CHAPTER 10

It was the second time in many ways, but it felt new. It wasn't a bad thing. Rather, it was good because it didn't feel like the second round.

To be honest, repeating the same thing twice did not feel very pleasant.

I have to feel the gap between the information I know and the reality every time.

The advantage of being superior to information is a blessing in size, otherwise it would have been almost a curse.

As I looked around the castle blankly, Meyer said, getting off the horse.

"Welcome to the castle of Nokentoria, Jun Karentia."

"I have set foot in the castle of Nokentoria… Now I feel like I'm really a black knight."

He came down from the horse, and I couldn't keep on riding on the horse. I also dismounted from my horse and received his word.

I had a thoughtless reply, but I don't think it was a very good answer for Meyer. Meyer's face hardened.

"Now you can feel it. It seems like I made you feel disappointed with your treatment."

"I didn't mean it like that…"

There's nothing good about hurting my boss's feelings. Even more if there's no one here on my side.

I was embarrassed and tried to make an excuse, but Meyer cut it off.

"This is your stronghold now. Remember that."

Meyer's eyes, who said so, shone aimlessly.

It was like a check on Fabian who was not here.

'I guess it bothers him that Fabian lost the chance to fight the Demon King in the first round.'

There was a good chance. Besides, he might think I'm not letting go of lingering feelings for Fabian.

There is nothing I can do about Meyer's inability to trust my loyalty. I don't really do loyalty.

But it was difficult for me for him to be unable to believe my words.

I have to adjust it to a proper amount.

I bent my eyes and smiled, speaking flattering words.

"Yes, leader."

I felt it for a short time, but for some reason, Meyer liked when I called him leader.

Sure enough. His expression didn't change noticeably, but his atmosphere that was standing a little bit had definitely.

He approached me and suggested.

"Then I'll introduce you to the castle."

I can't believe he's going to introduce me to the castle. So I'm supposed to be with Meyer all day?

"No, so far."

It's a sudden, too sudden suggestion that I forget to fit Meyer as much as I can. I was startled and stepped back.

But then what should I do. Even if I step back twice, Meyer Knox will catch up with one step.

Meyer asked me naturally, maintaining a distance that was not much different from before.

"You don't want to be with me?"

"That's not true, the leader is busy."

"That's true. But you are the vice commander of the Black Knights. Nothing is more important than introducing you to the stronghold."

Meyer has repeatedly put emphasis on the word "vice commander."

I'm afraid that he'll get upset, so I can't be ambiguous about it, but I'm not sure I'm grateful for it because he drove it to the nail.

However, I don't think it's a good idea to go on the castle tour with Meyer.

A stranger is being escorted to the castle by Meyer!

It was completely spotlight attention.

I'd rather have Axion or other expedition members.

We must have gotten quite close on the way to Nokentoria. I was going to insist that I ask him for guidance.

However, how quick he was to notice, and there was no one left even though the order for dissolution was not given.

"What are you looking at?"

"Haha… nothing… let's go…"

My shoulders drooped down.

There was nothing I could do now. I have to hide behind Meyer's size and avoid other people's eyes.

As soon as I was about to follow Meyer's footsteps, an old man with gray hair welcomed Meyer.

"I'm glad you're back safe, sir. Did you have a good time with the performance report?"

"Vince."

Meyer also greeted the old man with a rare happy face. Looking at his outfit, he looked like a butler.

"You're just in time. I have someone to introduce you to."

Meyer said so and pulled me forward.

I was brought to the front of the butler, overshadowed by his cloak.

Meyer introduced me in a triumphant voice.

"Jun Karentia. She's the vice commander of our expedition."

It was a rather reckless introduction that ended without any context.

I wondered for a moment whether everyone was familiar with Meyer's way of speaking or whether I should get used to it, but fortunately, it didn't seem so.

The butler opened his wrinkled eyes in bewilderment.

"The… vice commander?"

"Yeah. I managed to persuade her over again, and she's a talent that I barely got, so treat her without any flaws."

"Yes…"

The butler's attitude to answer was awkward. The butler focused on the old glasses on the tip of his nose, wrinkling his nose.

It was obvious to check my hair color again.

'That's why I don't want to show my magic with my hair color.'

It's only interesting people with popular horsepower who like such things.

I twisted my lips in disapproval.

That's enough. I wanted to get away from the butler's view of me as if he still didn't believe it.

But I couldn't shake the strength of his hand holding my shoulder.

Meyer Knox, who didn't know how I felt, and who wouldn't know for the rest of my life, kept talking to me, taking the lead.

"So, Jun, what's your favorite room? A high room or a low room? A sunny room? Just tell me. I'll do my best."

As Meyer continued to speak, the butler's eyes grew bigger and bigger.

Hahaha. Even if you look at me like that, I don't know why he's so nice to me. So don't look at me like you're asking for an answer…

Meyer's attitude was so favorable that I couldn't understand that he had only one memory.

I ducked my head away from the butler's gaze.

For some reason, I felt like I would be sticking my head to the floor all day today.

***

And that kind of hunch has never been wrong.

Everyone who saw me and Meyer moving side by side looked like they had seen a ghost.

I kept trying to hide in Meyer's cloak, or in his shadow, but I wasn't happy with his attitude of continually checking on me and talking to me.

'This gaze… I'm really not used to it!'

My ears were burning with the gaze of their pursuit.

In Fabian's expedition, I always stepped back without a presence.

There was no time for people to look at me, nor did my name ever come to people's lips. It's almost like I was just passing by?

But now…

"Who is she… To speak to Your Excellency in person?"

"It's the first time I've seen her… Is she new?"

"But there's a long way to go to select a new recruit."

"She has gray hair… She's not a support wizard, is she?

"No way. It's just gray hair. It doesn't make sense to have a support-type wizard join the Black Knights."

Not only the Black Knights but also all the people who worked in the castle chatted. I couldn't help it because it caught my ear even though I didn't want to hear them whispering.

I've heard enough, and the Meyer, who has better hearing than me, would have heard.

But Meyer was still as if nothing had been heard.

I thought I could not do it like this, and I tried to dissuade Meyer from crossing the castle without hesitation.

"I… I think I'm almost done looking at the castle."

"You haven't seen its true nature yet."

"I get confused when I have too many places in my head in a day."

"That's not something an expedition member would say after several attacks on complex dungeons."

Meyer, who knew it was an excuse, cut it off with a smile.

"I understand you're uncomfortable with the attention around you, but I'm going to take you around here so that your presence will be imprinted on the Black Knights with a relative ease."

Aha, there was a reason why you said you'd show me around.

It's less of a backlash if they know that Meyer is behind me. But…

"Isn't it too radical to be a vice commander in the first place? If you hire me at a lower level, I think we'll have less resistance."

I don't know whether I'm joining or not, but it's so noisy from now on, and if I become a vice commander, they're going to be very upset.

But Meyer Knox didn't care a bit.

"I don't know if I said it before, but I don't like wasting time that way. I'll have to call you back and discuss it anyway. It's only a matter of time before you become the vice commander."

"I'm so glad you believe me…"

Meyer was shameless and insisted on a day of natural virtue, and I could only do nothing but nod my head helplessly.

Two resources are used to avoid wasting time. Money, or manpower.

What's required in this situation isn't the former. I would be the one who consumes the latter.

In short, I should work hard, that's what he meant.

A sigh came unknowingly.

Just before coming to Nokentoria Castle, I remembered a conversation with Axion and other members of the group sitting around the campfire.