Chapter 17

Part 17: Going on an Outing (1)

A carriage was waiting at the front of the house.

It was a carriage with the family crest elegantly painted on it.

Two soldiers in leather armor were sitting on the driver's seat, and the servants were loading various items onto the back of the carriage.

And a knight was calming the horses.

'So, it is a duke's family after all.'

Even for a short outing, the preparations were thorough.

I hadn't realized it because I had been living a hamster wheel life inside the mansion, but the Grecia Duke's family was one of the most prestigious in the kingdom.

A great noble with immense power even now. It was unlikely that the eldest son of such a family would go on an outing without proper preparation.

'But, isn't this rather modest for such a person?'

However, it was a bit strange to have such heavy security for a short trip.

'But, there are more than a few odd things.'

After greeting Flora and boarding the carriage, the people already inside looked at me.

Inside the carriage were my older brother Simon, his fiancée Adria, and Adria's maid.

"Are there no other servants?"

However, strangely, the servants Simon usually brought with him were nowhere to be seen.

"…The security is sufficient, and I made them stay behind."

Simon answered with a sullen face. As expected, he didn't seem to want to talk to me.

It was a strange answer, but I couldn't say anything. I placed my sword beside me and sat down.

"Where are we going today?"

When I asked her, Adria answered excitedly.

"Mayorca Fortress! And I want to see the defensive walls too!"

It was an unexpected request, but it was also very much like Adria.

"Methena City has a large market and beautiful temples. The square in the city center is magnificent, and the sunset viewed from the temple spire is also beautiful…"

Simon said with a regretful look, but Adria bowed her head apologetically.

"I'm sorry. I want to see the ruins of the Great War first."

Simon only sighed regretfully at her words.

It seems the eldest son of the Grecia Duke is swayed quite a bit by his fiancée.

'Well, this is a good time.'

Listening to the lively conversation of the young people, I felt a slight tickle.

Then, Adria glared at me.

"Why are you making that strange smile! It's similar to the one Dad makes. You're weird!"

Oops, it seems my thoughts were reflected on my face.

"I was just daydreaming for a moment. I'm sorry."

"No, you don't need to apologize…"

She fumbled with my apology.

When I started talking to her, Simon interjected from the side.

"Why are you talking to that guy so casually? I've never seen you talk so casually before."

Right, that's true. I had been talking casually to her since the first time we met, and it didn't seem strange.

Now that I look, you're polite to everyone else! Why are you talking so casually to me?

"Oh! That's right."

Adria's eyes widened in surprise.

Could it be that she didn't even realize it?

"Why did you do that? Hmm… Because you're younger than me? No, maybe it's because I heard a lot about you even before I met you. I just didn't feel strange from the first time I saw you…"

Adria bowed her head apologetically.

"Sorry… No, I'm sorry. I hope you're not angry."

Apologizing right after waking up. She seems to have a good heart. If only she didn't involve me, she could be seen as an angel…

"No, it's fine."

I accepted her apology. I thought it was a good ending, but unfortunately, Simon interjected.

"Hmm, you don't need to suddenly become formal…"

He interjected when he saw us talking casually, but now he seemed unhappy that I was being formal.

Is this the stormy period? Indeed, dealing with children is not easy.

Adria was also looking at me with sparkling eyes.

I sighed inwardly and spoke.

"Just treat me as you did before."

"Okay!"

Adria smiled brightly, and Simon looked at her with a very complicated expression.

The carriage left the mansion's main gate and headed straight for the city.

The mansion was located in the north of Methena, the central city of the fief.

To the north of the mansion was a vast forest and mountain range that protected against enemies, and to the south was the sprawling city of Methena.

Beyond the city, the high walls that encircled the city were visible. These were the outer walls that protected Methena.

Passing through the high-end residential area in the north of the city and the central square that Simon mentioned, we continued on.

"This square was built when the fief was first established… On the west side is the central market, and the beautiful building with the spire on the east side is the temple. The Archbishop was also greatly impressed by its beauty…"

Simon, who was always polite and dignified, was now just an excited boy.

He enthusiastically described the scenery passing by the carriage, and Adria's maid and I, like tourists listening to a guide, turned our heads to follow his explanations.

Unfortunately, Adria seemed completely uninterested.

After talking for a while, Simon finally stopped.

I was disappointed. Could you at least pretend to listen a little? It's not easy to find such a guide.

Having rarely left the mansion, the city streets were very new to me.

Perhaps because it wasn't a back alley, the city was cleaner and more vibrant than I expected.

It wasn't as clean as the modern cities I lived in my previous life, but fortunately, it wasn't the dung-covered medieval city I had seen in books.

Moreover, it seemed that the Duke's family was quite well-regarded by the citizens of this city.

As the carriage passed, people saw the family crest and quickly bowed their heads.

Many bowed out of fear, but quite a few also greeted us sincerely.

It was natural to feel fear towards the lord of the fief, but seeing people greet us sincerely, it seemed the Duke had earned the respect of the citizens.

So what?

In my previous life, there were many people who abandoned their families and became respected figures.

Whether he was a great man or not, I had no intention of recognizing or forgiving the Duke.

After passing through the square and crossing the main street, we approached the high walls.

The city gates were open because it was daytime, and a long line of people was waiting to enter the city.

The soldiers organizing the crowd saluted the Duke's carriage, and the people in line quickly bowed their heads.

Naturally, there was no inspection. The soldiers checked the knight's face and cleared the way, and the carriage passed through the city gates.

Mayorca Fortress was about 30 minutes away by carriage, south of the city walls.

Passing through the fields and climbing a low hill, we saw a half-ruined building.

Mayorca Fortress.

A relic from the Great War, where the heroes fought the Demon King to save the world.

Here, the heroes and the allied forces engaged in a decisive battle with the Demon King's army, and after their victory, two heroes returned to establish the nation, forming the backdrop of the founding myth.

Now, it was just a desolate ruin left with only the traces of war.

There was no cultural heritage protection, so the relic was left as a ruin.

The soldiers parked the carriage at the base of the relic.

The knight rode off to check the surroundings of the fortress, and the group got out of the carriage and headed towards the relic.

Seeing the soldiers guarding the carriage, I tilted my head.

The Duke's fief was known for its safety within the kingdom, but it seemed Simon was not paying enough attention to security.

However, since everyone in the group was quite skilled, it didn't seem to be a problem.

"Wow! This is the Mayorca Fortress where the great battle took place, right?"

Adria stepped into the relic with an excited look.

Simon seemed to have been here several times. He seemed more focused on protecting his fiancée than sightseeing.

Adria's maid, who had a stern look on her face, was checking the surroundings, unlike when she was in the carriage.

She wasn't a tourist looking at the ruins; she was definitely a bodyguard. Or perhaps a bodyguard and maid.

Avoiding the fallen debris, we entered the inner area, where some walls and fragments still remained.

Although little of the original appearance remained, it didn't seem that way to Adria.

"Hey, there are traces of murals on this remaining wall."

"Oh, that's because originally this fortress was…"

To me, it just looked like scratches, but Simon started explaining enthusiastically.

Indeed, he was the heir to the Duke, showing excellent knowledge and dignity beyond swordsmanship.

Although he was currently focusing all his energy on his romantic pursuits, the future of the Duke's family looked very bright.

'I should step back now.'

It seemed I should give them some space since they were so enthusiastic.

I signaled to Adria's maid.

To a distance where it wouldn't interfere with security. Let's step back.

She understood immediately, and we carefully moved away.

We found a spot where the fallen walls blocked our view and Simon's voice was faint, but we could still see the surroundings.

"Can we see the fortress surroundings well from here? This should be fine, right?"

I asked, and the maid nodded.

"By the way, I didn't catch your name."

"I'm Bianca. I'm just a maid. You can speak casually to me."

"Are you really just a maid?"

At my question, Bianca slightly turned her head.

"Then, can you tell me what's going on?"

Since the plan to buy time had failed, I had to ask directly.

Bianca looked at me with a surprised expression. Did I say something inappropriate for my age?

"Genius, huh? You're even better than I heard."

No, what kind of rumors were there?

"You'll find out soon. And the job you always do is the same."

"Security?"

"Yes. Please take care of it."

Even if you know, the security is the same… Then?

"Is Adria in danger? But the security seems too lax for that."

At my words, Bianca's mouth opened slightly.

It seemed I was right.

The gears in my head started to turn, and something began to form in my mind.

But, unfortunately, it was interrupted at the last moment.

Sssss.

A cold wind swept past my body.

The gloomy atmosphere of the ruins became even heavier.

A creeping sensation ran up my back, a feeling I had experienced many times before death.

The phrase 'the air has changed' was used for moments like this.

I quickly looked around and met Bianca's eyes.

Bianca was also scanning the surroundings with a stern look.

She was thinking the same thing.

We ran to where Simon and Adria were.

The two were talking while looking at a half-destroyed statue.

Was everything going well? Simon's eyebrows twitched at our sudden appearance.

But supporting Simon's romantic pursuits could wait.

Before I could speak, Bianca asked Simon first.

"Where are the knights protecting you?"

"Protecting me? What are you talking about?"

Bianca frowned at Simon's words. She seemed to have realized something and asked again urgently.

"There are no servants with you… Did you come without telling anyone else?"

No way? That's impossible. Simon wouldn't come without telling anyone…

"…Why?"

He came secretly!

"When you got in the carriage, other people saw you. There were knights and soldiers."

At my words, Bianca shook her head.

"You got in the carriage before they arrived. No one else would have seen you."

I couldn't help but look bewildered.

Seeing my expression, Simon's face turned red.

"It doesn't matter! I can't let my fiancée go on an outing alone!"

The eldest son of the Duke's family, who had been raised well, had yet to overcome the wall of adolescence.

This outing was originally meant for Adria alone.

Wait, why did she go alone? And why did she deliberately separate Simon?

While I was wondering, Adria spoke.

"What's going on?"

"There might be an attack."

At this, Adria drew her sword.

"So, there is something I don't know?"

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I heard from Dad that it might be dangerous."

She looked directly at Bianca.

"Can you tell me now?"

I really wanted to know too.

"I'll tell you after everything is over. We need to return to the mansion immediately. Things have gotten complicated."

Bianca didn't look at Simon, but no one was confused about who she was referring to.

"Don't talk to me like I'm luggage!"

Her words seemed to have hurt Simon's pride.

Simon's face turned red as he drew his sword, and I sighed and gripped my sword.

Getting involved in something unknown and having things get complicated.

I had lived safely for a few years, but it seemed my trials were about to begin again.