The Visitor (2)
The sitting room was a bit too cramped to accommodate everyone, so the group moved to the dining room.
Celestina and Vittorio, with serious expressions, carefully prepared the exact number of tea cups, while Leonardo moved about, doing whatever was asked of him, pouring water precisely.
It seemed like he was included in the group because the original Leonardo enjoyed tea… but in reality, all he was doing was pouring water.
"If I leave everything to him, he'll probably brew the tea so bitter that it'll suit only your taste, I'm sure," Celestina remarked, keeping a watchful eye on Leonardo. He might have found it unfair, considering he wasn't actually terrible at tea-making—just inexperienced—but he obediently played the role of a tea pot stand among the children.
As everyone found their tasks, Ferdinand, left alone, was left in a bit of a panic.
"Lord Ferdinand, could you help me with this?"
Noticing his awkwardness, I handed him a bread knife. With a bright smile, he began cutting the bread.
The bread, which had sugar-glazed fruits in it, was being cut so precisely that not a single crumb fell, making me think that Ferdinand was using some kind of trick or technique.
"It seems like this is part of my rehabilitation," he said, his tone surprisingly serious.
"Rehabilitation?" I asked, puzzled.
"Ah, if I fix my elbow like this and slice it down, it uses the same muscles as when performing a thrust in the Ertinez family's swordsmanship," he explained, casually tying bread cutting to his family's sword techniques.
Was he seriously comparing slicing bread to swordsmanship? Honestly, if they had gone by the
After a while, everyone gathered around the table, and the conversation shifted to the Count's letter.
"Who could this distinguished guest be?" I mused aloud.
Celestina, seemingly sharing my curiosity, tilted her head.
"Normally, they'd write the title or name of the guest in the letter. But, my father left that part out, which is unlike him."
"More than that, I wonder how someone who went off on a hunt ended up hosting a distinguished guest," she added.
Vittorio tugged at my sleeve and whispered softly in my ear.
"What does 'distinguished guest' mean…?"
"Oh, it means a highly esteemed guest," I explained, trying to simplify things for him.
"So… if the Count is already such an important person, then someone who is called 'distinguished' must be even greater than nobles, right?"
That was a fair way to look at it. I patted Vittorio's head without saying a word and drifted into thought. At that moment, Ferdinand continued speaking.
"Since he's out on a campaign, he's likely on the move constantly. If we send a letter now, we won't get a response for several days."
Ferdinand explained that there were several small outposts along the campaign route where the Count would stop for rest and supplies. It was only after reaching these that he'd be able to read and respond to the letters.
So, it seemed like there was nothing to do but wait.
'I'll probably find out when the next scenario note comes up… but the wait time for assignments…'
I glanced at the system window that appeared before me. Beneath the usual message, it showed that there were still two full days left before the next scenario note would be assigned.
It had already been a day since Raul entered El Dante at noon yesterday. The fact that it would still take several more days felt a bit unsettling, especially considering that this was the longest wait time for a scenario note assignment I had experienced so far.
It was like watching a ball slowly climb a steep hill before it inevitably fell off the edge, its movement almost unbearably slow as it headed for the drop.
Celestina, who had been carefully picking at the sugared cherries, suddenly offered her opinion.
"Perhaps Father met an old friend during his campaign. Maybe a retired knight, for example. With the monsters acting up, perhaps some retired warriors are coming back into action."
"That could be," I replied, considering her idea.
"Among those who were active back then, there are many whose names aren't widely known, so it's possible he just left out the name or title."
In the end, it was all just speculation.
Anyway, the fact that the letter had been sent meant that the Count was fine, and after sharing the news of the Count's situation, Ferdinand turned his attention to Leonardo.
"I've been hearing your name a lot among the younger knights these days, Leonardo. At first, there was some resistance, but I hear they're all following you now."
Is that so? After clearing the side quest, I had noticed that the troop roster still got updated, and occasionally, I checked it. But to be honest, there was more grumbling and resentment than loyalty. Still, it seemed that they were following him now because his abilities had improved.
I didn't think Leonardo would be the type to gain resentment from others, though. It was probably more due to the special nature of training groups with a hierarchical system—people tended to grumble unnecessarily when forced to follow orders.
It reminded me of how people often resent the pain when they're given assignments by physical therapists, even though they know it's to help them recover.
Ferdinand gently adjusted the handle of his teacup.
"All of them will be valuable soldiers in the future, guarding the Count's domain, so earning their loyalty is important. The Count's lands are vast, and there are few talented people to manage them. You've become reliable, so I'm sure Father will be able to focus on his campaign without worry."
"Father trusts you too, Big Brother," Celestina said softly, her tone comforting. But there was a certain guilt in Ferdinand's posture, as if he were bearing a heavy burden, one he couldn't easily escape. Watching him, I was reminded of something Celestina had once said: that Leonardo wasn't the Leonardo I thought he was.
'Is she really that perceptive?' I wondered.
Or perhaps it was because, out of all the members of the complicated Ertinez family, Celestina might have been the one who could remain the most objective.
The Count, who hid his guilt and concealed the painful truth for the family's sake. The eldest son, who blamed himself for not noticing his mother's illness while the Count was away. And the second son, who resented the Count for the partial truths he had uncovered, only to later learn everything and seek revenge, even at the cost of his own life.
'Maybe the whole Ertinez family is a victim of Sub-Writer 1, much like Leovald, who was killed after losing the original manuscript.'
Was that why the writers sent us here?
Suddenly, Leonardo's quiet voice whispered in my ear.
「Isaac.」
'Yeah?'
「You're unusually quiet today.」
'Oh.'
I thought I had concealed my expression well, but did he see right through it? I lightly tapped his hand under the table, trying to brush it off.
'It's fine. Just lost in thought, that's all. But… something just came to mind…'
I whispered softly, and Leonardo replied with, 「Hmm, that seems possible.」
He then turned to Ferdinand and spoke up.
"Brother."
"What's wrong?"
"Actually, the other day, I went out with Isaac to check out the night market. While I was away for a bit, Isaac got into trouble with some thugs."
"What? Are you okay, Isaac?"
Ferdinand looked shocked, his face full of concern. I gave him a weak smile in response, trying to reassure him as best as I could.
'A back alley… that sounds dangerous. People like you wouldn't last a second if you even stepped foot there.' I muttered inwardly, trying to shake off the thought.
「Pfft.」
Leonardo quickly lifted his tea cup to cover his mouth. Was it funny? It looked good, but at least, could you hold it in for now?
After subtly kicking Leonardo under the table, I forced a composed expression and continued speaking.
"Yes, it was my mistake. I ended up in the wrong alley, and that's how it happened."
"That…"
"Fortunately, someone approached and saved me at that moment. They took down the whole gang of thugs in an instant, and their skills were impressive!"
In reality, it had been a humiliating experience, rolling around in a suspicious basement.
"I heard they were a monster hunter from another region. They came to see if there was a spot in the Count's hunting party. Unfortunately, they were just a step too late."
Ferdinand sighed upon hearing this.
"That's unfortunate… Monster hunters have become rare these days. Even though my father doesn't usually hire mercenaries, he might have included an experienced monster hunter in the hunting party. It's too bad the timing didn't align."
"Yes, indeed. From the way they handled the thugs, they seemed to be excellent in hand-to-hand combat as well. As a token of gratitude, we went to the inn where they were staying and bought them dinner. After talking with them, they said they were about to leave because they didn't have any work…"
As I dragged the conversation on with a hint of reluctance, Leonardo, who had barely managed to compose himself, joined in.
"So, I was thinking… since we need to teach the apprentice knights not just hand-to-hand combat but also how to deal with monsters, would it be possible to temporarily call that person in as an instructor?"
Ferdinand, with a serious expression, chimed in to agree.
"Mm. You're right. Hand-to-hand combat techniques are great for dealing with the wicked, but the apprentices will undoubtedly encounter monsters out there… The decision on the training methods is yours, so act as you see fit. However, we will need to look into his background."
"Of course."
"Wow, that sounds like a great plan!" I clapped my hands and smiled brightly.
Although Ferdinand mentioned needing to verify the person's identity, I wasn't concerned about that. Given that Raul had managed to escape the king's pursuit and make it this far, it likely meant he'd already set up a false identity. And even if he hadn't, I could easily create one for him.
Moreover, as I was speaking, it became clear that this plan would move forward—someone's name had already been updated in the
[Troop List – Spearman Raul: (A sense of unknown ominousness is felt…)]
Congratulations on your undercover employment, Sir Raul!