#14. Recruiting Talent (5)
2023.08.14.
“Eden? Why are you here…….”
Vernon asked as if troubled, and Noah muttered as if to himself.
“That kid is…….”
Amy recognized him too. He was the boy they had encountered when exiting the baron’s manor. Eden spoke with a determined expression.
“I’ve always been heartbroken that my uncle, who is so talented, gave up his dreams to farm.”
Surprisingly, the boy was Vernon’s nephew. Vernon made a troubled expression.
“That’s not because of you…….”
“You said it was because of your injury, but I know everything there is to know. An opportunity like this won’t come again. Please go, Uncle. I’m begging you.”
As Eden pleaded, Jack and Bradley exchanged glances in silence. Dwayne clenched his fist and cheered Eden on. But…….
“I can’t go.”
Vernon curtly cut off his nephew’s desperate wish. Dwayne was openly disappointed.
“Wow, that stubborn mule is still……!”
With a thwack, Jack’s fist struck his head again. Once more, he rubbed the back of his head as nonchalantly as if a fly had landed on it.
“…….”
Silence fell between them. Amy was bewildered that Vernon was more stubborn than she had thought.
‘Is this something to refuse so adamantly?’
It was an opportunity that, by anyone’s assessment, offered good conditions—one that a farmer couldn’t seize again even if he died and came back to life. Then she suddenly realized. There was definitely some other circumstance for Vernon.
“Anyway, I have made my intentions clear. Your Highness, the Second Prince, I wish you a safe journey.”
Vernon bowed politely and then turned on his heel and left. Dwayne, Jack, and Bradley sighed, then huddled their heads together and began whispering among themselves.
Amy slowly approached Eden, who stood blankly in a corner.
“So you’re saying you’re Captain Vernon’s nephew?”
“Ah, yes…….”
Eden nodded docilely. Then he raised his eyes and looked at Amy clearly, asking deliberately.
“My uncle was the captain of the palace Royal Guard. If he goes to the Grand Duchy, will he receive proper treatment?”
“…….”
One of Amy’s eyebrows rose. Well, look at this. Inside this boy with eyes as docile as a cow’s, a fox had taken residence. However, she didn’t dislike people who knew their own worth and made demands confidently.
“He’ll receive treatment befitting his abilities. His Highness the Grand Duke is not one to be stingy with talented individuals.”
“Yes…….”
Eden let out a sigh of relief. Then Noah, who had quietly approached from the side, spoke.
“You come too.”
“……Yes?”
Eden jumped in surprise and pointed at himself. Noah rounded his eyes and stared at him.
“If Vernon says he won’t go because of you, shouldn’t you just go together?”
“Ah…….”
Eden trailed off. Then Noah briskly lifted his hand and looked at it closely.
“This is the hand of someone who trains.”
“!”
Eden’s face flushed red in an instant. He pulled his hand away and hid it behind his back, stammering.
“D-Dwayne sometimes looks after me…….”
Noah nodded calmly.
“As expected, those three aren’t simple farmers.”
Amy asked in surprise.
“How did you know that, Your Highness?”
“When they greeted me earlier, they clicked their heels together. That’s how the Royal Guard knights salute.”
“Ah…….”
So that was why their movements had been so disciplined. They must have been knights who followed Captain Vernon into retirement. Amy spoke with renewed zeal.
“Then we must bring them all the more.”
Noah glanced at her.
“Didn’t you say whether he goes or not is Vernon’s freedom?”
“Oh, come on, Your Highness. I only said that. If he really drags his feet, I’m prepared to resort to kidnapping.”
As Amy smiled brightly and waved her hand, Eden made an exasperated expression. Was this something to say in front of the nephew of the kidnapping target? But an even more maddening remark followed.
“If that’s what Amy thinks, then we should do so.”
“Yes?”
Eden was startled, but the lord and vassal were composed as if wondering what the problem was. To Eden, who stood gaping in disbelief, Amy spoke in a subtle voice.
“Try to convince your uncle. As you said, this isn’t a common opportunity.”
“Ah…….”
“If you go to the Grand Duchy, there will be no need to farm anymore. He’ll lead the garrison.”
Noah sidled up and added a word.
“And if you wish, I will recommend you to become the squire of a northern noble.”
Squire—that is, the term referred to a child who served at the side of a formal knight before becoming an apprentice knight, attending to the knight’s needs. Usually, children of noble houses became squires to lords or high lords, so it was an enormous opportunity for a commoner.
“Squire? Me?”
Suddenly, Eden’s eyes sparkled. Amy started to say “Oh,” then closed her mouth and looked at Noah with an impressed gaze. When had he figured that out?
“……Um, I think I might have a way.”
Having been thinking furiously about something, Eden cautiously opened his mouth. As color returned to Amy and Noah’s faces, he gulped dryly and then poured out his words as if resolved.
“C-Could you please make me Your Highness’s squire?”
“!”
At the unexpected words, Noah raised one eyebrow. Amy quickly pressed him.
“You said you might have a way? Is that true?”
“Yes, perhaps.”
“What do you mean ‘perhaps’? It won’t do unless you’re certain.”
When Amy spoke firmly, Eden seemed to think for a moment before nodding.
“I’ll make it succeed somehow.”
“……In that case.”
Amy signaled Noah with her eyes. To Noah, who made a bewildered expression as if asking “Why?”, she glared this time. It was a silent scolding asking why he wasn’t permitting it immediately. Noah spoke reluctantly.
“I’m not yet a formal knight, but…… well, fine.”
“!”
Eden’s face brightened. He huffed and bowed repeatedly.
“Thank you. Truly, thank you. I’ll work hard!”
“So, what do you plan to do?”
Amy crossed her arms and looked up at the sky. The sun was already at its zenith. According to her plan, she absolutely had to depart with Captain Vernon today, so time was tight.
“Ah, just a moment.”
Eden peered down a footpath connected to the mountain and soon took on a delighted expression, as if he had discovered something. Then he ran off waving his hand. The moment they looked over, wondering what it was, Eden shouted.
“Mrs. Weaver!”
What? Amy’s eyes went wide. Who?
Mrs. Weaver and Eden stood by the roadside, exchanging friendly words. A calm voice and a lively voice reached them intermittently. Amy narrowed her eyes and observed Mrs. Weaver carefully.
‘She looks to be about Captain Vernon’s age.’
The woman had neatly pinned up ash-blonde hair, and her attire was simple yet neat. She took something like a cookie from a reed basket hanging on her wrist and offered it to Eden. Eden smiled broadly as he accepted it.
‘Tall stature, straight posture, an unhurried attitude.’
She looked quite decent. However, after suffering greatly in her previous life, Amy had resolved to be much more stringent in judging people than before. So she tried not to jump to conclusions…….
Just then, the three knights quietly approached Mrs. Weaver. The lady nodded at their greeting. Dwayne, with his neat face, spouted some nonsense and sneakily slipped his hand into the lady’s basket.
“Dwayne!”
But before Jack could say anything, the lady’s hand struck Dwayne sharply. Smack!
“If you do this one more time, I will tell Vernon.”
The dry warning was a bonus. As Dwayne pouted, saying it was too much, Jack, Bradley, and Eden looked at him as if he were a pitiful fool.
Amy fell into deep thought.
‘She speaks perfect standard language, not the local dialect. She might have a more illustrious background than I thought.’
If a household made even its bondservants use standard language, it was almost certainly a prestigious family. Above all, she liked the woman’s upright gaze. She had heard that Mrs. Weaver had refused to participate in illegal acts despite her former employer’s threats. The corner of Amy’s mouth twitched.
‘Just as I heard from Viola.’
At last, Amy made up her mind. Mrs. Weaver was the perfect person to be the head maid of the Grand Duke’s castle.
‘But…… why is he chatting with Mrs. Weaver when he said he would persuade Captain Vernon?’
Amy’s gaze narrowed. Eden brought his face close to Mrs. Weaver’s ear and whispered earnestly. Beside them, Dwayne circled around, eyeing the basket covetously. As if used to it, Eden stuffed the cookie from his own hand into Dwayne’s mouth, and Dwayne laughed, chewing the cookie and saying it was good.
‘Hmm?’
Amy noticed Jack and Bradley watching Eden and Mrs. Weaver with earnest expressions. They too wanted Captain Vernon to go north no less than she did…….
‘Could Mrs. Weaver have a way?’
Their conversation ended quickly. Mrs. Weaver greeted the knights and Eden, then disappeared back down the footpath.
Amy stroked her chin as she watched the straight-backed figure leave. It was impressive that she didn’t even try to make herself look good to Noah, even though she must have known he was a noble if not the Grand Duke.
Eden ran back to them with a bright face and said.
“That lady is Mrs. Weaver, our neighbor.”
“I see.”
She already knew her identity but played along. Eden gazed wistfully in the direction where she had disappeared and continued.
“Uncle doesn’t want to leave this place because of Mrs. Weaver, not because of me.”