Chapter 72

A new chapter has begun. Please be kind to me.

The Viscount Asher household has two guards with a faint presence.

Riley, aged thirty-five, and Lewis, aged twenty-eight, were hired after a burglar broke into the house. What sets them apart from other noble households is that their main duty is to protect the servants and the house, not the lady of the house and her daughter. The two, who had joined with the intention of protecting the lady and her daughter, found themselves feeling somewhat let down.

"Hey, Lewis, did you see the lady and the young miss training this morning?"

"I did, Riley. What was that? We’re not even needed, are we?"

"Do you think Nonna’s movements have become sharper?"

"It’s not just your imagination. She’s definitely faster than when I first saw her."

"Who would have thought our job would be to protect the house and the servants?"

"They say she learned that while in the Shen Kingdom. It’s a scary place, that Shen Kingdom."

"Well, it’s all about perspective, Lewis."

"Ah, I thought the same thing. It’s a great workplace, if you think about it, Riley."

※………※………※

The ship from the Shen Kingdom arrived at the Hayden Port of the Duke’s territory, which Sedric governs, two weeks ago.

Dr. Ul, who was in charge of the Third Knight Regiment, had already set off for his return journey, and two men from the Shen Kingdom disembarked.

The carriage carrying the two men with black hair and black eyes has just entered the capital.

The thirty-five-year-old man is Dr. Dumdin, who is small and gentle-looking, excelling in the knowledge and handling of medicines.

The sixteen-year-old boy is Ilkark, the second son of a large wholesale pharmaceutical manufacturer who took care of the Asher family for five years. He is tall and slender, with narrow eyes and thin lips.

The two were greeted by the Duke’s estate manager, Hamz, at Hayden Port, received a letter, and boarded the prepared carriage. Inside the carriage, where they didn’t have to worry about anyone else, they conversed in Shen language.

"Il, it seems the person who was supposed to greet us couldn’t make it due to some arrangements. They were too busy to send someone. There’s a polite apology written here."

"To be honest, I’m relieved. If we spoke in Shen language in front of the Ashberians, it would feel like we were gossiping."

"Ah, Il, you’ve learned to consider such things."

"Dr. Dumdin, please stop treating me like a child."

Dumdin laughed heartily. Il was somewhat excited by the scenery visible from the carriage window.

"The streets are just as I saw in the travel book illustrations. We’ve finally arrived in Ashberia."

"Is the princess doing well? Il, you seemed quite lonely after she left, didn’t you?"

"Nonna is not a princess. She’s a martial arts companion of equal skill."

Their conversation was filled with joy. It had been exactly a year since Nonna left the Shen Kingdom. She had asked her parents to let her travel the world, but they refused. Finally, she received permission to go to the Kingdom of Ashberia. While she could continue her travels incognito, doing so would ruin the face of the older man, Dumdin, who came with her. In the Shen Kingdom, ruining someone’s face is considered a shameful act.

"Well, my life is long. I’m sure I’ll have the chance to visit other countries eventually."

The carriage first arrived at Edward Asher’s house.

"Welcome to the Kingdom of Ashberia from afar. I am Edward Asher. I apologize for not being able to send someone to greet you."

"No, it was a comfortable carriage ride. I am Dumdin Altagail. This young man is Ilkark Enrocam."

"I am Ilkark. Please call me Il."

"My younger brother’s family was taken care of. I hope Il will feel at home here."

Dumdin and Edward immediately began discussing work, while Il was shown to his room by Edward’s wife, Blythe.

"Il, what do you think of Ashberia’s scenery? It must be different from your country, right?"

"It is different. Ashberia gives the impression of being a stone-built country. The streets and buildings use a lot of stone. In my country, most houses are made of wood."

"Oh, you speak Ashberian so fluently. I’m surprised."

"Nonna taught me. She said, ‘I’ll teach you Ashberian in exchange for teaching me Shen language.’"

"I see. I’m sure Nonna will be happy to see you. I just informed the Asher household, so Nonna and Victoria will probably come soon."

Hearing the familiar name, Il couldn’t help but smile. Until then, Il had been expressionless, but when he smiled, the icy atmosphere changed, and a youthful aura of a sixteen-year-old boy emerged.

"Is Mr. Jeffrey busy?"

"Yes, Jeff became the deputy minister of the military, so he’s probably very busy. He’s accomplished a lot since returning from abroad."

"Deputy minister of the military. It suits Mr. Jeffrey."

"Yes, it does."

The room given to Il was the largest of the guest rooms. The bed was large and of high quality, and the furniture, though made of expensive wood, had a simple design, different from that of the Shen Kingdom.

"I’ll make some tea. Come down when you’ve changed," said the Countess, and left.

"Hmm. I heard he’s in charge of a small department in addition to the Department of Institutional Maintenance and Management. He seems wealthy."

Ashberian-style clothes were provided by his parents. He checked his appearance in the mirror to make sure everything was in order.

When he wore them in the Shen Kingdom, he complained, "They don’t suit me. I have to live like this?" But wearing them in this country, he surprisingly felt no discomfort.

There was a balcony on the south side, and beyond it was a well-maintained garden.

Stepping out onto the balcony, he saw a large tree that he could probably jump to, though it was out of reach.

"Careless, aren’t they? In this country, there must be no intruders who jump into the house from this tree, I guess."

While he was looking outside, a carriage entered. As soon as it stopped, the door opened, and a familiar golden-haired girl jumped out, causing the driver to panic.

(Ah, it’s Nonna.)

The driver opened the door on the opposite side of the carriage, and Mrs. Asher got out. Nonna was smiling wryly, probably having been scolded.

(She jumped out of the carriage and got scolded.)

As he watched, Mrs. Asher and Nonna looked up at him simultaneously. At first, they sent sharp gazes, but when they realized it was Il, they both smiled like flowers blooming. Il also smiled and waved his hand widely.

"Those two are still the same. My grandfather said, 'That lady is not an ordinary person.'"

Il went back inside from the balcony and stepped into the hallway. He stopped at the stairs, confirmed no one was around, and then jumped down to the landing, landing silently and walking down the stairs as if nothing had happened.

"Finally, I can train again. Dr. Dumdin was completely useless in that regard. My body has gotten rusty."

As he walked down the corridor leading to the entrance, Nonna ran towards him.

"Il! Long time no see!"

As Nonna ran towards him with a smile, he aimed a punch at her. But Nonna, still smiling, quickly dodged to the left and used the momentum to deliver a roundhouse kick with her right foot... but then she just glared at him, as if trying to communicate something with her eyes.

"Il?"

Victoria’s voice was low and intimidating.

"Long time no see, Mrs. Asher."

According to Dr. Ul, her formal name is Anna Victoria Asher, and close friends call her Victoria.

"Long time no see, Il."

"Victoria, what was that just now?"

"Mrs. Blythe, that was a greeting among children in the Shen Kingdom, a kind of playful greeting," Victoria explained with a smile.

"Oh, I see. I was really surprised."

The Countess put her hand on her chest, genuinely surprised.

(Darn. The people in this house don’t know about Nonna and Victoria’s skills. Why didn’t you tell me, Dr. Ul?)

"I’m sorry, Countess Blythe. I was so happy to see Nonna that I inadvertently used a greeting that’s popular in the Shen Kingdom."

"I thought my heart would stop from the shock."

Nonna was trying to suppress her laughter, and her shoulders were shaking.

"Come, Nonna, Il, let’s all chat together."

Victoria, who spoke with a smile, seemed to have given Nonna a sharp look for a moment. Nonna replied, "Yes, Mother," and walked gracefully. As she passed Il, she delivered a knee kick to his buttocks. Il, almost falling forward, laughed silently.

"I see. This is going to be interesting."

If you have some free time, please feel free to visit "The Royal Sky Knights and the Savior of the Nation ~ The Story of the Invincible Flying Ability User Iris~".