Chapter 67. < 28. A Guest Has Arrived (4) >
'Could it be, does he know something?'
Was he a boy he originally knew?
Or perhaps, does he have some relationship with the royal family? Could it be?
Thinking up to this point, Bucal slightly bit his lower lip.
'No, let's not jump to conclusions.'
It was presumptuous thinking.
He was merely following His Majesty's orders and answering His Majesty's words.
Erasing his distracting thoughts, Bucal answered the question.
"It is... as His Majesty said. I had a duel with Rumian Calad, a knight cadet from Tarazan Academy. The condition was to compete using only pure swordsmanship without using Aura... and I lost. It was a complete defeat."
"I see."
"I have disgraced Zenath's honor, so I will gladly accept my punishment."
Thud!
Bucal struck his head against the ground.
It wasn't for show. At the loud sound, the king's expression hardened.
"Hey! Didn't I say it was fine? Don't do anything that would harm your body without my permission anymore!"
"...I am sorry."
"Let's continue with what we were discussing. So, that boy Rumian Calad defeated you... Then, did you perhaps feel anything familiar from that boy?"
"I did not... feel anything like that. Just that he handled his sword exceptionally well in every way... It felt like facing a seasoned swordsman who had reached the realm of a Sword Master."
"Hmm... I see. Continue. Tell me everything else you have to report."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Following Philip III's words, Bucal conveyed everything he had seen, heard, and felt.
During this process, the interest the king showed was considerable.
It was like listening to news of an acquaintance whose whereabouts had been unknown for a long time.
The reaction peaked at the part where Rumian had become the Mercenary King's disciple.
"Hahaha! He became Morgan's disciple?"
"That is correct. Because of that, he said he couldn't join the knight order..."
"Haha, what an interesting story. A master-disciple relationship..."
Bucal had many things he was curious about, but he forgot them and continued his report.
Since he couldn't ask anyway, that was the wise choice.
Finally, when he finished his report, the king offered him encouragement.
"You've worked hard. You've suffered much."
"I am humbled, Your Majesty."
"Don't concern yourself with the failed mission, and return with a peaceful mind."
"But..."
"Hey! When I say it's fine, who would hold you responsible!"
"......."
"So return quickly. There's really no need to worry, so know that."
"I will do so."
"Then, I'll end the communication here. Return safely."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Click!
The communication was cut off.
The light in the crystal ball disappeared. Bucal slowly raised his head and gathered the communication tool.
He had an expression as if he had just had a dream.
'What on earth is going on...'
He had expected to receive a severe punishment, but the result was completely different.
He couldn't understand a single thing.
Whooosh-
As the wind blew, he stood in the middle of the road for quite a long time.
It took Bucal quite a long time to empty his confused head.
***
-Sex! Sex!
"Quiet, you bastard."
Rumian scolded the crying golden parrot.
It was a funny guy.
He had only allowed it to say 'sex' when the two of them were alone, but before he knew it, it was comfortably spitting out that word even in front of Morgan.
It meant the bird had its own judgment standards and situational awareness.
'The way back won't be boring.'
There weren't many troublesome things either.
If he left the window open, it would fly out and come right back. It seemed to procure its own food.
Plus, it seemed to handle its physiological needs on its own, so he thought there was no better pet.
"A spirit beast is indeed a spirit beast."
Rumian scratched the golden parrot's chin.
Morgan threw a question at him.
"But, is it really necessary to avoid Zenath?"
"Hm? Of course. That place is completely a man's field."
"No, that's only if you joined as a regular knight. If you reveal your identity to the Knight King, wouldn't that solve everything?"
Morgan continued with an expression saying he couldn't understand.
"Anyway, you'll have to face him during the knighthood ceremony, so you'll meet him somehow. If you create an opportunity to meet privately and reveal your identity like you did with me... and if you ask him to introduce you to some nice women, wouldn't everything work out?"
"Hmm."
"Would there be any woman who would dare refuse the Knight King's words? And it's not like you lack anything. Seems like a perfect method."
"Isn't it too much to make your lord play the role of a matchmaker?"
"Well, how big of a burden could it be..."
"Enough, you bastard."
"Why don't you think about it a bit more?"
Despite the Mercenary King's continued words, Rumian shook his head.
With a serious expression, he spoke after a brief pause.
"Of course, since His Majesty favored me, he would surely support me with all his might... but I wonder if it's necessary to go that far."
"Huh? To use the expression 'going that far,' brother, you're currently struggling quite a bit..."
"Rather than that, hmm... just... I want to meet him with dignity after succeeding on my own. That's how I feel right."
"Hmm......."
"We've been comfortable with each other without hiding anything since long ago, but my relationship with His Majesty isn't like that... Sigh. Maybe I'm just bad with words, I can't explain it well."
"No. I understand sufficiently."
Morgan, nodding his head, summarized Rumian's words.
"So, you're saying it's a bit embarrassing to appear before the Knight King while still being a virgin?"
"...Yeah, you bastard."
Rumian admitted with a gloomy expression.
Morgan chuckled as he comforted him.
"It's fine. Fifteen is a young age, so there's nothing strange about it, and you'll achieve your goal soon. Your face has become more handsome, your body is good, you're a noble, and your swordsmanship is outstanding... There's nothing you lack. Oh my, now that I say it, it's really true."
"...Right. I really don't lack anything now."
Rumian nodded his head.
Confidence surged in him as his nephew-in-law, who had quite a lot of experience with women, told him this.
He felt like he could charm all the beautiful ladies right this moment.
'Ah, I want to go back.'
Rumian thought of Tarazan Academy.
The territory he visited after a long time was nice, and his parents were nice too, but there was nothing he could do about the boredom.
He wanted to return to the academy overflowing with young, vibrant female students.
He thought he could do much better in the second semester than in the first.
Nodding his head, he spoke as if declaring.
"I'll stay for about two or three days, then return to the academy."
"Huh? Isn't there still plenty of time until the semester starts? Even considering the travel time, it's still quite early."
"It's too boring here. The place I should be is there."
"If it's because of the women, let's go together again..."
"Hmm. Going around with you is still a bit difficult for me."
Rumian said while shaking his head.
The shock from when he was drunk hadn't completely faded yet.
And he had a favor to ask Morgan.
"By the way, can you look into some mercenaries for me?"
"Mercenaries?"
"Yeah. Trustworthy people. I think the territory's military power is too weak."
"That's certainly true."
Morgan nodded his head.
He understood Rumian's worry.
Of course, since there was nothing to steal, the possibility of invasion was almost none, but after experiencing the Karayan Baron and the demon hideout incident, he couldn't just let his guard down.
"I understand. I'll find veterans with credibility comparable to knights."
"Alright, I'm counting on you."
"I'll receive the money after finishing all the work, when I come to the academy."
"Huh?"
"Hm?"
"It wasn't free?"
"Where is there such a thing as free for mercenaries? Don't worry even if you don't have money. I'll collect it gradually on credit."
"You miserly bastard."
-Miserly bastard! Miserly bastard!
The golden parrot, flying over and landing on Rumian's shoulder, also cursed at Morgan.
But he didn't care.
"The closer the relationship, the more clearly money matters must be handled."
Rumian pouted.
It was true what he said.
***
That dawn.
After peeling off the golden parrot that kept clinging to him, Rumian visited the Karayan Baron's territory.
It was to meet Lily Karayan.
Since he had roughly memorized the building's internal structure when he visited last time, he didn't need to wander much. If he searched mainly around the suspicious areas, he would be able to find the young lady.
"Haa, Oliver..."
"Ohh, Anna..."
Creak creak
'Why are those bastards doing that shit in the kitchen!'
However, seeing unwanted scenes in the process was unexpected.
Rumian suppressed both envy and anger simultaneously as he searched for Lily Karayan's room, and finally achieved his goal.
'She really is... ugly.'
Rumian made a regretful expression.
Lily Karayan's face, sleeping soundly, was as wretched as he had felt when he was young. He could roughly guess how much pain she would have suffered as a woman.
It would probably be similar to the pain he felt as a eunuch in his previous life.
'Of course, I probably had it harder.'
To say it again, there's an enormous difference between 0 percent possibility and 1 percent.
Rumian, who had confirmed that, took out a bottle from his bosom.
It was a Succubus beauty potion.
Without hesitation, he poured the contents into his hand and gently applied it to Lily Karayan's face.
Srrrk-
The beauty potion disappeared in an instant, like rainwater seeping into dry ground.
Confirming this, Rumian quickly left the room.
Then he entered the Karayan Baron's bedroom and left a single anonymous letter. This was to prevent commotion over Lily Karayan's changed appearance.
Only after finishing all this did he escape from the Karayan Baron's territory.
'Brother, are you crazy? You're giving that expensive thing to a baron's daughter?'
'If I need money, I can just earn it then and there.'
'No, but still... there's no need to give that to someone you have no relationship with... It's not like helping the underprivileged or anything...'
He recalled the reaction his nephew-in-law showed when he told him his feelings.
He had shown an attitude of completely not understanding.
However, to Rumian, this was something he could never yield on.
The Succubus beauty potion wasn't a gift to Lily Karayan, but a gift to himself who had suffered in the past.
'I was like that in the past too.'
Because of a single flaw, all his merits had faded.
He always worried about what others said behind his back and was conscious of it. And so he had to live his whole life in dejection.
And the same was true for Lily Karayan.
He couldn't help but feel a sense of kinship with her.
'Although there was nothing like a Succubus beauty potion for the me of the past...'
Lily Karayan living in the present would be able to live a much happier life than his previous self.
"Whew!"
Rumian exhaled deeply.
His heart felt much lighter.
It felt like he had cleared half of his past.
Of course, there was still a long way to go to clear the other half.
Dating, holding hands, kissing, and finally...
'That too...'
Rumian clenched his fist tightly and ran quickly toward the Calad territory.
With eyes burning with aspiration.
Thump thump thump thump
Running at full speed, he was able to reach the territory before morning.
But there was someone at the training ground at the crack of dawn.
Who could it be but Morgan. Rumian greeted him.
"Hey."
"Are you just coming? Did you finish without getting caught?"
"Why are you talking like you're welcoming a criminal? Did I commit a crime? As if I could get caught."
"Well, you did do it secretly."
Morgan, who had stopped swinging his sword, approached closely.
Then he asked with a subtle expression.
"How was it?"
"What."
"How much prettier did she become? Will she be as amazing as in the old portrait?"
"I don't know. It seemed like it would take a while for the effect to show. I came out without checking."
"Ah, you should have checked that before coming out..."
"So I can get caught when morning comes?"
"That's not it, but..."
Morgan made a regretful expression.
Actually, Rumian was regretful too.
But it was just a bit of curiosity, not regret.
To him, his nephew-in-law threw another question.
"If she became really pretty, no, since it's a Succubus beauty potion she definitely would be... anyway, without needing to hide it, after revealing that I gave it proudly, couldn't you date the baron's daughter? I really can't understand your thinking."
He had a point.
Rumian's goal was to date a pretty woman. Furthermore, to do this and that.
From that perspective, if he openly gave the Succubus beauty potion as a gift, the possibility of achieving results was high.
But Rumian shook his head at Morgan's words.
And he spoke firmly.
"I think I've said it before..."
"Hm?"
"I prefer body over face."
"......."
"Just because you apply beauty potion doesn't mean your body gets better too."
"Hmm, that's... true."
Only then did Morgan, with an expression of understanding, give Rumian a thumbs up.
"As expected of you, brother. I respect you."
"Good."
"But if you give a beauty potion to a woman with a nice body, wouldn't you catch two birds with one stone?"
"...!"
"......."
"I will... win a beauty with my own power!"
Leaving those words behind, Rumian left the place.
Morgan smirked.
***
"Father, Mother. I'll be going now."
"Go safely."
"Take care of yourself!"
Three days later, Rumian Calad left the Calad territory.
His steps toward Tarazan Academy were extremely light. Behind him followed the golden parrot.
-Sex! Sex!
"Yeah. I want to do it too."
Rumian said with a slight smile.
Of course, after confirming there was no one around.
When he raised his head to look up, the sky was very clear. The scenery without a single cloud made his heart refreshed.
'This semester... may I have better luck with women than last semester.'
And so, may he have a beautiful love, a passionate love with his ideal type of lady!
Thinking such thoughts as he walked along the path.
Halt
A sinister imagination flashed through Rumian's head.
Stopping in place, he slightly frowned and spoke.
"Could it be... that Bumer guy..."
Could he have gotten a girlfriend first in the meantime?
"No way, that can't be."
That couldn't be.
Yep. Of course not.
Rumian muttered a few more times and quickened his pace.
Whoever it might be, he didn't want to lose to Bumer Simpson.