Chapter 133, Jokes and Departure

Translator: Barnnn

 

Winter had settled in fully now. The air had taken on that distinct sharpness of the year’s end, and a faint yet restless excitement could be felt rippling through the town.

The manor, however, remained mostly unchanged.

Looking closely, they could notice that a few of the servants had vanished from their usual posts, but none of the trio asked questions. They had agreed among themselves to pretend they hadn’t noticed a thing, unless the Lord offered an explanation himself.

At the moment, Loudipa stood in the drawing room, looming beside a hulking taxidermy display, examining the creature from every angle with a series of appreciative hums.

 

“Now this… this is a fine specimen. You don’t often find such well-preserved work, you know? Look here: hardly any visible wounds. Whoever brought this Blood Bear down was a skilled mage. With a sword, you’d see more slashes, more obvious trauma.”

 

It was Fieda who had reluctantly invited Loudipa into their room, after he’d been scolded for spending too much time out in the cold. Naturally, the three-meter-tall Blood Bear came with him.

Feeling sorry for the servants tasked with dragging the stuffed beast inside, Ize had tried to store it in her Magic Bag instead, but Hal had stopped her. According to him, putting a suitor’s gift, however grotesque it was, into her personal storage was unacceptable. Ize didn’t entirely understand his reasoning, but Hal had insisted, so she let it go.

 

“So, was this round of exploration a success?” Loudipa asked.

“Yes,” Ize replied with a bright smile. “It was really fun. Have you explored the Dungeon yourself, Lord Loudipa?”

“Of course. Back in my day, I went all the way to the final floor. I was the Lord, after all. My brother and I trained constantly to prepare for the Deluge.”

“Lord Gruash too, huh? I guess that explains how he became an A-rank adventurer.”

 

To avoid confusion between Loudipa — the former Lord, soon to be reinstated — and Gruash, who was currently acting as Lord, they had recently agreed to refer to each of them by name.

Loudipa had suggested, “Feel free to call me Lou!” but of course, Hal had rejected that idea outright. Ize, sensing the mood, continued to use “Lord” formally out of habit.

 

“I should start training again soon,” Loudipa said. “When I do, I hope you’ll be willing to spar with me, Hal.”

“Of course,” Hal replied with a grin. “I’ll stab you somewhere on accident, but don’t worry, I’ll have Ize heal you right up.”

Loudipa laughed heartily. “You always have the best jokes, Hal!”

“…That WAS a joke, right?” Fieda asked, glancing nervously at Ize.

“Ehh, I’m sure it was,” Ize murmured.

 

On the surface, the two men looked like they were sharing friendly banter, but both Fieda and Ize were quietly on edge. Hal’s dark humor could be a little too convincing sometimes.

 

“By the way, have you gone exploring with Shezel yet?” Loudipa asked.

“Not yet, unfortunately; too many scheduling conflicts. We’ve been talking about it, though,” Hal replied.

“I think it’d be a good idea. From what I’ve seen, you seem to be subconsciously channeling magical energy through your body, as a kind of passive reinforcement. Shezel would be able to confirm it with one glance.”

“Wait, what?” Ize said, startled. “Hal, since when can you do that?”

“That explains the recent speed in your swordwork,” Fieda added with a frown. “So that was magic?”

“Huh… I had no idea,” Hal said, blinking, clearly as shocked as the others.

Loudipa nodded. “My brother was the same. It happens sometimes with nobles who have a large magical energy pool.”

“Even Lord Gruash, huh?” Ize said.

“Mm-hmm. Shezel helped him refine his technique, actually. So if you do end up working with him, be sure to ask about it.”

“Thanks,” Hal said, this time with genuine gratitude.

“I’ve heard there are skills that allow for physical reinforcement,” Ize added. “How’s that different from what Hal’s doing?”

“Oho! That’s my Ize — sharp as ever,” Loudipa beamed.

“She’s not your anything!” Hal snapped.

 

Ignoring him, Ize gestured for Loudipa to continue.

 

“Well,” Loudipa said, clearing his throat, “first off, skills are much more efficient when it comes to energy usage. Most of the magical energy they require is from when you activate them; once they’re up, maintaining the effect doesn’t take much at all. On the other hand, reinforcing your body with pure energy requires a constant flow of it, which is why only those with naturally high reserves can pull it off. And even then, it’s not just about energy; you also need talent in energy manipulation and a decent understanding of your own anatomy. To move properly, you need to know where to send the magical energy and how much of it; you can’t just flood your whole body and hope for the best.”

“But skills don’t require that kind of knowledge?”

“Exactly. That’s what makes them advantageous: think it, and it works. Hal here probably has a knack for circulating energy, especially since he’s able to use holy water magic.”

“That makes sense,” Hal said thoughtfully. “Reinforcement might be like healing — sending energy to the part that needs it. I’ll ask Mister Shezel about it the next chance I get.”

 

Loudipa nodded, clearly pleased. At the end of the day, he genuinely seemed grateful to Ize and Hal, and as such had taken it upon himself to teach them what he deemed useful. Of course, Fieda was far more knowledgeable when it came to the daily lives of commoners, but Loudipa offered rare insights into the nobility’s world that were just as valuable.

 

“Oh, that reminds me,” Loudipa said, suddenly serious. “I have a favor to ask. Do you have a moment?”

“Until dinner, yes,” Fieda replied.

 

At that, Loudipa gestured subtly to the room’s remaining staff, and they departed with quiet bows. The motion was strikingly similar to something Gruash might do.

 

“Come the new year, I’ll be attending a party in the Capital. That’s when I’m officially getting reinstated as Lord.”

 

Ize activated Stealth around Loudipa, who turned to her and gave a small nod.

 

“Is there a chance of interference?” Hal asked.

“I wouldn’t rule it out. There’s a concern that’s been weighing on me. My brother is supposed to attend as well, but he’s… reluctant.”

“Why?”

“Sister-in-law… ahem. I mean, Rossalie. There have been unsettling… signs, let’s just say, around her recently.”

“Oh, no–”

 

Ize’s breath caught. If Gruash or Loudipa couldn’t be targeted directly, then Rossalie would be the next logical choice.

 

“Should we come to the Capital with you?” Fieda asked.

“No,” Loudipa said immediately. “Gruash is against it as well.”

“Why?”

“You might fare well enough, Fieda, but you two…” he gestured to Ize and Hal. “…You can’t kill.”

 

Ize stiffened. Hal swallowed hard.

 

“…Yeah,” Hal said quietly. “I’ve prepared myself for the possibility. But if it came down to it, I think I’d hesitate.”

“You see what I mean?” Loudipa said lightly, gesturing with one hand. “I’ve heard that several past Heroes ended up with trauma after taking a life. Honestly, it’s wiser not to get involved in escort missions. It leaves too many scars.” He folded his arms as if brushing away the thought. “Instead, I’d prefer if you could stay with my sister-in-law, just for the first few days of the new year. There’ll be fireworks and general festivities in town, so it’d be easy for an enemy to use that as cover to make a move.”

Fieda gave a short nod. “Understood. Will this request be made official through Lord Gruash?”

“Yes,” Loudipa said. “But I wanted to speak with you personally today and get your answer in advance.”

“I have one question first,” Hal said, raising his hand.

“Go on,” Loudipa replied.

“You said earlier that we aren’t capable of killing someone. But guarding Miss Rossalie… does that not involve the same risks?”

Loudipa tilted his head in thought. “Well, part of it is that we’ll be leaving a fair number of soldiers behind to maintain order. But more importantly, there’s a fundamental difference between an attack that happens while traveling and one that occurs when staying in a single location. Fieda, would you explain?”

Fieda nodded. “It’s about who holds the initiative. When you’re on the move, you’re at the mercy of your attacker. They choose the time, place, and method — ambushes, traps, all of it. But in a residence, we can prepare. We can set up our own traps or hide the person being protected in a decoy location. And if we’re well-staffed, we might not even need to kill the assailants — just disable them.”

“All right,” Hal said. “We’ll still need to plan out the specifics of her protection, but I think I’ve got the general picture.”

“Well, think you’re up for it?” Loudipa asked.

“What do you think, Ize?”

Ize hesitated for a moment, then spoke honestly. “If I can help Miss Rossalie, I’ll do my best. I… might not be much use in a real fight, though. I’m still scared of having to face another person like that.”

“That’s not a problem,” Hal said gently. “Just use your Perception to tell us where the enemy is. Stay close to Miss Rossalie. That alone will be enough.”

“In that case, I can do it,” Ize said, smiling in relief.

Hal reached out and gave her head a soft pat before nodding to Fieda. “Then please let Lord Gruash know we accept the assignment.”

“Perfect!” Loudipa exclaimed, grabbing Fieda’s hands and shaking them up and down. “Rossalie is my brother’s most precious person, you understand. With you three around, I know she’ll be safe!”

 

Then he turned to take Ize’s hands… but Hal knocked them away with a karate chop.

 

“Take care on your trip to the Capital,” Hal said flatly. “And try not to get stabbed for flirting with every woman in sight.”

“Oh, no need to worry. My love is equally distributed to everyone. Even you, Hal,” Loudipa replied with a wink, seizing Hal’s hands and giving them an affectionate squeeze.

 

Hal’s face twisted with undisguised disgust.

Loudipa’s absence from the manor would no doubt bring Hal some much-needed peace… even if it might come with a different kind of trouble.

 

◆

 

A few weeks later, the day of departure arrived. The trio gathered at the manor’s entrance to see Gruash and Loudipa off on their journey to the royal Capital for the New Year’s party.

The sky was clear, but the air was moderately cold — below ten degrees.

A wind tugged at their cloaks and sleeves, and Ize instinctively hunched her shoulders against the chill.

Rossalie had come as well, standing beside Gruash to bid him farewell.

 

“Ize, Hal, Fieda!” Loudipa called out brightly. “I’m so glad you came! Now listen, Ize, I really wish I could arrange your public appearance at the Capital as my fiancée, but unfortunately–”

“FORTUNATELY, that is not happening. Not now, not ever.” Hal snapped, cutting him off before he could even finish. “Now get going already!”

Unbothered, Loudipa merely shrugged. “Well, I wouldn’t want to interrupt my brother’s romantic goodbye, would I?”

 

Following his gaze, Ize saw the pair. Their hands were clasped tightly together, soft smiles and flushed cheeks giving them the radiance of people very much in love.

Embarrassed, Ize quickly averted her eyes and turned back to Loudipa.

 

“You’ll be back around the end of January, yes?”

“That’s the plan,” Loudipa said with a nod. “We’ll make the trip as quickly as we can, but there’s no avoiding some formalities. After the reappointment ceremony, I’ll need to make the rounds for greetings and appearances.”

“Ugh, sounds awful.”

“It sure is… but still, I’ve been through it once before; it won’t be as bad this time. Ize, I know you’ll miss me terribly, but be strong, okay? I promise I’ll return to your side, no matter what.”

“Uh… r-right. Safe travels,” Ize replied, doing her best to stay polite despite the overwhelming awkwardness.

Behind her, Hal was grumbling loudly, “No one’s going to miss you, man.”

 

The farewell between Gruash and Rossalie dragged on, smoldering with that intense, wintry romance that made everyone around them slightly uncomfortable. Fortunately, it ended before Hal busted a vein.

 

“All right, Rossa, I’ll be off,” Gruash said at last.

“Be safe, Gru,” Rossalie whispered.

“You too.”

 

…Except it didn’t end. Not quite.

 

◆

 

Another ten minutes passed. Ize’s fingers were numb. Finally, the horsebuses rolled away, the wheels crunching over frozen earth.

While Ize, Hal, and Fieda were already halfway to the manor’s door, Rossalie remained standing in place, her eyes following the departing horsebus long after it disappeared from sight. Her cheeks, red from the cold, also bore the flush of something far warmer.

 

“What were you and Lord Gruash talking about just now?” Hal asked.

Rossalie flinched, startled out of her reverie. “Ah… um… well…”

 

She trailed off, her face turning even redder as she struggled to respond.

 

“Ah… sorry!” Hal raised both hands. “If it’s private, you don’t have to say.”

“No, it’s fine,” she said quickly. “He said… when he returns not as a stand-in, but as a free man, he has something he wants to tell me. He seemed quite serious, so I couldn’t help but wonder what it’s about, that all…”

 

Her voice trembled a little, the memory clearly still fresh.

 

“When he returns…”

“He wants to tell her…”

 

Ize and Hal turned to each other at the same time, eyes wide. Their movements were stiff, mechanical, like rusted clockwork.

They locked gazes. Their thoughts became one.

 

[THAT’S A DEATH FLAG!]