novelraw Chapter 143: Betrothed - Elson
Chapter 143: Betrothed - Elson
"You can use this room, sir. Have you eaten yet?"
Yuan only opened the door after seeing the captain's badge from his uncle's mercenary group. Leo spoke politely.
"Yes. I had a quick meal with my uncle. But... I heard you were adopted."
"That's right. The bedding and spare clothes are in this wardrobe, and towels and water are in this drawer. However, there’s a shower area by the well in the yard, so you won't need to wash in the room. And the toilet is..."
Yuan casually dismissed his words, emphasizing his humble orphan origins while politely showing the room. Leo didn't mind and continued exploring the house.
The mansion was small.
Compared to the grand estates Leo had seen, this was just a two-story building with a modest one-story annex. Honestly, it didn't seem much better than his father's house in Avril Castle.
Still, the ivy-covered walls and the spacious yard surrounded by high fences testified to its long history as a knight's family home.
"Miss Lena, you can use this room. The bedding and spare clothes are here... Well, I'll take my leave. Have a good night. If you need anything, call me. My room is upstairs."
Once Yuan left, Lena and Leo started unpacking with playful banter.When Leo tried to put her undergarments into a drawer, Lena Aina slightly blushed but didn't stop him.
After roughly organizing their things, the two went outside together. The yard, enveloped in darkness, smelled of fresh earth.
"Look at that. There's a stable too."
Lena, showing great interest in the house where Leo was born, pointed to the stable in the yard.
Leo barely suppressed the words, "I see," trying to appear as if he already knew about the stable.
The stable, approached naturally as if he knew it was there, was empty.
Elson had sold off the horses to fund his mercenary group, leaving the stable empty.
"This house is nice. You grew up here? What did you do for fun? Did you have friends?"
That was a difficult question.
Leo shrugged and said, "It was just... normal."
Though a dull answer, Lena knew he was always a boring person and turned her interest elsewhere.
Next, her attention was caught by a warehouse attached to the one-story building. Lena peeked inside and quickly entered without hesitation.
Leo followed her into the warehouse filled with various odds and ends. Most items were training dummies, wooden swords, and protective gear, with a few household items awkwardly placed.
"Wow, cute. There's even stuff for kids."
Lena picked up a wooden sword from the corner. It looked like a one-handed sword but was a two-handed sword made smaller for a child.
"Oops, it's broken."
The wooden sword was indeed broken. The tip was heavily scratched, as if struck against a rock, and there was a crack between the handle and blade.
"Did you break this when you were little? Just kidding. Our Leo wouldn't have..."
"Who's there?! A thief?!"
The warehouse door suddenly opened.
A middle-aged man in shabby clothes, gripping a club tightly, was ready to confront the intruder but soon recognized Leo.
"Oh my! Isn't it the 'young' master? Do you remember me?"
"...No. Who are you?"
He was a servant.
After a brief and one-sided exchange of greetings, the servant spoke.
"It's no wonder you don't remember me. I haven't seen you since Master Noel left. I heard you moved to your mother's hometown after the war. When did you arrive here?"
"I just arrived. Ah, no need to show us around. My cousin already did."
"The elder master already assigned rooms. Why didn't he call me... Understood. Do you need anything?"
Leo wrapped up the conversation with the servant.
"Have a good night then. My wife will prepare breakfast for you. I have to leave early for the fields... See you in the evening."
The servant went into the one-story house. Leo later learned that the building was for the servants. During the old days, they employed several servants, but most fled during the war. Only one returned and now lived there with his wife.
"Lena, let's go inside."
The servant left, and Leo took Lena's hand, but she shook her head and began warming up.
"Go ahead. I'll train a bit more before coming in."
"Aren't you overworking yourself lately? Take it easy. You might hurt yourself."
"I'm fine."
Lena picked a sword from the warehouse and took her stance.
Standing in the dim yard, she inhaled deeply and slowly, painfully slowly, brought the sword down vertically, exhaling as slowly.
Leo watched quietly.
He then fetched a sword and stood four steps in front of her, mirroring her movements.
In the slow, silent movements, Lena smiled.
She loved Leo, who, knowing she was imitating his swordplay, showed her silently. She felt silly for worrying about keeping up with such a kind man.
'I should have asked for a single room.'
With a cheeky thought, Lena lifted her sword again. Their eyes met as Leo mirrored her.
Their swords kissed lightly as they slowly descended, a faint 'ching' echoing in the cold spring breeze.
*
The next morning.
Leo woke up early, grabbing a towel, water, and spare clothes, and headed to the well. The well had a wooden partitioned shower area, where he undressed and filled a tub.
- Creak.
Ice remained in the water drawn from the well. Despite spring's arrival, the northern dawn was still cold.
Regretting the lack of ash, Leo filled the tub and left the clothes to soak, then doused himself with the icy water.
A shiver ran through him.
But his body soon adjusted, generating heat to match the cold. Leo calmly checked his condition.
No issues.
His body had regained balance quickly. Despite only four months passing, he hadn't neglected training to balance his left and right sides since the scenario began.
His body, built with muscles filling every inch, showed the result of his hard work.
"Sir, are you coughing? You're out here before me again today."
It was the servant from the previous day. Leo, having washed, came out covering his lower half with a towel, prompting the servant to correct himself.
"Ah, young master. You're diligent. Even as a child, you were hardworking. The former master would have been proud to see you grown up."
"Are you talking about my grandfather? I don't remember well. When did my grandparents pass away?"
"They passed before seeing the mess. They didn’t live long but saw their grandson's antics. Master Elson's bachelorhood worried them... Haha."
The 'mess' he referred to was the Nine-Day War. Leo, sitting by the well, stored the information about his forgotten grandparents in his mind.
"Did my uncle intend not to marry back then?"
Leo dipped his hands into the tub to hand-wash, but the servant patted his shoulder.
"Ah, don't ask. He suffered muChapter He missed his chance rather than intending to stay single. Come this way."
Following the servant to the back of the shower area, there was a washing machine.
A wooden, manually operated washing machine. Leo put his wet clothes in and filled it with water, asking,
"What happened that made him miss his chance?"
"At that time, the master was a semi-knight of the royal family. He met a nasty knight."
Leo nodded in understanding. He scooped some ash next to the washing machine, poured it in, and turned the handle on the lid with great force.
The life of a semi-knight was tough.
It was a process most aspiring knights went through, serving as squires for years, attending to knights' needs.
If one was lucky enough to meet a kind knight, they could learn swordsmanship and receive recommendations.
But that was rare. Typically, semi-knights had to learn by watching knights' techniques and train late into the night, reducing their sleep.
What if they served a nasty knight?
That semi-knight's career might be over before it began. Even if they managed to develop skills and take the Royal Knights' entry exam, it was customary to ask the knight they served about their character.
- Squeak. Squeak. Squeak.
The washing machine groaned under Leo's strength.
The paddles inside, connected to the handle, beat the clothes, and Leo's strong muscles turned the handle forcefully.
Seeing this, the servant, who had intended to help, decided to stand back and continued his story.
"Even after enduring several years to become a royal knight, your uncle quit when you became a knight instantly. He must have been deeply disappointed."
The servant reminisced.
On the day Noel, newly come of age, passed the knightly entrance exam purely by skill, without the usual apprenticeship or recommendations, Elson drank heavily. He sat before the servant, lamenting.
+ + +
"Damn it. I knew it. I always knew my brother was much stronger than me. But you know what's really upsetting? He never showed his full strength. He was holding back for my sake. How pathetic must his older brother be..."
The young servant fiddled with his glass.
The young master, who used to abstain from alcohol for fear of it interfering with training, had no words to offer.
After a moment of silence, Elson gulped down his drink and spoke decisively.
"You know what? I'm quitting. I'm quitting tomorrow."
"Sir, but you've worked so hard..."
"No. I'm tired of cleaning up after that bastard. Father will be disappointed, but with my brother to lead the family, I can live as I please. Haha! Yes. I was never meant to be a knight. I was dreaming the wrong dream."
No, sir, you would have been an excellent knight. Always diligent and respectful to the servants, he lacked nothing to become an honorable knight.
The servant wanted to say, "That's not true!" But before he could speak, Elson raised his glass.
"It's okay. You don't need to comfort me. Let's just celebrate my beloved brother becoming a knight today! To Noel, the youngest knight in Aisel Kingdom! Hahahaha..."
Drunk, Elson collapsed, and the servant carried him to his room.
Thinking he'd rise stronger the next day, the servant was surprised to find Elson gone, leaving a letter on his bed. He returned years later, on Noel's wedding day.
"I'm back! Hahaha! Hey, friend. How have you been?"
Elson had changed a lot.
With a beard and a hearty laugh, he slung an arm around the servant's shoulder, now a carefree mercenary.
"Good heavens, you're alive. I'm glad you're back. But what happened to your face? Those bruises..."
"Nothing muChapter Just got hit by father a bit. He’s still strong. Hahaha! Oh, here they come. Well, my brother found a good woman. I never met one myself. Oh, by the way, are you married?"
"Last year. Expecting a baby soon."
"Congratulations. Damn, I'm the only one unmarried. I'm jealous."
The wedding proceeded.
The priest solemnly announced the union before God, and Noel and his bride faced each other.
A girl Noel met while helping at the Mauwin-Ready competition. She was a warrior from the Ainar tribe, unflinchingly meeting Noel's gaze and kissing him impressively.
"So you're back for good? Don’t leave again. Master and mistress have been so worried."
"I know. I thought they'd disown me... But father wants me to inherit the family. Well, it's good. Now I have something I want to do."
"What is it?"
Elson smiled slyly.
"You'll find out soon." He then rushed to hug his brother.
He looked happy.
+ + +
"I see. Uh... Thank you."
Leo took the water bucket from the servant. He removed the clothes soaked in ash water from the washing machine and began rinsing them.
"I should wash up and get going. We've talked for quite a while."
"Aren't you going to eat?"
"I ate earlier. My wife should have prepared breakfast at home. Then..."
The servant entered the shower area, and Leo, having finished rinsing the clothes, returned to the mansion.
Inside, a kindly-looking lady was busy preparing breakfast.
"Nice to meet you, young master. Please wait a moment. I'll prepare a nice meal for you," she said, though it took a while to finish.
Leo, Lena, and the slightly late Yuan patiently endured their hunger, when Elson walked in.
He looked like he hadn't slept, his eyes red.
Yuan hurriedly took his coat.
"You're back? You must be tired. Have breakfast and rest."
"No, I need to change and go out again. Something urgent came up."
"But you should eat. I heard you had a light dinner last night... Madam! How’s the food?"
"It's ready! Coming out now!"
Steam rose from the warm dishes presented.
The main course was 'Fenaran' (a type of minced meat stir-fry) and 'Dampfdel,' a white steamed bread, with a fantastic aroma.
Due to spring, not many vegetables had come to the city yet, so radish pickles were on the table.
The five sat down.
Yuan sliced the chewy Dampfdel and placed the radish pickles on top with his hand, then asked,
"So, what's the urgent matter? Are you meeting a noble?"
"Yes. Viscount Brina urgently wants to see me."
"Phuh! Koff... Koff."
Lena, eating the radish pickles and Fenaran with a fork, choked. Leo also looked surprised, putting down his utensils.