Chapter 1

The Young Master of the Earl's Family Goes Mad

Chapter 001

‘...Such small hands.’

This was the first thought that came to his mind as he opened his eyes to the commotion.

The small, soft, and adorable hands of a child who looked no older than ten.

Naturally, the owner of the hands also had a small and cute appearance.

‘Where am I?’

As his muddled mind, which had been as dark as if covered in storm clouds, gradually cleared, a question arose in his mind.

Just a quick glance around, and everything in this space had already registered in his mind. It seemed quite different from the last place he remembered.

‘Hmm.’

The materials that made up the room, the blanket covering his body, the bed he was lying on—none of these matched his memories.

‘...Quite refreshing.’

He had experienced all sorts of bizarre events throughout his long life, but today's experience was a first.

“Ha.”

As he let out a hollow laugh at the absurdity, a whispering voice reached his ears.

“Young Master Aren, you must wake up.”

Hearing the low and respectful voice, Aren frowned.

‘Not Chinese.’

Now called Aren, he knew quite a few languages, but this was one he had never heard before.

However, the fact that he could understand and speak this language so naturally added to his confusion.

“Aren?”

Seeing the middle-aged woman who had now leaned in, Aren muttered without realizing it.

‘A foreigner? Is this Persia (波斯國)?’

The middle-aged woman, who had likely been quite beautiful in her youth, but what caught Aren’s attention more was her unfamiliar appearance.

Her features were different from those of the people he knew.

“Sir Baxter says we don’t have much time. We need to hurry.”

Whether she knew his thoughts or not, the middle-aged woman pulled back the blanket and helped Aren to his feet.

“No time?”

“We have pursuers.”

In response to Aren’s almost inaudible muttering, a deep voice replied.

A middle-aged man with a sturdy build had entered the room and was now frowning.

“Pursuers? After me?”

“Yes. I had a bad feeling, but I didn’t expect them to be so overt. We need to put as much distance between us and them as possible.”

The man, clad in well-worn leather armor and armed with a sword and a blunt weapon, spoke with a weighty tone.

The servants’ movements became more frantic, as if the tense atmosphere was contagious, and Aren silently got up.

‘...Look at this.’

A small, frail body.

And the foreign sensation felt throughout his body.

A wry smile appeared on Aren’s face amidst the overwhelming situation.

“Excuse me.”

An old but still spry servant carefully wrapped his arms around Aren.

‘No ill intentions.’

Aren remained still, feeling the servant’s careful touch, as if handling a valuable piece of porcelain.

A young and frail body, and a bizarre situation he couldn’t understand.

In this frustrating situation, Aren felt he knew too little to refuse the kindness being shown to him.

“Let’s go.”

At the words of the middle-aged man, who appeared to be a knight, the group followed.

The old servant carrying Aren, a middle-aged woman who seemed to be a governess, and a page and a maid who appeared to be around Aren’s age.

All of them had determined expressions and were following the middle-aged man out.

‘Too late.’

Sensing the presence of living beings around him, Aren sighed, and at the same time, Baxter’s face twisted.

Baxter’s gaze quickly scanned the interior of the inn, but there was no way out for the travelers.

“Fall back!”

Bang!

As Baxter shouted, the front door was violently pushed open, and armored men began to enter.

“Baxter! If you hand over the young master, we’ll let you go!”

“Cerson. Stop spouting nonsense that even a dog wouldn’t believe and draw your sword.”

They say a man in his forties should have a face that shows responsibility. Though they had never met, Aren could tell from Cerson’s face that he was indeed spouting nonsense.

‘An internal conflict within the family?’

Though it was a brief exchange, Aren learned quite a bit of important information.

Swish.

Cerson, who hadn’t expected a counterattack, flinched for a moment before breaking into a sneer and drawing his sword.

“Well, I didn’t expect you to believe me, but it’s still a shame.”

The sound of swords being drawn echoed from all around.

“Could have been easy.”

Cerson was followed by ten armored men. Their well-trained physiques and familiarity with weapons made them formidable opponents.

‘Experienced.’

Seeing Baxter draw his sword and step forward to block the group’s path, Aren thought.

Though everything was unclear, it was evident that Baxter was a seasoned warrior.

“Young Master, let’s return to the estate. You’ve ventured too far from home.”

Though he used the respectful term “young master,” the sinister look in his eyes was directed at Aren.

“Hahaha. Have I become so amusing to you? Cerson, do you now have the leisure to look away from me?”

And at that moment, as Cerson’s gaze shifted.

Whoosh!

With a sound that cut through the air, Baxter’s sword lunged forward with a fierce momentum.

The target was Cerson’s neck.

Clang!

Cerson was no pushover.

Though he showed signs of urgency, his quick swing successfully deflected Baxter’s thrust.

“Huff!”

But Baxter, taking the momentum from the deflected sword, spun around and delivered a lightning-fast slash at Cerson’s side.

An impressive move that elicited a gasp.

A thoroughly battle-hardened technique.

Clang!

But Cerson, having raised his sword in the meantime, blocked the sharp thrust.

“Gah!”

Though he managed to block it, Cerson let out a short groan and was forced to retreat, unable to withstand the force of the blow.

Baxter, who had intended to follow up with an attack, stopped.

Cerson had retreated to where his group was.

If Baxter had continued his attack, he could have landed a blow on Cerson, but he would have been cut down by the others’ swords afterward.

“Damn. Have you gotten stronger?”

“What are you talking about? You’ve gotten weaker. Well, you were always weak.”

Cerson, supported by the men behind him, gritted his teeth and glared, but Baxter responded with a taunting finger snap.

‘Not bad.’

Aren nodded slightly, inwardly praising Baxter’s response.

In a life-or-death situation, Baxter recognized the disadvantage and aimed to suppress the leader, Cerson, one-on-one to find a way out.

Baxter’s ability to quickly assess the situation and devise a plan was impressive, and Aren thought he was definitely not an ordinary warrior.

“...I’ll tear your mouth in half.”

“My mouth is less chatty than yours.”

Baxter taunted again, and a sharp aura rose from Cerson as he charged forward.

Baxter’s stance lowered, and his legs firmly planted on the ground.

A posture that suggested he was ready to meet Cerson’s attack head-on.

“Gah!”

With a battle cry, Cerson’s sword, held firmly in both hands, came down vertically.

A desperate strike aimed at crushing Baxter’s intentions.

Baxter, as if waiting for it, thrust his sword upward, and the two swords collided.

Bang!

The sound of the collision was so loud it echoed through the inn.

“Gah!”

Surprisingly, Baxter had the upper hand in the clash.

Despite the advantageous position of a downward strike, Cerson’s attack was overpowered by Baxter’s upward slash.

As Cerson grimaced and shook his wrist to dissipate the shock, Baxter’s eyes gleamed.

Swish.

A sound that didn’t seem to come from metal friction, and Baxter’s sword slid into Cerson’s, like a snake, aiming for Cerson’s neck.

A fatal move, but at that moment, Cerson’s quick thinking saved him.

“Damn!”

With a cry, Cerson bent his upper body backward and released his sword, causing Baxter’s strike to waver and sparing his life.

Thud!

Baxter’s sword grazed Cerson’s throat.

Though it was just a graze, the sharp edge left a thin wound, and at the same time, Baxter kicked Cerson’s groin without hesitation, causing him to lose his balance.

“Captain!”

The men, who had been watching the exchange, quickly supported Cerson, and Baxter clicked his tongue.

‘Interesting.’

Aren, who had been watching the fight with fascination, marveled at Baxter’s tactics.

He had used a heavy and forceful style to lead his opponent, then exploited a gap to deliver a fatal blow, a psychological tactic that was impressive.

Moreover, the fact that Baxter could perform such a fluid movement with a heavy sword showed his extensive training and combat experience.

“Gah!”

Cerson, clutching his bleeding neck, glared at Baxter with a terrifying look.

“Oops! I should have saved face for you in front of your subordinates. I guess I overestimated your strength. Sorry about that.”

Facing Cerson’s glare head-on, Baxter sneered.

Though he continued to provoke Cerson, the situation didn’t go as Baxter had planned.

“Damn you! No need to capture him! Kill him!”

Cerson, grinding his teeth, shouted.

“Captain!”

One of the subordinates called out to Cerson, but his eyes were already wild.

“Shut up! Don’t worry about the aftermath. If you’re going to kill, then kill! What’s the point of a shallow bond?”

“No, sir.”

“Then go and take care of it!”

Finally, the men drew their swords and stepped forward, blocking Baxter’s path.

They formed a half-circle, efficiently surrounding Baxter.

Baxter’s face showed tension as he looked at the men’s determined expressions.

One man can’t stand against ten.

Baxter, looking around, forced a laugh.

“Damn. Let’s not go overboard.”

Some of the men’s expressions twisted at Baxter’s words, but only for a moment.

They soon adopted a resolute stance, pointing their swords at Baxter, who tightened his grip on his sword.

‘Clean and efficient swordsmanship. Their formation suggests they are more like soldiers than a martial arts school.’

Though Baxter was in a life-or-death situation, Aren remained calm, gathering information.

‘This far, then.’

Whether Baxter’s plan worked or not, Aren didn’t really care.

In this unfamiliar situation, he had no one to trust.

To him, Baxter and Cerson were not much different.

But then.

‘Hmm?’

The old servant tightened his grip, pulling Aren firmly into his embrace.

The middle-aged woman, who seemed to be a governess, blocked the front, and the page and maid, who appeared to be around Aren’s age, drew daggers from their sleeves and gripped them tightly.

“Young Master, please close your eyes for a moment. It will be over soon.”

A soft voice, out of place with the situation, came from behind the small back, and Baxter, who had been watching the men, subtly turned his head to look at Aren.

A face that had turned to stone, but with a slight smile and a determined look in his eyes.

Aren recognized that expression and those eyes.

They belonged to those who genuinely cared for his safety and were willing to risk their lives to create a path to safety.

Aren’s gaze swept around.

From the small back of the middle-aged woman, a resolve to protect emanated. The old servant’s body was as solid as armor, and though he was trembling, his eyes showed the determination of the page and maid.

These people genuinely cared for his safety.

And at that moment.

The world, which had been in black and white, began to fill with vivid colors.