Chapter 57

"‘The Dancing Sword’ people are here... What happened!?"

Breathless, the young maid Migurod from the Mond family appeared at the gate. The scene she encountered was that of two gatekeepers prostrating themselves before a man in heavy armor, and the private army commander Grasco, who had fainted with a terrified expression.

Migurod knew that Grasco had rushed to the gate first, suspecting that he intended to cause a commotion, so she hurriedly followed him. Grasco was hot-blooded and had a deep dislike for adventurers who might encroach on his territory. Especially now, he was particularly irritated because the ‘Dancing Sword’ guild had successfully recovered the unicorn horn that his private army had failed to obtain.

However, she never expected it to end like this.

The man in heavy armor—Lambert—turned his helmet towards the stunned Migurod and nodded deeply.

"I'm sorry, but we had a fight."

"Eh, eh...?"

Migurod, confused, lowered her gaze to the unconscious Grasco.

Grasco, the private army commander, was the eldest son of a noble family, but he was a violent and unintelligent man who had often brutally assaulted the people of his domain, leading to a poor reputation among the locals. For these reasons, he had been stripped of his inheritance and sent away from home, becoming a private soldier for the Count of Mond. Officially, it was said that he had chosen to serve as a swordsman for the Count of Mond, who recognized his skills, but in reality, he had been sent away to another domain before he could further tarnish the family name.

Moreover, he was cunning and cautious, never engaging in a fight he couldn't win. He had been trained in swordsmanship from a young age and was physically strong, making him a competent swordsman. For Migurod, who knew Grasco's usual behavior, it was hard to accept that he had been so easily defeated.

Migurod also thought that Grasco must have provoked something, but it was too much to let it go unpunished. On the other hand, the gatekeepers, who were supposed to restrain Lambert, were trembling and couldn't even lift their heads.

"Migurod, what's all this commotion about?"

A deep, authoritative voice echoed. It was an elderly man with a robust build. His face was deeply lined, but his expression was strong, showing no signs of aging.

"M-Master Mond... Sir Grasco..."

Called by name, the elderly man—Count Mond—approached the prone Grasco, sighed, and shook his head.

"It seems one of my subordinates has caused trouble."

Count Mond had heard from other subordinates that Grasco had marched to the gate with a smug expression, and he had anticipated the situation, knowing that Grasco wouldn't listen to anyone but himself.

Count Mond raised his head, looked away from Grasco, and turned his gaze to Lambert.

"I see, so you are the famous armored man."

Yunos, seeing Count Mond approach Lambert, naturally moved to stand diagonally in front of Lambert and knelt, bowing his head.

"No, this was just a fight. I apologize for not being able to stop it, even though I was here. I brought him here, so I will take the punishment."

Then, Yunos glanced at Lambert, as if to emphasize his point.

"Raise your head. It would be helpful if you could let it go. I apologize for the rough welcome. I'm afraid I've shown you an embarrassing side."

Yunos knew that Count Mond was not the type to punish people indiscriminately, and to smooth things over, it was best to take the blame. Lambert, who had been put in a difficult position, was not bothered by it. From the start, when he accepted Grasco's challenge, he had intended to take on the trouble for ‘The Dancing Sword.’

Led by Count Mond, they walked through the garden to the dining hall. As they moved through the corridor, Fand whispered to Yunos.

"Sir Yunos... Was it really necessary to take that man's side?"

‘That man’ was, of course, Grasco. Fand, along with the other members of ‘The Dancing Sword,’ had been quite upset by Grasco's one-sided remarks and childish provocations. While they were satisfied that Grasco had been knocked out by Lambert, they were unhappy that Lambert had taken the blame and that their leader, Yunos, had bowed his head for Grasco.

Yunos merely smiled lightly and said nothing to Fand. Fand, sensing something in Yunos's smile, placed his hand on his chin, lowered his gaze to the floor, and slowed his pace. When he looked up, Yunos was a little ahead of him. Fand, looking at Yunos's head, thought to himself.

(Sir Yunos... He seems to be in a very good mood?)

Fand's guess was correct. Yunos had been confused when Grasco confronted them, but after the commotion settled, he was in a much better mood.

(He's someone I'll eventually have to take down. If he's incompetent, that's better. I thought he was just a fool, but it seems he's a big fool.)

Yunos was in a good mood because he had confirmed that Grasco, the private army commander, was incompetent. Yunos's goal was to make ‘The Dancing Sword’ the top adventurer guild in the adventurer city of Baraila, to gain the trust of Count Mond by outperforming the private army, and ultimately to become a position where he could influence the domain's politics. ‘The Dancing Sword’ was merely a means for Yunos to gain favor with Count Mond.

He was not at all frustrated that the lord's private army was useless. On the contrary, it was something to be happy about.

"Thank you for the recent unicorn hunt. My niece, Chris, has been on the brink of death for the past few days, but thanks to the elixir made from the unicorn horn, she is now stable. She is currently on strict bed rest, but once she recovers, she has expressed a desire to meet the armored swordsman who faced Robin Hood."

During the walk, Count Mond spoke. The young maid Migurod, who was accompanying them, frowned and looked up at Lambert, swallowing hard. When Lambert glanced at her, she quickly averted her eyes. Migurod felt as if the tall armored man was still watching her through the gaps in his helmet, making her feel as if she were surrounded by ten monsters, causing her back to shiver and her body to feel heavy.

(If we introduce this person to Lady Chris, won't the oppressive atmosphere worsen her condition...?)