CHAPTER 26

"It looks like they are sparring."

Peter, strolling through the mansion, cocked his head at the sound coming from below.

"Are those the squires?"

"It seems so."

There, under the guidance of the instructor, the squires were gathered, engaging in sparring with wooden swords.

Peter often secretly observed such training sessions conducted by knights or squires.

Not just the head of the family but also one of the prominent knights representing the North, Peter Bayezid.

The fact that someone of such renown, who could be idolized by anyone, could watch them anytime, anywhere, was a great motivation for the squires present here.

"Let's observe for a moment."

"Yes."

In addition, those who showed outstanding performance during training were given rewards to boost their morale, so the knights and squires of the Bayezid family always trained with the same mindset as in real combat.

Everything was as Peter intended.

"Is it that lad?"

"I heard he has blond hair."

"He must be the one; he seems unfamiliar."

Peter, who usually checked on the training situation, was paying special attention to one of the squires today.

"He looks neat."

A squire with striking blond hair caught Peter's eye from afar.

The boy brought by his second son, who always had sore fingers, was there.

"Lord Patriarch, over there."

As Peter concentrated on seeing Vlad, his advisor Lagmus whispered quietly to him.

"Zayar, it seems."

"He must be watching them secretly like we do."

Where Ragmus pointed, the one-eyed knight Zayar was looking down at the blond boy with a serious expression.

"First times always make us nervous."

Peter, who knew that Zayar had brought in a squire for the first time, only smiled quietly.

"Where shall we look?"

Josef brought him, and Zayar is keeping an eye on the lad.

"······."

"He looks fierce."

The lad was currently wielding his sword fiercely against a squire who was a head taller than him below.

"He seems clumsy."

"Is that so?"

Although it might not be apparent to the eyes of the mage Lagmus, Peter could gauge Vlad's level with just one swordplay.

"But he shows flashes of brilliance. Josef might be captivated."

"Indeed, there's something different about him compared to the bulky lad."

Fierce.

Swift.

And decisive.

"Admirable."

"What do you mean?"

But beyond the talents he had since birth, Peter admired another aspect of Vlad more.

"He is trying to apply what he's learned, no matter how clumsy it may be."

Even amidst the fierce exchange of blows, the blond boy moved confidently, anticipating the opponent's moves without flinching.

He attempts and challenges.

The boy below was striving to improve himself.

"Clumsy."

Although the movements resembled someone's footwork, and were clumsy to the point of being laughable, Peter was immensely pleased with the boy's determination to try.

It was the kind of movement that made you cheer without even realizing it.

"Good."

The bulky squire's wooden sword soared high into the air.

It seemed like a finishing move, but it was all part of the blond boy's plan.

"It's over."

As Peter predicted, the blond boy was already sitting on top of the other squire and punching him in the face.

After inducing a big movement, he quickly punched him in the stomach.

Though the execution was clumsy, the result was a clear and decisive move.

"Is it alright to strike so forcefully during training...?"

"Leave it be. To become a knight, one must possess that level of determination."

Peter halted his steps and looked at the knight in the distance.

The one-eyed knight, who had been observing his squire from afar, was quietly smiling.

※※※※

Vlad was always the first to act.

He had to discover and move faster than anyone else to secure today's meal.

"Stop! Enough!"

Despite the instructor's call, Vlad did not stop punching under the guise of sparring.

"Ugh..."

"Just once more, split in front of me like you did then."

Thus, he decided to act first this time too.

It is obvious that beatings disguised as hazing will occur sooner or later.

Vlad's judgment was to break their spirit beforehand rather than passively endure being surrounded by them and beaten up.

From Vlad's perspective, sitting idly and waiting while the threat approached was akin to suicide.

"Answer me. Damn it."

"O-okay, okay."

The big lad had no choice but to respond with a frightened look in his eyes at Vlad's violent actions that went beyond the limits.

The lad currently being beaten up was the one who had chuckled alongside Sobanin in the restaurant that day.

To put it in back-alley terms, he was like Sobanin's henchman.

"I said stop! Are you mocking me?"

"I'm sorry. I got too carried away."

Vlad left only after the instructor's reprimand, but the lad who had fallen couldn't easily get back up.

'What kind of glare was that?'

What was flowing from the eyes of Vlad, who had just growled at himself, was clearly bloodlust.

It wasn't something that should come out in a mere sparring match, and it was also a raw feeling that he encountered for the first time in his life.

Overwhelmed by the intense gaze, the fallen squire couldn't easily rise even with his eyes closed.

"······."

"······."

And all the squires present here were witnessing that scene.

Just like in the restaurant that day.

Vlad suddenly got up and walked up to Sobanin's side and spoke quietly.

"Tell him I'm sorry. Once I get into it, I lose control."

"You crazy bastard."

Though Vlad spoke with a smile, at first glance it seemed like they were having a light joke, but the conversation between the two was extremely bloody.

"And I'll apologize to you in advance too."

Sobanin frowned and quietly glared at Vlad.

Though he was smiling outwardly, Vlad's eyes were flashing ominously.

"You won't end it with just that."

"What?"

Sobanin was tense.

He had never encountered someone like this before.

Though he was not of noble birth, Sobanin's father ran a fairly large business, so there were some guys who bowed before he could even scare them, but this kid...

"You can look forward to it."

This guy is really crazy.

Sobanin sincerely thought as he watched Vlad laugh.

Josef brought a mad dog from the back alleys.

"If the soup's not spicy enough, I will call you, then come and spit in it."

The mad dog laughed before Sobanin's eyes.

Sobanin swallowed hard, looking at Vlad's smile.

Because a mad dog doesn't hesitate to bite.

※※※※

"Captain, are you okay? Haven't the others been bothering you or anything?"

"I'm doing great lately. Everyone gives me a wide berth and even spreads out when I take a bath."

"...That doesn't sound like a good thing?"

Vlad shrugged at Gott's remark.

"Well, considering how I've been roughing up the squires..."

Gott looked at Vlad and nodded eagerly.

"You've been knocking down three a day, so everyone is avoiding you like the plague..."

"It's better to strike first when fighting."

Truly a back-alley type.

Gott thought as he looked at Vlad.

Right after the incident at the restaurant, Vlad had shown Gott just how fast he could act.

Vlad had singled out the troublemakers among the squires, particularly those who were close to Sobanin, and like a wolf targeting sheep, he had followed them one by one, defeating them.

In the bathroom, in the bathhouse, in the dim corridors of the mansion.

Any squire who was alone had to face Vlad's intimidating gaze.

Jorge had said it.

"If you beat them just enough, they'll crawl back."

"It is a crime. Beating someone to that extent is a crime."

"I'm already a criminal. Beating someone up is on the mild side for me. And I hit them so discreetly, it's fine."

"Oh, right."

Gott nodded as he listened to Vlad's words.

Despite initially mistaking Vlad for an ordinary boy due to his association with peers, Vlad was a kid who had been a squad leader among hardened mercenaries at just under 17 years old.

"Don't beat them until they're too uncomfortable."

"Well, it's up to them to decide."

As they exchanged banter, they found themselves entering the restaurant.

There, servants pretended not to see Vlad, and squires who had already taken a beating dared not even look at him.

"See? It's peaceful and nice when they don't mess with you."

"······."

"Today's lunch is sausages."

Vlad, seemingly in a good mood from seeing the meat, hummed a tune as he picked up his plate. And there was one gaze watching him closely with a smile.

"Just one more..."

Vlad, smiling broadly, requested more sausages at the food counter, but the maid standing there was a sturdy middle-aged woman with a long history in the Bayezid family.

"If you take more, others won't get any."

"Come on, just one more······."

"······."

Vlad had no choice but to step down from the food counter, firmly denied by the maid's gesture.

"If it weren't for Lord Josef, you would be lying down by now."

Despite his lean appearance, Vlad had quite an appetite. Being born in a certain place, it was only natural for him to have deeply ingrained instincts.

Vlad and Gott sat at the table with somewhat disappointed faces after their negotiation failed.

"But still, it's better than being a mercenary. Right, Captain?"

The moment they pick up the utensils and are just about to put the food in their mouths.

"Oh, hello."

Someone awkwardly greeted Vlad.

"...Who are you?"

Vlad, slightly frowning, wondered if this person was going to pick a fight again. However, the guy standing in front of him didn't seem like the type to start a fight.

Short stature, chubby cheeks, and eyes that are buried in the flesh and cannot be seen well.

"I'm... Potree. Potree Kanoor."

He seemed a bit embarrassed to say it out loud, but he looked like someone who would roll if you pushed him.

"Alright. What's your business with me, Potree?"

"Um······."

Vlad furrowed his brows slightly. 

It wasn't very nice to see the guy holding the tray in front of him and hesitating, and looking at the way he was muttering, it seemed like it would take some time for him to even speak.

"Either sit down or scram."

"Huh?"

"Don't hover around in front of me like you're about to faint."

Vlad's words were stern, but Potree seemed to interpret them as permission to sit, judging by his reaction. A flush spread across Potree's face.

"Thanks for letting me sit."

"······."

Vlad's expression seemed to say, "What kind of guy is this?" as he glanced at Potree, who was sitting shyly. Deciding to focus on his lunch instead of shooing the boy away, Vlad dug into his meal.

"I've been eating alone all this time. Actually, I've been eating alone in the bathroom."

"....I'm eating now."

Through their conversation, Vlad realized that Potree had been the target of bullying before him.

"Sausages taste good, right?"

"Just shut up and eat."

Even so, there was no reason to care.

"······Eat this too."

Looking at Vlad who was chomping with regret after stuffing the only sausage into his mouth, Potree carefully pushed his sausage onto Vlad's plate.

"What are you doing now?"

Vlad longed for everything he could get his hands on, but vain sympathy and suspicious favors were the exception.

However, even under Vlad's sharp gaze, Potree continued speaking cautiously, resembling a waiter dealing with a difficult customer.

"Just because you're doing this, doesn't mean I'll······."

"These sausages are supplied by my father."

"What?"

Though Potree had displayed a demeanor of resignation until now, when mentioning his father, he spoke with confidence.

"All the meat supplied to the Bayezid family is provided by our Kanoor family. Our house has been in the livestock and ranching business for generations."

"······Go on."

For a moment, Vlad had forgotten.

All the guys here were undoubtedly sons of noble families.

The chubby guy in front of him would probably never have dared to approach him when Vlad was still in the back alley.

"I heard you asked for more sausages earlier."

"That's right."

"I know, right? Sausages are a preserved food, and although not as good as jerky, they're often sought after by wealthy mercenaries."

"So what?"

As the conversation seemed to lose focus, Vlad began to feel annoyed.

"So my father sent me a lot to eat."

Potree smiled as he mentioned the sausages and cured meats his father had sent him for his room.

"There's too much for me to eat alone······ Should I share some?"

"······."

Vlad thought to himself.

He might not be as influenced as Priest Andrea, but still, it wouldn't hurt to make a connection while he was here. 

While he couldn't do anything about those who had already annoyed him, knowing at least one person here might be useful in the future.

"Sure."

As the son of a family with a significant meat supply to the Count family, Potree would undoubtedly have some utility.

Vlad thought he didn't necessarily go to Potree's room just for sausages.

※※※※

Outside Potree's room.

Vlad and Gott opened their mouths wide in surprise.

"······Why did you come here?"

"To become a squire."

"...Just a squire, not even a knight?"

"Yeah. What kind of knight would I be? My father didn't expect much either. He just wanted me to make some connections here and come back."

Potree chuckled awkwardly, admitting that it hadn't worked out well, but Vlad and Gott couldn't even see Potree's smile.

The room was filled with red sausages and cured meats, but there was no trace of a knight in sight. Vlad let out a disappointed laugh as he looked around.

This guy really doesn't belong here.

"....Want to eat together starting tomorrow?"

"Really? You'll join me?"

If that's the case, there's no need to refuse.

Vlad looked around at the sausages hanging everywhere as if they were decorations, his eyes gleaming.

"Just bring sausages instead."

Potree's sausages weren't the kind of thing one would regret eating, in more ways than one.