Chapter 49

Adopted daughter role, I ended up playing it too well 049

“You should not do this, young master.”

At those words, Jermi was taken aback.

Such a response was not something a commoner could give to a noble.

A commoner could only respond like that if there was an ‘extremely justifiable reason.’

‘Extremely... justifiable reason.’

Jermi felt there was no extremely justifiable reason.

For a commoner to respond like that, it would take more than just any reason.

To Jermi, it was a clearly dangerous situation.

‘If that shopkeeper’s finger gets cut off...’

If that happens, this delicious egg tart will disappear.

‘This is a regular spot for Lady Viola, right?’

Most of the people gathered here are commoners.

There’s no choice.

In this world, the ratio of commoners to nobles is overwhelmingly high.

Wherever you go, there are more commoners than nobles.

‘There’s no one to stop that kid.’

This place is to my liking.

I might come back again.

So, I hope this place doesn’t go under.

The young noble said,

“Your arrogance is unbearable, just because you’re inside the Winter Castle.”

“I apologize if it seemed that way, but principles are principles.”

“You’re making a fuss over principles.”

The young noble strode forward and slapped the shopkeeper.

Smack!

It seemed he couldn’t use mana.

Still, he must have trained, as the shopkeeper’s cheek immediately swelled up.

“I’ll give you one last chance. Bake the rest and bring them over.”

“I’m sorry, but as you may know, this is a place that Lady Ironblood herself enjoys visiting.”

“So what?”

“She also waits in line and only buys two. If I sell more than two egg tarts to you, young master, it would be as if I’m ignoring her.”

The young noble laughed in disbelief.

“You talk a lot for someone with a loose mouth.”

Jermi understood why the shopkeeper mentioned Lady Ironblood.

He felt it was a subtle threat, hinting that the famous Velat family’s lady was his backing.

“Do you dare to threaten me, you piece of trash?”

“It’s not a threat. I’m asking for your understanding, young master.”

“Shut up. Tonight, you’ll be found as a cold corpse.”

Jermi sensed the presence outside the door.

Lady Viola and her group seemed to still be outside.

‘Hmm. In that case,

I like this place, and I like Viola.

‘Should I score some points?’

If I ever get to formally meet her, I might leave a good impression.

Just a good swordsman who helped the regular shopkeeper. That should be enough.

Jermi stepped forward.

“That’s enough.”

***

The eldest son of the Seal family. Jelton, who was sixteen this year, was genuinely angry.

In his territory, things that wouldn’t even dare to look him in the eye were now staring him down and talking back.

“What about you?”

From his attire, he didn’t seem to be from a noble family.

He had an old sword, so he might be of noble birth, but he certainly wasn’t from a prestigious family with a title.

“My name is Jermi, an aspiring squire.”

“Jermi?”

Jermi didn’t lie about his name.

It wasn’t a rare name.

“You commoners are all putting on airs.”

Jermi smiled brightly.

A radiant smile, unmarred by his shabby appearance, rose like the sun.

“Does it hurt to be hit by someone putting on airs?”

“What did you say?”

“I didn’t say anything.”

Jermi didn’t use the Storm Sword.

He just drew his sword.

Swish!

A clear sword sound echoed, which didn’t seem to match the old sword.

The tip of the sword touched Jelton’s neck.

It was a close call.

If it had gone a bit deeper, blood would have been drawn.

“How dare you!”

The knight who was accompanying Jelton also drew his sword.

But that sword could no longer be called a sword.

The knight’s eyes widened.

‘Wh-When did he...?’

The sword was cut in half and fell to the ground.

The knight examined the cut.

‘The cut is clean.’

He didn’t even see Jermi swing the sword.

Yet his sword was cut, and the cut was excessively clean.

Even a legendary sword made by a master craftsman would have a hard time achieving this level.

He swallowed hard.

‘Damn. I picked the wrong one.’

Despite his shabby appearance, he was definitely not an ordinary person.

He was at least a 9th-grade knight.

Sometimes it happens.

There are skilled knights who wander around looking like beggars.

“Now what? You won’t cause any more trouble, right?”

“My birthday is tomorrow, so I’ll forgive you out of the goodness of my heart.”

Jelton turned his body with a huff.

Pretending to be unaffected, but his legs were trembling.

‘What the hell is he?’

His appetite was completely gone.

He had never seen a high-level knight before.

Seeing a high-level knight’s skills firsthand was terrifying.

‘I need to get out of here.

Outside, he saw a pretty girl and a boy with golden hair.

Jelton hastily tidied his clothes and started walking with a delinquent air.

The door was closed.

Now he wasn’t scared anymore.

“Move.”

It was as if he was asserting that this was the way a wild, manly man should act.

He thought this was the way a sixteen-year-old should act.

Viola wasn’t particularly angry.

‘Sigh.

There are always kids like that wherever you go.

Kids who think they’re tough by acting tough.

To Viola, who was mentally much older, he was just a kid who hadn’t grown up yet.

However,

Tundra’s eyes were gleaming.

***

Jermi thought he had scored some points.

‘Hehe.’

Even though the door was blocking the way, Viola must have already sensed everything.

‘I saved the regular shopkeeper, Lady Viola.’

He was proud that he had left a good impression.

He slowly enjoyed the last remaining egg tart.

‘I did my best to show my skills.’

It was a quite satisfactory display of swordsmanship.

Viola must have been very impressed.

He thought that after showing such skills, she might at least want to be friends.

‘Anyway, it turned out well.’

Thanks to the fool who lacked the dignity of a noble, he had scored big.

Meanwhile, Viola bit her lip as she headed towards the duke’s residence.

‘Indeed, it’s a dangerous world.

She saw through the crack in the door.

Jermi’s clean swordsmanship.

It was a simple display of swordsmanship, without any special techniques.

‘Too fast.’

Indeed, it seemed best not to get too close.

He was an excessively dangerous person.

‘Dangerous. I need to keep my distance.’

***

When Jelton returned to his lodging, he gave his bodyguard a harsh whipping.

“What’s your job?”

“To protect you, young master.”

“Then?”

“I’m sorry.”

“Do you think my father pays you to do this?”

Jelton whipped for a long time, and the bodyguard silently endured it.

After a while,

Jelton, exhausted, dropped the whip.

“Huff... Huff...!”

“I’m sorry, young master.”

The excuse that the opponent was too strong didn’t hold.

He hadn’t provided proper protection, and he considered it his own fault.

That’s how a knight should think.

That night,

Jelton and his bodyguard left the lodging.

“Did you find that guy’s house?”

“Yes.”

“Break it down.”

Jelton had always been raised to believe he was precious.

‘You are an excellent child.

‘A child more outstanding than anyone else.’

‘You can really do well.’

That’s what he was taught.

His mother always said that.

It became a poison to Jelton.

“We’re going to capture him.”

“This is the Winter Castle, young master.”

“Just kill him outside the Winter Castle. Drag him out.”

The bodyguard realized he couldn’t change Jelton’s mind.

If he received an order, he had to follow it.

That was the right way as a knight.

“Yes, sir.”

But he also wondered,

‘Shouldn’t we punish that boy Jermi instead?’

Jermi had insulted him in front of many commoners.

Wouldn’t it be right to take revenge on Jermi?

Why does the shopkeeper have to die?

‘The commoner was disrespectful, but...

he didn’t say anything wrong.’

Moreover, even Lady Ironblood of the Velat family followed the rules here.

Jelton couldn’t break those rules.

So, there was no reason for the shopkeeper to die.

“Should I follow this order?”

But he had to follow it.

He thought it was the right thing to do as a knight.

Thud, thud.

They walked through the night streets.

The night streets of the Winter Castle were peaceful and quiet.

Here and there, people who were drunk and sprawled out could be seen.

“Young master, the fact that they are so drunk and sprawled out means...”

“That they are fools without dignity or manners.”

That’s not it.

It means the security here is very good.

So, it’s impossible to kill the shopkeeper outside the Winter Castle.

The security would be too strict.

He swallowed those words.

He had to see it with his own eyes to be satisfied.

On the outskirts of the Winter Castle,

Among the houses where commoners lived, there was one with a fairly large gate.

“Is this the right house?”

“Yes.”

“Break it down.”

He broke down the wooden door and entered.

“Living in a house with a garden, a commoner?”

There was a small garden.

“Do the commoners of the Winter Castle have any sense or not?”

It was the first time he saw a commoner’s house with a garden.

Even though it was small, it was excessively luxurious for a commoner.

“Anyone would think this is a noble’s house.

That’s why your neck was so stiff.”

A bit ahead,

There was a five-step staircase.

A boy was sitting there.

A blonde boy.

“Your neck is stiff too.”

“Who are you?”

“Me? A mercenary who dreams of being a dog.”

Jelton snorted.

“What nonsense?”

“Why are you here?”

“Mercenaries are all talk.”

“You’re not much better, idiot.”

Jelton’s face turned bright red.

To be insulted by a mercenary.

It was perfect, given his already sensitive state.

“I’ll kill you too.”

“Kill me? This is the Winter Castle.”

“Who cares about that!”

Jelton pointed at Tundra with his finger.

“Knock him out. Take him outside the Winter Castle and kill him.”

This knight was a 2nd-grade squire.

He was far superior to a mere mercenary.

...

But reality was the opposite.

Clang!

Like breaking glass, the bodyguard’s sword shattered.

‘What is this?’

The bodyguard’s vision went dark.

Even though it was a sword he had bought in a hurry from a weapon shop, it shouldn’t have broken so easily.

The sword was completely shattered.

Fragments flew everywhere.

“You clearly said you would kill him first.

This is self-defense.”

Tundra walked forward.

He swung his sword.

“How dare you touch my favorite shop?”

Viola is happiest when eating egg tarts.

This guy tried to ruin that happiness.

He knocked out Jelton and the bodyguard with the side of his sword.

He wanted to kill them, but he couldn’t.

This was within the Winter Castle’s jurisdiction.

‘Easy.’

After daily sparring with monsters like Bichen, dealing with these guys was very easy.

The door opened, and the shopkeeper of Azulegia bowed deeply.

“Thank you. I don’t know how to repay this kindness.”

“Not something from the shop.”

If he gave something from the shop, it would violate the principle.

But if it was something baked at home, it would be different.

“Ten egg tarts baked at home. That should satisfy Lady Viola.”

“I’ll bake a hundred if you want. Thank you so much.”

Tundra barely held back his smile.

He was very pleased inside.

‘Ten... Lady Viola will be happy. I did well, right?’

The thought made him excited.

Viola’s happy face while eating, her joyful expression, that was Tundra’s happiness.

“Please make them extra delicious.”

“Of course!”

Two days later,

The only son of the Seal family was executed.

His head was hung at the southern gate of the Winter Castle.

And a surprising rumor began to spread throughout the Winter Castle.

It was a rumor related to Lady Ironblood, Viola Velat.