“……….”
The atmosphere grew even more awkward. I quietly let go of Theon’s hand and lowered my arms. Theon did the same.
“Sorry,”
Theon whispered to me.
“No, it’s fine,”
I shook my head. But we couldn’t look at each other. Why is that? We’re just friends. This is so awkward.
Meanwhile, the voice of the Baroness talking with a guest could be heard from the entrance.
“Is this the guest Master Reytan mentioned?”
My dad?
I perked up my ears. The footsteps of the two people grew closer to the living room. When I saw the guest’s face, I was so surprised that I nearly fell over.
“Grandma Marshall?!”
She was so short that she barely reached the chest of the Baroness of Voltman. Pointed ears.
Her stern gaze, visible beyond her glasses, landed on us.
“Looks like there are two little chicks now.”
“How did you get here?! It’s so far from Bonwell Village!”
I quickly got down from the sofa and ran to hug Grandma Marshall tightly.
Grandma Marshall was a pharmacist from Bonwell Village. She was the benefactor who saved both me and my father.
Grandma Marshall patted my head as if it was a habit, then she spoke in a displeased tone.
“Your father is working this old lady to the bone.”
“Dad?”
“How did he know I was in the capital? He’s such a sly man.”
***
Reytan’s ears tingled.
There was noise outside the study, suggesting that Marshall had arrived.
When he decided to take Berry to the temple, he thought it was the perfect timing to show Berry to Marshall.
The distance between Bonwell Village and Leaf Village was easily a ten-day journey by carriage. However…
‘I figured Marshall would come to the capital since her deposit’s maturity date was approaching, and she would need to visit the main bank.’
Fortunately, Reytan’s prediction was spot on.
Berry didn’t seem to have any visible ailments, but a proper diagnosis was necessary.
Marshall was the pharmacist who knew Berry’s physical condition better than anyone.
“It’s been a while, Master Reytan.”
Baron Voltman greeted Reytan with a formal tone, offering a belated greeting. It had already been more than 10 years since they last met.
“You may speak comfortably, Deputy Commander Voltman.”
“That’s an old title. Hearing it from the Grand Master brings back memories.”
Baron Voltman’s gaze shifted to Reytan’s sword.
The Grand Master.
In the Aubawth Order, they stood above the priests and were untouchable, even by the Grand Priests.
As a result, even the nobles of the Hayshal Empire could not treat the Grand Masters disrespectfully without cause.
“Have you returned?”
“Yes. But hearing you address me so politely makes my skin crawl. When did you become so refined?”
“……Our youngest… is just the same as ever…?”
Baron Voltman’s lips twitched.
“Well, people don’t change that easily, do they? It doesn’t matter to me if you speak formally or informally. Just do as you please.”
“Heh, you’re as unruly as ever.”
Baron Voltman coughed awkwardly and started speaking informally. Reytan gave a faint smile.
The two had spent about four months together in the same unit in the past. Reytan had joined as the youngest knight in the unit led by Baron Voltman, who served as the Deputy Commander.
This was before Reytan became a Sword Master.
He had dropped out of the academy and lived freely on the battlefield, stained with blood.
This shift happened when he was 16 years old.
***
From a young age, Reytan never felt a sense of family within the House of Count Travel.
The only people who gave him a sense of family were his biological mother, Julia, and his older brother, Brown, who lived in Hispoth Town.
Although Brown was also the son of Count Travel, he was born before Count Travel married Julia.
Due to opposition from Priscilla, the first wife, Brown could not be officially recognized as part of the Travel family. The fact that Brown was born in the same year as Marian enraged Priscilla.
“Don’t you hate the Travel family, brother? You’re never welcomed when you come here, just stared at coldly. Why do you bother adding more work for yourself by coming here?”
“For your face.”
“…Brother, you must be crazy. I’m already tired of people telling me I’m handsome, and now even you? Being born as a handsome man is truly a burden.”
“Haha.”
“Why are you laughing?”
“I hope you always stay this carefree. Just seeing your face makes all my worries disappear.”
“Worries? What’s up? Something happened lately?”
“Yes, my little brother, who just entered the academy this year, seems to have decided to become a farmer. His report card looks like a field of seeds. Reytan.”
“Haha.”
“Don’t laugh.”
A grade of C was pretty average, wasn’t it?
Reytan had always been quick-witted from a young age.
He knew that if he excelled at something, people would grow envious. And that envy would inevitably be directed at his mother.
The heir to the House of Count Travel.
The struggle for that position was fierce.
He couldn’t give up on the sword. It was his destiny.
So, he decided not to stand out in anything else.
That way, his mother could live in peace within this wretched household.
Neigh—!
Boom!!
Second year of the academy. Age 16.
On his way back to the House of Count Travel, the carriage Reytan was riding in fell off a steep cliff.
The coachman, the attendants, and the horse—
All of them died. Except for Reytan.
He was covered in blood and dust, and he returned to the House of Count Travel with the wreckage of the accident still clinging to him.
On the front porch of the main building, the people he had considered family were standing.
Count Travel. And his first wife, Priscilla, along with her children.
“R-Reytan.”
At Reytan’s return, someone paled, as if confessing to the crime themselves.
Reytan realized it.
Had the horse gone mad with disease and rampaged, causing the carriage to fall off the cliff?
Had the coachman been drunk after drinking too much the night before?
All the speculations he had made on his way here were pointless.
‘Even beasts take care of their own family…’
Until now, he had tried to maintain an average standard in everything except swordsmanship. He did just enough with his successor lessons and academy classes—not falling behind, but not excelling either.
Aside from his swordsmanship, he had aimed to be an ordinary second son of Count Travel.
It was a tedious and exhausting life, but he did it because he thought Julia and Brown would be sad if he lived a life at the very bottom.
But now…
‘Was there even a need for that?’
Once you die, it’s all over anyway.
That carriage was the one Julia was supposed to ride with him.
This crime wasn’t just aimed at him alone.
‘This is complete BS.’
Something snapped in Reytan’s mind with a resounding crack.
Thus began the birth of the Travel family’s black sheep.
***
Grandma Marshall, Dad, and I.
The three of us were in Baron Voltman’s study.
When I told Dad that Grandma Marshall had arrived, Baron Voltman offered us the study to have our conversation in private.
“Ah—”
After thoroughly inspecting my throat, Grandma Marshall shook her head in disapproval.
“Tsk tsk…”
She clicked her tongue, causing Dad and I to tense up as we looked at her.
What is it? Am I in bad shape?
“Marshall, is Berry okay?”
“How would I know if she’s okay or not?”
“W-what? Grandma, why?”
“Can’t you see for yourself? She looks perfectly fine, but you dragged this old lady all the way here.”
We’d been fooled.
Grandma Marshall poured out a storm of scolding at Dad.
Dad apologized, but there was a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
“Dad, you were worried about me?”
“Yes.”
“Is this the first day your dad has worried about you? Still, just in case, I’ll leave some medicine.”
Grandma Marshall, looking fed up with Dad’s concern, opened her bag. There were dozens of small medicine bottles neatly arranged inside.
“Grandma, you worried about me too, didn’t you?”
“Worried? As if.”
“But you carried all that from the capital to here. It must have been heavy.”
“You clever little chick.”
I giggled at Grandma’s words.
She pointed to the closed door with her chin.
“The checkup is over, so call in that other chick now.”
“Chick?”
Was someone waiting outside?
When Dad opened the door, Theon was pacing back and forth right in front of it.
“Oh? Theon.”
“Ah, Grandma asked me to bring this over…”
It was a tray carrying drinks.
Theon, standing in the hallway, had a strangely serious expression on his face.
I got down from the chair and walked over to him. His complexion didn’t look good.
“Theon, are you feeling sick?”
“No. I’m not hurt or anything.”
“Then what is it?”
I tilted my head in confusion.
Dad answered for Theon.
“He’s just worried. Since Marshall said she would examine Berry.”
“Oh. Really?”
“…Teacher is right.”
At that moment, I was moved by Theon’s kindness.
Thud thud thud.
The loud sound of footsteps stomping on the wooden floor echoed.
Right behind it was Anne’s urgent shout, telling someone not to run.
We all turned our heads to the side.
It was Jeffrey.
“Big sister Berry—!”
