novelraw Chapter 154: Engagement - Shadowing
Chapter 154: Engagement - Shadowing
154. Engagement - Shadowing
“Is there nothing to your liking? Then... how about this?”
A plump merchant called out to a customer who was merely glancing around the shop. From experience, he knew that a strong recommendation would work wonders on a customer who couldn't make a decision but was hesitant to leave.
The merchant made a gesture to indicate that this item was only for the customer and should not be mentioned elsewhere. Though not entirely true, he secretly(?) pulled out a necklace from the drawer behind the counter.
Of course, the necklace was a more ambitious piece crafted by an artisan, much more refined than those displayed outside.
However, Leo was indifferent.
It wasn't that the necklace wasn't beautiful. It simply didn't captivate him, and he didn't think Lena would like such a flashy necklace either.
He soon shook his head and left the store, leaving behind the dejected merchant.
Leo was wandering around outside alone today. But unlike his usual routine of searching for traces of Ashin, he was inspecting the shops along the main street.
The streets were bustling.Ahead of the Reti Festival, a celebration for her birthday was taking place, and the citizens of Manubium were eagerly deciding how to spend their savings that they had carefully accumulated.
At that moment, the highlight of the festival, the parade, began with a fanfare, crossing the main road of Manubium's outskirts.
Hundreds of volunteers participated in the parade, dressed as barbarian warriors, peasant soldiers, or Arcaea Empire troops, reenacting the Northern Independence War.
At the center of the procession was a fairly good carriage, sponsored by someone. A dignified woman, dressed as Queen Reti, waved from the carriage, while a jester on the coachman's seat shouted her past commands, capturing the attention of the citizens.
“The Queen Reti has decreed! The war must end within a month!”
The citizens watching the parade were ready to burst into laughter. They all knew what the jester was about to say and what Queen Reti had once commanded.
“So that my husband can marry me immediately!”
“Hahaha! Long live Queen Reti!”
“Your Majesty! Happy birthday!”
The anticipated laughter and cheers erupted.
That command was indeed a widely known anecdote from the past.
Hundreds of years ago, the two heroes, Maunin and Reti, rose up against the tyranny of the Empire.
They were not only excellent warriors but also brilliant generals who co-authored books such as 'Mobile Tactics Theory' and 'The Origins and Maxims of Blitzkrieg'. They formed an independence army and drove the Arcaea Empire out of the north.
After achieving a major victory in the final battle with the imperial army, the war entered a lull, and Reti returned to the capital. She ascended to the throne as the first queen of the Kingdom of Aslan, caring for the war-weary populace.
Meanwhile, she was preparing for her wedding with her soon-to-return lover, Maunin...
But Maunin did not return.
The Arcaea imperial army lingered near the border, preventing the commander-in-chief from returning.
An enraged Queen Reti commanded:
- “How long do you expect me to wait? You! Go to the front. Tell the generals to disregard the current borders. Advance the army and utterly defeat the pitiful imperial troops. If the war is not ended within a month and my husband cannot return, I will impose severe punishment!”
The generals of the Kingdom of Aslan, who were her subordinates, faithfully carried out the queen's fierce orders.
Maunin returned within three months, with an irresistible smile, and they held the coronation and wedding simultaneously.
Queen Reti was a beloved figure among the northerners. She was a bold warrior and too down-to-earth to play the role of a queen without generating numerous amusing incidents.
Whenever the jester recounted her stories from the carriage, the citizens burst into laughter. Smiling without malice, they followed the parade as it moved away.
Now I can breathe.
Only after the parade had moved away could Leo navigate through the dense crowd.
He muttered, "Reti, Maunin," without much meaning and stepped into a shop selling various trinkets.
“Welcome.”
The shop was filled with items adorned with metal, soft fabric dolls, deeply green-dyed tablecloths, and exotic decorations.
There were many cherished items, but Leo found nothing that truly appealed to him.
He was looking for a birthday gift for Lena.
‘The leather strap for the sword handle was certainly practical and good... What would she like if I bought her something?’
He meticulously examined the small shop, touching the handle of his sword hanging at his waist.
Then he noticed a pair of rings.
Copper rings, simple without any special decoration, but well-polished and tempting. However, Leo put down the small box containing the rings.
If I buy this, Lena will surely like it. We haven't gotten engagement rings yet.
But... I still don't want to get married. I'd like to delay it as long as possible, and I don't want to give a gift that reminds her of marriage.
If Lena doesn't achieve anything at the Reti Festival, where winning grants an opportunity to become a knight, he planned to coax her to visit the southern Kingdom of Aisel since they had come this far. With mercenary papers and documents proving their mercenary status, crossing the border was easy.
After looking around for a while, Leo made a decision. He handed over the money and hurried back to the bustling streets.
‘It might seem a bit inadequate, but Lena will like this.’ ─ he thought as he walked back to the inn with a lighter heart...
Suddenly, an achievement popped up.
[Achievement: Met Pablo de Klaus - Gained a slight favor from all nobles serving the Klaus royal family. Gained a slight favor from Pablo de Klaus.]
Startled, Leo looked around. However, amidst the jubilant citizens enjoying the festival, there was no sign of the rare royal entourage.
‘......’
Leo stood still, trying to calm his racing heart and stiff neck from the tension.
Thinking of the prince, his {Tracking Skill} pointed him in the right direction. Judging by how quickly it was spinning, it seemed the prince had just passed by him.
Hoo, ha. Hoo, haa. Hoo, haaaa. Hoooo.. haaaa...
Even in the noisy marketplace, Leo could clearly hear his own breathing. Taking a final deep breath, he turned on his heel.
He could ignore this and return to Lena... but he decided to secretly follow the prince.
*
The man presumed to be Pablo de Klaus was striding quickly, his navy blue hair fluttering. He wore ordinary clothes without any attempt to disguise himself, seemingly unconcerned about being recognized as a prince.
There were no knights accompanying him as there should be, making it easier to follow him. However, Leo, full of suspicion, took great care to remain unnoticed.
He followed the prince from a considerable distance of forty steps (thanks to the tracking skill, he didn’t need to keep the prince in sight), and soon realized that the prince was leaving the city.
Then, Leo felt relieved.
The prince was loitering in front of a modest house that looked neither affluent nor impoverished.
After a short while, a mostly plain but somehow endearing woman with narrow shoulders and a delicate neckline came out. They embraced each other and kissed.
Leo Dexter quickly turned away after witnessing this. Despite having followed the prince, he had no intention of intruding on someone’s private life.
As he retraced his steps, Leo felt it was good he had followed the prince.
‘Of course, it was never feasible to marry Lena to a prince in the first place. If that idiot Min-seo had tried to pair Lena with the prince, he would undoubtedly have failed.’
Even if he had this bracelet at that time.
Leo raised his arm.
On his wrist was a leather bracelet with three dark red beads, a reward from a previous scenario: {Barbatos’s Bracelet}.
With this bracelet, he could use Barbatos’s abilities. Leo could see with his {Divine Power Detection} that Barbatos’s divine power was shimmering in the three dark red beads.
If Min-seo had obtained this bracelet in a previous iteration... things he didn't want to imagine would have happened.
Barbatos’s [Eyes of Enchantment] ability didn't just make people favor him. It could also make someone favor another person.
But even so, Lena loves me, and the prince has a secret lover, so the enchantment wouldn’t have lasted long.
And Min-seo wouldn’t have been able to handle the aftermath. He would’ve likely faced a disastrous ending.
Whistling softly -
From Yuan to Pablo de Klaus, he had identified people with intriguing relationships. Knowing this calmed him.
Just gathering this information saved him several iterations, and the guilt he felt for idly playing with Lena eased somewhat.
Leo, clutching the gift for Lena, quickly returned. Prince Pablo de Klaus had also given a flower to his lover as a gift.
He had asked her to join him at the festival, but the young woman with a slender neck shook her head, seemingly unaware of his royal status.
It looked like she had hurried out, unable to even remove her apron, suggesting she was busy with household chores.
The prince, though disappointed, didn’t insist. Apologizing, he sent her back inside, then placed his hand to his ear in a customary gesture.
“...Sir Jacob?”
But Sir Jacob didn’t reveal himself. The prince, puzzled, repeated the gesture a couple more times before the knight quietly emerged.
A middle-aged knight of slightly smaller build. He carried a peculiar longsword with notches along the blade, but what caught attention was his face.
His lower jaw was half destroyed. Despite having features that must have once been handsome, with a straight nose, well-kept eyebrows, and stern eyes, only his upper lip remained intact, while the lower was only partially present.
“Sir Jacob. Thank you as always. But today, it seems your journey was in vain. Since we have time and the festival is in full swing, shall we have a light drink somewhere?”
The prince spoke with respect, but the knight called Sir Jacob seemed distracted, failing to respond.
“...Count Jacob Mordred?”
Only when his full name was called did he turn his gaze to the prince.
“Thishs city ish unsafh. Ith woulh be bethher if we lefht.”
“Is that so? Is it something I need to be aware of?”
Sir Jacob seemed to consider for a moment before shaking his head.
It was a rude action for a subordinate towards the prince, but given his difficulty speaking without a lower jaw, there was no helping it.
The prince, understanding his situation, didn’t mind. He led Sir Jacob back toward the bustling streets of the festival.
Count Jacob Mordred.
He was the captain of the royal guard and the pride of the Kingdom of Aster, a swordmaster.
And he cast a wary glance at the spot where Leo had been before following the prince.
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