Raising the Princess to Overcome Death

Chapter 144: Betrothed - The Cemetery

“Viscount Brina? Our mercenary group has been guarding that viscount's mansion?”

“No. He just said he had something to ask. But since he asked to bring the two mercenaries who escorted a small merchant group back yesterday... It seems those guys caused some trouble.”

Elson stabbed a fork into the radish pickle as he continued speaking.

“Those guys quit as soon as they returned. I thought something was fishy, and when I checked their quarters earlier, they were gone. Should I go after them... I need to know what happened first.”

“Leo, what should we do?”

Lena whispered, covering her mouth. It was clear that the merchant group Elson mentioned was the one they had traveled with.

Leo, feeling troubled, rubbed his palm under the table in silence.

They had killed the knight who was chasing them and planned to deny ever meeting him, claiming his death was just bad luck.

But that didn’t solve all the problems. The story about the merchants refusing to smuggle goods had probably already reached Viscount Brina through the church's communication.

- “I'll take responsibility. Since I rashly accepted their sponsorship, I’ll apologize and ask for forgiveness somehow.”These were the words of Vernon, the head of the merchant group.

Running away with their families wasn’t out of consideration, but they would eventually be caught. Going to Viscount Brina to apologize was the only way to survive.

But if the viscount had called the mercenaries...

‘He’s suspicious.’

Leo anxiously bit his lip.

‘He’s not certain yet. But if he finds out the mercenaries fled, he’ll be sure.’

Damn it.

This was turning into a suspicious {event}. They had tried to avoid it, but connections still lingered. He hadn’t anticipated the mercenaries would run away.

If the merchants were caught and questioned, and they confessed that someone else killed the knight, things would become seriously complicated.

Leo took a moment to organize his thoughts before speaking.

“Uncle, I have something to tell you. The truth is, on our way here...”

He spilled out everything that had happened.

Trusting his uncle as a reliable family member, Leo ended his story by asking for forgiveness for the trouble caused.

“...That's a serious problem. So what should we do... Should we find the merchants and kill them first?”

Elson’s eyes turned cold.

The usual friendly smile disappeared as he proposed a ruthless cut-off.

Leo shook his head.

“No. That would only increase the viscount’s suspicion. It might even implicate your mercenary group. I think...”

Damn it.

He didn’t want to get involved with Viscount Brina. He had planned to let the merchants handle it and draw a line, but things weren’t going smoothly.

With a faint sigh, Leo calmly explained his plan, and Lena and Elson quietly nodded.

While the food the lady had cooked with such effort grew cold, Yuan’s fork clattered.

  *

“You’re late. Are you the leader of the Dexter Mercenaries?”

A chubby middle-aged noble asked in a high-pitched voice. But it was more of an order to introduce himself and lower his posture, so Elson bowed.

“Yes, I apologize. My name is Elson. What business do you have with me?”

Viscount Diego Brina didn’t answer immediately. He sat on a long armchair in the reception room, then brought up his business.

“Are these the mercenaries who guarded the merchant group I mentioned?”

“Yes, they are. Have they done something wrong...?”

“I ask the questions.”

Viscount Brina waved his hand.

He silenced Elson and gestured for the two hesitant mercenaries standing behind to come closer.

There was something strange.

The viscount stared at the young mercenary with a somewhat softened tone and asked,

“...Did you visit my territory? Did the merchants behave strangely?”

“I’m not sure what you mean. Oh, there was something odd.”

“What was it?”

The big mercenary in shabby leather armor tilted his head and spoke.

“That Vernon, the head of the group, suddenly said we had to return to the capital. I didn’t mind going back early, but there was a fierce argument among the merchants.”

“How did it end? Did the other merchants agree?”

“Not at all.”

The mercenary shook his head disrespectfully before the noble.

Rude. But expecting manners from an ignorant mercenary was as futile as hoping a rotten seed would grow into a healthy plant, so the viscount frowned.

‘But this guy is peculiar...’

Despite standing with one leg crossed, his legs were properly spaced. Even though he tried to be polite by clasping his hands in front, his back was straight, and his shoulders were proudly squared. His chin was lifted, showing his throat...

While the viscount scrutinized the strange {elegance} of the mercenary before him, Leo Dexter continued his lie.

“There were heated arguments. Some merchants pleaded to stay until they collected the payment for the goods sold. But the head insisted they stay if they wanted and that they should be grateful to him.”

So far, this matched what I heard. Viscount Brina nodded.

“And then what happened?”

“What could we do? Managing the schedule is the head's authority. Eventually, we left your territory. But then something strange happened.”

“Don’t repeat yourself or cut short. What happened?”

“Sorry. On the way back, the head suggested taking a mountain path. He said there was a village where we could sell goods. But there was no village, and he got cursed out. Eventually, the authority to manage the schedule was taken away by another merchant... After that, nothing much happened.”

“I see...”

Viscount Diego Brina rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

‘Just bad luck, it seems. Although Marlon is a disgrace, he’s still a knight... Maybe my suspicion was unfounded.’

Marlon was a demoted knight.

He indulged in drinking, often abused his squire, and was arrogant, which had long since fallen out of favor with the viscount.

But knights were rare.

Viscount Brina had fewer than ten knights, so despite his dislike, the knight’s death was a significant loss.

'Of all times, for this to happen while Viscount Sauer is in the territory. There's no better opportunity than during wartime.'

He clicked his tongue, thinking of his half-cousin.

Brian Sauer, who had been engaged in 'big business' in the capital of the Bellita Kingdom, had recently returned to his territory.

The Sauer Viscounty, the Brina Viscounty, and Count Oscar's territory of the Jerome Holy Kingdom bordered each other. With no royal customs checkpoints, successful smuggling could yield significant profits.

However, the royal surveillance was also strict, necessitating a tight alliance among the three noble families.

'At least I confirmed that merchant is tight-lipped. I’ll work him to death.'

The viscount resolved to exploit Vernon, the begging merchant, to the fullest and snapped out of his thoughts just as Elson cautiously spoke.

"Uh... Viscount, is there anything else you need?"

"No. That will be... wait."

Viscount Diego Brina scrutinized the mercenary before him and asked,

"What’s your name?"

He didn't need to know a mercenary's name, but he felt an inexplicable urge not to let this one slip away.

[Quest: Traitor 10/10 - {King's Blood} ability level increased.]

"…I am Leo Dexter."

Leo hesitated but revealed his name.

Lying to a noble could lead to complications, and bluffing in front of a noble was risky. Predictably, the viscount’s eyes widened.

"Dexter, you say? Are you the son of the famous... ahem, Noel Dexter?"

"…Yes, I am."

"Hahahaha! I should have realized when I heard the mercenary group's name was 'Dexter.' So, who are you, then? What’s your relationship with Noel Dexter?"

"I am his older brother."

"And you, woman?"

"…I am just a hired mercenary."

Pointing to Elson and Lena in turn with his chubby finger, Viscount Brina finally showed a benign smile.

"Good, good. It’s very nice to meet you. As you may know, I am Diego Brina. Shall we sit and talk? I have many questions."

He gestured to the armchairs, inviting Leo and Elson to sit.

Ignoring Lena, she awkwardly stood behind the chair.

Soon, fragrant tea and sweet cookies were served on the table. The plump viscount, as if bestowing a favor, pushed the plate forward and began speaking.

"Your name is Leo, right? I heard you live in Avril Castle... When did you come to the capital? Are you working as a mercenary? Since when?"

The sudden, specific questions caught Leo off guard.

Chewing a cookie, he delayed his answer, but the viscount's gaze urged him on.

"…Not even a year. I’ve been helping my uncle since around this time last year. But how did you know I lived in Avril Castle?"

"Haha. The lord of Avril Castle is my second son. I heard that the famous knight lived there with his son. So, you must have lived there for quite some time, right?"

Despite trying to cut ties, something sticky seemed to cling to his ankles.

Receiving the viscount's covetous gaze, Leo swallowed hard.

He had forgotten.

When he and Lena went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Kingdom, Leo Dexter at that time had received sponsorship from Diallo Brina, the lord of Avril Castle, at Noel's request.

Diallo, at Noel's request, offered assistance for their pilgrimage, providing horses, passage permits, and a certificate declaring him a knight seeking to improve his swordsmanship.

Diallo was a person of little consequence.

Despite his past fame, he was overly respectful to retired knights. At that time, Leo had been trying to distance himself from Lena for a breakup, so he hadn't paid attention or remembered such trivialities.

'Damn it. Should I have killed the merchants as my uncle suggested? Or ignored the knight from the start? Or maybe...'

Should I use this?

Feeling uneasy, Leo fiddled with the {Bracelet of Barbatos}.

But seeing the viscount adorned with various blessed accessories, he doubted its effectiveness and shook his head.

As Leo delayed his response, Elson quickly intervened.

"He didn’t live there for very long. Maybe about five years... He came here last year, so roughly that."

"Five years is quite a while. So, how is the atmosphere there? Is my second son managing Avril Castle well?"

Viscount Brina leaned forward, his thick belly folding.

Despite his interest in Avril Castle and Noel Dexter, he didn't broach the main topic. Eventually, he reached out with a meaningful offer, "I want the Dexter Mercenaries to guard my mansion. Can that be arranged? If not now, we can coordinate schedules."

After the one-sided probing, Leo left the mansion, rubbing his neck in frustration.

The viscount wanted something.

Though not mentioned yet, Leo sensed it. This man intended to use him.

Elson patted Leo's shoulder.

"Luckily, that went well. He didn’t seem suspicious. Maybe we should be glad we established a connection with Viscount Brina. Just keep a tight lid on things, and we should be fine. Now, let's find those runaways."

He called for a carriage, guiding his nephew and niece-in-law to the driver.

But the destination Elson gave was neither their home nor his office. As the carriage left the inner city of Barnaul, Lena, noticing Elson nodding off, asked,

"Where are we going?"

"Hmm? Oh, you wouldn’t know. We're heading to Leo's house. Since we're already out..."

"Leo's house?"

She asked again, but Elson had already fallen into a deep sleep after a sleepless night.

While Lena was bewildered and Leo tried to calm his disturbed thoughts, the carriage stopped before a low wall.

Stretching with a groan, Elson pushed open the broken gate and entered.

A modest stone house.

Worn by time due to long disuse, it was clearly a home where a happy family had once lived. In front of it was a small yard...

"Sister-in-law, it's been a while. I’ve been too busy to visit often. But today, I’ve brought some welcome guests."

- Ibera Ainar.

There, in the gentle breeze, swayed the blue grave of Leo Dexter’s mother, welcoming her grown son.