly.

'Young Master. It seems that Mr. Juihan doesn't get along well with the knights who will be guarding you this time.'

'Really?'

'Yes. The deputy commander seems to be at the center of it.'

'Got it. Hans, just ignore it.'

Recalling Hans' report, Kai looked at the deputy commander with a sympathetic gaze, not at Juihan.

'Soon, he'll realize, "Ah, my judgment of people is buried underground, not on the ground."'

It would be fortunate if he didn't cause any trouble.

Kai didn't intervene between them.

If the deputy commander saw all of Juihan's skills, he wouldn't be able to sleep for a long time. Fear would keep him awake.

"Master, shall we depart now?"

The deputy commander asked, and Kai closed the carriage door and replied.

"Sure. Let's go."

Fifteen soldiers, five knights, one special guard, and other people made up Kai's group, heading for the capital.

Of course, as in any fantasy world, the journey wasn't smooth.

No one dared to touch Kai's carriage within the Hennitus territory. Although the family crest wasn't on the flag, the golden turtle, the symbol of the Hennitus family, was engraved on the carriage. It was a symbol of the Hennitus family's love for wealth and longevity.

But the moment they left the territory, Kai felt it.

'Sure enough, they appear.'

While crossing a mountain, dozens of people appeared in a ravine.

"Pay the toll to cross this mountain!"

"Hand over everything you have! If you don't, it's one bronze coin for a slap!"

Yes, they were bandits.

Naive bandits were to be expected. Of course, the number was surprising. They must have believed that the carriage, which had five knights, was worth attacking. Kai yawned and asked the Miao person, On.

"Can't they see the family crest on my carriage?"

"It seems so."

"They're fools. Beginners."

Kai nodded at Hong's words. He wasn't afraid of bandits. He couldn't be. Tap tap. A small window on the driver's side opened, and Ron's face appeared.

"Master, we should take a break. There are a lot of rabbits here."

Rabbits. Kai's eyes twitched. Ron exclaimed 'Ah!' and added with a gentle smile.

"Ah, these rabbits are different from the ones I planned to catch for you. Of course, someone else will catch these rabbits, not me."

A more terrifying person than the bandits was guarding Kai. He estimated the time while listening to the bandits' screams as they fled.

"Half a day."

In just half a day, they would reach the place where the black dragon was kept. They were ahead of schedule. It was worth the effort to travel without stopping.