Episode 8
Roman had been doing business in this village for over ten years, but Rakein had never once come to his shop in all that time, so he could not help but be even more surprised.
“Lord Hekeus, what brings you to my shop…”
Roman blinked as though he could not believe it.
In this territory, the person least suited to a pawnshop was none other than Rakein.
Since the profession of a knight was arduous by nature, many knights relieved their stress by drinking, gambling, or taking women into their arms.
As a result, they often ran out of their wages and visited pawnshops to borrow money to use until the next payday.
Of course, there were also diligent knights who saved their wages faithfully.
Rakein Hekeus was the prime example. He was famous for relieving his stress by training at the practice grounds.
Such a man had no reason to squander money, nor any reason to visit a pawnshop.
Moreover, his annual salary as the man called the Sword of Kroizen was said to be far higher than that of other knights.
So it was only natural that Roman found it strange.
As he waited nervously for Rakein to speak, wondering what was going on, he flinched at the voice that reached his ears.
“I came to retrieve the item the boy who just left entrusted to you.”
“Th-the item the boy entrusted to me?”
“A boy under my care told me he had left a necklace here. A necklace with a violet gem on a platinum chain… And as it happens, you are holding it in your hand right now.”
Rakein’s sharp gaze flew to the necklace clutched in Roman’s hand.
Startled, Roman quickly tried to hide his hand behind his back, but he could not match Rakein’s swift movement.
“Urgh!”
Before he knew it, Rakein had approached and mercilessly twisted the hand in which Roman held the necklace. Unable to withstand the grip strength of a knight, Roman dropped the necklace from his hand.
Rakein took a handkerchief from his breast and carefully picked up the necklace.
Watching his actions, Roman clutched his aching hand and cried out in a hurry.
“Th-that is an item the brat rightfully entrusted to me after writing a contract! So even if you are Lord Hekeus, you cannot just do as you please…”
“If I hadn’t come to retrieve it, you would have sold it. After all, there is no way the great Roman Baker would leave a Fairy’s Gem alone.”
“……!”
The words Fairy’s Gem from Rakein’s mouth were more than enough to shut Roman up. Moreover, the man said to be the greatest swordsman in the empire was glaring at him with eyes so cold they seemed capable of freezing him solid.
Rakein glanced at Roman, who had stiffened like a statue, then wrapped the necklace carefully in the handkerchief and tucked it deep into his breast.
After securing it so it would not be lost, he looked down at the contract still lying on the desk.
“Three hundred carts… You were trying to get it for nothing.”
Twisting his lips as if displeased, he took a bill from his breast and dropped it onto the desk. It was a 1,000-cart bill.
“I’ve paid the penalty fee as well, so this is no longer necessary.”
Roman stared blankly as the contract was torn apart in Rakein’s hand. It was the moment his plan to make a tidy profit came to nothing.
‘Damn it…’
Roman, on the verge of tears, looked up in shock when Rakein grabbed him by the collar and pulled him close.
When he met those coldly sunken red eyes, a chill ran down his spine.
“Erase it cleanly from your mind that a boy came here today, and that he entrusted you with a necklace bearing a Fairy’s Gem. If I hear such talk from anywhere, then you will find yourself facing my sword at once.”
Roman could not believe what he had just heard.
Rakein, who was rumored to never do anything unjust and to be courteous to everyone, was now threatening him like a street thug.
So when Rakein released his collar and turned to leave, Roman shouted at his back.
“A man called the Sword of Kroizen, resorting to threats! Aren’t you ashamed…!”
Before he could finish speaking, Roman’s mouth snapped shut.
It was because a suffocating killing intent flowed from Rakein’s back as he came to a halt.
A voice, coldly sunken, flowed into Roman’s ears as his face turned deathly pale.
“It does not matter. The title Sword of Kroizen no longer holds any meaning for me. No, perhaps it would be more accurate to call it a shameful title.”
“……”
Frozen in place, Roman stared blankly at the disappearing back of the man.
In the shop where silence had settled, only the sound of the bell rang out as the door closed.
***
As expected, the bookstore was not very far from the accessory shop.
When I reached the alley leading to the bookstore and stepped inside, one fact I had forgotten suddenly came to mind.
‘Wasn’t there a kidnapping incident in the village around this time?’
I could not remember who had said it. It was not something I had heard directly, but something I had overheard.
Until my power manifested, I had always stayed inside the mansion, so the only way I could learn news of the world was through the maids’ chatter.
Whenever I heard the maids chatting as I passed by, even though I knew it was rude, I would stand quietly and listen in.
Especially in the laundry area or where they cleaned, many stories flowed out.
Among them, I remembered the ones I thought were important or that had surprised me, and this belonged to the latter.
‘They said several boys and girls in their early to mid-teens had disappeared from the village. Some said slave traders had taken them, and others said they had been killed by a mad murderer…’
It had been the first disappearance case to occur in a territory managed by the Marquis Kroizen family, so it had caused quite a stir, and because of that I remembered it in fairly clear detail.
The culprit had never been caught in the end. Of course, the missing children had never returned either.
Once that memory surfaced, the alley leading to the bookstore suddenly felt eerie.
I hesitated for a moment, but thinking surely nothing would happen in broad daylight, I steadied my heart and stepped into the alley.
When I had walked about halfway toward the bookstore, I suddenly heard footsteps following behind me. They were the sounds of a man’s dress shoes.
At first, I thought it was a passerby, but strangely, those footsteps matched my pace. Then, all of a sudden, they began to grow a little faster.
For some reason, goosebumps rose along my spine, and I quickened my steps. Then the footsteps quickened as well.
A moment later, a large, rough hand shot out from behind me and clamped over my mouth, while a solid arm that was clearly a man’s wrapped around my waist.
It would be a lie to say I did not panic in such a situation.
The only fortunate thing was that I quickly regained my composure. After having even been murdered, what was kidnapping in comparison?
Thinking that I could not die twice, I quickly came to my senses and opened my mouth as wide as I could beneath the hand covering it.
My plan was to bite the man’s hand, then when he let me go and pulled back in pain, I would kick him hard in a vital spot and escape.
Just as I bared my teeth and tried somehow to bite down on the man’s hand, a pained groan rang out, and the hand covering my mouth fell away.
‘What?’
Soon after, a dull thud sounded, and the arm that had been tightly wrapped around my waist also disappeared.
Startled, I turned around and could not help but be shocked. The broad, solid back blocking my view was far too familiar.
“Rakein?”
I was so surprised that I unconsciously called him by his name instead of his surname. At that, he turned his head slightly toward me.
In that instant, what had happened in the forest before I died came to mind.
His figure standing before me when I had closed my eyes thinking he would kill me and then opened them again overlapped with what I saw now.
The emotions I thought I had put to rest surged violently once more.
“Please close your eyes for a moment, my lady.”
“……Yes.”
After hesitating briefly, I answered and closed my eyes as Rakein instructed.
Because I could not see his face, I could not see his expression, but from his voice, lower than usual, I could feel that he was furious.
‘Is it because I almost got kidnapped? Surely not…’
As I suppressed my surging emotions, thinking that could not be the case, sounds of impact similar to the one I had heard earlier rang out one after another.
A moment later, his voice reached me again.
“You may open your eyes now.”
When I opened my eyes and looked around, I saw a man sprawled on the ground.
“That man is…?”
When I asked, Rakein blocked the man from my view with his body and bowed his head.
“There is no need for you to look. He is a wretch too ugly to even set eyes upon. More importantly, I am truly sorry that you had to suffer such an unpleasant experience.”
“……”
Why are you apologizing to me?
I was the one who moved as I pleased. Rather, you saved me, did you not?
The emotions I thought I had suppressed welled up again and surged upward.
My mind became a jumble, and I could not think properly.
“Why do you…”
In the end, I was the one startled by the words that slipped out before I could stop them. I swallowed the rest in a hurry, but Rakein was looking down at me in silence.
“Ah, it’s nothing. More importantly, what do you plan to do with that man, Sir Hekeus?”
I quickly changed the subject, avoiding his gaze. If I met his red eyes right now, I felt I might say something I should not.
Rakein was silent for a moment at my question before answering quietly.
“…I heard that incidents of boys and girls being abducted have been occurring around here lately. He seems connected, so I intend to hand him over to the guards. Where were you headed, my lady?”
“I was on my way to the bookstore.”
“You mean the bookstore a little farther ahead. Understood. I will escort you there, then go to the guards. Please wait a moment.”
He approached the fallen man, seized him by the nape of the neck, and dragged him over.
Even if he was dragging him, the man was large and unconscious, so he must have been heavy, but Rakein did not show the slightest sign of strain.
Still, feeling somehow apologetic, I was about to tell him he could go to the guards first, but he was faster.
“Just in case, I will take the lead.”
Without giving me any room to speak, Rakein dragged the unconscious man and strode toward the bookstore.
Flustered, I hurried after him and asked.
“Wouldn’t it be better to go to the guards first, Sir Hekeus?”
“Escorting you to the bookstore comes first, my lady.”
“But…”
“If it is because of this man, you need not concern yourself.”
Rakein’s voice was gentle but firm. I could feel his resolve not to move elsewhere until I arrived safely at the bookstore.
“……”
I tried to say something, then closed my mouth.
It was because I felt bewildered by the contradictory feeling of being sorry to him while also feeling relieved that he would accompany me.
Staring at his back as he walked ahead of me with a wavering gaze, I let out a sigh and followed him.
When we arrived at the bookstore I had been heading for, Rakein opened the door for me and spoke as if securing a promise.
“You must not go anywhere else until I return. Will you promise me? There may still be this man’s accomplices in the area.”
“Yes, I promise.”
At his request, I answered obediently.
I did not want to experience something like what had just happened again, and for some reason, I wanted to listen to him.
When I promised, a look of relief appeared in his eyes, and he closed the bookstore door for me.
The inside of the bookstore was wider than I had expected.
Although I had already decided which book to buy, I slowly walked around and looked at the books.
It would take Rakein quite some time to go to the guards and return. Looking at books inside was better than waiting outside.
I checked what kinds of books they had and made a mental note of the books I wanted to buy if I came again.
Only after making a full round did I ask the owner to recommend the most popular romance novel these days.
After paying for the book and coming out, to my surprise, Rakein was waiting there.