Chapter 132 - <5>
Merite Village was a small human settlement located closest to Ciedena Forest. Though called a village, it was home to only about a hundred people who lived primarily off dairy farming and wheat cultivation; calling it a settlement might be more appropriate.
The majority of this village's harvest was often purchased by the settlement of the Clan of Light, so it rarely appeared on the open market. On top of that, the people living in the settlement mainly lived a self-sufficient life, so there was almost no trade to speak of.
Even so, they did occasionally go out to buy supplies. Most of the time, that meant going to Saradio, but since they rarely purchased in large quantities, the village's existence was hardly known. Naturally, they were connected to the few small villages around them, and there was some coming and going of people from there.
Originally, Merite Village had begun with a single house, the Merite Family. The Merite family had many children, and most of the children who came of age remained in the settlement, settled down, and had children of their own.
The Merite Family became a settlement and then a village over the past two hundred years or so. After establishing trade with the Clan of Light through a certain intermediary, they were able to earn a stable agricultural income, and the settlement was able to exist peacefully.
Moreover, this settlement had a spirit user who protected its people, making it safer than an ordinary village could ever hope to be. Vicious beasts couldn't enter the center of the settlement, and if any kind of trouble arose, the spirit user would appear immediately. That person constantly kept watch over the settlement for any changes by sending out wind spirits.
The guardian's name was Karl Alster. Ritz's father. He had another name he used when he spent time in this settlement.
Karl A. Merite. Karl seemed to have a tendency to think of that name as his real name. This was because he had experience using that name as his real name for eighty years.
In other words, this village was a village where the descendants of the Merite Family lived, a family with whom Karl had spent eighty long years over two centuries ago.
Using a specific shortcut through the forest that an ordinary person wouldn't know even if they were told, Ritz could get there in under an hour on foot. Even the slow-footed Franz could probably make it with plenty of time to spare in two hours if he tried hard. Considering it took two hours to leave the forest while strolling along the normal route close to the highway, Merite was quite close by.
Leaving the three who had said they would follow in Ciela's care, Ritz and Karl rushed ahead and arrived at the settlement to find it in the utmost chaos.
"This is awful."
He couldn't help but mutter. The small market in the center of the settlement, mainly used for bartering, had been smashed to pieces. The people of the settlement were sitting in front of it in a daze.
"Who would do something like this…"
Perhaps spotting the speechless Karl, a man came running towards them. He was a man in his fifties. The man stopped in front of Karl, out of breath.
"Karl, sorry for calling you out."
"Thomas? What happened?"
Thomas shook his head in confusion.
"I don't know. A group of armed men suddenly showed up."
With that, Thomas looked up at Ritz with anxious eyes. When Ritz gave a small nod, Thomas looked at the greatsword on Ritz's back with a bewildered expression, then turned his gaze back to Karl.
"Is he a mercenary, too?"
There was no point in lying, so Ritz nodded. He was currently on leave, but he was a mercenary nonetheless.
"He's not one of them, is he?"
At the half-fearful words, Karl gave a wry smile, and Ritz shrugged his shoulders.
"Thomas, that's Ritz."
"Eh?"
"Ritz Alster. My son."
"Ah, ah! It's Big Bro Ritz!"
Thomas clapped his hands together.
"I see, so you became a mercenary…"
His impressed expression seemed vaguely familiar. He thought it was probably a child he had played with in the past, but his memory was hazy. After all, it had been over forty years.
"When did you get back?"
"About four days ago, I guess."
"I see. Welcome home."
The frightened Thomas smiled brightly.
"I'm home. You've gotten big."
"Oh, come on, Big Bro. I'm about to have a grandchild, you know."
"Is that so."
Ritz, who had often come to this village, had been tasked with playing with the children while Karl was working. As a child, he had played around at the same level as the village children, and as he gradually grew up, his assigned mission became to look after them instead of playing with them.
The fact that Ritz didn't find it painful to listen to children or play with them was due to his experiences from this time. Anna thought he was a child-lover, but it was simply a matter of experience.
After all, Ritz had spent his childhood many times longer than humans, and had looked after children many times longer than humans.
Playing with children was fun, but it was also painful for Ritz. As he looked after the children, and then the grandchildren, of the children he had once played with, he was forced to witness everyone growing old and dying.
Taking care of the children sometimes forced him to confront how long he would live, and it filled him with a bleak feeling.
Besides, children eventually become adults. When they were children, they were attached to Ritz, but when they reached the boundary between adult and child, they would begin to view his existence with suspicion. But once they crossed that boundary and became adults, everyone would treat Ritz as a special being, keeping their distance and showing him smiles. That was also painful.
In fact, the child he had looked after just before running away from Ciedena was now waiting for the birth of a grandchild. This village was the place closest to his hometown for Ritz, and also a painful place where he witnessed human growth.
His father, Karl, apparently had never felt the same kind of discomfort as Ritz. Whether he was thick-skinned or had transcended the kind of anguish Ritz felt, Ritz didn't know.
"Let's save the small talk for later. Thomas, tell us the current situation."
Stepping in for the sentimental Ritz, Karl asked Thomas gently.
"Well, it was so sudden, I don't understand what happened. A group of armed men suddenly appeared. Even if we're out of touch with the world, we can tell the difference between the Kingdom Army and not. Soldiers who aren't in the Kingdom Army are mercenaries, right?"
"That's right."
"They suddenly appeared and said, 'So there was a village here. You've got some nerve keeping it from us.'"
"Got some nerve?"
"Yeah. They also said, 'We'll have to tell the lord about this.'"
The lord. The autonomous lord. There was only one lord nearby who had a private army.
Ville Lucina. Franz's father.
"This is bad. If Saradio's private army finds us, Saradio merchants might start coming to the village."
As Karl groaned, he quietly stroked his chin. He looked bitter. If it was the lord of Saradio, he would likely force them into trade. Especially a village that traded with the Clan of Light.
"Still, why would they come to a place like this…?"
Karl rarely made such a face in front of Ritz, but in this situation, it seemed he had no choice but to be serious.
"They seem to be looking for something, but I don't know what."
"Looking for something? I wonder what…"
After muttering that, Karl fell silent.
"...What are you going to do, Dad?"
"What should I do?"
He turned his gaze from the silent, pondering Karl to his own back. His greatsword was there. If they were to completely protect the secret of this settlement, there was one simple solution.
He just had to cut down all the Saradio soldiers who had invaded. That would resolve the matter as if nothing had happened. But there was one problem with that. If he killed nearly ten private soldiers, more soldiers would be dispatched to search for them after they went missing in this area.
If that happened, he would have to keep killing. That would be tough, to say the least.
"Ritz."
Karl called Ritz's name in a somewhat firm tone. He shifted his gaze from his greatsword back to Karl.
"Hm?"
"Are you thinking of something violent?"
"I was."
"You can't do that. This isn't a battlefield. This is Merite."
Karl declared this in a tone filled with firm resolve. Ritz nodded silently. He had only thought about it; he had no intention of actually doing it. For now, it was just him and Karl, but Edward, Franz, and Anna would be arriving after some time.
Leaving Edward aside, he couldn't show Franz and Anna a scene of blood-soaked corpses piled up.
"Anyway, we just need to round up the mercenaries, right?"
With that, Ritz started walking without waiting for a reply. Karl's admonishing, quiet voice called out to his back.
"Ritz, I'm begging you…"
"I know, I know. I won't go on a killing spree. Do I look like that kind of guy to you?"
"Of course not. You're my cute son."
"...Please stop with the 'cute.'"
He couldn't help but groan. The reason he had unconsciously said "my cute Anna" to Anna before was because Karl's favorite phrase was ingrained in his memory. No doubt about it. Did that mean he and Karl were the same type?
Ritz fought back the urge to collapse in despair. This was no time to lose his strength. Pulling himself together, Ritz gave instructions to his father.
"Dad, you and Thomas get some things that can be used as weapons and some ropes. When I knock them out, I need you to tie them up one by one."
Finishing his sentence, he turned forward again.
"Well then, I'm off."
He raised a hand without looking back, and heard Karl's sigh.
"I suppose there's no choice but to leave the vanguard to you. Thomas, gather the villagers."
"Got it. Big Bro Ritz."
"Hm?"
Called by Thomas, he turned around. There was the face of the fifty-something Thomas, filled with tension and responsibility.
"Don't kill them, I want you to capture them. We all want to avoid violence."
Those words made him understand. Thomas was currently in a position to lead this village.
"Understood."
When Ritz turned back and smiled, Thomas smiled back in relief. Then he called out loudly to the villagers who were sitting around.
"Everyone, bring whatever you can, whether it's a hoe or a sickle! Then gather back here. Got it?"
The dazed people snapped back to their senses at Thomas's words and scrambled back into their houses. Seeing that Karl and Thomas had also run off to find ropes, Ritz leisurely walked down the now-deserted road towards his destination.
His ears, which were slightly better than a human's, could hear the incessant noise from beyond the alley, which was probably too narrow for even a carriage to pass through. The Saradio soldiers were apparently still rampaging.
Ritz took the greatsword, which was close to Anna's size, from his back and held it in one hand. He placed it on his shoulder, still in its scabbard, and lightly tapped his own shoulder.
Considering the villagers and Anna and the others, drawing the greatsword from its scabbard was forbidden. He had no intention of showing them a bloody tragedy in this peaceful village.
He had heard that the most skilled among Saradio's private soldiers was his former subordinate, Jin. If it was a group of people with that level of skill, there was no need to draw his scabbard at all. Jin had a slightly better than average level of skill, but from Ritz's perspective, it wasn't a problem.
The problem wasn't Jin's skill, but his personality. He was too greedy for money and fame, and was a man who sometimes ended up connecting with the enemy.
But there was no need to think about that now. Jin was a private soldier directly under Ville Lucina, so he shouldn't be in a place like this. Besides, this wasn't a battlefield, and Ritz wasn't currently fighting against any particular force.
As he was thinking about this, he had already arrived at the source of the noise. This settlement was incredibly small. By the way, there was no inn in this settlement. Since it was unknown, there were no travelers who would stay there.
Even in a settlement like this, there was at least one restaurant. Ritz had arrived at the very corner that served as the village's only restaurant and tavern. There was a large wooden sign that read 'Singing Spirit Pavilion.'
"Still an uninspired name."
It was called the Spirit Pavilion because it was near Ciedena. The name hadn't changed since before Ritz left on his journey. Rumor had it that it was named after Ritz's mother, Ciela, whose singing was magnificent, but Ritz didn't know the truth of the matter.
From inside the shop, the sound of cheerful revelry could be heard, but in contrast to that sight, a man and a woman were sitting silently and dazed in front of the sign. They were a young man and an elderly woman. They probably were parent and child, as their faces resembled each other.
But the moment they saw Ritz's face, they shrank back even more fearfully. They didn't appear to be injured.
"Are you hurt?"
When he approached and asked, the two of them tried to back away even further. With no other choice, Ritz shrugged his shoulders.
"Don't worry. I'm Ritz. Karl's son."
When he introduced himself, the two of them widened their eyes. Eventually, the elderly woman asked in a low voice.
"...Big Bro Ritz?"
It seemed that wherever he went in this settlement, he was treated as a big brother. The last time he had come here was forty years ago. The people who were children back then had all grown up to be the ones supporting the village. And the adults who had watched over Ritz back then were no longer in this world.
"Yeah. You been well?"
"I have. It's nostalgic. I'm Debbie. Do you remember me?"
"Sorry. My memory isn't very good."
"It's fine, it was forty years ago."
He didn't remember her name, let alone her face, but she was probably a child he had played with, just like Thomas.
"You haven't changed at all, Big Bro. Just like Karl."
"Of course not, I'm his son."
"That's true…"
"Mom!"
The man next to the woman stopped the impending small talk with a tense voice.
"That's right, this is no time for this."
To the Debbie who had come back to her senses, Ritz asked nonchalantly.
"The mercenaries who invaded are in here, right?"
"Yes. They seem to be looking for someone, but it's a terrible mess. They're turning everything upside down. They even shook the wine that was aging in the cellar. It's the worst."
It seemed that once she snapped out of her daze, she had become furiously angry. But if these two stayed here, he couldn't start a fight.
"Debbie, take your son and go to Thomas's place. Right now, Thomas and my dad are getting ready to tie them up, so go help them."
"But, the shop…"
With that, Debbie looked at Ritz's greatsword. It seemed she was worried about the shop being destroyed. Ritz smiled to reassure her.
"It's fine. I won't go on a rampage inside the shop."
"Okay. That's a promise, right?"
"Yeah."
After confirming that the two of them had run off into the alley Ritz had come from, he moved away from the sign, stood in the road, and with his greatsword on his shoulder, yelled towards the tavern.
"Hey, you gang of robbers, come on out!"
In an instant, the clamor inside the tavern stopped completely. In order not to have the tavern destroyed, he needed to get everyone outside. Ritz continued.
"To attack such a tiny settlement with a large group, you're a pathetic bunch."
Before Ritz could finish speaking, a man opened the tavern door and came out. A line of men followed behind him.
The men wore matching steel armor that covered parts of their bodies, and on their steel breastplates was the golden crest that served as a Saradio merchant's pass and a symbol of Ville Lucina's power.
They were, without a doubt, Saradio's private army. He had to take care of this before Franz arrived, or Franz might just burn them to a crisp.
"We are not a gang of robbers, we are the Saradio lord's guard corps."
The large, bearded man at the front said. At first glance, he looked majestic, but from Ritz's perspective, he just looked unnecessarily fat. The other men were similar, and at a glance, none of them seemed capable.
That was a bit boring in its own way, but it couldn't be helped. Besides, he wasn't wearing armor and was alone. Even if the difference in strength was obvious, it would at least be some exercise.
"Hmm. Is Saradio in financial trouble? Enough to send a group to rob a village with nothing in it?"
"What did you say?!"
"Or is the famed Saradio private army a collection of incompetents who can only attack a village of this size as a group?"
As he provoked them with a teasing tone and readied his greatsword, the men became enraged and drew their swords in unison. To lose their cool over something like this, they were complete amateurs.
"Heh. You're going to fight me, huh?"
With a faint smile, he readied his greatsword and slowly glared at all of them, causing the men to flinch for a moment. But it seemed they had no intention of stopping.
"Damn it! He's just big and has a big weapon! It's got to be a bluff!"
"You think so?"
He glanced around, but there was no one in sight. Of course, Anna and the others, who usually restrained Ritz, weren't there either. For once, he could go all out without holding back.
"If that's what you think, then come on. I'll take you on."
"Shut up, shut up! Defying the Saradio Guard Corps is unforgivable! Attack!"
To be unable to gauge your opponent's strength at a glance, your training is lacking, Ritz smiled without saying it out loud. They were so pathetic, he didn't even feel like mocking them.
But that didn't mean he had any obligation to let them beat him.
Ritz took a deep breath, then stepped forward decisively and took a low stance. He swung with all his might, aiming at the enemies who were charging at him all at once in a nearly straight line.
The heavy greatsword howled as it cut through the air.
The next moment, with a dull thud and a heavy impact, several men were sent flying backwards, and a moment later, they crashed to the hard-packed ground with a tremor.
The men lay on the ground, unmoving. If he had drawn his scabbard, they would have been cut in two, but unfortunately, it only knocked them unconscious and wasn't a fatal blow.
The men who had been trying to surround him stopped in their tracks in astonishment. Taking advantage of that opening, he escaped the encirclement and stood behind the group.
"Wha—!"
Without giving the men time to be surprised, he delivered a powerful kick to the backs of several nearby enemies. The men were thrown back with great force.
"Behind, he's behind us!"
The bearded man shrieked in a strangely high-pitched voice, perhaps due to his confusion.
"Too slow."
From behind the men who were hastily trying to turn around, he delivered a heavy thrust without a moment's delay. Then, in a fluid motion, he landed a blow on the side of the man next to him.
Even with the scabbard on, the weight of this sword would be too much for men with insufficient training. As expected, several men fell to the ground and did not get back up.
Though fearful, he delivered a powerful elbow strike to the face of a man who had moved behind him, and now only he and one other were left standing.
It was the bearded man, likely the leader of this group.
"H-help…"
His pleading voice was trembling.
"And if I say no?"
He said coldly and lightly shouldered his greatsword. As he tapped his own shoulder and looked down at the man, the man reached into his breast pocket and began to search for something.
"Please, I have money."
"Oh... how much?"
"Five Giltz... no, I'll give you ten Giltz."
"Is that all?"
"Then fifteen, no, I'll give you twenty!"
"Hoh... twenty, you say…"
When Ritz said this and a thin smile appeared on his lips, the man took it as acceptance and a servile smile appeared on his face. But of course, Ritz had no intention of letting this man go for money.
"Then, you can use that money later to compensate the villagers."
After saying this quietly, Ritz drew his sword for the first time. The blade glinted dully in the bright summer light.
"Eek!"
He closed the distance to the man, who was reaching for his money, in an instant. The man's face, with its servile smile frozen in place, was now contorted in terror right before his eyes. He gently placed the cold blade against the neck of the man who was now unable to move.
The man's throat was trembling with fear.
"D-don't kill me…"
"That's up to you."
"If it's not money, what do you want?"
To the trembling man's question, Ritz replied gently.
"The existence of this village is a secret. You understand, right? It's a peaceful village, after all."
"I understand, I understand…"
"Right? If you're thinking of telling Ville Lucina and making a profit, your head and body will be permanently separated, but…"
He quietly slid the sword sideways, and the tip of the blade made a thin slice in the skin.
"What will you do?"
"Eek, I'll keep quiet, I'll keep quiet, so... please spare me!"
"Even if you escape now, the spirit user who guards this settlement will hunt you down no matter where you go. Do you understand?"
"I understand, I understand! I won't tell!"
Ritz whispered softly in the man's ear.
"I'll spare your life for now. You should be grateful to the villagers."
He unceremoniously released the man, whose whole body had begun to tremble with fear, and the man collapsed to the ground in a daze. Well, mission accomplished, more or less.
Ritz stretched languidly. He was the only one left standing.
"Man, a serious duel with Ed would be a much better workout."
He sheathed his greatsword and muttered this as he slung it over his back. But the next moment, he sensed a presence behind him and pointed his sheathed sword towards it. A tall, blond man who was standing right next to him leaned back and took a nimble step back.
"Whoa, that's dangerous, Ritz."
"Dad?"
It was Karl, smiling cheerfully as he said this. A rope was in his hand. And far behind him were the villagers, including Thomas.
"Yes, it's Papa."
"..."
"As expected of Hero King Edward's right-hand man, you're quite skilled."
"Don't tease me."
"I'm not teasing. I'm impressed."
As he said this, Karl had a somewhat sad expression. Karl and Ciela, who lived peacefully in the forest, disliked conflict and lived in harmony with nature and the spirits. It was probably painful for them to see their son live a life contrary to that.
Thinking this made his chest tighten.
Am I a burden even to my parents? If so... if a pure girl like Anna were to learn of my way of life, how much of a burden would that be to her? She was, after all, too bright for him.
For a moment, such a thought crossed his mind.
"Everyone, tie up the men here."
At Karl's signal, the villagers began to gather one after another. Jostled by the wave of villagers heading towards the fallen men, Ritz stood frozen.
Thinking about Anna, about the future he would live alone, always made him feel like he was standing in an indescribable darkness.
As he watched the villagers without really seeing anything, he felt a sudden tap on his shoulder.
"What are you standing around for in a daze?"
At that powerful voice, Ritz finally remembered where he was.
"Ed, you were fast."
His one and only friend, who accepted his way of life. It was painful for Ritz to be rejected by his parents, his friends, and the person he had feelings for, all at once.
But no matter how dirty his hands got, no matter how much blood stained him that couldn't be washed away, Edward would not deny Ritz's way of life, but would quietly smile and accept it. For Ritz, Edward was that kind of precious existence.
"It's not just Ed-san, you know."
With Edward was Anna. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, perhaps from rushing here, and she looked up at Ritz with a bright smile full of trust.
"Anna…"
He wanted to touch Anna and took a half-step forward, but he stopped himself with a small sigh. What reason did he have to touch Anna in this situation? He shouldn't touch her in a situation where he couldn't just brush it off.
"...Is something wrong?"
Perhaps noticing his momentary anguish, Anna's expression clouded over. He showed her a deliberately bright smile and asked cheerfully.
"Nothing's wrong at all."
"Really?"
"Yep. Just thinking I'm hungry."
"Oh, is that all?"
It was a poor excuse, but since it was a fact that it was almost lunchtime, Anna seemed to accept it and smiled. It was best to have her forget this topic quickly. Still smiling, Ritz changed the subject.
"You were fast."
"We were. Because we have horses."
"Come to think of it, that's right."
For Ritz and Karl, running through the forest was faster, but for those unfamiliar with it, a horse was far quicker. The horses had been tied up near the house, so it was possible for them to catch up to Ritz and the others quickly.
Behind Anna were Franz and Ciela, but Franz's complexion was poor. If he had rushed through the forest, he must have had a terrible time. He thought that if Franz could just learn to trust his weight to the horse a bit more, it would be easier, but he decided to teach him that on another occasion.
For now, Franz had a bigger problem rolling around, being tied up by the villagers.
"So, what happened?"
Prompted by Edward, Ritz glanced at Franz. He wanted to avoid Franz getting enraged, but if he kept quiet, the矛先 of his anger would turn towards him. He had no desire to be burned by a fireball from a self-forgetting Franz. With no other choice, he opened his mouth.
"The Saradio lord's guard corps."
The moment he said those words, Franz's eyebrows shot up.
"They were apparently looking for something, and were rampaging through the settlement... wait a minute."
He grabbed the scruff of Franz's neck as he was heading towards the tied-up men halfway through his explanation.
"Listen to me first."
"Let go of me."
"Calm down."
"I said, let go."
Franz looked straight up at him from a head shorter. His deep blue eyes were filled with an extremely ominous gleam.
"Hey, you need to stop flying off the handle every time you hear 'Saradio.' It's true they attacked this settlement, but it seems there was a reason."
"So it's okay to attack if there's a reason?"
"No, that's not it."
"Then it's fine, isn't it? They're just money-grubbing lackeys of Ville Lucina anyway. They couldn't possibly have a decent reason."
"Franz, calm down."
This was a stubborn one.
"Ed, the villagers…"
He called out to Edward softly, and Edward nodded and told Karl.
"Once you've tied up the robbers, please move away."
Karl, who had turned around with a curious look on his face, saw the agitated Franz and smiled in understanding.
"Got it. I'll do that."
Prompted by Karl and Thomas, the villagers backed away from the men, and in contrast, Franz, who had shaken off Ritz's hand, slowly closed in on the men. A ball of fire was in his palm.
"Franz, you're the one who forbids me from slaughter, aren't you?"
As he said this and crossed his arms, Franz turned to Ritz with a bewildered look for a moment.
"I could have killed all of them. But I held back. What about you?"
"...I know. I just want to punish them."
"Is that so."
"Even I can control myself."
It seemed there was no choice but to let him do as he pleased, as long as he didn't try to wipe out the men with a fireball. If he did try to take such a measure, Ritz could just stop him.
Just as he thought that, a high-pitched, girlish voice that was out of place in the situation echoed.
"What a pathetic sight."
Her voice, somewhat lisping and quite young, spun out words completely opposite to the image her voice created, one after another.
"How dare you tarnish the name of the Saradio Lord's Guard Corps, you little simpletons!"
At the same time as her voice, a fancy-looking feathered fan came flying at the bearded man's head. The fan impressively hit the bearded man's head and fell to the ground.
"To begin with, why do you have to be so rough just to search a tiny little settlement like this? I can only think you're stupid. You can't even do a single cost-benefit calculation, can you, you blockhead!"
"M-my lady…"
The tied-up men all hung their heads with the most pitiful expressions in the world. As the villagers and Ritz's entire party stood there stunned, the owner of the voice made a grand entrance from the small path beyond the tavern. Ritz was stunned by the figure, which was so out of place.
The owner of the voice was a young girl. If Anna, when she looked extremely young, looked twelve or thirteen, this girl was even younger than that. She was probably around ten years old, if that.
Her long, sparkling golden hair was curled into two vertical rolls and decorated with large pink silk ribbons.
Her summer-like, short dress was made of pastel pink lace and silk, and its hem was made with lots of lace, making it fluffy and voluminous. From it peeked out slender legs wearing silk stockings that could be guessed to be high-quality at a glance, and leather shoes with a glossy shine.
The large eyes of the girl under her neatly trimmed bangs were deep blue. The girl, who had appeared before everyone looking like the very picture of a rich person, stared at the bearded man prostrating before her and, after a long pause, crossed her arms.
"To begin with, my brother is noble, beautiful, and wise, the absolute coolest person in the entire world."
The girl emphasized this dreamily.
"Did you really think that such a brother would be hiding under a small stall like a cat or a mouse?! There's no way my brother, an innocent and solitary beautiful boy, would be in such a place! Why did you destroy the stalls? The compensation will come out of your salary!"
It seemed that, just as Ritz had threatened earlier, that bearded man would be paying a hefty sum in compensation. It served him right.
Thinking this, he looked at Franz and noticed a drastic change in Franz, who until now had been emitting a terrifying killing intent. His blue eyes, usually half-open and hidden by his bangs in a look of annoyance, were now wide open to their limit. From his expression, it was clear that he was more surprised than anyone else in this place.
From his appearance, he finally realized the connection between the Saradio Guard Corps, the young lady, and Franz. Because her appearance had been so unexpected, it had taken him a while to realize.
Unsteadily, Franz took a step forward. The girl, seeming to notice, looked up from the bearded man she had been angry at and stared intently at Franz. Franz, too, seemed to be looking back into her eyes.
"Ritz, what's wrong?"
He turned around as Anna pulled on his sleeve.
"Take a look, they're a pair of siblings who look a lot alike."
"Eh?"
With a puzzled look on her face, Anna looked back and forth between Franz and the girl. Anna's eyes gradually widened in surprise. It seemed she understood who the words "noble, beautiful, wise, the absolute coolest person in the entire world, and an innocent, solitary, beautiful boy" were referring to.
"Wow... you're right. The area around their eyes looks exactly the same."
Then Edward, who was next to Anna, burst out laughing.
"They really do look a lot alike."
Eventually, Franz muttered in a dazed voice.
"Constanze…"
At that moment, the flamboyant girl, as if released from a spell, her expression of astonishment turning into a brilliant, beaming smile.
"Brother Franz!"
Shouting this loudly, the girl forcefully jumped over the tied-up man and practically flew into Franz's arms. Franz staggered back a few steps from the impact. But Constanze paid no mind to that.
"I was looking for you, Brother! I wanted to see you!"
Looking at the solitary beautiful boy, Franz, who seemed to have forgotten to move, let alone breathe, in his daze, he felt a gaze and looked over to see a man standing where Constanze had been. The man, presumably the girl's attendant, gave a small bow towards Ritz.
"Hey there. It's been a year, hasn't it, Captain?"
There stood the face of Jin, with a sycophantic, ingratiating smile.
"You're supposed to be directly under Ville Lucina…"
As he began to say this, Jin waved his hand dismissively. He then continued to look up at Ritz with a sloppy, ingratiating smile.
"I got demoted because of that incident."
'That incident' was, of course, the incident where Franz burned down the mansion. It was true that Ritz had strung him up in front of his subordinates, and he had fled against Ville's orders, so it was probably to be expected that he would be demoted.
"But being attached to the young lady isn't so bad, you know. My salary went down, though."
It was hard to tell how much of what he said was serious, but Jin said this and shrugged his shoulders.
"More than anything, even if I'm close by, it's not as stuffy as being with the lord."
"Is that so."
Faced with a series of events that were completely beyond his imagination, Ritz sighed and scratched his head.