BGFV Chapter 83

Chapter 83

“Wow! A field!”

As they passed the Chest Gate, Leonhard let out a shout.

It was just a common field, but to Leonhard, who had never left Chest, it looked fascinating.

“Young Master, don’t stick your head out too far. It’s dangerous,” Hestia warned.

“Okay, I got it,” Leonhard replied, pulling his head back inside obediently.

It was mid-July. The three of them had left the Duke’s residence early to attend the opening ceremony of the Milky Way Festival held by the royal family.

Since it would take at least four days to reach the capital, they had a long journey ahead.

Feeling excited about not traveling alone, Leonhardt stuck close to Luciard with a grin.

“Uncle, what’s that?” he asked, pointing at the pile of books and papers Luciard had brought along.

“Ah… just study materials,” Luciard replied.

“Study? But my teacher said I don’t have to study while he’s away in the capital,” Leonhard said, looking confused.

A few weeks ago, Leonhard had been introduced to a new tutor, who was excellent at teaching and very knowledgeable, similar to Melvin.

“I’d love to take a break too, but…”

“No can do,” Hestia interjected firmly. “There’s so much to learn, and you need to use every bit of spare time you have.”

“Ugh…”

Unlike Leonhard’s gentle tutor, Luciard’s teacher was the strict Hestia, and he couldn’t dare argue with her.

“But Hestia, this is a trip. If all we do is study, it’ll be too hard,” Luciard tried to reason.

“We have plenty of free time while riding in the carriage, so it’s better to use it for studying,” Hestia replied.

“Poor Uncle…” Leonhard muttered.

“See? Even Leonhard thinks I’m pitiful,” Luciard said, giving Hestia a pleading look.

Seeing their matching expressions, Hestia’s eyebrows twitched.

“No way—”

Sparkle, sparkle, sparkle—

“Alright, fine, I’ll cut down the study time,” she finally gave in with a sigh.

Luciard’s face lit up, and Leonhard, feeling triumphant, gave him a high-five.

“But you know you still have to work hard, right?” Hestia reminded him.

“Of course! Have you ever seen me slacking off?”

Well, not exactly, but…

“You’re just a bit slow at learning,” Leonhard teased.

Luciard flinched but couldn’t argue. It was true—he was better at physical activities than academic ones.

To graduate at the top of the swordsmanship academy, he had to excel in both theory and other subjects, so he needed to work harder than most.

Of course, Hestia didn’t know this.

“We’ll reach Byron in about two days, so let’s take it slow,” Hestia said as their carriage started moving toward the northern region where Byron was located.

---

“Welcome to Byron!”

After two days of travel, they finally arrived in Byron.

As soon as they stepped out of the carriage, fireworks and flower necklaces greeted them, leaving Leonhard wide-eyed in surprise.

“Young Master, welcome to Byron!”

But his surprise didn’t last long. Seeing Eric and the Frost family welcoming him, Leonhard’s cheeks turned red.

“Thanks! The flowers are so pretty.”

“That’s actually a candy necklace,” Eric said.

“A candy necklace?!” Leonhard exclaimed, examining the necklace around his neck. Upon closer inspection, he saw candies wrapped in colorful foil strung between the flowers.

He unwrapped one and popped it into his mouth, his eyes lighting up.

“Uncle! Hestia! This is so good! You’ve got to try it!”

Excited, he showed off his gift to Luciard and Hestia as they stepped down from the carriage. Both of them tried a candy and greeted the Frost family warmly.

“Welcome to Byron. Was the journey difficult?” Anna asked with a smile.

Luciard returned her smile. “Not at all. And how have you been, madam?”

After exchanging brief pleasantries, they headed to the Frost estate.

It was Leonhard’s first time visiting a friend’s home, and he eagerly ran ahead with Eric, full of excitement.

“Sir Luciard, this room is yours. Tia, we’ve kept your old room just as it was,” Anna said, guiding them to their respective rooms.

Luciard was shown to a guest room, while Hestia was taken to her old room, which she hadn’t seen in three months.

Seeing how spotless it was, Hestia smiled.

“You must have kept it very clean,” she said.

“Of course. It’s my daughter’s room—I couldn’t neglect it,” Anna replied.

Hestia hugged her mother tightly before opening the window wide. She took a deep breath and murmured, “The smell of Byron… I missed it.”

“Byron has a smell?” Anna asked, amused.

“Yes, it smells like iron, leather, and the fragrance of scented soap all mixed together. It’s a comforting smell,” Hestia explained.

“In other words, the smell of home,” Anna said with a smile.

“Exactly! It’s only been three months, but it feels like forever,” Hestia replied.

As she gazed out the window, a warm smile spread across her face, but something caught her eye.

“Mom, why do the people outside look so busy?”

“Ah, they’re throwing a festival to celebrate your return,” Anna explained.

“Another festival?” Hestia exclaimed in surprise.

“The capital is bustling with preparations for the Milky Way Festival, so we’re combining everything together. Plus, there’s a new bag that recently launched and is super popular nationwide, so people are coming to Byron just to buy it,” Anna said with a smile, mentioning how visitors could enjoy the festival while shopping.

Thud, thud, thud!

Suddenly, the sound of children running echoed down the hall.

“These kids…!”

Anna’s eyebrows shot up; and she put her hands on her hips, about to scold them, but she paused when she saw Leonhard at the front of the group, calling out excitedly.

“Hestia! Hestia!”

Anna pressed her lips together, unable to bring herself to scold Leonhard like he was her own child. Hestia, smiling at the scene, spoke up, “Young master, you shouldn’t run in the halls.”

“Oh, sorry.”

Leonhard stopped in his tracks, walking quietly toward Hestia before hugging her.

“Hey, can I go to the village with Erik?”

Hestia glanced at Erik and Annie standing behind him.

“They want to show me around!”

“It’ll just be a village tour!”

They likely wanted to introduce Leonhard to Byron in their own innocent way.

“Take Sir Lloyd with you, just in case.”

“Ugh, taking Lloyd is such a hassle…”

“Even so, you can’t go alone. What if something dangerous happens?”

“Fine, fine. Only Lloyd, then, right?”

“Yes. Make sure to avoid any dangerous places and stay in crowded areas. Got it?”

“What’s going to happen? It’s our town!”

“Don’t worry, we’ll only check out the festival!”

“Hestia! And, and!”

Leonhard’s face lit up as if he’d just remembered something exciting.

“Tonight, I’m sleeping in Erik’s room!”

“Erik’s room?”

Hestia looked at Erik, who grinned mischievously.

“Yeah, we’re gonna share secret talks between men!”

With oddly serious expressions, the two boys exchanged glances.

“Alright… do as you like.”

“Yes!”

“I’ll tell you a hero story!”

They truly were two peas in a pod.

“Hestia.”

At that moment, Luciard appeared in the doorway, calling her name.

“Didn’t you say you had something to do in Byron?”

“Oh, right. Mom, I’ll just take a quick look around the workshop. It’s been a while since I’ve been in Byron, so I’d like to explore.”

“Alright, go ahead. Will Luciard accompany you?”

Luciard decided to go with her to gain more experience. “I’ll be back before dinner. Are you kids coming with us to the village?”

“Hestia’s going too?”

“I’m in!”

Erik and Leonhard jumped in excitement, and Annie nodded as well. Only Elvin stayed back, standing quietly at a distance.

“I’ll keep an eye on the kids. Including the neighborhood kids, there are so many that someone has to make sure they don’t cause trouble.”

“Alright, Elvin. It’ll be tough for Lloyd to handle alone, so thanks for helping. Here’s some pocket money.”

Hestia discreetly slipped a pouch of coins into Elvin’s hand. He acted indifferent but couldn’t hide the slight twitch of a smile as he led the children outside.

“Ready?”

Hestia asked Luciard as she approached.

“There’s nothing to prepare. Let’s just go.”

They descended to the first floor, where the children and their unexpected bodyguard, Lloyd, were already waiting.

“Lloyd, sorry for the trouble, but I’ll leave it to you.”

“Don’t worry, Miss Hestia. I’ll take good care of the young master.”

“Good. Oh, here’s a little extra for snacks or anything the kids might want to buy. Feel free to use it for yourself too.”

“…Thank you.”

She handed him a generous pouch, ensuring the kids and Lloyd would have a good time.

“What about Lavio and the others?”

Hestia suddenly remembered the Blaze Mercenary members who had accompanied them to the capital for the festival.

“They already found a place to stay in Byron, so don’t worry. They’ll join us when we leave for the capital,” Lloyd answered.

“Really? I was thinking of offering them rooms at the hotel…”

“Lavio insisted. He said they’ve received too much already and can handle this on their own,” Luciard explained.

With that, Hestia left the Frost Manor and walked through the village.

“Miss Hestia!”

“Isn’t your visit supposed to be tomorrow?”

“Miss, try this! It’s my latest creation!”

Wherever she went, merchants and craftsmen recognized her, making the streets lively.

Leonhard’s eyes sparkled.

“Hestia, you’re so popular!”

“The villagers adore her. Thanks to her, Byron has flourished.”

“Over there! Hey, guys!”

Erik waved toward the square, where a group of children had gathered near the fountain.

The kids welcomed them enthusiastically but paused when they noticed the adults following.

“Everyone, this is the young master I told you about, Leonhard Winston!”

The Frost siblings eagerly introduced Leonhard to their friends.

“H-hi! I’m Leon Winston… No, no! Leonhard Winston! Leon’s my nickname.”

He stumbled nervously, his cheeks flushing. Seeing this, the children began to relax.

“Nice to meet you, young master.”

“I’ve never met a noble other than Lord Frost!”

“Is that man behind you a knight?”

The boys quickly turned their attention to Lloyd.

“Yeah, he’s here to guard me for now.”

“Whoa!”

“Our first real knight!”

“He’s different from Nick the blacksmith!”

“Sir Knight, is that a real sword?”

The boys’ eyes shone as they bombarded Lloyd with questions, leaving him visibly flustered. Hestia and Luciard tried to stifle their laughter.

“Um, excuse me…”

Meanwhile, a girl cautiously approached Hestia.

“What is it, sweetie?”

“Is he a knight too?”

The girl pointed at Luciard, having noticed the sword at his waist.

Judging by the girls’ reddened faces, Hestia realized Luciard’s appearance was drawing attention.

‘He is quite handsome,’ she thought, then rested a hand on his shoulder.

“This is Leonhard’s uncle.”

“Oh, I see. Hello, sir…”

“Hello…”

Luciard awkwardly greeted the children, clearly unaccustomed to such situations.

“Let’s get going. You kids have fun, okay? Take care of the young master.”

“Yes, ma’am! See you later!”

“Bye, handsome uncle!”

“…Handsome?”

Luciard froze, looking bewildered.

Hestia burst into laughter as she walked beside him.