Chapter 169: The Knot (9)

Clatter, clatter!

The gates swung wide open, and a familiar face galloped toward us on horseback from the opposite side. Five more riders followed behind.

"Neigh!"

The leading man reined in his horse and jumped down nimbly.

"Benefactor! It's been a long time!"

The man who leaped down looked quite different from before. No longer dressed in light training clothes, he now wore the uniform of a military commander.

He looked around at the soldiers surrounding me and said, "You are dismissed! I will personally escort him from here."

It was Chandler, the young master of Grassmere. Even the two cavalrymen gripping their spears at their sides bowed their heads and relaxed their grips. The rat-faced man standing beside Reinberg opened his mouth as if to object, but then bowed his head quickly.

Should I let him go now?

I deactivated the Fear skill. The mustached Baron Reinberg shook his head violently, as if freed from possession.

"

Ugh...

"

He was sweating coldly, unable even to look in my direction. Instead, he glanced at Chandler as if seeking help.

"T-this,

uh...

"

Fear.

"

Hi-hiccup!

"

Chandler tilted his head and looked at him, puzzled. "Is there something you wish to say?"

Reinberg shook his head frantically, his face pale.

"I told you to leave. This is my territory, after all," Chandler commanded.

"Y-yes, understood."

The man, his gaze still unsteady, hurried away.

"Grassmere guards, stay," Chandler said crisply.

The five soldiers wearing Grassmere's familiar armor stayed behind.

"Matthew, Dario, Sladik, Verdane, Penar."

"Yes, my lord!"

Did they say lord?

After Chandler called each guard's name, he said, "You are the true masters of this city. The others are mere guests. Stand tall and be confident."

"Yes, sir!"

"Even if it's someone three ranks above you, disregard it. Don't lose your nerve. I'll take full responsibility."

"Understood!"

He's doing something interesting. It's not just a change of outfit.

The aura he exuded suited his new uniform surprisingly well. It seemed like some kind of human ritual.

I stood back and let them be. Chandler patted the soldiers' shoulders and sent them back to their posts.

As we entered the city gates, I asked, "It's been a while. It's gotten pretty tough to enter the city, hasn't it?"

Chandler wiped away the stern expression he had shown earlier with a relaxed smile. Just a moment ago, he forced himself to maintain tension but let it drop in front of me.

Well...

I had seen him at his worst before, so it wasn't all that surprising.

"Well... looks like war will be starting soon," Chandler said.

"I see."

"The imperial family dispatched forces to defend our city, which serves as the southern armory."

Grassmere mainly manufactured weapons for the imperial army. Naturally, with war approaching, securing the armory was a priority.

"I heard earlier. The Southern Third Special Forces Regiment, right?" I said.

"Yeah, it's good for us if they guard us well. Times are unstable," Chandler replied.

"But when did you become the Lord of Grassmere?"

Chandler sighed deeply. "That's just how it turned out. Since I've spent my life playing around, they said it's time I worked. They forced the title onto me."

"What about the previous lord?"

"Off on a hot springs vacation."

"Right before war breaks out?"

"He left everything behind and dumped it all on me."

"..."

Chandler let out another long sigh. "After living his entire life bound by chains, he just wanted to finally have time for himself."

I couldn't really blame the man. He had lived as a slave to Isaac, with parasites eating away at him for life. Of course, he would want peace for his remaining days.

"Anyway, who's this lovely little lady? She reminds me of Rena," Chandler said.

"Hello, my lord! Do you know Rena? I'm her little sister," Hailey chirped.

Hailey had greeted him quite maturely, surprising Chandler.

Chandler looked at me for confirmation. "Really?"

I nodded. "That's right."

Chandler started chatting with Hailey about Rena. Though he seemed a bit dense, he had a surprisingly good touch with children. Or rather, he was good at laying the groundwork for them to talk freely. He threw in questions at the right moments and responded enthusiastically. Hailey happily chatted away.

It looks like I can entrust her to him without worrying.

As I walked alongside them, I quietly observed the city. The atmosphere inside was clearly different from when I had last visited.

It felt like war was imminent. On one side, there were people who were neither wearing imperial uniforms nor Grassmere guard attire, quietly sitting in tents. However, they were all heavily armed, each carrying a long spear.

"Who are those people?" I asked Chandler.

"They are an independent mercenary group called the Star Spearmen. We hired them just in case things escalate."

"

Hmm...

"

"They're famous for strict discipline and fulfilling their contracts. I specially selected them."

"And the price?"

"Absurdly expensive.

Sigh...

"

Chandler's face clearly showed his exhaustion.

He must have a lot to worry about.

We climbed the stairs and entered the inner citadel. Though still modest, the inner fortress felt noticeably different. Where the city streets were tense with the looming threat of war, the castle itself seemed brighter, lighter. It wasn't hard to guess why. Freed from Isaac's rule, and now with Chandler as a young lord, the atmosphere had naturally changed.

Inside the citadel, a human immediately recognized me.

"

Oh!

Hello!" a girl exclaimed.

That girl...

That young girl was the youngest maid in the castle. I remembered her short hair and how flustered she had been attending to me and Rena. She had focused on preparing my bedding and baths, desperate to be helpful when I refused food and drink.

"Would you mind preparing a meal for the young lady first?"

The child had walked quite a long way. Of course, she would be hungry.

What a relief.

Chandler seemed much better suited to dealing with children compared to me. Once Hailey left following the maid, I finally brought up something I'd been hesitating to ask.

***

"Could I ask you a favor?" I asked.

"Of course. Please say the word. I'll do my best to fulfill it," Chandler replied.

"

Hmm...

" I hummed softly.

Chandler glanced around, gauged the atmosphere, and then silently walked down the corridor alongside me. Before I realized it, he was guiding me to the large reception room he had once used.

Only after we entered the empty room did I finally speak. "That child from earlier... could you take her in?"

Chandler had been walking in silence, but he suddenly let out a loud laugh. "

Haha!

"

"Is it too much trouble?"

"Not at all. Compared to the things I imagined on the way here, this is such a simple and good thing that it almost feels comical."

"

Ahem...

"

"Since she's Rena's little sister, I'll take special care of her. Is there anything else you need?"

𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

"For now, no. But... is there something you want to tell me?"

Though he had covered it up with light laughter, Chandler shot me a worried look. At first, I thought he was just concerned about the war, but something else was clearly on his mind.

Chandler hesitated. "Well..."

"What is it?" I probed.

Pressed by my question, the newly appointed lord cautiously asked, "By any chance... do you have any relation to Marquis Leandro?"

The unexpected question caught me off guard. "Why would you ask that? I don't have a special connection to him."

Telling him the truth was impossible anyway. I could only deny it.

However, Chandler's tone grew more serious than usual. "It's just... the face you showed me that day. You looked a lot like him, who's been causing quite a stir lately."

"You let it go back then, didn't you?" I said sharply.

"At the time, I didn't know his face well enough. However, strange rumors spread after his death, and now I know what he looked like."

"

Hmm.

"

"In any case, good job for not taking off your helmet at the gate. It would have only caused a scene."

I sank into deep thought. The image of the boy who had fallen off the cliff suddenly resurfaced.

Should I have made sure he was dead?

If I believed Daliac's information, then the marquis had been killed for treason. If anyone claimed I resembled him, they would surely send someone to investigate. They might assume I was an overlooked relative or something similar.

I really need to level up Masquerade. If only I could properly disguise myself...

A completely forgettable, ordinary face would be ideal. Right now, the transformation time was too short, my disguise options were limited, and worst of all, the faces I could generate were still restricted by the skill's low level. I brought up the Masquerade skill window to check my current proficiency.

Six percent.

Even though I had used it multiple times, proficiency hardly seemed to rise with mere usage.

There hasn't been much progress after that initial massacre. Maybe I need to use Masquerade actively to deceive others and then I'll gain proficiency?

While I was lost in thought, Chandler continued, "Besides, while the official cause of death has been called a suicide, there's also a rumor spreading that the deaths of the captain of the imperial guards and the marquis were part of an Ember and Free Confederation conspiracy."

Lies covering lies. They even served up a neat little conspiracy theory for public consumption along with the official statement, but it was carefully fabricated garbage. The truth that the imperial family had executed Marquis Leandro for treason was buried so deep that no traces remained. No one dared to ask why one of the Empire's Four Swordmasters would betray the imperial family. It was all shrouded in darkness.

I slowly shook my skull. "And what's your opinion?"

"The current emperor... seems willing to throw anything into the fire to fuel the war. The more chaos there is, the better it is for him."

I tried to tell myself that whatever the humans did, it didn't matter. Still, questions kept nagging at me.

Why hasn't the emperor's death been exploited? Did the plan change somehow?

Gith-Za-Rai had assassinated the silver-haired emperor. There could be no better justification for war than the assassination of an emperor, and yet, no one knew he was dead.

What is going on?

The fog was too thick. I couldn't see a step ahead.

While I brooded, Chandler smiled bitterly before speaking again. "There are imperial troops stationed all over Grassmere now. Please stay close to me whenever you can. If you keep wearing your helmet, it might cause minor issues."

"Don't worry. I'm not going to cause any trouble."

Even though Grassmere had a relatively independent location, in the end, it was still under imperial rule. Chandler's decision to cooperate with the imperial army to protect his people was perfectly understandable.

Well, I can just stay hidden anyway.

Thanks to absorbing Rayleigh's essence, my Stealth skill had risen since our last meeting.

"But you seem different compared to when I saw you last time..." Chandler muttered.

Ah, right.