Chapter 113: A battle of Sincerity
Soon, the day we departed for the Dead Land arrived. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
We left at dawn.
In this expedition, Sigren was, of course, the leader of the force.
Thanks to Gunther, I successfully reduced my escort to a bare minimum before we departed. However, this created a small problem. The knights of Heilon protested that they could not entrust the safety of the young lady to a mercenary they knew nothing about. Honestly, why did I feel that everyone was acting like Abel lately? They were being a bit overprotective. Anyway, my stubbornness won in the end. There were some things that couldn’t be compromised. Neither Sigren nor I was in the capital, so the Heilon mansion must not be weakened. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
Gunther, who was observing this whole process, voiced his opinions: “I have to escort a tomboy lady because I was threatened by the duke, yet I’m also being threatened with death by his knights because I’m in charge of escorting her. Poor me, why did this happen…”
It was a rather sloppy attitude for a mercenary king. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“You’re calmer than I thought.”
“Yeah, I would have turned everything upside down if I were in my usual state.”
To be honest, I said that because I thought the same. He was surprisingly more docile than I expected, which was in contrast to his character.
“Don’t worry. Even though you’re here because of Abel’s threat, I’ll pay you separately. Besides, I’m not that kind of annoying lady who needs to be escorted.”
“If I have to say it, your very existence is a pain in the ass.”
“…”
This guy was really…
Seeing my expression, Gunther continued, “Ah, of course, it’s not the miss’s fault.”
“So what does that mean?”
Gunther looked over my shoulder and replied, “There are a lot of annoying people around you. And one of them is coming.”
I turned around at the same time to see Sigren approaching. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“Sigren is not annoying.”
As soon as I said that, Sigren uttered something irritating. “Are you sure you want to go with him?”
Ah, of course, this only happened sometimes.
I patted his cheek. “I’m going with you too.”
“….”
Sigren seemed speechless at my logical reasoning. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
I grinned.
“So what should I do, Your Highness?” No matter what, I was a pretty high-quality worker. I was a mage and good at handling things.
However, it seemed that Sigren had a different opinion.
“Stay still in the carriage until we arrive at Marquis Relton’s estate.”
“Isn’t that a waste of manpower? Are you sure?”
“No, it isn’t. And yes, I’m sure. Eunice Arlyn also stays in her carriage, so you don’t have to go out. Besides, there’s nothing to do until we get to the Dead Land.”
I knew Eunice was part of this delegation, and I had been wondering why I hadn’t seen her face. It turned out she had been in her carriage all this time. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“There are mercenaries in the back row, so be careful not to get caught up in any unnecessary disputes.”
The delegation’s members were diverse. Although there were a number of knights and soldiers, as well as Saintess Eunice and a few priests, it wasn’t enough. Therefore, mercenaries were hired to fight the monsters.
I glanced at Gunther. “But we have Gunther here.”
“Still.”
I felt like I was dealing with a disobedient child. I had seen Sigren like this before, and it was somehow disturbing…
“Okay, I’ll be careful.” Currently, Sigren was at the top of the command structure. I mean, I should still follow his orders.
Sigren looked like he still had something to say, but in the end, he returned to his position since he was busy. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
Gunther glanced at Sigren’s back and asked, “So, he’s not annoying?”
I answered in a sour way, “I take that back.”
***
Instead of staying in the carriage, I chose to ride a horse. This wasn’t a rebellion against Sigren; it was just more comfortable for me.
“We’re going to rest at the Viscount Aden’s estate in the middle.”
“So I’ve heard,” Gunther replied briefly.
My current position in the delegation procession was in the middle. Sigren and the knights were in the front row, while the mercenaries were in the back. The middle row was the safest position, reserved for important luggage and non-combatants. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“It would be better if we were placed in the front row or the back row.”
Those positions were designated for combat forces.
“The back row is annoying, though.”
“You don’t want to be in the back row?”
He was well-regarded among the mercenaries, and I thought if he were placed in the back row, he could help control them.
“First of all, I’m your escort.”
“Hmm, you’re more sincere than I thought.”
The conversation ended there. Gunther was not very talkative. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
I suddenly became curious. “Gunther, can I know how the Duke threatened you?”
“Why are you curious about that?”
“You comply with me more calmly than I expected.”
Well, he wasn’t inherently a violent person, but he wasn’t particularly calm either.
“For being curious, you also treat me more calmly than I thought.”
“I’ve seen enough mercenaries.”
Actually, it was because I understood his basic tendencies. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“The threat… it isn’t much.”
“Really?”
“It’s simply because I killed someone.”
“Ah, yes. That’s not much,” I said sarcastically.
“And the person I killed was a noble.”
“You’re still alive.”
“Duke Heilon concealed that fact.”
Did I just hear about my father’s crime now?
“In my defense, that person was trash.”
“I see.”
That was understandable. Trashy nobles were nothing new. Even my former family, the Green family, was a good example of scummy nobility. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
Gunther looked at me as if I were a strange person for a moment. He was the one who talked about killing people; why was I the one receiving that look?
“There was a blacksmith I was familiar with in a small village I visited from time to time. His wife was a rare beauty.”
“Then?”
“The lord of the village kidnapped the blacksmith’s wife and raped her. The wife tried to commit suicide.”
Oh man, the reason was darker than I expected.
“No matter how I looked at it, it shouldn’t have been his wife who died. That’s why I killed the lord.”
And Abel covered it up. That was Abel.
“I see.”
Gunther looked at me again as if I were a strange person. “Is that really the only reaction?”
“Then what should I say?”
“No criticism, no lecture, or anything else. Even if you’re not scared, shouldn’t you at least be surprised?”
Then should I give a round of applause instead?
Anyway, I’ve seen enough people who died or were killed. How could I be surprised by that?
“You made your own choice. Do you need other people’s opinions or affirmation?”
“I don’t.”
“I won’t criticize or lecture you. In the end, it’s up to you to choose and take responsibility. You reap what you sow.”
“I think I get it now.”
Wait a second—if that was the case, then being with me was the price of what he did?
Gunther looked at me as if I were a strange creature again. What was his problem?
“I can see why Sigren is so anxious. You’re a lady with no compassion, a girl who keeps her distance. You must have heard that you’re often bad at understanding the mood, right? Very out of touch.” Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“…”
This punk.
***
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