Chapter 55

Part 5: Journey to the Capital

"Though I don't like it, I now understand that you have sufficient skills and are not a child to be ignored."

She didn't even touch the tea she had set down again and glared at me.

"If it were any other time, I would have sent you off to a remote mountain village as a knight right away..."

No, stop. Did I hear something positive in her icy voice?

"But since I received an invitation from His Excellency, I have to go to the capital with my son, so I can't send you away like that."

I smiled bitterly to myself. If I had just gained my abilities, I might have stopped her and asked to be sent to a remote mountain village.

But now, I've experienced too much to leave so easily.

What she said next was completely different from what I expected.

"While you're in the capital, I don't care if you build connections, improve your skills, or become famous."

I thought she was going to tell me to stay low, but she said I could do as I pleased. What's she thinking?

However, her expression showed no expectations. She doesn't seem to underestimate my abilities... Is it because of the environment in the capital?

In any case, her words imply that she has some demands.

"Whatever you do, I want you to help Manuel return home safely."

Ah, so after all the buildup, she's asking me to protect her child.

"If you can keep Manuel safe and sound, I'll treat your mother, Amanda, much better than I do now."

And there's a subtle threat. It's a pretty effective one.

If I don't protect him properly, it's as good as saying she'll make things difficult for my mother.

While the duchess wouldn't kill my mother, given her character, the torment from a proper noble family, as I've read in books, is not light.

Being ostracized by all the staff and sowing discord. It's not hard to make someone miserable.

"Can you do it?"

Honestly, it's something I could do for a brother, and after our duel, I don't have bad feelings toward Manuel, so I was willing to help.

But hearing it this way left a bad taste in my mouth.

I bowed my head again and asked her.

"Does that mean I need to get Brother Manuel back to the estate safely?"

She seemed a bit annoyed by the "brother" part, but she nodded.

"That's right."

"I understand."

When we return to the estate, I just need to make sure he's physically unharmed, right?

I need to stock up on potions and find a healer.

Can severed limbs be reattached? I doubt there are resurrectionists or necromancers around.

That day, I left the duchess's parlor with these thoughts.

Oops, I must have been thinking about that moment. After our eyes met, the duchess's gaze became even sharper. I need to be careful.

After exchanging farewells with my sad-eyed mother and the weeping maids, Manuel and I boarded the carriage and left the estate.

Our second journey outside the estate.

And the first step toward independence.

* * *

Unlike the trip to the viscount's estate, the journey from the duchy to the capital was through low hills and vast plains.

The horizon stretched endlessly without a single mountain in sight, and the fertile but abandoned fields stretched endlessly.

Perhaps because of this, the journey to the capital, the heart of the kingdom, was very peaceful.

A wide, well-paved road stretched endlessly, and people often passed by the carriage.

Of course, people quickly made way for the knights, soldiers, and the luxurious carriage, but there was no extreme fear in their eyes.

Moreover, there were no monsters or bandits on the road until we left the duchy and passed through other territories.

As the leisurely journey continued, the soldiers, staff, and the knight leading the group, Angel, relaxed and enjoyed the trip.

Knight Angel was not as close to me as other knights. I had known quite a few knights, but the duchess had chosen well, and I didn't know this one well.

Of course, I didn't know all the knights in the estate, but Angel seemed to have been deliberately avoiding me.

Anyway, as the leisurely time continued, Manuel, who had been ignoring me in the carriage, finally spoke.

"Who is the patron who called you? To bring a bastard to the capital for education, I can't even understand why Father allowed it..."

Both the duke and the duchess knew who the patron was, but they didn't tell anyone else.

Moreover, the duke had warned me to keep it as quiet as possible to avoid unnecessary rumors.

To prevent the duke's family from getting involved in unnecessary political disputes, and I also planned to stay low to avoid trouble.

Well, if Simon or Manuel had received the queen's patronage, it might not have been kept secret, but since that wasn't the case, I planned to keep quiet.

"You must know. Mother only said it's not necessary to know..."

No, if you heard it's not necessary to know, why are you asking me? You should just keep quiet.

"I don't know exactly. Besides, the duke ordered me not to tell anyone..."

"Ah..."

Indeed, Manuel is also afraid of the duke. At the mention of the duke, Manuel immediately stopped asking.

"No, I asked for a different reason. I don't know who the patron is, but they can't be supporting your living expenses, right? You can stay at our house or a dormitory in the capital, but how will you manage other expenses? Surely Father isn't providing extra support?"

But my brother didn't just stop asking; he added an unnecessary excuse.

"No. I have some money saved up and some support from Mother. If it's not enough, I'll find a job while attending the academy."

Actually, Mother gave me some money before we left, but I couldn't take it. It was clearly her emergency fund, and I couldn't just take it like in my previous life.

Besides, I had saved quite a bit of money.

Especially the gold coins and jewels I brought out during the tomb exploration. I haven't exchanged them yet, but they're definitely a significant amount.

I could live comfortably in the capital with just my own money.

Oh, right. Before we left, the duke gave me some money through the chief steward for "maintaining dignity."

It wasn't much, and he didn't give it to me personally, but I gratefully accepted it.

It was public money, so there was no reason not to take it.

The money was hidden deep in my belongings.

After a few days of camping or staying in empty houses in villages, we passed through a small estate and stayed at the baron's mansion for a day.

The baron was a distant relative of the duchess, and his children were also heading to the capital at the same time.

"Welcome. It's been a long time since I saw you when you were young."

A middle-aged man in fine clothes greeted us in the first-floor lobby.

I thought he would ignore me since I'm from the duchess's side of the family, but he was surprisingly kind, even to me.

After exchanging greetings with Manuel, he approached me and put his hand on my shoulder.

"I heard you're an excellent swordsman. With Simon and Manuel, and now you, it seems the duke's family is blessed."

He seemed to know a lot about me.

That made it even more confusing.

In the lobby, there were two women with opposite personalities, likely his wives.

And a boy and a girl, who looked to be in their early to mid-teens, stood there.

They seemed to be the baron's children, who were also heading to the capital.

When our eyes met, the girl winked at me, while the boy glared.

'Wow, they say girls mature faster, but...'

But maybe it's because of her age. She's trying hard to act like a fox, but it looks awkward.

If I were a normal child, I might have fallen for her. She has a pretty face, so it's possible.

But I'm different from those children, so her behavior just makes me feel sorry for her.

In contrast, the boy's reaction was very cute.

'Yeah, that's how boys of his age should act.'

The baron's kindness felt forced, but seeing the boy's expression, I realized it was just an act.

He could hide his feelings and act for himself, his wives, and his daughter, but it was hard to do for his son.

'I don't know why he's acting like this, but I need to be more alert.'

It didn't seem like the duchess, who values proper noble behavior, would have ordered this, but I needed to stay focused.

After reaffirming my resolve, I smiled warmly at the boy who was glaring at me.

He jumped in surprise at my smile, his face turning red as he didn't know what to do.

'Oh! Kids really are like this. Their innocence is refreshing.'

After seeing the girl trying to act like a fox, the old-fashioned Simon, and the naive noble Manuel, seeing a boy act his age made me smile warmly.

Thanks to the flustered boy, the boring greetings passed quickly.

After the greetings, the baron led us to the dining room.

Some nobles invite guests' knights to the dining room, but the baron didn't seem to be one of them.

We were quite tired from the journey, but being in a noble family, the meal was long.

The baron and his wives' empty conversations, the son's grumbling, and the daughter's strange flirting.

"As you know, my children are also going to the capital, so I entrust them to you."

"Don't worry. I'll do my best."

The baron's words made Manuel thump his chest in response.

Is he trying to form a faction before we even arrive? Well, even if he's not the heir, traveling with the duke's son isn't bad. Manuel must have heard many stories from Simon, so he won't do anything reckless.

But will he really not? Hmm, that's a bit worrying.

"You're really an amazing swordsman. I heard you can even duel with adult knights. How can you do that? It's really impressive."

The baron's son, of course, but even the baron and his wives, who are trying to be kind, find it hard to talk to me, while his daughter is completely different.

She continued to speak and act like a mature woman trying to seduce a man.