Otome Game Mob Villain

Chapter 542

"Indeed, I heard that Lady Maricel mentioned that Lord Greias enjoyed studying the political situations and management methods of various countries and had a habit of collecting books. Whenever he got his hands on a good book, he would always tell Lady Maricel about its wonderful content."

"Maricel, she was Noir's mother, right?"

"Yes, you're correct. However, due to the circumstances at the time, Lord Greias did not publicly acknowledge Lady Maricel. Now, only a few people, including Noir and myself, know the truth."

Lagarde's face showed a hint of loneliness.

Noir is a girl who serves as the vice-captain supporting Lagarde, the squad leader of the Second Knight Order.

Moreover, she has feelings for Lagarde.

And it seems he has feelings for her too, so despite their youth, they have achieved mutual affection.

Among the captains and vice-captains of the Second Knight Order, their relationship is well-known and often teased.

It was during the battle at Hazama Fortress that these two revealed their backgrounds to me.

Although it was disclosed to me, my father, and Amon, considering the current state of the Foxkin, it was decided not to make it public.

But I feel like Rafa has noticed something.

"I see. But the fact that he would talk about the greatness of a good book when he got one makes him seem unexpectedly childlike, doesn't it?"

"Yes. Lady Maricel also said during her lifetime, 'Lord Greias was feared by those around him as strict, but to me, he seemed like a big child trying his best.'"

"'A big child trying his best,' huh? Haha, that's an interesting perspective."

It seems Greias had a human side to him after all.

"That's right. But now that you mention it..."

"Hmm? What is it?"

Lagarde seemed to recall something and placed his hand over his mouth.

"No, it's about the books. There's a study in this mansion, and even at a glance, there are a considerable number of books. They are probably left as they were at the time. There might be something useful for you, Lord Lidd."

Now that he mentioned it, there were many old books on the shelves in my room.

They all looked quite worn, and I hadn't had the chance to go through them due to preparing materials for today's meeting.

There might be documents that could be useful for the reconstruction of the territory.

Well, it's likely that important documents were already extracted under the instructions of Gareth and Elba at the time.

"That's true. I'll take a look at them once the meeting is over and things have settled down."

"Please do. I would like to help, but I'm not very good at that sort of thing, so I apologize."

Lagarde scratched his cheek awkwardly.

In the Second Knight Order, they not only practice martial arts but also engage in various academic studies.

However, Lagarde's grades weren't very good.

"Haha, I understand."

Nodding with a wry smile, I continued meaningfully.

"But if you think about the future, you need to do well in your studies too. After all, the knight order is a meritocracy. If you're not careful, you might have to give up your squad leader position to Kesla. If that happens, Noir would be sad."

Kesla is a Foxkin girl belonging to the sixth squad led by Lagarde.

She has the strength next only to Lagarde and Noir, and her academic grades are good.

If she hones her personal combat skills and judgment based on experience, there's no doubt she could be entrusted with the role of captain in the future.

"Ugh, Kesla? Lord Lidd, please spare me that."

"Then you need to work hard on your studies too."

"Sigh... I'll do my best..."

Lagarde sighed, his ears drooping as he hung his head.

I thought I might have been a bit too harsh, but I want him to do his best.

With that thought in mind, I encouraged him as we walked on together.

◇

When we arrived at the mansion where the meeting was to be held, several carriages were already lined up in the courtyard.

This time, we also came in a regular carriage.

The reason is that the mansion we are staying at is nearby, and we thought the charcoal carriages would be too conspicuous.

In fact, we have been stopped by a group called the Golden Dawn before.

It's better to be cautious.

As we entered the grounds and the carriage stopped in front of the mansion's entrance, Amon, Barbarossa, and Karaba came out to greet us.

As I got off the carriage, Amon came up to me and smiled.

"Hey, Ridd. Today's going to be tough, but let's do our best."

"Likewise."

As we shook hands, I leaned in close to his ear so that no one else could hear.

"It's going to be rough, but are you ready?"

"It's a bit late for that now. Of course."

He grinned defiantly and then deliberately cleared his throat.

"Then, let me show you to the meeting room."

"Sure, thanks."

As I nodded, Amon glanced behind me.

"It seems like there are quite a few people. Are all of them your escorts?"

"That's right. I thought it would be a good opportunity to show how much Barcia values beastmen as members of the knight order."

I brought along Dinas, Diana, Capella, and all the captain-level members of the Second Knight Order as escorts.

No matter how much Barcia claims to value beastmen, it's hard to get people to believe it.

Some of the Foxkin might have witnessed their valor during the battle at Hazama Fortress.

But those who have only heard about it are probably skeptical.

I thought bringing everyone here would help spread the truth.

"I see, that's a good idea. The nobles will surely be surprised when they see them."

Amon said this and then started walking towards the mansion.

As I followed him, the front door suddenly burst open with a loud noise.

Wondering what was happening, I saw Rafa smiling with narrowed eyes.

"ridd, I've been waiting for you."

"Ah, sister?!"

Before Amon could react, she quickly ran towards us.

Immediately, Capella and Diana stepped in front of me to stop her, but Rafa slipped past them.

"What...?!"

"Ugh...?!"

As Capella and Diana let out frustrated voices, Rafa was already right in front of me.

But I didn't sense any hostility from her.

It seemed like she had something in mind.

Dinas seemed to sense this too, as he only glared at her without taking further action.

"Uh, what's going on?"

When I asked, Rafa smiled mysteriously.

"Haha, it's a continuation of our conversation the other day. I need you to come with me for a bit. Sorry about this."

With that, she hugged me tightly against her chest.

"Wha, what?!"

As I stood there confused, a pained scream echoed from the mansion.